Love, Love, Love!

Happy Valentine’s Day! My hope for you on this day is that it is filled with love.

I wanted to pass along an interesting column from Examiner.com by Amy Gracey. Amy spent many years in a monastery in the Southern US and “knows” spirituality (I got the sense as I read this that she was referring to the gnostic sense of “knowing” or knowledge obtained through experiencing). In the post, Amy shares a quote from Love is a Fire: Just as Love is the Essence of the Path, so is Longing its Agent of Transformation. The quote is “sometimes people brush it (God or the Divine) aside; the last thing they want is to be distracted from their outer goals, their achievements, and to be taken into the vulnerability and need that are within them.” As I read her column, it reminded me about the concept of awakening. To me, when we are awake, we recognize this world for the illusion that it is. Things are new and then they are old; they appear and then they disappear. What then remains when our world is illusion? For me, from my perspective, it is consciousness that remains. Our body grows old and eventually fails, but our consciousness is present within all and goes beyond. If I could hold the awareness of the Divinity (or consciousness) within myself, I could recognize that there is nothing I need to learn or change, and I could see life as an adventure for my consciousness. My hope in sharing these thoughts is that it offers you the opportunity to ponder the concepts of vulnerability and need in relationship to God for yourself. Check out Gracey’s column here and share your personal thoughts on vulnerability and need in relationship to God below.

Also, I wanted to let everyone know about a change to the date of the “Tarot as a Second Language” workshop with David Vine. I did not realize that 4/28 is part of the weekend that The Tarot School is offering their annual Reader’s Studio. For those of you who may not know, the Reader’s Studio is an annual conference for Tarot Readers. To allow people the opportunity to attend both events if they would like, I am changing the date to Saturday, May 5th, so mark your calendars! More to come on registration soon….

My next Ongoing Tarot Practice Class at Peaceful Inspirations in Delmar, NY will be on Tuesday, February 28th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. This class is open to all practice levels of the Tarot. The investment for the class is $24. One of the thing the students say they love about the class is that they get the opportunity to hear other student’s perspective on the cards, which helps them with expanding their own sense of the meanings. Peaceful Inspirations asks that you call if you can to let them know you are coming if you can. Their number is (518) 439-7039.

Finally, I wanted to put out a quick reminder of our 15% off Special for the month of February with Buy Gift Certificate Now!">The Gift Card Café.com. Gift certificates could be used for family, friends, or even a treat for yourself. Just enter promo code “FEB2012” to get the discount!

Spirituality, Contemplation, and Discounts!

I wanted to share with you the link to a posting I came across in the Times Colonist, a local news resource in the Victoria and Vancouver Island area in Canada. The posting is by Lyle McKenzie, a pastor of a local Lutheran Church. In the post, Lyle invites readers to submit their own postings to the Times Colonist with their personal views on spirituality. I am thinking of sending one in myself!. What I do find interesting in his posting is his discussion of Jesus as a spiritual teacher versus the Messiah when considering the context of the multiple spiritual and religious viewpoints within our culture. The thing that came to me as I read this post was that as we deepen our intimacy with God we open ourselves to contemplation. When we are in a state of contemplation, we are able to reflect more on ourselves and others from the soul’s perspective. Reading McKenzie writing about Jesus as a spiritual teacher, my impression was he was writing from a contemplative perspective. My hope in sharing my thoughts and this posting with you is that it might allow you to think about your personal take on Jesus and on the idea of contemplation. Check out the post here and share your thoughts below!

Also, I wanted to remind everyone there is still time to take advantage of our February promotion on The Gift Card Café.com. Feel free to consider purchasing a gift certificate for a friend or a loved one, or one to treat yourself (with the perk of a discount!). During this month, to kick off our involvement with The Gift Card Café.com, we are offering 15% off all gift certificates. The Gift Card Café.com accepts all major credit cards. To get the discount, just enter promo code “FEB2012”

There is still time to catch me for a Tarot Reading at Peaceful Inspirations in Delmar, NY, this coming Saturday (2/11) from 1pm to 4pm. My time tends to book up at Peaceful Inspirations, so if you are interested in coming in for a reading, please call them at (518) 439-7039 to schedule a time.

