Occupy Your Heart in Times of Change

I'm in the process of planning a Flow with the Yoga of Emotional Freedom workshop for this Saturday (can you meet me in NY for some fun stuff? :)  The content is specific to folks who want to connect their yoga mat work to the bigger picture of their feelings and the emotional flows that go with them.

Even as I plan something local, I've been avidly observing the global experience of the Occupy movement starting with Wall Street.  I got to recognizing how many of us are starting to pop out of the numbness that our social - economic - political situation has engendered, and we're finding a voice for what ails us.

Whether you're active with the Occupy movement in person, sharing news posts, considering issues that will be coming to a vote, or taking private new steps with life challenges, it is truly empowering to  consider current events - as with all events - through the lens of the energetic body system.

Principle centered and practical, one of the first tenets we work with is "as within, so too without."

So let's start with what's going on within.

Have you read the statistics about depression lately??

At least 1 in 10 adults in the US suffers from it says the Centers for Disease Control in their 2011 report - and another 1 in 10 from anxiety.  Meanwhile 54% of people believe depression is a personal weakness.  That just makes it worse, don't you think? 

And check this out - as far back at 2002, the economic burden of mental illness (defined as sustained abnormal alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress and impaired functioning) in the United States was substantial—about $300 billion in 2002, with a prediction that nearly 50% of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime.

As for the rest of us, according to the World Health Organization, mental illness results in more disability in developed countries than any other group of illnesses, including cancer and heart disease. 

Yikes!
 
The destructive effects of mental illnesses include disruptions of daily function, incapacitating personal, social, and occupational impairment, and premature death. The most common mental illnesses in adults are anxiety and mood disorders.

Well that's sobering, isn't it?

Does that add up to a healthy situation for any of us?


Movement is happening though, and I see the possibility of tremendously positive outcomes.  Energy anatomy follows a specific pathway. Watch for yourself and see if you start to notice more and more people changing from the 2nd chakra frame of reference so many have been in (one in which we have gotten sooo tired of caring about things we feel powerless to change that we sink into a general state of apathy) into 5th chakra territory where we collectively learn to find our voice. 

The voice itself can be an angry one, but by no means does it need to be.  The movement of lifeforce energy expresses through a systematic framework that is predictable if it is allowed to flow. With conscious attention to the 5th chakra of the voice, and to the emotion of anger itself, we can translates that impulse into strong boundaries and the knowledge that "where there's a will there's a way."

This is exactly how, and why, peaceful demonstration works - the kind that was intended by Occupy Wall Street from the start. The more we demonstrate our will to find a way - whatever the way might be - the more energy we are able to access for movement and change.

More energy = more life force and less depression.

The list of nuts and bolts and details of what that looks like isn't here yet. The fact is, there is no specific need to know - nor should there be.  That will result from the experience itself and will be discerned as time goes on.

This is good news for everybody, no matter which side of the issue you're on at the moment.


Finding a voice requires upward movement in the energy body, from becoming conscious of having a choice in the first place at the first chakra level, to discovering the power of oneness at the seventh. Onward we go through chakras 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 - ideally arriving at the sacred gift of the seventh as we grapple with the issues each represents along the way.

No matter who we are and what the issue, the flow that moves through the emotions is a sequence that goes something like this ...

Chakra 1 - Belief. What do I believe? Am I strong? Helpless? Supported? Do I feel capable? Do I have a choice?

Chakra 2 - Relating. How can I care properly for myself and those I love? Does my caring matter? Am I burned out from relating to situations with no hope of an honest return and therefore succumb to apathy?

Chakra 3 - Self Knowledge. What do I need to let go of?

(You'll notice with the Occupy Movement that one of the things we hear about is the need to let go of is shame -  shame of failure - shame at being one of the 99% - shame in the feeling that there is nothing you can do against the Goliath of corporate greed.)  This is classic 3rd chakra territory, and the antidote is nothing less than self-empowerment.

Chakra 4 - Faith. Exploring the heart of the matter. We move from fear to a faith in something different.

Chakra 5 - Will. Finding our voice, creating stronger boundaries, accessing our willpower, and aligning our will to a higher purpose.

