Diet and Awakening

images from Chris Court

Is it possible that a diet could offer you much much more than weight loss? Could a person on a diet gain something incredible and truly life changing while on a diet?

I do think it is possible to gain wisdom and strength in many unforeseen areas in our lives, even while releasing weight . In fact I have experienced tremendous awakenings in every single area of my life, whether I have intended it to happen or not, so for sure, I would find illumination while on a diet, and I have.

I have been on a food diet for several months now. I have missed out on birthday cakes Easter eggs, Christmas delights, Valentines day chocolates and many many other yummy dishes. In all this missing out I was compelled to ask myself the question what have I gained? What really has been going on while releasing this weight? Sure I have altered my dress size and feel great AND yet there must be more that I could have gained out of all this lack of yumminess.

In the moment while I am eating my “diet meal” I feel happy and contented. After I eat I am satisfied. It is only when my emotions and my mind go hay wire that I feel like I am missing something. In that moment it is as if I have lost sight of my intention, my bigger future. At that moment I am not “claiming” my future in this NOW and I am getting lost in my emotions and in my mind. I believe that what I am experiencing that second is more important than anything. In this emotional outburst I loose sight of everything that matters in my world and my true intention is now lost. Whether on a food diet or some other new transformational process, watch the emotional and mental state and endeavour not to be a victim to old thoughts but rather open up to new options and opportunities.

Day to day a diet can feel like nothing is happening. It seems like there is no progress and little if nothing has changed. It isn’t until you put an item of clothing on that you haven’t worn for a while that you might notice things have altered. Soon after that people start saying ” hay have you lost some weight?” then you know that all that effort is actually working. This is also the way in your spiritual practice. As you begin you see no change and then you notice that there is a difference in your reactions or attitudes perhaps there is peace when there never was peace. Your world becomes wider and deeper and you begin to see things you have never before seen. Others may also this change in you.

Durning this weight release time I have been challenged by one of the hardest times in my life. I noticed how desperately I wanted to eat something like bread and butter, or something sweet and oozy or something hearty and filling. I just wanted to be filled up from the outside. I wanted to feel but under my terms, only to a point, “my point” and not the whole way (funny, I never thought I was a comfort eater).This time instead of of eating and filling me up so I couldn’t experience the “ALL” that I was feeling, I decided to go for it, to “feel” totally. And so I did.

It wasn’t easy and many tears fell, but I let it rip, all the while standing firmly in the container of my diet. I discovered that I was clearer than I realised, that I was more powerful than I had ever known and that I was unequivocally standing in Spirit.
I felt that the diet allowed me to be present in this “NOW”. I could be in this now yet
“intend” to have a glorious future. Stopping my diet, would have buckling into the loss and fear and the pain whilst continuing with my program was about feeling, and experiencing all that I could. I could stand in the grief and the light, I could be empty and full at the same time. In Spirit work when we decide that we want this opening we must claim it just like when we claim we want to drop a dress size. The spiritual process is a dynamic one.

Do I like being on special food diet? Well…., no….but have I been enriched because of it….? Well…yes. I am still a work in progress but I remain ever in gratitude to Spirit for offering me yet another opportunity to find merit in all that exists in this realm. I shall continue to be the dutiful daughter to Truth and Light regardless of what is presented. Diets can be awesome.

For a little while you may choose to start a diet of “Spirit thought” open into Light and open into Spirit. This diet is about not limitations but expansion. Walk with intention to connect to all and see with sweet soft eyes of non judgement. If you fall off the wagon on this special diet notice why and get back on again. There maybe miracles afoot.

p.s I received a lovely comment when I posted this on the Kora Blog and wanted to share

"Its like this article was meant for me. Thank you for sharing this...you have changed the way I thought today and well everyday. About an hour ago I had one of those emotional outburts and I too felt it...I didnt go for the ravolis I smelled cooking in my house...I too stuck to my diet. However I felt a little guilty about the outburts but after your article I feel like maybe this is where I am suppose to be. THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS SANNA...these words spoke loudly to my heart, to my soul. I dont think it was a concidence I found it either. You should write books."

