Start with nature. 

Listen, I get it, this spiritual “stuff” can be a lot. It’s a new world, It can be a little over the top, where do I start, what’s comfortable for me out there, Etc…

Believe me I get it, I grew up in west Texas where Football and cotton farming were part of the religion so to speak.       

 Yes, I have found merit in grounding, meditation, crystals, drums, and connecting to my spirit guides and the other side. 

If that’s not comfortable for you, or doesn’t resonate with you, start with nature, start with purest form of it all.

The most profound and ultimate transformational tool is nature. When you are tired or thinking of a get away vacation you think of heading to the mountains or the water most often, right?

There is no mistake in that soul desire. Nature is here to support, to fill, to soften, to provide clarity for us.

Some things you can do to begin: go on a hike or walk, sit by the beach, fill your house with fresh flowers.

And after the hike, the day at the beach, acknowledge how you feel.  Do you feel better? Rejuvenated? More hopeful? Clearer?

You see, nature fills our energy tanks and clears us. As you start to notice more and more what a resourceful life tool nature can be,  begin to work with it.

Take a current struggle or uneasiness you are having and walk to the edge of the ocean (river, lake) line, with that current situation/struggle in mind ,

let the ocean rinse up over your feet and take the present presence of struggle from you. Let it take that from you as the tide goes back to the ocean.

Walk up to a tree and sit with your back against it and breath, just breath. If you want an answer to a question or concern have the question or thought in your heart,

as you breath with your back against the tree ask for clarity within, see what happens, just breath and be patient.

Give it a try and see…. It couldn’t hurt could it?

Spiritual growth is about your journey. No one else’s. If something doesn’t resonate with you then leave it for now.

You don’t need to fill your house with Tibetan bells, books, crystals, pictures of gurus, incense, unless those items resonate with you, with your journey.

  A “fig” tree can provide you with all the fulfillment, lessons and teachings you need. Find what is true for you and trust yourself.

Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin’ in the sun,
Talkin’ ’bout the things
They woulda coulda shoulda done…
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little Did.

Written by Shel Silverstein (1930-1999)

The Universe Has Your Back.

The Universe has her back, and his back, and their back, yup even theirs.

Doesn’t that just show you the limitlessness of it all, doesn’t it blow your mind. When one infinite and eternal energy can have everyone’s back.

The Universe has your back.

kindness project

I sent this idea out to clients and friends a couple months ago, and I wanted to share it with  you.

For the next day, week, month, year (whatever time line aligns for you) place notes of encouragement on strangers cars, bicycles.  Trust what you write on the note, things like “you matter, don’t give up on you dreams, thank you, trust your instincts,” to name a few.

Who knows maybe one will end up on your car or bicycle.

Ripples of kindness can change the world and will.

So here is what I do. I take 25 small pieces of paper and write kindness notes on them. I put them in a small baggie in my car so at anytime I can spread kindness. I then place them on a car, a bicycle, or if I feel inclined, hand them to a person. You could also set aside a couple of hours during the day and drive around placing them on cars … let this organically take shape for you.

Add it to your to do list, make room in your schedule.

Don’t be quick to dismiss classical music as old and stodgy – not only can it be pretty cool, but it can really help you transform, release, regenerate, rest and rejuvenate.

“Classical music affects the brain’s organization and abilities, through its melody and rhythm. The rhythm raises the level of serotonin produced in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, involved in the transmission of nerve impulses that helps maintaining joyous feelings. When the brain produces serotonin, tension is eased. In fact depression is a consequence of the scarce production of this hormone. Serotonin is released when the brain is “positively shocked”. For instance: if we look at a splendid painting, smell a delicious scent, feel an extraordinary sensation, eat something delicious or listen to some charming music, then the brain lets off a certain amount of serotonin which arouses and maximizes pleasant feelings. Music’s rhythm can also stimulate other natural cadences of the body, resembling the heartbeat, or the Alfa-rhythm of the brain, and this effect is used to counter the development of clinical depression. The melody instead, is the “sparkle” that catalyses the creative process in our minds.

The peculiarity of music is that while poetry and the literature must rely on the rational transport to inspire an emotion, since they are mediated from words, music omits this stage and points directly to stage of communicating emotions. Music does not pass through rationality to express its essence; it crosses right to our emotions. Through generating a sequence of different emotions, listening to certain music can give a different base to your thoughts, words, and actions.”
http://www.classicalforums.com/articles/Music_Brain.html)

I have compiled a list of both what my team recommends, what I have used over the years as well as some new pieces I downloaded for you to try on for size. Take this as a very brief introduction; find your songs, your classical lanterns and healers. Find your composition for what you are looking for right at this moment. Trust the composer you want to type in first, follow your fingers searching the web for their songs as they followed their fingers in composing the pieces for you.
Get still, take a breath. Allow, receive and accept and simply press play. You can follow the suggested meditation steps for each song or you can draw while you listen, clean while you listen…just let these rhythms inside your energy.

1. Healing and letting go. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOxOgm5jQ4.Beethoven’s 7th symphony 11 movement. Just take a breath and press play.

