Greetings friends & loved ones!
It feels good to be writing for one & all with the fall in full swing. I have been enjoying the changing of beautiful dissiduous trees, the fruiting persimmons & apples, and the hardy root crops like carrots & beets. I've already made 4 or 5 batches of sour crout & kimchi (I helped others with their batches, plus a few of my own), dried loads of fruit, veggie chips, and various crackers, and gathered a good amount of acorns and english walnuts.
I must say that though I tend to delight in the summer energy (heat, movement, sweet, fruit, outward flowering), it feels good to be pushed inside for herbal teas, miso soup, mediation/contemplation, and rest. What a blessing it is to experience the changing seasons!
Life for me had been flowing beautifully as of late... And as of early for that matter. I have been keeping up with my yoga practice with laser beam focus, and must say it has truly been the foundation of my reality for the past 3 months. I feel vital & healthy, connected to my breath & beingness, with all the energy I could possibly need for day to day missions and adventures. Ahhhh, yes.
I have been working (playing) on lots of farms & gardens, connecting with so many wonderful souls all over the Ridge & Nevada city, and just recently started working at a raw food (with cooked stuff too) restaurant in Nevada city called the Fix. Check it out at thefixforfoodies.com. I'm coming to a great balanacing point with everything I'm doing and it feels great.
I believe I will be in this general area until at least February when my yoga teacher training ends, but otherwise I'm at a rather crucial crossroads of what's next? kinda thing.
And my choices seem to be between traveling and grounding, or some combination of the two. I would really like to make a pilgrimage to India to complete (or deepen, really) my yoga training. I have friends with land in both Costa Rica and Peru that I would really like to visit, as there's a possibility of some communities (with ecological/spirtual focus) taking shape in both these places. And then there is always the distinct possibility of journies to Hawaii, new Zealand, or a number of other spots I've felt really drawn to.
I know if I do go anywhere that I want the trip to be extremely intentional, meaning not simpy travel somewhere just to go, or just to "see the sites". I want to challenge myself, co-create with others, really do some awesome stuff that I feel is in line with my soul path! At this point my conclusion for "where do I go next" is to simply do the best I can every day, knowing fully well that I will be guided to do the right thing when the moment is upon me. Hooray for destiny!
more into, "what is my grand life vision right now?" Like, what do I want to reflect on lying on my death bed kind of thing.
Heaven on Earth comes to mind. Like, there's this idea that there's lots of pain and suffering in the world right now, so it seems like facilitating the emergence of Heaven on Earth is a worthy application of my energy. The question is, how would I do this? How would help do this, allow this? In what way can I play a positive role in moving from point A to point B. Yeah?
Well, right now it seems my energy is best applied in the realms of community, food, & yoga. Building sustainable communities with full-range food/living systems, and teaching and applying my daily life the yogic & food arts and sciences. More details regarding this magic will emerge soon... I believe my next blog posting will be the Art of Change #2. It's been about 9 months (a full birthing or gestation period) since I started this blog in February. So I feel it will be a good time for a Art of Change #2 posting whereby I talk about some of the changes I've gone through in the past 9 months. Until then, love & gratitude!
Liam
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Summer... almost gone..
Well my friends, it seems as though are wonderful Summer season is coming to a close. The fall equinox is tomorrow, and pretty soon the leaves will be changing, the apples, winter squash, cabbage and all sorts of root veggies and greens will begin flooding the farmers markets, Thanksgiving and Halloween decorations will be abound, and our brother Sun will go to bed earlier and earlier until late December.
I love fall. I welcome the fall. I am the fall, the changing of the leaves and the shedding of form, the harvesting of planted seeds and wilting of old flowers worn. I am that. I am constantly changing, I thrive on it--releasing old concepts and complexes, re-integrating shadow parts of myself... Constantly shifting the matrix, the programming. I am that. I am fall.
I'm grounded in North San Juan, CA, up on "the Ridge." That's what this area is called in the North San Juan, Nevada City, Grass Valley locale (all neighboring cities/area). "The Ridge." And who lives on "the Ridge?" Ridge folk. Ridge-ites. Ridgers and Ridgians. Good people up here I tell ya. I walk, bike, and hitchhike every with ease. And Nevada City is a solid 12 miles away, so I definitely rely on hithchiking there and back at least a few times a week, but lately almost every day! And it's like a taxi service around, a highly evolved publich transportation system. The rides are so consistent, if I wait for 5 minutes I start to wonder what's going on! It sure is a blessing. And maybe its the energy I putting out? Sure. That aligns with my view of things (my concept of life or matrix, as it were). But it's also the openness and kindness of these Ridge folk. The Ridgites. A really nice community to be in.
I've been continuing my morning practice with great consistency, which has been a really nice discipline for me. And I believe I am going to start teaching yoga classes up on the Ridge very soon. I connected with the director of a local community center, and she said I am welcome to teach there! So that's exciting. I've been eating really well, working in eating out of the garden where I live and doing work-trades at various local farms for additional produce. I've been doing a green cleanse the last 2 weeks, which means I can eat anything as long as its green. I've had a lot of green smoothies, really spices ones too! I put chard and kale and zuchini and cucumber and cabbage and celery and such things, and then garlic, onion, ginger (not "green," but more like spices, which is ok), jalapeno, green pepper, tumeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, spirulina flakes, lime, and the one key ingredient: avocado. Avocado turns the conconction into a creamy amazing spicy goodness. It really has been very delicious, I must have had a dozen of these things already. And they are so very filling.
I went to this farm party last night at Mountain Bounty, a nice local farm with a CSA about 4 or 5 miles away from me. I brought a green salsa for the salsa contest, and then proceeded to go and eat lots things the were green, and some that were not.
Take the peach cobbler for instance. Nothing green about it. But boy was it good and worth it!
So its ok, I feel my morning yoga discipline is enough. Sometimes I have to step outside the structure a little bit to taste the peach cobbler, ya know? Wow, delicious.
It was a fun party too! A bluegrass band, lots of other amazing farm fresh food of course. I made a corn kernal knecklace. And met a lot of really nice people! Ah, what a time.
