It's very important during times of extreme change and stress to have some sort of coping mechanism. I have heard over and over again from various energy workers, light workers, that the changing times are not just challenging, but nearly overwhelming. Many ask, how can I protect myself, how do I ground? It almost feels as if the world is spinning faster around us, and none of us want to be sucked into the vortex of the storm.
Firstly no matter what it's important to start the day and end the day with some sort of self work to keep grounded. Times are outright scary, there are challenges coming from every facet of our lives.
For me Reiki, prayer, and breath work has been the cornerstone to ground my energy, and renew and sustain myself. Each morning work on which level of our energetic being (called chakras) are being affected by what is going on.
Our greatest nemesis are lack of sleep, lack of good nutrition, and lack of ordinary care of ourselves. Again it is important to balance energetic health with solid common sense. Take heed of what you put in your body. Processed sugars, dyes, bleached flour, and other artificially made foods are going to add to the burden of what is going on energetically and emotionally. Take care not to ingest meats with antibiotics and or steroids. Look for clean good food from organic sources. Read your labels, and take care of your body as well as your spirit.
Do not be overwhelmed by fear. Remember that fear is just negative faith, so if you have the faith to fear, you have the same faith to be fearless. What if's are not helpful, they do not create positive energy flow. Let go of those things that do not serve and that you cannot control. Create positive and helpful space by taking care of the things you are able to. Be empowered by your successes, and focus on what is feasible and doable.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Friday, April 30, 2010
In the Center of the Storm
We all know that a hurricane or tornado is a very destructive force of Nature. However the interesting phenomenon is that there is peace in the center and calm in the center of these storms. When life’s storms hit us we need to find the center of them where we can ground and be safe. In this place the destruction may rage around us, but it will not affect us personally.
In order to weather the storms in our lives first we need to stand in faith rather than fear. Fear is gasoline on the fire. It not only feeds the storms but it takes you out of the center and directly into the middle of it. Fear is a normal human emotion and reaction to the unknown. While we may not be able to stop the feeling we can chose not to feed it. Faith is not necessarily a feeling; it’s an action and a choice we make. We can choose to feed ourselves positive affirmations, pray, meditate, go to our wheels, breathe, do yoga, there are endless possibilities to deal with our feelings. The more we chose to feed ourselves things that keeps us calm and faith filled, the more centered we are, and the further we are emotionally and spiritually from the storms of life that whirl around us.
Secondly it is important to stay in the now. When we begin to postulate on outcomes we can actually direct or manifest that outcome inadvertently. Instead of worrying about possible outcomes we need to give these concerns into Spirit’s hand. When we find ourselves beginning to pick up the worry again, we need to make a conscious decision to once again let go and give it to Spirit. This might be a onetime process or it could be a process that goes on for a while. If we have gotten in the habit of trying to control our Universe, worrying, or fearful thoughts it can be quite a struggle sometimes to reprogram one’s thinking. There are certain things we can plan for, and the things we can control we should definitely consider and do something about. However when something is out of one’s control no amount of worrying or planning is going to make it right. At that point it’s a matter of riding it through in faith. My Grandfather had a funny saying but it’s very true, “If you worry you die, if you don’t worry you die, so why worry.”
In order to weather the storms in our lives first we need to stand in faith rather than fear. Fear is gasoline on the fire. It not only feeds the storms but it takes you out of the center and directly into the middle of it. Fear is a normal human emotion and reaction to the unknown. While we may not be able to stop the feeling we can chose not to feed it. Faith is not necessarily a feeling; it’s an action and a choice we make. We can choose to feed ourselves positive affirmations, pray, meditate, go to our wheels, breathe, do yoga, there are endless possibilities to deal with our feelings. The more we chose to feed ourselves things that keeps us calm and faith filled, the more centered we are, and the further we are emotionally and spiritually from the storms of life that whirl around us.
Secondly it is important to stay in the now. When we begin to postulate on outcomes we can actually direct or manifest that outcome inadvertently. Instead of worrying about possible outcomes we need to give these concerns into Spirit’s hand. When we find ourselves beginning to pick up the worry again, we need to make a conscious decision to once again let go and give it to Spirit. This might be a onetime process or it could be a process that goes on for a while. If we have gotten in the habit of trying to control our Universe, worrying, or fearful thoughts it can be quite a struggle sometimes to reprogram one’s thinking. There are certain things we can plan for, and the things we can control we should definitely consider and do something about. However when something is out of one’s control no amount of worrying or planning is going to make it right. At that point it’s a matter of riding it through in faith. My Grandfather had a funny saying but it’s very true, “If you worry you die, if you don’t worry you die, so why worry.”
