Newsletter Archive

• Back to News
• 2008
• 2007
• 2006
• 2005
• 2004
• 2003
• 2002
• 2001
• Newsletter signup
• Unsubscribe from Newsletter

October Salon

Nov 8, 2002

Spiritual Service and the Body Politic

We've talked a lot about what it means to belong to a Mystery School. Indeed, these Salons are based on the teachings of the ancient Mystery Schools. I've shown you different practices and exercises you can use to increase your awareness. Most of those, admittedly, involve some aspect of mental work -- focusing your attention, using Witness consciousness, enjoying silence, and so on. But one area we haven't talked about much is the body. Especially in the West, we have a prejudice against the body that probably dates back at least to the Middle Ages. The notion that spirit is good and matter is evil was reinforced by several popular heresies that spread across Europe in those days. The Irish clergy who were trained in France were heavily influenced by Jansenism, a heresy that stressed rigorous asceticism. And they brought this orientation with them when they migrated to America and became a dominant force in the Catholic Church here. Add to that the celibate structure of the Catholic priesthood, and the result is that we have by and large been imprinted left with feelings of shame about our bodies.

GETTING COMFORTABLE

Consider the many workshops on sexuality and sexual play that take place in our therapeutic culture. Inevitably the question arises of what the root cause is behind the stressful relationship so many of us have with our bodies, and almost without fail the answer can be traced to the separation of body and soul and the belief that while the soul is pure, the body is not. Entire theologies have emerged from that posture, not to mention the many social ills and inequalities that are based on nothing more than our discomfort with our sexual selves. While the significance of our spiritual relationship to our own bodies is worthy of an entire future Salon, the focus this month is to investigate how our comfort level with our physical selves is often projected onto our comfort level with the global body.

FEAR OF THE NEWS

Life in a Mystery School has just as much to do with developing a respectful rapport with and love of your physical body as it has to do with creating rapport with and understanding of the physical world around you. To suspend all connection to the physical, political world -- and to consider that separation somehow a vital part of your spiritual practice -- is to cut off a crucial aspect of what it means to be of service to the world. How can you be of service to the world if you can't even bear to look at it? If you choose not to face what's going on in the political and social realms, you are leading a false spiritual life. In previous centuries, monks and nuns and hermits and recluses lived apart from the world and devoted their lives to prayer and fasting and meditation. It's an intriguing question whether that kind of practice is still needed today. It was clearly needed back then to preserve the mystical traditions as well as many aspects of learning that were kept alive in the monasteries of Europe during the Dark Ages. Those cloistered monks and nuns may have been pumping out the spiritual energy that kept the rest of the benighted world alive. And for some few people, that kind of spiritual life may still serve a function. Keep in mind, however, that those were total practices that required a complete commitment of time and energy that would be all but inconceivable to just about anyone reading this. If you feel called to join an ashram for life, that’s one thing. But to think that a modest practice of meditation, prayer, yoga, or anything else absolves you of the need to be active in the world, you’ve simply found another way of fooling yourself.

BE IN YOUR BODY AND IN THE WORLD

Think of Jesus and the Buddha, since we've been talking about them. The Buddha discovered that the horrific violence that was rampant in the land -- his father was a warrior king, after all -- was the result of people's misperception that they are all distinct, separate egos. If I'm separate from everyone else, then I have to defend myself with physical force, and amass much wealth as possible to insulate me from those who might want to take it away. (Does this sound like a description of somebody we know from our current government, or what?) Jesus arrived in Judea at a time when the Roman occupation had made many Jews forget the compassion teachings that had defined them as a nation. And so he made love and forgiveness the cornerstones of his teaching. In doing so, Jesus was a decidedly political force.

YOUR PRACTICE

You are going to focus on only one thing this month, and that is how you feel about yourself physically. Some of these suggestions might appear a bit ridiculous, but there is meaning in my madness.