I'm really happy about where I am! I think I probably won't do too much moving around until December, whereby I hope to go to a yoga retreat and then see the family for Christmas! We'll see how that all works out. I'm not too, too concerned at this point. For now I hope to just keep the practice up, embrace the fall from without and hold the energy of the fall within, stay in my heart, and dance to the rhythm of the changing seasons and moment by moment shifts. Dance with balance, and grace, and clarity, and humility.
Love!
I love fall. I welcome the fall. I am the fall, the changing of the leaves and the shedding of form, the harvesting of planted seeds and wilting of old flowers worn. I am that. I am constantly changing, I thrive on it--releasing old concepts and complexes, re-integrating shadow parts of myself... Constantly shifting the matrix, the programming. I am that. I am fall.
I'm grounded in North San Juan, CA, up on "the Ridge." That's what this area is called in the North San Juan, Nevada City, Grass Valley locale (all neighboring cities/area). "The Ridge." And who lives on "the Ridge?" Ridge folk. Ridge-ites. Ridgers and Ridgians. Good people up here I tell ya. I walk, bike, and hitchhike every with ease. And Nevada City is a solid 12 miles away, so I definitely rely on hithchiking there and back at least a few times a week, but lately almost every day! And it's like a taxi service around, a highly evolved publich transportation system. The rides are so consistent, if I wait for 5 minutes I start to wonder what's going on! It sure is a blessing. And maybe its the energy I putting out? Sure. That aligns with my view of things (my concept of life or matrix, as it were). But it's also the openness and kindness of these Ridge folk. The Ridgites. A really nice community to be in.
I've been continuing my morning practice with great consistency, which has been a really nice discipline for me. And I believe I am going to start teaching yoga classes up on the Ridge very soon. I connected with the director of a local community center, and she said I am welcome to teach there! So that's exciting. I've been eating really well, working in eating out of the garden where I live and doing work-trades at various local farms for additional produce. I've been doing a green cleanse the last 2 weeks, which means I can eat anything as long as its green. I've had a lot of green smoothies, really spices ones too! I put chard and kale and zuchini and cucumber and cabbage and celery and such things, and then garlic, onion, ginger (not "green," but more like spices, which is ok), jalapeno, green pepper, tumeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, spirulina flakes, lime, and the one key ingredient: avocado. Avocado turns the conconction into a creamy amazing spicy goodness. It really has been very delicious, I must have had a dozen of these things already. And they are so very filling.
I went to this farm party last night at Mountain Bounty, a nice local farm with a CSA about 4 or 5 miles away from me. I brought a green salsa for the salsa contest, and then proceeded to go and eat lots things the were green, and some that were not.
Take the peach cobbler for instance. Nothing green about it. But boy was it good and worth it!
So its ok, I feel my morning yoga discipline is enough. Sometimes I have to step outside the structure a little bit to taste the peach cobbler, ya know? Wow, delicious.
It was a fun party too! A bluegrass band, lots of other amazing farm fresh food of course. I made a corn kernal knecklace. And met a lot of really nice people! Ah, what a time.
I'm really happy about where I am! I think I probably won't do too much moving around until December, whereby I hope to go to a yoga retreat and then see the family for Christmas! We'll see how that all works out. I'm not too, too concerned at this point. For now I hope to just keep the practice up, embrace the fall from without and hold the energy of the fall within, stay in my heart, and dance to the rhythm of the changing seasons and moment by moment shifts. Dance with balance, and grace, and clarity, and humility.
Love!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Art of Change
I saw this quote posted on my good friend Joshua "Param Sevak" Adair's facebook page, and it inspired my to write a posting I've been philosophizing over extensively, as of late.
"Correcting oneself is correcting the whole world. The Sun is simply bright. It does not correct anyone. Because it shines, the whole world is full of light. Transforming yourself is a means of giving light to the whole world."
~Ramana Maharshi
This quote expresses, in an ecstatic, Rumi-esque fashion, what I will be calling for the purposes of this posting the "Art of Change," or the "Science of Change." How change actually takes place metaphysically, or within any given reality.
The main reason I'm posting this is because I have been philosophizing about it so much lately that I need to express it somewhere. The concept has been buzzing around my psyche for some weeks, so I figure in my blog is just as good a place as any. Yeah? Also, the second reason is I'm just plain weary of being confronted with something I'd like to term "activist's syndrome." I will explain in full detail what this is, & why the understanding the art or science of change will quickly cure this very unfortunate syndrome.
Ok, so I'm going to set a few premises, do some blah blah, and then a beautiful profound conclusion will emergy whereby you'll spit whatver liquid your currently ingesting out your nose & mouth onto the computer screen, laughing yourself silly out of your rolling chair, onto the ground, hysterically foaming at the mouth and seisuring while you rocket your awareness into a state of transcendent bliss. I can't make any promises, but I'm pretty sure if you read on your experience will play out about like this.
The first premise is that everything we experience in the Universe, all matter, dense or subtle, is energy. Everything is energy, vibrating or pulsing at a particular frequency, a vibratory signature if you will. When we walk around a park or drive down a highway, we mostly experience what seems like fixed matter, mechanical in nature, will little apparent change taking place. But the truth of the matter is that everything we see on a day to day basis is an enormous flow of atoms, protons, neutrons, electrons, & so on, all vibrating and pulsing in a grand dance of constant flux and change. Everything we see, including we humans, has a particular vibratory frequency or signature that differentiates it from everything else, yet the vibratory signature of all things greatly affect one another.
Here is a really fancy picture to wow you into accepting my first premise.
Ok, so that is the first premise. Everything is energy flowing , and everything has a vibratory frequency. When you wake up your vibratory frequency is at a certain level, and when you go to a heavy metal concert, the vibratory signature of that concert affects your signature. Everything we eat, say, think, see, etc., affects our signature. Some things have a greater effect than others. Since we are mostly water, it is important for us to drink the best water we can possibily drink, as it affects are unique signature more than we probably realize moment to moment.
