Awakening Soul Consciousness - Walking the Mystics Path
Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D.
We live in exciting times indeed! Shifts are occurring across the globe - socially, economically, politically, and spiritually. We can see these changes through the lens of fear and uncertainty, or we can see them through the spiritual lens of awakening and empowerment.
Many spiritual traditions have talked about being 'In the world but not of the world.' This is the mystic's path, to stay connected to God/Allah/Jehovah/Great Spirit at all times. When you face doubt or confusion, you can get clarity and insights through meditation, Shamanic journeys, or guided imagery to tap into your own Inner Wisdom. Getting support from spiritual guides and master teachers helps you re-connect with your own Divine Essence.
In my latest book, Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand: Awakening Soul Consciousness for the New Millennium, I offer stories and ideas for those of you feeling the cosmic nudge to awaken. It's a spiritual guidebook for beginners and those of you who have walked the awaken path for many years. Each chapter has exercises, meditations, and stories to help you remember Who You Are as a spiritual being. These will help you stay grounded in the shifting sands of your life.
Here's a link to a video clip of a presentation I gave on Awakening Soul Consciousness related to my new book: http://youtu.be/e61GrDFIsls. See what emerges for you as you watch this.
May you find and create balance, peace, and joy in your life.
Blessed Be.
About The Author:
Dr. Linda J. Ferguson is an author, speaker, coach, and seminar leader to support people leading a joyful and awakened spiritual life. Linda's website, http://www.lindajferguson.com/, contains videos, meditations, affirmations, and other useful resources for spiritual growth and personal development. Readers fins inspiring and informative ideas in Linda's blog to enrich their spirituality for everyday living: www.lindajferguson.com/blog/.
Dr. Ferguson is the author of two books, The Path for Greatness - Work as Spiritual Service and Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand - Awakening Soul Consciousness for the New Millennium. Readers find the exercises at the end of every chapter valuable and practical. They can apply the ideas immediately in their life and see results. Linda has conducted three national book tours, presented at national conferences, and conducted worship services to inspired and appreciative audiences. Linda also leads Shamanic Journeys, spiritual study groups, and retreats for people who want to dive deeper into the insights and ideas offered in her books on spiritual growth and transformation.
Linda has developed a seven step process of Transformational Empowerment, for personal mastery. She developed this powerful process of manifesting and creating positive life changes from her own life experiences, her work with her coaching clients, and her study of mysticism.
She uses the spiritual principles found in her Transformational Empowerment process in her coaching practice so that her clients more effectively move through their important life changes. Her coaching provides a structured and consistent venue so that people can make positive changes in their life easily and confidently.
Linda has been on radio interviews and has featured articles in Interbeing, a journal of personal and professional mastery. She also writes a weekly blog to support people's desire to integrate their spiritual life with their professional life. - www.managementhelp.org/blogs/spirituality/.
Dr. Ferguson earned her Ph.D. from Indiana University (I.U. - Bloomington) in Organizational Behavior with a Masters also from I.U. studying Social Psychology. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology and management. Linda did her coach training in 2004 from Coach Training Alliance, completed her certification in Team Coaching, and has CCE credits from International Coach Federation (ICF).
In 1994 she traveled abroad for six months to Asia, Australia, Israel, and Europe before moving to Virginia where she currently lives. Her personal spiritual practice includes daily prayer and meditation, Sufi Dances of Universal Peace, Integral Yoga, Native American Sweat Lodges and other Earth-based ceremonies.
BUY THE BOOK: Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand
Book Description: Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand
Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand provides insightful stories and ideas to support your spiritual journey and help you answer your soul's calling. Inside you'll read how to step fully into who you are as an awakened soul being. You'll read ways to apply spiritual principles for daily challenges and stressors of relationships, finances, work, or family. You'll learn how to connect with the joy and beauty of who you are as a spiritual being through your various human experiences.
You'll learn ways to shift how you experience your world using the affirmations, meditations, and visualizations provided in each chapter. A new process called Transformational Empowerment shows seven key steps to manifesting your heart's desire and fulfilling your soul contracts.
You've already signed up to be an agent for spiritual transformation, in your own life and in the world. Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand is a spiritual guidebook to help you navigate through your daily stresses, spiritual tests, and challenging relationships. It also is a celebration of the joy you are here to experience as a conscious co-creator. Each chapter ends with concrete, meaningful exercises for you to use immediately!
