Below I am offering a synopsis of a recent presentation and coaching forum for those who may not have been able to attend. This has been a vision of mine for some time, and it was an honor and a joy to see come to fruition. The fact that I was offering the presentation itself is evidence of its content! Enjoy.

This serves as a great introduction to the Law of Attraction, and how it informs SHiNE Coaching from a “soulular perspective.”



Soul Vibes: Vibrational Self-Mastery & The Law of Attraction
New Renaissance Bookshop, Portland, OR
Thursday, August 13, 2009
by Candice Schutter

This coaching forum focused specifically on a teaching that has gotten a lot of mainstream attention in the past couple of years – the Law of Attraction. It is my hope that you will leave here tonight with a greater understanding – not only of the Law of Attraction – but of HOW it relates to a deeper aspect of who you really are. We will explore the LoA from a soulular perspective in order to make it a meaningful and practical part of your spiritual practice. This gathering is about self-directing your energy. It is about consciously aligning with who you really are in each and every moment.

I was first exposed to LoA in 2000, through a daily martial arts (qigong) discipline. It was then that I was first introduced to the idea that my thoughts were powerful causal factors in my everyday life. I was hooked on learning more! Since then, I have been an avid student of metaphysics. In 2003, I was exposed to new thought ministries, and I studied how modern pioneers like Ernest Holmes created an philosophy and spiritual way of life that put this awareness to work through affirmative prayer. On my metaphysical journey, I have cycled through seasons of passionate inquiry, as well as times of intense skepticism and uncertainty. My recent studies – namely of the leading edge work of Esther and Jerry Hicks – have led me to understand LoA in a larger sense. Much of what I will be sharing with you is inspired directly by their work – along with my own experience and the clients that I see applying these principles.

It is important to remember that the recent buzz around the Law of Attraction in mainstream circles is only hinting at a deeper pulse. We live in a marketplace. As a result, media created to appeal to the mainstream is often a watered-down version of the truth. I am interested in expanding your definition of these unseen forces, placing them into a spiritual framework that can lead to a joyful and uplifting existence. Remember to smile often and have fun!

What is the Law of Attraction?

The Law of Attraction is based on a number of progressing premises:
(inspired by the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, among others)

1. Everything is Made Up of Energy
The universe is made up of energy – both visible and not visible. Everything seen and unseen is energy. By definition, energy is in a constant state of perpetual motion - thus, it is also known as vibration. The slower the energy is moving the more dense it is. The more dense, the slower it is to change. For example: thought is a faster moving energy than matter. From this perspective, materialization is the slowing of a continual vibration into form. Therefore, it is said that there is a vibrational reality that exists, proceeding all that we see in physical form. The vibrational reality is real – it is just unseen until a continuous holding of that resonance results in matter (or evidence in physical form).

2. Energy is Life & Life is Perpetual and Expansive
Everything in the universe is in a perpetual state of expansion and growth. All living things move towards greater thriving, and change form in order to do so. This expansion is constant and all living things are an aspect of this expansion. Since everything is energy, it can be said that everything is one energy - one pulsing, expansive force of life. Put in a spiritual framework, it is Source expressing and evolving itself through all form that it takes. It is all a part of the overall expansion of life - even you. There is no escaping expansion, it is an inevitable aspect of life itself.

3. Expansion Happens Through Polarity & Contrast
Expansion happens through the law of polarity. The physical realm is driven by contrast. And through contrast, all desire is born. In other words, in order to become more, all living things experience contrast – it is in the not-wanting of things that a new experience is born – when we have an experience of “no not that” we co-create a vibrational version that is better – it happens immediately, as the way of the universe it one of expansion and continual creation.

The Law of Attraction (mainstream, material perspective):
We have been taught, plain and simply: like attracts like. The Law of Attraction says what you put your attention on will continue to evidence itself in your life. Whatever you focus on will expand. Therefore, the more that you focus on “what-is”, the more of the same you will get. So we are taught, focus your attention on what you want instead.

The Law of Attraction (soulular perspective):
Put in a larger context, we can take the Law of Attraction much further. (Or rather, it takes US further). The Law of Attraction is working continually. We cannot apply it any more than we can apply the law of gravity. However, we can certainly understand it better! From a greater context, the soulalar perspective says this: Your desires are born of the polarity of life. When you desire something (as a result of contrast), you become a vibrational match to something greater. And regardless of the form that it might seem to take, EACH and EVERY desire that is birthed in you is a desire for soul connection. No matter what desires that contrast has birthed in you, there is only ever one desire at the root of it all – to become more of who you really are. Thus, when you experience contrast, you create a new version of YOU that simply must be experienced as a part of the greater expansion of life itself. As soon as it has been conjured, your soul begins to stir. Suddenly that potential is ripe and ready in you, and nothing less will do.

How can I “use” the Law of Attraction?

It is a bit of a misnomer, for the Law of Attraction is always at work in your life. In fact, IT is using YOU in the greater expansiveness of life. What you can do, however, is understand how it is working. You have all the guidance you need, built right in!

YOUR EMOTIONS – YOUR ENERGETIC GPS SYSTEM
You are hard-wired for expansion. You can very easily learn how to use the feedback of your emotions to understand where your vibration is at any given moment. If we use our earlier definition of energy, we are reminded that as an energy is contemplated over time, it becomes more and more dense. Until eventually, it will evidence itself in our physical reality.

Thought >>>> E M O T I O N >>>> Form

Therefore, emotion is the intermediary between thought and form. It gives us immediate and undiluted feedback about how we are vibrating.

The soulular LoA invites us to take this even further. Remember, upon desiring something it has become a vibrational reality for you. Not only that, YOU have become a match for that (on a soulular level) and nothing less will do. Thus, how you feel becomes an absolute indicator of how close or how far away you are from that NEW YOU that has become. When you feel “good” you are right on track, in vibrational alignment. When you feel “bad” you are holding yourself apart from your potential in some way.

In summary, the LoA (material perspective) says... think/feel/act in accordance with what you want. There is wisdom there. Sure. Yet people get what they want all the time, and then later wonder why it didn’t yield happiness.

I invite you to evolve in your understanding of this force of life. The LoA (soulular perspective) says... think/feel/act your way into vibrational alignment with who you have BECOME. Allow the perpetual expansion of self to guide you towards true happiness. You can still enjoy the ever-changing means through which ultimate happiness comes. Yet, you experience the joy of authenticity and soul alignment when you understand that the physical pleasures of life - enjoy them! - are wonderful containers through which expansion can occur.

Key Understandings in order to work WITH the LoA:

You Attract – The Universe Creates
It’s called the Law of Attraction for good reason. Let yourself off the hook when in comes to “creation.” You attract a possibility through your desire and subsequent ability to align yourself with it. Reality is subjective, and you experience what you are available for. Many different possibilities already exist. It is really up to YOU which of these realities you align with.

You Live In An Interdependent Universe
You are not the only show in town. Your thoughts are not the only ones out there, and your energy effects more than just you. The possibility of something is sometimes collectively determined... the probability (in your reality) is personally determined by your match to it. Likewise, trust in the unfolding. Your good is a part of the greater good. The perfect outcome is determined by a vantage point that far exceeds your own, benefiting all involved in the perfect way and timing.

Feeling Matters More Than Thought
You can affirm until you are blue in the face, but feeling is seeing. Therefore, it is MUCH more efficient to monitor your emotions over thoughts. Use how you feel to determine your vibrational alignment to your desires... then use thought to re-direct towards better feeling sensations (alignment). Here is a great tool for changing your primary vibration on any given topic. Click Here to learn about the Focus Wheel Process.

Energy Matters More Than Content
The energy of alignment is the only thing that matters, It matters far more than the content of your desire. Because the world is a marketplace, we are fed story after story of people manifesting exactly what they wanted. And you may just do that! However, the only manifestation that is ever occurring is alignment with true power (the soul) and how it can be best expressed in any given moment. When you get too caught up in the content, you MISS the point (and the power is lost). You distract yourself from obvious goodness.

Action is Essential on the Big Stuff
Action can help to shift a vibrational pattern. We have learned that action without alignment can be futile. Yet on the big stuff, alignment without action is a tall order! Action can be the missing ingredient to truly place you in vibrational proximity to your desires. Thus, action is not creating the perfect outcome... it is placing you within the vibrational vicinity of it. Likewise, if you don’t tend to your vibration, action can be the one thing that is making you a mismatch to the vibration that is at the root of your desire. Therefore, action when in alignment is the most powerful combination there is!

There are No Absolutes in an Expansive Perspective
What you don’t know can’t hurt you unless you pretend to know it all. This perspective is not meant to be all-encompassing. We are continually growing in our understanding of this force in our lives. Be willing to test it out and be willing to expand and grow in your perspective. Take what works for you, and leave the rest behind.

At the core of this message is this: follow your soulular compass to the life that expresses the continual you that is unfolding!

Do you want the nutshell version?
Your dreams are drawn to you, if you allow them to flow you in their direction. Embrace the moments of discomfort for the clarity they bring, and then release them by focusing on what they are birthing in you. Feel good, relax, accept, and enjoy the expansion of life. We all benefit from your willingness to smile.

Tags: law of attraction, life coach, life coach portland, candice schutter, Abraham-Hicks, portland oregon, new renaissance, soul

August 2009


It is never the idol that you want,
but what you think it offers you.
A Course in Miracles

Desire. Friend or Foe?
Let's face it:  desire has gotten a bad rap for centuries. With roots in both eastern and western religious traditions, renunciation of desire has penetrated the collective psyche as a noble aim in an ever-expanding material world. We are taught - through an onslaught of psychological, sociological, and spiritual influences - that desire is selfish and fleeting...and that the ego (desire's vehicle) must be defeated in order to experience true happiness. Yet despite our best intentions, desire remains a human epidemic we have yet to overcome as a species. Some might wonder, if we are truly evolving, why are we still yearning?
 
Humans are a species mesmerized by dichotomies. We continually do the dance of extremes in order to propel ourselves forth. Desire is a force hard to deny; thus, when renunciation of the material world wages a war within, we turn to consumption. After feeding impulse after impulse, we find we are still left empty. We pretend our hunger means nothing...we pretend it means everything...and now we are ready to stop pretending.
 
Every human longing points to a potential within. Our minds are magicians, continually whipping up potions that we think promise us the end we are seeking. We spend time and resources casting spell after spell in hopes to manifest the IT that will deliver us the sensation we so long for. Time and time again, the end-result is short-lived. Thus, we blame desire itself for leading us astray.
 
Yet, what if we are simply missing the point? What if desire is not the problem. Perhaps it is our approach to it that needs to be re-evaluated. I have come to understand that each and every desire (without exception) point us in the direction of a universally-desired sensation. Thus, at the heart of our desire is alignment with a potential that is seeking to be born through our life experience.
 
What You Really Want is YOU
The object of your desire is not the problem; the fact that you want IT is not the source of your mood swings. It is in the misunderstanding of these impulses that you find cause to suffer. Put simply, desire is an indicator that something more is calling to you. Life's struggles aren't a result of the cycle of incessant wanting. Suffering may be due to attachments to the many forms that your physical creation has taken, or may take in the future. Or, perhaps more commonly in our western culture, suffering is ignoring oneself and never fulfilling the potential buried beneath surface longing.
 
What you really want is to E X P A N D - to express more of your evolving essence. The objects of your desire are simply things that you believe will deliver the goods - the goodness that it your birthright. Desire is the eager whimper of a more expansive YOU that is currently hidden from view. To deny it is to deny your innate tendency for growth and expansion.
 
Paradoxically, it is the denial of our deepest desires that causes the ego run amok. Anyone who has ever stayed the course of a circumstance (or way of being) long-outgrown knows the blessed tantrums of the ego. Interestingly, when we finally let go and yield to what would feel better - in thought, word, or action - the tempest fades. Alas, could the ego be an ally on this journey?! Oh yes, indeed!! An ego-soul alliance is pulsing at the core of this message.

Metaphorically speaking, your soul is in a state of perpetual rebirth. (I mean, in this life, you are meant to evolve continually). Your ego and the world of form offer vessels of gestation through which you are meant to grow in and out of. And, it is the contractions of desire that deliver you forth. They ensure your expansion by pushing you towards greater degrees of love, joy, freedom, and well-being.

Expansion through Form
Some spiritual teachers have told us to seek the medicine from within. They say that if we sit still long enough...if we dive deep enough...and if we resist the dream of the physical world around us, we will be rewarded with limitless joy. Yet, is the point of this physical dimension simply to deny it? Or, can we have both? - the boundless joy of expansion and the pleasures of human existence? Rather than enlightenment in spite of the physical world, could this planet of ours become the container through which we express our collective enlightenment?
 
Every aspect of the living world is in a state of perpetual expansion. Growth and evolution of form is the way of the physical domain. At the root of this propulsion forth is - you guessed it - desire. The longing for something better. Desire is the catalyst for change. Change is a means for personal expansion. And personal expansion is the key ingredient in collective evolution. Accept and embrace your desires as reflections of latent potential within all of us.

Join the Dialogue
Those of you in the Portland area, join me this Thursday, August 13th at New Renaissance Bookshop. I am honored to be leading a coaching forum that will shed a new light on desire, the ego, and the metaphysics of creation. We will explore and evolve the Law of Attraction through the lens of the soul. Questions, comments, and contributions are welcome. Hope to see you there! Click here to sign up.

Note: CLICK HERE for a follow-up post on the Soul Vibes event.

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Tags: desire, law of attraction, ego, soul, Abraham-Hicks, wanting, candice schutter

June/July 2009

Action may not always bring happiness,
but there is no happiness without action.
- Benjamin Disraeli
 

What should I do?
It's a common question. I come face-to-face with it often - in sessions with clients, and in my own personal life.
 
At the heart of the question is disempowerment. It begs for a prescribed to-do list that will help to sooth the feeling of disconnection. However, acting from such a desperate space rarely feels good. Rather than approaching the situation with immediate action, I find it to be far more efficient to focus on clarifying desires. When we do this, we address the feeling space directly, and then let the to-do list emerge from the space of inspiration. Inspiration is alignment with the best of you.
 
For the most part, I tend to follow my bliss where it takes me - which means shedding old skin (ie. labels and livelihoods) often. I have been told I am being 'impulsive' and 'unreasonable' more than once. If following my impulsive whims makes me appear flighty and without rational direction. So be it! The compass that I follow is Happiness Itself...and it always points toward my greater good. I can honestly say that I get happier and happier as the years pass. There is nothing more fulfilling to me that riding the waves of inspiration. I do what I love; I love what I do. When that statement no longer applies - and I have learned this the hard way - it is time to make a change. And when I do, I feel a surge of inspiration and opportunity that defies description. In short, letting go of what no longer serves me makes me available to what does. Thus, in response to what should I do?, the primary and immediate action that is required is to stop doing that which I feel I am no longer a match with.
      
Having said that, living an inspired existence is not a lazy affair! On the contrary. It takes dynamism, energy, and stamina to ride the waves of inspiration as they come. Taking inspired action lends itself to a life of courageous self-discovery. And while it may mean taking a scary leap or two (or twenty-two!), the payoff is bigger than any other. When you are feeding life with what sends your heart soaring, it rewards you with life force energy and opportunity beyond measure!
 
How does it feel?
How do you know what constitutes an inspired action?  Use the compass within to direct your sails.
  
You see, at its best, action is fueled by inspiration and passionate self-discovery. At its worst, action holds us in stagnant defiance of who we are longing to become. When you are reaching for something in your life, action is futile without right alignment. Actions that disallow your continual expansion create dis-ease in your world. Simply put, they are inefficient, energetic leaks that need addressing. You recognize them for the strain and discomfort they bring about. On the contrary, ease can be found through inspiration. Sometimes it is found in pushing edges that propel you forward. The sensation is one of freedom and exhilaration (sometimes confused with fear). Yet, the cliff-diving leaps of creation become easier over time as you learn that what moves you to jump has the power to send you soaring.
    
Look at your to-do list for the week. What do you see? Responsibilities? Inspired Ideas? For most people, responsibility takes the cake. Indeed, our daily comings and goings are important. Many of your daily tasks make you available to the peace of mind that invites inspiration. Yet responsibilities become liabilities when they keep us apart from ourselves. Action is inefficient when it holds in fearful stagnancy. The way of humanity (and all of life) is one of continual expansion and transformation. Inspired action means taking a risk...and moving towards what moves you in the moment.

Therefore, consider taking less action...and allow inspired actions to take you (further).

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Tags: inspiration, inspired action, soul, passion, life coach

Soul Dialogue ~ a personal exercise in self-coaching
A sample dialogue for finding the light in the dark.
Your soul voice is available to you, always.
to learn more about soul dialogues, click here

It Starts with Me:
I ask that you talk through me, here and now.
I feel like shit. I am too tired to fight the fight to feel good. Today is a down day, and I am allowing it to be.

Good.

So that’s it? That’s your divine wisdom?

You have to allow me in order to hear me. Are you open to guidance? Truly? Or are you so adamant about feeling as you feel that you will block my wisdom as it pours in?

I am willing, yes. There is space for light here.

Okay, then. Let’s talk. Forget the medium of the medium... get your hands dirty with me.

Okay.
Where do I start?

With the truth. There is no greater light than the truth. Especially when you are poking around in the dark, as you are now.

Alright. Well, the truth is, I feel like crying. I feel a familiar frustration and powerlessness that comes and goes. It’s been a long time since I have felt it, but it is here now.

What does it say?

It says, that I am so blessed and yet I...

Stop making it pretty. What does it say?

It says that I am afraid. It says that I am lost again. What if all the spiritual mumbo-jumbo is bullshit? How is it that I could be flying so high for months, and then fall with such force?

Ah, well... the impact of a fall is always relative to the height from which you came. You felt higher than ever, so that much more painful is the fall.

Okay. Well that sucks.

Perhaps. Or perhaps the pain is there to paradoxically remind you how far you have ascended in your journey. And let me remind you that you never fall as far as you think. Remember the Spiral Model? {more on this soon}

I guess. But I am angry that I am still working on this piece around my livelihood. I have invited everything I have ever wanted into being. I have so much of what I want. And today, I am angry. What the hell does life want from me?

There is only one way to find out... What do you want from life?

I just want to be me. Isn’t that enough?

If it were, then wouldn’t you just do that?

It’s harder than it sounds. I suppose I really just want to feel good, to be happy.

Okay, that feels closer to the truth. And what feels good to you?

Being creative, being real to the moment, uninhibited self-expression, loving and being loved, laughing, play, adding value, smiling and dancing. So much feels good to me!

Yes, there you go. Shift your focus there.
These are the actions that you must take. Anything that aligns you with these. Let go of worry, doubt, and frustration. Become obsessed instead with joy, possibility, and fascination. You are good at this. You were born knowing how to do this. Reignite the soul through choices that align you with the sensation listed above.

But isn’t it naive to behave in such a way... when there are clearly things that aren’t working.

And so what are you proposing? That somehow focusing your attention on what is not working will help somehow? Do tell... how will worry help to mend what is tattered in your thinking, and thus in your experience?

It won’t.

