La mayoría de nosotros hemos experimentado la pérdida de una mascota querida. Es tan traumático como experimentar la pérdida de un amigo o miembro de la familia. Si han estado enfermos por un tiempo, o sufriendo, también sufrimos. Sufrimos con el peso de saber que no están bien y sufrimos sabiendo que pronto nos dejarán.

Para muchos de nosotros, es casi insoportable.

Y después de que pasan al plano espiritual, sentimos una tristeza muy profunda, nos queda una herida abierta que pensamos que nunca podrá sanar.

¿La pregunta es entonces: por qué nos conectamos tan profundamente con nuestras mascotas? ¿Cómo ellos, a diferencia de la mayoría de los seres humanos, nos pueden amar incondicionalmente, tan profundamente, con tanta lealtad, día tras día? ¿Nos siguen amando incluso cuando ya no están con nosotros?

Esas preguntas son difíciles de responder ya que hay poca evidencia clínica o científica que demuestre que los animales poseen alma, la cual les daría la capacidad de amar.

Durante mi investigación para este artículo, encontré mucha información acerca del alma de los seres humanos. Los artículos que encontré indican que hay pruebas científicas que demuestran que los seres humanos tienen alma; mientras que los animales … bueno, encontré relatos que indican que ellos tienen algo llamado “aliento de vida”, diferente al ser humano, no con la inmortalidad que brinda el alma.

Sin embargo, estudios también demuestran que cada vez más, muchos seres ‘no humanos’ sienten y experimentan diversos grados de emociones y estados de conciencia. Por ejemplo, los elefantes parecen sentir pena, mientras que los delfines y las ballenas expresan alegría, o algo similar. Los loros pueden ser malhumorados. Los cerdos y las vacas experimentan terror cuando enfrentan la muerte, al grado de llorar. Los pollos se entristecen. Los monos parecen avergonzados o agotados cuando no pueden resolver un enigma. Las ratas actúan agitadas al ver a otras ratas sometidas a cirugía. Yo misma he sido testigo de algunos ejemplos.

La ciencia está redescubriendo lo que Charles Darwin, en su libro La Expresión de las Emociones en el Hombre y los Animales (1872) concluyó: la diferencia entre los seres humanos y otras especies radica en su capacidad de sentir y expresar emoción, son diferencias de grado, más que diferencias en tipo de emociones. A partir de esta conciencia del hecho, se acortan los pasos para el reconocimiento de que los animales tienen personalidades y una sensibilidad muy fuerte.

La sensibilidad es definida como la capacidad de un ser para sentir. Es fundamentalmente lo que conocemos como ‘estar vivo’. Lo que los humanos sentimos a un nivel profundo es lo que nos impulsa, para bien y para mal. La conexión innata con el sentimiento y la emoción es parte de lo que constituye el alma. Mientras vivamos – y por lo tanto sintamos – estamos conectados entre nosotros y con el mundo natural. Estamos, en una palabra, animados, con un alma que nos hace vibrar.

Los ejemplos donde se busca una conexión entre el entre animales y humanos abundan. Los animales que juegan, expresan gratitud, contemplan la naturaleza, actúan para salvar a su prójimo, o reaccionan tristemente a la pérdida de miembros de su familia u otros compañeros cercanos, son, a mi modo de ver, animales conectados a sus emociones así como lo son los humanos. Esta conexión es la raíz del alma y de la espiritualidad.

Creo que cuando nuestras almas eligen tomar forma humana en este plano físico, nuestra intención primaria es aprender a dar y recibir amor. Seleccionamos nuestra vida como la escuela en la que aprenderemos esta lección, porque el plano físico es donde encontramos maestros que han dominado la capacidad de dar y recibir amor incondicional. Los llamamos perros y pájaros, gatos y caballos, cerdos y hormigas, y cualquiera de nuestros amigos no humanos.

Nuestros amorosos compañeros están siempre presentes, siempre amorosos y siempre perdonándonos. Creci teniendo perros y estando alrededor de la naturaleza; ahí he observado que los animales viven en un estado de completa facilidad y paz, sin importar su forma o tamaño. Lo hacen porque siempre están en el momento presente, ese estado de ser que los humanos llamamos atención plena.

La atención plena no es un estado automático o fácil de ser para los seres humanos, pero es necesario que busquemos alcanzarlo si queremos vivir una vida de completa facilidad, paz y alegría.

