Hitting Send

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us;
It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

Note: This inspirational poem is taken from Marianne Williamson’s book A Return to Love. Though often quoted as part of Nelson Mandela’s moving inaugural speech, “Our Deepest Fear” it does not appear in the speech.

Love and Blessings,
Antonia

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

Admittedly, I do an interesting job of bouncing back and forth between mostly not caring much about how I’m being perceived by others, and sometimes caring very deeply. It’s such an interesting dance, or rather, a battle, which takes place mostly within our own minds, right? Worrying if the person sitting across from us is judging; questioning how what we say, do, and look like will be perceived by everyone from the stranger in line at the grocery store, to our family members. But, if they’re looking to fault us, they’ll find a way, right? Does it really matter? The strangers whose paths we cross are probably not going to remember us. I’ve often heard it said that others are not thinking about us nearly as much as we think. I’m certain that’s true. And, if we’re busy thinking in our own minds about how we’re being perceived, then we’re leaving little time for judgment of those around us. Sounds like quite a waste of life and energy, if you ask me. Wouldn’t it be better to make peace with ourselves, and let the rest go?

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve always been the ‘new kid’, that hippie chick, with the waist-length hair, who came from a strange foreign land, which enabled me to come to a certain peace with the fact that I’d never really fit in, and thus it was better to just be myself. Other than my first three consecutive years in Holland, I was never at the same school for longer than two years. That changed in high school, but, by then I was content not to fit into any one mold, and happily made friends with a variety of people, never a part of any one clique, a gift in and of itself. I enjoyed being my own person, who leaned more towards the artsy side, but could adapt to almost any of the groups, thus shedding a great deal of the angsty teen perceptions game. This has assisted me a great deal in later life, as well, as I can blend into a variety of atmospheres comfortably.

It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else’s eyes.

It’s not that I’m advocating for ill behavior, or blase thoughtlessness when I say that we shouldn’t care so much about what others think. I’m saying that as long as we do our best, we shouldn’t let what occurs in other’s minds affect how we think or behave. I know this is an interesting yoga, as we must adhere to societal norms to a certain extent, whether we’re blending into a work environment, trying to make guests comfortable in our home, tip-toeing as a guest in another’s home, or just out and about in our communities. I’m not asking you to set aside your manners, obviously. I’m asking you to stay true to your authentic self, speak your own truth, and stand up for who you are, as no matter what happens in the world, or how the players around you change, you are still you. Don’t abandon your inner self to paint a picture for another; be the most perfect version of your special and Beautiful self.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

Let’s be honest here. What you think of me is really none of my business, so why should I allow it to alter me, or my own perception of self? I know who I am and Love me, faults and all! *giggle* People come in and out of our lives, and I have chosen to surround myself with people who Love and accept me for my true self. They still expect the best of me, but do not require that I shape myself into a mold or fit pictures of who or what I should be. Not compromising ’self’ is a true Blessing, and I highly recommend it. Life is far too short to limit or hold back on who we are and the gifts we came to share. We’re all different, and meant to be that way. This is the one chance to be the unique individual you really are, so be bold, be Beautiful you! I dare ya!

Love and Blessings,
Antonia

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.

Ever had a symbol repeatedly appear in your life? The Beautiful winged heart does bring a smile to my face, and as it has been showing up a great deal in my life of late, I set out to learn more about its roots. The winged heart holds different meanings for different people, and interestingly, is a common tattoo motif, representing a joyful, optimistic and free spirit. The heart has become a common symbol for Love, but was once thought to be the location of the human soul. It has been known as the ’seat of emotions’ by Christians and Islam regards it as the ’spiritual center’. In Egyptian symbology, wings are the symbol of spiritual progress, so the heart with wings signifies the heart reaching upward towards heaven.

Let Thy wish become my desire, let Thy will become my deed;
let Thy word become my speech, Beloved,
and let Thy love become my creed.

The origin of the winged heart is as the emblem for the Sufi movement, a spiritual discipline within Islam. Sufism is known as “Islamic Mysticism,” in which Muslims seek to find divine Love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. The heart is considered to be a bridge between the body and soul, a channel between spirit and material. The Sufi symbol is a heart with wings within which is a five pointed star (representing divine light) and a crescent moon (reflecting responsiveness to this light). The symbol was chosen by Hazrat Inayat Khan who introduced Sufism to the Western World, and he had this to say about the symbol: “In brief, the meaning of the symbol is that the heart responsive to the light of God is liberated.”