Right. The only thing that will free you from the hamster wheel of self-defeating thoughts is shifting your attention in another direction. One that feels good.

So...?

So it’s just like they taught you in grade school. Should you catch fire... stop, drop, and roll. In this case... STOP by pausing and witnessing yourself, DROP the story that feels defeating (just let it go!), and ROLL into alignment with what brings you joy by no longer resisting it.

It’s that easy, huh?

Indeed. It can be. If you are willing to let go to the joy that is flowing all around you.

Thanks for the chat. I feel very loved.

Oh, and you are!!

April/May 2009

The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us...the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
 

As a coach, I am privy to the themes of human experience. While the stories of our lives take on different shapes and characters, certain sensations are common. Feeling stuck - either energetically or circumstantially - is a common sensation that we all face at one time or another.
 
Upon closer examination, "I feel stuck" is describing a sensation of powerlessness. To feel powerless is to lose connection to the voice of your soul and the more of you that is longing to become. As a life coach with a soulular approach, my job is to poke around in the dark to help realign you with the light source beckoning to you from within - reflecting itself through your life experience.
 
Neale Donald Walsch cleverly describes the SOUL as a Singular Output of Universal Life. So let's imagine your soul is a light source through which a larger intelligence speaks to you. Your soul light shines on the fluid landscape of your life in order to guide your way. Like a compass, it directs you to move this way and that in order to connect you with the larger Light of Source. When you yield to the trajectory of your soul, you feel the bliss of Source shining upon you. You feel powerful as you move towards more of you as an outpicturing of this Larger Light. Your soul is unfolding you through your experiences, and its job is to take you in the direction of more of you becoming. Yet, when you turn from your loving soul light - often towards the directional light of what you think others might want of you - you feel lost and disconnected from joy. The light seems to elude you. Why? Your soul has shifted its energetic focus in the direction of who you have become, and you are not following along. You are stuck being who you once were. Your discomfort is your soul calling out your name in the dark, inviting you to turn towards your future. Thus, the feeling of being lost (or stuck) is good news! It lets you know that you have developed into the new you, and that now is a time to shift your vantage point and direction.
 
Living authentically is an internal gauge that can only be read from within. When you are in alignment with your soul light - your values, passions, purpose, who you are becoming - you know it by how good you feel. Authenticity is an continuous dance of keeping your vibration (way of being) level with the next evolution of your soul's unfolding.
 
When your soul light turns you in an unpopular direction; you must go in order to realign. Approval is fluid and co-creative - others reflect how much you are able to accept your right to become. They give your will something to push against in order to develop strength and confidence in who you are. Yet, this discomfort too shall pass. In the end, living authentically is never about rebellion - fighting against what others think of you only strengthens your fixation on them as your gauge. Nor is authentic living about isolation - to live in alignment with who you are does not require abandoning the desires of (and your commitment to) those you love. On the contrary, you are more present and true in every relationship when you are confident, secure, and walking in the world as who you really are. You no longer confuse the way you feel with outside causes; nor do you expect others to be as you are. You understand that YOU are the first cause of your greatest joys and sorrows, not those around you. Because your joy depends on you alone, the people in your life approach you eagerly. Your feeling good is up to you...they are off the hook! This leaves you both present for authentic connection.
 
As a final thought: when you are feeling powerless, it is important to note that your soul light only gets stronger and stronger in your search for it. It is there; always it is there calling out to you. In fact, without this light from behind, you would not even be able to see your shadow. Isn't that a grand design!

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Tags: soul light, life coach portland, life coaching, inspiration, soul, neale donald walsh

Life Just Keeps Getting Better and Better
Candice’s Gratitude Journal
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Basking in Today’s Vibrations

I am so grateful for this day. The sun is shining high in the sky and Portland is aglow with joyful faces. I love making eye contacting and sharing a smile with a stranger.

I appreciate the conversation that I had with my mom on the phone today. It was brief but full of love. We connected heart-to-heart, and I told her how happy I was that she was my mom. It was another special moment when we talked about her dad, my grandpa. We both smiled in awe of his spirit. I am grateful that he is my family... grateful that I share genes with a man who is healthy and happy at 93 years of life. He is a humble man who leads by example - through simple service and a peaceful disposition. He is a testament to the power of a simple existence and how it begets health and wholeness. I love him dearly.

I feel blessed with amazing friendships. Tonight I will have dinner with two of the most wonderful women that I know - Jasmine and Sylvia. I am grateful that we have the abundance to share a delicious meal together. I love that we talk to one another with such unconditional love and acceptance. I look forward to many magic moments between us.

I love my job! I am so happy to be doing work that allows me total freedom and flexibility. I spent the day writing about things that inspire me and bring me joy. It is easy for me to make money doing what I love! The greatest gift in my professional life in this moment is collaboration! I appreciate Christabel Zamor (I call her my co-creative soul mate) and the work that we are doing together. I am looking forward to the many successful co-creations before us. I know that I will make loads of money while helping millions to reconnect to who they really are... so that they can experience abundance of creativity and resources, too! I love my job!

Today a little girl (about 7 years old) said she liked my computer. It was so nice to receive her smile.

I walked through the park near my home today. I love the sound of children playing. I took a minute to soak it all in. It felt good to soak up the sounds and sensations of freedom and fun.

I am grateful for all of this and so much more!

Basking in my Vibrational Escrow

I know that my life is getting better and better each day. New opportunities continue to pleasantly surprise me.

I expect the unexpected... through the best possible outcomes for me in all areas of my life. I know that there is a Source of perpetual bliss that is guiding my life. When I feel good, I am connected to it. So I look for reasons to feel good, all day everyday.

Freedom is a sensation that I know well. It comes to me with ease and in many forms. Money flows freely into my life in more and more ways, reminding me that when I feel good, I attract goodness in all its forms. I am also blessed with opportunities to travel and connect with like-minded souls. I meet so many amazing and inspiring people!

I love that my work feels like play. I love that I make money being myself. My work is a montage of my many passions... dancing, playing, and sharing things that come naturally to me.

My business is growing so fast, and it is easy to keep up with and manage. I have aligned with the perfect people to assist me in the follow-through on a variety of projects simultaneously. I am surrounded by talented and resourceful SHiNE Agents who have helped to grow and share this message internationally. The work is touching lives beyond my wildest dreams.

I appreciate the relationships in my life, and how they continue to deepen and expand. I am now able to visit my family whenever I please, and spend time connecting, learning, and growing. My friendships are glorious and transformational environments of fun and sharing. I especially love the retreats I take often with my closest girlfriends. I fly us all to far off places for playtime. It is a blast!

And my new home by the water is dreamy! I even have a boat. Of course, my beloved partner is the captain... and that’s fine by me! I trust this beautiful and honorable man with my heart. We share such a wonderful life together... and we look forward to a family. I appreciate the way that he makes me laugh and grow each and every day.

Life is really magnificent. Thank you for all these blessings and more.

My practice of basking in gratitude is inspired by the teachings of Abraham-Hicks. (www.abraham-hicks.com)

Tags: basking, gratitude

March 2009



There is no excuse not to feel good
knowing what you know.
Abraham-Hicks, 2-8-09

You may have noticed that the February issue of theMessenger never made it out into cyberspace. I was on a personal retreat - a Abraham-Hicks Well-Being Adventure Cruise to the Mexican Riviera with a dear friend and nearly 600 like-minded souls. It was truly a pivotal and inspiring journey for me. I feel certain that I was forever changed by the inspired teachings I was exposed to, the individuals whom I met, and the hours spent steeping in hot tubs and transformative discussions.

Something was revived in me...something that I have known since my first dawn in this world...something that shapes everything that I choose as I walk through the world. Life was meant to feel good.

I so enjoyed being on the receiving end of a message that clarifies with such simplicity the essence of that which I share in every SHiNE offering. My commitment to our inherent right to feel good is the source behind each and every SHiNE creation. When we are in alignment with who it is we are becoming, we radiate contagious enthusiasm and creative inspiration. When we allow the natural expression of our truth and magnificence to shine, we feel fabulous and connected to all of life. However, when we dilute the fullness of our gifts or disallow our most honest self from evolving forth, we suffer from disharmony or dis-ease. My life has been - and continues to be - a navigation of this most basic principle of life. The path of my bliss dares me to step into alignment with more of my potential with each passing moment.

So what are common stumbling blocks for so many of us? Why don't we feel good more of the time?

Learning to Trust Yourself
In some cases, we navigate our course based on the opinions of those around us. We turn our attention away from our internal guidance and we fixate on how we are being received by our environment. Dis-empowerment is self-inflicted as we stray from our path in order to become what we perceive is expected of us or become stuck in being who we once were. This tendency often shows up subtly through our self-talk; we use words and phrases like: should and have to. The honesty of what is real for us is denied for the sake of what we think is right, rather that what we know is right for us in the moment.

Finding the joy that is in our very nature hinges on our ability to differentiate our desires from the desires of those around us. What turns you on is personal and unique to you. Let us all be reminded that the need to please others - and/or to fit into a way of being that is contrary to the essence of who we are - leads to suffering. It is a Loving Universe that guides us in this way. Through energetic imbalances - negative emotion and/or physical dis-ease - we are being guided to return to ourselves once more. It is nature's way of saying: Deny who it is you have become and I will remind you to make a shift. Realign with what brings you great joy and you will feel relief. It is always reminding us...in order to feel good, you must be true to the essence of who you really are - and who you are continually becoming. I can't think of a message more loving than that.

Relief As An Indicator
It is in the moments of disconnection from Who We Really Are that we feel fear and discouragement. It is only when we miss the point of such moments that we get stuck in the rut of despair. These 'low moments' are simply letting us know that we are not aligned with our deepest desires. Our inner guidance is providing us with feedback - in this case, negative emotion - that let's us know we are out of alignment with direction in which we are evolving. The more we feed this self-created reality of disempowerment (with self-defeating criticism or habituated actions) the worse we feel.

However, if we turn away from the discomfort and consciously seek a feel-good experience, we immediately feel relief. And relief is feedback that lets us know we are moving closer to Who We Really Are. Relief can come from shifting your attention from a topic that "brings you down" to a topic that is neutral and/or of a higher frequency for you. At other times, it is a matter of re-framing your experience so that you see the gift - the opportunity to develop into more of who you have become - through each and every choice you make.

As we move into spring, set the intention to make FEELING GOOD your practice. When you come face-to-face with a perceived source of discomfort, either shift your attention or shift your perspective. Allow yourself the freedom to choose how you want to feel in relationship to the world around you. Whatever you do, find a way to feel good. And yes...you can. You came into the world knowing how to do this. You are hard-wired to follow your emotions (internal vibrations) as indicators...you get better and better at it with time and practice. Life is supposed to be a process of continual improvement as you become a master of choosing more consciously over time.

Since returning from my travels, I have re-committed to this practice. And I have been exuding more enthusiasm and positivity than ever! So much so, in fact, that I was recently accused of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. To this I responded, "Thank you! And if you'd like, I'd be happy to fashion you a pair!"

Seeing Pink Everywhere,
Candice


This month's feature was greatly influenced by the teachings of Abraham-Hicks. For more information, visit them online at www.abraham-hicks.com.

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Tags: law of attraction, Abraham-Hicks Portland, life coaching, Abraham-Hicks, rose colored glasses, shine coaching

HoopGirl Level One
Baltimore, Maryland

I am settling in at home in Portland, Oregon relaxing after three glorious days in Baltimore, Maryland! I was there co-facilitating a HoopGirl Level One Teacher Training. Although I had taught the course material alongside Christabel on numerous occasions over the past 3 years (and even helped co-author many of the concepts), it was a new dawn for me and for HoopGirl. This was the first training in which the material would be presented without Christabel as a facilitator. My intention going into the weekend:  to trust that I would be able to channel her wisdom - along with my own - and deliver 100% on the promise. And I am so pleased to announce that we did just that! 

I certainly didn't do it alone! My co-trainer was Jennaluna. Ripe from her Level 3 training, she was superbly present as she courageously stepped right into the role of Trainer! Jenna is a natural facilitator, and it was such a joy to witness her holding the frequency of a leader and guide. She was especially potent when she fully embraced her power and yielded as her teaching worked through her. I look forward to more opportunities to teach alongside her... and share in more late night laughter! I am so grateful to work alongside colleagues that so soon become friends. 

A group of 13 fabulous women arrived on Day One, fully present and eager to learn about HoopGirl philosophy and education. I was immediately struck by the presence of each trainee. As the days unfolded, the attendees initiated lively discussions that led us into many expansive explorations of the material. It was so easy to witness and identify the unique brilliance of each in attendance: 

Noelle is the local hooper who made the training possible, providing us with the perfect space and constant support. She is a grounded, vibrant woman who has an impeccable warmth about her. Noelle offers observations, questions, and conscious facilitation that weave richness and depth to the teaching experience. 

Elena and Tara came from upstate New York, and I was immediately struck by their shared commitment and focus. Their community is in for a treat as they offer a combined synergy that is sure to delight. Elena wooed us all with her warm and expansive teaching style that reminded me the power of eye contact and poise. Tara guided us with an effortless wisdom and a sassy smile that melted our hearts and brought joy out in our dance.

Carolann joined us from New Jersey. She was our diva-goddess guide who demonstrated how coaching and empowerment can so effortlessly be woven into teaching hoopdance. I am personally inspired by her commitment to learn and grow in the direction of her bliss. Our lunchtime chat was a highlight of my weekend.

Pam came to the training with a dream to bring Ohio to life via the hoop. She blew us all away by her skill level - after only 6 months hooping, she was teaching all of us a thing or two! She is a testament of the power of online study. Not to mention, a natural teacher and model of how youthfulness is an ageless embodiment.

Chantiel came from Boise, Idaho... and is also a student of many via her online studies. She brought a inspiring and penetrating teaching style that held a powerful space for instruction. I appreciate her inquisitive and willing presence to learn and grow. 

Katie (aka: Surprise) joined us from the DC area. She brought so much creativity to her teaching via her remarkable attention to detail. I especially loved her immediate integration of conscious languaging and ability to reflect back to each of us. Her success will be no surprise to me.

Tina B (Virginia) brought her vast teaching experience into the hoop in such a personal way. She has a sensual and joyous style that is perfectly suited for the hoop - a mixture of bellydance and fitness offering a powerful fusion. She made us all smile and rest into the confidence of her instruction.

Becca was also from Virginia, and I can't say enough about the integrity she possesses. Each time I witnessed her - as trainee and as teacher - she was in full alignment with who she is. As a result, her teaching delivered a yoga-warrior-hoop journey unlike any other. 

Leda came to us all the way from Florida and the performance troupe known as the Hoola Monsters. She carries the natural poise and radiance of a performer and it translates perfectly into her teaching. I celebrate her smile and the power of her natural abilities as teacher.

Allison blew us away with her beautiful circus-style contortions during the photo shoot! And as a teacher, she is a self-possessed bundle of joy that you can't help but want to connect with and learn from. She will surely magnetize many joyous bodies into her classes.

I was always mesmerized when I would witness Kara hoop during breaks. A yoga teacher from North Carolina, she has a fluid and majestic style that may be partially inspired by the little guy she is expecting from within - she did the training while 4.5 months pregnant! She certainly brought the power and radiance of yin alive through her teaching as she masterfully demonstrated and "committed" to the task at hand. What an inspiration for all the mothers out there!

I can't possibly leave out Candice C. who was from a Maryland mountain community nearby. She is a warm and delightful woman who brought a lovely energy into the group. I was inspired by her choice - one of self-love - to step out on the second day, choosing to complete the training at another time. Sometimes the path of least resistance requires that we yield to an unexpected direction. I commend her for honoring her inner guidance. 

And a very special shout out to Kelly Jo... a previous graduate of the training was the ultimate assistant to Jenna and I. She went above and beyond the call of duty, catering to our every need and making a distant training location feel like home. Thank you so much for your presence, Kelly Jo! You are a star, for sure. We missed you on Day 3 and are hoping that you are feeling much better!

I couldn't possibly fully express the experience of the past weekend in these few paragraphs. I will simply share my gratitude to each and every one of the trainees for bringing their brilliance into the space; the synergy was inspiring to us all. And thank you, Jennaluna, for your exquisite partnership and presence. 

A very, very special acknowledgment to Christabel... my dear friend and creative soulmate. Thank you for trusting me to deliver the product of your brilliance to these women. I am the better for it. I hope you know how you inspire greatness in us all. 

Joyous & Grateful!
Candice

Tags: HoopGirl Training, hoopdance, teacher training

January 2009

Photo from The Full Body Project

*[Wo]man is the sole animal whose nudity offends her own companions, and the only one who, in her natural actions, withdraws and hides herself from her own kind.
- Montaigne

Tis' the season of new year's resolutions. Did you expect to see a different kind of picture? Take a minute to really look at the photo above. What comes to mind as you view these full-figured women in all their glory?
 
When I was in college studying for my BA in Psychology and Human Development, one class that rocked my world was entitled: Prejudice and Stigma. My dynamic professor, Chris Crandall, is still at it. He has been studying prejudice for decades. Specifically, he is an expert on the topic of weight-related prejudice. I vividly remember the day when he revealed to us what I considered staggering statistical findings. He and his colleagues found that:  The parents of obese children were significantly less likely to pay to send them to college. The familial weight-dependent prejudice displayed towards female children was much higher than that of boys. And that perhaps the most painful aspect of the stigma of "fat" in all age groups - what set this stigma apart from other demographics - was that even people of the same size and shape were reportedly prejudiced toward one another. In essence, antipathy towards fat people is pervasive and culturally reinforced, even within the family and social circles.

The picture gallery referenced above intrigues me for the way in which it challenges me to think. Did you notice any culturally inherited prejudices in your perception of these ladies? These are women who dance in naked defiance of the cultural spell many of us are under. First, they bask in the glow of self-acceptance without sucking it in or reliance on airbrushing. That is inspiration enough. Yet they take it a step further. They blatantly dare you to face your judgments, your assumptions, and your willingness to accept beauty in all its variations. They dare to flaunt their abundant curves, usually kept hidden. They reach to one another for the courage it takes to be seen...a collective band of body-blazing pioneers. They are heros in their own right.

Over fifteen years after Dr. Crandall's initial findings, I can honestly say that I don't know one woman - of any shape or size - who is immune from the terrifying stigma of "fat" on some level. Again and again, I am surprised to learn that even the most slender, dynamic, and powerful women are fighting against their bodies. It's the same story in variant forms...25-year old women "feeling fat" while wearing everything from size two to size twenty, 35-45 year old women confused that they are no longer shaped like a teen model, and women 50+ years young who quite literally ban themselves from the pleasure of a bathing suit for life due to the pain of body-loathing. It's our best kept secret - this emotional sickness among women. We only allude to the symptoms of it, as our helplessness keeps us from diving too deep.

On my own journey, I have certainly braved the seas of change from adolecence into womanhood. Even my youth and interest in movement didn't keep me immune. I look back on photos of me athletic, thin, and in my “physical prime.” I feel a mixture of awe and utter sadness that I feared and "felt fat" even then! Now as I step into another transformative season of life, I peel back the layers on more negative beliefs and self-judgments as my body is changing. When will I truly feel total body acceptance?

