Cultivating Mindfulness

"Developing inner values is much like physical exercise. The more we train our abilities, the stronger they become. The difference is that, unlike the body, when it comes to training the mind, there is no limit to how far we can go." ~His Holiness the Dalai Lama Having had the opportunity to be in several small gatherings with His Holiness and leading scientists discussing the theoretical evidence of contemplation, compassion, altruism and consciousness, I have been in awe of the impact of mindfulness on humanity. When each of us takes responsibility for being aware of our thoughts, feelings and motivations, we are empowered to change ourselves, which changes the world. Mindfulness creates the space for us to be in our bodies, in the present moment and aware of our consciousness. From this zone, we can choose not to project onto others, not to react to our triggers and to regulate our emotions. We can choose to live the life we want to live, the live we envision. Mindfulness is easy to accomplish if you are willing to cultivate practices just as you would commit to the routines that keep you physically fit. Mindfulness practices are simple and fun. They are not religious and certainly not about Buddhism, as His Holiness frequently reminds us. They are about being aware of your awareness with neutrality, paying attention in the now without judgment. Meditation, which includes many forms, is one way of developing the muscle of mindfulness. There are many other simple practices that will shift you into mindfulness, which can become your automatic operating system, if you commit to the practice of developing that muscle or way of being. What would you be like if you trained your brain to be mindful? What would life be like you were able to be aware and neutral as you engaged in the world?

Embracing Change

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." ~Leo Tolstoy I appreciate how challenging and scary change is and how creative humans can be at resisting it. Understandably, change requires letting go into the unknown and not being in control. And yet, as hard as we try to stop or avoid change, it is constant and happening all around us. So much of human discomfort is caused by tenaciously holding on to the old and arguing against the new and unknown. We are masters at rationalizing, justifying, explaining and defending. The first simple step in embracing change is to understand that we only have control over our attitude, choices and behavior. The only way we can change the world is by changing ourselves. Humans are designed and equipped to be adaptable and resilient. Unfortunately, as we develop, we are conditioned into a state of amnesia - forgetting our true nature.  What if you lived this year with the intention of embracing change within and around you? What if you reclaimed your abilities to be adaptable and resilient by remaining true to yourself? What if you stopped rationalizing, justifying, explaining and defending yourself or others? What if you made space for the unknown?  Being grounded, neutral and compassionate are key qualities in accepting and navigating change. They are the foundation of resiliency and adaptability. I am offering free guided imagery meditations to support you in grounding and strengthening your neutral observer.

2012 - Transcending the Self

"For authentic transformation is not a matter of belief but of the death of the believer; not a matter of translating the world but of transforming the world; not a matter of finding solace but of finding infinity on the other side of death. The self is not made content; the self is made toast." ~Ken Wilbur Happy New Year. The year ahead will offer opportunities for many to embrace authentic transformation. Being a year of deepening and expanding with a call for love and compassion to be leading forces within humanity, we will need to align our energy and consciousness with the wisdom of our hearts and release the beliefs that reinforce the separate self. Remember, the electromagnetic field of the heart is at least seven times larger than the electromagnetic field of the brain. Therefore, we feel, intuit and know energy and information before we contaminate them with the conditioned belief systems used in our thinking. Thinking is important to sort, analyze and conceptualize data but please don't ever confuse it with wisdom. Wisdom comes from the mind of the heart, which is paradoxical (both/and), unlike the brain, which is dualistic (either/or). Trusting the heart and the wisdom of the heart is challenging in a culture where the thoughts of the brain dominate us and others by justifying, defending, rationalizing and explaining. Our hearts, full of love and compassion, will lead us through the terror of authentic transformation to the infinite oneness contained within our souls, not found in our egos, identities and separateness. May you have the courage to question your legitimacy, your translations, and shatter the self. "And therefore, all of those for whom authentic transformation has deeply unseated their souls must, I believe, wrestle with the profound moral obligation to shout from the heart--perhaps quietly and gently, with tears of reluctance; perhaps with fierce fire and angry wisdom; perhaps with slow and careful analysis; perhaps by unshakeable public example--but authenticity always and absolutely carries a demand and duty: you must speak out, to the best of your ability, and shake the spiritual tree, and shine your headlights into the eyes of the complacent. You must let that radical realization rumble through your veins and rattle those around you." ~Ken Wilbur Please click on the link below to read more of Ken's inspiring words. As you contemplate your intentions for the new year, what are you willing to let die? What is your shout from the heart? A Spirituality that Transforms by Ken Wilbur