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Riding the Wave
I was watching the Discovery Channel and they had a segment on surfing. As I was watching it occurred to me that there was an analogy to be seen in the surfing.
A surfer riding the wave is very much in the moment of what they are doing. When they are in that wave there is no turning back. There is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow, there is nothing but that moment and that wave and riding it through. Once they paddle out they are totally at the mercy of the momentum of that wave for good or bad. The wave takes them where it will, and all they have to do is ride it to its conclusion. Sometimes the wave overtakes the surfer, and they are thrown from their paddle into the mercy of the pounding waves and surf. Their body is forced under water by the enormous forces at work, and then they must struggle to the surface for precious air, and reclaim their board once again. There is no time for anything else but being in the moment, being clear, focused, and in a sense battling with the forces that be. There is no time for worry, neither time for regrets, nor time for should haves, and no time for self pity, it's all about riding that wave to the other side.
In the same vein perhaps we can see our lives as a series of wave ridings. Perhaps when trials and tribulations hit the idea is to just be in the moment, ride the wave, trust in Spirit and let the lessons of life carry you to their ultimate conclusion. If we can harness the power of these lessons as surfers harness a wave, then not only is the result powerful, but we have ridden on top of tribulation rather than be consumed by it. When the waves of life bring us down crashing, it may be again the idea would be to struggle to the surface, and refuse to give way to self pity, fear, or despair.
It seems to me there is a lesson to be had here. So many times we get into should haves, would haves, could haves and if only I had done this or that. We use our precious time and energy harping on things we can't change and forces that we can't control rather than looking into the future. There are times we become embroiled in lack of forgiveness, anger, and the need for revenge. We want to control our environment and the outcome and get caught up in worry, fear, and doubt. This in effect drags us under the waves of life, suffocating us mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Sometimes the results are depression, physical illness of all kinds, and mental torment. Therefore the idea would be to let go and let Spirit or God into the equation. Instead of taking control perhaps the idea is releasing control and riding the wave in trust, and in that moment in time. It would not then be dissimilar to the serenity prayer which says "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
A surfer riding the wave is very much in the moment of what they are doing. When they are in that wave there is no turning back. There is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow, there is nothing but that moment and that wave and riding it through. Once they paddle out they are totally at the mercy of the momentum of that wave for good or bad. The wave takes them where it will, and all they have to do is ride it to its conclusion. Sometimes the wave overtakes the surfer, and they are thrown from their paddle into the mercy of the pounding waves and surf. Their body is forced under water by the enormous forces at work, and then they must struggle to the surface for precious air, and reclaim their board once again. There is no time for anything else but being in the moment, being clear, focused, and in a sense battling with the forces that be. There is no time for worry, neither time for regrets, nor time for should haves, and no time for self pity, it's all about riding that wave to the other side.
In the same vein perhaps we can see our lives as a series of wave ridings. Perhaps when trials and tribulations hit the idea is to just be in the moment, ride the wave, trust in Spirit and let the lessons of life carry you to their ultimate conclusion. If we can harness the power of these lessons as surfers harness a wave, then not only is the result powerful, but we have ridden on top of tribulation rather than be consumed by it. When the waves of life bring us down crashing, it may be again the idea would be to struggle to the surface, and refuse to give way to self pity, fear, or despair.
It seems to me there is a lesson to be had here. So many times we get into should haves, would haves, could haves and if only I had done this or that. We use our precious time and energy harping on things we can't change and forces that we can't control rather than looking into the future. There are times we become embroiled in lack of forgiveness, anger, and the need for revenge. We want to control our environment and the outcome and get caught up in worry, fear, and doubt. This in effect drags us under the waves of life, suffocating us mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Sometimes the results are depression, physical illness of all kinds, and mental torment. Therefore the idea would be to let go and let Spirit or God into the equation. Instead of taking control perhaps the idea is releasing control and riding the wave in trust, and in that moment in time. It would not then be dissimilar to the serenity prayer which says "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sitting in Stillness
Sitting in Stillness
In our modern day world we have forgotten how to sit in absolute stillness, breathe and meditate waiting for Spirit. From our conception we are surrounded by a cacophony of noise. We have music, television, car noise, crowds, all clamoring for our attention. We've grown so used to this hectic pace and way of life that sitting still becomes not only very difficult but for some impossible and frightening.
