"The Creator has not given you a longing to do  that which you have no ability to do."  - Orison Swett Marden 1850-1924, American Author, Founder of Success Magazine

You already have what is required to be a powerful spiritual being.  On this journey I will help you awaken those skills, and give you the tools that will enhance your learning experience.  Let's begin by learning about the essence we call Self. Self is a condition of learned behaviors, inherited traits, vulnerabilities, desires, and ambitions from past lives, reactions and agendas. All of these elements begin to make up our armor we show to the world. This armor can be duel sided (as anything can in the energy of duality). It can be used to protect and to entrap. When self is gliding along smoothly, one can envision a hand moving smoothly over your armor with ease.

Enlightenment is the light of the Me; light of the self or self knowledge. Knowledge of the Self is the key to self inspection. If the armor is not carefully inspected by the self, what then? Inspections from friends, lovers, children, and strangers will take over the job. At the start of your Awakening, there will be many opportunities to find chinks in need of repair. Oftentimes these opportunities are presented in the form of what I call "vibrational glitches." Vibrations travel over us at all times from people, places, actions, and words and they can get "glitched," or caught, in our chinks. Chinks are not necessarily easy to spot. When one considers how a rubber raft might take on water with a mere pinhole, one can see that even the slightest chink can lead to potential damage. Once we properly inspect our armor we can begin to send reinforcement energy to the chinks.

Consider for a moment a well traveled highway, and imagine that highway is your self; your essence.  Now envision a downpour of rain. Consider this rain to act as energy in the form of vibrations. The rain pours over the highway, cleansing it, and then washing away the tiny bits and pieces of debris.

The rain washes away everything except what is left behind in the dips and potholes. The rain that may have been refreshing and cleansing now gathers in these places.  The water becomes stagnant over time, brackish and filled with contamination. Then the water evaporates and leaves behind sediment.
	This sediment can cause discomfort, discontent and if not properly removed, can lead to disease.

This sediment is a disturbance in the Self. These glitches and chinks are an early warning system for unresolved issues or steps in our path that must be addressed. Although it may sound scary, this is actually a very helpful process. It is the proper discernment of those vibrational glitches that will allow you to progress. As you grow in spirit, you will feel great bouts of bliss and joy. You will experience sudden surges of oneness with All that Is, and at times you will touch the tips of eternal and complete knowledge. Sounds great, huh? What about those times that you do not feel special? Or you don't feel as if you can access that eternal and complete knowledge base? You may believe that you cannot feel your connection to the Universe. Does this mean you are not working or that you have become broken somehow? Of course not! Every spiritual person I know comes to this place about fifty percent of the time on their journey. It is normal to experience down periods in your psychic sensations. You cannot base your entire connection to Spirit on a feeling.  If this were so, then anyone ill would not have a connection when they don't feel well. Anyone who has negative thoughts would not have a connection since they are not positive enough...anyone who experienced depression would not have a connection since they are not centered...am I making my point? If that were the case then only the healthy, wealthy and wise would have a connection to the Universe. And that is just not logical, because we are all a part of the whole; we all have the connection. Awakening can give us the bliss, the inner peace, the mystical journeys, and the empowering psychic abilities we seek.

There is another side of awakening that is seldom discussed. Transpersonal psychologist Bonnie Greenwell, Ph.D., describes in Energies of Transformation this additional part as "physical collapse, psychic chaos, personality upheaval; elements of human transformation that uproot us to the core and cause us to 'know' that we have been touched by powers greater than ourselves." Doesn't that sound tempting? It is, however, more often than not a fact. When someone tells me they want to open themselves to the spiritual side of life, I know they are inviting the Universe to reshape their lives. Let's look at how such a thing could affect us.

	Let's pretend we are the farmer's field, and in our field we have always grown corn. One day, we decide corn is not as good for us as it used to be, and we want to grow something new.  We are aware that it is good to change around crops; rotating them helps to keep the soil active. Now, since we have opted to make this change, it requires some removal, and the removal of the cornstalks is hurtful to the earth.  Their deep roots pull at our layers of sediment, rip apart our dirt skin, and tear apart our earthly embrace. We are left void, violated and hurting. As you grow, several corn stalks will be pulled away, others will be ripped apart, and still others will be torn. Not all, mind you, but some. This will be a painful process. If you have any glitches or potholes, they will especially be challenged.
What can we expect after this? New plantings, new growth and new harvest! That once void, violated and hurting earth is now replaced with nutrients that the Universe deems necessary.  There is a gentle planting of seed; something with great potential. Watering with experience and knowledge nurtures our newest sprouts. Then, before you know it, new ideas will be firmly planted, new actions and reactions will take root, and new perceptions will blossom. This is the harvest of enlightenment. The harvest is self-love; the understanding of your place within humanity.

