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

enjoy billy joel while i’m warming up in the greenroom: and so it goes (video)

June 9, 2009 by rachel

Saints be praised! I can feel the stirrings of a new cycle of blogging, poetry, and other shared pursuits. While I’m shaking off the residual cobwebs, enjoy this poignant classic by Billy Joel.  These poetic words and his sensitive performance seem to characterize where many of us are these days: Letting go of the old (whether by choice or circumstance) and opening our tender hearts to new ways of being, feeling, and engaging with others.  Enjoy! Both tears and smiles […]

Categories: inspiration, love, transformation, video • Tags: And So It Goes, Billy Joel, change, healing, inspiration, life, love, opening heart, surrender, transformation, video, wisdom

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

hallelujah: k d lang says it so much better than I ever could (music/video)

March 12, 2009 by rachel

Historically, I’ve been partial to Jeff Buckley’s cover of this Leonard Cohen song — which is based on the Biblical story of (King) David and Bathsheba and has been analyzed and interpreted for years. Yet today, in this moment, at this juncture in the road, no other rendition carries the power, the majesty, and the achingly delicious surrender that K.D. Lang summons through her body and voice in this commanding-yet-humble, 2005 live performance in Winnipeg. This slays me in the […]

Categories: inspiration, love, spirituality, video • Tags: David & Bathsheba, God, Hallelujah, inspiration, Juno Awards performance, kd lang, Leonard Cohen, life, love, spirituality, surrender, video

5 minutes of rumi, safri duo, and deep soul peace (video)

March 9, 2009 by rachel

Do you have five minutes to invest in the deep nourishment of your soul? This video, uploaded by rahmama2, blends magnificent poetry by Jelaluddin Rumi (as translated by Coleman Barks) with uplifting music and stunning photographic images. (Though I cringe, even I can momentarily overlook the typo confusing “you’re” with “your.”) Note that we are nearly at the Full Moon, making the text even more potent and poignant for us all. If you are as taken as I am by […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation, video • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, divine union, ecstatic union, higher consciousness, inspiration, Islamic Arts, Islamic poetry, love, poetry, Rumi, Rumi poetry, Safri Duo, Sufi, Sufism, surrender, transformation, video

v is for valentine, and for indie roots musician scott von

February 14, 2009 by rachel

There is so much energy moving in my life right now;  so many doors opening wide and so much joy spilling out… …that even I don’t know how to put it all down on paper. In the meantime, here’s a musical interlude for your listening pleasure — the Scott Von duo (SV plus Cary Morin) singing “Molly Malone” in Park City, Utah, in 2007. I had the great good fortune to discover the man and his music in person a […]

Categories: inspiration, love, video • Tags: Cary Morin, Colorado musician, folk, folk music, indie music, indie roots, inspiration, love, Molly Malone, roots, Scott Von, Scott Von Duo, video

inspiring much? jennifer hudson sings ‘i am changing’

January 26, 2009 by rachel

I just can’t get enough of these incredible divas!! Huge energy is moving today, inviting you to let go of the old and embrace new ways of being, living, and loving. If you’re still grasping, you might feel as though you’re stuck, mired in muck up to your ears, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Drink up some of this woman’s energy, her fire and her passion. You’ll get to the other side if you surrender your […]

Categories: inspiration, personal growth, transformation, video • Tags: awakening, David Letterman Show, Dreamgirls, empowerment, I Am Changing, inspiration, Jennifer Hudson, life, surrender, transformation, video

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

turn, turn, turn: words of wholeness sung by nina simone, judy collins, pete seeger

January 17, 2009 by rachel

This song flashed into my awareness early this morning with the reminder that Divine timing always trumps our calendars, goals, and spreadsheet objectives. After viewing videos of the song performed by The Byrds, The Seekers, Nina Simone, and Judy Collins (60s and 90s versions), I couldn’t choose a favorite. So, here are (1) an early ’60s TV show featuring folksinging icons Collins and songwriter Pete Seeger… … plus (2) a 1969 version by Nina Simone. The words hail from the […]

