Taking Time To See, Listen To And Respect The Homeless This Holiday Season

By Jennifer Miller

Connecting with the homeless and

Passing out gift bags.

Walking the boardwalk.

Men and women just starting to rise.

Observing, witnessing:

“Thank you for taking time to talk with us.”

“My blood pressure just went down

While petting your dogs.”

“Did you get the pups Christmas Bones?”

They truly just wanted to be seen, respected, heard.

Smiles with missing teeth, yet

Gratitude filled their presence.

Walking the boardwalk in the future,

Taking time to talk to them and

Have them pet my dogs.

The biggest gift of all.

“Possibilities Are The Gifts Of Living For A Higher Purpose”

By Jennifer Miller

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Possibilities are

The gifts of living

For a higher purpose.

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Survival into courage.

Loss created openness

As deception turned to trust.

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Heartache into strength.

Click on book to purchase and benefit Heart Based Healing Foundation.

Knowledge grew to wisdom.

Near-death to greater Life as

Hope found freedom.

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Sorrow into oneness with

Dreams fulfilling vision.

Heart Based Healing.

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I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy.

Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet and Playwright, as quoted in “Be The Change”, by Ed and Deb Shapiro

Namaste, Jennifer

“Lighting Candles, Hanging Lights And Letting Things Be With Words By Paul Ferrini”

By Jennifer Miller

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Fire up the Pavoni.

Morning coffee, so good.

Lighting candles and incense as

I start my morning yoga practice.

Arriving on the mat is like coming home again.

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Beautiful morning walking the dogs, aka “the babies”.

Breathing in the coves of Laguna ahhh!!

Breakfast at the local cafe; cool people, artist types.

Walking out, a homeless woman under a blanket.

All I can see is one foot.

My heart sinks and I want to ask her what she needs?

I know she is probably an addict.

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Back home to make homemade granola.

A yum yum Christmas tradition.

Looking through the mail and

a child support check arrives.

It’s been a while.

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My mind goes to the last 5 years.

No father in these kid’s lives.

No anger… only hope.

Could this man possibly change?

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I let it go to the Spirit and check my heart.

It’s in a good place.

Forgiveness is there.

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My beloved hangs Christmas lights.

So many years without lights.

They symbolize healing for my family.

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I look around….

No lights in the small neighborhood.

We have been judged here.

A single mom and trouble with her son.

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Interesting.

We are the ones with lights.

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A big lesson in my journey: do not judge by the outside.

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Open up a new book.

Click on book to purchase and benefit the Heart Based Healing Foundation.

A favorite thing to do.

Reading,  deep reflections come to me.

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The poetic words of Paul Ferrini:

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Life is constantly asking us to make adjustments,

to give up our agenda.

It is asking us to give up the conceit that we know the way things are supposed to be.

Letting things be is a way of saying to God

“I’m willing to dance with you.”

From “Dancing With The Beloved”.

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Namaste, Jennifer Miller

Contact Jennifer Miller at yogagoddesslaguna@yahoo.com

A Generous Gift Of Yoga Mats That Will Transform The Lives Of Women At The Recovery House

By Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller with gift of 20 yoga mats from the “lululemon athletica” store in Newport Beach, CA.

I had exciting news to share with “The Girls” at the Recovery House this week. Mats are a very important part of a yoga practice and I have been working hard to find a store or company to donate new mats to the program.

Several weeks ago I approached the “lululemon athletica” store in Newport Beach and spoke with the lady in charge of their “Giving Program”. I shared with her my vision of bringing young women at risk the beautiful and healthy benefits of yoga and she was quickly in agreement with the importance of a quality mat.

After numerous emails, the store agreed to donate 20 MATS! I was so grateful and I made the announcement Monday that I would be bringing them to the Recovery Home next week.

My new goal is to get the girls their own personal yoga mat. I will be seeking a store or supplier to share the vision of health and transformation that yoga has brought these amazing young women and mothers.

Thank you again lululemon for your very generous gift. You have made a difference in women’s lives.

We at lululemon have a vision of elevating the world and we do this through the relationships we establish, support and grow in all of our global communities. These relationships are currently grown through our store events, our supplier partnerships and other outreach. The Giving program acts as one of our tools for outreach and for elevating our communities.

“Worrying…Empties Today Of Its Strength” – Corrie Ten Boom, German Death Camp Survivor

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

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Cornelia “Corrie” ten Boom, Dutch woman who survived the German Ravensbruck concentration camp in World War II

“See If You Can Give Yourself Gifts That May Be True Blessings, Such As Self-Acceptance…” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

“See if you can give yourself gifts that may be true blessings, such as self-acceptance, or some time each day with no purpose.”

“Practice feeling deserving enough to accept these gifts, without obligation–to simply receive from yourself, and from the universe.”

“Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life”  By Jon Kabat-Zinn

Wisdom From Rumi: “You Were Born With Wings…Learn To Use Them, And Fly”

You were born with potential
You were born with goodness and trust
You were born with ideals and dreams
You were born with greatness
You were born with wings
You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.
You have wings
Learn to use them, and fly.

