Creating Reality

A wave is not separate from the ocean. Every wave on the ocean is the whole ocean. Yet as an individual wave it displays its own uniqueness. In the same manner each of us is an individual, yet we are a part of something much greater. We are part of the whole of creation. Most of us feel our individuality strongly. The idea of a web of life turns that feeling inside out. It is a feeling in which we, as individuals, are connected and a part of everything else there is.

In other words, the fundamental reality of the self is not only something inside the skin but it is everything outside the skin as well. We are simply part of the whole of existence as, in the same way, is the ocean wave. At this moment, in this present reality, we are a playing a particular role but that personality is superficial because the real self is actually all that there is. When we realize that our individuality is superficial, then there is nothing to oppose us in seeking self-realization within the framework of all existence. When there is no opposition, there is nothing to fight against and we can begin to make progress.

It is important to believe that we create our own reality. For good or for bad, the thoughts that you have influence the events that take place in your life. How often do you hear people say “just my luck” or something equally negative when unfortunate circumstances arise? Whether you believe you can do something or whether you believe you can’t, you are absolutely correct. It all begins with your belief. When you begin to believe in positive things, positive things start to happen. The thoughts that you generate in your mind have a tangible effect on the world around you. When you are sure that your thoughts can change your life, then your life begins to change. You can live in a garden of beautiful flowers or you can live in a garbage dump.

The choice is yours and begins with your attitude towards yourself. Happiness creates happiness in the world, just as misery creates more misery. If you make a conscious effort to tap into the energy of the universe and send it in positive directions, you open yourself to positive change and the energy of the universe will be able to flow in that direction. If you cultivate the negative aspects of life, that negative energy will grow in intensity around you.

in peace,

Aaron

Connection To Nature

Book Recommendation - The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature by Stephen Buhner

I wanted to share this book. The Secret Teachings of Plants is a book that does much more than remind us of the importance of Nature in our lives. It provides simple skills to help us make a much deeper connection to the natural world and bring our lives back into balance. Too often we get so caught up in the busyness of the human world that we become numb to ourselves. It is at times like this when we need a sage like Stephen Buhner to guide us back to the wisdom the other living beings of this planet have for us.

The book is based on a wonderfully insightful concept of the “intelligence of the heart.” Recent discoveries in neuroscience have proven that more than 50% of the heart is comprised of neural cells. It is from our hearts that we process our energetic connection to everything we come in contact with. The problem is that we have cut ourselves off from this connection by allowing ourselves to be caught up in our rational, analytical minds.

Buhner explains that the knowledge of plant medicines that ancient and indigenous peoples have, comes, not through trial and error experimentation, but is directly transmitted from the plants themselves. And while this may seem like a stretch to the rational, analytical mind caught up in the post-industrial, television-based world, deep within all of us this truth awaits rediscovery.

The first part of the book contains scientific explanations and linear analysis. The second part is a stream of consciousness, full of quotes and practices for enhancing our relationship with plants. When I first started the book I loved the first part and was a bit skeptical of the 2nd half. But once I began reading that part, I realized that the first half was merely setting the stage and the second part is where the real understanding lies.

The consciousness of plants may be vastly different from our understanding of consciousness. Interacting with plants is not simply about talking to them. It is much more about opening the lines of communication with them on an energetic level and sharing our lifeforce. By opening our hearts and experiencing nature in its fullness we can begin to realize this connection.

Personally, as part of my Zen Yoga training, I have been cultivating my relationship with plants for many years, yet while reading this book I found my experience reaching a deeper level of understanding, to the point of profound wonder at this world we live in. See for yourself….read the book.

in peace,

Aaron

The Essence of Quality

The attitude we take towards any task or undertaking reflects on how we view our self. The completed task is the outward reflection of what is going on within. A task done with quality and completeness suggests a quality and completeness inside our being. A task half-finished or done sloppily reflects sloppiness within us. The actual importance of the task is irrelevant with regard to the quality and completeness with which we undertake it. Whether we are doing life-saving surgery, writing a book, washing a car, or tying our shoes, we need to focus all of our attention and concentration on that action. In effect, we want to enter into the essence of it.

