It seems that as much as I enjoy creating beautiful places to live and work, I also find a great deal of pleasure in lightening my load and being unencumbered. I am in the process of moving out of the home I created only a few months ago with an as yet to be determined "final" destination. In this type of move it is very freeing to have little to take with me. Today as I was packing and passing things on to new homes I was almost giddy. Finding out how little I really need to create a peaceful, beautiful space is almost like a game. I'm sure I must have been a Zen monk at some point, because it is so easy to slip into that mindset. I also notice there is a certain clarity that comes with simplifying on the external level.
I know someone who can carry everything she owns with her and she has no "home." She is the head of an international organization addressing human dignity and considers herself to be a global citizen. She is always traveling as a part of her work and stays with colleagues that are a part of their network. She is very involved in the world and is sort of a professional "Peace Pilgrim." I've gotten pretty light at times in my life, but the level of detachment to place and stuff just described is something that is still a bit of a stretch for me, and it fascinates me. Maybe I will get to that point someday, but then if too many people end up that detached it could present an interesting dilemma--where will all "Peace Pilgrims" stay? Ha! Ha!
When I relocate people are always asking me, "Is this permanent?" All I can say is that nothing in life is permanent and, for better or worse, I seem to have been the water in the river that has moved through quickly whereas others are the boulders that are washed away slowly over time. It's all good! I will say that it is my intention to root myself somewhere as a part of larger community. Perhaps when I am fully at home inside the external search will end and I may discover that there is really nowhere to go.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thought vs. Awareness
As humans we seem to take "new ideas" to extremes and try to fit everything into a particular box. If we are willing to be wrong then it's likely we will end up admitting that there are things that just don't fit into the neat little systems we've developed. However, no matter how much we want the mind to be in control there is just more to the picture than can be explained or even grasped by the mind. The new age version of this mind-as-all-powerful viewpoint is that our thoughts create our reality. I'm a big proponent of how important thought is in shaping our experience; and I recognize there is something beyond thought, which for lack of a better term I will call the unnameable. Since the mind can't fully conceptualize that force, how else can it be known? I will call that which understands without knowing how it understands--awareness.
I had a client in my office today who is struggling with figuring out what is wrong in his body. He is a proponent of intentional creation, i.e., our thoughts create our reality, and he is an artist. At the beginning of the session I asked him about his art and he described an intuitive process that begins with no intention other than to be present to what wants to unfold. He said he never knows where the process is going to take him.
He has been stressing himself out trying to resolve his physical predicament and has tried a myriad of both traditional and alternative modalities. At this point his frustration level is very high from attempting to figure out what product to try next, or what other treatment method to seek out. I suggested that he approach his body in the same way he does his art—be present, still, available and aware of how the energy is flowing and follow it. I said, “Let your body tell you what it needs.”
At some point the body stops communicating when we haven’t paid attention. It goes into an adaptation mode where it is focused on handling everything for us. The body is wired for vitality, as is all of life, and the system will do everything it can to deal with the stressors that come its way until it is so overloaded it just can’t do it anymore. Unfortunately, we’ve been cut off from a direct communication with the body because we were convinced that what we intuited wasn’t valid and that we required an expert to tell us what was wrong with us and what to do. I think medical practitioners play a wonderful role. I would just like to hear more real dialogue that validates what someone knows about their own body, because this could prevent a lot of things from progressing to a disease state. Similarly, many believe they can’t have a direct relationship with God and that a religious authority is required as an intermediary. Or, we’re told that we are having an irrational emotional reaction when we feel something is wrong with having our food genetically modified and full of toxins. If science determines it is okay then we are supposed to just relax and accept it. I would say that our obsession with the mind and putting it in control, at the expense of awareness, has created havoc on the planet.
Trying to figure out the body is like attempting to understand the mind of God. The millions of interactions happening each moment are more than my mind will ever fully grasp. Still, it is a wonderful use of the mind to make observations and to enjoy learning more each day. I like putting pieces of a puzzle together and being in awe of the bigger picture as it reveals itself. I also enjoy being actively involved in co-creating balance in my body. My part in the process is to be present to what my body is communicating, to respond in a supportive way, and to imagine or vision the outcome I desire.
Thought requires a context in which to create. Awareness arises from emptiness and requires nothing. It just is—a reality not owned or claimed by anyone because it is beyond separate identity. As with my client, we may be at a point collectively where we have exhausted the options presented by the mind and it might benefit us to tune in more to awareness.
