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Raw Banana Mango Ice Cream in
Chocolate Cups
Check out this colorful, fruity, nourishing treat to delight your child and the magical child within us all. Vegangela shared
this recipe at her beautiful vegan blogsite
vegangela.com.
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WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT UMS
"My studies at UMS have been and continue to be, like a breath of fresh air or what I like to call "God's Breath" that we are all a part of. Each course nourishes this breath within me and brightens my compass, my True North, as I continue to cultivate stillness in a myriad of ways to hear its guiding wisdom and direction in my/our collective life."
-Amy MacDonald
"The meditations and exercises have expanded and heightened my awareness in every way. I can now 'see' what I was blind to before my UMS studies. This education has been priceless."
-M.S.S.
"I truly endorse UMS and respect its mission as an 'avant guard' university. The school has inspired and motivated me to become a paradigm shifter and become part of this wonderful community of spiritual warriors."
-Antero Manuel Barroso
"
I have been inspired in so many ways during the course of my journey with UMS. It gave me an opportunity to reconnect with the things in life that make my heart beat faster and fill my soul with the breath of life. It has given me courage to speak my truth and opened a floodgate of power that resides within. It is not always the easiest path, but it is the most rewarding and for the good of all."
-Heather Brunetti
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Newsletter looking for Student Submissions
Do you have a submission for our newsletter
?
Looking for Submissions for our future themes:
Please feel free to submit any work you feel might be appropriate (such as poetry, artwork or articles) to the email address: [email protected].
We publish our school newsletter every month around the new moon, and are super excited about this publication as a way of sharing thoughts and inspiration from our students, and keeping our network aware of our goals and happenings.
We humbly ask that you try to keep submissions under three hundred and fifty words, to ensure the flow of our publication, and allow room for different types of work.
We look forward to receiving your submissions and to integrating the knowledge and creativity of our students into our publication.
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My Day Has Come
-A Mother's Journey
by Elizabeth Erenberger
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I am hours away from leaving on a plane. I am hours away from one of the most exciting and crucial healing experiences of my life. I am going to see my first born son for the first time in over twenty years. It is hard to explain how long I have dreamt of this day, or how many tears I have cried wishing this moment would finally arrive. At last, my patience has paid off; and my spirit guides have aligned me with my most precious wish. I am so giddy with excitement, I feel I might explode. I am the mother of four children, one from each element (air, earth, water and fire). My first son was a cancer, my water, and without him, it seems I myself have been without water for two decades. |
Even after my first son went to live with his new family I always introduced myself as the mother of four, I did not want to forget, or dishonor his memory. His birth was profound in my life, a most spiritual experience. Yet, his leaving was entangled with my deepest fears, shame, guilt and vulnerability.
Even from afar, the hope of someday being reunited with this beautiful child kept me going. Even the darkest of experiences, from our darkest hours continued to unfold their lessons, making me a stronger and more determined Mother along the way. I can remember my sixteen year old self as I packed his things, for him to go live with his new family. He was six months old then, and I felt so stuck. I was exasperated from trying to find a solution, wanting a way to stop the snowball, a way to keep my son. He was six months old then, still breastfeeding. And I remember even then whispering to him about this day. I remember cooing in his ear about our irreplaceable heart connection, prayers that he would always have some memory of the love I held for him, and that one day he would find his way home to me.
Today is my day. I am setting off on a journey completely entranced by the mystery of the unknown. I am heading out to the ultimate return to love. There are so many emotions attached to this story for me. It is the thing, my spiritual work, the unsettled within me. How will my life change opening to him, and healing this wound? I can only be brave enough to find out. I will not run from the opportunity. I will not doubt the connections and spiritual cording of a Mothers love.
I hold such deep appreciation for his openness. I am so honored, that he might be intrigued by the mystery which is me, as I am in the mystery of him.
There are many in my family who still feel a void in our lives from his absence. I am so excited to think of the network and family I now have to offer him if he is ready to embrace it. It is huge for me to look back and see how far I've come; what an empire I have built, waiting for his return. It is such a different reality that I was living when he left.
I will step onto this plane feeling dauntless and full of life energy. I believe that I can handle whatever creator holds in store for us both. I feel comforted by the knowing that the hardest part is truly over. Because knowing the truth, and being a part of his life again will inevitably be so much more bearable than the internal loneliness I have endured.