Todos nuestros amigos no humanos nos enseñan esto. De hecho, son maestros sanadores, en parte porque encarnan el amor en una forma completa y lo ven como un regalo, una forma de vivir no amenazante, un estado de ser. Esta obvia ausencia de amenaza, competencia y juicio entre ellos, refleja su espiritualidad y su orden en el universo.

Podemos temer aceptar el amor de otra persona, pero rara vez el amor que nos brinda un no-humano. Cómo nos sanan nuestras amadas mascotas! No hay mayor poder curativo en el Universo que el amor incondicional, y nuestros compañeros no humanos nos curan al intercambiar esa energía amorosa con nosotros.

Considera esto: incluso cuando nos sentimos débiles y pequeños, nuestras mascotas todavía vienen a nosotros para su cuidado, y al hacerlo, nos recuerdan que somos fuertes y suficientemente capaces de proveer para ellos. Cuando entramos en el modo ira o la culpa, ellos se sientan alegremente a nuestro lado, irradiando alegría e inculcando paz alrededor de nosotros. Cuando nos sentimos avergonzados, culpables, defectuosos o indignos, nos miran y ven sólo nuestra perfección.

Nuestras mascotas nos ven como la luz, la luz de la que estamos hechos, la luz que conocíamos al nacer. Cuando perdemos de vista nuestra magnificencia, ellos nos lo recuerdan, al igual que nuestros seres ya en espíritu que al visitarnos sólo nos transmiten el amor y la paz.

¿Podemos seguir conectándonos con nuestras mascotas aun después de que hayan pasado al plano espiritual? ¿Todavía nos siguen amando aun después de dejar su cuerpo? La respuesta es sí. Cuando he tenido el honor de poder ser el medio por el cual los mensajes de mascotas en el plano espiritual, o de aquellos que aún están en vida, he recibido y transmitido mensajes de amor incondicional y gratitud que llenan el alma de quienes los extrañan tanto.

A medida que recibamos su amor verdadero con el corazón abierto y nos envolvamos en su sabiduría, crearemos un eterno vínculo entre nuestras especies. El Amor siempre es Amor.

Para sacar una cita con Spiritually Growing, envía un correo electrónico a anamaria@spirituallygrowing.com.

Para recibir el boletín Reflexiones de Agosto de Creciendo Espiritualmente: “Conexión Espiritual Con Nuestras Mascotas”:

visita: https://www.spirituallygrowing.com/#footer

Para más información:

Si deseas aprender más sobre el tema tratado en el boletín de este mes, o si deseas saber cómo puede dar un salto de fe para encontrar y seguir su camino espiritual, visita http://spirituallygrowing.com

“Can we connect with our pets and other animals after they’ve died?”  Most of us have experienced the loss of a beloved pet.  It is as traumatic as experiencing the loss of a friend or family member.  If they’ve been ill for a while, or suffering, we suffer too.  We suffer with the weight of knowing that they are in pain and we suffer knowing that they will soon leave us.  For many of us, it is almost unbearable.  And after they pass, we can feel such deep sadness and an open wound that we think may never heal. 

Why is it that we connect so deeply with these animal friends?  How is it that animals, unlike most humans, can love us so unconditionally, so deeply, and with such loyalty, day in and day out?  Do they continue to love us even when they have died?

There is little clinical or scientific evidence that shows proof of animals possessing a soul. From my research, it appears that humans have a soul, while animals… well, they have a “breath of life,” not an immortal soul. However, studies are increasingly showing that many non-human beings feel and experience varying degrees of emotions and states of consciousness. Elephants appear to feel grief, while dolphins and whales express joy, or something much like it. Parrots can be cranky. Pigs and cows experience terror when facing death. Chickens become saddened.  Monkeys appear embarrassed or frazzled when they cannot solve a riddle. Rats act agitated when seeing other rats undergoing surgery. I have been a witness to some of these. 

Science is rediscovering what Charles Darwin, in his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872) concluded: the variations between humans and other species, in their capacity to feel and express emotion, are differences in degree, rather than differences in types of emotions. From this awareness of fact, it’s a short step to the recognition that animals have personalities.

Sentience is the capacity of a being to feel.  It is fundamental to being alive.  What humans feel at a deep level is what drives us, for good and ill.  The innate connection to feeling and emoting is part of what makes up the soul.  As long as we are alive – and therefore feeling and emoting – we are connected to one another and to the natural world. We are, in a word, ensouled.

