this is how you know you are there: the circular conundrum of higher consciousness

November 12, 2010 by rachel

  this is how you know you are there first you recognize that there is no there only here which is there and everywhere, and when the thinking begins to melt your brain into a soft warm, fudgy goo Hallelujah, you’ve arrived! wherein you recognize that there is no arrival no destination only experience presenting itself as a series of infinite nows and when you see the emerging picture and grasp the understanding, seek to lavish yourself in your brilliant […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, consciousness, higher consciousness, personal growth

wear purple, my ass! reclaiming my personal manifesto of limitless liberation

September 2, 2010 by rachel

Still in true retrograde mode, here’s a revisit to an earlier emanation of exhilaration. (Yeah, that’s a boatload of alliteration, so sue me.) All given with a wink and a nod to my wise and magical friend from New Mexico, who knows how to kick my transformational butt when I need it most. If you woke up each morning and declared this vow three times in front of your mirror, with feeling, you could doubtless skip the coffee… i will: […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: empowerment, higher consciousness, manifesto, personal growth

the times they are a-changing: be adaptable

May 22, 2010 by rachel

This is from a book (now in test-marketing phase) on easing your way through change. Nobody’s going anywhere these days if they dig in their heels and steel themselves against inevitable, inescapable, and (yes!) potentially wonderful change. There are times to be patient and times to act. There are times to rise up strong and independent and times to sink to the floor in surrender. Change may very well ask you to be wildly proactive one day and hands-off the […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, transformation • Tags: change, empowerment, personal growth, wisdom

the 7 words of well-being for men (redux)

May 18, 2010 by rachel

The ground is shifting under the feet of us all, but perhaps even more so for men determined to release themselves from old ways of being. Someday, the gender distinction will likely prove itself irrelevant. Until then, this feels like a good time to revisit this post, which first appeared in April 2008 and again in February 2009. Even though my books and writing may be labeled “for men” or “for women,” these distinctions often reflect publishing-world realities more than […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, men, personal growth, transformation • Tags: empowerment, masculine, men's work, personal growth, words

words and art for mothers: yesterday, today, tomorrow

May 9, 2010 by rachel

Here are three pages from my book, 365 Words of Well-Being for Mothers (Contemporary/McGraw-Hill, 2003), which, alas, is currently out-of-print and generally available only in used or remainder copies. My own mother has taken up fragile residence in between worlds: here but not here, there but not there. She can’t express whether she remembers who any of us are, though I like to believe that in her deepest heart, she will never forget. I always liked the thought that there […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, prose poetry, women, word of the day • Tags: life, Mother's Day, mothers, personal growth, relationships, vintage illustrations

embody & integrate: sure beats the alternative

May 4, 2010 by rachel

Fact is, folks, the moment is upon you, the necessary pieces are in place, and the trains are ready to leave the station. Pardon the mixed metaphors, but if you continue to resist bringing your hard-earned lessons of higher awareness down through your physical body and out to the hands and feet that mark your movement in the world, you’re going to miss the boat. It’s not really a game, you know. It’s an evolutionary imperative, and either you put […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, evolution, higher consciousness, Hole-Punch Cloud, life, new paradigm, personal growth

a double dose of straight-up inspiration

May 3, 2010 by rachel

Two messages to help move you down the road: one from my book “Be Filled with Faith” (learn more in the right-hand sidebar), and one from a book currently in the test marketing process.  These words are infused with the vibration of faith, discovery, and easeful change.  Let ‘em in! Be Unafraid to Let Go Change can be a powerful tonic, bringing fresh vibrancy to the old and stale. But first, you must be willing to release dead-end relationships, jobs, […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, change, empowerment, faith, letting go, life, personal growth, truth, wisdom

can you remain awestruck during tough times?

