Inquiring into Who’s Manifesting What?

We really are multidimensional beings. We exist with many bodies, i.e., physical, subtle, and causal. Each body manifests itself as an expression of Being. Once we’re able to shift our perspective back and forth from the narrow, bounded Ego/Personality-view and the vast, boundless Soul/Spirit-view, we’re able to recognize that the more contracted perspective comes from the egoic-mind. We’re also able to recognize that the perspective from the Soul/Spirit is more expansive and inclusive – a big heart-mind. As mature, integrated human beings, we’re to learn how to consciously hold both realities. True choice (intention) can only come from our capacity to hold both realities.

The act of manifesting itself is a sort of contraction – a pulling out of the plenum that which is already present – a bringing it into a denser form. Since the egoic-mind operates from relative-knowing or archived past experiences, what appears to be the act of manifesting is extremely limited. The egoic-mind is quite childlike (narcissistic) – it wants what it wants without thought of the whole. The egoic-mind uses manipulation and seduction to get what it wants. And, the egoic-mind will resist any manifestation that threatens its identity (structures).

Let’s look at an example, a woman, Saleme, decides to sell a particular product. She feels passionate about what she’s selling; she sees how the product can be beneficial to anyone who purchases it; and, she needs the income. Selling this product is the work she’s chosen as a means for making money. The problem is that she’s not manifesting the sales, not making money. As a result, she feels rejection every time a lead hits a dead-end. Her own intrinsic value is merged with the value she sees in the product she’s trying to sell; so when someone is not interested in purchasing the product, there’s a part of her (egoic-mind) that interprets it in a way that tells her that she has no value. The egoic-mind says “You’re not enough. If you were more (fill-in-the-blank) then you would be a better salesperson.” This part of the egoic-mind is often referred to as the super-ego. It’s the internal-parent, the inner-critic/judge.

What is Saleme to do? First she must recognize that what’s happening is an inner-dynamic within her mind; and, she needs to get to the root of this inner-dynamic. She needs practice experiencing her own intrinsic-value. Also, inquiry-work could help her see how the egoic-mind is translating early life-experiences into the present. Some part(s) of her ego is putting up roadblocks to keep her from experiencing success in what she wants to do. Who is it that’s manifesting the feelings of rejection? Who is it that sees selling this particular product so important? There are any number of questions that can arise during authentic inquiry-work where questions open us to the larger dimensions of our being. This whole experience is part of her soul’s journey. It’s not enough to know that she has intrinsic value – she must experience it for herself – for we don’t really “know” anything intimately unless we experience it directly.

A Soul Connection to Manifesting in Life

Once we understand that we actually have different perspectives -- a view from our ego and a view from our soul -- it may very well shed more light on how manifesting works in Life (For soul/ego perspectives, see April blog-article "A Soul Connection to Life's Experiences). Awareness is the light we shine. It is awareness that informs us when we ask the questions: "From which perspective am I viewing others? Myself? Life Itself?" As you read this article, you might even ask the question "Why is it important for me to know which perspective?" The short answer is that the view from your ego is limited -- the view from your soul is much more inclusive.

We are constantly manifesting with every breath we breathe and, I might add, with every thought that comes and goes. No matter whether any of it is conscious or unconscious -- it's all the act of manifesting. We rely on many unconscious and necessary processes to manifest in order to keep us alive. For example, it's a good thing we don't need to always be conscious of our breathing in order to be sure we breathe. That said, it's important to see and understand what we're manifesting unconsciously with our thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. It's interesting that the verb to manifest is synonymous with to reveal, to become apparent (by seeing more clearly whether visibly or through understanding).

There's a tendency for some toward thinking that they "should" only view the world from a spiritual (soul) perspective. Posh! Developing an ego is not an accident. Ego development is the beginning of the process of becoming a human being. This process begins in childhood as a means to help the child feel safe, to give the child the capability to become less dependent on parents so s/he can go out into the world. The problem inherent in this process has to do with forgetting who we are. This problem reveals itself later in life when we find we're still using thoughts, ideas, beliefs from the past that helped us through our developmental process. There are few guides who can remind us that we are not limited to the ego's perspective -- we are more than what the ego perceives and Life itself is more than the ego perceives. Imagine what it would be like for children to have such a guide – someone who understands the necessity of the child’s ego-development process as a means for individuation and autonomy AND who can reflect the seemingly paradoxical bigger truth of interconnected wholeness.
(to be continued)

A Soul Connection to Life's Experiences

Have you ever wondered what the connection is between your life's experiences and your soul? In fact, maybe a better question is "Are you conscious of experiencing life through the various expressions of your soul?"

Initially, I gave my healing practice the name A Soul Connection for two reasons: (1) it best describes the exploration work my clients and I do together, and (2) it attracts people who are ready to break out of the rigid patterns from which their ego/personality confines the soul.

It's true that the development of the ego/personality is a necessary part of the process of being human. The problem arises when we recognize that we feel cut off from the essence of who we truly are. Whenever we have an image in our mind of what we should be doing, how we should look, how we should act, we're completely disconnected from who we are -- it feels as if we've lost our connection to our very soul.

A Soul's Perspective
From the perspective of the soul, most things are very interesting. The soul has a natural curiosity and innocence. The soul isn't wanting to know things to archive them in the head for later use. Instead, the soul wants to know things directly from actual experience each and every moment.

The soul isn't worried about what other people think of her, about proving her value, strength, intelligence, or beauty. The soul is value intrinsically. The soul is intelligence itself as well as strength, beauty and much, much more.

As souls, each of us are constantly changing -- we love change! We want to experience as much in life as possible. We are the very essence of aliveness. We want to try new things. We're curious about everything.

An *Ego/Personality Perspective
From the ego perspective, "the ego rules!" The ego thinks it's in charge of everything and tries to control everything. That said, the ego is afraid of everything -- especially change. The ego uses fear to keep us small, weak, hidden/invisible, and numb. The ego is not capable of trusting any one or anything which means everything is a threat.

It's the ego that keeps us separated from our connection to our soul.

(to be continued)

*For ease in writing this piece, I'll shorten "ego/personality" to merely "ego."

More Explorations with Essential Oils

Last week's dental visit went very well. I got high marks for the condition of my gums and teeth. In fact, there's been improvement in the gum-pockets. I can't help but wonder if using Thieves essential oil on my toothpaste twice a day hasn't helped the condition of my gums.

We've had more week-end house guests and so I've had more opportunities to offer essential oil uses and remedies to folks to try. Our friend, Dani loved the Lemon oil in water with stevia that I mentioned in my last post. Since writing that post, I purchased some Grapefruit oil and have been using it the same way. Dani loved that one too. One day she also tried some Thieves on the bottoms of her feet after a shower to help with an allergy-symptom (stuffy nose, watery eyes). She may have been allergic to one of our cats, although she has a cat. I think she love the Thieves oil as much as I do.

Another guest had a congested cough. He'd listened to us talking about how some of us had used a couple of drops of Thieves in some honey for respiration, problems dealing with colds, etc. Finally he asked if we could fix him some Thieves and Honey for his cough. We did and he stopped coughing almost immediately. He slept later than normal the next morning; and, when he awoke he said that he'd slept better than he had in a few days.

I ordered the Essential Oil Desk Reference -- the package that included the big book itself along with a smaller version that's spiral bound to carry, plus a CD. The CD is wonderful for doing searches and the small spiral bound book goes with me wherever I take my case of oils, i.e., trips. If you're interested in purchasing this desk reference, go to www.essentialscience.net.

Lastly, I've got a Young Living website up: www.youngliving.com/dsaunders. Come visit my site and take a look around.

That's it for now. I'll keep on writing about my experiences and explorations.

