Marya’s Blog

This blog is not about romantic love, but might have appeared so when I originally posted it on Facebook, with a photo of roses on a park bench. I decided that this post is timely and important enough to share again, perhaps for a wider audience this time. In my mind, the roses simply symbolize love, with no association with anyone in particular.  The power of love can originate from self or any person or relationship. Whether you are single, or have a significant other, the message of my blog is that going deep within the heart and soul of you can create magic in everyday life. The energy and power of your heart can align you with love in countless scenarios that will uplift and fulfill your heart, mind and soul, ongoing. We can “stream love” in countless scenarios, everyday.

Last summer, when waiting at for dinner with friends on a park bench, I began to notice a number of adults and children gathering to see an outdoor movie. When my friends called me to say that they were parking, I hurried to meet them.  After enjoying dinner with my friends, I realized that I was missing my cell phone.  I paid my bill quickly, then immediately moved toward the bench where I had been sitting about a block away. The bench was barely visible now, with so many people setting up blankets and lawn chairs. I anxiously thought, “What are the chances that I’ll ever get my phone back?”  I remembered that there had been one woman next to me on the bench, though didn’t see her.  Instead, I saw a

different woman wearing a hijab and a radiant smile. She  seemed to have been looking for me, the owner of the phone. Our eyes met, then she began to wave my phone in the air, exclaiming, “I was so worried that you wouldn’t come back! I tried to call you but your phone was locked!”(my business card with my office phone number was in the case) It moved me a great deal that a perfect stranger showed such deep caring and concern. It was as though she was a close friend or family member. My gratitude soon turned to love, as the beauty of our connection seemed to build.  Yes, the unifying and freeing power of love is everywhere.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing

and rightdoing there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass

the world is too full to talk about.

Rumi

Remaining awake and consciously informed about what is going on in the world is important. Yet, one can easily become overwhelmed if the power of joy isn’t integrated into everyday life, no matter what is going on. Have you considered that joy may be a daily necessity, not a frill? Or is it something we resort to out of naiveté in the face of a more “responsible” orientation so that we can more clearly decipher what is going on in our world? That is doubtful.

One of my greatest teachers on the topic of joy was one of my five-year-old students, who is now, appropriately enough, a student of music. On the last day of school he whispered, “Ms. Michael, somewhere in your brain there is always fun.” (Whether he was referring to my teaching approaches or his blooming life philosophy wasn’t clear, but his message was). I remain grateful for my student’s incredibly insightful words! I now share this simple, yet profound wisdom with people of all ages.

Have you ever noticed that children live, breathe and insist upon joy? Could it be that they are so deeply aligned with the power of joy that they can’t move out of it without deep resentment? They know something that most of us have forgotten. How could children possibly fathom or accept adult priorities that so often generate a mood of seriousness where the resulting feeling in the room feels heavier, less light and very complicated.

Young children don’t initially distinguish between work and play. Where does this life orientation go over time? It retreats deep within the love center of the body, the human heart. Its role is often undervalued and misunderstood.

If given repeated opportunities, a person’s heart will open up and regain its original oneness with the mind. This life orientation can change one’s life, even in the midst of a burdened world.

Welcome to my biweekly blog and events page! Workshops, speaking engagements, and retreats will be posted here.  If you are interested in knowing more about the nature of my work or hosting an event, let’s have a conversation!