I found this terrific quote in the "The Meaning of Mary Magdalene" and was inspired to share it on the blog....I was so excited by what it so succinctly stated because it is what I so strongly know as "a" truth.
My understanding of this illuminating quote is that we are all capable of waking up with sincere and heartfelt Spiritual practice. We are all completely equip and capable whom ever we are, to have a intimate and highly transformational Spiritual expierence that will promise to leave us forever changed. Dare I say it enlightened....
Many of my clients understand this concept and regularly come for visits with me to assist them on their own individual journeys. These clients are courageous and devoted to their own unique expression in Spirit.  Below are fine words that from the book "The Meaning of Mary Magdalene" by Cynthia Bourgeault page 38 The Gnostic Conundrum.

(by the way I found out about the book through the blog Goop which is Gwyneth Paltrow's offering to the world....thanks Gwyneth)

"The word gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means "knowledge." It's perfectly respectable scriptural word. Paul uses it repeatedly in his writings, including the celebrated lines from 1 Corinthians 13: "For now I see through a glass darkly, but later face to face; I know in part, but later I will know even as also I am known." But the essential thing to keep in mind about this knowing is that it's participational --- a "knowing even as also I am known". It is not just a knowing from the head; it's a knowing with the entire being. The Hebrew term which it translates is da'ath, which is also the word used for Lovemaking (as David entered Bathsheba's tent and 'knew' her") Gnosis speaks of a complete, integral knowing uniting the body  mind and heart. and by its largeness connecting the seen and the unseen.

Please note that this "knowing" is not initiatic wisdom. It is not about Mystery rituals or secret initiation ceremonies where esoteric information is imparted ( and da'ath notwithstanding,it is not about sacred sex.) The difference between these two kinds of wisdoms can be summed up in a helpful distinction suggested by Ken Wilber- between"states" and "stages" Initiate rituals can briefly change people's state, transporting them into ecstatic visions and cosmic consciousness. But gneiss is about stages; it is integral knowledge brought about by the slow unification of one's being.

In the wonderful words of the contemporary Jewish teacher Rami Shapiro, it is" not only an altered state of mind( moving from narrow to spacious), but an altered trait of behavior, moving from selfishness, fear and narcissism to justice, compassion and humility" Jesus taught gnosis and was a master of gnosis, as we shall see shortly. But he did not change anyone's states, either by secret rituals or esoteric information. Rather he set his disciples upon the only known path to integrate information:   the slow and persistent  overcoming of the ego through a life long practice of surrender and nonattachment. His gnosis is gradual, conscious and sober."

Hard SUN

My Beautiful 21 year old daughter surprised me for my birthday on the 18th of March and took me to see one of my favourte muscians Eddie Vedder. I just adore this song and the beautiful message. It reminds me to reconnect with the earth and to always remember to ground myself. That perhaps it is not always easy and bright but the passion and commitment of nature is always inspiring and can make miracles occur.

Sometimes the small part of us or the small ego is the leader of us and it demands we do things based on our fears or our perceived sense of power. We act out our stuff because it so comfortable and is who we think we are. From this space we want to change and yet we ask for change from the point of Non- change; so we are asking that change occurs "to" us. We can remain victims from this space. If change happens to us and we don't like it we don't have to be responsible for the out come, we remain ever in the passive role. Everything we ask for; to change our world, is flavored with the fear and the victim. From this point when we beg and yell at God to help us what we have sent out first is "we are forsaken because we are a victim to our small ego first" so nothing ever can change. There is no God for you to even speak to....you are alone. Once we truly decide to make a massive change we have to do it with a open heart and enthusiasm and an optimism that there will be opportunity in action. And we are upstanding to the outcome, regardless of positive or negative out comes, there will be movement. It is the very thing that makes life a glorious adventure! 

these are a few of my Favorite things!