(I believe this is where the general movement of the group consciousness is at the moment.  We aren't sure yet what that looks like exactly. The time for specifics - for knowledge and  thought comes after a strong heart and a willingness to act in the direction of something greater.)

Chakra 6 - Insight, plain and simple.  Where are we going? What new processes are being created? What's our guiding light?  Now is the time that successful plans are made, after the inspirations of heart and voice and action...

Last - and by no means least -

Chakra 7 - Grace. We are open to the inspiration of light and love in whatever way is "the best possible result for all concerned." 

Just to note - no matter what your preference is on the different variations of the American Pledge of Allegiance (see Wikipedia) they do each end with the words "with liberty, and justice for all." 

all concerned.

all.

Apparently there's been a bit of a disagreement on what that looks like....

So what have we here?

Nothing short of the impulse to move - not just our own consciousness, but the consciousness of an entire culture from disenfranchised to hopeful, active and connected, with the 7th chakra's "best possible result for all concerned" as the guiding light running the show - if we allow it, for it needs our permission in order to succeed. 

The process of life engagement that moves through this built in mechanism called energy anatomy is a natural consequence of living, and noone is exempt. One can simply allow, or disallow, the flow. We each have the ability to move through our very own specific energetic system, and somehow, without even having to understand, when the energy is moving freely it will feel right.

As far as Occupiers are concerned, although many are calling to them for a coherent statement of purpose, seeing through the vantage point of the energetic body we can answer the question "what do they want" very clearly.

It is not just a thing, or an idea, or dollars and cents, which is a bit like putting the cart before the horse.

What "they want" - what we all want - is a way of being that exudes new possibilities.

What is wanted is an experience.

Now depending on your circumstances and where your thoughts about Occupy are concerned, this is either good news or bad news :)

If things have been looking honkey-dory for you and you didn't see that strife was happening all around you, then this kind of movement might not be such good news.  But if you have noticed - if you've seen that change was needed - was required - then this is your lucky day.

Either way, just keep the highest principles of the best result for all concerned in the forefront of your mind while we get there.

Now I offer to you my own heartfelt best - If you are a leader, a mover, a shaker, a teacher, an influencer of others and you want to experience the practical and powerful framework of Fundamentals of Emotional Freedom in person with me, I invite you to look into the 6-month Yokibics Deep Dive Program in both New York and Pennsylvania beginning this November. These are exciting times and this is incredibly inspiring work.

Until then -


Blessings and namaste,
Gael

#6 Fear of Aging

"I am luminous with age"

 Meridel Le Sueur

I am perhaps misleading you in the title of my post.  You may hope for some advise on staying young - fighting off the old boogy man - handling wrinkles - keeping healthy - or any other secret recipe for keeping our deepest fear at bay...for after aging, is not death that much closer??

No, my take here is, as always, from the view of the Mystic who asks the question from the perspective of light - or enlightenment - and so it will sound unusual in our culture that values the practical and pragmatic.  

The energy center that brings this energy home is the 7th crown chakra of enthios and joy - or lack thereof.  Navigating this territory requires that we die to our former smaller self and embrace the SELF realization that is waiting to be born.  In order to do this we must die to what holds us back from it's presence...

Which brings me to how we might do that.

My heart breaks for the common "practicality" of taking drugs to handle our anxiety.  The side effects alone are enough to  give anyone pause, let alone the complete bypass of addressing the reason for their need.

So I came across the following treatise on Theism, Athiesm, Yoga and Fear by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati and I think I'm on to something here that clearly relates.  

Bear with me. Read the article for yourself, but do not get mired in who is athiest and who is theist and who is what and why.

Rather recognize that there is a pervasive fear base in our world - one that takes sides - one that presses on you to be somewhere - anywhere - besides deeply embedded in the flow of life and death and all that is or will be.  

We reach for this new place through the state of meditation, which is a state of being rather than an ideology.

The author speaks about the fear of a yoga meditation practitioner who seeks independence from the cultural mind and actually finds himself "going against" the subtle pressures of the human environment, which in itself causes undiagnosed fear, and so he butts up against the unexpected.  The author says:

"If Theist or Atheist polarities are present in your family, social and career worlds, the unspoken (or spoken) pressure to conform, follow, or convert to their views can be a tremendous threat to your sense of well being, both in terms of emotional response and the realities of functioning in a world of such people.

