To Lean into it metaphorically means, “the act of embracing something, or a situation, by using it to empower yourself. To lean into something is to own it… .”

When I was a young girl, I used to ride on the back of a motorcycle. My parents didn’t like it and forbid me to do it, but when I finally left home and got married in our early years, I became a Harley girl. I actually rode cross-country twice on the back of a bike and then throughout the southwest many times. One of the things I hated about it was the lean. I might not have been the best passenger, because I always had to be reminded to lean into the curves. It just didn’t seem right and although I never really got used to it, I did it, I trusted it.

Anyway, just as leaning into the turn on a motorcycle might not make sense to those who do not understand the physics of it, right now it might not make sense to lean into the changes that are taking place in our world. We might feel like fighting like hell to stay the same, to go back to the way things were.

Eckart Tolle introduced me to a term: Transcendent Dimension. It is a synonym for entering unknown or turning to the Absolute or recognizing the Heaven within. The Transcendent Dimension is a state of consciousness where you recognize yourself as just that – consciousness. Eckhart Tolle challenges us to center in this place before we make any decision in life. It is the place of Power, where all manifestation comes from. In this place we can be sure that our manifestations are not arising out of our egoic mind. I am refining my ability to lean into the place now more than ever. As I lean into this Infinite state of mind, I am in a place to meet the challenges of the present day as opportunities to go deeper.

The world is changing and the old is breaking away, falling apart and we are most definitely in a state of chaos. Some are trying to put humpty back together again with the old tools, but only receiving a cracked version that cannot stand up to the changes taking place. It would be like trying to fit a VCR cassette into a DVD player. We are not the same as we were and the demand is to change, to look at things differently, to approach our challenges from a different perspective are imperative. We have to lean into the change instead of fearing it. We were built for these times and we have everything in our mental, emotional and physical selves to lean into it all. Coming from the Transcendent Dimension, we will find these tools and move with grace into the new version of our selves.

I have an opportunity if I lean into the Transcendent Dimension first to receive information from that dimension that is useful as I move through these unchartered waters. In this dimension, I am not hampered by conditions, the past or the things that appear impossible. It is the state of unlimited potential.

Does it mean I do not experience fear? Yes, I do. I fear loss of the things I’ve worked so hard to create. It’s easy to imagine the worst and then do my best to resist it. However, instead, it is more powerful to lean into the fear. I take myself to the place of “what’s the worst thing that could happen?” Then I lean into that. When I lean into the things that I fear the most instead of resisting them with my stubbornness, I find they lose their power.

I read this article by a woman named Susan Mazza, who wrote, “When you are afraid, the natural tendency is to lean back – to pull away from what you fear. It’s natural because your mind’s job is to protect you. Except your mind doesn’t always know the difference between a real danger and an imagined one.”

Did you know that the acronym for Fear is “False Evidence Appearing Real?” The material world in a sense, as real as it seems, is merely energy and energy is in constant change and movement. What appears solid if we were able to truly view, in a slowed down state, it would be a bunch of particles. We are in charge of those particles and they are glued together by our emotions, focus and concentration.

I think for many of us we have done this with the things that have seemed to be stopped and changed due to COVID 19. We feel like we’ll never get our world back again and we do not like it. We are scared. We wonder if it will ever end. We are scared for our economy, our friends, our families. We want it to stop. We want to get back to normal. It’s False Evidence Appearing Real and instead of being afraid of it, if we shift, we can use it all as the greatest opportunity we have to love more deeply, be more creative, inspire others and move into healing. We cannot fight COVID 19 by resisting it. Leaning into our fear of it will dissipate its power. Our immune systems weaken with fear; they strengthen with love, faith and trust.

Here is what I know. I might have been afraid to lean into those turns in my Harley days, but I know when I leaned into that fear into those curves, I had the time of my life.

Susan Mazza went on to write, We all fear something: often that “something” is between who we are and where we are in life now, and who we want to become and where we want to be.”

There is something within each of us that reaches for the more. It is that Transcendent Dimension that is calling us to be who we came here to be. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we are here to create a great movement or found an organization; however, it does mean that we are here to embrace our Divinity, to be happy, to be healthy, to live in prosperity. Every mystic that walked this earth challenged us to be Joy.

So at this time of extremes of chaos, let us begin to lean into…

The unknown. I don’t know what’s happening next. I can’t even guess. However, I can lean into my own faith and trust that I have everything it takes to meet what’s next, to know in that unknown is the power to create.

Lean into the change. I want things to stay the same. I like the life I had, but even the plans I made can open up to greater experiences if I let go of them.

Lean into the love. There is so much love around me and in me. I can feel the love from my family, my friends and the members of CSL Kaua`i that I work with every week that I know have my back. I also know that the love within me, which is God, which is my inner me, my kingdom of Heaven will never leave me. Yes, I lean into the love.

Lean into the tension. Oh, it gets tense sometimes. I get into an argument or I get angry about something or someone. But, its just me trying to get my way. My egoic mind trying to be right. If I lean into the tension, speak with love and a commitment to truth, if I really listen to the other side, I can learn that there is room for it all. Feeling tension is a good signal that something has to give.

Lean into the disappointment. Yes, I need to feel my disappointments. It’s okay to grieve the old ways. It’s okay to be disappointed that I can’t have things I used to have. It’s normal. Once I allow myself to feel the disappointment, to examine where it is coming from, and to allow it to just be with me as long as it wants to be, I pass through it faster and I find the greater treasure at the other end.

Lean into the sadness. Lately, I have had some sadness. I’ve had sick friends. I experienced sadness at not being able to visit my family. However, what is sadness, but the deepening of love. It is a chance to love more.

Lean into the lighter times. A friend recently asked me what I am doing for fun during this time. I had to think about that. It’s important to find the light moments, the moments that allow me to laugh. It is important to find the lighter moments, the humor in things, to actually ask for them, claim them, even demand them.

Lean into the newness. Leaning into the newness will bring a sense of curiosity and the beautiful intuitive ways of looking at things like a child.

Lean into the beauty. There is so much beauty around me. I am so blessed, which leads me to gratitude.

Lean into the gratitude. How did I end up on a tropical Island in the middle of all this beauty. I am so grateful to breathe into the peace of nature and embrace its lessons. Gratitude expands my being.

Lean into the present moment. This is the top leaning on my list. I can truly lean into the present moment, not thinking ahead, staying open to what’s around me, to my intuition, to the soft whisperings from within. The present moment is key to me during this time. It relieves me of my sense of control and puts me in a state of sweet surrender.

I used to be afraid of a lot of things, but now I know that I have a Power I can use. It is my own connection to the Infinite Love, the Universe, the Light, God, that shows up everywhere when I lean in. You have this same Power, too. I invite you to lean into it.

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita