September, 2010

Committed to being an instrument in the transformation of world consciousness, Mary O'Malley helps people experience the freedom and joy of being awake and aware no matter what is happening in their lives.

Inspiration: It takes an open heart and deep compassion to see all of the conditioned stories in our heads that keep us separate from life. Intention: When something bothers me, I will notice my story around it, love it and, under that gaze of compassion, allow it to evaporate like the summer fog when it is touched by the morning sun. ________________________________________________ Featured Offering: Join a Telegroup and share awakening with others of like-mind! (Please see Below)

In the July newsletter (here is a link) we looked at how we can trust the chaos that is happening on this planet right now.  In August we looked at how we can trust the challenges in our own lives, discovering that in each of them is a gift that allows us to slowly and surely let go around all of the parts of ourselves that learned how to control life in the past so we can now connect with life.  I do want to share with you where the willingness to trust takes us, but first we need to spend a little more time exploring the willingness to meet whatever is showing up in our lives. Yes, it takes courage to do this, but the root word for courage means 'big heart'.  It takes an open heart and deep compassion to see all of the conditioned stories in our heads that keep us separate from life.  It takes courage to see them, love them and, under that gaze of compassion, allow them to evaporate like the summer fog when it is touched by the morning sun.   

The journey with my hip (that I referred to in the August newsletter) has brought up everything inside of me that I haven’t been able to fully meet with my heart.  At times, after living in a very uncomfortable body for 2 ½ months and mostly sleep-deprived nights, what comes up from the depth of me are stories of despair, frustration, anger, overwhelm and fear.  But I know they are asking to be met in the spaciousness of my heart. 

Yes, at times, I fall into those feelings.  And yes, at times, I run away from them.  But the joy of meeting them in my heart shows that when I resist or indulge them in any way, all it leads to is suffering. So my heart is becoming clearer and more engaged, and most of this time I can recognize what grace this is. 

The following quote from Eleanor Roosevelt speaks directly to this:
"Every time you meet a situation, though you think at the time it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it, you find that forever after you are freer than you were before.”
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There is also a line from one of Rainier Marie Rilke’s poems that says, “Oh, we wasters of sorrow.”  Well, I am not wasting this healing opportunity.  Sometimes I really don’t like it, but I keep on returning to two little mantras from my first book, Belonging To Life:  ‘What is’ and ‘This too’.  ‘What is’ is the invitation to use my mind to be curious about what is happening, rather than reacting to it.  And ‘this too’ is the invitation to allow it to be here – for it is!  It is also the invitation to not fight it, so what I am experiencing can float in the vast spaciousness of my own heart.  How could you not be grateful for this depth of healing!  (My struggling self just made a rude comment in my mind, but that’s okay.  I understand its deeply conditioned belief that it must get as far away as it can from any discomfort.)

When the fog of your conditioned self begins to thin from the sunlight of your heart, you begin to see life again.  You truly feel it, touch it, taste it, trust it and know it.  This is when the ‘prodigal son’ comes home.  This is experienced as a softening of all of that tightness you have carried around your whole life.  It is an opening, an allowing life in with both its joys and it sorrows.  It is learning how to not second-guess life so you can show up for it instead.  It is recognition of the fleetingness of life – nothing lasts - and thus an honoring of the preciousness of everything. And even deeper than all of that, it is the joy of dancing with life from your heart rather than from your conditioned mind.

If you would like to read more about working with challenges from this perspective, here is a link to the chapter “Fertility of the Dark” in my book Belonging to Life.

Be light,  Mary

Quote:  “When the fog of your conditioned self begins to thin from the sunlight of your heart, you begin to see life again.  You truly feel it, touch it, taste it, trust it and know it.”  — Mary O'Malley

To learn more about this work, please visit our web site at  www.maryomalley.com

Also, please click on the  Your Gift Movie link in the left sidebar of my web site homepage to view a wonderful 3-minute multi-media presentation about this work (also on YouTube), and click on this Blog link to read messages from me and reply or ask questions.

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Join the Monday Telegroup 

If you would like to share your process of awakening (and falling asleep!) in a supportive community of others of like-mind, facilitated by Mary, we invite you to join the Monday telegroup which meets from 5:55 to 6:55 PM Pacific Time. For details go to our Events Calendar, and to register, click on the link to the Telegroup there.

From Our Readers 

Dear Mary,

WHAT an AMAZING telegroup! I just loved everything everyone shared... it was especially powerful.

I've had a good week. I've been feeling very fatigued again lately and notice the mind kicking up big-time when that happens. Today I was utterly exhausted, and this afternoon my brain went into a rant about how I'm not going to have enough money and won't be ok, and I was able to not go there with it. I just listened to it and was able to pull back and and go on with my evening. I've had a bunch of those moments this week.

Thank you for who you are and what you share with us and what you remind us of.  These calls are the best part of my week!

~Sue

Counseling & In-Person Groups

Counseling - In Person & by Phone
Mary is a guide who offers insights born of experience and awareness. Through deep listening and presence, she helps others open to their own clarity and wisdom. Her office is in Kirkland, WA and she is also available for phone counseling. The fee is $105 for each 50-minute session. (sliding scale available for those who need it.)

For information and appointments, please call Mary at 425-889-5937 or send her an email at  awaken@maryomalley.com

Awakening Groups
These gatherings provide an opportunity for you to explore and deepen your own personal awakening, with expert guidance. You will also experience the healing powers of mercy and trust. 

You may visit an in-person group one time to see if a group is right for you.  To join a group, an introductory counseling session with Mary is required.  If you are interested, please contact Mary at  info@maryomalley.com or 425.889.5937

Events
Please go to our Events Calendar for details

Saturday, September 4th

Half-Day Retreat 9:30 AM-1:30 PM, Kirkland, WA

Mondays, September 6th-27th

Telegroup: Being Fully Alive
5:55-6:55 PM Pacific Time

Thursdays, September 9th-30th

Telegroup: The Gift of Our Challenges
6:00-7:00 PM Pacific Time

Saturday, October 2nd

Half-Day Retreat 9:30 AM-1:30 PM, Kirkland, WA

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