Meditation Informs Healing Facilitation

off to retreat

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Hello to all my wonderful readers,

I am headed up to Maryland this afternoon, for eight days of resting down and back into a vast mandala of healing wisdom. There is an annual retreat held at the Tibetan Meditation Center. This year, the focus will be on the practice of Chenrezig (Avalokitesvara) and the mantra Om Mani Padme Hung Hrih. In the mornings, Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin will teach on many of the levels and layers of this expansive, compassion-engendering practice, then in the cold wintery afternoons and evenings, we will warm up our hearts by reciting the mantra for the benefit of all sentient beings. Yay!

Some people are calling this a ManiDrupchen but I think that is erroneous as we are not chanting around the clock and there is not a sand mandala being created (see my previous posts). I would call this the annual TMC Winter Retreat whose focus is on the Mani mantra. Khenpo Tsultrim, Khenpo Chophel, Lama Gyaltsen and Drupon Thinley Ningpo will be leading us and I am particularly looking forward to Saturday and Sunday in the New Year (the first and second). Then we will chant the Mani mantra all through the night. Yummy.

When I return, I plan to finish some threads I started previously. I am no longer working (for someone else) so I will have more leisure time and energy – I am still seeing clients for bodywork and spiritual astrology (and I need more clients of course).

Well, many blessings to you and if you want, you could chant the Mani mantra with us this week. We will be chanting from 2 to 5 pm (EST) and 7 to 9 pm through the week, then from 7 pm to 7 am on Saturday night. Hope you can join us!

Clear Light in Virginia Beach

Driving down to Va Beach to attend Drupon Thinley Ningpo, my heart teacher and root lama. What a blessing – no matter what he is teaching on.

Early December, no telling what the weather will bring, but not expecting anything spectacular. As I transit past Richmond and beyond Williamsburg, the leaves are still aflame – beginning to remain on the trees, like I’m traveling back in time. In actuality I’m heading toward the moderate temps of the coastal climate. The leaves are beautiful as I get into Newport News – reds and oranges still hanging on for dear life, or fearing to let go – both metaphors sound quite familiar.

I cross multiple bridges across great swaths of water – the mighty James and parts of the Chesapeake, on my way to Portsmouth, where I will be staying during this blessed weekend. I am extraordinarily grateful for my hosts’ hospitality and kindness – unrivaled. Flowers next to my bed, simple yet Amazing. Crows and vultures give way to gulls and pelicans – yes, I am near a Great Ocean.

Friday evening. Drupon reviews several vital pieces for the upcoming full Saturday and Sunday – the precious nature of Tantric teachings – do not take one grain of tantra for granted as it can be the cause of liberation. Virginia Blum translates. Tantra is imbued with the living blessings of an ancient lineage of authentic masters. Don’t spread these teachings to just anybody, as wrong view can make teachings on emptiness lead to extreme nihilistic tailspins. (Don’t worry, I won’t say too much.) He mentioned that authentic practice relaxes the mind and makes it more malleable. Drupon says that despite not (m)any in the audience being ready to practice these advanced teachings, he says that if we develop a solid, stable foundation, then any teachings and practice become a method for accumulating merit and wisdom. [Sounds to me like a foundation I have not yet formulated.]

The Six Yogas of Naropa are an advanced set of teachings and practices. First, practice the Outer Preliminaries – the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind (toward Enlightenment) – these could take a year each. Although I have also heard of people taking 10 days for each of these while they are in solitary (closed) retreat. Next, complete the Ngondro practices (inner preliminaries) – these can take one to twenty years depending on one’s level of dedication. Then move on to work on the Five Fold Path of Mahamudra – we are looking at three to twenty further years… (Anyone else out of breath yet…? Huff, huff… pant, pant.) And then, if you are in retreat and you have your teacher’s blessing, then you can practice these potent, subtle-body-clarifying Yogas.

I do not plan to say much more about the actual practices myself. I am grossly under-qualified. But I will share a curious anecdote or two… Five years ago, when I first met Drupon (before I knew he was my root lama – oh, another tangent, I would normally never have chosen a root lama so soon if several extraordinary events did not occur…), I did not know much at all about Tibetan Buddhism. I had just taken several classes on Craniosacral Therapy, Reiki and Zapchen Somatics and done a little bit of chanting with some of the local Sangha members, not that I knew what I was doing or saying. But I felt drawn to the Dharma. Anyway, when I first met the Drupon, I eventually had the chance to have an interview with him. Of course, in my ignorant / extremely naive state… I asked him to teach me Dream Yoga (not knowing it was one of the Six Yogas of Naropa, an advanced practice, and of course not evening knowing what or who Naropa was…). He promptly said, “Have you finished your prostrations?” Huh?