If, like me, you have an intention for greater health and self-care in 2009, I fully support your mission. Yet I have discovered time and time again that intentions driven by the desperation of body-loathing are not a healthy prescription for change. True motivation comes from a heartfelt desire for a more fulfilling life, not a smaller dress size. And fitness is about so much more than a number on a scale.

In 2008, I took a break from dancing and most forms of fitness. This time-out was prompted by my body's cries for a hiatus from over seven years of pretty much continual dynamic movement. During that time the prescription for my wellness was stillness. Over the course of my time off, I gained nearly 20 lbs along with the weight of some new leisurely habits. Nevertheless, I was inventing new ways to be healthy and whole. And, I was invited to love my body anew - an ever-developing woman existing amidst a more curvaceous landscape.

I recently started dancing again...as the integration completed its cycle, my spirit began to stir once again. I thought it would surely take a few months to feel the power of fitness and movement as I once had. What I discovered after only 1 week of movement was glorious! No, not that I had lost a bunch of weight or that I had rock-hard abs. I discovered that I immediately felt alive again...that sweat is an elixir of bliss when delivering the spirit within...and that to move is to breathe life forward. All of these are indicators of true fitness. To express my spirit through the flesh, at any age and cycle of life, that is wellness realized.

Lightness can be felt at any size. Beauty can be activated in a deep cleansing breath or in a simple movement of the hips. And fitness is an aliveness that can only be measured from within.

Ladies, I know I am not alone in my journey to change the way I think about my body and fitness. Yet, instead of turning to one another for support, we turn to our mirrors in shame. We turn to fad diets...we turn to deprivation and isolation...we turn to creams to hide our cellulite...and unfortunately, we turn on one another through subtle energetics that feed our pain and disconnection.

As with all mentalities we outgrow as a species, this cultural madness must be brought to light and shed. In 2009, like the women pictured above, let's create an alliance to accept one another in the ways in which we would like to be accepted. I propose that we band together to step out of the darkness and into the light and brilliance that comes from navigating our fears. Let's stop turning our back on one another and let's find fitness, pleasure, and self-acceptance somewhere other than in our reflections and dress sizes.

If you feel so inspired, I invite you to join me in the following New Year's Resolution:

• I will do my best to accept and find beauty in my body, as it is - giving myself at least one physical complement per day.

• I will send a message of body-based appreciation and admiration to at least one woman per day (via a heartfelt complement, through thought or word).

• I will readjust my thinking in order to incorporate a new definition of fitness - one where feeling radiant and powerful is more important than feeling thin. I will seek opportunities to express my radiance through my body in 2009!

SIGN THE CONTRACT
Body Alliance 2009
Print and Sign a Declaration to activate YOUR resolution.
FREE DOWNLOAD

And by the way, Body Appreciation is just one of the many topics we will focus on in the upcoming Radiance Coaching Class Series (new dates tba). If you feel moved to join us, click here for more information. Hope to see you there!

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Looking Forward to Celebrating Your Beauty,
Candice

Tags: body acceptance, self love, body image

December 2008

Sometimes a breakdown can be the beginning of a kind of breakthrough, a way of living in advance through a trauma that prepares you for a future of radical transformation.
- Cherrie Moraga

 
Life is a series of breakthroughs.
 
Consider the way in which we come into the world. Quite literally breaking through, we begin the cycle of life as we know it. We are pushed into being by a force beyond our control. What lies on the other side of the trauma that we are experiencing is unknown, and is therefore feared. Soon we learn that the same force that pushed us into the world is the essence of nourishment and safety. Nevertheless, in the moment of birth and emergence, we cry out as the light pierces the veil of darkness. Naturally, we wince at a power that exceeds comprehension.
 
We spend the rest of our life re-living this birth pattern, comforts followed by contractions. These contractions often come to us as breakdowns - some aspect of our life threatening to dissolve. Each time, life is leading us to a new emergence (greater light) so that we might experience more brilliance - of insight, of connection, of purpose. Through each and every breakdown - however dark it may seem - is the womb through which more light will emerge. Thus, each breakdown is a breakthrough - a state of emergenc-y in the truest sense.
 
If we so choose, we may reframe our approach to the emergencies of life. There is no denying that such seasons of change can be painful and confusing. The time spent in the midst of breakdown is a time of contraction requiring strength and endurance, and can be especially difficult if the light of breakthrough cannot be readily seen in the distance. A breakdown forces us from the comfort of the status quo so that we might acknowledge what we have too long denied. We have become dependent on habits that we have outgrown, and we are being forced to take our life to the next level.
 
Generally, breakdowns are met with fear. (Just look no further than current state of our financial sectors for evidence of this on a cultural level). The natural energy of fear is contraction, withdrawal, and sometimes panic. In times of breakdown, we are conditioned to feel smaller as we are faced with a force beyond our control. We may feel defeated, ill-equipped, and unsure of what is to come. In essence, we ask the same questions that we did not have words for as we emerged from the womb - where oh where could these contractions be taking us?!
 
I suggest we approach this time of contraction with consciousness, introspection, and a certain degree of trust. Activate your inner witness, and assess what is no longer in harmony with your most heartfelt desires. Ask yourself: What habits have I outgrown? How am I being asked to change? In what ways am I limiting the possibilities in my life? And, what am I most afraid of? In this way, we consciously engage with each contraction, willingly and openly breathing through the waves of challenge in the hope of greater insight.
 
Yet awareness, while most essential, is only the yin of it. in the end - and only you will know when it is time - you must be prepared to engage the yang within...to push your way out. Contractions get closer together; discomfort forces you into action...and you facilitate your own rebirth by taking courageous steps that align you with the potential you are stepping into.
 
Listening to the wisdom of breakdown, we learn from it, and thereby facilitate breakthroughs in our own lives. Keep in mind, reflection can be made easier in the company of a coach, an ally, or a dear friend. When we are held in the spirit of self-empathy, fear is transmuted into power. When navigated consciously, fear can actually be used as a wisdom that results in a more expansive you. Just as contractions enable birth, if allowed, fear enables new life. Contraction begets expansion. Breakdown begets breakthrough.
 
Keep in mind, most breakthroughs happen in stages. Each and every contraction bringing more awareness of how we must continually move and grow. Take it one step at a time, and know that the joy of a new path is emerging:
 

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS
by Portia Nelson
 
Chapter I:
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes me forever to find a way out.
 
Chapter II:
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place
but, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
 
Chapter III:
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
 
Chapter IV:
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
 
Chapter V:
I walk down another street.

Seeing The Light Ahead,
Candice

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Tags: life coach portland, life coaching, shine coaching

In recent months, I have been swimming in paradox. It's been a peaceful ride through drastic changes in my day-to-day life. A relationship that brought me closer to my fears in order to overcome them has ended. Our parting was filled with compassion and truth, and left me with a sense of completion and wonder. More love than ever, in this case, means letting go.

Another move (the third in 2008!) across town into a solitary existence for the first time in years has been challenging. Add to that, an epic realization that I am no longer the impassioned movement teacher who moved to Portland five years ago. The teacher in me lives on; however, I am no longer drawn to what I once taught. My relationship with Nia has taken me to where I am today and will always be a part of me... but I no longer have the same urge to teach. Teaching hooping has been a joyous journey of learning and connection... yet the business must continue to evolve with me behind the scenes. I am all at once devastated and relieved to be admitting to what I have known for over a year now. I am transforming into a new kind of teacher... and apparently, what exactly this looks like will not reveal itself until I let go of all that I know.

In a final attempt to revive what-once-was, I taught a couple of events this past month. What happened as a result is not unfamiliar to me... it's an experience I have had in the past when I hold on to a reality when it is no longer serving my highest good. It seems to be my spirit's way of speaking to me when I am not listening.

In this instance, it was a moment of teaching... sensing my body, sharing the experience, weaving cues together in new ways and old, as I have for the past seven years... I felt a part of myself (a part that I identify as my spirit, the witness within) begin to rise up just above my body. It feels similar to some out-of-body experiences that I have read about... only without the woo-woo magic and with a lot more fear! I become immersed in the witness and its vantage point, all the while, I am teaching the class on auto-pilot - without missing a beat. The words flow out, the students respond, and I am suspended slightly above, observing it all. Re-reading this it sounds entirely too mystical... when in actuality, it's far from warm and fuzzy. When it is happening, I feel a surge of anxiety that borders on panic. My sensory perception becomes so heightened that it is almost painful to take it all in... everything amplified - sounds, light, my own emotion. It's like a threshold that I can contain only for so long without going mad. Usually with body awareness, I can recover center once more within a second or two. Anyway, when I tap into this hovering aspect of myself, it always delivers the same message in the end. Something like: I don't want to do this anymore. I've done all I can here. Set me free.

Later, once in-body and out-of-class, I fight back with reason. Come on now! We have invested so much time and energy here. (and yes, it's a "we"). We are good at this and we should keep doing it! This argument is my ego's attempt to reign my spirit in... to get it to sign on for an agenda that is safe and secure. Only, it's not. My spirit plays the trump card when it lifts me out of body. My rational mind is silenced. There is no "reason" for what I am experiencing... and nothing about it feels like what my ego calls "safety."

I was reflecting on this to a dear friend in a moment of sorrow. I told her about a moment of rising above myself teaching on auto-pilot. And the sense of emptiness that I felt while teaching what used to fill my heart with passion. I voiced my frustration and self-judgement ... WHY are things always changing? Why can't I just be great at something and then do it again and again, fulfilled by the service I am offering? Why the need to re-invent myself? Why I am rejecting the status quo yet again? Am I just an ego-maniac looking for a fix that I will never find?!

I could almost feel her smiling on the other end. Then, in a sage moment, she responded and struck a chord of truth that I desperately needed strumming. ... Candice, you are a creator and a seeker. You will never be satisfied doing anything once it becomes auto-pilot. You are just not wired that way. You will always transform and change beyond it because it is in your nature to do so.

Uh, yeah.
It is undeniable and true.

Thanks, Sylvia.

And so, I yield.
I let go, again.

This must be what it feels like to be the dust speck on Horton Hears A Who... floating about in the air, hopeful that some force much larger and unseen will carry it to safety. In a way, I guess it is the SHiNE message at work through me... as we all feel that way from time-to-time, especially when we answer the call from within. In the words of Horton, may we remember: "let that be a lesson to one and to all; a person is a person, no matter how small."

And might I add..
Whomever, however, wherever you might be.
The heart of your SHiNE has the right to be free.

Be you. Embrace who you are to keep the light on.

September 2008

Many are the names of God and infinite the forms
through which He may be approached.
- Ramakrishna, 18th century Indian Sage

When we hear the word yoga most of us think of conscious movement, repetitions of downward facing dogs, sweaty palms, and deep breathing. I find it inspiring that so many in our culture are inhabiting their bodies more, and channeling the built-up stresses of a restless spirit into conscious mind-body practice. Even as a practitioner myself, I have always known that modern-day yoga is a secular by-product of a spiritual tradition that dates back centuries.

In my recent studies as an enthusiastic grad student (see announcement about AIHT!), I have been skimming the surface of my coursework. I was immediate drawn into some writings on Hinduism and the origins of yoga. Simplified, "yoga is a method of training designed to lead to integration or union." And while we are accustomed to a practice designed to unify body and mind through movement (making it more marketable and accessible to a secular world hungry for fitness and stress-relief), the origins of yoga reveal greater depth and meaning.

To simplify, four paths are available to actualize the human potential through yoga. Raja Yoga (the way through psychophysical exercise) is what many modern-day practices have been derived from. Other paths include: Karma Yoga (the way through work and action), Bhakti Yoga (the way through love and devotion), and Jnana Yoga (the way through knowledge and wisdom). The Hindu faith believes that all paths - yes, even those of other religions - lead to the same ultimate destination: integration with the Infinite (spirit by any name is one and the same). The four paths of yoga acknowledge that different human temperaments approach their relationship to the Divine uniquely. Peering more closely into yoga as a multidimensional practice has opened my eyes to what it means to be a yoga practitioner and a human.

Too often we reject the most wonderful aspects of a spiritual tradition we know little about because we have an all-or-none mentality. But what if we replaced that with an all-is-one mentality and embraced the brilliance ignited within as the truest teaching, while learning from a variety of sources?

If you feel so inspired, join me this month and expand your practice as a yogi or yogini to "embrace the many paths." Simplify the essence of each and then choose the medicine that speaks to your need in the moment. Maintain awareness of your mental and physical energy and keep movement alive through life as a meditation (raja yoga). Allow more of your actions to become thoughtful and a selfless expression of the Life moving through you (karma yoga). Express love and devotion towards the form and formlessness that Spirit takes in your life (bhakti yoga). And intuit and discern between that which is real and lasting truth and that which is the illusory and fleeting dance of the ego (jnana yoga).

Remember, what moves you at your deepest core is what matters to your life most in the moment. Claim your personal practice of growth and transformation. Stay alive and open in the now. And embrace all paths that bring you home to the Universal Divine. Take what speaks to you, and let the rest go by.

Honoring All As One,
Candice

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Tags: life coach portland, yoga, life coaching, shine coaching

HoopGirl Teacher Training
Nuneaton, England

What an amazing way to start out the month! I have been traveling in the UK, co-teaching HoopGirl teacher trainings with my soul sister and radiant colleague, Christabel Zamor. The training is filled with so many inspirational women (and one man!) with roots stretching far and wide - England, Scotland, Wales, Poland, Italy, and Columbia to name a few! Altogether creating a myriad of accents, talents, and creative impulses.

It is always an honor to see trainees stepping into their power as teachers. And working with Christabel - a powerhouse of inspiration and possibility - is a total joy! Can I just say I adore our connection?! What a divine partnership it is. Our joint facilitation is so effortless and contains an undeniable synergy. Wow. Lucky for me, we are training through August 5. See you when I return!

The highlight of my teaching experience thus far is getting to know Kim, a 20-year old individualist with pink/purple hair and a variety of strategically-placed body piercings. She exudes a sensitivity and femininity beneath a tough exterior. She possesses a potent power clouded by the uncertainty to be expected at her age. I observed with fascination when, on Day 3 (the day of the teaching practicums), she was held hostage by self-effacing inner dialogue. She was filled with fear and dread at the thought of teaching in front of 20 other hoopers. Though the space was safe and supportive, she withdrew feeling powerless. Going to her, I did my best to penetrate this voice with my own. Listening through tears, she would nod, smile, and even laugh at my musings... only minutes later to sink back into the space of doubt.

Eventually, with some coaching and coaxing by myself and others, she chose to face her fear. I was so proud and in awe as she placed the headset on and began to lead the class with a command and presence I knew would come so naturally to her. Then it happened... one split second, a loss of words, and the truth of her effortless brilliance was again hijacked by fear. She seemed almost defenseless against it, and as her shoulders sunk her confidence was lost to her again. What happened next is like slow motion in my memory.

Christabel and I stood back to allow space for her to regain her center. Empathically I knew that doing nothing was the best way to be of service in this moment. And I watched with understanding and alarm as, one-by-one, the women around me (Kim's fellow trainees) began to rescue her. Motherly instincts kicked in, and each offered their own brand of love and kindness - some subtly teaching the class for her, and others ushering her along with physical closeness. As I witnessed, I noticed the result to Kim's energy... and something in me took over the space immediately. I stepped forward, not sure what I was about to do... just knowing it had to be done, and fast. Kim's soul was counting on us to do her a greater and higher service in the moment.

I simply knew - without a doubt - the truth of her brilliant potential. I firmly requested that everyone step away from Kim. With conviction I asserted over the buzz of the group, "I am stepping in here. I am 100% confident that Kim can do this. And I would like to give her the opportunity. I am requested that everyone stop doing this for her, and give her the space to have the experience she is here to have."

Everyone set their best intentions aside and backed away... they knew that I was on to something.

Within a minute or two, Kim was back in her power again. She is truly a lovely facilitator, very articulate and strong, with her own unique brand of humor. Throughout the course of her practicum, she lost her center again a couple of times... but because we did not feed those voices of self-pity with their co-dependent counterpart (the rescuer), she was able to rise from the ashes again and again. I am so proud of Kim. She is an emblem of courage to me. And to be pushing through fears like this as such a young adult... wow. I appreciate what she taught us all yesterday.

It was a miraculous moment to witness her in her brilliant glory!

We all have a choice when it comes to the negative self-talk (jackals) that can sometimes vie for our precious energy. It is in believing the story that our jackals tell us that we become helpless in connecting to the available brilliance within. (And yes, it's always available). Certainly, there is a time to nurture others (and ourselves) with empathy and understanding. However, it is easy to cross the line into unhealthy enabling of untruth when we support anything other than brilliance with the need to rescue. It's a fine line to walk... and safe containers (personal growth seminars, counseling sessions, loving relationships) are where we can practice a sort of tough love to bring one another back into the light again.

My thanks to HoopGirl, Christabel, Kim, and all the other inspiring trainees for this remarkable opportunity.

Tags: finding your voice

August 2008

At the deepest level, the level of the soul, you are the author of everything that happens to you. - Deepak Chopra

Inner Authority. It is an essential component in following one's own path of brilliance. The word "authority" implies both a sense of sovereignty and, perhaps less obviously, the ability to author and/or create an outcome. Inner Authority (Mahatma Gandhi called it soul force) places the power to create back in your heart and hands. Soul Force is hard-wired to override evidence (or opinions) to its contrary. It is a knowing that, at times, defies reason. And due to its unreasonable and unworldly nature, it brings you closer to the Divine.

Through experience in working with my own internal guidance and authority, I have learned to trust it. When I resist the guidance that I receive within (usually due to fear of failure or judgment), my outer world begins to express symptoms of my soulular discomfort. If I push my limits, my body may begin to shut down or pack on the pounds. If I continue to do something that no longer inspires me, conflicts may begin to emerge or money may stop flowing freely. All in all, my life seems to be divinely orchestrated; I only need have the courage to respond to its cues.

In this month's recommended reading, Deepak Chopra lists what he calls the Three Requirements to be Happy on The Soul Level. He invites us to ask the following questions:

Do I act without effort?
Do I feel joy in what I do?
Are my actions bringing results?

He very plainly put into words the process that I have been going through over the past few months. I am delighted to report that I am taking steps to shift the order of my everyday so that I can again answer an emphatic YES! to each of the above.

Now what about you? How is your soul represented in your everyday? Your physical reality is a reflection of your soulular alignment...yes, at all times. Are you making choices that are in integrity with the truth of you, the highest expression of who you can be at this moment? If so, Grace will walk alongside you as an ally. Or it may be that you are ready to make some space for your soul's deepest truths to emerge with more ease. Choices, one at a time, are all that stand between you and the deepest level of joy and fulfillment you could ever know.

Saying Yes Now,
Candice

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Tags: life coach portland, inner authority, self love

July 2008

  
If you receive guidance that compromises your physical comfort,
would you be willing to follow it?
- Caroline Myss

The translucent butterfly (pictured above) has become a mascot for my own path of trusting the promise of brilliant living. Allow her journey to shed some light:
 
One day a lone caterpillar was suddenly called. She was told by the force of her very nature to retreat into solitude and containment in order to experience a death of one self into another.
 
