Hiking in the late October woods today reminded me how powerful a teacher nature can be. It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine and crisp air. I was walking where I usually do; up on top of the mountain where I live.
At this time of year, the foliage has all fallen and the ground is orange and brown with leaves. We call it "stick season", as the bare trunks and branches of the trees reach up to the sky like sticks or bones. When the foliage is gone and winter is setting in, there is revelation in the landscape. Today, I saw peeping through the leaves the skull of a deer that had died last winter and been sunbleached and cleaned by the weather throughout the summertime. "The bones are being revealed." I thought to myself.
As I continued my hike, I realized there was an ancient stone wall running through the woods that I had not noticed before. This is not unusual for Vermont. A hundred years ago, this state was 90% deforested and made pasture for sheep and cows. Now, the state is 90% wooded and the forest has swallowed the fields once again; leaving remnants of the old stone walls that used to define property and keep animals contained. "More bones." I said to myself.
I could feel some deeper meaning behind the bones of the land being revealed in this season, and so I took a few minutes to sit in the sunshine under an old birch and feel it out. It didn't take long before the land spoke to me, as it often does, like I'm a small child that is none-too-bright.
"Its when you are laid bare that your bones are revealed." the Earth said. "In the hardest times, when you see winter coming in your life and the bounty is gone, you find those solid bits of yourself that have been brought to light for just such times. Some of these bones are ancient things that you were taught in childhood or when you walked upon me in another suit. Some of these bones have been grown in this life, through hard work and hard experience. Others are remnants of your ancestors, propping you up with deep knowledge.
When you are covered in the verdant green of summer-- the bounty time-- you forget about these bones; these hard, strong parts of you. Its when you feel the cold coming that you look around and find them. Don't turn away from these bones. Sit with them. Own them. Rub them together and sing over them. Let them hold you up and keep you company through the long nights ahead.
The challenges you face and the bones that are revealed show you who you are-- and who you must become if you are to complete your walk in good form and with beauty."
As the voice in my head quieted, I thought about my bones; those parts of me that show themselves when I face trying times or difficulty. These are the parts of me that I honor most. It's easy to be spiritual when things are going well. But it's the times when challenge bites us that were made for Spirit. Its those times when you're meant to pull out your bones...and sing.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Body, Mind & Spirit
Galactic: 12.19.17.16.12
Gregorian: 10.10.09
The phrase "body, mind, spirit" is used everywhere these days, to the point of its becoming a cliche. However, if we look at the deeper meaning behind this phrase, we discover a simple plan for personal growth and an accurate measure of personal balance. By checking in on these three levels of self on a daily basis, you can quickly learn where you need to focus your attention in order to attain wellness and to progress on your path in a balanced way.
If you're on this site, chances are you spend a lot of time focusing on the "spirit" aspect of the "body, mind, spirit" trilogy. Spiritual growth is an important part of anyone's life, as it is what allows us to find our place in the Universe and in relationship with the Creator. Everyone is growing spiritually-- but not everyone is aware of the fact. Even those who reject spirituality or the concept of a larger consciousness are still on a path of learning and spiritual growth. You are, in fact, as spiritual in this moment as you are ever going to be. You are the embodyment of conscious creation and as such you already have within you all you need to unfold to your highest potential. The process of spiritual growth, then, is not one of "becoming more spiritual" (an impossibility), but instead is a process of unfolding to what you already are.
Coming to know yourself as a part of creation and, in so doing, finding your right relationship with All-That-Is, is the ultimate goal of every spiritual path. Reflective practice in any form is the most directive way to attain this understanding. Reflective meditation, prayer, or contemplation is an age-old practice that allows for this unfolding to the spiritual self. In the stillness that this practice nurtures, you come to understand yourself as an integral part of the Divine. By making space in your head for the practice of consciousness-without-an-object (being in a state of consciousness without being conscious OF some thing), you are making space for Divine consciousness to express itself through you. This is why meditative discipline is so important to spiritual growth. Without it, we can have difficulty finding our proper orientation in the Mind of God.