The second premise that I want to establish is that of the law of magnetic attraction. This law has been popularized (more accurately sensationalized) in such popular works as "The Secret," which people now clumsily use to get more stuff. Well, I won't go there or pretend to assume what it's being used for. In fact, I'm more interested in relaying the proper processes for reaping the full benefits of "The Secret" than I am what ends people are seeking. So, the law of magnetic attraction basically states that like attracts like. The frequency at which anything vibrates attracts a similar frequency. So in the words of "the Secret," if you want cash just think of cash a lot. Which would probably work over time, but I feel is not even half the picture, since there is a whole lot more to our indivual vibratory frequency than just our consciously controlled thoughts focused in on "cash."
Other parts of our frequency include our subconscious garbage, our past experiences, agreements, beliefs, dogmas, ideologies, etc. If at some point in our life we believed that we were unable to make much money, yet we never de-programmed this belief, then it is still a part of our vibratory signature, and will thus prevent us from attracting the wealth we so often desire. For many, the subconscious mind becomes so overloaded with a certain idea or belief that it has to overflow into the unconscious mind, which affects our unconscious processes like blood flow, digestion, and cell maintenance. In this way, many people have certain tramatic memories stored in their cell memory! It can be much more tricky to alter the vibrations stored within our cells than lets say, digesting and pooping out a hamburger.
So, I suppose these two premises alone will be enough to express what I want to express. If everything is vibrating energy, and like attracts like, then the only way to attract what you want to attract is to change your own vibrational frequency. By the same logic, the only way to change what you want to change in the world is to change your own frequency. If you want to see more love in the world, going and starting a love campaign and picketing for more love will not be nearly as potent (I'm inclined to think love picketing would outright fail, but I'm not going to take a firm stance) as actually altering your own vibration to that of love. And yes, love is an actual vibratory frequency, not just an idea espoused by sappy romantics. I'm not going to supply lots of stats here, but if you do a bit of poking around (mind you, the internet has the collective knowledge of all human beings ever), you will see than indeed, everything, including love & anger, has a particular frequency. Love is high vibe. It makes us high, it makes us feel good. Some say it is our natural state. Anger, hate, greed, etc., are low vibe. They make us feel low, they make us not feel so good at all. Some beings, unfortunately, are used to this feeling, addicted, and thus feed on it. Others have just never experienced a higher frequency.
So, to be brief, "activist's syndrome" is a low-vibrational state of wanting to change the world yet coming from a place of anger, hate, greed, lust, envy, revenge, etc. When one tries to change anything from a low-vibrational state, one will merely attract more low-vibe states. When one wants to see peace in the world, the only way to attract this is to be peaceful oneself. Hanging out with peaceful people will greatly assist this process, as the peaceful vibrations (that is, calm, centered, steady, yet high) of others will affect one's own vibratory pulse or signature. Just simply being peaceful and acting in a peaceful manner going about one's own business will do more to create peace in the world than a million anti-chaos or pro-peace rallies. The anti/pro thing doesn't matter. Well, it matters a little, as it sets the intention for the gathering. But more imporant is the vibration of the individual participants and thus the collective frequency. If the frequency is high and peaceful, peace will be attracted. If low, welp... Here comes more low! Yay!
So to master the "Art of Change," one must simply select a process or set of processes that allows or facilitates the change of one's own vibrational frequency! If you want more wealth, simply thinking about money will do the trick, but better: Reprogram all beliefs about wealth. Surround oneself with wealthy people. Put up pictures every where of items associated with wealth, deities of wealth. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Make daily affirmations "I am wealthly, I am wealthy," over and over and over. Look! You have to change your frequency. This can take a lot of work. You are vibrating one way now, so in order to vibrate a whole new way, you gotta really go for it. If you want to have a peaceful vibe, seek out people providing ways of obtaining peace. Read books on meditation. Go on peaceful walks. Where peaceful colors. Listen to peaceful music. Just surround yourself with peace. Slowly but surely your vibration will begin to change. Over time, it will become much more steady & fixed. It will take a lot to move you from your peaceful vibration.
Figure out what you want to change about the world and yourself. Then, simply engage in an intense process of changing your own pulse. That's how its done.
Love.
"Correcting oneself is correcting the whole world. The Sun is simply bright. It does not correct anyone. Because it shines, the whole world is full of light. Transforming yourself is a means of giving light to the whole world."
~Ramana Maharshi
This quote expresses, in an ecstatic, Rumi-esque fashion, what I will be calling for the purposes of this posting the "Art of Change," or the "Science of Change." How change actually takes place metaphysically, or within any given reality.
The main reason I'm posting this is because I have been philosophizing about it so much lately that I need to express it somewhere. The concept has been buzzing around my psyche for some weeks, so I figure in my blog is just as good a place as any. Yeah? Also, the second reason is I'm just plain weary of being confronted with something I'd like to term "activist's syndrome." I will explain in full detail what this is, & why the understanding the art or science of change will quickly cure this very unfortunate syndrome.
Ok, so I'm going to set a few premises, do some blah blah, and then a beautiful profound conclusion will emergy whereby you'll spit whatver liquid your currently ingesting out your nose & mouth onto the computer screen, laughing yourself silly out of your rolling chair, onto the ground, hysterically foaming at the mouth and seisuring while you rocket your awareness into a state of transcendent bliss. I can't make any promises, but I'm pretty sure if you read on your experience will play out about like this.
The first premise is that everything we experience in the Universe, all matter, dense or subtle, is energy. Everything is energy, vibrating or pulsing at a particular frequency, a vibratory signature if you will. When we walk around a park or drive down a highway, we mostly experience what seems like fixed matter, mechanical in nature, will little apparent change taking place. But the truth of the matter is that everything we see on a day to day basis is an enormous flow of atoms, protons, neutrons, electrons, & so on, all vibrating and pulsing in a grand dance of constant flux and change. Everything we see, including we humans, has a particular vibratory frequency or signature that differentiates it from everything else, yet the vibratory signature of all things greatly affect one another.
Here is a really fancy picture to wow you into accepting my first premise.
