It was a cold, grey winter afternoon. In Europe we were obsessed with the cost of heating because the prices for gas had increased so much. Money was on my mind; what to do with the dwindling amounts I had, and how to get more.
Scrolling through FaceBook, my feet balanced on a hot water bottle, an advert popped onto my feed. Normally I would ignore something akin, deeming it “click bait.” This time, I looked. My whole body vibrated. “Yes.”
“Do it.”
The times and dates fit, the course started immediately—and I could afford it. Money and Spirituality. It felt right. What was there to lose?
A year ago, my journey with Karen the Mindful Money Coach began spontaneously. And, it turns out, there was only gain. Incredible gain. Here I am now, in a place I could never have expected. The view is good, and I am safe and happy.
"I can stop pushing so hard. I can slow down on the work front. I can rest. On top of this, I have a profound sense that I am enough in myself. More and more layers of defence, patterned thought, and old conditioning fall away. My bank balance improves, and the connection to myself gets clearer and purer."
Living in Abundance
I go on a nine-month adventure with Karen and a small group of other money explorers.
My first breakthrough discovery with Karen is: Not only do I have enough money—I am better off than I thought. I learn the simple process of keeping on top of my expenses and income. I gain a sense of mastery over my own life and the ebbs and flows it contains. I realise that the fiscal is a mirror. Slowly, the impact of changing one factor dominoes into others, and my whole life begins to shift in ways I had not expected.
With enough money—enough to share, enough to be grateful for—I realise there is enough on an earthly level. This is a miracle.
I can stop pushing so hard. I can slow down on the work front. I can rest. On top of this, I have a profound sense that I am enough in myself. More and more layers of defence, patterned thought, and old conditioning fall away. My bank balance improves, and the connection to myself gets clearer and purer.
The course moves at speed through many facets of planning, money, personal awareness, and spirituality. We touch on financial models, have discussions on responsible investing and banking, and so much more. I journal, change my bank and energy suppliers, consciously choose to do regular acts of generosity and enjoy seeing my money, sent with love, move back into the economy.
Between class times I meet with a study buddy. We discuss our progress, share our confusions, and help each other with moral support, enthusiasm, and insights. This shared learning is an integral part of the process and needs time, but there is so much to gain from each other.
We talk about money in our world, yet we also don’t. Money is the metaphor for my relationship to myself, the world, what I believe my worth to be, how I stand up for myself, what I ask for, what I say no to, and on and on and on. As a spiritual practitioner, I think, “I should have made the link before,” yet I never had. Maybe it had felt too tawdry to link money and spirituality? Now, I see the essential essence of taking care of both.
Ultimately, I realise my life is the container for my spiritual practice—and when that is tidied up, simplified, and taken care of, more things can move toward me. More magic can happen, and even miracles. This is the beauty of the practice with Karen. It is multifaceted, layered, nuanced, and smart.
Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash
A New Life and Future
Today, it is a rainy Autumn afternoon. Three seasons have passed and my world has fundamentally shifted. I would never have expected to become a Warrior around money—yet now I know my worth, and I ask for it. My Magician is appearing, too; miracles are happening. Now that I consistently track my money and know what I have, I can plan my life to reach my dreams of travel and fiscal security in my old age.
I love the expansiveness of conscious generosity and the sharing this embodies. It feeds my heart.
I have new Money and Spirituality friends across the globe.
I know that there is a community in Canada that would welcome me with an open heart when I go and visit.
Did I end up where I expected? Absolutely not. Am I in a better place than when I started? Absolutely yes.
I have loved this journey and everything it revealed. The processes have not been easy, and I have not always liked what I have seen. Karen has been a steady, knowledgeable and warm-hearted guide. She is passionate about helping others to work with their story around money, and in doing so, improve their connection to the heart as well.
I would encourage anyone who may not see the connection between money and spirituality to look into doing the work they need to with Karen.
There is so much more at stake than a better bank balance.
Money & Spirituality: Integrating Spiritual and Material
with Karen McAllister
February 10 – March 2, 2024
Online
This course helps spiritual explorers release their emotional and spiritual blocks so that they can enjoy financial abundance in alignment with their core beliefs and deepest values, while contributing to making the world a better place.