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Here is a question that has come in from one of the readers that I hear very often.

“How do we instantly drop or see through the ego? How do we “relinquish the stranglehold of the ego”?

Well firstly we have to let go of false expectations to be able to look at our hopes in the right context. The bad news (to the ego!) is that there is no instant solution to the habits of ego. It is not possible to attain an instant cure all for the ego.

Having said that, it is possible to experience a state of freedom from the ego in THE NOW. The more we can centre our self in the state of awareness in the now – the more we become the habit of centred awareness. With centred awareness we loosen the stranglehold that the ego seems to have in our life. With centred awareness we see the ego for what it is – we see through and beyond it.

Naturally this takes a degree of vigilance. We must be able to engage with activities that help us to be centred in the now. Sadly though, most people will still be centred in their thoughts whilst thinking they are paying attention to the moment. Yet whilst the mind is still in dialogue about life or labelling and defining what is happening in the moment the ego is still holding the power.
Being occupied and driven by the mind is the bane of spiritual freedom. It is the construct of our thoughts and how deeply we identify with this construct – and give it belief – that keeps the ego so well rooted.

One of the most simple, immediate and powerful things we can do to disperse the ego’s apparent grip is to centre our self in our breath.

Why? Firstly – the breath has no opinion. The breath is a flow of life force that corresponds with the freedom and pure being of the living moment. It is within us and therefore not a power that is somewhere else, outside, in another person or a separate power. Breath connects us to a state of awareness. This awareness simply is. It is consciousness: un-opinionated, unformed by any identity, agenda or story. Scientifically it is proven that meditative breathing corresponds with a very different state of awareness – which the masters know as the pure Self.
Simply allowing our self to be present to our breath allows us to become still and for the mind to slow down. This is aided further if we have a method that helps us to create a deeper, slower rhythm of breath. I recommend you watch the video clip The Breath of Life  sometime.

Different methods can help release the more deeply rooted habits and blocks caused by ego identification. And, by constantly coming back to your breath you can establish a different habit – really being present in the now without the interruption of the ego.

Try it now – in the next few moments. Just bring your attention fully into the centre of your breathing for a few minutes and allow your self to simply be aware of the moment. Even if this only lasts for a few moments you will notice how clear and light you feel. The weight of the ego vanishes. Why? Because what you think is the ego has no inherent reality. The moment you allow yourself to just connect with what IS you experience your true nature: simply that which is Presence… consciousness… life.

Happy Breathing!

Isira.

P.S. You might like  to join to receive mail outs. I send out a regular heart letter – in which I look into all sorts of priceless tips and practical steps that can help you strengthen your awakening process.
 

Life is a blessing in every moment. No matter where we are, or what is occurring, the gift of life is still our cradle. Acknowledging and having gratitude for this opens us deeply to the experience of life truly as a miracle. When we lack this acknowledgment, when we are closed to the gratitude and recognition of the opportunity before us, we obstruct our experiencing of the miracle of life.  

Right now, in this eternal life presence, a miracle is occurring, an infinite miracle, an eternal miracle. Yet with a mind that sees life through the ego, structure, form, story and identity dominate. With this perception, it seems miracles are few and far between. And even those miracles that occur are taken for granted or seen as insubstantial.

Mankind’s greatest obstruction to experiencing the miracle of life is in the misperception of the ego that clings to the idea of life in very limited constructs. In this dependence on structure most of humanity is reliant, addicted to order and organising through mind and form. The ego’s habit is to continually recreate experiences equating greater joy, fulfilment, success, security, pleasure and the idea of unity through the mind’s constructed conditions – a false idea of security and happiness which results in cycles of struggle.

Yet when we relinquish this stranglehold of the ego the weight of our struggles are lifted. When we settle into our deeper heart’s presence, free of the stories, our life seems to be filled with miracles. Actually, it’s not really that life is suddenly miraculous. It’s that once we remove the veils we can see life as it truly is. And when we see life as it truly is we live in synchronous wonder.

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First of all I would like to acknowledge all of the people who read the blogs. It is wonderful to hear of your own experiences and the passion with which you are all seeking to understand truth in your self. Please feel free to continue sharing and asking questions by sending an email. Although I may not get to all of them – you might find your own question appearing in a blog.

Daniel from Germany asked:

What exactly is Awakening?

