Lakota Code of Ethics

1. Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.

2. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy - and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.

3. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

4. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

5. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.

6. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth - whether it be people or plant.

7. Honor other people's thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.

Your Healer Meditation

 

Please don't drive or operate machinery while listening to this meditation. Make yourself comfortable, take a couple of deep breaths, close your eyes and relax. 

Conflict Resolution Tips

Some barriers to resolving disputes can be cultural, clashes in communication style, emotional defensiveness and frustrations, hidden agendas, lack of confidence, loss of focus, mismatched understanding, difference in vocabulary and terminology. 

Pointers: stay with what is, be factual. Conflict is a boundary issue requiring possible mediation, negotiation or arbitration. Initiate problem solving as a conversation. Gain agreement to follow a process. Be clear about all issues. How far can you and they stretch? What is your priority? Can you separate the relationship from the problem? Are you prepared to work together or part ways? Separate the person from the problem. Are they prepared to work with you or not? Can you give this a time scale? Can you negotiate an outcome to your acceptance? What is your ultimate objective? Identify the other person’s strengths and weaknesses. Identify your own. What is your new learning? What is their new learning? Keep a record. 

If - A Poem

If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain. If I can ease one life the aching, or cool one pain, or help one fainting robin unto its nest again, I shall not live in vain. (Alternative words) or help a lonely person into happiness again. 

Emily Dickinson

Why is the Raven black?

Great Spirit decided it was time to give the winged (the birds) their colors. Before this time all of the birds were gray. Their feathers did not carry the beautiful colors they do today. Great Spirit told all of the winged to gather at a special lake which was hidden high in the mountains. All of the winged flew to this magical body of water. Great Spirit told them to dive into the water and they would emerge with beautiful colors in their feathers. Brave little Hummingbird dove in first. He didn't stay long but when he came out he was a beautiful green and had ruby on his throat. Jaybird was next. He stayed a little longer than Hummingbird had. When he emerged he was a bright blue and had a white throat. He wore a black necklace low on his neck. Wren splashed into the depths. When he got out of the water he was brown with a golden chest. Cardinal flew into the lake. He stayed in a bit longer than the others. When Cardinal broke the surface he was bright red and beautiful. Bluebird splashed into the water and stayed for a while. He came up blue with his beautiful red breast. Indigo Bunting dived in. He stayed linger than any of the previous birds. He came up such a beautiful blue that the other birds gasped at his gorgeous color. 

Healing

The word ‘healing’ comes from the root word for hearth ‘HALE’ which means whole. To be whole, we avoid self deception, we engage with others with authenticity, kindness and understanding, empathy and goodwill. When we are disturbed or distressed this affects everything in our life - our work, health, relationships, et cetera. 

Know Thyself was written on the temple of Apollo 2500 years ago along with Everything in Moderation. Knowing yourself means knowing what you are doing to yourself and others. Freud stated that therapy could only replace ‘hysterical misery’ with ‘common unhappiness’.

Codependency No More Book Extract

Dependency issues: Many codependents don’t feel happy, content, or peaceful with themselves. They look for happiness outside themselves. The latch on to whoever or whatever they think will provide happiness for them. They feel terribly threatened by the loss of anything or person they think provides their happiness. They didn’t feel love or approval from their parents. And they don’t love themselves. They believe other people can’t or don’t love them. Desperately they seek love and approval. They often seek love from people incapable of loving. They believe other people are never there for them. They equate love with pain.

If - A Poem

 

Your Spirit Guide Meditation

 

With thanks to Sherry Wakeman for the voiceover and video creation

The Holy Land

Many mysteries surround the antiquity of the Holy Land. Sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, it is the most fought over piece of land in the world! Where is Mount Sinai? Sir Colin Humphreys is a Cambridge University academic who questioned the position of Mount Sinai, the place where Exodus states that Moses heard the voice of God from the burning bush and was given the 10 Commandments.