This fear can have a devastating effect on ones feelings of safety in family, community, and professional life, and, in turn, on spiritual life. It can cause hesitancy, timidness, reluctance, mistrust, self-doubt, and other such emotions and reactions, which are often projections of an underlying fear.

These, in turn, are antagonists to the tranquility or peace of mind consistent with meditation and other spiritual practices.

The effect of this fear can be an unconscious reticence to pursue the deeper teachings, or to explore and surrender into the subtler processes such as with advanced meditation or contemplation. Or, the fear may be strong enough to completely stop you on your inner journey of enlightenment, even though it may remain undetected by the conscious mind."

I find I agree.  If we do not pursue the deeper teachings - if we will not surrender into the subtler processes - what are we left with? I see the fear of aging everywhere as I myself age.  I see the unbelievable resources we spend - millions, billions, trillions - keeping it out and away with the fear of looking at it or feeling it or embracing any part of it.

As deeply as we are scared silly of aging, so too are we refusing to enter the 7th chakra territory of surrender and death, and so how can peace exist in us when all we do is resist?

When all we do is resist.

You do not resist you say?

Ahhhh...how willing are you to meditate then? Deeply, truly, really meditate... 

"The fear often manifests as feeling you "do not have time" to meditate or do other practices, as if some invisible force is blocking the path in front of you. It can manifest as feeling you are "not ready" to go ahead on the journey.

It can feel like you are "not worthy" to have the joy of direct experience of your own true nature. It can leave you "deciding" to follow the inner journey later in life, maybe after you have a different circle of friends, after you have moved to a different city, after your children are grown, after your relationship with your spouse has changed, or after you retire from your job."

 What is the answer then?  I agree with our author who says:

"If you are a sincere seeker of direct experience, it is imperative to see the nature of this fear so that you can develop the will power, the sankalpa shakti, the determination to move forward, right through the middle of these obstacles, regardless of the opinions and actions of your fellow humans, whether Theists or Atheists. 

This is done by cultivating an active, passionate conviction to seek that for which your heart longs. With this awareness and commitment, and an attitude of loving perseverance, the fear is ultimately seen as a phantom and gradually dissolves into just one more past habit that no longer binds, or blocks the finer realization being sought."

We are shapeshifters you and I.

We have all the tools at hand.

We have the possibility and the charge to move beyond the stops and blocks of fear thoughts.  Just think - the entire subject of delving deep into self-realization is a NEW one for our culture! We are just beginning to embrace age old practices of meditation and concentration and make them our own.  In years gone by the student would have had to prove themselves to be worthy to study.  The subject itself was considered so powerful it was reserved for the few.

Now - today - we all have the freedom to shape our minds and open our hearts to what is true and enlivening without the spectre of fear running our circuits.  There is work to be done, but this kind of work is love made manifest.

Make the plunge! Take charge! Be self-realized. If you are the "different one" in your family, workplace or group, I salute you.  Keep going. Trust your heart.  Believe in yourself.  You will find the way.

If I can help you I will.  Check yokibics.com for many opportunities to listen to guided meditations on many topics, or come join me or another teacher for meditation training via skype or in person.  Whatever you can do - do it.  You are a necessary part of new world thought and new world mind.

Let me know how it goes!
Namaste,
Gael

#5 Fear of Success

The more I listen for the voice of fear, the more I hear it through the denial we have of our own success - our our innate greatness.  Contemplate again the famous Marianne Williamson quote "it is not our darkness we fear most, but our light..."

I have another reminder that came from Mystic teacher Carolyn Myss when she told a story about how she got started.  As a medical intuitive working with Dr. Norm Shealy, people would ask her all the time if she could teach the "art" of intuition.  She decided she could indeed - there was a system, a rhythm and a reason to it all, and she proudly put the word out that workshops were forming.

Lo and behold her conclusion was that more people came to find out how to control their intuition than how to enhance it.

They wanted to learn how to have things their way rather than the way.

