Spiritual Things Matter

Carefully observe your activities of thinking, breathing, movement, diet, sex and sleep, for these are the six fundamentals of health. Within this realm lies success or failure in your physical health and emotional happiness.
~Shizuko Yamamoto

After massaging two clients today, I started to realize that one of the things I am constantly saying is, “Don’t forget to breathe”. In truth, I was saying that for my sake as well. How many times do I find myself not breathing properly. Our muscles hold so much stress and toxins and if we would adhere to Shizuko Yamamoto’s advise, how much better would we be for it.

Instinctively, I have always followed more of a natural path. I don’t like to take medicine if I don’t have to. I love fruits and vegetables and if I did not have children, I probably would be a vegetarian. Maybe! However, it was not until I met a doctor who also promotes the “natural” healing more than the traditional medicine route, that I started to pay a lot more attention to the natural healing arts. I do think people need to be prudent and wise in choosing a good natural healer, but once one is found they are wonderful to have and utilize. One of the things that I appreciate is that they will teach you about taking more responsibility for your own health. I think this is vital!

We are more than just physical beings but also emotional and spiritual ones. If one wants to be “whole”, one must look at all aspects of their health. Take good care of yourself by eating right, drinking plenty of water, take walks, clear your mind, tend to your emotional and sexual needs, and get plenty of rest. Get a massage, it is a wonderful way to calm yourself physically as well as emotionally. Above all, continue to be grateful for everything and acknowledge God daily. This will bring spiritual growth into your life.

Viola Jaynes

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
~Matt. 10:30

When I was a child, one of my favorite classes I attended once a week was a class in religion. We would gather in a very small room, arranged with three rows of desks and chairs. Those of us from the orphanage always managed to sit in the front of this particular class. The kindness and gentleness of this young teacher drew us to her like a magnet. There was something special about her.

Her name has long escaped me but the memory of this young woman will always be with me. She would pull out a guitar and teach us beautiful songs about this man called Jesus. At times, the sound of the children’s voices singing, still echos in my heart today. She would tell us stories from the scriptures of all that this young man accomplished, his passions, and all that he suffered. She would tell us that this man was the son of God and he came to this earth for each and every one of us. After each class, she would look at each of us intently, telling us that we are loved by him.
During those moments, I would feel embarrassed and my face would turn red.

I remember sitting and listening intently to every word she spoke. I remember trying to read her to see if she really believed what she taught. I remember seeing the tears in her eyes as she spoke gently, yet with such passion and conviction. I would then go home, trying to find a little spot all to myself so I could weep as I tried to comprehend all that she had told us. I remember wondering if this man, this Jesus, really was aware of who I was. Could that really be? Was that really true?

I now know that it was in those early days that God awakened my heart. It was as though there was holy, anointing oil that had been poured on us. Words cannot explain the mystery that I felt in that little room. The warmth and the love that I felt there was something I had never felt before. I do not know if this gentle, yet powerful arousing stayed with the other children. I do know it was the beginning of an awareness of God in my heart. It brought hope to my heart and it was an anchor that went deep into my very soul. God’s loving hands had touched my very being and I felt Him smile at me. Many years would pass, with many obstacles to overcome before I would once again come face to face with this holy God. It was a meeting that would change my life forever.

I have noticed that key people are placed in our lives to touch us, or perhaps, we are allowed to touch them. Those are divine relationships, making an imprint on our hearts that can never be forgotten.

I have been fortunate that I have had such key people in my life. For each and every one of them, I am deeply, deeply thankful.

Viola Jaynes

Truth is the secret of eloquence and of virtue, the basis of moral authority; it is the highest summit of art and of life.
~Henri Frederic Amiel

I’ve given much thought to suffering and what it means to suffer in this life. Suffering is very real to so many people and it comes in such various forms. One must never make light of someones suffering lest more pain be added by virtue of undermining their pain. To do so would add a great wound to the heart. There are many in this world who still suffer from extreme poverty. After returning from a business trip to Africa, my husband once said to me, “I’ve never seen such poverty.” It makes one grateful. Hopefully, we shall never take anything for granted, not even a piece of bread.