Firstly, Awakening has no exact definition. This is because Awakening is about a process of shifting from the unconscious states of the ego driven identity to a conscious and experiencing state of Self as the eternal awareness and Oneness of all life. It is also because it is a state in which we transcend definition and become pure being.
In the ego driven state a person experiences life dominantly through the constructed identity and perception of being separate from others, life and God (the ALL – source and creator being of life). The individual believes in themselves as an actual personality – a ‘somebody’ defined by their body and events of their life. In this state it is the logical left brain activity that is dominant. Life is experienced in dualistic terms: up down, right wrong, me you etc. Consequently, life is constantly defined and labeled. It is believed that life really is what the mind has defined. The individual lives under the illusion of the mind, totally unaware that they are directed by a great big load of stories! This plays out through subconscious and unconscious feedback loops  Hence a person’s life feels like a constant swing between good and bad moments of pleasure and pain. Life is very conditional on circumstances. A person’s happiness is dependent on the circumstances and events of their life. And the person lives in the fog of the mind’s illusion, disconnected from the centred state of the NOW.
Awakening occurs through an ongoing process that integrates over many stages. During this process a person begins to experience direct states of awareness in which there is a remembering – a reconnection with knowing the true Self as eternal awareness and being. Through various direct activities and experiences (such as meditation) the right brain becomes more active. A gradual state of entrainment between the right and left hemispheres results in deeper and higher conscious activity. The mind becomes very still. There is a deep centredness in the moment of the NOW and the individual enters a state free of the mind’s stories and projections. In this it is directly experienced and realized that this Self is vastly beyond the body-mind of the ‘individual’. This Self is infinite and at One with all things. This Self is both the One which is undifferentiated and the manifestation of every unique expression in the universe. It is like a veil is lifted and life is seen in its full glory. All questions fall away, and along with it, the belief in a constructed identity: a ‘somebody’. In this state a profound sense of liberation occurs – there is a realization of the perfection of all things in all moments as being the One Self. Happiness becomes a constant – a realization that the Self is always freedom, peace and love. The person is free of conditional attachments or aversions.

Awakening occurs in so many varying degrees. It is most common that people experience ‘Satoris’. These are moments that can last a second or a few minutes, hours, days or weeks (sometimes even months)– before the person subsides again into the thinking mind of duality. This ‘rise and fall’ in and out of awareness can repeat itself many times – even over lifetimes before there is a sustained integration in which there is no longer a shift from the state of ever present awareness.
When we reach a saturated state of integration we become the living, radiant, constant state of Oneness, awareness and LOVE. We simply enter the beingness of life itself – the play and process of consciousness in the ever-present NOW.

May your journey of awakening continue with innocent delight and wonder.

Love and Blessings,

Isira.

For more details about Isira Click here

Well with Christmas coming around again it’s that time of year when everyone starts wondering what gifts to buy – or what gifts they want.

Perhaps it is worth asking then – what is not a gift?

It is as if most people live their life with blinkers on. And, those blinkers seem to be very conditional.

The first condition of those blinkers is the belief that we are all separate, that the self is separate from God; from life.

The second condition is that (given everything is separate) life is seen as a struggle between good and bad; the desirable and the detested.

But if we take off those blinkers we come to see the truth. There IS ONE existence – of which we are all individuated aspects. And instead of a dualistic reaction we see that (as everything is a part of our ONE Self) everything we experience IS our creation. EVERY THING.

We also see how profoundly perfect and intelligent every single thing is: that the universe is an entire intelligent collaboration and that every single thing, every event, every moment is integral to this collaboration.

This means that everything is of purpose. AND that EVERYTHING is actually a GIFT. Every moment is placed before us, by us in order to fulfill our self through life as a process, expression and experience. In this way, everything we encounter is part of this field of context. And, it is up to us as to how we respond (or more commonly react!) to this.

If we continue meeting it with blinkers on we approach it with a prejudiced mind. We judge some things as good (a gift) and some things as bad (a punishment). We spend a lot of time rejecting a lot of things. This creates a life full of resentments. And, it makes it impossible for us to gain anything from whatever was placed before us.
When we push something away we are pushing away a part of our self. Consequently, we continue to feel as if we are somehow less than whole.

When the blinkers are removed we begin to embrace everything as it is. We begin to embrace EVERY aspect of our self. We yield with our self through each moment. As we do we are able to receive the true purpose of each moment. And, through this, we are able to know and discover our true self. Then we are able to express and give our true self to life – we fulfill our very purpose of existing!

So how do we begin to take off the blinkers?

Say THANK YOU. Yes. Thank you!

Start saying thank you to every moment, to everything. Try saying thank you to the person you see as your enemy, or as your grit in life. Of course, start saying this quietly inside your heart first and you will definitely transform your self and the energy through which you are able to meet this person. You will begin to see the gift they really are!
Try saying thank you for the circumstances and events of your life that you resent. As you say thank you, you may begin to see why YOU created the situation. You will come to see that it is a gift to your self – to experience, to discover, to grow and to express… LOVE.
Try saying thank you to every single moment. Not only will it connect you with everything, it will open your eyes to the perfection of everything… and keep you engaged in the moment. You will feel truly, deeply present, connected with life. You will feel whole. You will feel LOVE. And that is the gift of life, in everything.

That means you don’t need to wait for one day out of the year to feel like all of your Christmas’s have come at once!

Blessings,

And enjoy the ever present delivery of life’s gifts,

LOVE,
Isira.