Mostly I have found the same thing after years of observation, so I ask you these questions: do you really want to know what you can tap into?  Do you like the answers you receive? Are you willing to make the changes necessary when "intuition" or your higher knowledge of truth comes knocking at the door of your consciousness?  Do you give yourself real time to listen? Are you willing to act to make change happen now?

If the answer for you is an immediate "yes" then congratulations and kudos galore! This is the very core of the message in the program Fundamentals of Emotional Freedom (which can be yours with this simple click into downloadland.)

Whether you know it or not, you have mastered the ability to move energy as divine inspiration from insight through your will, past fear into faith with true Self-regard, giving active relatedness to a new life generating belief that supports your life choices.

THAT, my friend, is an awesome synopsis of successfully moving energy through the seven chakras and allowing life's blessings to fully inform and activate your experience. The colors represent the guiding light of each vibration, and knowing how to navigate the territory brings speed - and ease - to the journey.

For many of us though, the answer to big insight is some variation of NO!  And why should it be otherwise when so much in the World is in such an unbelievable state of turmoil?  And so we say no - I don't want to change my life.  I'm not ready to leave my job.  I can't handle moving my location.  I'm afraid of coming out to be who I am...and on it goes.

So be it. 

We argue for our limitations and they are ours.

Each of these arguments has one thing in common. A belief that triggers fear.  Fear that we won't be accepted. Fear that we won't be part of our group.  Fear of loneliness and disapproval.  Fear that we won't succeed. Fear of innate survival diminishing.  Fear of loss. This is 1st chakra territory, the area of belief and unconscious resistance in the energy body.

Until we are able to look at our beliefs and challenge our assumptions it will be close to impossible to move on without fear dogging us every step of the way. The "no" doesn't really keep us safe (or happy) - it just keeps fear from activating.  No amount of behavioral change will really work because the underlying belief will continue to run our circuits, and all manner of successful reasoning and procrastination will result.
 
Now if we can move beyond a flat out "no I can't" to "YES (but not yet)" or "I will when I'm ready" then this is a frame of reference I can address successfully today.  This attitude is more about relatedness than it is about belief, and moves us to the governing body of the 2nd chakra and conscious choice.  Now we have the opportunity to discern how we can relate to our fears, and changing our behaviors can be a successful path.

Do you want to be the change you seek? Then you can do this.
 
Remember that fear fuels itself through the 4th chakra of the heart where faith also lives.  If we are to transform fear into faith, we must look at the system of actions that bring us into the 2nd chakra activities of relatedness, then look through the 3rd chakra power of Self referral so that we can arrive at the possibility of transformation that exists as the gift of 4th chakra faith.

There is a path to this system and it is neither esoteric nor beyond reason. 

For today let's focus on the 2nd level of relatedness.  The following is some copy from my Spiritual Warrior Coaching Manual.  I use it as an appendix of helpful information when addressing individual areas of action - or lack of action - once the possibility of change is firmly agreed upon.  So let's say you know something's got to give, but somehow you are still in a flummox about beelining toward your intuition about change.

What's needed is some clarity about how to relate to what it takes to get from your intention to your action.

These are relational tips you can employ in the process of successfully navigating territory that may seem vast or overwhelming, and they address...

The 10 Robbers of Time

1.    Floundering.  Too much going on. 

You need to be specific.

2.    Wheel spinning.  Busy work. 

Stop and re-access what is truly important from what is convenient.

3.    Fire fighting.  Crisis management.

Begin today to orient toward fire prevention.

4.    Vacillation.  Can’t decide?

Get tough and do something…anything to create action in one direction!

5.    Dawdling. 

Keep your goal in mind and make a deadline.  Write it down.

6.    Spraying. 

Focus on one task like a laser beam and stop spreading yourself too thin.

7.    Switching. 

Have persistence and develop a passion for closure.

8.    Acquiescing to arm-twisting. 

Practice saying NO! “No” is a complete sentence.

9.    Rehashing.  Reminiscence and regret. 

Make today count and stay in the present moment.

10. Perfectionism.  Avoiding the risk of failure.

Strive for excellence rather than the illusion of perfection.

ok -  now you've got the skinny on some 2nd chakra strategy.  It's not as esoteric as you might think. Go for it...and contact me if you want some personal guidance.  The system can be learned and will offer you gifts beyond measure. Next time I'll readdress where to go from here... ps "like" our Yokibics facebook page for updates and more opportunities to connect.


