If we decide to move away from fear we create fear to move away from but if we consciously choose to move toward love instead we create love to move toward. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which method would create a more pleasant experience.

Yet, our habitual, knee jerk reaction is to run away from fear. Our bodies are even hardwired to do that but you can begin to make a conscious choice moment by moment until moving toward love becomes your default setting.

How do we do that? The first step is to notice fear from a place of emotional neutrality. “Oh, I notice fear is present.” Just notice, avoid judging or reacting, just observe.

The next step is to make a new choice. How can you celebrate or appreciate whatever is seemingly creating your fear? You may not be able to do it at first but with practice you will be able to do it with ease.

It helps if you begin the practice of gratitude and appreciation before fear shows up. Take you top ten fears and find something the appreciate and celebrate about each one.

Examples:

Fear of death – I can use that to appreciate each moment of my life, stay in the moment and to be grateful for everything I do have

Not enough money – when you get a bill you can celebrate it’s arrival (This one takes practice), give thanks that someone trusted you to pay this bill, give sincere thanks for the money to pay this bill and really feel that. I actually made a special box for my bills decorated with hearts, dollar bills, fairies and angels. I displayed it on my desk and before long my finances changed.

Being abandoned – give thanks for the reminder to spend time opening up to your connection to your spirit and really feeling the sea of love you swim in.

I think you get the idea. Have a love fest instead of a marathon running from fear.

With love, an awareness of fear and choosing gratitude,
Susan

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Fearless Friday: so what about love?

Impatients by the pond

Plumerias, they smell so sweet

Bananas almost ready for picking

With incredible gratitude for life,
Susan

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Wordless Wednesday: nature

She and I have journeyed far together and I have decided my next book will be all teaching stories. Here is the first of many to come.

The Grandmother, the chief and omens

Grandmother pulled her robe closer as she looked up at the stars. It was a cold night for early spring and she wondered what the crops would be like this year.  She loved sitting outside watching the village sleep. She heard the gentle stirring of the wind as it began its morning journey across the land. Off in the distance the coyotes sang and an owl flew overhead.

She felt his presence as he stepped out of his Hogan, silently said his prayers and began walking toward her. Something was deeply troubling him. Perhaps he too felt the quiet whispers of the changes to come.

The horizon was just showing the first signs of light as he approached. Grandmother’s cooking fire was just springing to life as he settled onto the bench he had made for her as a boy.  What a gift watching him become a man. She was grateful he had turned into such a kind and loving leader. Grandmother handed him a cup of tea and slowly stirred the porridge.

They sat in silence, comfortable in each others company. Grandmother heard the owl again and pulled her robe a little closer. Death was in the wind or was it?

“What troubles you my son?”

“I feel the presence of death in the village. I am afraid someone I love will die. What if my wife or my son dies? I know I shouldn’t fear death that it is part of life but I just can’t shake this feeling. The feeling of darkness haunts my every step.”

“Are you sure it is death you fear? Did you talk to the darkness before you gave it a name?” The young man looked at Grandmother for the longest time.

“I am not sure what you mean. I feel the presence of death.”

The old woman poured another cup of tea and looked at the horizon slowly showing signs of the sun’s arrival. He followed her gaze and was struck by the beauty of this valley. He was filled with a familiar feeling of gratitude and peace.

Grandmother smiled as she looked at her young friend. They both sat in silence as they watched the sun come over the horizon. In winter and early spring the light always illuminated Grandmother’s place first, at her age she needed the extra warmth. A hawk flew overhead, circling three times before he screeched loudly and landed on a branch not too far away. He looked directly at Grandmother and began to clean his feathers.

“Each new day is an opportunity. We can fill the day with love and laughter, we can share our light and open our hearts to the gifts so freely given or we can walk with fear.  When we walk with love we have no choice but to see the perfection in all of life. No matter what is happening in the moment we can celebrate or deny the experience and bemoan our fate.

“When I was young I was asked to leave my village. I left in disgrace, failing to see the gift and walked with fear for many seasons. One night an old woman came to me and helped me see life through the eyes of love. She changed my life and shortly after that I came to this village where I was welcomed with love.  Since I met her I see the gift and the love in everything. I have learned to talk with the spirit of all things and am no longer so quick to name things. Once named, they are limited.  Did you talk to the darkness or just name it death?”

