Lessons From Grandmother Aya

I recently sat in a ceremony with Grandmother and she gave me a few solid lessons. At the core of these lessons was the message that our daily practice is the essential foundation from which all branches of our spiritual growth emanate.

What does a daily practice look like? One popular Zen Buddhist phrase reminds us that most of life consists of things like chopping wood and carrying water. Life is made up of simple moments, and discovering joy in the mundane acts of life is the gift of awakened being.

Even by using the word mundane, I have dressed the tiger in sheep’s clothing. Another way to say it is that all acts of life are representations of divine expression. Joy is discovered at the intersection of the vertical alignment between source and the horizontal unfoldment of our life. Joy is the music of celestial realms.

I find myself whispering to my subconscious in moments of disconnection; can you find the joy Derek? Sometimes I can find joy dancing in the embers of the mundane, however, many times I can not. Attention to the moment, and the intention of the aforementioned question, create a slight shift that awakens energy toward joy. Awakening that energy is the secret source or maybe the sacred sauce of life’s dance.

Energy is another essential ingredient in this cosmic recipe. It is true and clear that we are balls of energy, riding on a planetary rocket, pulsating in a massive container called space. There are activities that deplete our energy and others that ignite our energy. Acknowledging who and what influences our vibration is at the core of living a life that resonates with our higher selves.

Back to the original intention of writing this post. The following are the three pillars from Grandmother Aya that came to me a few weeks ago and it’s an honor to share them with you:

• Meditation is the cultivation of awareness. Awareness is the building block and unifier that connects the present to the infinite. Whole. Complete. One.
  
• Gratitude is an expression of the heart. Gratitude is an ever-flowing river of love and joy. Gratitude is Gracia. All gratitude is deposited in a universal vault of goodness that elevates humanity.
  
• Celebration of the divine is a deep alignment with Gran Espiritu and expresses itself through acts of enthusiasm. Where enthusiasm surfaces, our unique gifts are ignited and the divine empowers our expressions through the heart.

With love,

Derek,
December 2021