In fully meeting our own hearts we discover our wholeness, and with each breath of surrender the divine union becomes complete. We awaken to the one heart, the great Heart of Consciousness. 
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Perhaps just once in a lifetime we are given an opportunity to fully journey into the deep recesses of the heart. For me, this happened through the process of embarking on a spiritual path, finding teachers who both supported and challenged me, and forming a mysterious connection with a guru, Sri Ramana Maharshi, even though he had died sixteen years before my birth. These events led me to a sacred mountain called Arunachala, and the ever-deepening search to discover the divine within me. While I never thought I would be a forty-something year old traveling alone to India to find herself, this is where the path to awakening led me. It is my sincere hope that by sharing my spiritual path it may help others on theirs. 
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My paperback proof arrived today. First time actually seeing my book and turning the pages! Cover looks great, printing and formatting turned out great as well. Okay, now its real. I have a book out! Check out my links for ordering options. 



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Support independent publishing: Buy this book on Lulu.

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Final stage of formatting the cover is underway, and I'm just days away from seeing, feeling, smelling, and receiving my first books! You can also now order online. If you order through Lulu.com, I receive a higher royalty than on other sites such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Though, any business is very much appreciated. My biggest hope is that readers will enjoy it, and that it will pave a clearer path in overcoming some of the spiritual roadblocks I personally struggled with. Happy Reading, and may your spiritual journey be wondrous! 
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Finding Yourself In India

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The traveler is in search of the greatest adventure, the journey of self-discovery. “Why India?” I've been asked repeatedly why I am drawn to this vast country. India is the home of my heart, a country that makes me feel keenly alive. As a middle-class American woman in her forties I have been embraced by Mother India three times, joining the 2.5 million tourists a year that have chosen to visit this pulsing country. It's a land of abundant extremes. Garlands of jasmine and marigolds entice my senses to linger, while the ripe smells of trash and sewage propel me to the next scene of the moment. Yet, I am ever present with it all. No one is to blame if I don’t like something, if a plume of exhaust makes me cough, if a barking dog wakes me in the night, or if I am overwhelmed by what I see. All is experienced in the heart of who I am.With a population of 1.1 billion people, India’s endless hues and vivid scenes of humanity appear magically as if I am walking through a mirage. Sadhus, aesthetic holy men, draped in orange and white cloth, and Sikhs wearing bright turbans appear like surreal guardians in a whimsical, ageless arena of garnet and amber-tinged castles, ivory mosques, and chestnut temples which remain greatly untouched as the whiz of traffic create a cloud of frenzied movement. India’s beauty shines amid the scars of war and ambition, graced by the footsteps of Gandhi, countless scholars, the Dalai Lama, and many of the greatest Hindu and Buddhist teachers throughout the centuries, including the legendary Buddha. Modern development has taken hold like the scorching heat of an India summer. Though, the cooling monsoons protect the spiritual essence of India. The radiant heart of Mother India will remain a beacon for those who are drawn to come. For me, India's primal vibration awakens my heart, revealing who I truly am. 'Finding Yourself' happens by simply being present with what is, without trying to change anything. In the midst of everything arising within and around me, Truth is continually revealed. I am India, and India is I. This is the embrace of Mother India. 
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Cathy: Bringing Home the Mountain was started in 2005 after my first trip to India. A second draft was completed in 2006, mostly written during my second trip. Attuning to present-moment awareness opened my heart to life. It was a life changing experience for me, and I wanted to share it. I also wanted to describe aspects of the spiritual path that are rarely written in much detail, such as the dance of the student-teacher relationship, the struggles that seekers have with their own thoughts, and the common belief that only an outside spiritual authority can validate an awakening. Though, eventually the manuscript found a home in my garage, after I decided it must simply be a 320 page journal entry. In August of 2009 it made its escape. Four friends, readers for some of my other non-fiction manuscripts, asked if I had a personal account of my spiritual journey and awakening, specifically the struggles and rewards and how this related to bringing mindfulness into daily life. They told me my writing most intrigued them when I described my personal experiences. This feedback proved the catalyst for what came forth: Bringing Home the Mountain: Finding the Teacher Within!

Thus, my book is dedicated to the many who have embarked on a spiritual quest to find themselves, may you all find the way home to your own heart. 
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