Living An Effortless Life

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According to Ancient Wisdom, there is a way to perceive yourself, your life and every circumstance without the necessary use of knowledge. We do not need to know the movement of energy systems, spiritual paradigms, psychology, physiology or science to  successfully navigate the unfolding motion of our lives. We do not need past experience, insight or logic. We simply need to develop the ability to listen to the Life in our cells, which enables us to listen to the Life in all that exists.

As we attune the outwardly directed mind to the more subtle sensations of the body, we gain awareness of a broader spectrum of Life—and of the vaster intelligence that moves through us. This gives us the opportunity to feel beyond our subconscious assumptions and become more open to what is truly here right now.  In listening, with no attempt to understand, our perceptive field changes and we begin to experience a world outside the classifications of reality we have been taught.  As we widen our perception, we have the opportunity to increase our Mana (energy) and to live in deeper harmony with the Great Mystery of Life Itself.

The undeniable truth is that, as you read this, your heart is beating, your lungs are delivering oxygen to every cell in your body, your emotions are expressing certain colors, and somewhere in your system, your hopes and dreams are alive. We are a mass of cellular processes, thoughts, emotions, breath, light, water and spirit. All of this together (and more that we don't  comprehend) creates the frequency of you, here now.

Your vibration calls out to its match, in many forms. We see, feel and experience that which we are. In each moment, you are creating Mana (energy), gathering energy, and discovering deeper layers of your Self that will either move you forward in your life, or obstruct your own way. In contrast to the prevailing view that we are virtually powerless against the circumstances of life, the Ancients guide us to dissolve the separation between ourselves and the unfolding vision of our lives, and recognize each movement, perception and circumstance, as a resonance coming from deep within.  

In some ways, this is similar to "The Law of Attraction", but it includes a wider spectrum in the definition of Self.  Far more than just convincing the conscious mind of what we want to experience, The Ancient Ones show us that our subconscious and unconscious existences contribute similarly, if not more than our conscious existence, to our resonant field. When things occur that seem out of alignment with who we are, it may be an invitation to uncover an aspect of ourselves that we may have buried, denied or even tried to destroy.

In this potent time, our subconscious and unconscious resonances seem to be rising to the surface.  We are getting to see, feel, and experience anything that has been hidden, repressed, feared or denied. Anything we couldn't deal with or didn't want to deal with in the past now seems to be rising in order to be met, acknowledged, embraced and freed. If we had wanted to believe that bliss was the only frequency at which we were vibrating (or should vibrate), we can see now that we often hold a broader spectrum inside of us — part of our 'Ohana Nui, or Great Family.  

It is our job to observe how we pay attention and what we pay attention to. If weare honest with ourselves, we might notice that we often choose to escape this deep attention, distract ourselves from what might turn out to be a painful, or empty moment. The irony is that we can never escape ourselves. We can put a lot of activity, intellect, food, travel or drug use between ourselves and our true experience, but we remain, with all of our bliss and all of our pain, until we learn how to come, unfettered, face to face with this moment.  

The Law of Attraction, as it has been presented, encourages us to change situations we don't want by shifting the vibration of our conscious thoughts. Ancient Wisdom shows us that these very situations may be an uncovering of deep imbalances in our system that are crying out to be heard, to be seen and met. This is our moment to listen, and in doing so, welcome more of who we are into our consciousness.

Meeting our own fear, lack, insecurity, sadness and anger, we can allow them to be free, available as energy, taking their rightful place as members of our internal family. As such, they can support us in our forward movement instead of holding the weight of our efforts to keep ourselves separate, or the struggle to keep ourselves 'in the Light'.  

Is it possible, in our Judeo-Christian culture, that one of our deep assumptions is the clear existence of 'Light' and 'Dark'?  Have we become consumed, on many levels, with getting rid of the 'Darkness' and living in the 'Light'?  Listening on subtle and subconscious levels reveals that the Light and Darkness inside of us may not be as polarized and fixed as we imagine. What if we were actually a continuum of light, vibration, choice, frequency, and experience, all continually forming around a central core of Love?

There is nothing to be gained by rejecting or denying any part of this continuum.  It is all us, and the sooner we say YES to every part our being, the more rapidly we can access the full spectrum of Sacred Being that lives at our core, and move forward in Life as a True, Beautiful and Unique, Force of Nature.

The Magic of Home

Fuerteventura, May 24, 2014

terrano

 

After what seems like endless amounts of airplane rides, take off, after landing, after take off, and getting lost in the haze of security lines and jet lag, I arrive on Fuerteventura to clear, open skies,  an undulating landscape of dry and shapely mountains, and stillness.

