heart-minded

Heart Minded – How to Hold Yourself and Others in Love – Book (and Meditations) Review

Posted by Barbara Techel

I can’t say enough good about this book and its accompanying meditations! In my post from yesterday, I talked about how a meditation of Sarah’s that I recently listened to, inviting me to picture what grace looks like, brought me to a tender and sweet space.

I posted my review of Sarah’s book on Amazon and you can check it out here if you like.

But I just wanted to expand a bit more on this book here today on my blog. I’ve listened to all but three of the 23 meditations now. When I first began reading Sarah’s book, I’d read one chapter at night and then listen to the mediation for that chapter in the morning.

But her writing, so exquisite and eloquent that kept touching a deep place within me had me not being able to put the book down after just one chapter the more I moved through it.

Our world as it is so torn and full of uncertainty right now I find Sarah’s words to be so healing and uplifting that I feel grateful to have this book and the meditations that are unlike anything I’ve ever read or listened to before. I feel as if her book was divinely guided to be in the world at this very moment to help many people who are suffering.

This time really is about getting back to the heart of who we truly are. It’s tough work at times and it’s deeply painful too, but it also has moments when the heart cracks wide open that we see hope in a way we’d never seen or felt it before and so we find the strength and courage to keep going.

Having this book as a guide beside me feels like the best friend who somehow always knows the right thing to say just when you need it most.

Even though I’ve finished reading the book and I have only three more meditations to listen to I already know I’ll continue coming back to it. I plan to just open the book at random each day to see what message I need to hear, along with doing the same with the meditations.

I love this book so much I wish I could gift a copy to each and every person in this world.

If you’d like a taste of Sarah’s meditations she has a channel on Insight Timer. Here is one I feel helpful right now as we all are learning to surrender in new ways: Sarah Blondin – Learning to Surrender.

xo,

Barbara

What Does Grace Look Like?

Posted by Barbara Techel

This morning listening to a meditation by Sarah Blondin that accompanies her book, Heart-Minded, I was guided to imagine what grace looks like to me. Once the image was in my mind’s eye Sarah then invited me to feel worthy of that image.

How often it is we don’t feel worthy or worthy of grace, isn’t it? I certainly understand this as it was my journey just a few short years ago and one in which I chronicled in my newest memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am.

So perhaps it will come as no surprise that the image that came to my mind of grace is one of my dog, Gidget, and the image I saw of her resting in her dog car seat as she lovingly looks over at me.

But today, with this sweet image in my mind, Sarah guided me to a deeper understanding of grace. For me, when that actual moment occurred with Gidget (which happened more than once) while so very sweet, I didn’t recognize the full impact of its meaning then. But I was reminded during this meditation time of how far I’ve come and the teaching Gidget instilled in me.

This moved me to tears because in one way I wish I could have recognized this moment of grace with Gidget when it was actually happening. But you see, this is the gift of Gidget that keeps expanding in my heart even though she’s now been gone for over fourteen months.

My little Buddha Dog, so very wise in such a tiny body, was looking at me in this way because she wanted for me to really see myself – to see what she saw – and to accept that I indeed was worthy – she knew this and she took it upon her sweet and wise knowing self to reflect this back to me often in hopes that eventually I’d come to see and accept this.

There were so many moments of grace with Gidget and the one that will remain forever embedded in my heart is her gift in helping me know that I was always worthy even when I’d lost my way. Now living from this new awareness, I experience so many more moments of grace.

As I was writing this post I was nudged to look up the symbolism of the meaning of the name Gidget which is:

Gidget means Small Girl and is of American origin. … Name created for the main character in Frederick Kohner’s 1957 novel “Gidget, The Little Girl With Big Ideas.”

She was indeed the little dog with a big mission that guided me to feel so much more whole. 

xo,

Barbara