Category Archives: Mystery

Problems? More Than One Way

Energy Healing, Mystery, Sensitivity, The Mind, ,

No problem can stand the assault of sustained thinking.
— Voltaire

What do you think of that approach? In your life have you solved all problems by sheer sustained thinking? Me either. And I suspect that, perhaps later in life, Voltaire ran into a few problems that did not yield to thinking of any kind.

In the realm of energetic healing our experience is that every single person we meet, though physically made up of the same atoms, molecules, and tissues, and almost identical DNA, is in fact utterly unique. And one size never fits all.

We respect the tools that science and modern medicine utilize to rule out and diagnose diseases and maladies. Diagnosing is not our purview. Finding ways to bring healing to a particularly unique individual is what we are moved to pursue.

There is nothing wrong with sustained thinking. It is just not the whole ballgame for us. Here is another approach.
My master teacher once said, “The guru does not solve problems. The guru dissolves the state in which problems exist.”

I’ve been chewing on that one ever since having a direct experience of a problem dissolving as my state changed. Now that happens almost daily. And has for about 34 years.

How is that possible? I have replaced assaulting problems with entering an altered state through meditation, or sometimes dance, or singing. It is almost the opposite of thinking. One could call it ‘allowing’, or ‘letting go’, or ‘stilling the mind’. This is not New Age stuff, it is an ancient science and technology of the mind that has been handed down for ages.

Learning to trust the inner spaciousness as a remedy for even modern problems has helped me become a better person, a more reliable friend, and a stronger support for others.

— Helen

For one of the best books on meditation look for
Meditation for the Love of It
by Sally Kempton.

Sally says, “The meditation that will work is the meditation that you will do.”

So don’t over think it, just do it.

In the Woods

Mystery, Nature as Healer, , , ,

There are times when being barefoot on the earth is my best choice. The need for a retreat from everyday duties and responsibilities calls and fortunately the woods are close by. The place is lush with Stair Step Moss, the river far below fills the air with the rush of its flowing. Tall trees stand watch, Cedars, Firs, Alder, Maples along with delicate Huckleberry bushes and Red Elder.

My mind slows down. Here I write a bit, sing a little – sometimes songs with new melodies appear in the inner concert hall, and I scramble to get them down on paper. Am I fearful they will never come to me again? “Go slow,” I tell myself, “Just be. Let the energy of time and place take hold.”

This time away is re-connection, allowing, and trust. It is drifting, and also the clearing away of old worn-out stories – working with the mind while allowing the body to deeply rest. Let’s just call it Forest Napping; My Let it Be practice for an hour or so.

When I can’t get away to the forest I visit that place in my inner vision – see the trees swaying overhead, smell the musky scent of mushroom and loam, touch the rough stone, taste the berries, and hear the heart of silence that beats there. This mental worship bridges the gaps and renews me for the next task that wants to be done.

In the wild there is a pulse that quickens the heart, and a depth that allows the inner voice to be fully heard. The mind rests, the body is at ease.

— Helen

 

How Many Seeds?

Health Tips, I am, Mystery, Yoga, , , , ,

   We counted 118 seeds in this Pomelo (aka grapefruit predecessor.) Wow, that’s a lot. Looking at it another way, ask yourself “How many grapefruits are there in one seed? Grapefruit trees take up to 5 years to produce usable fruits, so it is a long-term investment for a grower.

The first good crop could be 25 pounds of fruit, in the 10th year, it could be as much as 250 pounds. One seed (or one well cared for seedling) could produce a bonanza of produce.

In an ancient Vedic teaching story a son, gesturing to the expanse of the earth around him, asks his father, “From where did all this arise?”

The father replied, “Do you see that tree? Bring a fruit from it,” The boy did so. “Break it open, what do you see?”

“Many tiny seeds,” the son replied.

“Break a seed open, what do you see?”

“Nothing at all.”

The venerable sage said, “That same nothing is the source of all you see here around you. And that [here is the good part], my son you are.”

‘That Thou Art’ or ‘You Are That’ is a hallmark teaching in Yoga, it points us to a unique and hidden truth about who we are and where we are. ‘That’ is all and all comes from ‘That’. This includes you and me and all the grapefruit we can carry. It includes stars and galaxies, and household dust. ‘That’ is the unchanging One, the whole enchilada. It is all that exists as well as all that does not exist.

In these times it is easy to get distracted by stuff, and by the ever-changing scene around us. The glitter, the hype, the chaos in politics and weather patterns is unsettling, our focus can become very narrow. We stress, we numb out, or we wade into the fray and campaign for a different kind of change or pick up trash on the beaches until exhaustion sets in.

If each day we can turn within and settle ourselves, we may find the strength to smile at a passerby, listen for the words that want to be spoken, and connect with that person where they are. If we can remember that we are all in the same boat, a leaky one perhaps, we can bail without blaming the problem on someone else. If we can stay present as much as possible, we may be able to allow what is, to be as it is, and chart our own direction without being angry or distracted.

If we can keep our heads while others are losing theirs . . . we may yet bear good fruit.

So You Want to Be a Shaman

Energy Healing, Mystery, , , , ,


Photo by Joshua Newton

Thumbing through a course catalog a few years ago I noticed an offering that included the ability to obtain a Certificate of Shape-Shifting. I casually wondered what the Final Exam might look like. Does one have to cross the sprawling campus as an Elk, a Mongoose, or some other animal? Or perhaps hiding in plain sight as a cedar tree would qualify.