Discovering Young Living Essential Oils

Such an exciting time! A couple of weeks ago I took a plunge that I didn't see coming. I signed-up to be a Young Living product distributor. If someone would've told me I'd be doing this, I would have looked at them in utter disbelief. Why? Because I typically don't like selling anything. So, why'd I do it? Hmmmm, let me see.

A distributor gets all products at wholesale value which is 24% off the retail value. To maintain my wholesale customer pricing, the only obligation is to purchase $50 worth of product(s) per year. That’s it!

So, to get started with my exploration of essential oils, I enrolled as a distributor with one of the four Start Living Kits: Everyday Oils. The Young Living Everyday Oils Kit includes the following 5 ml bottles of essential oils: Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Thieves, Frankincense, Valor, PanAway, Peace & Calming, and Purification.

When my package of essential oils was delivered, I felt like a kid opening everything and smelling everything. It was wonderful. I'd been researching all the ways I could experiment and use the oils.

One of the first things I did was to put a few drops of lemon oil in a 10 oz glass of purified water along with a package of Stevia then stirred it and drank it. It was the most delicious-tasting lemonade I've ever had. I carry a bottle of lemon oil in my purse to add a couple of drops to water served in restaurants.

Here are some other ways I've been experimenting with the Everyday Oils:

• peppermint -- (1) I massaged my husbands back with a few drops where he was sore from working on re-building our deck; (2) A house guest asked me if I had anything that would help her with a sore neck and shoulders. I offered her the peppermint oil and explained how to use it.; and, (3) Another house guest had an upset stomach and I suggested one drop of peppermint in a 10 oz glass of purified water.
• Lavender -- For relaxing before sleep, I massage a couple of drops on the bottom of each foot before going to bed; then, I run my hands over my pillows to pick up the scent off my hands.
• Thieves -- I've been adding one drop of Thieves to my Tom's toothpaste. It tastes great and I feel like it's helping my gums as well as possibly reducing plaque (will need to research this).

I'm still experimenting and will continue to write more about what I discover. In the meantime, if you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a wholesale member, or distributor, for Young Living Products, feel free to contact me.

HoloSync CD: Awakening Prologue Continuing

It's been about 10 weeks since I began my daily practice of listening to the Awakening Prologue CD. I must admit I'm still amazed at how I look forward to sitting, listening, and at times, even adding my Kath-meditation practice while I'm listening. So, it's true that you can do your regular meditation practice while listening. Time goes so fast, or maybe it just doesn't even exist while doing this practice.

Here's something interesting I've discovered: I can do this practice in the car -- as a passenger, of course; and, I still feel the meditative-state is very deep. We've had a couple of 4-5 hour car-trips where I knew that I could grab an hour on the way to listen to my HoloSync CD. I brought my eye-mask to block out the light, put my headphones on and it all worked like a charm.

There's only been one instance where I felt any discomfort in listening to this first CD set and that was when I accidently pressed a button on my CD-player where I realized after about 5 minutes that I was listening to Immersion (Track 2) instead of beginning with The Dive (Track 1). Before I realized my mistake, I noticed I was feeling "antsy" (which was very unusual). I kept feeling like time was dragging and yet I knew I hadn't been sitting and listening for very long. I wanted to get up and do something else. The experience was so unusual that I decided to look at the track-window on the CD-player. That's when I saw Track 2 rather than Track 1. Since then I've been very careful to make sure that I'm on the right Track before I take my glasses off!

Since that one uncomfortable experience, I've re-read a couple of the support letters I received from Bill Harris, Centerpointe's founder, and he mentions the importance of noticing, watching, and just observing with curiosity what's happening. That's excellent advice to use when I'm meditating at other times during the day without the CD.

It seems that I'm not the only one who for a long time had this image in my head about what it looked like and felt like -- how it should be -- to be meditating properly. No one ever told me that the times when you're struggling during the meditation are often the deepest meditative states. I didn't know that until I read some research Bill Harris mentioned in his book "Thresholds of the Mind."

So, yes, I'm still practicing and learning and enjoying the whole exploration!

If you're interested in trying this new technology that truly helps one reach meditative states, click here.

HoloSync CD: Awakening Prologue

For 14 days I listened to Centerpointe's HoloSync CD called "The Dive" -- the first part of their program called "Awakening Prologue." There was definitely a sense of deeper meditation and not as much monkey-mind chatter as I normally experience with other meditation/sitting practice.

I found, and continue to find after about 40 days with the program, that I look forward to listening to these CDs and have included this listening as part of my spiritual practice. I listen according to the protocol provided by Centerpointe's founder, Bill Harris: I listen to "The Dive" for the first 30 min. and then immediately follow with listening to "Immersion" for another 30 min. This one hour sitting/listening goes by without noticing time -- it's as if I just sat down moments ago and the hour is up.

There's another CD that I listen to at night as I'm falling to sleep; it's called Longevity. I love the idea of communicating with ones's DNA. There are two parts to this CD that I alternate on different nights: (1) the first track is beautiful music with nature-sounds plus Bill Harris' voice leading a sort of guided meditation with affirmations concerning health of DNA, etc.; and, (2) the second track's music is a little different along with the nature-sounds and includes the same affirmations but on this track they're silent (subliminal).

There are a number of benefits that I'm experiencing that I feel I can attribute to listening to the HoloSync CDs, one of which is that my sitting practice has finally become consistent. Not only am I sitting and listening to the HoloSync CDs, I'm also doing my other sitting practice once or twice a day. I can't tell you how amazing this consistency is for me! Other benefits I'm discovering are the same as what many who meditate experience consistently: (1) lowered stress-levels, and (2) increased energy, intuition, ability to focus, and problem-solving skill.

I must admit that I'm looking forward to moving to the next level (set) of CDs in the near future; and, I'll write more about this subject in the future as I continue with the programs.

For more information about Centerpointe's Holosync CD programs, CLICK HERE.

About the DVD “The Secret”

I’ve procrastinated in writing about it, but I’ve clearly known that I need to write about it. Writing helps me connect to the deeper recesses of truth for me, so here goes.

Let me begin by admitting that I actually cried (well, tears welled up in my eyes) a couple of times while watching the DVD. I felt “some truth” being touched within me; and, simultaneously, I sensed what I’ve termed “snake-oil salesmen.”

We create our own reality? I don’t think so . . . at least not in the sense that this DVD portrays. Now, I can see how different identity-structures within our psyche create what might be believed to be reality. It’s not reality though . . . it’s an image of reality seen through the lens of an identity-structure – a limited perspective from our ego/personality.

I do agree to some extent that what we focus our energy on can manifest. What does this really mean? It means that when we’re clear and determined about what we want or need, the potential is there! Actually, potentiality is always there, but it takes recognizing what we want, being clear about it, opening to all the possibilities of attaining it, and taking action to move toward it (whatever “it” is). Another piece that I think is extremely important is being aware of our own capabilities and limitations, which doesn’t need to be a show stopper, by the way.

If, on the other hand, we’re stuck in an identification having to do with some deficiency, i.e., not good enough, smart enough, not worthy, etc., then guess where our energy (thoughts and actions) are focused! Speaking of deficiencies . . . we ALL experience deficient feelings – including these so-called “enlightened ones of The Secret”! Repressing or ignoring them does NOT make them go away. These feelings provide rich soil to dig into and explore. Replacing these “negative feelings” with positive feelings only covers them up. When we do cover up whatever we’re experiencing (because it’s ‘negative’), we are not in touch with Reality and we’re digging a deeper hole for ourselves.

Speaking of hole reminds me of Almaas’ “Theory of Holes” which has to do with deficiencies. Our culture of advertising and consumerism feeds our sense of deficiency; and, this DVD does exactly that! Here’s a short excerpt describing the “Theory of Holes”:

“ . . . the sense that something is lacking, and therefore, something is wrong. When we feel such a deficiency, we try to fill the hole we feel in ourselves. . . we try to fill the hole from the outside.”