Piece 1: The Spirit Wall:The many different framed pieces on my wall signify to me and my family my many spiritual ‘ways’, both in the physical sense and on a deeper level as well. For example, above the vase of crystal orbs is an etching of the famed city of Assisi, home of St Francis. I travelled to Assisi on one of my many spiritual pilgrimages; I was incredibly moved by being there. Below this etching of Assisi is my beloved Tibetan mandala, hand painted in free hand by Tibetan monks. The blue “Spirits of the Cathar” piece top right is a gorgeous ethereal piece given to me by my eldest daughter, Matisse. She knows me so well as this piece incorporates the wild horses of Southern France, the colour blue, the message of the Cathar and is produced as art – perfect!

One of my discoveries of the past year or two is the Central American artist Carlos Barros. His art is all intuitive. He allows the spirits in his pieces to reveal themselves as he works. He lives here in Sydney and his art inspires me, the charcoal “Woman on Stool” is my small piece of Carlos’s art. He, like me, is infused with the spirit of indigenous South America, my mother was from Chile and my South American lineage is Incan, yes Machupichu! The photo is my husband with my swaddled newborn second daughter, Ondine, just minutes after our homebirth. Below a simple water colour from my beloved Paris. The angophora tree is of course a symbol of nature’s exquisite beauty and the interconnectedness of everything, photographed by dear friend and pro photographer, Michael Simmons. The Central American burning hearts are an ever reminder of the beauty of the humble heart. I am motivated in my professional work as a Spirit facilitator by the symbolic burning heart.

My “Spirit Wall”  reminds me of the many roads up the mountain of Spirit!

Piece 2 The outrigger canoe paddle:I was an athletic kid. In Hawaii, the islands of my birth, outrigger canoeing is a local culture – I guess similar to surf boat racing is here in Oz. I used to paddle competitively for the Outrigger canoe club, the most prestigious beach club in Hawaii. Looking at it  takes me back, in the blink of an eye, to the sensuality and the salubrious tropical island life of my youth! The name I had put on this traditional Hawaiian paddle is “Kiko’ O I Kala” which literally means reach for the sun. Even in those days my heart was moving towards the beauty in the unseen universe. Hawaiian Spirit, which is “Aloha” was infused in me in all that I did, whether canoe paddling, dancing hula, or riding my bike to a rainforest to sit under a waterfall. The land there speaks to you if you have ears to hear!

Piece 3 my vessel of Crystal Orbs:Now to my beloved crystal orbs! In a copy of a Louis XIV style vase, which I snared for next to nix at a Myer sale. This is really one of my favourite things . I love crystals, but I have found that my house can look kind of cliché new agey if my crystal pieces are not displayed with an awareness of classic form and placement. This is my childhood artistic training showing through. My father, as a set designer on and off Broadway and the theatre background that I was raised with in Hawaii, taught me to view all things from my own personal aesthetic with an artistic eye and a spiritual context. The crystal orbs are items of sheer beauty in their simple shape yet revealing the magic of our earth.

Piece number 4 Sanna’s name (unseen):
“I am in love with beauty. My mother and father were both highly creative and innovative people, and beauty played a significant role in their lives as well. They were theatre people in the 40s, 50s and 60s. In their time they were seen as movers and shakers in the theatre industry on Broadway (Or so I am told), in fact my name was given to me by my Godmother Sanna Borge, Victor Borge’s wife. I wish I had some memory of them, but my time with them was fleeting and the little mouse that they gave me is gone. What remains is my name, so I can say this is my sole possession that relates me to the Borges.

I was at a party many years ago and was sitting with a man from Lebanon, he asked me if I knew the meaning of my name in Arabic, I didn’t, he said that it meant something like alchemy of word or heat or sun. It was also, though spelt differently but pronounced the same, the capital city of Yemen (Sana). This man let me know that often the name Sana was given to the youngest female member of the family, stating that you have all of your gifts, your bags are filled with gold, your children are healthy and as a cherry on the ‘cake’ you have Sanna.
In my world I invoke peace, harmony and beauty into my surroundings and into my favourite things. 

