Soul Songs: Your SoulCollage NewsletterSoul Songs
Your SoulCollage® Newsletter

Enabling us to sing the songs
we were born to sing
through the practice
of SoulCollage®
Issue #48   June, 2009 Theme: Meditation
Welcome!

Greetings, and welcome to Soul Songs, the official KaleidoSoul Newsletter, and the only monthly newsletter that focuses exclusively on SoulCollage® ideas, resources and artists.

Our intention is to fill each issue (and your life) with inspiration, soul-solace and delight.  Whether you are new to SoulCollage®, or already immersed in the creation of your deck, Soul Songs is for you. 

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Read back issues of Soul Songs on this KaleidoSoul page.

Soul Singing with Anne Marie
Anne Marie, the creator of KaleidoSoul.com
Hi!  I'm Anne Marie, the creator of KaleidoSoul.com, and a SoulCollage®  facilitator in Massachusetts.  If you're just starting to sing your song with SoulCollage®, this column is especially for you.


Coming Home To Myself

I will never forget the first time I meditated. I attended a seven-day silent meditation retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, in the Massachusetts Berkshires in the early 80’s. I had done a little bit of meditating on my own before then, but this was the first time that I participated in a guided practice.

What struck me the most about my first experience of meditation was not how peaceful it was, it was how noisy it was... inside my head, inside my heart, inside my soul. All those inner voices popped right up. I believe they were absolutely thrilled that I had finally made some time and given them some space to be heard. And when I was actually able to just become mindful of them instead of latching on to them and letting them "get" to me... I was able to experience a very deep sense of coming home to myself.

I still have a regular (although not daily) meditation practice. SoulCollage® weaves in beautifully with my meditation practice because it allows me to give image to the inner voices (Committee Suit) that make themselves heard when I stop what I am doing and focus only on the silence, only on my breath. In meditation, I acknowledge these inner parts of me who are clamoring for attention, but I don’t attach myself to any of them, nor do I engage in conversation with them. Later, I seek out images to honor them, and I journal with them to get to know them better.

Another way that SoulCollage® dovetails perfectly with meditation is that it is a way to connect directly with Source, and with the aspects of Source that make themselves known via archetypes and spirit guides (aka The Council Suit). There are many times that I’ve felt Spirit’s loving presence as I’ve sat in the stillness. I have also become aware of a few Neters who are special Guides on my journey.

There are many ways to practice meditation. I’ve included some resources below. If you are practicing SoulCollage®, please consider trying a few different forms of meditation. I think you’ll find that it enhances your SoulCollage® practice immensely.

Also, please consider joining us for our June KaleidoSoul Tele-Class which is all about Meditation and SoulCollage®, presented by Marti Beddoe, SoulCollage® Facilitator and Meditation Teacher in Illinois.

May we all come home to ourselves, each and every day.

Recommended Reading About Meditation:

There Is Nothing Wrong with You, by Cheri Huber. Subtitled: A Compassionate Process for Learning to Accept Yourself Exactly As You Are. This is my very favorite of all of Huber’s books. Simple instructions, powerful practice.

Spirit In Action, by Irene Lamberti. So you don’t like to sit still? This book is an excellent resource for ways to find meditation in motion.

Mindfulness for Beginners, by Jon Kabat-Zinn. This two CD set is an excellent way to get started with mindfulness meditation. His books are excellent also.

 
Anne Marie Bennett is a freelance writer, self-taught artist, SoulCollage® Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer who trained with Seena Frost. Her background is elementary education, computer software training, writing, and mixed media art. She lives, laughs, writes, and sings (and makes her own SoulCollage® cards!) in Beverly, MA. More of Anne Marie's cards/interpretations are available on her blog, Inner Surprises.
 
 
Soul Symphonies with Karen

My name is Karen Mann and I'm a SoulCollage® facilitator from Melbourne, Australia. This column is for those of you who have already made some cards & are ready to discover the symphony of voices inside of you and around you. 