The DVD is selling “how to fill your holes from the outside.” This tactic is not as empowering as portrayed. How can you be empowered if you are unconscious as to what’s really going on inside? Why not be curious about a limiting belief and explore how you came to believe it and even challenge it? Inner-exploration is more likely to lead to manifesting what you want, because (1) you’ll have more clarity about what you really want; and, (2) you’ll be more relaxed and open to the possibilities of whatever it is.

Opening to the Flow of Reality that is Life
Continuation of Exploring a Kabbalistic View of Nothingness

Hesed-like Nature –
There’s nothing fixed about Reality. Reality is dynamic, constantly changing from moment to moment. Any identity structure, whether perceived as good or bad, is fixed. From this perspective, how can any identity structure be a part of true reality? The soul itself is dynamic, flowing, and can be experienced as such; however, these aspects of the soul cannot be experienced directly from within any fixed-structure of the personality.

Initiating the Opening – Expanding the Container
Possibly the most important step toward initiating even a crack of an opening is to recognize the contracted-state imposed by the identity-structure. Recognition is not easy when one is locked in place within an identity. Opening to ‘what is’ can be perceived as very scary at first, especially from the perspective of a contracted state, from within an identity-structure.

It’s ironic how an identity can make one experience a variety of negative emotions and feelings and yet the mere thought of exploring the experience feels threatening. Why? The negative emotions and feelings are familiar – known. Exploring them moves one into fear, fear that whatever will be experienced will be terrible, painful, and eternal. Now how does an identity know what will be? It doesn’t know.

Identities are comfortable with their miseries because at least the miseries are familiar territory.. The soul, by its very nature, is curious about experiencing whatever arises and exploring every aspect of the experience to see and feel whatever there is in the moment. The soul is naturally open, dynamic, constantly moving, changing, growing, flowing, developing. An identity is fixed, rigid, narrow, stuck, limited.

Approaches to Opening
All of the following approaches can be used to re-connect with personal consciousness – the soul. The order is not important. For example, one might use the 2nd approach first which can lead to revealing something about the 1st. In the moment that we practice these approaches, there’s a connection resulting in liberation from an identity, an identity that’s rooted in the past. In practicing these approaches, one is present to a direct experience in the present where healing takes place. Healing is about awakening into the present to whom we truly are. It does take practice. The more one practices, the more easily one can be present with ‘what is’ – with reality, life itself.

1. Recognize the contracted state through the feeling, the emotion. Name it.This first step can be enlightening in itself. An identity wants to be seen and understood, because it’s a part of us frozen in time that was not seen and understood. One can recognize the identity through paying attention to what one is experiencing (the feeling, emotion).

2. Ask open-ended questions with curiosity and wonder. Asking questions that are open-ended, like “how” or “what,” invites a full expression of what’s being experienced in the moment. Using beginning statements like: “It’s interesting that I feel a tightness in my chest . . . I wonder, what does this tightness look like from the inside?” Using consciousness itself, with all the creativity available in consciousness itself, invites realizations beyond anything an identity could imagine. Other questions or insights can arise while exploring from the inside of the feeling or emotion.

3. Locate where in the body the experience is taking place; describe it; let it unfold, change, move; and, describe in each moment what’s experienced. Embodying the experience in the present actually metabolizes the experience. Identity structures are really unmetabolized experiences.

To be continued . . .

Identity Structures and Moving through the Tree of Life
A Continuation from "Exploring a Kabbalistic View of Nothingness"

Scanning what I’d written yesterday, I had two thoughts:

(1) This depiction of the tree reminds me of what appears to be mythically god-like characters (Keter, Chochmah, and Binah or gods of Will, Wisdom, and Understanding) who are dropping down what looks like a double rope. When the rope hits bottom, it begins to reveal itself as the Tree of Life.

(2) I thought the process, as I’d written it yesterday, reminded me of how the IKH process works . . . with a client, we first make the space (TzimTzum) and within this space is a reflective (and often transparent) quality that enables the two of us to do the work. Usually we begin with wherever the client is in the moment: an issue arising, a concern, a curiosity. But there’s an identity that speaks, sometimes more than one. And, when anyone is stuck (fixed) in any one identity (Nega-Gevurah within Hod?), there is little to no movement, change, growth (Nega-Gevurah within Netzach?). The issue (content) reveals the foundation (Yesod), insubstantial as it may be, where one stands. One built that foundation, even when one might think others built it. Yet rather than blaming oneself, hating oneself, one needs to promote the change and growth that one needs to move from the stuckness – to grow up. The alternative is to remain a sprout that doesn’t have the energy to reach for the Sun and to receive the nourishment, the nutrients, necessary for growth.

Until one is aware of the Truth of the situation, the stuckness, the complete and utter imbalance in Life that this identification causes, there is no desire to change, no desire for growth. When this desire to change is accompanied with the awareness of the Truth of ‘what is,’ one stands in the midst of Tiferet. At this point, as one can sense the harmony of Reality Itself AND simultaneously realizes the wanting to become unstuck, one may be inspired to remember, to “check in” with Reality often (directly, in present time) in an effort to stay as awake as possible (conscious) of this point that includes both ‘what is’ AND ‘wanting to unstick’ (relax?).

Now, the harmony of Reality doesn’t need to feel like Heaven, like some might think. Who really even knows what Heaven feels like anyway? Actually, maybe a better way to say it is that one can be in-harmony with Reality. From a place of harmony, there’s no automatic reaction to the experience; there’s clarity; and, ‘right action’ is evident. Right action is crystal clear. Why? Because one is in present time. Automatic reactions come from past time, which is something one has learned from the personal historic past.

Gevurah-like Nature of Identity Structures
All identities are structures in our body/mind/soul. These structures are fixed and constrict by their very nature. Young children, however, play with identities. A young child can expand (1) personal self-boundaries, their sense of self, to include identity structures that they’re curious about exploring. This exploration is relatively easy for young children since their sense of self is tenuous until age six or seven – the structures that comprise the personality/ego is still forming until that age. So, to young children, these structures are as disposable as the cardboard boxes they love to imagine as forts and castles. In play, young children don the garments of an identity that they’re interested in exploring. The garments include not only clothing, like cowboy boots or ballerina tutus, but also the assumed character traits the child imagines might go with the chosen character-identity.

These character-identities created during play come and go easily for the young child, depending on the interest and explorative nature of the child. These identities are imaginary and are chosen by the child. Depending on the depth of imagination available, the identities can be perceived as real ‘temporarily’. In play, the young child temporarily leaves collective reality to enjoy a wonderfully imaginative world that exists in the child’s mind.

As so-called adults, our identities are also donned like garments, yet most of our identities are not chosen consciously, however; and, these identity-structures (fixed-structures) form fixed-personalities. The structure of the fixed-personality thickens and becomes more and more rigid with age. Within this rigid-fixedness, there is no room, no place for growth or for change. And through this fixed-personality lens, one participates in a fixed-reality without dynamism, flow, potentiality – a narrow, lifeless dead-zone. True Nature itself is obscured, hidden from the individual.

The very basis of an identity-structure foundation is formed from a mistaken identity -- “this is who I am.” Some time in the past, the child perceived something to be true based on a mis-perception of the reality of an experience. The child is never taught how to “check out” reality, so the identity becomes a fixed-structure in the personality. This personality retains a fixed-belief about the way reality is and his/her relationship with that reality resulting in the world being created in the image of this belief born from a quite innocent mis-perception.

To be continued . . .


(1) This capability to expand has a Hesedic-quality where there’s more space for creativity and flow.