Extraordinary examples of ensoulment among non-human animals abound. Animals that play, express gratitude, contemplate nature, act to save a fellow creature, or react mournfully to the loss of family members or other close companions, are all, in my view, demonstrating aspects of connectedness. Such connectedness is the root the soul, and of spirituality.

I believe that when our souls choose to take human form on the physical plane, our primary intent is to learn how to give and receive love. We select our life as the school in which we will learn this lesson, because the physical plane is where we find teachers who have mastered the ability to give and receive love.  We call them dogs and birds, cats and horses, pigs and ants, and any of our animal friends.

Our loving animal companions are always present, always loving, and always forgiving.  Growing up with dogs and being around nature, I’ve observed that animals live in a state of complete ease and peace, no matter their shape or size. They do this by always living in the present moment, that state of being that we humans call mindfulness.  Mindfulness is not an automatic or easy state of being to humans, but it is necessary if we are to live a life of complete ease, peace, and heart-felt joy. 

All of our animal friends teach us this. In fact, they are master healers, in part because they embody love in an entirely nonthreatening form. This obvious absence of threat, competition, and judgment creates within us a willingness to receive healing. We may fear accepting love from another person, but rarely from a non-human.  How do our beloved pets heal us? There is no greater healing power in the Universe than that of unconditional love, and our animal companions heal us by exchanging that loving energy with us.

Consider this: even when we feel weak and small, our pets still come to us for care, and in doing so, remind us that we are strong and capable enough to provide for them.  When we are in anger or blame mode, they sit joyfully at our side, radiating contentment and instilling peace within us.  When we feel shame, guilt, flawed, or unworthy, they look at us and see only perfection.

Our pets see us as light, the light we are made of, the light we knew ourselves to be before we were born.  When we lose sight of our magnificence, they remind us of it, much like our departed loved human companions who, in spirit, transmit only love and peace to us.

Can we continue to connect with our pets and other animals after they’ve died?  Do they still love us even when they have passed?  The answer is simple: Yes.  When I have brought forward messages to humans from departed animals, or even from the ones that are still alive, the message has always been linked, one way or another, to love, to gratitude, and to thankfulness.

As our animal companions share their love and true, pure feelings for us, and as we receive their wisdom and healing, we create an eternal link between both human and animal species, a bond that no amount of distance or time will break. 

Love from another is always Love, regardless of kind, time, and space.

To contact:
To set up a Q&A, or sessions for Family Constellations, Akashic Records, Reiki, Mediumship, animal communication, or any other healing modality, kindly send an email to anamaria@spirituallygrowing.com.

To receive Spiritually Growing’s Reflections: “Animals in Spirit – How they live on and how we can connect with them,” Click: http://www.spirituallygrowing.com/#footer

For More Information:
If you’d like to know more about the topic of this month’s newsletter, or if you’d like to know how you can take a leap of faith in finding and following your spiritual path, please visit  http://spirituallygrowing.com.

“La preguntas que todas nos hacemos:
Que he venido a hacer a esta vida? Cómo poder saber si estoy en el camino correcto? Como saber si estoy haciendo lo que debo de hacer?

Quien no se ha hecho estas preguntas más de una vez.. Pues para poder empezar a entender este dilema existencial que nos afecta a unos a los 50 y otros más viejos o más jóvenes, empecemos por el principio: Siéntate en una silla o donde estés más cómoda. Pon los pies en el suelo, las manos encima de tus muslos, palmas arriba. Ahora que ya estas lista pregúntate: Eres feliz?

Como veras, no se necesita sentarse, poner los pies al suelo y las manos mirando al cielo para saber si eres feliz en verdad. Se necesita honestidad contigo, tu con tu, uno a uno.
Vamos de nuevo: siéntate, o ponte de pie, o salta o brinca y pregúntate de nuevo , eres feliz?

Pero no feliz a veces no mas, o por momentitos sino de verdad, siempre. Eres feliz en tu corazón y mantienes esa vibración aun en los momentos difíciles? La pregunta de los 1000 millones.
De corazón y por experiencia propia te comento que prestar atención a tu felicidad y a lo que te hace feliz, es la clave que te mueve en el universo.