For more details about Isira Click here

All of us have been watching our world shaking and trembling under the tyranny of unconscious egoic measures and the weight of a few corrupt leaders. Perhaps now we are being shaken into awakefulness. It seems that, not only are we recognizing the need to wake up and to change our views but that we, the people, need to command leadership that truly represents a broader vision and common ground for a world of greater harmony and equality.
We have watched our world leaders with a sense of growing trepidation. But perhaps that trepidation has demanded we call on a new leadership: a leadership that is worthy of our investment. The latest events in America, following the election of Barak Obama, are a true reflection of a turning tide. But it is a tide that is only at its most fragile beginnings.

Why? Because as Barak Obama himself said – we are all needed to make the change, for the work to be done. Ultimately the growing concern of our global crisis is not a matter that rests just on the hope of one new leader, or even a collective of new leaders. Rather it is a question of leadership.
Yet who or what is to truly lead us in the right direction?
We are the people of the world……yet are we conscious of what is happening around us every day? Are we conscious of our actions? Are we conscious of their effect? Conscious of our world heading toward an abyss?  Conscious of the imbalances of this world growing from one day to the next?
It has been said we are the custodians of earth and all of its creatures. But what kind of a world are we leaving to future generations of humankind – and how will they reflect on us? Will they reflect that we were the generation who still had the chance to stop the destruction of our planet and each other? That we failed to awaken? Failed to act? Failed to lead a better life? Will WE (each one of us) leave it still in the hands of the illusive unconscious ‘them’?
That we dominantly view each other as separate entities only continues to drive our divisive behaviours, our violations and our lack of responsibility towards each other and the environment. To continue to place the responsibility outside of ourselves, upon one individual or a small number of individuals will be like trying to steer a wild plane to safe landing whilst only looking through a couple of  pinpricks. Every one of us must open our eyes and take responsibility.
Until now the ego has been the source of our temporal pleasure and pain. We have placed the blame outside of ourself. And all the while the ego has been the dominant leader. We have given it so much power and authority that we have looked to it for the answers to even our most important problems. Yet the true answers we seek can only come from our deeper conscious awareness.
Awakened consciousness is our true leader.
In conscious awareness we are no longer separate individuals, but a collective, interconnected whole. And with this awareness we are all empowered with what is needed to lead our own part – responsibly, and with love.
With this awakening we unveil our true capacity and the colours of human greatness: compassion; loving-kindness, equal rights, respect, and constructive change for growth. We uncover our largely untapped potential for true hope, courage, transcendence and higher vision even when faced with the greatest adversities. Underneath our fears lie our one common voice and our true governing and unifying spirit.
I see that we are now faced with a choice: love or fear. We must make a conscious shift – from our unconscious behaviours to awakened awareness. We must awaken humanity, and in so doing place the duty of leadership in the heart of consciousness. The only way to change the world for the better is by lifting up the consciousness and the heart of all people. When critical mass is achieved more politicians will have to follow and the businessmen will then follow. That is when real change will begin.
‘Consciousness’ is the key word – and the only one that really matters. Let us become conscious of our responsibility toward the future of humanity and earth. Let us indeed save the future of humanity – of ourselves and the world we share. It is the simple power, the living essence of consciousness in every one of us that will change our world for the better. It is this, which is the foundation of true strength that will raise us up and lead us to a better world.

For more details about Isira Click here

From the very beginning of my children’s journey I have been acutely aware of all of the influences in life that will help shape them. Naturally as parents we want the best for our children. Yet we often feel like we are trapped in a world of limited support. Our education systems and community groups most often reflect a world of old paradigms. I am profoundly aware that I am not alone in these observations. I have heard many of you voicing your sense of frustration and the feeling of disempowerment that comes with apparent futile efforts to empower our children in a conscious way.

Naturally I have communicated with my children about their inner self, their connection to all of life and how they can be free to create with confidence their own spirited visions. And, to my deepest joy and wonder, they continually respond with their own streaks of profound wisdom. So finding other means that can continue nourishing their spirit other than my own input is something I value enormously. Hence, why I was so delighted to find a book written for children of ages 8 plus.

‘The Mastery Club’ by Lillian Grace is a delightful journey about the laws of creation as explored through the lives of two young girls and their friends. It speaks the language so clearly and so believably that it can do nothing less than affirm the power that is so alive and innocent in each child – and us all.

When I gave it to my daughter she started reading it and didn’t want to put it down. It has inspired her to make her own vision boards, to write to the author, and to want to start her own mastery club. AND, she has already experienced results – going from a feeling of less confidence in sport to joining an athletics club and believing she can achieve good placements – and she has! And her bigger vision is that she will write a book – and she WILL!

Our children do deserve the best we can give them – a world full of inspiring, conscious interactions. And, indeed, I’m sure they will keep showing us a thing or two!

My deepest love, respect and support goes out to all parents and children.

May you live the lives you truly dream of.

Great Big Love and Hugs,
Isira.

Footnote: One month has passed (with busy schedules) before sending this blog on for publication. In that period my daughter has informed me that 2 weeks ago she has started writing her first book! Although she has only just turned thirteen she is firmly of the belief – filled with confident bright energy – that she will be an author. Naturally as with all things we may start with small beginnings – yet imagine what is possible if our children’s rudders are set in the right direction to start with?!