In saying yes, she was called to a resting place - suspended in thin air. There she began to shed her skin. It was frightening! Who would she be without it? The form she once knew was replaced by a shell and she was enveloped by darkness and paralysis. She couldn't move. Where exactly was she? And what had happened to all the light?! She hung, suspended between two lifetimes within one. She waited in the dark, at times feeling very afraid and alone - wondering why she had agreed to such a calling. Yet all the while, she felt a spark of promise whispering from deep, deep within.
 
Over time, the light inside her very core - once faint - became a wellspring of divine light. It kept her warm and safe as she felt who she once was dissolve and transform. It was scary to be stripped of her very caterpillar nature and all that she once knew. She wondered what might become of her...and what would be her place in the world? At times she fought the urge to break free from this cocoon that surrounded her. To squirm back out into the world as she once was. Yet each time she tried, the path was denied. She knew that in heeding that first call, there was no turning back.
 
In time, a potential deep within her pushed its way to the surface. She was ignited by possibility and an outrageous freedom to take flight. And all in one miraculous instant she felt death and new life merge. She pushed, she squirmed, and she broke free - soaring into the unknown.
 
Like the caterpillar, sometimes we are called to be born anew - towards the next grandest vision of how we might best serve the world. Our interconnectedness to All That Is becomes apparent - if we are humble enough to heed the call. Paradoxically, with each of our mini-incarnations we come to understand that to live and make choices in authentic self-love is far from a selfish pursuit. By following the compass of our soul, we give our best to the world around us.
 
For some of us, it is a call we will receive many times in our life. Letting go of what was once a comfortable existence and accepting the promise of something that requires we change who we think ourselves to be. And it usually requires we (temporarily at least) surrender the physical comforts that we once knew (relationships, career paths, and sometimes the approval of friends and family).
 
In fact, one of the most challenging aspects of a time of transformation is the potent force of the unknown. We wonder, "where did the light go?" as experiences that once inspired us no longer ignite our soul...or as those who once held us in high opinion question our path of change. Yet the darkness and self-containment is the greatest gift of all. It is by experiencing this season in which we are cut off from the light sources in our external world that we learn to tap Brilliance and Guidance from within.
 
I encourage you to the heed the soulful call that comes your way. A calling on the modern spiritual path is not a booming voice from beyond. Instead it creeps in through the cracks of our daily existence - through physical or emotional imbalances that threaten us to grow and change or continue on suffering.
 
And may more of us emerge from our cocoons with the promise of the transluscent butterfly. May the wings that carry our brilliance out into the world be clear and transparent so that the glory of the True Source might SHiNE through in our everyday flight.

Cracking Through My Cocoon,
Candice

Click here to see a caterpillar's journey to butterfly on YouTube.

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Tags: life coach portland, time of transition, life coaching, shine coaching

June 2008

It's choice...
that determines your destiny.
Jean Nidetch

As a coach, I come across people everyday who are in a season of transition. Often I sit with a client as she weighs her options in regards to the various aspects of life. Be it venturing out on a new career path, taking a relationship to the next level, or rising from a season of depression, people come looking for a container of grace in which all facets of a situation can be seen more clearly.

Through experience, I have learned the power of language as a tool for transformation. The simple act of attending to our inner dialogue has the power to change the course of our thinking...and of our lives. When teaching exercises in conscious communication (stay tuned, workbook coming soon!), I suggest we flag certain words in order to shift the flow of energy in our minds and hearts. This creates a reset function in regards to our thinking and can be the key ingredient to shift a mental construct for good.

Make Choices vs. Decisions

When I hear a client say..."I need to decide, and I'm just not sure what to do." It is then I know that choice is the medicine of the moment. To decide in a moment of ambivalence forces a false sense of finality to the present moment. I invite us to honor the now of our reality, rather than focusing on the how (which is a function of the future, taking us out of the moment). Sometimes when we feel pressure to make decisions (knowing how), rather than choices (knowing now), we inadvertantly disempower ourselves. We make assumptions about the future and add unnecessary weight to our choices - assuming we know where each will lead us over time. We bind ourselves to a way of being that may serve us in the moment, yet not necessarily long-term. And, most of all, we rob ourselves of the freedom to experience the miracle that is a change of heart.

Choices are authentic, in-the-moment, and ever-changing - as are we! To choose is to evoke the essence of self acceptance and allows room for growth. Choice is a priviledge meant to evolve us towards more responsible expressions of who we are in the world. The highest choices are those that create more peace, love, and harmony in the world around us. We can decide to change the world, but can only happen one choice at a time.

So this month, practice presence. And if and when you feel the weight of decision upon you, choose what feels right in the moment instead. Respond to the now and release the how.

Thanks to inspirational singer and songwriter, India Arie, we have the perfect anthem for this month's focus:

I Choose, by India Arie
listen to it now



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Tags: life coach portland, choices vs decisions, choice, life coaching

May those who love us, love us;
and those who don't love us,
may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn't turn their hearts,
may he turn their ankles
so we'll know them by their limping.
- Irish Blessing

I must admit that I have spent considerable life force - as so many of us have - reaching eagerly for the love of those around me. Nevertheless, I can't say that I relate to this blessing as it applies to others. I find that the love that matters most is not that which we receive. It is the love that we give that later comes back to us. And that love we give is what is reflected in the number of hearts that turn our way.

And, paradoxically, many times it is the love and tenderness we give unto ourselves that is most medicinal over time.

Only a few days ago I stumbled upon a strange turn of events (puns intended). The week began with a trip on the stairs and turned left ankle that left me with a small limp. Luckily, I yielded to the fall; thus, the injury was minor and discomfort passed rather quickly. Oddly, it was less than 16 hours later that I fell again - this time not so gracefully. My right ankle was rocked to the core - a severe sprain that left my skin purple and swollen. For three days I have been resting, icing, compressing, and elevating. Only yesterday was I able to put pressure on my right foot...today a limp is the evidence that lingers.

When I read the Irish Blessing above, I couldn't help but smile. The blessing has been in turning my attention to my own heart... and the limp is helping me to see better how often I turn away from that which nurtures me and the direction I wish to move in.

In my life experience - and in my professional life - I have seen again and again how the body acts as a metaphor. After discovering this through my own personal experience, I stumbled upon teachers such as Louise Hay (and her epic book Heal Your Body, Heal Your Life). The joints of the body are all about mobility... and the ability to move forward. They are about flow and right direction, if you will. And so this week I take stock of my choices and how they align with the direction of my dreams. And I am grateful for the message my body sends me.

BTW, here is my edited version of the old Irish Blessing

May I be at one with the Flow of Divine Love
and when I am not,
may the Beloved turn my heart towards It once again;
and if It doesn't succeed in turning my heart,
may It sweep my feet in Its direction
and I'll remember Love by my limping.

- Irish Blessing [edited]

How To Be A Woman
May 13, 2008 by Candice Schutter
(response to How to Be A Man by Steve Pavlina)

The Yin Warrior is an ancient archetype, and a woman of a new and enlightened world. She is the wayshower for the many who yearn for the Feminine to re-emerge as compassionate, empathic leadership.

The Order of Life for the Yin Warrior is:
Instinct: elemental connection with her environment (her physical body being the most important environment to fully embody)
Intuition: the way that life speaks to and through her through Instinct (felt sensation) as a foundation
Interdependence: how her instincts and intuitions enable her to effectively interact with others in relationships

For too long the Yin Warrior has been asleep in our culture. The Order of Life for women has been operating backwards. Relationships are often put before all else - overriding both the impulses of Instinct and Intuition. Intuition has been overshadowed by measurable truths or mistaken for mystical fantasy. And Instinct - spoken through the physical body world - has become a vehicle in which to meet desired ends, rather than a sacred space to embody as the foundation of life.

Let's re-visit The Order of Life for the Yin Warrior through some of her many tools:

INSTINCT
A woman has a visceral knowing - being one with the earth. She understands the elemental dust from which she - and all things - arise from and return to. She embraces the body in its curvaceous celebration of the cyclical nature of form. The body is her temple and instinct is the voice of the Earth itself echoing through its walls. As the space through which life enters, she is masterful at understanding energetic landscapes and the weather patterns of the life unfolding all around her. Her body speaks volumes through sensation.

Sensation
She becomes silent enough to attend to the winds within her body and its resulting rhythms. Harmony is found in nature and her connection to it. All of life around her is Nature speaking to her. She asks: Are you listening? How is the flow of the Body World supporting your desires in the moment? Is there resistance? In which direction can your steer the vessel of your life so that flow is found again? She makes choices that yield to a rhythm her body can move through with ease. She cultivates strength by befriending grace and sensation as allies. She is a master of patience in the birth of all things.

Perhaps most importantly in this time of women-against-women... she puts down her sword of judgement once and for all. The Yin Warrior wields no weapon. She shines with an Open Heart - as it is the only "protection" she needs. When anyone (including another woman!) speaks, the Yin Warrior listens with her entire body. She overrides the cultural tendency to self-compare (attire, physique, age, etc); competition is meaningless to her. Instead she hears what is being said beneath the surface of things, using her body as a fine-tuned instrument of presence and discernment so that she may re-create harmony.

Harmony
She makes her personal well-being a first priority and a felt sensation. She asks: When something "goes wrong" in your environment, where do you go to address the disharmony? Do you frantically resist your environment outside, hoping to change your internal landscapes? What does it take to restore a sense of balance in your body and heart? The Yin Warrior cultivates self-love by taking overt actions that affirm how her life matters to her.

The Yin Warrior listens to her own rhythms and instincts first and foremost. She feels no need to criticize, gossip, or complain... for she understands all impulses rippling in and around her are mirrors through which to see herself more clearly. She looks closely in such moments, and discerns how she might care for herself and the world around her more efficiently. Through self-nurturing, she re-aligns herself with the voice of her instincts (and the environment responds with harmony in accordance with her self-love). Her god-given enchantment is nurtured on a soulular level, so any measures to adorn her physical form are meant to enhance her natural radiance.

INTUITION
A woman knows without knowing how. An inner-aligment with instinct is the foundation for intuition. Tuning in - sensing the world within and without - is the grid upon which the heart rests in its knowing.

Radiant Knowledge
The knowing of the heart is radial. It encompasses all - even the unseen - in its assessment of the moment. This is why instinct coupled with sensation is the foundation of such knowledge. Without this radial awareness, instinct becomes egocentric and blind to the whole. Fearful instincts are not considered in context, and are thus mistaken for intuitive knowing. Therefore, the Yin Warrior is firmly anchored in the body world so that she may be a conduit for knowledge of another kind.

When intuition comes, it need not be accompanied by fireworks. It creeps up in the heart of a woman, and she knows not its true source. A sudden awareness emerges - through thought, word, image, or sensation. The Yin Warrior holds this knowing up against her internal compass which measures its implications on the environment around her. Only when a confirmation responds from within does she give movement to her knowledge.

Emphatic Truth
Empathy is that which makes necessary the path of the woman as a warrior archetype in our existing culture. Empathy is the tool the Yin Warrior lives her life learning to understand. A woman who embraces her inherent gifts and is in touch with the world around her may sometimes feel bombarded with information and stimulation. Sensation is heightened and can overwhelm the body. Intuition is activated and can overwhelm the heart and mind. The Yin Warrior applies her empathic abilities to balance these tendencies, as she receives from so many sources at once. Once balanced, empathy says, I sense the energy that is present while knowing that I am she who is sensing. I do not confuse myself with the energetic environment in which I live... nor that which I interact with. I do not confuse your experience with the truth of who you are. I see behind the veils of this world; and therefore, I never lose my faith in love.

In this way, truth is welcome in a new way. The Yin Warrior speaks great truth with an ease, an acceptance, a grace. She shares what is alive inside of her without becoming lost in the experience. She comes from a place of harmony... so no matter the potency of the honesty she transmits, she is understood in her intention to create connection. She is direct and clear in her communication, but never confrontational. Connection is her starting point, and her endpoint. She is truly a conduit of love through word and action.

INTERDEPENDENCE
When instinct (physical radiance) and intuition (heart radiance) are attended to, a woman is at one with her world. It is then that relationship reveals itself Whole through her.

Partner with the Beloved He
The Yin Warrior knows that the union of Her Most Sacred Heart with the Beloved He comes first. She places her body, heart, and soul in union with the force of life... and it dances her with a graceful ease. Her life is meant to service and nurture Relationship the the All of Life, first and foremost. This is the Divine Marriage through which she will find her greatest joys and sorrows (both of which she honors and treasures for their unique gifts).

The Infinite Spaceholder
The Yin Warrior holds space through which life can happen. She is the fertile soil of the land. No matter how the fields of her heart are tended, she returns to wholeness again and again. Resilience as a concept can not do her justice. Nor the concept of the Survivor, for it implies victimhood. She is no victim, regardless of circumstance. She is the ultimate power of acceptance. Divine acceptance that sees through veils of personalities, challenges, and consequence. Her choices are sacred acts of love - each a birth of life worth celebrating to fruition. And, knowing nature, she knows this... ALL will bear fruit, in due time.

The Nurturer, she pulls all of life to her bosom in order to shed light of love.
Treat all as innocent children, she whispers.
Accept this world. Love it whole in order to change it.

Tags: how to be a woman

I just had to post this... from the website: www.stevepavlina.com
Beautifully done, and so insightful. I reminds me a lot of the work of David Deida.

He actually had an open invitation to post a "How To Be A Woman" commentary. I took him up on it. See the post prior to this one for my take on it.


How to Be a Man
May 9th, 2008 by Steve Pavlina

What does it mean to be a man today? How can men consciously express their masculinity without becoming cold or closed-hearted on the one hand… or wimpy and emasculated on the other? What’s the most loving way for a conscious man to express himself?

Here are 10 ways to live more consciously as a man:

1. Make real decisions.
A man understands and respects the power of choice. He lives a life of his own creation. He knows that life stagnates when he fails to decide and flourishes when he chooses a clear path.
When a man makes a decision, he opens the door he wants and closes the doors he doesn’t want. He locks onto his target like a guided missile. There’s no guarantee he’ll reach his target, and he knows this, but he doesn’t need such guarantees. He simply enjoys the sense of inevitability that comes from pushing the launch button.
A man doesn’t require the approval of others. He’s willing to follow his heart wherever it leads him. When a man is following his heart-centered path, it’s of little consequence if the entire world is against him.

2. Put your relationships second.
A man who claims his #1 commitment in life is his relationship partner (or his family) is either too dishonest or too weak to be trusted. His loyalties are misplaced. A man who values individuals above his own integrity is a wretch, not a free thinker.
A man knows he must commit to something greater than satisfying the needs of a few people. He’s not willing to be domesticated, but he is willing to accept the responsibility that comes with greater challenges. He knows that when he shirks that duty, he becomes something less than a man. When others observe that the man is unyieldingly committed to his values and ideals, he gains their trust and respect, even when he cannot gain their direct support. The surest way for a man to lose the respect of others (as well as his self-respect) is to violate his own values.
Life will test the man to see if he’s willing to put loyalty to others ahead of loyalty to his principles. The man will be offered many temptations to expose his true loyalties. A man’s greatest reward is to live with integrity, and his greatest punishment is what he inflicts upon himself for placing anything above his integrity. Whenever the man sacrifices his integrity, he loses his freedom… and himself as well. He becomes an object of pity.

3. Be willing to fail.
A man is willing to make mistakes. He’s willing to be wrong. He’d rather try and fail than do nothing.
A man’s self-trust is one of his greatest assets. When he second-guesses himself by worrying about failure, he diminishes himself. An intelligent man considers the prospect of failure, but he doesn’t preoccupy himself with pointless worry. He accepts that if a failure outcome occurs, he can deal with it.
A man grows more from failure than he does from success. Success cannot test his resolve in the way that failure can. Success has its challenges, but a man learns more about himself when he takes on challenges that involve risk. When a man plays it safe, his vitality is lost, and he loses his edge.

4. Be confident.
A man speaks and acts with confidence. He owns his attitude.
A man doesn’t adopt a confident posture because he knows he’ll succeed. He often knows that failure is a likely outcome. But when the odds of success are clearly against him, he still exudes confidence. It isn’t because he’s ignorant or suffering from denial. It’s because he’s proving to himself that he has the strength to transcend his self-doubt. This builds his courage and persistence, two of his most valuable allies.
A man is willing to be defeated by the world. He’s willing to be taken down by circumstances beyond his control. But he refuses to be overwhelmed by his own self-doubt. He knows that when he stops trusting himself, he is surely lost. He’ll surrender to fate when necessary, but he won’t surrender to fear.

5. Express love actively.
A man is an active giver of love, not a passive receiver. A man is the first to initiate a conversation, the first to ask for what’s needed, and the first to say “I love you.” Waiting for someone else to make the first move is unbecoming of him. The universe does not respond positively to his hesitation. Only when he’s in motion do the floodgates of abundance open.
Man is the out-breath of source energy. It is his job — his duty — to share his love with the world. He must wean himself from suckling the energy of others and become a vibrant transmitter of energy himself. He must allow that energy to flow from source, through him, and into the world. When he assumes this role, he has no doubt he is living as his true self.

6. Re-channel sex energy.
A man doesn’t hide his sexuality. If others shrink from him because he’s too masculine, he allows them to have their reaction. There’s no need for him to lower his energy just to avoid frightening the timid. A man accepts the consequences of being male; he makes no apologies for his nature.
A man is careful not to allow his energy to get stuck at the level of lust. He re-channels much of his sexual energy into his heart and head, where it can serve his higher values instead of just his animal instincts. (You can do this by visualizing the energy rising, expanding, and eventually flowing throughout your entire body and beyond.)
A man channels his sexual energy into his heart-centered pursuits. He feels such energy pulsing within him, driving him to action. He feels uncomfortable standing still. He allows his sexual energy to explode through his heart, not just his genitals.

7. Face your fears.
For a man, being afraid of something is reason enough to do it. A man’s fear is a call to be tested. When a man hides from his fears, he knows he’s fallen out of alignment with his true self. He feels weak, depressed, and helpless. No matter how hard he tries to comfort himself and achieve a state of peace, he cannot overcome his inner feeling of dread. Only when facing his fears does a man experience peace.
A man makes a friend of risk. He doesn’t run and hide from the tests of fear. He turns toward them and engages them boldly.
A man succeeds or fails. A coward never makes the attempt. Specific outcomes are of less concern to a man than his direction.
A man feels like a man whenever he faces the right way, staring straight into his fears. He feels even more like a man when he advances in the direction of his fears, as if sailing on the winds of an inner scream.

8. Honor the masculinity of other men.
When a man sees a male friend undertaking a new venture that will clearly lead to failure, what does the man do? Does he warn his friend off such a path? No, the man encourages his friend to continue. The man knows it’s better for his friend to strike out confidently and learn from the failure experience. The man honors his friend’s decision to reach out and make the attempt. The man won’t deny his friend the benefits of a failure experience. The man may offer his friend guidance, but he knows his friend must fail repeatedly in order to develop self-trust and courage.
When you see a man at the gym struggling to lift a heavy weight, do you jump in and say, “Here… let me help you with that. Maybe the two of us can lift it together”? No, that would rob him of the growth experience — and probably make a quick enemy of him as well.
The male path is filled with obstacles. It typically includes more failures than successes. These obstacles help a man discover what’s truly important to him. Through repeated failures a man learns to persist in the pursuit of worthy goals and to abandon goals that are unworthy of him.
A man can handle being knocked down many times. For every physical setback he experiences, he enjoys a spiritual advancement, and that is enough for him.

