Thanks to Chris and Trin once again for an amazing workshop/retreat thanks also to everyone else on the retreat for everthing you taught me and for your friendship.

I found the retreat a coming back to source event for me personally - we had such fun and I had some quite powerful revelations during my weekend stay with you all.

It drew me back to some powerful spiritual experiences I had had in the past and during the weekend I realised that all of these experiences were as a direct result of some kind of disciplined spiritual practice. By disciplined I don't mean rigorous adherence or anything forced or moulded - just the slipping into a practice each day because my conscious or unconscious mind took me there.

I've spent 3 weekends altogether with Chris and Trin and had every intention of starting to use the Openhand practice in my daily routine on the return from the weekends last year.

Consciously it never happened but I realized on the retreat that part of the Openhand practice had already taken root in me and although I wasn't aware of it - I had been using part of the meditation every day.

Yesterday evening I was thinking that I should get out one of the Openhand Handouts and go through the meditation using the handout this morning.

I was very very surprised that with a little help (images of Babaji in my head as I was waking) I didn't need to refer to the handout as I knew all of it from start to finish - WOW.

Thanks again everyone for such a wonderful weekend that was again as always such fun.

I said I would put my email address on a posting for the retreat for anyone to contact me if they wanted to.

It's ahimsacrystals@yahoo.co.uk

Good luck all on your journey

Peace and Light
Ann

Here's a wonderful photo of the Glastonbury Tor taken by Sophie on the summer retreat. Often photos seem to capture the energy of the moment and to me this speaks of the light shining through the darkness...

Chris

Sorry - couldn't resist it... it's my inner tabloid hack.

Thanks for posting that photo Chris, I love it and every time I look at it it feels more powerful for me at the moment.

And a huge THANKS!!!!! to you and Trin and everyone else for all the too numerous to mention wonderful, inspiring, hilarious, painful, challenging and downright silly (mentioning no names my lovely roommate) moments and experiences of the weekend.
I've been drifting around Bristol in a slight daze since I came back and have had several rather pointed experiences from finding a dead cat in the road to yesterday accidentally erasing my entire photo collection from my computer. Unfortunately I wasn't quite able to just 'let it go' but after spending most of today unsuccessfully trying to retrieve I have no option but to go with the flow!!

Speaking of which I'd love a copy of the group photo if that's possible?

I know there's so much more to say but I can't find the words just now - actually I think it's all still sinking in.... so again just to send thanks and warm wishes to everyone for such an amazing time.

Lots of love Sophie xx

(couldn't help myself either)

The image of the Tor and cloud is incredible!

The light behind the veil of clouds looks as if it about to shatter the entire third dimension and leave us all bathing in an oceanic bliss of pure unadulterated white light!

I've sent a couple of lovely photos from the retreat to your inbox Sophie. It's wonderful to see everyones bright and shiny face

Ann and Sophie, thank you for the kind words. It was a sincere joy for Chris and I to share with you there. The energy of the retreat was powerful from the word go.

We all take something unique from the work, depending on what it is we need next. We covered so much ground, it can take a little while to integrate it into our everyday life all as we see things from a more expanded perspective.

Heartfuls of Love to you all.
Trin
x

Thank you Chris and Trin for the amasing Spiritual experience, it was out of this world.

I would also like to thank everyone in the group for their love and experiences too.

Unfortunately since I've been back I haven't got the knack of the excercises and meditation yet, but it all takes time.

I would love if possible, if you do a tape please could you send me one.

Once again I would just like to send warm and thank you wishes to everyone for such an amazing time.

love and best wishes Tina xxx

Hi Tina,

Both Trin and myself are thrilled that you got so much from the retreat. Yes there were powerful spiritual energies flowing - great that everyone else experienced it too!

We're just in the process of completing three videos which will include the Openhand Life Energy Attunement exercise. They should be featured on the website in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned in!

Love and best wishes

Chris & Trin

Just wanted to say a wee thank you to all of you who shared your experiences, love and friendship with me at the retreat last weekend. Your openess, humour and support was wonderful and will be remembered for a long time.

Giggles on the monkey bench, giggles by the cauldron (metaphorically speaking) but most of all, a wonderful sharing of love, laughter and happiness over the whole weekend. Thank you.

Love and laughter, Sonya xxxx

ps. and thank you Mr. Adder for popping up on my path too - literally ;0)

Thanks so much to Chris and Trin for helping my soul remember who I am.