I am dropped at the small rental of a friend of a friend.  It is made of stone and plaster, powered by solar and windmill.  I am either lucky or cursed that almost everywhere I go, I feel I have come home.   How many homes can a person have?  I’m still counting.  

Settling into Fuerteventura, I am settling in to space - the vast terrain and the endless sky speak with the space inside me.  Blessed in the middle of nowhere, with no car, telephone or wifi, I tackle the initially daunting task of just being here, now.  Nothing to do, and no one to engage except myself and this vast new home.

The land here has a powerful resonance.  There is a rolling softness to it, and a heightened intelligence — at least these are my visceral perceptions.  

I walk along the gravel road towards a nearby set of twin volcanos.  Sitting on a short stone wall, it feels good to be still with these two giant presences.  After a while, it feels as if I am breathing with them.  It feels as if they are gazing back at me.  It feels as if we are remembering each other.   I am once again in awe of this sacred space of Life meeting Life, and so grateful for the blood of my ancestors that guides me to recognize the Life in all things. 

The thought floats through my brain that it is important to remember, on a visceral level, our origins.  At the same time, the already present wind picks up to mini tornado for a few seconds....my thought confirmed by the wind....perhaps.

I am aware that I can’t try to remember, can’t think my way home, can’t create scenarios of my origins and then make the logical choice.  I start at the place of truth:  that I don’t know, that maybe no one knows, and that I am open to the discovery. 

Ancient Indigenous wisdom, including Kahuna Sciences, recognize the intelligence and interconnectedness of the whole.  We are guided to come back into contact with parts of ourselves that have been banished as less-than or unimportant:  sensations, emotions, hopes, dreams, impressions.  In these less defined aspects of ourselves are shades of our expanded identity, waiting to be experienced.  I have had the honorable opportunity to feel the ever expanding edges of these often overlooked doorways and dive below, deeper and deeper, uncovering new dimensions of my Self, new opportunities for growth, awarenesses that expand in my daily life without effort.  

To the uninitiated, this may sound like nonsense.  However, there is a reason that legends of myth and magic are found in every indigenous culture.   It is because vast possibilities exist, far beyond our perceptions.  These new vistas make sense in the context of the awakening whole, but from a modern ‘Western-Mind’ perspective, they seem ‘magical’ or impossible.

If we were to present cell phones to our ancestors of only 100 years ago, this too would seem like some kind of impossible phenomenon.  Ancient Wisdom guides us to pay attention to the matrix of our being, the background in which our beliefs are set.  The beginnings of these can be found in the rhythms, sensations, feelings and shapes inside the body which we generally take for granted, or ignore.  If we can open to this different, and even opposite perspective, we are ushered into a world beyond our current perception, which is informing how we perceive on every level.   Here is where subconscious and unconscious beliefs can rapidly change and resonate into daily life.

For me, this is the path guiding me to my Original Self.  As my teacher has said, ‘it is a path beyond time.’

On this small stone wall on the edge of the Atlantic, I am struck once again by the profundity of this Ancient Magic which is ‘closer than breath’ in all of us.  And I am grateful for this land which has welcomed me home.

Hana

Waking up before dawn to a million crickets
Black sky, Bright stars
Stillness.
I gather my few things in an old string bag
And start up the pathway of illumination
The pathway lined with Kukui.
As I step, I feel the earth breathe, lifting my feet on every inhale.
Looking up into the tree tops, the sky is now barely glowing.
My vision feels like it is deep inside my head, and somehow in the trees at the same time.
I walk dumbfounded that my regular sight has disappeared,
And in it's place this kind of multi-sourced seeing.
Disoriented and Intrigued, I walk,
feeling the crunch of stone on the soles of my feet,
Not sure where 'I' am, or am not.
Listening to my vision,
Listening to the forest.
I say a quick prayer, in case anyone is listening,
As I speak, a pitter patter of leaves erupts in the forest right beside me,
A murmuring.
Individual leaves shudder and flap wildly, though most of the trees are still.
A sprinkle of rain is the only logical explanation I can come up with.
I look up — no clouds, no breeze
Just the forest, wide awake and listening.
We are in open communion with each other.
We are the breathing green, the waking light, the altered gaze, the damp morning air,
The stone and dirt meeting feet. 
We have gazed into each others eyes, this morning and I,
Seeing will never be the same again.
 

Reflections from a moment in Hana, Maui during our March 9-14th Training at Ala Kukui Hana Retreat.