To check your balance on the Spirit level, ask yourself, "Do I make room daily in my life for mindful contemplation or meditation?"
The next leve is that of the Mind. Ideally, the mind is a tool of the spirit, acting as the translator between spiritual consciousness and the manifest world. With daily meditation, the mind moves closer to being a clear instrument for Spirit. Without daily meditation, the mind is no longer policed by Spirit and instead is left to police itself. This leads to obsessive or habitual thoughts that can prevent you from having the clarity and direction that Spiritual consciousness affords. I call this the "squirrel on crack" that lives in your head. Mindless chatter, busy thoughts, worrying, projecting into the past and the future, and losing your inner peace are all symptoms of this "thought rodent" taking over your personal attic.
The power of the mind is astounding. If you are in control of your thoughts and focus, you become master of your reality. Your emotional experiences are direct indicators of your mind state. The emotions that are directly responsible for your inability to be empowered in your life-- fear, worry, low self-esteem-- are all generated by the thoughts that your mind generates in response to the questions you habitually ask yourself. By changing these thoughts, you can change your emotions and empower yourself to take action to create your reality in a conscious way. There are amazing tools available to help you change your brain state, thought habits, and other mind-based imbalances. By taking direct action to become master of your own mind you will directly accelerate both your spiritual growth and improve your physical reality.
To check your balance on a mental level, ask yourself; "Where am I focusing my thoughts right now?" If you are focusing on negativity, projection into the past or future, or other non-productive mental gyrations, take a few minutes to focus instead on positive affirmations, positive questions, or to balance your brain using a hemispheric synchronization audio.
The final and most grounded level is that of the body. Often it is this level that receives the least attention from those on a spiritual path-- even though they may be healers or wellness professionals. Why is this? Caring for the body is a direct reflection of how you care for yourself and your own needs on a daily basis. You may be stellar at caring for others, yet not prioritize your own self care. Your body is the machine in which your spirit drives around. By ignoring, neglecting or otherwise abusing this machine, you are impairing your Spirit's ability to manifest in this realm and therefor impairing your ability to fully manifest your Spiritual path on the planet.
Almost all neglect of the body comes from neglect on the mind level. By bringing the mind level into balance, the body will naturally follow. For instance, I used to think "I don't have time to exercise". What this really translated to was, "I don't believe that my health is a priority over other demands on my time". I was an emotional eater, allowing my thoughts to generate emotional states that would drive me to punish myself or reward myself with the witholding of or overindulgence in food. And, I was not being diligent in policing my thoughts for habitual bad questions, such as "why am I unable to lose this weight?" ( I wasn't) or, "what can I grab quickly to eat?". By simply shifting the mind level through some applied technologies and simple practices, I was able to reprioritize my health and physical fitness and at the same time master other aspects of my life that had gotten out of control.
Daily balance on the body level allows for more energy, focus, stamina, health and general well-being. To check your balance on the body level, ask yourself; "Am I doing all I can do to prioritize my health and fitness?"
These three simple check-points will help you to identify where you need to come into balance, and how you can better empower yourself to gain mastery in your life and on your spiritual path.
Gregorian: 10.10.09
The phrase "body, mind, spirit" is used everywhere these days, to the point of its becoming a cliche. However, if we look at the deeper meaning behind this phrase, we discover a simple plan for personal growth and an accurate measure of personal balance. By checking in on these three levels of self on a daily basis, you can quickly learn where you need to focus your attention in order to attain wellness and to progress on your path in a balanced way.
If you're on this site, chances are you spend a lot of time focusing on the "spirit" aspect of the "body, mind, spirit" trilogy. Spiritual growth is an important part of anyone's life, as it is what allows us to find our place in the Universe and in relationship with the Creator. Everyone is growing spiritually-- but not everyone is aware of the fact. Even those who reject spirituality or the concept of a larger consciousness are still on a path of learning and spiritual growth. You are, in fact, as spiritual in this moment as you are ever going to be. You are the embodyment of conscious creation and as such you already have within you all you need to unfold to your highest potential. The process of spiritual growth, then, is not one of "becoming more spiritual" (an impossibility), but instead is a process of unfolding to what you already are.