Categories: inspiration, spirituality, video • Tags: 60s music, Ecclesiastes, inspiration, judy collins, life, nina simone, peace, pete seeger, spirituality, to everything there is a season, transformation, turn turn turn, video

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

solstice 08: find your light in unlikely places

December 21, 2008 by rachel

Wherever Home is, go there now The map has been etched upon your soul for eons Fire has been laid Nourishment calls your name Do not disappoint her You will be greeted by outstretched arms Tender songs of welcome Eyes that remember how to see Blossoms await your gathering Do not delay the journey Unpack before you go Bring nothing save your soul’s inextinguishable flame Your heart’s desire to Love Your body ripe for new beginnings Ancient stories ache to […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation, video • Tags: Amazing Grace, aurora borealis, awakening, consciousness, inspiration, Inuit, Inuktitut, native american, northern lights, opening heart, poetry, solstice, spirituality, Susan Aglukark, transformation, video, winter solstice

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

stretch break: angel meditation video by ted chambers

December 12, 2008 by rachel

If you’re looking for somewhere to go other than the shopping mall, check out this experimental video (8:29) by videographer Ted Chambers. No fluffy white wings or affirmations here! Chambers calls his colored light art creation “ambient minimalism to the max.” The words “psychedelic” and “trippy” are among his descriptors, too — and I would throw in “kaleidoscopic” just for good measure. Come on now, stretch beyond your usual boundaries and see what you find! More by Ted Chambers here […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, spirituality, stretch break, transformation, video • Tags: abstract impressionism, ambient, art, colored, experimental video, inspiration, light, meditation, psychedelic, Ted Chambers, transformation, video

change we can dance to: barack obama music video “choose to unite”

October 31, 2008 by rachel

With mere days to go before the election, here’s a look at one of the many, many wonderful songs and videos expressing hope, inspiration, and unabashed support for Barack Obama. One thing he understands is that it’s not about him, it’s about US! This video, Choose To Unite, was created in Santa Fe, New Mexico, by self-identified “souls on fire” for Obama. If you haven’t voted yet, VOTE! If you have voted, dance and sing and come together in community! […]

Categories: barack obama, body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, planetary shifts, transformation, video • Tags: 2008 election, barack obama, change, Choose to Unite, community, dance, diversity, Eric George, inspiration, music, Obama, politics, see the light, Susan Slotter, unity, unity consciousness, video, we are the change

stretch break: sacred prayer video = reverence, bliss, & peace in under 9 minutes

October 11, 2008 by rachel

Need I tell anyone that there are powerful energies at work throughout the planet? Rather than try to wrap your brain around any of it, tune in to this divinely soul-nourishing video by rysa5, who has a youtube.com channel here, devoted to a world of videos on enlightenment, abundance, and a host of other high-vibration, multidimensional topics. The music is Devi Prayer, from the Divine Mother/Sacred Chants of Devi CD by Craig Pruess and Ananda; learn more here. Journey deep. […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, spirituality, stretch break, video • Tags: Ananda, bliss, chant, chanting, Craig Pruess, Devi Prayer, inspirational, music, peace, prayer, rysa5, sacred, sacred music, soul, soul-nourishing, spiritual, video

this Rumi poem & video ought to be rated R for Ravishing!