Entering into the essence of something means becoming one with the action we are performing. In Japan there is a word shoshin which means “beginner’s mind.” As a beginner, the first time you do something you have to concentrate on it in order to do it correctly, but as you become adept at it you soon stop paying attention to the doing of it. The idea of shoshin is to retain the mindfulness of the beginner even as the task becomes routine. In this manner you are able to enter into the essence of what you are doing and that makes all the difference. Doing anything without entering into its essence is pointless and empty. However, the more fully you enter into something, keeping mindful of it, the more point or meaning it has and the more alive you feel by doing it.

Musicians, dancers, or artists who are able to enter into the essence of their art, become their art - they transcend the doing and are just being. By entering into the essence of your daily tasks you can begin to wake up to the great secret of life – living. The quality of living that results from entering into the essence of everyday life is profound. But only by actually being mindful of what we are doing can we experience it.

In Zen Yoga training we seek to cultivate this practice through simple breathing and movement exercises which help to circulate the energy through the meridians of the body. Just as with tai chi and qigong, Zen Yoga is a spiritual discipline that brings an awareness of the self.

wishing you much peace...

Aaron

I will have some photos of the Zen Warrior Training Retreat up soon...

Miracle

We certainly are living in times of dramatic change. And it would seem that there is much more to come. Part of the problem stems from the fact that we are always trying to change things to serve our purposes. Genetic food modifications, chemical preservatives, clear cutting of old-growth forests, diverting rivers for irrigation are all examples of humans trying to control the natural way of the world. But the simple truth is that the world is not something to be controlled or put in order. We are the one’s that must harmonize with it. Fighting against the natural flow of things is what has led us to the predicaments we are facing. We have lost our connection to the energy of the world. The plants and animals have become resources to be exploited and used as we march along a path that has only one inevitable outcome. The current structure is unsustainable.
It will take a miracle to turn things around…
If you want to see the miracle…
Be the miracle.

We are the one’s we have been waiting for.

Slow Down

Many of us living modern society live life at a frenetic pace. The measured lifestyle and close contact with nature that characterizes more traditional societies is being lost. People today gobble up experiences, swallow them whole, and then stuff more in. As these undigested experiences accumulate, existence becomes more superficial. Watching television has become a substitute for real experience and even that rarely holds our attention for long –we click to the next channel. Vicariously living through the stimulus overload of television has dulled the senses to the magic of real life. The rapid pace of technological advances creates a sense of urgency while the high-speed transfer of data through the internet and telephone systems brings an immediacy to everything. When we finally do go out and do something, we often feel driven by an urge to get through it as fast as possible. There is a compulsion for instant satisfaction, a pervasive “been there, done that” attitude. Completion has become the goal. Actually experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells has become secondary to the result. All of this leaves people with little time for themselves, or more exactly, for discovering the self.

Things such as fast food, newsbreaks, email and text messaging all contribute to this to a sense of urgency. We cannot escape it. We only slow down to pay attention when something we think extraordinary appears, and even then it rarely holds our attention for very long. Eventually we hurry on to something we think is more important. But when we get there we rush through that as well, since we feel compelled to get to the next experience and the next after that. Our attention span has been narrowed drastically, laying a deadly trap, because we begin to sacrifice the present to the future – which never comes. Unless we are able to fully experience the present, the future is merely an illusion. Without fully living in the present, we will never know just who we are. We will only continue to chase things into the future in the vain hope something will finally satisfy us.

This trap was set long ago by our parents and our schooling and our culture. The striving toward an undefined goal – success – always lies in the future and calls for planning. Thus, when we actually do reach some sort of success, it turns out not to be as satisfying as we thought it would be and we get caught up in planning for the next success. For vast numbers of people the future never arrives while, at the same time, they take little notice or enjoyment in what they have accomplished in the present. In the end, however, it is in the present, not the future, that life is deeply experienced and where one discovers one’s true self.

