tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71047945696437834542024-03-12T16:23:01.955-07:00A Peaceful ExistenceSharing info on spirituality, evolution, energy medicine, sensuality, sexuality and the lessons from living a peaceful existence.Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-11266055378680696012013-06-02T07:43:00.000-07:002013-06-02T07:43:08.068-07:00Ceremonies and energetic containers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In January my partner and I were able to get legally
married here in the great state of Washington after being together for over 12
years. It was a wonderful day filled with friends, love and lots of incredible
food. For the most part it was like any other intimate and personal in-home
wedding but with two grooms. There were vows that were spoken and rings that
were exchanged as part of the marriage ceremony itself but there was more at
work than just the formal words and deeds. The entire day and all the smaller
events within it were part of our larger wedding ceremony. The event was
magical for sure but it has had me reflecting on the role and importance of
“ceremony” ever since.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As a culture we have lots of formal and informal
ceremonies which we are a part of all the time. Most of the ceremonies that we
are part of don’t have a formal ceremonial structure but we do them as part of
the rituals which have been passed down to us for generations often without
even thinking of it as a ceremony. Birthday parties for example are ceremonies
celebrating and commemorating the birth of an individual but they are done so
informally that no one thinks of them as a ceremony but they really are.
Funerals are another ceremony that we engage in often without even knowing that
we are doing something much larger than mourning the dead in a public way.
Graduations, memorials, church services, sporting events and many other
informal events are actually following a ceremonial structure often times
without us even being aware of it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ceremonies serve an energetic purpose and when they are
done in a conscious way with directed intention and attention, they can
accomplish a great deal. The unfortunate thing with most ceremonies that we
have now is that time has taken its toll on the structure of the event and
we’ve lost the ceremonial container and its purpose leaving us with only small
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual" target="_blank">ritualized</a> activities that we’ve held
onto often times without even knowing why. Our ancestors understood the value
and purpose of ceremony and ritual and passed them along to us as best they
could which is why we still do many of them today. Some cultures have preserved
the various ceremonies better than others, some have modified them to suit
their needs and most have been lost along the way in the river of time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">CEREMONIAL
STRUCTURE</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At its base, a ceremony is created with the intent to
hold, grow and direct energy toward a specific purpose. When done in a
conscious, formalized fashion a ceremony has four main components to it which
are what helps to give the ceremony its power. First there is the energetic
structure, or “container”, to hold the energy raised during the ceremony, the
intention for the ceremony, the enactment of the rituals within the container
and finally the releasing of the energies. Ceremonies can occur without these
components but the full energetic potential of the ceremony is lost without
them. For the purposes of this discussion, I will refer to those non-container
ceremonies as “events”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One important thing to know about ceremony is that it
serves as a focal point for energy. As such when containers are used more
energy can be raised and directed than when the exact same activities are done
without them. With ceremony not only do you have the attention and awareness of
the physical participants but you also gain the energy of the structure for the
ceremony. That structure includes those powers imbued into the ceremony itself
by those who created the original ceremony and all of those who have used it
through time. A marriage ceremony is the best example I can think of to
illustrate that. The more of us that experience that ceremony, the stronger the
impact of the ceremony will be because now more of us know what it means from
experience and how it feels and what it does. In a small way, each of us
becomes an energetic part of the wedding ceremonial container for everyone who
will experience the ceremony after us because we help to shape and define it.
This is one of the main reasons why allowing gay people to marry is a great
thing because it will help to strengthen the institution of marriage itself
rather than destroy it as some falsely claim.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">INTENTION</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The first component for any truly purposeful ceremony is
the intention. Everything that we see in our world is the result of a thought.
This is why spiritual philosophers say that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a thought is the most powerful force in the Universe</b>. Everything
that has ever been created started with a thought. At some point random thoughts
and ideas swirled around in someone’s head enough that the person chose to
manifest those activities in the physical world. Often times the intention for
doing that is simply to create a physical object that can be used in some way
for a particular purpose. The intention, or purpose, for doing that is very
subtle and informal and often undirected. There was the idea, some physical
activities and an eventual end product. The success or failure of the end
result is almost always based upon the level of intent that went into its
creation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When we choose to formalize the process and create with
a purpose, that purpose is what will drive the process. An intention is a
statement which contains the purpose for doing an activity and becomes what
guides and directs the energy of the activity. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When an intention is set it gives meaning to our actions and directs
our energy consciously. </b>Without an intention, we simply have randomly
occurring activities and events which may or may not serve a purpose and that
often unnecessarily waste our energy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">CONTAINER</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An energetic container can be thought of as serving the
same function as a physical container used to hold something. The difference of
course between them is how they are made and what they are made of. An
energetic container is nothing more than a thought-form (remember, energy
follows awareness) that is built out of intention. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you think about a physical container (let’s use a
bowl for this example) we tend to think of its function as simply being to hold
what we pour into it. It obviously <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">contains</i>
what is inside but it also <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">protects </i>what
is inside from what is outside by keeping the inside separate. The size of the
bowl also <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">defines</i> the maximum
quantity for what may be put in the bowl. So in essence the bowl contains,
protects and defines. An energetic container does the exact same things.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An energetic container is woven by intentions. It is
created by first determining what its purpose is. For example, our wedding container
was created with the purpose of holding the energy of our marriage ceremony so
that we could use it nourish, enrich, empower and deepen our relationship. It was
defined by us choosing the location for our ceremony (our home), who we invited
(which was now limited by the size of our space), what activities we planned, as
well as the date and time. The container allowed for us to have a calm,
beautiful and smooth flowing event where everyone was nourished physically,
energetically, emotionally and spiritually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Formal ceremonial containers are typically created with
physical anchors which are aligned to the physical compass directions. The
anchors could be rocks (which are great holders of energy), crystals or
specially created objects specific to that direction. Each of the directions
holds an energetic for us as a species and brings us specific gifts and
teachings from that direction. There are a vast number of techniques for
building energetic containers and they vary depending upon the lineage the
techniques come from. For example the technique I use comes from the Mayan teachings
and is called a “20-count” because it has 20 points in its structure. It is a
thought-form that has been passed down for generations and by using it I am
using a structure which has been tried and tested by time and refined by the
wisdom of those who passed it on all the way down the line to me. Unfortunately
because of the complexity involved in creating a 20-count container and the
energetic teachings which underpin it, it is far beyond what I can cover here
so I won’t attempt to explain its usage. However I do want to give you a structure
so that you can begin to try this for yourself so I offer the following guidance
on creating a simple container.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">5-COUNT
CONTAINER</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This structure is aligned with the four cardinal
directions of North, South, East and West and the 5<sup>th</sup> direction which
is Center. The Center is the focal point for the container. As you create this
energetic structure, you assign and align the energies of each direction based
upon the following which comes from Native American teachings:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Direction</span></div>
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</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.8pt;" valign="top" width="105">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">SOUTH</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.65pt;" valign="top" width="102">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">WEST</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.1pt;" valign="top" width="105">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NORTH</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.25pt;" valign="top" width="88">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Element</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 80.45pt;" valign="top" width="107">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Void</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 86.25pt;" valign="top" width="115">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wind</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.8pt;" valign="top" width="105">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fire</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.65pt;" valign="top" width="102">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Water</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.1pt;" valign="top" width="105">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Earth</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.25pt;" valign="top" width="88">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Energetic
qualities</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 80.45pt;" valign="top" width="107">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wanka-tanka,
Great Spirit, Sacred Power, Universe, the Light, the Divine</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 86.25pt;" valign="top" width="115">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">New
beginnings, possibility, awakening, sunrise, the mind</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.8pt;" valign="top" width="105">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Transformation,
change, rebirth, the Moon, the dark of night, the spirit</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.65pt;" valign="top" width="102">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cleansing,
smoothing, purifying, sunset, the emotions</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.1pt;" valign="top" width="105">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Manifestation,
physicality, structure, completion, the Sun, the light of day, the body</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">ENERGETIC
ANCHORS</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For each of the directions, I have listed the element
and energetics associated with that direction. This information comes from the
Lakota tradition. If you search the web you will no doubt find different
teachings from different lineages that align the elements with different
directions and often includes allies or animals associated with that direction.
They are all correct because they are based upon the teachings of the lineage
which created the structure. The above is just one example from many possible
teachings. The energetics I’ve listed are simply a starting point. As you build
your container you may choose to add additional energies there which speak to
you intuitively. Experiment with it and see what feels best for you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Think about building your container as if you were doing
it with the help of your friends. The friend is the “element”. Today you might
describe your friend Chuck by some of his qualities (energetics) “strength,
compassion, protection” but you know that he is also a great many other things.
Another day you might describe Chuck by some of his other qualities such as “masculinity,
courage, father”. All of these qualities, and many more, describe Chuck but you
want to select the specific qualities that speak to you as you build the
container. Since you can’t name them all, you are selecting those out as a
reference point to define the energetic that Chuck is representing. When you
choose the qualities to reference Chuck, you also get all of Chuck’s qualities
with him because you are referencing Chuck and not the qualities. As you build
your matrix (the structure that defines the container) reference the qualities
of the elements, rather than just the name of the element, which speak to you as
you create each of the directional points on the matrix. Trust your intuition
and know that you can’t do it wrong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">TECHNIQUE</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now that you have a feel for the pieces of the tool,
let’s look at how you might construct a container for yourself. While most
containers are created to hold the energy of formal ceremonies, you might
expand your definition of ceremony to encompass things like parties,
meditation, work, a meal with your family, a workout or anything where you know
there is a beginning, the activity itself and an end. So for this example let’s
say that you want to have an important discussion with a family member about a
specific topic. You know that it could become very emotional and heated but you
know it needs to happen and you want it to be productive and ultimately
accomplish a useful purpose. Let’s say that you are going to have the
discussion in your living room and so you want to prepare the space before you
begin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Go into the living room and determine which
wall is aligned with which compass direction. Move to the center of the room
and think about what you are going to do and why. Take a moment to center and
ground yourself. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Get your <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/04/awakening-grounding.html" target="_blank">Basics</a> in place so that you can manage the energy as you set this up. </b>You can’t
manage outside energies if you can’t manage your own internal energy.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Move to the East wall so that you can stand
in the space facing where you want to place the energy for that direction. Don’t
stand in the spot where you want to place it because you don’t want to place
the energy IN you, you want it in the space. There are four steps which are <u>essential</u>
for creating <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">each</b> point on the
matrix. When these are not done the ceremonial container will often feel empty,
unsafe or chaotic because the energies are only called and never directed. The
steps are as follows</span></li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Call
the energy – this is the verbalizing of what energy you are going to put in
what space and its definition or qualities.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Connect
to the field – think about the qualities of the energy (not the direction
itself) that you are calling in to hold the space for that direction and what
they mean to you. For example what all does “sunrise” bring to mind for you and
what qualities (energetics) do you associate with it?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Open
a portal – think about the container that you are creating as being a big ball
that encompasses the entire room. To get something into that ball you need to
open a hole (or portal) so that you can pull the energy in. Think of this as a
hole that opens for you to pull the energy in and then it closes afterwards to
seal the space again. You could see it as opening and closing a window or the
opening and closing of a camera shutter. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Place
the energy – as you pull the energy in through the portal, imagine gathering it
all up and then setting it in the space for that direction. If you are using
physical objects to hold the energetic this would be where you put it in the
bowl, rock, crystal or other object. If you aren’t using ceremonial objects,
imagine it as if you were setting a bundle of wood, pile of clothes or
something similar in that space. Your goal here is to set the energetic down
and have it stay in that space.</span></li>
</ol>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An example of how that might look is : “In
the East, I call upon Wind with the energy of newness and awakening; a breath
of fresh air”. Then connect to the field (think about what newness and
awakening feels like), open a portal and pull the energy in (use an inhale to
help with that), close the portal (hold the breath here) and direct your
attention to the space on the floor right next to the wall and then feel like
you place the energy in that space (use an exhale to send the energy into its
point on your matrix). Spend a few moments there to allow the energy to settle
into the place where you’ve put it. The more you do this, the more you’ll
actually feel the energies move and settle, but until then just keep your focus
on the physical place and image it settling as if you are filling a bowl with
water. As you pour the water into the bowl, it will slosh around a bit and then
come to a resting place and smooth out. Energy moves the same way.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Move to the South wall and repeat the
process</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Move to the West wall and repeat the process</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Move to the North wall and repeat the
process</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Move near the center of the room again so
that you are off to one side of the center and not directly in the center where
you will place the energy and repeat the process again</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now feel like you connect the center space
to each of the directions and each of the directions to each of the other
directions. That will ultimately look something like this image: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKYhuGhTLzsXCKLNsk_lixITbHO7nCgmvkDU2ofwrmbiz4F_8iE7FCmtxcIuDl01dV3ewh532R63rYenCxW0lG6zmIClfN-DbNMsiYPnZZVeSPeV81OEV94bGzuODLoOy7d3kpPsbajk/s1600/4point+grid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKYhuGhTLzsXCKLNsk_lixITbHO7nCgmvkDU2ofwrmbiz4F_8iE7FCmtxcIuDl01dV3ewh532R63rYenCxW0lG6zmIClfN-DbNMsiYPnZZVeSPeV81OEV94bGzuODLoOy7d3kpPsbajk/s320/4point+grid.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Speak your intention for creating this
container into the field of the container. An example of that might be “I
create this container to hold safe space for our discussion about our
relationship. I intend for all energies raised here to be directed towards the healing
of our relationship in a way that is in alignment with all of our greatest
good.”</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You then have the space ready for the ceremony (or as in
this example, the discussion). Holding your awareness on the structure that you
have created is what will hold the container in place. It is a good idea to do
this as close to immediately before the ceremony as you can but at a minimum do
it on the same day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">RELEASING
THE ENERGY</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After you have completed the ceremony itself then it is
time to release the energy from within the container and the container itself so
that the flow of energy is returned to the space. To give you an idea of what
is happening with the container that you are creating within time and space,
try to imagine that you are standing in a very shallow stream of water that
barely covers your feet and you want to take a bath. You of course could sit in
the shallow water and splash water around to get yourself wet, soap up and then
splash more water around to hopefully rinse all the soap off. That would get
you clean but there is a lot of wasted energy and effort to accomplish the
task.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A more effective way to take a bath however would be to
learn from the beavers and make a damn to create a pool of water. You could put
a pile of rocks across the stream to slow the water from leaving the area where
you are and then let the water flow in and make a small pool of water. You
could easily dunk yourself in that water, soap up and rinse yourself
completely. When you are done, you would want to remove the block you created
in the stream and let the water continue on downstream. (Please understand that
I’m trying to give you a visual here and not trying to say that moving rocks is
less effort than splashing water.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let’s now use that visual of the bath and relate it to
your ceremony. Using the rocks to block the water and create a pool is the same
as building your ceremonial container. The intention for doing it was “to
create a pool to allow me to wash my body and rinse away the dirt and soap”.
Just like in the example when you are done and no longer need the pool, in the
ceremony you want to free the energies to go do their work and let the space
return to normal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When you are done with the ceremony, move back to the
center and begin releasing the energies in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">reverse</b> order that you called them in. All you need to do here is
say something as simple as “Energies of the center, I thank you for your work
and I release you”. As you say that put your awareness in the center and feel
like you lift up the bowl of energy that you created and toss it up and out of
the circle as if you were setting it free. When you feel that releasing has
completed then move to North, West, South and end at East and repeat that
process at each location. The last thing to do is to dissolve the container that
you created for those energies. To do that simply imagine what that connected
group of points would look like [think about the picture above] in the space
and then simply use that visual to shrink it down, down, down, down to the size
of a dot that ultimately dissolves away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">LEARN
THROUGH EXPERIENCE</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Like anything else that you do, the more you do this and
thus the more practiced at this you become, the stronger and more powerful your
containers will become. The key thing to remember is that it is all about
intention and awareness. Really hold your focus on the visual of what you are
trying to accomplish so that you give the attention and awareness for the
energy to follow because as I’ve said many times in this blog “energy follows
awareness” and this is a prime example of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As you do the steps to pull in the energies, in addition to moving to
the space and focusing on the actions for calling, connecting, opening and
placing, notice how it feels inside when you do it at each step. Each time you
do this, you’ll begin to feel the energies move more and more easily because
you will teach your body how it feels through experience so don’t expect to
feel it right away. Until that happens, trust that it is happening and keep
your focus strong. Your intention for doing it will make it happen.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">REAL-LIFE
USES</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are an infinite number of way you can incorporate energetic
containers into your life. It doesn’t have to be just for large formal or
ceremonial events. I’m sure once you start using this process for smaller
things you’ll begin to see more and more uses for it as you begin to see the
results of using it versus not using it. For example, I use it to create
ceremonial space inside my work studio to help me hold and manage the energies
which arise during my sessions so that we feel supported and protected as we
work together. I put a 20-count matrix up each day in my studio and center it
around the massage table where I work. My intention for it is that it “holds
sacred space for healing to occur for everyone involved so that we can learn,
grow, heal and evolve in the deepest way possible at this time that is in
alignment with our individual greatest good.” Since my work studio is on the
ground floor of my home I want to contain all that goes on there so that it
doesn’t affect my partner and our home life. The container holds the energy
inside and protects and separates it from the outside. It also protects the
outside from the energies inside the container.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This process can also be used to create space for your
meditation practice, around your desk at work, around your home, for parties or
events, and any number of other uses. For the spaces where you want the
energetics there all the time, you don’t need to do the releasing and
dissolving of the matrix each time. These situations are ones where you should
consider using objects to hold the points of the matrix so that you have those
visual cues there each day to help you reengage your awareness on the container
and reenergize it each time. For the retained containers, it’s a good idea to
still put your awareness on the container, its intention and points each day
before you engage it so that you reenergize it. That could include calling in
the energies to each matrix point each day, or simply holding your awareness on
the full structure by holding a visual in your mind of the ball that you created
with the structure and its intention.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">POINTS
TO CONSIDER</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when you are
creating containers:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When you are involving others in your
ceremony, what they need and are ready for is very different than what you
need, so state your intention in a manner that allows for that to happen. Phrases
like “for the highest good of all involved at the level we can accommodate at
this time” help to open space for that.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do not set “controlling intentions” like “to
make my boss see things my way and give me a raise” because you are seeding the
container with manipulation and since you will be in the container you will be
manipulated. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The words are just a tool
for referencing energy and the energy is what fills the space not the words so
be aware of what you call in.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You are creating sacred space. When we feel
safe, secure and supported we can do anything. By creating this safe space for
yourself and others, each individual can get what they can accommodate in the
moment and not take on more than they can handle.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You are a part of this so when you set it up
you too are going to get back what you put into it. If you are attempting to
force an outcome with your intention that will come back to you through the
process so think beyond just your needs as you create this container. Leave
room for all options rather than defining a limiting or specific result.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When you create sacred ceremonial space, you
are making space for support from the non-physical spirit realm as well. This
allows for everyone involved to access more energies than they could alone by
connecting with the wisdom of those who used these tools before you and imbued
them with their consciousness as well as each person’s higher-self (their full
energetic potential) and not just their human body. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Energy is in a constant state of flow and
flux. Until you create a place for the energy to come to rest it will be like
trying to bathe in that tiny stream rather than a small pool of water. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Physically walking the matrix is not a
requirement but it does help to guide and direct your energy more easily.
Remember this is all energy and done by intention and awareness. Start with
physically moving around the container and learn the process by teaching your
physical body how it feels until you reach the point where you can do it
without the movement.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you are part of a ceremony that you
didn’t set up and you don’t feel safe within the event, you can put your own
matrix around what they have created so that your container contains theirs (if
they have one), that way there is no interference with their structure. As with
all things in life, you have to take care of your needs and be responsible for
yourself and allow others to do the same for themselves. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A good experiment to see how this works for
yourself is to find a simple event that happens frequently (office staff
meetings, family gatherings, etc.) that you have been doing without any
container and notice how it goes. The next time that event is going to happen,
put a container in place to make a ceremony out of it and notice your results.
Things will flow more smoothly during the event, more will be accomplished,
less drama will be present and you’ll feel safer doing it. Exploring this for
yourself is the best teaching possible.</span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">AFTERTHOUGHTS</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
hope that this information helps you to create containers for the experiences
in your life. The most important thing you can do is practice this process.
Start with something simple and do each step with your full awareness and
attention. Teach your body how it feels to do each step and then take a moment
after each step to notice how it feels when the step is done and again at the
end to notice how the completed container feels. This “body knowledge” will
help you in the future by letting you know when something isn’t right because
it won’t feel safe and contained the way you are used to it feeling. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Life
is one large ceremony which encompasses the many smaller ceremonies of the
experiences which shape our lives. Can you find a way to approach each one with
the respect and reverence that you give to formal ceremonies?</span></div>
</div>
Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-40361288771998882962013-05-08T08:51:00.003-07:002013-05-08T08:51:42.914-07:00Ready for 2013...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Greetings. Here it is, May 8<sup>th</sup> and it feels
good to be back. I’ve taken the last few months off by virtue of life getting
the best of me and while unplanned, it certainly wasn’t uneventful. Thanks to
the great state of Washington and its voters that favor marriage equality, on
January 27<sup>th</sup> I was able to legally marry my partner. He and I have
been together for over 12 years and being able to get married was an experience
that we both grew up expecting to never have. Now that we’ve gotten to go
through it however we see why so many people do it. It was an experience that
has propelled our relationship forward in so many beautiful ways. It was well
worth every bit of the planning, time, effort and money that went into it. The
beautiful (and sunny) Hawaiian honeymoon that we had afterwards was icing on an
amazing cake for us.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In all of that, entropy took over and I found myself
choosing to sleep in rather than getting up at 5:30 to write. I allowed myself
to just be lazy and take some time off from writing to recharge my batteries.
Over the last couple of months I’ve seen where my procrastination and laziness
have been showing up way too much however and so now I have to begin the
process of pushing through that and getting things moving in my life again. When
I write things like this that I share with others, it becomes motivation for me
because I feel that I have to stick to my word and the commitments I make. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is my desire to continue sharing the information
which I have been taught and learned through experience with you in the hopes
that something I say can benefit others in some way. If any reader has any
question on anything I’ve shared in the past or that I will share, please feel
free to email me and I’ll try to clarify. Your question might be the key to me
pulling out information which I might have otherwise missed or explaining
something in a way that helps someone understand it better. I always welcome
your questions, comments and feedback.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I’ve shared before in this blog, it takes us 22 days
to form a new habit. My habit for the last few months has been to be lazy and
so there may be struggles ahead as I try to re-engage the blogging process but
please stay with me as I go through it. Every experience has the ability to
teach us something about ourselves or life and that’s where I draw my
inspiration for the information I share. What I’ll ask you in return is that if
you benefit from these teachings, please “like” or “share” my postings on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvolvingMichael?ref=hl"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> so
that your friends will see them and hopefully that will help to grow my
readership which will further motivate me to get out of bed and do the writing
that brings me so much joy and fulfillment. It’s a beautiful feedback loop
where everyone wins. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you for the support and encouragement that you’ve
shown me along the way on this journey. Your responses have meant a great deal
to me and let me know that others are finding value in the information I share.
That has been a big blessing in my life and I thank you for that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">May you always be guided to your highest and greatest
good in all that you do.</span></div>
</div>
Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-66871606975348596842012-12-13T07:20:00.002-08:002012-12-13T07:20:18.731-08:00December 2012 at last<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here we are at last, December 2012. I remember when I first
heard about the Mayan calendar in 1999 and how it “ended” this month, I
wondered what the world would be like in 12 years. Now here it is and I truly
wish I could say that it’s better than it was then but all anyone has to do is
look around and you can see that it really isn’t. I know that sounds
pessimistic and kinda gloomy but as a species and a planet, we’ve been better.
But truly that’s okay. We are where we are and right where we need to be. We
are nearing the end of a <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/07/cycles-within-cycles-within-cycles.html" target="_blank">large energetic cycle</a> and I still believe that we’re lucky to be alive at this time. I can’t help but
feel that this is a pivotal point for mankind and each of us plays a small part
in the change that is occurring.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So many pieces of information have come into my
consciousness since I first wrote about 2012. It seems that every little thing
that I learn fits nicely into the explanation of what’s going on in the larger
picture. The wonderful thing is that in these past 12 years thanks to my energy
work, the training I’ve been receiving, the alignment I’ve been working on to
my Higher Self and writing this blog, I’m able to see it all from a deeper and far
less fearful place. On the one hand, I’m honestly scared to death but on the
other I’m completely at peace with whatever happens and excited to see it. I
know I have no control over it so all I can do is attend to my attitude about
it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I honestly have no idea what might become of us as we move
through the end of the year. December 21<sup>st</sup> may come and go and we
may not even notice anything change. We may wake up on the 22<sup>nd</sup> and
laugh at all the doomsday fears and write them off but something is shifting. A
deeper level of consciousness is awakening on our planet and that isn’t
something that we will see immediately in the physical realm. When you look
across the planet at all of our problems, you see many of us working to come
together rather than allowing things to break down into further chaos. This
spirit of cooperation will grow and we will learn to work together as one group
rather than fighting because of our differences. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we make it to December 22<sup>nd</sup> we may see no
change in the physical world but I have no doubt that our consciousness as a
species will continue to grow and evolve. In that growth we will see that
cooperation (peace) rather than competition (war) is what moves us forward. We
are capable of so much as a species. Imagine what we can create if we all
choose to work together for common goals rather than fighting over who has
what. When we learn to value and celebrate our differences, our growth as a
species will accelerate. Imagine what it would be like if all the cells in your
body starting fighting for control as compared to the incredible things they
accomplish when they work together to create these amazing bodies we inhabit.
That’s the difference between cooperation and competition so imagine that power
magnified if all humans worked together like the cells in our bodies.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BE PREPARED JUST IN CASE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This will be my final post for this year as I want to focus
on the things I need to do personally during the holiday season. I encourage
you to get an emergency survival kit in place even if it’s just for the harsh
Winter ahead (remember global climate change is in full effect). Extra food,
water and supplies are essential. Imagine what you would do if we lost power in
this country for an extended period and plan from that mindset. It’s better to
have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Hold on to some cash
rather than putting it all in the bank. If we lose electricity, you won’t be
able to access your money in our electronic world. Think long term, prepare as
best you can and keep a positive attitude. Everything that is supposed to
happen will happen. We can’t control the world, our planet, our destiny, the
environment or anything outside of ourselves only our response to it. Stay
alert, awake and aware and grounded in the present moment so that you can
respond rather than react.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my heart of hearts, I know that we’re all lucky to be
alive right now. It’s a glorious and powerful time. We are witnessing the birth
of a powerful new consciousness on this planet and it will change the course of
our history. Each one of us that is alive chose to be alive now to be a part of
this. Do your part. Show up and manifest all that you came here to do. Don’t
hold back. Shine your light and radiate your brilliance out into the world to
help us co-create a future beyond our wildest dreams.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
May you be blessed, supported and loved by the Divine and by
those in your life. May you always be guided to your highest and greatest
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for reading the things
I’ve had to say over the years. I really appreciate your support and the
encouragement that you’ve sent me along the way. I hope to see you on the other
side of the Galactic Alignment which occurs on December 21<sup>st</sup>, 2012.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No matter what does or does not happen, may you <u><b><i>always</i></b></u> be
filled with and surrounded by love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My best to you always,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Michael</div>
</div>
Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-6271424162862174452012-11-19T17:06:00.001-08:002012-11-25T14:26:18.827-08:00Making an IMPACT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been doing energy work and erotic body work for almost
7 years now and it has been some of the most powerful work that I’ve ever done.
