.JPEG)
Imagination – what I believe I’ve walked away with on this spiritual journey. The ability to take what I’ve learned and create a new vision for my retired life.
When I stop for just a moment – I consciously breath in positive energy. When I feel tension, I breathe and realize and remind myself, this too shall pass. As my late husband often said during harvest in his wine cellar, “We’re not saving babies.” That simple wisdom still brings me perspective.
This course has helped me remember the beautiful life my husband and I had together for 31 years. I cherish those moments and delight in our daughter who became Dr. Martini, PhD, Virginia Tech this month, and my heart is filled with gratitude that we created this lovely creature together.
Throughout my life, I have often felt guilty for what many would consider an easy life. I grew up in a lower middle class America family in the 1960’s and 1970’s. We experienced no major traumas and had very little need for deep forgiveness. I have always known I was blessed. I always knew there was more to spirituality than American religions. I had the ability to pay for more than half of my college education.
Pivot –Even now, after my husband’s death, I often feel guilty that I have enough financial security to enjoy retirement without constant worry.
However, with this course, I have learned money is a tool and I no longer want to carry that guilt. I did not need a horrible childhood to understand forgiveness nor suffering to appreciate spirituality. Loving life, seeking enlightenment, and developing a profound connection to the divine are enough. This course has opened up new doors for me that help me connect to my true soul.
As I mentioned during our final sharing session, I see this entire journey as an umbrella. Each teacher represents a rib of the umbrella, sharing their particular expertise and perspective. Together, they support a structure that we integrate into our own understanding, allowing us to grow into our unique relationship with the divine.
The end tip of the umbrella, as another student mentioned on the final Friday gathering, could be Marie Diamond’s magical hat – I imagine it overflowing with love, joy and gratitude at the apex. Each inner panel represents how each of us weaves together the teachings of our instructors, creating an umbrella that is uniquely our own. The outer covering provides protection from energies that do not need to influence our lives.
The stretchers symbolize the daily practice required to transform knowledge into wisdom – from book knowledge to a daily practice. These stretchers strengthen and expand our umbrella until it becomes large enough with our imagination to not only shelter us, but also welcomes others into a space of love, acceptance and belonging.
The shaft must be strong like the core of our being – grounded, yet flexible enough to bend when necessary. The handle is where we hold onto the divine.
I’ve always been able to manifest in subtle ways - with patience knowing the universe provides what I need and often helps fulfill my deepest desires as well. I have experienced connections with those that have passed when I least expect it and I have learned to trust my intuition. When I ignore it, life tends to remind me why I should listen.
Marie gave us a vision of our class as a school much like Hogwarts – I love that metaphor because it celebrates both the magic and uniqueness of every student. Vishan is like a young Dumbledore, bringing vision and possibility. Lee has helped us recognize that each of our movements and moments are energy to bask in. Dawn taught us to connect deeply and energetically to the divine using our own energy and imagination – the very tools that carry us there. Marie is the teacher whose lessons challenge me the most. I need to spend more time working with her teachings on color and feng shui so as to develop a greater awareness of the energy surrounding me throughout each day.
All of our teachers have touched me deeply. I especially appreciate the growing body of science that is beginning to validate what spiritual seekers have long understood - truths that may not yet be fully measurable but can no longer be ignored. From ancient Eastern wisdom to modern scientific exploration, and from spiritual tools to profound methods of connecting with the divine, each teacher shared a wisdom that enriched our lives.
I have purchased books written by several of our teachers, and will take time to read them, but more importantly, I plan to revisit each lesson at least once more and print out the summaries and workbooks because by doing more homework, the repetition and practice bring the knowledge to my daily being and doing.
My heartfelt thanks go to Marie, Dawn and Lee for recognizing the value of this mastery and their help bringing it to fruition. Thank you Vishan for bringing it all together, and for the staff whose efforts blessed us throughout the experience.
I also appreciate the way Mindvalley subtly creates, without realizing it - opportunities for people with different learning styles including those who are neurodivergent, on the spectrum, or living with ADHS – to discover meaningful ways to connect with the divine and develop spiritual practices that work in everyday life.
This course has reminded me that spirituality is not about having suffered enough to deserve wisdom, it is about remaining, open, curious, grateful and connected. Through imagination, practice and love, we each create our own path – and our own umbrella beneath the divine.