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (1207-1273)

 

“One Way To Live Your Life…As Though Everything Is A Miracle” – Albert Einstein

“There are two ways to live your life. One is though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein

“Crossing The Street To Break The Cycle Of Suffering” By Jennifer Miller

“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”  ― Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist

Is it possible to “flow” with life and be free of “attachments”? Can you “Be In The Present Moment” and accept what is? Are you ok with the “cards” you have been dealt, and not straining to control the outcome of events?

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I speak with many women who are “vested” in an “outcome” and will seemingly go to any length in order to achieve it. But setting healthy and attainable goals and manifesting dreams requires us to “let go”.

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All of us put our desires and dreams out into the universe and hope they are realized some day. But it is very unhealthy to keep putting our energy into people and things, over and over again, and then wishing for a different outcome. The Einstein quote I referenced defines this as “insanity”, or “crazy”, reminding me of a favorite quote:

“When You See Crazy Coming, Cross The Street” – Iyanla Vanzant, New Thought Spiritual Teacher

“Crossing the Street” is recognizing when we have become “attached” to harmful and debilitating thoughts, actions and “things” in life  and taking the steps necessary to avoid repeating the “same old mistakes”.

But it is hard to break with these “things”, and many women choose to numb out and block the pain and suffering of attachment through drinking and sedatives. They are in denial while justifying their lives to family, friends and themselves. I advise them to make the tough choice to feel their emotions; all of them know their situation or choices are not healthy or stable.

I will write more on the importance of living in the present and appreciating and loving ourselves. Embrace your emotions because when you feel them, you are living your life and not avoiding reality. This is the beauty of feeling and healing; and the secret of breaking the cycle of suffering.

Namaste, Jennifer Miller

“Women Must Break The Chains Of Attachment And Denial To Find Happiness” By Jennifer Miller

“Attachment is the origin, the root of suffering; hence it is the cause of suffering.”

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  “The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace” (1988)

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I have personally known many women who were trapped in unhappy marriages or relationships, and chose to stay in those often abusive relationships because it at least provided them with a sense of financial security and stability. These women, and many like them, have become “attached” to these relationships and lifestyles, and are suffering and miserable as a result.

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So much of our unhappiness is caused by attachment to things, people, images and even “visions of ourselves”. It starts with wanting and desiring and can progress to craving and obsessing. Becoming prisoners, “in” relationships and marriages and “of” things, women often try to numb the pain and suffering, “living in denial” as they attempt to escape “their” reality.

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I will be writing more on “attachment”,  with unhappiness, suffering and “living in denial” as a result. I was married to an abusive man who destroyed our family life and financial security through drug, alcohol and sexual addictions. But I made the painful decision to leave him, divorce, and raise my children on my own. Through my yoga practice and spiritual studies, I was able to stabilize and make decisions that have benefitted my life and family.

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The value of living a healthy life, free of craving “things” and being grateful each day for what I have are the secret to being happy. I seek to help women through very tough times in their lives by “going there” and learning to how to break the chains of attachment. I want to use the gift of my life experiences to assist women in coping with substance abuse and addictions in loved ones. And finally, help women transform their body, mind and spirit through their essential soul’s wisdom.

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Namaste, Jennifer Miller

“I Chose A Purposeful Life After A Near-Death-Experience” By Jennifer Miller

At the age of 18, I had a” Near-Death-Experience”. It was a life changing event on many levels, lessening my fear of death to the point that I will be at peace when my time is at hand.

I had momentarily left this life and moved into another realm, but I heard “Go Back” and knew that “living” was still my choice…

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I remember hovering and seeing the EMT crew working on my body. But I felt such incredible peace and joy that I did not want to come back. It was a state of complete love enclosed in white light.

I learned that each of us has a purpose in life and the time to transition into another realm is only after we have finished our work on earth.

The easier choice would have been to leave and not come back.

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It took everything in me to “re-enter” my body and leave that feeling of beauty and peace. As a young girl, I always believed that there was an after-life. But I experienced the thin veil that exists between “our life” and “our life after death”.

I now know that we can connect to a higher dimension when we are centered, quiet and at peace with our body, mind and spirit. It is there that we can receive spiritual guidance that is available to everyone. In choosing a “purposeful life” we need to listen to our intuition and the still voice of Spirit.

I also came back knowing that both worlds are parallel and move together. We all have the time needed to enter a higher dimension, and we don’t have to experience a Near-Death-Experience (NDE) to connect with it.

We have to accept and be grateful for who we are and what we have in life, surrendering to enlightened guidance and knowing that other possibilities for us always exist.

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We have the choice to strive for the highest good in life…or not. I feel very blessed to have had this experience in my life and the choices I have made.

Namaste, Jennifer Miller

Quote For The Day: “When The Mind Is Still…” By Eknath Easwaran

“When the mind is still, we can become an instrument of peace.”

Eknath Easwaran from “Strength in The Storm: Creating Calm in Difficult Times”

Wisdom For Life From Oriah Mountain Dreamer’s “The Invitation”: “I Want To Know…”

“I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.”

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“I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”