A closing note: If each of us are responsible for creating this reality, then I want to know which one of you is in charge of the magnificent color of the sunsets, delicate flowers in the extreme cold and pressure on the ocean floor that humans rarely see, or things like the Polar Bear and Husky interaction that turned out to be play, when the first human interpretation of the exchange was that they were fighting. Whoever you are, you're doing a great job and I'm wondering if you could intentionally clone yourself, since most of us aren’t that good with the little touches :)
I had a client in my office today who is struggling with figuring out what is wrong in his body. He is a proponent of intentional creation, i.e., our thoughts create our reality, and he is an artist. At the beginning of the session I asked him about his art and he described an intuitive process that begins with no intention other than to be present to what wants to unfold. He said he never knows where the process is going to take him.
He has been stressing himself out trying to resolve his physical predicament and has tried a myriad of both traditional and alternative modalities. At this point his frustration level is very high from attempting to figure out what product to try next, or what other treatment method to seek out. I suggested that he approach his body in the same way he does his art—be present, still, available and aware of how the energy is flowing and follow it. I said, “Let your body tell you what it needs.”
At some point the body stops communicating when we haven’t paid attention. It goes into an adaptation mode where it is focused on handling everything for us. The body is wired for vitality, as is all of life, and the system will do everything it can to deal with the stressors that come its way until it is so overloaded it just can’t do it anymore. Unfortunately, we’ve been cut off from a direct communication with the body because we were convinced that what we intuited wasn’t valid and that we required an expert to tell us what was wrong with us and what to do. I think medical practitioners play a wonderful role. I would just like to hear more real dialogue that validates what someone knows about their own body, because this could prevent a lot of things from progressing to a disease state. Similarly, many believe they can’t have a direct relationship with God and that a religious authority is required as an intermediary. Or, we’re told that we are having an irrational emotional reaction when we feel something is wrong with having our food genetically modified and full of toxins. If science determines it is okay then we are supposed to just relax and accept it. I would say that our obsession with the mind and putting it in control, at the expense of awareness, has created havoc on the planet.
Trying to figure out the body is like attempting to understand the mind of God. The millions of interactions happening each moment are more than my mind will ever fully grasp. Still, it is a wonderful use of the mind to make observations and to enjoy learning more each day. I like putting pieces of a puzzle together and being in awe of the bigger picture as it reveals itself. I also enjoy being actively involved in co-creating balance in my body. My part in the process is to be present to what my body is communicating, to respond in a supportive way, and to imagine or vision the outcome I desire.
Thought requires a context in which to create. Awareness arises from emptiness and requires nothing. It just is—a reality not owned or claimed by anyone because it is beyond separate identity. As with my client, we may be at a point collectively where we have exhausted the options presented by the mind and it might benefit us to tune in more to awareness.
A closing note: If each of us are responsible for creating this reality, then I want to know which one of you is in charge of the magnificent color of the sunsets, delicate flowers in the extreme cold and pressure on the ocean floor that humans rarely see, or things like the Polar Bear and Husky interaction that turned out to be play, when the first human interpretation of the exchange was that they were fighting. Whoever you are, you're doing a great job and I'm wondering if you could intentionally clone yourself, since most of us aren’t that good with the little touches :)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Dreams and Realizations
I love it when I am present enough to notice the wonderful metaphors that are always showing up in the universe to reflect the human experience. I had two such aha moments recently. The first one had to do with excess baggage. I had said to someone that I was in the process of dumping unneeded internal baggage and that I was observing that this was something happening in the collective, whether people wanted to or not. It seems we have the option to toss the excess baggage overboard or the ship may go down. The reflection of this on the material plane is that we now get charged more for having extra baggage when we fly, and the price goes up substantially the more we want to take with us. Now, rather than feel irritated by this policy I find myself chuckling and being grateful.
The second aha came from a dream I had just before waking this morning--by the way, I'm hoping this is an indicator of an awakened state that will soon ensue :) I believe I've mentioned before that my cat companion of 18 years died in March of this year. She was certainly the constant reminder of love in my life and I have felt that absence. In the dream I had a disturbing realization that I hadn't fed her in a long time. When I opened the door and called her she was right there and it reminded me that love is always at the door and I just have to remember to feed it!