Exploring a Kabbalistic View of Nothingness

Awakened at 3:33 a.m. thinking of nothingness and emptiness; and it was like a part of me trying to write poetry about it. And, then, my mind began looking at those two word-concepts and experiences. I thought of Ayn Sof Nothingness and Malkhut as emptiness.

In the Kabbalistic creation story, Ayn Sof (Nothingness) pulls back and makes space within Itself for creation to take place – Nothing-ness makes room for Something-ness. From my analytical (?) perspective, it appears that Nothing becomes One and then makes room for an Other – Two. There’s a part of me that asks: “How does that work?” And, another part answers: “Don’t even try to figure it out.” Well, the true part of each of these ‘voices’ in my head is that, yes, I’d like to understand, and yes, I don’t think I can ‘figure it out;’ however, I can be open to the potential of understanding as it unfolds – if it unfolds.

This Kabbalistic view of nothingness included a memory of my experience of Malkhut and emptiness as the last sephirah on the traditional Tree of Life. In this memory-concept, Malkhut is empty – has no light of its own – yet reflects the light from all the other sephirot. Malkhut has this reflective quality, like a mirror, or still water, or . . . hmmm . . . a question just arose: “I wonder if the qualities of clear transparency AND reflectiveness can be combined (integrated)?” As I look up from my writing, I notice a glass covering on the doors to our stereo cabinet. I can see a reflection; AND, I can see it’s transparency -- I can see the stereo equipment through the glass. So, my direct experience in this moment answers the question – yes, both qualities can co-exist together. So, this could mean Malkhut’s quality of emptiness can co-exist with its quality of reflectiveness. Could this be called transparent-reflectiveness? Or, maybe reflective-transparency? Interesting.

I’ve always thought of Malkhut as a container; and, in my perception of containers, they hold something, or nothing (could be empty). And, here’s where my distinguishing nothingness and emptiness came from, I think. I experienced emptiness as the inside of a container and nothingness as nothing, boundless nothing. I’m thinking of how, when one says: “there’s nothing in there,” that the reference is to there being nothing inside (within) and that is usually synonymous with empty.

Now the Buddhist “Emptiness is Form; Form is Emptiness” arises. And, with this Emptiness-Form-Emptiness I think “because boundlessness is not perceived” – the form, some boundedness, exists to hold the emptiness, as well as fullness . . . without the boundedness there is no form; then there is nothingness.

I just noticed the reflective quality of my cat’s eyes as she sits in my lap and looks up at me. This experience reminded me that reflectiveness is not always empty as well; it’s the surface that’s reflective, in this case, where with water and the glass door-cover, it’s the substance, the material (matter); however, in each example, light is necessary for the reflectiveness. I would not be able to see the reflections without light. Now the question arises: “Does the quality of reflectiveness need light?” I think so.

And, now I’m sensing this “bouncing-ness” that’s a felt-thought having to do with the relationship of light and reflection. There’s a bouncing-back-sense. This piece feels important but I’m not “getting it” yet. It does feel that it has to do with soul, personal consciousness, but I’m not getting the particulars yet.

I just got this image-thought-question: “What if Ayn Sof created Malkhut first?” And then, this scenario flowed out from that question:

The space within (that Ayn Sof created from Itself) had a reflective quality, so that in the presence of light (with the awareness of Itself), One could see a reflection of Itself. This reflection is an image. Assuming Ayn Sof was aware of the Light (since It is Light), It would see Itself, or the image of Itself.

Another thought arises: “We were made in God’s image.” Then, “We are a reflection of the Divine.” Then, “Everything we see is a reflection of the Divine.” Next, this image-thought of Ayn Sof shining a light on parts of Itself. Since Ayn Sof is boundless, I can’t imagine a “mirror” capable of reflecting boundlessness in total (an interesting limited perspective, possibly?). The Kabbalistic perspective, however, is that we could not perceive this totality without shattering. Is the “we” that would shatter our personal consciousness, our very soul? Or, is the “we” that would shatter our identifications created by our Ego-Personality?

Back to the “idea” of Malkhut being the reflective quality and the first sephirah. This looks to me like an upside down tree now. And, now the thought: “Out of nothingness, an awareness arose that included a desire To Know Itself and To Understand Itself.” This statement reminds me of Keter, Chochmah, and Binah. The question arises now: “How far back in time have human beings (wise ones?) been saying: “Know Thyself.”

Let’s look at this upside-down tree now as a process To Know Thyself:

1. Malkhut is the reflective quality; it reflects back as Light shines (awareness shines?) It may also include the quality of transparency. (depending on what?)
2. Yesod is a foundation and is the ground (of Reality? Being? Awareness?). Our perception of the ground upon which we stand, our reality, our Being depends on what? Or, is it Yesod that has the transparent quality? i.e., a glass bottom boat.
3. Netzach/Hod – a process of becoming – is like a seed planted in the ground. Within the seed is the blueprint of whatever the see is to become. And, within the growth and development process, there’s persistence and determination to continue, to survive at first, and then to thrive. There are stages in this process of growth and development. During each stage there are various identifications, i.e., a seedling, a sprout, a young plant, a mature plant. Growth can be affected by any number of conditions: container size, food, light, water. A healthy Hod is awareness of its own nature of becoming; awareness of itself in relation to its foundation; and, it’s movement toward the Light and growth (change).
4. Tiferet is the attainment of a natural balance, harmony with the Truth of the process of becoming with awareness of the present state within this process, which has evolved from previous states/stages.
5. Gevurah/Hesed is the contraction and expansion that is eternal and present within each moment of the process; it’s a Divine inhalation, exhalation, and the pauses in between.

To be continued . . .

Manifesting from Wholeness: A Kabbalistic Perspective

The beauty of realizing Life's dreams and aspirations comes from truly manifesting in alignment with one's True Nature -- who we truly are, not who we think we are or pretend to be. Within each moment of being present and aware of our True Nature we experience an indescribable aliveness. This aliveness flows throughout our very being and that which is manifested from that place of authenticity (truth, harmony) is preciously real. It's real because it's not an image of something created by the Ego. It's real because both the Relative and Absolute worlds are transcended.

Lately I've been working with quite a number of clients in helping them with their own manifesting projects, mostly dealing with big life-transitions. Some of these clients are somewhat knowledgeable about Kabbalah because of the work we've done together in our Integrated Kabbalistic Healing sessions. These are the clients who are also very interested in understanding how Kabbalistic wisdom and understanding fit into their own manifesting process. As is often the case, we get to their question for me: How do YOU do it!? I always find it interesting how others think that it's easy for me -- easy to manifest what I want in life. Actually, there's quite a paradox here, because it is easy and it's not. I go through my own periods of struggle which (a) other people don't necessarily recognize, and (b) the struggle is really part of the process.

From this point on, I'm going to be using a lot of Kabbalistic language. If you're reading this article and would like to learn more about Kabbalah and manifesting, contact me.

Manifesting from my Tree of Life
One of the reasons that I'm able to manifest so easily, I think, is my determination and perserverence (Netzach). Once I make up my mind that I want to do something, it's like the wheels begin to turn directing my focus and attention on the efforts I need to make in order to bring whatever it is into Reality. My Netzach needs to be in balance with my (Hod), and this is especially true when my efforts are directed toward manifesting something in the world.

There are times when my confidence (Hod) wavers -- it's there and then it's not. When this wavering of confidence is happening, it's because there are a number of things happening within my Tree. Hod is also about identity and what we're identified with. My confidence wavers when, rather than being identified with the part of me that holds the vision of what is possible from the view of my True Nature, I'm identifying with an image of myself that the Ego is creating. The Ego is a master image-maker. I know this about the Ego and yet I forget.

