Even the subtleness of the lightest intended breath takes one deep into meditation, or as we breathe it out upon others, it gets the strongest healing results, and I know it as it takes place. What wonder the quiet mind and the brush of breath.

Silent Retreat

with Mary Ann Johnston and Sandi Jones
Oct. 29, 30, 31     Fee: Love Offering
Orientation: Friday 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.

“Every person needs a retreat, a ‘dynamo of silence’, where he may go for the exclusive purpose of being newly recharged by the Infinite.” —Paramahansa Yogananda

This Silent Retreat, located at Song of the Morning Retreat, is devoted to taking us out of our dependence on the world, then allowing God to fill us. Keeping silence will help you connect to your inner self, find peace within and experience the eternal present. The retreat will include yoga, readings from Yogananda’s writings, guided and silent meditation, nature walk, chanting, and as much time for personal inward reflection as you need.

Song of the Morning a Yoga retreat of excellence, is a slice of heaven, tucked into a secluded forest in northern, lower Michigan, east of Vanderbilt. In addition, this 800 acre retreat is nestled within hundreds of acres of pristine state forest.

When you leave on Sunday, you may find you are a different person than the one that arrived Friday. 

Mary Ann has given classes on spiritual living, breath work, and healing throughout Michigan and the Southwest.

Sandi Jones has taught hatha yoga and meditation in the Golden Lotus style for over 20 years and has a background in education and social work.

Mary Ann and Sandi will be available for individual healing energy sessions, or personal mentoring.

You are invited to come at any time during the week for extended personal reflection.

For Reservations and accommodations, contact: office@Goldenlotus.org
or phone: 989 983 9101. Hope to see you here.

 Blessings to all,  Mary Ann

Following is dialogue between myself and Jesus taken from my book Messages from Jesus,

"One day, I was driving home from a visit with family, through an area where part of the forest was being cleared for a new section of freeway. I came over a hill and saw the clearing. It was as if a giant sickle had been wielded through the forest, taking with it everything in sight—a swath of devastation of the green, for miles. I gasped and had to catch my breath. Immediate sadness came over me. All this for safer travel in this rapidly-growing population, at the expense of Mother Earth."

"Human life is important. It is the growing affluent and materialistic society of today that demands safer travel. If it is done with honor and without malice and intent to harm Mother Earth, it is acceptable. If it is done for excessive monetary profit, it is not acceptable. Mother Earth suffers either way. The devastation to all of nature on and in Mother Earth is evident in war-torn places, forest clearings, diverting of waterways, raping the land of minerals, oil and gas, pollution to the environment and even waste from your households. All of this and more has been as detrimental to Mother Earth and her inhabitants as is the taking of human lives.

"You cannot just take from Mother Earth. You must realize you are taking away from future generations—your children, grandchildren and theirs. If you take a tree, you must plant a tree.

"Be aware of what you are purchasing and throwing away. How much waste are you accountable for? Do you recycle? Do you pollute? Do you have more than you need? You are like the child in the store crying loudly, 'I want . . .' when in fact you do not need.

"I tell you, Mother Earth is more powerful than all your weapons set off at once. Do you not realize that you are working in parallel with Mother Earth. As you advance, so does she. As you become imbalanced, so does she."

"Is this why there is so much drought in some areas and floods in other areas. . .?"

". . . And seasonal disruptions and melting of polar ice and strange behaviors of animals and people—often caused by man's ignorance.

"Some of the devastation is from Mother Earth's natural cleansing cycles and maintaining equilibrium. And Mother Earth needs more and more cleansing now as human population grows and devastation to humanity and nature increases. Mother Earth does not do harm intentionally. It is in the cleansing process that people get in the way.

"Many humans don't understand that Mother Earth is a part of the whole, just as important as you and I. It is all one."

"Some time ago, I was visiting a sick friend, who was in a great deal of pain and wanted some healing energy work for himself. We went into his bedroom and he lay down on the bed. One of his two great danes came and stood alongside of me. I had to brace myself because the dog put his body right up against mine and pushed against me. This dog was nearly as tall as I am and he was sitting! The other great dane did not interfere. I started to bring my hands across my friend's body to try to determine where his aura needed work. The dog would push my hands, with his nose, into areas where he thought I should be working. Here was a healer dog!

"When the dog and I finished with the energy work, my friend and I decided to go outside and lie in the sun. We proceeded to lie down on lounge chairs. The two great danes lay down near us. It was a beautiful, sunny day. I noticed many flies in the area and I did some heart talk with them and said, 'I am honored to be in your presence, but I would like to be able to lie in the sun. I would appreciate it if you would let me rest here for a little while, and when I am done, you can have your space back.' . . . No bugs bothered me. After about five more minutes, my friend jumped up and emphatically said, 'I can't stand these flies. I need to get some spray and spray them.'