When I am present and paying attention life is a big treasure hunt. I might choose the Door of Doom and have to confront the 6-headed beast, but in this game the light saber also drops into my hand from seemingly nowhere. The light saber that the universe gifted me with most recently was a book by a favorite teacher named Adyashanti. The book is called The End of Your World. In it he describes how there is a lot of misconception around awakening. First of all that complete awakenings are extremely rare, and yet many people are having awakenings, primarily on the level of mind. He says a full awakening has nothing to do with a me who wakes up and includes the heart and gut-level. For example, he said that someone may have an awakening on the level of mind which might only blows out 10% of their human conditioning and so they may still have challenges in relating to other people. From the place of an awakened mental state, where someone sees the illusion of a dualistic nature of reality, there can be a tendency to deny human conditioning that may still surface. This moving away from what is not perceived as being consistent with a deeper understanding then delays a more complete awakening. He said the best thing to do is to meet it all fully. He said that at times it can feel a bit schizophrenic and the person may question the awakened aspect. What moved me deeply is when he said that what is awake will call forth everything that is not yet awake to meet it--this is the love!
The second aha came from a dream I had just before waking this morning--by the way, I'm hoping this is an indicator of an awakened state that will soon ensue :) I believe I've mentioned before that my cat companion of 18 years died in March of this year. She was certainly the constant reminder of love in my life and I have felt that absence. In the dream I had a disturbing realization that I hadn't fed her in a long time. When I opened the door and called her she was right there and it reminded me that love is always at the door and I just have to remember to feed it!
When I am present and paying attention life is a big treasure hunt. I might choose the Door of Doom and have to confront the 6-headed beast, but in this game the light saber also drops into my hand from seemingly nowhere. The light saber that the universe gifted me with most recently was a book by a favorite teacher named Adyashanti. The book is called The End of Your World. In it he describes how there is a lot of misconception around awakening. First of all that complete awakenings are extremely rare, and yet many people are having awakenings, primarily on the level of mind. He says a full awakening has nothing to do with a me who wakes up and includes the heart and gut-level. For example, he said that someone may have an awakening on the level of mind which might only blows out 10% of their human conditioning and so they may still have challenges in relating to other people. From the place of an awakened mental state, where someone sees the illusion of a dualistic nature of reality, there can be a tendency to deny human conditioning that may still surface. This moving away from what is not perceived as being consistent with a deeper understanding then delays a more complete awakening. He said the best thing to do is to meet it all fully. He said that at times it can feel a bit schizophrenic and the person may question the awakened aspect. What moved me deeply is when he said that what is awake will call forth everything that is not yet awake to meet it--this is the love!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Breaking Free
My guess is that anyone reading this blog probably considers themself to be on an inward journey as much as an outward one. I'm sharing my thoughts from a multi-dimensional perspective, knowing that all things are connected and affect the whole of my experience and are fundamental to my state of well being.
At a community dinner last night I shared a story about a solo vision quest I embarked on many years ago. One of the attendees at the dinner ask if I would be willing to write about the journey, so I thought I would share it here.
For years I had been aware of how I would hold back, particularly in situations that involved physical danger, or at least what I had been condition to perceive that way. The intentions to keep me safe as a child by continually warning me against explorations with, "Don't do that, you'll get hurt," were indeed well meaning. I am glad that someone loved me enough to shield me from harm, and at the same time I became aware of how the ingrained message created an unnecessarily cautious approach to life. The vision quest was an intentional meeting with the internal voice that was now defining my safety.
I went to one of my favorite places on the planet, the magnificent canyons of the desert Southwest. I had my camping gear and stayed in a campsite that was in the part of the national park where other people, water, and bathrooms were available--not too threatening. Part of the reason for this choice was that there was no access to water deeper into the canyon and I wasn't up for carrying in enough water to be in the desert for five days. I would do day hikes to the more remote areas, because I do have stamina for hiking long distances. The hikes were not straight, smooth paths, but required scaling rock faces that at moments felt daunting. In the first couple of days I noticed the tenseness in my body, the limits I placed on my range of motion, the shallowness of my breathing and a general sense of anxiety. On the morning of the third day I was physically sick to my stomach and feeling like I wanted to give up. Then I came upon a group of people, adults and young children, who had hiked in to camp overnight. As I walked the trail that day I continued to cross paths with the group. Out ahead of the rest was a young girl, 10-years-old maybe, she appeared to be Native American. We didn't really speak, but would nod in acknowledgement each time we passed. Mid-afternoon I stopped on the trail to eat lunch, finding a wonderful perch overlooking the canyon. The young Native American girl came upon me and this time stopped to ask, "Are you here alone?" I said, Yes.