If I'm identifying with an image of myself, then I'm not seated in Reality! These images are not real. These images are manufactured by the Ego as a means of protecting itself. And, if I'm responding to Life experiences as an image of who I am, this affects how I relate to others and how I see others. Image-selves see other image-selves. That's not even a real relationship!

The foundation from where I stand and my connection to everything is supported by Yesod and Yesod informs, feeds (Malkhut --physical reality) and how I see the world (Assiyah) . Here's an important piece, I think. Yesod is also informed by Tiferet (Harmony). For me, that's where the "not my Will but Thine" comes in. Tiferet is also connected to Keter (Will). When every aspect on my Tree is in proper relationship, there is absolutely no difference between my will and God's Will. Truth with a capital "T" comes from a healthy Tiferet, so how could it even be possible for there not to be One-Will (I don't know how I know this, honestly; it just feels right).

When my Gevurah (judgement, boundaries) are too strong and rigid, I'm much too contracted. And, in this state of contraction, I have very little love and kindness (Hesed) for myself. It's obvious, looking back at the times when I've been so constricted/contracted, that I needed Hesed's expansiveness. Isn't that always the way though? We hardly ever recognize when we're in that contracted state -- we're too contracted. My Tiferet won't resolve (reach Harmony) until I do recognize my contractedness and relax, let go with love and kindness (expansion). In that very moment, where Gevurah and Hesed are in relationship with each other, providing the balance that I need, THAT's when the separation between my will and God's dissolves into One-Will. This is not about doing what a parent wants us to do against our will. This is about being mature enough to see that we both want the same thing. What is this same thing? It's not the object alone that we're wanting to manifest! It's the Divinity within the object and knowing there's no separation.

Some people have issues with the word "God" -- I don't. Probably the only issues I have around the word "God" is about others limiting who and what God is. That said, I wonder if a number of issues around manifesting what one wants in Life isn't also about a contracted-belief in God. I see this contracted-belief in God as one of those images created by the Ego. It's just an image and yet the images the Ego creates often hold us back from being in Life, the Real.


I love this Goethe quote: "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creativity), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed have come his way.”
(to be continued)

Big Mind/Big Heart -- View from the Absolute

Because I am, heaven overhangs and earth is upheld.
Because I am, the sun and the moon go round.
The four seasons come in succession, all things are born,
Because I am, that is, because of Mind.
Eisai-zenji in the Kozen-Gokuku-Ron

---

We've been working mostly within the Relative View dialoging with voices (selves) having to do with the Mind (small mind or ego), the Body, and the Emotions. We began touching the Absolute View by dialoguing with Soul and specifically, with soul qualities. Additionally, we've learned to always end our sessions with the Integrated Human Being, the one who functions in Reality and through inner-realization work continuously unifies all parts of ourselves into the wholeness of whom we truly are.

From the Relative View

All of our inner voices (selves) come from Small Mind (Ego) and have something to say that we, as Integrated Human Beings, need to hear. Note: They're all a part of Big Mind. They just don't know it!

From the Absolute View

Everything is included with no exceptions. As the One, the Absolute, we are infinite and boundless. From this view, we can see there are no limits and everything is absolutely perfect. Everything manifests from this Oneness which is existence itself.

---

We've come to understand that when we dialogue with voices that come from the Relative, whatever they have to say is truth from their own limited perspective. The dialoguing practice provides space and time for each voice's perspective to be heard and giving each voice the freedom to speak for itself allows it to have a space -- something we've rarely done consciously in the past. Have you noticed the immaturity of these voices? This immaturity is rather narcissistic in that the whole world revolves around it. Interestingly, as each voice is given an opportunity to speak, all the other voices listen and learn. And, because of the open-ended questions we ask that come from a place of curiosity and wonder, the voice we're dialoguing with gets to explore it's own limited perspective. Each voice can actually become more conscious and thereby have less need to be intrusive, demanding, obnoxious, controlling, etc.

The opportunity to dialogue with Big Mind, as well as Big Heart, frees us to let go of all our limited views -- even if just for the moments that we're doing the practice. We actually get to experience what it's like to embrace and include it all. Even the idea of something this big can be scary for the Ego UNTIL it sees (experiences) that it's not annihilated (which is its fear) but instead is actually embraced and included in the wholeness.

Once we've experienced Big Mind and Big Heart, we can return over and over. In fact, you may find that beginning all of your dialogue practice from this point on with Big Mind changes the practice -- probably making it easier.

Lastly, after you've experienced and practiced with Big Mind/Big Heart, you'll be able to relate to the Buddha's allegory excerpted below:

The Head of a large household goes off on a journey and leaves his head servant (Controller) in charge of the house while he's away. This arrangement works fine as long as the Controller remains clear about his servant role. However, the Head stays away too long and the Controller forgets that he's there to serve the Master and begins to act as if he (Ego, small mind) was the Head of the house. When the true Master returns, he may need to set things right by putting the Controller back in his proper role as the Master's servant.

So, after practicing with Big Mind/Big Heart, we'll surely want to dialogue with the True Master.

Bridging the Gap: Integration of Emotion and Soul Voices

At this point, we may find it helpful to look at the two words: gap and integration. What do these two words mean for you? Maybe a better question is "what comes up for you in this moment around the word integration? gap?

Your first thoughts will probably be the intellectual knowing that comes from "what you know." What you know comes from mental concepts and ideas based on what you've heard others say, what you've read, or maybe what you've experienced. The level where we "know" things comes from our archives of stored information from the past rather than what we're experiencing directly in this moment -- in the present.

Wisdom-questions, Knowledge-Questions
Wisdom-questions take us deeper into ourselves whereas knowledge-questions keep us at the surface level where we "know" things. You can imagine how much our soul might love wisdom-questions. And, conversely, you can imagine how much our ego might love knowledge-questions.

When we ask wisdom-questions, we're asking from a place of wonderment, openness, expansion. From this place/space, we're open to anything that arises. Questions coming from such an open, expanded place leaves plenty of room/space for answers to arise from outside of our archived data bank. It's interesting that wisdom-questions often evoke other wisdom-questions and these other questions seem to drop us into a deeper, more expansive space.

You can see how asking knowledge-questions results in a narrowing focus as our minds search our archives for "the answer" -- the correct answer! The answer to knowledge-questions is stored in a small space, so that's where our mind has to go in order to find the answer.

Gap between Emotion and Soul
In the previous article, I introduced how Emotion and Soul arise from two different worlds or perspectives: Relative and Absolute. Emotions show up because of an "other" -- person, place, or thing and needs an "other" in order to be an emotion. Emotions need cause and effect, because they are the effect of some cause (and vice versa). Emotions come and go. Soul, with all its qualities, is ever-present whether we're conscious of this presence or not; and, soul does not need an "other" for it to be "what it is."

We can perceive this gap (difference, opening, space) between the two, emotion and soul. Working toward understanding the different emotions through dialogue practice helps to bring light into this gap. We begin to understand why particular emotions present themselves -- what triggers them.

If we let ourselves be curious enough to discover what the emotion is telling us that we're needing from an "other," we also find that it's a soul quality the ego is trying to imitate. We're literally reaching outside of ourselves for the soul quality, i.e., love, understanding, strength, that is not only within us but it's part of who we truly are.

Integration
The first step toward integration is the uncovering. We finally understand what the emotion is pointing to. It's like "the finger pointing to the moon;" it's not the moon itself. Once we see this truth, we begin to notice the presence of soul qualities that were actually present all along. We can actually dialogue with any soul quality to find out anything we're curious enough to find out -- including how to integrate It, our very own soul quality, into our lives. We can ask questions like, "how can I be aware of your presence more?" The bottom line here is that the more we're aware of, and directly experience, the ever-presence of our soul and it's qualities, the less we need the pointing devices, the emotions.