Our Elders before us in the Cherokee way knew not only how to sit still, they knew how to ground themselves into the Earth and wait quietly. They knew how to take a deep breath and sit in the stillness and revel in the quiet calm they created. This stillness created health in body, soul and spirit. It was in this place of calm and solitude that they could regenerate, communicate with Spirit, and receive the wisdom they so needed for their lives.
Many Europeans who had a different mindset misunderstood this mindset of the Native American and mistook it for stoicism. In fact it became a stereotype to see a Chief or a Native American leader portrayed on television with no more than a frown and a grunt. What was not understood is that our people saw words as power, and as manifestation. Feelings and thoughts were not to be shared lightly simply because the spoken word has power, and power brings manifestation. It was not so much stoicism as it was wisdom.
In this day and there are many different courses in breath or breathing. Imagine, we have even forgotten how to breathe in the madcap insanity that we have created of our world. There are courses in meditation because our minds have become so cluttered we cannot remember how to relax and let go. We have strayed so far from stillness and mother earth that the abnormal seems normal. We live in glass and concrete cities, and we breathe in polluted air. We rush in and out of subways, cabs, buses, and planes harried and frazzled. We do not put our feet in Mother Earth, or feel her grass beneath our feet any more. We have disconnected ourselves spirit, soul, and body, and now there is a restoration and a new movement that is trying to reconnect us with ourselves and with the Earth who is our Mother.
There is a call back to sitting in stillness, calmness and grounding back to Mother Earth. What was once ridiculed has now been found to be not only wise but necessary for our health spiritually, physically, and mentally. We must once again reacquaint ourselves with stillness and calm. We must not allow the distractions of our present day to keep us from learning this. It's time to remember the simple things such as breathing, or feeling the grass beneath our feet. It's time to plant, to sow, to remember the earth is our treasure, our sustenance and our Mother. It's time to learn to control our tongues and remember the sanctity of words and the power of them. We need to learn respect for ourselves once more and the wisdom of sitting in stillness. More importantly we need to be unafraid of facing ourselves in this new stillness. Spirit wants to do a new work but as long as we deafen ourselves with mental spiritual or physical noise we will not move forward in this new beginning.
In our modern day world we have forgotten how to sit in absolute stillness, breathe and meditate waiting for Spirit. From our conception we are surrounded by a cacophony of noise. We have music, television, car noise, crowds, all clamoring for our attention. We've grown so used to this hectic pace and way of life that sitting still becomes not only very difficult but for some impossible and frightening.
Our Elders before us in the Cherokee way knew not only how to sit still, they knew how to ground themselves into the Earth and wait quietly. They knew how to take a deep breath and sit in the stillness and revel in the quiet calm they created. This stillness created health in body, soul and spirit. It was in this place of calm and solitude that they could regenerate, communicate with Spirit, and receive the wisdom they so needed for their lives.
Many Europeans who had a different mindset misunderstood this mindset of the Native American and mistook it for stoicism. In fact it became a stereotype to see a Chief or a Native American leader portrayed on television with no more than a frown and a grunt. What was not understood is that our people saw words as power, and as manifestation. Feelings and thoughts were not to be shared lightly simply because the spoken word has power, and power brings manifestation. It was not so much stoicism as it was wisdom.
In this day and there are many different courses in breath or breathing. Imagine, we have even forgotten how to breathe in the madcap insanity that we have created of our world. There are courses in meditation because our minds have become so cluttered we cannot remember how to relax and let go. We have strayed so far from stillness and mother earth that the abnormal seems normal. We live in glass and concrete cities, and we breathe in polluted air. We rush in and out of subways, cabs, buses, and planes harried and frazzled. We do not put our feet in Mother Earth, or feel her grass beneath our feet any more. We have disconnected ourselves spirit, soul, and body, and now there is a restoration and a new movement that is trying to reconnect us with ourselves and with the Earth who is our Mother.
There is a call back to sitting in stillness, calmness and grounding back to Mother Earth. What was once ridiculed has now been found to be not only wise but necessary for our health spiritually, physically, and mentally. We must once again reacquaint ourselves with stillness and calm. We must not allow the distractions of our present day to keep us from learning this. It's time to remember the simple things such as breathing, or feeling the grass beneath our feet. It's time to plant, to sow, to remember the earth is our treasure, our sustenance and our Mother. It's time to learn to control our tongues and remember the sanctity of words and the power of them. We need to learn respect for ourselves once more and the wisdom of sitting in stillness. More importantly we need to be unafraid of facing ourselves in this new stillness. Spirit wants to do a new work but as long as we deafen ourselves with mental spiritual or physical noise we will not move forward in this new beginning.