Because my prayers are being answered, and somehow I have manifested my ultimate goal, it is a time of rebirth, reevaluation. I feel my Mothers spirit working from the other side to align me and my son both with our higher purpose. It is the time of the seed, when new possibilities become the visions of our tomorrows. How sacred, the chance to walk beside my son again, with new eyes, and share in his joys and sorrows.
Such a compassion filled gentle reminder from my angels that each and every moment is a gift. What a beautiful reminder that what seems forever broken can be healed with faith and trust.
To all the UMS students around the world, may all the blessings you can imagine be showered upon you this spring with gentle grace. May this be a time of heart healing,
justice and self-acceptance for all, as we move into this new paradigm and as we truly
create the reality we want for ourselves.
It is hard to explain how long I have dreamt of this day, or how many tears I have cried wishing this moment would finally arrive. At last, my patience has paid off; and my spirit guides have aligned me with my most precious wish. I am so giddy with excitement, I feel I might explode.
I would say wish me luck, but I don't believe luck brought me here. Wish me infinite possibilities and emotional freedom. Wish me faith and strength and empowerment. And now my friends wish it for your selves, for if you believe it is possible.
Love and Light,
Liz, UMS Advisor
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Featured Student Project
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"The spiritual message of this piece is more of a verb than it is anything else. The act of doing as opposed to thinking, analyzing or intellectually understanding. It is a reminder to my soul (and every soul) to live in truth and surrender to higher power. "
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"Manifest Magik" Painting by UMS Student, Heather Brunetti
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"I have been holding on tight to becoming a woman who can support her family, who is responsible, and who is independent. I have been holding on tight to fear of rejection and failure. This piece is about letting go and trusting the universe. It's me, giving myself permission to dream, create with my heart, to be wild and to embrace my own beauty and power. This entire experience has opened a door to freedom and authenticity.
I now understand that freedom is a choice." -Heather Brunetti
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Imaginary Friends - Our Children's Spirit Guides
by UMS Student Ginny Haddock
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We often focus on nurturing spirituality in ourselves, but what about our kids? Children naturally have a craving for spirituality; they want to feel the peace and connectedness that comes from being spiritual. You can define spirituality to include everything from prayer and going to church to meditation and being in nature. Children will thrive with any of these opportunities. We can take many of the spiritual ideas and methods that we use for ourselves and adjust them for our children. A great place to start with children is connecting with the spirit world as they are naturally drawn to the spiritual around them. Additionally, making connections with their spirit world helps kids understand and feel that they are never alone and have someone that understands them -issues that often arise among even the youngest of children.
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One connection that is significant for children is that of their imaginary friend. It is believed that a child's imaginary friend is his spirit guide. I realized this after hearing about an experience my one friend. When she was about 18 years old, she did a guided meditation to meet your spirit guide. This was the first time she attempted to connect with her spirit guide. She is very spiritual, so she had no problem making the connection. When the meditation was over, she said the oddest thing had happened. Her spirit guide looked like her imaginary friend she had when she was little, but she was older in the meditation. She swore it was her - it looked and felt like her; she was just grown up. I had not heard of this connection, so I researched spirit guides and imaginary friends, and I found information discussing imaginary friends being your spirit guide. I did the feeling test of "Does this make sense to me?" and concluded that it did! If we come into this world with spiritual guides, why would they not be with us from the time we are young?
Armed with this understanding, we can help children connect with their spirit guides through encouraging connections with their imaginary friends. For children who already recognize and talk about their imaginary friends, this is simple! For children who don't, you can encourage them to dream up an imaginary friend. What would they look like? What were their favorite things? Encourage kids to play with their imaginary friends, to draw them, or to write a story about them (for older kids). Making connections with their spirit world happens naturally, particularly for young children, because they are more sensitive to them. As children grow up and become more engaged in this world, the connection to their spiritual world fades, particularly if it is not encouraged. So, let's encourage our kids to keep, re-establish, and strengthen this connectio.
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Ginny Haddock
Author and Personal Growth Coach and Speaker
www.inharmonypublishing.com
~Ginny has just published a wonderful new children's book called
In Search of the Missing Bracelet. You can read all about it
here.
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Let them Lead the Way
By Devon Love
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I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be.