Making Peace With The Unknown

It's quite possible that I have a special relationship with clouds.  I remember being in the midst of commuter trance in downtown Toronto in the middle of the day.  For some reason, I glanced up, and in the sky, randomly blocked by skyscrapers, were slow moving, white, fluffy clouds.  I moved next to a building to avoid being run over by pedestrians in mid-frenzy, and stopped.  I couldn't stop staring at the sky.  I was stunned, feeling like I had slipped into another world.  I remember thinking that regardless of the rushing masses, skyscrapers, droves of people busy with busyness and commuter traffic, that this slow, 'insignificant' movement was what was really going on.  I don't know where I was going, or if I was now late.  I didn't care.  I was stuck and indelibly struck by the intelligence of this movement.  I don't know how long I stayed there, but I can be sure that when I finally moved, my awareness, breath, pace and priorities were different. 

Today, over 30 years later, I find myself immersed in a work that continuously brings me back to what is true....what is really going on....the movement of Nature within and without.  Something inside me was calling that day, to be recognized and honored.  I was lucky enough to listen  — to quiet the daily thoughts, emotions and agenda for long enough to realize that the vastness of all of Life remains, no matter what our individual drama or perspective.   Notice that each day, whether our relationship is ending, a loved one has died, or we are buried in painful trauma, the sun never fails to rise and set.  If we choose to pay attention, we are not only surrounded by the natural world, but we embody it.  Each of us is the emanation of an ancient wisdom that is beyond imagination or classification.  The synergy, harmony and expansiveness of Nature lives in our every breath.  Despite our social and cultural programming, we are not (mostly) our agenda, our lists, priorities, beliefs or demands.  We are simply here now, the vast majority of our being comprised of energy, vibration, space and cellular processes.  Can we refine our listening to hear more of what is true and less of what is imagined, desired or projected?  The mind always wants to know, but what if we choose to attune ourselves to the unknowable? We live in a current world of radical upheaval on many levels.  The truth is that many things we easily took for granted 20 years ago are now in a state of flux.   The weather is fluctuating wildly in many areas of the earth, political agendas seem to have come into serious question, our food sources have been compromised and, depending on where we live, we remain either under the threat, or in the reality, of war.  If we want to thrive in this environment, it seems we will have to become attuned to 'the unknowable'.  As less and less is 'predictable' in our world, perhaps we are coming out of the illusion that anything was ever secure.  In big, bold letters, 'Uncertainty' has taken center stage. 

So how do we navigate this?  What is it to be in harmony with the unknown?   For me, it begins with welcoming, rather than trying to avoid or control it.  We can actually turn uncertainty into discovery.  If we can bring more and more of our attention, energy, breath, awareness and willingness to this moment, our world will expand.  This requires a willingness to see, as much as possible without the filter of the past.  If we can experience what is truly here now, without our preconceived notions, our vision begins to change, and what was unseen, becomes evident.  Each moment becomes an adventure of discovery.  Even in the most difficult of times, we can come back to the eyes of a child, where everything is new and filled with wonder.  So the next time you're able, just stop in your tracks, notice what is true, vs. what you have assumed to be true.  Notice your breath, and the air on your skin.  Remember that this very moment has never occurred before.  It is brand new!  Notice that you are smack in the middle of the unknown itself, even in the midst of all you may have previously taken for granted.....and see if you can feel the motion of Life Itself unfolding in you and in everything around you.  Every blessing on this infinite journey!

The Grace of Beginning

One of the most powerful lessons I keep learning from this work is how deeply enmeshed our assumptions are.   My opinions, identifications, belief systems and behaviors are constantly changing as I encounter the boundaries of my perception.  What I used to 'know', beyond the shadow of a doubt, is continually being challenged, and most of the time, I celebrate the moment when my 'knowing' is shattered, dissolved, or rearranged, letting in the light of new possibility.  This moment is an open field, limited only by our own restrictions.  Mahalo, John O'Donohue, for this resonant piece:
 

For a New Beginning

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.  Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
~ John O'Donohue ~