“What does that mean?” I thought, “How do you finish?” So my answer was honest and I said no. Then he told me that he would teach me Dream Yoga when I did so. Later, when he found out how naive [read ignorant] I was, he told me to first meditate on the Four Thoughts (that Turn the Mind). It took me more than a year to understand what that meant… In case you have not gotten the picture, I am one slow bloke! 🙂 And now, between May of 2006 and December of 2010, I’m still not finished with my prostrations… But I just had the good fortune to attend Drupon’s teaching on Dream Yoga… Very curious indeed. Maybe something clicked into place?

Saturday teachings were on Clear Light. Also known as Radiant Light or Inner Radiance or Luminous Clarity.

Sunday’s teachings were on Dream Yoga and a little bit on the Bardos.

Several things I will say that I took away from this weekend are these: Drupon emphasized over and over again how important it is to practice now, while we have the leisures and endowments. He stressed this because Clear Light and Dream Yoga are two practices used to purify the Bardo state (the realm we enter when we die). In order to have a decent shot at enlightenment when we transition at the time of death, we must practice now, we must familiarize ourselves with the process. That way we have a good chance of recognizing the illusory Bardo realms for what they are. Or we can be fortunate and conscious as we glimpse the true nature of the mind (Clear Light). And if we choose not to practice meditation, then at least we can try to make ourselves as calm and clear headed as possible around the time of death. It seems very important according to numerous traditions (makes sense).

No matter what though, do not do any advanced practices without the explicit permission of a qualified teacher. Drupon was very clear on this point. He said, “No one in this room is to do these practices outside of retreat… These are [extremely] potent practices and you need to have [serious containment and] guidance.” This was the first time I heard him speak so firmly. Which pretty much cleared it up for me – I doubt I will do these practices (consciously, purposely) in this lifetime, as I plan to marry and have a family…

Wow – what a downer! Only the retreat-oriented Dharma can bring marriage and loving partnership to its knees… But on the bright side! Our karma manifests in so many wonderful ways – meaning I am looking enthusiastically ahead to growth through relationship yoga. And speaking of which, I am very grateful for my karma of being able to spend a weekend with my teacher. No matter what is involved. And as I mentioned, I was twice as blessed, as a potent teaching was involved too.

Oh – and I received an Ayurvedic transmission from my hosts. They shared much information from their recent adventures to India where they did much yoga and cleansing of their diets. Yay! Time to take better care of what I put in my body. 🙂 Of course!!

[By the way, forgive any mistakes I have made in attempting to convey Drupon’s words. Any errors are on the part of me, an ordinary, afflicted human being. This was powerful subject matter to be sure. And it is my intention to merely be clear, humble and honest.]

Importance of quality resources on spiritual path, Pt. 1

Part One, introduction

I believe that if our early childhood needs are not met in a timely fashion, that deficiencies can develop in our cognitive processes (there is much research to support this – the developing central nervous system has certain windows of time in which certain needs must be met to grow in a healthy fashion). I go on to suggest that if these deficiencies are not addressed before one starts out on a potent spiritual path, then potent spiritual practice will aggravate and cause these deficiencies (unmet needs) to surface unexpected, possibly alarming manifestations. I believe that developing and strengthening inner resources (meeting these needs as adults) is a vital and necessary facet of spiritual practice, another foundation if you will. I describe a little of my personal process as an example. And just for the record, I am a humble, ordinary human being, who has much to work on. I am neither a psychotherapist, nor a licensed counselor. So if you are in need of support involving what I am describing here, please go out and get it. I am not the person to contact. Call a psychotherapist and ask if they do DNMS, EMDR or meeting childhood needs work. See below for good support suggestions. This blog is for informational purposes only – it does not intend or pretend to cure, heal, treat or prevent any disease. With that said however, I have been blessed with many incredible teachers who have given me living examples of kind adult parts of self and psycho-spiritual conceptual resources to bring onto the path.

What is a resource? According to the Development Needs Meeting Strategy website (and book), resources are mature adult parts of self that can help child parts heal. Many people have these resources within them, they may just need strengthening. In certain extreme cases, people may need to reconstruct these inner resources.

For those of us (Americans or members of the human race in general) who have busy and productive yet caring Western parents, there is a good chance that some of our needs as children were not met. Yes, you might be thinking – how can any parents meet all the needs of their children – impossible!!??!! Well you are correct in thinking ALL of our childhood needs could be met. However, there are some needs that are vital, which if they are not met within a certain window of time, it hinders the developing brain. There is much research being conducted on this subject as we speak. One resource on this subject is the Circle of Security Project – http://circleofsecurity.net Click on the resources button in the top right and then click on downloads. They have much information available for free. See below for more resources on resourcing children.

