Mindfulness | Bonnie Barnard - Part 2

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What’s Missing in the Pandemic Conversation

I started 2020 off with a HUGE gift. I was really sick. I spent the month of November in Bali. On the way home I had a layover day in downtown Hong Kong amidst many people wearing masks. I thought it was due to the air quality; I now know it was probably Covid. Once home, I was in bed for most of December, January and February. During this time of incapacity I was able to reflect upon the many of gifts The Spirit bestowed upon me the previous year. In early 2019 I took and retook a course on herbal medicine at Southwest Herb Shop. The first sentence our instructor said in class was “plants exist to love you.” Take in those words for a moment. “Plants exist to love you.” They exist on our planet in part to give and sustain life. This is true. Once that sentence left her lips, I recalled how most all synthetic pharmaceuticals are made to mimic plant remedies. I learned that...

I Want to Remind You that You are Powerful

I woke up this morning with the desire to scream across the computer WE HAVE THE STRENGTH of God within us!!! And I wanted to remind everyone I knew of our immense inner power that comes straight from the Presence of God that lives, moves and has Its being within us and as us. We are strong. We are made of God stuff. Stop for a moment and do an inventory of your perception right now. Where do you feel powerless, victimized, weak, doubtful? Are you concerned about work? Are you dancing with a health issue? Do you have strained relationships? Are you less tolerating of others and irritated more? Are you scared during the pandemic? Whatever it is, tell the Truth to yourself. Fess up. Be honest. Then sit and invite your inner Divine Presence to transform this energy into raw creative power. Transform it into what it really is … usable God energy. You and I are in the position to create our perception every day. Today,...

Breaking a Habit through Awareness and Choice

I bought some products from Aveda yesterday. I had tried to order my foundation throughout the pandemic and they were sold out. The supply had been replenished and I received an email offering me 25% off my purchase and routing me to the website. I ordered. I paid. I checked out. Then I took a survey. The survey asked for my feedback. My feedback was I am disappointed that I had to wait for the inventory. Then the follow up question was … get this … it is BIG … Was your feedback positive, negative, or both. That question woke up a trained habit within myself that said, “feedback equals improvement.” So I did look up the word feedback which does mean pointing out what needs improvement, so in essence I was giving feedback. Yet this follow up question woke me up to a habit. I stopped to think of ALL of the wonderful things the store did right and I liked. 1. They let me know when the...

Now What? Being with Internal Chaos

Sunday night I had a friend over for dinner and at 9:30 pm as we were sitting on the couch listening to jazz on the local public radio station, the phone rang. It was his parents informing him that he would have to spend the night wherever he was as there was a curfew in place. We couldn’t believe it. We turned on my computer to see that Phoenix was ablaze with conflict, anger, and firey objects. My body seized up a bit. I had many different sensations running through it and if I gave them emotional names I’d call them fear, sadness, concern, consternation, loss, and much more. Our country is in the midst of change. And although it needs it and I want it, I can be uncomfortable with the way it is ushered forward. Yet this is a collective experience and it shows up in many different ways and on many different levels, including the physical. The spiritual invitation is to accept what is and Love...

What Is Your Contract with You?

I knew my intention was more God/Bonnie as me and less fear-based living. At the end of February the conversation of the pandemic began to overtake the television news channels. I received many phone calls from Seattle friends warning me of the sweep to come in Arizona’s direction and what I would need to have and do in order to be prepared for this health concern. “No good crisis should be wasted,” and I made the decision that I would be a different person coming out of the stay-at-home-order than the woman entering it. More God/Me, less scaredy-cat. A pandemic is a perfect container for this intention. Decisions sculpt who we are becoming. Where we live, the job(s) we work, the friends we choose and those we invite into our inner circle for love, support, and the energy we align with. Awakening to our Energy/God Self, we know it matters to where and who we give our life energy. My first decision was to take all of my power...

Happy New Year (And Bali Cremations)

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND NEW DECADE!! 2020. I spent my November in Bali. While there I watched a culture practice “ceremony” throughout each and every day. Ceremony is another word for engaging in a ritual to honor and recognize the Divine Presence. Each morning when I woke up and went outside there would be evidence of prayer remains at my front door. A palm basket filled with flowers and incense honoring the three-fold nature of The Divine. The physical, the Soul, and the Invisible. Each hotel, store, and place of business had a temple and in front of the altar would be evidence that someone had shown up to pray and bless. If I were to be driven around throughout the day the car would have the palm, flowers and incense on the dashboard. Rice or flowers may be in the driver’s hair, also evidence of ritual. For one month I was in the presence of a Hindu culture that was praying their hearts open and I could feel...