More Truth Will Set You Free is a Transformational Healing workshop. I attended a session this week in Philadelphia that was facilitated by Toby Lerner. Toby is one of my yoga students, I have always been surprised by how connected and vocal she is about her connections to the light we cultivate in yoga practice and now I understand why.

One day after yoga, I saw this symbol Toby wears on a chain fall out of her shirt. I stopped her and asked her what it was she was wearing. The answers to that question lead me to the workshop.

Toby has been studying for two years under Derek O’Neill founder of SQ Wellness. He is her teacher and trainer. She is a certified practitioner and has now begun to step out and teach the workshop as a service to others. “Because service to man is service to G-d.” She told us that she feels she needs to reveal more about her spiritual side and nurture and develop its presence in her life.

The SQ Wellness system is “founded on the five human values of : Love, Truth, Peace, Right Conduct, and Non-Violence.” ” SQ Wellness can enable you to transform yourself spiritually, personally, and professionally and bring more self awareness into your life.”

“More Truth Will Set You Free workshops are a life changing event. The goal is to show you how to access your untapped potential, change things for the better, and discover how it all works in the mind, body and spirit. You will learn how old programs and beliefs keep you trapped and how to change these beliefs and programs with real healing techniques. You won’t be surprised at what you learn from these workshops, you will be transformed.”

Through this workshop Toby used stories, music, meditation and readings to invoke and reveal ourself to ourselves. The beautiful and powerful thing about healing is that it can happen and you can feel it happening in your mind, body and spirit. The road to spirit, the journey of healing and the path of transformation is a long one. It is continuous and changing if you want it to be lasting in effects and intensity.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Toby’s guidance and channeling of the healing spirit through her Masters system’s and traditions. It was truly a gift to share in the energy and force field that was present there for our time together. I felt my meditation growing deep and almost unwilling to come back from the place she helped me to reach in my meditation. This proved to me that her system was engaging and meaningful. I do believe and many others have said it is practice that is the key to tapping into this place within yourself that has the ability to unlock all that we hold on to that prevents love and light in our lives.

The end of the workshop finds you and the others learning how to draw the Prema Agni. It is a symbol that comes directly from the Masters. It contains several healing symbols whether implied or literally represented within its structure: the God’s head, the culmination of the five elements, the heart, Om, Ankh, The Lightening Bolt, The Caduceus, the cross, the Hindu Swastika, the Seal of Solomon, the Karmic Wheel of Life, the human figure and the five pointed star.           

“As you can imagine it is a perfect mandala to meditate on to open your heart center. Because when you open your heart to let love flow IN and OUT true healing. The symbol can be drawn on the back at the heart chakra and then the right hand is placed on the heart chakra and the left is placed on the left shoulder. Then repeat to yourself, ” Prema Agni, Prema Agni, Prema Agni.”"

Luckily, Toby will continue to teach these workshops and you can email her for more information and schedules at bucklern@earthlink.net.                                                    

ALL QUOTED MATERIAL was provided by  SQ Wellness system.

You could say Houston, Texas has a special place in my heart. I grew up there. I haven’t lived there in some time; but some family, friends and loved ones live there. Houston/Galveston are not the first places to experience tragedy such as Ike. But, it seems when events hit close to home that you feel inspired to get a little more vocal and involved in the process.

In the recent past: we have seen hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes take out many people, families, homes, businesses and cities. Whether we learn about it from the television, computer, newspaper we feel affected by the news; but we are not effected by the event.

The importance of a home, basic necessities and a stable environment are essential. Without these things people and life can get a bit scary and strange. It is one thing to never know these essentials and another to have once had them and in an instant have them taken away.

How can we truly help these millions of people get back to a normal life? Mother Earth is omni-powerful and natural disasters will never cease, it is part of the cycle of life.