9. Accept responsibility for your relationships.
A man chooses his friends, lovers, and associates consciously. He actively seeks out the company of people who inspire and challenge him, and he willingly sheds those who hold him back.
A man doesn’t blame others for his relationship problems. When a relationship is no longer compatible with his heart-centered path, he initiates the break-up and departs without blame or guilt.
A man holds himself accountable for the relationships he allows into his life. He holds others accountable for their behavior, but he holds himself accountable for his decision to tolerate such behavior.
A man teaches others how to treat him by the relationships he’s willing to allow into his life. A man refuses to fill his life with negative or destructive relationships; he knows that’s a form of self-abuse.

10. Die well.
A man’s great challenge is to develop the inner strength to express his true self. He must learn to share his love with the world without holding back. When a man is satisfied that he’s done that, he can make peace with death. But if he fails to do so, death becomes his enemy and haunts him all the days of his life.
A man cannot die well unless he lives well. A man lives well when he accepts his mortality and draws strength from knowing that his physical existence is temporary. When a man faces and accepts the inevitability of death… when he learns to see death as his ally instead of his enemy… he’s finally able to express his true self. So a man isn’t ready to live until he accepts that he’s already dead.

Source: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2008/05/how-to-be-a-man/

Tags: how to be a man, steve pavlina

May 2008


I
Have
Learned
So much from God
That I can no longer
Call
Myself
 
A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim,
A Buddhist, a Jew.
 
The Truth has shared so much of Itself
With me
 
That I can no longer call myself
A man, a woman, an angel,
Or even pure
Soul.
 
Love has
Befriended Hafiz so completely
It has turned to ash
And freed
Me
 
Of every concept and image
My mind has ever known.
 
Hafiz, Sufi Poet

I am drawn to the writings of Sufi Masters such as Hafiz. Many of these great teachers share connection with a heartfelt spirit-led way of living that defies the conceptual mind. Sufism is a mystical tradition of ancient Islam. We can dip into its essence when working towards a global unity - touching the depth of spiritual inquiry where all the lines of this world of form blur, merging into a one religion without dogma. All paths are honored when we pierce the veil of concepts and begin to know God.
 
Nevertheless, living in the world of form means embracing life and its constructs. To continue in our evolution, we wrap words around feelings and apply labels to the paths we tread. These too can be sacred acts, when we approach them with the understanding that our feelings and pathways can be treated as reflections of how connected we are to the All of Life.
 
On the SHiNE blog I recently shared my personal evolution through labels as divine signposts - shifting my focus onto a path that more accurately reflects my passion for service. (You can read more here). In essence, for too long I was asleep at the wheel. The illusion of so-called survival mode was leading me to make unconscious choices based on what I could get. I was left empty - in more ways that one. Then, again and again, I asked for guidance - I wanted to wake up. Love befriended me, and the path of ministry and service became clearer each time I sought Its counsel. I have always known my deepest desire is to walk in the world as a minister/conduit of love itself. And my greatest gift to the world is seeing - and fostering - the inherent wholeness in everyone that I mean.
 
A client recently asked me how my current business might change as a result of shift to "ministry." Would I still be available to help her with the nuts and bolts of her business plan? I was so pleased that she asked. For my hope is that SHiNE as a collection of services can redefine ministry - expanding its definition to include anything that enlivens you to more inspired and purposeful living. So my answer was "absolutely, yes!" SHiNE Ministry includes service in the form that suits your heart's calling in the moment - be it business, livelihood, parenthood, relationship, spirit-based counseling, or movement as medicine. The primary focus at the core of all SHiNE offerings: supporting you so that you might give the best of yourself in each moment.
 
And let's re-define giving while we're at it, yes?! Harmonious giving is not self-sacrificing at its deepest level. On the contrary, it relies on an awareness that honoring the self (see last month's feature article) is the foundation for authentic generosity and abundant living through giving. When we truly know ourselves, the fear of giving dissolves. The illusions of lack, separation, loss of self, competition, and victimization fall away. Freedom is truly found in giving of ourselves - from a place of wholeness.
 
This month, I invite you to give of yourself in some unique way. Step out of bounds and experience how your brilliance shared is to honor love in all its forms - in, as, and through you.

 
We make a living by what we get.
We make a life by what we give.
 Winston Churchill

Blessings,
Candice

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Had to share this fun and insightful questionnaire offered in a recent newsletter that I receive weekly. Great stuff for some juicy self-inquiry and fun. Pick a couple of questions that intrigue you or answer them all. Enjoy!


1. What did you dream last night?
2. What image or symbol represents the absolute of your desires?
3. In what ways has your fate been affected by invisible forces you don't understand or are barely aware of?
4. Tell a good lie.
5. What were the circumstances in which you were most dangerously alive?
6. Are you a good listener? If so, describe how you listen. If not, explain why not.
7. Compose an exciting prayer in which you ask for something you're not supposed to.
8. What's the difference between right and wrong?
9. Name something you've done to undo, subvert, or neutralize the Battle of the Sexes.
10. Have you ever witnessed a child being born? If so, describe how it changed you.
11. Compose a beautiful blasphemy that makes you feel like crying.
12. What do you do to make people like you?
13. If you're not familiar with the Jungian concept of the "shadow," find out about it. If you are, good. In either case, give a description of the nature of your personal shadow.
14. Talk about three of your most interesting personalities. Give each one a name and a power animal.
15. Make up a dream in which you lose control and thereby attract a crowd of worshipers.
16. Name your greatest unnecessary taboo and how you would violate it if it didn't hurt anyone.
17. Give an example of how smart you are in the way you love.
18. What ignorance do you deserve to be forgiven for?
19. What was the pain that healed you the most?
20. Make a prediction about yourself.

Reprinted from Rob Brezsny's FreeWill Astrology Newsletter, March 2008.

Tags: rob brezsny

April 2008


Well-ordered self-love is right and natural.
St. Thomas Aquinas

In recent weeks, I have become more aware than ever that I have much to learn about self-care. It's a common paradox for those of us in paths of service. Continually we encourage others to honor personal rhythms of healing, while ignoring the lights flashing in our own hearts. It's true indeed that we teach what we need to learn. I have come to notice that, quite often, in coaching sessions I am the messenger administering the medicine to us both via intuition and unexpected verbal elixirs.

It has been said before, love is an action. It is a series of choices. And so, when it comes to shining love inward, we must compassionately observe the choices that we make repeatedly throughout the day. How often are we present to what is alive in the moment? Do we sometimes override impulses to self-nurture in order to feed perceived urgencies in our environment? It takes only awareness to rewind, and re-choose.

True Self-love is hardly a singular or selfish pursuit. In actuality, it is blatantly spiritual - an act of reverence for the energy from which you came. Honor your body as a sacred temple, your mind as fertile ground for divine awareness, and your heart as a blessed antennae steadfast in rhythmic dance with all of life.

We only appreciate our good or evil
in proportion to our self-love.
François de la Rochefoucauld

It is a worthwhile practice to meditate on the quote above. It is our relationship to self-love that guides our perceptions in life. Take any event in your life and hold it inward in your awareness. If the light of self-love is dimly lit, you may see yourself as a victim of circumstances. Lack of light may taint your view of What-Simply-Is to incorporate a poor self-image, feeding inner drama and suffering. Depressing stories are built - not upon circumstances - but upon forgetfulness of the Brilliance within.

If, however, you have access to the abundance of light inside...if you see yourself as an essential aspect of the light of goodness, suddenly the world around you looks much different. You will see that each and every response to circumstance is built upon the choice that you make in the moment. Heightened self-love results in acceptance and self-empowerment, and both are unattached to storytelling as a means to justify feeling good. Loving the light within is timeless and unconditional with practice, regardless of what happened "once upon a time."

Investing in mini-acts of self-love is the greatest gift that you can give to those around you. Over time you see that your inner light needs to be fed with awareness in order for you to give the best of you to others. So take that walk in the park in the middle of the day, feed yourself healthy perpectives, and surely it can't hurt to give yourself a hug from time-to-time. In re-igniting your bliss, you become evermore committed to passing it along:

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." - Buddha

Reaching my Light to yours,
Candice

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Tags: self love, shine coaching, life coaching

SHiNE Couples Coaching with Candice Schutter
Practice Presence in a Loving Container for Conscious Communication

An intimate relationship is meant to be an environment where the best of you is witnessed, reflected, and fostered. Yet, over time we too often become entrenched in the stagnancy of a comfort zone, and we lose sight of the ever-changing needs that are alive and real in the moment. Basing our awareness on the past, we make countless assumptions - thinking that our knowledge of our mate is complete and without flaw. In doing so, we miss out on the potential for heartfelt connection in the present.

SHiNE Couples Coaching is a container in which you and your partner can be fully present for one another. Candice will offer many tools and assist you to:
- Identify Energy Leaks present in your communications
- Balance heart-centered talks with Empty Listening
- Create tangible strategies to foster connection daily
- Differentiate your journeys to become singular souls on a shared journey of learning and transformation

FREE 60-min coaching session for 1st time clients.
Contact Us to book your session.

Tags: couples coaching

A New Earth  SHiNE Circle
Week 2

It seems that these late night hours are a waking window, post-sessions on Monday nights. Something unique happens to me each week... suddenly this day holds a certain resonance. Perhaps knowing that I will be serving others (by holding a space for awakening) is a catalyst for a dormant energy within me. Today, I have needed not food or sleep. Each meal that I ate was a conscious act - versus a response to hunger. I have felt full all day... and now feel awake though coming out of a very full day. Something is alive in me through the act of community and service.

Tonight's teachings were well-delivered by Tolle. I found the webinar to be extremely insightful and rich with insight. So much that was said reminded me how important it is to be develop workbook materials that offer tangible tools to embodiment of these lofty concepts. Ideas that I have had to generate materials are now alive in me... SHiNE Body, Sensation Matters, and a Conscious Communication Handbook (just to name a few)... all as ripe and ready tools to refine and share.

Our post-class session was remarkable. Such connection results from willingness to share ourselves from this heightened state of presence. I was moved by each and every person in the circle tonight in some very specific way. I am grateful to all who attended... and anxious to see those absent faces once again. And... lucky me... I get to do this again tomorrow evening with yet another group of new faces. What a blessing. Off to ride this wakefulness to sleepytime...

Breath and Smiles to you.

Tags: A new earth

A New Earth  SHiNE Circle
Day 1

The subtitle of this wonderful work is... Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. After nearly three solid hours spent focusing on this work tonight, it seems my being seems to have taken these words quite literally. It is 1:30am, and I am awake with eyes (and mind) wide open.

This work is not new to me, as I read the book when it was first released a couple of years ago. However, integrating the material comes in doses over time. I am pleased to be revisiting concepts in order to make them so much more - ways of being in my life. What is most powerful to me in the relevance of this subtitle (aside from my unusual alertness at such an odd hour), is the way in which I feel that much more awake to my life's purpose. Holding space for tonight's SHiNE Circle very much meets me on my path of service. I am absolutely blissful uniting others with the brilliance alive within. And to do this in the company of 10 beautiful souls... on this night... with over 500,000 people all over the world in attendance plugged into the same frequency!... Ah well... it is nothing short of a miracle in my heart, and a perfect outpicturing of the job of my dreams, in my very home. I am exactly where I am meant to be. And I am grateful.

This is an exciting time to be alive. Such a global awakening we have never seen before... and I have felt this time approaching for as long as I can remember. The world is finally ripe (a critical mass of us, at least) to live in the way that God intended us. Conscious, self-aware, respons-ible to body and earth. And we must unite, collaborate, and help one another to meet our grandest vision of who we can yet become as a species. We are not meant to do it alone. Individually, we must awaken. Yet it is together that we learn to walk in the world with eyes open. I am so blessed to be a part of this Age of Enlightenment.

May you find Peace in the moment as a gift to your human friends worldwide. Consciousness is an inside job with a outside to match.

Blessings to Love to you.

Tags: A new earth

January 2008

Praise is literal food for feminine qualities. If you want a woman to grow in her radiance, health, happiness, love, beauty, power, and depth, praise these qualities. Praise them daily, a number of times.
- David Deida, Way of the Superior Man

I have learned much from my work as a SHiNE Agent. As a teacher, guide, and coach facilitating brilliance in others, I have come face-to-face with myself. Sometimes with joy, other times with apprehension . In 2008, I am focusing on walking the talk even more, as I work (and play) hard to unleash the latent powers that lie dormant within. I am pleased to note that, this year, I myself have a coach and mentor to assist me on my journey to a more rich and fulfilling expression of how Brilliance works through me.

Becoming the client again has reminded me of the courage that it takes to reach out for support. Through my work, I learn more and more that the desire to be acknowledged for our deepest essence is inherent and universal. Nature intended that we create a web of brilliant support around us to nourish our growth. Thus, when our pride keeps us from reaching out for connection with others, it does us a great disservice. It often leads us to the most tragic disconnection that can happen - disconnection with the divine spark within.

The majority of my students and clients are women. This month being the month of love, I feel compelled to reach out to each one of you with a brilliant reminder. You are an essential aspect of a Radiant and Powerful Energy that deserves to be praised and worshipped daily! Worshipped? By who? Well, by YOU, of course!

If you aren't sure how to gift yourself with the awareness of self-love and put it into action in your life, we can help. I invite you to attend a class or schedule a coaching session soon. I am always honored to facilitate a container for recognition, self-celebration, right action, and praise. You are a perfect and essential facet of the Divine Brilliance alive in all of us. Self-love, when understood in its purity, is far from an egoic pursuit. It is the recognition of Oneness, not separation, that activates our SHiNE. Let's work together to remind one another, yes?

In 2008, I am more committed than ever to serving you through a new program: The SHiNE Ministry. Visit my blog to tag along as I experience various spiritual communities, reporting on brilliant outlets in the Portland area. Or, join me for a class, coaching session, or New Earth SHiNE Circle in the coming weeks.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

With Love,
Candice

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Tags: praise her, shine coaching, life coaching

To be in harmony with the Oneness of things is
to be without anxiety about imperfection.
Zen Master Dogen

I have been thinking a lot about body conditioning. You might think that I am referring to the many actions that we take to bring the physical body to its optimal state of performance. No, today I speak of something closer to my heart. I am in awe of our cultural conditioning and our conditional acceptance of the body as whole, functional, and perfect.

Last night, I stood in front of the mirror and witnessed my ego lash out venemously at my body. All in all, the winter months have been very good to me. I have a beautiful and cozy new home, a loving relationship of renewed balance, and a feeling of contentment I have never known. And, I have gained 10-15 pounds.

Our new home has only a very small mirror in the upstairs bathroom where I shower and primp each day. As a result, I rarely see my full reflection naked. I have certainly noticed the shift in my activity level (a common cycle for me in the cold months, while also a function of some professional shifts). My clothes fit differently, for sure. But I was, nevertheless, a bit shocked when I stood on the bed to catch a glimpse of my new fullness in the mirror above my dresser. Now I don't mean to place value judgments. The truth is, I really do see beauty in many different body shapes and sizes in women all around me. So why is it that the ruler against which I measure myself is so different?!

In 2001, I was miserable in my body. I had been managing a restaurant 60 hours a week for far too long. I was eating poorly, and had little to no physical stamina. I was fed up, and hungry in the spirit. I left my job and moved to Boulder, Colorado. It was there that I stepped into my first Nia class. I was completely hooked from the get-go. For over a year, I did Nia every single day. I couldn't move enough. I obtained my white belt, began teaching, and soon added regular qigong and yoga practice to the mix. I was suddenly addicted to movement and the flow of chi through my body. I was a physical machine.

Naturally, my body changed dramatically. At the height of this athletic phase in my development my body was thin, taunt, and very strong. While this may have been my initial aim, I was oddly unaffected by it. I just wanted to move, plain and simple. The new shape my movement took was just a convenient by-product. I took it completely for granted. It was easy to rarely think about it given that the conditions for my conditional body-love were more ideal at that time than they had every been. My body condition was such that, most of the time, I could conditionally accept it. No problem.

It wasn't until I moved to Oregon that everything changed. Over the past 4 years, life conditions have gradually led to less to less movement. As the Coach in me has become more activated, the Athlete has grown disinterested. For months upon months, I forced myself to teach Nia, even though I feel in my heart I have outgrown it as a teaching practice. In mid-December of 2007, I finally left my regular teaching practice.

In the summer of 2006, when the hoop entered my life, I experienced another burst of the physical. I rode the wave of newness and performance for a time, yet the hooping world - full of amazing individuals whom I love! - is, quite simply, a unique culture that I don't always resonate with as a lifestyle. I have yet to fully find my place in it outside of the classroom. Teaching Hoopdance has given me a new vehicle to explore via the body, yet still, I am called to do it less and less over time.

I am coming to accept that I am teacher above all else. My mediums are likely to shift and change throughout my life, that this I must allow. And so, my body condition has changed with the seasons of my heart.

Ironically, at this new weight, I am more grounded and stable than ever. Eating meat and honoring my body's natural rhythms (no longer pushing it to its edge every day) has been the greatest act of self-love. It has occurred to me that perhaps my ego's ideal body shape is not that which my body and spirit responds to best. At least at this moment in time. And my heart - the mediator between body and mind - is meant to foster the unity of self-acceptance.

I want to reiterate the recommended reading for July 2007, Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach. I am revisiting it now. It is a beautifully-crafted book that teaches us how to embrace each moment in time with love and gratitude. Read it again and again.

May your most important body condition be acceptance.
Namaste.

Tags: love your body, body acceptance, self love

January 2008


There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium. It will be lost.
The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, and to keep the channel open.
- Martha Graham

It's easy to judge your brilliance as nothing special...for you can't possibly see it clearly. Imagine asking the sun to see it's own light. What light? How can I separate from what I am enough to see it?

A friend and colleague of mine recently shared with me a practice that she did in school as a child. They called it carrying your ilac card. At the beginning of the day, each student received a card that read: I love and care for myself. As they moved through the rest of their day, they were told to tear away pieces of the card whenever they thought, said, or did something that tore away at their sense of self-love. It proved to be an insightful practice, no doubt. The best part? Each day they would receive a new, untainted card to keep whole again.

When I ponder our culture's collective approach to the new year, it seems to me that we are issued an ilac card each January 1st. As a result, resolutions are defined and courses set for new destinations. Yet, what happens when we slip a bit...when a split-second choice tears away at our resolve? Do we hang our heads in despair?...or do we approach each day with wholeness in our hearts?

This year, I invite you to commit to a year of love, nuturing, and forgiveness. Your very essence is coded to be different than those around you. Discovering a path that works for you is a journey that demands diligence and perserverence. Your goal is not too be perfect...but to purrrfect the choices you make to serve you better over time. In order to do that, you become a deliberate observer. Notice which choices tear away at you time and time again, and reclaim your personal power to SHiNE by loving yourself whole again. It's a simple path - one choice at a time. And help is only a scroll away.