Now if you are so lucky to be born into more of a traditional culture, for instance in Central America, South America, some African cultures or among Tibetans to name a few, then maybe you had the majority of your needs met as a kid. Your parents would be kind, attentive, present and unconditionally loving (some of the most important needs of all children). If that is the case, then you may not learn much from reading this article. However, you may know someone who is affected by what I describe in this series. And for the rest of us, these words might just strike a chord.

There are some needs children have which if not met, as I mentioned, can affect the child’s developing nervous system. I have heard recently that there is the theory that children make the decision very early in their development, possibly even in utero, whether to pursue a life of “consciousness” (creativity and abundance) or “survival” (contraction and inappropriate hyper-vigilance – just trying to get by). For those of us born into Western families, many people have healthy environments (uteri) to develop in and healthy families to be born into, leading to many inner resources already being present and accounted for. However, for those of us with the karma to survive a traumatic (pre-)birth or a traumatic first three years (a time of increased central nervous system growth and development), we might have some resources which just were not modeled for us or which our parents did not even know to be concerned about. Keep in mind I am not trying to blame anyone here. Generally speaking, our parents are doing the best they can! 🙂

Here are some resources which are vital throughout a child’s developmental years (and hopefully beyond): parents protect child, comfort child, delight in child, help child, watch over child, helps child organize their feelings and enjoys things with the child. These are just a few of the resources which are necessary throughout multiple developmental stages – and of course the basic resources of providing food, shelter and safe, comfortable housing go without saying. These resources above are from the Circle of Security Project and the Development Needs Meeting Strategy website. Also, for any mothers reading this, you are doing a great job! Just do your best and seek support as much as you are able to (there are many resources available to you in the community). Keep in mind I am not a mother but I am growing to understand the vast importance of kind, appropriate mothering to our society as a whole.

So… raise your hand if you had all of these above resources at least for the first three years of your life… probably no one. How many of us had most of these resources going for the first three years? Maybe some. Well guess what – for those of us who did not raise their hands to the first question, we may be in need of a bit of solid resourcing to replace these deficient inner resources.

As I mention above, I believe that starting down an authentic (and often potent) spiritual path too soon, that is before one has done childhood needs resourcing work, or before one understands where the path leads, can be a dangerous or a fruitless journey. I believe the body and the mind want to heal, and that if given the time and space to rest, they will start to unwind and show their person what is needed. In the next piece, I will talk about my own experience and introduce further points.

Continued in Part Two.

Circle of Security downloads: http://www.circleofsecurity.net/cos_downloads.html

There is a great, if a bit of a monotonic, overly-simplified slide show on the following site – Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy website: http://www.dnmsinstitute.com/

A description of DNMS on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_Needs_Meeting_Strategy_%28DNMS%29

Spiritual Currency

This is a post as much for me as it is for readers. How many of us have a secret, or not so secret, yearning or desire. We want something and we want it NOW! But we don’t have it and it seems like life is conspiring to prevent us from obtaining our secret love – whether it is a romantic relationship, or a new Mercedes, or the house with the white picket fence. This is a post about obtaining what you desire (especially if it falls in the reasonable, appropriate and realistic realms). I should announce a slight disclaimer here, that I need to practice the advice offered below as much, if not more than anyone as my mind is very lazy and afflicted and I have much to purify.

From my own experience, I have had weeks, months and sometimes even years (believe it or not) where I feel kind of stagnant and that every direction I push seems to resist my efforts. Well?… There might be a way through or around these obstacles, which is what this post is about, on the other hand, this case might be a time to rest and lay low, waiting with patient confidence. If it feels like there should be movement, or that you have been down and out for a long time, then one way forward is to build up your “spiritual bank account” or to accumulate spiritual currency.

What do I mean by spiritual currency? In Buddhism, one of the words we use is “merit.” By practicing sincere altruistic thoughts, words and deeds, we build up positive merit. Some people might use the word “karma” but I find there are some who associate karma with its negative connotations, so let us stick with merit for now. The idea is to build up as much merit as possible, which if practiced with an authentic heart, comes back to us multiplied. So how do we increase our stores of merit?

We build up merit through the practice of sincere kindness and altruism. Many people help others to get something in return – we have all seen this, but I am talking about letting go of all thoughts of politics or self-gain. True service, expecting nothing in return, is how to build up merit the fastest, or so I have heard. In Buddhism, everything we do is for the benefit of all beings – this potent motivation underlies all aspects of our lives. Does this mean that we are perfect? Of course not – we all make mistakes. And, one person’s skillful means can be interpreted in a variety of ways. So it takes time to make this motivation truly come out in our everyday behavior – it can take many years and depending on how deeply entrenched our habits are, even longer.

