Practice | Bonnie Barnard - Part 9

Home » Practice

The Gospel of the Belly

I have had a long term battle with my belly. It is subtle at times, and very blatant at others. I swear it has a life of its own and I have secretly resented it; although until last night, I was not aware of this brewing distain. On Monday I will fit into an outfit, than Tuesday I am too swollen to wear it. I will go to sleep on Wednesday feeling fine to wake up on Thursday with a distended stomach and no understanding as to how it happened. My long battle with the belly became more intense after undergoing a hysterectomy leaving with it scattered scars of different sizes and color hues reminding me of Di Vinci, the name of the robot that conducted the operation. I have visited doctors, medical intuitives, faith healers, and weight loss centers to address this persistent annoyance. Which brings me to all of the ways I’ve set out to take good care of my body which hasn’t resulted in visual...

How to Live from Bliss, Thick Beauty, Creativity

Check out to what filmmaker David Lynch has to say about the benefits of meditation and what is in the Field of Pure Consciousness (I would call God). Some quotes from Lynch … “If you have a golf ball size consciousness, you will have a golf ball size understanding.” “Enlightenment is the full potential of all of us human beings.” “A side effect of this Consciousness is that negativity starts to recede.” “It’s money in the bank to get that beautiful consciousness growing … intuition grows … it is a field of Pure Knowingness … it’s like an ocean of solutions.” “The enjoyment of life grows, HUGE!” “People look like friends, not like enemies.” “You can vibrate with this bliss.” I have been a meditator now for ummmm…eighteen years, maybe. The daily practice for me of going beyond the realm of thought, feeling and perception and into the Consciousness of One has ripened my beingness and softened me. Enjoy the video and I’ll meet you in The...

Dismissing or Diminishing Prayer

I am a professional prayer. Yep, the primary way I make my living is praying for others. So it wasn’t too unusual when my hair stylist asked me to not tip her and instead pray for her husband throughout the holiday season. I did stop for a moment and wonder if she would have made the request to a lawyer to write a brief as her tip or request of a mechanic to change her oil; but prayer is often seen by people as something anyone can do (which they can) and so the request wasn’t too strange. I paused for a moment, knowing I would be saying yes and this yes would mean I would be actively praying until I knew the prayer was complete within me. “Yes, I’d be happy to pray for your husband, tell me more,” I said as the next foil scrunched in my hair. “My husband gets really depressed this time of year,” she whispered, looking around so no one would...

If All is God…Then Why Beat Ourselves Up for How We Feel?

After my morning meditation, I turned on my computer to go through my emails. I found a blog I subscribe to where the writer felt much relief by admitting her relationship with her husband wasn’t going that well. She said the more friends she told, the more relief she felt and the more relief her friends experienced by admitting that marriage isn’t always perfect. I was struck by my perception that our culture does everything and anything, overall, to make certain emotions of ours unacceptable and wrong. Spiritual teachings tend to also do this. Many spiritual teachers suggest reaching for a higher emotion, as though the one we’re in is not holy. Others suggest certain emotions are not real, or are not of God. The small ‘t’ truth is the transitory nature of our being. As spiritual beings we are mind, emotions, body, and Spirit. Every intuitive teacher I have spoken with says they embraced all of their emotional registry as a way to access their intuition. Recovering addicts...

Faith, Faith and a Dose More of Faith

Today I am willing to let go of thinking I know everything. I see the Roller Derby of my mind, all of my opinions elbowing each other and jockeying for position. I see the ‘inner committee’ and laugh at its pushiness. I surrender to the space beyond the committee of opinions; the space that knows nothing and trusts everything. I make room for new discoveries — in the world, in myself and in others. Life is much better when I’m not a big smarty-pants. And so it is! Affirmation by Rev. Bonnie Rose, Ventura Center for Spiritual Living, November 6, 2013 One month ago today I woke up in my friend Heather’s home in Arizona, drove through three thunder and lightening storms with my car loaded from bottom to top with suitcases, clothes, salad dressings, photos, a few books, three overhead bags of toiletries, and three grocery bags of tea to land in West Hollywood, California on one of the hottest days of the year. The first thing...

The Spiritual Revival

I woke up this morning thinking about the Spiritual Revival, a two night event in the Los Angeles area. In three weeks, I, along with three powerful women, will facilitate stepping into the Field of Divine Love through prayer, meditation, chant, music, and dancing. My sister-friend Larisa Stow and the Shakti Tribe will weave music throughout the spiritual facilitation. Her music is known to create a vibration-raising revolution with their edgy blend of mantra-infused rock. My other sister-friend Gino Walker will be one of the three spiritual facilitators of the evening. She too is a powerful singer, singing from the consciousness of Oneness. Gino is also a Spiritual Teacher, teaching what she lives. Gino will close out the evening with her facilitation. I am the third spiritual facilitator for the evening and will open the Revival centering and grounding us in The Good of God. The first evening, Friday, October 18, will be held at the Ventura Center for Spiritual Living where Rev. Bonnie Rose will...