Have fun!
Gael

#4 Fear of The Unknown

Today I was musing on our long history with the emotion of fear - how taken we humans are with it - and I swiped some old quotes to give you food for thought...

"Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark."
---- Francis Bacon

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear."
--- H.P. Lovecraft

"In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly."
---- Coleridge

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
--- Frank Herbert, Dune - Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear

"A man who has been in danger,
When he comes out of it forgets his fears,
And sometimes he forgets his promises."
---- Euripides - Iphigenia in Tauris (414-12 BC)

"He either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts are small,
That puts it not unto the touch
To win or lose it all"
---- James Graham - Marquis of Montrose

"I have almost forgot the taste of fears.
The time has been my senses would have cool'd
To hear a night shriek, and my fell of hair
Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir
As life were in't. I have supp'd full with horrors;
Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts,
Cannot once start me."
---- Will - Macbeth

"Being frightened is an experience you can't buy."
---- Anthony Price - Sion Crossing (1984)

"What we fear comes to pass more speedily than what we hope."
---- Publilius Syrus - Moral Sayings (1st C B.C.)

"Solitude scares me. It makes me think about love, death, and war. I need distraction from anxious, black thoughts."
---- Brigitte Bardot

"Why are we scared to die? Do any of us remember being scared when we were born?"
---- Trevor Kay

"A good scare is worth more to a man than good advice."
---- Edgar Watson Howe - Country Town Sayings (1911)

Courage is not the lack of fear but the ability to face it."
---- Lt. John B. Putnam Jr. (1921-1944)

Whatever fear is for you, and however it shows up, for the Mystic fear is a doorway into the question of faith.  Big one that is. Governed by the 4th chakra of the heart, the quest is alive for each of us.  Do not get stuck in the details of your fear of things unknown, as if finding the answer to spiders, and death and all things dark will provide the answer. 

What deserves your faith is the larger question.

What -

deserves -

your -

faith?

Fear and faith...they ride the see-saw of energy anatomy together, and once recognized you have a process for addressing fear that will continue to be gold for life.

Just for today, get away from the scary stuff.  Stop looking for the answer to the thing you fear and write yourself a list of five principles you can put your faith in instead.  It is a worthy exercise, and one that speaks to your own truth rather than some form answer from someone else. 

Find what it is that you can put your faith IN, and you are well on your way to taking mental, emotional and spiritual energy OUT of fear based worries and concerns.

Let us know how it goes.

Namaste,
Gael

#3 Fear of Feeling

 

I believe that emotional freedom - the sister topic of emotional genius - is the new frontier in human consciousness.  Daily we are gifted with new ways of knowing the body - and our investigation into the realm of the mind has fascinated us for eons whether through investigations of the unconscious, conscious or super conscious mind, the study of psychology and the intellect, or the delving fascination we have with psychic and intuitive abilities. But recognizing the source and purpose of emotions? In my experience we have misunderstood their role more completely than all of our misconceptions about body and mind put together.

Emotions are the gateway into how our energy circuits are running - a soul connector - and there isn't a bad one among them.  There is plenty of inappropriate or misguided response though (response-ability) that gives the emotion itself a bad name.

Here are a couple of examples from my work in the territory of the emotional genius...

Feeling angry?  That's a popular one to misunderstand. One might be coached to "get over it" or sided with by friends who are on your team with "yeah you're right! The rest of the world is against you/me/us!!"  But here is where anger is your guide and teacher. Where are your boundaries about the subject? Really.

Are you doing all you can to create clear words and a strong will in the area? Are you willing to make the changes you are being called to make in order to co-create a different outcome? So much easier to be "angry at the boss" than to get up and out and create a different life.  Yes, the answer to the presence of anger might be that drastic.
 
No wonder we don't "understand."

Anger serves to tell us change is required.  Listen to it well.  Be honest with yourself.  Be honest with others.  Be willing to be the change you wish to see. 

The emotion of anger will always involve your will and your word.

