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June Salon

July 9, 2003

Here is a sample of the Caroline Myss JUNE SALON

Part III: The Inability to Endure Enlightenment

This Salon is the third in a seven-part series on “Why We Sabotage our Enlightenment,” a topic of particular interest to me as a result of years of lectures and workshops in which I’ve had to deal with a paradoxical crisis: Why do so many people want a clear spiritual connection while fearing that their desire might come to fruition. In this issue, I will examine the topic of endurance from a few different perspectives, hoping as always that some part of this material will resonate with questions in your own hearts.
Continued...

THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF ENDURANCE

Endurance IS an essential component of one’s spiritual life. Waiting. Waiting under the Bodhi Tree; waiting in the desert with a parched throat; waiting in the terror of the dark night of the soul; waiting for direction; waiting for the boredom to stop; waiting because you know your life has become pregnant with the energy of change, but you fear to let it in – and you hold back the throbbing heartbeat of change again and again by claiming you feel nothing and see no way forward. And sometimes we are given the experience of enduring waiting simply because we are due that experience. It is just another of life’s pretty faces. What if the purpose of waiting is to drive you mad with the desire to be somewhere other than where you are; to be doing something other than nothing; to be someone other than no one. Waiting – the act of enduring a pause in your life; the illusion that your life has slowed down and is going nowhere -- or at least not where you want it to go. But then again, you have no idea where you want your life to go, so you might as well . . . wait.

You are born knowing that your time in the desert will come; that you will be given something to endure because something, somehow, somewhere must exist in our lives that will cause it NOT to make sense. Each of us needs something – or even someone – that defies the logic of our scheme of reality. Life unfolding according to our logic and order makes us believe too much in the power of our own righteousness and the illusion that we control reality. We don’t require a Higher Power if we are all the power we need. And, so, we need to endure something that is not fair, not deserved because we are such good people, in order for the mystery and paradox of it to make us discover our spiritual resources.
Continued...

THE MATTER OF CHOICE

The experience of endurance brings one further fear directly to the door of our psyche -- our fear of acceptance of what we cannot change. One cannot help but notice that among the most beloved and admired figures of life, especially those people who have made dramatic differences in the spiritual health of the global soul, a common theme of suffering exists. From Nelson Mandela to saints who were tortured and starved, to people who endured isolation and extreme conditions (and always the word ‘endured’ is used), we find words of wisdom and stories of great strength and spiritual enlightenment. We marvel at their capacity to endure the horrors of life and emerge shining stars, often with grateful hearts for the experiences that cracked their bodies and minds in half so that the wholeness of their spirits could emerge. We see the value in their pain because we gain so much from their Light -- from their enlightenment -- often hoping, perhaps, that our admiration and adoration of them will keep their plight from our door and their grace in our souls. But I rarely hear anyone say, “It was so unfair that so and so suffered so much.” More often, the comments are along the lines of, “He endured so much for so many – what a saint!” I’ve heard people say of Nelson Mandela, “I can see why God required him to spend all those years in prison. He had to in order to free South Africa.” With the results of his suffering so monumental, we find it spiritually logical that God would have placed this contemporary saint in such an unfair and unjust place. But what if the consequences of his “endurances” had not been so public? What if the results of his imprisonment were a matter between him and God alone? Would we then say, “How unfair that he should have endured so much?” Maybe, and maybe not. But we certainly are always seeking the reward or justification for acts of endurance assigned to us by heaven.
Continued...

SO WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE YOU????

Now that I have you thinking about the nature of endurance, it’s time to do a little personal evaluating here.
Continued...

ASK YOURSELF

Are you presently enduring something (or someone)? Describe your response in detail AS AN EXERCISE by noting how you frame your difficulties -- and the language you use. You need to discover how addicted you are to the desire for a logical God, and how difficult it is for you to accept that which you have been given to endure -- AND your fear that IF you accept it, it will never be healed or end.

Here’s a goodie: WHO would consider YOU a person who must be “endured”? (Didn’t see that one coming, did you?) Think about that. Are you someone another person sees as a relationship that must be endured? (This calls for some mighty tough honestly – but then, what is consciousness about if not becoming conscious of how others see you as well??? Huh???) AND, if your answer is some form of yes, what are you willing to do about it?
Continued...

Whewie….

Now then, I’m off to draft July’s Salon – which YOU WILL RECEIVE IN JULY. I was on the road like a madwoman in June and I really appreciate your letting me slag just a bit on this Salon. I didn’t even have time for my Ducks!!!! (Like, where the ‘duck’ have I been?) But I’m back in my office, and back with working on my new book . . . and just back, just glad to be home. I hope you are having a marvelous summer.

Oh, the topic for July: “Part IV: Our Inability to Confront Our Shadow.”

Love,
Caroline

To register for the Salon

Complimentary Caroline Myss Lecture
“Las Vegas”
Carolyn Myss will be at Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino
“Las Vegas” on Friday, July 18, 2003 for a complimentary lecture and book signing.

Complimentary Lecture
When: 2pm-3pm
Where: Gym 1 inside SpaClub
Book Signing
When: 3pm-5pm
Where: Living Essentials Boutique located in the Grand Canal Shoppes

To reserve at seat for the lecture: Please RSVP to LeAnn Walker, Sales and Marketing Specialist, at 702.414.1905 or via email at lwalker@canyonranch.com

Canyon Ranch SpaClub is a 69,000 square-foot, two level health spa, wellness and fitness facility is one of the largest of its kind in North America. Located on the 4th floor of The Venetian, SpaClub has every amenity of the finest day spa plus features not found anywhere else. SpaClub’s more than 100 daily offerings include fitness activities for all levels, massage and body treatments, exercise physiology, physical therapy, movement therapy, acupuncture and nutrition counseling, skin care and beauty salon services and healthy gourmet cuisine at the SpaClub Café. Canyon Ranch also operates Living Essentials, a distinctive boutique located in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian.

August 2003 - The Call to Live a Symbolic Life
The Conference Works
Aug.8-9, 2003
Portland,OR
800-395-8445

Checklist of Health Issues and Illness The purpose of the CHII is to allow you a fast and easy way to identify your own personal blocks and to allow you to work on removing these blocks should you care to do so. You will receive an individual profile that shows your score for each chakra as well as for three themes: vitality, relationships, and spirituality. You will be given specific ways to address issues for each chakra.

Personal Nutrition Provider The purpose of the PNP is to allow you a fast and easy way to identify your personal chemistry. You will receive an individual profile that shows you your score for each area and then a food plan with selected foods that support your well being on all levels: physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual. We sampled over 500 adults in the United States, both people who are familiar with Susan's work and people who know nothing about it. We will continue to work on researching the PNP based upon the information we receive from this web site. Your individual responses will, of course, be totally confidential and held in strictest confidence as with a counselor or doctor.

March 29-30, 185 people took part in the inaugural workshop of the CMED Institute held in the Chicago area. Judging from individual responses over the course of the weekend, it was a profoundly rewarding experience for all involved. Workshops ran from nine in the morning until after 10 P.M. Friday and Saturday and until 4 on Sunday afternoon. Caroline led students step by step through the entire process of selecting their archetypes and casting a Chart of Origin. Peter Occhiogrosso showed students how to use journaling to further explore the influence of archetypes in their lives. And Jim Curtan explicated the archetypal imagery in two recent popular movies. Joined by Peter & Gail Shaw, who has taught with Caroline in Australia, Peter, Jim, and the entire staff worked individually with members both during and between sessions. The intensive hands-on approach led many students to say that the weekend brought them to higher levels of personal insight than they had ever experienced with Caroline in the past.

CMED INSTITUTE

Sacred Essential Oils We are so pleased to have finally completed our searches for the purest Sacred Oils we could find to offer to all of you. For years I have been among the health practitioners whom have used healing oils in the treatments of their patients and I have found people respond to the gentle and subtle qualities in oils in an enormously powerful way.

Sacred Lights Candles "Sacred Lights Candles were created as a means of illuminating your environment with spiritual awareness. Each candle contains the Holy Ash of Satya Sai Baba known as Vibhooti, a substance that holds the essence of the Divine and is used in the act of blessing people with Sacred intention.

Chandra Sammons

Learn Astrology with an emphasis on Archetypes and Archetypal Wheels. Incorporating Astrological principles, we'll discuss the workings of Astrology and integrate it with our CMED work, especially with Archetypes and Archetypal Wheels.

I'll post a weekly lecture on basic Astrology subjects and host a general group discussion with questions and answers. I'll provide book lists for further study and reference on related subjects. Questions are geared to the general benefit of the class. I can be contacted for chart reading information, but please don't sign up for this course expecting a personal astrological reading in class. I look forward to working with you as you learn Astrology, to enhance and deepen your CMED experience. Current and future CMED students are invited to participate.

Similar to the Journaling with Archetypes Course, class takes place in cyberspace, using a list server. The group includes you, me and everyone else who has paid to take this class. It is inaccessible to anyone I don't let in, so it's just "us". Upon joining the class, you automatically receive all the e-mails from me and the other class members. Anything you send to me or another member through the group e-mail address can be read by everyone else in the class. This way we answer and discuss questions that a lot of people have, but simply haven't asked as yet. Accordingly, we all profit from each other's input, in addition to my instructions and help. Although student input and interaction is very useful, you are not obligated to participate in the discussion, nor do you need to respond to other's e-mails, f you choose not to.

I will moderate the class and jump into discussions as need be, with the intention of clearing up misconceptions that may arise. In our six weeks together, I hope to not only teach you the basics. I intend to give you many keywords and insights into the Astrological and Archetypal realm, and show you how to incorporate the basic life traits and trends into your everyday world.

Six week course, $150

Learn Astrology with Chandra Sammons