The integration process begins with our enlarging the space (ourselves) that embraces and includes both the pointing device (emotion) and that which is pointed to (soul quality). The foundation for this integration process is curiosity to know the truth and the courage to ask the questions that will inevitably lead us there. A vehicle for this integration process is dialoging and reflecting back (verbally aloud or in writing) to ourselves what we've learned. Keeping a notebook helps provide a map of the territory we're exploring.

Emotion as a Pointing Device toward Conscious Understanding -- Bridging the Relative & Absolute Worlds

Are emotions mental states that arise spontaneously? How are emotions related to feelings? What is the relationship, if any, to love as an emotion, a feeling, and a soul quality?

A general definition of an emotion describes a neural impulse that moves an organism to action. It's considered to be a psycho-physiological state and really does arise spontaneously and involuntarily.

As physical expressions, emotions are related to feelings, perceptions, beliefs associated with objects or others -- even a certain aroma can remind us of someone or an event and "wha-lah" a particular feeling and/or emotion arises instantly. We're all aware of how the physical body responds to emotions, i.e., changes in temperature and breathing; increased heartrate; tightness in throat, chest, or belly. You may very well come up with other ways your own body responds to specific emotions.

From a neurobiological perspective, emotion is a pleasant or unpleasant mental state organized in the limbic system of the mammalian brain. These mammalian elaborations use neurochemicals, e.g., dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonim, to step-up or step-down the brain's activity level.1 These 'states' are manifestations of any number of various non-verbally expressed feelings from one end of a continuum to the other end.

Looking at emotions energetically, we experience unpleasant (negative) emotions as energy-draining and pleasant (positive) emotions as energy-calming and sometimes as very alive and exhilerating. Emotions move energy -- e-motion (energy in motion) -- WHEN we facilitate rather than hinder the movement. Most of us have an automatic tendency (reaction) to "hold our breath" when we begin to experience a negative emotion. By doing the opposite, by breathing consciously, we facilitate the movement of emotional energy through us.

An emotion is experienced as a response to the nervous system and is a part of the Relative-world; a soul (or essential) quality is an expression of the Absolute-world. An emotion needs an "other" in order to arise. An emotion points toward a part/voice that needs something and is somehow trying to protect the self. An essential, soul quality doesn't point to anything outside of itself; it's complete, whole in and of itself -- it is what it is. There's no garment or anything covering up what It is. There's nothing else determining what It should be. Love is pure, unconditional Love. Strength is calm without needing to be inferior or superior to anything else.

Consider this. The Ego rules in the Relative-world and it trys to imitate Essence. From the perspective of the Relative-world, we are our Ego/Personality and from this perspective our emotions often define who we are, i.e., an angry person, a happy person. From the Absolute-world, we are Essence and our essential qualities define who we are -- our True Nature, i.e., Love, Value, Strength. From an integrated perspective, we're able to see both views; and, we're able to understand compasionately with an open heart what's being pointed to. We're not really an angry person. We're feeling angry and that feeling/emotion is pointing to some part/voice who needs to be heard, who may be feeling unloved, unappreciated, disappointed.

Guideline for Dialogue Practice
Actually, we've already done some dialogue practice with the Voice of Fear, one of the primary emotions experienced by both humans and animals. So, we know that we can find out interesting information by talking with Fear, and other emotions, directly. I'd like to suggest a slightly different variation for dialoguing with emotions. Let's see how it works for you.

• As usual, check in with the Overall Voice -- in this case, the Voice of the Overall Emotional Body. Think of this voice as the part of us that houses, or contains, all emotions. This voice is aware of all activity, i.e., agitation from some emotions, coma-like states from other emotions. We check in with this Overall Voice to find out about what's going on so that we can understand more about ourselves, thereby becoming more consciously aware. After checking-in, we can ask if there's a particular emotion we should speak to; or, we can just say, I'm curious about the emotion of ___________ and would like to dialogue with it.

Now, here's where you might want to experiment to see what works best for you. This next piece is the slight variation I was speaking about.

1. Let's say that you're curious about why you often feel disappointed (in relationships, at work, in Life). Disappointment seems to "be up in your Life right now." You could ask to speak to "the One Who (Always) Feels Disappointment." Remember to make the shift in your seat and then ask the question "who am I speaking to?" And, reply "the One Who (Always) Feels Disappointment." This helps seat you in (embody) the voice with which you're wanting to dialogue.
2. Ask any number of questions from the place of curiosity and wanting to discover whatever you can about this part/voice. The voice/part gets to say whatever it wants to say; it's speaking from it's perspective only. What the voice/part says may not, probably is not, the truth BUT it's the truth as that voice/part knows it from it's very limited perspective.
3. The dialogue that originated with Disappointment may lead to another, like "the One Who is Angry" or "the One Who Feels Unloved." Move along and dialogue with each of these as they arise, however, remember to be considerate of the voice/part with which you're speaking as you would with an actual person. You wouldn't just leave them hanging while you go off and talk with someone else who just showed up, would you?

• Once you feel like you've gotten to the bottom line, an understanding of some sort, you may want to see if you can find out which Essential, Soul Quality is being imitated? You may be able to find this out by asking the voice/part you've been working with, or you may want to explore dialoguing with the emotion itself. I'd suggest a question like: "What Essential (or Soul) quality are you most like?" How are you the same? How are you different?

Exercise
Using the handout sheet (bubble diagram) where you listed your emotions, pick those that you're curious about, those that you'd like to know more about, to use in your practice sessions. Use the guidelines provided above.

Comment Area Below
I encourage you to use the comment area below to share your experience and insights. Feel free to use your initials if you're uncomfortable using your name on this blog.

1 Source: Wikipedia Article on Emotions

The Soul: Beyond the Boundaries of the Mind

Our soulfulness is an intricate part of our humaness. We would not exist as human beings without our soul. So what is this -- soul? Can we recognize it in some way? Can we feel it? Can we somehow touch it? To say that we know that we have a soul without exploring what it is or what it means seems to be missing something deeper.

Ask any number of people "what is the soul?" and you'll get varied and usually ambiguous answers that come from concepts and beliefs, probably from a particular tradition or religion with which one has affinity. What are the chances that any one of these people can answer the question from direct experience? Can you answer this question from direct experience?

The soul is an organism of consciousness1. The soul is dynamic, constantly changing moving, flowing, unfolding and transforming. We might even see the soul as an archtype for Life. As an organic consciousness, the soul embraces and includes the ego development process and uses life-experiences to evolve -- consciousness with an even greater richness and potential. In a sense, the soul is learning how to live in the physical.

Soul, Presence, & Essence
In all the many years of reading, studying, and research having to do with the soul and it's association with Presence and Essence, my favorite teacher/author on this subject is A. H. Almaas. He describes the medium or field of the soul as the Presence of pure consciousness, the ultimate building block of our psychic life -- Essence or True Nature. He explains that Essence manifests by differentiating into Presence with recognizable qualities, i.e., peace, love, compassion, truth, pleasure, joy, strength, will, clarity, intelligence, spaciousness, etc.2

Qualities as Gateways to the Soul
From a Relative, or Dual perspective, a quality is dependent on both a subject and an object. Relative-love, for example, needs someone to give love and someone or something to receive the love. From an Absolute, or Non-dual perspective, love is love with no other purpose than to be itself. To fully embody the presence of love is to be love through and through absolutely.

What would love be like from a Transcendent perspective -- one that includes both the Relative and Absolute views?

Using the voice dialoguing practice, we can directly experience the soul just as we have previously with the Mind and the Body. We'll always begin the dialogue session by checking in, speaking with, the Overall Voice of the Soul. We can find out from this voice whether there are particular qualities that it feels would be beneficial for us to speak with. We can also let this voice know if there's a particular quality we're interested in speaking with. Remember to go back to the Overall Voice after speaking with a particular quality to check in; and, always end the dialoguing session with the Integrated Human Being. It's extremely important that you, as the Integrated Human Being, take the time to reflect verbally or in writing what you learned from each dialoguing practice.