Ok, so that is the first premise. Everything is energy flowing , and everything has a vibratory frequency. When you wake up your vibratory frequency is at a certain level, and when you go to a heavy metal concert, the vibratory signature of that concert affects your signature. Everything we eat, say, think, see, etc., affects our signature. Some things have a greater effect than others. Since we are mostly water, it is important for us to drink the best water we can possibily drink, as it affects are unique signature more than we probably realize moment to moment.
The second premise that I want to establish is that of the law of magnetic attraction. This law has been popularized (more accurately sensationalized) in such popular works as "The Secret," which people now clumsily use to get more stuff. Well, I won't go there or pretend to assume what it's being used for. In fact, I'm more interested in relaying the proper processes for reaping the full benefits of "The Secret" than I am what ends people are seeking. So, the law of magnetic attraction basically states that like attracts like. The frequency at which anything vibrates attracts a similar frequency. So in the words of "the Secret," if you want cash just think of cash a lot. Which would probably work over time, but I feel is not even half the picture, since there is a whole lot more to our indivual vibratory frequency than just our consciously controlled thoughts focused in on "cash."
Other parts of our frequency include our subconscious garbage, our past experiences, agreements, beliefs, dogmas, ideologies, etc. If at some point in our life we believed that we were unable to make much money, yet we never de-programmed this belief, then it is still a part of our vibratory signature, and will thus prevent us from attracting the wealth we so often desire. For many, the subconscious mind becomes so overloaded with a certain idea or belief that it has to overflow into the unconscious mind, which affects our unconscious processes like blood flow, digestion, and cell maintenance. In this way, many people have certain tramatic memories stored in their cell memory! It can be much more tricky to alter the vibrations stored within our cells than lets say, digesting and pooping out a hamburger.
So, I suppose these two premises alone will be enough to express what I want to express. If everything is vibrating energy, and like attracts like, then the only way to attract what you want to attract is to change your own vibrational frequency. By the same logic, the only way to change what you want to change in the world is to change your own frequency. If you want to see more love in the world, going and starting a love campaign and picketing for more love will not be nearly as potent (I'm inclined to think love picketing would outright fail, but I'm not going to take a firm stance) as actually altering your own vibration to that of love. And yes, love is an actual vibratory frequency, not just an idea espoused by sappy romantics. I'm not going to supply lots of stats here, but if you do a bit of poking around (mind you, the internet has the collective knowledge of all human beings ever), you will see than indeed, everything, including love & anger, has a particular frequency. Love is high vibe. It makes us high, it makes us feel good. Some say it is our natural state. Anger, hate, greed, etc., are low vibe. They make us feel low, they make us not feel so good at all. Some beings, unfortunately, are used to this feeling, addicted, and thus feed on it. Others have just never experienced a higher frequency.
So, to be brief, "activist's syndrome" is a low-vibrational state of wanting to change the world yet coming from a place of anger, hate, greed, lust, envy, revenge, etc. When one tries to change anything from a low-vibrational state, one will merely attract more low-vibe states. When one wants to see peace in the world, the only way to attract this is to be peaceful oneself. Hanging out with peaceful people will greatly assist this process, as the peaceful vibrations (that is, calm, centered, steady, yet high) of others will affect one's own vibratory pulse or signature. Just simply being peaceful and acting in a peaceful manner going about one's own business will do more to create peace in the world than a million anti-chaos or pro-peace rallies. The anti/pro thing doesn't matter. Well, it matters a little, as it sets the intention for the gathering. But more imporant is the vibration of the individual participants and thus the collective frequency. If the frequency is high and peaceful, peace will be attracted. If low, welp... Here comes more low! Yay!
So to master the "Art of Change," one must simply select a process or set of processes that allows or facilitates the change of one's own vibrational frequency! If you want more wealth, simply thinking about money will do the trick, but better: Reprogram all beliefs about wealth. Surround oneself with wealthy people. Put up pictures every where of items associated with wealth, deities of wealth. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Make daily affirmations "I am wealthly, I am wealthy," over and over and over. Look! You have to change your frequency. This can take a lot of work. You are vibrating one way now, so in order to vibrate a whole new way, you gotta really go for it. If you want to have a peaceful vibe, seek out people providing ways of obtaining peace. Read books on meditation. Go on peaceful walks. Where peaceful colors. Listen to peaceful music. Just surround yourself with peace. Slowly but surely your vibration will begin to change. Over time, it will become much more steady & fixed. It will take a lot to move you from your peaceful vibration.
Figure out what you want to change about the world and yourself. Then, simply engage in an intense process of changing your own pulse. That's how its done.
Love.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Free-form Flow
The only intentions I have for this posting is to allow the flow of my consciousness to spill out onto the screen. So here goes...
As far as the doings go for the past month: I arrived in Nevada City, CA by way of craigslist from Oakland, CA. I was dropped off on the side of the road at midnight and set up a squat spot by a nice little river and loads of wild blackberries, about 25 mins walk from downtown Nevada City. I spent the first week around town making different connections, doing lots! of walking, and basically trying to acclimate and ground myself.
Then came the first week of yoga teacher training, which I found to be challenging, enjoyable, and informative. I also feel it really helped me strengthen my own daily practice (sadhana), which was one of my primary intentions for taking on the training. I made loads of good connections as well, and am currently living with a family in the area that I met through a nice lady named Mary Joe that is also taking the teacher training. It was nice squatting by the river for a little while, and now it is really nice having a garden to work in, a bathroom when I need it, a blender, a computer, etc. So very nice! I am blessed to have been graced with such a find situation.
After the firs week intensive of teacher training, I felt I had a bit of adventuring to do, so I put up the thumb & hitched up to Mt. Shasta. It took me a day to hitch there (was very humbling), and I spent the night in Chico, CA in a lovely garden that I was shown by a friend fellow I met at a health food store. When I arrived in Shasta I was able to touch base with Monique (the nice lady that gifted me the funds to down-pay for the teacher training), go see Masaru Emoto give a presentation on water, and sleep up on the mountain. It is really quite a place this Mt. Shasta! They have amazing untreated spring water, loads of fruit trees around for the picking, friendly people, fresh air, & so on. Oh so lovely!
