Astrology Points the Way if We Listen

I really enjoy using my voice and giving the best value packed experience I can to all of you who stop by my blogs for some food for thought for your mystical minds :)

Here at The Mystic I mean to serve all who have intention to live in the Light.  We could all use a little help keeping the faith when we read the news of a world gone mad, whether we refer to the weather, the politics or the inhabitants.  If I can make this often challenging journey even a shade less formidable, then I've done what I am here to accomplish. 

I recognize that some of you are more engaged in the game plan that's going down here on Planet Earth than others are - and that some are more able to step up and take your place in the natural order before we all "have to" in order to survive - and this is a crux issue if there ever was one.  

Generally, we can all improve our relatedness to what we can do to serve, but only those who recognize their own power will choose the doing with freedom verses force.

Here are some simple examples on the physical level: do you eat healthy food out of a natural desire for sustainability and wellbeing - or do you eat well because you had a big scary heart attack and your doctor says you'll be dead in 10 years if you don't.  Do you choose to exercise for the inherent health benefits or do you exercise because you were told you better loose 20 pounds "or else"...  

These are simple examples that give rise to the question of why we do what we do, and how much NEED is associated with our actions before we are willing to step it up into action.

I have faith that every healthy organism, whether single celled or a massively complex ecosystem, has an inherent wisdom that drives it toward survival.  That includes you and I. 


The difference between acting on knowing what we must do, and acting like we don't know what to do is, to me, a matter of recognizing what is true versus what is convenient.  And this we can learn with greater ease when we tune in our emotional genius and move from apathy to a true ability for caring.  


I refer again and again to the words of Paul Hawkin who says "do not be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done."  

Very simply, it's time to be far more mindful about what is going on, both within ourselves and in our world, and address the fears that we will inevitably encounter as we really, really look. 


A person who is emotionally free to progress WILL find a way to engage.

We can all keep doing what we're doing well enough, but if you know that there's something more, you can learn a language of emotions. That you can do. 

Experienced through seven energetic centers of human energy anatomy, this content is not behavior modification, mechanical intervention or hypnotism, although I am a hypnotherapist.

The work of emotional freedom is more practical than you might think and it is accessible to all who reach for it because it is a system. You will recognize the territory and the language itself in a way that is simple yet profound.  




Eric Francis is an astrologer and activist in investigative reporting (and you know how I like activists!) whose insights I both appreciate and enjoy. He works from a broad body of knowledge, and you can find him Daily at PlanetWaves.net or purchase his full year in review at Light Bridge from the same website.


Referencing this Year, 2011 - he speaks of what we are experiencing:

"Chiron is about to arrive. Where Chiron goes, we tend to focus awareness and invoke a healing process. We get the option of mustering some maturity and directed intention, or courting serious problems. Chiron moves slowly enough to be a collective influence; it's one of those concepts at the meeting place of individual experience and shared experience. But mostly, Chiron calls on us to focus on our healing needs and to respond to the reminders that we hear and feel.

Chiron in Pisces will call us to focus on our emotional injuries and to seek ways to bring them to healing. I've noticed in myself and others...a tendency not to seek healing until the pain is too great to bear.

Working with Chiron, I have noticed it helps a lot to respond to our needs sooner rather than later -- no matter how long you may have waited."

Like astrology, we are connected to more than the eye can see.  Just because we can't see a blockage that stands in our way doesn't mean it isn't there (as we have learned throughout history over and over again.)
 
So...it is time.

I agree with Eric that one of the things that keeps many people from embarking on a healing process is an awareness of how much they must face, and how much they will need to change. It can all seem so daunting that there is no point in starting - or - the starting is delayed or postponed. However, much like doing the dishes, it's easier once you get the process in motion.

Now is definitely the time to take the first necessary step in being honest about what you want and need, and about what may be hurting you.


If you are one who resonates with learning more for yourself to pass on to your clients and your community, join us for an upcoming Healing the Energy Body Certification Weekend August 27-29, 2011. It will be held in Valley Forge Pennsylvania. I welcome your presence.  

Coming soon is a six-month Spiritual Warrior Training deepening the subject of Yoga and The Emotional Genius which will be offered both in New York and PA. Guaranteed to be powerful and uplifting. 