Let me present an example: sometimes we don’t even know what we want, on a deep level, because we have never been introduced to it before. I am going to use my own experience here. Starting in the summer of 2006, I had just come home from my first potent Tibetan Buddhist retreat, where multiple Tibetan lamas taught for two weeks. Many aspects of it were cathartic for me, and I chose to stay in retreat rather than deal with a family issue that arose. Also, I decided to start my preliminary practices, the Ngondro almost immediately. It just felt right, despite my not knowing much, if anything, about it. Fact was, I did not even know what the four thoughts that turn the mind were when I started doing prostrations. But I was doing as many prostrations as I could handle with an authentic heart – I was putting my lamas advice into practice for the benefit of all beings (as opposed to doing it for personal gain or another such agenda).

To continue this example, I did almost 25,000 prostrations in six months, I was flying and it came through in papers I was writing for school and in my new-found capacity to take on new clients in my private practice. But these perks were just peripheral benefits to sincere practice. I did not even know what was coming yet. If you, the reader, are very skeptical, you might balk at what I correlate, which is fine, but at least hear me out. Soon thereafter I had the opportunity to go to Tibet, and I started saving money for this special endeavor. I also asked for support, as it was to be an almost month long pilgrimage. Support came to me from the most unusual sources and from people I did not even know, so in other words, I was able to save enough money to go. By the time I actually got on the plane heading for India (there were political problems in Tibet by this point, so we opted for Ladakh – Little Tibet), I might have done 35,000 prostrations total. I fully believe that it was this store of merit (and previous positive karma) which allowed me to go to India with such ease.

Like I mentioned above, I did not even know what I was missing. Traveling to India as a pilgrim (Ladakh which is also known as Little Tibet) was such a novel and fascinating experience that I was amazed on a daily basis – what had I been missing? You can search in the Dharma category on the right for Ladakh Pilgrimage for a detailed account of what I experienced. It was heavenly and it certainly increased my devotion and understanding of Tibetan Buddhism. And again, I believe that my doing many prostrations, with a sincere heart, that helped to overcome the obstacles to my going on this incredible voyage.

And I am not alone in this hypothesis – that is, if one wants to overcome obstacles, whether big or small, then one should practice with sincerity and devotion. There are multiple stories of Buddhist masters pushing through horrible diseases and suffering by practicing with intense devotion. And when I say practice, it can be any authentic spiritual path, or just a form of altruistic service – where we are not looking for fame, or anything than to help others. These obstacles I refer to could manifest both within or without.

There may very well be physiological reasons that prostrations “create so much merit,” in addition to “spiritual” reasons or causes. Maybe the cardiovascular exercise improves the mental outlook, or perhaps it is the stretching of the viscera and organs which helps to improve one’s attitude. Whatever the case may be, when I am feeling stuck or surrounded by stagnant energy, I try to do some prostrations.

Whatever the case may be, authentic service benefits the do-er at least as much as those who benefit. But that subtle esoteric fact must be kept out of the mind when deciding to serve. I would suggest talking to an authentic spiritual teacher – someone who is apart of a qualified and established lineage of healing wisdom – to see what they would recommend for your personal practice. Often times, due to our unique mental dispositions, there are practices which benefit one person much more than others.

Whatever you choose to do though, if you practice authentic service, you cannot go wrong. This is due to raising your capacity to practice generosity and kindness, plus it increases your stores of merit. The trick is to have a sincere heart all the while you do the service. And sure, the rough edges will show themselves for polishing occasionally, so don’t expect service to always be easy, but it is definitely worth it. Please be gentle – practice the service of slowing down and practicing kindness to yourself first, then it will be easier to practice with others. Thanks for reading!

Oh – another disclaimer. Someone left a comment saying this “could go both ways.” I’m not entirely sure what that means (please elaborate when you are leaving comments) 🙂 But one thing I want to mention is that, as we all know, life is not all about peaches and cream. They say that when people start practicing with a sincere and altruistic heart, that their karma starts to purify at a faster pace – more “stuff” comes up as we create the space to handle it. As more stuff comes up, our lives could potentially become very full and we might need to take months or years to process that which is arising. Yet another reason to be gentle. So do not start down a spiritual path expecting life to immediately improve for the better – sometimes blessings come in unusual forms. And be thankful for the opportunity to purify any negative karma which arises. At the very least, remember that every day we are given, is a gift.

be my friend

Every moment I am with you

a dance of two kind expressions of

universal love; our hands brush,

briefly, I pause

and notice, savor the touch,

both giving

and receiving

your affection and admiration;

No contraction, no defensiveness, just presence;

I would like for your highest qualities to peek out,

bravely revealing their golden hue,

I can show you mine;

I want you to meet me in the space of awareness,

full, vast and empty, and be okay with the way

things are; I truly just want you to be.

nature poetry and listening to the trees, beauty in November

feel the pulse ebb… notice it flow…

something deep within is expanding… ten seconds later, contracting…

different trees seem to have differing frequencies and depths…

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it (as a Craniosacral Therapist) is to go out and feel the fluid rhythm is one or more trees.