Only from the heart
Can you touch the sky.

As I just wrote about Sacred Dance, in which I showed the “Whirling Dervishes”, it’s interesting to me that the winged heart is a reflection of the Sufi’s ability to empty of self, allowing for the human and Divine to meet, for dance is one of the methods through which they accomplish this. The “Turn,” the moving meditation done by Dervishes, actually originated with the Sufi poet Rumi. It is said that he was walking through the gold-smithing area of Konya when he was captured by the Beautiful music he heard in the hammering. He began turning in rhythm to it, an ecstatic dance of surrender with a disciplined center. He arrived at a place where ego dissolves and a resonance with Universal soul arrived. The literal translation of Dervish is “doorway.” Through a free heart, there is, indeed, a doorway.

One of the reasons I am teaching this music and dancing is to increase Joy, not awe towards another person, but bliss in our own self. This is finding God within, through Experience.

I Love the image of the winged heart which, for me, evokes an essence of blissful Love, harmony and freedom, which is what I feel when I dance, meditate and go within. I find the symbolism of wings, an openness, and joyful extension of Loving energy, so Beautiful. Our spiritual and personal growth is made possible with an open heart, and through quiet listening to our innermost desires at our spiritual center, we have the power to transcend. By allowing our heart to be open to Love, rather than in resistance, we rise, expand and are free. That’s the view through my lens, Dear Readers. I would Love it if you shared what the symbol evokes for you.

Love and Blessings,
Antonia

There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.

I have a confession to make. I am happily dancing my way through life. It makes me laugh when I stop to think about just how many things I dance my way through; and, as I’ve allowed myself more freedom of expression at the core of my being, the amount of dancing exponentially increases as well. It’s really quite Awesome. Perhaps you’ve seen me dancing in my car at stop lights? Or, down the aisles at the supermarket? *giggle*

Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body.

As both an avid music Lover and one who has always enjoyed some form of physical movement, whether it be dancing, hiking, biking, swimming or some other activity, it was pretty inevitable that dance would make its way into my daily life. Even as a child, I was drawn towards the combination of music and freedom of movement. I took tap, jazz, ballet, gymnastics and participated in various group dance activities as well, fascinated by the different forms movement can take. When a girlfriend introduced me to Sacred dance a couple of years ago, it was an excellent fit for me and I was hooked.

Man must speak, then sing, then dance. The speaking is the brain, the thinking man. The singing is the emotion. The dancing is the Dionysian ecstasy which carries away all.

The ancients knew the importance of dance, and it is frequently depicted in cave drawings. Across time and cultures, dance has been revered for its power to transform, healing the body, mind and spirit, bringing community together in joyous bonding, and allowing us to see a deeper level of self. Dance has been used for worship, celebration, story-telling, healing, bonding, meditation, evoking visions, and more. Within most industrialized nations dance has lost its Beautiful esoteric roots; the gifts of rhythmic movement being reduced to a form of entertainment. The form of Sacred dance in which I have been participating is based upon the tenets of Shamanism, which takes the dancer on an inner journey allowing for a reconnection with spirit which is both blissful and healing. With intentions set prior to beginning, the dancer gently surrenders to the rhythms, allowing movements to express intuitively. The dance becomes not only a place to express one’s intention through movement, but also to listen for feedback and guidance on that intention from deeper sources of being.

Dancing faces you towards Heaven, whichever direction you turn.

I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to to dance better than myself.

Life is a dance, a blending of energies coming together, an ebb and flow, and a balancing act. By consciously combing music and movement, old stagnant energies are released from the body, freeing us from stuck feelings and liberating us so that we can embrace the next moment in life without hang ups of the past. It also feels really, really good to move the body. Dance is a gift to which people seem to be reawakening and I highly encourage you, BeLoved reader, to turn on some music and move your body, allowing for the organic unfolding which will occur. If you can find a group with which to dance, all the better, as coming together with joint intention brings another level to the power of transformative dance. Go out and explore what your local community offers, as it is well worth the Beautiful journey which will be carried forth into your everyday life, enriching your life, as as it has mine, in such Wonderful ways.

Love and Blessings,
Antonia