Exercise
Using the handout sheet where you listed your soul qualities, pick those that you're curious about, that you'd like to know more about, to use in your practice sessions. Remember to start with the Overall Voice of the Soul and then proceed as described above.

Comment Area Below
I encourage you to use the comment area below to share your experience and insights. Feel free to use your initials if you're uncomfortable using your name on this blog.

1 A. H. Almaas, "The Inner Journey Home"
2 ibid.

Mind-Body Awareness: Integration of Both

In the June 11th article, "Perspectives of the Mind (in the Relative World)," and in the first tele-class, we were able to see a relationship in how the Ego with its various parts/voices within the Mind was created as a means to protect us, the self -- at first at a very early age and then continuing the 'protective mission' as we grew up and became adults.

We began our lives as Essence; and then, as part of the ego-development process, we became more and more associated with the various artifact-like identifications that the Ego creates in order to exist. Since an artifact is an object, a piece of something, we can look at it from a Kabbalistic perspective and see that an artifact is a yesh-mi-yesh, something from something, and is associated with the psychological and symbolic universe, Yetzirah.

Now Essence is not an 'object' that we find within ourselves; it is the true nature of who we are -- it is the truth of our very presence, the purity of our consciousness and awareness. It is the ultimate core reality of our soul. Essence has been given many names by different spiritual traditions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam called it Spirit; Buddhism calls it Buddha nature; Taoism calls it the Tao; Hinduism calls it Atman or Brahman. 1

In a sense, we might say that the Ego tries to imitate Essence, the essential qualities of Essence. The Ego only understands how to objectify. To the Ego everything is an object, an image, a copy of something -- 'something from something.'

Anne Foerst, a theologian who became known for her work with humanoid robots at MIT's Computer Science and Artifical Intelligence Laboratory, calls a human being homo narrandus -- the story-making animal. You see, the robots at the AI lab that best mimic human behaviors do not rely on a single big computer to solve a big problem like walking. Instead, the robot builders distribute small computers, like brains, throughout the robot, and the net effect of all those little brains working on small, separate problems is a robot that walks much like we do. We humans evolved in much the same way as the little-brained robots. Our three trillion cells have separate as well as integrated lives. We even have real brains spread throughout our bodies . . . every part of us is talking to us all the time -- even if we generally aren't conscious of the conversation.2

We often define ourselves by our personal stories which we can find deep in our flesh and bones as well as our psyche. It's not just in our heads (or Mind), the very cells in our bodies hold our personal stories as well. I find it interesting to see each part/voice as a character in our own story. In fact, the more parts/voices we're able to see, able to become aware of, the more we're able to see the complete picture from various different perspectives.

In the Kabbalistic Creation Story, the last seven vessels (sephirot) that emanated from Source, the Ayn Sof, broke -- shattering into pieces or shards. As these pieces fell, they captured sparks of Divine Light, forming shells, or husks, with a Divine inner core. It is a Kabbalistic belief that it is human-kind's responsibility to gather these sparks and free them from the shells thereby raising the sparks to rejoin the Infinite -- a Unification.

I can't help but compare these shells that cover up the Divine sparks with the Ego imitations that cover up pieces of Essence. My own experience in discovering and dialoguing with various parts/voices, both Mind and Body, is that I'm uncovering and getting closer to the bigger picture, Truth, Essence and thereby returning the sparks to their original source.

Exercise
After experiencing the parts/voices within the Mind and the Body, we need to ask ourselves questions like the following (feel free to add others). Your answers are specific to you and your own experience. All answers are acceptable; there are no right or wrong answers. Answering these questions from the perspective of the "Integrated Human Being" is helpful in synthesizing and integrating the work we've been doing together.

1. How does the Mind affect the Body? Specifically, which parts/voices do you recognize affecting your Body? Explain how.
2. How does the Body affect the Mind? Specifically, which body parts, functions, systems do you recognize as affecting your Mind? Explain how.
3. Which voices within the Mind help and/or hinder the Body -- it's functions, health, size, shape (anything else?)?
4. Which parts/systems within the Body help or hinder the Mind?

Comment Area Below
I encourage you to use the comment area below to share your experience and insights. Feel free to use your initials if you're uncomfortable using your name on this blog.

1 "Spacecruiser Inquiry" by A. H. Almaas.
2 "The Power of a Good Story," by Stephen Kiesling in Spirituality & Health magazine, November/December 2005, Volume 8, Number 6.

Body Wisdom -- Listening to Your Body

It seems that only recently, over the last 25 years or so, that we've moved from a mechanistic view of the physical body to a more holistic view. By mechanistic, I'm referring to the way people referred to the body as a machine, an object -- an inanimate object at that! Maybe I'm relating more to my own shift in perspective, but still I've noticed more and more publications, media, etc. that seem to be concerned with paying attention to the body. Remember the saying: "No pain, no gain"? In fact, I read an article the other day where an athelete was talking about how he learned the hard way to listen to his body. He talked about injuries that his body sustained because he did not listen and that today he's much more in tune with his body.

Most of us take our own physical body for granted as long as it's working as we think it should. And, when something isn't working right, we often ignore it until it's manifested as a discomfort, pain, or disease that we can no longer ignore.

It's my personal experience that, although allopathic (Western) medicine has come a long way, most (not all) doctors still "pooh-pooh" the holistic approach that includes finding the root cause for whatever the patient is presenting. So, oftentimes it's up to us to work at our own discovery of the root cause of what's happening in our body. I do find it refreshing to meet doctors who are open to complementary processes and modalities rather than merely writing prescriptions to make the symptom go away. My own General Practitioner is one of these -- a real gem who's open to listening to other options even when they're unconventional.

Why is it that we don't think of, and appreciate, all the various functions and systems that keep the body alive and working? What would it be like to actually be taught this kind of awareness (preferably at a young age)? Why didn't we know that every cell within our body has an infinite intelligence beyond our understanding and that all we need to do is pay attention and listen?! Isn't it all a mystery that all this and more exists (and works!) without our conscious control?

The Body Dialogue Process
Within each of us there is a reservoir of information. The Body Dialogue Process taps into this reserve and creates the opportunity for conscious communication with the overall voice of the body and the many selves/parts which support the body's miraculous functioning. The body and it's many selves, like any other part touched through the Voice Dialogue process, wants to be heard and acknowledged for the significant role it serves in the overall well being of the person. What's possible for us once we are in a conscious relationship with our body is to: eat when we are hungry; sleep when we are tired; and do exercise or movement because our body wants and needs it. 1

Body Scan
Take at least five minutes each morning as you awaken to do a slow body scan where you're consciously scanning each area and part of your body to see what you feel. Note if there's heaviness, numbness, tingling, warmth, coldness, discomfort or pain, etc. Just notice whatever you notice without trying to fix it or change it. Become aware of your body with your own consciousness.

Overall Body Voice
Just as the Protector/Controller is seen as the overall voice of the Mind and its many selves, there is an Overall Body Voice. We need to check-in with this Overall Body Voice periodically to find out how it's doing, if there are any concerns, and if there is any particular part with which we need to dialogue. In fact, after doing a body scan we can ask the Overall Body Voice about anything particular that we noticed during the scan. Lastly, we can ask the Overall Body Voice if there's any particular part of the body with which we should dialogue. Always end your Body Dialogue sessions with the Integrated Human Being where you can reflect back, verbally or in writing, what you learned from the dialogue.