Many in the western world, though, who have plenty of food, nice homes, jobs, cars and all that comes with living in the west, suffer greatly in other ways. Families are broken up, drug problems on the rise, sexual promiscuity with devastating results of STD’s and shame, physical and emotional abuse, especially towards women and children, abductions and even murder at its worst extreme. However, I surmise that one of the greatest sufferings that takes place in the hearts of men, is an extreme sense of loneliness. So many people feel that they have no place to go, no place to turn. They feel trapped in their deep and secret pain of aloneness. This to me, is one of the greatest sufferings that has afflicted man kind. In short, it is a lack of genuine community, a lack of connectedness with God, ourselves and others.

To really be able to grow spiritually, one must be willing to look at their pain in the most honest way possible. There is a vast difference from suffering and from feeling like a victim.
Victimization carries with it its own reward but those rewards are very short lived. Victimization tears away at one’s very soul. It undermines who one is and it degrades one to a level of desperation and shame.

Suffering, on the other hand, makes one strong. It can be transcended into opportunities and creativity. One can stand strong and with dignity. Turning pain over to God and allowing Him to heal a situation, letting Him bring a miracle, and letting Him transform us to do the impossible. That is what a spiritual journey is all about. Letting God reveal himself.

As we practice this kind of truth for ourselves, and as we are willing to look at each and every pain with a critical and discerning eye, I ask one thing and that is to please embrace everything! The discoveries that are made of one’s heart, are never meant to shame or embarrass, thus, no judgements are necessary. The discoveries are there, only to facilitate opportunities for growth and greater understanding. Genuine honesty is a path that will lead to greater ease with oneself. It makes way for many things that seemed impossible before. It makes one’s relationship with God sweeter.

Let us embrace each other with love and compassion as we continue to grow on this journey. Above all, let us have the courage and the strength to embrace truth.

I bow in honor before all those who take up such a courageous journey!

Viola Jaynes

I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.
~Vincent Van Gogh

Living a contemplative lifestyle is not something that just happens. We must determine in our hearts to recognize divine moments that come to us each and every day. It is amazing just how much we will recognize something as “divine” if we make that commitment. We will notice the smallest things we hardly paid attention to before. We will see something of beauty and meaning that we’ve been too busy to see.

As a child, growing up in an orphanage in Bavaria, Germany, we would take hikes in the beautiful Alps. I remember after a rugged hike, we would sit on a mountain top, looking over a quaint little village, hearing a church bell ring. The feeling that I would have during such a moment, is one of complete connectedness. As I would look around, I would see the beautiful flowers, each having their own unique fragrance. I would smell the fresh crisp air that one only smells high up on a mountain. I would see the cows grazing as I watched from far away. Mostly, I remember the stillness. One could hear the brooks peacefully flowing, the birds spreading their wings, free of all care, and the trees dancing in the calm, soft breeze. I loved being touched gently by the wind, as if God himself had given me a kiss. Now, I think He did!

Those memories have always stayed with me!

As my family and I go hiking here in the States, I try to impart into my children to soak in those moments of stillness and rare beauty. When we pass a brook, I encourage them to listen carefully as there is a song to be heard. As we look at a beautiful waterfall, I encourage them to see the strength and power behind it. And as we see that the leaves have changed their colors to beautiful oranges, yellows and reds, I try to teach them that our lives are exactly like that. Seasons are a part of our lives. We need the winter as we need the summer. Seasons of dryness and seasons of flourishing are all a vital part in becoming mature human beings. Each bring their special gifts into our lives. Nothing ever really dies, it only changes.

As I continue to practice a contemplative lifestyle, I try to notice the laughter of children more. I try to value a tender moment with a friend. I want to understand the meaning of tears, each drop telling a story. In turn, I want to touch a life thoughtfully and with care.

Each of us have many opportunities each day to see divine moments and miracles in our lives. The busyness of life must be stilled in order to see what really matters.

Viola Jaynes