As for what you can do right from where you are, go back through the blog archive and reread posts on the subjects of "chakras" or "emotional freedom" or listen to a CD or download program.  Learn to navigate your emotional landscape and you will be a powerful force for good.  The mystic says "desire is the software of the soul"  but we can only access the result of that desire when we remove all the rest that stands in it's way.

May you be blessed this day and in all the days to come,
Gael
www.yokibics.com

Creation and Vision

Fundamentals of Emotional Freedom is on Playaway!

As I generally favor process over outcome as the content of this blog,  I wanted to share this launch with you because it taps into the process of visioning - and of recognizing the moment when a dream has come true.

It is said that we often see what we need, or desire, or have a longing for.  

It is also said that we are just as often aware of what we DON'T want, or desire, or have.

In the midst of this, do we always actually recognize when a vision or desire has become real? 

Do you??

It is a funny thing - we humans continue to progress toward our desired outcomes and it is rarely a straight line. As we move and grow and new desires appear, with inherent new challenges, how often do we really stop and recognize the appearance of our previous goals and creations?

I notice that for the normal person the answer is - not often enough.

 

Years ago (September 11, 2001 to be exact) while in NY, I witnessed the surreal chaos of the towers going down, and I observed a clear and present vision on the inner screen of my mind.  At the time my spoken word CDs were just taking off - the variety of topics expanding by the minute - and my routine thoughts about how to do business were inventive and creatively practical.  

Yet on this day, I saw something in my mind's eye that was a future of sorts - my voice recordings in self-contained players I wasn't even sure existed, that would be available in airports, healthcare facilities and hospitals.  It seemed a natural result to my own inner longing asking "what can I do with my own particular skills and talents to add a measure of healing to the world?"

I had no plan per se - nor did I immediately put one into effect - just noticed the vision of these little audio players as having already occurred.

Life has progressed in the decade since these events, with opportunities, losses and gains no one of us could have imagined, but here I am today with one of my visions made manifest - a spoken word program on a self-contained player being distributed through various channels all throughout the world.  

Time has passed. I see my vision in present time.  It was not without effort of course, nor was it a big surprise, for many steps and preparations got us here.  More to the point it has been a series of synchronistic events and choices moving in a direction that felt right so that the eventual outcome matched my vision - almost a surprise - and now I am called to notice it. 

 

This is the ah-ha of visionary and vision meeting up.

You can find many such stories if you study Napolean Hill ("Think and Grow Rich") or listen to the work of Ester and Jerry Hicks (Abraham and The Law of Attraction.

This happens all the time - but do we notice?

We are so apt to notice what we have failed to create - literally - that we loose our ability to recognize, validate and celebrate what we do !!

How often have you heard someone say "boy I just realized my headache went away" when they were totally aware they had it but somehow missed the occurrence of it departing.  Or when you yourself mourn the "having" of a relationship, a job or a bank account, all the while sitting in the vision of what you have created without ever really noticing how it all managed to get there.

You are a creator!

I am a creator!

Today I am celebrating the awesome appearance of one of my creations, from vision through birth, even as the process itself was not as conscious at all.

Think about how this occurs for you.

What can you celebrate about your own creations?

Blessings on you and them, and thanks for taking the time to share mine with me.

What say you?

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

June Series: #1 Facing Fear

We wrapped up the May Blog Series on Conscious Eating with posts containing plenty of tips on coming back to dining at home versus fast grabs, and some of the ways you might make it easy and sustainable.

Recent statistics on food waste in the USA, combined with increasingly shocking stats on hunger inspired me to get with it and share some ways to bring it back home and keep what you eat cycling from fridge to table to tummy.  Have fun going back to the May posts if you missed it!  

June brings me to another topic, perhaps less joyous but just as practical and necessary for a sustainable future - facing fear.  I'll share my own take plus resources for you from several vantage points.

For today I offer you some material from the Mystical point of view.

The Center for Sacred Sciences says this about the fear of "being on the path":

"Almost everyone who walks a spiritual path will experience some form of fear.

Initially, we may be afraid of what family and friends will think of our spiritual interests. We may be afraid of our teacher, or the teachings, or of certain practices, or going on retreat. Later, we may develop a fear of losing all interest in worldly affairs, going insane, or finding out something about ourselves we don't want to know. We may also become afraid of such things as impermanence, death, or even God. But all these different kinds of fear are actually rooted in a single fear, which is the fear of Enlightenment itself."

For more on this, go to the article Facing Fear on the Path. It's short but meaningful and well worth the read.