Of course there are things we all need to do to secure our future, but if we sacrifice the present for some obscure future success, chances are that when we get there we will still be no closer to what we are searching for. If we can slow the pace at which we live and enjoy what we are doing in the present, then no matter what the future brings we will be prepared to experience it fully. We need to bring a sense of peace to daily life by becoming aware of time, of the need to slow down.

By slowing the pace of life and quieting the noise of the world, we can let a little more peace and serenity into our lives.

Remember to Breathe

I think it is important to keep reminding people of this.
Breathing is a fundamental action of our physical body. But it is also the connection between the mind and body. Staying conscious and aware of the breathing is very beneficial to our lives.
There are so many distractions these days. Everything seems geared to fragmenting our attention and keeping us oblivious to our personal well-being. The work we are doing with Zen Yoga is designed to bring us back to our center and connect with ourselves.
It is very easy to dismiss awareness of breathing as silly or trivial, but the more you become aware of it and put it to use the more it becomes a valuable tool you can use any time it is needed.
wishing you much peace...

Earth Changes

There has been a lot of speculation as to what is going to occur during the winter solstice of 2012. The ancient Mayans determined it was the end of their long count calendar. The Vedic texts tell of the end of the Kali Yuga, or great age. Experts in cosmology say the Earth will come into alignment with the galactic center. Some assume it is the end of the world. Others believe it is the beginning of a new one. It could be just about anything from the next step in evolution to the extinction of the human race.

Everyone has heard a lot of talk about climate change. Most people can understand the basic concept of overpopulation. It is quite easy to realize the consequences of the diminishing natural resources of the planet. Some people even have heard of the gyre, a giant whirlpool of plastic in the Northern Pacific ocean the size of Texas. In the past few years these things have all come into sharper focus for a lot of people. At the very least there is an awareness of the rising cost of food and gasoline that seems to be heading towards heights we cannot begin to comprehend.

A result of this growing understanding is a sense of increasing stress and worry in daily life over events that we have no control over. We react to it in a number of different ways. Many people choose to remain oblivious to the changes by concentrating on all of the stuff we have created in our society to distract us from what is important.

The truth is that we are living in a precarious interconnected society that has the potential to collapse at any time. The longer we continue to distract our attention from these issues the quicker we travel headlong over the cliff. The time has come to pay attention. In order to carry on our existence we need to prepare ourselves for change; dramatic, society-encompassing, life-altering change.

Surviving whatever happens is going to be a challenge no matter who you are or where you live. However, there area number of things that each of us can do to be in a better position to deal with the coming Earth Changes more effectively. This primarily involves working on the self.

It stands to reason that given the continuing headlong rush towards destruction there is going to come a time when situations develop during which we will need to make quick decisions and then act on those decisions. If we are able to react and execute appropriately, we stand a better chance of making it through whatever challenges we are faced with.

The question here is – How are people to deal with the coming changes with bodies that are overweight and out of shape and minds that are stressed, distracted and medicated?

The short answer is that they can’t.

Instead we need to change the question – How can people get their bodies fit and healthy and their minds relaxed, focused and clear so that they can deal with the coming changes effectively?

It has to start with simple and practical ideas that can be put to use immediately. Learning to breathe properly and remembering to practice it as much as possible is usually a good place to begin. Next, moving the body in order to get the blood and energy circulating is very helpful. Taking time out to sit quietly and allow the hectic thoughts to settle is vital to keeping the stress of the world in check. These basic practices are available to anyone regardless of age, fitness level or health status. We just need to allocate the time for them. In the end, a body that is working properly combined with a mind that is calm and clear will provide us with the best opportunity to deal with the coming changes.

A place to start...
www.artofzenyoga.com/bs2.htm