My friend and I had our hands on trees, and as we are both experienced with listening to the deeper rhythms of the cerebral-spinal fluid with Craniosacral Therapy, we were listening to the rhythms of the Earth, to the fluid dynamics of the oaks, pines and beeches in a local Wilderness Preserve. It was a very beautiful day – not a cloud in the sky, the sun was starting to warm up the little meadows and forest, making the bark on the pine trees smell like sunshine.

We did a short hike, only 2 miles. At one point, we stopped as a doe had just gotten up, not 15 feet in front of us, we both spoke reassuring words to her, and she stayed still, like us. Who was watching who? Who was more surprised? It was obvious she was used to humans, as this little stand off lasted a minute or two. Then a blue jay landed right above me with a strong pull of air and wings. A fellow hiker came along behind us, either indifferent or oblivious to why we were standing still in the middle of the trail. He walked right up next to the doe who took off, and he kept hiking like this was a normal event. Then my friend’s phone rang – a voice from New York, checking in. Hello! Who is in nature? Did you think you could escape? 🙂

The conversation ranged from Radionics, to Craniosacral Therapy, Core Dynamics and Polarity Therapy. All the way back to life in New York City (where he is from) and the happenings around C’ville. We spoke of birth trauma and the possibilities around reversing its affects. I am hoping to spend time with him again soon. Perhaps a trip to New York is in my future. Maybe I can seem like a crazy outsider as I have my hands on some trees in Central Park.

To emulate the subtle mytho-poetic essence of this day, here are some suggestions:

Go out in nature. Slow down. Check in with your body – if you want to walk, do that. If you want to lie in the grassy sunshine, then do that. Or go sit by a body of water. Now, slow down some more. Notice what is around you – everything from the feel of the soft, wispy autumn weeds/seeds; take a moment to really smell the air – not just a quick snort, but really embracing what you notice; watch for little changes in terrain, wildlife, leaf color, etc; listen to the various sounds of nature – the guardian crows above, the symphony of bird calls from within the fringe, the gurgling of a little stream… Take it all in, oh – and slow down some more so you can truly listen.

Uncertainty with Process; resting in resourceful alignment

If you have been keeping close track of my previous posts then some of this information is going to be a review, however, there is also novel material. I have been riding a strong current of change and transformation over the past few years – as I studied and received much in the way of process oriented bodywork, began and cultivated a regular meditation practice along with becoming an organizer for local Buddha-Dharma events. As you can tell from previous posts, I enjoy sitting on fairly-intense meditation retreats and going on Buddhist pilgrimage whenever possible. All in all, I feel that I am doing pretty well in this lifetime – at least on a psycho-spiritual level.

As I mentioned previously, my astrological birth chart is full of transitioning aspects at the moment. I have multiple progressed planets either changing signs, changing houses or making exact hard aspects with Natal planets over the next year or two. This is in addition to my transiting chart being quite active, along with several hard aspects occurring in my solar arc (directed) chart. I realize that some readers will scratch their heads at what I just mentioned – but these aspects could be a reflection of what I am about to describe (so let us move on).

I feel like I am on an intense roller coaster at times – especially when I skip a day or more of meditation (and therefore do not ground myself in an authentic spiritual path). Recently, I have had ideations of wanting to get away from Charlottesville – where I presently reside, and have lived for over ten years. I have thought about moving to Hawai’i – my birth place and a location where I feel very comfortable and content. Just over the past few days, I have been scheming about how I could do a pilgrimage to the major Buddhist sites in India and Nepal – Bodhgaya, Kushinagar, Lumbini and Sarnath – where the Buddha was born, attained awakening, taught and passed into parinirvana, etc. I need to complete my Ngondro accumulations (preliminary practices in Tibetan Buddhism which involve accumulating thousands of various mantras and more) and I would love nothing more than to do it at some of the most sacred places (to me) on Earth. Alternatively, the idea of doing a Zapchen retreat in California this winter keeps coming to mind – being with Julie Henderson, one of my heart teachers in person, would be so potent and transformative. These are just the major highlights of possibilities floating around in my mind, the tips of the iceberg so to speak.

