I believe it is possible for all of us to become "of the land". On the simplest level, all that is required for this is a change of perspective, a change of story. Most of us have an unconscious habit of seeing ourselves as separate from the land under our homes, the land under our feet. We feel a collective shame around the various land grabs that started in colonial times. We feel grief and a vague responsibility for the loss of wild habitat, clean waters, and abundant animal and plant species where we live. Contemporary cultural narratives suggest that only people with a genealogy tied to the land can ever truly belong. As most people don't have an ancient genetic lineage to where they live, they are left in a perpetual and unconscious state of not belonging, of not having a home. It is an understatement to say that healing the earth will be difficult if humans on a fundamental level do not feel accepted by the very land beneath their feet. "Until you make the unconscious conscious it will rule your life and you will call it fate." Carl Jung Much of the practice that we do in Zhineng Qigong surrounds seeing the hidden patterns/stories that rule our lives and claiming the agency to change them. This is not fantasy or making up convenient stories so that we can feel better. It is akin to catching a ride on an eagle's wing to fly to the top of a mountain peak. Where before you could only see the familiar landscape (e.g. unconscious patterns and stories), you now can see a kaleidoscope of images, all of which are true and equally valid. It is perfectly reasonable to choose a new story from this array that brings more love, connection, and unconditional acceptance to your life. When I fly with the eagle to the top of the mountain, what I see is a never-ending expanse of land and sea and land again. The boundaries I once superimposed on myself to denote city and state and country and continent fall away. What I see is a simultaneous invitation for deep connection and belonging to the specific place of my home and an equal invitation to connect and belong to the entire earth. The concept of being foreign or alien to the land dissappears and makes no sense. My belonging is as strong and rooted as is my willingness to reach out to connect and participate. My belonging is as deep and integrated as I am able to connect deeply and completely with all of my surroundings. There are many barriers to us fully integrating the truth of our own unconditional acceptance to and from the land. One barrier is that we don't have accurate language to describe what I'm talking about. The word "native" has specific legal and political connotations that would not be accurate to confuse with the contents of this essay. It comes from the Latin word "nativus", to be born and suggests that being native is linked to a birthplace. It is also dominantly and legally used to describe someone of First Nations descent, which is not what we're talking about here. The word"indigenous" also has similar roots and is used in similar contexts. Both words imply birthright, which, given the migratory and ever changing nature of both humans and plants/animals, is far too limited to be relevant for much of life on earth. What I am looking for is a conceptual framework to describe the state we arrive at having received the truth from within ourselves mirrored back at us from the natural world, that we belong, unconditionally. Though this truth has been with us since the moment of our birth, it is one that most of us require the grace of infinite mercy to return to and the strength of a community to stabilize. We return to the state of "of the land" together. Though becoming "of the land" may be theoretically simple, it is certainly not a process an easy or quick process. It could very likely be a multigenerational endeavor. "The Journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step." Chinese Proverb To be continued...

When the sun sets for the first time this year at the North Pole on the Fall Equinox (September 22), the sun will rise for the first time this year at the South Pole. Balance in nature means allowing the opposites. As the caterpillar moves, her body undulates up and down. As the snake moves, he slithers from side to side. As one side extends fully in one direction, the other side naturally balances in the other. This is the way that nature works, expanding and exploring one extreme as it balances by exploring the other. This is the undulating and ever changing movement of a natural riverbed. Humans sometimes try to approximate balance as if it exists within a straight line, restricting movement in any one direction. Engineers tried to bring "balance" to waterways by channeling their flow into a straight line. Doctors try to "balance" emotions with medication that keeps them constant. The Gregorian calendar has tried to "balance" time by removing any connection to the cycles of the moon. This is not the way nature does balance and not my understanding of what the Buddhists call the Middle Way. Nature keeps balance by meandering and each part is constantly changing, balancing out and being balanced. Nature undulates from seasonal high to seasonal low, from hot to cold, abundance to dirth, light to dark. Our moods meander too from joyous to grief, excited to subdued, active to resting. Our personal cycles and seasons are intimately tied to all of creation which is constantly moving and changing. When we try to approximate balance by channelization, the straight and narrow, we create a brittle artificial situation. Perhaps we do this out of fear. The polar opposites can feel intimidating; too sad, too angry, or even too full of joy. Living as a straight line, however, is not resilient. It is like walking without curve, with no sway, without adaptability. Our hips and spines need contrast to move and bend, to undulate and absorb shock as they were designed. Moving from a straight line way of life to one that meanders may entail a degree of chaos for a time. This chaos can be what healing looks like. Trust that the natural ebb and flow will find its way again. From National Geographic: "The Mississippi River's hidden history". https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/mississippi-rivers-hidden-history-uncovered-by-lidar

