For the Love of Women

"For as long as I can remember I have had a love affair with Holy Women."

This, friends, is the opening line in my book, Your Truest Self. 

It's the opening line because it may be the most important thought in the book. It affirms the deep, deep longing I had to live a sacred life—to be and feel "holy"—which I learned upon doing my research meant nothing more than being "whole."

In the words of Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Just to be is a blessing, Just to live is holy." Since my search for holiness began, I have learned something very important: That it is in our living and being that holiness arrives, not upon the wings of a great wind, but within the gentle breath of life that moves through us. We need do nothing special to call ourselves holy women, only take a first step, no matter whether sturdy or faltering, toward our truest selves.

It is our life's purpose to embrace the totality of who we are—wholeness—pure and simple. For "holiness" and "wholeness" come from the same root word, have the same origin, and to accept one is to gain the other.

When we acknowledge our sacred source, we will begin to recognize ourselves as the glorious women we are and embark on the ultimate journey toward feeling holy and whole once again.

This is the journey I have found myself on for the past 16 years. It has been a profound journey of "reclaiming myself as sacred," and learning to celebrate my feminine self. I give thanks for this journey and what I have learned about life, about myself, along the way.

I have had a wonderful time this past month gathering up the essays, poems, and artwork to create an entire "magazine" dedicated to this theme of "Celebrating the Feminine." It is now completed and you can find it here. (The March issue of Buddha Chick Life.)

In creating it, I was newly reminded of how deep the wounds can be within women—wounds that have been inflicted because their feminine self has been discounted or squelched. There is much healing yet to be done. I was reminded of how many women long for a uniquely feminine spirituality—and for the desire to live this openly, without apology or embarrassment. 

I was reminded all over again how much we need to celebrate ourselves as women.

So besides pulling together an entire Issue on how we can acknowledge and grow into our whole feminine selves (with the help of over a dozen fabulous writers), I contributed my own thoughts on this...

In my Editorial: "A Feminine Feast"

And in an article:  "Every Woman Needs Room and Space to Grow"

I hope you will enjoy them—and the entire theme, "Celebrating the Feminine."

May you never forget that healing and wholeness is your birthright, as well as your destiny.

In summary, the words of Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD:

"Untappped source of peace,
The only real hope
Is to draw upon the collective wisdom of women."

(from her poem, "Untapped Source of Peace," which can be found here.) 

I believe it is time for us to remember our divine origin and potential, to to live from our fullness and fill the world with the light from our radiance. May we join hands and hearts and live as our truest selves. For when we do, the world will never be the same.  

Blessings, 

Jan

 

(Image "Flying into Spring" courtesy of artist Mara Friedman, NewMoonVisions.com 

Photo image freedigitalphotos.net)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm counting down to the start of my next 12-month Sacred Journey course: Embodying Your Truest Self. It starts Monday, March 5, so I thought the subject was fitting. There's a few more days to sign-up.

This is the ONLY Sacred Journey course I will be offering this year, so if you're on the fence about joining in—Take the Leap and Fly—now!

Learn more here. 

Calling All Holy Women!

"Janice Lynne Lundy is a wonderful writer with deep understanding, and it felt quite amazing to be reflected in her eyes. Her careful listening and clear seeing is a grace."

~Joan Borysenko, PhD. 


Author of A Woman's Journey to God and The Soul's Compass

---

I can't tell you how delighted I was when I received these words from one of the holiest women I know, mind/body scientist, Joan Borysenko. She made this statement after she read my book, Your Truest Self. 

Joan is one of the 12 Holy Women featured in the book and she helped me reclaim my own sense of holiness. I want the same thing for you.

You are a holy and whole woman and, even if you don't feel like that now, you will by the time we complete a unique and intimate spiritual journey together.

For this is exactly what we will do in my newest Sacred Journey (online) Course: 

"Embodying Your Truest Self"

We will begin to embody our wholeness by living through 12 Transformational Truths in sacred community for an entire year.
 

You can learn more about this incredibly affordable journey here.
 

Class begins March 5 but I'd like to encourage you to SIGN-Up for YOUR Sacred Journey TODAY.

Here's why. 

As soon as you REGISTER, your journey into living through your beautiful essence can begin.

Get started now by taking advantage of these exciting 
BONUS offers!

1. The first 10 women who respond to this offer and REGISTER will receive a 45-Minute Sacred Journey Guidance Session with me over the telephone or via Skype. ($60 value)

2. REGISTER by Jan. 31 and choose a special Bonus Gift. One of my 2 downloadable Books or one of 2 downloadable Seminars. ($9.95 - 15.00 value)

Choose your Bonus Book or Seminar HERE. 