I was also able to meet up with my good friend Emma in Shasta, and she whisked us away to the Redwood Forest, then the Mendocino coast for a 3 day yoga/raw food retreat, which was also very nice. I was able to swim in the pacific, meet more amazing people, and continue to enjoy me daily practice, which I will speak more of in a moment. I met 2 very nice girls in Mendo, Molly & Cari, who took me to Lake Tahoe, just north of Nevada City by about an hour and a half. So I stayed with Cari for 2 days in Tahoe, and she gave me a ride back to the Grass Valley/Nevada City area where I was able to reconvene with Mary Joe (my landlady/co-houser/whathaveyou). Hooray! What an adventure!
Ah, yes. So I wanted to discuss daily practice. In the kundalini yoga tradition (the one I am now studying my yoga teacher training), daily practice ("Sadhana" Sod-ah-nah) is not just a science, its a way of being. Its the foundation by which one creates one's reality. The main idea is that human experience can be limitless, but our subconscious mind becomes overloaded with junk and detracts from our daily experience of the world. It becomes so jammed with mental constructs, agreements, advertisements, and whatever other media or energy that we expose ourselves to, that it pours into our conscious experience & thus influences the way we act & operate on a daily basis... Unless of course we have some way of clearing or alleviating our subconscious mind... We have a "grid of experience" that is basically the monitor of our computer, the overarching lens through we our awareness is filtered, thus forming our conscious reality. The vastness and fullness of what we see & experience through this monitor is greatly affected by our subconscious programming.
Sadhana is like an assassin or an atomic bomb to the garbage built up in the subconscious mind. When one practices every day (not one-two, skip a few, but every day!), the subconscious mind is very quickly de-programmed, so many of our trite judgments, detrimental habits, destructive patterns, and toxic predispositions implode in on themselves. They are powerless against the power of sadhana.
So how does Sadhana work?
In many traditions the best time for Sadhana is between 4-7 am, or the 2 1/2 hour period before the sun rises. Albert Einstein used to wake up at 4 am because he found he was able to focus so supremely at this hour. Go figure? My experience is that daily practice is much more easy between 4-7, so this is when I try to do it. Even by 8 am I resist the practice so much more. Once the sun has risen it is just that much more tricky to focus inward, as the sun is instructing us all to exert our energy outward, to go and ride the wave of the day! So between 4-7 one simply practices the same thing for a certain amount of time every day for a certain amount of days. Here is the psychological breakdown of transformation according to the science of kundalini yoga (not according to me (though I have experienced the effects), I'm just taking this out of a book):
Meditation times every day
3 minutes of meditation affects the electromagnetic field, the circulation and stability of the blood
11 minutes of meditation begins to chance the nerves and the glandular system
22 minutes of meditation balances the three minds (negative, neutral, positive), and they begin to work together
31 minutes of meditation allows the glands, breath, and concentration to affect all the cells and rhythms of the body.
62 minutes changes the gray matter in the brain. The subconscious "shadow mind" and the outer projection are integrated.
2 1/2 hours changes the psyche in its co-relation with the surrounding magnetic field so that the subconscious mind is held firmly in the new pattern by the surrounding universal mind.
Effects of consecutive days of mediation
40 days changes a habit
90 days confirms the habit
In 120 the new habit is who you are
In 1,000 days you have mastered the new habit
-----
So I have been doing a morning sadhana (in my case, a yogic exercise involving the breath) since May 05th now, and I must say the effects have been profound. It has brought me so much more balance to my life, and I feel it takes very little effort to do it every day. Less & less effort every day! I simply think "Oh, if I break the streak the effects will be diminished, I'll have to start from day 1 again, and the high I'm on every day will be reduced. I better do my sadhana!"
And that's how it goes. I am at a point where I do a particular mediation every morning for 62 minutes. I started out with 3 minutes May 5th, and gradually worked myself up to 62 as it felt good. So now I'm committed to the 1000 stretch to see how far I can take the effects of this already profound practice. We shall see!
There are so many ways to activate a sadhana. If you like to paint, paint every day for a set time. Don't skip a day. Don't ever skip a day! This will break the chain of the strong psychological reconditioning you're delivering mercilessly to the politcal parties and renegade opinions parading around in the lawless depths of your subconscious mind... So paint every day and see the magic that emerges. If you like to run, run every day. If you like to read, read every day. If you like to sing, meditate, shoot skeet, play guitar, ad infinitum, do it every day, a lot. Early is nice. Clear you subconscious of all the garbage that prevents the full potential of healthy, productive, enjoyable experience from taking place! This is my message. Take it or leave it.
But either way--
Love.
As far as the doings go for the past month: I arrived in Nevada City, CA by way of craigslist from Oakland, CA. I was dropped off on the side of the road at midnight and set up a squat spot by a nice little river and loads of wild blackberries, about 25 mins walk from downtown Nevada City. I spent the first week around town making different connections, doing lots! of walking, and basically trying to acclimate and ground myself.
Then came the first week of yoga teacher training, which I found to be challenging, enjoyable, and informative. I also feel it really helped me strengthen my own daily practice (sadhana), which was one of my primary intentions for taking on the training. I made loads of good connections as well, and am currently living with a family in the area that I met through a nice lady named Mary Joe that is also taking the teacher training. It was nice squatting by the river for a little while, and now it is really nice having a garden to work in, a bathroom when I need it, a blender, a computer, etc. So very nice! I am blessed to have been graced with such a find situation.
After the firs week intensive of teacher training, I felt I had a bit of adventuring to do, so I put up the thumb & hitched up to Mt. Shasta. It took me a day to hitch there (was very humbling), and I spent the night in Chico, CA in a lovely garden that I was shown by a friend fellow I met at a health food store. When I arrived in Shasta I was able to touch base with Monique (the nice lady that gifted me the funds to down-pay for the teacher training), go see Masaru Emoto give a presentation on water, and sleep up on the mountain. It is really quite a place this Mt. Shasta! They have amazing untreated spring water, loads of fruit trees around for the picking, friendly people, fresh air, & so on. Oh so lovely!