He thought for a moment before he replied. “I felt something I did not know. It was strange, like nothing I had felt before. It felt dark and ominous so I named it death. My fear spoke loudly and I forgot to talk with my spirit. Yes, Grandmother I named it before I spoke with it.”

“Really listening to our heart, taking time to connect with our spirit and listening is so important in our lives. I watch people read the omens and watch for signs but not take the time to go within. It is by going within that you will find the answers. If you read the signs, if your definition of the omens comes from an external source they may lead you astray.

“The hawk visited us and if I tell you what that means I rob you of the opportunity to ask your spirit what it means for you in that moment. We often deny our wisdom by projecting the past on the present moment. What you learn from someone else is knowledge. When you listen to your spirit you gain wisdom, a wisdom that comes from the heart of the Great Spirit that is filled with love and will only bring you joy.”

He bowed his head and gently kissed her check. “Thank you Grandmother. I will always remember your words and hold them close to my heart.”

He walked rapidly toward the path that led to the top of the cliff. She knew he would spend the morning there finding the voice of his spirit returning with the wisdom of love.

If only more people would take the time to do that what a wonderful world this would be.

With love and aloha,
Susan

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Teaching Stories

Here is a list of things you can do to create more love in your life:

Pray
Meditate
Go sit in a church
Sit by a running brook or the ocean – listen, smell and feel
Watch the sunrise or sunset
Go to a park and watch children play
Stop and smell the roses
Light a candle
Go for a walk in your favorite place
Make a list of everything and everyone you love
Consciously chose to feel love
Write down everything you are grateful for
Remind yourself you are love, you are loved and you are lovable
Listen to some uplifting music
Read some love poems

How about you add some ideas of your own?

Read more Fearless Fridays at my Beliefnet Blog:
• 5 Ways Fear Can Improve Your Life
• 7 Ways to Overcome Fear
• Inspirational Quotes on Fear
• View all Fearless Fridays posts

With love and aloha,
Susan

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Fearless Friday: increasing the love

With awe, love and inspiration,
Susan

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What an incredible journey Peru has been

Enjoy!

With love and aloha,
Susan

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Wordless Wednesday: Peru

Today if you can’t help financially say a prayer, imagine angels bringing clean, clear water to every person on this beautiful planet. Perhaps forgo a cup of coffee and help the people in Haiti and the world today.

Haiti and the aftermath of the devastating earthquake has been in the news a lot. Here is a video from Charity: Water. Wouldn’t it be  nice if every man, woman and child had clean water on this beautiful planet we call Earth?

With love and aloha,
Susan

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World Water Day 2010

Merging with the Divine
Led by Dr. Susan Gregg

April 17^th-May 1^st, 2010

Of all the sacred sites, Machu Picchu is amongst the most talked about and mysterious. Truly there are more questions asked than answered regarding its purpose and ultimate demise. Imagine a city of incredible structures built using 50 ton blocks of stone fitting so perfectly together (without mortar) that you cannot fit a hair between the joints! Five square miles of astrological perfection sits majestically on top of a misty mountain in the Andes (8000 feet). Located two thousand feet above the rumbling Urubamba river, the city remained untouched and undiscovered until Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham explored it in 1911.

On this spiritual journey, we will be using the energies of this amazing country to assist us in experiencing the divine within. Peru is the perfect place for this adventure of ceremony and inner exploration of the heart. We will be joined by several Peruvian Shamans who are great sources of the ancient Inca teachings and traditions.
Using the three levels of the Inca’s mythology of transcendence, we move from the dark underworld of our own minds to the clarity of spiritual consciousness. The snake, puma and condor will be the symbols we use to represent our spiritual ascension for these 11 sacred days together.

Cusco, Ollantaytambo, the Sacred Valley, Moray and Tipon are some of the locations we will explore. There will be ceremony, and deep personal exploration on this incredible and sacred spiritual retreat.

Daily Schedule:

DAY  1 (L,D) Arrival  to Lima in the morning (we suggest that you arrive on the overnight flight to lima arriving around 4:30am). We then fly to Cuzco and go by bus to the Sacred Valley. On the way we will stop in Pisac to see the andean camelids, relax and drink some coca tea for the altitude, visit the Pisac market for some shopping time and relax in the market where we will have lunch. Overnight in Pisac Royal Inka hotel.

