A Week in Ireland: To Serve is To Be Served

Day 3, Tuesday June 12th
Part I

Situated in south-eastern Ireland in the country town of Wexford is a 158-year-old country house hotel once known as Creacon Lodge. Nestled amidst age-old trees and flowers gardens this charming estate was purchased by Derek O'Neill and family not too long ago in 2006 when this landmark hotel was given a new purpose: to offer this cozy hotel to travelers not just as a place to call home away from home but as a healing center as well. Today the renewed lodge is officially recognized as the Prema Agni Creacon Lodge.

Having followed the progress of bringing this lodge-for-sale to public healing center, it was an honor to have had the chance to experience the clear abundance of beauty and loving energy at Creacon Lodge during this special week in Ireland. It was an unexpected gift and a great joy to everyone when on the previous Sunday it was announced that this would be one of our sacred site trips!

This morning, about an hour and a half on the road from the Clarion in Liffey Valley we finally arrived in Wexford. Through a long and narrow tree lined road just wide enough for one tour bus to pass between fields of emerald greens, we drove up the road to the gates of Creacon Lodge. There is a vast sense of peace in the countryside of Ireland that is ever so apparent and effortlessly felt at Creacon Lodge. The weather was unseasonably clear and sunny, not one gray cloud in the sky, the temperature was warm with the slightest breeze at my neck from time to time.

On Sunday we were given an assignment to have written one thing on a small sheet of paper to burn and offer to the Divine through a fire ceremony: one very specific thing that we wish to ask for Divine assistance in speeding up the process of removing blocks in specific areas of our life. It was Tuesday and I still hadn't had anything written, a good insight at the procrastinator I tend to be when it comes to homework. What can I say, I work well under pressure and true to this statement I was when inspiration flooded over me and I found myself sitting on the lawn with clarity and precision in executing my thoughts and fine turning my words to form a statement that was concise, clear and specific to one thing that was so straight to the point it targeted every area of my life with just one request. I felt satisfied and ready to participate in this ceremony of surrender to God.

Soon it was time for lunch and we made our way to the lovely tables that were set for us under the open sky near the generous green lawn and alongside the rose bushes. A medley of brioche, raisin and whole wheat breads greeted us in linen lined baskets at each table. Dressed with a mix-match of linens, tableware and porcelain cups and saucers the table settings painted a picture perfect display of the diverse sources of love that was put into collecting these items to stock the Creacon Lodge restaurant. Up until writing this entry I never gave a thought as to what happened to the original stock of tableware that must have graced this historic lodge, for in the end it wasn't as significant as the love that matched every moment of this wonderful meal as prepare and served by the restaurant team, including Derek O'Neill.

Just moments after starting our lunch with a tasting of the dense and rich local breads, a parade of warm plates came from the kitchen out to the red brick paved driveway that catered as our dining patio. Dishes of baked salmon dressed with a sheet of beurre blanc and accompanied by a dollop of simple mashed potatoes, baked new potatoes [the Irish sure do love their potatoes], steamed garden vegetables grown on the land were generously and lovingly set before us. The thick and richly colored fillet was cooked to perfection with each bite being just as moist and flaky as the one before. (Salmon really is one of a few fish that are perfect to serve when preparing for large groups as it is difficult to over cook this fatty fish even when kept warm for longer than usual before serving). It wasn't until I tasted the sauce that I realized the extra helping of potatoes just might have been strategically placed to sop up any leftover sauce that was not devoured with the salmon. I heard that the talented Chef Mary was famous for her delicious meals at Creacon, and now I can say I agree firsthand.

But the quality of this meal went far beyond the freshness of the ingredients, perfection in recipe and beautiful arrangement of fish and vegetables. What resonated so deeply with me that I held back tears this lunch was all the Love Love Love that truly went into this meal. We were welcomed, we were served generously, with so much loving intent that to see the staff, including Derek and his wife Linda, bring us comfort through service and food with no less than their pure enjoyment of doing so reminded me so clearly that to be of service is to do it through pure Love. And at that moment I realized all those years I waited tables at various restaurants, from casual to fine dining, was all in Divine preparation to be of service to people of all walks of life - from homeless people who would ask for a cup of water or leftovers, college students on spring break or dates, middle class, upper class, young and old, people of all sexes, all shapes, sizes, religions, spiritual beliefs, shades of color and ability - and every being on this planet through Love. That no matter whom I came across, no matter what their attitude towards life, the best I can ever do is to effortlessly maintain Love in my entire being, which in turn is so contagious and uplifting that regardless who I am serving They will have at very least been fed through Love: the most nourishing, powerful source of fuel for anyone. It's like having dessert first before a meal.