Tuning Up with Your Song

November 11, 2011 is a day of opening and may be volcanic for some. November 10th is a full moon - fullness, expansion, completeness. Astrologically, the energy of our warrior will oppose our spiritual energies and our wounded healer. It is an exciting opportunity for us to expand and welcome nurturing energies to stretch us beyond our self-limiting ways. The cosmic energies will support us in healing our soul bruises by reclaiming our soul songs - our unique individual vibrations. Please take a moment today to connect with your soul's nature at your very core and sing your song, or make your sound. As we embrace the emergence of interdependence and interconnectedness on the planet, we are called to bring the gift of our soul song through our bodies to impact the world. To fully embody your soul song, the heart center needs to expand. Please see below for a simple exercise. For many, expanding the heart center means facing our loneliness. It takes courage, commitment and vulnerability. There is a well written article, which I linked in the upper left box, in today's Huffington Post. Heart Expansion Exercise: Start by imaging your heart center, sternum, being gently pulled up toward the sky. Allow your chest to be lifted and your shoulders to open wider and drop. Naturally, your upper back will straighten and you may feel a pull across your chest. Notice any resistance in your body. Take a few deep, centering breaths and focus your attention on your heart center. Imagine gently breathing in and out of your heart center. Allow any feelings or sensations to come and just observe with neutrality. Now, allow yourself to remember a time of great joy or happiness. Using your mind's eye, see your self there, at that time. Experience it as if it is happening now and let all the joy into your heart. Revel in the memory and allow the joy to fill your body. Notice what happens to your heart center. Notice what happens in your body. Notice how you feel. Surrender to the joy and sing or make your sounds. Vibrate with your unique sound. Enjoy.

Trip to the Dalai Lamas' Residence in Dharamsala

The dialogue was entitled Ecology, Ethics and Interdependence. As a social scientist and mystic, I enjoy the opportunity to blend my worlds and discover scientific evidence that supports so much of what of I have been teaching and facilitating over the years. Consciousness has the potential to expand beyond what our brains can conceptualize. Perhaps with a better scientific understanding of the mind and conditioning, humans will overcome their resistance, rationalizations and attachments.
 
I am aware that since change is constant, truth changes and so does scientific evidence. So to thrive as humans, it is to our advantage to be adaptable and aware. Since our attention is limited, we need to be aware of our focus, of how we make decisions and of how we create change.  
During the Dialogue, we explored the overwhelming evidence of climate change and the human footprint. As humans, our attention is limited so what do we focus on? How do we make decisions? Do we use our heads, hearts or both? What is the conceptual framework for change? Can you start to consider your handprint or even your mindprint? If we are interested in alleviating suffering on the planet, where do we begin? 

Of course, we start with ourselves. We take responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, actions and impact. We are capable of being aware of what we think, feel and do and what the outcomes of our choices are. As humans, we have the capacity to strengthen our neutral observer and compassionately pay attention to how we live our lives and to what we are manifesting. We have the ability to change our patterns, beliefs and behaviors once we know what they are. Since we don't know what we don't know, it is our responsibility to be willing to keep exploring and discovering new ways of being and doing. Remember, change is constant so we need to change too.

The Dalai Lama spoke of losing his freedom when he was 15 years old and his country when he was 24. For a moment, consider how he has adapted to those loses and the impact he has had on the world as a result. He is a great teacher of compassion, kindness and resilience. 

Awareness Exercise: Take a few deep, centering breaths and allow your awareness to pay attention to where you may be feeling frustrated, powerless or like a victim. With your neutral observer, detach and review the situation. What choices do you have? What is your part in giving up your power or allowing yourself to be a victim? Keep breathing and allow your higher self or consciousness to show you new possibilities or new ways of being in the situation. The only thing you can change is you and how you respond to the situation. If nothing comes, ask for the willingness to know and to change. Ask a trusted person for their suggestions on how to do it differently. It is OK to ask for help. If you decide there is another way for you to engage, be aware of your willingness and courage to try something new and see what happens. Be aware of your resistance to change, of your comfort in the old familiar pattern and of your attachment to drama. Find your self-compassion and breathe into it. You are capable of letting go of what no longer serves you and finding new ways of being. Humanity thanks you.