"Ask and you shall receive." A friend reminded me recently of the practice of asking permission. This ancient practice is fundamental to the principles of living in reciprocity . Would you take something from a friend's house without asking? Why then would you take anything from the earth without doing the same? I knew all this...and yet the energy of asking permission hadn't truly landed. Part of this was confusion over how to truly ask permission and receive a response from a non human being. The other part was a deeper feeling of not being worthy of receiving, that the earth would surely deny me if I had asked for what I had already taken. This, of course, led to a deep feeling of shame. I can see now, however, that this type of logical thinking is not how nature works. Asking permission is more than just convincing someone to give you something. It is not a negotiation. It does not involve tactics, coersion, or deceit. It is not a linear tallying of favors, not a "tit for tat". There is never consideration over worthiness or an analysis and judgement of need. You are opening up your heart to be in relationship with all of existence....and this ALL knows only of generosity . An interesting truth in the practice of asking permission is that whether the other party explicitly grants permission or not is actually beside the point. When acting from a place of peace/equanimity you are in some ways both the one who is asking for permission and the one who is granting the permission. The interaction energetically could be seen more as a conversation between the different parts of you than as a conversation with another. This is why as a parent you may simultaneously receive permission to take a child's screen away even if the child verbally told you "no". You are witnessing a conversation between highest selves, and these conversations are often done in invisible realms and communicated through body senses. It came to me recently that the practice of asking permission is also a very effective way of healing patterns of shame. Here's one example. I often feel shame over making consumer purchases for things produced in ways that aren't fully in alingment with my moral values. Given the state of the world's supply chains and my awareness of the issue, this applies to much of what I buy. This situation has felt impossible to reconcile. My family is dependent on these items and I know I have little control over the situation. What to do? The feeling of shame was a clue that asking permission might be a key. When I practice asking permission before I buy something, the energy of the interaction completely shifts. It is as if everyone involved fully recognizes the imperfect situation and with this "eyes wide open" awareness we can step forward together in the best way possible. Because we are able to shift our consciousness around in time and space, healing shame by asking permisson can also be done retroactively. This morning, while watching birds at my birdfeeder, I noticed that I felt shame over buying birdseed that probably wasn't organic. I know a lot about conventional farming and effects of pesticide exposure so I could really feel the potential for harm. Noticing shame, I practiced the art of asking permission. I connected my consciousness to the farms where the seed was grown and asked permission of the land to till the earth and use pesticides. I instantly felt a wave of connection that also felt like a release. I continued feeling into where my reference framework felt stuck and noticed that I needed to ask permission to purchase the birdseed, which I did. I then asked permission of my land to feed the bird people this seed. During this process I could feel layers of shame dissolve away. I was then able to enjoy this sweet connection with the birds more completely, without the mar of shame. One can ask permission to the universe in general or to a specific entity or spirit before making any action. The practice is simple : (1) Ask . Ask for permission for something you are contemplating doing now or for something that you did in the past. Remember, your consciousness can travel to any time or any place. Why not use this flexibility for maximum healing. There is no reason to get stuck in shame from the past. (2) Receive . Allow for a a moment of silence. Close your eyes, bring in your consciousness, feel into your body. We all know the famous quote from Jeshua "Ask and you shall receive". This is where you receive: receive intuition, receive a new perspective, receive a healing, and yes, receive permission. This step has the power to strip away any lingering feelings of shame or of being unworthy. It can be useful to notice any feelings of despiration, fixation, worthiness, or shame. Just feel into these emotions, recognize that they aren't you, and be curious. In asking for permission, you are agreeing to open your metaphoric eyes to "see" what the truth is. (3) Gratitude . At this point the final step, expressing gratitude, hardly needs to be mentioned. It will come naturally. Just allow it to flow. In this way, you can see how you are truly never denied what you ask for. Remember, shame is a strange human concept. The earth doesn't do shame. The earth understands connection and disconnection, harmony and disharmony. Asking permission is a signal of your willingness to step into harmonious connection. Asking permission is not a loophole to get around following our conscious or avoiding our responsibilities. There are things that we are responsible for and things that are out of our control. Part of this practice is knowing the difference between the two. For example, choosing agricultural practices for birdseed that was grown last year is completely outside of my control. It is, however, my choice to step into cohesion by asking permission and surrendering to the will of the universe. In the future, however, with a deeper connection and sense of awareness, it may be within my control to support seed farmers who grow organically. It's important to remember that some people have greater responsibilities than others. What may be an appropriate and aligned action for one may be out of alignment for another. This is why we ask. As we step more into our fully actuated adult selves, our moral obligations increase and we grow our capacity for complex harmonious relationships . Asking Permission is an important step on this fulfilling path.