June 19, 2009 by rachel

These words are from a book on Faith currently under development by a publisher who shall remain nameless. The NASA image of the sun is not a Summer Solstice photo-but it sure gets me in the mood! Be Awestruck Although it isn’t always easy, the toughest times require you to believe in the greatest, grandest possibilities. Can you allow yourself to be brought to your knees by miracles and finely orchestrated “coincidences” that defy rational thought? Can you soften your […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, faith, inspiration, life, NASA photo, personal growth, prose poetry, spirituality, sun, surrender, transformation

what there is to love about a man: journey

June 17, 2009 by rachel

This excerpt is from my out-of-print book, What There Is To Love About A Man. The art is by British artist David Preston-Earley, who adds, ” This image is about a mythical journey where the people of the world are carried on the back of a turtle. The turtle is a symbol of fertility and long life. To the Native Americans it was associated with the lunar cycle and also female energies. The spirit of the turtle can also teach […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, men, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, David Preston-Earley, empowerment, hero's journey, inspiration, men, mysticism, personal growth, spirituality, transformation

fearing clearing? get your move on & deal with your stuff!

June 15, 2009 by rachel

I am an inveterate nomad who carries the DNA of a migratory desert dweller. When I feel called to relocate, I prepare with little or no hesitation. Oftentimes I pack and stand ready for months while the energy lines up for actual physical movement. For me, moving is a sacred ritual and a potent symbol of an engaged life journey,  and I bring to bear as much presence as I can muster. Suddenly, it seems everyone is on the move. […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, humor, personal growth, stretch break, transformation, video • Tags: "Material World", Annie Leonard, awakening, body mind & spirit, clutter-clearing, consciousness, inspiration, personal growth, The Story of Stuff, transformation, video

you are your own responsibility

June 11, 2009 by rachel

I just found the guts of this poetry scribbled 6 or 7 months ago on three little pieces of paper stapled in the corner. I then stumbled upon the work of Steve Banks, a wildly creative artist from Davenport, Iowa. I couldn’t resist this image, or his description of it, “…The all-seeing Priestess straddles two worlds. One of technology and sensory over-stimulation, and the other world, one of loosely flowing organic serenity.” You are your own responsibility Uphold your end […]

Categories: inspiration, love, personal growth, poetry, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: Artist Steve Banks, awakening, consciousness, healing, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, mysticism, opening heart, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation

words of the day: be, begin, believe

April 13, 2009 by rachel

To encourage and support your becoming, here are three words excerpted from my book, Words of Wisdom for Women (Barnes&Noble/Fall River Press). Though the book’s title is gender-specific, the content is universal. If you enjoy these, hop on over to my sister blog, Just Say Yes Now!, for a trifecta including Refuse, Remember, Restore. Be Remember that life is in the being, not the doing. Be every bit of everything that you are. Be tough, be soft, be dramatic, be subdued. Be a […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation, word of the day • Tags: awakening, be, begin, believe, body mind & spirit, change, empowerment, inspiration, life, personal growth, soul, transformation, word of the day

what there is to love about a man: conflicts

April 6, 2009 by rachel

Excerpt from my out-of-print book, What There Is To Love About A Man (Sourcebooks), which honors and celebrates masculine qualities of body, mind and spirit. Used and imperfect copies can be found here and there on the Internet, if you feel like digging. How can I show you who I really am, when I don’t even know myself? How can I share with you my vulnerable side, when everybody told me I had to be strong? What if I want […]

Categories: health/healing, men, personal growth • Tags: body mind & spirit, change, inner conflict, life, masculine, men, personal growth, transformation

meet my new sister blog: just say yes now!