I attribute the current higher number of opportunities (or mental distractions) to several factors. I have been practicing a little more Dharma over the past few months – and as I push myself in that direction, my mind or afflictions or ego tries to push back, offering resistance or distractions from my vital intention (of letting go of the ego and realizing the natural state). Another “reason” my mind is so full of distracting ideas could be reflected in transiting Uranus and Jupiter crossing and now flirting with my Natal Sun – possibly meaning expansion, broadening of horizons, increased confidence (Jupiter), swift insight, ingenuous spontaneous ideas, an increase in nervous energy (Uranus). If these two factors are not “it,” then it could just be where I am in life – at 32 years old, I am feeling like my sluggish pace and my not being with a quality romantic partner are indications of failure or deeper issues and I want to move on. However…

Then I ask the I Ching – a divination tool I use to describe the subtleties of choices, situations and decisions. Everything I just mentioned above, the I Ching does not agree with my doing at the moment (leaving home is definitely not recommended at this time). According to its advice, I would be best served by being disciplined, by practicing more Dharma and finding alignment and grounding myself right here and now. In others words, I would be best served by doing what is most difficult – sticking with my process here, sticking with my redundant and insignificant seeming job (of waiting tables) and seeing a few clients on the side. I am best served by letting go of these worries and distractions and simply practicing Dharma. Ouch – the truth hurts sometimes. And of course a voice chimes in with, “but it would be so warm in Hawai’i right about now, and especially over this coming winter.”

Oh yes, and I did not yet mention that I am sticking around until I am absolutely clear about finishing my undergraduate degree. At present, it brings up untold amounts of irritation and my body keeps indicating this is not the time, plus I hate being in debt – I don’t want further loans – I know I “should” finish, everyone has echoed that sentiment (therefore no need for anyone to mention it any more). But I want the motivation to finish to be clear and to come from within. Or I want the green light to get the hell out of dodge. 🙂 Actually I would prefer to move on – yet another source of inner friction. Don’t worry though – I am sticking it out; grinding and grounding in my present experience, here, in Charlottesville.

Therefore, at present, I am doing a little bit of daily practice, loosening up with daily Zapchen exercises and trying to enjoy life, no matter how mundane and no matter how little it seems I am advancing (in the world – remember, on a deep level, I am very happy and content spiritually, which is all that seems to matter to me at present). I am extraordinarily blessed to be surrounded by wisdom beings, a few quality friends and spiritual teachers who want me to check in with them about my process. So now I need to notice that, to rest in that, supported and blessed, and not worry about the distracting possibilities which keep bubbling to the surface.

May all beings be clear about their path and have the courage to walk it.

Happy Solar Return and Autumn Update

In this post: Happy Birthday Blog! An update on my current psycho-spiritual process and upcoming retreats and opportunities.

The blog is now two years old and I wish it many happy solar returns! In the past month, we crossed the 6,500 views mark – Yay! And there was much rejoicing… Hopefully these posts are providing some form of benefit or information for people – entertainment at the very least.

As for my update, I am still incubating (more on this in a second) and presently working at the Boar’s Head – a beautiful, quiet, traditional golf resort / club in Charlottesville. According to the guidance I am receiving, I am to maintain a low profile – humility is the essence of the time for me. Very few people at work know much of what I am “into.”

As for the internal shifts and transformations that I am witnessing and experiencing, the incubation from above, some days it feels like I am being torn apart from within. Julie Henderson, one of my heart teachers, mentions that there are several potent shifts we can make as human beings – from “easiest” to most challenging these are 1) changing our mental outlook and attitudes, even though this still requires a powerful intention and dedication to it; 2) changing our behavior toward regular, spontaneous compassion, wisdom and generosity; 3) transforming our body (heart) such that old reactions and stored cellular memories (traumas, frozen tissue, etc) are re-organized and brought into loving light. I am now very confident that my process falls into the last category.

Since 2006, the year I started Ngondro practice (Buddhist preliminaries – challenging yet basic in the Vajrayana path – they include prostrations, refuge, purification, mandala offering accumulations, etc), I have been letting go of ego structures and holding patterns at what, to most people, might be an alarming rate. And yet it seems like I have just begun the process of embodiment and extricating the subtle afflictions lurking in the deep shadows. Therefore I have no idea how long this transformation will take, or what I will look like when the “I” I knew ceases to exist. But I am curious. (Yay!)

As I am now working full time, I would like to attend many more retreats than I am able. However I plan to attend a few days of the TMC’s Mani Drupchen in December and I am about to start arrangements to go to California to attend a Zapchen workshop with Julie in March. Muy Bueno!! I’m excited about this possibility. I am planning to skip the Kalachakra Initiation in Washington D.C. in July with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, despite it being so close to home. I am not able to keep up with my present assignments (from Tibetan Lamas and other spiritual teachers) so why add another more potent practice to the list? There is always Spring Retreat at the TMC as well. So good good good.