Miracle Consciousness

A distant cousin to the 'glass half full' and the 'glass half empty' is Miracle Consciousness.  I have found this to be a state of being where all things are possible while meeting any limitations which may present themselves.  Miracle Consciousness allows me to see what is here right now, and to keep it in the perspective of the Infinite, which runs through every aspect, including this body/mind/spirit!  Even on a global scale, as corruption is unveiled in the food industry, human rights and civil liberties, I find myself embracing Miracle Consciousness.  This is not a la-dee-da state of being, where I surround myself with pink flowers and think only 'good thoughts'.  It is a fully engaged awareness of each situation along with the willingness to act, to write letters, to stand up for what I believe in and at the same time realize that the Governments are not ultimately in charge, the Banks are not ultimately in charge, the police and military are not ultimately in charge.......Spirit is.  How is it we tend to forget that the infinite Love, Grace and Light that permeates every iota of existence is also present in personal conflicts, in stress at work and in international affairs?  If we can have the presence of being to bring The Infinite into every dilemma, we free ourselves from the powerlessness of being at the mercy of circumstance.  We free ourselves from inevitable outcomes and from worst-case scenarios.  As we access this highest kaona of being inside of ourselves, and expand our perception, we create space, possibility and change.  We can easily forget that The Greatest Force in the Universe, the Higher Power, The Light of Illumination is also here now.  All we have to do is remember that with 'God' All Things are Possible.  Where is 'God' in the midst of all this anyway?  For the Indigenous Mind, The Great Spirit exists within all of life.  We are each a unique expression of this Infinite Mystery......With US, All Things Are Possible.  There is nothing that can't be healed, and it is never too late to 'save the planet'.   Staying open to outcomes that we haven't yet experienced can open the way to a whole new spectrum of experience.  A miracle is the manifestation of the unknown.  Don't assume that what has always been, will always be!  As we are willing to open to The Mystery — what we don't already know — we arrive in Miracle Consciousness, and experience the Limitless with each breath.   If we work as One to face all the limitations, activate inspired action while remembering that we are the Infinite Field — Spirit itself manifest in form — we will truly be witness to many, many miracles, in our own lives, and in the world. 

"Never underestimate the Power of One. 
YOU are the Light of the World!"

 

Source In You

You are not simply the product of an egg & sperm.  You are not just the combined DNA of your ancestors.  You are not the belief system of your parents, teachers, community or religion.  You are more than the sum of your parts.  You are insignificant beyond measure, yet Creator of all that you can perceive or imagine, at the same time.    You are unique in all of time and space.   As we unwind what has been fed to us through society, our upbringing, and through the collective field of humanity,  we can begin to see what is actually true for us in each moment, and move with life, instead of with old, static patterns and beliefs.   The Western-mind world view tells us that we are at the mercy of our circumstances.  If we work hard enough, are a 'good' enough person, or just lucky, we will 'succeed' in life.  If we follow the 'rules' our parents and teachers gave us, we will win the approval of others and of society.  Ancient Wisdom tells us that Life is not a random ocean of events tossing us to and fro.   We are, in this paradigm, each a portal for Life to pour through.  You are the conduit and lens of Life Itself, Love Itself — the gateway between Heaven and Earth — shaping your life like a fine piece of art.     The kaona (level of perception) you choose, will open the doorway to worlds within worlds.  Two people observing a common incident will report a different chain of events, different colors, identities and timing.  You are seeing through the matrix of your unique perception.  None of us see life as it is, but instead see it as we are.  We stand at the Center of our perception.  What we experience depends, at least partially, on kaona - the levels of perception to which we are able to open ourselves.  All levels of experience can be helpful depending on the circumstance.  When we're hungry, we happily pay attention to gathering and making a meal.  In the realm of consciousness, Quantum Physics tells us that as human beings, we are 99.999% space.  Physical Science tells us that we see only 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum.  Most of who I am, and what lies just beyond my immediate (tiny) perception, then, is the vast unknown.  Infinity, I am told, cannot be grasped with the mind.  As I have allowed myself to reconsider what I 'know' as only one possibility, space has been created for more Life to flow through.  Allowing myself to 'not know' has, so far, created the greatest movement of expansion on all levels.  Instead of seeking more, I choose less — less knowledge, less seeking, less striving, and more willingness to dive without a safety net, into the Present, allowing this moment to reveal itself, and being as honest with myself as I can, to feel what is actually true right now.   This 99.999% unknown, unseen inside of us, to me, is Source.  Happier and happier I am, to leave the comfy, cozy consciousness of what I already know, and dwell in the unknown.   'What is true' in this moment seems to become more and more vast, and the glimmer of magic runs, like sparkling water, through everything.  Dismantling our 'perceptive field' — in cellular consciousness — and finding our way back to Source inside of us, is the pathway to Freedom offered by the Ancient Ones.  Every Blessing on your journey!

Before Time

Ancient Light

Rhythm

Spirit

Rumbling underneath and within

Everything

Speaks

in ever louder sounds

Moves

in ever faster circles, shapes, pathways

Aching,

Fighting,​

Crying

to be free.​

Meeting this opening,

We stop

All that holds us, ​

drives us,​

wants us.

The Universe cracks open.

The Ancient Light

Rises.​

In you

In me

In humanity.​

The way is revealed

Closer than breath

A heartbeat away.​

Right now.​