Si tu contestaste a la pregunta de arriba con un si, que sabes que eres feliz, en tus relaciones y con lo que estás haciendo, entonces palmas: Estás en camino. Felicitaciones! Sigue haciendo lo que te hace feliz. Pero así como quien es curioso… sabes si hay algo que te haría mas feliz? Si tu respuesta es si, entonces, aún no conoces la total y verdadera felicidad. Y eso es bueno, porque te deja la opción de explorarte.

Y pues si contestaste que no, que no eres feliz, entonces el segundo paso más importante es ponerte en contacto contigo mismo, tu con tu. Este paso es muy importante en tu crecimiento espiritual: llegar a conocerte a tí misma y mas que eso, estar cómoda en tu propia piel, contigo misma. Sí, nadie debería conocerte mejor que tu misma, no crees?
Empieza a pensar que te hace feliz. Comienza a reconocerlo, a saborearlo, a sentirlo en tu cuerpo. Grábatelo en tu cabeza, siéntelo en tu corazón, conecta con eso.

Cuando ya por fin digas que ya sabes lo que te hace feliz, y puedes ver, definir y sentir como alegra tu corazón, el siguiente paso es dar un pequeño salto de fe.

Que??? Mas saltos, dirás. Y si, un pequeño cambio acercándote a aquello que te hace feliz, un pequeño paso en la dirección correcta. Si lo se también: dar un salto de fe e ir atrás de eso que nos hará crecer mas o nos hará felices, es difícil. El cambio asusta. Al menos a mi me asusta. Yo he preferido muchas veces quedarme en mi famosa y mundialmente promocionada “zona de confort”, en lugar de cambiar. Cambiar? What? Para que? Me he dicho, así estoy bien y así me quieren. O también he dicho: empiezo el lunes! Asi cual dieta. Pero a quien engaño pues? O cambio y busco ser feliz, o pues me quedo más atracada que tráfico de viernes por la tarde, vísperas de Navidad. Uff.

Muchas veces me he preguntado: “Es tan difícil tenerte un poco de fe? Dios mío!” Pero si pues, el cambio asusta a todos y nos quita el control, y todas queremos control para no estar asustadas mirando con ojos espantados, como todos los factores del universo nos podrían caer encima.
Entonces cuál es la alternativa? Estar atascada donde estás, y ser feliz si pues pero a medias no más? No alcanzar tu plenitud, quedándote en tu caja “segura” que también te confina y limita? Quizás prefieras permanecer en el medio entre el lugar del que deseas salir y el lugar que anhelas.. total ahí es seguro también.
No hay respuesta mala aquí, pero ojo que esta vida se nos va pasando muy rápido y por ahí nos tocara mirar atrás y decir.. “uy.. si tan solo hubiera hecho esto o aquello”..

Ahora te pregunto, que pierdes si das un paso adelante, así a ojos casi cerrados? Da un pequeño salto de fe, has ese cambio que te cuesta poquito o mucho pero te da miedo, y veras que se abre una puerta, o una ventana, o quizás solo una rajadura, por donde puedes dejar brillar tu luz. Por esa rajadura es por donde debes empezar a ser feliz y dejar que la luz invada la oscuridad. Solo dando un pequeño paso, serás capaz de dejar poco a poco el miedo al cambio y encontrando y desarrollando en ti las mil posibilidades y fuerza que hay en tu alma y tu corazón.

Esto que escribo lo hago con amor y con respeto. Yo he estado ahí, atracada, pensando que mi vida era feliz, en mi zona de confort, no retándome ni buscando nuevas oportunidad para crecer. Total para que tratar de arreglar lo que no está roto verdad? Pues no. La vida te avienta a veces de pocos y a veces de un tiro, situaciones que te agarran desprevenida. La muerte de un ser querido por ejemplo .. y te agarra en tu zona de confort y ahora debes acostumbrarte a vivir sin esa persona. Y el hueco que te deja? Y el dolor? Y el miedo a como cambiara todo y si podrás tolerarlo y salir adelante.

Uy cuantas veces preguntaba eso, hasta que empecé a ver un patrón: lo que no aprendo se repite, con otra persona, otra circunstancia pero el dolor que me aleja de mi felicidad.. es el mismo.

Y luego ahí no más, me golpeó en la cabeza como 50 ladrillos juntos: detrás de cada dolor, hay escondida una posibilidad de crecimiento. Todo viene a nosotros para ayudarnos a crecer. Aunque la experiencia sea dura, de ponernos de rodillas, todo esconde una bendición, un regalo para ayudarnos a crecer. Deja esto a un lado por ahora y regresemos egresando al salto de fe.