Go into your bedroom and bathroom and add up the amount of money you spend on cosmetics and “looking good” – then ask yourself if it works.
What don’t you like about yourself physically and what do you like? (If you say you love yourself just the way you are…humph to that.)
Pay attention to what makes you physically uncomfortable. For example, if someone said, “You look terrific” – does that make you feel good? Do you believe them?
FINALLY
You know, I realized some time ago that people discover the sacredness of their body through illness, because illness alerts people in a tactile way to the connection of their spirit to their body. And perhaps that is one of the reasons for the development of an illness. Contrary to the assumption that illness is often the result of negativity, sometimes it is simply the result of a misperception that the body is a weight around the neck of the spirit. Or that the body is an embarrassment: “You could never get me into that bathing suit!” Embarrassment or continual self-criticism of your body is a negative visualization that has to manifest somehow, and illness qualifies as one form of manifestation.

Awareness of your physical being is this month’s activity. Please take time to step out of your interior space and into the observational mode of your physical self. Do it.

And on another note…. Happy Halloween! This is the play day that signals the beginning of the holiday season. I love Halloween. I have such fond memories of trick-or-treating with the kids in my neighborhood when I was growing up. My brother and I would be on the streets until 10 P.M., returning home only to dump all of our goodies on the living room floor and then off we went again. One year we came home and my mom had decorated the kitchen with candles and streamers and prepared a Halloween dinner for us. It’s one of my fondest memories and always will be.

Have a wonderful next month…and until November’s Salon, all my love,

Caroline

The Wayne Dyer & Caroline Myss Seminar “In Chicago”
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Dr. Caroline Myss have played key roles in the movement of people interested in awakening human potential. These two innovative leaders have helped tens of thousands of people access their innate abilities by teaching how we create our own realities, for better or worse, and how to consciously direct human energy toward achieving goals. On Saturday, November 23, Dyer and Myss will collaborate for the first time ever--bringing to you their knowledge and experience of the amazing interconnection between our minds, bodies and realities, and how to work with this information to not only improve your daily life, but reach your highest human potential.

Caroline Myss (pronounced "Mace") will introduce strategies for scripting changes that can be applied to every area of life. In her previous seminars, Myss lifted the curtain on the human energy system and the connections between past events and present well-being, showing where your power is, how to use it, and how to call it back. In this seminar she will turn from your past to your future--how you can realistically get on with ambitions and dreams.

Myss will teach you how to use your energy and direct it very practically for specific projects--projects that are creative, projects to direct change, projects for enhancing relationships, projects to help you manifest your highest purpose in life. You will gain lifelong tools--practical and realistic--for co-creating your dreams and visions.

Myss has a talent for reading the group energy of her audience. What she teaches is related to both the people present and current events that affect us all. She will cover topics such as...

The principles of co-creation: a new tool for working with chakras
Why creativity is as essential to your life as breathing
The three types of intuition and how to cultivate them
What the greatest goal of your life should be and why
The #1 block to intuition and how to overcome it
Wayne Dyer, affectionately called the "father of motivation" by his fans, will speak about material from his two new books, There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem and 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace. Dyer teaches how to re-direct thought patterns to improve well-being. He writes, "Thinking is the source of problems. Your heart holds the answer to solving them."
Dyer will teach you to see the omnipresent spiritual force, right at your fingertips, that contains the solution to problems--from ill health to financial worries to relationship difficulties. Drawing from various spiritual traditions, Dyer will show you how to solve problems by unplugging from the material world and accessing an innate spiritual force.

How we look upon the world--and the images we hold--determines what we will get. Dyer will teach you how to see the images that currently influence your life, both positively and negatively, and how to consciously incorporate new images that will aid you in achieving success and inner peace.

Like Myss, Dyer looks to the audience for the direction of his subject matter. Topics he will cover may include...

