According to Indian legend, you do not choose an animal guide as your personal spirit guide. The animal chooses you and they decide to whom they will reveal themselves and make their friend. As of right now in my life, I believe that I have been chosen by a spirit animal to help guide and teach me- The Rabbit.

Now I have to be honest- the rabbit was not my first choice. It wasn’t my second choice. I didn’t even consider a rabbit as a choice; it just didn’t cross my mind.  I was hoping for the swan, an owl or the raven – something that focused on my positive traits and something that sounded romantic and mystical. The rabbit was nowhere near what I was imagining.

I began to direct my energy on allowing my spirit animal to find me and I came to this conclusion after many personal questions were answered, dreams were spoken, and encounters occurred.

Each Animal has its own medicine which is unique to that specific creature and its spirit cannot be chosen like the color of your new car. Discovering who your animal guides are is a process of paying attention to the spirits around you and following the signs. It is a process of developing your inner knowledge and spiritual understanding.

According to Manataka, If you want your spirit animal to find you, you should focus on asking for your spirit animal in dream or thought. First, pray about it. Second, be satisfied with whatever happens or does not happen. It if comes, then it comes. If it does not, then it does not.

Animals are wondrous happy creatures. There is no doubt that animals have

beautiful, balanced emotions. They love and defend one another. They feel sorrow and melancholy yet they know nothing about greed, envy, and hate. They live their entire lives without sin.

The Rabbit

Rabbits are regular visitors to the land where Beyond the Rainbow lives, most often between dawn and dusk. They stay close to the edge of the forest, and though deeply absorbed in the process of eating, are always alert. At the sight of a hawk or the sound of a human footstep they disappear into the undergrowth.

An interesting aspect of Rabbit is that different cultures have widely varying understandings of this animal. The Egyptians associated it with being, while in China, where it is one of the astrological animals, it is associated with good fortune and the moon. People born under its sign are believed to be sensitive and artistic.

In many Native American traditions Rabbit is named the Fear Caller. It is believed that it shouts out its fear of the predators who rank it high on their dining list so loudly that it attracts them, and thus brings that which it fears into being.

If we look at this idea with deeper understanding we see how well Rabbit teaches us that we create our lives with our thoughts and feelings. Rabbit experiences fear, projects it outward, and creates in the external world conditions which mirror its inner terrors.

For us humans this is an important lesson. The idea behind repeating affirmations, focusing on positive images, and programming one’s crystals to help realize dreams is that thoughts have energy, and that focused attention on a thought creates a vibration which will help that thought to become reality. This is as true when you think about what you don’t want to happen.

So often, though, our focus on what we don’t want to happen is automatic, instead of deliberate. It’s an undercurrent of consciousness, gathering strength secretly. Thus, it’s important to bring our fears into consciousness and to treat them with the same tenderness we would treat a frightened child.

I mentioned before rabbits’ ability to be alert and aware of its surroundings at all times. For us, this translates into recognizing that we have the power to create with our thoughts, to be conscious of them, to be focused on our dreams, and to not allow ourselves to be distracted from our intentions, especially not to be distracted by fear from realizing our dreams.

I believe I can learn a lot from the Rabbit. :)

American Indians view all things in creation as having spiritual energy. All things are connected and worthy of our respect and reverence. Their way is to seek balance and harmony within the complex tapestry of life called the Great Circle of Life. As they move within the circle, they emphasize these truths:

Everything on earth is alive;

Everything on earth has purpose;

Everything on earth is connected;

Everything on earth is to be embraced.

A principal tenant of their belief is that all things are connected and we are related to all things in the circle.

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I hope everyone’s new years went well. Dave and I have embarked on a new journey to start the year right. We agreed on a small number of resolutions to focus on to better our outlook and understandings. 

The first change for the new year: SAVE MONEY and SIMPLIFY! We have many major plans in the works and decided it is time to follow through and make the most of our time and money. We want to live for our passions, not our possessions. 

Second, We, like 90% of  America, wanted to start the year off right with keeping up a regular work out routine and keeping optimum health. Our routine is on and off and each week is different for us so hopefully this year we can stay on track. Dave is attending yoga class twice a week and attends his intensive Kundalini yoga training every other weekend. 

We love Scott fitness! I recommend it to anyone who wants a super cool, inviting fitness experience. You won’t find any body builders here, nor will you find the typical fitness addicts. Instead, Scott fitness has created an atmosphere for the regular individual with a hint of good taste. They have art galleries at each location and a super laid back atmosphere. I could go on and on, so I will just say that it is totally worth it to choose Scott Fitness over any other. :)

Also, we are very aware of what we put into our bodies. We hope to grow stronger and more aware of our center and get a better understanding of our bodies and what they are telling us. Dave has cut out drinking for quite a while now and his body now rejects any alcohol that he might try to sneak on on special occasion. I am working to lower my wine intake. My body tells me after one glass that it can’t handle much more. If I try to consume much more, I am complaining of a horrible stomach ache the rest of the night. There is no doubt my internal workings are sending my brain a major message to cut out alcohol. Really though, what purpose does consuming a depressant serve when you are trying to uphold a positive outlook?

Third, we will be more aware of our attitudes and energy. The idea of practicing selflessness and empathy is something we both desire to improve on. We will become more environmental conscious of our recycling habits and improve our efforts to better our surroundings and the surroundings of our neighbors and friends. Making sure others are aware of their relationship with the earth and other living forms is something that we will make an effort to keep alive. Positive reinforcement is a great practice and we hope to radiate positive energy and lend a helping hand to those that still seem oblivious to their connection with this earth.

So, keep up the good work and make sure to lend a helping hand! A positive attitude and smile can go a long way!