Finally, I want to put out a reminder to everyone to save the date of April 28th for David Vine’s “Tarot as a Second Language” workshop. David is an accomplished Tarot Reader, Tarot Scholar, and Linguist. This workshop is sure to be an enlightening and fun experience to deepen your practice of the Tarot. Learn to “read” and “speak” the wisdom way of the Tarot in this workshop. More details to come…..

Instant Gift Certificates….Made Easy, What is Spirituality, and Events!!

Greetings to You!!

News, News!

Although we are putting the final touches on it, I am so excited to share something with you all that I just cannot wait so….here goes!! Solutions for Healing and Renewal has partnered with The Gift Card Café.com! The Gift Card Café.com’s motto is “Instant Gift Certificates….Made Easy” and the partnership between Solutions for Healing and Renewal and the site allows our customers to easily purchase either instant gift certificates or gift certificates that could be sent by mail. The Gift Card Café.com accepts all major credit cards for purchases, and you have the option to purchase gift certificates in dollar increments or to purchase gift certificate packages for our services (e.g. 60 min. Therapeutic Massage, 30 min. Tarot Reading, etc.). To celebrate our partnership (I am thinking of Valentine’s Day coming up, too.) we are offering 15% off any gift certificate! To obtain the discount, just enter promo code “FEB2012” Check us out at The Gift Card Café.com here!

I also wanted to send along a link to an interesting e-mail article from NPR about a project called “Frequencies: A Collaborative Genealogy of Spirituality.” The researchers involved with Frequencies are asking scholars, writers, and artists to write an essay about what they think of when they think of the word “spirituality.” For me, when I think of the word “spirituality”, I think “relationship.” To me, spirituality is about our relationship to a Higher Power. Within this relationship, spirituality offers the opportunity for a deepening intimacy with Higher Power where we recognize this power’s love more and more deeply. If we choose it, spirituality can involve transformative union with the Divine. My hope in sharing this article with you, as well as my thoughts, is that it inspires you to think of your personal take on what spirituality is.  Check out the article here and feel free to share your personal definition of spirituality in the comments below.

Events, Events!

I wanted to remind everyone that I still have availability for appointments for Tarot Readings or Psychotherapy at Crossroads Gallery in Duanesburg, NY, on Saturday 2/4. Feel free to call me at (518) 383-8311 if you might be interested in scheduling a time.

Also, I wanted to let everyone know I will be doing Tarot Readings at Peaceful Inspirations on Saturday, 2/11, from 1pm to 4pm. My time tends to book up, so if you are thinking you would like to come in, I would suggest you give Peaceful Inspirations a call at (518) 439-7039 to schedule a time.

Peace and Love,

Mike

Three Benefits of Spiritual Surrender

Three Benefits to Spiritual Surrender

By Michael Clarkson-Hendrix PhD LCSW

In “spiritual surrender”, we do our best in a given situation, but we also recognize that the outcome of this situation is under the dominion of a Higher Power [Miller (1999:179)]. Surrender, in this instance, does not mean giving up our wishes or needs, but recognizing that the act of their fulfillment is ultimately provided by the loving care of a source beyond ourselves. This Higher Power’s viewpoint includes our personal perspective, but also sees the impact of an outcome upon all beings when fulfilling a want or need. The purpose of this article is to provide you with three benefits to considering incorporating the concept of spiritual surrender into your understanding of your relationship with your personal wants and needs.

1. Incorporating the concept of spiritual surrender into our desire for what we want or need can bring us a stronger sense of peace. When we understand that we can share our thoughts and feelings with a loving Higher Power, including our wants and needs, we can begin to let go of our anxiety about whether they will be fulfilled or not. When this occurs, we are not assured what the outcome will be, but we can know that we are opening ourselves to becoming vessels for a Higher Power’s expression here on Earth (Hoppe, 2005).

2. Incorporating the concept of spiritual surrender into our desire for what we want or need can enhance our ability to see the spiritual gift of a situation. When we come from a place of surrender, we are in acceptance of what is. Our awareness expands to open us to the spiritual understanding within a situation both for ourselves and for other beings involved (Choquette, 1995). From this vantage point, we comprehend what is occurring without judgment or hatred.