Coming to know yourself as a part of creation and, in so doing, finding your right relationship with All-That-Is, is the ultimate goal of every spiritual path. Reflective practice in any form is the most directive way to attain this understanding. Reflective meditation, prayer, or contemplation is an age-old practice that allows for this unfolding to the spiritual self. In the stillness that this practice nurtures, you come to understand yourself as an integral part of the Divine. By making space in your head for the practice of consciousness-without-an-object (being in a state of consciousness without being conscious OF some thing), you are making space for Divine consciousness to express itself through you. This is why meditative discipline is so important to spiritual growth. Without it, we can have difficulty finding our proper orientation in the Mind of God.
To check your balance on the Spirit level, ask yourself, "Do I make room daily in my life for mindful contemplation or meditation?"
The next leve is that of the Mind. Ideally, the mind is a tool of the spirit, acting as the translator between spiritual consciousness and the manifest world. With daily meditation, the mind moves closer to being a clear instrument for Spirit. Without daily meditation, the mind is no longer policed by Spirit and instead is left to police itself. This leads to obsessive or habitual thoughts that can prevent you from having the clarity and direction that Spiritual consciousness affords. I call this the "squirrel on crack" that lives in your head. Mindless chatter, busy thoughts, worrying, projecting into the past and the future, and losing your inner peace are all symptoms of this "thought rodent" taking over your personal attic.
The power of the mind is astounding. If you are in control of your thoughts and focus, you become master of your reality. Your emotional experiences are direct indicators of your mind state. The emotions that are directly responsible for your inability to be empowered in your life-- fear, worry, low self-esteem-- are all generated by the thoughts that your mind generates in response to the questions you habitually ask yourself. By changing these thoughts, you can change your emotions and empower yourself to take action to create your reality in a conscious way. There are amazing tools available to help you change your brain state, thought habits, and other mind-based imbalances. By taking direct action to become master of your own mind you will directly accelerate both your spiritual growth and improve your physical reality.
To check your balance on a mental level, ask yourself; "Where am I focusing my thoughts right now?" If you are focusing on negativity, projection into the past or future, or other non-productive mental gyrations, take a few minutes to focus instead on positive affirmations, positive questions, or to balance your brain using a hemispheric synchronization audio.
The final and most grounded level is that of the body. Often it is this level that receives the least attention from those on a spiritual path-- even though they may be healers or wellness professionals. Why is this? Caring for the body is a direct reflection of how you care for yourself and your own needs on a daily basis. You may be stellar at caring for others, yet not prioritize your own self care. Your body is the machine in which your spirit drives around. By ignoring, neglecting or otherwise abusing this machine, you are impairing your Spirit's ability to manifest in this realm and therefor impairing your ability to fully manifest your Spiritual path on the planet.
Almost all neglect of the body comes from neglect on the mind level. By bringing the mind level into balance, the body will naturally follow. For instance, I used to think "I don't have time to exercise". What this really translated to was, "I don't believe that my health is a priority over other demands on my time". I was an emotional eater, allowing my thoughts to generate emotional states that would drive me to punish myself or reward myself with the witholding of or overindulgence in food. And, I was not being diligent in policing my thoughts for habitual bad questions, such as "why am I unable to lose this weight?" ( I wasn't) or, "what can I grab quickly to eat?". By simply shifting the mind level through some applied technologies and simple practices, I was able to reprioritize my health and physical fitness and at the same time master other aspects of my life that had gotten out of control.
Daily balance on the body level allows for more energy, focus, stamina, health and general well-being. To check your balance on the body level, ask yourself; "Am I doing all I can do to prioritize my health and fitness?"
These three simple check-points will help you to identify where you need to come into balance, and how you can better empower yourself to gain mastery in your life and on your spiritual path.
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