Over the winter I spent two weeks in India at the ashram I wrote about in my book, Just Be. I was there at the busiest time of year, between Christmas and New Year's, and there were literally thousands of people...just see the photo above to get an idea of what the main hall looked like...
Every Tuesday at 12:30 pm we would all gather in the main hall for something called "Prasad Lunch." It was a delicious, abundant meal with rice, curry, papadam (a thin crispy treat), banana, and yummy dessert. This meal was offered by the ashram for free to everyone.
Oh yes, and every single plate was also blessed by Amma, the guru.
Our yoga teacher told us it is custom to wait until the guru has her first bite before eating the meal. And the guru would wait until every single person had a plate before she would take her first bite.
The plates were passed from the front of the main hall all the way to the people in the back until everyone had a plate.
The first time I experienced this I just kept thinking, "There's no way there is going to be enough. How can they feed all these people? They must run out at some point."
Everyone was singing "Om Namah Shivaya" while the plates were handed back.
As some people were handed a plate, I watched them grip their fists around it, holding on for dear life.
Some people began eating early, unable to wait until everyone had a plate.
But then I saw some people smiling, and continuing to pass whatever plate was handed to them off to someone else. They had complete trust that there would be enough. And they were so happy.
After about a half an hour of this handing-out-plates process, a man on the stage asked if anyone did not have a plate yet, to raise their hand. More and more plates of food were handed out.
This happened a few more times, until magically, everyone had a plate.
I was in awe.
The first time I went to this lunch, as soon as I received a plate, I held on to it, unsure if there would be enough.
But the next week, I became one of those smiling people, handing off whatever plate was handed to me, having complete trust that there would still be enough for me.
Most of us have been taught that we live in a world where there just isn't enough.
nd it is this very belief that is at the seat of so much suffering. It creates competition. It creates a mindset of scarcity. It teaches us that we need to fend for ourselves, that we can't give to others with generosity.
I'm tired of living this way.
It is certainly important to provide for yourself, and that is a necessary step in order to shift your mindset into one of abundance. But abundance consciousness is inclusive, it includes yourself, but it also includes everyone.
This year I have been making a radical shift in consciousness to the belief, "there is always enough."
And it has not been easy!
So many limiting beliefs have been coming to the surface when I chose to act out of this new way of being.
This moment in India is just one of the times I saw how my own mindset of scarcity would play out. But over time, I have been choosing a new way. I am beginning to trust. To let go.
Through that trust, I have been provided for. and through that trust, I have been so much happier.
One of the teachings I recently read about from Mary Magdalene (channeled by Mercedes Kirkel) is:
“There is enough for everyone but to realize this requires a grand shift in consciousness - you will realize abundance when you make the shift - and to make the shift you must assume this abundance - it takes great trust to do this.”
One of the ways I have been practicing abundance is through tithing. Tithing is the idea that all of our abundance comes from God/Source, and in order to honor that Source, we are invited to give back one tenth of every dollar we earn to the places that spiritually nourish us.
This could be to friends, family, organizations, charities, teachers, authors, etc.
The idea is that you can never "Out-give" God, so whatever you give, will come back to you, times ten.
I have to say, from my experience of it, it's been pretty true. (Learn more about tithing in Edwene Gaines book, The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity)
I made a six month commitment to tithing about four months ago, and it has been a huge statement to the universe of I have enough. I believe there is enough. I believe there will always be enough.
Month after month I have seen that even though I am giving away a significant portion of my income, there is still, truly, always enough.
In those moments when I was really uncertain if there would be enough, some kind of miracle happened.
Something about this new mindset, this new way of being, has been catapulting me into expansion in all areas of my life.
I've hired an assistant and I'm getting ready to move to a new home, a dream I have been holding in my heart for years.
Both of these steps have required a huge amount of trust. And the belief in an abundant universe.
o I'm curious where you have been feeling closed or held back by money and abundance. I've found the quickest way to shift into a state of abundance when I am feeling scarce is to GIVE.
What are your thoughts on abundance? What actions could you take that show you believe in an abundant universe? Feel free to leave a note in the comments below.
With love,
Meredith
