Journey of the Heart

This past month has been one of loss and pain and suffering for me… I have gotten to know the darkest depths of myself. One day, I was at a coffee shop and they had these candles decorating a corner table. Each candle was different. One was thick and tall, another was stubby and the last one had the shape of a baby angel. I have a profound appreciation for candles. They are elements I use to meditate, to open creativity pathways, etc. However, in my darkness, nothing seemed to work. Yet, when I saw these three candles I realized something: No matter how down I was, how consumed I was by darkness, there was always a spark of light. It never, ever died. It just reduced itself to the smallest size...but there it was within me. Where there is light, there is life!   The Fire of Life by Dolly Mahtani The light of this candle Reminds me a lot of my own. The way it shines, The way it flickers, The way it dances, The way it shimmers. This little light in me...

We Carve our Hearts on Stone By Tammy T. Stone Though I love writing in many different forms and styles, lately I’ve found poetry running through my veins, the poetic framework fitting so seamlessly with my experiences as they weave through my deepest recesses and into expressive emergence. This year, I felt compelled to write a poem per day during National Poetry Month in April. As I’m currently living in Japan, I decided to write haikus – not the traditional Japanese haiku , but the more standardized version that follows the 5-7-5 syllable count. True in some sense to the Japanese style of haiku, however, I quickly found myself instinctively focusing on the theme of nature. At the very beginning, I wrote a poem and then found a photo to accompany it, but after a few days, I found myself drawn to the idea of seeking out a photo to draw inspiration from. Imagery and language complement each other so strikingly, intellect and formulation on the one side, and a landscape ...

This poem was inspired experiences I’ve had exploring the ancestral wisdom that lives inside us all... ... and the lineage of connection that binds us to our own history, in all the glory and also terror this can evoke. Some of our connections live within our memories and conscious minds, and others lay buried deep within, going back generations and generations, waiting for our attention, love and even redemption. Sitting with our hearts with the intention of plumbing the depths and going beyond what we’ve known to be our reality thus far, to discover more about who, how and why we are is a beautiful, if heart-rendering part of growth. Photography by Tammy T. Stone Wreckage By Tammy T. Stone On a misty evening past rain, with dusk giving way to the blanket of a cloudless night, I lower my head, as though for a moment I can turn away, and wait for the voices to come wafting up from the ground, through open windows onto hollowed land. The night is ...

We have all heard the expression feeling like we are “at the end of our rope.” I feel we are tethered to our souls with a strand of light. Sometimes we feel like we are barely hanging on. It is an inner pulling, a sacred cord that we even pull each other through, with our prayers, intentions and songs. It pulls us back to our courage, it keeps us moving on and through even when we feel like letting go. The Final Strand of Hope by Maureen Kwiat Meshenberg the final strand of strength, I hold on with weak hands- as you tether me, to my journey. all what may seem gone, lost, or taken away- brings me to my cord, of life, light, and love, holding me close- to the length of my day, my knowing, bringing me here. it is my inner pulling, like a rope tied- around me, pulling me through- the waves of my fears. for now I stand holding, the final strand of strength- to pull you through- we hold the sacred cord, of prayers, intention...

  I wrote this as some sort of comforting hymn to myself, one night when I couldn’t shake off that fear… I go back to read it, as a reminder of how fear is nothing but a small sensation in your chest. And if you practice and stay persistence, you can learn to turn it around to excitement. Fear Is The Thing, My Dear by Charlotte Eriksson But if your heart doesn’t have any fear it will cease to grow in time for fear is the thing, dear. Fear is the thing that makes the heart pump, eyes open and mind swell, and fear makes the safety worth chasing. Adventure awaits on the other side of that fall, in that fall, and if you knew the outcome of each and every thing the point would cease to be. Fear is the thing my dear. Fear is the thing that makes the heart grow. Charlotte Eriksson : When I was 18 years old I left my home in Sweden and moved all by myself to London to go after my...

In ancient Vedic texts our Earth planet is personified as a goddess whose name is Bhumi Devi… She is seen as one of the many types of mothers as she protects, provides and cares for us.  We, ourselves, are but transient houseguests who have been graciously given a home and are the recipients of our generous earth mother's bounty. May we all live with careful consideration, respect and compassion for each other and all living beings.  May we embody true humility, grace, and service by treading gently as we inhabit Bhumi Devi's surface. Slow down and feel her warm embrace... Love Note on Mother Nature by Vrinda Aguilera At my best of times, at my worst of times I have always turned to and received the comfort and reassurance of Mother Nature. She has always been there for me. She enfolds me in her warm embrace. I trust her and she loves me. She soothes my upsets with her soft, melodic sounds as only she can do. She strokes me wit...