Noting the Christian mystic, St. Teresa of Avila in Interior Castle, who compares what happens on a spiritual path to a silkworm turning into a butterfly, she additionally warns:

Note very carefully, daughters, the silkworm has of necessity to die, and it is this which will cost you most.²

The necessity to die. I quote Marianne Williamson who speaks from the perspective of Course in Miracles as she reminds us "It is not your darkness you fear but your light."

So if we put these two ideas side by side, what then is expected to die exactly, and why are we afraid of it?

For starters we must die to the idea of our former self.
We must die to the belief that we are "alone" on the journey.
We must die to our smallness.
We must die to our need to blend in, stay safe, not stick out.
We must die to our plan and open to what is planned for us.

We can find ways to do this - we must.  The journey is ongoing, but I remind you how very necessary it is, and that you are not alone.  Each and every one of us must cast off the ties that bind us and rise to the occasion of our biggest self and our truest vision.

Whether the way you do this is deeply personal in the quiet of your own soul, or live out loud "look at me now" stuff, the breakthroughs are what will enliven and sustain you, and me, and us together.

Each step you take toward the most authentic expression of your deepest longing will give you greater presence and a deeper connection to fulfilling your dharma - the reason you are here. Once in alignment with this, you will not be afraid.

May it bring you great joy.

More to come in upcoming posts - what's your take?

namaste,
Gael

Eat! #11 Ingredients Galore

Today I've been chatting about conscious eating with a wonderful teacher and soul brother Ben Briggs, senior pharmacist and owner of Lionville Natural Pharmacy and Health Food Store, a family owned and operated business providing professional pharmaceutical care to the Chester County PA community since 1979.

I've wondered what was different about Lionville Pharmacy since I moved into the area.  Everyone seems to know about it - and it's reputation as the "go-to" holistic place intrigued me.

You can tell right away that something is different here. First of all, Lionville is a compounding pharmacy.

Compounding combines an ageless art with the latest medical knowledge and state-of-the-art technology, allowing specially trained professionals to prepare customized medications to meet each patient’s specific needs.

Second it's a health food store.  Reminded me of Rising Tide, another of the originals started in NY back in the 70's carrying aisles of goods that represent food as healing.

Third it's a holistic health and healing arts center with practitioners of all sorts available to help guide you through your choices.

Ben spoke with me about the positive effects of families eating together, without the TV, in harmony with their meal and their digestion and what a positive effect that carries.

It got me thinking about the way we are naturally wired to know what our body needs when we really tune in and listen.  People ask me about calorie counting, adding or deleting specific foods from their diet, or "watching their weight" and I say "watch your relationship with nourishment and let it inform you what you need."  Your body wants to be in balance.  Your body wants health.  Your body wants energy in and energy expressed.  

Conscious eating means pay more attention to what's right in front of you. 

Some guidelines that seem simple but remain frequently disregarded:

Know when you are thirsty and DO take a drink!  Water is preferred.  This one choice can influence you in many positive ways. If you do not drink enough water or other fluids, you might experience signs of dehydration. You may feel lightheaded, dizzy or nauseated. If you do not drink any fluid to correct this situation, your body temperature will begin to rise, which can lead to heat stroke. 

According to the National Academy of Sciences in their recommendations for total water, the amount of fluid we need from beverages daily is 9 cups for females and 13 cups for males over the age of 19. That's right - DAILY!

Other things you can do:

• DO recognize what hunger feels like. Eat when you are hungry.
• DO eat little bits at regular intervals.
• DO recognize when you are full. Stop.
• DO respond to the need for salty, sweet, or pungant foods and choose healthy options.
• DO love every bite.
• DO appreciate and validate healthy choices.
• DO respond to your body clock rather than the time clock.

Sage advise for the day:

Listen to what your body needs.

Today's recipe? Let's hear from you. What's on your plate?!

Bon appetit!

Gael

Eat! #10 Yogini Style

What's up in our series on Conscious Eating: simplicity!

As a yogi who teaches all eight limbs of yoga, again and again I encourage folks to take your yoga practice ("yoking the powers of body mind and spirit") off the mat and into your life in deliberate and meaningful ways.  Conscious Eating is a perfect avenue for the embodiment of all those intentions you have to nourish yourself, engage with the world, and appreciate the simple pleasures of all that is good about food!

