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

I-Ching - 18th Hexagram

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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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

If you are eager to go deeper try our Online Learning Courses

Remembering Ourselves

The winter season should be one of reflecting on our lives and remembering what makes us happy, healthy and peaceful. The holidays are often spoken of as a time of giving however, giving should not be something done only in the holiday spirit. Everything we are fortunate to have is a blessing and sharing those gifts with others is the way we give thanks for the miracle of this life we are living. The more we give away, the more we encourage the flow to bring things back to us. You never lose anything. This is the wonder of life.
Reflecting on the wonder of life should be a regular practice especially during the holiday season yet, more often than not, the holidays can stir up quite a lot of issues that lie just below the surface. When we combine this with a general sense of unease that seems to pervade the world at the moment, it breeds difficulty and uncertainty into our daily life. The result is a generous helping of stress and worry which we often don’t have an answer for. There is a tendency to simply try and hold on tight, hoping to make it through unscathed.
Fortunately, just as it feels as if things are unraveling, there is also seems to be something quite amazing taking place in the world. Many people are starting to sense a shift in consciousness as a transformational change begins to take place. No longer are the old patterns working for us and many people are starting to look for answers deeper within themselves. The distractions of the media would have us believe that things are at the brink of collapse, but if you take a moment to center yourself, you quickly realize collapse is relative. Talk a walk in nature and you can observe the life force energy flowing along. The sun rises, the rains fall, the wind blows and the snow accumulates. The hardships we face teach us valuable lessons. They temper our being and prepare us for change.
Embracing change can be a real challenge. Our ability to do it depends a lot on where we live and the holistic practices we engage in. Bringing ourselves into alignment is a long process, but it is one we cannot neglect.

The process has a number of steps:

1. Nourish the Body. We need to learn to breathe effectively to bring in more oxygen and energy. We also must engage in movement practices in order to circulate the energy through the muscles and joints. In addition we should be clearing out the toxins and poisons from our diet.
2. Calm the Mind. We need to bring clarity of thought to our thinking process so that we are able to react and adapt to the challenges we face. A drastic reduction in the distracting noise from the television should be a priority.
3. Open the Heart. We need to begin to use the heart as an organ of perception. By getting in touch with our feelings and the energy fields that surround all living beings, we can start to project a more loving and caring energy out into the world.
4. Honor the Soul. We need to take the journey inwards and confront the dark parts of ourselves and shine a pure light of truth onto them. Only then will we be able to release that which no longer serves us.
5. Embrace the Spirit. We need to embrace the spiritual part of us that is connected to the whole spirit of existence. By engaging in ceremony to honor the sun, moon, wind, trees, animals and elements we can more fully remember our place in the universe.

It would serve all of us this holiday season to try to be a little more forgiving and humble in our thoughts and actions. We always have a choice as to how we react in any given situation. We have all felt the energy change when an angry person walks into a room. Everyone gets a little on edge. Remember…this dynamic works both ways. If we can find a calm center within ourselves, then we give others a reference point to find calmness within their own selves. Let the holiday season be about cultivating peace and harmony in the world. Finding faults in others or laying blame for things elsewhere simply creates friction and unease.
When you drop a pebble into a pool of water the ripples spread out. You determine the ripples you send out to the people around you. Let your pebble be positive and loving. We are only going to find the way forward by turning inwards and getting our own self in order.

Please share any comments you may have.

I wish you much happiness, joy and peace this season.

The Foundation of Human Potential

Holistic traditions address all the aspects of ourselves as a complete being: body, mind, heart, soul, spirit. Each of these aspects of our self plays a vital role in making up who we are. Working to bring them all into alignment provides us with a framework to awaken to our full human potential. Holistic arts, by definition, are practices that assist with bringing these together and awakening the potential that lies deep within us all. Each of these aspects makes up part of the whole. However, it is necessary to understand that the body and mind are the foundation of our human potential. Like anything we build, the foundation must be firm and strong in order to support what it holds up. The body and mind must be balanced and aligned in order for us to fully access and entrain with the other aspects of our being, or we will find ourselves wobbling back and forth, unsure of who we are and what we are doing.

The body is our physical form. It is our connection to the physical world and allows us to interact with the world through our senses. Our body is the temple in which the rest of our being resides. The better care we take of the body, the longer it survives and the deeper we are able to explore the other aspects of our self. If we are eating healthy food, regularly moving the joints and muscles, and breathing properly, the body grows strong and resilient, providing us with more energy and the ability to do more. If we eat poorly, don’t exercise and maintain shallow breathing habits, the body will grow weak and fragile, unable to meet our needs. This is basic common sense. Continuing regular practice allows us to remain strong as we grow older. I remember living in Japan, training karate for four hours every day, and frequently meeting older Japanese men who, upon hearing of my training, would immediately launch into a discourse of their prowess in one or another marital art. Invariably these men were out of shape and unhealthy, having stopped training once they finished their university studies and entered the work force. They seemed to think that the fitness level they achieved in their younger days remained with them, even though they did no physical exercise at all in the present. I have found that this is a common mindset. The changes that take place in the body due to poor diet and lack of exercise are gradual. The body has a way of going numb so that we don’t recognize we have gotten out of shape. The longer we go without caring for the body, the harder it is to get back to a state of good health. The truth is that it really doesn’t take that much effort to reverse this process. Daily gentle breathing and movement practice will get the energy flowing through the body. A regular routine can soon make the body your ally, in whatever you seek to do, instead of a limitation.