~Whitney Houston, Greatest Love of All
Most parents and caregivers know that young children are our best teachers in many ways. They can quickly bring us into the moment, with their cries for nourishment, their first forays into language, and their first sweet, wobbly steps. They demand for us to look them in the eyes, listen to their stories, answer their questions, and just to be present. When we are distracted or unavailable, they figure out the best ways to bring us back into the moment, often with what we might perceive as mischief or "acting out." They have such a strong and natural desire to connect and co-create with the adults and children around them. Their spirits are so vibrant, awake, open, and accessible. They are so often wide eyed and curious, deeply engaged with and fully present to life.
In Zen Buddhism, practitioners are encouraged to embrace "beginner's mind." Beginner's mind is like the mind of a child. Looking at a tree with beginner's mind is to look at a tree for the first time. To look with wonder and delight, awe and excitement. To be present with the energy and essence of the tree, witnessing it with fresh eyes. This is such a powerful and basic spiritual teaching, and such a valuable one. This is how little children experience the world every day.
When we truly endeavor to witness life in this way, we become still and quiet enough to feel the energy of oneness, our spirit comes forth within us, and we begin to experience nirvana, bliss, heaven on earth. How can we as parents nurture and encourage ourselves and our children to stay in this awareness, in beginners mind, experiencing life with joy, wonder, and openness to co-creation?
Fostering mindful practices in our families is one powerful way to support and nurture our true natures as human beings. Many of these practices come so easily to children, and they feel so supported when we bring our attention and presence to sharing these kinds of awakened moments with them. Some practices that are simple and easy to integrate into our family routines are:
- Share mealtimes daily, and pause to give thanks before eating. Allow children to lead as much as possible, and model thankfulness for the sun, the rain, the soil, the farmers, the seeds, the plants, the creator, and all the energies that contribute to the meal. This encourages awareness of our interconnectedness and a sense of gratitude.
- Spend time together in nature, with short periods of time spent in silence. Encourage observation and deep listening. Model slowing down and becoming very still and aware. This encourages a sense of interconnectedness, wonder and reverence.
- At bedtime, talk about the highs and lows of the day. Celebrate and honor the joyful moments and also acknowledge and honor the hard moments, and relate these moments to times in your own experience that were challenging, but that you were able to overcome or learn from. This fosters a deeper sense of awareness of the rhythms of life, and nurtures a sense of harmony, tolerance, acceptance, and self-confidence.
- Practice "random acts of kindness" in your household, and encourage your children to observe, help and support others with their goals and challenges. This fosters a sense of consideration, empathy, compassion, and co-operation.
- Co-create natural art in forest, beach, or other natural settings. Fairy houses, sand sculptures, mini-rivers and pools, intentional rock piles or designs, natural altars, gardens, there are so many options. This creates deeper awareness of the beauty, order and synchronicity of the natural world, fostering reverence and connectedness.
Try practicing beginners mind with your children. Play games and imagine worlds of
adventure and newness. Fully inhabit your silly, wondrous, free spirit. Remind your
children that life is a miracle every day, every moment. These simple practices can create space in your family for safe growth and exploration of the world, in which you and your children co-create in wonder, joy and unity. Jesus said "Truly I say to you, unless you will be converted and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18.3). This is such simple, profound teaching, yet it resonates so deeply in our hearts. Let our children lead the way into a more harmonious, joyful, and creative reality, heaven on earth, for us all.
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Go Within
- Poetry
by Tara Allgood, UMS Student
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"I was empathizing with my teenage daughter about going through young adult teenage crush type issues and wrote this poem of motherly encouragement with her in mind."
-Tara Allgood
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In moments of vulnerability, Remember, that you are strong. Find a quiet place and go inside,
And ask yourself what is wrong. Inside you hold what it is you seek,
Inside you'll know the way, Be sure to stop and look inside
Each and every day. And don't forget to love yourself
Whatever it is you find. We never know until we look
What lives in our own minds. So, don't you feed the monsters.
Seek your light; it is your shield. Your true self is much stronger than
All weapons monsters wield. And if you feel some deep yearning,
For anything or one at all, Remember to seek what's inside
Honor yourself, so you don't fall. Everything, you'll find out there
Has been birthed from within, If you forget, just laugh it off,
Disengage to go within.
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