Tammy Lynne

What is the point of life?

2008-08-23T20:49:00Z

What is the point of life?

We tend to ask that question a lot, especially when we are feeling down, yet when someones life is at stake we stop everything we are doing. All the seemingly important things in our life fall away almost in an instant. No more worrying about making it on time to our appointment or finishing our check lists for the day. When life is on the line.. the most important thing becomes LIFE. It becomes the focus of all energies. Suddenly that question seems easy to answer. Even if we can't articualte it, we "know" that is has a point.

That question can be answered in many ways just depending on who you ask. There are the typical ones such as "the point is to learn and grow" ,"to love and spend time with the people we care about", or "to simply enjoy the ride". Then there are the more spiritual ones like .."to become whole and one with God", or "to excel as a spiritual being"

I don't know if there is "an answer". Maybe just thoughts, ideas, & theories based only on our limited earthly minds.

Maybe the truth doesn't lie in the words we attempt to use, but in those moments of "knowing" which can't ever really be thought, as they arise spontaneously out of a moment that triggers feelings that transcend this human experience. Maybe it is just the human experience, maybe that is just the point...to have "an experience".... Even that ends in a Question and is just another thought!

Maybe the real question is "why do we need to have a point?" Just let it be what it is because it is. Hmmm... these questions always send me back to the present moment :-) funny how that works.

Love In the New York Subway

2008-02-28T04:15:00Z

After exiting the subway my attention is captured by a man standing mid stair waving to someone on the train. I turn my head & see a woman waving back as the doors close. Keeping eye contact, he is smiling and throws her a kiss. I am stopped in the stairs now observing this, barely noticing the hurried New Yorkers buzz by me. I immediately get this warm loving sensation and tears fill my eyes. I am present in the energy of love. My thoughts are filled with these words.. Love is all that matters…Everything always comes back to love.

Love doesn’t care what you look like or how you are distracted by the chaos of this world. Love is always present. Love is always being pursued. Love is all that matters. Love is always the answer.

I continue to walk up allowing the joyful loving tears to soften me, and I send out pure love to every stranger that I pass by. As I exit on to the street I see a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk bundled up & as he looks into my eyes I say "I love you" and his face is brightened and shocked and then he softens and whispers "thank you" as I continue to walk by.

May we all take some time each day to feel & notice the presence of love ...but even if we don't, at least we can know that it is always there.

I simply love you..

Growth through the eyes of others.. our reflections

2008-01-31T21:01:00Z

To see ourselves through the eyes of others can be such an awakening. Sometimes what others see & share with us is exciting and comfortable, while other times it is shocking and hard to look at. I believe that we are all reflections and mirrors of each other, which means the person sharing their perception of how they see me can definitely point to aspects of themselves. However, I also think that it is best to hear the others perception and then really sit with it .. not judging it , just allowing yourself to find truth in what they are sharing. You might find that there is no personal truth for you in their words and that what they were sharing was more for themself. But sometimes you might actually find that there are some things with in yourself that you were not aware of & this person was brought into your life to help shed light on it.

We are often projecting into this world many things unconsciously with out our knowing. When someone shows up to reflect this back to us, it is an opportunity to bring it into our awareness so that we can then decide if it is a nourishing representation of who we say we are or would like to be. I know that there have been people in my life who have helped me move beyond a block that I couldn't see. They were there to ask me if I was aware of this quality, habit, or energy that I was giving off. I only grew because I was open to receive and then to honestly look at myself with out attaching judgment to it. We say we want to grow, but if we are not willing to look at ourselves honestly and be open enough to receive the feedback of others, we might miss valuable opportunities of awareness that lead us to Great growth!

Being open and honest with oneself takes courage. Allowing our self to be open for others to share with us honestly, takes courage. Courage means feeling the uncomfortableness, but doing the thing that makes you feel discomfort anyway. Courage allows for light to come through the blocked windows of our consciousness. Courage leads to greater truths. I encourage you to feel a little more open today, a little more honest with yourself, a little more courage to hear all the ways you can grow beyond what you think is possible.

We are all reflections of each other.. so take note of what you see in the people that stand before you. Take note with gentleness, non judgment, and with a desire to become more open, honest & courageous.

Much Love & support on your growth...

Staying in the now...

2008-01-31T17:28:00Z

Sometimes on this journey we are on the path of truth & awakening and in the now. Other times we get distracted by the illusions of time that take us away from what is real. Sometimes we fall off the path only to be reminded that the path is where truth is and we instantly want to get back on it. In this past week I have been distracted by thoughts outside of the now, as well as fears that I know are not even really relevant in the present moment. While I teach yoga almost on a daily basis, my own practice of conscious silence was not consistent or long enough & I could feel that imbalance with in. Not judging everything as all bad or good.. just not as centered. I found that I was a bit more sensitive to the external doings and sayings of others. I know that when I am so grounded in the now and in my love for myself, nothing or no one outside of me has the power to shake my ground. Which got me thinking about Zen and the power of being in the now...

The whole essence of Zen consists in walking along the razor's edge of Now - to be so utterly, so completely present that no problem, no suffering, nothing that is not who you are in your essence, can survive in you. In the Now, in the absence of time, all your problems dissolve. Suffering needs time; it cannot survive in the Now. The great Zen master Rinzai, in order to take his students' attention away from time, would often raise his finger and slowly ask: "What, at this moment, is lacking?" A powerful question that does not require an answer on the level of the mind. It is designed to take your attention deeply into the Now. A similar question is the Zen tradition is this: "If not now, when?"