Contemplation and Meditation


A number of years ago I made this card intuitively and then named it "Contemplation." When I made this card I saw it as a peaceful, gentle type of contemplation. "I am the one who is wise and quiet. I am the one who is peaceful and centered. I am the one who doesn't rush things and takes time to examine things carefully. I am the one who can tap into ancient wisdom, if I take the time." This is something I aspire to.

Over time I've come to reflect upon the various meanings of the word contemplation. According to the American Heritage Dictionary it can have a number of different meanings:
1. The act or state of contemplating.
2. Thoughtful observation or study.
3. Meditation on spiritual matters, especially as a form of devotion.
4. Intention or expectation: for example: She sought further information in contemplation of a career change.
'Contemplation' can be used in ways that can end up being quite opposite from each other. There can be contemplation as a form of quiet meditation (which can be stilling of the mind), there can be contemplation which is thinking and examining something (which can often for me lead to over-thinking and worry) and then there is contemplation which is about planning for the future and setting intentions, which for me can also often lead to lots of thinking, and trying to figure everything out in advance.

When I explored my "contemplation" card I realized that a very powerful shadow aspect of this Neter is the potential for over-thinking and excessive worry. "I am the one who tries to figure it all out in advance. I am the one who wants to know that she is choosing the best option, so will try and work out the pros and cons to everything. I am the one who worries and stresses and plans and thinks. Whirl…whirl…whirl goes my brain…round and round… until I get a headache!"

I have found that meditation practices help to slow the over-thinking down.

Recently, by way of an "accident," this card has shared a profound message with me. If you notice in the second version of this card, the head of the wise woman in the background has ripped off. I learnt some interesting lessons from this accidentally torn image about contemplation and meditation.

It was definitely of great interest to me that it was only her head that tore off. As someone who often gets tangled in my own thoughts, especially when trying to slow down and meditate/contemplate, this was a very meaningful occurrence. "I am the one who needs to get out of my head. I need to slow down, stop planning ten steps ahead (pun intended) and stop worrying about what might go wrong. I need to practice finding stillness and stop over-thinking."

What is also interesting about how this image ripped is that the image that remains almost looks like a figure, hidden under a cloak, with the head and body covered by the cloak. "I am the one who is hiding beneath the cloak, caring for myself, finding quiet and peace, going within."

Another interesting aspect is that I did not initially notice that the head had torn off. I had actually used this card as an example in a SoulCollage® workshop without noticing what had happened. "I am the one who is so busy and always thinking ahead (pun intended!) that I don't always notice what is going on in the here and now, in front of me. I need to slow down and be in the present moment."

The message from this ripped image has helped me make sense of my current preference for movement-related meditation practices. In my qigong classes I find I am drawn to the full-body movement exercises, rather than the quiet, sitting in lotus position meditation practices. For me, at the moment, these practices are helping me to get "out of my head." Over time, I will get better at the stillness meditation, but for now, these other forms of meditation are helping me find quiet and slow down that busy thinking head of mine.

This unintentional change to my Contemplation card has certainly helped me learn more about myself and my need for more quiet contemplation and meditation in my life. Even though the accidental ripping of one of my precious SoulCollage® cards may seem like an unfortunate event, I am actually grateful for the opportunity to learn from this incident.


Karen Mann is an artist, art teacher, Lifestyle Coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and SoulCollage® facilitator. Karen has been working with SoulCollage® cards for more than four years and facilitates a variety of SoulCollage® Groups. Karen also runs SoulCollage® Facilitator Training weekends. Karen offers regular workshops in Melbourne and Geelong, Australia, and is also available to travel to other regions in Australia. For more information, or to contact Karen, please visit her website, Flying Colours Creativity.
 
 

Ever wish you could take your SoulCollage® practice with you on the road?

Would you love to have a portable way to keep your SoulCollage® card making supplies together when you go on vacation?

Then this SoulCollage® To Go kit is for you!
Please visit this KaleidoSoul page for more information.


