Lessons Through Dreams: Losing our Identity

I had yet another dream that I found worthy of sharing. Perhaps you've had this experience, too... (Please share!)

I was picking up a few items at a store in the subway (they have these in certain parts of Europe  - and probably many other places), and I was purchasing some fancy rum and such for my significant other.  The gentleman was ringing up my sale, and I volunteered to show my ID, assuming that he would think I must have looked so magnificently young that I couldn't possibly be old enough to purchase alcohol.  I looked through my wallet, then I became frantic as I realized that my ID was missing.  I went to call someone to help, but my cell phone was missing too.  I didn't know anyone's number by heart - I felt really anxious.  At this point, I had stepped out of the line and let other customers make their purchases.

I read the cashier's thoughts: The sale was almost complete. I didn't ask for your ID.

Throughout the dream, I ran around from place to place trying to find my ID and my cell phone. I eventually met up with my Mom who suggested that we do a little shopping and have some dinner and that maybe we could jog my memory as to where the missing items might be. She was suggesting that I "Let Go and Let God" and not become consumed with the anxiety and tension. The ID and the phone could both be replaced if need be.

I decided to "give in." We went shopping, and I purchased some makeup. My credit cards and cash were still in purse. No one asked for my ID.

We went out to eat. I paid with a credit card. No ID was required.

When we got outside, I was sorting the receipts into my purse, and between two pieces of paper - there was my ID. I showed my Mom. I reiterated that I had searched through my purse - dumped it out and carefully picked through dozens of times - many of which she had witnessed throughout the dream.

My mom's lips didn't move, but she communicated to me that it was in "Letting Go and Letting God" that I found what I needed. I found my ID - myself. Oh, and then I found my cell phone - my way of communicating with others - as well.

Namaste,
Debbie aka Sulilo

Recommended Yoga Pose for meditating on the Concept of Letting Go and Letting God, or Surrendering to the Universe:

Balasana

"Child's Pose":

Suggested Reading:

   

On the Bus with....No Pants On?

I had a rather interesting dream last night, but the ending was far from typical.  I was on a shuttle bus (which may relate to last week when I rode many shuttle buses to and from my hotel to a convention in Atlanta).  My grandmother (who is deceased in real life but who shows up in most of my dreams) saw me off until I got on the shuttle. 

I could tell when I got on that this was going to be an unusual ride.  The seating was set up as tables.  The chairs were comfy, and people where gathered around playing cards or all snuggled up reading  books.

The back window was very large and rectangular, and it was almost as if I were watching the most realistic High-Definition television of ocean surf...with waves crashing and tumbling from side to side.  (I was at an audio-video convention last week where I saw such things. My boss would be thrilled to know that work has come into my dreams.)

But in my dream, I acknowledged that what I saw was the actual view.

When it came time to get off at my stop, I stood up and realized I had...no pants on. There I was, in just a top and undies. Socks and shoes. No pants.

When searching for photos for this blog post,
I could barely believe that something called
"The Naked Bus" exists!

Every other time I've ever dreamed about finding myself naked or half-naked in a public place, I've experienced a sense of humiliation, vulnerability, and embarrassment.  This time, It barely affected me. I even looked down and saw my little muffin top belly and my larger than they used to be thighs. 

I looked at another girl who was getting off of the bus and said matter-of-factly, "I don't have any pants on." Then I noticed, "Neither do you! But you have on some nice lace leggings!"  I grabbed my pants off of the chair and got off of the bus.

Then I woke up.

Your thoughts?  I have my own..
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May you feel comfortable in your own skin. May you know that you are stronger that you give yourself credit for. May you grow in ways that you never imagined possible.

Namaste,
Debbie aka Sulilo

The Jennifer Aniston Dream (An Interesting Experience in Dream Interpretation)

I had an interesting dream last night, and stay with me, because I think you'll find some value in it the next time you have a similar dream.  I was the passenger in a small coupe vehicle. Driving was Jennifer Aniston.  In the back seat was my sister, who, in the world of the awake, lives across the continent from me.  Jennifer was pulling into a gas station to fill up.  I remember noting that it was midweek, during the day, and she was leisurely out and about.  In my dream, she was not a celebrity, just an ordinary entrepreneurial woman.  She had a business of some sort, and I knew that my sister and I worked for her in come capacity.

Jennifer got out of the car to pump gas, and my sister commented to me that Jennifer is so good at what she does, that she wondered why she didn't choose to be at work all of the time. She wondered why she was content to take in the amount of money that she was taking in. She seemed so mellow and at peace and not very driven to become filthy rich.