And the end to a wonderful meal is usually dessert, but concluding lunch with an slice of layer cake that was sweet and crunch was just the beginning to a magical day. Thinly sliced and sweet it was just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Shortly after coffee I found myself sitting on a bench tucked away under God's shed of trees on a wood chip lined path. The events to follow during this afternoon at Creacon Lodge would be life transforming, cycle completing, eye opening, and heart expanding....


To Be Continued...

A Week in Ireland: To Love is To Visit

Day 2, Monday June 11

This was the first full day of the week long workshop which I'm very excited about! The opportunity to sit in the vortex created for our deep healing and the healing of this planet is so powerful that I recall feeling the energy the closer it got to boarding my flight from Los Angeles. All the energetic shifts in my body, my dreams, the issues that came up for me as a reminder that there are still some things to fully process and integrate in my life for the completion of one cycle in order to move on to the next have prepare me for what's to come this week. There are many levels and areas that we as individuals work on deep inside ourselves for the greater collective consciousness to generate more Love on this planet.

This morning, Derek did something interesting to illustrate how to maintain Love in our bodies. He prefaced us with a visual representation of Love and Fear by drawing on a sheet from a presentation pad propped on an easle. With a colored marker drew two rows of rings, one above and one below, each with six rings representing the events in our life. With the top row of rings he drew a wavelength going through each ring to create an overall representation of a slow frequency. Starting from the top left of the first left ring in long and drawn out waves lines went up and down and sometimes going through a ring, sometimes not, with extended periods of time at the bottom of the rings and not always evenly going through each of the subsequent rings, but always with uneven highs and lows. This first row he labeled "fear". Next, with the bottom set of rings he drew a wavelength through the row of rings creating an overall high-frequency wavelength that went through each of the rings equally with it's pattern of high points and low points. This second row he labeled "Love".

The illustration helped me to deeply understand and feel that it is okay to not feel "good" all the time. That when in Love and in Fear we tend to have different experiences to carry us through to the next level or phase in life, but both are equally important to experience in our human body to reach a state of clear consciousness for what this world is really about so that we may be in Love all the time, even when we experience darkness. Fear brings about unbalanced highs and lows, sometimes we may feel very high in love, often times we have experienced feelings that keep us very low in sorrow which tends to keep us operating at a low-frequency so that when we stay long enough and finally shoot up in happiness or love we often miss out significant experiences in life that could help us advance, rather than repeat similar events because we have missed out on valuable experiences that followed it by blocking out our emotions. Whereas in Love we visit all events and emotions but never stay too long in one place that makes us feel low, but we visit it to know what it feels like so that we may know Love from that perspective, that experience, that emotion. We also just visit Love and not attach ourselves too tightly to the idea of Love in order to blind ourselves from valuable lessons that can be learned if we open ourselves up to the opportunities that come with challenges. To Love is to Love all things because the Universe with all it's creations, diversity, "good" and "bad", "slow" and "fast" is all created by God. So to Love is to visit, and to fear is to dwell. That simple illlustration was so enlightening it just made complete sense.

I am so grateful to be in the presence of my teacher and my brothers and sisters on this fantastic journey in Ireland. The creative energy is just vibrating with such intensity that it makes me feel even more optimistic and ready to bring forth all the projects I have in my heart and all the ideas generating in my mind. I feel centered and focused, my intentions are clear, I effortlessly remain in a state of service everywhere I am needed.

I look forward to the next moment! It's like being on an amusement park ride that just keeps getting unexpectedly better and my wish that one day this beautiful escalation would never see an end.

A Week in Ireland: Going With the Flow

Day 1, Sunday June 10th

It was a 10 hour flight from LAX to Dublin. I counted down the minutes to landing when I could get up and walk! Like the average traveler, I'm not a fan of traveling all day long, but a break every 5 hours of flight is appreciated. Actually, I don't mind having to connect flights when traveling abroad just so I can have a bit of exercise! (But long lay-overs aren't my cup of tea either, so please don't confuse this as a wish for longer travel days! Ooh no, definitely not.) Upon arrival Ireland was absolutely refreshing! Clean, clean air, open roads and welcoming taxi drivers. I immediately felt at home here.