More tree stories
I am Tree who stands. My boughs are connection to Father Sky and my roots are deep in the love of Mother Earth. I am that which balances and connects to both realms of heaven and earth.
Come and lean by my body and let me balance you. Let me help you remember your connection to our sacred Mother Earth and to Father Sky. I bring up that which Mother Earth gives, that which is sustenance and life. In turn I breathe out life to the four legged ones that surround me. Because of me the air you breathe is balanced.
I give and I take, I live and I sleep with the seasons, and there are lessons to be learned in watching this. I give myself to apparent death every winter yet rise again with life in the spring. There is no fear in this cycle, and rebirth and trust is the lesson for all to see and learn.
I am the Being who sings in the wind, who shelters in the heat, and who is here to serve all Creation and honor Mother Earth. Some of us provide food for the four legged ones, others for the two legged creatures, and the winged ones. We have given our bodies to the four legged ones for production of their homes, their paper, and many other necessities without complaint.
Our numbers must be balanced dear ones on this Earth. If you take of us, you must replant. If you take too many of us there are dire consequences. We are those that are here to balance the ecology. Without our bodies here to do this a chain reaction is set off that will damage not only Mother Earth, but all those that dwell upon her. Remember the gifts of life you are given through us and our dear Mother Earth. Those that take us to extinction will also foul Father Sky, the Cloud People, and life giving rain from the Cloud People.
We remind you we are sentient although few these days stop to hear our voices. We love you as Mother Earth loves you. There is nothing we won’t give, and we stand ready to serve and be a reminder of that great connection, the Sacred Hoop of Life.
Come and lean by my body and let me balance you. Let me help you remember your connection to our sacred Mother Earth and to Father Sky. I bring up that which Mother Earth gives, that which is sustenance and life. In turn I breathe out life to the four legged ones that surround me. Because of me the air you breathe is balanced.
I give and I take, I live and I sleep with the seasons, and there are lessons to be learned in watching this. I give myself to apparent death every winter yet rise again with life in the spring. There is no fear in this cycle, and rebirth and trust is the lesson for all to see and learn.
I am the Being who sings in the wind, who shelters in the heat, and who is here to serve all Creation and honor Mother Earth. Some of us provide food for the four legged ones, others for the two legged creatures, and the winged ones. We have given our bodies to the four legged ones for production of their homes, their paper, and many other necessities without complaint.
Our numbers must be balanced dear ones on this Earth. If you take of us, you must replant. If you take too many of us there are dire consequences. We are those that are here to balance the ecology. Without our bodies here to do this a chain reaction is set off that will damage not only Mother Earth, but all those that dwell upon her. Remember the gifts of life you are given through us and our dear Mother Earth. Those that take us to extinction will also foul Father Sky, the Cloud People, and life giving rain from the Cloud People.
We remind you we are sentient although few these days stop to hear our voices. We love you as Mother Earth loves you. There is nothing we won’t give, and we stand ready to serve and be a reminder of that great connection, the Sacred Hoop of Life.
Feed the Eagle
In my dream I went down into the bowels of Mother and found myself in an Eden like garden. There was a beautiful and quiet bench under the most amazing tree I'd ever seen. I went to investigate, and in a heap at the foot of this tree was an Eagle. The Eagle's feathers were pretty much either ratty or gone and the Eagle itself mostly dead although a spark of life still was left in it. I picked the Eagle up and I was devastated. Tears were falling down my face. I turned to the tree and said, "Who would do such a thing?" The Tree shivered and pointed to a very dark place beyond the garden. Then the tree said, "Bring it to your Teacher first." I took the Eagle in my arms and called my Hawk to me. I got on its back with the Eagle and we flew up beyond the clouds to the Upper World where the Elders are, where Teachers are, and Great Spirit. When I got there I gave the Eagle to my Teacher who is called Straight Feather. He took it tenderly and began giving it some sort of medicinal drops. Then he turned to me and said, "You have not been feeding this Eagle." I was stunned. I said to him, "Elder, how could I feed an Eagle, I didn't know I even had him." My Teacher turned to me and said, "I know that my child. None of the Nations remember this gift, and they have forgotten to feed it." I began weeping even more and threw myself before him. "Tell me what to do.", I said. He told me to take the Eagle back to the lower world and search for its Spirit. I gathered it in my arms and he gave me the drops to give to the Eagle. "Once you have found its Spirit you must feed it every day with drumming, with chanting, with all the knowledge you have in the Beauty Way. You must begin to share your dreams. I took the Eagle down again and after much searching I came to a very dark cave. This cave was in a place where there was no direction, no up, no down, nothing but swirling madness and the sound of a thousand disembodied voices crying out. I went into the cave and there was a very large, very ugly troll holding a large ball of light. I knew immediately that this ball represented the Spirit of the Eagle. The Troll snarled, "How dare you invade my cave." But I stood tall and with me were my Wolf spirit totem, my Bear spirit Totem, and my Relations and several large Angels as well. I asked the Troll why he held the Eagle spirit in his hand. He sneered and at that moment there was a large war cry, and all the Elders, Spirits, Angels, Great Spirit Itself swooped into that room and took the light from the hand of the Troll. I was given the light and I quickly blew it back into the Eagle. When I turned around the Troll was gone. I took the Eagle out, and all of a sudden it turned into a Phoenix, and all that was death there became life, and the voices that had been crying were praising and thanking Spirit.