In my files somewhere I have a Certificate of Sainthood – yes, it’s true . . . but that does not make me a saint, as any of my close friends or family members can assure you. What is it that makes us who we are anyway? Is it the certificates and degrees we hold? The role or position we have acquired? Our status, possessions, grandmotherly-ness or shapely physique?

Of late I have run across a number of people who openly declare themselves to be Shamans. The number is now surpassing, in my mind at least, those who claim to be Gurus. It seems like being a Shaman is the new, cool thing to be. Overheard on the bus, “Oh, did I mention I am a Shaman?”

Some of the practices we employ as healing facilitators fall under the category of ‘shamanic’ by nature of their connection to time-honored indigenous healing practices used throughout the world. Generally, we stop short of deciding that makes us Shamans. Perhaps, to use a phrase coined by Hank Wesselman, we are at best shamanists. 

We have found that it is wise to embrace humility foremost before the vast mystery of this life we live, this unfathomable universe. I remember a story of a young teenager who, when asked if he was a Christian replied, “I am trying to follow Christ.” This seems like the kind of answer that can really lead somewhere.

Just as it is easier to say you are a Christian (or a Buddhist, or a Saint) than it is to be one, it is also easier to say you are a Shaman without actually having any ability to remove someone’s pain, forecast the weather, or locate reindeer. That goes for pretty much every endeavor in life. In each village, town, and city there are people with advanced degrees who jumped over every hurdle the university presented to them, yet can’t do the work. You know them, don’t you? That’s why it takes us so much time to find a good doctor, a good lawyer, a competent therapist, or social worker, or palm reader, or bartender, or . . . .

OK, back to wanting to be a Shaman. We recommend you start slowly and carefully to examine your desire. If fame, fortune, and status are drivers for you, stop reading now. ‘Cause that dog won’t hunt.

A true Shaman is a servant – they serve the collective good of their ‘tribe’ through courageous efforts to obtain knowledge, and more importantly to acquire experiences that can lead to the ability to assist people to heal at all levels.  After they set foot on the path they spend an enormous amount of time purifying themselves, experimenting, turning within, taking stock again and again of their own motivations, and coming up against a shit-load of inner and outer challenges. In other words, it’s no picnic. On the other hand, it is a fascinating adventure, one that can lead to mastery, mystery, and even death. But since we all face that last one, perhaps it is time to take up the Master Game and lean into the call.

You may want to start your exploration here:

Michael Harner’s Foundation for Shamanic Studies

For a fascinating read try Hank Wesselman’s shamanic trilogy Spiritwalker, MedicineMaker, Visionseeker

Seeing You in Wholeness

Energy Healing, Events, Mystery

When we work with individual clients or with a classroom of people we are always asking internally, “What is needed? What can move this person, these people closer to health? What energy will guide them to embrace the wonder and mystery of the body and mind coming into balance, moving forward? It is our desire to be facilitators of healing for those who come, and to ignite an interest in just how profound an experience it is to be a human being. Helping people heal is an honor, and we would love to share that with you.

Join us at Hollyhock on Cortes Island, and let’s explore both the science and the mystery together.

Cell-Level Healing
Wild Awakening For Health
October 7 – 11, 2018

Embark on a deep, guided exploration of your innate ability to focus energy for health and wholeness in body, mind, and spirit. Looking within, both through powerful micrographic images of cells, and through time-honored practices, explore the healing nature of your physicality and your mind. Touch the heart of stillness in meditation, enjoy hands-on practice, sing yourself to joyfulness, and deepen your ability to be of service to yourself and to others through the refined techniques of Cell-Level Healing.

More info here:
https://hollyhock.ca/programinfo/hawkes-folsom/

A Walk in the Mist and the Mystery

I am, Light and Love, Mystery, The Mind

 

Yesterday (uncharacteristically) we decided to take a hike before breakfast. The ‘uncharacteristic’ part I refer to was ‘before breakfast.’ Up near the Canadian border we often go hiking on a familiar trail with our dog leading the way. Rama is an excellent trail dog, unless other dogs or people are around. Then he is a run-away, nut job, ever up for a romp with others, a friendly chat, or simply to follow anyone while leaving the ones who feed him behind. 

The day was set to be very hot, so getting out ahead of the heat was what drove us up the hill before taking in sustenance. And being out so early meant we also succeeded in avoiding people and doggies, a complete win.

While hiking I noticed how often my mind, just like my dog, runs off with me. Then in a moment my attention is captured by the way the morning light is touching and illuminating the broken trunk of a tree that has upended itself into the river below. The beauty of it touches me wordlessly. I resolve to be still, a wordless observer of the woods, but before long I am planning a project like this one. I will write about “Forest Bathing”, and hold forth with data about how the aromas given off by trees are as healthy for us as the oxygen they produce in such abundance. Ah, the mind – so quick. 

At the next lookout spot over our beloved river we note to one another the milky-white color of the water, and tussle with each other about the look and definition of run-off, and snow-melt. The sandy beach below has become more rocky than last we saw it, my hand-carved wooden offerings are still in place, someone has chain-sawed off a small piece of a downed tree. 

In this way my mind creates a world, populated by ideas, beliefs, musings, projects, and I become identified with it. ‘I am’ becomes, I am the hiker, the dog-lover, the carver, the notice-er, the river viewer, the one who comes and goes.

All the while a stillness is present and in brief glimpses I apprehend it, and even fall under its sway now and then. I am caught in stillness, even as my ears hear the river, caught in illumination even as the morning light touches the mossy tree ahead, held in the mystery even while swimming in the mist of the mind.