When I stop for just a moment – I consciously breath in positive energy. When I feel tension, I breathe and realize and remind myself, this too shall pass. As my late husband often said during harvest in his wine cellar, “We’re not saving babies.” That simple wisdom still brings me perspective.
This course has helped me remember the beautiful life my husband and I had together for 31 years. I cherish those moments and delight in our daughter who became Dr. Martini, PhD, Virginia Tech this month, and my heart is filled with gratitude that we created this lovely creature together.
Throughout my life, I have often felt guilty for what many would consider an easy life. I grew up in a lower middle class America family in the 1960’s and 1970’s. We experienced no major traumas and had very little need for deep forgiveness. I have always known I was blessed. I always knew there was more to spirituality than American religions. I had the ability to pay for more than half of my college education.
Pivot –Even now, after my husband’s death, I often feel guilty that I have enough financial security to enjoy retirement without constant worry.
However, with this course, I have learned money is a tool and I no longer want to carry that guilt. I did not need a horrible childhood to understand forgiveness nor suffering to appreciate spirituality. Loving life, seeking enlightenment, and developing a profound connection to the divine are enough. This course has opened up new doors for me that help me connect to my true soul.
As I mentioned during our final sharing session, I see this entire journey as an umbrella. Each teacher represents a rib of the umbrella, sharing their particular expertise and perspective. Together, they support a structure that we integrate into our own understanding, allowing us to grow into our unique relationship with the divine.
The end tip of the umbrella, as another student mentioned on the final Friday gathering, could be Marie Diamond’s magical hat – I imagine it overflowing with love, joy and gratitude at the apex. Each inner panel represents how each of us weaves together the teachings of our instructors, creating an umbrella that is uniquely our own. The outer covering provides protection from energies that do not need to influence our lives.
The stretchers symbolize the daily practice required to transform knowledge into wisdom – from book knowledge to a daily practice. These stretchers strengthen and expand our umbrella until it becomes large enough with our imagination to not only shelter us, but also welcomes others into a space of love, acceptance and belonging.
The shaft must be strong like the core of our being – grounded, yet flexible enough to bend when necessary. The handle is where we hold onto the divine.
I’ve always been able to manifest in subtle ways - with patience knowing the universe provides what I need and often helps fulfill my deepest desires as well. I have experienced connections with those that have passed when I least expect it and I have learned to trust my intuition. When I ignore it, life tends to remind me why I should listen.
Marie gave us a vision of our class as a school much like Hogwarts – I love that metaphor because it celebrates both the magic and uniqueness of every student. Vishan is like a young Dumbledore, bringing vision and possibility. Lee has helped us recognize that each of our movements and moments are energy to bask in. Dawn taught us to connect deeply and energetically to the divine using our own energy and imagination – the very tools that carry us there. Marie is the teacher whose lessons challenge me the most. I need to spend more time working with her teachings on color and feng shui so as to develop a greater awareness of the energy surrounding me throughout each day.
All of our teachers have touched me deeply. I especially appreciate the growing body of science that is beginning to validate what spiritual seekers have long understood - truths that may not yet be fully measurable but can no longer be ignored. From ancient Eastern wisdom to modern scientific exploration, and from spiritual tools to profound methods of connecting with the divine, each teacher shared a wisdom that enriched our lives.
I have purchased books written by several of our teachers, and will take time to read them, but more importantly, I plan to revisit each lesson at least once more and print out the summaries and workbooks because by doing more homework, the repetition and practice bring the knowledge to my daily being and doing.
My heartfelt thanks go to Marie, Dawn and Lee for recognizing the value of this mastery and their help bringing it to fruition. Thank you Vishan for bringing it all together, and for the staff whose efforts blessed us throughout the experience.
I also appreciate the way Mindvalley subtly creates, without realizing it - opportunities for people with different learning styles including those who are neurodivergent, on the spectrum, or living with ADHS – to discover meaningful ways to connect with the divine and develop spiritual practices that work in everyday life.
This course has reminded me that spirituality is not about having suffered enough to deserve wisdom, it is about remaining, open, curious, grateful and connected. Through imagination, practice and love, we each create our own path – and our own umbrella beneath the divine.