"The particular way we make sense of who we are and what our responsibilities are in the world is completely arbitrary." One of the purposes of my writing might be to bring forth alternative reference frameworks. In Zhineng qigong a major focus of our practice is to "see through" the frameworks that guide our thoughts and actions so that we can eventually find freedom to view who we are in a way that serves us best in every moment. As children we are all brought up with the dominant societal reference framework of our time. Reference frameworks help us get along and function well in our communities and help us make sense of the world. For examples, major influences in most of our lives are capitalism, theories from modern science, ideas around morality from various political and religious ideologies, and particular standards of social customs. The reference frameworks we live by are often unseen and we carry on with our day to day lives guided by it in every move. There are moments where the framework breaks down and these moments often stick out as being outside of linear time, as a connection to something deep and vast, or simply as an interaction that feels miraculous. Reference frameworks are neither good or bad in and of themselves. Reference frameworks or the way we make sense of who we are and what our place is in the world determines how we act and respond to external stimuli. Without a reference framework it would be very difficult to get out of bed in the morning. It is extremely important to remember, however, that the particular way we make sense of who we are and what our responsibilities are in the world is completely arbitrary. Issues with the implementation of a reference framework only arise when we forget this, when we take ourselves and the reference frameworks that guide us too seriously. For example, if I am influenced by a capitalism reference framework and believe that it is the only way of seeing the world, I will have trouble interacting with other beings (human and otherwise) that don't share this fundamental viewpoint. Rather than working to understand the other, I might judge the other negatively, try to convince them that I am right, and I might start a war because I am so sure that they are wrong. Of course, neither of us are right or wrong, we just navigate the world from a different internal structure. Until we can see that the source of our disagreement is merely one of differing reference frameworks, we will continue the war and call it fate, never realizing that we had the power all along to "see through" the situation and find peace, connection, and healing for ourselves and the earth. Reference frameworks in some ways are like translation software. The absolute Truth of the universe is something that defies all words and images. It exists in non-duality and therefore represents all time, space and all of creation. Since we live our lives in duality, it is necessary to translate this Truth to apply it to our physical existence so that we can function, interact, and make decisions. Reference frameworks are created when the absolute Truth is translated first into images (think cultural symbolism and myth) and then into words (like philosophical texts). As a result, infinite reference frameworks are possible. This is fortunate as we need to be flexible in our reference frameworks to respond to and survive new situations. When our situation in the world changes, for example when a new technology comes into being (think electricity, automobiles, or the internet) it is useful to be able to quickly modify our reference framework (how we see who we are and our place in the world) to respond to the situation in the most free flowing way. If we do not change our reference framework when our environment changes, we might come up against disagreements and energetic blockages which can lead to a lot of pain to ourselves and those around us. We might fight stubbornly to maintain our reference framework by trying to stop the world around us from changing. In doing this, we create an internal war, which will naturally manifest on the outside. The only peaceful way through this situation for someone to see their invisible reference framework and allow it to adapt and evolve. In this way, we can step out of any 2 sided arguments we find ourselves in and forge a new path that is guided by an upgraded way of seeing who we are and what our place is in the world. Part of any good awakening of consciousness involves seeing the invisible frameworks that guide, move, and in some cases restrict the free flow of our lives. My family was once on the Peter Pan ride in Disneyland when the ride stopped and the lights went on. What had been a magical scene of flying over a London night sky turned into a scene of a dusty room full of garbage, wires and cables, and rudimentary wooden sets. When we see the reference frameworks that guide us, it often feels like this; disorientating, destabilizing, and disturbing. When blind spots are illuminated, they often look like embarrassingly dusty corners and can feel like the realization that you've been walking around with no pants. The Emperor has no clothes is a good example of the trickster energy that swirls around reference frameworks and how topsy turvey interacting with them can be. Spiritual seekers are often attracted to cultural customs and ways of indigenous peoples. If one is aware of their own dominant reference frameworks and able to be open to trying on a different one, like putting on a new skin, it can be an extremely useful exercise to work with ancient reference frameworks that pre-date the modern era. There is often a lot to learn about different possibilities of interacting with concepts such as love, connection, ownership, and reciprocity. If, however, a person only looks at an indigenous culture for the outward presentation; the customs, ceremonies, sacred images, myths, etc. they run the risk of missing the point. The outward appearance of a culture is only the byproduct of the internal reference framework of how a people fundamentally sees themselves and t heir responsibilities to their environment. It's like someone with no dance experience putting a tutu and imitating a professional ballerina. You might vaguely look the part, and you might convince some people that you are the real thing, but you will be missing the fundamental internal energetic flow of the dance. It is clear that the invitation of our time, this point at which where we find ourselves at a great fork in the road, is to adapt and evolve our dominant societal reference frameworks toward ones that will lead us toward finding peace, connection, and enough for all. This reality is available to us when we are able to change our frame of mind. Once we do this, the healing we all yearn for will come to us stronger and faster than we could ever imagine.