3. REGISTER, and you'll receive a weekly "Guidance for the Journey" email from me, sent directly to your Inbox, to help you prepare for this powerful inner pilgrimage. 
 

Don't wait.

Your Sacred Journey can begin today by Registering now.

I am eager for us to get started.

Make 2012 YOUR year. Wholeness calls. The calm, confident, and courageous woman you are meant to be is eager to greet you!

Love and blessings to you,

Jan Lundy

Spiritual Director, Retreat Leader and Author

AwakenedLiving.com 

P.S. Offer expires January 31.

Making A Lasting Change - Part IV

If you want to make a lasting change any time in your life (did you notice the word “lasting”?) there are 4 powerful mindsets that must be in place for us to do so.

In my previous post, I presented the third one: “Perseverance.” You can read that entry here.

Today the fourth mindset ...

Support 

We all need cheerleaders, supportive others who can run the race toward change with us. No one should make significant life changes alone, and yet, many of us think we should.

This is my problem, my issue, we think, and I will handle it just fine.

However, it is wise to realize that it’s alright and good to share our weaknesses with caring and trusted others—knowing none of us is without such weaknesses.

With transparency and compassion for ourselves (because change can be difficult), we open ourselves to others, gaining sturdy companionship for the journey.

Consider Alcoholics Anonymous. It provides a perfect model for lasting change. This life-enhancing program has helped millions of people with drug and alcohol addictions by providing them with a sponsor, someone who has walked the long, hard road to recovery themselves.

Do you have someone who can be your life-change sponsor? Someone who can support you through the ups and downs of change? As success stories reveal, the odds of us reaching our goal are much greater if we have a buddy or two to travel with ...

I have been blessed many times over with such companionship. Wise mentors, dear friends, sacred circles of women—each in a unique way provided me with the support I needed at a pivotal point in time. Recovering from a health challenge, living beyond co-dependency, healing a broken heart, creating a new life for myself as a single mother—each time a big change was called for there was at least one other person on whom I could depend to nudge me along if I got stuck in the mire of transition.

In time, I created AwakenedLiving.com and my publishing company, Heart to Heart Press. I became a spiritual director, wrote books, offered workshops and retreats—ALL with the purpose of supporting others on their life-change journeys. If you had asked me 30 years ago what I would be doing with my life today, it likely would not have been this. I was a classroom teacher at the time and I was pretty darn sure I'd be doing that the rest of my life. 

But life is full of surprises and being open to them and the invitations to change that they bring is the path, yes?

With the dawning of a new year, our thoughts will naturally turn to the things we need or wish to let go —and what we must move toward in our lives to be happy and whole. With transparency ask what yours are. Discern if you have the support you need to move in a soul-enhancing direction. Every single one of us needs companions for this pilgrimage we call life so please, friend, seek out yours. Truly, no one should journey alone ...

My hope for you is that your change will be timely, passionate, persistent, and supported so that a new you can burst forth onto the horizon in 2012.

It’s a new day, a new year, a new life. Your new self, your truest self, calls!

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.”

