What Path to Follow?

Whether a spiritual path, woodland path, personal growth, health, career or avocation path there are clear guidelines for maximum effectiveness.

In a nutshell the guidance is to follow your gut. What feels right!

Beyond that here are some guidelines:

Spirit, or Source, gives direction and will provide guidance.

“Ask, and you will receive!”

Look for omens and confirmation from the Universe (Carlos Castenada is credited in Teachings of Don Juan for this concept)

Find “What is working you”; and, or “Where or what is the ‘sweet spot’?’”

Once on a path does it feel good and resonate with you or “off” and an irritant?

To find Source is to empty oneself of ego, to meditate, find silence within. As Geshe Roach, et. al. write in The Diamond Cutter, practice “Circle Time” (10-15 minutes a day, one day a week, one week a year, or so) where “not thinking” or “emptiness is cultivated”. When one does so Spirit flows in!

Clear intentionality, or asking for something specific is instrumental in getting clear guidance. That question can simply be, “Guide me, I am lost!” Or, “I am concerned about my health, where should I turn”; or,  “Which health practice should I follow, yoga, tai chi, chi gong”; or, “Which Spiritual Path should I take, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Shamanism, etc.?” 

Of course, the “should” is not necessary and even the form of the question is not necessary. Spirit Knows! Hold an interest in terms of “What is Working You”. 

Angeles Arriens talks of how the Appalacians when they meet each other do not ask, “How are you?”, instead asking the more pertinent question, “What is working you?” What is going on in your life that causes you to focus and quest? In yoga my instructor Francis Warner (Health Sport, Eureka) puts it this way, “Where is the ‘Sweet Spot’?” In stretching and relaxing where does your body call your attention? Breathe into that space and relax into it. A release occurs and stretching, and relaxing comes easier. Meditation is enhanced. Silence is felt. Emptiness occurs.

Omens, the "Guru" appear. Holding an intention and paying attention to the “sweet spot” (which could be a relationship, occupational, health, financial, spiritual, etc.) issue will invite Spirit to give guidance. Keeping an open mind, and not, particularly actively looking for guidance, knowing it will occur (this requires Trust and Love) works very effectively. 

The teacher/teaching could be a thought, an insight, a gift, a media focus, a person (even an infant), an animal; what-ever grabs your attention. The World is full of guidance and information but only a few have to do with the “right” path for you. We are all inter-connected; All One. 

“Confirmation” occurs when you are pondering the omen and are given a second and even third indicator that the “way” you are contemplating or practicing is the one for you at this time. Spirit nudges us to move along the path towards Personal Integration and Higher Consciousness. Our, Life on Earth, Destiny, is to become At One in Consciousness!

And, one of the confirmations is; “Does it feel right?” When choosing a path do things and experiences seem easier? Is it joyful? Do you get results? Maybe not right away but are you given insights and guidance along the Path? If it doesn’t feel right, if it doesn’t resonate with you, even though your partner or social/peer group is following a path, find another.

We do “know” even though we often ignore our very best inner sense of rightness of being!

 

ATTITUDE! YA GOT SOME?

Lately I have been meditating and experiencing how powerful "attitude" is in our lives. Such a powerful energy, regardless of what the attitude might be!

The expression "cop an attitude" (www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=copping) I first heard in the 60's when working as a research assistant related to some training in the prison system. Inmates and staff used this expression to describe the event of some attitude or another grabbing ahold of some one. A powerful "mood" that moves one to say and do things that they would not ordinarily do.

How often I see this in my life and work. How often I experience a mood moving me and my experiencing of "copping an attitude".

Increasingly I perceive this phenomena to be central to our imbalances! To relationship issues, particularly. Jealousy, envy, fear, anxiety, anger, depression, desperation, panic; you name the emotion it can be "copped" and run away with the experience. Take over what is happening. No wonder that the Ancient Greeks thought of such experiences as the very Gods and Goddesses inhabiting our personas and running them. The emotions are not of our own, but of some energies outside of ourselves running through us! http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/personifications.html This link is worth looking at. Worth studying if some detail!

The wisdom of seeing such powerful emotions being of the very Gods and Goddesses is important.

Emotions need to be approached with caution, wisdom, reverence, respect and ritual! To not do so creates real mischief in our lives and loves! To do so allows us to channel and move such energy effectively and positively.

When in our interactions we are "moved" by such emotions it is easy to let them run-away with us. Our flash of anger towards a mates inconsideration, or, whatever, can easily lead to any number of disastrous actions or regretted words. The wisdom we are coming to is to not "indulge in such energies". They can easily take over and bring about a loss of realization of "just who is in charge".
Is it our true self, our higher self, a wounded soul part, or, one of the powerful emotions themselves?

Complex considerations and to give thought to these considerations can help us to come to some more resolved sense of balance. Can help us "choose a better thought, word or action".

The importance of time outs can not be understated! They are essential to reclaiming our sense of self in our daily interactions.