I was also able to meet up with my good friend Emma in Shasta, and she whisked us away to the Redwood Forest, then the Mendocino coast for a 3 day yoga/raw food retreat, which was also very nice. I was able to swim in the pacific, meet more amazing people, and continue to enjoy me daily practice, which I will speak more of in a moment. I met 2 very nice girls in Mendo, Molly & Cari, who took me to Lake Tahoe, just north of Nevada City by about an hour and a half. So I stayed with Cari for 2 days in Tahoe, and she gave me a ride back to the Grass Valley/Nevada City area where I was able to reconvene with Mary Joe (my landlady/co-houser/whathaveyou). Hooray! What an adventure!
Ah, yes. So I wanted to discuss daily practice. In the kundalini yoga tradition (the one I am now studying my yoga teacher training), daily practice ("Sadhana" Sod-ah-nah) is not just a science, its a way of being. Its the foundation by which one creates one's reality. The main idea is that human experience can be limitless, but our subconscious mind becomes overloaded with junk and detracts from our daily experience of the world. It becomes so jammed with mental constructs, agreements, advertisements, and whatever other media or energy that we expose ourselves to, that it pours into our conscious experience & thus influences the way we act & operate on a daily basis... Unless of course we have some way of clearing or alleviating our subconscious mind... We have a "grid of experience" that is basically the monitor of our computer, the overarching lens through we our awareness is filtered, thus forming our conscious reality. The vastness and fullness of what we see & experience through this monitor is greatly affected by our subconscious programming.
Sadhana is like an assassin or an atomic bomb to the garbage built up in the subconscious mind. When one practices every day (not one-two, skip a few, but every day!), the subconscious mind is very quickly de-programmed, so many of our trite judgments, detrimental habits, destructive patterns, and toxic predispositions implode in on themselves. They are powerless against the power of sadhana.
So how does Sadhana work?
In many traditions the best time for Sadhana is between 4-7 am, or the 2 1/2 hour period before the sun rises. Albert Einstein used to wake up at 4 am because he found he was able to focus so supremely at this hour. Go figure? My experience is that daily practice is much more easy between 4-7, so this is when I try to do it. Even by 8 am I resist the practice so much more. Once the sun has risen it is just that much more tricky to focus inward, as the sun is instructing us all to exert our energy outward, to go and ride the wave of the day! So between 4-7 one simply practices the same thing for a certain amount of time every day for a certain amount of days. Here is the psychological breakdown of transformation according to the science of kundalini yoga (not according to me (though I have experienced the effects), I'm just taking this out of a book):
Meditation times every day
3 minutes of meditation affects the electromagnetic field, the circulation and stability of the blood
11 minutes of meditation begins to chance the nerves and the glandular system
22 minutes of meditation balances the three minds (negative, neutral, positive), and they begin to work together
31 minutes of meditation allows the glands, breath, and concentration to affect all the cells and rhythms of the body.
62 minutes changes the gray matter in the brain. The subconscious "shadow mind" and the outer projection are integrated.
2 1/2 hours changes the psyche in its co-relation with the surrounding magnetic field so that the subconscious mind is held firmly in the new pattern by the surrounding universal mind.
Effects of consecutive days of mediation
40 days changes a habit
90 days confirms the habit
In 120 the new habit is who you are
In 1,000 days you have mastered the new habit
-----
So I have been doing a morning sadhana (in my case, a yogic exercise involving the breath) since May 05th now, and I must say the effects have been profound. It has brought me so much more balance to my life, and I feel it takes very little effort to do it every day. Less & less effort every day! I simply think "Oh, if I break the streak the effects will be diminished, I'll have to start from day 1 again, and the high I'm on every day will be reduced. I better do my sadhana!"
And that's how it goes. I am at a point where I do a particular mediation every morning for 62 minutes. I started out with 3 minutes May 5th, and gradually worked myself up to 62 as it felt good. So now I'm committed to the 1000 stretch to see how far I can take the effects of this already profound practice. We shall see!
There are so many ways to activate a sadhana. If you like to paint, paint every day for a set time. Don't skip a day. Don't ever skip a day! This will break the chain of the strong psychological reconditioning you're delivering mercilessly to the politcal parties and renegade opinions parading around in the lawless depths of your subconscious mind... So paint every day and see the magic that emerges. If you like to run, run every day. If you like to read, read every day. If you like to sing, meditate, shoot skeet, play guitar, ad infinitum, do it every day, a lot. Early is nice. Clear you subconscious of all the garbage that prevents the full potential of healthy, productive, enjoyable experience from taking place! This is my message. Take it or leave it.
But either way--
Love.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Summer solstice, rainbow, and beyond!
So, the last several weeks since my stay in the Jemez mountains have been very fruitful.
After the fire @ Casey's land, I went and stayed in Taos for two weeks, working at a farm at the Hanuman temple, meeting lots of good folks, eating well, and grounding intensely. I finished covering the head of the djembe I started back in March, sewed up 2 pairs of shoes (one of which is lost to me now), and got lots of good rest, physically & psychologically. I had a little money to spend while I was there, and decided to invest in a copy of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell. This really helped me to re-contextualize my intentions for this blog and my life in general, which I will come back to in a moment. For a now, a brief summary of adventures and doings.
After the fire @ Casey's land, I went and stayed in Taos for two weeks, working at a farm at the Hanuman temple, meeting lots of good folks, eating well, and grounding intensely. I finished covering the head of the djembe I started back in March, sewed up 2 pairs of shoes (one of which is lost to me now), and got lots of good rest, physically & psychologically. I had a little money to spend while I was there, and decided to invest in a copy of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell. This really helped me to re-contextualize my intentions for this blog and my life in general, which I will come back to in a moment. For a now, a brief summary of adventures and doings.