"You are more than the 'environment', you are nothing less than myself" Thich Nhat Hanh, in reference to Mother Earth (Ten Love Letters to Earth) Reciprocity is front and center in the winter holiday season; giving and receiving, receiving and giving. It’s a cycle that is intrinsically at the center of all natural processes. The cycle of reciprocity literally makes the world go ‘round; the waste from the old becomes the fuel for the new. Nothing is ever destroyed, everything is constantly merging and transforming. We see reciprocity in the water cycle, the nutrient cycle, and in our weather patterns. Reciprocity is much bigger than the concept of cause and effect, action and reaction. It is more of an unlimited self perpetuating energy source. It’s not linear and it’s not personal. In the realm of reciprocity there is no judgement. It is not crime and punishment, good deed and reward; but paradoxically being in right relationship with reciprocity can create butterfly effect outcomes that help us move toward things like greater peace and abundance. The factors involved in reciprocity are so large and so complex that they are too big to fit into the way that we perceive reality. From time to time, however, we do get a glimpse of the truth and these small glimpses can inspire us to make shifts to align more with the flow of reciprocity in our daily lives. We are all a part of the reciprocity of the universe whether we surrender to it or not. We can help the flow of reciprocity move smoothly or we can act to delay or block it. Reciprocity is linked with creation. It's useful to see the earth both as our "mother" and our home. We share this mother and home with all beings, and in the "eyes" of the earth, we are all equal and we all belong. When we embrace the give and take of reciprocity there is always enough. The earth gives to us freely and generously and we all give to her back in return. Everything the earth gives, whether it’s food or a car or a ballpoint pen, is “birthed” from her body. Birthing does not occur without leaving a mark; an empty space, a wound, and eventually a scar. One can think of this as a "sacrifice" that the earth gladly gives, but it does not happen without a cost. Energetically, it’s as if something is being pulled out of the earth every time we buy or take something into our possession. Though this is most obvious when we are farming or hunting, the same applies in all forms purchasing. Even "taking" a walk is receiving something from the earth. From this vantage, it makes sense to give something back in return, our appreciation, gratitude, even an offering of a song. It also makes sense to be in clear on what we truly need so that we don't accidentally take too much. Reciprocity is also linked with destruction. Everything that comes out of the earth is created from reused materials. Rocks, minerals, water, and soil are all repurposed goods. When we’re done with something, the earth needs to receive it back in the easiest way possible to repurpose and retool its components. From a physical standpoint, we understand how composting rather than throwing food waste in the garbage/landfill creates a more direct route toward turning what we don’t want into something that can be used again. Part of living in reciprocity is to have a plan ahead of time on what we'll do with an item once we're through with it. If we don't take this into account, someone else will have to do it for us in the future. Part of stepping into reciprocity is taking responsibility for what we use and take. Reciprocity can guide us to the most easeful ways of interacting with our envoronment and our community. Easeful is not “easy” but it is the same thing as energetically efficient. For example, it might not be the easiest thing for us to compost green waste, but in the long term, it is the most efficient way to be in natural flow and relationship with this waste stream. Reciprocity helps us open up to new ways of being in relationship with our environment and our consumptive patterns. For example, just as we wouldn’t walk into a friend’s house and take something without asking for permission, it doesn’t make sense to take something or alter the land before asking first. We me may no longer be in this type of relationship with the non-human world but it's interesting to think about what our interactions would look like if we still were were. This information is not being shared to cause any guilt, worry or shame. Remember, reciprocity is not personal, but it is good to be aware of the intrinsic relationships and energetic contracts we enter into with the earth each time we add an item to our belongings. Everything we take will eventually be given back again. Stepping into reciprocity has the effect of changing both how we see taking/throwing away and how we interact with our land. Much of what is involved in the framework of our modern society has made it confusing and difficult to fully and freely participate in a natural reciprocity. The laws of economics come more naturally to most of us than the laws of reciprocity. In fact, we often ignore reciprocity due to fear of negative economic consequences. Asking the earth for permission before building homes or even planting a tree, for example, is not a custom in our current economic structure. It’s interesting to realize, however, that in the vastness of reciprocity, it would be an incorrect assumption to believe the earth would never say “yes” to a strip mall or would never say “no” to an ecosystem