Begin Again... and Again... and Again,
Candice

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Tags: self love, life coaching, shine coaching

December 2007

Remember that not getting what you want
is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Each year at this time, I spend time in healthy self-reflection. This December, I am quite humbled by the manner in which blessings, revelations, and understanding have be revealed to me in the past year. It is the unexpected challenges (or opportunities in disguise) that I am most grateful for. It has been a practical reminder that I have a choice - to resist or force static conditions...or to allow my life to be orchestrated by something much larger than me. Something that always - and in all ways - has my greatest good in store. Don't get me wrong...I know what I want. And I take actions towards that end each day. But what about where I am right now. Is it not paving the way perfectly? Is not the present moment a gift, a desire fulfilled in some way? I respond with an emphatic YES!...even when I am unable to explain how. It's not up to me to solve such Mysteries. Only to learn to live and swim within the vast expanse of the Unknown...and to yield to the scope of a Higher Vantage Point beyond.

Looking for a sign from your brilliance?

Give right of way to your SHiNE this holiday season...

Warm Holiday Blessings,
Candice

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Faith (according to Wikipedia):
To commit oneself to act based on sufficient evidence to warrant belief, but without absolute proof. Mere belief on the basis of evidence is not faith. To have faith involves an act of will.

Today I spent some time talking with a very dear friend regarding some changes developing in her life. As I listened to her story, I reflected on how much is unknown in the unfolding of our lives. As humans, we are most comfortable with some degree of predictability in our everyday. When that sense of order is challenged, we can sometimes feel like we are in the midst of a great ocean without sight of the shore. What should I do? Where am I headed? And how will I know when I get there?!, we wonder.

I am definitely a black sheep in my family... yet really in the best possible way. My relatives often wonder at the way I choose to live my life. I have made the conscious choice to sacrifice certain securities for a those uncertain. While many of the conditions of my life have fluctuated considerably over the years, the one security that matters most to me (while it may be briefly forgotten from time to time) is never truly threatened. It resides deep within my heart. It is FAITH. Faith in the Brilliance that guides my life. It is the "SH NE" that "i" am surrounded by.

Recent events have actually challenged the faith that is my trusted foundation. Given the recent evolution in my most intimate relationship (with a man whom I love dearly), Brilliance has taught me a very valuable lesson. I am realizing that, all too often, I have prematurely assigned my faith inappropriately. Upon reflection, I see that I have placed my faith in a condition (such as: a particular job, relationship, or source of inspiration)... leading me to be repeatedly baffled when I outgrow it. At other times, I have placed my faith in those people close to me, sometimes experiencing confusion (or even resentment) when their desires no longer align with mine.

This became obvious in recent days as I felt a nagging anxiousness... wondering if a particular condition that I have invested my faith in will serve me in the end. Placing my faith in this uncertain outcome, I felt insecure and afraid. How could faith feel so fickle?! Today it became clear... to place attachment to something or someone outside of me is an illusion of control masquerading as faith.

When I look around at the Great Unknown of my life, I can sometimes feel a great sense of overwhelm. At those times, I find myself looking for something (or someone) to bring me a sense of security, safety, and a sense of control over my destiny. Yet, I know better. Born a black sheep, I know to trust the one thing that is certain...

Therefore, I am choosing to actively place faith in the Unknown. Yes... by definition faith dares me to place my trust in the one thing that I truly believe always and in all ways will lead me to my greatest good: paradoxically, that which is far outside the scope of my understanding. Now THAT I believe in.

You see, for me, faith defies reason. And it is with an irrational certainty that I find the greatest sense of Peace in my heart and mind. Call me crazy... call me naive... call me what you will. Meanwhile, I call upon the Love that I believe in above all else.

Faith is Freedom. It is true liberation to know that you are secure in every way that matters in the end. And so I choose to dip inside for a Freedom that is attached to no-thing and no-one. I will do my best to love others with more Freedom... without need to hold on to any condition, person, relationship, or outcome. I will move towards what moves me with a heart faithful in its trajectory.

There is only one thing that I commit to holding onto.... the Loving Hand that guides me gently along this joyful path of self-discovery.

Tags: faith is freedom, the unknown, black sheep

As children bring their broken toys, with tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God, because he was my friend.

But then, instead of leaving him, in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help, with ways that were my own.

At last, I snatched them back and cried, "How can you be so slow?"
"My child," he said, "What could I do? You never did let go."

- Author Unknown

In a session today with a client, I had another realization regarding The Law of Attraction... and another reason why I experience some dissonance within when I read some of the popular conceptions about it. (This posting is one in a continual thread - See The Law of Attraction in the archives for more).

My heart tells me that there is a Force that guides my life. It is a Love beyond measure, and within it contains the Potentiality of my greatest good. I trust in this Guidance as, over the course of my life, I have learned that its Infinite Wisdom far exceeds mine. While I can dip into Its vastness in moments of clarity, I cannot pretend to comprehend Its Intelligence. I am but a small twinkle, a reflection on a body of water larger than any concept that a mind that rests in it can hold.

I have impulses and fleeting desires in the every-changing seasons of my life... and I may buzz within my very physical being (my cells) in order to bring forth experiences that I want. Such is the Law of Attraction at work. And yes... I experience one level of fulfillment; yet, my spirit may remains hungry. Why? Because I make the human fallacy to think that I actually know what's best for me on the highest levels. Perhaps I do. Perhaps at other times, I don't. But I am beginning to wonder...

What if I don't need to know?!

Today it occurred to me clear as day: What if in all this metaphysical mumbo jumbo, we have it all backwards?! What if I lived a life where it's really not up to me what will bring me the most joy, the most fulfillment, or the biggest paycheck?

Let's look at it in relationship to SHiNE.

The Law of Attraction = my desires are available to me to the degree with which I align with them. I pull my heart's deepest desires to me via my feel good vibration. = Some Effort To Feel Good


The Law of Attracting Fulfillment = true fulfillment is available to me to the degree with which I align with that which I am naturally most attracted to. My heart's deepest desires pull me towards a life where I am living my greatest good IF I am willing to allow my passions to guide me. = Little Effort To Feel Good

WHAT IF it's not that I need to learn to feel good in order to attract my greater good (whatever I think that might be)?... but instead, that by moving towards what inherently feels good I am, by perfect design, moving towards the greater good that already Life has in store for me. What if I just need to let go of the controls?

How is this different? It is subtle shift of awareness, sure... nevertheless, a liberating one! I don't have to magnetize my desires to me... my most heartfelt desires magnetize ME into Perfect Being. This is at the heart of the work of unleashing SHiNE.

For years a held a vision for the life that I desired. I had an picture of how I thought that would look... the specific pieces necessary to complete the puzzle, creating the image of fulfillment that I had in mind. In the career realm, I moved into a variety of positions that made sense and did everything that I could to make each piece of the puzzle to fit. I fought to feel good in circumstances that didn't. I battled with my mind that urged me to stay, even though my spirit withered. I created struggle when all that I longed for what ease in my heart. Eventually, again and again, I fell to my knees in despair and uttered a plea of surrender. It was then that my life transformed. When I said, "That's it! I give up!! I will stop trying... I will let go... I will follow the signals that I am provided... I will stop pretending that I have the formula for this miracle of a journey... and turn things over to The One Who Does." On these occasions, my weary body-mind literally fell to the floor and proclaimed: I give up knowing how. I am willing. I am ready. Show Me.

And each time my prayer has always, always been heard. After a good night's sleep and an ego sacrificed at the altar of Divine Wisdom, I am free of my agenda. Even then, I am usually looking in another direction at the time when Guidance taps me on the shoulder... it whispers to me (never with urgency, only as a gentle invitation): "See how the energy flows here... Ease... This is the way... Come, come this way, my dear." I have learned to go towards what moves me at the deepest level. I move eagerly now towards that which attracts me - not just superficially, but on a soulular level... the level of love and least resistance. And when I do... when I trust even the most minutely brilliant impulse, my life continues taking off in ways I might have never dreamed possible.

And your spirit likely strives for more out of life than what you can conceive in your own heart and mind. You may create a very satisfying life by feeling good... or you can allow an extraordinary life to create you by feeling God! There is no need to work to feel good... just follow what fuels the stirrings at the deepest core of you (whether it's an art class, a walk in the park, or a leap of faith). Let go of how exactly it will fit into your big picture, just trust that inspired moments always do - somehow.

Move towards what moves you. And trust the path of ease. And take care not to confuse ease with easy - sometimes our passion for brilliant living leads us onto a path to develop greater strength. Yet you will hardly notice in the end... as the life that emerges from such moments is truly glorious in every meaning of the word.

There is no effort in feeling good when you do what feels good to you.
The path of least resistance is the Journey of the Joyful Ones. Join Us.

Tags: law of attraction, letting go

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting 4-month old Sophie. In our brief exchange, we had a conversation of substance that I rarely experience with grown adults. As she gurgled and grinned her brilliance my way, I felt satisfied and met in our interaction. Now, I won't propose to know what this blue-eyed angel was attempting to communicate; however, I can say that the purity of our eye contact and exchange of energy delivered its message clearly.

In college, I spent time working with young children while pursuing a degree in Psychology & Human Development and Family Life. I have always been very comfortable with children. Even as a teen, at family gatherings you could often find me at the kids' table, striking up conversation with my younger cousins and feeding off of the joy they exuded. You see, I have always understood the brilliance of youth. I have never understood why we are so encouraged to put a lid on the light that burns through us. The hushes of relatives ("simmer down now!") always felt stifling to me. In fact, they still do! Of course, a healthy degree of self-restraint is a discipline worth sharing. Nevertheless, how often do we ask ourselves when we have crossed the line from disciplining to controlling our children? How can we guide them honorably - acknowledging their unique self while facilitating its expression in an unpredictable world?

I believe with all of my heart that children are here to teach us. Our job - as parents and as the village that supports - is to nurture and facilitate each child in his or her unique talents and passions. A child is a clear mirror that reflects the light shined upon it. Certainly, a reflection of his or her environment and experiences. Yet a child is also an essential piece in a future that is unknown to all that came before. His or her brilliance is unprecendented... and each child deserves to be honored and celebrated for his or her contribution to the whole. And ironically, it is the contributions that are the least understood that will have the most lasting impact on the greater good of the planet in years to come. I invite us to judge less, and to look more closely. (As a very simplified example: Hyperactivity in children is at an all-time high. Perhaps we are being encouraged by our children to find avenues for physical energy that are constructive... as sitting in desks for long periods of time is unbearable for a new generation of kids who dare us to rethink the way we educate. Again, a simplification of a multi-factored reality; nevertheless, a popular perspective in many circles.)

I have found that the most powerful way to approach my work with children is to honor them as complete. Children are sometimes surprised by a primary and guiding principle in SHiNE sessions... that they have as much to share with me, as I with them. The recipe for success for connecting with a child of any age?...

Listen. Plain and simple.

And yes... even gurgling has its own message to deliver, if your ears and mind open wide enough to receive it.


More on SHiNE Kids & Teen

Tags: coaching kids, coaching teens, Adhd

August 2007

Walking the talk. It is the ultimate journey. Hungry for integrity, the spiritual seeker in us reaches out for connection to resources that will nourish the very foundation of who we are. Paradoxically, we discover that the more developed and trustworthy the roots at our feet, the greater potential for wingspan above.

Integrity (integrated truths as guiding principles) is a function of witnessing ourselves and others, in each and every moment, and embracing an honest approach to all of life. It is an energetic environment where the ticking time bomb of fear is diffused through acknowledging the true nature of our intentions each emerging moment. Integrity is an ally that whispers over our shoulder in search of the truth: What is my intention? Am I walking my talk to the best of my ability? How are my actions impacting the whole of life around me? Am I acting in alignment with my core values? What is motivating my actions in this moment? And most importantly - when we feel stuck face-to-face with a truth we can't swallow - it asks: What exactly am I afraid of?... inviting us to embrace the answer as the most potent and powerful truth of the moment.

Knowing the truth is fairly useless.
Feeling it is profound.
Living it makes all the difference.

David Deida
from The Blue Truth

I love this quote by Deida. It speaks to my journey to find integrity... a slow-moving maturation to greater and greater alignment with my values and practices. I have discoverd that learning is an elementary frolic with the truth... and that embodying is the adolescent struggle to hold tight to truths that we hope to find salvation in. Yet when we master the truth as a way of being, there is no longer need to hold on to anything. Integrity becomes a way of life, an integrated and effortless way of being that embraces it all. And so, wholeness finds us... again and again and again... as we are willing to let the light of truth in. In short, living truth (how ever-changing) is the path that leads to integrity.

Riding the winds of change, I am doing my best to welcome truth in. In order to develop greater intimacy with my own integrity, I have been openly sharing my truth with you, via my blog, to get to know its resonance as a way of life. You see, I believe that truth is not at its best when it is a static adherence to values and principles. It can better be experienced as a living resonance that can be sensed... a tonal quality that speaks of integrity in the moment and says, "I am delivering the truth of who I am, right here, right now." Truth at its worst is the fragmented reflection of self-righteousness. Truth at its best is the integrated experience of self-acceptance, wholeness expressed in thought, word, and action.

I want to invite you along on this journey of self-discovery with me. Invite the illumination of the truth of you. There are a number of avenues for you to travel that are offered here in theMessenger. It is my hope that wherever you may choose to plant yourself for a season of discovery, you accept the ways in which it awakens you to wholeness. Rest into the truth of each moment so that your roots may spread deep into an earth that feeds you. Welcome each and every opportunity, and push against it to reach higher than you ever thought possible.

Rooting in Richer Soils to Soar Higher,
Candice

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Tags: shine coaching, life coaching , integrity, truth telling, david deida

We just completed Day One of the Level One HoopGirl Teacher Training. I am in San Francisco through the weekend for another 3-day intensive, preparing teachers in the HoopGirl Format. This is the fourth training that I have led with Christabel Zamor (HoopGirl Founder). It is such a joy to train teachers to facilitate and guide others. I am ever so grateful to Christabel for inviting me to be the first Master Trainer to work alongside her. We have such a graceful synergy together. It is a testament to collaboration... and the power that comes from combining energies to serve in the best possible way. I look forward to bringing this training to Portland in September of this year.

Although I am passionate about training in this capacity (as the HoopGirl organization is one I believe in), I know that my experiences leading others in this way is destined preparation for SHiNE Seminars to come. I witness myself light up when I have the opportunity to inspire another individual to recognize his or her unique genius. When I notice that sparkle in the eyes... the one that emerges when a trainee realizes that they do have something to offer... that everything needed to reach his or her ultimate potential exists within... when I see that brilliance reflected in their eyes even for a moment, I know that I am living my purpose.

Certainly, my experience as a somatic educator lends itself to training teachers in a movement modality. Yet, in the past six months, it has become very clear that so much of what I bring to the training environment has to do with my passion for the illumination that can be found in seeking out truth. Truth, to me, is shining a loving light on what is there. And what is there may in fact be changing from moment to moment... yet, the truth speaks only to the moment. It says, "this is what is here now." It says, "I dare to shine light on what is here... and use this awareness to transform my reality from this moment forward." In that way, honoring the truth of our experience in each moment IS what makes transformation possible

As a facilitator, I find that telling the truth is a medicinal art to be delivered with purity... the purest aim: to liberate the light within. We can each learn to tell ourselves the truth about who we are... what matters to us... and how we are keeping ourselves from being the most luminous version of ourselves. When we are able to see with this degree of clarity and an open heart, then awareness dissolves fears and freedom is found.

I look forward to moving SHiNE to a place where we can do this work together. Regardless of your medium of self-expression in life, you have the option to live in dim lit awareness... or bask in the glory of truth and illumination.

Truth says, "ah, there is light in here... let us move towards it."

I look forward to offering the first SHiNE Seminar in the coming months so that we can share the journey with one another. Stay tuned... and let me know if you have areas of interest that might inform the creation of the SHiNE seminar programming. What are your interests as it relates to SHiNE? What fears do you want most to overcome as it relates to living a brilliant life? What stops you from doing more of what you love today? I would love to hear from you! Email me with your ideas and insights...

Tags: truth telling, shine coaching, life coaching

Dialogues with Brilliance - My Own
How I Became A SHiNE Coach

For years I have been carrying on conversations with a voice that speaks through me. Inspired by the courageous wonder of inspired writers such as Neale Donald Walsh, I dared one day to use my journal to ask a Higher Voice for answers. Since then, guidance arrives with greater and greater clarity. Now it is quite effortless to connect to insights in this way. I only need begin the dialogue, and something else takes over.

And so my method of prayer is in written meditation. I sit quietly with my journal and spill forth. At times, I ask specifically for guidance. Other times I am interrupted by it. My pen then moves across the page, carrying a wisdom that far exceeds my own. Over the years, insights revealed in these exchanges have brought me tremendous clarity in times of crisis... complete peace in the midst of total chaos... and the light of hope in the black holes of depression. And the availability of this voice is without condition. It responds equally to cries of joyous passion and moments of bitter desperation.

It is an experience that I have kept private until about a year ago when I shared it in a close circle of friends. Part of the secrecy is that I didn't want my experience to be misconstrued as some mystical, out-of-body experience. To say that, through pen and paper, I have access to information outside of my own knowing - as if from a voice that is not my own - it may sound like I claim to be hosting a channelled entity. Perhaps it is of me, perhaps not. I may never know for sure. Yet, when it happens, my mind and body are in a total state of me-ness. I am not overtaken by anything but a Silence that reveals one word after the next in a seamless flow of perfect insight. I am very much present when this clarity emerges. It's like talking to a trusted guide from within who is able to deliver the truth of the moment without hesitation.

In fact, I learned HOW to become an agent of inspiration (a life coach passionate about bringing out the brilliance in others) through these dialogues. This objective, yet heart-centered and loving voice is a trusted vehicle for each and every interaction that I have with a client. And more and more in my practice, I work in conjunction with this Inner SHiNE Agent to deliver insights when I could not possibly manufacture them in the moment.

I know the most powerful medicine is emerging when I open my mouth to speak, having no idea what I am about to say. This is why I am the student and the guide. SHiNE teaches me, through me. Often, the words I hear come forth as I speak to others are exactly the perspective that I have been needing in my own life. My own hunger is satiated through guiding others.

Dialogues with Brilliance - Yours
Becoming Your Own SHiNE Coach

It is my belief that we all have access to brilliant wisdom from within, at all times. So why don't so many of us hear it? I see two things that act as a buffer to detecting the sound of this voice from within:

One obstacle is the belief that an omniscient force could not possibly interact with us so intimately. Regardless of your spiritual or religious beliefs, I invite you to entertain the idea that you are worth talking to - it's just a matter of how you frame it. If you feel lost and you ask a question that seems so far out of the scope of your understanding, and suddenly the insight emerges from thin air (onto paper or into your heart)... that is brilliance showing itself to you. So what is happening?... From where does this illumination emerge? Is a literal force - we might call it "God" - speaking through you? Is it a Spirit Guide or other force outside you that you are hearing? Is it you, your Higher Self, offering dictation? Or is it just your own mind playing tricks on you, in an effort to make you feel better?