I am flying to my first week-long More Truth Will Set You Free workshop in Ireland with Derek O'Neill. This is the most pure and powerful work that people can participate in that I know of. It facilitates our healing and evolutionary process in ways that are multidimensional and all encompassing. During these workshops the ascended masters and archangels work through a powerful vortex that Derek opens for us to help us clear all physical, mental, emotional and spiritual blocks that may be preventing us from taking the next step in our elevation back to Source. It's a more intense version of the MTWSYF weekend workshops in the States, because it allows for more back-to-back and in-depth days. Though the Truth is I am always with God, to participate in a Loving community guided by an avatar is a profound journey on the heart-to-heart level.

This is my second occasion flying to Europe solo (M didn't receive his international travel authorization in time for the workshop; ah well, things happen for a reason); though I am meeting people at the destination this adventure some how feels more significant, almost as if I were traveling Europe alone...I suppose I am, this trip will take me deeper into my journey from my self back to my Self.

There's something liberating about traveling such a distance away from home and greatly self-sufficient without the comfort my husband as my designated European guide. Unfamiliar with the land, checking all expectations at the door, and eager to meet new faces, I arrive giving way to the only reasonable option: surrendering to my right brain and going with the flow of life. I checked into the Clarion Hotel in Liffey Valley after splitting a cab with two friends who happened to be on my direct flight and proposed to share a taxi as we spotted each other at the luggage carousel. Perfect!

With nothing more than a welcome letter from the hotel, a list of participants and their respective room numbers, and just over £50.00 in my wallet, I had no idea if I needed to prepare for a welcome meeting, where the nearest bank was, or what time and where the first workshop began the following day. As you can see, I'm a very well organized person. "I'm just going to trust whatever needs to happen, wherever I need to be, I will be guided there." After all, that's what this entire trip is about - being in tuned, listening to my inner guidance and going with the flow. After struggling with deciding between roaming the hotel, ordering room service or exploring Liffey Valley I soon found myself tucked under the Egyptian cotton sheets of my bed and signed off for a nap. So off I flowed into the astral, dream or no dream I was determined to get rest.

After what felt like hours of sleep, to my surprise just a couple of hours later my sister-in-law wakes me with a joyful hello and leans down to give me a big warm hug. It turns out she decided to room with me since my husband couldn't make it on this trip. I guess Steph decided for herself to get out of her room assignment. Just moments after arriving it's apparent that we're all dealing with certain aspects of our identity as the process begins to unravel.

Derek pairs us for two reasons: 1) it's cheaper; 2) more importantly, because there is something of value when two people are hand-picked to room together for it will enhance our experience in ways we don't expect (having similar issues, wisdom to give/receive, balancing karma).

So Stephanie decided to stay in her comfort zone and share a room with me, which was fine by me! It was nice to have a familiar person around in an unfamiliar place, though in the back of my mind I realized it will slightly alter our experiences...in the end this will be a great opportunity to spend time with family. It shifted things a bit, but there are always two choices in life so which ever path we decide there will always be a specific reaction to experience.

The Beginning of a New Life Cycle

Finally, a blog. But, now what? I thought with so much to share, felt and perceived life as a collage of textures, tastes and lights it's amazing I'm stumped on where to start...I guess it's best to start with the building blocks. Live in Expansion - it began as a name for my holistic healthcare company but the beginning doesn't always define the end, and soon enough it became more of my life motto, my life path, a guiding light as a way of living that has challenged me to be more awake these recent years and aware of my personal evolution. To take notice of the process, recognize the signs, trust my intuition, and feel the God in everyone and every thing. In reality, I do the best I can. As a project, Live in Expansion was created in late December of 2006 as my cyber "business card" for my body & light work services. However I find the "idea" is slowly forming a life of its own as I delve deeper into what it means to really live in expansion.

The vision that inspired the name came in a dream early that December of 2006 and has stuck with me ever since. The dream that night went something like this: I walk into a space and was greeted by my teacher Derek O'Neill, he carried a dark skinned, dark haired Asian-Indian looking little boy in his arms (No surprise there since Derek works with the children of India). They both wore great smiles...I soon found myself engaged in a lesson with Derek as he demonstrated how the expansion of energy correlates to the human processes. As an example, the boy showed me that there is a powerful force field of light, a halo of energy, around the head at the third-eye that expands and contracts in correlation to the amount of Love that is generated in human interactions. For instance, our entire energy field expands when vibrations of Love and Truth are present, and weakens when vibrations of non-truth and less Love are expressed. When the latter happens the field becomes so small that the low vibrations in this type of communication causes the energy field to shrink. When it shrinks the creative process is reduced and challenged is our access to Life force energy, thus affecting our physical body causing us to feel weakened and tired. (A notable example is fatique and depression, feeling so drained and exhausted it's difficult to function even the smallest of mundane tasks with ease.)