restoration project. Entering into reciprocity is entering into a deep state of humility and the unknown. Global indigenous cultures have many specific traditions and ceremonies focused on aligning a community around the flow of reciprocity. Though specific tools, customs, and beliefs vary, all traditions of reciprocity come from the same universal truths. In our modern society, we don’t have to follow a particular ancient tradition to get it right. We too can make our own customs of reciprocity by weaving the reality of our modern world with these same universal truths. There is no coincidence that although they comprise less than 5% of the world population, indigenous cultures protect 80% of the earth's biodiversity A side effect of reciprocity is that it serves to maintain a community's resiliency. In the 2000 Hopi Prophesy the Elders of the Hopi Nation brought forth some deep questions around our relationship with reciprocity in modern times: "there are things to be considered…Where are you living? What are you doing? What are your relationships? Are you in right relation? Where is your water?" One could add, what happens to garbage after it goes into a landfill, or how/where was your toothbrush made? But the prophesy continues, reminding us that this is not personal, that we are to join together, and that "this could be a good time!"...and when the text continues "all that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration", we begin to see how the words "sacred" and "reciprocal" are really one in the same. Living in deep connection and peace with each other and the earth is at the heart of all of our truest hearts desires. By exploring how we give and receive and staying open to new ways of seeing ourselves and our relationship with the earth, we can begin to step more firmly into this timeless state of abundance. -------- Hope Prophesy, June 8, 2000 We are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered… Where are you living? What are you doing? What are your relationships? Are you in right relation? Where is your water? Know your garden. It is time to speak your truth. Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for your leader. Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, “This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word ’struggle’ from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. --Hopi Elders' Prophecy, June 8, 2000 -----

And another explanation for "dropped balls." When we detach from control or holding on, things may at first appear to be falling. We talk metaphorically about "dropped balls" as an undesirable thing, as a failure. Today I'm playing with the perspective that a dropped ball could also be an invitation to a new way of being. It can be difficult for many of us to accept help from others. We are worried about imposing and being seen as not "pulling our own weight". As a parent, I notice the difficulty of desperately needing help while simultaneously feeling uncomfortable with admitting that I can't do it all on my own. Though helping others feels good and brings joy, there aren't always a lot of clear invitations from friends and neighbors. When we drop a proverbial ball, however, opportunities open up naturally. I dropped a lot of balls last week: forgot to pick my son up after robotics practice, forgot to show up to an online qigong group I was responsible for, forgot to remind my daughter to get ready for an acting class. I jumped around in succession from one thing I was late for to another. At first, I turned toward an old habit of "fixing" the situation by holding on tighter; to my online calendar, to my cell phone, to reminder notifications, to linear time. I felt shame for dropping the ball, I felt like a "bad mom". When I look back at what actually happened, however, I notice an interesting pattern: a friend had the chance to perform a mitzvah and our boys had a sleepover, my daughter's ride to acting was late so she was ready just in time, an incredible bonding occurred in my qigong group that I swear was catalyzed by some planetary movement that wouldn't have happened if we started on time. I also reflected on another incident last week where I stepped in to save the day when our local bus company "dropped the ball" by not sending a bus to drive our kids to school. I received immense joy and satisfaction by being the one to step in and help out. Were balls dropped? Yes. In allowing those balls to be dropped with grace and without blame or shame, I saw that something far greater and lovelier than datebook perfection was being catalyzed. What if my experiences from last week were the first steps of an invitation to align with a timing far greater than Google calendar? In Zhineng qigong we practice stepping into a paradigm of surrender, where we relinquish control, release fear, and trust that all of our needs will be met. We practice this state so that we can integrate it into our everyday lives. This new way of being feels different, like falling, like flailing, like failing. It's uncomfortable until we remember these are only judgements coming from our old reference framework. When we were babies learning how to walk, we fell a lot. Did we take those "failures" and decide that we should give up and double down on our crawling abilities? Of course not. We kept on trying and kept on falling and failing. We leaned on others for support until the miracle of our first step where we were initiated into a new upright paradigm. Now we could walk, run, and