After my Taos tenure I went to a yoga retreat up in the Jemez mountains near Espanola, NM. I was on the set up crew for the retreat, so I was there for 10 days before the retreat began. It was quite nice to be able to get to know so many wonderful people, connect to the land, and have a little peace and tranquility before 2000 people showed up. It was at this retreat that I decided I would complete a yoga teacher training as soon as possible, and thanks to a gracious donation from a very good friend I met there (Ms. Monique Decker from Luxembourg, a veritable angel), I will be beginning my training starting July 16th in Nevada City, CA.
After the retreat ended July 28th, I headed to the Santa Fe National forest for the 2009 National Rainbow Gathering. If you aren't familiar with the Rainbow phenomenon, check online through wikipedia or a like source for deep details. For now, I'll just say that it is a family not connected by blood, race, ethnicity, or creed, but rather by the universal commitment to world peace through creative/alternative lifestyles and community. The "Rainbow Tribe" has been gathering all over the world for about 40 years now.
The gathering was quite a wonderful experience for me. I worked at a raw food kitchen (which is convenient, as I started a raw food cleanse/diet (Live-it) around June 18th at the beginning of the yoga retreat), took nature walks collecting wild edibles, played lots of music, did a lot of walking, bathed in a nice creek, and just soaked in the peace of the mountain atmosphere. I met so many amazing people, and connected with two fellas, Dean & Chris, who are also on there way to CA. I write right now from Sedona, Arizona, and the three of us will soon make our way towards Nevada City. We have been munching on greens we collecting in the mountains for 2 days now, really just taking our time to enjoy the trip to CA.
And now, back to the Tao Te Ching... Buying a copy of the Tao in Taos (go figure Tao-s), as well as talking to several people about the book/philosophy/way of being, as well as many experiences I've had since Feb. have given me a lot of clarity about my original intentions for this website, and the ways in which I can activate the wisdom gained from this blog, the Tao, and my life in general.
Here are some brief insights that I am beginning to integrate on a day to day basis:
The world is perfect. People have lots of ideas and concepts about the how lost we are, how are ecological systems are spiraling out of control, how darkness has fallen over humanity, etc. And that's all very fine and nice for them. But I no longer want to live my life through ideas about the way things are. More and more I am beginning to feel that people's (or my own) judgements about the conditions of external reality have in fact, nothing at all to do with the external world, but are merely a reflection of the reality of each individual, projected onto the "external world."
When people say that George Bush was an insane president, or gay people shouldn't be aloud to get married (side note: should/need to/have to are in the process of being eliminated from my vocabulary), or that pizza tastes really good/bad/fluffy, it has nothing to do with reality as it truly is, and has everything to do with the stories people are addicted to telling about the world around them. The judgement that GB is insane is only reflecting the inner insanity of the judge. The judgement that gay people shouldn't get married is only reflecting the fears/homophobia/discomfort of the judge. Good/bad/fluffy tasting pizza isn't in the pizza, it's in the person eating the pizza.
These are my feelings. This is the reality I would like to embody. It's okay to eat pizza and just be eating pizza, being present with the pizza, appreciating each flavor and bite without trying to figure out the meaning of pizza, or attach ideas to pizza. It's okay to observe Bush and then go on about one's day without a thought about how _______ he is and how X person would do ____ & _____ in a much more ______ way.
I've related to the world around me most of my life through ideas/ideology/conceptual thinking. I suspect the same is true for many others as well. Well I'm done with it I tell ya! Pizza is pizza. Pizza is. George Bush is as real to me as Darth Vader. He's just a character in a story that I've seen on TV a lot. He really made people lose their center, lose their peace. Yet like me, very few people had any real, first hand experience of GB. They just related to the idea of him as portrayed through media coverage. GB just is. He isn't good or bad or any one thing. He's always in a state of change, in a constant flux. Why would we try to pin him down with qualifiers?
I've written a lot already in this blog posting, and there will be another posting very soon to be sure. I have a lot more to say about the ways the Tao has begun to shape my life, and the experiences and journeys that have been highly influential to me in these last months. For now, I will say that I hope for people to realize all the things in their own reality that are blocking the flow of serenity.
The Universe is always changing in a beautiful dance of experience. There are many ways we can relate to the dance. All of them are perfect, and each individual can choose their favorite way at any point and time. We haven't done anything wrong--not one of us. Things arise and things pass. People kill people, people help people, dogs chase cats, hurricanes happen, buildings collapse. All of it is just perfect, right where it needs to be at all times. See the perfection within & the perfection without will necessarily unfold. I love you all!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Forest fired pottery.
So, I have been up in the Jemez mountains for the last few weeks, creating gardens, working on various building projects, doing sweat lodges, and so on. I met a really nice Belgian fellow named Victor at the Return of the Elders gathering, and through him met Casey, he that is connecting me to the Jemez. Casey has about 20 acres @ 8500 ft, and is working on establishing a Jedi training art school thingy. It's pretty neat. He wants to eventually have a self-sustaining system, a library, ceremonial space, and the whole shabang. I'm excited!
We've been cooking lots of great meals, doing yoga, relaxing, working gardens, reading and writing, watching sun sets, soaking at local hot springs, and so on. It's been lovely.
3 nights ago Casey fired some pottery in a big metal barrel. We watched the coals burn down, and then went to bed. We awoke the next day, and just went through are usual routine. Sunrise, breakfast, garden work, etc. Around noon I was working on the garden by myself, and noticed that over where we had been firing pottery, there was a very large fire.
"Huh!?! That's funny, what are Victor and Casey doing over there?" I thought.
It only took me a moment longer to realize that the very large fire was not intentional whatsoever. I immediately began yellling for help, grabbed two shovels, and ran towards the fire. Casey and Victor walked out of the cabin, I threw Victor a shovel, and we went to work!
We began digging all around the fire to contain it's rage. Casey drove down the mountain to call the fire department (we didn't have a phone), and Victor and I battled on. I dug non-stop for about 1 hour. Then Casey returned and took my spot. Victor and I grabbed some water, and then went back to work. We continued to dig and contain for another 30 minutes, when the fire department finally showed. By then most of the perimeter had been established. We stopped the fire at the property line between Casey's placed and the neighbors.
