Cleaning House

Cleaning and clearing of your physical environment can have a wonderful effect on the clearing of your mind. Cleaning is often used in the Zendo as part of the meditation and clearing process. It allows for the mind body connection to happen. This mind body connection is the way to really clean out. As in my Tai Chi and Qigong classes, when I am physically working my body, I can feel my mind becoming more clear. It is when I am most at peace in the world. Just like any process that allows for getting rid of the old and polishing what you have now; it can be quite therapeutic. While you may be cleaning for family and guests to come, take the time to clean for yourself. Clean out the worries, stresses, weights, and old stuff in your mind.The mind has a tendency to run wild when it has too much it is holding onto. This cleaning can help to let go of the old, get into the moment, and make room for the new pieces you would like to invite into your life. During this time of scattered directions and responsibilities, just a little cleaning can help you to get clear again.

Acceptance of Time

Being accepting of the pace of my life as it is being created has been a constant challenge for me. I know you can't mess with time, it works on its own schedule; it moves at its own pace. The only time you have is now, this moment, this breath, this thought, this site being seen. Accept where you are now so you will be able to accept where you will be in a moment or a year from now. Be careful of too much planning and future forsight. It can be helpful to have a general guide of where you want to go, but be careful of predicting and projecting too far into the future. Things can change at a moments notice and throw your whole plan off, and for good reason, though you may not know what the reason is at the time. Be open to what is happening in your life, just as is, right now. Pay attention to your values and your next step will reveal itself, through time, without you having to do any planning at all. Accept time as a gift as it is happening right now. Time will allow you to be where you are meant to be and where you want to be when it is right. You just have to find a way to stay true to your values and beliefs and to accept the pace that time allows you to get to where you want to be.

Willingness to be Aware

Being aware of your current choices, circumstances and surroundings is the first step to living a conscious life. Going through the motions is a vital survival technique that can really get you through at times when life has placed too many demands on you. Though it is not a place where you can thrive. Being willing to stop and pay attention to your life and your actions takes courage. It's not always easy to take a good look at what you are doing and where you may be headed, but this is the difference between living a consious life and just going through the motions. Often confusion arises when you take a good hard look at your life and your decisions. You can become confused about what you really want and how you may have ended up where you now. Confusion is okay, in fact is can be great! Confusion and frustration are 2 key components to making informed decisions. When you really try to choose your choice, when you allow yourself to be confused and frustrated about what you want, you are able to tap into your values and beliefs. When you are frustrated, you can get to the root of what you truly care about. Frustration comes from not being able to get to what you want, desire, and/or need. The next time you are feeling frustrated, I invite you to stop and really tap into what the value or belief is behind this frustration. Then challenge that value or belief and find the patience to move forward or step to the side and contemplate your next step. Be willing to take the time to sit with your confusion so your next step will be a solid one.

Open Confidence

How confident are you about the words that you speak? I do believe that verbal expression is an overused form of expression, though it is imperative to be careful with the words you choose to say. As it is a hyperfocused form of communication, one should be wary of the words being put out there for others.

I truly admire those who are willing to put out an original idea, an idea that may go against the norm. If you have something possibly controversial to say, begin by accepting it yourself fully and then saying it with complete confidence. When you accept things when you say them, it invites others to consider your point of view because you are solid with what you say and how you say it. It can sometimes put people off guard, it can make them stumble upon their “solid ground”. The only way to really get down to what you really value and believe is to put it out there to others with confidence. Then to truly be open to others comments about your beliefs; be open to consider their point of view though pay attention to what your intuition is teling you. Then take a step back, contemplate and find another point of view to challenge. This is how you get to understand your values and beliefs as your inner guide. You must be able to put them out there.
If you can pay attention to your intuition you will have no need to focus so much on the attention from others. Because you will have confidence in your actions and decisions and will have less need for reinforcement and assurance from extraneous entities. Be free to be in your space, work with it, expand it, don’t apologize for it but be aware of its impact on others and yourself.

Constancy of Change

Change is the only real constant in life. It has been my experience that many people have a fear of change. People change, circumstances change, relationships change, nature changes, everything changes everyday. Being able to accept changes will allow you to be open to the lessons and the freedoms of life. Change is about freedom. It's about being able to expand to new places and ways of being. I invite you to be more accepting of the changes surrounding you. Seeing and accepting the changes in others can be a great way for you to feel inspired to see the changes you wish for yourself!

Seeds of Change

Since I moved out here to California, I have felt inspired to write. Part of that inspiration came from my re-discovered passion for hiking. I have hiked over 20 mountains and peaks since I've arrived. Hiking helps me on so many different levels. Most of all it helps me to clear out my mind. To get rid of the clutter and stagnation.
So, my blog will begin with a writing from my hike up Pyles' Peak on August 10, 2007. These were my thoughts on that day....
It was a much needed hike, I was feeling too much emotional stress and needed to work it through my body. I definitely am getting in better shape, feels so good to breathe deep, sweat a lot and be able to keep on moving. I thought a lot about the stages of change and how difficult the initial stages can be when one has struggled to be successful in the past.
Change begins with an idea, a simple thought of doing something different. A single sprout, a positive thought. The idea is a very significant yet very small piece of the puzzle. Without action, regret will soon settle in, nearly damming the initial thought for change. This can become a dangerous cycle of getting stuck in thought without action, thus leading to a cycle of regrets and failures of things undone. Futher discouraging the participant from wanting to act again, thus staying stuck in the self defeating thought only pattern…..living only in mind, a very heavy mind.
It is neccessary to break free of this heavy mind. Find one aspect you want to expand on, just one thought, one idea. Take this one thought, this one idea and allow your mind to expand upon it in any direction it chooses to go. Do not allow the limits of you mind and/or your doubts to creep in. Continue to allow this thought, this seed of change to grow.
Getting back to the hike.......
As I Approached the top of the mountain, I started to see the blackened trees and ashes all around. There was a brush fire last week. It began with a tiny little amber that occurred with a mix of sunshine, heat and other friction unknown. Its amazing how one little spark can expand so far out. It happens either way, you can burn the forest or you can water it down, expansion happens in all directions and it can happen so quickly with just a little tiny beginning spark of action!