3. Incorporating the concept of spiritual surrender into our desire for what we want or need can bring us more joy. We are able to find more joy in surrender since we give up the struggle of our attachment to our personal notions of what would be the best outcome of a given situation. A natural result of this is docility. When we become less attached to an outcome, the ordinary things within our lives take on a heightened significance. We can greet them with wonder, which leads to increased feelings of joy (Morgan, 2010).

References

Choquette, S. (1995). The psychic pathway: A workbook for reawakening the voice of your soul. Three Rivers Press: New York.

Hoppe, C. (2005). Manifesting skills. University of Metaphysical Sciences: CA.

Miller, W. R. (1999). Integrating spirituality into treatment: Resources for practitioners. American Psychological Association: Washington, DC.

Morgan, S. (2010). Personal Communication.

Michael Clarkson-Hendrix, PhD LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Philosopher of Metaphysics, PhD. Michael’s purpose is to nurture others along their personal paths to peace. Check out his book, “Surrendering Your Will to God,” at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mclarksonhendrix to learn more about the concept of surrender.

Five Tips for Integrating Spiritual Experiences

I wanted to share an article that I submitted to Healing Springs Journal for their April-May 2011 edition.  Please consider checking out their website and supporting all the wonderful practitioners contributing to this helpful resource. 

Five Tips for Integrating Spiritual Experiences

By Michael Clarkson-Hendrix, PhD LCSW

Spiritual experiences happen routinely in our lives, although when we are not prepared for them, they can become jarring. Bragdon (1993) states common spiritual experiences include connecting with loved ones who have passed away, near death experiences, moments of connection with the Divine, communicating with our Angels, awakening psychic gifts, and the movement of kundalini energy within us. When we are not prepared for these experiences, they can become disconcerting and can create distress. Below are five tips to help an individual come to peace with these experiences when they were not prepared for their arrival.

1. Ground Yourself. It is common in the midst of spiritual experiences for us to lose our sense of connection to the world around us. During these times, by focusing on noticing the weight of our bodies, the connection of our feet to the ground below us, or even crouching down to touch the ground can help an individual with reconnecting with the world around them after an intense spiritual experience.

2. Allow Yourself Alone Time. Finding meaning in spiritual experiences can take time. Therefore, it is important to allow yourself the opportunity for periods of quiet to sort through your thoughts and feelings about what has happened. This space allows you to come to the personal truth of your experience.

3. Meditate or Pray. Connecting with a Higher Power during this time in prayer or meditation can assist you with engaging your spiritual support system to assist you in making peace with your experience. Perhaps the experience is meant to bring some information to revelation. Quieting the mind in prayer and meditation can open your spirit to sharing these insights with you.

4. Express Yourself Creatively. Whether it is artwork, music, poetry, or sculpting, any activity that could allow you to express your experience can assist you with finding a context to what has occurred. It can assist with meaning making and allow expression of thoughts and feelings that otherwise are difficult to articulate.

5. Ask Supportive People for Help. Compassionate friends, family members, or members of your spiritual community can assist with being a sounding board for your experience and providing discernment in helping you make sense of what is happening. Even asking them to just quietly and listen as your recount what is occurring can provide support in forming a coherent personal account of what is going on. In doing this, it is easier to make sense of the experience and carry it with you in a helpful way.

References

Bragdon, E. (1993). A sourcebook for helping people with spiritual problems. Lightening Up Press: California.

“Surrendering Your Will to God” is published

I have published an electronic version of my Philosopher of Metaphysics, PhD, dissertation on Lulu.com.  The title of the disseration is “Surrendering Your Will to God.”  In the disseration I explore the process of deepening your relationship with the Divine.  Included in the disseration are discussions of some classic strategies to open yourself to deepening this relationship, common obstacles one encounters along their spiritual path as they pursue surrender, and how to find peace within the process.  My hope is that this work inspires others to further their process of relating to Source.

I’ve included a link to my Lulu.com page in the links section.

Peace and Light,

Mike