The natural grace and nourishing attitude of the yogi is a therapy for everyday living. To get more insight into the message why yoga is therapy, take a look at this short video posted by IAYT, one of the teaching and research organizations I belong to.  You'll get a better understanding of how the whole picture pulls together to give you the best preventive health care available.

How we relate to food is a big part of any yogi's practice.  "You are what you eat" said the sage to the student.  So why do any of us think that a diet that is devalued in nutrition doesn't matter? Time to help ourselves and the others in our lives to be more vibrant.

So with that, on to our conscious eating tips for the day!


My subject today is the humble side dish, and as always my style is to give you fabulous ideas to run with rather than recipes you must learn.

So why are sides humble? Do you hear mothers all over America calling their kids home for dinner with the lure of applesauce? Not really - but put enough interest and diversity out there and the shift from main meat to diverse sides is hidden a treasure.  Like time honored "tapas" or any multiple appetizer main meal, you can create more interest for yourself and your family by getting creative.

Main Meal

Some humble choices to remember! Mix, match and highlight the simple things...

Try using a large round tray with multiple small dishes filled with several of the following:

• applesauce (yup) with cinnamon and toasted almonds
• crunchy pickles
• beans of all sorts, baked or crockpot
• hard boiled eggs (deviled are delish)
• sliced tomato, mozzarella and basil
• chick peas and scallions vinaigrette
• sliced cucumber with cracked black pepper
• rice crackers or whole grain crackers or flatbread
• fennel with EVOO + vinegar dipping sauce
• stuffed baked potato
• olives
• celery with yogurt dip
• mixed nuts
• salad greens topped with whole grains, nuts, dried or fresh fruit, or cheeses
• peanut butter or almond butter as a dip
• cherries dipped in yogurt then in toasted coconut
• skillet yam slices
• avocados with salsa
• tuna/tofu/egg/your favorite - salad
• pears with goat cheese
• cut fruit

You get the idea.

Easy access foods that are interesting in combination can make a meal out of "nothing."

I purposely kept it simple here to celebrate the idea that cooking and eating at home doesn't have to look like "three squares a day."

Use your own creativity, and most important, use what's in the fridge!

Add-ins

Most everything looks better, tastes better and is better with fresh herbs.  Use liberally and creatively.

The addition of toasted nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and the like can make any salad more interesting to even the most jaded anti-salad eater.  Healthier too.

Fruit - cut up - will be polished off with more gusto than a bowl of apples any day.  Why is that??
Serve drizzled with honey or a lemon squeeze for special goodness.

My list here is just the tip of the humble iceberg.  What would you add?
Let us know!

Namaste,
Gael

Eat! #9 Buzz Juice

"If I'm trying to eat more consciously and want to add more of the good stuff into my daily bread, do I have to consume the entire produce aisle?"

Good question!

Just in time - after my own recipe in our last post for a green breakfast smoothie, I received an email  from my friends at MacroLife Naturals with more good ideas for simple pick me ups that pack a one-two punch and deliver the goods.  You can check their website for more info on the products.

Greetings Goddess Sister;

Love your blog- thank you greatly!

 

Here’s my newest  favorite….I call it buzz juice.  You can do with Greens or REDS but I like best with my macro greens.  

Buzz Juice

1 Scoop of Macro Greens® 

1000 mg Vitamin C powder             

1000 IU's liquid vitamin D-3           

(Capful of ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar)

Dash of stevia, or a little organic maple syrup

Fresh lemon juice

4-6 ounces of water or fresh juice

 

WHEN I’m in a rush I just add the Capful of ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar-  Very alkalizing.

 Reds Tea

Also on those days, when you just need something smoothing and comforting make up a hot cup of Miracle REDS®  Soothing Tea

8-oz Boiling Water add,

1-2 Cinnamon Stick cover and steep for 5 minutes. 

Once cooled to warm add 1 Scoop Miracle Reds®     

Enjoy the calm.  Sylvia Ortiz, founder

 Sage advise for the day

Whenever you create a new intention for greater health, and commit to acting on it in some way, you set a whole series of energetic responses in play.  Your choices need not be big ones as much as they need to be heartfelt ones, with clear intention for health, nourishment and enlivening.  In this way each small step activates the whole intention. You will be amazed at how far that intention will take you.

Bon appetit!

What's on your plate?
Gael

Eat! #8 Orange Smoothie

In a hurry? No breakfast again?? Feel a deli stop coming on??