I say... who really cares?! DO you feel better? ARE you more inspired to move through life with a more positive and constructive attitude as a result of these insights? Then, go for it. Why should a healthy dose of skepticism (or the fact that you aren't sure why or how it's happening) keep you from benefiting? You can call it divine guidance... you can call it your hidden genius ... or you can call your therapist! Just realize that you don't have to know how it works to put it to good use.

The second obstacle to hearing is not listening! In order to listen, we simply must be quiet enough to hear. The mind can be over-active, especially in times of confusion or depression. The ability to pause in the potent space of Silence can be the key to receiving insight. Stilling the inner dialogue long enough to penetrate the space just beneath it. This takes practice. I personally find writing a powerful means to the development of silence within. Spilling the energy that bounces around the mind can be just the liberation that is needed to create space for greater insights.

Another method is awakening the senses. Often your Inner Wisdom will speak to you through your environment and/or relationships with others. Are you paying attention? Did you see the book calling out to you to read it? Did you sign up for the class? Did you take the walk in the forest and listen to the trees and the message that they have for you?... The avenues through which illumination can travel are infinite.

Begin The Dialogue Now
Journaling for Illumination

Practice with me. Take out a piece of paper now. Ask the questions that you most long to know the answers to... and dictate the unexpected reply. Purge the pain that you most desire to be free of... and be soothed by the light of perspective that lies just beneath. Be patient if the voice isn't ready. It will come, when you are ready and able to receive its gifts.

I will begin to share some of these dialogues with you throughout this blog. Keep in mind, I have spent much time investing in private communion with this voice prior to revealing it. I suggest that you do the same... get to know your own Inner Wisdom intimately before sharing it with others. Intimacy lends to potency in any relationship.

Examples to serve as inspiration coming soon. Stay tuned!

Tags: journaling, shine coaching, life coaching

I write to you in a moment of naked atonement (at-one-ment)... a moment of forgiving myself for the feelings of jealousy and insecurity that seduced a a suddenly barren heart into delusion.

In his book, Intimate Communion, David Deida calls it The Him-Shaped Void. It is the imprint left in the heart of a woman, reflecting the shape of the last one with whom she shared the union of her open heart and body.

It explains so much. It explains why, even when we know that the choice to separate from a relationship is the best thing for us, a part of us still hangs on defiantly. The heart cries, out... "give me the him-ness" to fill that space inside that yearns to be full again.

It took me years of defiance to realize that to love another with an open heart is not weakness at all. It is simply the heart of me seeking to partner in its strength and brilliance... and nature's way of making sure that I have intimacy in my life. And intimacy (in-to-me-see) is the mirror of truth; that is if we choose to look ourselves square in the face.

As life shifts, and the Him-Shape Void becomes apparent, we are vulnerable in the best possible way. There is a door open to another energy that can engulf us in a way that an imprint cannot match... the energy of The Beloved. Who is the beloved? Is it that perfect lover whom will ignite us to the core? Some might say yes. Although, I prefer to believe that our lover is a carefully-chosen companion in a unified mission... reaching out to reveal The Beloved as it can be experienced in the flesh.

I speak of The Beloved as it is viewed in Sufism - the Ultimate Beloved. It is when we approach union on a grander scale. We seek not to fall in love (and be filled with love) but to fall in love with Love as that space in which we are the filler. It envelopes us, and we spend our lives (in and out of relationships) learning how to let Love move in, as, and through us.

"The Beloved is all, the lover just a veil.
The Beloved is living, the lover a dead thing.
If Love witholds its strengthening care,
The lover is left like a bird without wings.
How will I be awake and aware
If the light of the Beloved is absent?
Love wills that this Word be brought forth.
If you find the mirror of the heart dull,
The rust has not been cleared from its face."
.........Rumi (Mathnawi Book 1, 34)

In my recent experience, The Him-Shape Void adapts upon becoming vacated. The lover is given the blessed gift of being left alone to create a miracle within her own heart. She uses emptiness as a welcome contrast to connect to an abyss-like rapture always available to her. She is penetrated by a force that exceeds the potentials of the flesh. She is occupied by The Beloved - by Love Itself.

From here, yes... this is the place from which I want to love. I hereby profess my love for The Beloved and immerse my heart in its spaciousness. I am swallowed whole by Love, and revealed completely vulnerable. I am not vulnerable to the actions and choices of others (which I cannot control). I am instead vulnerable in my total surrender to The Beloved's sacred commitment to me... When your heart growls with hunger, it is then that I am there. Find me by sending Love forth, pushing It through the resistance to unleash My Presence unto you.

Does this mean that I am to be without lovers in the flesh? Oh, certainly it does not. It means that I do my best to create an atmosphere in and around my heart that seeks not the fullness of another... but one that reflects the bounty of us both. I become a mirror of the most-infinite and most-pure depths by entering the covenant of The Beloved. I then offer that bounty to the lover of my choice.

I want to participate in the Highest Love. My horoscope this week reads: "Always focus more intensely on the pleasure of giving the beautiful love you have to offer than on your hunger for the love you have always wanted to get."

The Beloved impregnates my heart so that I am no longer hungry. My feast is found within.

Tags: intimate communion, him-shaped void, the beloved

"Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth
until the hour of separation."
Kahlil Gibran

As a facilitator of brilliance in others, I have found that sharing my path is always relevant. For a time I thought that I must keep my reality under lock and key... not revealing my personal journey publicly. To do so would mean certain vulnerability. Through my work unleashing my own SHiNE, I have realized that hiding is a narcissistic pursuit, and a presumption that I must be kept safe from potential humiliation.

Humiliation... perhaps it's really nothing to fear at all.

Humility is among the most powerful allies on my journey. And my process of self-discovery IS the medicine that I am meant to dispense. (I believe the same is true for you.) So to bare my soul's deepest yearnings and vulnerabilities is to walk the path of brilliance for me.

The image above so perfectly reflects the space of my heart right now. A tearing open to reveal new light... and the insights born of death. The most intimate relationship in my life to-date is ending. My lover/companion and I shared a short-lived but deeply-felt love for one another. And as I write, we currently share a home, a bed, and a life together. Nevertheless, we have been initiated by circumstance to let one another go...

It has been a tremendous blessing to love... and to lose. I welcome the pain, for beneath it lies the potential for more joy. Perhaps it is not that the heart breaks when love is threatened, but instead that it breaks open... revealing blessings and truths that can be used to transform the ways in which we love ourselves and one another.

If indeed our partnerships in life act as Divine Mirrors so that we might see ourselves better, may we be willing to stare the truth in the face with fearless curiosity. May we see how we are reflected in the choices of those whom reside in and around our heart. And may we seize the power to love under any circumstance.

What brought an end to my relationship was painful to be sure; yet, I know better than to cast myself a victim in a drama that I helped to create. And I am learning to let go of self-righteous towards what I perceive to be the mistakes of others. I receive the love that I am ready for in each moment... and anything less, well, I must look within to find the strength to reflect love where it is lacking.

For the past ten days, I have felt the pain of a broken heart. Ironically, the Love that I now offer - ever since pain tore into me - is an enlightened evolution of the love that I thought was sufficient up until now. I am cracked wider than ever before, and I am filled with gratitude for the pain that burrowed into the core of my potential. I now have the opportunity to love in a manner that transcends personal gain, self-gratification, and attachment to outcome... or even hope of reciprocity.

This recent journey is teaching me what it is to bask in the brilliance of the Feminine. In moments of weakness I discover the Strength and Power of what it is to be a woman. I take my heart that has been broken... blasted wide open... and I treat it as an altar. Each day, my practice is to embrace humiliation (the brilliant gift of forced humility) and prostrate repeatedly before my tender, open heart. And it speaks back to me in a message of grace, like a whisper within...

She says to me...

"Neither hunger for love nor withhold your own.
My sweet, dare to be love itself!"

Thanks for bearing my heart witness.

Yours Bursting Open,
Candice

Tags: love, heartbreak, humility, cheating on me, open heart, life coaching

kNew eyes
In a posting entitled; reaming with Eyes Open">Dreaming With Eyes Open, I shared a recurrent dream that I have been having recently. One where I am stuck inside of a dream... yet conscious and aware of my sleeping state. Wide awake in my subconscious, yet my eyes locked shut to the world around me. I struggle to open my eyes, and they will not obey. I have to wait in the darkness until they say it's time. Upon reflecting on this dream, I have waited to know what it is that I have my eyes closed to. What reality am I not willing to see?

My eyes are finally opening to the light.

You see, this weekend, I experienced a death. Not a death of the literal sense, but a death to a belief, a way of seeing, and a subsequent reality. There was a moment when life delivered me a message that shook me... quite literally. An aspect of my existence that I had begun to take for granted dissolved before my eyes in only a moment. And everything was seen to through knew eyes.

When I received the revelation of a knew and unexpected truth, I became immediately aware that I was experiencing something that conflicted with everything that I had constructed as true in my body and mind. I witnessed as my mental and emotional grids began to break down, and my body shook with a cellular fever. I was asked in a moment to accept something that led to the immediate deconstruction of a set of beliefs, and subsequent reality. And as such, my body (my molecular reality) was experiencing a quickening. It had to catch up. As my body assimilated the news it shook uncontrollably. And my mind immediately began to do its job... rebuilding structures to support this knewness... and, due to the sheer scope of the job, it became awkwardly stuck in its inability to restore balance so quickly. As a result, the wisdom of my being took over and shock kicked in... protecting me from processing, and leaving my energy body free to work in its own time.

The details of the drama that led to this transmutation within are unimportant. It is the lesson of any healing crisis is to experience a reality devastated. If the knew reality is sickness... health is the reality that has been devastated. If the knew reality is divorce... the reality of companionship is dissolving. Whatever the case, the body-mind is challenged in all that it holds true.

What fascinates me is the ease that emerges in the face of trauma when a reality is allowed to dissolve, without the added stress to the body and mind to reinvent itself in that instance. In short, destruction is allowed, unfettered by the need to create anew in that moment. The only reality that is known is that in the moment. I have found in the past week when I allow the moment to be the only foundation of my knowing... my being can recreate itself again and again, gracefully in each moment. And the ego attachment to the dramas of devastation no longer rein over the situation.

The Spider Mind
What also comes up for me is the vulnerability of what the mind learns to lean one. Belief is a series of thoughts that create a mental grid... a web that the mind can stick things to. But what happens when a knew reality emerges. One that busts through and deconstructs the grid - much like inadvertantly walking through the tedious artfulness of the spider's web. The grid that was once strong enough to hold on (conveniently bridging the past to the present)... is suddenly revealed in its vulnerability with forcefulness. Like the spider's web, our mental grids (or realities) have the strength to brave a swift and easy breeze. Yet when a strong wind sweeps through, the web is deconstructed immediately. And yet what do our spider-minds typically do? Their job. They learn to weave again. The mind does anything in its power to gather up new thoughts and beliefs that fit together well enough to recreate an equally vulnerable reality.

And that spider-mind creation... a knew reality... it reverberates to bring things into being. When a spider weaves its web, it waits for prey to attach to it. This attachment (or catch) creates a vibration that the spider learns to recognize. Each catch feeds the spider to generate more web space in the future. The mind is similar in some regards. When a thought resonates with a reality that we have already constructed, it sticks in our mind and creates a vibration. Each vibration feeds that grid of belief... and, as a result, a reality is trusted as it is confirmed through experience. The trouble is, the mind preys on that which will cause the grid to vibrate, affirming itself.

Thoughts such as "I am not enough."... "No one will love me"... or "I don't believe I can do it" work together to create the grid of not being worthy. The mind seeks to feed that grid, preying on perspectives that will stick to the construct. Thus, experiences, people, and circumstances that support thinking in such a way are attracted. And - more often than not - an otherwise neutral reality is tainted by the lens of the mental grids already in place.

So how do we see more clearly?
We make peace with the mind by becoming clear about its unique brilliance as well as where it falls short. Let us be clear that peace of mind is not defined as passive acceptance, inaction, or inertia. Peace is a dynamic process. Peace, as Mahatma Gandhi taught us, is proactive and diligent in its integrity. Peace of mind is a non-violent way of bearing witness, one where we neither accept the status quo passively nor aggressively fight against it.

Letting kNew Light In
Oftentimes, when a way of thinking and being in our world needs to shift, we miss the subtle cues. We get stuck dancing frantically with our shadows, ignoring the light at our backs. In such cases, unhealthy grids are functioning in our lives, but in our unawareness we don't see them until they are destroyed by the sheer force of sudden change, forcing us to turn around (aka: turn within) and take notice. At that moment we can see the grid with brilliance and clarity. That is, if we are willing.

The infinite SHiNE of our spirit is like a sun that is constant shedding an endless and accessible source of awareness from deep within. And I know from experience, when we are not able to connect to that light, it WILL one day connect to us. Like the Earth turning on its axis, the passage of time will operate in such a way that our grids will inevitably be revealed to us. The real question is, are we willing to allow the light to dissolve webs of what was once knew?

I am honored by my recent challenges, as I have been dared by my circumstances to discover the peace of the Unknown... and the glory of SHiNE. SHiNE is a choice to connect to brilliance no matter what... and as a sensation, it can only be found in the moment. Now that is true knowledge, if you ask me.

Tags: spider mind, Awakening, shadows, metaphysics

Tonight I danced in the shadows....

The details of the interaction that led up to it are unimportant... as always, the story only serves to reveal the inner dramas still stirring. An interaction triggered a subtle darkness within... and the inner dialogue which slow crept forth led me to tears. And to an unexpected late night communion.

I am grateful for fear. It is a rare friend in that it alone has the power to bring me to my knees. Quite literally.
Tonight it brought me to my knees in thePortal... first in despair... then in prayer... and finally I kneel in truth through these words in service to you.

You see, I teach in order to learn. I have found that there is no greater motivation for teaching than self-inquiry. Most of the things that come forth through me I do not claim to be a master of. Far from it. I receive through the voice that is mine so that I might learn to listen. Live your brilliance, I say to those around me. Trust in your unique genius... and in its inherent grace. Embrace humility courageously - enough to surrender your path while you SHiNE your light boldly forth... knowing that you are but a vessel for the evolution of a species...

All these things I say to you.
Yet still, I am afraid.
And the louder my voice gets, the more afraid I become of the message that screams from my every cell.

SHiNE teaches me too. This could be more accurately said:
SHiNE teaches me to.
(Read that closely. It's a small, but deeply relevant distinction in language.)

I have many inspirations throughout each day that I could share with you as blog postings. Yet, I find any excuse not to. This or that idea is too undeveloped... those old journal entries are too much to mess with... there is not time in the day... or, sometimes my excuse is immediately transparent with truth: what if I have no idea what I am talking about... what then? It's better not to take such a chance, yes?

You see, but none of this is about the value of my blog postings, the book I want to write, or any objective I might point to. It's about me believing in myself. It's about knowing that, in the end, my choice to share my brilliance (aka: my way of being in the world) has nothing to do with being good enough for you, for me, or for anyone else. It has everything to do with latching on to the inspirations that strike my heart and mind and riding them to a place that transcends the good opinion of others. How can it be authentic and pure when it is first weighed on the scales of who will and will not agree... like it... or pay good money? Not the point, you see. All brilliance exists in order to shed light so that others might see better. What they feel about what they do or do not see is not the point of the light that we shine... we share perspectives not to seek validation, but in order that we all might become more clear. And we learn to be okay with the fact that clarity has infinite interpretations.

And so as I rested on the earth in prostration tonight, I realized via my body's choice of posture... SHiNE is a way of being that invites communion at the innermost altar. It is being and doing in a manner that confirms the true expression of who I really am in my highest expression of self... that which I source from within. To truly live with such a passion for self-integrity at all costs requires courage. And courage means moving forward in spite of fear. Movement must exist... and movement along the path of self-actualization causes fear to rise to the surface, revealing more of me. In this way, fear becomes an ally to let us know that we are honoring the nudge from within. In fact, fear should never be hidden. It is meant to be called by name and dispelled through action. I believe that fear is just a buffer that exists between unexpressed brilliance and the outside world. And thus, it must move in order that you might do the same.

And so tonight, I make peace. I am grateful for my fear... as it always leads to the shadowy spaces within.

And those shadows... seductive in their story-telling though they might seem... well, they are nothing more than a signal that there is light present somewhere nearby. You only need shift your gaze slightly to see that which stands between the brilliance and that darkness reflected on the other side. What is in the way of the light is you... it is only ever you. And that's the good news. Ah yes, that is very good news indeed.

Tags: shine coaching, life coaching, humility, grace

Today was the first day of Daniel's Taiji/Qigong series here at thePortal. It was such a joy for me to see him - my soul partner and day-to-day companion - sharing his brilliance with us. His teaching style is so different from my own, offering me an avenue to grow and observe a new way of facilitation that I have much to learn from.

It has been over three years since I studied an energy art. There was a time when I practiced qigong daily... and I had a reservoir of power inside of me that supported me in all else. It was an ideal combination. I didn't realize at the time that my Nia practice was rooted by my study of martial arts and inner traditions.

Even when I walked away from my energy practice, the power that I had cultivated stayed with me for a good year or so before I noticed a slowly developing shift in my way of being. Suddenly, I suffered from a paradox of desire. I yearned for stillness more and more; yet my body craved movement when it went without. The dancer in me waged a war with the subtle intelligence of my spirit that said something about what I was doing was not grounded and nurturing to my longevity. I did what I could to bring the purity of the principles and foundations of all that I had learned into my Nia practice... and was successful in some regards. Nevertheless, an emptiness still began to develop within. Most notably, my roots became noticeably more shallow over time. I lost center more often... and my mind began to reign over my reality again, returned to something resembling its once unbroken state.

I managed all of these things using the tools I developed in my path through Nia - the principles and practice of my belts offered me numerous tactics to work with these shifts. Nevertheless, it seems that having too many tools to call upon can easily become a liability.

I did my best and became very strong in Nia as a lifestyle practice. And when my body continued to send me these mixed energetic messages, I ignored them. That is, until I ended up in the emergency room.

Suddenly, I was forced to listen to the emptiness of my well. It echoed with hunger. And so, I must fill it once more. Hence, my choice to reintroducing the potency and richness of Qigong back into my life. And as if by divine intervention, I have been simultaneously paired with a partner who is wealthy in the ways of abundant waters.

One of the things that I have learned from observing Daniel (I say observing as his way of teaching is in his way of being and is much less overt than my own) is his ability to take a vast amount knowledge and distill it down to the wisdom at its very core. I realize after taking class with him today that this comes from his years of experience with the eastern arts... this is at the heart of these traditions that go back before modern man measured time and compared truths.

As an example: Today during class, I asked a simple question regarding hand placement in a movement that we were doing as a group. I said something to the effect of, "should my palm always be up when doing such and such?"

"Never always," he said. (His response, in two words, said more than I often say in a three-minute monologue.) From there, he came over... redirected my movement... and no more was needed.

Never Always.