April 4, 2009 by rachel

After a gestation period of way more than 9 months, my second blog, Just Say Yes Now!, has emerged. Bear with us as we get into the new rhythms that accompany a family with a newborn as well as a very active one-year-old. The new blog is a bit more directed to women – though all are welcome.  I’m seeing it as more of a community effort — and want to integrate more of your ideas, your comments, your art, […]

Categories: blogkeeping, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, transformation, women • Tags: change, empowerment, inspiration, personal growth, Rachel Snyder, transformation, women

change is the prelude to growth (video)

April 2, 2009 by rachel

Here’s one of the many beautiful and insightful videos from Humanity Healing, a worldwide organization that can help enlighten you on the subjects of personal and global transformation; spiritual living; starseeds, angelic humans and twin flames; and awakening from a variety of traditions. Enjoy! There’s a significant list of credits at the end of the video, with good links to check out. Learn more about Humanity Healing Foundation at http://www.humanityhealing.net. Check out the Humanity Healing Social Network here. I am […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, planetary shifts, spirituality, transformation, video • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, change, consciousness, Humanity Healing, inspiration, life, personal growth, spirituality, transformation, video

walk your talk: the moment is now

March 28, 2009 by rachel

I have just returned home from a quick trip to Springfield, Massachusetts, where I had the privilege of presenting my “Woman! What Are You Waiting For? ™” talk to a group of over 100 women. (Including “The World Needs You Now,” which you can read right here.) I was inspired by so many of these courageous individuals! – Blessings! to the woman who brought the eight caregivers who had helped her care for her dying mother (who passed just 3 […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, transformation, women • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, empowerment, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, personal growth, The World Needs You Now, transformation, Woman! What Are You Waiting For?, women

stretch break: the triple crown of transformation

March 23, 2009 by rachel

Here’s the latest stretch break — introducing you to people, concepts, modalities, or expressions that might be a tad outside your usual comfort zone… …or might be the perfect frequency match you’ve been seeking. Either way, if you’re ready to shed your old, stale, ways of being and move (with as much ease and grace as possible) into a new level of living, you’ve come to the right place. Meet three astoundingly gifted women who work separately and together with […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, spirituality, stretch break, transformation • Tags: Aleya Dao, ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, CCT, consciousness, Crystalline Consciousness Technique, Energies of Creation, energy healing, energy work, gia combs-ramirez, higher consciousness, inspiration, Lexi Sundell, personal growth, Science of Energy Healing, spirituality, The Journey Work, transformation

letting go of relationships that no longer serve you: a primer

March 7, 2009 by rachel

Wow! A lot of people are in the thick of it right now — not only dealing with economic turmoil and loss, but also working on deeper levels to clear their lives of anything that no longer serves them. There’s more clutter in your life than what you see in your closets! Fact is, though, not all of us have the basic tools for disconnecting from friends, professional associates, family members, jobs, housemates, and others who might have been part […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, higher consciousness, inspiration, letting go, new paradigm, personal development, personal growth, relationships, transformation

answering the call (in five acts)

February 18, 2009 by rachel

Answering The Call (In Five Acts) I It’s not that God didn’t call me I just wasn’t able to answer! Time and circumstance gnawed through the wires The receiver slipped from its cradle, all circuits busy, And when I opened my mouth to speak Nothing poured forth from recalcitrant lips, Carried off in an instant by an elusive, provocative wind. II It’s not that I couldn’t engage my senses I saw the garden rise up just beyond the cobbled wall! […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, call, consciousness, God, higher consciousness, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, purpose, spirituality, surrender, transformation, vocation

seek no longer: creation is your only purpose

February 9, 2009 by rachel

There comes a time when it is no longer enough to seek out the transformative life. There comes a time to listen deeply and to say Yes! to the faintest inklings of your heart. That is the time when you become a creator in your own right. When you answer the Call without reservation and with fulsome heart. It may not be convenient or practical. It may make no sense to your family or friends. Yet if you have stepped […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: artist Lexi Sundell, ascension, awakening, calling, consciousness, creation, empowerment, higher consciousness, inspiration, Lexi Sundell, life, personal growth, poetry, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation, vocation

i’m not telling you anything you don’t already know

February 7, 2009 by rachel

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know! You approach the altar time and again Only to retreat under the weight of your own misgivings, Your feet falter, caught in the glue of ego and indecision And you retreat once more into your lone and empty cell. You know I’m not making this up! You muster a weak smile for the woman on the sidewalk, While those pesky concrete walls encircling your heart Rise up repeatedly in triumphant separation, […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: body mind & spirit, empowerment, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, personal growth, poetry, spiritual poetry, spirituality, transformation

time for this one again! until then, maintain your faith: inner strength for troubling times