September 27, 2008 by rachel

These are challenging times for many, on many different levels. You may feel scattered, untethered, fearful, or filled with deepening sorrow. It may feel harder than ever to stay connected to loving, ecstatic Spirit. Here is a soulful and sensual video (5:30) that offers up ancient Persian poet Rumi’s “Like This,” set to Anoushka Shankar’s “Prayer in Passing” and accompanied by various paintings by Pre-Raphaelite artists, renowned for their obsession with classical mythology, muses, and nymphs. The video is by […]

Categories: inspiration, love, poetry, spirituality, uncategorized, video • Tags: Anoushka Shankar, beloved, divine love, fine art, inspiration, love, mysticism, poetry, pre-Raphaelite, Rumi, spirituality, Sufism, video

try not to try too hard: india arie sings james taylor’s secret o’ life

September 8, 2008 by rachel

When I’m doing my deepest inner excavations and rebirthing (as in now!), soulful music like this helps to keep it all in perspective. This beautiful James Taylor ballad, set to the stylings of diva India Arie, is chock-full of the wisdom of the ages. Meanwhile, I’m pondering changes in my blogsite that will best reflect the transformational changes I’m currently weeping, blasting, and gliding through. Enjoy and remember the second part of the be whole now mantra: Listen Well. This […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, love, personal growth, transformation, video • Tags: development, India Arie, inspiration, James Taylor, life, love, personal growth, rebirth, The Secret O' Life, transformation, video

you can do it: inspiration for today by dennis verbeke

August 30, 2008 by rachel

For your inspirational viewing enjoyment, a movie (4:32) from Denvinci (Dennis Verbeke) of the Netherlands, set to the song Primitive by Annie Lennox. Dennis asks: For all of you out there who are the light! When you wake up in the morning, do you know where you are? To see other work by this talented artist/filmmaker, click here to go to the Denvinci channel on youtube.

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, spirituality, video • Tags: annie lennnox, art, body mind & spirit, dennis verbeke, denvinci, inspiration, life, video

gregory colbert’s ashes and snow: nature at her most sublime

August 7, 2008 by rachel

To balance out the abundance of words in the recently posted, eight-part Making Love To God series, here are two stunning videos of near-unspeakable beauty. They are taken from the “Ashes and Snow” photographic and film exhibition by Gregory Colbert, which has been seen by over 10 million people in five cities worldwide. Part I runs for 2:32 minutes; Part II for 8:32. Click here for more on this unparalleled work of art, which has become the most attended exhibition […]

Categories: eclectica, inspiration, spirituality, video • Tags: Ashes and Snow exhibition, Earth, film, Flying Elephants Productions, Gregory Colbert, inspiration, Nature, Nomadic Museum, photography, video

where the hell is matt? everywhere you want to be!

August 2, 2008 by rachel

It’s August, it’s hot, and the solar eclipse has begun to work its powerful magic in all of our lives. In a day or two, I’ll get back to the installments of Making Love To God, my memoir of Divine Union and contemporary spiritual relationships. (See the first four sections in the posts preceding this one.) For now, though, an offering of inexhaustible and uplifting delight. If you haven’t yet met Matt Harding, the phenomenal prince of planetary joy, get […]

Categories: humor, inspiration, love, transformation, video • Tags: dance, dancing, global, global harmony, global peace, inspiration, joy, matt harding, video, where the hell is matt?, world peace, world travel

suffering & chaos or global shift? you decide

June 22, 2008 by rachel

I tend not to immerse myself in the mainstream media, but this Associated Press story, “Everything seemingly is spinning out of control,” reached out and grabbed me. I see it not so much as fear-mongering, but as an accurate reflection of one step along the path of transformation – be it personal, national, or planetary. The Old must die off before The New can be born. Soon after, I stumbled across this short video trailer (6:20 minutes) for The Shift […]

Categories: health/healing, inspiration, love, planetary shifts, transformation, video • Tags: activism, change, chaos, Deepak Chopra, Dennis Kucinich, Desmond Tutu, doomsday, evolution, hope, inspiration, life, new paradigm, news, peace, planetary shifts, transformation, video, world

do not watch this video while driving or operating heavy equipment!