DAY 2 (B,L,D) Late start this morning! We will drive to the temple site of Pisac, do a welcome despacho ceremony for the Apu mountain spirits and then have an optional walk to Pisac market, lunch in Pisac, then to Ollantaytambo an incredible ancient Inca city. Two hundred steps lead up terraces to a double-jamb gateway and the Temple of Ten Niches, a long wall with odd protuberances. Above this is the unfinished Temple of the Sun, considered one of the masterpieces of Inca stonework.Six giant monoliths of pink rhyolite are perfectly slotted together with thin slices of stone and oriented to glow with the rising sun.

At Ollantaytambo we will discover the surprising Astronomical Watcher, which lies under the Tunupa’s glance (Part of the Wiraccochan myth) who is sculpted on stone in part of the Pinkuylluna mountain in front of the archaeological complex. In this place of power we offer Coca leaves which are used to send love and thanks to the Spirit of the Mountains, the Apus and to Pachamama (Mother Earth). We will take a beautiful walk to see the famous Pacarectampu Pyramid. Ollantaytambo for overnight.

DAY 3 (B,L,D) Today we will visit the sacred site of Moray – temple of fertility for a meditation and coca hallpay ceremony and picnic lunch. There are four huge natural depressions that have been sculpted into deep terraces. These circles represent for us the Cosmic Spiral, and we work with the energy of this place to connect with the womb of the Mother Earth (Mama Pacha). Time to do a ceremony in order to offer something to her and asking permission to be there. In the afternoon we return to Ollantaytambo to the temple of the winds for a cleansing ceremony.  Overnight at Ollantaytambo.

DAY 4 (B,D) Today we catch the morning train for our ride to Machu Picchu (1.5 hours) where we travel through beautiful mountains and jungle scenery of the Andes before arriving at the site. We will have our first ceremony to ask permission of the Entities of the place: The Puma, The Condor and Lights of Spirits. We visit the Seven Places of Power at Machu Picchu. This entire stone complex is a high voltage magnetic focal point and every invocation made at Machu Picchu is amplified to incalculable proportions. We will spend a few days here merging our energies with this sacred site and deepening our understanding of the Inca mythology. On arrival we will check into our hotel and then take the bus to the site for a shamanic visit, explore the powerful temples of the site and have a meditation. Overnight in Aguas calientes.

DAY 05: (B,D) Return to the site for optional hikes, ceremonies and just to be in the energy of this beautiful site. If we feel good we can hike to the Temple of the moon and the sacred peak of Wayna Picchu (this walk lasts 3-5 hours and is demanding but very special to connect the Hanaq Pacha upper world!) If you go you will have the opportunity to see the Temple of the Moon, part way down the northern side of Wayna Picchu. We will continue our explorations of the Royal Tomb, the Funerary Rock, the Sacred Plaza, Condor Temple and the Inihuatana Stone (known as the “hitching post of the sun” is a carved rock pillar whose four corners are oriented toward the four cardinal points. The Inca were accomplished astronomers, and used the angles of the pillar to predict the solstices). We may also walk to the Gate of the Sun which is the end of the Inka Trail. Overnight at Aguas calientes.

DAY 06: (B,D) Optional hikes to Putukusi mountain 3 hours round trip (very demanding) or walk to the waterfalls of Mandor over the train tracks (much easier 4 hours round trip). Overnight at Aguas calientes.

DAY 07: (B,L,D) Early train ride back to Ollantaytambo then by bus to Cusco, resting time, exploring the city, overnight in the city. (11,500 feet)

DAY 08: (B) Visit of the altars of the city including Koricancha, Inka streets, shaman market and the temple of the heart Kusilluchayoc. Overnight in Cusco.

