“The book, Panic Attack Survival Guide, evolved organically, from a series of conversations during an extended retreat down Cane River, near Natchitoches, LA. The seminal event sparking this creation was the co-authors revelatory discussions about their greatest life challenges; a car wreck with crushing injuries and “coding,” for Christine when she had been a nationally ranked triathelete, working and raising teen aged sons. And, for Julia, the death of a young man she had been certain she was destined to marry. The roux thickened when the two women overlaid reflections about individual experiences with the same spiritual teacher in Italy, looking for answers, separated by a twenty year span of time. This book is the birth of their commingling of knowledge, wisdom and experience. Author, Christine Maynard, has worked in new product development for numerous industries, internationally, promoting primarily the sustainable use aspect of products, from alligators and their habitats, to borate treated wood for building. She has been a journalist, a sales trainer for fashion conglomerates in Europe and Asia, an inspirational speaker, and a boxing journalist. She has raised three amazing sons, on her own. Cahir and Ian Doherty, currently reside in Austin. The youngest, Patrick, recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. He and his wife, Bekah, are expecting, so Christine will soon be a grandmother! Christine has always been involved in yoga, spirituality and alternative health practices. She began the Center for the Healing Arts in Louisiana in the early 90’s, and has taught yoga for thirty years. As Miss Merry Christmas 1998, Julia has vestiges of her Southern Belle Louisiana upbringing that, unlike her hips, are hard to shake! She is a wonderfully interactive teacher of Dynamic Yoga, and belly dancing. Her movements, like her voice are fluid and facile; she is a singer songwriter, inspired by Neko Case, Tori Amos, and Tool, just to name a few! (she likes Zeppelin, too.) Julia can’t wait to grab the mike on the Austin music scene and belt out some original lyrics, now that she’s back from a Dynamic Yoga/meditation retreat in Italy . Julia thrives on travel – she moved to New York after graduating from college and studied five element massage therapy on nights and weekends, while working days at a television editing house.  Listening carefully to her words, in song or in chapters, one will find clues to what she taps into in silence.”

I am fond of saying, “When you are crying, and railing against unfairness, pain, suffering or misunderstanding in your life, that is the time you are the most likely to feel abandoned by God! Pray as hard as you can, making promises you believe you will keep, in this comedy of negotiations with Great Spirit, it will still fall flat. No tiles will fall out of the ceiling as a sign. No burning bush will appear. This is because while you are squirming and cooking in it, pleading for help, attendant Beings of Light, ancestors and guardian angels are laughing, elbowing each other in the ribs, because they know and you don’t, what is on the next page. In the next chapter.

Life truly does move from higher good to higher good. We are here to pay attention. To learn how to not panic when it feels as if the magic has stopped. To understand that the construct of ’separate’ is illusory. To review and incorporate all of the previous experiences in this Earth plane in order to grow.

One sign of growth is the ability to laugh and employ self deprecating humor and find delight in suffering. Don’t seek it out, but when it comes, open wide the door and pull it in like a long lost lover. It (the suffering) is going to happen anyway so you might as well take it, without blinders or cotton batting. In order to best extract the lesson.

Don’t misunderstand my message. Prayers are answered. Always. It has simply been my experience that when we demand it, when we suddenly feel enough anguish/remorse/fear about our own best made plans turning into a train wreck, it doesn’t necessarily happen at that instant. There is Divine Order and a Universe filled with nothing but Love, the great Absolute. You can relax. All the time. You are held in the palm of a loving omniscient, omnipotent Creative Force.

So when you get your cry out, and get up off of your knees, feeling a bit better from the release but perplexed still about direction, that is the time to pay close attention. Look in the eyes of every one you encounter. Look for signs and wonders in nature, in messages, in children, everywhere but especially within your own heart. Everything will be made clear.

There is a voice within, your God voice. Holy Spirit. Learn to hear it. Appreciate it. Be amazed. And more importantly, be grateful, for gratitude fuels the magic of connection to Source.

Everything is OK. Better than OK. It is beautiful. Marvellous. Feel it, this balm for your Soul better than anything you’ll ever experience. Get comfortable with that inner Presence. Be cool. It’s always there. Especially when you are certain it is not!!

Love,

Christine