What about grief? There is indeed great reason for the expression of it in the world - more than enough to go around.  Death itself has been built into the program of life. There  is no escaping the powerful appearance of grief in your life at one time or another. Yet like all emotions, grief is meant to ebb and flow. Deep sadness when caged is like sinking into the bottom of a well. It serves to bring us deeper and deeper into awareness of what we really value - and it holds the potential of letting go. A more authentic version of our former self becomes the gift. 
 
How many survivors of even the worlds worst atrocities have come out on the other side helping mankind in a way that only they could when fully embodied and fully charged?

Grief stimulates the 3rd chakra and is the harbinger of a more genuine you.

Fear? A natural request to place your faith wisely.

Pain? What insights are you being given?

Apathy? What get up and go is necessary for you to care about something greater than yourself?
How about the emotion of joy?? Ahhhh....

Joy is inherent in the system just like all the other emotions. It is not reserved only for the special few, yet joy too is meant to ebb and flow - to rise and fall - to sing it's song in your life - in every life! It doesn't do well if you try to hang onto it.  It was never meant to sit static like a crown jewel.  Joy arrives unbidden as a result of transforming the entirety of your emotional body into a functioning alive system - not despite it.

What practical key then can I leave with you? What wish for your success?

•  allow yourself to change outdated beliefs about how miserable things are 

• stop brushing off your feelings as if they don't matter.  They do. 

• be willing to learn to identify what feelings you have. 

• become able to develop good discernment about what choices are available to help you transform your emotions rather than stuffing them away. 

• become able to pause when a feeling arises and recognize it without judgment. 

• validate validate validate yourself. 

• be willing to let go. 

• recognize that the joy you seek is already there. 

• know that becoming an emotional genius is an inside job unrelated to circumstances outside your control. 

• and the most important one: be willing to be new.

 
We are all destined to become masters in this life. Whether or not we can achieve that destiny depends upon the clarity of our objective.  

 
May you be blessed in yours.

#2 Fear Defined

Fears. What do they look like? How do they show up? Are they the same for everyone?

Apparently not, but that doesn't mean we don't all have them.

I researched our worst fears and found everything from a to z...

• snakes
• being alone for the rest of my life
• ants
• not being able to raise my family in this financial climate
• death
• cancer
• clowns
• big dogs
• being on a plane and getting sick (if you can relate, see the My Fearless Flyer Audio Program.  I created this one just for you...)
• being in a house on fire
• getting lost
• heights
• getting old
• spiders
• deep water
• the dark
• being without emotion for anything in life 
• losing my children 
• getting a disease 
• losing respect for myself
• mice

Read more here for a full selection from some folks who submitted their top five.

Lest you think any of this is marginal compared to your own fears, or that fears get more - or less - "real" with age, I came across this study on a website called Building Church Leaders that cited 10 of the worst fears of today's youth:

Fear # 1: "Something bad may happen to my family."

Fear # 2: "I can't get a good education."

Fear # 3: "I will not be able to make it financially."

Fear # 4: "I (or someone I know) will be a victim of violence or crime."

Fear # 5: "Peer pressure scares me."

Fear # 6: "I can't tell right from wrong."

Fear # 7: "I cannot find time to do everything."

Fear # 8: "I feel like I have to have sex to be accepted."

Fear # 9: "Someone I know or love will die of AIDS (maybe me!)."

Fear # 10: "I will never have a happy marriage and family."  
  

It's heartbreaking.  And that's the point. These fears tap into the deepest well of human experience. When looking for solutions, I know we are most able when we see the mind-body-spirit connection in everything we experience.  No fear is trite. None are meaningless.  Each has a deep message in the journey of self discovery and in our search for authenticity.

As with any journey, we must know where to begin - how to take the first step. We can start by identifying fear even - especially - when we have no solution. Our own particular fears are the gateway to our experience of faith, and that is a matter of the heart.

Just for today - spend a moment with your journal...what do your fears look like?     

Once you have your list, consider this insight from the wise teacher Pema Chodron:

“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.”

 Ahhh...truth.

More from me on that idea as we continue this series.  Meanwhile, what does facing fear look like to you?

In service,
Gael

photo credit: Bob Alba