First, let me wish you all the best for the Winter Solstice and Holidays.

Last week I wrote about Peace, one of the three elements you need to be in the state of light, according to my Sufi teacher Adnan Sarhan.

The 2^nd element is Faith. 

Faith, in this usage, is not religious faith. Iman, the Arabic word for faith, has a variety of meanings including security, trust, ease, peaceful existence, creativity, positive thinking, acceptance, reflection of delight, happiness, and contentment. When you cultivate this kind of faith you are drawn to all these other attributes of the word. 

According to Adnan, as your faith grows it gives you protection like a shield and then you will have faith in life and life will be faithful to you. This seems much more empowering than giving your faith to someone else, a religious leader, or dogma. 

Faith, in this case, is a practice of trust in yourself and your life. 

Adnan was very careful to discourage his students from placing their trust or faith in him. Like the trickster, he often did something surprising to discourage blind trust --like eating pie or playing drums on the soup pots. He did not want to be worshiped or deified. 

He often said, “Put your trust in the (Sufi) work.” The work is always a process-- evolving, in the moment, responding, adjusting, sensing. He said, do the work and see what happens. Decide based on the result. You can do the same for faith in yourself. Trust and see what happens.

There is a Sufi tale about never knowing the result or meaning of anything until the end. Always withhold judgment and have faith. 

What would that mean to have faith in yourself and your life?

For me, it means welcoming everything that comes to my door. It means that whether it is good or bad, easy or difficult, I will learn something and grow. In essence, everything is blessed!

I love the word “blessed” -- to see the blessing in everyone and every event, i.e. I am blessed. Also, to actively bless others, that is, to see the wholeness in everyone. Namaste – I salute the divine within you. 

It is a practice to have faith, to bless others, to surrender to what is, and not complain. It is a work in progress. I must constantly remind myself of this practice, especially when using my computer or dealing with the colossal greed of large corporations. 

Yesterday I discovered that the medical group I have been going to for my annual check-up ever since my old school doctor retired is now charging hospital rates for all its services. But they didn’t tell me they were doing this. They posted a notice in the elevator which I glanced at while going to the third floor. I didn’t know what it meant until I got the bill for over $3,000. For a check-up and a blood test?!!! I complained. See, I am even telling you, beware Stanford Medical Group! 

I don’t have to pay the $3000, more like $200. But, Medicare is paying for it and I object! I don’t want this precious resource drained by the unrestrained greed of unscrupulous corporations. Therefore, I do what I can – get a new General Practitioner, tell everyone I can, and trust that this was meant to be.

The Sufi meditation practice is a way to get back to that place of trust, that larger perspective after an upset. Currently, we are experiencing upsets like the one I had at an increasing rate. It is part of the need for rebalancing. The pendulum has gone far enough to the right that it must swing back. 

Adnan’s work has always been a careful balance of contraction and expansion. Sometimes his workshops were so intense that some of his students would run off to town, or fall and break a leg, or start screaming and fighting with each other. These were signs that an adjustment was needed. He would make an adjustment and peace would return. He got better and better at navigating this balance according to the capacities of his students. But you never want it to be too perfect because it would likely mean you are not stretching far enough. You need to get out of your comfort zone to grow.

Is that what is happening in the world right now? Can we act without being destructive or vindictive? Have faith.

I will be teaching the Sufi moving meditation class tomorrow and Sunday. 

If you would like to rebalance yourself or your life, please join us tomorrow for movement, breath, and meditation, December 22th at 9 am PST. Try it and see what happens.

And/or join me on Sunday, December 24th at 8 am PST for another Sufi meditation class. 

The Zoom link is the same for both.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89999494833?pwd=V2pOS28yYUdXM3hkaW1rVWIvSjBUdz09

Meeting ID: 899 9949 4833

Passcode: SUFI

Here's a time converter link to check the time in your location.

Be peaceful.

Michelle

Dr. Michelle Peticolas

Life Transformation Coach

Empowering Women to Reinvent Their Life After Loss

Secrets of Life and Death

https://www.facebook.com/secretsoflifeanddeath.com