The work has changed me in some wonderful ways and helped me to grow in ways that
I never expected. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to help guys learn
about themselves, how they express and explore their erotic energy and work
through old issues which have held them back in various ways. The main part of
that work has been to help them be conscious about their desires, their actions
and how they get their erotic needs met. As I help them learn to be more
conscious about their needs it has required me to become far more conscious of
my own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">IT STARTS EARLY</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the early years of our childhood due to our lack of
understanding of how the world works and parenting techniques that perhaps
could have been better, we can easily see the world as a threatening and scary
place. Since we are often preverbal or very young, we aren’t physically able to
protect ourselves so we begin forming our <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/03/patterns.html" target="_blank">energetic defense patterns</a>.
While each of the patterns has its own particulars as to how they help us
manage energy coming at us, the common theme among them is that we shift our
energy away from our conscious mind because that is where the problem appears.
We begin to perceive that too much is happening or coming at us and we begin
taking action to throttle that down to a manageable level. When we shift away
from being conscious and in our bodies we become less conscious, we tune out
and even disconnect from our bodies. That’s where the problems start for us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As long as we operate in the dark, unconscious and
disconnected, we can never manifest the full power of who we are and what we
came into this world to do. We can live “normal” looking and often very
productive lives but life will be very challenging for us in ways that are
directly related to the defense pattern that we choose. When we are not fully
in our bodies and consciously engaged, we keep our true power hidden from the
world and for the most part inaccessible to ourselves. This, by its very
nature, limits us. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finding ways to become
more conscious, to be more fully embodied and to therefore have full access to
our energy field is our challenge as humans.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OUR BRAINS CONSTRUCT
OUR REALITY</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The challenge to be more conscious is what has led me to
expand my bodywork practice from only soft and sensual erotic touch to more
intense sensory experiences. Sensations are to be experienced and cannot be thought.
They are felt in the body by the body. The moment the sensation producing
device contacts the body, the brain takes the stimulus sent to it from the
nerve endings at the contact point and runs it though our filters of life
experience. If it is similar to experiences we have had which are considered
pleasurable, we get one response to the sensation, but if it is considered
unpleasant then we get a different response. It is not about the sensation
itself because that is just an experience, neither good nor bad, but rather it
is about the judgment of the experience that our brain puts on it that
determines our response to the stimulus. A sensation that might feel ticklish
or pleasant to one person might feel intense or painful to the next with the
difference being based upon the summation of life experience for that
particular person.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The key thing to keep in mind here is that it is the brain that
is determining the body’s response to the stimulus and not the stimulus itself.
In essence it is our judgment upon the stimulus that determines how we perceive
and respond to it. These judgments are derived from past experiences and our
judgments upon them as good, neutral or bad. All of that happens at a very
unconscious level and so all that we are aware of is that something happened
and our body responded. It is how the brain keeps the body safe and functioning
without the conscious mind having to take control and figure out what happened
and what needs to be done. When we get hit, we get an immediate unconscious reaction
without really thinking about what the response should be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our bodies are amazing sensory devices which are in essence
created by <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/05/power-of-mind.html" target="_blank">the mind through the brain</a> to allow the mind to experience the world in which we exist. Through the senses
we take in all of the environmental data that is available to us. In every
moment we are receiving data through sight, sound, smell, touch, taste and the
more unconscious psychic data about the energy surrounding us. Our brains receive
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">400 BILLION</b> bits of information per
second yet our conscious minds can only process around <u>2000 bits</u> per
second. This says that our conscious minds are choosing the information that
they pay attention to and therefore constructing our own individual realities
based upon those choices. We <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">do not</b>
perceive reality as it truly exists but rather as our minds choose to see how
it exists based upon the pieces of input they select. A fully embodied
understanding of that one piece of information can completely change the way we
experience the world around us.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FIGHT, FLIGHT OR
FREEZE</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The brain is gathering data in every moment and the
conscious mind is processing a small portion of it with the objective being to
keep the brain safe and the body functioning. If part of the stimulus that we
receive is perceived as threatening to the safety of the body, then we move
into our most primal response pattern for protection. This is the sympathetic
nervous systems <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response" target="_blank">“fight or flight” response</a>. The sympathetic system is not one that we can control with our
conscious mind. When a threat is perceived the body responds with an adrenaline
surge that helps us fight our way out of the situation or muster up the speed
to flee from it. However if both of those options fail then we go into the
“freeze” response to numb the pain of the assault.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In nature when one animal becomes the targeted prey for
another their fight or flight instinct kicks in and the animal takes the
appropriate action because its life is literally on the line. If the animal is
able to escape from predator, when it is safe it will twitch, roll or jump
about recklessly as a way to discharge all of the energy from the hormones that
were released into its system to help it escape. If by chance the animal is
unable to escape, it goes into freeze mode so that the sting of death is
bearable since it is unavoidable at that point.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MODERN FIGHT OR
FLIGHT</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the evolution of our species and the modernization
of the lives that we live, rarely do we ever literally have to fight for our
lives but we do go into fight or flight mode quite frequently. For many of us
our attackers are typically those that we know and love. When we experience
being molested or even spanked, we may be too small to fight and unable to flee
yet our brains perceive a definite threat to our well being and the response is
triggered. As adults we may get into heated arguments with others to the point
where we feel like we want to throttle the other person because of the strong
emotional charge we have to the dialogue. Despite that we know that physical
fighting is not an acceptable option and often backing down isn’t
either and yet the response gets triggered unconsciously. In both of these
situations, “freeze” is the only socially acceptable and therefore workable
outcome. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In freeze mode we do not become immobile like a statue but
our energy systems internal response is “shut down”. This causes our bodies to
have to hold on to all of the hormones and endorphins it released for fighting
or fleeing and store them in muscles and organs because there is no physical
discharge of the energy. Essentially our energetic response to the attack gets
frozen in the “on” state. For many people this will show up in later years as
adrenal burnout because the adrenals continue to churn in an effort to get us
out of a situation that no longer exists. That may not make logical sense to
our conscious minds but the reptilian defense response from our bodies comes
from the subconscious mind and the most primal part of our brain which is
focused only on survival. It does what it does to keep the body-mind safe.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TALK IT OUT</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In psychotherapy, a common technique for dealing with these
types of frozen emotional states is to re-engage the emotion and attempt to
take it into the physical discharge phase by kicking and screaming, pounding a
pillow, hitting a punching bag or any type of activity that allows our systems
to burn through the adrenaline stored in our bodies from previous “freeze”
responses. This technique is really only successful when we are able to fully
tap into the fight or flight response with the body to engage the response
system and stay with it through full discharge. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In talk-based therapy this can be especially challenging
because we are rarely able to fully recreate the feeling of the fear necessary
to engage the autonomic response mechanism without a deep level of surrender.
Pretending to be afraid, especially when our mind knows that it is just
pretend, is rarely enough because the reptilian part of our brain never truly
perceives the threat as an actual threat. Consciously trying to recall the
experience (or experiences) which triggered the original survival response can
be a long drawn-out exercise because it relies so heavily on conscious memory.
That memory is often blocked out because the emotional charge was too strong
for us to handle at the time and so our brains response was to erase that
memory or block it. This leaves us without the mechanisms needed to disengage a
body which is in full-on defense mode. This is often the underlying cause for
those experiencing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chronic fatigue
syndrome</i> because their adrenal glands are fried and their bodies are unable
to reach discharge. Energy drinks will never be able to fix that and actually
exacerbate the situation by causing the adrenals to pump even harder.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WORK IT OUT </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To really address the underlying energetic response we need
to allow the body to gear up, reactive the “fight or flight” response, re-engage
the stored energies and fully discharge them. The best way I’ve found to do
this is through intense physical actions where fear is consciously engaged.
This is where impact work like flogging, spanking and whipping can be
invaluable. For most people, when they hear these terms they associate them
with kinky sex play, discount them by saying “I’m not into pain” and miss out
on the opportunity for healing through these activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone who did that very thing for most
of my adult life, I am very aware of that process. I fully understand how
someone on the outside can look at these activities and not see how the experience
could be healing in any way. Most of what the general public sees when they
think of these <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bdsm" target="_blank">BDSM</a> (Bondage, Discipline, Domination,
Submission, Sadism, Masochism) activities is one person doing mean or kinky things
to another in an effort to have power over them and often as a precursor to
sex. That is certainly the most common focus for most BDSM play but it is not
the only purpose.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to see it that way as well until one of my clients
from my erotic practice asked me if I would flog him. As an erotic provider who
was focused only upon trying to create layer upon layer of pleasure to help
soothe, relax and heal the body. Hitting my clients with something was
definitely NOT part of the experience I was offering. Yet because I knew that
something within him wanted to explore this activity with someone he trusted, I
saw that there was a pathway to healing there and I needed to engage this with
him. I told him that I would see what I could do and get back to him on it.
From there I began reading books, purchased a flogger, found a mentor for using
it and got the training I needed to safely flog him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did I know at the time where this
request would be taking me but it has literally changed my life and for many of
those I’ve worked with it has also changed theirs.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WHAT IS A FLOGGER?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wgkKVA1_khAVX3ifn805QQmhQd_sYdUj_0q6m5MTZq0Q0WLOUGeUU9LDBvqA-fReo_YvY8GOsLsiLPd3qBYg_hLO50eUpGKTkCol2WKJDmtx_CgpOwoLufSLsoFEVOJ5G0nxq_ZPsXY/s1600/floggers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wgkKVA1_khAVX3ifn805QQmhQd_sYdUj_0q6m5MTZq0Q0WLOUGeUU9LDBvqA-fReo_YvY8GOsLsiLPd3qBYg_hLO50eUpGKTkCol2WKJDmtx_CgpOwoLufSLsoFEVOJ5G0nxq_ZPsXY/s320/floggers.JPG" width="320" /></a>I know that BDSM tools and play is an area that most people
are unfamiliar with. The book that has been burning up the charts lately,
“Fifty Shades of Gray”, however is bringing some of it into the mainstream. A
flogger is typically a solid handle with strips (called “falls”) of various
materials hanging from the end of it. The falls are made typically from rubber,
leather, elk or other animal skins. They are cut into various thicknesses and
widths to produce very different sensations. In the picture, the second one from the left is the original one that I bought and
is made from elk. The one on the far left is made from foxtails. I mention it
to show that not all floggers are like what we see in old Biblical movies. They
aren’t filled with metal chards or things designed to cause intense pain and
injury. Some may be but they are by far the minority. These types of floggers are
used to create impact and sensations not break the skin or cause damage.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">KNOWLEDGE IS THE BEST
TEACHER</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe that in order for me to be competent at and fully
understand an experience, I need to have firsthand knowledge of what it’s like
to receive the experience for myself. To that end I went to several experienced
flogging tops and had them flog me to the point of surrender. I was able to
watch my body and mind go from a state of nervous anticipation to one of dread,
fear and anxiety as the experience began. Putting myself into a situation where
I was restrained and out of physical control and then allowing another person
to strike my body with leather straps to the point of pain triggered a lot of
things within me. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As things became more and more intense, I could feel the
adrenaline begin to course through me and I could feel my body waking up and
experiencing a new set of sensations. I could feel my resolve toughen up so
that I could allow myself to take more. My mind began to flash back on all the
times as a child when I had been spanked with a belt or “hickory switch” (aka a
thin tree branch). I could feel the anger rising in my body and those
experiences becoming sharper in my mind. Soon I was overwhelmed by emotions and
flooded by painful childhood memories. I was yelling, cursing, kicking,
screaming and challenging the man flogging me to give me more and at times even
taunting him. It felt so good to be in a safe space where I could let all the
anger, fear, rage, sadness and even joy out. Yes, joy because I was FEELING and
I wasn’t afraid to do it. I was pushing myself past my fear of pain and
experiencing surges of pleasure and at times waves of euphoria. It was not at
all what I had expected which was that I would be a wimp, take a few strikes
and call it all off because it hurt. On many levels it was one of the most
liberating experiences that I had ever had and it blew me away. I knew this was
exactly the type thing that I wanted to be able to help other men experience as
well because of the deep healing which was occurring in my body and mind. At
the end I was exhausted, invigorated, ecstatic, emotionally drained and
empowered in a way that I could not have imagined.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My client’s simple request for me to flog him had taken me
on a journey and opened a space of healing deep within me that I might never
have experienced if I weren’t doing this type of erotic work for others. I
believe that if I were not doing this type of work that I would <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">never</b> have sought that experience on my
own and certainly never have experienced the healing that was possible from it.
Little did either of us know in that moment where his request would lead. I
will forever be grateful to him for asking because by me opening to the
request, I’ve ultimately been able to recreate that experience for countless
men and allowed them to heal their own wounds through it. This is just another
example for me of where someone spoke their desires and deep healing emerged
from it in the fullness of time. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HOW IT WORKS</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By consciously placing yourself in a situation where you
can’t escape, through the use of various restraints, you are putting yourself
in a space of surrender. For men in particular that is an uncomfortable place
because it means surrendering our <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2012/04/male-female-energetics.html" target="_blank">power to protect</a> and that runs counter to our socializing. We are taught to be tough, in charge
and in control so that we can protect and defend ourselves and those we love.
For many men, just allowing themselves to be restrained by another person is a
challenge all by itself. By doing it consciously they are given the opportunity
to experience what happens within their body and mind because they know that
they hold the power to stop it all simply by saying “STOP”.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the key components to using this work to heal old
trauma is knowing how the brain works. Researchers have found that the
subconscious part of our brain doesn’t know the difference between what is
happening in the present moment and what is being thought by the conscious
mind. This means that if I were to sit and focus on some painful or traumatic
experience from my past, my unconscious would be led to believe that it is
happening in the present moment and it would begin triggering a defense
response within my body as a way to keep the brain and body safe. This is why
constantly dwelling on your past negative or undesirable experiences will cause
your body to respond because the brain believes it is happening and so you stay
unhappy because your focus is on your negative experience. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Where your awareness goes, your energy flows. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the case of the work I do, being restrained is a key
element because that act alone brings up so much fear. The next part is being
blindfolded because that takes away one of our senses and for most of us,
especially men, it is the primary sense we use to feel safe. When you take away
one sense, the others heighten. The sense of touch becomes more sensitive. That
is where the impact work comes in. With our ability to fight or flee taken away
(by the restraints and blindfold) our fear level can rise more quickly and
trigger the fight or flight response more easily. When it is re-activated the
body releases all the endorphins, adrenaline and hormones that it stored during
any previous freeze response and the brain creates more as needed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After this happens you can be guided through
the physical discharge phase which essentially emulates the fighting or fleeing
energetic discharge. Tapping into the pain, the anger, the fear, the rage or whatever
emotion comes up and being free to fully express it can be incredibly
cathartic.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LET GO OF THE PAIN
<u>AND</u> THE PAST</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Needless to say, it’s very powerful and edgy work and is a
joy for me to be a part of. When I started my erotic practice, this was
certainly not anything that I thought I would ever be doing, yet here I am. I
am amazed at the powerful transformations I’ve witnessed from guys. When we’re
done, they are relaxed and energized at the same time. It’s a bit hard to fully
describe because the two terms don’t usually get connected but that’s how it
feels to me and is the term I hear the most from my clients. When our muscles
let go of the unconscious tension that we hold in them (old fight or flight
charge ups) then our energy is freed up because it takes energy to hold tension
in muscles. The more of our energy we free up from the muscles, the more energy
we have for other activities and the easier our bodies can flow.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The really beautiful thing about this work is that because
it doesn’t rely on direct sexual stimulation for the process to work, that
allows me to open this part of my practice up to females. I’ve had many
requests from women in the past to work with them but I’ve never felt
comfortable engaging women sexually so I’ve resisted. I’m sure that shift alone
in my practice will bring even more healing for me and help move me to the next
level to heal.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FEAR BLOCKS US</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope this has given you some food for thought. The biggest
obstacle to living our most authentic lives and having full access to our power
is fear. We are conditioned to be afraid of everything. Fear is one of the most
powerful motivators that the world has against us. When we fear anyone, we give
our power away. When we are willing to face our fears, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">especially our fear of pain</b>, those fears will always dissolve away.
We move from a place of reacting to a place of responding. We are able to see
life as it really is, without the fear of pain and the excuses we create to justify
it. We can respond to it in the way we consciously choose rather than
unconsciously reacting to it from a place of patterned behavior. We may come up
with all sorts of reasons and rations for our behavior but if your actions
happened without you consciously choosing to do them, then it’s patterned
behavior. Conscious action requires thought and will never be explained by “I
don’t know why I did that”.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having fear certainly won’t prevent things from happening to
us but being alert, awake and aware will help us get through it. We can’t
control the world but we can control our response to it. Are you making your
choices consciously and living the life you choose or does your fear get in the
way?</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-31246181259466944192012-08-15T06:55:00.000-07:002012-08-15T06:55:21.474-07:00The delicate balance of life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Universe is constantly seeking balance. This is true at
every level from the largest stars all the way down to the atoms that make up
everything in the known Universe. This truth is what inspired Newton’s third
law of motion that states for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction. Between the action and the reaction there is a moment of dynamic
equilibrium where neither force is acting upon the other. It is in that space
that the energy transfers or shifts and the action becomes the reaction. That
is the space of balance.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since we are a part of the Universe, what is true for the
Universe is true for us. This search for balance is probably easiest to
understand when you look at the level of our human existence. Take for example
the rotation of our planet. At noon we are at the part of the planet that is
closest to the sun. At midnight we are at the part that is the farthest from
the sun. That balance is achieved by the steady rotation of our planet which is
the result of the magnetic attraction and repulsion of energy around the core
of our planet. We need equal attraction and repulsion to achieve the steady
balanced energy of rotation.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>FEEL IT FOR YOURSELF</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we scale that view up a step larger you can see how
balance is achieved by our planet as it rotates around the sun. The delicate
dance between the Sun and the Earth happens because our tiny planet is pulled
then pushed up one side of the Sun’s gravitation field and then back down the
other. Here is a fun and easy exercise to help you feel the energy of that
balance. Put a small weighted round object (like an orange or ball) into a tube
sock and hold the open end of the sock in your hand. Swing the ball around in a
vertical circle and put your awareness on your hand. With focus you can feel
the two points in your swing where the energy has to begin going up one side
and also down the other to achieve the rotation. You can feel those shift points
at the top and bottom of the rotation. Those two points balance each other out
and result in rotation of the ball around your hand like the Earth revolves
around the Sun. It is physics in action.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a point of reference, on December 21, 2012 the Sun and the
Earth will reach one of those points. Imagine the galactic center in the middle
of the Milky Way is your hand and the Sun is the ball in the sock.
Simultaneously to that event, our planet will reach that shift point in
relation to our Sun on the exact same date. Here imagine that the Sun is your
hand the Earth is the ball. The energetic shift you can feel with the sock and
ball is the same shift our Earth and Sun will be experiencing simultaneously.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BALANCE IN MOTION</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To take this examination to a smaller, more humanistic
scale, think about our movement as we walk. For us to achieve locomotion, the
movements of the left side of our body must be balanced by the movements of our
right side. As one arm swings forward, the other swings back. As one leg moves
forward, the other moves back. Even balancing that out top to bottom, you
notice that the opposite arm and leg move together so that we can achieve a
smooth and easy movement. Try not swinging one arm as you walk for a while,
then try not swinging both arms and watch how unbalanced your movement becomes.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you begin to examine any activity or action with
consciousness, you’ll begin to see where balance is being sought at every
level. For a moment think about what it is like to walk on something that
requires us to have balance to do it, such as walking along a ledge or across a
beam or log. When we are balanced there is an ease and harmony to our movement.
When we are out of balance, our arms flail and we wobble trying to regain
balance lest we fall. Balance is the desired state because it takes less effort
and therefore less energy for us to get from one end to the other with ease. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It can be seen from the example above that the “out of
balance” condition results in wasted energy, struggle and dis-ease of movement.
Understanding that will allow you to begin to notice the places in your life
where you are out of balance. If you feel your energy is drained, life is a
struggle or there is dis-ease in your body then you know that you are out of
balance in some area of your life. This is Newton’s transitive property of
physics in action. If A = B then B = A. Bringing yourself back into balance
(vitality, peace, health) begins with an understanding of that principle. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>ENERGY FOLLOWS AWARENESS</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The key to changing anything in our lives begins with having
the awareness that something needs to change. We will never consciously change
anything that we are unaware of. So dis-ease (struggle, emotionality,
exhaustion, etc) is the alert that something needs to change. The next step is
owning the fact that “<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/08/claim-your-power.html" target="_blank">I created this condition</a>” either consciously or unconsciously. When we allow our consciousness to remain
in an unconscious state, we stay in victim mode wallowing in pity and blaming
the world for our condition. As our souls evolve we learn that the same power
we used to unconsciously create the out of balance condition is the exact same
power that we can use to consciously create the desired condition. This
understanding can never be completely comprehended and fully understood while
in the un-evolved victim (blame mode) mentality. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is true for the microcosm (the parts) is also true for
the macrocosm (the whole). If we raise our awareness up from the individual to
the species level, it is easy to see that we are terribly out of balance there.
This can be seen everywhere across the planet. We have wars raging out of
control, political fighting and infighting, drought, famine, global pandemics,
wide-spread poverty, skyrocketing murder rates, unregulated theft, as well as
social, economic, political and environmental systems collapsing or on the
brink of collapse. These are all key indicators that we are severely out of
balance as a species and therefore something must change. So there is our first
step: awareness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the list above is viewed as a whole, it seems like it
would take a monumental effort focused on any one of those to begin to
implement even the tiniest change. But what if rather than focusing on any one
problem, we held our awareness at the species level and examined things from
that perspective with the simple understanding that we are out of balance. Imagine
what awareness might arise from that state of neutral observation. Remember
this level of awareness requires that we move beyond our individual situations
of petty day to day worries and struggles. We have to begin thinking of
ourselves as one cohesive collective consciousness (humans) and examine things
from that perspective.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>LIFE IS LITERALLY A DELICATE BALANCE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When viewed in the light of the collective, as an entity we
are out of balance with the very thing which we depend upon for life, the
environment. We exist in this environment because we have adapted and evolved
out of it. The condition that the environment is in is what allows us to exist.
Without our environment, we would not and cannot exist. Take away the air that
we depend upon to breath, the water we drink, or the land we live upon, and it
is game over for our species. Take away any one of those things and our
existence would not be possible. However if you take humans out of the equation,
life would continue just fine without us. We are not nearly as essential as we
like to think. In truth we seem to be causing more harm than good.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are a product of the environment; it is not something we
created to make our lives easier. If the environment changes too much, just
like other species from the past, we will go extinct because the systems to
support us are no longer present. As powerful a species as we think we are,
it’s important that we remember our place in the grand scheme. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every species which has ever existed has done so by evolving
out of the system which sustains it. When the environment changes, new species
arise that thrive on some output from the system. They in turn generate output
that other species thrive upon. That process repeats itself over and over and
remains in a constant state of flux. Within our ecosystem, new species of life
are constantly emerging while others go extinct. That is the natural flow of
life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>LIFE GIVES ITSELF FOR LIFE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nature has a mechanism for keeping its systems in balance
that keeps the cycle of life flowing. When one species becomes too much of a consumer,
eventually either its food source dries up or a larger predator species thrives
to bring things back into balance. For example, once upon a time on this planet
only single cell life-forms existed. There was no oxygen, no other life-forms
and no protective ozone layer. Those single-cells thrived because they had no
predators. They consumed the energy available and produced their output which
was toxic to them. Eventually they had over populated the planet and consumed
all of the energy available. Through the process of mutation some of the single
cells began to work together to create more complex multi-cellular life-forms.
These life-forms then began to thrive because they consumed the single cell
life-forms and their output. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This process continued for millions of years over and over
again as life evolved into more and more complex species until eventually early
humans appear on the scene along with dinosaurs. They were food for us but we
were also food for them which helped to keep both species in check. Then several
million years ago, a large asteroid hit our planet and dramatically altered the
environment as a result of the impact. Scientists estimate that 95% of all
species alive at the time were wiped out. The 5% which survived did so because
they adapted to the new environment in some way and they went on to repopulate
the planet until the next asteroid hit and started that cycle all over again. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is important to remember that every living thing on this
planet is a consumer, a producer and a food source for life. Each species
ingests other smaller species, air or water and eventually becomes food for a
larger species to keep “the cycle of life” going. That cycle must logically
include death to keep it going. Imagine how crowded things would be on this
planet if nothing ever died.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>HUMAN SEPARATED FROM NATURE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Humans are a part of the cycle of life but unfortunately we
have separated ourselves out from the very thing which created us. As our
consciousness has evolved over the ages, we have constructed stories and myths
to attempt to explain our history, existence and purpose. We see ourselves as
separate from and superior to nature. We consume our planets resources in an
unregulated fashion and we are beginning to rapidly overpopulate our planet due
to the lack of larger predators in our environment. As long as we remain on
land, our main predators come in the form of microscopic organisms and viruses.
If you put us back in the ocean or deep into the forest, the equation shifts
and it again becomes survival of the fittest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In every area of our lives, we consume. The only place we
give back, as an organism, is through the carbon monoxide that we exhale and
the shit that we produce which ultimately nourishes micro-organisms at the
bottom of the food chain. When we die, unfortunately we take these bodies and
put them in steel boxes which get encased in metal chambers and buried in the
ground so that nothing can get to them. These bodies eventually decompose. At
that point because they are in a closed system, all of the nutrients which they
can offer back into the food chain is buried in a hole along with the fears
which put them there. It is the final slap in the face to the very system which
gave us life and produced the body in the first place. Cremation and the
scattering of the ashes back into the environment keeps the cycle flowing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>MOTIVATED BY FEAR</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our resources are beginning to show signs of collapse
because we aren’t using our evolved consciousness to work with the system from
which we emerged. Because of our fear of the unknown, death, and our
self-created and self-serving myths about the nature of our existence, we are
draining our resources. Through our technology and the use of machines, we keep
others alive who would perish if left to their own devices. We force them to
languish in a suspended state of animation because those of us who are still
living believe we cannot bear to live without them. Our fear of letting go
causes them to live out the rest of their lives in protracted state of pain or
slow decay.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The truth is that we can and do survive because eventually
we are forced to let them go when even the machines can’t keep them alive. Just
think for a moment of the resources (energy, time, money, people) required to
keep a single human perpetually alive on a machine from which they have no
chance of living without. Millions languish in this suspended state of
animation just in our country alone. (I’m not talking about machines used to
help us heal from temporary situations. Here I’m referencing those which
languish on life-support systems who have no chance of ever regaining
consciousness or an independent existence.) We keep them here because of our fears
and needs, not theirs. Death is a piece of life. It is the balancing component
to birth and what keeps the cycle of life flowing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our fears also show up as over-population. Emerging from the
need to have “more of us”, most religions teach that no birth control should be
used. They cloak this fear under tons of religious dogma which essentially
comes down to the belief that God is expecting us to multiply. They teach that
if we do something to interfere with that process (contraception or abortion)
then we are supposedly playing God. But isn’t “playing God” what we should be
doing? Much in the way that children “play adult” as they grow up because they
know they will eventually become adults, I believe that as humans <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/06/me-myself-and-i.html" target="_blank">we are growing into Gods</a>.
As our consciousness evolves, we must begin to recognize that we are in fact
beginning to attain the powers and abilities that we have previously been
attributing to the Gods (in any religion).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If we don’t learn to consciously use the powers that we are evolving
into, we’ll be nothing more than the child who perpetually lives at home with their
parents because they are never willing to step into their own power and create
a life for themselves. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>ENERGY <u>FOLLOWS</u> AWARENESS</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This out of balance condition that we find ourselves in
cannot continue much longer. When we look at all the things which are happening
on a global scale (drought, severe weather, starvation, water shortages, war,
poverty) it is clear that something has to give because we are in a crisis
situation. That crisis however is also the driver for our change because
“<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/10/guiding-principals-part-1.html" target="_blank">crisis precedes transformation</a>”.
