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By Theresa Puskar
“My three months of quiet simplicity has come and gone. Now it is time to move on, keeping my commitment to self-care.”
I have been in hibernation for three months, committed to slowing down and taking better care of myself. It has been a glorious time, and I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned. As sister Spring stretched her blossoms out from deep within the cool, quiet, earth, there were two events that marked my burgeoning from self-imposed hibernation. The first was the Phenomenon and the Gift workshop that I attended in Orlando, Florida, and the second was a trip that I took with my family to Costa Rica.
While I kept my promise to myself throughout most of my three-month hiatus, I attended one event near its end. Having had the most profound spiritual experience of my life at Oneness University in India three years ago, I could not help but register for their Phenomenon and the Gift workshop in Orlando. As it turns out, I was in the area on business when the program was being offered, and everything effortlessly fell into place. I felt that the ease with which it transpired was a sign that I was meant to attend. I had a very strong feeling that the seminar was going to be offered again here in the Chicago area, yet I still felt a strong impulse to go. Sure enough, my intuition was right on track, as it is being offered here the weekend of May 20th to the 22nd. I was so moved by the experience that I have registered for it again, here in May!
This workshop was extraordinary. While I often struggle with technology and where it is taking us, I was grateful for it in Florida, as I was able to reconnect with my favorite Indian monks through video conferencing. As they instructed us, their humor, joyfulness, wisdom, and grace took me right back to Oneness University. I was filled with gratitude and sadness, laughter and tears, as I worked through many of the blocks that have kept me from experiencing my life’s abundance. I was able to clear issues that had remained stagnant within me for years, some that I was unaware of, welling up from my subconscious. By clearing these obstacles, I could then be a stronger channel of divine light when facilitating the Deeksha heart blessing.
Several “simple” messages arose from the Phenomenon weekend. Perhaps the most profound was the one-word mantra, “Yes” that came to me as I did my emotional work. It now resonates in my heart and mind as I go through my day. Saying “Yes” to myself, and to all that life has to offer is a delight (it sure beats the mile-long mantras my busy mind frequently tries to inflict upon my psyche!). I encourage you to try it. When you are anxious, fearful, feeling lack, or note that your heart is closed, simply repeat the mantra, “Yes.” See the universe supporting you, and trust that you are provided for, and that all will work out. As I’ve mentioned in recent columns, I’ve been having a crisis of faith, and bit by bit I am finding my way out of the darkness and into the light!
I am also realizing that my greatest joy often comes from witnessing connection in others. My dear friend, Jessica McNamara has been my “partner in crime” in this “Yes” movement. We joke that we are twin souls, as we share so much of the same gifts and challenges, thoughts and feelings. Often when we sit on the train together on our way home from work, I can feel my heart fill with joy as she shares stories of her success. She recently started a new business as an integrative nutrition health coach, and I know she is destined to become a huge success. She loaned me a book for my trip to Costa Rica, Tosha Silver’s Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead. It was just what my divine ordered – a powerful reminder that life is a delightful journey of one miracle after another, when I let go of trying to control everything.
I started reading the book on the plane, and was engrossed in it as we touched down in Costa Rica. I finally pulled myself away from it as our shuttle drove from the nearby airport to my hotel. I was struck with sadness at the poverty I saw. We traveled through many small towns. The homes were tiny, and it appeared that many were filled with large families. There were small shops and restaurants dotting the dry, brown landscape. As we drove through the massive gates of the Hotel Riu Palace, the brown, dehydrated grass turned into lush greenery. The hotel looked like a massive Middle Eastern castle, with pristine white circular spires, resembling the tops of the soft, decadent, vanilla ice cream cones I occasionally order at the local Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop. The contrast between the dry, burnt, brown landscape and the towering opulence of the hotel was overwhelming.