She said, "I think we are a lot alike and when I am older I am going to come here alone." Then I watched her descend the steep trail, flowing over the rocks like water. She was simply another element, natural to that environment. There was nothing in her that was tentative or unsure of her footing, and she slipped effortlessly into oneness.
I recalled her statement that we were a lot alike, and thought, "If only she knew." She had become my teacher in that moment and, as I watched her, I overlaid seeing myself as a child and how easily I could also be like that. After finishing my lunch I gathered my things and set off again, but this time my movements were different--more relaxed.
A few hours later a storm was moving into the canyon and I knew enough to get up to high ground in the event of flash flooding. I found a wonderful bowl-shaped formation with a rock overhang to protect me from the rain. The storm was accompanied by whipping winds that seemed to shift direction around the inside of the bowl, flapping my rain poncho from side to side with it. I love thunderstorms and had become completely absorbed in the experience. Then as the storm ended and the clouds began to break up I saw that the sun was beginning to set. I realized that I was still a few miles from my campsite and I hadn't really put the things in my backpack that I would have needed to be out on the trail after dark. I had no flashlight and didn't have warm enough clothing for nighttime temperatures at that time of year, if I had to spend the night out on the trail. The rocks were wet from the rain and I knew that when that kind of stone was wet that it could be slippery, thus the name slick rock. Then something happened, a stillness came over me and I heard a voice in my head say, "Run!" It wasn't like run for your life. It was more, Trust yourself and run.
I seemed to be inhabiting a body that had instantly become lighter and I ran up and over rock faces that earlier in the day had felt insurmountable and dangerous. I delighted in the ease of it all and as I crested the lip of the canyon onto the open mesa, the grandeur of the scene before me took my breath away. A sheet of mist remaining from the storm was to my left. The elongated rays of the setting sun streamed through it, turning it to gold. To my right, over the deep red walls, were four rainbows penetrating into the canyon. The beauty of it was almost other worldly and in a way it felt as though I had been given a piece of heaven. I thought to myself, My God, this is what it is to be free!"
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of humans as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
~ Helen Keller
At a community dinner last night I shared a story about a solo vision quest I embarked on many years ago. One of the attendees at the dinner ask if I would be willing to write about the journey, so I thought I would share it here.
For years I had been aware of how I would hold back, particularly in situations that involved physical danger, or at least what I had been condition to perceive that way. The intentions to keep me safe as a child by continually warning me against explorations with, "Don't do that, you'll get hurt," were indeed well meaning. I am glad that someone loved me enough to shield me from harm, and at the same time I became aware of how the ingrained message created an unnecessarily cautious approach to life. The vision quest was an intentional meeting with the internal voice that was now defining my safety.
I went to one of my favorite places on the planet, the magnificent canyons of the desert Southwest. I had my camping gear and stayed in a campsite that was in the part of the national park where other people, water, and bathrooms were available--not too threatening. Part of the reason for this choice was that there was no access to water deeper into the canyon and I wasn't up for carrying in enough water to be in the desert for five days. I would do day hikes to the more remote areas, because I do have stamina for hiking long distances. The hikes were not straight, smooth paths, but required scaling rock faces that at moments felt daunting. In the first couple of days I noticed the tenseness in my body, the limits I placed on my range of motion, the shallowness of my breathing and a general sense of anxiety. On the morning of the third day I was physically sick to my stomach and feeling like I wanted to give up. Then I came upon a group of people, adults and young children, who had hiked in to camp overnight. As I walked the trail that day I continued to cross paths with the group. Out ahead of the rest was a young girl, 10-years-old maybe, she appeared to be Native American. We didn't really speak, but would nod in acknowledgement each time we passed. Mid-afternoon I stopped on the trail to eat lunch, finding a wonderful perch overlooking the canyon. The young Native American girl came upon me and this time stopped to ask, "Are you here alone?" I said, Yes.
She said, "I think we are a lot alike and when I am older I am going to come here alone." Then I watched her descend the steep trail, flowing over the rocks like water. She was simply another element, natural to that environment. There was nothing in her that was tentative or unsure of her footing, and she slipped effortlessly into oneness.
