Yesterday was National Winnie-the-Pooh Day. As a child, I can remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney, but the Muppets and Snoopy and the Peanuts gang were my characters of choice. My love of all things Disney didn’t take off until I began teaching animation majors at the Art Institute in 2004. Since I wished to make my lectures more meaningful to the students sitting in my classroom, I decided to try to get inside their heads in order to understand what exactly made them tick. Why were they constantly sketching beloved Disney characters, and why were they so devoted to creating Disney-like animated films? I joined the Disney Movie Club and literally bought every classic and contemporary animated movie available. I was not only impressed with the stunning animation, but the plots of the films reminded the adult me of the valuable lessons I learned as a child. I was suddenly able to better engage in technical and artistic aspects of class discussions, and the magic of Disney awakened my sleeping inner child.

When I was researching and studying Reiki and other forms of energy healing, I explored the tenets of Taoism and Buddhism. Since my sister and I were huge fans of Winnie-the-Pooh, I read The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet, and suddenly Pooh ranked amongst the great philosophers in my eyes. Pooh’s insights were comparable to the wisdom of Yoda in Star Wars. George Lucas had explored Buddhism, and Yoda was a reflection of his interest in Eastern philosophy and Buddhist teachings. I thought Yoda was the most adorable alien of all time, and he was voiced by the legendary Frank Oz – a champion of childlike imagination! Many great thinkers, artists and creators like Jim Henson and George Lucas believed in the importance of tapping into one’s inner child. Childlike play sparks imaginative creativity, relieves stress and makes one more receptive to the grace of God. According to The Tao of Pooh, children are able to reach a higher stage of enlightenment than adults, and their level of enlightenment results in great wisdom:

When the Tao Te Ching and other wise books say things like, “Return to the beginning; become a child again, “ that’s what they’re referring to. Why do the enlightened seem filled with light and happiness, like children? Why do they sometimes even look and talk like children? Because they are. The wise are Children who Know. Their minds have been emptied of the countless minute somethings of small learning, and filled with the wisdom of the Great Nothing, the Way of the Universe (Hoff, p. 151).

According to Benjamin Hoff, “Eeyore frets, Piglet hesitates, Rabbit calculates, Owl pontificates, but Pooh just is.” In other words, Pooh’s power lies in the present moment. That moment can be used for reflection or creation. Being fully present and focused opens one up to the power of God – the power to dream, imagine and create. It is a holy moment of inspiration, which acts as a point of attraction for the abundance of the Universe. Finding love and joy in the present moment raises one’s vibration from that of the earthly plane to that of the Heavenly realm. The higher the vibration, the greater the miracle of creation.

A few years ago, I read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. He was a Carnegie Mellon professor who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006 and died in 2008 at the age of 47. His last lecture at Carnegie Mellon was entitled, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” Dr. Pausch was a huge Disney fan who achieved his dream of working with Walt Disney Imagineering. In the spirit of Winnie-the-Pooh, he believed that “each of us must decide: Am I a fun-loving Tigger or a sad-sack Eeyore?”

Tiggers bounce with joy, while Eeyores wallow in despair. Bouncing with joy makes each moment more meaningful. Feelings and affirmations in the present moment create the dreams of the future. In Mirror of the Soul, I write about how playing the flute and listening to music put me in a more receptive mode to accept blessings from the Creator. Music is meaningful vibration, which can inspire one to be creative as well as allow one to thank God for His infinite blessings. There is no greater expression of appreciation than to use our God-given talents in service to others. Playing music allows me to tap into a wellspring of feelings that, under ordinary circumstances, would be nearly impossible for me to express. Expressing the inexpressible is very healing for me as well as for my listeners. A childhood friend of mine, who was a flutist, wrote me an email after he read my book in one sitting and said that my master’s recitals “remain two of the most fulfilling listening musical experiences of my life. I wanted you to know that your in the zone experience was also felt in the audience.” A colleague once told me that I “breathe my entire being into my instrument.” For me, those are the ultimate compliments because they provide evidence of listeners who have been uplifted to a higher experience than that of this earthly plane. The higher the vibration, the greater the miracles.

In chapter two of my book, I discuss the manner in which meaningful vibration is used to heal the body, mind and spirit. I reference David Hulse and Jonathan Goldman who have created tuning forks, which can be used in the healing process. The body, mind and spirit resonate with these frequencies. In my opinion, it is not merely the frequencies themselves but the meaning behind them. David Hulse created his tuning forks based on the frequencies of the ancient solfeggio syllables, which were taken from a Latin hymn to St. John the Baptist, Ut Queant Laxis. This song petitions John the Baptist to purify our lips so we can proclaim the glory of God. In Hebrew, the name John means “graced by Yahweh.” I believe that the healing intent of the frequencies coupled with the meaning behind the hymn to St. John the Baptist opens one up to healing miracles. Jonathan Goldman created his tuning forks based on the gematria of the Divine Name, I Am That I Am, as per Exodus 3:14-15. The numerical equivalent (frequency) of the Divine Name translated as “to receive illumination.” To achieve the frequency, he substituted numbers for the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Again, it is the meaning behind the vibrations created, which heals the body, mind and spirit. The common denominator in all of this is love. Love is the highest vibration of the Universe. It is meaningful vibration. So, in honor of National Winnie-the-Pooh Day, I hope that you can observe each meaningful moment like the lovable Pooh who “just is,” and I wish for you a bounce in your step greater than Tigger’s!