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

First there is hugging, and then there is hugging. The hugging I want to address today, is a greeting hug found in people of like mind, gathered for spiritual reasons;  not with amorous intentions.

At Song of the Morning Retreat, hugging is something most of us do in greeting another person. This past weekend, a young man was at the retreat for the first time. When he hugged me, he took every ounce of breath I had in me and out it came in one big WHOOSH! I was breathless and gasped for air. Nothing hurt, but I was overwhelmed.

Later, he came with a group of people to our home in the retreat community, and this time I shook his hand. Then in front of God and everyone, making it fun, I taught him how to hug elderly; gently and meaningfully. For truly, loving energy can be exchanged with even the slightest hug.

I have experienced hugs from people who want the hug but are afraid of contact and separate themselves bodily. So it is a reaching hug, or a side way hug. I can certainly understand how they might feel. It is best to approach these people in the manner that they lead. For you can readily tell, with their body language, what they can tolerate or not tolerate. Just the fact that they want a hug is good.

For some it is near a full body contact hug with only the best of intentions. One friend of mine exchanges hugs with me that seem to go on forever. We energize each other as if we have been together for eons and then were lost to each other and were finally reunited. Each week, we look forward to our reciprocal hug. When we miss a week, we both realize the loss.

Someone once warned me that I should not hug everyone and give away my energy. I felt sorry for this person. I never give away all of my energy, for it comes from God and is abundant and overflowing. I can tell when a persons auric energy is low or negative, and each time, I attempt to lighten their burden, by giving love, yet protecting myself by receiving their negativity and giving it to God.

I realize there might come a day when hugging will be questioned. It already is; what with pandemics etc. It will be a sad day when we have to stop and think first of the consequences of hugging and exchange of germs etc, instead of letting go and letting God be in charge. I believe that the loving light energy that is exchanged in hugging is germ free. It can be done with a mask on, hands off, visualized, from the heart, and from a distance.

For those of you who just can't bring yourself to receive or give hugs, I find nothing wrong with that except that you are missing out in life. I once had a beauty salon and some women came in weekly for a hair-do. Several of them said, "No one touches me from the time I leave here until my appointment next week." They would always say this with sadness. What you give you receive. You get out of a relationship what you put into it. I have no idea how many of these women gave to others what they so desired.  Even a pat on the back or a smile, is an exchange of love and a part of hugging. 

In my Messages from Jesus book p.83,  in conversation with Jesus, He said,

"I am being serious. You shine. Everyone shines their light, some brighter than others. How do you think it is that you can send others light if you didn't have it inside of yourself?"

"I never thought of that. People often ask me how to shine light on others. It is difficult to explain."

"One simple way to explain it would be to tell people to smile on self and others."

"Wow, what a pleasant thought." I hesitated, smiling to myself, before going on. "Sitting here, smiling, I can't help but think loving, happy thoughts."

    "Yes, and you are shining brighter because of it. . . .

                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shine on . . .   Mary Ann

 

I gave myself up,
loosening the bonds of my human form,
to become dancing particles …
a transformation outside myself,
as in a euphoric dream,
delighting in love,
and in that love I was loved.

How is it that one can experience Oneness with all creation? Sometimes it just happens without calling it forth. It simply is. You just need to be open to receiving it and, when it comes, to recognize it and flow with it.  Here is one experience which I wrote about in Sustained by Faith. It occurred at Song of the Morning Retreat where I live with my husband George.

   The next day as I went into the Retreat dining room, I felt myself shift into a state of meditative euphoria in which I was aware of being one with everything before me. My memory clear . . . I remember it vividly, as if I were back there again.
   Almost startled, I looked up as I entered the dining room. Everything and everyone in it was lit up, as if a light had been turned on, outlining them in brilliance beyond what was physically possible. Everything slowed down. As I sat with others for dinner, everything was clean and bright and stood out.
People were chatting and eating, seemingly in a manner that was not different from the norm, and yet I saw it differently. As I watched the slowed performance, no one seemed aware of this phenomenon, nor was I moved to share it.
   George, unaware of what I was experiencing, sat at my right, and we ate this beautiful meal within the glow, in slow motion . . . . I saw that as everyone was eating, each mouthful was truly an action of devotion. And yet, they were totally unaware of it.
   Through the open kitchen door, I watched Carrie, one of the cooks, place desert on individual dishes with loving care. I was mesmerized by her undeviated focus on her task. She was simply meticulously placing pieces of pie on individual plates, with slow devotion to her task. I could feel her reverence. She glowed within the scene, unaware of everything around her, unaware of me, watching. Her movements were in slow motion, as each crumb was removed or put in its place, each piece of pie perfectly centered on the plate. God poured forth grace through her into plate after plate of pie, as she orchestrated perfection, and energy resonated outward, everywhere, encompassing all. This was truly soul food in its highest form.
   Within the moments between moments, I realized, from her beautiful, loving essence, that she was preparing to serve God. And I realized that truly every action we take is in the oneness and presence of God. Observing the action encompassed in the brightness as time slowed down, I was amazed at the unity of the whole as life goes on.
   I watched as each person was silently attended to. I watched this beautiful, egoless woman devotionally serve this desert to each guest, as if it were being placed before God. I watched as they ate it, seemingly unaware of its blessed state. I remember being served this love-filled pie. I don’t remember what kind of pie it was. I don’t remember eating it.  
   This phenomenon of brilliance-seeing has occurred in many instances throughout my life. And sometimes, if I look closely, I find it in unexpected places and it makes me ever more wholly aware of the oneness of all of God’s creation and that love exists in all, awaiting notice.

   —©Mary Ann Johnston