Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Body: Maintaining the Structural Integrity of Your Ark

Your body is the foundation of your Ark. When building any structure, if you want it to last, it needs to have a strong foundation. The pyramids of Egypt and South America have lasted thousands and thousands of years because they are built with a firm, solid base. You wouldn’t start building a pyramid from the top down, or build it upside down with the point on the ground and widening out at the top. Your structure needs to have a foundation that will support everything that you place on top of it. The same goes for the metaphorical Ark we are building to meet the wave of changes that are rolling towards us. You wouldn't build your Ark out of brittle, rotten or termite-infested wood.

Our body is the foundation of our being. It is our physical presence in this world. The better we care for it, the longer it is able to function effectively. Unfortunately, modern society is starting to make caring for our body more difficult. The sedentary lifestyle of our age, brought on by technological innovation and cheap energy, has made everything excessively convenient. We have evolved into a people who spend most of our time sitting at a computer, behind the wheel of a vehicle or blooped out in front of the TV.

But it is not just the sedentary lifestyle that is a problem. Our diets have changed as well. With the population of the planet closing in on 7 billion, food production has had to adapt to meet the growing demand. Sadly, much of the response to the demand has resulted in a massive increase in food with little or no nutritional value. Processed foods, full of chemicals and preservatives, have become our staple diet. And while hopefully most people would agree on this point, the effort and attention it takes to monitor the food we eat is siphoned off by the numbing distraction of all the stuff we are preoccupied with.

Realistically, the eventual outcome from being sedentary and eating chemically processed food is some form of deterioration. Deterioration starts either with musculoskeletal difficulty in the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves; or it affects the internal systems causing diabetes, cancer and a host of other non-communicable diseases.

Is your way of living drilling a hole in the bottom of your Ark?



Repairing Your Ark






The 18th Hexagram in the I Ching-Book of Changes is KU - Repair. It is about realizing that some of the perceptions and beliefs we have been taking for granted are incorrect. It is a time of diligence work and assertive action. Repairing your Ark requires sincerity and resolution.
This list provides some basic guides to plugging the hole in the bottom of your Ark, healing your body and reinforcing the structural integrity of the foundation of your being.

1. Breathe More. Breathe Deeper. I know, I repeat this often, but it is necessary. Getting more oxygen and energy into the body is vital to the process.

2. Rotate your Joints. The blood and energy get trapped and constricted in the joints. Rotating your joints opens the passageway for it to flow. Circle your wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles regularly.

3. Stretch your Muscles. Stretching creates space for the blood and energy to flow into. There are stretches for every part of the body. Feel where you are tight and stretch there...gently.

4. Read the labels on the food you buy. Cut out processed food, chemicals and preservatives. Beware of artificial flavors and colors. Eat Smart.

5. Abandon Fast-Food Forever...really.

6. Go outside and spend time in the natural world. This is vital. We need to remember our connection with the Earth. That connection cannot be found on the Discovery channel. You need to touch it and breathe it.

7. Persevere. Nothing of value is gained without effort. Cultivate the discipline to keep your attention focused. Don’t be Distracted!

Obviously, repairing your Ark is not always necessary if you are already practicing much of the items on the list. However, there may be times when we need a little upkeep here and there.

With the bottom of our Ark on the mend we can begin to focus on our navigation system.

Next: Peaceful Mind: Noticing the Flow

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Breathe!

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Friday, February 11, 2011

Ark: Preparing for 2012

While there is much speculation on the precise meaning and significance of 2012, it is not in dispute that 2012 marks a moment in time when a rare event takes place. On the winter solstice of 2012 our Sun and Earth come into precise galactic alignment with the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. This is an event that happens once every 12,960 years. This is not a prophecy. It is not a conspiracy theory. It is a scientific, astronomical fact. It is an occurrence that civilizations of ancient times deemed important enough to track and monitor for thousands of years. While the Mayan calendar is most often cited, Egyptian, Celtic, Islamic and Vedic metaphysical traditions all had knowledge of the importance of such an event.

We, in our modern, technological world have forgotten much of this knowledge. Though it would probably be fair to say that most people 12,960 years ago were probably just as ignorant of the event. It is usually only those who take the time to put all of the pieces together who are able to see the big picture. Be that as it may, it is time to start paying attention.

The idea of 2011 being the time to build an ark for a proverbial flood of 2012 is a metaphor for the age we are living in. Whether we are prepared to admit it or not, fundamental change is upon us as a civilization. Our population has grown to an unsustainable size. The resources of the planet are rapidly being used up. The climate is going haywire. Change is upon us. Most people are probably starting to notice at least something is happening to our planet. As it accelerates, this change is very likely going to wash away much of the excess and overindulgence we have become so accustomed to.

And while this may seem like doom and gloom to those who are attached to the material distractions of an unbalanced world, the changes have the potential to usher in a profound stage of spiritual evolution for the planet as a whole.

Building an ark to weather this change is a logical and necessary process if we want to thrive in the new age we are headed into. For our ark is nothing less than a harmonization of the five aspects that make up our being: Body, Mind, Heart, Soul and Spirit. Refining and polishing these aspects will enable us to more easily adapt to the changes 2012 and the future have in store for us and the planet.

In the next 5 weeks I will discuss each of these in turn.

Next: Body: Maintaining the Structural Integrity of your Ark

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Thursday, February 3, 2011

Year of the Yin Metal Rabbit

February 3, 2011 marks the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Rabbit.

The ferocious Yang Metal Tiger of 2010 has left some scratches on the world.
Is it enough to wake us from our distractions?

The year of the Tiger is traditionally associated with massive changes and social upheaval. 2010 will not be a quiet or peaceful year. We are very likely to experience erratic circumstances that we will need to adapt to quickly. --- last year’s post

Fortunate we are that the Year of the Yin Metal Rabbit has begun.

The Rabbit brings a relatively calmer energy. It is an animal of peace, introspection and luck.

2011 brings the message Slow Down
Remember to Breathe

Rabbit is the symbol of the moon
Metal is the symbol of contraction
Yin is peace

It is time to turn the attention inwards and begin to look at ourselves, our home, our family, our nation, our beliefs, our race, our planet.

This is a moment in time to make some decisions as to how you want this whole thing to go.

2011 is the year to build your ark

2012 is the Yang Water Dragon

intelligent comments welcome

Next: “Ark”


Zen Anti-Diet: Mindful Eating for Health, Vitality and Weight Loss
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