Book Excerpt: Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand
I traveled to Asia several times and in one trip had the opportunity to visit Nepal. One of the excursions was to the Royal Chitwan National Park, a former hunting ground for the king. It is open to the public for walks, jeep rides or elephant rides to see the wildlife in its preserved state. The national government allows a limited number of people to enter the park with a guide, which entails crossing a crocodile-filled river in a wooden canoe.
One early morning walk, we came across a couple of rhinos bathing in a small pool. Our guide told us to lay low since the rhino will charge if it senses danger. Our guide also explained that rhinos have very poor eyesight, and so if it sees something move it will charge regardless of the animal. Rhinos have even attacked jeeps. Our guide seemed to take delight in calling to the rhinos to get their attention and then back off when the rhinos looked around or moved. The rhino is a good metaphor for those who are living their lives without a fully awakened mind. Many people sense danger and attack, even if they don’t fully understand what they are attacking. And because they can’t see clearly, they feel in a state of anxiety or danger most of the time. You may know such people. They could be co-workers, neighbors, community leaders, friends or family members.
The fight or flight instinct is very strong in us. Fight or flight, along with feeding and mating, are the four basic human instincts. When stressed we react out of instinct or deeply learned patterns. We react without thinking through what may be happening, or as the rhino, without seeing what’s really going on. Luckily we humans can stop from instinctive, knee jerk reactions. We can reflect on the situation and see it from various viewpoints. Staying open and aware you needn’t simply react. You can choose how you respond. You can attack or flee or you can negotiate, cajole, charm, or surrender. As we move from childhood to adulthood we learn to see situations beyond what is immediately happening and to consider various options for dealing with life events.
A spiritually awakened mind not only determines what is going on in the material physical plane, but also sees beyond what is happening in the immediate moment. You learn to look for and eventually understand the spiritual lesson or spiritual drama being played out. Everyone can cultivate this spiritual way of seeing to become more centered and grounded in the midst of turbulence or stress of daily life.
It is too easy to lose balance by the stresses of daily living, to let our small self call the shots, allow other people’s agenda and ego, or our own fears, run the show. The question is- what game do you want to play? Do you want to play the game of life that feeds that small self or do you want to play the game that expands yourself? The bigger game involves seeing where your growing edge is, moving beyond your routine daily living to re-connect with your soul journey. You need to be willing to open to the Cosmic wake-up calls and nudges of your soul to learn the lesson required and find more solid ground. This is a game that lets you tap into power much larger than your small self and achieve possibilities beyond your wildest dreams.
One early morning walk, we came across a couple of rhinos bathing in a small pool. Our guide told us to lay low since the rhino will charge if it senses danger. Our guide also explained that rhinos have very poor eyesight, and so if it sees something move it will charge regardless of the animal. Rhinos have even attacked jeeps. Our guide seemed to take delight in calling to the rhinos to get their attention and then back off when the rhinos looked around or moved. The rhino is a good metaphor for those who are living their lives without a fully awakened mind. Many people sense danger and attack, even if they don’t fully understand what they are attacking. And because they can’t see clearly, they feel in a state of anxiety or danger most of the time. You may know such people. They could be co-workers, neighbors, community leaders, friends or family members.
The fight or flight instinct is very strong in us. Fight or flight, along with feeding and mating, are the four basic human instincts. When stressed we react out of instinct or deeply learned patterns. We react without thinking through what may be happening, or as the rhino, without seeing what’s really going on. Luckily we humans can stop from instinctive, knee jerk reactions. We can reflect on the situation and see it from various viewpoints. Staying open and aware you needn’t simply react. You can choose how you respond. You can attack or flee or you can negotiate, cajole, charm, or surrender. As we move from childhood to adulthood we learn to see situations beyond what is immediately happening and to consider various options for dealing with life events.
A spiritually awakened mind not only determines what is going on in the material physical plane, but also sees beyond what is happening in the immediate moment. You learn to look for and eventually understand the spiritual lesson or spiritual drama being played out. Everyone can cultivate this spiritual way of seeing to become more centered and grounded in the midst of turbulence or stress of daily life.
It is too easy to lose balance by the stresses of daily living, to let our small self call the shots, allow other people’s agenda and ego, or our own fears, run the show. The question is- what game do you want to play? Do you want to play the game of life that feeds that small self or do you want to play the game that expands yourself? The bigger game involves seeing where your growing edge is, moving beyond your routine daily living to re-connect with your soul journey. You need to be willing to open to the Cosmic wake-up calls and nudges of your soul to learn the lesson required and find more solid ground. This is a game that lets you tap into power much larger than your small self and achieve possibilities beyond your wildest dreams.
Video Presentation - Linda J. Ferguson
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