Recuerdas cómo fue cuando empezaste a andar en bicicleta? O como cuando aprendiste a nadar? Desde el exterior decías mirando la bicicleta: “Que lindos colores, que bien se me vera montando esta bicicleta…” Entonces decidiste sentarte en ella. Acto seguido se escucho: ¡Oh no! Me voy a caer.” Y ahí tu mamá, o tu papá, o un hermano o amigo te dijo “Tranquila, yo te sostendré.”

Ese fue uno de los primeros saltos de fe que diste. Que si fue bicicleta, que si fue nadar o aprender a manejar, tu entiendes este ejemplo: diste un paso para adelante y confiaste en ti y en el amor de quien te sostendría.

A pesar de que mi mamá no esta ya mas de este lado, fue ella quien me “sujetó” en “mi bicicleta” cuando tome el pequeño gran paso y acepte este camino cuando ella murió. Recuerdo que tenia tanto miedo. Que va a decir la gente? Pero su muerte y su inmenso amor fue ella la que me sujeto. De esa gran tristeza y desolación, salió un regalo que me hizo dar el salto de fe que me ha sostenido hasta hoy. Ese regalo de tener que buscar bien dentro de mí de que estaba hecha; me inspiro a decir ‘Ok mami, tengo que dar un salto de fe y buscar ser feliz porque algo más grande que yo y que lo que me rodea, me tiene que ayudar a salir de esta depresión, de esta oscuridad y de este dolor.”

Pasaron muchas semanas y lunas hasta que entendí que grande es el amor de madre: darme su vida, para que yo crezca. Y si te queda duda de que así fue, te digo que yo no sería quien soy sin ellos.  Te digo con la mayor humildad, que no. Del dolor y la profunda tristeza de tener que dejar ir a mi mami para que pueda ella también seguir su camino de desarrollo y crecimiento, han venido nada más que bendiciones. Sino mira este instante, aquí estás tú, leyéndome. Que responsabilidad y que honor para mi.

Si desde este lado tienes a alguien que te apoya en tu camino, o en tu crecimiento espiritual, en hora buena. Quizás sea tu pareja, hijos, hermanos, padres. Considerate doblemente bendecida entonces, tienes apoyo de aquí y de los que están del otro lado. Y si no tienes ya alguna persona que te apoye desde este lado, o te sientes sola, quiero que sepas que del otro lado tienes un círculo de soporte infinito de almas que trabajan para ti para ayudarte y guiarte en tu camino. Solo tienes que pedirles que te ayuden.

Te invito hoy entonces a que les pidas a tus seres queridos, a tus Ángeles y Arcángeles que te den el valor de subirte a tu propia bicicleta porque después de todo, qué es lo peor que puede pasar si después de tu mini salto de fe que pensaste te haría feliz, no lo eres?

Tranquila, la experiencia te habrá llevado aun lugar diferente y has crecido. Si no has podido ganarle a la vida con este mini paso de fe, entiende que has explorado terrenos en ti que no habías sabido que existían; has hecho nuevos descubrimientos sobre ti y sobre el mundo. Y entonces, de la nada, se abre una puerta o una ventana, y te das cuenta de que no tienes tanto miedo como tú pensaste, porque ya diste ese minúsculo paso. De todos esos pequeños saltos de fe, salen nuevos pasos a caminar y el coraje para seguir andando. Y así la rueda del crecimiento espiritual se pone en marcha, y tú expandirás tu luz a personas y circunstancias que ni te imaginas.. Otros se sentirán inspirados con tu historia y tu entonces sentirás en tu corazón la verdadera felicidad: hacer crecer a otros.
Y pensar que todo esto empezó preguntándome si tú sabías si eras feliz sentada en esa silla..”

Para hablar con Spiritually Growing:
Para cualquier pregunta, o sesión,  envía un correo electrónico a anamaria@spirituallygrowing.com.

Si deseas continuar recibiendo el próximo boletín de Reflexiones de Agosto de Spiritually Growing: “Animales en Espíritu – Donde están y cómo podemos conectarnos con ellos”, haz click en:
http://www.spirituallygrowing.com/#footer

“How do you even know what your spiritual path is?  