The good news is however that the transformation is already beginning because
of emerging needs. We are learning new ways to do things which aren’t as
destructive to the environment (renewable fuels, low emission vehicles,
conservation projects, wildlife protection programs, pollution reduction and on
and on).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no simple solution for our problems. If there were,
we would surely have figured it out by now. The first step in solving our
problems however is recognizing that there is a problem (“awareness”). If we
own the fact that we created it (consciously or unconsciously) then we can
learn to use that same power (“energy”) to create a better way to solve the
problem that works for us all. It should come as no surprise to anyone who is
waking up and paying attention that 2012 has to be a year of transformation and
change and our cycle of destruction must come to a head because we simply
cannot continue in our present mode. Through cooperation and communication we
can make a difference. When we seek balance in all of our individual actions,
we’ll begin to see balance from our collective actions. It’s not going to be an
easy journey but it is time for us to wake up the human consciousness from the
collective unconscious and transform our way of life as we know it now. It all
begins with awareness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where are the places in your life that you are out of
balance? What prevents you from making a change there to come back into balance
with life?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-56712638506771581302012-05-25T07:22:00.000-07:002012-11-25T14:14:41.002-08:00Love thyself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A very frequently quoted phrase from the Bible is “Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” It often seems to be what motivates people
to be more loving toward others. But what if we really took this phrase to
heart and loved others the way we love ourselves. Wouldn’t we be giving them
guilt, shame, judgment, self-loathing and very conditional love? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s often far easier for us to love others than it is for
us to truly love ourselves because the one person that any of us truly knows
everything about is ourselves. We know all of our past actions and we also know
all of the judgments that we’ve held against ourselves because of it. We are
taught from a very young age to judge ourselves and to accept being judged by
other authority figures in our lives in an attempt to be a better person.
Imagine for a moment if you actually loved everyone else the way you loved
yourself. My guess is that for most of us, we’d run out of friends pretty
quickly because they wouldn’t like the way we were “loving” them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>SELF-PLEASURING</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Masturbation is one of the ways that we can truly love
ourselves. That action however is typically fraught with guilt and shame due
largely to the religious teachings which have been imposed upon us since
childhood and held in place by our culture. Our most intimate time with
ourselves should be a joyous expression of pleasure and inwardly directed love
yet all too often that is not the case.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Deer Tribe introduced me to a new term that they use
instead of masturbation which is “self-pleasuring”. When I first heard someone use
that term in the <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/03/man-of-steel.html" target="_blank">Shamanic Dearmoring process</a> I thought they were
using it describe something specific to the process and they didn’t want to
confuse it with masturbation. Recently I learned that they use the term because
they believe that “masturbation” is a mechanical process whereas
“self-pleasuring” is the purpose of the activity. I’ve become quite fond of the
term now that I see it framed that way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As an erotic therapist working with men on various aspects
of their sexuality, self-pleasuring is often a topic of much discussion in my
initial consultation with new clients. When I ask them to tell me about their
masturbatory habits or patterns, most men will tell me stories which typically fall
into three main themes. One theme is “it is a rushed experience with
ejaculation as the only objective”. They use it to relieve stress, clear their
head or tranquilize them into sleep. The second theme is using it “only as a
last resort” because they were unable to have sex with someone else. They live
in a constant state of avoidance because they want to have sex so badly that
they feel they have to be as ready as possible in a moment’s notice.
Unfortunately they also aren’t having sex for various reasons and so they just
stay in a constant state of anticipatory arousal with no relief in sight. These
men are so aroused that when sex does happen it is usually over in a matter of
minutes because their bodies are in such a state of desperate need.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The third theme is those who enjoy the experience without
guilt or shame. These men always seem to be more connected to their bodies and
their sexuality. They have a better understanding of what they enjoy and need
in the form of touch to become aroused. They are typically more at peace with
themselves and more relaxed because of the pleasure that they bring so joyously
to their bodies. Generally speaking they are better lovers too because they
understand the healing power of pleasure, even if only at an unconscious level.
They are able to make love to themselves and are therefore more loving towards
others. They are the ones who want to learn how to extend, increase and expand
upon their techniques for bringing even more pleasure to their bodies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>DISCLAIMER</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since I am a male working only with males, the body of my
professional experience and focus of my education is on male sexuality. As
such, I’ll say that all that I’m about to share will be based upon the male
perspective but assume that much of what holds true for men will also hold true
for women. Each gender and each person of course brings their own set of baggage
to the experience. So rather than me trying to constantly defend my statements
as being “the male perspective”, I’ll just say here that everything will be
from that perspective and women should read this with that in mind and not
become offended by my statements if they aren’t true for women. I’m the first
to admit that women are a mystery to me in general but particularly when it
comes to their sexuality.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>A RUSH JOB</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For most of us, we discover masturbation at a very early age
and around the time that we are told that it is taboo and not discussed openly
by the adults in our lives. Masturbation then becomes something that we feel we
have to do in private and as quietly as possible to avoid detection. The fear
of getting caught therefore leads us to being as quick about it as possible. So
from a very early age we add shame, fear and guilt to the process along with
speed and then as adults wonder why we have sexual performance issues. Is it
any wonder that performance enhancement drugs like Viagra are the most popular
drugs on the market today for men? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I ask the men I work with to tell me about how long
they spend self-pleasuring, the majority say that they spend 5 minutes or less
per experience. Often guys will say that they might masturbate 1 to 3 times a
week. Given that, the typical male then spends about 15 minutes or less per
week pleasuring themselves. Add the emotional baggage they hold around the
experience and it’s easy to see why we have so much conflict in our male
dominated world and we struggle to love ourselves or others. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>“I’M SAVING IT”</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other theme I hear is that guys will avoid masturbation
out of a desire to have sex instead or as a way to be ready in case their
partner wants to have sex with them. For too many men it seems to be an
either/or situation that they are setting up for themselves. The result is
“either I masturbate or I have sex” and unfortunately for most of us that means
we receive no stimulation at all. This seems to be especially true for the straight
men that I work with. We modulate our sexual energy so that we will be able to
“get it up” and “perform on command” for our partners.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As young men, when we reach sexual maturity, we are
bombarded by the biological imperative to mate in an effort to ensure the
preservation of our species. The hormones that our bodies generate cause an
unending stream of desire for sex. As we grow older, that intensity of desire begins
to wane and we learn to regulate our sexual activity to accommodate that shift.
Unfortunately we connect desire with ability. As our constant desire for sex
diminishes, we believe our ability to be sexual decreases along with it. This
can be a debilitating misconception for men because we falsely associate our
virility with ability to maintain an erection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>OUR BELIEFS SHAPE OUR EXPERIENCE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The truth is that our bodies are capable of far more than we
give them credit for but the key to accessing that capability is our belief
system. Whatever belief we hold in our minds about our sexuality or sexual
ability, our bodies will adopt and behave accordingly. This became very clear
to me during the Shamanic Dearmoring process. As a 47 year old man, I had
convinced myself that one ejaculatory orgasm a day was about all that I could
handle. In my sessions I would find creative ways to avoid too much stimulation
so that I wouldn’t ejaculate because I feared that I wouldn’t have enough
desire to be aroused enough to work the rest of the day. As I witnessed my
experience and thoughts during the ceremony I realized that I was almost
constantly holding my energy back out of the fear of not having enough. I was
moving my erotic energy based upon a false mental construct that said “one
orgasm a day is all I am capable of”. Once I recognized that it was a mental
limitation and not a physical one, I was able to let go of the construct and
just allow my body to do whatever it wanted without me trying to mentally
control it. It was very freeing and liberating to trust my body’s innate wisdom
without trying to short circuit the experience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Deep pleasure brings deep healing” is one of the principles
from the style of Tantra that I study and the belief upon which my entire
erotic practice is based. For many people, when they hear that they think that
it’s just a platitude tossed out by Tantra practitioners to justify their
erotic actions. As I’ve learned over the past 6 years in my professional
practice, it’s not an excuse; it’s a very powerful truth. I’ve witnessed men
break down into tears when they experience pleasure in ways they never have
before and they realize how they have limited themselves erotically from past
wounds. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>WE ALL DESERVE LOVE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Self-pleasuring is self love. Learning to love and respect
our bodies and being willing to bring pleasure to them can be very challenging
for us. In a body conscious society, we see ourselves in a mirror and dislike
what we see because it doesn’t look like the images we are presented with as
the “ideal body”. Rather than try to heal the belief, we sink into that wound,
deny our body some pleasure and eat more to try to numb the pain. The junk food
that we eat to try to feel better causes us to put on more weight and so the
stored fat holds our wounded belief firmly in place in our physical bodies. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THE MECHANICS OF FEELING GOOD</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The healing power of an orgasm cannot be denied. When we
experience orgasm our brains release many hormones including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin" target="_blank">oxytocin</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolactin" target="_blank">prolactin</a>. These hormones relax
our bodies, soothe our systems and clear our minds. Those things alone are very
healing for the body but the emotional component of bringing pleasure to our
bodies and allowing ourselves to feel good cannot be denied. Consider for a
moment how you feel when you are sexually satisfied versus how you feel when
you are under stress. In which state do you believe you would be most loving,
compassionate, relaxed and caring? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The release of these hormones can help soothe our bodies but
to really achieve the deepest levels of healing, we have to examine our
emotional state during masturbation or even during sex. I could compulsively masturbate
because I enjoy the rush of hormones and the physical relaxation but if I do it
from a place of guilt or shame then I am not reaching the deeper levels of
healing that the experience has to offer me. This is only possible when we
consciously observe our emotional state which draws us to self-pleasure and the
thoughts which emerge as we engage the process. As we become consciously aware
of the beliefs that we hold about masturbation then we can begin to take action
on healing any emotional wounds which surface. Without that deeper awareness of
what is motivating our actions, we will continue to deny ourselves pleasure or
behave in an unconscious mechanical manner as an avoidance mechanism rather
than engaging a pleasurable process for loving and healing ourselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>PRACTICE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
William Reich, psychotherapist and sexologist, observed “The
patient who cannot masturbate with satisfaction has not completed his analytic
therapy.” In other words, Reich was saying that the ability to give oneself
pleasure is a key indicator of self-acceptance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The following practice can help you to heal sexual guilt and
fear. Usually such fears arise in the moment when you are starting to pleasure
yourself. That is when the admonishing voice within says, “Watch out!” At that
point you have a choice either to go with your past conditioning and feel
guilty or to take a deep breath and find the courage to explore the new
dimension of self-pleasuring, healing the fear and guilt through a positive
experience of consciously directed pleasure. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plan for some time that you can be alone and uninterrupted.
Be willing to turn your phone off (a ringing phone is very mentally distracting
even if you don’t answer it), avoid email and shut the world out for about 30
minutes of alone time. The world will survive without you for a little while
and will benefit by the healing work that you do on yourself. This doesn’t have
to be an elaborate process but rather a dedication of time from you for you and
about you. Choose a time when you won’t feel rushed but also when you aren’t
too tired. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The things you will need for this are: something to write
on, something to write with and some lube or lotion and a space to comfortably
lie down. Using your bed for this is ideal because that is also the space where
much of our wounding has shown up though sexual engagement with another or
ourselves. Encourage yourself to see this experience as a healing ceremony.
When we engage ceremony, we heighten our awareness because we are bringing our
consciousness to the process rather than simply recreating unhealthy
unconscious behavioral patterns. You may want to put on some soft music or
light a candle or two to help set the mood. Do what works for you to help you
feel sensual and warm. Warmth is important here as it is challenging to feel sexy
and sensual when you are cold and uncomfortable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>ENGAGE THE EXPERIENCE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Begin this process by removing your clothes, lying down and
allowing yourself to relax. Spend a minute or two taking some deep full
breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling out the open mouth. If you find
the mind buzzing with thoughts, take a moment to write down what you are
thinking about. Make it a quick note to yourself about whatever it is so that
you know you have it and so that you can let it go for now. Also make some
brief notes about any thoughts or emotions which surface related to the
self-pleasuring process you’re about to engage. At this point, try to limit
yourself to just naming or identifying them rather than trying to explain,
justify or process them. Also make a note regarding your mood going into the
process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the following process, if you find yourself moving into a
judgmental space with any part of your body, know that this is just old pain
tapes playing and counter them by caressing that body part and repeating “I
approve of myself” until the judgment gets drowned out. Try not to single out
that part by naming it, but rather repeat the phrase so that you are approving
of your entire being and not one part over another. This can be <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2012/05/approval-exercise.html" target="_blank">a powerful exercise all by itself</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you have these notes complete then spend some time
touching your entire body. Touch all of it head to toe. Caress it lovingly. Begin
at the top of your head and work your way down to your toes. Gently stroke the
back of your head and play with your hair. Notice any thoughts which arise as
you caress your face including your ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Try not to
engage the thoughts beyond simply noticing them, almost as if you were taking
inventory. Continue that process as you move your touching down both arms to
your fingers, over your chest and nipples and down to your abdomen. Notice any
judgments which arise as well but don’t become attached to them. Try your best
to stay with the loving space of self-touch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you move your hands down to make contact with your
genitals notice any changes in moods, thoughts or emotions. Let this touch be
about exploration more than masturbation at this point. Give your genitals the
same amount of attention as you did any other body part. Don’t let them become
the focus at this point. Continue the light stroking of your body down to and
over your genitals and between your legs. Allow yourself to make contact your
asshole. Be especially aware of thoughts which arise here as this is a place
where most of us hold our deepest shame. Move your hands back out and over your
hips to your glutes and caress them as well. Continue on down through the thighs
(inside, outside, front and back) to the feet and toes on each leg. Try your
best to lovingly touch every body part during this experience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After you have touched every single reachable part of your
body, take a couple deep breaths to complete that phase of the process. Take a
few moments to make any notes on any particular or powerful thoughts, emotions or
sensations which surfaced during the experience. Let these be brief bullet
points or thoughts rather than detailed notes or analysis. Don’t let the note
making become a distraction for your love making because you really are doing
this to make love to yourself. Allow the note taking to be a way to simply
release anything that begins distracting your mind rather than a journaling or
analytical process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BEGIN SELF-PLEASURING</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now allow your hands to return to your genitals and begin
stimulating them in a loving manner. See if you can find a slightly different
way to engage this experience than you usually do. This might be as simple as
using the other hand or just playing and finding some new way of bringing
pleasure to yourself. Perhaps adding lube, vibrators or toys will bring a new
dimension to your exploration. Give yourself permission to play and explore
rather than feeling like a taskmaster trying to complete a project. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you find your mind wandering, just notice it and gently
call your attention back to the touch and/or your breath. Notice if there are
times when you are holding your breath and consciously choose to let the breath
flow. If you are normally quiet during your masturbation, try to consciously add
a moan/groan quality to the exhales. Breath in through the nose and out through
an open mouth with a nice deeply resonating “Oooooo” sound. Try and feel the
vibration from that sound all the way down your spine and out the top of your
head. Allow that vibration to move the pleasure all through your body.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let this experience be about being loving with your body and
ultimately loving yourself. While an orgasm is a beautiful part of this
experience don’t let that become the objective but rather let it be an equally
enjoyable part of the experience. For men especially try to refrain from
ejaculating until at least 30 minutes has been spent on indulging yourself in
loving self-pleasuring. Remember you are worth every minute that you are able
to invest in yourself. <b>Respecting yourself enough to fill your body with
pleasure will transform old negative belief patterns and heal sexual wounds.</b> If
your body desires it, allow yourself to end the process with an
orgasm/ejaculation and really go for it with gusto. Moan, groan and roar it out
with power.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>IN THE AFTERGLOW</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the end of your self-pleasuring experience, allow
yourself to lie quietly and as still as possible and enjoy the buzz you will feel
in your body as your brain releases the endorphins and other pleasure hormones.
By allowing the body to be still, your energy is not directed at movement but
rather at relaxation and awareness. Allocate at least 5 minutes or more to this
post-orgasmic space of bliss. Notice how you feel during this time. Notice what
you feel and where you feel it. Try not to analyze it or yourself but rather
just soak in the pool of self-love that you have created and enjoy it. Allow
yourself to enter this space as you would meditation. Just observe what is
without trying to change it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 5 minutes, take some time to make notes on what you
experienced, review any notes that you made prior and take whatever action is
necessary. If it was important enough for you to write down, it is worthy of
your attention, action and love. Often times you’ll find deep inner
realizations surface during this process. Honor those and take action because
that information came from the depths of your being. Self-pleasuring raises
your vibration and gets the catalyst sexual energy moving. Powerful insights
can emerge from that if you are conscious and aware.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The important part of this experience is about being
conscious of your thoughts, moods and sensations. When we lovingly move our
sexual energy this way, we can clear lots of blocked energy and heal some deep
mental, emotional and sexual wounds. Engage the experience from a loving place
and remember that you know your body best and are therefore capable of
stimulating it in exactly the way you enjoy the most. If that statement sounds
challenging to you, then use this self-pleasuring experience to help you begin
to see the truth in it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Can you truly call your masturbation time “self-pleasuring”?
If not, what stands between you and the ability to do that?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-87777704717788261332012-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:002012-05-17T07:00:13.071-07:00Approval exercise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The following brief exercise is an excerpt from Louise L.
Hay’s book “You can heal your life”. I present it to you here in preparation
for the entry that I’ll be posting next. This is an exercise that I have
offered to many of my clients through the years and one I use myself. The
exercise is simple to do but challenging at times to execute especially when we
are caught up in our own judgmental behavior. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This exercise is also useful to do when you find yourself
judging or criticizing others. The need to judge says far more about the person
doing the judging than it does about the one being judged. The need to judge
others to attempt to feel better about ourselves comes from a deeply wounded
space within our being. Remember that we will never seem taller by cutting the
heads off of those around us. Notice those times when you move into a
judgmental attitude and use this simple exercise to pull your awareness back to
loving and approving of yourself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here then is the excerpt…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Exercise: I approve of myself</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have given this exercise to hundreds of people, and the
results are phenomenal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the next
month, say over and over to yourself, “I APPROVE OF MYSELF”. Do this three or four hundred times a day, at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, it’s not too many times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you are worrying, you go over your
problem at least that many times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let “I
approve of myself” become a walking mantra, something you just say over and
over and over to yourself, almost nonstop.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When negative thoughts come up, such as “How can I approve
of myself when I am fat?” or “It’s silly to think this can do any good”, or
whatever your negative babble will be, this is the time to take mental
control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give these thoughts no
importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just see them for what they
are – another way to keep you stuck in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gently say to these thoughts, “I let you go;
I approve of myself.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even considering doing this exercise can bring up a lot of
stuff, like “It feels silly,” “It doesn’t feel true,” “It a lie,” “It sounds
stuck up,” or “how can I approve of myself when I do that?” Let all these thoughts just pass through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are only resistance thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have no power over you unless you choose
to believe them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I approve of myself, I approve of myself, I approve of
myself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter what happens, no
matter who says what to you, no matter who does what to you, just keep
going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, when you can say that to
yourself when someone is doing something you don’t approve of, you will know
you are growing and changing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
------</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thoughts have no power over us unless we give in to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thoughts are only words strung
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have NO MEANING
WHATSOEVER.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only we give meaning to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us choose to think thoughts
that nourish and support us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Part of self-acceptance is releasing other people’s
opinions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I were with you and kept
telling you, “You are a purple pig, you are a purple pig”, you would either
laugh at me, or get annoyed with me and think I was crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be most unlikely that you would
think it was true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet many of the
things we have chosen to believe about ourselves are just as far out and
untrue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To believe that your self-worth
is dependent on the shape of your body is your version of believing that “You
are a purple pig.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Often what we think of as the things “wrong” with us are
only our expressions of our own individuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is our uniqueness and what is special about us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nature never repeats itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since time began on this planet there have
never been two snowflakes alike or two raindrops the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And every daisy is different from every other
daisy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our fingerprints are different
and we are different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are meant to be
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we can accept this, then
there is no competition and no comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To try to be like another is to shrivel our soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have come to this planet to express who we
are.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-48055741234298967002012-04-26T07:02:00.002-07:002012-04-26T07:02:53.008-07:00The voices in our heads<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
What are the voices inside your head telling you? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s probably not a question that you are asked very often
nor even one that most of us ask ourselves. Admitting that there are voices
inside our heads makes it sound like we’re admitting to being crazy…yet the
voices are there for all of us. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In reality, the voices that we hear are nothing more than
our own thoughts “speaking” to us. They may take on the qualities of voices
that we’ve heard before from other people, television or movies but when you
get to the core of it, they all originate from within and so in essence they
are us. These voices can support and guide us or they can distract us or lead
us into trouble. It is all in the choice we make as to which voice to listen
to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>CRAZY OR DIVINE?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve all had those moments when we were talking to
ourselves, at first in our heads and then suddenly we realized that we were
speaking out loud in response. It seems that those verbal responses are where
we feel that we’re crossing the “crazy line”. As long as they stay inside, we
feel as if we are maintaining control of our sanity. But have you ever stopped
to really analyze all of this internal chatter and consider the impact that
it’s having on you?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These voices can take on a great many forms and tasks. They
can be as simple as a reminder like “don’t forget to stop at the store” or a
narrator that is chronicling our activities so that we can share our
experiences with others. They can be the supportive and encouraging voices that
tell us that we can take action in a moment of crisis or fear. Unfortunately
they can also be the voices that tell us that we are not good enough, smart
enough, pretty enough, tall enough, thin enough, strong enough…and on and on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Different cultures or schools of thought give these voices
different names. Religion refers to them as the voice of God and the voice of
the Devil. In Yogic philosophy they are referred to as Ego and Essence. The
Deer Tribe refers to them as ‘the pretender voice’ and the ‘authentic self’. No
matter what label we choose to put on them, ultimately it comes down to the
fact that they are all a part of our own individual consciousness because they
originate from within.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>SO MANY CHOICES OF
VOICES</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The tricky part about the voices is that it’s hard to tell
which ones we should listen to and which ones we should ignore. If we take the
stand that “they are all me so I should listen to them all” then we aren’t
really gaining much ground because often these voices are in conflict. “You
should do that” and “this is a bad plan” are two conflicting themes which arise
frequently for most of us and cause an extra layer of confusion. One the other
hand, ignoring all of them means that we miss some valuable guidance from
within that can help us navigate life more effectively.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a story about an old Cherokee man and his grandson
that illustrates this. The old man tells his grandson “There is a battle
between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed,
resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other one is good. It is joy, peace,
love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth.” The grandson thinks on this
and asks “Which wolf wins?” The grandfather replies “The one you feed.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The one we feed is indeed the one that hangs around and
grows. Each time we listen to that part of ourselves that draws us towards
negative behaviors or the belief that we are not good enough, that is feeding
that voice. We feed it with our attention. As I’ve said many times in this
blog, whatever we put our awareness on, it will grow because <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">energy follows awareness.</b> It’s like
watering plants. The ones that get water and sun (energy) grow and the ones
that do not get them will wither and die. The same holds true for the inner
voices.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>WHERE ARE THEY FROM
AND WHY ARE THEY THERE? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately the voices often arise from well meaning
sources. As children we are taught to judge ourselves in an attempt to
encourage us to be better people. We are shown role-models in the form of
spiritual teachers, family elders, “saviors” and world leaders then instructed
to measure ourselves against them as a way to be more like them. The bar for
our behavior gets set so high that we can never reach it because we are young
and don’t possess the skill set that the role-models do. We measure, fall short
and begin berating ourselves for the failure. It’s how we are taught to better
ourselves through comparison, competition and consequences for failing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Comparison to others will
never get us what we truly seek which is truthful information about ourselves.</b>
A comparison will only tell us how different we are from the person that we are
comparing ourselves to. Unfortunately, difference is read as failure because
that means that we did not achieve our goal which was “to be like that”. For
example, if I compare myself to a famous athlete, I might feel like a sports
failure. In the next minute I might compare myself to someone who has never
played a sport and then I could feel like a superstar. I haven’t changed in
that minute and my skills haven’t improved. One comparison leaves me feeling bad
about myself and the other good but in truth neither is accurate because it has
everything to do with who I am comparing to and nothing to do with me. The result
in both cases is that “I’m different” and that will always be true so the
comparison hasn’t really yielded the truth I sought. Unfortunately I’m left
with the judgmental voice comparing me to everyone looking for confirmation of
the belief that “I’m not good enough” and so the cycle perpetuates itself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>SILENCE THE PRETENDER</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That voice that says we aren’t good enough is the pretender
voice. It becomes such an integral part of us that we begin to identify with it
more than we do with our authentic self. That same voice can also give us a
superiority complex by systematically picking apart any and every person that
we meet in an effort to make ourselves look better because we don’t have their “flaw”.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Any conclusion reached by a comparison
to another person can never be the voice of our true self.</b> The pretender
voice is the one that keeps the story that we tell ourselves about ourselves
going. It keeps us from seeing the truth about ourselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So then how do we find the voice that we should listen to?
When we’ve spent a lifetime listening to the pretender voice it can be very
challenging to stop listening to it because it’s all that we’ve known. We
identify so closely with that voice as part of our internal dialogue that we
can’t imagine there being “another voice”…but there is. Below are some steps you
can take to begin the process of following your authentic voice. Bear in mind
that this is a process and not a task list. You will move at whatever pace you
can handle but the more you focus the faster you will see results.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>STEP 1: BE AWARE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first step in the process of silencing the pretender is simply
becoming aware of the pretender voice. The pretender voice is often like a
broken record that constantly keeps us down, holds us back and leads us astray.
This voice pretends to be our friend by doing things which keep us held back by
our fears because of the mistaken belief that “if something scares me that
means I should avoid it”, “I’m not good enough to do it”, “I don’t know how”, “I
can never learn that” or any other excuse that keeps us from changing. When you
begin to see all of the excuses and limiting beliefs for what they are, then
you can begin to change your response to them. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We can never change what we are unaware of. </b>Become aware of the
stream of thoughts that arise when you are faced with a new experience or a
desire to change something. Be aware but don’t get attached to the thoughts,
just be aware of them the same way you might be aware of a song that replays in
your head. “Oh, there’s that pretender voice again talking trash.”</div>
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<b>STEP 2: ENTER THE
SILENCE</b></div>
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Next begin to become aware of “the silence” because it is
where the authentic voice can be heard most clearly. The silence is the space
that is first <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/07/connecting-with-inner-divine.html" target="_blank">discovered in meditation</a>.
It is that space where the thoughts fade into the background and disappear and
where time ceases to have meaning. When you get a taste of what it feels like
to have that silence, the distracting noise created by the pretender voice will
become very unappealing and almost intolerable. The key here is to learn to
quiet the chatter so that the authentic voice can be heard more easily. It’s
always there and always has been. We’ve all been led astray by the pretender
voice because we’ve become attached to it. It truly cuts us off from our power
and keeps us from expressing our true self in the world.</div>
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<b>STEP 3: OPEN TO
GUIDANCE</b></div>
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Finally we have to open ourselves to the guidance that our
authentic voice will provide. This voice will always bring us guidance and
answers that are in alignment with our highest good because the authentic voice
is the voice of our higher self. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My higher
self and I are one and the same.</b> That’s true for everyone. There is no separation.
It is not an external entity that we’re trying to grow into or gain the favor
of through subservience. It is and always has been the part of us that is
directly connected to Source. It exists outside of the limits of time and space
in the energetic or Spirit realm.</div>
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The tricky thing about this voice is that it sounds so
familiar because we’ve really heard it all of our lives. Given that, it is easy
to miss. It is typically the very first response that we get when we are faced
with a choice or decision. It speaks to us through our intuition and our
thoughts. It is simple, easy and clear because it doesn’t rely on excuses or
explanations like the pretender voice. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Truth
needs no explanation or justification and the authentic voice is the voice of
truth.</b> The challenge is learning to trust it again because the pretender
voice has deluded us for so long.</div>
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<b>STEP 4: ALIGN WITH
THE AUTHENTIC VOICE</b></div>
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Trust builds over time. One way to begin to trust the
authentic voice is to try following what you think of as its guidance on a
small scale. Think about some mostly inconsequential thing that you’ve been
wanting to do but haven’t for whatever reason. Quiet yourself as best you can.