In yoga we learn compassion. * Compassion for others is a feeling of deep sympathy for another who is stricken by misfortune and a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. Helping physically, mentally, financially or even spiritually can bring relief to others and allows you to empower yourself.

With so many different cultures, religions, lands in trouble it is hard to know where to focus your energy. You can help build community and responsibility by getting involved. Giving is admirable and will warm your heart. Maybe you can pick one or two causes that resonate in you. Helping rebuild people’s lives one at a time or in tandem is choosing to be a part of the solution. Once disaster moves through putting the pieces back together is the only solution.

In yoga practice, sometimes you feel mighty and other times meek. Which disposition is the truth? I think they both are depending on the moment. It is the same in nature. That shouldn’t mean we give up, when there is hope there is growth.

May all the people everywhere that experience great tragedy feel hope enter back into their lives and pick up the pieces to move forward as best as they can given the circumstances.

If you would like to make a donation to the Houston Food Bank which provides food to the victims, follow this link: http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/default.aspx

Image of Ike from above comes from: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/multimedia/hurr_ike091008.html

* Wikipedia definition of Compassion

It turns out I have been in Houston, Texas visiting my brother’s 1st baby. She is a little girl that happens to look like a perfect little china doll.

Wow! Her skin is milky white, her eyes pretty blue, eyelashes all long, jet black hair, long fingers, strong neck (already pulling up at 2 weeks), squirmy little critter. Just an amazing gift to come into this world!

What a miracle the creation of life, from before the person comes to this world and then their growth as a part of our human race.

I can only imagine what a cool process being a part of growing a baby within you must truly be. As a woman this must be extraordinary in so many ways!! Scientifically, a true phenomenon.

What is interesting to look at is their development once their come outside to begin life as we know it. It will be so interesting to see the way in which the genetics, environment and experiences this person have contribute to forming this person’s personality.

Even within the first few weeks of their life you can begin to detect this new person’s disposition and tendencies. Will they be calm and easy, hyper and super active? Are they generally happy or fussy, sleep a lot or little? All of these are little indicators to follow up on in the future to correlate to their developing personalities.

Over time, the cumulative effect of life changes and influences direct a person to navigate their life in a certain way, have certain attitudes and perspectives and make choices that follow their transformation.

But, as a new child arrives in this world without a single blemish, mark, alteration to a seemingly clear canvas you get this overwhelming feeling of choice, time and experiences.

All the time a person lives through, all the choices a person is able to make each day, all the possibilities that are available to a person should they decide to reach out and go for it.

The element of time and how you spend yours is a true test of character. The influences of each person dictate so much about a person, the field of endless possibilities seems infinite as a new baby lies in their new crib resting their souls to prepare for the BIG ADVENTURE, which is life.

I think I am reminded so much of the fragility of life and the freedom of choice and the passing of time as I lay my eyes upon the most tender, unafflicted, little soul I know at the moment.

Well, everything has a beginning ; but, not necessarily everything has an end. Check out a circle!

This is my 1st blog entry which will kick off the launch of a new, improved Totally Zen experience!

It has been my vision to create the type of site where I can express & share my ideas about life, Zen, yoga, living, breathing, thinking & doing. I hope in doing this it will tap into other people’s desire to do the same in their lives!

The basic idea is to help people explore ideas that might not be as readily apparent or accessible to them.  Here,  I think of myself as a conduit of feelings & expressions that flow through me in a certain way because I have chosen to alter my thinking, seeing,  feeling  & living as a result of finding the Eastern Way.

I believe it is a truly healthy & enlightened path to travel!I am offering to you my insight because I feel if I can help one person get on this path or feel better or understand more than I have accomplished my goal!

In life we are all teachers & students.  As we teach , we learn, we grow! This is the point of life & it is the my biggest passion to keep growing in this fashion!

I want to share the things that interest me, fascinate me & make me tick! I want to know the same of you for we have so much to give & receive from others!I am so excited to begin this journey & see where it takes me!

Namaste!