So, a couple of weeks following this dream on a road trip with my husband, we drove to Las Vegas for a friend's wedding, the phrase "Live in Expansion" came together in a brainstorming session that developed thought by thought, word by word, I could feel my third eye expanding from all this creative activity! As we drove along the highway we entered into a deep conversational trip of our own exploring and bouncing ideas off of each other, inspiring one another through perspective, insights, refining ideas, sharing dreams that fueled a creative energy that was so inspiring I was buzzing with delight! It's moments like that with Matthias, and in life overall, that fills me with deep joy. Ever since that day I've been meaning to start this blog but procrastinated on the process for quite some time until now. I was waiting for that firm inspirational pull at my center, a well-rounded idea to put me into action. Up until this point it wasn't quite clear to me what sort of blog I wanted to write, if I really felt like doing it, and especially important why I would write it. But with life being as colorful as it has been with highs from new heights reached and spurts of inspiration in daily activities and events, to unexpected bouts of emotional collision all strung together by internal dialogues, I now feel inspired to create a space to share my stories even if just for one person to know they are not totally alone, or insane.

In recent years Derek O'Neill has been a great inspiration, teacher, guru and guide in my life, and appears in my dreams from time to time (aka the astral dimension where "night school" happens). I woke from the aforementioned dream feeling a great sense of love and energy! I knew I had received gems of information to help me along my path. The message was very confirming as I recalled many events that have left me feeling so drained after exhausting confrontations of all colors in my life, that I inevitably found myself in the end wanting to just lay my head down and disappear into a deep sleep until the ride that turned me upside-down was over. You'd think the logical thing to do would be to avoid drama in life. Good idea - but logical isn't always the path of least resistance. Setting aside the ego isn't as easy as making a right turn when one sees a traffic jam ahead; nor is it easier to set aside your heart's desires in lieu of enlightenment. Sometimes, it's like heading towards a traffic jam wanting to make that right turn but suddenly you've turned into metal that the need to prove oneself over chaos is magnetic! Sometimes. Okay, most of the time. Meet the negative ego. Eventually I began to really ponder upon why I found myself repeating certain events, or terribly worked up by certain people and situations, which inevitably lent myself to unsettling feelings. How could I live in harmony and side-step drama while simultaneously deal with this beautiful and perfectly imperfect world?

Well, Live in Expansion is about experiencing life with all its gifts, as it is, with our highest intent to receive darkness with Love and morph it into light. On a global level it is about discovering ways to maintain Love as we live our lives - with and without fear and always with Love Love Love - as diverse and exciting as it is, instead of going against the grain and all things we perceive as negative, but instead learning to receive events, situations, and people with the realization that God is within all of us, we truly are not separated, and we have the capacity to understand challenges as precious opportunities to transmute them into a higher vibration - into energy of the Light. I know it all sounds easy (maybe even cheesy), but I believe every single moment in life offers valuable lessons, and if I can remember this then it seems Life is easily doable.

Whatever I communicate, even if just to journal my daily life, I hope it is informative - a kind of food for the soul - not just personally but on some global level as well, as there needs to be meaning and a higher purpose in what we put our energies into, otherwise they pale away in vain. So this blog will double serve as my outlet and reminder that I am not separated from the world around me. It is a kind of reference point in remembering that Love is always right here in the air that I breathe, the people that I see, and the creative energy that is everything I perceive with my eyes and my mind’s eye. A reminder to see humor in the harsh, and feel beauty beyond visions the naked eye can appreciate.

Yes, this blog is one journey of archiving life as deeply inspiring as it is to consciously chronicle inspiration as it pops up, as it manifests the day, everywhere I turn and in all dimensions and all states of awareness that I travel through, feel, reject, accept, appreciate, understand, ponder, project, perceive, dive into and release in daily life. Yes, my personal goal is to maintain as high a vibration as possible by being aware that eventually my Life will be lived in a constant state of Love. That receiving my inner Light as guidance in all that I pursue means to accept, recognize, and understand that along my path my negative-ego is both a barrier and a book of wisdom.

Again, easier said then done? It depends. When things in life are in alignment with my True Self, then yes it can be easier. When times are tough and the ego is bruised the question then becomes, how? How do I maintain centered and proceed with love, compassion and peace in my heart? I'll soon find out the many ways that lead to the way of being. This is my journey to uncover my answers as I live in expansion...the best way I can.