Focusing on the breath for a minute while letting the exhale lengthen as the
inhale deepens is a simple way to achieve this. Then ask yourself “should I (insert
the activity)?” and notice what happens. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
asking of the question is a key step because it is a request for guidance and it
puts you into a receptive state energetically. </b>We don’t ask questions about
what we already know to be true. We ask questions for the purpose of receiving
information. Just notice the very first gut reaction (which is this case will
probably be “yes” because it’s something you’ve been wanting to do after all)
and then notice all the excuses or “reasons” which follow it as to why you
should not do it. </div>
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Once you’ve been able to notice the pretender voice trying
to keep you from taking action then make the conscious choice to take action
anyway. Push yourself if you have to but take action so that you are honoring
your inner guidance and not getting distracted by the pretender voice. This is obviously
a staged scenario to begin the process but that’s okay. Commit to being open to
the guidance of your authentic self and commit to taking action on that
guidance. It’s about reestablishing trust within yourself after so many times
of listening to and following the guidance of your pretender voice. Take
action, even if you think (pretender voice) it might be wrong, just take
action.</div>
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Continue this process with all of your decisions, even
simple ones like “what is the best route for me to take to work today?” or “where
should I go for lunch?” This isn’t about only relying on this guidance for big
life changing decisions. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This process is
about learning to request, recognize, trust and act upon the guidance from your
higher self. </b>The more you do it the more automatic and instinctive it will
become but you <u>have to take action</u>. If you get the guidance and take no
action or the opposite action, then you aren’t completing the cycle and nothing
will change. You’ll continue to get the guidance, continue to ignore it and
continue to wonder how others seem to manifest all that they need and have
their lives flow so smoothly. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This
victim mentality will continue to hold you in a place of inactivity.</b></div>
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In many ways, you might think of the authentic voice and the
pretender voice as the little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the
other. Your authentic voice is the voice of the Divine expressing itself as
you. The pretender voice is NOT you. It is the accumulated baggage that has
been passed on to you from external sources (family, friends, organized
religion, political leaders, etc.) and is full of their judgments and fears. They
won’t always be in conflict but more often than not they will.</div>
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<b>STEP 5: ALWAYS SEARCH
FOR THE LESSON</b></div>
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The final component to this process is the review. This is
about taking the time to process what happens after you take action on the
guidance. It will be very easy to say “I asked if I should do X and I did it
and this bad thing happened so I’m not going to do that anymore.” Recognize
that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the most powerful lessons come from
our failures</b>. Sometimes the only way to get lessons is through failure
because they teach us a better way to do something. Examine the whole process
with an open mind. Did you truly listen to the authentic voice or did you
second guess it because the answer was “too hard”? Did you encounter the need
for more assistance while taking action and you choose to ignore it? What is
the lesson in this for you especially if the outcome was a “failure”? Remember
the lessons are positive even if the experience is negative. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Searching for what the experience has to
teach you is far more valuable than focusing on the cost of the mistake</b>. </div>
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The lessons may not always appear as obvious and it may not
even be perceptible until the experience has played out fully over a longer
period of time. Sometimes you may review an experience and extract what you
think is the lesson from the experience. A month or so later you may have an
experience unfold that was only possible because of what happened to you in the
original incident and now you have new data on the experience and so a new or
more complete lesson may emerge. Be open to this type of revision and learning
and remember to look at not only all of the events of the experience but also those
that were related to it that helped to get the experience set up.</div>
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For example I may choose to go hear a certain speaker who
might share something with me that can literally change my life by helping me
see where I am constantly re-engaging a destructive pattern and preventing
myself from changing and growing. That might sting and cause me to feel like a
failure but I will eventually grow from it. That information will only have
been able to reach me because in the past I opened to the guidance which led me
to make the decision to see the speaker. If you just looked at the experience you
might say “Oh, I learned that I was a failure. I shouldn’t have gone to hear
the speaker.” But if you see it as “I opened to my inner guidance, listened to
the speaker and discovered an area for growth in myself” then you have taken in
the whole experience.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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</div>
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<b>BE GENTLE</b></div>
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The key to relearning this process is gentleness. Accept
that as a human operating through past experiences based upon our limited senses,
we can never know it all. So be gentle with yourself for NOT knowing. Learning
to re-orient around the Divine wisdom that has been flowing to us all along and
letting go of our past wounded beliefs can be challenging and scary because it’s
not what we’ve been taught to do. You will make mistakes and you will second
guess yourself but that’s okay. Be gentle with yourself and forgive yourself
for the mistake and find the lesson to grow with. The more you learn to find
and trust the authentic voice, the more your life will flow effortlessly and you
will be able to manifest all that you require. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The process takes time so please be loving with yourself while you
learn.</b></div>
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<b>What guidance is your authentic voice giving you right now?</b></div>
</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-63729301235043864912012-04-09T06:43:00.000-07:002012-04-09T06:44:37.299-07:00Male / Female Energetics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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At this point in our lives, we are all very well aware that
there are males and females and for as long as we can remember, there always have
been. There are also those born into one gender that feel they are actually the
opposite gender. There is even a tiny portion of the population that have both
male and female genitalia. No matter what genitals we posses on the outside, we
all have masculine and feminine energies within us. </div>
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<b>DEFINITION OF TERMS</b></div>
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When most people hear the term “masculine and feminine
energies”, they think of outward expressions and mannerisms rather than the
underlying energies which generate these outward actions. There is a fine line
there so for the purposes of this discussion, let me clarify the differences
and define the terms that I’ll be using. I’ll use <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">male/female</b> or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">man/woman</b>
when I am referencing the physical body with the reference being based upon genitalia.
I’ll use the terms <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">manly/girly</b> to
reference the outward actions which our culture stereotypically assigns to each
gender. Finally I’ll use the terms <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">masculine/feminine</b>
to reference the core <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism" target="_blank">electromagnetic energetics</a></u> within each of us.</div>
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The masculine energy is about outward moving, generative, aggressive,
protective, hunter-gather energies. From an electromagnetic standpoint, masculine
energy has a positive charge to it. Regardless of our gender, the masculine
energies are housed on the right side of the body. The feminine energy is about
inward moving, receptive, nurturing, nesting energies. Feminine energy has a
negative electromagnetic charge to it. These energies are housed on the left side
of our bodies. You can think of these two energetics as polar opposites which
balance each other like opposite sides of a magnet. There is enough attraction
and repulsion between them that they create a balanced stability within the
human body structure.</div>
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<b>BE AWARE OF STEREOTYPES AND JUDGMENTS</b></div>
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The manly or girly actions, while not directly related to
the core energetics, certainly have their base in the definitions of those
energetics. Our culture typically relegates fighting, hunting and aggressive
actions to men and so these become “manly” actions. We also tend to associate nest
making, child bearing and rearing, passive or softer actions to females and
thus they become “girly” actions. The judgments upon these actions as either manly
or girly have less to do with the action than they do with our culturally based
stereotypes associated with our human need to understand the world around us through
pattern matching. </div>
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The ability to rapidly define something works to our
advantage to help us decide how to respond to it. As such our belief about
someone typically forms first from stereotypical norms handed down to us by
society and our parents. If the person is male “they should” act in certain
ways and in other ways if they are female. When people move outside those
norms, the cognitive dissonance between our own internal expected behavior
model and their actions is what generates the conflict that we see so
prevalently in the world. We typically fear what we don’t understand and we are
uncomfortable with difference.</div>
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<b>WE ALL HAVE BOTH</b></div>
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When we get down to the core energetics of masculine and
feminine, we see the energies that typically drive the actions associated with
the gender based stereotypes. Remember, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">we all have both of these energetics regardless of gender</b>.
These energies are so subtle and yet intimately familiar to us that most of us
aren’t even aware that we are using them or that there is even a distinction
between. It is when we choose to ignore them or block them that we run into
trouble.</div>
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Pure masculine energy is about outward moving protective energy.
This is energy which moves out to protect us and to gather information on our
surroundings and the environment. This energy can be felt easily when we move
into new surroundings as part of that initial “what’s going on here and is it
safe?” scan of the area that we all do either consciously or unconsciously.</div>
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Pure feminine energy is about inward moving receptive energy.
This is the energetic part of us that receives information and processes it and
contains it. This energy can be felt when we hug someone or comfort them if
they are in an emotional state. That feeling of “I’ve got you and am here for
you” is the nurturing energetic in action.</div>
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Our bodies hold both energetics regardless of our gender and
therefore we are constantly utilizing both energies throughout our day and our
lives. We may be more or less comfortable with one or the other because of our
upbringing or socialization. As we become more comfortable with ourselves and
the variety of energetic patterns that we run, we have greater access to these
energetics to use to construct our lives in a conscious fashion. Rather than
depending upon the opposite gender to handle the actions not directly
associated with our birth gender, we learn to be self-sufficient and use our
own energies to ensure that our needs are met. We do not need anyone else to “complete”
us. We are all complete and whole beings as is. We are social creatures however
and our desire to have friends and sexual partners comes from the desire to be
a part of the whole rather than to fill a missing piece of ourselves. To
believe that we have to have a man to do the manly things or a woman to do the
girly things is nothing more than an excuse to remain in victim mode. As long
as we exist in victim mode, we’ll never be able to fully claim our own power to
consciously create a life that pleases us and meets our needs. </div>
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<b>OWN YOUR POWER</b></div>
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To get conscious use of these core energetics, we have to
start with the acceptance of the fact that we have them. From there, we have to
learn to make use of them and practice self-care with them. When we deny our
ability to harness these energies because of our fear of judgment or even past
failures, we cut ourselves off from our true power. Typically we will struggle
with the energetics of our opposite gender because our culture doesn’t
encourage us to embrace those energies within ourselves. Guys are socialized to
be rough and tumble dudes and girls are praised and valued for their beauty and
home making skills. Despite that, we each have times where we know that we’ve
utilized both energies successfully and grown from the experience in ways that
we would never have done by relying on someone else to handle it for us.</div>
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Self-care happens and is most nourishing when we utilize
both energies and allow them to flow freely. When we consciously do activities
which nurture our bodies (massage, meditation, baths, rest, etc.), we honor and
empower the inner feminine. This one is obviously easier for women because they
are used to pampering themselves more than men. When we honor ourselves by
standing up for our needs or boundaries or we exercise to strengthen our bodies,
we are honoring the inner masculine. This is something more natural to men
because we are taught to fight and challenge others to protect what is ours. As
we journey on the road to wholeness within ourselves, we have to learn from others
of both genders how to utilize and nourish both energetics more fully. If we
only focus on one energetic to the detriment of the other, we give our power
away.</div>
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<b>HUMAN BATTERIES</b></div>
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In the above information I mentioned that the masculine and
feminine energies are housed on opposite sides of the body but there is more to
that story than just housing the energies. If you think of a battery for the
following discussion it may be a bit easier to relate it to your own body. Let’s
use a standard AA battery as an example. When you look at the battery there is
the positive end that has the little nipple that sticks out and the negative
end which is typically flat or slightly indented. The two ends of the batteries
are typically referred to as the poles. Energy flows into the battery through
the negative (receptive) pole and out through the positive (generative) and
this generates the current. Within the battery, the charge that it is holding
is stored down in the battery but the connection to the outer world happens
through the poles.</div>
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Our bodies function on the electromagnet level in that same
way but how that functions depends upon our gender. For all of us, one end of
our battery is at that base of our spine down in the pelvic region and the
other is not at the top of our head as you might think but rather at our heart
center. Our hearts generate a very strong electromagnetic current. For men, our
positive pole is at our pelvis and our negative pole is at our heart. For
women, it is opposite. Our genitals are a clear expression of that energetic
flow. Cocks send out energy and vaginas receive it. Once you become familiar
with these energetic poles and their function and you begin using them
consciously, life in general will flow more easily for you and you will have a
wider range of options available to you in interpersonal interactions. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2szd2dI5h-OqLRTaj_ZHg1MKLj0on75OGWIikAQUl3QW0Hihbm61PCOKB-yFUOrLv7a9_kgaHAep1QoBGj67MerdbJ-BuEGuxhEXW_dzF8uznAdti-jdn3gkKxv5_PpqBHr08cwsHhys/s1600/male+female.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2szd2dI5h-OqLRTaj_ZHg1MKLj0on75OGWIikAQUl3QW0Hihbm61PCOKB-yFUOrLv7a9_kgaHAep1QoBGj67MerdbJ-BuEGuxhEXW_dzF8uznAdti-jdn3gkKxv5_PpqBHr08cwsHhys/s400/male+female.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>EXPLORATORY EXERCISE</b></div>
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A full discussion on the topic of using these energetic
centers consciously in our daily interactions would take up a great deal of
space here and potentially be too much information to share in this format. For
now I will encourage you to take some quiet time and become familiar with these
two energetic centers. The best way to learn about anything is to put your full
awareness on it consciously and explore it for yourself. In the following
paragraphs I will share a simple technique for doing just that.</div>
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First, find some <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">alone</b> time and space. To really get an accurate feel for
what this exercise does, you need to ensure that no one (not even pets) is in
your energetic field (at least 5-8 feet in each direction). Having other beings
around you will distort your readings because their system will be responding
to yours and yours to theirs.</div>
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Begin by getting your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism" target="_blank">Basics</a> (remember that’s all 4 steps
not just grounding) in place. Spend some time with this and then get a feel for what it is like
when you are calm, centered, balanced and just dealing with your energy. That
feeling is the end result of having your Basics fully in place. For the
purposes of this exercise, consider this your baseline. Ideally if you have
been practicing the Basics since I introduced them to you, you will have been
doing that in all situations to a point where it is happening constantly and
you are in a balanced and stable place energetically. (If not, I hope you will
start sooner rather than later.) This is an important step because in the
following exercise you are going to be modifying and manipulating your energy
field and so starting from a neutral place is the only way to really be able to
track the shift. </div>
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Next, put your full awareness into your
receptive/negative/feminine center. Close your eyes, go inside and just put all
of your thoughts and awareness into that physical location as described above
based upon your gender. Hold this awareness for at least 30 seconds and then begin
to notice how you feel. Spend some time observing any tingles or sensations
that arise within the body. Notice any shifts in mood or even a change in your
thoughts or desires. Compare these to your baseline feelings to become
consciously aware of how it feels to be fully in the feminine. </div>
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When you believe you have a good feel for that, let your
thoughts go from that center and move your full awareness into your masculine
center. Again, hold your awareness there for at least 30 seconds before you
begin observing the feelings. This time compare the sensations, emotions and
thoughts to those you had while holding the feminine. Really get a good felt sense
for what it is like FOR YOU when you are consciously holding the masculine. We
all interpret things differently so let go of what you think it means to be
masculine or feminine and simply observe what it feels like for you when you
hold these centers. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This will
be invaluable data for you as you move through life.</b></div>
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Spend some time moving back and forth between these two
centers now but remember to hold your focus on each center for about 30 seconds
to really get a feel for the experience. 30 seconds will give your subconscious
time to pick up the desire from your conscious mind and act on it. Once you
have a good feel for the shift that happens from center to center, take some
time to balance these centers by splitting your focus and holding both centers
at once. This will be a little tricky at first for most people because we aren’t
used to observing two places within our bodies at once. Typically we focus on
something when it starts hurting or calling for attention in some way. As you
are able to focus your thoughts on both centers at once <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">equally </b>you should begin to
feel a third set of sensations (the balanced state) which should be compared to
what you felt individually at either center. Remember these “feelings” are
very, very subtle.</div>
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The observation of the sensations at each point in this
exercise is as important as any other piece. The more you become aware of how
it feels when you are more in one or the other center, the more information you’ll
have that will help you know when you are out of balance energetically. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Learning to hold an equal balance in these
two centers will change the way others relate and respond to you.</b>
Experiment with that and see for yourself but just remember that opposite
energies attract. The more you consciously hold (and thus charge) your
masculine center, the more this will attract the feminine energy in others in
your field (or aura) and vice-versa. The more you can hold a balance between
these two centers, the more it will attract a balanced interaction with others
regardless of gender.</div>
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<b>STAY IN BALANCE</b></div>
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There are a lot of ways that you can use this information in
your daily life. The techniques involved in that exceed the scope of this blog
however so I won’t discuss them here. I mention this to hopefully inspire you
to explore that for yourself and see what your body can teach you. The most
important thing that I hope you will take away from this is that holding
awareness on these two centers in the balanced state is ideal for daily living.
If you find yourself “in your head” too much, overly sexually stimulated or
overly emotional, you can believe that you are out of balance between these two
centers. The good news is that with just your awareness and intention you can
bring them back into balance easily.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What energetics are you magnetically attracting into your
life? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-26050832060116201222012-04-02T06:57:00.000-07:002012-04-02T06:57:07.039-07:00Shaking off winter lethargy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Greetings dear readers. Thank you for continuing to check
here to see if I’ve written any new posts lately. I get stat counts off of this
site and so I know that some of you are still out there and I’m grateful for
that. I haven’t been posting much lately because I have had a change in my
personal life and unfortunately I have allowed that to become an excuse to be
lazy. I can be a master procrastinator and since I try and do this blog writing
early in the morning, if I delay getting up, writing will have to wait until
tomorrow…and then the next day and the next.</div>
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It frustrates me because I want to write and yet I’m not
doing it. I have several other things that I’m not doing and I keep saying I
need to start doing again but they too lose out to this need for extra sleep.
It really saddens me that I’ve let things overwhelm me this way but life
happens and it was obviously a choice I made to sleep rather than resume my
normal uninterrupted life. Now I’m consciously choosing to get out of bed and
get back to the things in my life that bring me joy, such as writing this blog,
meditating, getting exercise and just generally taking better care of myself.
To add an extra layer of motivation for myself, I’m writing this note to you so
that I can begin to build energy around re-engaging this writing.</div>
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Thank you for continuing to read what I’m sharing. I know
that we all have busy lives and I am honored that you would take time out of
yours to listen to what I have to say. I hope to have a least one post a month
to start and build back up to more frequent posts. If you are on Facebook,
please “Like” my page at "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvolvingMichael" target="_blank">Michael- Evolutionary Energy Educator</a>". I make posts there when I put a blog entry
here so that you’ll know without having to check here. I also plan to re-engage
posting short inspirational messages there while I work on the large posts for
here.</div>
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May you be blessed in all that you do,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Michael</div>
</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-40072180331043214572012-02-13T06:40:00.000-08:002012-02-13T06:56:47.156-08:002012 at last<div class="MsoNormal">
At long last, it’s here. 2012 is no longer an ominous year that’s somewhere in our future but rather it is our reality. I have no idea what all is in store for us as a species or as a planetary body but I have no doubt that it will be one of the most transformative years that any of us who are alive will ever see. What that transformation looks like however is where the mystery and excitement is.</div>
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The last I heard, there are at least twelve different cultures that have passed down stories and information which point to December of this year as a critical timeframe for us. Most of them indicate that major transformations will occur during this time but none state exactly what that change will look like, understandably. Since these prophecies were written thousands of years ago we can’t ask those who wrote them more questions about what they foresaw so we can only guess and wait it out. Given that there are so many variables going into how the future that we choose to create will look, they could not possibly give us that information anyway.</div>
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I’ve shared <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/07/cycles-within-cycles-within-cycles.html" target="_blank">my thoughts on 2012</a> previously from an entry that I originally wrote in October of 2007 (which was way before I began this blog). In re-reading it myself, I see that there isn’t anything that I disagree with or think that I was off-base with but now I have more details from the study I’ve been doing on it and so my view has expanded. Unfortunately much of the new information that I’ve come across is information on more problematic situations which will be reaching their peak during this year. Since I know that this is an area I focus on perhaps more than the average person, I’d like to briefly share information on the things which could present problems for us and then follow that with the good things it could bring out in us.</div>
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Solar cycle</div>
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Our Sun goes through cycles of solar magnetic activity where changes in the amount of irradiation we receive rise and fall. Each of these solar cycles average around 11 years. Scientists know that the current solar cycle will reach its peak this year. During the peaks of these cycles, the amount of solar flares and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection" target="_blank">coronal mass ejections</a> (two video images of this can be seen on that link) grow and become more frequent. Normally thanks to the earth’s magnetic field these eruptions are deflected around the planet and continue on out into the outer part of our solar system. This process is seen on Earth as the Northern Lights. If we experience a direct hit from one of these CME’s it could potentially knock out most or all of our satellites as well as completely disrupt our electrical grids. Imagine our planet being plunged into darkness and all communications disrupted. The blackout wouldn’t hurt us but the panic from our inhabitants fighting for survival would. </div>
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Nemesis</div>
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Most stars that science has observed travel in sets of two or three. It has always been believed that our star, the Sun, was all alone but this may not be true. Because of all that we hear from scientists, there is the general belief that they know about everything that is anywhere around our planet and especially about anything which may be headed our way. This unfortunately isn’t anywhere close to the truth. Science is actually only aware of an incredibly small portion, 10% or less, of what is around us and potentially headed our way. What they are detecting now however is a major change in our magnetic field. It is being pulled and stretched by a large body of energy and the pull is getting stronger all the time. Some believe that our Sun’s twin, called Nemesis, is moving towards us as part of its highly elliptical gravitation orbit with the Sun.</div>
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Logically one might say that if another star were moving towards us, we’d see it and know about it but unfortunately this isn’t the case. Not every star emits the exact same type of light frequencies that our Sun does. We can’t see infrared or ultraviolet light with our eyes but we know it exists because we have created equipment that can detect it. Some stars emit light in the visible spectrum which is outside the range that our eyes and potentially even current technology can detect. Scientists believe this is the case for Nemesis. They can’t find it yet but everything tends to indicate that it is out there somewhere and moving closer. It won’t come crashing through our solar system of course but its gravitational pull on our planet and the Sun could wreak havoc on us.</div>
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Yellowstone</div>
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Most people aren’t really aware of it but one of the largest and potentially most powerfully destructive super volcanoes on the planet sits in the middle of Yellowstone National Park. Unlike other volcanoes that sit above ground with a large mountain to indicate that they are there, the Yellowstone volcano is only barely visible at the surface and only detectable when viewed from the air. The caldera of that volcano is where the center of the park is located and accounts for all of the geothermal activity in the area.</div>
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By studying this volcanoes history of eruptions, scientists have determined that typically this super volcano erupts about every 600,000 years. Because of the enormity of these eruptions, it triggers planetary chaos and mass extinction. Research has shown that the last eruption was about 640,000 years ago. Further, scientists have also determined that the land in the center of the caldera is beginning to rise quite noticeably indicating that an eruption is possible at any time quite honestly. Given that we’re 40,000 years overdue, it could happen today or sometime in the next hundred years. There’s just no way of exactly predicting when it will erupt.</div>
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That is just one of the volcanic scenarios which could occur. There are countless other super volcanoes around the planet which could easily erupt in our lifetime and could cause mass extinction of plants, animals and even humans. For me to attempt to explain them all and the effect they could have would take me countless hours to document but know that trouble is brewing across the globe when it comes to natural disasters.</div>
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Aliens</div>
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Yep, aliens. Our planet is full of physical structures and anomalies which modern science cannot explain and that modern technology could not reproduce. The pyramids of Egypt are pretty familiar examples of these types of structures. Because of their location however they are associated with Egyptian history and written off as man-made tombs for the Pharaohs’ despite the fact that there is absolutely no archeological evidence to support that. Modern science has yet to determine the real purpose of the pyramids but more is being learned about them all the time as new passages are being discovered and uncovered with new technology. Modern architects doubt that it would be possible for us to build a structure like that today even with all of the technology that we have at our disposal.</div>
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One of the more fascinating places to me however is in the Nazca Desert in southern Peru called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_Lines" target="_blank">Nazca Lines</a>. When viewed in its current state, from the air there are what appear to be large geoglyphs in the shape of various animals or interconnecting straight lines which resemble airport runways. There are various theories as to what these lines mean and who created them but there is no definitive explanation. </div>
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What isn’t obvious about them is that they exist in the middle of a large uninhabitable mountain range. They run across several mountains which have had the top of the mountains removed to create a flat surface for the airport-like lines. All of the other mountain tops in the area are untouched and retain the typical pointed peaks that we associate with mountains. There is even one “road” which is over a 1,000 miles long. It runs across mountain tops and ranges which have had their peaks removed to create this very perfectly flat surface. The kick with this area is that even though it is clear that these flat surfaces were created by mountain top removal, there is absolutely no evidence of where the massive amount of rubble from the peak removal went. Despite all of our technological advances, it has been determined that there is no way we could create these surfaces today given their location and the volume of dirt which would need to be removed.</div>
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These unexplainable structures, along with an abundance of archeological evidence from mysterious places around the globe, point to a similar race of beings (commonly known as the Annunachi) in text, hieroglyphs and petro glyphs. All of the sites also have indications that these beings will return one day. This evidence comes from various locations and diverse cultures which could not possibly have been aware of and communicating with each other because of the physical distance between them on the planet. </div>
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Imagine the planetary wide chaos which will occur the second that we gain concrete evidence that intelligent life-forms exist. We actually already have plenty of evidence to support a belief in intelligent non-human existence on this planet but it’s all covered up and explained away in an effort to prevent this type of chaotic outcome. The fear of our fear as a species drives us farther and farther from the truth. The fear of disrupting our fragile planetary belief system which says that we are the only intelligent species in the Universe is causing our leaders to do a lot of things which are not really in our greatest interest.</div>
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Which will it be?</div>
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The above information lays out at least four possible scenarios which could occur and result in devastating consequences for the human race. Will any of these happen and if so, what will their effect be? Well that is anyone’s guess and only time will tell. Any of these could occur with any number of possible outcomes and consequences. There are also plenty of other events which could transpire with varying degrees of destructive outcomes. There is no way of telling what will happen when or even at all.</div>
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With the above scenarios in mind, let’s step back and relate this information back to the prophecies. At least two of the above scenarios, super volcano eruptions and technology disrupting solar cycles, don’t really fit as likely candidates because they can’t be calculated. (Solar cycles can be calculated but determining the impact that they will have on future technology can’t be.) For unrelated cultures to point to a specific date to bring our attention to indicates that there needs to be either a cyclical event such as the movement of celestial bodies (Nemesis) or a scheduled event (alien return) for them to reference against. Without a predictable or cyclical event then referencing a particular time-frame would have to be pure conjecture. It is difficult to believe that twelve different ancient cultures from across the globe would “randomly” pick the same future date and then go to the effort these have gone to ensure that we were made aware of it. There has to be more to it than that.</div>
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It will be what it will be</div>
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Ultimately only time will tell what outcome we will experience because the future is not set in stone. We could fall into the depths of our fear and engage in a global nuclear war that wipes us all out. We could get hit by a massive asteroid or our environment could shift back into a planet covering ice age. Or most importantly, we could wake up as a collective species to our full potential where we could co-create a future of possibilities that we can’t even imagine at this point in time.</div>
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The bottom line on this is that there is nothing we can do to prevent any of the naturally occurring phenomenon. We also cannot prevent a more evolved species from coming for a visit. Why should we choose to live in the fear of the unpredictable? The crisis that any of the scenarios present could be our <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/10/guiding-principals-part-2.html" target="_blank">evolutionary driver</a>. We can only examine the possibilities that we see while we continue to try and make sense out of the messages that were left for us as to what we might anticipate in the future. We can only do our best by trying to be as awake, aware and alert as possible to what is happening now and the potential which exists for us as a planetary body. The future will take care of itself. The only thing we can control in the meantime is ourselves.</div>
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Will you choose to live in fear or to focus on potential?</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14468204283900473833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-5482934006314244132011-12-15T09:47:00.001-08:002011-12-15T09:47:43.279-08:00My chaotic journey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In February of this year, I participated in the “<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/03/man-of-steel.html" target="_blank">ShamanicDe-armoring</a>” ceremony which was created and presented by the Deer Tribe out of Mesa,
Arizona. It really rocked my world and in some very powerful ways. At the end
of that experience, we were given some summary sheets that showed us the
energetic condition we were in when we arrived and how we looked upon
completion. These sheets were a summary of what the people running the ceremony
saw in our energy field. It was about 8 pages of information and I remember
thinking “Wow, I wish I could read all that information, it would sure help me
in my own practice to know all of this about the men I work with.” In October I
went to Mesa for a two week training session where I learned to do that very
thing. Oh my, what an experience that was!</div>
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<b>THE DEER TRIBE</b></div>
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A couple of years ago as part of the energy class that I’m
in, our reading assignment for the month was “Song of the Deer”. It was written
by the leader of the Deer Tribe, Thunder Strikes. I remember reading the book
and thinking “this just all makes so much sense” and it felt like it was in
total alignment with my belief system but just far more detailed. Thunder
Strikes was one of the guest speakers at the <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/09/synchronicity.html" target="_blank">ASEP conference that I attended acouple years ago</a>. I remembered being awed by all that he had to
say and thinking I’d love to get to learn more from him. It seems that little
by little I was being drawn to his teachings.</div>
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The Deer Tribe teaches that our physical body is just one
tiny component of our energy field. At this point most people have heard of
“the aura”, the energetic rings surrounding our physical body. The Deer Tribe
teaches that the energetic rings of the aura form the outer shell of the
Luminous Egg Cocoon (LEC). In addition to the 5 layers of auric rings there are
a whole host of other energetic components along with the body which compromise
the LEC in total. Learning to read all of these components is what the class I
attended was all about.</div>
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<b>OWNING OUR TRUTH</b></div>
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We <b>all</b> have
psychic gifts and abilities which are available to us. Most of us have chosen
to block that information out at a very early age because we were taught that
we were either making it up or worse yet evil for being able to see the unseen.