I've only fallen off the healthy diet wagon once due to a very large bar of chocolate, otherwise Trin your fabulous cooking made me realise how good I can feel without meat, wheat, diary and the dreaded sugar. Chris the daze I was in when you met me in the town still hasn't gone! Everyone thinks I'm going not so slowly senile, especially when I mutter "matrix" every now and then.

Thanks to all of you who made my weekend so full of love and laughter, yes we went through some intense times but we worked through it all together and came out so much stronger for it. I see every one of you as a gift to be thankful for and learn from.

With much love and appreciation

Michelle xxxx

Hi Chris & Trin,

I've been reading through the site this afternoon and filling up on wonderful stuff - thanks!! There's one aspect of ascension though that creates fear in me, the idea that some souls will make it and some won't.

'Those souls that ascend will taste eternal life as a unique expression of the one life. Those that don’t, will be reintegrated into the source and cease to exist as separate unique souls.'

I feel sadness at the idea even if I manage it, others might be lost, some of them obviously very dear to me in this particular incarnation!

I have a quite childish feeling of wanting everyone to come along!!

Perhaps it chimes with some of my misgivings about the 'exclusivity' of most religions and doctrines, the idea that if you're not in, you're out. I know I'm over simplifying but I wondered if there's anything more you might say about this?

Thanks if so,
Sophie xx

Hi Sophie,

Yes its a powerful and uncomfortable consideration indeed: that only some souls will ascend and those that don't will be re-integrated into the source.

Why would I conclude this?

Like you I was caused to contemplate it which caused me deep discomfort and pain. Spirit guided me through a series of synchronistic events to consider the implications of various apsects of our ascension and in particular my own attachments to possible outcomes.

I was caused firstly to contemplate the situation many souls find themselves in. All souls within our planetary system are interconnected. Imbalance in one area indicates imbalance in all areas - we are like cells in one being.

When we meditate deeply over a long period of time, we can feel the imbalance in our system and observe it in the disastrous external effects - too many people, corporations and governments have practically zero conscious connection to their own soul, the soul of the earth or indeed spirit in general. Hence our society has scant regard for our natural ecosystems.

Many souls are continually reincarnating and not fulfilling their purpose. In a way they have become infected by consumerism and the persistent belief in separation. Many soul's are not following their destined evolutionary path. This is fuelling both an imbalance in our world and the universe in general. If you like planet earth has become a "bottleneck" limiting the advancement of all.

I can't offer you proof of this except to urge you to consider the synchronistic patterning of all world events. Notice the coincidences - we are being spoken to and given messages. For example consider the sinking of the Titanic - a symbol of the arrogant industrial revolution striking an iceberg - was it prophetic?

Consider the Twin towers of 9/11 - you could say another symbol of western exploitation and capitalism being collapsed by our collective ignorance of disadvantaged people.

There are many, many such warnings - when you read the hidden code in this way, you see ALL events are speaking the same message. It is a message various people (including myself) who've ascended before have come back to give.

Yes its an almost unpalletable message. It requires us to face our deepest fears - the idea that we will leave people behind. Why would WE make it and not others? Personally I remember reaching the point a while ago where I was confronted with the void of absoluteness - of nothningness - and stood on the edge, I contemplated what it would be like to cast myself in. I came to the conclusion I could do that and all would be fine - to experience the eternal peace of nothing.

It is this that we continually taste in enlightenment anyway - its just that we have an individual soul with which to do it.

Paradoxically it is when we have released all attachments, even to our own imortality, that we truly know that we, as a soul, are immortal.

I did not choose for other souls not to advance. It is a situation I simply find myself in and have learned to accept the pain of it along with the suffering of mother earth. I choose to do what I can but accept that each of us has a free choice and I value the upmost importance of that.

So I'll work tirelessly to do all I can but in the end, I still feel it will be only a small percentage that finds it within themselves to truly look beyond the limited desires and needs of this dimension.

It may be painful, but to ascend, we must release attachment to that pain.

Chris

I thought I would come back to another point that Sophie made above. the idea that some souls not ascending seems "exclusive" like some of the popular religions of our time.

In my belief, EVERYONE has the capability within themselves to ascend in this lifetime. We are each continually supported and nutured by benevolent guiding consciousness.

