When learning how to manifest your desires, NEVER get hung up on how the goal arrives, what it looks like in the end, the “how” of the way it should come into fruition.
I have the perfect example to share.
I’ve been wanting to take another cross country trip so I can stop in Austin and see one of my dearest friends. She lived in Santa Fe when I lived there. Even though I’ve been back to Santa Fe several times since moving to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, since she no longer lives there, we haven’t managed to see one another in about 5 years.
Every time you go somewhere new, you become a new person … with a new perspective, new experiences, and new insights. The more you travel and experience new things, the easier it becomes to appreciate cultural diversity, and to transform your life.
Tears started streaming down my face as I read the article and watched the video mentioned below about cultural diversity in the classroom.
Experiencing and appreciating cultural diversity is one of many reasons I love to travel. This is why I love moving to different locations, meeting new people and surrounding myself, enveloping myself, in the different energies of ethnicity, of belief, of tradition and history, of the colors and texture of diversity, in order to understand the beautiful tapestry of humanity and truly KNOW and become ONE with it.
It’s noon on Saturday here in Fiji in the South Pacific. Wow – a great and adventurous trip so far!
We drove to D.C. on Monday. Did some last minute packing and shopping, had a fabulous Ethiopian meal.
Our flight headed out on Tuesday at 4:30 from Dulles. A 5-hour ride to L.A. We got to see the new Karate Kid movie. It was truly great. If you haven’t seen it, I think you will like it.
In L.A. we had a 5-hour layover. When I went to the counter to get our boarding passes to Fiji, I was told that without a return ticket or a ticket to somewhere else, they could not let us on the plane. Yikes! I had a picture of the boat we were boarding in Fiji as well as a letter from the captain, but that wasn’t good enough. After all the money I’d been spending on preparing for the trip, I didn’t have enough in any one account to purchase two full fares from Fiji to Syndey. So I had to call my mom in the middle of the night. It was around 11 East Coast time already. I said, what a horrible daughter I am. Wake your mom up in the middle of the night to ask for money. What great parents though, they bought the ticket and we were able to get our boarding passes. The ticket to Sydney is refundable.
The waiting area for the flight we were taking on Air Pacific had enough chairs to hold about 20 people. We couldn’t figure out how a really tiny plane was going to fly 10 hours without refueling. Turns out it’s just a small waiting area. They stuck us on buses and transported us to a big jumbo jet.
The flight was the worst I’ve ever taken. The plane was nice enough, but neither Jess nor I could sleep. By the time we took off it was already 2:30 a.m. East Coast time. Once on the plane, I had eye shades, ear plugs, neck pillows. We added the small pillow and blanket the airline provides. We should have been golden and gone right to sleep. But neither of us could. We never did sleep.
Finally, we arrived in Fiji where our sweet Fijian taxi guy picked us up at 5:30 a.m. and drove us to the Marina. What a gorgeous drive.
We boarded the Furthur and began the adventure here.
It’s taken a few days to catch up on sleep. But by now, we are good to go.
This morning I woke up at 5:30 a.m., got up before anyone else and headed to the top deck. I wrote for awhile on my new book, then photographed the sunrise over one of the Fiji islands. We are anchored off shore near a gorgeous marina where we had dinner yesterday.
During low tide, an island pops out of the sea. We took the dingy over and snorkeled this morning around the coral reefs. What cool fish. It was Jess’ first snorkel experience. He loved it.
Later he got to kayak for the first time.
Gotta go. The internet connection is very slow. So, no pictures or anything, even though I’ve already taken a couple hundred.
Hello to all our friends everywhere.
Until next time,
Takara and Jess
We all have a unique gift, skill, or talent that we are here to express. Some even have spiritual gifts that they are to use to help others. The expression of these gifts and talents often bring joy, peace, healing, or understanding to the individual, and in some cases, other people.
For some, a spiritual gift might be songs that they hear in their head, or symbols or images they see in their mind’s eye. A clairaudient person might hear songs or words. A clairvoyant person might imagine a picture and draw or paint it. I have many friends who “receive” words and symbols.
I am deeply blessed to know … Read more
Andi Goldman, Jonathan Goldman, and I had so much fun doing this photo shoot for my Essence of Sound oils that are infused with his sacred music.
We used to see one another in Denver quite often … since I lived in Santa Fe and they lived in Boulder. It was a great meeting place. For the last several years we’ve been hanging out in Yogaville and the lovely grounds there. This is the first time we got to see one another at the beach. It was so wonderful having dinner together with an ocean view. So much fun!
