Living Love Self-Ascension Style!

Beloved Community,

Parts of the following sharing were also printed in a local magazine here in Guatemala that we are honored to be monthly columnists for. As we connected with the essence of this article our hearts felt that it was potent regardless of where you live and of course we have included the blessing of one, simple yet powerful practice to assist you with this week of love and divine reunion.

Arriving in Guatemala is always a fascinating moment. Navigating the airport and arriving at your destination will certainly offer you glimpses of stunning landscapes. You will also be greeted by a vast cacophony of people and colors that seem bright in contrast to taupe painted traditional western wear.

For many years prior to making the “leap” and moving here we would visit often and consistently experience the memorable Guatemalan smile. At one point an acquaintance shared a joke with us that was simply: How do you know the difference between a Guatemalan and a visitor? The Guatemala is the one who is smiling.

Let’s face it, in many countries worldwide there is a perception that Guatemala is not a choice destination, and there is a perpetuation of fear about arriving here. We frequently offer potential visitors the reassurance needed to select Guatemala and to navigate this stunning country safely and with memorable experiences. Living here full time for over two years we have been blessed to meet with so many amazing beings from virtually every continent of our vast world.

What you may find most surprising is that on 12/19/12 Gallup published a poll that took into account 150,000 people from around the world. The topic? “Are you happy?” The poll included questions about your sense of receiving enough rest, being treated with respect, do you smile or laugh a lot and had you experienced a positive emotion the day before. 148 countries participated in this study.

Ready for the results?

Seven of the top 10 countries are in Central or South America. Seven! Worldwide our diverse and often contradictory Guatemala ranked number 7 of the happiest places in the world to live!

An interesting note was that the people least likely to report positive emotions lived in Singapore, the wealthy city-state that ranks among the most developed in the world. Other wealthier countries also sat low on the list. Germany and France tied with the poor African state of Somaliland for 47th place. The United States came in at number 33.

Diving deeper into this revelation we discovered this quote at a website. It seems to sum up why Guatemalans feel so content:

“In Guatemala, it’s a culture of friendly people who are always smiling,” said Luz Castillo, a 30-year-old surfing instructor. “Despite all the problems that we’re facing, we’re surrounded by natural beauty that lets us get away from it all.”

On any given day in the Central Park in Antigua, young lovers find themselves on benches stealing kisses and confident no one can see them. Walk down the street and the couple that has been married for 30 years or more are holding hands and smiling at each other…still enraptured by their love for each other. Start up a conversation about the fertile land here and watch people light up.

There is always an affirming story to share about the bounty of the land and her beauty. We often smile as we watch a lone fisherman in his hand-hewn boat gliding across Lake Atitlan singing at the top of his lungs. From the perspective of the one who is listening to his less than well trained voice this can be jarring, until you realize that to him the lake is his soul and he is singing to the universe!

This week, as you enjoy the gift of simply being alive and breathing the energy of love as the world takes a moment to experience Valentines’ day, if even for a moment, take the time to notice how many smiles are coming your way.

Smiles are universal and transcend borders, language and paradigms. Smiles keep you happy. We have learned to call it Love…Guatemalan style, and now more than ever, is the time to unlock the happiness within and share it with all who greet you.

The many blessings of Self-Ascension offer us the beauty of calling forth this smile energy any time we care to and we would like to invite you to offer yourself the gift of this smile with a conscious breath.

This is the week to focus on this practice and remember that if you take in just one conscious breath you are sending a signal to your physical body, your emotional body and your spiritual body. The signal says, Yes! I AM HERE!

This captivates the soul and assists you to ever more anchor the first point of the 4 pointed diamond of Crystalline Ascension.

Bring your hand to your heart now.
Take in a deep breath and if you know the Avesa Breath then initiate that.
When you exhale close your eyes and feel the gift of divine connection within.
Now…here is the secret…SMILE!

When you complete your breath with a smile you are saying to the universe, Hello, I AM HERE and I AM AWAKE.

So go ahead, smile and love! Laugh and twirl. Celebrate the gift of your Self-Ascended life and let this week be one of restoration.

With great love and giant smile,
Sri and Kira