When we make the choice to shut it out, opening it back up can be challenging
and scary. As part of that willingness to engage the psychic realm again we not
only have to contend with a flood of new information but we also have to
process all of our accumulated emotional baggage around why we chose to block
it out all of these years and the consequences of that decision in our lives. </div>
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The men I work with are all in varying stages of
self-acceptance and each is dealing with their own sexual and spiritual wounds
in their own way. A major factor for any of us on that journey is denial.
Rather than fully claiming our power and acknowledging our part in creating all
of the experiences that we’ve had, we create false personalities composed of
what we think others can love and accept. That becomes the false egoic self
that we form our identity around. It is what the Deer Tribe calls the
“pretender voice”. We put all of the parts that we believe are unlovable, by
others or ourselves, into what is called “the shadow self”. The shadow self is
basically all the parts of ourselves that we deny, reject or repress. Neither
of these, the pretender voice and the shadow self, is the full measure of who
we really are but we delude ourselves into believing that our pretender voice is
who we are and our shadow self is who we are not.</div>
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For most of us, our pretender voice has become the only
voice that we associate with internally because we believe it is “me”. In my
work, when I speak with my clients they respond from the projected self and
that makes my work challenging because to truly help them I have to be able to
see under that projection and into what is really true for them. The only way
so far for me to access that information has been to gain it psychically and
slowly over a series of sessions until I can get a good handle on what’s going
on for them. In my work I’ve been slowly learning to not only notice these
psychic abilities within myself but I’ve actually come to rely on them. My own
journey into trusting that information is unfolding along with me as I work
with my clients.</div>
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<b>SEEING INTO THE UNSEEN</b></div>
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Now I wish I could say that I went to the training and they
showed me a magic button that I could press on a body where suddenly I could
see all of these energetic indicators, auric rings and moving lights. If only
it were that easy, but it was not. Not only did we have to learn what all is in
there, where it is and what it does but we also had to learn to see, intuit or
feel it based upon our particular primary psychic energy gifts. To say that
this was a challenge for me would be a gross understatement. The analogy that I
gave Thunder Strikes for how I felt was: it’s like you’ve put me in a dark room
and filled it with some wild animals that I’ve never seen before and you tell
me to find one. When I manage to feel around and finally get my hands on one,
the question you ask is “what did it eat for dinner last week?” It’s all so
foreign that when I finally get a glimmer of understanding of what I’m looking
for then the problem becomes determining what that means.</div>
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While I felt like I was truly taking a shot in the dark for
most of the two weeks that I was there, it really pushed me hard and made me
look at my own pretender voice and how much I identify with it. “I can’t do
this”, “I don’t know how”, “I’m not as good as everyone else” and “I keep
getting it wrong”. I wanted to get it so badly that all I could focus on was
the problems I had and that led to a couple of emotional meltdowns. Those
meltdowns of course opened a pathway to healing the issue for me and it mostly
came back to issues of self-worth or self-pity.</div>
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<b>THE OUTSIDER</b></div>
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To hopefully help you see how these issues might be
manifesting in your life and blocking you from achieving your goals, I’d like
to share how they showed up for me in the class. This class is primarily
offered to those on the Deer Tribe path but those outside the path can attend
as well. I was the only one of the 12 students that was not an apprentice on
the path. Being on the “Deer Tribe path” simply means that you study the
teachings of their spiritual lineage. Once I discovered that this was the case,
I immediately felt myself at a disadvantage because the extent of my exposure
to their teachings came during Shamanic De-armoring, from reading “Song of the Deer”
and some teachings that I’ve received in the energy class that I’m in.</div>
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I noticed myself not wanting to continually have to say
“what does that mean?” when ThunderStrikes was teaching and would use a term or
concept that was new to me but was familiar to the rest of the class. I didn’t
want to appear to be “the dumb one” or to be the one that holds up the learning
progress of the class by asking too many questions. To that end, during the
first 3 or 4 days of the class unless it seemed really important, I would
rarely ask for clarification or definition of terms and I would just try and go
with the flow and ask for clarification from the other students after class. My
sense of low self-worth was preventing me from getting the teachings that I
deserved whether it slowed anyone else down or not. Not having the depth of
knowledge that the other on the path had and therefore unable to fully grasp
the teachings being presented was just another way for me to stay in victim
mode. Being in victim mode is one way that we all manifest self-pity. </div>
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<b>OLD PATTERNS</b></div>
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In general, we all seek attention (energy) through the
actions that we generate. This is a pattern that we learn as infants. If I cry,
pout, misbehave, act out, go silent or become a pleaser, I get attention. Even
if it is negative attention, it is still attention. Feeling sorry for myself or
getting you to feel sorry for me is one way that I can get attention. This is why so many people are all too
willing to share all that is wrong in their lives so that they can gain
sympathy (attention). Of course the
older and wiser we become, the more crafty our attention seeking devices
become…even to the point where we don’t consciously notice them ourselves until
a situation brings them to light. This is one of the things that the training
experience did for me.</div>
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Once it was pointed out to me that this was the energetic
behind my behaviors, I knew it had to change and from that point on I got
clarification on anything which I didn’t understand. In fact one of the most
powerful teachings that we received in the class came from me saying “I don’t
understand what that means”. ThunderStrikes then took the time to explain what
he meant in depth and even one of the teachers of the class said “I’ve never
understood this like I understand it now.” The class consciousness benefited
in that instance from me being willing to transcend my issues of self-worth and
self-pity. That is also the way it works for the human collective
consciousness. The entire collective benefits from the healing and growth of
the individuals. </div>
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<b>MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SENSES</b></div>
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Our physical bodies reside here in the 3<sup>rd</sup>
Dimension. In this realm we use sight, sound, taste, touch and smell to
navigate our world and identify its components. Since the LEC is non-physical
it cannot be read by our five senses but rather it must be read, or as the Deer
Tribe calls it “gleaned”, by our energetic (or psychic) senses. The journey
into trusting these senses is more complicated because these gifts are not honored
in this world (and especially this country) the way they should be and so this
is mostly uncharted territory. Fortunately that is shifting and more and more
of us are waking up to these gifts and owning them and the data they bring us.</div>
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As we began the training, I’ll admit that my skepticism was
running high the first few days. I really began doubting that all we were being
told was what was going on inside the LEC and that the techniques we were being
shown would help me read it. Each evening we would all gather in the training
room and the rest of us would glean one of students from our class. Around the
third or fourth evening is when I was able to pull back from the “doing” and
realize that if we were all independently reading one person and coming up with
the same answers, it couldn’t be just “lucky guesses”. That was one of many “AH
HA” moments for me. Once I let that awareness sink in, I began to feel more
confident about my own ability to read and trust the information I was getting
back. </div>
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Once I began trusting the information I was getting then I
had to look at what that information, which was in my LEC too, really meant to
me and said about me. It basically came down to “it’s there, it describes you
and you can read it too.” Through my actions and experiences I ran full speed
into my own doubts and fears and dispelled them. When presented with the conflict between
validated experiential data and my own personal denial drama, I realized that
my old story was false. If I dropped my own pitiful story of “I can’t” that
would mean that I would have to start seeing myself differently. My pretender
voice could not stand on its own against my current reality. Needless to say,
an emotional meltdown followed this realization and I had to change. </div>
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<b>THE CYCLE OF CHAOS</b></div>
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At the most basic level, change is what I sought from my
experience with the Deer Tribe. Anytime that we choose to consciously engage an
experience that it outside of our normal routine, we disrupt our patterned
behavior. Breaking a pattern is intentionally introducing <a href="http://www.halexandria.org/dward165.htm" target="_blank">chaos</a> into our lives. Since everything in a state of chaos seeks order and everything
ordered ultimately breaks down into chaos, change is the catalyst (that which brings
the energy of movement to that cycle). Anytime a structured system breaks down,
when it reorganizes it does so at a higher level of consciousness. This is true
for internal energetic systems and it is also true for external systems that we
see in life. So what this teaches us is that in order to grow and consciously
evolve we have to disrupt our patterned behaviors, ride out the chaos and allow
our awareness to increase in the process. Resisting the chaos or going into
victim mode because of it, holds us in the chaotic state and slows our growth. The
main difference between conscious and unconscious evolution is therefore awareness.</div>
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As you may have noticed, I went to the class in October and
it is currently mid-December. I sought change and I got it. Yes, I learned some
amazing things in the training class and got some powerful teachings from
ThunderStrikes in the process but I also have been through some serious chaos.
The time between the class and the completion of this posting is due to me
trying to get a handle on all the change which has occurred since the training.
That however will be food for a future posting.</div>
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<b>INVITE THE CHOAS IN</b></div>
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For now, I invite you to examine the places in your life
where you see stagnation, fear, or resistance. Start with a simple issue and
see if you can <i><b>consciously</b></i> introduce a small measure of
chaos (change) and watch this process manifest for you to observe for yourself.
A controlled experiment like that will allow you to then trust the process and
utilize it in bigger and more important areas of your life. That experiment
will benefit you far more than just reading my words describing it. Experience
is the most powerful teacher we have. Just remember that when the chaos of
change begins, even if it is just a tiny disruption, that this is what you
consciously sought, so don’t resist it. Welcome the change, flow with it and
you’ll see it settle faster and you’ll learn more from it.</div>
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<b>Where are the places in your life where you cling the
hardest to your pain, your drama or your fears?</b></div>
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</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-44406971893874176532011-09-23T07:05:00.000-07:002011-09-23T07:05:18.587-07:00It's all connected - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the past two years I’ve been attending a monthly class
on energy fundamentals. The class has helped me in so many ways to be a better
person and a better energy-work practitioner. As an extension of that class, in
March I become a member of the “Men’s Group” which is comprised of men who have
been through the first two years of the energy class. This is a working support
group which provides us with a safe space to talk about the changes that the
energy class is making in our lives. The group is currently comprised of 13
men, 4 of which are gay and the other 9 are straight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In July thanks to the beautiful weather we were having, we
had decided to meet in Volunteer Park and have a small pot-luck cookout. For
those that aren’t familiar with it, Volunteer Park is what the gays in Seattle
think of as the “gay park”. It’s in the Capitol Hill (gay neighborhood) area
and is where many “Gay Pride” events are held. On the day of the meeting, I
went shopping for my pot-luck food as was actually quite excited about the
meeting because it was sunny, I was in a good mood, I enjoy the group and picnicking
(which I love) was involved.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was the first to arrive so as I waited for the others I sat
basking in the afternoon sun and enjoying the fresh air. As more and more men
arrived I noticed that my joyous mood had shifted to something more subdued. I
even felt myself beginning to withdraw from socializing with the other men but
chose to ignore it and press on into the gathering. Once we began there was one
other gay guy present and the other 7 men were straight guys.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>CHECKING IN</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As with any support group, we begin with a “check in” where
we discuss whatever is going on in our lives so that we can get support from
the group as needed. I was about half-way around the circle from where we
started with the check-ins so I had about 6 guys ahead of me. I remember the
first person had barely gotten into his check-in and all I could think about
was “when will this end so I can get out of here?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I began thinking about what might be going on that was
making me not want to be a part of something that earlier I was excited about.
I concluded that the guys were going to take too long to check-in (they do it every
month) and because of the cookout that we wouldn’t have time to get to the
discussion that we usually have or to do any energy exercises, which is my
favorite part of the gathering, and that THAT was what was annoying me. My intransigence
was stacking the deck against me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I listened to the guys sharing their stories, I began
thinking about what was going on for me that I would share. <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/07/its-all-connected-part-1.html">The main drama</a>
which had arisen in my life was around the Facebook posting that my childhood
friend had made which set me off. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>By the time it got to me to check-in, almost
an hour had passed due to the lengthy check-ins and I was more than annoyed and
my response was to withdraw and share the minimum I could so that things would
move along. Literally my check-in was “Not much is happening really. I’m good.”
After all, why would all these straight guys care about my “big gay drama”?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>NOT THE DISH I ORDERED</b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the check-ins ended, we began the cookout. While
things were being grilled and prepped, I sat there stewing in my pot of anger
and completely withdrawn yet trying to put on a happy face to hide it all. One
of the guys came over to check on me. “Is everything okay? You seem so
withdrawn and quiet.” I gave him the response that most of us give when we
don’t want to own what is going on inside or share it, “I’m FINE.” (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">F</b>ucked-up, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I</b>nsecure, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">N</b>eurotic and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">E</b>motional) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several other guys tried to make conversation
with me but I wasn’t in the mood to engage them either so my response to them
was equally short.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As soon as everyone had their food off the grill (which I
had brought so I had to stick around), I made a hasty retreat and actually left
without saying goodbye to most of the guys. Everything in me was saying “RUN”
and so I did. I spent the entire drive home trying to figure out what had
really set me off and trying to decide if I really wanted to be a part of the
group any longer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>TRACK IT DOWN</b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I got home where it was quiet, I was able to sit down,
relax and try to track my experience back to the point where I shifted from
excited to withdrawn. I remembered that I was good until the first two guys
arrived. They arrived together and one of them was what I think of as the Alpha
Male of the group. He’s not in charge of the group but because his work and
life are about him being in charge of lots of people (big family and small
business owner) he tends to want to run the show anyway. He is also the group
member which I feel most nervous around.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When they approached, I remember thinking “you don’t know
these guys very well so don’t be overly affectionate so just smile, shake hands
and say hello” and so I did while remaining seated. As other guys arrived since
they were standing, they would greet and hug each other while I sat and took it
in, withdrawing further and further and feeling more and more like an outsider.
I had found my “breaking point”. The question was why did guys showing up and
greeting each other set me off?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The answer was of course right there in my response to them
and their arrival. It has been my historical observation that straight men are
uncomfortable with hugs and emotional greetings from other men but especially from
gay men. Therefore, over the years my “default setting” has become “do not
greet straight men very affectionately and keep an emotional distance”. It’s
been that way for so long now that I don’t even really think about it, it just
happens. I feel safer because I believe they feel more comfortable around me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So there I sat watching the group unite and bond one by one,
with me consciously choosing to stay on the outside where I thought it was safe
and yet resenting feeling left out. My default setting was the source of my
isolation and it was so instinctual and automatic that I didn’t even notice it.
It becomes very challenging for a support group to support you when you won’t
engage with it and allow it to support you. The energy held by group gathered
for a specific purpose is more powerful than the amount of energy which can be
held by the individual members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is known
as “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence">emergence</a>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>and allows each group member to benefit from this higher vibration of energy.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>PERSONAL DEFAULT SETTINGS</b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course I’ve only come to realize most of this as I’ve
been creating this blog entry and thus one of the reasons for my delay in
getting it created. Major resistance has shown up at every turn and mostly all
self-induced. I spent time in the days after the gathering trying to trace
things back to the point where I felt things went awry so that I could begin to
understand what happened. I knew that I did not feel safe in the group and
shared this with them in an email after the gathering but I also made it clear
that it was an unconscious fear because consciously I knew that these men meant
me no harm. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The part of me that didn’t feel safe was my inner little gay
boy who had been taunted and teased all through my childhood by the bullies
that I went to school with. I have processed all of that consciously and
learned that their actions had everything to do with them and nothing to do
with me. I have forgiven them for their cruelty and myself for taking on their
hatred and hating myself and them because of it. I have done all the things I
needed to do to move on with my life but still my <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">default setting</b> was to keep a distance physically and emotionally
with a group of straight men. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That default setting has now become problematic. I don’t
need that emotional distance any longer because now I have the skills to manage
the emotional landscape within me. By using “<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/04/awakening-grounding.html">The Basics</a>” I can now create and hold space for myself, determine what is mine and what is
not mine, define my boundaries and be fully present to life as it occurs moment
by moment. The task then becomes to find these old wounded places within me and
heal them. Being present and aware will help me notice them. Bringing my
consciousness to the issues with an intention to change them will enable me to
transform the issues.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>JOURNALING TO THE RESCUE</b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m a big fan to advising others to journal when something
is going on for them. It seems in this case that was good advice for me as well.
It really is amazing how much is revealed just by opening up and listening to
all the messages that surface and seeing your thoughts written out where you
have to look at them. Now they aren’t just idle thoughts which pass through
your head but something that you have to look at and say “Is that really true
for me?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Do I want it to be?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer to those questions will open a
path to healing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>INTERCONNECTIVITY</b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the other points that I’d like to emphasize by
sharing this entry and the preceding one is the importance of seeing
connections between events. With all the things that happen in our busy lives,
it seems challenging to think that anyone would know which events to connect
and how many of them. The main indicator is always “emotional charge”. If there
is something within us that is ready to heal, that energetic will help us attract
experiences which will trigger an emotional response. The emotional response is
the key thing to notice. The wounded parts of us hold the emotional charge of
the original wound that was not expressed or resolved at the time of the triggering
event. That charge is released as we heal and we are therefore no longer
triggered by events related to it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since connections between events will occur over time as
opposed to single events which we can deal with at the time, these larger
issues can be harder to spot. Typically the first event will remain unresolved
for various reasons and already have our attention drawn to it when the related
event(s) occur. On the surface these events may or may not seem connected and
this is where introspection comes in and a bit of intuition. Do the events have
a similar theme or is the same core issue being triggered by two dissimilar
events? Is there a pattern that seems to be repeating across events? If you
find yourself saying “why does this keep happening to me?” you can believe that
there is a wound in there somewhere trying to heal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It takes deep introspection to know if the events are
related and there is no set formula for how that is done. The best way to know
is to trust your intuition. If you feel or think there <u>might</u> be a
connection between events, trust that and spend some time journaling or talking
with a friend (both help to keep your awareness on the issue) about it and in
all likelihood you’ll find that connection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you find the issue that connects seemingly unrelated
events, chances are that you’ll see how this issue is playing out in other
aspects of your life. If the issue is pretty widespread from that perspective,
odds are that you have a default setting that needs attention as well. As the
name implies, a default setting is a habitual action which we typically do
without even thinking about it or even thinking that it’s an option to not do
it. It’s so instinctive that the action goes totally unnoticed. In my case I
was defaulting to emotional distance with straight men because of my fear of
how they would respond to it. I wasn’t allowing room for them to have control
of their emotions or for them to have the confidence to be comfortable being
around gay guys. My wounded inner child was passive-aggressively trying to keep
me safe. In truth he was keeping me from feeling the support and friendship of
other men who have done their own inner work and wanted to be my friend. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BEING QUIET WOULD BE EASIER...BUT NOT BETTER</b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This has been a difficult entry for me because it is so
personal. I’ve struggled to even continue to try and write it and thus the
delay in getting it posted. If I hadn’t mentioned it in the last entry, I’m
certain I would have abandoned it some time ago. I’m really glad I didn’t
though because the act of getting it written has revealed so many things to me
in addition to the things I’ve shared in the post. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I invite you to notice what your default settings are and
ask yourself if it is set to the way that works for you now as opposed to a
time early in your life when you probably set it unconsciously. If it isn’t, you
can change that default by holding your awareness on it when it gets triggered
and consciously choosing to respond in the new way that does work for you. It
will take several times of repeating that change for it to take effect but it
will happen. It will only happen however if you are conscious about it. It is “conscious
evolution” at work. My hope is that through this blog I will give you the tools
and awareness to help effect that type of change through <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/09/conscious-competence-cycle.html">conscious competency</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are you willing to raise your awareness to the level where
you can observe the interconnectedness of life and your experiences within it
to find the places in you that need healing?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-1457641449823111522011-08-23T06:52:00.001-07:002011-08-23T06:52:17.014-07:00I'm still here!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">Greetings dear readers. I know it has been a while since I posted any new entries and I apologize for that. The nature of what I’m working on now (the second part of the “It’s all connected” posting) is so personal that I’ve run into a lot of resistance internally to getting it written. Things are still being revealed to me about my part in the experience and what all I can learn from it. I’m working on it for sure but wanted to drop you a note to say “don’t give up on me…I’m still here”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll have it soon…thanks for your patience and understanding.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you haven’t already “Liked” my Facebook page which is linked to this blog, please do that and you’ll know exactly when I put a new entry up…plus you’ll get nice little quick thoughts through occasional Facebook posts from me. Just click on the Facebook box on the right side of this column and you’ll be directed to the Facebook page, then click “Like”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy breezy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you again for reading my blog. I’m honored by that and grateful to you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Peace is always the way,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Michael</div></div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-79057251317175640722011-07-19T15:17:00.000-07:002011-07-19T15:17:13.462-07:00It's all connected - Part 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">As most everyone was aware June was “LGBT Pride month”. It was a time for gay people to feel acknowledged and accepted by our nation which is built on diversity. President Obama had the wisdom and respect enough to proclaim it as such after President Bush stopped that designation during his time in office. Pride month is a time when the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community can celebrate our successes and raise awareness of our struggle for acceptance and equal rights. It’s a time that we can focus on being proud of who we are and our ability to love.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I make no secret about the fact that I am a gay man. I live my life in a way that pleases me with honesty and integrity. I am out to everyone that I know including my loving birth family and my beloved partner’s family. I am proud of the fact that he and I have been together for 10 and ½ years in a loving, committed relationship. I am honored to be able to work with other men to help them love and respect themselves and their sexual expression whether they are gay, bi or straight. By fully accepting ourselves just as we are and sharing that we can offer others the choice to love and accept us and not a false personality that we have created in an attempt to be who we think they can accept. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>SWEET HOME ALABAMA</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As a child and small boy, I grew up during a time (the 60’s) when gayness was considered a psychological defect which needed to be treated and cured. I was born and raised in a small town in Alabama which was full of people with good hearts but misguided belief systems that said if you were not heterosexual and white you were not welcome. In fact if you were not straight AND white you ran a very real risk of being beaten or even killed. In an area of Alabama with a strong Klan presence, homophobia and racial discrimination were not only rampant but openly embraced.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was a very soft natured and physically small boy who was quiet, effeminate and very introverted. The local religious environment taught me to view myself as a sinner because of my homosexual nature. The community taught me to hide who I was to avoid physical harm or verbal assaults. I grew up living every day in fear for my safety and well being because I could not hide who I was inside. I had very few friends outside my immediate family because I was so obviously different. Kids at school pretty much avoided being friends with me because they knew it could bring negative attention to them simply by our association.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Needless to say I really valued very highly the friends that I did make because they gave me a feeling of safety, love and acceptance and a sense of community. At that age, fitting in and being accepted was essential for good emotional health. Having a group of friends at school that I could feel safe around allowed me to relax and let down my guard a bit and experience a sense of belonging. I knew that no matter how cruel the verbal and physical assaults were from the other kids, I had a safe refuge somewhere with my friends.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>RECONNECTING</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since I left that place back in 1981 I’ve made my peace with who I am, the painful experiences I had there and even reconnected with a few of my childhood friends thanks to Facebook. One of those people was a boy that I was very close to as a child. We were born 10 days apart and I always felt a close kinship to him until after graduation when I left town. We’ve since reconnected on Facebook and it’s been nice getting to know him again but as an adult. It seems that we both have developed a rather sharp sense of humor that can cut and entertain. We both can go so hard for a joke sometimes that other people can easily and unintentionally get hurt along the way.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRg8eefCOJ710LBAtQc90m8qRCCmn5ZQkBmHZPJ2UOyYc68ve1XKXsFq88lbFlGCuftfjIl3A_8LK7HRHmd46owFa7PhkRuop0t69pCIGN79nLxkfh_Q8_feFG8bcXuc6g6bit6Ex2mXI/s1600/gay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRg8eefCOJ710LBAtQc90m8qRCCmn5ZQkBmHZPJ2UOyYc68ve1XKXsFq88lbFlGCuftfjIl3A_8LK7HRHmd46owFa7PhkRuop0t69pCIGN79nLxkfh_Q8_feFG8bcXuc6g6bit6Ex2mXI/s1600/gay.jpg" /></a>This became very clear recently when I was the one who was hurt by his humor. He posted the image that you see here on his Facebook wall. He was actually posting it to another of his male friends but I saw it on his wall and was immediately triggered by it and let him know. His response was that I was being “too sensitive” and reading something into it that he didn’t mean. He said he considered himself an equal opportunity offender with his humor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The more I thought about this, the angrier I got and the more hurt I felt. I considered the possibility that I was over-reacting and even posted the image on my Facebook wall asking my other gay friends if it offended them. Most who responded began reading into it and even defending it saying that gay’s “have a more refined taste and are classier” which is also in line with Mac’s marketing practices. I get where they were going with that but to me that was definitely reading more into it than was present and even showed how corporate marketing can affect us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>EMBEDDED HOMOPHOBIA</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Finally I decided to sit and analyze why this bothered me so much rather than just saying that it hurt me because it was truly NOT directed at me personally. It was me that had the problem after all. I realized that it was because of the divisive nature of the message. To me this image says “the sole criteria that I will use to determine which group you are in is your sexual orientation. The thing that divides us will be your sexual identity.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the surface maybe there is some humor which can be had based upon our personal beliefs around gayness, Mac’s and PC’s but there is embedded homophobia within it. As someone who is trying to bring forth a message of Oneness, self-acceptance, peace, harmony, love and awareness, this flies directly in the face of that message. As a gay person, it stings. Coming from someone who I thought had my back, it hurts.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On many levels I was deeply hurt by this insensitivity and I let him know that I was both upset and offended by it. I explained to him why it offended me and let him know that I expected nothing from him because of it. The problem was with me and my response to the posting and so it was my issue to work. My life experience provided the fertile ground for this situation to bloom and so the healing needed to occur there as well. I made it clear to him that I wasn’t looking for an apology or for him to do anything other than be aware of the response his actions had triggered. What he chooses to do with that in the future is entirely up to him because now he knows the impact his actions had. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>I didn’t know it at the time but this experience was getting me set up for a deeper awareness and a an opportunity to heal an old issue. I’ll share that in Part 2.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>DISCRIMINATION IS NOT OKAY</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In a country which struggles with its treatment of gay people, homophobic remarks like this one get dismissed by society because it has always been okay to make gay jokes. The message that our government and religious organizations send is that it is okay to discriminate against gay people because they don’t deserve equal rights or equal treatment because of that one issue. When the culture holds a belief, it should come as no surprise that its members will act in alignment with that belief and not see a problem with their behavior. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the one hand, it would be easy for me to say “Oh, he didn’t mean it THAT way” and just ignore it but then nothing will ever change. The truth however is that when you post (say, write, act, display) anything like the image above, not only do you get your particular message attached to it but you also have to own the deeper embedded energetics of that message. It doesn’t matter what joke you are trying to connect it to or why, you get it all and are responsible for it as if it were your own words. If that image had replaced “gay” with any racial designation, it would have caused an uproar but because it used “gay” it was seemingly okay. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Every subsection of our culture has had its struggles for acceptance and equality. It is challenging when you are in a minority to get the majority to treat you fairly because they hold the weight and power of the majority. The role of government is supposed to be to protect the minorities and ensure their equal rights and fair treatment. Unfortunately the majority seems to think the government is there to protect their fears relating to the minority wanting a piece of their pie. We’ve seen this happen with women, African Americans and now it’s time for equality for gay people. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When we know better, we can do better. Discrimination and separation will never move us in the direction that we need to go as a nation or as a species. They only further divide and weaken us. To survive and flourish we have to learn to think and act as one. “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice FOR ALL.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>WE ALL DESERVE LOVE AND RESPECT</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We all deserve to feel safe, respected and heard. This is especially true when we are with our friends. At the same time each of us owes it to the world to be our own unique, authentic expression of the Divine. As we experience that which is different from ourselves, we learn and grow and see the value of the diversity of nature. Yet despite our differences, ultimately we are one planetary species and we have to learn to find ways to value those differences. When we can drop our judgments of others which drive us further apart, we can see that ultimately we have more in common than we think because we’re all human and we’re all in this together. We can choose to be a piece of the whole or we can choose to live in fear, separation and ultimately isolation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Remember, energetically you get back what you send out. Will you choose to radiate love and acceptance or project your fears out into the world?</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-38387907364179196812011-06-22T14:25:00.000-07:002011-06-22T14:25:24.837-07:00Expanded consciousness exercise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">The most common theme among all world religions and spiritual teachings is the core belief in Oneness or Unity Consciousness. Every religion brings this teaching out in various ways but the belief is there beneath the dogma of the particular religion. This awareness of Oneness is what I’ve been using as the framework for the information that I’ve been sharing with you in this blog. It is also something that I’ve been working to manifest in my own personal life, not just as a concept but as a reality that I’m consciously choosing to orient my life around.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The biggest challenge that any of us face when we choose to focus on our Oneness with that which created us is overcoming our sense of separation. From the moment we leave the womb and the umbilical cord is cut, our lives begin to organize around a sense of separation. That one quick snip by a doctor which separates us from our mother is the moment where we first experience our individuality and uniqueness. In essence it is the very first lesson we receive and so it should come as no surprise that our world is built around the belief that we are all separate.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So how is it then that we can be disconnected and yet still ultimately all be connected? The answer to that question has everything to do with where our consciousness is and how aware we are of it. Since our consciousness is not physical and therefore not fixed in one place, it can move from place to place and level to level in an instant. To help understand this a bit more easily, it may help to also think of your consciousness as your awareness or point of focus. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">INTERNAL AWARENESS OF AWARENESS</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s do a little exercise here to help you become a bit more familiar with shifting your consciousness around. The first step is to get familiar with how it feels when you move your consciousness around within you. Before engaging this process, it’s best to make sure that you have your “<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/04/awakening-grounding.html">Basics</a>” in place first. It’s always a good idea to have your Basics in place in every moment but until you can hold that as a constant state, reminders like this can be helpful. It’s also a good idea to turn off any external distracters like televisions or radios. The quieter your space is the easier this exercise will be. Spend some time with this first part and really get a feel for the movement of your awareness before you engage the second part. If you can focus inward enough, you will actually be able to feel your awareness move. The key in this first part is really observing how it feels when your awareness holds in one spot and moves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Sit comfortably in a chair in an upright position. Ideally the chair should have arm rests. This exercise can also be done by lying on the floor and pointing your fingers toward the ceiling. </li>