If I don’t write as often, just know that I am discovering alignment in novel places (at work) and seeking sincere spiritual nurturing to constantly be with me. Yum. May you know the same.

Flu season – once sick, what to do?

In this post, I continue the thread from my recent article on avoiding getting sick. Here I mention more subtle techniques for combating illness as well as what to do if you find yourself run down and getting sick. As I mention in my first article, I am not in any way shape or form a doctor, a dietitian or a licensed health practitioner, so do not take my words very seriously. And do not act on them without speaking with your health professional. Okay, with that little disclaimer out of the way, on with the show.

Readers might be wondering why I spend so much time on this subject or have so many various remedies or suggestions for combating illness. Several reasons: I consider my constitution to be on the poorer side, and when I get sick, like most people, I am miserable. And previously as an impoverished, part-time-self-employed college student, I did not have the luxury of health insurance benefits from a job (I do now) and I could not afford to be down and out for very long. Plus, as a healing facilitator I need to model the practice of good self care for my clients. And finally, I tend to get cold sores when my immune system is compromised, which I detest, so staying well has the added benefit of appearing healthy. All the reasons to attempt to stay well.

I want to mention for the record that I am an unusually sensitive Pisces. And this sensitivity extends to nearly all facets of my life, including extreme sensitivity to pharmaceutical drugs and chemicals of any sort. Therefore, I tend toward the subtler homeopathic / holistic / flower essence / essential oil remedies first, and then, only as a last resort would I take antibiotics or another prescription drug. Prescription / pain medicines / chemicals tend to have the opposite affect on me, hence my alternative perspective. Okay, now back to the combating illness story.

Two things are of utmost importance when you discover you are sick. One is obvious – rest! Your body needs time to integrate new changes as well as to adjust to changes in the environment – both within and without. Second, which *seems* obvious to most, but you’d be surprised, is to avoid that which is making one sick. For instance, if you are the type of person who typically has a strong constitution, and then you start a new romantic relationship and things start to go downhill health-wise… well then you might want to reconsider that relationship. Or if you have the option of pushing really hard for a promotion, which might entail working through some colds, maybe you can re-analyze – is it really necessary? It is important to know the signs that your body is depleted or overwhelmed and not push too hard. Otherwise the opportunity cost of not slowing down may be enormous.

Recently, I noticed symptoms of sickness arising, which made some sense – I had eaten a lot of dairy the previous evening plus I had been pushing myself hard at work, etc – but the desire to just lie in bed for hours on end was unusual. So I asked the I Ching about the situation, and it came back with Kua 28 – Ta Kuo – Pressure on Structure, Braced against Collapse, Under Pressure, “Too Much.” In other words, I was depleted and I had not recognized it. So I lay in bed for nearly two days straight, toward the end of which time I felt much more lively and enthusiastic – I got my lemony laughter back. So rest when you need to!

If you must push through something, as many of us feel the need to do, then you can try Chinese Herbs. In Whole Foods or another health food store, you can find the herbal mixture of Cold Snap. This beautiful little product raises what is known as the royal chi (prana) and you will have several hours of feel good time. You may notice feeling more energetically full and alive, but I would not recommend pushing it for multiple days on end. For instance, if you take the recommended dose on the first day and then go through a full day, later you will need to rest. The next day, if you are still feeling yucky, then listen to your body. In other words, if cold snap kicks the cold initially great! (It did its job.) If not, then don’t become reliant on it. **Many doctors will warn you, appropriately so, about the dangers of chinese herbs – so make sure you do some research and make sure the brand is a good one or the herbalist selling you the herbs is very trustworthy and experienced. And of course listen to your doctor.

You may also want to experiment with a homeopathic flu remedy. I have a friend in herb school who mixes a brilliant flower essence / flu remedy for me which works wonders. You might want to consider speaking with a Homeopathic Physician (a doctor who specializes in homeopathic medicine). They are few and far between but quite worth your time when you find a good one. In Charlottesville, we have George Guess, Md. who is a proficient practitioner.

Use a neti pot – but avoid the “dangers.” For everyone who might not know, a neti pot is a device from India, which is simple to use and very practical, in addition to being a great tool for staying healthy. A neti pot is a little container which holds warm saline water which you use to wash out your nasal cavities and sinuses. Basically you run the warm water through your nose for several minutes. Of course avoid the dangers of using it wrong (the worst thing you can do with it is to get some fluid in your inner ear possibly causing an infection, but otherwise, it is harmless) and make sure you know what you are doing ahead of time, which reminds me of a story…

A friend of mine is a Tibetan Buddhist monk (from Puerto Rico). He told me of the first time he used a neti pot, which I will never forget. He said that he did not know what he was doing, and that the sounds of his gurgling and sputtering (drowning) in the bathroom were so intense that his roommate called the ambulance thinking he was in serious trouble. Moral of the story is to not breath through your nose as you are using the neti pot. (And let your housemates know that you are using it…) You definitely want to avoid that!