June 12, 2008 by rachel

Here’s another one of those quiet, relaxing, inspirational messages from the folks at bettertobless.com. I have spent the last four days moving (and I mean personally lifting, carrying and transporting) my possessions into a 5X10 storage unit, vacating my sweet and wonderfully supportive residence of the last three years, tying up loose ends, and entering the realm of “home-free.” My friend Dawn (www.dawnings.org) prefers to call it a state of “always home now.” My children (17 & 22) think I’m […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation, video • Tags: be here now, bettertobless.com, blessing, body mind & spirit, holy splash of time, inspiration, presence, relaxing, sacred, spiritual, spirituality, uplifting, video

what we remember: a tribute to soldiers everywhere

May 25, 2008 by rachel

No politics. No polemics. Just this poignant video tribute for Memorial Day 2008, beautifully created by diverboy26 films. Surely you have 7 minutes and 21 seconds to honor and remember… (If you don’t see the video below, click here to go to youtube.)

Categories: inspiration, video • Tags: diverboy26, freedom, heroes, inspiration, Memorial Day, military, remembrance, sacrifice, soldiers, tribute, veterans, video, war

wanna get published? be prepared to grin and bear it!

May 15, 2008 by rachel

RE: the agony, ecstasy, and lunacy of being published If you think finding an agent and getting published is the end-all-be-all for a writer, wait until you get to marketing and promotion! This painfully funny, sad-but-true book trailer tells it like it is — and will probably do more for HEAD CASE: How I Almost Lost My Mind Trying to Understand My Brain, by Dennis Cass, than even his non-review in The NY Times! If you don’t see the video […]

Categories: humor, video, writing & creativity • Tags: book, humor, marketing, promotion, publishing, video, writing

word of the day: leap

May 2, 2008 by rachel

Close your eyes and step out over the edge. Leave behind the baggage that will weigh you down. Stretch farther than you believed you could. Gather your courage; you’ll need it. Let go of every one of those twenty-seven reasons why you can’t do it. Drop the concepts of failure, of success. Just do it. Know that you’ll fly or you won’t. The ground isn’t that far away – and if you create a safety net before you go, someone […]

Categories: inspiration, transformation, video, word of the day • Tags: Glosoli, inspiration, leap, Sigur Ros, transformation, video, word of the day

word of the day: struggle

April 18, 2008 by rachel

Does it feel like you’ve been struggling forever? If you haven’t been struggling to make ends meet, you’ve been struggling to balance your family, yourself, and your job. You’ve been struggling to discover your true nature and the work you were put here to do. You’ve been struggling to live joy in a world filled with fear. Right now, feel that the struggle is over. Close your eyes and find an internal peace where struggle no longer exists. Feel your […]

Categories: humor, inspiration, video, word of the day • Tags: humor, inspiration, life, love song parody, personal growth, spanish, struggle, video, word of the day, word of wisdom

why giving up hope in humanity is not an option

April 14, 2008 by rachel

When you blend the recent Seeds of Compassion Conference in Seattle, the Dalai Lama, a young girl (Simone Porter) soulfully playing the violin, and an estimated 65,000 people gathered to foster global compassion, what more is there to say? The video (posted on youtube by “carolgrey”) runs 5 minutes and 20 seconds; the goodness will hopefully last for eternity.

Categories: inspiration, spirituality, uncategorized, video • Tags: compassion, Dalai Lama, hope, inspiration, peace, Seattle, Seeds of Compassion Conference, Simone Porter, spirituality, video, violinist

the triple tragedy of the boomer generation

April 5, 2008 by rachel

Some years back, I saw Marianne Williamson speak at the University of Colorado Conference on World Affairs. I don’t recall her exact words, but she spoke of a psychological wounding of an entire generation; that the baby-boomers who lived through the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the 1968 assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and presidential-hopeful Sen. Robert F. (Bobby) Kennedy, became frozen by the overwhelming shock and loss — permeated with an unconscious belief that […]

Categories: inspiration, transformation, video • Tags: 1968, Add new tag, American history, assassinations, Baby Boomer generation, compassion, inspiration, JFK, love, Marianne Williamson, MLK, race, RFK, understanding, video, wisdom