"I was very upset, first of all, because I had not spoken for him in the beginning and, second, because he wanted to kill them with spray. He went inside to get the spray. I attempted to talk the flies into leaving. In the meantime, I didn't want to stick around for the kill. So . . . I looked at the great danes, and in silent heart talk, I asked them, 'Would you like to show me your yard and what you do here?' They immediately jumped up and walked off about ten feet, turned around, and looked at me as if to say, 'Well, are you coming or aren't you.' So I got up and followed them. First they took me to one area of the tall stockade fence, which was needed to keep them in the big yard. They barked, and from the other side of the fence another dog barked back. I felt as if I had been introduced to the neighbor dog. Then I followed them down a trail leading through some trees and they showed me where they lie out of the sun. They took me to the fish pond and some other areas also. By then my friend had done his deed, so I thanked the dogs and left them on their own."

Taken from Messages from Jesus, Third edition, pp. 97-99.

I learned a wonderful lesson from a dog some time ago. I was working in New Mexico and my assistant occupational/therapist and friend told me her dog was to have surgery soon, and she wondered if it would be all right if she brought the dog into the rehabilitation area, in a cage, during recovery. Well, the day arrived and so did she and the dog.First she carried in a large cage and then she went out to carry in the dog. He was quite a big dog and was heavy for her to carry and put in the cage. He was still under the effects of the anesthesia. We went about our work and, when things slowed down, I said to her, 'How would you like me to do energy work on your dog?'

"The words just spilled out of my mouth.I had never worked with animals before and wasn't even sure if they had auras! She opened the cage and pulled the dog out. The dog was so out of it from the anesthesia that he did not make any signs of awareness. I proceeded to say a prayer and then, very slowly, I scanned for his aura. Immediately, I felt it and then smoothed his aura out! She rolled him over and, again, I slowly smoothed out his aura on the other side. I also worked on healing the incision.After we were finished, she put him back in the cage.

"A few weeks later, we had a terrible ice storm. I was afraid to venture out to go home after work. My friend offered to let me spend the night in her nearby home, and I was very happy to do so. We arrived at her home and walked in. The dog I had, two weeks earlier, given energy work to was on the other side of the room as we entered. He spied me and ran to me and lay at my feet. Over and over, I slowly smoothed out his aura on one side, and then he rolled over for me to do the other side. It was a joyful, happy reunion. In the morning, as soon as he heard me up, he ran to me and again lay at my feet for more.

"This was a new revelation for me. First of all, that animals have auras. Second, that animals are so remarkable that they can be aware of their surroundings even while anesthetized. Third,that this dog remembered me and my energy. I loved all of it.

"Given that I had chosen not to study or read or listen to anything about healing at that time, because I wanted it to come straight from God, I was unaware of the energy of animals. This was a first for me and God provided the lesson through Mother Nature. I was ready for it. All lessons seemed to come when I needed to know something, often through another person, plant, or animal.

"My friend tried to pay me for helping her dog, with money, food and so forth. I realized it was important for her to be able to give me something. I finally accepted a feather, which is still hanging from a planter in my healing room."

From Messages from Jesus Third Edition, p. 94-96

Sandi Jones and I, Mary Ann Johnston are giving a Silent Retreat at Song of the Morning, November 20-22.  For more information you can check the schedule on this web site.

Keeping Silence will help you connect to your Inner Self; to find peace within and experience the eternal present. This retreat will include readings from Paramahansa Yogananda’s writings, guided and silent meditation, nature walk, chanting, and as much time for inward reflection as you need. Silence will be held by ‘attendees, from Friday 8 p.m. through the Sunday Service, except for two sharing periods.

Mary Ann is a practicing healer/occupational therapist. She has given classes on spiritual living, breathwork,  and healing  throughout Michigan and the Southwest.  She authored Sustained by Faith & Messages from Jesus.

Sandi Jones has taught yoga and meditation in the Golden Lotus style for over 20 years and has a background in education and social work.

Hope to see you here, Love, Mary Ann

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”  --Matthew 24:29-30

In his book The Second Coming of Christ, Paramahansa Yogananda interprets the above passage as referring to Jesus appearing to individuals in a spiritual form, not in a physical body (Volume II, pp. 1312-1314). However, he does not consider this to be “the Second Coming of Christ”. Yogananda regards the Second Coming of Christ as the awakening of each individual soul, in the course of its spiritual development, to unity with the Christ Consciousness – God as the omnipresent, guiding intelligence in creation. First, one experiences the Christ Consciousness; then one can merge with it. Thereafter, the soul is able to ascend to oneness with God as the Supreme Being, the ultimate Source of all that ever was and will be.

In commenting on Matthew 24, Yogananda says that, immediately after great tribulations and upheavals in nature, even greater troubles will ensue: the sun and moon will be darkened, great “falling stars” of meteors will enter the earth’s atmosphere, and the many seas will be roiling with upheavals and tidal waves. Then those who become sufficiently developed spiritually will be able to “see the embodied Christ Consciousness (Jesus) coming out of the ethereal clouds of the darkness of closed eyes into the Christ light of the spiritual eye, his form radiant with luminous heavenly power and great glory.”