~Goethe

~~~~~~~~~

I'm so pleased to announce a new 12-Month Sacred Journey Course, based on my book Your Truest Self.

What a joy it will be to travel with you—intimately!—through the 12 Transformational Truths. With kindred women, we'll create Sacred Community (in a secure online "classroom") and be each others' best traveling companions for one full year. Wow!

Together we will EMBODY our truest selves—finally! We'll live rich spiritual lives and engage life from our fullness. No more shrinking, hiding, being less than we are meant to be. What a beautiful journey we will have.

I hope you will join me. Class beings March 5.

Registration has begun! Read more and register here.

Photo image credits (top) istockphoto.com

Making A Lasting Change - Part III

Making a Lasting Change in 2012 ~ Part III

If you want to make a lasting change any time in your life (did you notice the word “lasting”?) there are 4 powerful mindsets that must be in place for us to do so.

In my previous post, I presented the second one: “Passion.” You can read that entry here.

Today the third mindset ...

Perseverance

Despite readiness and abundant passion, there comes a time in our changeover when the temptation to return to old ways inevitably rears its head. No one said change was easy.

Long-term change does not happen overnight; it takes time. As human beings, we get discouraged when the going gets tough, when the craving kicks in, when the pounds don't peel off easily, or when something or someone undermines our efforts and causes us to weaken.

It’s perseverance that’s required to overcome the obstacles that come our way—and there will be many because such is the nature of life.

Perseverance is also required to conquer the tendency to give up when the journey loses its luster—as it will, because we are deeply habituated creatures and the mind likes to stick with the way it’s been doing things all along.

The only place perseverance can be found is deep within ourselves. Despite our resistance to doing so, it may be necessary to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps," as the saying goes; push through; try with full throttle effort—just one more time.

Can you think of a time in your life when perseverance paid off? When you knew what you had to do with courage and fortitude and you pressed on? And because you did, you triumphed?

I can.

As I write this, a number of significant times come to mind where perseverance was essential—for my own well-being and/or that of someone I loved.

I think of losing my health and the passion and persistence required to restore it because I wanted to live without feeling stressed and overwhelmed all the time. I recall years of searching to find and embrace a spiritual life that was mine—not something I was handed and asked to believe. I was determined to have a spiritual partnership with a man who would love my soul as much as I would love his.

Other times it involved loved ones: helping someone navigate addiction and getting them into recovery before they died; getting my daughter released from a third tour of Iraq when the military ignored her emotional instability and I knew she was unable to deal with life, much less a war front again. There were more.

If you can perceive the energy behind my words about these situations, you will hear the language of perseverance and passion. Passion fuels persistence and so we must do what we need to do to get that fire going. And when we do, watch out.

The blaze that builds—from the perfect combination of readiness, passion and persistence—will begin to roar and light up our lives in beautiful new ways. Change is at hand. 

Can YOU feel it happening in your life yet? I surely hope so! 

Though there is one more element we need to include in our formula for bringing about lasting change.

Stay tuned ... It will be posted on Saturday.

~~~~~~~~~

I'm so pleased to announce a new 12-Month Sacred Journey Course, based on my book Your Truest Self.

What a joy it will be to travel with you—intimately!—through the 12 Transformational Truths. With kindred women, we'll create Sacred Community (in a secure online "classroom") and be each others' best traveling companions for one full year. Wow!

Together we will EMBODY our truest selves—finally! We'll live rich spiritual lives and engage life from our fullness. No more shrinking, hiding, being less than we are meant to be. What a beautiful journey we will have.

I hope you will join me. Class beings March 5.

Registration has begun! Read more and register here.

Photo image credits (top) gameanna

Making A Lasting Change - Part I

Making A Lasting Change in 2012 ~ Part I

It’s now nearing mid-January. How are your New Year’s intentions holding up?

Mine are doing pretty well, considering I’ve never been one to put a lot of store in such things.

This year was different though. As I stated in a previous post (and in a newsletter), 2011 was characterized by a lack of clarity. Often I found myself caught up in thoughts of what I “should do.” And, likely, because I listened to them a bit too often, I tended to feel as if my goals or dreams were lingering behind a gauzy veil that I just could not seem to see through. So I did a lot of guessing—and second-guessing of myself. Not good.

I vowed this year would be different, so after lengthy inner listening, I decided upon these 3 Vows for 2012:

• to be as open as I could to receive, not to push through

• to do only that which I loved—I mean really loved

• to create only that which brought me joy

These are pretty big Vows, aren’t they? Long story short, I am keeping them because I am really ready to keep them.

If you want to make a lasting change any time in your life (did you notice the word “lasting”?) there are 4 powerful mindsets that must be in place for us to do so.

For the next few posts, I’d like to share these with you, as well as how they are playing out in my life. I wonder if they’re playing out in yours too. And I would love to hear how they are. Or if they or aren’t—and what you’d like to do about that.

I do sense 2012 is a pivotal year for each of us. Some might say it’s the year to “@#$%^& or get off the pot.” I’d say it this way: It’s time to stop giving lip service to our spiritual journey and embody our truest selves. Embody being the key word here.  

Yes, it’s time.  The world needs our brilliance—now more than ever before.

So if you are ready to rise and shine, sisters, here is the 1^st of 4 mindsets that we can and must embrace to make a lasting change within us. Here goes:

1. Readiness

Timing is everything, and when it comes to change, we have to be ready. We must be at a point in our lives where we know deep within ourselves that it’s time to let go of anything that is not working. This can be a dysfunctional relationship, unfulfilling job, body or health condition, or any habit or addiction that has us in a stranglehold.

