Recently I re-visited the workshop The Livingness – Stage One, by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.
It was a beautiful gift I gave to myself to attend this one-day workshop, and what made it even more special was that I attended with a few friends from the Gold Coast with whom I had shared my study and learning about the Livingness for a few years.
I remember my first Livingness One workshop I attended about 8 years ago very vividly; how I just sat there, listening to Serge present and feeling clearly like I was finally home.
I remember I did not want to leave that day as I felt so held, like never before in my life. It was a huge marker in my life; a marker of confirmation of my own knowing of true truth and real love.
What blows me away every time I attend an event with Universal Medicine is the supreme quality and absolute integrity that is offered, from the first moment of any event to the last. And this workshop was no exception of course.
After a very interactive morning exploring the layers we have chosen to put on our true selves to seemingly protect ourselves, we delved into the Science of Appreciation.
Again we did some interactive exercises, one on one or with a small group of four. What happened here for me was absolutely huge – opening and deepening the awareness and the sharing of what beauty and divinity we see and feel in each other.
I was able to do the last exercise with an old friend from way back – over 8 years ago we had connected at the first Universal Medicine Retreat. Since then we haven’t really spent any extra time together outside of this, and we have only seen each other fleetingly at Universal Medicine events.
She started to share with me how much she appreciated me, who she felt I was, and what I meant to her. It was so beautiful to feel that there is a deep connection between us, even though we don’t hang out a lot. The amazing thing was that I did actually feel absolutely the same about her too and I felt my heart open so much.
Feeling her appreciation of me was such an amazing gift and confirmed to me my own feeling of the huge appreciation and love I had for this woman too.
I started to express how much I appreciated having her in my life, feeling how I was always aware of her being there, that we were in this journey and school of life on earth together even though physically apart most of the time.
Within all this beauty and love a sadness came up for me, for all the times that I had felt that closeness with her but I had not expressed it for whatever reason.
Once we finished, I realised that the huge love and appreciation I felt was also about Serge Benhayon, the whole extended Benhayon Family and the whole Universal Medicine team and the Student Body, with whom I have been blessed to share this extraordinary learning about ourselves and each other as we remove more and more of our protections and masks, and with that, by default, also learning about humanity as a whole; plus history, science, religion, philosophy, relationships, work, our divinity and every aspect of our daily lives.
I deeply felt this huge appreciation for everybody, every one of the 120 people present, plus another few hundred who were not there on that day, and the sadness of not having expressed this enough to most of them.
Writing this, I can feel that this exercise also showed me that I have not appreciated myself enough either – just for being who I am, without perfection, sharing this life with amazing people and choosing to grow and learn until my last breath of this, my present incarnation.
By Esther Auf der Maur, Gold Coast, Australia
Further Reading:
Self-acceptance and Appreciation Bring True Presence
Appreciation – A Pathway to Love
Being Still – With Joy
The Truth about Universal Medicine 
Appreciation brings me back to life, to enjoy, to share, to open up, and be the preciousness I am. Living this way reminds me of a feeling of yumminess and wonderment I once had in my childhood and it’s not lost. Just our body shape changes but the essence of who we are remains so pure and alive.
These moments of connection with someone who hasn’t shared very much before are very confirming because we in essence, are brothers and sisters. No matter how far away we live, we are deeply connected with each other.
In essence we are all connected.
Sharing our appreciation with one another feels very humbling and generous. It’s part of our natural expression. Every time I see and feel from the eyes of my heart I find something to deeply appreciate, from the life I have to the loving choices I’m making which supports me to live in my joy and preciousness. There’s a lot to embrace in life when we open up to feel the beauty within and around us.
Esther I really appreciate what you have shared here
‘She started to share with me how much she appreciated me, who she felt I was, and what I meant to her. It was so beautiful to feel that there is a deep connection between us, even though we don’t hang out a lot. The amazing thing was that I did actually feel absolutely the same about her too and I felt my heart open so much.’
How many times in the day do we stop to really appreciate ourselves or other people, when we feel the connection between us then the magic can happen because we then understand that we are not separated from each other we have just fallen for the illusion.
Bringing more appreciation into our lives, and to another really can change our relationships.
Appreciation of our essences and letting people in, which is being intimate with others, is a great staring point for our evolution.
When we give ourselves permission to go there, we can find a huge amount to appreciate in ourselves and in others too.
Appreciation nourishes us and brings us alive – for without it we can wither and get caught on the conveyor belt of same old status quo.
It is love. When any person is held and given the space to express how they in truth feel about another it is love that will fill this space.
Thank you for putting this so succinctly. We cannot deny the energy of love and how it supports. Yesterday I was in a group swim session with Simone Benhayon. The person next to me remarked how unsettled the water was as the group was waiting for Simone to get in the water. When she got in and had walked a few gentle paces, the water immediately cleared and felt silky smooth again. It was obedient to the love that was moved and that is what we do when we hold another in love – we offer a settlement and then what they choose to do with that is up to them.