I invite you into this moment right now... where you are.... to just simply be in it.. feel it....embrace it....this precious now moment is all there really is...

Age is in the mind & Grandma is not a little old lady..

2007-12-04T04:04:00Z

Although we do pretty well for longevity by comparison to previous generations. Our distant ancestors allegedly stuck around for hundreds of years. How odd that must have been? Surely, though, what makes a life worthwhile, is not how long it lasts, but how much joy, fulfillment, love and inspiration it contains.

I was just in Arizona and had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my Grandma. She is 73 & still in considerably good health. We start to talk about age & she tells me how strange it is sometimes when she is out in public and realizes people look at her as a "little old lady". She doesn't think of herself as a" little old lady", so when she is interacting with strangers she doesn't act like one either. It is only when someone does or says something to bring attention to her age that realizes what her physical appearance is saying. I thought this was very interesting because I don't see her as a little old lady either. This is probably because she is someone I have had in my life that I have always viewed as a strong, confident, active, independent, and loving woman. But if I was in a grocery store and saw a 73 year old woman, I would probably think of her as a little old lady!

This makes me realize more than ever that age really is just in our mind. We all have ideas and associations about age that dictate how we see & think about people. It is only when we truly get to connect with someone that we see past the perceived physical age and get to know the person. Confirming the wisdom that we are not our age or our bodies... We are the infinite spiritual essence that resides with in the physical.

I ask her if she sees me as a 30 year old woman. " Nope. Not at all... I actually see you as 19 or 20. " I giggle because I also never feel like I am a 30 year old woman while I am with my Grandma. It is like I travel back in time while I am in her presence.

What age do you feel today? I think I feel a different ages throughout a single day just depending on who I am with, my frame of mind, and what I am doing. I notice that as I get older I tend to forget my age more & more too. Plus I really do think that time is just an illusion and that this body is just a vehicle, but that is a whole other topic...!

My grandma also expresses that she has had a full life & is ok with death at this point. What a powerful statement. She seems at peace with the now and with whatever happens in remaining nows. I love my Grandma & am so grateful she has been there all these years. I have learned so much from her and continue to do so every time we talk. I think her life has been one of great depth & I have definitely been inspired by it many times over.

Infinite Love to you ~

Tammy Lynne

Share your light!

2007-12-03T04:12:00Z

It's 6am in Colorado & I am in the airport shuttle with my friend JK. She & I are discussing her upcoming trip to India.. she leaves this Thursday for 3 months! JK is talking about the plethora of emotions that accompany such a long trip, especially when she is also going through lots of other life changes & personal transformations.

In the middle of our conversation she makes the statement "I hope that I meet someone there like you.. someone that loves me unconditionally"

I communicate to her that anything she wants from others must first start with the love she feels for herself. She agrees, but says she thinks that I am unique in the love I extend to her so effortlessly. I share that just in the month of August alone, I had the honor of meeting & spending time with at least 50 to 100 people that truly accepted and loved me with out judgement or expectation. It took me a few days to get my ego thoughts out of the way ("Are these people really this accepting & supportive or are they just faking it?" ) but I got over that and allowed the beauty of authenticity to take over. I know from my own experience that there are infinite amounts of conscious warm caring people all around... I also know that these people show up even more frequently and easily when we start to become more kind & less judgemental of ourself.

In the past JK always had a wall up and was not one to make friends easily, let alone feel that people accepted her for her. I assured her that since she is going to be living at an Ashram in India, it would probably be the "norm" for deep unconditional relationships, especially since her heart is now in place to be aware and open enough to receive.

Arriving at the airport I am the first to be dropped off. As I am getting the luggage and saying goodbye, I feel a sense of emotion & some tears coming over me... I step back in the van & tell JK this...

"The very person (people) you are seeking to have in your life... the loving unconditional supportive souls, they are also seeking out you. We sometimes forget that all those other people are really just like us, which means they are also desiring love & deep connections with others. I encourage you to remain open and share your light, because you wouldn't want to deprive others from it's uniqueness & magnificence. Being open not only allows you to attract and invite loving accepting friends into your life, but you are also allowing for others to see and receive your brilliant light! Remember that people are also hoping & seeking for YOU JK!"

We hug & look into one another's eyes with sincerity, connection, and appreciation & then I leave.

This was a message I needed to hear as well. I ask myself the question, "Why is it that we think we are only seeking others, but others are not seeking us?" It certainly doesn't make sense to think that way as I am writing here.

I know that there is a constant exchange between souls at every encounter, but still I fall into the human ego and think that I don't have anything to offer sometimes either. That thought has led to seeking outside of myself for others to fulfill me (which only leads me back to myself again!). I recall many times where my insecurities, self doubt or lack of confidence has hindered me from deep relationships in the past. BUT I can't even begin to count the times I have been excited to connect with someone on a truly deep heart centered way. What if they let their insecurities stop them from opening up to me? I also think back on this week in Colorado and the amazing sweet souls that were joyous to exchange energy (& lots of hugs) with me and thanked me for sharing my light with them....

We are all here for a reason other wise we wouldn't be alive. I am always so grateful when I meet & share space with incredibly beautiful bright shining souls that instantly share in love with me. It truly feels great when we connect with others. It fulfills us and inspires us to connect more, so that we can create an even larger community of supportive friends around us. Our only blocks are ususally with in us... so right here right now, love yourself enough to share that love with others, they will all appreciate it more than you know.

Love, Light & of course HUGS ~

Tammy Lynne