For many of us, we must be in a place of pain or great discomfort to acknowledge that it’s time to disconnect from the source of our agony. In her book, The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron. She openly shared about her former addiction to alcohol. It seems that as a Hollywood screenwriter and journalist, alcohol provided her with the courage she needed to write. She wrote, "If I could have continued writing the old, painful way, I would certainly still be doing it. The week I got sober, I had two national magazine pieces out, a newly minted feature script, and an alcohol problem I could not handle any longer." For her, timing was everything. Readiness was key and so it is with us; we must be completely ready to give up the old to usher in the new. Like Ms. Cameron, many of us have to be face to face with the pain we see reflected in the mirror in order to make real and lasting change.

For me, looking into the mirror of 2012 showed me all the ways that I was still stuck in “shoulding.” Shoulding keeps you disconnected from your heart’s desire—and my heart’s passion has been to write. To have an entire year devoted to writing, finishing my incomplete writing projects. Instead, I kept focusing on online projects (which is great) but my aching heart wanted to write ... just write.

Specifically books. I have not written a book since 2008 (Your Truest Self). And I have at least five books 1/3 – 2/3 written. But there they sit, my files getting more dusty as the years go by.

So I am ready—really ready—to write. And I am doing it—every morning faithfully. I love it and am very happy. I hope to have two books out this year, both on a subject I am passionate about—how to work with difficult mind-states and emotions so that inner peace can truly be ours.

The first is based on the 30-Day online course I offer: “What To Do When You’re Feeling Blue.” Its working title is Living Beyond Blue: 52 Practices to Help You Feel Glad Instead of Sad.

Let me ask this:

What are you really ready for? 

What’s burning inside you to be birthed? 

What’s tugging at your heart so strongly that you can’t say no to it any longer?

I hope 2012 is the year you are ready to say “Yes!” to yourself. 