2. Shadow self work. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JcIyTiKwDvU  Mozart concerto for clarinet in A major. List your five favorite qualities about yourself (kind, generous, independent, etc) and now write down the opposite of the five. These opposite five characteristics are your shadow side. Visualize a beautiful door, you hear a stirring behind it, knowing someone is on the other side, you feel calm and excited to open the door-feeling like an old friend is on the other side and as you open the door press play, this song will help you to meet your shadow, allow whatever to unfold, observe what it looks like, does it speak, does it want to talk or play, try and show love to your precious shadow as best as you can.

3. Embracing the growing process. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmTF5zIKngwBeethoven a violin sonata in f, opus #24 spring. Picture the layers of experiences that no longer serve you coming off of you- memories, moments of despair, heartache, moments of growth, moments of glory, like petals on a flower blooming or falling off, each one falls away to uncover the present you today.

4. Studying. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JcUh-ggBfzI
Mozart K545 Sonata in C major.

5. Getting energized. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nj7fr4T18cg
E.S. posthumous Unstoppable.  Focus on your main chi spot, your perineum; focus on its golden red energy. Picture a copper wire uncoiling, a rope unraveling.

6. Experiencing your I am moments. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mFZ588ydX1U audiomachine “Tree of Life” from Awakenings. Picture yourself climbing mountains, diving into the ocean, visualize success with your big dreams- accomplishing them, with every breath taken during this song your are accomplishing your wildest dreams with ease and flow. With every step taken the next step is revealed.

7. Hope. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DwHpDOWhkGkyBach – Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major BWV1007 – Mov. 1. Allow yourself to feel the energy in your hands during this piece. Only focus on that until you notice the energy there, then move to other parts of your body, to your knees, ears, until you notice the energy throughout your entire body. This allows and requires you to pull your awareness to a now moment.

8. Dream your world into being. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fBuO5TwuXsETimo Pierre Rositzki – A Place Called Denia . Allow your focus to be on your physical eyes, with them closed ask your team to make necessary adjustments to what you are ready to see, to remove, and clean what is there. This piece is a lullaby for your ego, so it will sleep. Allow your eyes to embrace the kaleidoscopes and transformative downloads it will receive.

9. Path to spiritual partnerships. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RnbP-_qmVtc
The Last of the Mohicans – Promontory (Theme). A spiritual partnership is not just romantic love; a spiritual partnership is a partnership between equals for the purpose of spiritual growth. Visualize yourself walking down a river; you are walking with your feet in the river. Notice what’s around you, trees, flowers, day or night, is it cool or hot. As you walk notice the people and memories that you are walking past. With each person or memory you pass thank them/it, bless them/it, love them/it and keep walking down your river notice changes as you continue walking. Allow doors to close, speak, etc with each pause on the river, whatever feels in alignment. Notice your breath as you begin walking towards equal partnerships with the purpose of spiritual growth. Notice how the river moves as this point and your surroundings.

10. Needing answers, can’t turn off your mind. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma-v1c9v3TM
Antonio Vivaldi 9 Concertos for Transverse Flute,Kuijken. Before listening to this piece write the questions you need answered, worries, chatter down on paper, so they are not out wondering around in the ethers to be answered. When you write them down you ask them to be answered in the physical. It also helps keep your mind clear and clutter free of questions. Allow the answers to come, but maybe once the song is complete you won’t need them answered anymore.

11. When all the cards are on the table. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nL5zQE1Zy04
Chopin.Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20.Idil Biret . Basically here it’s the gambler song, know when to hold em, know when to walk away, know when to run…. Ask divine wisdom to download into you during this song the perspective of the highest good for you.

A Grain of Sand: Nature’s Secret Wonder

To see a World in a Grain of Sand.” When William Blake wrote Auguries of Innocence, he could only imagine just what microscopic vistas are held by the billions of sand granules that clog our toes when we walk on a beach. In A Grain of Sand: Nature’s Secret Wonder, Gary Greenberg takes us to exotic locales in our larger world to explore extraordinary beauty witnessed on a microphotographic scale.

Maui Sand: This is a montage of Maui sand grains floating above a beach. The image is made up of 27 different photographs put together in Photoshop. (magnification 40X) [Link to this slide] Gary Greenberg

Star Sand: This star-shaped grain of sand is from a beach on Taketomi Island in Okinawa, Japan. The sand contains the remains of microscopic shells known as forams. (magnification 50X) [Link to this slide] Gary Greenberg

Namibia: Sand from Skeleton Coast in Namibia, Africa, contains well-rounded black magnetite, garnet and possibly a tiny diamond near the middle left of the frame. (magnification 250X) [Link to this slide] Gary Greenberg

Minnesota:

The glacially deposited sands around Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota contain abundant sediments from the igneous and metamorphic minerals of the Lake Superior basin….[More]

Six Sand Grains:

The tip of a spiral shell has broken off and become a grain of sand. This spiral sand grain has become opalescent in character after being repeatedly tumbled by the action of the surf. It is surrounded by five other sand grains made of (from noon clockwise): 1) a pink shell fragment; 2) a foram; 3) a microscopic shell; 4) a volcanic melt; and 5) a bit of coral. (magnification 200X) [Less] [Link to this slide] Gary Greenberg