Right after I began making them, Jonathan and I did a photo shoot holding the oils many years ago. I decided it was time to get some updated images.
I have been blessed many times by my visits to Yogaville. When my dear friends, Andi and Jonathan Goldman, teach there, it gives us an opportunity to see one another in person. Since moving to the east coast from Santa Fe, seeing them in person happens much less often.
Typically on the final day of their weekend course, I’m given the opportunity to share the Divine Name Essence with each of the participants in the class. After the workshop is over, I’m asked to stay and let people try additional essences, mists, and other products I offer.
The Divine Name Essence is just one of the series of products I co-created with Jonathan Goldman, which infuses his Divine healing sounds into my sacred healing oils. We call it the Essence of Sound. Whether you use the oil while listening to the music, or on it’s own, they bathe the body and energy field in those exquisite vibrations and people really seem to love them. I know I do. Andi and Jonathan do as well. Many of those who love his music greatly enjoy the oils also.
When I was in Yogaville at Jonathan and Andi’s workshop this spring, I met many of the people who live and work at the ashram. It was the first time I felt really connected with the community there. One of the wonderful ladies who has lived there since the early 80’s invited me to come back to stay for a weekend. We were collaborating to lead workshops and Goddess experiences together.
So many wonderful things happened this time, I hardly know where to begin . . .
When most people think of Yogaville, they instantly think of the LOTUS – Light of Truth Universal Shrine. What a gorgeous facility radiating such wonderful loving energy. People meditate there daily on the upper level. The lower level contains a collection of artifacts and sacred objects from many of the world’s religions. It is a place honoring all traditions.
The image at the top of the article, of the hillside with two temples as you move up the hill, are what you see if you are standing in front of the LOTUS and look up the hill.
The first night on my trip to Yogaville, my host took me to the top of that hill (in the top photo) to watch the sunset. Others showed up who were doing the same. We ended up joyfully telling many stories and laughing until long after the sun had set. Looking down on the Ashram from that vantage point was so lovely.
I met with many people, did a private energy healing session for one of the ladies who lives there, and shared Dancing Dolphin Sacred Healing Oils & Mists, pendulums, and bracelets, with many. At lunch one day, my host suggested that I show my pendulums to a particular swami. I was so surprised that this deLightful woman that I’ve seen there many times is quite an accomplished dowser and absolutely loved the various pendulums I had with me and especially the one I gave her. Who knew swamis were into dowsing? I certainly didn’t.
Much like here, there were deer everywhere.
My host took me to see a statue at the farm – where they grow organically many vegetables and flowers. Just as we were leaving, the guy in charge drove in. He had just returned from selling produce at the vegetable stand. After our introductions, I asked him about the stand and the vegetables they had for sale. He went on to tell me all about it and then offered to walk around with me to pick fresh vegetables to take home. Beautiful, and very scrumptious, squash, peppers of all colors, some very unusual and yummy tomatoes, and many other veggies began filling the two huge bags I got to come home with. It was amazing the amount of vegetables I got for the money I spent.
For dinner on Saturday, instead of eating as we usually do in the dining hall of the ashram, we drove 10 miles to a lovely little town and enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal at a restaurant owned by a former student of my friend and host for the weekend.
Every Saturday night there is a sacred gathering. There is typically a short video clip of Swami Satchidenanda speaking followed by talk or music by one of the presenters holding a workshop there at the time. David Newman (Durga Das) was there that weekend. So Saturday night’s gathering involved his music and much dancing. The evening always concludes with participants being offered food that has been blessed.
It was the weekend before Spring Equinox, so on Sunday afternoon one of the wonderful women from Yogaville facilitated a Peruvian Despacho. It was held on top of the hill overlooking the LOTUS. A large group of us gathered and shared in the beautiful ceremony honoring the harvest and blessing the earth.
I had planned to return home on Sunday evening. But one of the women I’d connected with at a meal was teaching all weekend and wasn’t available until Monday. I stayed the extra day so she and I could get together for tea. Tea turned into lunch and could easily have turned into dinner. We had so many things in common, from interests to philosophy. It was a powerful connection and we are planning a collaboration for the future.
The thing I am constantly reminded of is that fewer magical things happen if you never go any where and do any thing that is outside the normal for your life and your routine. When you live fully in the present moment, always open and anticipating wonderful things to happen, they usually do.
Have a glorious day and enjoy your adventures at Yogaville or somewhere else!
Takara