As I continued to reflect on the contrast, there was a shift in my perception. I asked myself, “Wait a second. Is the poverty in the external that I am viewing, or is it ruminating in my brain?” Who was I to declare that the natives of Costa Rica were impoverished and suffering? Perhaps in the simplicity of their lives, they had room to experience much more joy than I have, as I strive for a bigger, better, house, or the job that makes me more income. Perhaps in my pining for security, I was the one who was suffering. Perhaps they lived more abundantly than I in their simple lives.
One of my first encounters with a Costa Rican native was with my dear friend, Luis. He was part of the recreation team at the hotel. I met him on the second morning of my vacation. I decided to take a Spanish course and there sat Luis – wide-eyed and ready for action! He was playful, warm, and welcoming. I loved his sense of fun and his terrific humor. I later engaged with him on several occasions – dancing lessons, towel-decorating lessons, and pre-show stage games. We got to the point where he would spot me in the audience, and, knowing that I was a willing participant, he’d drag me up on the stage. While the glamor of the hotel was palpable, the greatest joy I experienced there was in my interactions with Luis. Whether donning costumes as a superhero, or a Grease musical character, or dancing in the late show finales, Luis brought me and many others great joy. His love of life was inspiring, and truly one of the highlights of my visit.
My second magical connection came when I met our guide at the rainforest. This young man had recently graduated from a University in San Jose, and the moment I laid eyes on him, I could feel how pure and open his heart was. He was responsible for guiding us through the butterfly and reptile conservatories. The highlight of my tour happened within about 10 minutes of the butterfly conservatory tour. A caterpillar had almost finished building its cocoon. The guide literally jumped for joy. He started dancing, ecstatic that the caterpillar was almost finished building his hibernation bundle. He was so excited, because, as he shared, only 30 minutes before the caterpillar was just starting to build the cocoon. Here, so soon after, it was almost finished. His simple joy in his love of nature made my day. Yes, I loved seeing the massive rainforest in all its splendor, and in bearing witness to his full heart – his simple joy of nature’s ways, my heart opened wide, and remained there for the duration of the tour.
My visit to the rainforest ended in a great crescendo of delight. The final stop was a hummingbird feeding sanctuary. I absolutely love hummingbirds. They are the caretakers of the north in the Andean shamanic tradition, and are exquisite science-defying beings. As we placed our hands on the feeders, the birds swooped down, landed on top of them and drank. Only once before have I ever had a hummingbird land on my hand. Perhaps the combination of the sheer delight of the moment, along with my previous experience with a hummingbird, triggered my great joy at the sanctuary. Several years ago, a hummingbird flew into my neighbor’s garage. His son ran to my house, asking me to help. I quickly grabbed a bowl of sugar water, and headed to his garage. I climbed up a ladder and in my mind, I asked the bird to land on my hand. I was desperate in my attempt as the year before, despite leaving the garage doors open, a hummingbird died trying to escape. Much to my delight, the bird landed on my hand, and let me carry him out of the garage to safety. It didn’t even attempt to drink from the water bowl I created.
Slowing down enough to appreciate life’s simple pleasures was a key in the shift I experienced.
One of the most profound lessons I learned from my hibernation period was the joy that I found in life’s simple pleasures. When I was not busying myself to exhaustion each day, I could focus on the little things that filled my heart. Whether taking time to prepare a wonderful dinner for my daughter and her friends, gathering the dancing dust bunnies from under the beds, and introducing them to my under-used broom, or heading for an early night’s sleep after getting a scrub at the nearby spa, I slowed down enough to really relish life’s simple experiences.
For this, I am truly grateful.
Theresa Puskar, our All About Town contributor, is a writer, trainer, speaker, and inspirational audiobook producer. She has recently authored The Terri Series – seven books that focus on bullying, honoring diversity, celebrating creativity, non-judgment of emotions, finding alternatives to technology-based entertainment, discovering a non-judgmental God, and overcoming fears. She has also recorded a powerful experiential audio program, How to De-Clutter Your Mind and live a Heart-Centered Life. To place an order or learn more, you can log onto her website, theresapuskar.com.