However, it is a natural law of the universe that we each be given free choice. Thats why "God" speaks to us through synchonicity - a sceptical mind can easily pass synchronicity off as chance coincidences. It is when we surrender to the pull of the soul that the synchronistic magic behind all events becomes clearly obvious to us.

Free choice is vital - it is an effect of being an individual soul. Without individual souls, there could be no experience of God at all because we need relativity - hot versus cold, up versus down etc etc.

So we are each given free choice. It just so happens that many are choosing not to listen to their soul - their unique experience of God.

Chris

I also felt the pull to offer a few reflections on what those souls left behind might experience as they become "re-integrated" into the source.

True pain and suffering arises from the belief and experience of separation from God. Millions of people can be said to be living in that state right now including many "earth bound souls" - those who passed over during their last life in fear and therefore became attached to this plane and couldn't find their way back to the light.

Finding our way back to the source is the most magical, breathtaking and awesome experience of infinite unconditional love imagineable. When trapped souls are eventually released (and they all will be), then their re-unification with the source will be a profoundly beautiful experience and that consciousness will be "recycled" so to speak. So in a way, no one is really left behind, although it is still true to say that to become an immortal soul is our true purpose.

Chris

Hi Michelle and Sonya,

What a delightful suprise to find you both here today It was such a wonderful retreat filled with a fine balance of both intensity and bliss. Settling back into the world looking from a new expanded perspective is never quite the same as it was before.

Thank you for the kind sharings...

Sending heartfuls of love your way.

Trin
xxx

Hey Trin :.)

I'm just furthering my remembering which seems to trigger even more questions!

Love

Michelle xxx

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

Hey Sophie,

Great point to raise, I see that Chris has elaborated.
I wholeheartedly understand your concern as this was at one time a painful thing for me to deal with too. Feeling the pain and suffering of others deeply inspired me to unfold my own beingness as I realised that the only way I could truly help was to be "me".

In being authentically ourselves we act as a mirror to others. In this way we inspire others to 'find themselves' and surrender to the divine flow of the universe.

As Chris says, on a soul level we all have a choice. We are each on a unique journey and we can only truly decide for ourselves and hope to inspire our fellows by helping them to remember who they truly are. If then anyone is ready to embrace that, then they will.

It may help to remember that we shall all ultimately return to 'source'.

Warm hugs and love to you!
Trin

Michelle wrote:"My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely."

Well there can be benefits to that as long as it comes back every now and again.

Nite nite
xxx

Sophiexxx

I read something that resonated with me very much and made me think about the letting go necessary to move on. Especially for Sophie and anyone else having similar feelings.
Mari

"To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go."

Mary Oliver, "In Blackwater Woods"

Thanks for that Mari.. So many mixed feelings!!
Sophxx

Wow!

That should be my mantra at the moment! Thank you!

Love, Michelle x

Dear Chris & Trin, first of all thanks again for your such thoughtful and clear responses to my concerns about feeling I might in some way be abandoning ship and leaving others behind... I've been re-reading them again this morning and realised that my pondering and also some feelings and dreams of deep sadness over the past few days is all just part of a necessary process... I am learning in various ways (slowly!!) that I need to stop worrying about where everyone and everything else is at and focus on as you say Trin 'unfolding my own beingness' first... It was also comforting to remember that we are all going the same way of Love in the end, and that there is freedom in that, it's not a sentence for a sinking ship! I suppose I feel still only Half Awake - or even just a cocky eye slightly ajar...? groping my way towards something I am certainly aware of but have not experienced in a dramatic way so sometimes the darkness still seems stronger than the light.. Oh dear and this post feels similarly fuzzy! Is this a normal part of the journey? Lorra love Sophx

Dear Sophie

I do believe that you have more than just a cocky eye slightly ajar. 'Awakening' comes to us all differently. Some have awareness blown open instantaeously and radically change their life overnight, other may experience it in bursts or trickles. The important thing is that we keep moving through and onwards. We can only really take one step at a time as the pathway unfolds before us. All we really need concern ourselves with is whether or not we are headed in the right direction, following the path back to our higher evolution.

Your experiences are unique to you, so 'normal' doesn't exactly come into it .

You may read, hear about or even witness dramatic experiences, although, I wouldn't concern yourself too much about what everyone else is experiencing unless it is relevant to your own experience. Better to focus on how you feel yourself. You have gifts of sensitivity unique to you, and inner strength of compassion for sentient beings that resonates to the depths of my soul. Keep watching and sharing as you feel pulled.

With Love
Trin