January 29, 2009 by rachel

Even though this post first ran in October, 2008, it seems even more appropos today. Hang in there, folks! This, too, shall pass… until then, maintain your faith: inner strength for troubling times When times are unsettled, There is no place to go but deeper, and deeper still You must excavate and as you do, calcified residue of old ways will be thrown up in your face You will taste it on your lips and gag as you swallow more […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: body mind & spirit, empowerment, faith, inner strength, inspiration, keep the faith, life, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation, troubling times

five words of wisdom for entrepreneurs of heart & spirit

January 27, 2009 by rachel

I created this piece and presented it at a local Leads Group meeting last year. Now, more than ever, independent businessowners need to bring head, heart, and spirit to the table in equal measure. In business as well as personal arenas, it’s time to Be Whole Now! ASK Ask yourself the tough questions. Ask why you are in business. Why you are in this business, in this place, in this time. Ask yourself if you truly love what you’re doing. […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, word of the day • Tags: body mind & spirit, business inspiration, business poetry, business wisdom, conscious business, consciousness, entrepreneur, independent business, inspiration, personal growth, small business, spiritual entrepreneur, spirituality, succeed, success, wisdom, word of the day, words

be the change: presidential pledge video

January 19, 2009 by rachel

I  pledge to continue to awaken, to grow, and to serve as the hands, heart, mind and spirit of God – by whatever means I am called.

Categories: barack obama, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, transformation, video • Tags: activism, barack obama, be the change, change, consciousness, higher consciousness, inspiration, new paradigm, personal growth, presidential pledge, service, transformation, video, volunteer, volunteerism

you are not complete unless you take action!

January 10, 2009 by rachel

If you want to move forward with your journey, now is the time for embodied expression. Come out of your cave; leave your meditations and rituals behind; and jump into a potent engagement with the world around you! At every turn, say Yes! to whatever lights you up — and simply say “No, Thanks” to situations, people, or places that feel annoying, irritating, or just not right. Really, it can be that easy — as well as excrutiatingly difficult! If […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, awakening earthangels, body mind & spirit, consciousness, empowerment, inspiration, Karen Bishop, life, new paradigm, personal growth, transformation, whatsuponplanetearth

india arie, rumi, writing, automotivology, forgiveness, & remembering who you are: favorite posts of 2008

January 6, 2009 by rachel

Even though be whole now is not yet a year old (like me, my blog is a Piscean), the start of this sure-to-be-unforgettable new year is a good time to unearth and recycle some memorable posts from 2008. Here are a few of my favorites, based on a purely non-scientific selection process. 1. I never tire of watching diva India Arie sing the James Taylor classic, The Secret O’ Life. Every word speaks directly to my soul. Maybe yours, too? […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, eclectica, inspiration, love, ordinary oracles, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation, video, writing & creativity • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, creativity, ecstatic union, forgiveness, India Arie, inspiration, James Taylor, life, love, new paradigm, ordinary oracles, personal growth, poetry, prayer, radical forgiveness, Rumi, The Secret of Life, transformation, video, wisdom, writer, writing, your inner writer

money magnet video has me on my feet & singing!

