Exchanges

I had another conversation with Padma last night. I was curious to know if what I was doing for her was healing for her. She said "yes" and that all I had to do was be with her for the connection to be healing for her. It seemed a little confusing to me, but I took it for what it was. I also talked with her about a couple of visual flashes I had experienced and thought they might be related to my depression (and the anger that followed it). I had experienced a couple of brief flashes in her presence where I was seeing her without her clothes on.

This morning I started Lesson 12 from "Love is Letting Go of Fear".

Quote:

I am responsible for what I see. I choose the feelings I experience, and I decide upon the goal I would achieve. And everything that seems to happen to me, I ask for, and receive as I have asked.

Teach only Love for that is what you are.

I like this lesson very much.

This morning I started Lesson 11 from "Love is Letting Go of Fear".

Quote:

I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.

In my mind, there are thoughts that can hurt me or help me. I am constantly choosing the contents of my mind, since no one else can make this choice for me. I can choose to let go of everything but my loving thoughts.

This morning I started Lesson 10 from "Love is Letting Go of Fear".

Quote:

I could see peace instead of this

Most of the time I see a fragmented world where nothing seems to make much sense. The bits and pieces of my daily experience reflect the chaos I see within. Today, I welcome a new perception of myself and the world

My boyfriend and I have been living together since September 1st, which is also when we began the Ecstatic Exchanges. We've been dating for a little over a year, with almost no problems except for our sex life. Briefly -- he wanted to have sex a lot, I didn't. Other than our sexual differences, we are very deeply in love and he is a wonderful, caring and sweet person. I found Marina's book sort of on a whim, but it seemed to address all of the problems we've been facing. After reading Marina's book, I thought I had found the answer to all my problems!

At the end of November, 2010, I wrote the following to Marnia:

We are in our 60s and just beginning.

We are about half way through Marnia's exchanges in Peace and are finding that the sexual chemistry and magnetic attraction is returning to our marriage of 35 years. I called a halt to sex because something was wrong. I didn't know what was wrong and didn't know how to fix it. How wonderful to find Marnia's book and then, through this site, Diane and Michael Richardson's book, "Tantric Sex for Men," a gem for both men and women.

The exchanges - I have not even suggested them to my partner. (He hasn't read Marnia's book, and isn't going to read it.) How do you get past the whole basis in spiritual beliefs, if you don't believe in them?

For some reason, my attitude upon returning to this site after a year away has been somewhat negative. Based on Marnia's responses to several of my posts, I perceive some degree of frustration (e.g. at my unwillingness to try the exchanges as written) and even some gentle reproach (for my personal bias against religion that made me overlook that Gary was posting a link for its scientific merit).

Well, we finally got our copy of "Cupid's Poisoned Arrow" and I am burning through it. My husband (to whom I am going to give the pseudonym "William") will read it next and then we will put the Exchanges into practice. I'd like to say how delightful I find the writing. I am a great reader of non-fiction and always appreciate a well-written non-fiction book...and this is definitely one of those, and I love the humours side-bars, too [bigsmile].