dance! We got there because we trusted in our abilities, in gravity, and in the physics of cause and effect. In that same vein, what if we could now learn to move in a new way, a way that honors the rhythms of the universe instead of just the very linear schedule of our 9-5 work day, our Monday-Sunday week, the 12 calendar months, the concept of yesterday and tomorrow, or even the structure of 60 minutes per hour? What if we were being invited to see the world less as Pythagoras' theorem on triangle geometry and more as his quote on the movement of the spheres "there is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres" ? What if all of this dropping and falling was a sign of slowly being initiated into the greater movement of the spheres? What if the "balls" were actually the moon, the sun and the planets, and what if they only looked like they were falling? Honoring the cycles of the universe includes a sensitivity to things like stages of the moon, planetary movement, our own body cycles, cross quarter holidays, and more intimate location-based cycles like blackberry season, salamander mating season, and honeybee swarming season. It invite us to step into the classic Chinese concept of Tian ten he yi: the "harmony between humans and nature". Though these greater movements of the spheres are impossible to capture in our daily planners, it doesn't mean they aren't fundamentally important data points for how to live our most fulfilled lives. Our intellect may not be able to grasp how we fit into the cosmos at every moment, but our bodies and consciousness can. We cultivate this awareness in somatic practices like qigong. At a fundamental level, just as we knew how to walk, we also know how to fly. Of course, as upstanding members of society, we must live in both realities, weaving together the linear and the spiral. We must keep track of our datebook AND give ourselves and others grace when the cosmos overrides our plans. We can learn to see our own forgetting as a blessing and dance in the reciprocity and relationship we create when we allow ourselves to surrender to the sureness that our fundamental needs will always be met. We can double check our calendar reminders AND reflect on all of the connections, new friends, and shared experiences that occur when the music of the spheres interrupts to shine light on our humanity, demonstrate that we're not just robots tied to our to-do lists, and let a bit of our glorious true selves shine through. Tuning of the Spheres. Fludd's Elemental Music And Spheres (1617-1619).

"I once heard that to become a sovereign of Ireland you had to attach a chariot to two wild horses. One would lurch one way, one the other. You revealed your spiritual maturity and general readiness for the task by so harnessing the tension of both that a third way forward revealed itself. The holy strain of both impulses created the royal road to Tara. A road that a culture could process down." Martin Shaw Linear thinking says that there is good and bad, truth and falsehood, open or closed. We are taught sometimes to see shades of gray between two opposites, something can be half true or a glass half full. What we are not taught to see is the paradox that exists between the two poles. I have come to see paradox as an invitation to find a trap door, a secret portal between two polar opposites, wherein lies the real truth of the matter, the real magic, the real possibility. Simple examples of a paradox trap door are the very real experiences of finding joy in pain, silence in the noise, disappointment in success. The possibility of finding what we were looking for (and then a whole lot more) in exploring its opposite. In paradox we find what I like to call Truth with a capital T. It is also where we find solutions to impossible problems. The Irish king was tested to see if he could lead his people out of impossible circumstances, to a place of security and abundance in times when by linear logic there was no hope of survival. We often find ourselves in these places "between a rock and a hard place". We may have to choose from two undesirable options OR...if we are open and flexible enough, we just might find through a secret door a change in perspective that can propel us out of the linear and into a place of expanded possibility. Journeying through paradox literally brings us into the realm of magic, which I've heard defined as a shift in perspective. We have all had the experience of struggling with a problem until a dream or advice from a friend helps us to see our situation in a new way. Exploring with paradox can be like taking a helicopter ride to view your problem from above and all sides. Our human perspective of the earth was never the same after photos were published from the moon landing. We forget sometimes in this dualistic human experience that in Truth we are all things. This is so eloquently stated in the the "gnostic" text Thunder Perfect Mind: "I am the first and the last", "I am war and I am peace". A valuable exercise can be to try writing your own version of this sacred poem and experience firsthand how freeing it can be to allow yourself to be and experience the wholeness of existence. The ancient wise ones understood that the way through the impossible eye of the needle is through allowing ourselves to be ALL, not cutting off any part of who we are and who we could be. Finding the secret door between two opposites brings us back to the infinite present where our deepest longings become manifest and whole.