December 19, 2008 by rachel

I will not tell a lie: I have been be-bopping around the house to the 5-minute video, I Am A Magnet to Money. It’s fun. It’s got a disco beat. And it makes me happy. What’s more, after singing the tune for 3 days, I received a check from a very large federal agency that I had anticipated would take many weeks or months to process. When it comes to the Law of Attraction or Manifestation or Co-Creating Your Reality, […]

Categories: inspiration, personal growth, transformation, video • Tags: abundance, Bryan deFlores, empowerment, inspiration, law of attraction, Michele Blood, money, money magnet, Money Tree of Life, motivation, new paradigm, personal growth, prosperity, transformation, video

though your spirit be weary, begin again

December 16, 2008 by rachel

How long has it been, this feeling? Of being invisible, incapacitated, Disconnected Alienated Struggling to find your place in a world not of your design? Though your spirit be weary, Begin again. Your deepest desires have not been obliterated They simply wait patiently where you left them for safekeeping And circumnavigated their resting places, Your gifts are still yours to give! Expanded in radiance and ripening in song The old is behind you now, Begin again. Yes, you are weary […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, empowerment, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, new paradigm, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation

life in three words: journey, frustration, opportunity

December 14, 2008 by rachel

Just to put it all in perspective, three Words of Well-Being(tm) from one of my currently-out-of-print books. Nothing you don’t already know, but given the darkening days of December and the tumultuous goings-on in the political and economic corners of our world, it seems a good time for a reminder. My search for evocative art to accompany my posts has led me to the rich work of Sybil Shane and Miyu Tamamura — here expressed in sumi ink and hand-painted […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation, word of the day • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, frustration, higher consciousness, inspiration, Japanese art, journey, life, love, Miyu Tamamura, opportunity, personal growth, spirituality, Sybil Shane, transformation, word of the day

your word of the day: satisfy

December 9, 2008 by rachel

Here’s your word for today, shown from two different angles. First, with thanks to DR for sharing this quote regarding a warrior’s destiny, by Italian psychiatrist and Kabbalist Dr. Roberto Assagioli (1888-1974): “Yet, try as he may, he cannot return to his old state; he has seen the vision, and its beauty and power to attract remain with him in spite of his efforts to suppress it.  He cannot accept everyday life as before, or be satisfied by it.” Second, […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, transformation, word of the day • Tags: body mind & spirit, inspiration, life, personal growth, transformation, word of the day

I had forgotten, but now I remember

December 7, 2008 by rachel

For reasons that seem unimportant now The memory of limitless existence slipped my mind Loosened from the landscape surrounding my being And lodged itself in a deep cave of forgetting Ah Yes, now I remember… The agreements drawn up and codified Shuttled from lifetime to lifetime on trains endlessly circling the roundhouse Came up for review, And I marked one, then another, with the time/date stamp of The Now Declaring them null and void, and afire with the passion of […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, consciousness, empowerment, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation

your three words for today: question. push. empower.

November 6, 2008 by rachel

Today feels newer, bigger, and more significant than just one word! Here’s a trio, all taken from my book, 365 Words of Well-Being for Women (McGraw-Hill softcover version, $12.95) / Words of Wisdom for Women (Barnes & Noble hardcover version $7.98). It’s for the feminine in us all, the masculine in us all, and every stripe and hue and gradation in between. Don’t let a few tiny pronouns get in your way of reclaiming your personal power and moving into […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, men, personal growth, transformation, women, word of the day • Tags: 365 Words of Well-Being for Women, body mind & spirit, empower, empowerment, inspiration, life, men, motivation, personal development, personal growth, push, question, Rachel Snyder, self-discovery, transformation, wisdom, women, word of the day, Words of Wisdom for Women

here is what you must tend to today

October 2, 2008 by rachel

Here is what you must tend to today: You must peel back the bark that sheaths your becoming And bring your most barren recesses into the golden light of afternoon You must fling open the shades that have blocked the imminent arrival of the brilliance that bears your name, Taste joy unadorned on the tip of your tongue And inhale with anticipation your own decay as it hastens the birth of a succulent spring Today, here is what you must […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, Divine, inspiration, life, Mary Saint-Marie, personal growth, poetry, self-expression, Sheoekah, soul, soul journey, spirituality, transformation