We were very relieved to not have burned the mountain down! Victor and Casey got some pretty wicked 2nd degree bubbly burns, and we all inhaled more smoke than we would have liked. I have a pretty gnarly stigmata looking crispy blister on my hand from the shovel and the heat, and we all have the memory of the intensity-the heat, the smoke, the feelings of helplessness and eventually transcendance. Whoa!
This is probably about the most raw, visceral, elemental experience I've ever had. I don't think I was afraid for a second. There was certainly no hesitation. But the power that the fire had was overwhelming, humbling, a force to be reckoned with. I still have so much to integrate from this experience. And have a new found respect from anyone caught in such a situation. Be it fire, hurricane, tornado, earthquake. If we do not respect the natural forces that surround us, we beckon an encounter that may leave us changed forever@!
I hope to write more of this experience when I've put it all together.
For now, I love you all! Take care.
We've been cooking lots of great meals, doing yoga, relaxing, working gardens, reading and writing, watching sun sets, soaking at local hot springs, and so on. It's been lovely.
3 nights ago Casey fired some pottery in a big metal barrel. We watched the coals burn down, and then went to bed. We awoke the next day, and just went through are usual routine. Sunrise, breakfast, garden work, etc. Around noon I was working on the garden by myself, and noticed that over where we had been firing pottery, there was a very large fire.
"Huh!?! That's funny, what are Victor and Casey doing over there?" I thought.
It only took me a moment longer to realize that the very large fire was not intentional whatsoever. I immediately began yellling for help, grabbed two shovels, and ran towards the fire. Casey and Victor walked out of the cabin, I threw Victor a shovel, and we went to work!
We began digging all around the fire to contain it's rage. Casey drove down the mountain to call the fire department (we didn't have a phone), and Victor and I battled on. I dug non-stop for about 1 hour. Then Casey returned and took my spot. Victor and I grabbed some water, and then went back to work. We continued to dig and contain for another 30 minutes, when the fire department finally showed. By then most of the perimeter had been established. We stopped the fire at the property line between Casey's placed and the neighbors.
We were very relieved to not have burned the mountain down! Victor and Casey got some pretty wicked 2nd degree bubbly burns, and we all inhaled more smoke than we would have liked. I have a pretty gnarly stigmata looking crispy blister on my hand from the shovel and the heat, and we all have the memory of the intensity-the heat, the smoke, the feelings of helplessness and eventually transcendance. Whoa!
This is probably about the most raw, visceral, elemental experience I've ever had. I don't think I was afraid for a second. There was certainly no hesitation. But the power that the fire had was overwhelming, humbling, a force to be reckoned with. I still have so much to integrate from this experience. And have a new found respect from anyone caught in such a situation. Be it fire, hurricane, tornado, earthquake. If we do not respect the natural forces that surround us, we beckon an encounter that may leave us changed forever@!
I hope to write more of this experience when I've put it all together.
For now, I love you all! Take care.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Return of the Ancestors gathering & more
Well hello again my friends. The last month has been a wave of experience that carried me to many amazing places with so much to be learned, and so many wonderful people to enjoy.
I finished up my drum carving project at Gemini farm at the beginning of April, and soon after made my way to Sedona, Arizona for the Return of the Ancestors gathering. I didn't exactly "have money" or "know anyone," but my surrender to the guidance I felt to be there led me to some amazing people, and I was well taken care of. Some Quebecians took me in from the beginning, so I had a great group to camp & counsel with for me tenure at the event.
The premise of the gathering was to unite native/indigenous elders from all over the world so they could share their prayers and visions for the turbulent changes that are sweeping through the world, as well as to simply share traditional wisdom and ceremonial space. I must say it was quite a learning experience! I would also add that the majority of my personal growth came not directly from the scheduled gathering events, but rather from the youth counsels and collective interactions that were held outside the gathering. I was amazed at the multitude of open-hearted souls I met throughout the event, and can't express the gratitude I feel for all the music, food, and conversation I shared over these past weeks.
I would say one of the highlights of the adventure was a sunrise ceremony at the Grand Canyon. A couple hundred people gathered at a GC lookout with drums, shakers, and all sorts of wonderful magic, and we sang and danced and played as the sun rose over the horizon. It was marvelous! It made me wonder why I don't have a sunrise/set ceremony every day. It is, afterall, one of the most universal occurences of the planet. And an amazing way to dial into natural rhythms day by day. Yes, I will seek to manifest this vision of shared daily sunrise ceremony. Waking and feeling the heat on my face and expressing the joy through song and dance. And then walking away with the whole day ahead of me, bright and full to be sure. Yes, I will do it. We will do it.
I finished up my drum carving project at Gemini farm at the beginning of April, and soon after made my way to Sedona, Arizona for the Return of the Ancestors gathering. I didn't exactly "have money" or "know anyone," but my surrender to the guidance I felt to be there led me to some amazing people, and I was well taken care of. Some Quebecians took me in from the beginning, so I had a great group to camp & counsel with for me tenure at the event.
The premise of the gathering was to unite native/indigenous elders from all over the world so they could share their prayers and visions for the turbulent changes that are sweeping through the world, as well as to simply share traditional wisdom and ceremonial space. I must say it was quite a learning experience! I would also add that the majority of my personal growth came not directly from the scheduled gathering events, but rather from the youth counsels and collective interactions that were held outside the gathering. I was amazed at the multitude of open-hearted souls I met throughout the event, and can't express the gratitude I feel for all the music, food, and conversation I shared over these past weeks.
I would say one of the highlights of the adventure was a sunrise ceremony at the Grand Canyon. A couple hundred people gathered at a GC lookout with drums, shakers, and all sorts of wonderful magic, and we sang and danced and played as the sun rose over the horizon. It was marvelous! It made me wonder why I don't have a sunrise/set ceremony every day. It is, afterall, one of the most universal occurences of the planet. And an amazing way to dial into natural rhythms day by day. Yes, I will seek to manifest this vision of shared daily sunrise ceremony. Waking and feeling the heat on my face and expressing the joy through song and dance. And then walking away with the whole day ahead of me, bright and full to be sure. Yes, I will do it. We will do it.
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