by janet | Aug 15, 2018 | Uncategorized
Joyful. Trusting. Alive. When I think of immersion, I think of being immersed in water – steamy lavender baths, baptism and other water rituals, diving in to crisp, clean northern Ontario lakes or swimming behind the curtain of a waterfall like the one above. The rocks in the painting Immersed are plunged deep in the flowing water. They feel solid and anchored as they are being shaped and softened by the constant current. The feeling is tumultuous and joyful – like a white-water rafting adventure. Conscious Immersion requires surrender and a willingness to let go of attachment. Conscious Immersion is savoured, spacious and sizzling with juicy vitality. I love to be immersed in creative projects, family life, and personal growth. We have a new grandchild arriving soon and the energy of new life is very present. Community, marriage and relationships all work best when we allow ourselves to be guided by a bigger picture. Conscious Immersion ensures balance is maintained. To be Consciously immersed is to be “all in”, fully engaged with, and oblivious to distractions for a period of time. It requires setting aside our busy “monkey mind” chatter of To-Do lists and agendas. Conscious immersion can help us to avoid the less voluntary immersion most of us experience like baptism by fire. To be consciously immersed is to make space for a heart-centered opening to what wants to emerge. As a visual artist, I became aware of the intimate link between my creativity and my ability to access and be immersed in the Field of Pure Potential. In this energy field, I am able to engage in...
by janet | Jul 22, 2018 | Blog
After a flurry of celebrations and house guests, I’m now immersed in integrating the teachings from an inspirational week of hosting my friend and cherished mentor Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Much of Mandaza’s work is focused on helping people connect and listen to their own inner guidance – to listen with the ears of their hearts. Mandaza listens from his heart to the voices of his Ancestral Spirits, many of whom are ancient beings. This is made possible by the many initiations he has received and continues to attract. Paying Attention – Mandaza is a very good listener as I witnessed over the course of our week together. A recognized Medicine Man or nganga (traditional healer in his native Shona language) Mandaza surrendered to the persistent call of his Ancestral Spirits who wouldn’t take no for answer. He has been paying keen attention to their guidance and messages for several decades. It’s a full time job as he says he carries and honours the voices of dozens of Spirits that make use of him to heal, advise and direct the people that seek out his rare gifts. Dreams are Soul Messages – Mandaza listens to his dreams and the dreams brought to him by others. He advises us to pay attention to our dreaming – both sleeping dreams and the more lucid or waking dreams we experience as day dreaming and visions. Some dreams are recognized as having messages for the community or even for the world making them especially important to understand. This kind of listening is soul work. It’s like learning a new language of...
by janet | Nov 16, 2016 | Blog
To be in flow is to be in harmony with the current of life, however it is showing up. Taking things in stride, trusting a bigger picture – staying connected even when it’s tempting to tune out. Being in flow is rooted in non-resistance and non-attachment. I have learned a lot about the Art of Flow from the element of water. The oil painting above, “Whale Songs” was painted on the West Coast of Vancouver Island while traveling with the Women Painting Canada collective. It was painted on the shores of Long Beach after a delicious morning of whale watching and feeling in flow. With easels anchored on the beach, we savoured the ocean air and allowed it to have its way with our brushes. I have a long standing love affair with the ocean and this painting captures her teeming life force, power and vitality. The feeling is of depth and fullness which is the way I experience life – full to the brim, rich and surprising. Constant movement on the surface, potent stillness in the depths. Loose brush strokes suggest fluidity – nothing is fixed or certain. Moody, ephemeral, soggy and saturated blues evoke the songs of the whales and tug at my throat to respond. To see the whales, we braved an open Zodiac tour in full body flotation suits insulated against the cold ocean wind in Ucluelet. Lurching wildly with the high waves, we feasted our eyes on rare sea otters, sea lions, seals and whale sightings too. Sitting on the edge of the boat and clinging to my light breakfast as much as the...
by janet | Nov 6, 2016 | Blog
To master the Art of Receiving, one has to become receptive. Makes sense. The oil painting above, titled “Receptive”, presents a spongy field with green shoots of new life. The thirsty land is soaking up life-giving water and allowing it to nourish whatever is emerging. This painting always made me think of frogs and pollywogs – minnows and the soggy soakers of spring thaw. The colours relate to the heart and throat chakras that house love and personal expression where we receive Divine guidance and hear our muse’s whispers. I’ve been playing with what it would look like to be able to receive everything with gratitude. Everything? Yes – everything. Receiving everything is about consciously accepting what is – without resistance, judgement or attachment. It’s about honing a talent for receiving whatever is offered with grace and gratitude. If every day is a gift, then receiving the day with all it brings is a heart-full way to live. It takes trust to receive without judgement. Trust in a bigger picture. The Art of Receiving is a way of being that embraces; The grateful acceptance of things actively given, presented, or paid like a compliment, gift, resource, or piece of advice (wanted and unwanted), as well as synchronistic signs and coincidences. The gracious acceptance without judgement of whatever shows up, exactly as it shows up. Enlightened beings are known to “not mind what is” whether a traffic jam or rude behavior, they simply don’t take it personally. The less tangible mental logging or felt sense of something communicated by body language, gesture or symbolic cueing. The universe and our own...
by janet | Oct 17, 2016 | Blog
Breaking my wrist this summer forced me to step back, reevaluate, and gave me the opportunity to learn more about the art of allowing. After indulging in some heartfelt but ultimately unhelpful, “Why me?! Why now?!” drama, I gradually surrendered to a state of allowing. It turns out allowing has a lot to do with witnessing, noticing and accepting what is. To be in a state of allowing is to become an empty vessel with space for whatever is wanting to emerge. The self-portrait, The Vessel (shown above) was painted in 2010 when I was finishing up my core training with the Four Winds Society and trying to integrate the teachings with my art practice. The brush strokes are loose and earthy, suggesting the malleable nature of the self being explored. Nothing is certain or fixed. The focal point is on the third eye which appears to radiate an ethereal being. The third eye activates our inner vision and dreaming. It’s a portal to the fertile Field of Pure Potential where all things are possible. I suspect the state of allowing accesses the same creative life force of pure potentiality. When we become empty vessels, we offer a clear channel for Spirit to work through. As many teaching stories illustrate, “you can’t fill a cup that’s overflowing.” To become empty, it’s necessary to let go and trust. While I am a big fan of positive thinking and the power of intention, I struggle with the dance of true trust. On a conscious level, trusting in ease and grace is my main tagline and living mantra. On another, less conscious...