The essential task here is to come back into the now. It is almost (and possibly exactly so) that when we split off and cop an attitude we are opening pandoras box and allowing many extraneous influences to move through us and to consume us. Past wounds, previous belief systems, fears of the future, anxieties about what-ever call on the Gods and Goddesses and they come into us with relish. Then, it is not us that is on stage. Instead some other sense of extended historical self.

When we do come back to self, through mind-ful-ness and through cultivating awareness of self in "Now", then our better self, our higher self, guided by Source, comes to our truth. Then, and only then, can we approach the situation that ignited the attitude with due consideration.

So often I experience and observe "moods" move into Attitudes that can create great mischief and disturbance. They can also become passions that direct and channel our energies into great achievements. Still, it is worth coming back to Now, regularly for guidance and clarification of intent and intentionality. My last blog clarifies the importance of intent in our lives.

Cultivating mind-ful-ness allows and enables us to spot or become aware when an attitude takes over. Then we can more easily step out of the attitude and back into the now for the clarification and guidance so greatly desired and needed. This is the practice! This ability brings about healthy relationships and the greater manifestation of ones desires.





On Time Outs:  visit my blog of June, 2010.
http://shamanicvisionpsychotherapy.blogspot.com/2010/06/back-to-time-outs-learning-to-respond_959.html

On Truth Speaking: visit blog of July, 2010.
http://shamanicvisionpsychotherapy.blogspot.com/2010/07/in-consideration-of-response.html)

INTENTIONALITY: CLEAR OR MUDDY ATTITUDE: TRUSTING OR FEARFUL?

When our intentions are clear and we walk in trust and love, our manifestations become cooperative with the Multi-verse. Spirit allows and cooperates in the unfolding of our reality.

When are intentions are muddy or we walk in anxiety and fear, then we get muddy results at best, and continue to manifest fearsome experiences!

Reading into these realities we can then see that each of us are somewhere along a continuum. On one end we are mastering the manifestation for what we intend, and on the other, just the opposite.

We can have clear intentions and walk in trust and love (The Grace Groove); or, we can have clear intentions and be in fear and anxiety (The Rut). And, we can have muddy intentions but still trust and be in a Grace Groove. There we will get mixed results. Or, we can have muddy intentions and be in The Rut where we will get little of what we desire and often lots of what we do not.

I like the analogy of driving in traffic. It is clear that my intention is to get somewhere, say work. I set off a little late and find I am experiencing some anxiety. Sure enough, a school bus stops in front of me and the “stop” sign goes out and I need to wait. Ok. But, still anxious when we get to a stop sign to turn onto another road there are three cars lined up. Anxiety increases. Then on 101 I get behind a fire truck convoy. Oh boy! 

Then, I realize: “Heh, I am creating these blocks.” Take a deep breath, blow it out and say to myself, “I will get to the office in plenty of time to prepare for my client!” Several positive thoughts later and, lo and behold, the convoy turns off and there is a big opening in the traffic. I hit every green light and “on time with some to spare”.

I love these experiences and find it easier to “shift gears” more readily as time goes on.

Guidelines for clear intentionality:

Watch your thoughts: words, beliefs, actions and attitudes.

Move from “trying”, “hoping”, and “wishing” to

“doing”, “experiencing”, and “having”.

In spiritual language these becomes prayers of ascension as opposed to prayers of wanting or needing. They convey Trust and Love.

We can experience or want! Want conveys and implies “not having” and accesses the profound sense of emptiness that so many of us experience and manifest.

Catch yourself thinking and believing negative thoughts and “change” these. 

Utilize the concept of “future probability”, e.g. “Every day in every way I am increasingly experiencing . . .” What is probable has so much more power than what is “possible”.

Chose a better thought, feeling or action!

Be kind anyway.

Practice Generosity.

We get what we give!

“The Love we get is equal to the Love we give!”

Practice Mindfulness:

Come back into Grace (Walking in Trust and Love) via breath and Gratitude.

Even when we are feeling really bad, there are wonderful gifts to be experienced.

Depression is a state of consciousness where we can move more actively through the grieving process! Giving thanks and breathing into the discomfort of the body, awakens it to the process of grieving!

Anger is a wonderful way to express via body movement, the bound up molecular sensations; to free them and release them!

Reducing the hold that depression or anger have on you frees ones ability to both form clear intentions and move into trust and love.

We as humans are so incredibly gifted! We have All of the resources we need to change a problematic Reality to a One rich in expressiveness towards healing self, other and Gaia, itself! 

NAMASTE

references: Here are a few of the many books elucidating on these realities!

Autobiography Of A Yogi, 1959, 8th Edition + PB reading Copy by Paramahansa Yogananda (1959)

Be Here Now by Ram Dass (Oct 12, 1971)

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale (1982)

The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham by Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks (Dec 1, 2006)

The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life by Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally (Sep 1, 2009)

Start where you are and follow your interests. What speaks to you!