(Stay tuned for Part II of this series: Passion) 

~~~~

New Seminar!

Free yourself from this paralyzing emotional state—Worry—with my new downloadable Seminar: "6 Steps to Living Worry Free." It's perfectly timed for the New Year and a new you! I'd love to help you dance through 2012 instead of carrying the burden of worry ... Let's lighten your load together!

Learn More

 P.S. In case you're wondering, yes, this Seminar (and more to come) is a result of my readiness, a "project" I've put off long enough ...It's done and here!

 

Thanks and Blessings!

The Birthday Bash for Your Truest Self is officially over, though the journey through the Truths will continue through November. Just so much to talk about!  I thank you all for your kindness and support. I have loved getting to know you better and acknowledgeing each of our journeys into greater wholeness. Thank you for being here. Here's to another year of peace, joy, and inspiration. And bloggie love!

I'm handing out the final gifts for the party:

From Dudley Evenson, my guest of October 19:

Rebecca will receive Meditation Moment (CD) AND

Rose will receive Chakra Healing (CD). 

From me, from my post of October 26:

Caroline will receive a copy of Your Truest Self. 


Congratulations!!!




Will each of you please contact me through the "Contact" tab and provide a snail mail address? (Especially Rebecca because I can't seem to track back to a blog...) 


(Cake image courtesy of http://www.1-800-bakery.com. Yum!)

Choosing Our Thoughts and Feelings

The Third Transformational Truth:

I Choose Thoughts and Feelings That Honor My Sacred Self

On average, 60,000 thoughts a day run through our minds, most of them not of our own choosing. They are random thoughts. Thoughts about the past, overshadowed by worry or regret, or thoughts about the future, dominated by more worry or fear.

If we desire to live as our truest self, a woman who is naturally peaceful, confident, joyful, and loving, it is important that we develop a new relationship with our thoughts, as well as the feelings that accompany them.

We can do so by beginning to observe—simply notice—the content of these thoughts and where they lead us. We can ask ourselves: Does their presence take me into a greater daily experience of peace, love, or joy? Or do these thoughts keep me bound up in worry, self-doubt, fear, or lack? Then, because we desire to live in an enlightened manner, we pledge to redirect our thinking.

To begin to track our thoughts, words, and actions requires one very important skill—the ability to access silence. It is impossible to get in touch with our thoughts and feelings if we cannot get quiet enough to listen. We must begin to clear out our mind clutter and create room for peace, love, and joy to dwell. For this very reason, periods of silence-infused solitude are vital to our life journey.

One of the most effective methods for working with our thoughts is through the practice of journaling. It is one of the best ways I know to look at what is being said within our mind. Journaling offers a powerful opportunity for self-reflection and self-correction. Once we have taken note of our thoughts, we can tell the truth about ourselves, and begin to remake our lives. We can set a powerful intention to live a new way.

The next step is to redirect our thoughts and feelings. We assess if we are living in alignment. Alignment is a state of being whereby our thoughts, words, and actions are “in sync,” each one in harmony with the other. Each builds upon the other to take us into an embodied experience of our truest self—or not.

For example, if we say we love others but speak badly or gossip about them, we are not in alignment. Our thoughts and feelings do not match our actions. In fact, they are a contradiction. If we say that we desire peace in the world but have feelings of anger, bitterness, or resentment toward others, we are not walking our talk. We are not in alignment.

We change this, we change ourselves, by noticing the nature of our thoughts, then consciously choosing only those that bring us into alignment with our highest desires—the virtues to which we aspire. This process is one of the highest forms of spiritual practice in which we can engage.

This is the call and the challenge being issued to us today. Are we ready to answer? I sincerely hope so, for when do, the world itself will begin to change for the better.

I'm curious to know where you are in the process of choosing YOUR thoughts and feelings. 

Do tell ...

Make a comment on this post and you' ll be entered into the next drawing for a copy of Your Truest Self. This is the final week of our Birthday Bash!

And Congratulations to Sharon of One Woman's Life in Maine for being the winner of last weekend's book giveaway! Hooray!

(Photo image courtesy of http://www.alcoholism-information.com.)

It's Birthday Bash Month!

One year ago this month, the book I labored over for so long, Your Truest Self, was finally birthed.

The process felt as if I was actually midwifing myself, rather than a book. The writing of it took nearly 5 years. It pushed all my buttons, bringing with it the highest emotional highs and the lowest lows I've ever known. I drowned in self-doubt and flew to the heights with newfound confidence. In spite of all of this, I labored in love. And then there was birth ...

I adore this book and I would like to celebrate it's birthday with your help—and celebrate ALL of us who are embracing our truest selves. As you may know I define "our truest self" as:

A woman who is innately peaceful, confident, and courageous; 

generous, joyous, and openhearted. 

The key here is "innately," meaning—these virtues of the Spirit are our essence, our true nature, and it is only an illusion or cultural fabrication that they are not. We are made of Spirit and stardust, with a divine origin and destiny. The journey into our truest selves is the journey of a lifetime. It is about embracing ourselves as holy, whole and sacred, once and for all.

So let's celebrate that we are on this path—together! 

~ There will be book giveaways, plenty of copies of Your Truest Self, courtesy of my publisher, Sorin Books. (Thank you!) I will be giving away two copies each week!

~ Special guests. Two of the "holy women" featured in the book will be with us, giving away gifts of their own.

On October 12, Mari Gayatri Stein will visit. 

Mari is a whimsical artist and yoga/meditation teacher from Oregon and the author of The Buddha Smiles. The "Truth" she represents is: "I Open My Heart to Others and Celebrate Our Oneness."

On October 19, Dudley Evenson will be here. Dudley is a musician and co-founder, with her husband, Dean Evenson, of Soundings of the Planet, a record label dedicated to promoting peace and healing through music. The Truth she represents is: "I Engage in Daily Practices That Nurture My Spirit."

There will be more surprises, too, so stay tuned!

For now, I invite you to ponder this: 

Which of the "Twelve Transformational Truths" presented in the book challenges you right now?

Your answers will help me craft helpful posts for the next month.

The Twelve Transformational Truths in Your Truest Self

1. I Am Free to Live a Spiritual Life of My Own Making
2. I Trust My Body's Divine Connection
3. I Choose Thoughts and Feelings That Honor My Sacred Self
4. I Engage in Daily Spiritual Practices That Nurture My Spirit
5. I Cultivate Compassion for Myself
6. I Experience the Divine in Everything and Everyone
7. I Know Divine Assistance is Available to Me at All Times
8. I Acknowledge that Difficult Times Bring Healing and Deeper Wisdom
9. I Can Create My Life Anew Each Day
10. I Trust the Divine Timing of My Own Unfolding
11. I Courageously Live and Speak My Truths
12. I Open My Heart and Celebrate Our Oneness
    

I am eager to hear your thoughts .... 

And one more thing. If you haven't done so already, please read my post of October 3 and consider putting your voice in the circle by choosing a new name for yourself. You can read how to do this here.

This "circle member list" is in place of a Blog Roll, so readers can click back to your site to learn more about you! Thank you. 

May each of us give birth to our truest self! Happy birthday!

 ~~~~~

"Pregnant Women" painting by Steve Gribben.

Don't you just love this?!