The spiritual eye is the sixth chakra – the astral organ of spiritual sight. By deep, devotional meditation, with the eyes turned upward and one’s concentration focused at the midpoint between the eyebrows, it is possible to see the light of the spiritual eye. Yogananda speaks of this wondrous light in his writings. He says that being born again (being born in Spirit) means seeing the Christ light of the spiritual eye, entering through it into Christ Consciousness, and finally, by further development, merging into Cosmic Consciousness. This is the kingdom of God – the blissful state of oneness with God as the Supreme Being, the Source of all beings and all creation.

As in the above prophecy of Jesus, many of the prophecies that have been received in our times speak of enormous changes coming to our earth and solar system, with the earth being enveloped in darkness for several days. Some of them explain that these changes are part of a long-awaited process for the purification and regeneration of the earth and its life forms and for beneficial changes in our galaxy. They speak of opportunities for spiritual growth, which already are all around us. They advise us that, in order to take advantage of these opportunities and cope with what is coming, we need to open our hearts and minds. They tell us we should make every effort to participate in the spiritual transformation that is taking place … that God and divine beings are there to help us every step of the way.

In Messages from Jesus, Jesus spoke to Mary Ann about his return. Among other things, he said that, although many like her had already experienced his return, when he would return for all mankind, “all shall know.” He told her that he would come “in Christ Consciousness, for all people everywhere, with the glory of the heavens and earth”, and “the highest heavens and all of nature rejoicing.” (Third Edition, 2009, pp. 46-47)
–George Johnston

 

Be still, my soul, and let me meditate upon our God,

For no appointed time, but far beyond,

As God has come to turn my darkness into light

And deliver me into radiance to end my night.

 

Be still, my soul, and know what God would have me see,

For I seek answers to why and what made me to be.

But there is no sound and nothing to be heard;

I strain to hear, within the endless light, a word.

 

All visions of imagined sin, evil, and warring might,

And conflicts … ceased … when from the vacant light …

From somewhere … everywhere … above,

I heard God softly whisper … “Love.”

 

The sound reverberated far in colorful light,

While iridescent waves joined in playful flight,

And my soul was merged in endless love,

Which filled my eyeless sight.

 

Amidst the loving echoes of God’s grace,

Worries of eternal boredom were erased,

And fantasies that seemed so real just yesterday

Were no longer in my way.

 

With love … My soul …

There is nothing more to know.

And for the world at rest within my heart,

I sing within, “My God how wonderful Thou Art.”

©Mary Ann Johnston

 

I cannot say enough about the importance of clearing your aura. It has truly helped me on many occasions.

This article will emphasize the importance of clearing your aura to remove spiritual, emotional and other negative energies so they do not manifest in the mind as negative thinking or in the body as a physical problem.

Even the psychiatrist will often say, "It is in your mind." But where is the mind? The mind is an extension of you as a whole and is not centered in the brain or second brain or anywhere else in the body. Every time you change your mind, you change your body.

"Dancing with the Spirits" ©(clearing the aura) is something I do everyday at any time but always during my morning and evening rituals of self-care, ie, brushing teeth, etc. I have made this a habit. It brings about immediate focus on the extent of the light within and without my aura. You may not see it or feel it, but it is there.

I might sit on a stool, or stand in the shower, then with my hands or thoughts, I cleanse and clear the aura, starting from the top of my head and working down and out all areas of my body. With the right attitude and faith, "Dancing with the Spirits" opens the energy systems surfacing the multi-sensory child within and freeing all that is not for my highest good.

I feel so much better when I am able to rid myself of the cobwebs surrounding me in all layers of my being. It only takes a minute and can be done with just your thought during a busy stressful day to calm you. Clearing your aura helps you to cope with problems, feel better emotionally and physically, and increases the light of your spirit.

 —Mary Ann Johnston

 

   When you want to get something across to others you might sometimes whisper so they perk up and listen.  In my dialogue with Jesus, He would do that to me every once in a while. And He would whisper to me very quietly. But it was a different kind of whisper. It was a very powerful whisper as if a powerful wind being held at bay, wanting to pour forth and only letting out a little at a time. He wanted me to understand and pay attention.

   At one of those times, when I was having great doubts about sharing, He whispered to me “Don’t hide your light under a bushel basket.” He knew I was trying to justify sharing His words with others.

—Mary Ann

I have been contemplating ... “What is the purpose of writing my books, "Sustained by Faith" & "Messages from Jesus" and who is my audience.”  It is hard to promote Spiritual/Inspirational books. They run the risk of not getting noticed unless you are a big name with major promotion & marketing backing you.

When I thought about their purpose, assumptions waved before me like waves on an ocean. I finally concluded that the purpose of the books is not wholly mine to determine, but that of Jesus with his messages for today's world and what the writings will do for the reader, one by one.

I could say, I hope the books expand the love of Sweet Jesus in each reader, and make known that God is present in all aspects of life.

The audience is easier to determine. The books are for those who love Jesus, those who are looking for answers, those who have been abused, those who have given up, those who need healing, those who have lost faith in God or need encouragement on their spiritual path, those who have no one, those who are searching for more meaning in their lives, and the many, many people who would experience a growing love for God and Jesus in their hearts and a greater awareness that God is present in all aspects of live.

—Mary Ann Johnston