If you feel yourself becoming worn down or notice flu-like symptoms coming on, you can steam using essential oils. Again, just as a reminder, I am not a doctor or in any way licensed to dispense advice, so please check with your health professional before trying any of these techniques. However, this one really helps you feel better (and the worst thing that can happen is that you use too much oil and getting slight heated / flushed sensation on your skin)! The way this works is to buy a quality essential oil (you don’t need much – see below). Then boil a sauce pan full of water – filtered / purified water is best but tap water works just fine. Put down a towel on the table where you plan to steam, making sure you have the space to lean over the pot, which will go on the towel. Then put in two or three drops of your oil – the Young Living Oil blend of Thieves works best, but peppermint, rosemary, basil, thyme, clove or cinnamon oils work fine (any oil that is an antiseptic *** see end of article for a complete list). Put a towel over your head which will also cover the pot of steaming essential oils (to trap the vapors for you to breathe in) and now lean over your pot of healthy vapors and breathe deeply for 5 – 10 minutes. If you put in too much oil, then, depending on the oil, your skin might burn a little – no problem (just add less in the future).

I found another great tool for recharging / rejuvenating about five years ago. Now you might laugh at this, but if you are still reading by this point, then you will enjoy this suggestion: lie down on an amethyst bio mat. Seriously. Nothing improves my health faster than lying on my mat. It uses the contemporary technology of far infrared waves to penetrate deeper into the body, it is heated in a completely safe fashion and it produces negative ions which are very health promoting. I purchased the mat initially for my clients to lie on, considering I offer professional bodywork, but then I found myself lying on it whenever I felt run down or coming down with something. During the first couple years of owning it, I would occasionally sleep on my mat. Nowadays, it starts to fill me with energy pretty quick, such that I am not able to lie on it for more than two hours tops. I am a distributor of these incredible health tools (they are expensive but well worth it). You might be able to find a used one on Ebay but they go quick and even in this case they still run about a $1000. I think I will publish a short post on this topic soon, as this little blurb does not do the mat justice.

Attend a doctor who understands alternative theory / practice. In other words, attend a doctor who understands that there is a strong reciprocal connection between physical health and mental health and that there are numerous treatment options. If you talk to your physician about an alternative option which you are seriously considering, and you simply get a blank stare, as in you just lost him / her, then you may want to consider looking around for a second opinion. That might not be a bad idea anyway. 🙂

Last but certainly not least, everyone would do well to speak with a Professional Astrologer who is skilled in working with the intricacies of Medical Astrology. This way you can determine what type of person you are (Saturnian, Jovial, Mercurial, etc) – as in what are the major aspects in your birth chart and what, if any, affect do they have on your health? You can determine much from your astrology chart, just in the realm of health and wellness.

Okay! Thank you for reading and sticking with me. Again, if you have gotten to this point, that means that you are open minded and that you care about your health enough to hear all my alternative ideas. Let me know if you have any comments and I hope one or more of these provides benefit!

List of essential oils with antiseptic properties (what I mention above plus):

basil
bergamot
clary sage
clove
eucalyptus
fennel
lavender (???)
lemon
pine needle
rosemary
Spanish sage
tea tree
thyme

Reader’s choice

Hello readers! Hopefully some of you will read this… har har har. I am looking to see who you readers are and what you are interested in hearing about. So please let me know a little about yourselves if you’d like – where are you writing from? Do you practice meditation or bodywork or astrology or other forms of alternative health modalities, etc? And also let me know if you are understanding most posts – sometimes the language can be technical. Then comes the fun part – you get to choose what I write about next! (this is a picture of me from 2008 with a picture of a “Creative Mind” hat on 🙂

Okay, please let me know which of these topics you are most interested in hearing about. Generally I spend several days working on a post – several drafts plus whatever research might be necessary. Now that I am working full time, it might take a little while to get your requests out, but I will do my best! In my drafts directory, I have started the following stories (as in they are in various stages of completion or arising):

Flu season – tips to avoid the plague

Change what goes into your body

I am not sick, I am angry! (this will take a while to finish, I’m planning to incorporate some medical astrology info and more)

Bodywork as meditation in action

Practicing Dharma in the midst of busy lives

Post on Mercury Retrograde (in depth details)

Post on Venus Retrograde (more in depth)

Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you. Many blessings.