Carmella my Friend

A beautiful Saturday night of chanting by the inspirational Carmella Gitanjali Baynie. So lucky to be able to share the space with this wonderful woman at the Paddington Uniting Church. 

Have a listen to her magical music! HERE

She is a magical performer so please either buy her cd's, see her in concert or better yet go to one of her Voice Connection Workshops

Bhagavan!

This is my absolute favourite Leonard Cohen Video. Every time I see it I am moved not only by the pure and beautiful poetry that Leonard Cohen has created but also by the his humble admiration he has as this two angelic voices sing his lyrics.

P.S.

Heard some wonderful news today, that the lovely Rufus Wainwright is a father to a beautiful Baby girl Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen. I love Rufus and I love Leonard Cohen who happens to be the grandfather. Two such creative and inspiring families coming together to have this child seems very exciting. Congratulations to Rufus his partner and Lorca Cohen!

Joel Goldsmith - The Infinite Way

My very loved copy bought in 1974...I was 14 

One of my favourites authors of last 40 years is Joel S Goldsmith. The authenticity and sweetness of his deep spiritual words are completely inspiring for me.
In the 70's and as a youth I started reading 'this' great wisdom. At the time very few books around Spirit Consciousness existed and his books felt so utterly complete to me. I always had his books where ever I went.

His wisdom is to remember that God/Universal Consciousness/ Source is freedom that exists in all of us. It is in this remembering that we open into the expanded space of our true nature. I call that deepening and widening into our BE-ingness. This experience of freedom and Joy.

He states that The "Christ" Consciousness is the thread that connects us all to each other and ultimately to God. When he uses the word "Christ" he does so, not from the christian perspective but rather from the knowledge that we are all sons/daughters of Source within us is the code, the homing pigeon that will allow us to totally connect to our True nature.

Just as Jesus had done.  We are sons and daughters of "God" and freedom, connection and Joy is ours by divine right.

Joel words below:
Now we perceive that man is not flesh, but consciousness,possessing only spiritual qualities. We discern that there is a creative Principle which produces It's own image and likeness, and that this creative Principle is also the sustaining Principle of life, and therefore Its creation must necessarily be of It's own essence--Life, Love, Spirit,Soul. This is the true nature of man.
.........As we know ourselves and everyone else to be spiritual offspring, we never look at the body,but look right through the eyes until we can see way back of them beyond mortal man, see beyond young man or old man, sick man or well man, to where the  Christ consciousness  (universal consciousness) sits enthroned......


love and light


Sanna

ORGANIQUE

Into the Wild dir. Sean Penn

One of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite films.
I love watching the joy he is getting from a simple organic apple :)
I feel the same way.

A Special Place. Quay

This restaurant has the most beautiful food I've ever eaten in my life and its in my home town of Sydney!

The head chef Peter Gilmore is an amazing food alchemist...every bite is filled with his love and consciousness. The first time I went with my two daughters Matisse and Ondine we were all drunk with joy as every dish was so heavenly.  It was not just the taste that was so inspiring everything from the presentation, the location, the staff and the clear and extraordinary energy the Peter imbued into every plate, made the experience unforgettable and inspiring  

To me this is further validation in the ability that food can have on our beings, because of Peter's connection to his food we were able to have an actual opening and widening experience long after the food has been eaten.

It reminded me of the beautiful film Babette's Feast. 

 I also love the flowers that so effortlessly garnish his plate. Such a special place.

Quay Restaurant

Head Chef Peter Gilmore

Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney 2000

Bookings call (61 2) 9251 5600 

Ranked 27 in S. Pellegrino's Top 50 Best Restaurants

you can buy his exquisite book Quay: Food Inspired by Nature here

Awakening in Death

In my youth there was a bookshelf. It was filled with interesting and compelling books; though one book stood out. Not because of the fluorescent cover but because of the thought provoking title; "Death Be Not Proud." 