This will happen many times as you grow and learn. Change will be the only thing consistent within your known world. There is a certain peace that can come about from this, as you grow outside of the box that was given to you as a young sprout. To grow beyond that which you were told was normal is to achieve expansion of essence; of self. It is your soul's birthright. It is so easy, however, to get caught up in questions and self-doubt. Who am I to have these gifts of psychic vision, empathy, or healing? The answer is that each person has a gift within them. Some very special people have several. It is a given, as far as I am concerned, that everyone has at least one. That is why you are here. What should you do when you have that strange case of self-doubt? What to do when others treat you differently and you begin to doubt your connections to the Universe? It happens to all of us, including me from time to time. I have pockets of days in my life where I wonder if I am psychic, and I question whether or not I really assist anyone. As you can see, at least in my world, this process is normal. However, normal can still be painful and distracting. To help you in your process, I created an audio meditation exercise for you to take into your psyche and make it a part of your belief system. It doesn't matter to me if you are Christian, Catholic, Islamic, or simply consider yourself Spiritual. It merely matters that you have something to hold on to during those hard and harsh times, even if that something is simply knowing that there is more outside of you, named or un-named. During this meditation exercise, I will teach you how to install an anchor. Meaning I will give a suggestion to your subconscious to create an anchor with a certain action, word or situation that will immediately kick in and take place. If you watch practitioners, they will often play the same music, or touch their ears while giving a reading. Perhaps they rub their hands together or hold their fingers a certain way. Many times they hold a certain object to enhance their belief in themselves and in that which is more than them. Some of these actions are actually triggers of their anchor. This anchor (covered more in a later lesson) will also assist you in grounding yourself when you sense extreme energies. Many years ago I was in an inipi, a Native American sweat lodge, shortly after the death of my mother. During my second sweat I was given a brief visitation by Spirit.  In this vision, a spirit that looked like a man took me away for a short time. I specifically recall that spirit telling me to "find my power place." For years I tossed around the idea of where that power place might be. Could it be Sedona, Stonehenge, The Black Mountains or simply the ocean? I kept seeking the known places of spiritual identification, and came up lacking each time. Although I didn't actually visit each place, there was an overwhelming sense of "no, that isn't it." Then my phone rang one day.  It was an Apache grandmother who barely knew me, but we had some mutual friends. She talked for almost an hour about cooking, clothing, and crafts. To be honest, I tuned her out; I was preparing dinner while on the phone and was quite distracted. Then I heard her say, "It doesn't need to be a special place to be your power place." What? I stopped making dinner and asked her to repeat herself. She again stated that "a power place didn't need to be a special place to all humanity, just to me." She continued, "Think of the first place you can recall being at peace, being happy, being carried away by nature."  And with that advice, I finally had it. When I was about eight years old, my mother took me to visit her friends in the country. They had grandchildren about my age, and they sent us all out to play in the little creek behind their home. Off went our shoes and socks, and into the water we went. We  chatted for awhile as we made our way up the creek, one stone at a time. I can remember to this day how cold the water was washing over me, and how smooth and slick the river rocks were. I can still see the tiny fish darting around my toes. It was nearing autumn, the trees were slightly turning, and the last of the afternoon sun dappled through the leaves and fell onto the water. It reminded me of shimmering diamonds. I was leading our little pack of rock hoppers. Right in front of us was a bend in the creek. One part of the creek continued straight, while the other curved around to the right. How interesting! That is where I was going. I was curious to see what was around the bend. Just then, as I stepped forward on a smooth brown rock, I heard someone yell, "Tina Michelle!" It was my mother and she was angry. I knew this because she had used both my names. In the south when your mom calls using both your names, you know you are in for it! Apparently we had been gone for over five hours and we had walked miles up the creek. The parents were frantic, but I was disappointed. I never did get to see what was around the bend. That was the first place in my life I felt at peace. I truly felt alive within God's nature; as if I were suspended in time. That peaceful place is now my power place.   When I meditate and really want to center; to ground and to get my fullest answers, I go there. I see myself there as an adult. I step onto the wet, slick stones and make my way toward the bend. No one is there to stop me now. I summon the courage and round the bend. What is there amazes me. It is my place. You will have your own place, and it will be filled with everything you need. Perhaps it will have your deceased loved ones, your angels and guides, your animal totems, or your higher self. Whatever awaits you in your power place will be a place of total confirmation for you. I will begin you on your journey to your power place, and I will assist you with your anchor. The rest is up to you. Build your place and make it into whatever you need it to be. Once this is completed and firmly established you will be able to constantly reground yourself when you are tempted with self-doubt.