...and why the intention and reason behind us doing something is often more important than the action itself. A story recently came to my attention recently about a passionate follower of self-help/diet advice who came to a bad medical outcome. These situations can shock a community and often erode into bitter arguments and hatred between followers of conventional and non-conventional medicine. I see these stories as an issue of an incomplete teaching. In the particular story on my mind today, a woman we'll call "Sarah" was inspired by a specific vegan health movements. She blended many non-conventional practices such as fasting, juicing, eating raw food, and other various forms of exercise with the outward stated goal of optimal health. However, when she found a physical indication of a major health challenge she did not go to a traditional medical doctor. Sarah decided she was having a "detox reaction" and continued on, perhaps being even more vigilant. When her symptoms became more pronounced and friends, family, and her vegan lifestyle mentors begged her to go to the doctor, she refused. When she developed severe symptoms and couldn't walk or get out of bed she continued to treat her condition with the hope that it would get better on its own. By the time Sarah finally went to seek conventional medical help, her condition was in an advanced and terminal stage. Sarah then accepted full conventional treatment before passing away within the year. We all have a little bit of Sarah inside of us. Perhaps it is the part of us that is so scared of something that we'll do/believe anything, even extreme ideas to avoid it. We are so intent on avoiding this fear that we stop listening to our inner voice, those important messages from our bodies, and we plough ahead stubbornly until we have a wake-up call or completely fall over a cliff. I know this side of myself well and have run up against the dark side of this phenomena many times while following modern self help books and alternative health leaders. It wasn't until I discovered a complete teaching of self discovery and actualization (in the particular form of Zhineng Qigong) that I realized what was going on. Most modern self-help, diet, alternative medicine, and spiritual guides are teaching only half truths. Their guidance usually comes from a pure inspiration or an idea of healing, but it is often one-sided and not balanced. The advice is usually based on rules that one's mind can latch onto and blindly follow. Most of these teachers do not help people do the hard work of clearing out their unconscious inherited and conditioned thought patterns to go inside themselves, listen to their bodies, and find their inner truth and guide from within. Most of these teachings have a right and wrong and are not open to infinite creativity. These teachings, dovetailed by our own personal imbalances of fear, perfection, and stubbornness, can lead to big unintended consequences. I'll give an example of myself. Many years ago my business was expanding and I suddenly had a lot more work and still only 24 hours in the day. I heard a self-help efficiency expert on the radio and purchased her book. It was full of well-meant advice, based on the personal experiences of the well credentialed author, and I was inspired to put into practice her methods to increase my productivity. The book involved streamlining your life to reduce the number of choices you had to make in the day and to set aside particular time for creative endeavors, family life, chores, etc. It wasn't necessarily bad advice. However, it wasn't a complete teaching and since it wasn't balanced with teachings of de-conditioning unhealthy patterns, finding self love/worth that is decoupled with how much you work, listening to your inner authority over anything else, etc. it ended up being a negative influence on my life. I won't say this expert efficiency advice "caused" a subsequent health crisis in my life, but it certainly didn't help me avoid it. I have run into similar issues while following other popular diet, lifestyle, self-help, and professional advice trends. The advice seems logical and helps a little at first but can be quite damaging overall if taken to the extremes and dovetailed with latent negative unconscious tendencies particularly underlying currents of self loathing. I will contrast the above with my experiences with Zhineng Qigong, which I consider to be a complete teaching on self actualization and healing by stepping into our most true and powerful selves. Many people come to this practice with the goal of healing a physical health issue, but most quickly realize that the work is far greater than that. Healing is a multi-faceted endeavor. It involves healing past trauma and reprogramming negative thought/action patterns. It involves bringing all of your parts back together to function together as a united whole. It is not about getting rid of the things you don't like or avoiding the things you fear. Healing naturally helps you become your most powerful, effective, and efficient self. You learn how to be guided by your body, which can process outward and inward data thousands of times faster that your well-intentioned brain. You don't waste your time on work/conversations/people that are not necessary to deal with at the time so your effectiveness at work skyrockets. You can see your next steps more clearly so you are able to take more decisive action and stop second guessing yourself. Your body has the energy it needs to stay healthy and avoid illness. Complete spiritual realization teachings are not religions, though they very much resonate