Decades have passed, yet the title gently lingers in my consciousness as if it was imprinted for evermore. These words were never more poignant than when I began to explore the consolumentum, which was a practice of transformation offered by the Cathar of medieval France.

A few of my clients approached me with the very human dilemma about death. Some were in grief about the loss of another. They wanted relief, or a foundation to continue on their path; this was an honorable request. Others were faced with their own imminent death. It is this quandary that many humans face at some time.

The deep exploration for Spiritual awakening requires us to be open and courageous, yet remaining still in the face of the deepest, most painful situations.

This is the Spiritual journey.

Understandably, facing death may cause any human to race from one modality to another. Regardless, for many, death remains imminent.

I have been blessed with a client who was given a few months to live. She entered my rooms like and angel, radiating health, vitality and awake-ness. I was stunned by such energy, yet confused by the illusion presented. The quintessential question – what is the illusion, the healthy glow or the death? Or perhaps was health, life, death, outcome and success ALL illusory?

Perhaps it is through releasing all personal ‘hierarchy’ judgments such as right / wrong, healthy /sick that we arrive at peace. Perhaps, when we are in the realization that the Spiritual path is not a results driven activity but a “NOW” activity, that paradoxically we have peace, which allows for healing.

Death seems to be the enemy. We have the angels, which seem to be protectors, and holy. In contradiction there is the grim reaper who is death. What if death was as an angel? What if we learned to gaze deeply into the eyes of death from the point of non-judgment? How could we awaken?

In my Spiritual exploration I have found that hierarchy is a curious beast. In the Christian paradigm we note that heaven is good and hell is bad, success is good and failure is bad. We live our lives in the experience of separation, which may just be analogous to the separation we feel from our true self. In other words the difference between heaven and hell is IN US.

What if we began to see it from the impersonal nature of love? Is it possible that we could open up to the ‘space between’?

My young client and I began plumbing the depths of all these questions. A remarkable thing occurred. First for her was peace, the removal of suffering – the space between. There arose joy – regardless of life or death. This was followed by an openhearted acceptance of life from a non-judgmental place.

Ironically in seeing all illusion we had healing and ultimately love. The grim reaper doesn’t exist; it is the angel of transformation, without pride, or agenda.

Death be not proud.

love and light

Sanna

http://www.koraorganics.com/blog/author/sannapurinton/

A Story of Interest.

Saint Cecilia by John William Waterhouse

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold, December morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
 
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
 
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
 
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
 
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
 
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
 
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
 
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100 each.


-originally from the Washington Post.

Fashion = Style = Art = Spirit

Lanvin Fall 2010

True art...comes in many packages. Fashion and style is of course one of them.

Alber Elbaz the designer for Lanvin is an artist. However for some reason we say once a collection is out of date it is not NOT in style. But if we think of a Monet or Picasso their paintings are never OUT they are always seen for what they are.... masterpieces...in my opinion true art in fashion should be seen in the same way.

I love these necklaces they are beautiful and timeless and I would be happy to have them in my jewelery

collection no matter the year or the season. I love the use of natural crystals in this capacity.

love and light

Sanna

Be

When you know your BE-ingness. That you are and have always been love and your
purpose and expression IS joy, the obstacles that face us in the human
experience, that of heart ache, anger, envy, jealousy lack cannot affect us.

They are but a moment - a passing - you are BE-ing the SOLUTION. 

love and light 

Sanna

Silence in ALL.

Astier de Villatte

I discovered Astier with my daughter Matisse in Paris. I love its organic form.

Nothing quite fits together and yet it works...a bit like life.

I love the candles my favorites are Cambridge and Delhi 

trust me I'm a bit of a candle connoisseur ;)

What I very much love about this is that it makes me feel so peaceful and that I can sense

the maker within each piece.

Love and Light

Sanna