 
Back To Basics  Summer SoulCollage® Adventure
Four (90 Minute) Tele-Workshops
Designed to Get Your SoulCollage® Practice Up and Running!

Please visit this KaleidoSoul page for more information.
 
KaleidoSoul Creations

As promised, we are featuring SoulCollage® cards from our readers in each issue.

Each card below is one SoulCollager's expression of Meditation.
  
 


Meditation
Linda
Maryland


I am the One who sits quietly and listens to the breath of life.
I am the One who climbs the staircase to the stars to realize I am the sky.

 



Meditator Me
Cheryl
Illinois


I am the one who relishes the silence. I am one who is strengthened and balanced when I sit in meditation. I am the one who has the Light in my hands, at the seat of my soul. I am the one whose soul resonates with the "Omm" of the universe.




Chakra Meditation
Brenda
Massachusetts

I am the one who sits in silence and breathes deep within connecting with the energy of my soul. I am the one who visualizes my energy centers clearly rotating and healing in the light of each color vibration. I am the one who awakens and stimulates each center for optimum health. I am the one who is in silence with the Divine realms of love. I am the one who is awakened to the blossoming of the creative consciousness.




Meditator
Lisa
Virginia

I Am The One Who quiets my mind and listens.




Peace
Nora
Oregon

I am one who abides in peace.
I am one who is quiet in times of change.
I am one who lives in the deep heart’s core.
I am one who is.




Above the Fray
Anne
New Hampshire



 

KaleidoSoul Notes
KaleidoSoul Notes

Noteworthy resources for anyone interested in SoulCollage®


Facilitator TrainingsFacilitator Trainings: Information about content and dates/locations of upcoming trainings of SoulCollage® Facilitators.


SoulCollage websiteSoulCollage website - Seena Frost created the process of SoulCollage®, and this is her website.


KaleidoSoul - Spinning the fragments of your world into wholeness and beauty through SoulCollage®.


Tele-Classes - These are fun, interactive tele-classes that are easily accessed from anywhere in the world. 
 
Meditation and SoulCollage®: Cultivating Beauty and Contentment in a Time of Disharmony and Discontent
Presented by Marti Beddoe, Meditation Teacher, Neter Letter Associate Editor and SoulCollage Facilitator from Illinois. There are more details on this KaleidoSoul page.


Kindred Spirits Join our fast-growing worldwide membership of people who put the "soul" in SoulCollage®! Receive a weekly newsletter all about SoulCollage®, advance notice of new SoulCollage® materials, half- price discounts on all e-courses and e-books in the KaleidoSoul Shop And more!e!

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Inspiring Resourses
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Artella is a lively playground for writers, artists, and any kind of creator (That's YOU!). You will find a wealth of resources, ideas, and playful projects to delight your inner artist and/or your inner writer. Find thousands of creative products in The Artella Store!
 

Soul Songs Back Issues - Read back issues of Soul Songs on this KaleidoSoul page. An excellent resource. Just look for whatever SoulCollage® topic you are interested in, and read to your heart's content!

 SoulCollage® is a trademarked process created by Seena B. Frost. 
For more information about Seena and the origins of SoulCollage®,
please visit her website.


SoulCollage® cards are made either from one's own art or from images found in materials which have been bought by or given to the SoulCollage® card maker. These collaged cards are used only for the cardmaker's own inner exploration. SoulCollage® cards are not sold, traded, bartered, or copied (except as a back-up for the cardmakers own use) as is stated in the " Principles of SoulCollage®." Where SoulCollage® cards are available to be seen by others, it is for the purposes either of demonstrating the SoulCollage® process or of sharing the cardmakers' inner process in the context of community. SoulCollage® is grateful to the artists and photographers who make this deep awakening process possible and in all ways SoulCollage® seeks to be respectful of their rights.
  
All articles in SOUL SONGS are copyrighted 2009,
by Anne Marie Bennett and Karen Mann.
Articles may be reprinted by permission only.