The same goes for the mind. The mind is our thought process. It is that part of us that carries on the continuous inner dialogue throughout our waking lives. It is also that part of us that analyzes problems and creates solutions to solve them. When the mind is calm and centered, we are able to think clearly and adapt to whatever situation arises. If our thoughts are scattered or we are stressed out about events in our life, then the mind becomes preoccupied and is unable to deal with the problems that arise. Calming the mind is a challenge because the only method for doing it is to sit quietly and allow the thoughts to settle. If the mind is calm and centered, we are able think clearly and reason objectively. However, the modern world is full of distractions that have been designed to capture our attention. We need to cultivate a calm mind in order to navigate the challenges that appear before us. Practicing daily sitting meditation is a simple way to gain a measure of control over hectic thoughts.

Once the body is healthy and the mind is clear, we are more fully able to embrace our heart, soul and spirit. Perhaps it helps to imagine the body and mind as a garden bed. If we care for the body and calm the mind, we create the fertile soil for the seeds of our heart, soul and spirit to grow and develop. By cultivating this rich soil, our heart will open, our soul will be revealed, and our spirit will expand. It all begins with the body and mind.

The true awakening of the human potential within us is like slipping into a groove that was always there. It is as if we were bumping along off kilter until that moment when things suddenly click into position and we start to recognize our place in the universe. We begin to go with the flow, and the flow begins going with us. When such a thing truly happens there is a feeling of completeness that pervades our being. It is a wonderful experience that continues to unfold as we continue generating the energy that fuels our potential. In a world full of distractions and stress this can be a daunting undertaking. It means finding the strength within from which to begin the process. It takes courage and self-awareness in order to travel the path, and there are many roadblocks and detours along the way.

Building a strong foundation of body and mind gives us a place to begin.

Until next time...wishing you much peace.

Mind-Body Connection

The more we train our body the stronger and healthier it becomes. In the same manner, the more we train our mind the calmer and clearer it becomes. This practice is like sharpening the blade of a sword. The healthier the body and the calmer the mind the better we are able to focus more completely on the task at hand.

Training the body is a physical challenge. Whether it is zen yoga, tai chi, marital arts, tennis, golf swimming or whatever...it is about moving the body and flowing with energy. However training the mind is a much greater challenge. There are many distractions. The practice of meditation needs to be an integral part of life even when we feel that it is not doing anything for us. The subtle changes that occur over time through the regular study of meditation are invaluable. While we may understand the concept of meditation intellectually, putting aside time to practice is often difficult. Nevertheless, the clarity of thought that meditation provides is something vital to our training that we should not be without. It brings us to a moment of zen, being fully alive in the present moment.

When we exist fully in the present moment we embody our true self. Like moving in stereo, the body and mind become a single flowing entity. By following the same rhythm, each compliments the other. We are able to react without thought or hesitation. Our reactions are perfectly appropriate depending on the situation, neither too strong nor too weak.

This is the true meaning of body and mind connection.

Start from Zero

A fit, healthy body and a calm, clear mind lay the fertile ground for our spiritual nature to grow and develop --zin

One of the biggest hurdles we face when making life changes in body fitness is starting from a negative.

The first step is to approve of the body you have right at this moment - NOT the body you want, NOT the body you are going to have in six months after you work out, NOT the body you had last year or ten years ago, but the body you have right NOW.

Oh no!...you say...OH YES!...that body with the belly that pops over the belt buckle or the thighs that rub together, or with the yellow stained teeth, or whatever you think is wrong with you.

Regardless of all the faults, real or imagined, it is the only body you have.
And here you are...alive.

If you have to live with it, you might as well come to terms with it instead of fighting it.

Acceptance of that fact is like opening a door to a new world.

Imagine a line of numbers

-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Zero is the center point..the place to begin so you can go up into positive numbers.

Instead, if you begin with a negative number, you spend all of your time trying to get to zero, so you can begin.

Your body…right now…exactly as it is….is zero.
From zero...go up.

How strong, how fit, how healthy you are is how strong, fit and healthy you are.

Start from there.

Everyone can do some sort of breath and movement practice in order to start the process of getting the body feeling better.

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