Having a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing
Giving up your personal history
The inability to solve a problem with the same mind that created it
Treating yourself as if you already are what you'd like to be
Avoiding all thoughts that weaken you
Wayne Dyer and Caroline Myss will present one of the most dynamic and important seminars available on integrating inner and outer spiritual energy and purpose. These two pioneers bring years of innovative research and life experience to their work; and together, they will guide you in tapping into the depth and breadth of what your life can be. You will leave this seminar with specific methods for awakening human potential that you never realized or even dreamed were available to you.
When Saturday, November 23, 9am-5pm
Where The Donald E. Stephens Conference Center
Phone 1- 800-979-7323

To register: MYSS-DYER

Sacred Contracts “Austin Texas”
Omega Institute Workshop
Austin TX.
NOV. 16 2002
800 944 1001

To Register: Sacred Contrats

The Miraval Retreat

Date/Time:
January 17-20, 2003

Description:

In January 2003, I will introduce the first of what will be an annual retreat program to be held at the Miraval Spa in Arizona (Catalina). The beginning of the year inspires so many people to want to engage in a fresh start -- to let go of old patterns and to introduce new dynamics for healthy lives and healthy relationships. Starting fresh is supported by body work and beauty treatments accompanied by a cleansing and revitalizing nutritional program. My goal in hosting a retreat in an exquisite health spa is to explore our creative intentions while nurturing our bodies. Miraval provides precisely the right atmosphere to accomplish this goal. It is the perfect location for a five-day program of creative interior and exterior relaxation that will address physical, emotional, and spiritual rejuvenation. Most of us find it so difficult to treat themselves to exquisite self-care, and yet this is precisely the gift that infuses us with the energy we need to handle a demanding life, regardless of whether the demands come from the business or personal world or both.

I have created a schedule that will facilitate both pleasure and inner work. We gather in the morning for three hours of intensive interaction, and the rest of the day and evening is set aside for relaxation and spa treatments. The setting is extremely peaceful and the spa is very small, which is why it is ideal for this kind of retreat. We will focus on a specific area of spiritual direction each day, as my intention is to lead participants through a directed cleansing of the mind, body, and spirit, closing the week with two days of creative exploration and planning for the year ahead.

My teachings will be drawn from the classic writings of renowned mystics and spiritual teachers, as well as from the work of contemporary teachers whose guidance will remain a valued tool for years to come. It is a pleasure for me to create this program because it allows me to step out of my usual workshop role in front of hundreds of people. In this more intimate setting, I will share experiences and profound teachings that are more suited to a peaceful atmosphere than to a large workshop setting. Exploring the interior work and healing guidance of mystics, saints, and spiritual teachers refreshes one's soul in a way that few things can. Absorbing their wisdom is like bathing in hope, inspiration, and faith. This is one of the most life-changing programs that I have been given the privilege to create. I extend a warm invitation to you to join me on this unique retreat.

Caroline

To reserve your space for this event please call (800) 232-3969

New!!!

The Science of Medical Intuition

Almost 20 years ago, a Harvard-trained neurosurgeon and researcher named Norman Shealy was introduced to a young woman with a special gift: she could “see” illness in other people with only her intuition to guide her. After extensive testing, Dr. Shealy concluded that her ability to diagnose illness – even from remote distances – was 93% accurate. Today that “medical intuitive” – Caroline Myss – is a legend in the field of intuition and energy healing, with three New York Times bestsellers to her credit, including her current blockbuster Sacred Contracts.

Now, in a major publishing event, these two pioneering voices are together again in a revolutionary self-care curriculum, on The Science of Medical Intuition.

First presented by Myss and Shealy at a series of influential workshops, The Science of Medical Intuition is designed to help listeners take control of their total health, through intuitive self-diagnosis and healing techniques. Complete on 12 enriching sessions – over 18 hours of learning – and enhanced by a large format workbook developed exclusively for this course, The Science of Medical Intuition covers every phase of Myss’ and Shealy’s groundbreaking approach to self-care including:

The history of medical intuition
Intuition self-training
Chakra-by-chakra self-diagnosis
Healing with imagery
Surprising scientific evidence from medicine and physics
Past lives and present health
Decoding archetypal information, and much more.
At last, here is a full toolbox of self-diagnostic practices, visualizations, and healing insights, taught by Myss and Shealy in their own words, on The Science of Medical Intuition.
Here is the link to The Science of Medical Intuition