I paused and thought about it.  I told my sister, as I watched Jennifer pump the gas, that I admired her "strategy."  I agreed that had Jennifer chosen to be at her business more to "sell, sell, sell" and work around the clock, she would be more wealthy.  But that was not her motive.  Her motive was to make enough money to live comfortably - to not have to be tied down to the office and work all of the time.  She could be out during the middle of the day taking care of things like getting her gas tank filled, or more fun things like stopping by at Starbucks or a local cafe for a latte, or sitting in the sun with a good book. She was motivated to do well, succeed, and have enough time to reap and enjoy the benefits of her efforts; she was NOT motivated to work herself into the ground, stress, and have no time to enjoy anything that she worked so hard for.

Jennifer Aniston at the Gas Station
Wow. You can really find anything
if you Google it long enough. :0)

Jennifer returned to the car.  I wanted to tell her all of the "insights" that I had about "her," when I realized I was her. I was this person I was admiring and having insights about. I was also the observer in the passenger seat, and I was my sister in the back, questioning it all from a different perspective.

Sometimes when we dream, we have the experience of actually "being" all of the characters. It's something our brains aren't normally freed up to do during a busy awakened period.  Often, while awake, we think about things from one or two points of view.  In the dream world, so much more is possible.

I did not set an intention to dream about this matter before going to bed (although doing so can set you up for successfully dreaming about your desired subject); however, looking at it now, I have been thinking a lot lately about wealth and, while I would gladly welcome more prosperity in my life, I really want for nothing right now.  Even when I have a little bit of spending money, nothing seems so tempting that I "have to have it."  I am the Jennifer Aniston of my dream - content to not be overburdened with a stressful amount of work, yet very appreciative to have a source of income. I am the passenger in the seat that can now see this, and I am my sister in the dream who questions why this is all so.

Why Jennifer Aniston though?  Though I do not know her personally, she has popped into my head several times recently. I loved her on Friends, and I always felt badly for her in terms of how her marriage ended. It's none of my business (or anyone else's for that matter). I really like Angelina Jolie as an actress and for all of her humanitarian efforts...but I always felt that Jennifer Aniston was a very strong woman to pick up the pieces and to constantly deal with -even to this day- reminders of how her marriage ended. It is constantly in her face - yet she picked up the pieces, and she goes on, lives her life, and shines her light. That's inspiring to me. In my dream, SHE was driving the car. Everything she represented - that part of me - was in control.

May you remember your dreams tomorrow. May they be pleasant, thought provoking, and meaningful for you.  May you see yourself in the different roles, and may this help you gain clarity and perspective.

Namaste,
Debbie aka Sulilo

Have you had an interesting dream that caused you to gain clarity and insight on a situation in your life?  Please share it here.

What happens in the Magical World of Dreams?

During the course of my time on the planet thus far, I have found that the dreaming process can be one of many things, including:

• The brain's time to sort out things that it found to be too complex or overwhelming during the day when so many other things were competing for its attention.

• A chance for us to visit other planes, where loved ones are alive and well, and when we wake up, we think about how odd it is that those who have passed were in our dreams. Seeing them and being with them felt so natural that we didn't realize we were dreaming.  I've woken up many times after dreaming about my maternal grandmother or my father and thought, "I can't believe I didn't think it odd that they were in the car with me.  It didn't occur to me once that I could be dreaming."
  
• A chance to experience things that are impossible in our human bodies, for example, setting sail in flight simply by thinking or wishing it. Lucid dreams - dreams where you become aware that you are in a dream state and then take control of the dream by doing whatever it is you'd like - are pretty amazing. I've experienced this a few times in my life, and in each of these experiences, I have chosen to fly.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Some people report having astral dreams, where they believe that they actually leave their body, in spirit form, and visit other realms
  
• A place to live out our fantasies - lacking inhibitions and with no real rules or consequences, many people awaken to find that they've lived out fantasies in their dreams that they never would or could act on in the waking state.
  
• A place where old and fresh wounds come to heal.  I absolutely hate nightmares, yet I experience my fair share.  Most of the time, in nightmares, we are being victimized in some way - often a reflection of some real experience of victimization - though the dream may be about some completely different circumstance, if you are left feeling vulnerable, helpless, and afraid, then this is one way that your subconscious is processing through an emotional wound.  Practicing yoga, meditation, and positive affirmations before bed can really help with this.
  
• Foretelling the future.  I can not recall any thing of significance that I have dreamed that has then come to pass in real life, but many people do claim to have had this experience.

What do your dreams mean to you? Where do they take you?

May you be blessed with sweet dreams, restful sleep, and magical journeys tonight.

Namaste,
Debbie aka Sulilo