What do I need to know about Spiritual Rebirth
I had been meditating on the question, "What do I need to know about Spiritual Rebirth?"
I fell asleep while meditating and had this dream about it:
I was taken to a sweat lodge and there my Teacher was waiting for me. I came into the Lodge and my Teacher ritually cleansed me with sage water, and had me drink cedar tea or water. Then he closed the flap and here is what he said to me in the dream:
Rebirth is like being in this sweat lodge. Here you are once again in the womb of your Mother. All that you know has been left outside. In this dark warm place you are back to the embryonic state. There are no yesterdays and no tomorrows here. Here you are in the moment and when you emerge you are in a sense reborn, renewed, cleansed of everything that does not serve you. In this same vein no rebirth comes without its cost. Here again in the sweat the intense heat causes physical discomfort. There is no rebirth without some sort of mini-death.
To clarify what I mean look at the cycles of life. See the Trees how they change with the seasons. Their leaves fall in winter,they lay themselves bare in the winter, and bloom in the spring. Look at the plants that grow from a seed, bloom and die only to repeat the process again. Take a moment to ponder the struggle of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Notice even how the stars themselves will live and die, turning into super novas or black holes in time. Watch and see the process of rebirth, death and renewal all around you. Note how all in nature gives itself to this without reservation. It is in watching this you can begin to understand the nature of spiritual rebirth. It is a type of death and dying in order to be reborn anew. In order to be spiritually new or reborn a person must die to ego, self, and all that defines who and what they are. It is a a metamorphosis that at times can be painful, and that continually leads you into "becoming.".
There is a trust in Spirit here in this process of rebirth. Fear has no place in this transition. It is a rebuilding from the ground up. It is a tearing down of "self" and the "I am". It takes courage to walk through this process, and it is not one that should be undertaken lightly.
I fell asleep while meditating and had this dream about it:
I was taken to a sweat lodge and there my Teacher was waiting for me. I came into the Lodge and my Teacher ritually cleansed me with sage water, and had me drink cedar tea or water. Then he closed the flap and here is what he said to me in the dream:
Rebirth is like being in this sweat lodge. Here you are once again in the womb of your Mother. All that you know has been left outside. In this dark warm place you are back to the embryonic state. There are no yesterdays and no tomorrows here. Here you are in the moment and when you emerge you are in a sense reborn, renewed, cleansed of everything that does not serve you. In this same vein no rebirth comes without its cost. Here again in the sweat the intense heat causes physical discomfort. There is no rebirth without some sort of mini-death.
To clarify what I mean look at the cycles of life. See the Trees how they change with the seasons. Their leaves fall in winter,they lay themselves bare in the winter, and bloom in the spring. Look at the plants that grow from a seed, bloom and die only to repeat the process again. Take a moment to ponder the struggle of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Notice even how the stars themselves will live and die, turning into super novas or black holes in time. Watch and see the process of rebirth, death and renewal all around you. Note how all in nature gives itself to this without reservation. It is in watching this you can begin to understand the nature of spiritual rebirth. It is a type of death and dying in order to be reborn anew. In order to be spiritually new or reborn a person must die to ego, self, and all that defines who and what they are. It is a a metamorphosis that at times can be painful, and that continually leads you into "becoming.".
There is a trust in Spirit here in this process of rebirth. Fear has no place in this transition. It is a rebuilding from the ground up. It is a tearing down of "self" and the "I am". It takes courage to walk through this process, and it is not one that should be undertaken lightly.
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