Exercises
There are two different exercises below that you can either do together or separately. The first one can be done in only 5 minutes (or longer, if you prefer). The second one will take longer.
(1) Practice the 5 minute body scan each morning before you get out of bed and/or each evening as you're going to bed/sleep.
(2) Practice dialoguing with the Overall Body Voice and on to any voice/part the Overall Body Voice suggests you work with.

Comment Area Below
I encourage you to use the comment area below to share your experience and insights. Feel free to use your initials if you're uncomfortable using your name on this blog.


1 Article: "Learning the Language of the Body," Judith Tamar Stone. She created the Body Dialogue Process after being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in her late twenties. Through her unwillingness to give up her body to a lifelong sentence of medications and pain, she began to apply the theories of Voice Dialogue and the Psychology of Selves through the voices of the body. Over the course of the past 18 years she has inspired and empowered others to learn the unique language of their own body.

Perspectives of the Mind (in the Relative World)

Let's begin by meeting ourselves where we are, or at least where we find ourselves most of the time -- the Mind in the Relative world.

With depth psychology, we learn that the development of the Ego is an integral process of every human being. It's interesting that in trying to understand this process we find that the Ego is an image-maker. The Ego creates images of anything and everything having to do with life experiences as a means to define itself and the world. From the time we are infants, the Ego begins to emerge showing us, distinguishing for us, that there's a self and an other -- an image of the self and an image of the other. These images form and change throughout our lives.

At this point, we can ask ourselves the following questions:

What images do I have about myself? About who I am, my aspirations, my limitations? How do these images about myself affect my relationships with others? With myself? Are these mere images and, therefore, not real? What is the truth?

Within the Voice Dialogue system, or process, we learn that the Ego creates various different selves (termed "voices") as a means of protection -- to protect the self which, of course, protects the Ego. Each of these selves has a specific function with the underlying mission -- to protect. The voice that's "in charge" of all the other voices is called the Protector, or Controller. Other voices include: the Fixer, the Critic, the Judge, the Pleaser, the Rebel, the Seeker, the Victim, the Vulnerable Child. There are many, many voices. Basically, remember this: 'if you can name it, it's a voice'.

Some basic guidelines to use in the dialoguing process are as follows:

• never have an agenda other than curiosity to understand, to see what you can learn
• always ask permission to speak to a specific voice
• shift your body to initiate the shift in consciousness
• use the pronoun "I" when speaking from the perspective of 'the voice' and the pronoun s/he (or "the self" or your name) when 'the voice' is giving information about you
• always ask the voice this question: "how do you help the self?"
• identify and speak with the opposite voice
• complete the process by reflecting on what you've learned and how you might integrate it

For every voice we recognize within ourselves, there's an opposite voice, one we may or may not recognize. Most often the unrecognized voices, the one's we find hard to imagine or get in touch with, are our disowned voices. I call these my orphans. Another rule of thumb is that when we dialogue with a voice, we need to dialogue with the opposite. After we've dialogued with both, we need to stand back and reflect, either verbally or in writing, what we learned from these two opposites.

Speaking from the perspective of any of these voices can be extraordinary as we're introduced to knowledge about ourselves we did not know or fully understand previously. If, or when, we find that we're not learning anything new, or not receiving a better understanding about ourselves, then there may very well be something (a voice) blocking, resisting the process. A good voice to speak to in this case is Fear. Ask questions like: "As fear, what are you afraid of (having to do with the voice we were just speaking to)?" Even with the voice of Fear, you need to ask the question: "how are you helping the self?" Once you dialogue with Fear in this way, you should be able to go back to the voice with which you were working.

Exercise
We're now ready to do the following exercise. It can be done alone; however, it's particularly helpful, especially when first learning this work, to both facilitate others and be facilitated by others.

Identify a self/voice that you feel you are particularly identified with. Use all the basic guidelines above to dialogue with this part of you. When you've finished with that voice, identify and dialogue with the opposite. After speaking with this opposite voice, step back and reflect, either verbally or in writing, what you've learned from each voice. Lastly, talk, or write about, how you can integrate both voices in your life now.

Repeating this exercise with more than one voice will help you understand more about yourself AND will help you in learning how to shift your consciousness more easily from one voice-perspective to another.

Comment Area Below
I encourage you to use the comment area below to share your experience and insights. Feel free to use your initials if you're uncomfortable using your name on this blog.

Soul Expressions: Giving Voice to Aspects of the Soul/Self

The Evolution
This work has evolved over a number of years beginning with my personal work with Integrated Kabbalistic Healing* where in my own healing sessions I realized there were parts of myself that I denied. I denied their very existence either because I did not like those parts and thought they were 'bad' or, in some cases, did not know they really existed within me. It became evident to me that I could basically sit down with these parts, one at a time, and ask them questions to find out more about them as if they were someone else -- as if I was meeting someone new for the first time and wanted to find out more about them. I found this method extremely helpful in finding out more about my Self with curiosity rather than judgement.

Out of the realizations that accompanied my using this method to discover more about mySelf, I began forming small groups of individuals who were interested in discovering more about themselves too. The group meetings became known as A Soul Connection Groupwork. I taught this "talking to parts" method to the groups. They (we) were often astounded at the information discovered as a result of opening ourselves to the possibility of "talking with" these parts. They (we) were literally making space (making room) for more of ourselves. The evolution of this work continued beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

Last year, I was introduced to the Big Mind* process where I was able to see a further expansion -- from talking with the "voices" of the parts of ourselves to an actual shift of consciousness to a place of unity, of Oneness, where there's no longer a subject/object split. I found that in using the Big Mind process, we can make a shift from a rigid, egoic perspective to a more expanded perspective that embraces and includes more of who we really are. This process opens us to realizing and recognizing ourselves beyond the Relative view where we're used to living day-to-day. We get to see ourselves from within the Absolute and the Transcendent views as well as the Relative. We all have the capacity to embrace and include it all and with this capacity comes a profound compassion and respect for ourselves, others, and humanity as a whole.

As I understand it, the Big Mind process grew out of a seed -- Voice Dialogue and the Psychology of Selves* where Voice Dialogue works with the psychological aspects of the individual that develop as a result of the ego development process. In studying Voice Dialogue's methods, I could see where this work heals a subject/object split that's created as we mature from childhood to adulthood. Voice Dialogue teaches us how these parts/voices are created by our own ego as a part of a process to keep us safe when we were vulnerable as children and continues to do its 'safe-keeping' function even after we grow up.

Along this journey from my discovery of Big Mind to Voice Dialogue, I kept asking the question: "What about the body?" I kept thinking that the body and all it's functions and systems must also have a voice or voices to which we can dialogue. My question was answered relatively quickly when I found Body Dialogue*. Body Dialogue came from the same seed, Voice Dialogue, and is a profound way of getting more in touch with our physical body. If there was any doubt left within me, it was dispelled once I experienced Body Dialogue.

From a Kabbalistic perspective, there are different levels of the Soul and these levels come from specific Kabbalistically-viewed worlds/universes. As we become aware of these soul-levels, we can see how one embraces and includes the other. In Soul Expressions . . . we learn how to speak from each soul-level and we learn how to integrate each level along the way so that we arrive at a fully integrated destination.

*Notes:
Integrated Kabbalistic Healing was developed by Jason Shulman, internationally known spiritual teacher and modern kabbalist, and the founder of A Society of Souls.

Big Mind was developed by Zen Master Dennis Genpo Merzel, founder of the international Sangha named Kanzeon from the Boddhissatva of Compassion.

Voice Dialogue and the Psychology of Selves was developed by Drs. Hal and Sidra Stone, providing a psychospiritual approach to consciousness and transformation that include awareness-work with the many selves or subpersonalities that make up the psyche.

Body Dialogue, developed by Judith Tamar Stone, expands and deepens the Voice Dialogue process to a profound mind/body communication level.