How can you bring it home when life is in a hurry and you need to get out the door?

Many of us rely on oatmeal or natural cold cereals for breakfast - both good choices I believe from the standpoint of health, and definitely in alignment with knowing what's on your plate.  This is one of the missions of the Eat! series.  The further we are from the source of our food, the easier it is for fats, preservatives and foreign ingredients to make their way into that tasty treat you're eating without even seeing it coming.

My topic today is your first meal of the day (after latte of course - see previous post ;) and my own comes out of a blender most days.

Main Meal


Fruit Smoothie with Super Greens

You'll need a regular blender - nothing fancy or uber-powerful is required.

Mix:
one cup or so of orange juice
one banana - I like mine frozen :) 
one scoop of your favorite greens mix
scoop of flax seed
additional fruit of choice
ice

Blend till smooth and you like the texture.  Modulate with more or less of the fluid or ice.

Voila! Yummy healthy jump start to your day.

Add-ins

Fruits that go well with this banana - orange blend include berries (fresh or frozen) mango and pineapple.

Use a different juice altogether and invent what goes with it.

Some people add protein powder to shakes...others like to add yogurt.

Feel free to play with healthy alternatives, and with one press of the blender button you've got a great start to the day.

Sage tips:


Frozen bananas are great to have around.  You can eat them right out of the freezer - tastes like a frozen ice cream treat - and they are always ready to toss into your smoothie.

As for the greens, I like MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens.  In general, you don't need a blender to enjoy them, but I like the whole effect of my recipe. The greens taste delish all by themselves and I know the fantastic formulator Sylvia Ortiz.  I vouch for her integrity and awesome mission to help heal the American diet. Try them out - you won't be sorry!

Bon appetit!
What's on your plate?
Gael

Eat! #7 Boulder Latte

Even though I live on the East Coast, I love - really love - camping out west.  If I had my druthers, I think I might have moved to Boulder Colorado long ago.  (Some obvious clues that give me away include the tent, the hat, and the home-made latte I'm gripping in the midst of a camp-out. Tres chic!)

On the subject of chic, Boulder's own Elephant Journal online always offers me good reads, and I like to go for the funny stuff. I get enough of the serious yoga/buddha/mystic side of things on my own time, but Ele has it all...and the particular post I've linked you to below says plenty about our subject of food: Joe Yeoman discoursing about his change in eating habits.

Too funny!

And wise...  It's worth the read ... Enjoy!!

How Elephant Journal turned a leather jacket wearing Mustang driving corn-fed beef Iowa hick into another flower child of Boulder


Now onto the rest:

Main Meal

My hubby's recipe for livin' the good life: Soy-almond latte (and he serves me every morning in bed!! Yup...unless I'm in a tent of course...)

I am categorizing this as a main meal - first because it is my daily breakfast staple - and second, although it is liquid, the amount of soy and almond milk adds up to a hearty belly full.

You will need:

Cappuccino machine or milk steamer
vanilla soy
vanilla almond milk
honey
cinnamon
English Breakfast tea
Roobios tea

To top it off:
dark chocolate to sprinkle over the top
a little sugar in the raw if you want a sweeter variation


Here's a video clip of the entire operation












Add-ins (or tag alongs in this case)

fiber bar
granola
fresh fruit

Sage advise for the day

You know the part about getting served in bed? Sometimes I'm awash in challenge and responsibility, and that latte is the best part of my day.

Love the one you're with.  It really does mater.

What's on your plate??
Gael

Eat! #6 On the Road

I've been on the road this week and I'm focusing on just a few conscious eating tips.

The first is water, water, water.

After that, remember to eat regularly. Don't wait for the big restaurant date. Overeating and ordering due to hunger rather than nourishment will ruin your healthy intentions.

Buy nuts, fruit, hummus, yogurt, rice crackers and tea and keep it on hand for between meals.

Add more veggies to your meals...same intention as at home.

Keep active - get out and on your feet.

Best advise? Use the "lucky space" whenever and wherever you can! What's lucky? Park FAR from your destination and walk. It's just a shift in consciosness but it has lifetime benefits for a more fit mindset. You can also get off a train or bus one stop early, and always use the stairs.

Keep your trip on track for healthy eating and even more physical activity than usual and you will come home truly refreshed.

Bon appetit!
What's on your plate?

Gael