The first most important step is to recognize whether you are happy.  I know that sounds like a cliché, but paying attention to your happiness is the key.  If you’re happy in your life, in your partnerships, and in what you’re doing, you’re on your path, Congratulations!  Keep doing what makes you happy, and ask yourself if there is anything that would make you happier.

If you’re not happy, the second most important step is to get in touch with yourself.  This step is part of your spiritual growth.  And the most fundamental step in growing spiritually is getting to know yourself.  Yes, no one should know you better, but do you really know who you are right now?  Do you know what you’re made of and what makes you happy?  Make it your mission to know what makes you happy.  And begin to recognize it when it’s in front of you, when it’s in you.  Feel it in your body.  Feel it in your head.  Feel it in your heart.

And with that base of knowledge, your next step is to take a mini leap of faith.  A small change.  I know, taking a leap of faith and change are difficult. They scare everybody.  They scare me as well. Change is difficult.  But what’s the alternative?  Be stuck where you are, and be unhappy?  Stay in your “safe” box that confines and frustrates you?  Remain in between the place you want out of and the place you long for?  Take a mini leap of faith, and see that open a door to something that makes you happier.  And with just that one mini leap, some of your fear will disappear.

It’s just like starting to ride a bicycle.  From the outside, you’re looking at the bicycle, and you say “Oh, it’s so nice, with beautiful colors…”  Then you decide to sit on it, and you say, “Oh no! I’m going to fall.”  But your mom, or your dad, or someone there with you says, “It’s ok, I’ll hold you.”

Even though my mom wasn’t here, she was the one who ‘held me’ on my bicycle when I was afraid.  It was her death that inspired me to say to myself, Ok mom, I need to take a leap of faith.  If you have someone here helping you on your path, or in your spiritual growth, well, you’re doubly blessed.  And if  you don’t have someone here, know that there is a circle of souls who are rooting for you on the other side, supporting your path.

And the worst that can happen after your mini leap of faith is that you thought it would make you happy, and it actually didn’t.  But you’ve grown from it.   Or, maybe you thought you could make a living from your leap of faith, but you couldn’t…yet.  But you’ve made new discoveries about yourself and the world.  And then, out of nowhere, a door opens.  And you’re excited.  And you realize you’re not as afraid as you were.

With each tiny leap of faith that you take, a door opens, clarity comes, and you notice you’re happier.  With each tiny leap of faith, you trust in your intuitive urges grows, you become less afraid, and you feel more inspired.  From the tiny leaps of faith, your path unfolds, and your courage to walk it grows.  Bigger leaps of faith soon become less scary, and your faith in your path grows.  Your faith in life grows.  You grow.  And you recognize it.

Growing toward the light always feels better than confining yourself in a safe box.  You just had to learn to take a leap of faith.”

To contact 
To set up a Q&A, or sessions send an email to anamaria@spirituallygrowing.com

To receive Spiritually Growing’s Reflections: “Animals in Spirit – How they live on and how we can connect with them,” Click: http://www.spirituallygrowing.com/#footer

For More Information:
If you’d like to know more about the topic of this month’s newsletter, or if you’d like to know how you can take a leap of faith in finding and following your spiritual path, please visit  http://spirituallygrowing.com.

Of the many experiences you have in life, there are those that give you fulfillment, those that give you happiness, those that give you joy, and those that give you everything together, at once You must be awake enough to know the difference. If you’re new to the process of finding your true self, you might ask how to know the difference. Well, that is the trick, isn’t it? You have to be in touch with yourself so much that you just know. The knowing comes as a result of your self-honesty and desire to know the truth of who you are. And when you hear the truth, it will resonate with your soul so much that it will bring you to your knees.

My mother’s death was my spiritual awakening. I felt such a loss that I had nothing left to hold onto. From the nothingness, came my desire to know truth, and I became very raw. My heart was out crying and bleeding every day. I needed to find something that would make me feel present, make me feel happy. My answer came as a result of one of a series of unusual and unanticipated experiences. Through that experience I heard the voice, so real and true that I knew without a doubt what my true calling was, and I was transformed from it.

Everything comes in a certain time. And the inner voice calls through pain. But people don’t want to hear their inner voice, mainly because they don’t want to acknowledge their pain. We’re taught to ignore pain. We’re afraid to hear our inner voice. We don’t want to accept that we’re in pain. We don’t know how to deal with the pain. We don’t have tools to deal with the pain. They weren’t taught to deal with the pain. Or we’re not sufficiently awake yet. The timing has to be right, from a place within you, from your soul. If you’re not convinced that you need to do something, or if you don’t have an inner compelling to hear, know, or change something, you will brush it aside.