<li>Spread your legs comfortably wide and rest your elbows on the arms of the chair with your hands raised pointing up and index finger extended on each hand pointing out and away from your body so that you would have to turn your head from side to side to easily see each finger.<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Turn your head and shift your eyes to the index finger on your left hand and put your full focus on the tip of that one finger for at least 10 seconds.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Observe how it feels inside your finger when you hold this focus. Notice the sensations in the finger for a few moments and then notice how it feels in your head and body to hold your awareness on this one point.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Turn your head and shift your gaze to the index finger on your right hand and hold it there for at least 10 seconds noticing how it feels during the shift from the left finger and the moments after the shift and beyond.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Slowly shift back and forth a few times between these fingers to get familiar with the feel of your consciousness shifting between these two visible locations within your body. Really focus and observe what you feel in the finger as you move to it and away from it.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hold your full awareness on the left hand index finger and let your awareness gather there for 10 seconds then just very lightly, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">without</b> turning your head to look or putting too much focus there, observe how the index finger on your right hand feels when your awareness is still fully on the left. It’s very easy to split<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>your focus with the right hand while doing this so really fix your gaze and hold your attention firmly on the left hand. Just use the tiniest amount of awareness to notice how it feels in the right finger without your full awareness on it. Yes, it is tricky but possible and may require practice to get it.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Experiment with this a bit until you get a good feel for it and then while still gazing at the left hand, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">without</b> turning your head to look, send your full awareness (minus the visual focus) to your right index finger. This one can also be a little tricky so play with it a bit until you can feel your focus settle in on the right hand while still gazing at the left hand. Notice how that feels in each finger.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Experiment with rocking your awareness slowly back and forth between the fingers while holding your gaze on only one of them. Repeat this until you can almost feel your consciousness shifting within your body. Once you have that felt sense of the shift within your body, you’re ready to continue.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>While <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">holding your gaze</b> on the left index finger, shift your awareness to the right finger, then down to the right big toe. When you feel the shift down to your toe then go to the left big toe. (Picking a specific toe or finger like this helps to narrow the focus more fully and makes it easier to feel.) When you feel that shift then come back to the left finger where your visual focus is.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Slowly repeat that loop from finger to finger to toe to toe to finger several times until you can easily observe your consciousness shifting within your body.</li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">EXPANDED AWARENESS</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first part of the exercise should give you a palpable feel for your focused awareness and the energy that it has. When you have that then you’re ready to proceed with shifting your awareness beyond your body. Take some time with this part and really notice how you feel after each step, not just at the beginning and then the end. Notice your thoughts (but don’t get caught in them), sensations in your body, shift in mood or emotions, whatever happens for you, just observe it and gather the data.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It might be easier to do the second part with a friend reading the instructions to you rather than trying to remember it all or read it step by step. You may also want to record yourself reading these notes (with long pauses between steps) and play that back when you’re ready to engage the exercise.</div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Close your eyes and repeat the finger-finger-toe-toe-finger loop a couple of times to notice how it feels when you shift it with no visual focus.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Once you have a feel for your consciousness shifting around to these points then play with moving it around to various points within your body allowing time at each point for your awareness to gather at that point before moving on. Think of the point first and then move your awareness to it. Joints and points are the easiest places to select because they are more specific spots (i.e. hip, knee, tip of the nose) than surface areas (chest, thigh, back).</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>When you have a feel for that internal movement from point to point then relax your arms down and let your hands rest and draw your legs in so that you can sit or lie comfortably for the next part.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">With your eyes closed</b>, bring your awareness to your nostrils and just observe the breath moving in and out for a few cycles. Feel the coolness of the inhale and warmth of the exhale. If you can’t immediately feel the difference in the temperature of the air, hold on this step until you can.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Now slowly allow your awareness to spread out to include your whole head, down your neck, through your chest and down the arms, down the torso into the pelvis, over the glutes and abdomen then down your legs. Don’t focus on any one spot during this process but rather feel like your awareness is growing from the tip of your nose to include your whole body but do it slowly piece by piece this way. Each place you expand to include is added to what you already have and is not the center of your focus. Remember to hold on to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">awareness of the whole</b> as it expands and not just focus on the next point or level.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>When you have added all parts of your body, spend a few moments here observing how it feels to notice ALL of your body from the inside. Notice any tingling or pulsing which arises within your body and really gather the data on how this feels in your body. This is different from any thoughts you might be having on doing this exercise or mental distractions which may arise. Try to let those thoughts go for now and just notice the feeling of this expanded consciousness.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>When you have gathered the data on “the self” now allow your thoughts to also include any other members in your immediate household one by one. This is human, animals and plants…any living beings within your home. Just lightly call in thoughts of each of them without losing your focus on you.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Now expand your thoughts to include only your immediate family one level out which is mom, dad, children, brothers and sisters. The family members referenced here can be living or dead. This exercise is about expanding your consciousness only and not about connecting with these individuals so just any visual or feeling you have for each one is all that is necessary to feel like you’re including them in your consciousness.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Now continue expanding to include the next family level…grandparents and grandchildren. Think for a brief moment about each one as you bring them into your consciousness. Don’t make this too heavy or sharp of a focus but more their name and maybe flash upon their face. It’s almost like what you would do if I said “tell me the names of each of these people” but this is all done internally.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">N</span></span>ow begin including your entire extended family including in-laws and any distant relatives that come to mind. Don’t get caught up in trying to make sure that you get every single one but feel for what it’s like to bring them in one by one and still hold the awareness of the group you already have.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Now include friends…again one by one, just lightly allowing your consciousness to expand to hold them.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Next include immediate co-workers, associates, old friends, past relationships…anyone that you have physically met and related to in the past. Really get a feel for anyone that comes to mind during this process no matter what emotional history you have with them but again don’t focus on them or your history with them, just their name and a maybe an image of their face and then move on.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Notice any challenges that come with this process but don’t let that stop you. The more people you include in this exercise the more challenging it will become of course but that is part of the experience we’re seeking here. Once you have all your direct relations done, just lightly scan across them and notice how it feels within your body to hold your focus on you AND them. The important part is to not lose awareness of you in the process.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Now shift to thinking about places rather than people but still holding on to the thoughts of the people you’ve pulled in. Imagine that they are all right there with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you and think about the place where you live and begin slowly expanding from there to the whole building (if you live in apartments or condo’s), then on to your neighborhood, then city, state, region, country, continent, hemisphere and finally to the entire planet. Take your time and focus fully on an image of this expanded upward movement <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">at each level</b> and notice how challenging it becomes to still hold on to the awareness of yourself and all those you gathered at the individual level. It’s almost like you were using Google Earth and slowly zooming out to go up and away from the planet.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Feel like you are holding all of the people, animals and plants around the entire planet in your consciousness. Gather the data on how this feels to have your awareness be this so expanded as to include the entire planet. Really spend a few moments gathering the data for how this feels and how taxing it might be on you or how easy it feels.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>When you really have this feeling noted, quickly let it all go and bring your focus back to your nose. Notice the feeling of your consciousness collapsing back to this single point.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Experiment with stepping your awareness back out to the planet level and then back to your nose a few times to really gather the data on how it feels to be connected to the whole and how challenging that can be and then how it feels to bring your consciousness back to a single point. Take more time with the expansion, hold when you’re there, notice the feelings/sensations/emotions and then do a quick collapse to the nose. This enables you easily compare between fully expanded and totally collapsed. Going from the nose to the Earth quickly doesn’t get you the same feeling nor have the same effect as stepping through the upward stages with more awareness.</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>When you feel done, release the thoughts of your relations and perhaps send a thank you with them for helping you and then get your Basics back in place as the energy of this can really overload your system.</li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">EXPERIENCE VS. THOUGHTS</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once you actually engage the exercise above rather than just reading the words and thinking about it, you’ll have an idea of what expanded consciousness feels like. When you can begin to feel and know (not just think) that you are a part of something much bigger, your consciousness will expand to hold that. When you make your decisions from that expanded place, the decisions you make will change because of your expanded consciousness. Holding your conscious awareness at a level beyond the self initially takes a lot of effort, much more than just an awareness exercise requires, because that effort is where the work is. It is how we consciously evolve our consciousness. It is why I invest my time in creating this blog so that you can hopefully be inspired to do <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/09/conscious-competence-cycle.html">that work</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">The important part is to work at the place where you are and grow from there. If your day-to-day minute-to-minute decisions are only based upon you and your immediate survival needs, trying to jump to planetary consciousness won’t work. When you can begin to offer and accept unconditional love towards just yourself and then expand that unconditional love to just one other being and then continue that expansion outward, things will begin to shift for you. If you find yourself saying “how can I unconditionally love that person (criminal/molester/ex-lover/fanatic/etc)” then you know you’re not ready for that level yet. The important part is first learning to unconditionally love and accept yourself <b>NO MATTER WHAT</b>. Acceptance, forgiveness and love are choices and they are yours to freely make. Nothing concrete stands in your way, only your thoughts and beliefs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">YOU ARE NEVER ALONE…EVER!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Remember there will be times when you feel that you are totally alone or like it’s you against the world but that’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">never true</b>. You are always connected to the whole of humanity and thus the planet <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">simply because you exist</b>. Any belief to the contrary is just a false sense of separation that has been handed down to you either consciously or unconsciously by those who came before. In every moment the choice is yours to feel disconnected and alone or connected and whole but either way you are always connected. The only difference is your thoughts and beliefs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Will you choose to feel alone or will you choose to feel connected?</div></div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-78333949795798024052011-05-10T07:43:00.000-07:002011-05-10T07:43:40.151-07:00Memory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">We are the summation of all our memories. Every experience helps to shape who we will become as we remember and process the experience. Fortunately most of us don’t remember every single detail of every day but our subconscious records the experience whether our conscious minds recall it or not. In every moment, we are bombarded with billions of pieces of data but our conscious minds can only process about 2,000 of them. These 2,000 bits then are what we are aware of and this is how our awareness shapes our lives. This is also why it is important to notice what you put your awareness on…and even what you are choosing to ignore.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After my last posting on “<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/04/wounds-part-1.html">Wounds</a>”, a reader said the following: “The unfortunate thing is that these hurts and wounds become more self-inflicted and assisted by insensitive comments from others. They turn into pain that keeps the memory fresh in the mind.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is correct in that these old wounds can cause us to become our own judge, jury and executioner. When we accept other people’s opinions of who we are, we use that as ammunition to punish ourselves for not meeting someone else’s definition of who we should be. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once we have a wound firmly in place even the slightest reference to something associated with it can send us <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/03/patterns.html">into pattern</a>. We then deepen the wound through self-inflicted pain because of the issue. For example when I was ridiculed for my haircut as a child, I became hypersensitive to anything having to do with my hair. Thinking of hair made me think that my hair wasn’t “normal” and I would become “triggered” by it. I would get embarrassed, angry, bitchy, ashamed, or any number of less-than-loving responses would result. More often than not I would then project the hurt from that triggered response onto someone else as a way to try and feel better about myself. That process NEVER works despite its repeated and defensive use. We can never feel better about ourselves by trying to make others feel worse about themselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">STORING MEMORIES</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the root of the sensitivity is what is known as an “active memory”. When the memory of something is laid down in our brains, any emotional component to the experience is connected to the memory as well. There is no magical recorder in our heads that just tracks and stores every sequential event in our lives and stores it for future playback. Instead there are neural pathways which are formed that connect the memory to emotions associated with it. We may have tons of memories which are ultimately connected to the emotion of sadness but the memory itself doesn’t have sadness as a direct component of the event. Sadness was our emotional response to the event itself and so our brains connected the memory of the event to sadness. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YcO2sHdeV4Hfj2_HcqeOBZRvgGgZnlMoYzM001-idmZShopqMddwmhR0CgSzOzfl3BIPT0jpPr3FuCfAKS8uukoqBuYHrOfxkiCTlhtu_dTyrCJYgILEGwi5oTJwMSC7xfJIZi2c25c/s1600/neuron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YcO2sHdeV4Hfj2_HcqeOBZRvgGgZnlMoYzM001-idmZShopqMddwmhR0CgSzOzfl3BIPT0jpPr3FuCfAKS8uukoqBuYHrOfxkiCTlhtu_dTyrCJYgILEGwi5oTJwMSC7xfJIZi2c25c/s1600/neuron.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you think of the brain as looking similar to the picture you can begin to understand how memories are formed. Think of each of the spots, a neuron, as a single piece of data. Our brains are incredibly powerful machines which are also incredibly efficient. So your brain might have one of those spots as the location for “sadness”, another one for “anger” and another one for “love”. The brain only needs to store that emotion in one place. Then when it stores the other components of a memory, it simply connects that group of neurons to the spot for the associated emotion. Therefore we will have tons of individual memory paths which are all connected to that single emotional neuron for sadness. A memory will actually comprise a collection of countless neurons (location, age, people involved, environmental data, emotional response, etc.) which are connected via neural pathways. Therefore one memory of something sad can often trigger memories of other times when sadness occurred because they are all connected via that one neuron for sadness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is of course a very simplified explanation of an incredibly complex function of our brain but I hope it will help you to have an idea of how memory is stored. Given this format, “active memories” are those which are directly connected to neurons which trigger the emotional response within our bodies associated with the emotion. An “inactive memory” is one which is not associated with any particular emotion. These types of memories are typically forgotten rather quickly or are simply memories of places we’ve been, things we’ve seen or actions that we’ve done and that don’t elicit any emotional response. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">MAKING AND BREAKING CONNECTIONS</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For example, I remember walking around my neighborhood but I have no real emotional charge associated with that so therefore walking down my street is easy for me to do. Of course if one particular house has a big dog that barks at and scares me, I will consciously or unconsciously avoid walking past that house in the future. My brain associates that house with fear and I avoid the house. Maybe to avoid the house I have to take a different street and that then becomes my habit because it is safe. Years later I may start to walk down that street and suddenly feel fear without consciously knowing why. The dog may be dead now or the people moved but I still associate that house (and street) with the emotion of fear. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is an example of living in the past because I’m avoiding a street in the present moment because of a negative past experience. If I bring my consciousness into the present moment however I can begin to shift that. I sense “fear” and rather than reacting to it and running I will be able to respond and potentially go into the fear. I can then choose to walk past the house and see that now it has beautiful flowers which I love, an adorable puppy or someone I might meet who will become a dear friend. The potential for joy and healing lies only in the present moment.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This act of going into the fear (which I spoke of in the “Wounds” entry) is where healing resides for me. By recognizing that my emotional response was triggered by past events and not present experiences, my brain will begin to form new neural pathways that associate this street and house with “love” or “friendship”. Ultimately the street is just a street but it is my emotional coloring of the street (based upon my past experiences and memory) that changes the experience for me. Eventually my brain will drop the connection to “fear” because no energy goes into feeding that neural pathway since my focus is now on the love that I feel associated with that house. I may always remember that a scary dog used to live there but the active component of the memory isn’t there any longer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is how it is with active memories of emotional wounds. Unfortunately they can’t be cleared as easily as choosing to walk down a street but they can be cleared. Awareness of the issue is the first step in that clearing process and then it becomes a matter of finding a technique or healing practitioner to help you discharge the active component of the memory. Just like I mentioned in the “Wounds” entry however, it is important to get to the core issue however and not only address one of the surface symptoms. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">GETTING HELP </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are a variety of healing techniques and modalities that are incredibly effective and practitioners are available in most every part of the country and certainly in most larger cities if not all cities. I will mention a few techniques that I am familiar with and I recommend that you surf the web for more info on any of these which resonate with you. That search will undoubtedly lead you to the technique that is exactly right for you so just follow your heart for choosing the right technique and if necessary the right practitioner. Once you think you have the practitioner, ask lots of questions and trust your instincts.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">REIKI</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Reiki is a technique which I’ve been a practitioner of for over 10 years. It is really great for quickly addressing physical issues but also for getting to the underlying mental, emotional or spiritual issue. It’s simple and effective but very subtle. It initially helps to relax the entire body and clear the mind. From this relaxed place, your spirit is able to communicate with you more easily because you are able to sense and know it more clearly. Reiki helps to quiet the mental chatter and allow your inner guidance to emerge. This guidance will often reveal the true nature and core of the issue you are working on. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Many times when we address a situation in our lives which we think is current such as a failing relationship, our spirits will reveal that the core issue is one which actually began in early childhood and continues to replay itself in your life. The beauty of life is that it will present you with many opportunities to look at your issues through many different experiences. Until you identify, address and heal the core issue, you will continue to see it play out time and time again. Leaving one situation where the problem is manifesting won’t fix the problem; it will only shift the resulting symptoms. For example if your core issue is that you don’t respect and maintain your boundaries, you will continue to attract relationships where those boundaries will continually be violated and which will ultimately force you to look at the issue. If you’ve ever heard yourself say “why do I keep attracting (losers/abusers/alcoholics/immature partners/psychos/etc)” you know that one of your core issues is trying to get your attention. Changing relationships won’t fix it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">BODYTALK</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another technique that I practice is <a href="http://www.bodytalksystems.com/">BodyTalk</a>. While this system is great for a addressing a large number of issues, one particular component that I think is incredibly effective is the one used for deactivating unconscious beliefs and active memories. Often times there are limiting beliefs that we have adapted in order to help us survive in a situation or that seemed right based upon our limited understanding of life. These surface beliefs are often so strong that they completely obscure the real issue and so they need to be dealt with first.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s say for example that you are struggling with weight issues. Over the years you may have adopted the belief that “food is my only true friend” because it is always there and helps soothe the pain and so you over-consume it. In truth the over-consumption of food is contributing to the problem and so your belief holds you in an unhealthy relationship with food. Clearing that unconscious belief can then allow you to see that eating doesn’t fix any problem, it only masks it. From that place you can then begin to see the underlying issues which are where the real problem is but sometimes you have to get the limiting beliefs out of the way to see them. BodyTalk is great for directly communicating with your unconscious mind to tell it to dissolve that neural pathway that connects food with the emotion of love.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">EFT</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another amazingly simple technique which you can learn to do on yourself is called Emotional Freedom Technique. EFT is specifically for disengaging active memories and limiting beliefs which are holding you back. It is a simple technique which involves tapping specific points in a specific sequence on your body. This process has the effect of neutralizing the powerful emotional component of an issue within your brain. The beauty of this system is that there are <a href="http://www.spiritual-web.com/downloads/eftmanual.pdf">manuals available on the web that you can download for free</a> and learn to use the technique on yourself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you learn the sequence of the tapping, you can neutralize these issues in less than two minutes. The key to success with this technique is to ensure that you are addressing the core issue and not just the surface symptom.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It is important to note here however that the manual that you can download is only one small part to the EFT process. There are trained EFT providers who can take this process and really help you do some deep and intense healing. Yes, the manual can help you slog through the surface issues and even some deeper ones but it may not be able to take you all the way to full healing. If you try the process and it resonates with you, you might want to seek an EFT therapist and work with them on the deeper issues. They can help you work past the surface issues and fully heal the true core issue.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This technique is great for releasing some core issues but it is also just as effective for getting rid of those little tender spots that we have. Through our past wounds, we all have those issues which we can be very sensitive about. Anytime someone brings a specific topic up, you can feel emotions start to arise such as shame, embarrassment, anger, or resentment. By being aware of these emotions through bringing your consciousness into more and more of your life, you can simply notice that these emotions arise without reacting to them. Once you notice a particular emotional response this way, you can then use the EFT method and disconnect that neural pathway which associates the emotion and the topic. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once the emotional component is neutralized, you may then be able to understand what the core issue is beneath it. In the example with my hair, it was just a surface issue, the core issue for me was one of self-confidence. I couldn’t get to it however because I couldn’t get past the sensitivity issue to my hair. Talk of my hair triggered a memory of me feeling very insecure and being emotionally wounded and so my defense was to become angry or bitchy to protect the wound. Simply discharging my sensitivity to people talking about my hair would not have really healed my true core issue. By not becoming triggered by it however I could then begin to see that I was basing my self-worth on someone else’s judgments of me. That is what the real core issue was for me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">OUR TRUE CORE</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On my journey I have learned that beneath it all, I am perfect and divine because I am an individuated piece of the Divine, Source, or God. And so are you! When I self reference against that ultimate perfection through the awareness of <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/06/me-myself-and-i.html">Unity Consciousness</a>, I have no need to become defensive, play small or weak, or in any way feel inferior. Those feelings belong to my egoic human self and are all based upon self-judgment, not self love. As such they are not in alignment with my true nature and so they have no place in my life and do not serve to further my evolution.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are a huge number of healing modalities available and finding the one that works best for you and your issue can seem daunting. That should not be used as an excuse not to work on yourself and heal your issues however. Doing nothing will ensure that you do not change, heal or grow. Yes, it takes time and effort to do this inner work but we can find the time by making small changes in our lives. By removing the time wasters and attention distracters such as television, music, video games, web surfing, drugs or porn you will find the extra time and willingness to do the work. All of these things are not inherently bad but they have to be kept under control rather than being used as a way to prevent us from doing the work which will help us become better humans. As we grow and become more healed, we make life easier for those around us and provide a template for them to want to grow and heal as well. This ripple effect contributes to the collective whole of humanity and helps us to evolve through the awareness of this Oneness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I invite you to ask yourself:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“What are my hot buttons?”</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Am I willing to heal those issues?”</div></div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-61573807491434017832011-04-27T11:35:00.000-07:002011-04-27T11:35:41.817-07:00Wounds - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">HEALING THE WOUND</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once we have located the wound then comes the work of healing the wound. If you begin to think of energetic wounds in the same way that you might think of a physical wound, you can follow the same process that you would use to heal that. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Expose it</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Clean it out</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Put medicine on it</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Protect it while it heals</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When healed: forget about it and move on</li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So let’s look at those steps in terms of energetic wounds to give you an idea of the actual healing process. Depending upon the wound that you expose, you may be able to do this work alone but you may also need to seek assistance from someone in the healing profession or a trusted friend. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of courage. The healing process is a journey into your power, a willingness to look at what holds you back so that you can become stronger. It takes strength and courage, so honor those qualities in yourself and know that none of us are in this alone. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The perception of aloneness or separation is what keeps us from truly healing our deepest wounds. We are all connected and as each of us heals our individual wounds, the collective benefits and grows stronger.</b> That fact is why I’m sharing this information with you and all the information contained within this blog.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">EXPOSE THE WOUND</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is where “going into your fears” comes in. Here are a few ways that you can identify where the wounds are so that you can expose them. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A subconscious resistance to doing something that consciously we know we should be able to do</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Irrational fears or phobias</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Phantom pain in your body, especially if it changes location</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dis-ease</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Body tension</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Anxiety, depression or over-excitement</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hyper-sensitivity</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Strong emotional reactions</li>
<li><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Judgmental attitude</li>