with the words of famous spiritual leaders like Jesus, Buddha, and Lao Tzu. They are in line with ancient indigenous teachings in cultures throughout the world that focus on self knowing and unconditional love. In the case of Sarah, it appears that she may have held a lot of fear and mistrust of conventional medicine. Her obsession with self-healing through diet and exercise could have been a way for her to avoid facing this fear. The intention and reason behind us doing something is often more important than the action itself. It is a beautiful thing to love ourselves so much that we naturally want to care for our bodies, eat healthily and exercise. It is not a healing act to try to force our bodies to perform in a certain way by eating a diet we think is healthy so that we can avoid a challenging situation. In Sarah's situation, the most healing act from a more multi-faceted wholistic view could have been to face her fear of going to the doctor. Her fear would have been apparent to her when she first noticed her health issue. That fear could have actually been an invitation from the universe to uncover its roots and find peace within herself and any interactions with the conventional medical world. This exploration in itself could have lead to her complete healing. It is common for people to be afraid of going to a conventional doctor. In many cases trust has been broken and/or there are memories of past traumatic experiences. This is especially true when it comes to illnesses like cancer treatment as the infancy of cancer medicine and the experimentation with cancer drugs/chemotherapy on patients lead to much pain and suffering. The images of our loved ones in the past generation undergoing conventional cancer treatment are still very real in our collective memory. I have walked with many people going down the path of facing their fear of conventional medical treatment. Often this exploration becomes just as important in their healing process as the physical treatment itself. Finding the strength and peace to interact with modern medicine and having the ability to weave this with more energetic inner healing can be a powerful and wondrous process. It is a beautiful thing to believe that you can heal yourself, but that belief can't just be wishful thinking. A complete teaching can be invaluable in helping one discern what's going on in a situation to find the best steps toward healing. Guan Yin, Chi Center, New Mexico ---- References: https://chicenter.com https://www.daohearts.com/introduction-of-zhineng-qigong/

This poem came through with the picture of this big "baby heart" smile. It is written to bring in both the perspective of "victim" and "oppressor", pointing to the truth that we play both roles in the web of existence. When we can find the truth of this in our hearts, we are freed from both roles and brought to a place where we can simply be...and *shine* They come to us with such innocence, love, and trust Those baby hearts. Pure light, can we take it? Or will we act to block, diminish, stop Because how could it be possible That much shine? If feels safer to destroy that which we cannot control, understand, or even face that which threatens to infect the world We who know better, are older and wiser Must keep the world safe from those things That were the most painful for us to lose.

In contemplating betrayal today Jesus showed up first. The story of his betrayal eclipses almost everything else in his life. Jesus was betrayed by a friend, the government, the church, and most of his own community. What does this tell us about our place in situations of betrayal and how we can move through it? My intuition today is to link it to who we put in charge of our destinies. Who do you put in charge of your destiny? Is it your parents, your teachers, your boss, your spiritual leader, or the government? The true answer is likely hidden in the shadows. Whoever or whatever it is, if you give any human made construct your power, I believe it is natural to come up against issues of betrayal eventually, which are the result of our human assumptions, understandings, and expectations not being met. Near death Jesus says "My God why have you forsaken me". It doesn't seem that Jesus spent time feeling angry at Judas or Herod. Instead, he gave his attention and power over to the oneness, to what we call God. God is also apparently who Jesus complained to. This feels like a valuable insight into how we might better flow through our own moments of suffering and betrayal. Give your problems to God, not to each other: not to the guy who cut you off in traffic, not to the boss who didn't give you a raise, not to the kid who bullied your child , not to the friend who betrayed your trust, not even to the corporations who sold you a toxic product. When we blame our problems on anything but "the great mystery of life" and limit our perspective by fighting those people/things, we unconsciously give them the power to control us and our fate. Do you really want to give that kind of power to the guy who cut you off in traffic? It might make our egos feel vindicated to have someone to blame and revenge, but it is not true balm for the soul. How does it feel differently to instead give that power over to the oneness, to Gaia, to the universe, to God? Rather than blaming anything, give these injustices, these betrayals, these wrongs, these evils over to a higher power. Give your power to power so that the powers can become one. They merge and transform, and in doing so, transform our world into the image of the everything, into the image of love and beauty, peace and forgiveness.