Let's take a moment and do a deep breathing exercise. Three deep breaths are typical when doing a meditation exercise. They give you a quick alignment of your higher self, your conscious mind, and your subconscious.  When this alignment is in balance, you can easily access your spirit guides, Angels and your divine guidance. This is called "centering." Centering will give you a sense of calm and the ability to "hear" any guidance you are seeking.
The first deep breath connects our current state of mind, our conscious mind, to our physical body with breath. Understand you are a spirit held within a vessel; a container called a body, and you can actually sense your body wrapped around your spirit. Sense your toes, your calves, your knees, and make your way up your body and allow yourself to "feel" your physical self.
The second deep breath allows our conscious mind to connect with our subconscious mind; our storage and all of our memories.  Here is where you hold the essence of who you are.  We are a combination of all of our past experiences and memories.
The third deep breath allows you to connect to the self that is just outside your physical body. Accessing this part of yourself, known as the Higher Self, will connect the body, mind , and spirit.  The Higher Self holds your soul agreements and all the knowledge you need to fulfill these agreements.

Let's review some questions concerning possible awakening symptoms.  Answer honestly, and we will review the answers below.  It is a simple YES or NO; remember, if it isn't a definite YES, then your answer should be NO.  BRING THIS WORK TO CLASS WITH YOU FOR THE ANSWERS. 1)  Since opening myself to my spiritual side, I have lost several friends.  Y or N 2)  My marriage or current relationship seems to be suffering and I am not sure why.  Y or N 3) My family is concerned for my state of mental health since I began my spiritual studies.  Y or N 4)  I find when I am speaking with others, I grow easily bored with their conversation.  Y or N 5)  I used to love my job, or at least was tolerant of it.  Now it is torture for me to work there.  Y or N 6) I sometimes cry at commercials. Y or N 7) Films or television shows can bring me to deep sobs. Y or N 8) I am starting to become a people watcher. Y or N 9) I seem to have a morbid curiosity concerning human behaviors. Y or N 10) My entire taste in clothing has changed. Y or N 11) I am drawn to different colors of clothing, cars, upholstery, etc., than I used to be. Y or N 12) I have had or am now experiencing migraine headaches, temple headaches or crown headaches. Y or N 13) My weight has increased at a rapid rate. Y or N 14) My menstrual cycle has changed dramatically. Y or N 15) Although my hearing is considered good or even perfect, I feel as if I cannot hear properly. Y or N 16) I have experienced many earaches or I am starting to have inner ear problems. Y or N 17) My food choices have changed. Y or N 18) I have become sensitive to smells, light, chemicals and various other things. Y or N 19) My neck at the base of my skull is sensitive to touch. Y or N  20) I crave water. Y or N 21) It seems my ratio of coincidence is higher than normal. Y or N 22) I think I might be dyslexic.  Y or N 23) I see more sequences of numbers such as 1234, 11:11, or 12:12.  Y or N 24) My eyesight has worsened, and even if checked by an Optometrist, I still cannot see well.  Y or N 25) I am becoming uncomfortable in large crowds, especially in a large place like the mall.  Y or N 26) It seems I am more easily depressed.  Y or N 27) I seem to anger more easily.  Y or N 28) Do you have sensations you are being watched? Y or N 29) Are you seeing more and more things "out of the corner of your eye" in your living environment? Y or N 30) Are you satisfied with the religious aspect of your questions? Meaning, when provided with religious answers, do you still have an unsettled sensation? Y or N Except from the answers we cover in class-  Are you satisfied with the religious aspect of your questions? Meaning, when provided with religious answers, do you still have an unsettled sensation? This is the most obvious sign of your Awakening. Unfortunately, I cannot answer this question for you; this is YOUR quest.  What I can do is provide you with tools to enable you to decipher things for yourself. The process may not be easy, but you will eventually find your answers as you learn more about Universal mysteries.  This program, Discovering Your Enlightenment Spiritual Learning Series, is available to assist you, support you, and share with you the answers WE will find along the way.  I sincerely hope you have enjoyed your first lesson.  Please proceed to our members only area on Yahoo (the link should have been provided to you when you signed up for classes), to review other member's comments concerning this lesson.  Please feel free to post any comments or questions you may have that are not answered during the chat.

"The Awakening does not signify a sudden landing in a fabulous El Dorado of bliss. It is a stern reality denoting a gradual or sudden change in the quality and volume of bio energy in the body."  - Gopi Krishna

It is so important to understand that we are not talking about a "one time deal." Awakening is a process that can go on for years or lifetimes in some cases. Just because one of the above questions does not fit you today does not mean it may not fit you tomorrow. Again, remember the awakening is like a lotus, opening one petal at a time.