You can teach yourself how to hear your inner voice. If you fall down and hurt your knee, the first thing that comes out of you will be yelling, which came out of feeling the pain in your knee. You are aware that you fell; therefore the first thing you need to express is the yelling of that pain. Before I know what I need to express, I have to put myself in order, get in touch with my heart. I have to feel what I am going to say and then it comes out. It is a process of doing the whole thing. I don’t act upon what I hear. I act upon what I feel in my heart and my soul. Expressing my voice is acting upon those feelings. That is my voice, from the inside out.

Expressing my voice required living in the state I wanted others to live in, the state of being awake and present. To remain in that state, I have to live as awake as I can, which includes being in contact with that piece of me that hurts so that I can start healing. The path of my healing becomes an integral part of my life path. So, I walk that path, so that people can see and recognize that in the path of healing, their true calling will present itself and strengthen you for walking it.

Following your path then, is synonymous with expressing your voice. I had to listen to my voice to know and accept the true path that I’d been given, and the gifts I’d been given to use on my path. In your internally inspired desire that compels you to live in the state of being awake and hear your inner voice, you will hear it. It will resonate so powerfully with you that through it you will identify your true calling. And when you find your true calling, it will make you cry. That is how you will know it is true.

Next Spiritually Growing Newsletter topic: Taking a Leap of Faith: Following Your Spiritual Path.

If you’d like to know more about this topic of this newsletter, or if you’d like to know how to develop a stronger connection with your voice or find your calling, please visit spirituallygrowing.com or contact Spiritually Growing to see which of her many services will help you connect with what you’re looking for.

To contact 
To set up a Q&A, or sessions send an email to anamaria@spirituallygrowing.com

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For More Information:
If you’d like to know more about the topic of this month’s newsletter, or if you’d like to know how you can take a leap of faith in finding and following your spiritual path, please visit  http://spirituallygrowing.com.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
At a young age I was very much aware that I could have a conversation with this lady that came to ‘visit’ me in my room right before I went to sleep and sometimes right as I woke up. Growing up in a catholic family, some type of experiences were not encouraged or accepted or even discussed. This was one of them. Being gay was another one.

Throughout my early adulthood, I had several spiritual experiences but I never ventured to talk about them in public.

When I moved to the US back in 2004 at 37, I had to rediscover myself as part of integrating to this society, barely 3 years in, my mom passes. Then, the 2008 financial crisis hit sending me out of work for over 1 1/2 years. Total chaos around and inside me. In the midst of it all, back to the drawing board to reinvent myself again.

I went back to school to become a paralegal while working at a downtown fortune 500 law office. I also became a Notary Public.

Life seemed back to get on track there for a while.

Then, my dad passes and I have to deal with his loss, while not over my mom’s yet (grieving can be such a personal process). I had to sell my state, while grieving. The end of my marriage was also a painful loss. For a while there, all was loss.

All together this has been one of the most difficult chapters of my life, but with this pain, I also received many blessings, and acceptance of the gifts I have been given, for which I will be held accountable for.

I got in touch with a Mediumship Center in Orange County and started taking classes. Reiki, Karuna Reiki, Mediumship, Angel Card Readings, and surely enough, all the sacrifices paid off.

Worked with a designer to build the website and branding for my business, and now I am focusing on promoting the website and my services and I am excited to see what other new challenges my life and path will put in front of me.

Has it been a smooth road?
Moving to a foreign country and such a big city as Los Angeles, in your late 30’s, can be challenging. Taking a leap of faith in your late 40’s to follow your life’s calling, can be truly scary.

2 years ago, I took a leap of faith to be able to follow my calling. I want to be of service and start my own spiritual business sharing my abilities and gifts with those who need them.

I took the 1st year to travel and find myself through the diversity of scenarios this world presents spontaneously. I travelled through South America, Europe and Asia. Each trip help me dig a little deeper into my own fears and help me peel this core and make it a little more exposed to the world.

I then realized, that God places the best things in life in the other side of terror. Through my mom’s loss I discovered an incredible gift, the one of acceptance and trust. Her passing helped me see and understand this.

If you surrender to what you feel your life calling is, and align you actions with your longing, the universe unfolds offering opportunities to be of service and heal your wounded heart while doing so.

