Greetings!

The New Year has begun with big changes for us, as we have taken up residence in an apartment in Marbella and begun to re-orientate ourselves to a new area and community. Its been quite a challenging step to take in many respects but, as I often say to people in the course of my workshops, “Nature rewards courage” and already there have been encouraging signs and responses which affir the decision and suggest it will work out well. We still have our “place in the hills” in the Alpujarra, and will be returning frequently to enjoy its peace and nurture after the faster pace of life here on the Costa, where the milder winter climate is something we are already appreciating.

Meanwhile, it is impossible not to be deeply moved by the plight of the people of Haiti and the enormous suffering inflicted by the recent earthquake. Naturally we want to help in whatever way we can. Whatever we may or may not be able to offer in terms of practical or financial aid, we can all, at the very least, hold them in our hearts in deep compassion. This too has an effect, more powerful than we may realise.

Looking at the bigger picture, the Haiti quake is the latest in a series of upheavals on many levels- not just the physical – which are in someway affecting us all. Though fortunate to live in a part of the world generally considered seismically stable, Ireland has been confronted and challenged by extremes of weather on an unprecedented scale, whilst here in this part Spain there were two measureable earthquakes recently. Then there was the spectacular and sudden crash of the banking system- an event of truly seismic proportions- which, with the subsequent worldwide economic collapse, impacted all of our lives. These are all symptomatic of a deeper underlying process of transformation as the Earth goes through a profound rebirth. We may have talked about this time, anticipated it, prepared for it, but now we are living it. Not just on an outer level, but our inner reality is getting shaken up as well. I hear from many people of sudden and often drastic changes in their relationships, or work, or health, as well as more subtle effects such as disturbed sleep patterns, vivid dreams, strange “energy” illnesses, and more. However unsettling this may be, its important to remember that what we are dealing with is simply change, albeit at a fundamental level which touches every aspect of our lives. Inevitably change involves a degree of chaos, of de- struction ie breakdown of old structures, so that a new and re-structured reality can get born. To live consciously and creatively through these times requires us to stay centred in the essence of what it truly means to be a Human Being, a powerful co-creator with Source; to meet our fears with Love and Compassion, our challenges with trust and courage; to grasp the opportunities presented to us: to treat our bodies with care; to appreciate all that we have, and, above all, to tend to our close relationships with love, tenderness and consideration. These are momentous times, but remember, we were born to live through them!

Blessings, Richard

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