DAY 09: (B,L,D) Altars nearby the city such as Sacsayhuaman, Kenko and Chacan the temple of the rainbow (Picnic lunch) on the site itself, optional horse ride to the temple. Cusco, the navel of the earth, was laid out on a grid plan to reproduce the shape of a puma, their sacred mountain animal. The pre-Inca site of Sacsayhuaman, high above the northern edge of the city, forms the head of the puma and the Coricancha temple forms the center of the grid. At Sacsayhuaman; (a hilltop fortress looming over Cusco to the north with three ramparts of zigzag walls that run for nearly 300 meters on its north side) we connect with the rocks which contain messages and lessons for a new era through geometrical symbols. Rest of the day is free to explore the city. Overnight in Cusco.

DAY 10: (B) We will drive to Tipon for a purification cleansing ceremony then we will drive to  Wasao to visit one of most popular shamans, Don Martin Pinedo, to receive a blessing and connect with the condor energy. Tipon is a little known Inca ruin complex southeast of Cusco. It consists of a vast walled enclosure with some of the most complex Inca drains, water works and baths, some of which are still functioning. The location is superb, with stupendous views of the mountains and Valley. Uphill from the enclosure is a magnificent Inca aqueduct which we will use for a purification ceremony. Afternoon for free in the city.  Overnight in Cusco.

DAY 11: (B) Today we fly back to Lima for our international flights OR if you are joining us for our extension to Lake Titicaca then we will be taking a bus to Puno.

Extension:

DAY 11: (B,L,D) Today we take our bus to Puno, we will stop on the way to visit several sites of interest including the temple of Wiracocha, the creator of the Andes and have a blessing ceremony and meditation on the site itself. Then drive to Juliaca and Puno. Overnight at Taypicala hotel.

DAY 12: (B,L,D) We leave in the late morning for the temple of the fertility then we will drive to Charcas beach on Lake Titicaca, have a cleansing ceremony, meditation, bathing on the lake, and a picnic lunch. Afternoon bus ride to Puno port for our excursion to the floating islands of Uros – an amazing experience. Overnight at Chucuito.

DAY 13: (B,L,D) We will drive to Cutimbo located on the road to Tacna, experience ancient pre-history caves, then meditating and working on the great Chullpas, places to connect the 3 worlds.  We will have a picnic lunch and take some time to work with the local children, then return to Puno to explore the city and have an early dinner. Overnight in Chucuito.

DAY 14: (B,L,D) Journey to Aramu Muru, we will drive on the Panamerican road to this amazing rock formation which is know as an interdimensional gate! We will have time to be in the energy of this powerful sacred place, do a meditation and have free time to explore. Picnic lunch. Overnight in Chucuito hotel.

DAY 15: (B) We will leave early our hotel, on the way to the airport we will visit the famous site temple of Sillustani, have a final ceremony, then we will continue our drive to the airport of Juliaca for our afternoon flight to Lima and then home.

Costs:

For the main trip itinerary $3395.00 USD double occupancy.

For the extension to Lake Titicaca $995.00 USD double occupancy.

All breakfasts are included in this program and many of our other meals. Our included meals are noted next to each day of the above itinerary and are in parentheses (). Non-included meals may need to be paid for in cash so plan accordingly. All spiritual teachings are included. All tips for the drivers, guides, and bell boys are included. All bus ground transportation is included on this journey. Your international roundtrip air flight is not-included in the cost of the journey, but your internal roundtrip flight from Lima to Cusco/Lake Titicaca is included. Entrance fees to all the ruins are included. Non-included items would include souvenir shopping, personal phone calls, laundry and the tips for your room maid (recommended $1.00 USD per day).

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Sacred Sites of Peru and Machu Picchu

Too much time is spent complaining about what is wrong in our community and not enough time is spent lifting up what is good and thanking the people that are doing good.

When was the last time you came across a letter to the editor that was positive? Why are our days filled with the sounds of people complaining? And are we guilty of adding to the chorus?

Make a commitment that starting today and once a week for the rest of your life you will sit down and hand write a note to someone somewhere thanking them for what they have done. It could be your child’s team coach or their teacher, it could be the person that waits on you at your favorite restaurant, and it could even be the government official that did something you were pleased with.

Be the change you want to see in your community by also being the person pointing out the good that is happening everyday around us.

One note, the thank you MUST be hand written and sent through the mail, an email or computer generated note will not do. Some of you must be there in the words of gratitude.

With love, gratitude and aloha,
Susan

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Once a Week

With love and aloha,
Susan

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Fearless Friday: The Free Hug Campaign