In the words of Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society “Who can listen to a story of loneliness and despair without taking the risk of experiencing similar pains in his own heart and even losing his precious peace of mind? In short: “Who can take away suffering without entering it?”

Has it been easy? No.
Has it been scary? Yes. And fear creeps here and there many times.
This is a work in progress.
Anybody that says that it’s all ok and they have it all figured out… May not be seeing the big picture or being totally honest. Growth is constant. We never stop growing or learning or healing.

I try to hold on to my dad’s principles and keep marching forward like a little soldier. I can only continue trying and trust that I am taken care off, loved and protected. God has not placed me here now to see me fail. There is work to be done, places to see and people to meet. I believe I can be of service, be an honest channel to bring forward hope when soul is lost or passed, and healing when a soul aches.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Spiritually Growing – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Spiritually Growing provides a safe, sacred space where to meet with your loved ones in spirit and guides, while empowering your spiritual development and growth through clear intentions. I want clients to know that they can also may have the ability to hear, see, smell and interact with their loved ones in spirit, beyond their fears if only they can be present and willing.

My sessions can be booked via website (www.spirituallygrowing.com) and can be held in person, or via skype, or phone and because healing, and growing are not linear, every session is tailored for the client and their needs.

What I want to convey about my business is that it’s designed for the needs of the client’s, but the client is not alone in this path: together we will move forward while healing and growing. This empowers a client to believe in the work and take control of their destiny.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I moved to Los Angeles from Fort Lauderdale back in 2004, and immediately found myself longing for the clear ocean waters of the Atlantic. Never thought or imagined that I would live in such a vast city.

Many Angelinos believe that traffic is a disadvantage in LA. I don’t. Traffic is a gift. It gives me the opportunity to be with myself, listen to a book, chat with a friend, pause in the everlasting consumption of time.

What I mostly like about LA, is that I can finally feel at home. When I travel, I miss its palm trees, the hills at the distance, the 360+ days and rays of sunshine, its cultural diversity and the possibility to be part of a collective that strives to eat healthy and be outdoors.

Pricing:

• 30 min session : Mediumship or Animal Communication Session $ 70.00
• 1 hour session : Certified Angel Card Reading or Spiritual Assertiveness Coaching $ 100.00
• 1 hour session : Reiki or Karuna Reiki (humans and/or pets) $ 100.00
• 1 hour session : Mediumship $ 125.00

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spirituallygrowing.com
• Phone: 305-912-6714
• Email: anamaria@spirituallygrowing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spirituallygrowing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Spiritually-Growing-1732237380357541/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sprtuallygrowng
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/spiritually-growing-los-angele

Before you go to bed, visualize that your mind is a huge lake of fresh water. Mentally write down your problem on a piece of paper and wrap it around a marble stone with the engraving “peace” written in bold letters. Throw the stone with the paper into the lake and gently ask your higher mind for guidance. Watch the ripples created by the stone spreading far and wide in the glistening waters. Wait for a solution to emerge either in a dream or through intuition or by some other means.

Oftentimes, we seek the aid of professionals who do not validate our sense of spirituality, and a big part of us becomes lost. With a spiritual life coach, however, you will find it easier to talk about life in a more meaningful way, and you will feel safe and secure when opening up to them. There are no judgements, concerns, or mocking comments, only a deepening of your faith and sense of spirituality. They are there to listen to you and help you grow in any way they can.

Spiritual growth challenges us and opens us up to compassion, love, and things that make our lives fuller and richer. It gives life a deeper meaning and strengthens the connection between you and your inner wisdom. Being connected to your inner guidance will, in turn, lead you to live a life full of gratitude and giving.

Nobody mocks a child for falling down when learning how to walk, and your coach will not mock you for your mistakes or imperfections. Mistakes are just one of the ways that we learn, and spiritual life coaches keep that in mind as they explore your history and help you map out your next steps in life.

Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain.

Who should practice mindfulness?

Anyone can do mindfulness practice. There are no barriers. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what your physical ability is, if you’re religious or not…

Mindfulness is not obscure or exotic. It’s familiar to us because it’s what we already do, how we already are. It takes many shapes and goes by many names.

We all already have the capacity to be present, and it doesn’t require us to change who we are. But we can cultivate these innate qualities with simple practices that are scientifically demonstrated to benefit us in many ways.