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<div class="MsoNormal">All of these issues are indicators that we are off balance and away from our true nature which is perfect health and true inner peace. If we believe in the Western Medicine model of disease and treatment, we will run to the doctor with most of these issues and try to get a pill to fix it. The pill will mask the symptom but it doesn’t cure the issue. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Your body manifested the symptom because your subconscious mind held the belief that you needed it. </i>Your body therefore also knows how to release it and cure it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">CLEAN IT OUT</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once you determine what the wound is or is related to, then you can begin work on the issue. This involves taking an open and honest look at the issue without judging yourself for having it or rationalizing it away. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Judgment moves us away from healing and so it has no place in the healing process. The need to judge is often an indicator that there is a wound that needs healing. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One way of getting to the core of an issue is by continually asking “Why?” until you’ve gone at least 5 layers deep. For example, let’s say you have exposed a wound and are ready to clean it out. Quiet yourself, still the breath and focus inward. Ask yourself “why is it a problem for me that (insert the issue here)?” and then wait for the answer to come. Rather than trying to figure it out, just drop that question in to your consciousness, sit quietly and wait with an open and receptive mind. When you get ANY answer, ask yourself “why is that a problem for me?” and wait for that answer. Continue this cycle of inquiry until you’ve gone at least 5 layers down. Each time you go deeper with the “Why?” you move closer to the core issue. If you stop after the first one, you’re only brushing the surface symptom and not addressing the core issue. Dig deeper!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The key here is to trust whatever response arises in your mind without judging it. It may take you 10 layers to get to the core issue so stay with the process no matter what happens for you. Journaling is a great technique to help uncover issues in this way. Engaging the inner dialogue and documenting the thoughts through journaling will bring many deeply held issues to light that might be otherwise missed by just “sitting and thinking”. As you journal and notice issues, ask yourself “why is that a problem for me?” and just keep the stream of consciousness writing going and watch what comes out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You’ll know when you hit the core issue because you will probably have an emotional release of some sort or one of those powerful “AH HA!” epiphanies that makes everything seem suddenly clear. Don’t let a few tears or a little “ah ha” slow you down however, get under the issue all the way to the core. That is how you clean it out. Go <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">at least</b> 5 layers deep with the questioning before you stop but go until you truly know you’ve hit the core issue. Over the years we have built up excuses and rationalizations for why we behave and respond the way we do. These things <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">keep us in victim mode and away from healing</i>. “I’m not (strong/smart/pretty/rich/clever/etc) enough to do that” is nothing but the wound speaking so that it can stay hidden. You ARE enough, you just have to learn to believe that with all of your being.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">PUT MEDICINE ON IT</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now that you have dug down into your psyche and determined what the core issue is then it’s time to go to work on healing the issue. Depending upon what the issue is and how deep it goes, you may need to seek help with this part from those trained in doing healing work. This can be energy workers or body workers, shamanic practitioners, counselors, psychologists, hypnotists, or anyone trained in some technique which specifically addresses your issue. When searching for professional help, the main thing to keep in mind is that this is an energetic wound; you need to get it out of your head as well as out of your body and energy field. This is often why people don’t see complete results from talk therapy. Understanding the issue and talking about it only heals part of the issue. Perhaps you’ll need to see two or more people to fully clear the issue. Trust your intuition and listen to your body when doing the healing work.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ultimately this part of the process is about understanding and clearing a core belief that is driving the behavior/issue that you trying to heal. Once we have a deeply held belief at the subconscious (this lifetime) or super-conscious (soul level) level that is where the belief must be released from. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As we mature and gain knowledge in the world, our beliefs and views may change in the conscious mind but if we unconsciously hold a contradictory belief, that is the one which will drive how our bodies respond.</b> The body is controlled by the subconscious mind and so that is where the healing must occur.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One book that I’ve found to be very helpful in my work and in my life is “You can heal your life” by Louise Hay. Her body of work is unparalleled. Through her years of working with the body, she has come up with a chart that maps physical symptoms to their underlying emotional cause. She shares many wonderful techniques for doing self-help work that are simple and effective for anyone to use. The techniques may not be able to help you resolve every issue which arises but it is a great start for most. For the rest, seek experienced healing professionals.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">PROTECT IT WHILE IT HEALS</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">True healing takes time. If you are working at the energetic level, change can occur there instantaneously but because the body is more densely held energy, change will occur more slowly there. The best example I can give is to think of the 3 states of water; solid, liquid, gaseous. Let’s say for example that your wound is that “you believe that you are not worthy of love”. This gets frozen inside your body which we’ll call the ice cube. Let’s say that belief makes you cold and unapproachable. I come along with a heater (love) and surround you with it. The air around you may warm up instantly but the ice takes time to thaw. Slowly it becomes water which is less energetically dense and allows for change more easily. The water begins responding to the heat and warming up which further melts the ice. Finally after the ice is fully melted, the water reaches a point where it boils and eventually becomes vapor. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We are a lot like that. Our bodies are the ice cube, our emotions and thoughts are the water and our surrounding energy field is the vapor. It’s important to keep that in mind when doing healing work so that you give the process time to complete. The change has to occur at all 3 levels to be effective. This is why often people will have surgery to heal an issue and a few months or years later, the problem is back. They simply chipped away some ice but didn’t clear the core emotional issue. Our entire being must be addressed and tended to for healing to be completely effective. The energy body holds the template which the physical body forms to.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">FORGET ABOUT IT AND MOVE ON</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The important part of healing is to accept and embrace the results. If I continue to hold on to my story around the issue and form my identity around that wound, then I’ll never be able to move on with my life. For example if my issues were rooted in being molested at age 10 by a friend and I get my attention by being known as a “molestation survivor” then I am still holding on to the drama therein. In the present moment, where I exist, the abuse is not occurring only the identity I’ve formed around the wound is all that is left. I am the only one holding the memory of that event so I need to do my forgiveness work for the perpetrator and for myself to the point where I can let it go. I can then begin forming my identity around being complete and whole. <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/08/claim-your-power.html">http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/08/claim-your-power.html</a> It’s the difference between being known as a “survivor” and as “a fully empowered being”. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As we heal and become whole, the words and labels that we use to define ourselves need to change as well.</b> Heal. Forgive. Forget. But remember, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the healing part has to come first</i> because your conscious mind may forget but your body remembers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While it may seem easier to go with the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy when it comes to doing healing work, that approach really does not work. If we spend all of our energy trying to run from or ignore the core issue, nothing will truly change. Our outer experiences in the world will continue to trigger us in an effort to get us to heal the issue. We can blame the world or other people but our spirits have a vested interest in us being healed and whole and so they will always attract those experiences which will move us in the direction of healing. Until we stop blaming others and own the fact that whatever experience is happening for us is one which we have attracted or created to help us move towards healing. We have to be grateful for its presence in our lives and thank it for what it has to teach us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When we claim our power to create in this way, especially if we are creating negative experiences for ourselves, we can then own our ability to use that power differently to create experiences that we do want. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We can always choose to learn through the “teacher of pleasure” or the “teacher of pain”.</b> If we create pleasurable experiences which help to evolve our spirits and help us grow, we will be attracted to that and we will indeed grow. We will want to do it more and more. Loving yourself more or hating yourself more. Which do you think would make your life happier?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes in order to fully embrace the change that we manifest in our lives, we have to be willing to let go of our old identity. We have to release our old stories and be done with the past. No longer victims of our past but rather powerful beings who <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">because of</b> their past have made it to be a part of the present moment. Each and every one of us that is alive at this moment is here because we chose to be here, even if unconsciously. We are the chosen ones who are awakening in this moment to be a part of a shift in human consciousness. Cultures from around the planet have predicted it and with open eyes we can witness the fact that we have to evolve the way we think and behave quickly before we destroy ourselves. We are fighting because of our differences and not celebrating our diversity. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Who would you be if you let go of your oldest story of wounding? What would your life look like if you didn’t hold on to that identity?</div></div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-50510785104741489882011-04-20T08:55:00.000-07:002012-04-23T09:01:53.457-07:00Wounds - Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Wounds. We all have them and usually we have lots of them. They’re such an integral part of who we are that most of us aren’t even aware of them…yet they’re still there. When people who haven’t done much inner process work hear this term, they believe it means physical wounds, such as cuts, scraps or old broken bones. Those are indeed wounds but the wounds I’m speaking of are energetic in nature and typically show no outward physical appearance.</div>
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Energetic wounds are places in our energy fields, which surround and include our physical body, where we hold the memory of the hurt which has come to us. This hurt comes in many forms. Sometimes this hurt has come from physical damage such as when we are in accidents or fights. The majority of our wounds however have an emotional or mental cause. These are the ones which are less visible and are often outside of our conscious memory either because they are so old that they’re forgotten, were so subtle when they occurred, happened to us when we were so young that we don’t have a recallable memory of the experience or it was so painful that we’ve chosen to forget it.</div>
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<b>HOW WE ARE WOUNDED?</b></div>
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Wounding occurs when we encounter an experience which we are unable to process and resolve. Our inability to process an experience may come from a variety of factors including age, past experiences, mental weakness, misguided information or a violation of our trust or boundaries. Whatever the reason for the experience or our inability to physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually or spiritually handle it, the wound is formed and it begins to shape our lives and affect our identity, often to our detriment. Unfortunately the wounds that we carry often cause us to inflict the same wounds upon others.</div>
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To understand this process, let me give you an example from my own life. The post I did called <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/06/for-last-three-months-or-so-ive-had.html">Body Memory</a> lays out the story of my childhood haircut drama. As a child, that event was so traumatic for me that I collapsed in tears. That trauma was the source of a deep wound for me and at the time “emotional wounding” was not anything that I was aware of. My response to the experience was to find ways to protect myself from ever letting this happen again. </div>
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Growing up I was always very defensive when it came to my hair and always did my best to ensure that it didn’t attract any more negative attention than necessary. Unfortunately I also had very thin and fine hair and it began falling out in my early 20’s and this became an all-too-frequent topic of conversation. I knew that I was incredibly defensive about it and often lashed out inappropriately at others who made wisecracks or comments about it. Anytime anyone would make a comment about any haircut I got, I would shut down and quickly try to change the topic. Often that defense strategy would involve some sort of self-deprecating humor that served to further hold my wound in place. I became my own worst enemy. In some respects, the day that I decided to shave my head was the day that I found peace. My hair could no longer be made fun of because now it was gone.</div>
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It would have been very easy for me to write off my defensiveness as “no one likes to be teased about anything personal” but my response to the teasing was always more intense than was warranted. This was because an old wound was being triggered deeper within my subconscious and that wound was the source of great embarrassment. Yet this was an experience that I had mentally blocked out because it was too painful to hold on to but the wound was still very present in my energy field. It wasn’t until the meditation experience that I even recalled the original event.</div>
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<b>WOUND AWARENESS</b></div>
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The obvious question then becomes “if I can’t remember the original wounding experience, how do I heal that wound?” This is where awareness and inner work come in to play. Being self-aware is about being able to be in the world and engaged but also being “the observer” of your experiences. Many of us experience the Observer but do it from an unconscious place where it is typically ignored. The Observer is that small part of our consciousness which is constantly witnessing the events which unfold in our lives. The key to identifying the Observer is that it is not judgmental nor does it direct us in any way. It is simply the silent witness.</div>
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For most, the Observer is first experienced consciously during a <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/07/connecting-with-inner-divine.html">meditation practice</a>. It is that part of our consciousness that not only is aware that we are sitting for meditation but also the part that observes the thoughts that we have. It helps us become aware of the thoughts when those thoughts are not the object of our meditation. For example, let’s say that I’m sitting to meditate and my focus is on the breath. Perhaps for the first 20 seconds I’m witnessing myself focusing on the breath, then I hear an the external sound of plane flying overhead, which causes me to begin thinking about the last time I flew somewhere for vacation. The next thing I know, I’m thinking about me lying on a sunny beach somewhere. Perhaps a few minutes pass before eventually I catch a nudge from the Observer that brings my awareness to “beach thoughts” and this allows me to bring my awareness back to the breath. </div>
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<b>BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OBSERVER</b></div>
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The key to that experience however is learning to be connected to the Observer. The Observer is always consciously aware of our experience and can help us become aware of those times when we aren’t in the present moment but rather lost in thought and past events. By deepening our awareness of and connection to this part of our consciousness, we can begin to be aware of when an old wound has been triggered. We may find ourselves in a defensive place trying to rationalize our irrational behavior or reacting like we are 8 years old. This is when the Observer gives us a nudge that we aren’t in the present moment. If we are aware of that voice we can not only observe that we are reacting from a wounded place in our psyche but also what the nature of that wound is.</div>
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To give you an example of how that process might look, let’s continue with my hair story. Perhaps someone had made a wise crack about my hair being messy and I became unconsciously triggered by the comment. I became defensive and went into <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/03/patterns.html">pattern</a> and began projecting my wound onto them by making fun of either their hair or something which I knew would hurt them. Perhaps a bitchy comment I make upsets them and a verbal or physical fight ensues between us and we both lash out at each other. Now my focus is on this fight and not the original wound. </div>
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<b>WATCH FOR THE RED FLAGS</b></div>
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It would be easy for me to walk away from that event with my focus on how mean the person was or just the fight itself and still have my deeply hidden wound intact. If I had been aware of the Observer, perhaps I would have noticed that their hair comment took me out of the present moment and into the past where my original wound was. I could have then been aware that there is an old wound that needs healing and even that it has to do with being so self-conscious about my hair. This information would have come to me via the Observer because it witnessed the events just as they were without the judgments of my personality or emotional coloring.</div>
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Typically we can become aware of old wounds this way because of our emotional response. We become overly emotional or we experience fear or anxiety. This is where the old spiritual adage “go into the fear (or pain)” comes in. By being aware of what the issue is that triggers us, we are given a pathway to healing an old wound. In my example above, if I had been self-aware enough to notice that I was defensive about my hair, I could have used my time alone to process that through a simple inquiry into my subconscious, “why am I so sensitive about my hair?”</div>
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<b>FEARS ARE RED FLAGS</b></div>
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Our fears point the way to healing. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unless there is physical danger involved</i></b>, truly we have nothing to fear so when we notice that the emotion of fear is present, we can use that as a compass for locating and ultimately healing an old wound. In my example above, I had the fear that someone would talk about my hair so I would go out of my way to try and keep it perfectly combed and styled in a way that I believed was attractive. I of course wasn’t fooling anyone but myself. I held the belief that no one would notice that it was thinning by keeping it styled and sprayed into place. Yes, it was a different issue from a child’s crew-cut but my hair was a source of shame from an earlier wound, thus the sensitivity.</div>
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What seemingly simple activity do you have a fear of? What makes you say “ouch”?</div>
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<b>END OF PART 1</b></div>
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This entry turned out to be a rather long one so I’m going to break it into two pieces. In the next part I’ll share a process for working to heal the wounds. Until then examine your life for those areas of resistance, feelings of discomfort and hot buttons. Watch what happens just from becoming aware of them.<br />
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<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/04/wounds-part-2.html" target="_blank">Click here for Part 2</a> <br />
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</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-71278039385875446072011-03-25T11:32:00.000-07:002011-03-25T11:32:49.101-07:00Patterns<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Choice is the expression of “free will”. All religions and Spiritual teachings tell us that we are entitled to and beings of free will. On the surface that sounds like a good thing, and it is, but most of us only brush the surface of choice. We can choose what clothes to buy and wear, where to live, what activities to do and all sorts of physical decisions of this nature. When we get down to the level of our habits and emotional responses we believe that our free goes out the window. I spoke a bit about this choice in “<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/08/claim-your-power.html">Claim your power</a>”.<br />
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Even after we stop giving our power away however it can still seem as though many of the life changes that we would like to be able to make are still elusive. When stressful situations happen we find ourselves repeating our same old response patterns that haven’t worked for us in the past, getting the same outcome and feeling like “that’s just the way I’m wired”. These responses come so quickly that we can’t imagine having the ability to make any other choice. It seems as if there was no choice at all involved but rather the reaction was instinctive. This instinctive reaction occurs because of our “energetic patterns” and these patterns are what drive many of our unconscious responses.<br />
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<strong>PATTERN SELECTION</strong><br />
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Our energetic patterns were chosen long before conscious choice was even an option. These patterns began forming when we were in the womb and into our formative years as young children. These patterns helped to protect us before we had the knowledge, skills and abilities to protect ourselves as adults. We are products of our environment both physically and energetically and as such we are responsive to stimulus from our environment. As a fetus or small child, this type of energetic response was the only one we had available to us.<br />
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A great deal of study has been done on these response patterns from many levels and by many different fields of study. They have been studied by psychologists, scientists and especially by psychics and these studies have resulted in five main groups or patterns based upon the results of their particular field of study. A great many books have been published about these patterns with each field of study putting their own twist on them. Rather than me spend a great deal of time trying to explain each of them to you, I’ll refer you to the one most relevant to my area, energy work. Barbara Brennan has done some amazing work in this area and is the one I’d like to ask you to have a look at. Her book “Hands of Light” explains each of these patterns in detail and how they show up in the physical body. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/14p23IclWzO7SGgo47vomGcTtvMsmtBG7_4P1odlgews/edit?authkey=CPiNusoN#">Here is a link to a document</a> I created from that book with all the patterns explained. <br />
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Their names can be a little off-putting because modern psychology has also used these names to define psychological disorders. These patterns and their definitions precede the psychological references so don’t let the idea that your pattern has a “bad name” throw you off. Each pattern also has what is called a “light side” and a “dark side”. The dark side attributes are a bit more defensive and at times destructive while the light side ones are more functional and constructive. <br />
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Reading the information from “Hands of Light” should help you begin to see which pattern you run. We all have a primary pattern and a secondary one as a backup if the primary fails or simply isn’t the most effective for the situation. When you read through the information on the patterns, you may see parts and pieces from each one that you resonate with. We all have consciously developed actions that we believe work for us by observing others but you should see at the very least one that just seems to be “spot on” for you. That’s probably your primary pattern. The secondary one can be a bit harder to determine because it’s a little less familiar than our primary defense pattern and may take a little more time to isolate.<br />
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Once you determine which pattern you run, you’ll begin to see and experience what it feels like to you when you are “in pattern” and when you are not. When we are in pattern, our responses are more instinctive feeling because we are in essence in “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response">fight or flight</a>” mode. We typically will go into pattern when energy comes at us that we believe we can’t handle. This energy can be stress or stressful situations, crowds, strong electrical fields, emotional interactions, or even through the focused intent of a single person.<br />
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<strong>PATTERN OR ARMOR</strong><br />
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These energy patterns are connected to the armor that I discussed in the previous post to this one, "<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2011/03/man-of-steel.html">Man of Steel</a>", in that they help to drive the creation of the armor. When energy comes at us, it triggers our defense system and that creates the armor. When we are in pattern, or defense mode, our responses become so quick that they feel instinctive. Based upon the pattern we run those responses can vary but generally speaking each one has a general response. Those are: Schizoids will fragment and scatter, Orals will collapse, Psychopaths will escalate, Masochists will hunker down and hold and Rigids will resist.<br />
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Just to be clear however, our energy pattern and body armor are two separate things. The armor was originally formed by the energy pattern but is primarily held in relation to the physical body. Our energy pattern also helped to shape our body type or structure but these patterns are pure energy. These patterns are far more fluid than the physical structures of our body or armor. This is what allows us to switch between our primary and secondary structures almost instantaneously. Therefore one can learn to recognize when they are in pattern and take action to come out of that and respond to the situation rather than instinctively react to it. Armor however can only be removed through a Dearmoring type experience. And of course the physical body will take longer to change because of its dense energetic nature. <br />
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<strong>COMING OUT OF PATTERN</strong><br />
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For most of us we remain almost constantly, unconsciously in pattern. We don’t know what it feels like to be out of pattern and fully in form, in our bodies. Awareness of these patterns is the first step into supplanting them. Once we understand and accept their existence then we can begin to see how our responses, especially under duress, begin to play out according to our understanding of the pattern. When cannot change what we are not aware of. It then becomes easier to recognize when we are in pattern (even without the stress) and this allows us to take action to come out of pattern. This is actually easy to do but it takes practice and is a learned skill.<br />
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Remember when I shared “<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/04/awakening-grounding.html">The Basics</a>” with you and encouraged you to begin working with those, well this is where they come into play. When we go into pattern it is typically because we don’t feel that we can energetically handle whatever situation we have found ourselves in physically or energetically. The Basics are what we use to create a firm, safe structure energetically so that we are able to handle whatever life brings at us. This allows us to come out of pattern and into our bodies. <br />
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Think about the Basics as you building your energy home here on Earth. “Ground” is about you defining and claiming the place and space upon which you will build your house. It is like buying the property and saying “This space is where I will build my home.” “Clear” is about making room for the structure. This is where you determine where the house will go and clear out the dirt and trees. “This space is only for me.” “Bind” is when you begin putting up the walls of the house to define the structure. “These are the boundaries for the space I will occupy.” Finally “Core” is putting on the roof to create a defined space which will be your energetic home. “I live here.” You need each of these to be in place for the system to hold because they build upon each other and work together to serve and protect you.<br />
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Because we are so used to being in pattern and not knowing that there is another way, our responses are habitual (“That’s just how I am”) and no real conscious effort is required to maintain this pattern but it is a major use of our energy system because we are constantly in defense mode. Adrenal overload and chronic fatigue syndrome are common physical indicators of this. When we make the decision to keep our Basics in place, it takes constant and repeated effort to do this until we establish that as our default. It’s a lot like learning to walk. After we master crawling, that becomes our norm or default position. Once we decide to stand and walk, it’s a new skill set to master and takes repeated efforts to learn the new tasks necessary to accomplish it until it becomes habitual and instinctive. Then the more you do it, the easier it becomes and requires very little thought or effort. This is an example of the <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/09/conscious-competence-cycle.html">Conscious Competence</a> cycle. <br />
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<strong>KEEP THE BASICS IN PLACE</strong><br />
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I was first introduced to “The Basics” about two years ago when I began an energy training course with an amazing teacher, Lynda Caesara. Now that I’ve worked more consciously with the Basics myself and they have become my default position, I am learning to recognize the “feel” of being in pattern versus in the Basics. For months after learning about these, I would spend time in the morning getting them in place, go on with my day and realize late in the evening that I never really put any additional awareness on maintaining them throughout the day. This awareness would suddenly make some of the things I had done during the day make more sense. I would see how that patterned response was not really the strategy that I would have most liked to have used. I can’t say that I’ve reach unconscious competence with it yet but I am finally consciously competent with it.<br />
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It has taken me a long time to learn to almost constantly hold some small part of my awareness on keeping the Basics in place. One of the best training techniques I used was the old rubber band on the wrist. Every time I would notice the rubber band, I would check the Basics and firm them up again. Once you have them in place along with the resulting image and “feel”, you can firm them up again in a few seconds with practice. By using the rubber band, you’ll notice how many times you’ll be reminded to check them, you’ll see how much more effort it requires, at least initially, to really retrain your subconscious to hold your energy in this new grounded state. This becomes especially important when you are interacting with anyone particularly one-on-one. PLEASE give the rubber band trick a try rather than just thinking about it so that you can see for yourself. <br />
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Once you get a feel for what it is like to be in your Basics it will become the desired state rather than the ungrounded, crowded, fractured, amped up, spacey, foggy, or scattered feelings of being in pattern. Trust me on that one! Until you know that there is another, better, more energetically aware and attuned way however, you’ll have no motivation to change because you don’t know that it can be different. It’s definitely a case of until you know, you don’t know. I didn’t know myself but now I do.<br />
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When being in your Basics becomes your norm, you’ll begin to see how easily and unknowingly you’ve been triggered in the past even by seemingly normal interactions with others. You’ll begin to see that all of your energetic needs can be met from within so you won’t need to find ways to get others to meet your needs. Rather than <strong>reacting</strong> to your situation, you’ll be able to <strong>respond</strong>. The gap between stimulus and response will begin to widen and in that gap you will find choice. Choice is the key to free will. The need to scatter, resist, surrender, control or manipulate will simply vanish and the true inner wisdom that is the voice of your Higher Self will emerge.<br />
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<strong>Are you willing to make the effort required to claim the power of your free will?</strong></div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-77400205779665083672011-03-12T10:57:00.000-08:002012-10-18T08:14:31.777-07:00The Man Of Steel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Okay so the whole “I’ll blog during the de-armoring process” didn’t really work out. Here it is a full two weeks after the end of the two-week ceremony and I have absolutely nothing ready. I’m okay with that however because lots of great things have risen to the surface to share with you and I now once again have the motivation along with the desire to share it. My motivation was the missing component before the De-armoring ceremony but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It seems that all I wanted to do before the event was sleep as much as I could and since I blog in the quiet early morning hours, the two were in conflict and sleep always won. I can be very lazy.<br />
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In truth, my motivation was the missing component for doing a lot of things in my life. It felt like so many things in my life required me to push myself so hard to get it done that everything was a chore. That feeling that it was a chore caused me to build up a lot of resistance to doing it and that just made getting anything done even more of a challenge. Without realizing it, I was becoming my own worst enemy to accomplishing anything. I have a to-do list that is always full of things I want to do but desire alone doesn’t accomplish much.<br />
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SHAMANIC DE-ARMORING<br />
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I remember when I first heard about the Shamanic De-armoring experience at the Association of Sexual Energy Practitioners (ASEP) conference in Mesa, AZ a couple of years ago. <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/09/synchronicity.html">http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/09/synchronicity.html</a> The leader of the Sweet Medicine Sundance Society, Thunderstrikes, spoke at the conference about the ceremony. One of the leaders of the De-armoring ceremony, John “Spinning Coyote” also discussed the process and something about their words let me know that I needed this. I wasn’t exactly sure why. It felt right but the timing wasn’t right for me just then. A year later, one of the guys I go to for massage went through it and his experience inspired me and I felt like “YES, I WANT THAT!” But again the timing wasn’t right. Finally this past September a dear friend went through it and I thought “here it is again…3 times this has been presented to me…I better move on it.” The timing was finally right for me and so in I went.<br />
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I won’t spend a lot of time going over the armoring/De-armoring process because it’s probably best to read their site for info on that. That is www.ShamanicDearmoring.com. It’s really a beautiful site. It will speak to some who read it and others will write it off because it is too “out there” for them in their life or the timing isn’t quite right. Our Spirits always make the things that we need to do attractive to us. Those things which we do not need will also become unattractive to us. That simple act is how our Spirit works. It’s not about words, voices, thoughts, detailed discussions, visions or anything complex like that. Our Spirits are pure energy and energy doesn’t have words or images. Those things are products of the mind, not the Spirit. Our spiritual energy works like a magnet and attracts and repels what we need and don’t need. It’s far less complicated than our human minds want to make it. It is time that we all wake up to that knowledge.<br />
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OUR ARMOR IS OUR DEFENSE SYSTEM<br />
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I will share a tiny bit about the shape I was in when I went into the ceremony because it fits within the context of the sharing I’m doing here. I guess you could call me the “Man of Steel” because my armor was layered, shiny, polished steel. It really makes me smile to think of that because after breaking it off, I feel like Superman. The armor that we choose to create as a protective barrier is of course energetic. None of us are walking around with visible armor but we all “know” it’s there especially when we are honest with ourselves about our behaviors and “our stuff”. We choose to begin creating this armor from the moment we enter the world because we have no other defense systems in that helpless, infant state.<br />
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This energetic armor helps to shield things that we are not equipped to handle from reaching the core of our being. The skin and muscles also function as shields but they aren’t incredibly effective at the energetic level. We are born helpless and trusting and we don’t possess the verbal skills or knowledge to defend ourselves so we have to rely on our Spirit and energy field to shield us. In response to our surroundings, we begin building defenses to the environment as well as the people in it, even our parents. Despite the love that they had to bring us into this world, they too were wounded and armored beings and began projecting those wounds onto us right away as part of their drama. <br />
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ARMOR BLOCKS ENERGY<br />
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Now that I have completed the de-armoring process I can feel the difference between having the full suit of armor and having a body which is free of it. If you think about how our energy system works at the most simple level, you can see how this armor affects us. Our life-force, or sexual energy, begins down in the lowest part of our bodies at the base of the spine and wants to move upward through our system and out the crown of our head. As this energy encounters each of the armored plates surrounding our body (see the graphic of that on the De-armoring site for reference http://www.shamanicdearmoring.com/produced.htm), the armor restricts the flow of that energy. Whatever amount makes it past the first plate, hits the second plate and is again restricted. As each plate is encountered more and more energy is blocked and unable to continue upward to the higher spiritual centers of our energy body. Is it any wonder then that we feel so cut off from our true spiritual nature?<br />