I recalled her statement that we were a lot alike, and thought, "If only she knew." She had become my teacher in that moment and, as I watched her, I overlaid seeing myself as a child and how easily I could also be like that. After finishing my lunch I gathered my things and set off again, but this time my movements were different--more relaxed.
A few hours later a storm was moving into the canyon and I knew enough to get up to high ground in the event of flash flooding. I found a wonderful bowl-shaped formation with a rock overhang to protect me from the rain. The storm was accompanied by whipping winds that seemed to shift direction around the inside of the bowl, flapping my rain poncho from side to side with it. I love thunderstorms and had become completely absorbed in the experience. Then as the storm ended and the clouds began to break up I saw that the sun was beginning to set. I realized that I was still a few miles from my campsite and I hadn't really put the things in my backpack that I would have needed to be out on the trail after dark. I had no flashlight and didn't have warm enough clothing for nighttime temperatures at that time of year, if I had to spend the night out on the trail. The rocks were wet from the rain and I knew that when that kind of stone was wet that it could be slippery, thus the name slick rock. Then something happened, a stillness came over me and I heard a voice in my head say, "Run!" It wasn't like run for your life. It was more, Trust yourself and run.
I seemed to be inhabiting a body that had instantly become lighter and I ran up and over rock faces that earlier in the day had felt insurmountable and dangerous. I delighted in the ease of it all and as I crested the lip of the canyon onto the open mesa, the grandeur of the scene before me took my breath away. A sheet of mist remaining from the storm was to my left. The elongated rays of the setting sun streamed through it, turning it to gold. To my right, over the deep red walls, were four rainbows penetrating into the canyon. The beauty of it was almost other worldly and in a way it felt as though I had been given a piece of heaven. I thought to myself, My God, this is what it is to be free!"
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of humans as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
~ Helen Keller
Monday, November 2, 2009
Reinventing Halloween
I know lots of people who love Halloween and I am all for fun and celebration, but when it comes to promoting good health, Halloween is a nightmare. I can speak from experience because I have been a sugar addict in my life and it is a tough habit to kick.
Thinking about giving kids more candy is like feeling good about giving someone an overdose because you want them to have fun. The dilemma then is what to give out so as not to put a damper on the whole experience. Last year I gave out stickers and this year was glow sticks, but that really felt wrong as I thought about the health of the planet and mountains of plastic and some weird chemicals being disposed of after a night of frivolity.
I discussed this quandary with some friends and we all agreed that we need to get more creative with Halloween. One of them told me about a photographer who took photos of everyone that came by in costume and gave them a picture. I want to suggest making the focus of the holiday an evening of entertainment. Picture this, you go from house to house not knowing what creative offering you are about to enjoy. One of the other folks I was talking to said that he knew a man who hired two Capoiera (Brazilian martial art) practitioners to dress up like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader to stage a laser saber battle in his garage for kids to enjoy on their neighborhood journey. Maybe someone else tells your fortune, or has a little puppet skit about Halloween. The possibilities are endless, more fun, and with much less manic behavior to deal with in the aftermath. Anyway, that's my vote.
If you want to know more about the plastics problem check out http://www.midwayjourney.com/
Thinking about giving kids more candy is like feeling good about giving someone an overdose because you want them to have fun. The dilemma then is what to give out so as not to put a damper on the whole experience. Last year I gave out stickers and this year was glow sticks, but that really felt wrong as I thought about the health of the planet and mountains of plastic and some weird chemicals being disposed of after a night of frivolity.
I discussed this quandary with some friends and we all agreed that we need to get more creative with Halloween. One of them told me about a photographer who took photos of everyone that came by in costume and gave them a picture. I want to suggest making the focus of the holiday an evening of entertainment. Picture this, you go from house to house not knowing what creative offering you are about to enjoy. One of the other folks I was talking to said that he knew a man who hired two Capoiera (Brazilian martial art) practitioners to dress up like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader to stage a laser saber battle in his garage for kids to enjoy on their neighborhood journey. Maybe someone else tells your fortune, or has a little puppet skit about Halloween. The possibilities are endless, more fun, and with much less manic behavior to deal with in the aftermath. Anyway, that's my vote.
If you want to know more about the plastics problem check out http://www.midwayjourney.com/
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