Today I was reminded how the purest truths come in small packages.
In the same way Qigong reminds me that powerful changes come in subtle shifts. If you have ever practiced, held a seemingly simple posture, and noticed the heat generated in the body, you know exactly what I mean.

It is my dream to one day develop a practice that brings together my love of dance/movement as metaphor, subtle truths, and energy alchemy together as one. That is the intention of SHiNE BODY. May this blog help to reveal more of how that shall come to be. In the meantime, may we all find ways to fill ourselves so that the waters in our wells flow abundant and free.

Tags: qigong, never always, life coaching

May 2007

Welcome to the new and improved layout of theMessenger. It is my hope that this monthly newsletter will offer you regular inspiration to live your brilliance.

After some soul searching, I have recently shifted the focus of my work to more directly reflect my passions in life. I realize that in order to do the work that I am here to do - helping others to connect to the limitless potential within - I must have the courage to walk the talk. For a very long time, I have been afraid to step into the dreams that beckon to me. I am an energy guide, a motivator, and a channel for living a life that brings fulfillment on the highest level and the deepest depths, far beyond the constant tides of desire.

It is a mature spiritual seeker that addresses the deep and subtle yearnings that supercede the unrelenting desires of the physical. Your outer world demonstrates in your daily life as a metaphor for the loud whispers and wisdoms of your heart and soul. It is my passion to bring about a world where we are interested in these subtle messages, deciphering them with wisdom, and basking in the brilliant clarity that they reveal to us. When we learn to respond to the brilliance within us, we evolve in our practice of living as our life creates us!

A brilliant existence is not only a possibility, it's a responsibility. Imagine that you have been delivered a unique medicine that simply must act through you in order to work. THIS is your SHiNE. The "i" in shine is lowercase for a reason. It is to remind you that your potential comes from something larger that exists all around you. You only need surrender your egoic dance, get out of the way, and rest in the center to find it.

theMessenger is all about delivering SHiNE directly to your inbox... now featuring inspired writings - visit my BLOG online - as well as links to various individuals who have brilliance to share with you.

Thank you, as always, for exploring theMessenger. May you discover your SHiNE through the many resources offered here, or wherever it might choose to happen upon you.

Have a BRiLLiANT day!
Candice

Tags: shine coaching, life coaching

Have you ever played the game where you sit in a circle and pass a secret around? One person starts... and whispers a phrase into the ear of the person next to them. The secret then travels from one ear to the next... around the circle back to where it started. The game typically ends with fits of giggles, as the original source of the statement proclaims the original statement. Often, the messages transforms as it moves around the circle... ending up to sound very little like the initial transmission.

Perhaps we might consider this as we practice The Secret. The transmission in its fullness brings us much to practice and integrate into our lives. Yet, when we seek to simplify, formulate, and/or become absolute in the application of such a powerful spiritual transmission... we are bound to be left in the dark at the end of the day. Let us treat this modern day miracle as a reminder that there is still so much possibility and that which is potently unknown to discover in the spirit realm. The Mystery is inviting us to begin to explore a new relationship with It. As with all relationships, we will be asked to evolve and refine our point of view in response to our own unique experiences.

I, for one, love that aspect of relationship. Transformation. Rediscovery. And the countless Deaths of Self that occur as I get closer to the Truth.

Tags: law of attraction, the secret, shine coaching, life coaching

Redefining Abundance

spiritual maturity = the evolution from egocentrism to interdependence

There has been a tremendous amount of buzz around the recent film - and subsequent book - The Secret. Upon the initial launch of the law of attraction into the mainstream, I was overjoyed. As a coach, I quite often witness people caught in limited ways of thinking (myself included... ah yes, we teach what we need to learn!) and I was inspired by the thought that the law of attraction invites us all to focus on choosing thoughts/experiences that feel good. I know that the ability to witness and own our beliefs and attitudes is the first step to living more consciously. Surrendering the Victim is essential for the Witness to step into place.

The Secret teaches us that...
Feeling good is a natural outpicturing of conscious choices.
In short, witness to know how you are vibrating... then choose to feel good.
That I resonate with.

However, recently, I have begun to ponder terminology that is thrown about liberally in metaphysical circles. Namely, the idea of abundance. Many teachers report that quantum physics tells us that there is a limitless supply of resources available to us. The only limitation that exists is our thoughts to the contrary. Our experience of limitation in life is a function of our vibrations (thoughts/beliefs/feelings). Lack attracts lack. Abundance attracts abundance. Okay. That sounds pretty straightforward, yes?

Yet, I am beginning to wonder. Are we not in the egocentrism of our development as a spiritual culture?
In early child development, around 3 years old, a child has a developed a sense of self. A sense that he or she exists as a personality apart from the outside world. They enter a stage marked by egocentrism - all that exists in that which I see in front of me. The "I" becomes the reference point for the world at large. If I can see it, it is there. If not, then it must not be there. Or, even if it is... who cares.

I am blessed with a wonderful man in my life, whose family so generously invites us to enjoy their beautiful home overlooking the Oregon Coast. Over Mother's Day weekend, we spent some time there. As always, my body and mind became spacious and calm in the presence of the ocean's sounds. Perfectly content, I spent some time journaling and flipping through books and magazines of interest. I stumbled across an issue of Vanity Fair... "The Green Issue"... that focused on further educating the public about the environmental issues. As I read about a culture in the Amazon, facing extinction due to their shrinking landscapes and drastic climate shifts, I realized (real eyes'd) that if I focus on abundance as it is currently defined in our culture, I may be doing a diservice to myself, my clients, and my culture.

I am not one to watch the evening news and stew in the negativity that I see onscreen. Nor would I suggest it. However, maturing in our spiritual awareness asks that we see the world at large - we can apply filters in order to receive as much information as possible - so that our personal choices in life are conscious and contextual. It is an egocentric society that ignores the world at large. I very much do agree that I must find peace within before I can have a peaceful impact on the whole. Absolutely. However, I am not an island of energy. I am an integral piece that impacts the collective on a scope we are only now beginning to understand. The Green Movement is a brilliant example of illumination. We now have a measurable experience of interdependence. The butterfly wings of one person's choices, being felt in a small Amazonian village in South American. Ah ha! The concept of "we are one" is no longer simply a metaphysical musing... it is a reality!

I am beginning to see that to misrepresent a concept such as abundance - framing it as a selfish freedom without limits or implication in such a consumption-driven society is ironic, naive, and spiritually immature.

The issue: In our modern world, consumption is too often confused with abundance. And abundance is confused with wealth. Let us seek to redefine these concepts which are, in their purity, holy and sacred responsibilities.

Do I want more money?... of course! How about more vacations?... and a best seller?... or two?... Okay. Sign me up!!

Yet it is not the money, or the vacation, or the book deals that will lead me to the wealth that I seek. At best, these will all serve as distractions UNLESS I am spiritually mature enough to handle the responsibility that such luxuries afford me. If I consider myself an island of energy that is... 1) uneffected by the choices and consciousness of those around me, and 2) who can will anything into being without consideration for the whole... I may achieve a rich and abundant lifestyle as it is promised. One that feeds my body with pleasure, and my emotions with a sense of satisfaction.

However, each passing day teaches me that the abundance that I want more than anything else is a sense of spiritual satisfaction. A deep and pure experience of Love. Fulfillment. Purpose. And, in essence, Heaven on Earth.

We do not have to surrender one for the other. We can have the joys of the physical world as well as the bliss of that which connects us to something larger than ourselves. Paradoxically, I believe that it is the investment in spiritual assets that brings us a wealth that nurtures us for a lifetime.

Since I have begun to challenge the narcissism of The Secret - and what has become near-mainstream acceptance of the Law of Attraction - I have been asked the question:

"Candice, are you saying that you no longer believe in The Secret?!"

Yes, I believe in The Secret. I believe that the Law of Attraction does indeed exist.

But I believe in The Force behind it more. And that my highest good is in the hands of an intelligence that far exceeds anything that my hands, my head, or my heart can hold.

And it feels good. Really, really good.

Tags: life coaching, shine coaching, law of attraction, the secret, Abundance

The Law of Attraction = Ask and It Is Given

The Law of Attracting Fulfillment = Trust and Receive Your Greatest Good

In my experience I have known that the secret of joyful living, fulfillment, and a wealthy existence is something that I can call forth. I have practiced the Law of Attraction. I have desired a great many things, relationships, and experiences... and have come to experience most everything that I have called into being. So much of that which I wanted to become I have become (teacher, black belt, performer)... so much that I wanted to experience I am experiencing (creativity, travel, loving relationship)... and so much of that which I wanted to have I am having more of (more money, a beautiful home, freedom to choose what to do with my time). And so I know that within me lies the power to make things happen. For this, I am grateful.

Nevertheless, none of these outpicturings have brought me the peace, joy, or fulfillment that I have been seeking all along. My process of creation has brought me many things... most importantly, the realization that none of these desires self-serving will ever bring me the fulfillment that my soul yearns for.

I don't mean to sound cynical. It's actually one of the most liberating realizations that I have ever had. I think back on the great moments when I have known true fulfillment. Right now, writing my truth to you. Lying in the arms of my lover in that space between this world and the dream state. Laughing joyously with friends. Holding my niece in my arms for the first time... or seeing her sweet face in an e-card from my sister. Watching my nephew come into the world. Witnessing as someone shares a dream with me, and holding space for the sacred power of a spirit unleashed. Feeling the boundless joy while watching students in blissful abandon through dance... or in presenting their uniqueness in union with another through a performance jam.

It is THIS that I wish to attract more of into my life. Fulfillment that comes from the everyday magic of relationships, co-creation, and meaningful interactions. I want to develop mastery in - not my ability to bring the material into the material world (I have sensed the transient satisfaction of this)- but my ability to take notice, appreciate, and rest into the ways in which spirit is present in the flesh of those around me. To attract more of the juicy richness of life. While I receive satisfaction and comfort from the many images that come to life through me... it is the unexpected and brilliant miracles of all that lies beneath the surface that bring me true fulfillment.

Therefore, I offer a shift in semantics for my practice...
from The Law of Attraction, to the Law of Attracting Fulfillment.

And I am committed to building a business where others are aspiring (and inspiring!) to do the same. Moments of brilliance acting as signposts that light the way. SHiNE ON!

Tags: law of attraction, the secret, shine coaching, life coaching

I spent over two decades - and a wealth of energy - wading helplessly in my heart's cries to reign over my life. I was continually seeking approval from others and casting myself as a victim in countless dramas of misconception. And then I discovered within me the potential to choose. I discovered that life gifts to me in relationship to what I gift to it. I discovered that darkness begets darkness, and that brilliance begets a life where feeling good is the only option.

I did everything in my power to think myself into feeling good. I embraced metaphysics, and actively made my life happen in accordance with my desires. However, I quite often became exhausted having faith only in myself - and the idea that I was the creator of my reality. How could I be sure what was best for me when there were limitless options available to me. I had everything that I thought I wanted... and somehow had let myself down. Where was the core fulfillment in it all? And how could I explain the emergence of so many miracles in my life, all those things that I didn't even know I needed? Who created those? Who is busy creating the miracles that fill my life with richness, while I am busy pulsing and toiling over the mundane?

It was then that I chose to sever my vows as a spiritual orphan. I may not belong to a particular religious tradition, but I do belong to more than myself. I am a sliver of light in the high beam of existence. True, I attract in accordance with my desires; yet only that which is best for the illumination of Who I Truly Am.. in service of the highest purpose (of which I am a willing, essential, and wonderous participant). And, while my willingness is required, I am not the one who makes the light possible.

I now realize (real-eyes) that the greatest power that I have access to is the power to be the person that I am. It is up to me to define the sensations that I want more of in my life, and to make choices that resonate accordingly. It is up to me, to deny or to embrace my brilliance. Over time, I have made the choice to embrace my gifts. Abandoning the arrogance of self-doubt... and embracing the humility of moving as if my life matters. And since then, the most meaningful miracles have emerged in my life.

Suddenly, my full-time job is feeling good. Getting out of the way. Allowing my SHiNE to operate in my life, and most importantly, in the lives of others. I call my brilliance by name... and that name is not mine. It is a sensation of grace and inspiration that calls back to me:

"SHiNE so that others might do the same. Collectively re-ignite a world where love is a light that burns from within each person. Illuminate a global reality where individual brilliance is the understood beacon to connect to the Source of All Light."

- Candice Schutter, Shine Founder

Tags: shine coaching

April 2007


For years, copying other people, I tried to know myself.
From within, I couldn’t decide what to do.
Unable to see, I heard my name being called.
Then I walked outside.
- Rumi

I am always amazed at how the longer days of Spring immediately shed new light upon all aspects of my life. It's as though the secrets that the winter spent unearthing have suddenly sprung to the surface...and I am left in wonder of the next inevitable rebirth in my personal and professional life.

For a very long time, I have invested my talents in mediums created by others. These disciplines, and their respective mentors, have taught me countless lessons for which I am endlessly grateful. And now comes the time for me to create a vehicle of my own. I have been a fitness teacher, a wellness educator, and a performer. Yet in my heart of hearts, I am a spiritual guide.

I have long dreamed of writing and leading seminars worldwide, guiding people into closer relationship with themselves and their inner calling. As The Secret has recently revealed, we all want to feel good and manifest our desires, yes. However, the essential piece that gives it all meaning is our relationship to a divine source. I want to help cultivate that...in me and in you.

So often I invite you all to SHiNE...and to live your life in fearless surrender to that which moves you. And it is time that I walk my talk with greater fervor. I am realizing that fear is no excuse for inertia. Movement must happen.

Stay tuned in the coming months as I move towards my calling...and walk alongside me. Together we can know what it is to live an inspired life...on an inspired planet. This I know for sure.

Walking Outside, Candice

Tags: rumi, life coaching

The Secret
Is Oprah a metaphysician? Are YOU?

The Secret...What is all the BUZZ about?!?! In February, Oprah Winfrey introduced millions of viewers to The Secret - a DVD that reveals the Law of Attraction and describes how it can be used as a tool to bring about fulfillment and a life beyond our wildest dreams! She shared her genuine enthusiasm regarding the material, and her belief that The Law of Attraction is what has enabled her so many successes in her life!! For some of us, the ideas contained within the The Secret are not new. In short, feel good vibrations create feel good outcomes. Nevertheless, no matter how hard we try to feel good, we are continuously drawing unfavorable outcomes into our life. Why is that? How can we apply the Law of Attraction to bring about positive changes? What can we do to shift our awareness away from what we perceive in our life as limitation...shifting it instead towards the frequency of a desired outcome?
Although The Secret has taken time to embody as a practice, it is certainly not new to me. Since 2002, I have been creating a body of work that makes the Law of Attraction both understandable and accessible. I call it, Sensation Matters. I offer individual sessions as well as small group engagements (it's fun to feel good with friends!) focusing on applying these practices in meaningful ways. Contact me to learn more about how The Secret can work in your life. Yes! You do have a right to the life you've always wanted!

The Secret - Consultations: Small Group or Private Sessions @ thePortal Home Studio

Tags: life coaching, law of attraction, the secret

February 2007


Signs of Love

I've just returned from San Francisco where I co-facilitated the HoopGirl Teacher Training with HoopGirl's Christabel Zamor. Ten inspiring hoopers from all walks of life, came together for three days of intensive training in the HoopGirl Workout teaching format.

Some of the most profound insights were offered by a special guest trainee with a unique gift. Meryl, a passionate young teacher who happens to be hearing impaired, reminded us all that sharing the love of flow is an expression beyond words. In fact, each hooper offered a perfect uniqueness to the program, making it apparent that the ultimate destination in learning isn't about all-the-right moves, class formats, or even technique. The one aim we all share is a heartfelt desire to shine our light freely, igniting love in those around us.

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. To me it is an annual reminder to reconnect the heart to what feels good. As the holiday approaches, may I remind you that love shined inward spills out boundlessly to those around you.

Treat yourself to self-seduction this Valentine's Day! Get to know passionate communion, intoxicating smiles, and sighs of surrender by falling in love with feeling good. Shower your body with valentine blisses and commit to a deeper relationship with your community by signing up for an upcoming class or special event. There are abundant opportunities to make love a priority this month.

Begin in this moment with a deep breath to simply seed the intention for self-love this month. Shift your heart to high beam, shine your light, and you are sure to see bold and brilliant signs of love everywhere you go. May your footprints act as inspirational signposts along our journey...as you leave traces of love behind you wherever you go.

Seeing Signs Everywhere, Candice

Tags: life coaching, valentines day, self love, shine coaching

January 2007


Only as high as I reach can I grow,
only as far as I seek can I go,
only as deep as I look can I see,
only as much as I dream can I be.
- Karen Ravn

I always look forward to a new year. As yet another cycle spirals me onward and upward, I can sense that am on the brink of a new life. Within is a creative force that stirs me to become more with each passing moment. But how do I transmute the fear of change? I ask my breath to show me the way...an energy lubricant that relies on perfect harmony in order to thrive. In...out. Expand...contract. Act...release. Each breath teaches me how to let go. Fear becomes courage...courage becomes the power to act...and the power to act creates me anew.

The simple, yet profound, wisdom that can be found in the body both intrigues me and fills me with promise. Sensation does matter. I know this to be evident in my life, and it is the current foundation of my life's work. And thus, in 2007, I will reach higher, seek further, and look deeper. My vision relies on willing participants. Co-conspirators in passionate living and innocence reborn. Like-hearted spirits who are interested in tasting more of life's flavors, being touched from within, and becoming prolific in intertwined languages of body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

Reaching Higher,
Candice

Tags: life coaching, fear of change, shine coaching

September 2006


I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as a seed
goes to the next as a blossom,
and that which came to me as a blossom,
goes on as a fruit.
- Dawna Markova

One week ago, I witnessed the birth of my nephew. I was speechless and awe-struck, as my mind struggled to catch up with the joy in my heart. Seeing a miracle happen before my very eyes changed me forever, nudging me to look beyond my often limited scope. Better yet, it urged me on to action.

Life is a precious gift of being... not to be wasted wondering what to do with it.

This fall, I invite you to lighten up and live a bit more 'carelessly.' To stand hand-in-hand with your fears while smiling down upon them, grateful for the elixir of courage they offer. To sever any ties to the quarrelsome relatives of reason that dampen your passions and keep you from acting. To release your grasp on the invisible life preservers that keep you safe from drowning in the ocean of your heart's desire.

Your success relies on your willingness to risk your significance and live a life where what moves you is your guiding light. As always, the message is the same. Discover everyday bliss. Create everyday magic. And smile every chance you get. Your life is a miracle unfolding, one choice at a time.

Each fall promises new adventures, and I support YOU in creating opportunities to shine. Join me on Sunday evenings beginning in September, and discover how Sensation Matters in your life. Sign up for Portland's first hoopdance class series: The HoopGirl Workout. Order a hoop that sparkles with the colors that bring out the shine in you. Or, book a private session - Nia, Hoop, Life Coaching - devoted completely to you.

Should you wait to bring your future to life?... Or will you make a choice today that will inspire your heart to bear fruit? The butterflies in your stomach are to be expected. It's the applause of a thousand angels urging your potential into being.

Love & Live Boldly, Candice

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Tags: life coaching, shine coaching