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During the Dearmoring process, as each plate was cracked open and eventually destroyed, I began feeling more and more sensations in my body. Of course as each plate was opened all of my old “pain tapes” held in that armor were brought back up to be played again. The pain tapes are our memories of all the times we caused ourselves pain either mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually. Fortunately the things which seemed too traumatic for me to deal with as a small child were either no longer an issue in my life (people, places, events) or as an adult I was able to see them from a more mature point of view and realize that those were the fears of an uneducated child. I was easily able to release those issues without them even needing to be processed. There were issues however which were more current and that needed to be dealt with. The armor we create isn’t just from early childhood. It’s a lifelong process that we continue as long as we are unconsciously moving through our lives in victim mode.<br />
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WHY MAKE ARMOR?<br />
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Below I’ll share one of the things which surfaced for me as I worked on cracking my pelvic plate because I believe it might help others, especially those reading this blog. The pelvic plate protects our life-force and our sexuality. As children, exploring our bodies is natural and beautiful and we hold no shame around this. Once the adults in our lives begin projecting their own sexual wounds (which have a base in family, religious, cultural and societal taboos imprinted upon them) onto us we begin to feel shame around our sexuality. Add the extra dose of hatred which is projected onto gay children about the expression of their sexual desires and the plates really begin to thicken. If there is sexual abuse, especially during our childhood when we are ill equipped to handle it, the shame and fear we feel about our sexuality not only leaves deep emotional wounds but also causes us to create layer upon layer of protective armor to try and stop the pain.<br />
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We are taught to feel shame. Shame for our bodies. Shame for our emotions. Shame for our sexuality. Shame for our desires, our needs, our thoughts and for our deeds. Is it any wonder then that we judge ourselves so harshly and punish ourselves so cruelly? Shame is the result of judgment. One must evaluate the object against some set standard to determine worth or value. This is how we determine if it is right or wrong, good or bad. All of that judgment comes from the summary of what we have been taught, what we have experienced, what we believe and how we see the world. Based upon some ideal criteria (that we choose), we judge ourselves and those judgments rarely seem to go in our favor. If we believe that we are not good enough, that belief will color our entire world and we will never allow ourselves to love ourselves fully enough because we are not worthy. <br />
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The truth is that we are all worthy and capable of infinite amounts of love. Only our beliefs separate us from that truth and that doesn’t mean it isn’t true, it simply means we won’t allow ourselves to believe that it true. Change your thoughts, change your beliefs. Change your beliefs, change your life. Change your life, change the world. Be the change that you want to see in the world.<br />
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DENYING MYSELF PLEASURE<br />
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As a young man I went through the youthful years of rampant sexual desire and moved into a more tempered state. As an adult, my sexual desires are less urgent and consequently my orgasms are less frequent. Somewhere along the line I bought into the belief that one ejaculation a day is all that I can handle “because I’m too old”. Since I do erotic work for a living, I receive a lot of sexual stimulation during a day and have developed techniques to limit that as much as possible in order to prevent an ejaculation while still being fully engaged with my body. Having that “I’m done” feeling during my first session of the day has made it challenging for me to be able to engage others erotically for the rest of the day. As a way to avoid too much sexual stimulation directed at me I have often said to my clients “During your session it’s not about my pleasure, it’s about yours.” That phrase has actually become an anthem for me…unfortunately.<br />
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When I began working on the pelvic plate in the De-armoring ceremony, it became painfully clear how much I was denying my own pleasure. In an effort to control and prevent an ejaculation, I have avoided and dodged contact with clients and my partner, devised many techniques and excuses and done lots of schedule juggling. If an ejaculation occurred early in the day, I’ve cancelled appointments, judged myself harshly or felt very stand-offish with clients and promised to work harder to prevent that from happening again. I’ve even experienced extended and repeated episodes of erectile dysfunction because on a subconscious level that was a defense mechanism that my body thought I needed to avoid too much stimulation and pleasure. All of this was done based upon the false belief that I’m too old to have more than one ejaculation a day. I’m totally not and I knew that because I’ve had days where I’ve had 2 or 3 ejaculatory orgasms in a single day and felt fine. Actually those were amazing days when I look back on them…thus the number of orgasms. I felt like a kid again! <br />
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Yet it just never clicked until that plate started cracking and I had to look at my stuff. Most people don’t do erotic work for their job so you may be thinking this couldn’t possibly apply to you. I invite you however to look at the ways you deny yourself pleasure in your life. Do you limit the free flowing expression of your sexuality because of dogma placed upon you by religion? Do you hide behind the wounds of past sexual experiences? Do you judge yourself for being a sexual person…especially if you are gay? Do you believe that you can’t be spiritual and sexual at the same time? Are you so disconnected from your body that you don’t even feel sexual desire any longer? Do you choose not to feel sexual because it might lead to engaging another person and that could lead to heartache?<br />
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A HOUSE OF CARDS<br />
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Perhaps, like me, you’ve created an elaborate scheme of excuses and processes as a way to justify your behavior and it’s all based upon a false assumption which may have seemed true for you at some point in your life but is no longer the case. This happens when we live in the past (“I was wounded sexually in the past so now I’m damaged goods.”) or in the future (“I want to be a better person so I have to give up my sexual expression” or “I’m too old to be loved”.) and not in the present moment. When we really do the work to look deeply at our beliefs as expressed through our words, thoughts and actions, we can see how we limit ourselves in so many ways. As I’ve said time and time again, our beliefs shape our reality. Change your beliefs, change your life.<br />
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Changing your beliefs start with opening your mind to the present moment and being willing to look at things as they are now without the coloring from our wounded past. When we change even just a single thought about how we see the world, we open ourselves to newness. Opening ourselves to newness is the gateway to a world of infinite possibility and potential. With the problems we face in our personal worlds, nationally and globally, we have to be willing to let go of our old, limiting ways of being. In letting go, we can own our power and co-create a future unlike anything that we ever seen before on this planet.<br />
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JUST GETTING STARTED<br />
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So that was how the Shamanic De-armoring ceremony started for me. All this was just from the first three days and then it really got good. I can now say that I highly recommend this experience to everyone. You don’t need to be on a Shamanic path or an erotic worker but you do need to have a desire to release your old wounds. Your past is what created your armor unconsciously. When you begin to live a more conscious life, you will find that you don’t need to lug around all that old baggage and constantly replay those old pain tapes. Once you make the choice to step out of victim mode and choose to co-create with the Universe to make a life that works for you now, the armor just gets in the way. Armor keeps stuff out but it also keeps you locked inside.<br />
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How do you limit your power? How do you deny your pleasure?</div>
Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-74241178456066146522011-01-23T11:28:00.000-08:002011-01-23T11:28:45.956-08:00Kicking off 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Greetings dear readers. I hope that 2011 is treating each of you well and bringing you more and more opportunities to evolve and grow. As you may have noticed things have gone quiet here for the last couple of months. Much of that is because of my own personal growth and some general laziness on my part. <br />
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I enjoy the process of writing and doing it really helps me to understand and view the information I have in a new way. The best way to figure out what you believe is to teach it. Since I chose to keep this blog free however it really has to take a lower priority in my life. Over the last few months I’ve been working to develop a new area of my professional practice and that has really taken the bulk of my focus. Remember that birthing process I spoke of in June, well it’s all related. (<a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/06/preparing-to-give-birth.html">http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/06/preparing-to-give-birth.html</a>) I’m almost done with the setup that I need for it but not quite yet so things may still be a little slow here for a while especially based upon what is in my immediate future.<br />
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Tomorrow morning my beloved and I will leave for 10 glorious days of sun, fun, rest and relaxation in beautiful Puerto Rico. Neither of us has ever been there and needless to say we are both very excited about it. When we return, after a couple days of rest I’ll begin a two-week shamanic ceremony that will really shake things up for me. I had hoped to write a couple of postings on some topics related to the ceremony (shamanism, armoring, energetic defense patterns and Sacred Ceremony) before I told you about it but since we leave for Puerto Rico in the morning, obviously that won’t happen.<br />
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The ceremony is called Shamanic Dearmoring and information on it can be found here. <a href="http://www.shamanicdearmoring.com/">http://www.shamanicdearmoring.com/</a>. The thing with shamanic ceremonies is that once you commit to them, you go into ceremonial space then and the energy of the ceremony starts working on you. I signed up for this at the end of November and can truly attest to the truth of what I just shared with you. This ceremony, along with a smaller ceremony that I experienced as part of the energy class that I’m in, has really shaken my foundation. December was a very challenging month for me because of these two events and the general holiday drama which comes along with it. At times it felt like my whole reality was about to crumble and that seems to only be intensifying as the date of the physical ceremony draws nearer. <br />
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I am fortunate that I’ve been able to watch two friends who have gone through this process and I’ve seen the beautiful and powerful changes it has made in their lives. It is my hope that I’ll be able to share my experience with you not just after I’ve gone through it but as I’m going through it. I’m not making any promises but believe that creating the blog entries will be a lot like journaling and can help me make sense of the experience for myself. Only time will tell on that.<br />
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Needless to say the next 4 weeks are going to be intense and exciting for me. I’d like to ask that if thoughts of me (or this blog) pop into your head, especially between 2/6 – 2/20, that you send me good thoughts and love and know that it will be returned in kind. I know the laws of physics will take care of that because we always get back whatever energy we send out. The thing with going into a transformative ceremony like this is that I know I’ll be different, not better or worse, but just different because I am choosing to consciously engage change through the process. As with all things in life, I welcome change because even though it’s scary, growth and evolution require change to keep them going. We can’t grow and evolve without changing. It’s just not possible. The nature of our reality is change so any struggle against that is simply resistance and as such is a waste of energy.<br />
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Thanks for not giving up on me or this blog. Your comments are always welcome and your support and encouragement is always appreciated. May the Universe always nurture and support you in all that you do and may you always find true peace and love from within.</div>Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-17261872668158223152011-01-03T07:38:00.000-08:002011-01-03T07:38:32.580-08:00Welcome to 2011Greetings everyone. I hope that your holiday season and transition into the new year has been enjoyable and full of love. My wish for you is that the coming year brings you a deeper level of awareness of your true nature as well as the ability to harness and use all of your unlimited power to achieve your goals and manifest your dreams. <br />
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I’m a big fan of Mike Duley’s “TUT - The Adventures Club”. When you sign up for it, each morning you are sent an email reminding you of your power with an inspirational message to help you achieve your personal goals. <a href="http://www.tut.com/resources/notes/">http://www.tut.com/resources/notes/</a> It’s really a great way to start your day with a nice, short, positive message. I’d like to share the one that arrived on New Year’s day because I think is so powerful. It said:<br />
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<em>So the new year starts and now's a great time to: </em><br />
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<em>1. Wipe the slate clean. </em><br />
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<em>2. Focus upon what you really want.</em><br />
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<em>3. Chart your course. </em><br />
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<em>Right?</em><br />
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<em>Well... only if you want to risk having to repeat these steps for the same wishes next year! Maybe this is splitting hairs, but here's an adventurous alternative: </em><br />
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<em>1. Give thanks that life is... just as it is (and that it has been). Because of it, you’re now “Ready”.</em><br />
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<em>2. Define what you want in terms of the end result. Don’t worry about the hows, or even the course. KNOW that what you want is ALREADY yours in spirit, by divine LAW, just focus on the certainty of this ownership, understand it, claim it, and “it will be on earth, as it is heaven (spirit).”</em><br />
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<em>3. LET THE UNIVERSE show you the way via your impulses and instincts that appears as you take inspired action. Don’t worry that your first steps seem silly or futile. And if you don’t know what to do, do anything! Go! Get busy! Do not insist on intermediary successes, only upon the end result. </em><br />
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I hope you are able to achieve your dreams in the coming year and live the life that you’ve always dreamed of. Nothing concrete stands in your way, only your thoughts. Believe it and you can do it.<br />
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As you may have noticed, things have been a little quiet on the blog this past month. I’ve been taking some time off from blogging during December to focus on some of my personal goals and general well being. Now that the holidays are behind me, I hope to again focus on sharing the information which has come to me and allow it to come through me.<br />
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I also hope that the information that I’ve shared with you so far has been helpful as well as challenging. When we are challenged, we grow. As we grow, we evolve and expand our personal consciousness and come more into alignment with Cosmic Consciousness, the awareness of the underlying unity we share with all of creation. Unity Consciousness isn’t a far off idea, it is Universal truth and only your limiting thoughts stand between you and the full awareness of that truth.<br />
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Now that I have laid out most of the groundwork, in the new few months I hope to share some tools and techniques for helping you to move past your patterned, unconscious, habitual responses and into the conscious evolution of your consciousness (or soul). If you look around our planet at all of the social, environmental, financial, political and religious drama that is unfolding, it is easy to see that we are headed for unprecedented problems on a global scale. We must evolve our consciousness in order to solve these problems because we cannot do it in the same consciousness in which we created them. More of the same will never bring us the change we require. It simply is not possible.<br />
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I’m excited about all that I have to share and I am grateful that you are sticking with me. Thank you for taking the time out of your life to read what I have to share. I hope that you’ll take time to share your experiences with me as well especially as it relates to the use of the tools and techniques found within my blog. I will do my best to keep things rolling here but I have something big going on in February and will share more about that in coming posts. I also have a personal work project which I’m trying to complete during January so things might be a little slow these first two months but please stick with me.<br />
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Cheers to you for the new year. May 2011 be your best year ever! Thanks again for your continued support and encouragement. It is very much appreciated.Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-5141470327806953302010-12-02T09:21:00.000-08:002010-12-02T09:21:12.679-08:00A holiday mirrorThe world is a mirror which reflects back to us what we look into it with. This is true for all of us but when you are doing energy and healing work, it becomes especially true. I used to work for a Chiropractor who specialized in energy medicine. One thing he taught me was that whatever issues that his clients presented, there was always a reflection of that going on in his body or in his life. As I’ve grown into my own practice, I’ve found this to be very true for me as well. I’ve written about how powerful this has been for me before. <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/04/coincidents.html">http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2009/04/coincidents.html</a> <br />
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Last week a client wrote to me asking for an appointment and in his email he expressed how stressed out he has been over a DUI that he got in June. It was his second one in some number of years and so he faces potential jail time. He mentioned how sad this was making him. He was feeling depressed and lonely and so he wanted to schedule a session with me. Throughout his email he proceeded to blame everything that was going on for him on getting a DUI. <br />
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After a few emails back and forth discussing the issues, one of the things that became clear to me was that he was stuck in victim mode. I pointed out to him that the night of his DUI was over and done. Yes, his impending court date was a direct result of that evening but so was the night he took his first drink. So was the day he first got the prescription medication which negatively interacted with the alcohol. So was the first day the he learned to drive a car. Every day was somehow related when you examine it so why choose such a negative event to focus on? I understand why and do it myself but when you look at it consciously that way, it helps to break you out of victim mode.<br />
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This awareness seemed to really help him move through the block he was holding on to but it also really stood out for me emotionally. I found myself continually thinking about the email exchange and so I knew there was something there for me too and that I just needed to watch for it. Not surprisingly it didn’t take long for it to show up.<br />
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HO HO HUMBUG<br />
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This past Saturday, my partner and I began decorating our home for the holidays. This time of year can be very emotional for a lot of us because of all the stress that the holiday season can bring. As much as I hated the fact that I disliked this season so much, the truth is historically it has been one of the worst times of year for me because of early childhood wounds. Those wounds led me to be miserable as a young adult and unhappy even to this very year. All of that has contributed to me having yet another unhappy holiday season every year. It was one of my “life stories” that I told myself and others. Sad but true.<br />
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That night as we sat in our living room admiring our decorations, my partner was looking at our tree and smiling. He said “this is the first real tree that I’ve ever had for Christmas.” My heart broke open. Here is a 43 year old who is one of the kindest souls I know and someone whom I love dearly and he was experiencing newness in this moment. His joy was evident and there I sat stewing in my old Christmas juices. And then it hit me. I’m being a victim of my past. Just because past Christmas seasons had bad things happen, it didn’t mean this one had to be bad too. The only thing that was negative about this season was ME. <br />
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Tears flowed down my face at both the joy of co-creating a magical experience for my beloved but also how much lighter my heart felt by me choosing to let go of the past pain and move into present joy. I know that my thoughts shape my beliefs and my beliefs shape my life, so if I change my thoughts I change my life. In choosing to believe that this season is about THIS season and the joy that fills my life THIS year, I chose to step out of victim mode and into joy of the present moment. It really feels good and just made things a little brighter for me.<br />
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In looking at your life, what old stories are you still re-playing that keep you from being joyous in the present moment?Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104794569643783454.post-72126682312510497072010-11-13T11:34:00.000-08:002010-11-13T11:34:56.810-08:00A personalization process for the TarotImagine for a moment that you were creating a card based oracle from scratch because you wanted to deepen the guidance you receive from within. You might start with two cards; one says “yes” and the other says “no”. Each time you asked your Spirit a question and used these two cards, obviously you’d only be able to ask very rudimentary questions and you’d receive very simple answers. Eventually you’d want to expand your vocabulary so perhaps you’d add a card for “maybe” and one for “unsure”. Over time as you began to seek more and more specific answers you might have a deck of hundreds of cards that you’d select from and there would be overlap between cards so you’d start trying to find ways to deepen the response on each card to reduce the number of cards. Potentially after years and years of perfecting your deck, you’d end up with a simplified version of the Tarot deck. Fortunately this process has already been done for you over centuries and all you have to do is learn the language. <br />
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The process that I will share with you is a way for you to learn the meaning of the cards according to the interpretation book and eventually create a reference that is specific to you. This is a process that may take you a year or so to create but not doing it doesn’t speed the process along nor help you learn to work with the Tarot any faster. Hopefully you’ll be using your deck for years to come so why not start personalizing it right away so that you’ll see a personal connection faster than you might otherwise. For this process you’ll need a couple of notebooks, your Tarot deck and interpretation guide. I like using a notebook with ruled, loose leaf sheets in it because when you fill one page up, you’ll be replacing it with another one as you’ll see. Create a single page in your notebook for every card in the deck. Write the name of each card, in sequence, at the top of the page and leave the page blank. You’ll be using the front and back of the sheet, so one card per sheet of paper.<br />
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DAY 1 – GETTING STARTED<br />
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I recommend doing your reading in the morning before you start your day. The very first step is to get your “Basics” in place. <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/04/awakening-grounding.html">http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/04/awakening-grounding.html</a> When you connect with the Tarot, you are connecting with an energy field of the Tarot and with your Higher Self. Your Basics help keep you grounded during this process and that allows you to connect more fully with the process. Take your Tarot deck and hold it next to your heart. Take a moment and feel that connection between your physical body, the cards and your Higher Self or spirit. When you feel the connection feel like you drop a question from you head down into your heart and into the deck. An easy, generic daily question that I pose is “What is this day about for me?” A question similar to this is the best way to start learning the Tarot rather than jumping to big questions with complicated spreads. It’s like learning to crawl before you run. Remember though this is your egoic self asking the question of your Higher Self, your direct connect to Source. You aren’t asking the cards or some outside entity. It’s you all the way through.<br />
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Next shuffle the cards while contemplating the question. Think about the events of the day that you already know you have planned while you do this. Continue shuffling the cards until you feel that you’re ready for the response. There is no set number of shuffles or time but more just a feeling of “that’s enough” that will arise. Next lay the cards down and cut the deck with your left hand and put the bottom half on top. Using your left hand is said to engage the intuitive side of your energy. Trust that you will be cutting the deck at exactly the right spot because you will. Your conscious mind may not be aware of what is going on but during the shuffling process your spirit is getting the cards arranged in the way that you need for the response. Trust is key to this process as well as enough shuffles for your spirit to get you the best answer to your question. That is where the “that’s enough” response comes from…from YOU!<br />
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Take the top card and turn it over so that it faces up and lay it down. If the card is upside down, leave it that way. The cards have additional meaning if they are upside down (reversed) as opposed to right side (direct) up. Now you can either take the next card and flip it over or cut the deck again. Listen to what your intuition tells you or go with what “feels right” because it will be right. Place this second card to the right of the first card face up. In the beginning these two cards are all the cards that we’ll use in a single reading. Keeping the number of cards used to a minimum will allow you to direct your focus onto a single card so that you can learn about each card more fully.<br />
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Now take what I’ll call your scratch pad (any little notebook will do for this but allocating a notebook specifically for this purpose is a good idea) and write the date and both cards that you drew on the line with it. You’ll be using this scratch pad during the entire process so keep it with your cards and books. That’s it for the first day. To start with, don’t read the interpretations in the book for today (hopefully you will already have taken the time to read the first portion of the book up through the interpretations). When you’re done, stack the cards you drew (still face up) on the deck so that they will be on top for you to see tomorrow.<br />
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DAY 2 – RECORD YOUR EXPERIENCE<br />
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On the second day the process will be a little bit different. Take the cards you drew yesterday and spread them back out side by side so that you can look at the pictures more closely. The first card you drew is what the focus of your day was about. The second card is what energy is crossing (or mixing with) that focus. As we all know, an entire day is never about one single thing. Life is too complicated for that. In the beginning don’t worry too much about what this second card means but for now just record it for historical reference. It will make more sense later.<br />
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For the purposes of explanation, I’m going to assume that you are using “Tarot of the Spirit” as your interpretation book. Look up the meaning of the first card you drew. When you find the page where it begins you’ll see a “Divinatory Meaning” followed by a “Meditation” and then the “Interpretation”. Read through the “Interpretation” completely while you lightly hold on to the thoughts of your previous day. When you finish the reading, take the card and hold it so that you can get a good look at it. Let your eyes wander around the card while you continue to mull over all that happened to you yesterday. Take your time with this but hold your focus on the card rather than looking around the room. If need be after a minute or so, close your eyes, think about the image, the interpretation you read and your previous day. <br />
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When you feel you are ready, turn in your notebook to the page you have created for this card. Write the date on a line and then summarize your previous day onto one or two lines at the most. We aren’t looking to create a journal here but rather record events or learnings from the day. If the card is direct (right side up) then document it on the front of the page and if it is reversed (upside down) then record it on the back side of the sheet. The events that you want to record are those which “feel” relevant to you based upon the interpretation of the reading you just did. There is no right and wrong here but rather a trusting of your intuition to give you the information that you need. If you think that the event is in any way related to the reading, make a quick note of it. You want to be concise but detailed enough that when you read over this in a few months from now you’ll be able to recall the experience from your words or get a feel for how the day was from your words. At the end of the line, make a note of the second card that you drew. You only need to note what card it was for now. Don’t read the interpretation for this card because it will take your focus off of the primary card’s interpretation and slow the process of the image/interpretation connection. Eventually you’ll have read and re-read each cards interpretation so many times that you’ll almost immediately know the meaning just by seeing the card. That’s the experience that we’re after.<br />
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ONGOING – SUMMARIZE AND PERSONALIZE<br />
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You’ll repeat the above process each day that you do a reading. If you can incorporate this spiritual practice into your daily routine you will of course start seeing results faster. Once you have filled up a page (or mostly filled depending upon your personal process), you should begin to see a pattern emerge. That pattern is what we are seeking with this process. Remember the more days that you incorporate into your readings the more accurate your results will be which is why I recommend waiting until you have filled the page. Once you have identified the pattern, take a fresh sheet of paper and document what you see. You may not come out with a verbose summary like in the interpretation book but that’s okay. This info is specific to you so that you know when you see a certain card come up you’ll begin to have an idea of what is ahead in the day or where you are in your personal cycle <a href="http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/09/conscious-competence-cycle.html">http://peacefulmichael.blogspot.com/2010/09/conscious-competence-cycle.html</a><br />
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The most important thing that you will gain from this is a greater ability to respond to a situation rather than simply reacting to it. For example, if you know ahead of time that your plans will most likely fall apart because of outside influences, then you can begin to consider alternatives or at the very least not become triggered by the experience and start spouting off at others involved. Having an understand of what’s going on for you as part of the experience allows you to see the lesson there more easily rather than immediately seeking to blame others.<br />
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THE SECOND CARD<br />
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By the time you’ve reached the point where you are building your own summaries (and you can keep adding to this over time as you see other patterns emerge) you will be familiar with all of the cards. This is where looking back over your history with each card really becomes important. With the built up knowledge of the cards and knowing what they mean you can now come to understand how the second card in the draw is flavoring the first one. <br />
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Let’s say for example that you are working with the “Death” card and creating your personal summary for it. Death does not have to mean a bad thing because death to an old habit, a destructive emotional response pattern or unhealthy relationships can be a good thing. This is where that second card comes in because it helps to clarify what aspect of death you’ll be dealing with. Yes, sometimes it can mean that someone is going to die but that is rare. So as you look back at your history for each card you can see a bit more info on it now by noticing how the second card related to it. This should help you begin to understand the primary cards message along with what happened to you on that day a bit more fully. Hindsight is always rich with insight if you take the time to examine it. This information can help you see how a single card can have so many nuances.<br />
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IT’S ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE<br />
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The end result is that your summary will certainly be informed by the interpretation from the book but it will also have your personal experiences in it as well. This won’t come from you trying to guess what the card will mean, it will come from your experience and documenting that result. Once you have your summary created you’ll be mentally blending your summary, the books interpretation, modifying it with the secondary card and then letting your intuition speak to you to give you the insight that you can use as you go through your day ahead. If you understand what scenario may arise during the day you’ll begin to recognize it when it emerges and you can respond with wisdom rather than reacting out of a patterned response.<br />
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The other nice thing that you will see emerge from this will be gained by looking at the daily readings history. In doing this myself I’ve seen where my own cycles are emerging. For example, if I draw the Magician today, I can look back over my history to find the last time I drew the Magician. I can then see what was going on in my life the last time I drew that card and I will see shades of those experiences in my current experiences. This lets me consciously draw on what I learned from the last cycle and then I can choose to respond differently this time around if I want a more desirable outcome. Hindsight now becomes foresight and that is the guidance we all seek so that we are making more informed decisions in our day to day existence.<br />
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CHOOSE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU<br />
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I know this seems like something that is going to take a while to create and it is but the important thing to remember is that you are learning from your own experiences along the way. If you choose to use an oracle such as the Tarot, you’ll be doing it for years to come once you see its value so why not get a jump start on something like this now rather than a year down the line. It’s a relatively simple process that will yield some powerful information for you down the line...but then simply doing a daily reading and using the interpretation guide is a powerful and useful process as well. Of course there is no requirement to do the process I’m sharing with you. I’m simply offering you something from my experiences that might be of assistance to you.<br />
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There are also other amazing oracle decks on the market. One I’d like to mention in particular is the “Animal Medicine Cards”. The animals have much to teach us humans if we can get past our ego’s and see them for the powerful teachers that they are. This deck and interpretation guide will teach you a great deal about what energies the animals are manifesting and you’ll see how this knowledge can help you make more informed decisions. It is one of my favorite decks. The book lists some very powerful spreads that can tell you a great deal about yourself and how you move in the world. <br />
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The best thing to do when you go to choose any deck is to look at all the cards and see what you are drawn too. Perhaps you just like the images, the color of the deck and cards, the feel of the cards or something that you can’t quite put your finger on. Your spirit will make the deck(s) that is best for you seem the most appealing. If you pick up a deck and suddenly feel a little bit happier, just noticing that shift can tell you a great deal and will always lead you to exactly the people, places and things which are in your best interest. That is how we can directly follow our intuitive guidance. It really is that simple.<br />
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I wish you all the best with working with oracles. If you begin using one and have questions, I’m happy to try and help answer them so feel free to drop me a line via email.<br />
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What lessons does the day hold for you?Michael!http://www.blogger.com/profile/06345054149081072012noreply@blogger.com0