Esther it is really clear in your blog the huge, warm loving heart you have and how much you love people. I agree that appreciation can change our relationships, instead of it being the cliche conflict and niggles we can bring our focus to all the qualities we and others bring and love and appreciate ourselves and others. Appreciation brings a richness to relationships.
Well said Melinda for when we love people we also appreciate them whole heartedly.
How often do we truly appreciate one another? very little it seems to me, and then how often do we truly take on board the appreciation when it is offered? I know from my own experience recently that I still could not fully accept appreciation when it was given to me, I shied away from the compliment and chose not to fully take it into my body. There is more richness to discover.
‘Writing this, I can feel that this exercise also showed me that I have not appreciated myself enough either – just for being who I am, without perfection, sharing this life with amazing people and choosing to grow and learn until my last breath of this, my present incarnation.’ Thank you Esther, for what you share is what is needed to hear, we are students of life, learning to be more responsible.
“What blows me away every time I attend an event with Universal Medicine is the supreme quality and absolute integrity that is offered, from the first moment of any event to the last”. The consistency with which all courses or presentations with Universal Medicine are offered is outstanding. I see myself at work and in other parts of my life putting in less care and quality than other areas. The ‘introductory Livingness 1 course’ has the same dedication, quality and standard as all other courses.
The courses and presentations offered by Universal Medicine offer the space to look at our lives and as you say Fiona, bring back the care and dedication to ourselves that is currently lacking as we seem to lead very stressful lives.
What Universal Medicine courses offer is consistently of an amazing quality, ‘What blows me away every time I attend an event with Universal Medicine is the supreme quality and absolute integrity that is offered, from the first moment of any event to the last.’
“we were in this journey and school of life on earth together even though physically apart most of the time” A beautiful realisation of the power of Brotherhood with all humanity.
It is a great and wonderful thing, something not ever to be underestimated of it’s power – to see the divinity within us all.
For so many people who come to the presentations of Universal Medicine, I have heard/seen this comment – “listening to Serge present and feeling clearly like I was finally home”. I too had this feeling, super solid, deep in my bones, kinda feeling. For me we know truth deep in our bones, and our Soul is our home.
Yes Sarah, attending the presentations and workshops of Universal Medicine does give everyone that opportunity to develop a relationship with their soul. This is something that we have not lived for lifetimes and can for some feel strange, and for some feel as though at last they are home, home being that longed for connection back to our soul. It is the perpetual unsettlement that we feel that is the disconnection to our soul.
Appreciation really is the key. Recently a very dear friend reminded how little I appreciated myself, and what I have been feeling since is how personal I have been taking this appreciation business really, as if ‘I’ or someone had to be a certain way or do a certain thing to become worth appreciating and that is so not true. What we are recognizing in ourselves and others is a piece of godliness, it is a confirmation, and the more we clock and appreciate/confirm, the more gets revealed, and that is us already.
Well said Fumiyo, the appreciation is our Godliness which I love the connection with. I had considered this!
Appreciation, and confirming of self is important, and allows us to love self and other people more, ‘What we are recognizing in ourselves and others is a piece of godliness, it is a confirmation’.
Appreciation is such a powerful key to our evolution, with appreciation joy seems to naturally follow, without appreciation life seems very dull and grey.
I deeply appreciate and love everything that Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine present. They are always delivered with the highest level of integrity, respect and love for people and the wisdom that is shared are life-changing for so many, many people, including myself. I feel deeply honoured and blessed to have access to these presentations and courses, they are continuously inspiring humanity to walk with love, truth, and purpose as our world is way overdue for this divine shift and evolution.
Appreciation brings so much to life, a warmth, a depth and joy. And it is only when we truly express and share it that it comes out because I noticed just thinking it and holding it in is just fooling myself as it is not in its fullness when we have not expressed it.
I know exactly how you feel when you say you don’t want to leave a Universal Medicine event, I always find it difficult to leave any of the courses that take place in the U.K over June and November as there is nothing else like it anywhere else in the world.
Appreciation is a quality our world is currently lacking due to so many of us holding this divine expression back. With an abundance of appreciation, I feel our world issues and struggles would not exist. Can you imagine going to war with another country if you have a huge appreciation for that country and the people living there? It would be impossible to go to war when we hold each other with absolute appreciation.
Appreciation and expressing it, no holds barred, is key when it comes to building a solid foundation for our livingness. It enriches us and others and supports letting go of what is not needed and is very healing.
I notice the more I am open to appreciating myself how much easier it is to appreciate and value others, there is a flow on effect of appreciation that is felt far and wide.
For me, as well, it is the “supreme quality and absolute integrity” that all Universal Medicine events are presented with that I always deeply appreciate. Add to that; there are no “have to’s”, no dogma, no chasing you for money and no expectations, simply the feeling of unconditional love and honouring of each person who steps through the door. And if you choose to step away you are not hounded to return. There is so much to appreciate about Universal Medicine and all of us.
It is such a beautiful way to be with each other when we choose to appreciate, I wonder why we don’t do this more often.
I have found that when I appreciate myself, that I then more naturally appreciate others.