Archive for the ‘Consciousness’ Category

Nurturing the Feminine Inside

September 27th, 2011 by Michele

Have you heard? Menopause is a spiritual transition.

It is a grand and sacred occurrence that demands deep self-nurturing from within. During this phase of life, women, and the men around them, are asked to journey into unknown inner terrain and embrace feminine energies in an unusual way. At the very least they are guided to find a balance of both masculine and feminine energies inside themselves.

On the surface, menopause is still often defined as a sort of temporary state of being based on a hormonal shift.  And in concert with its superficial design, not in deference, it is time to remember the deeper mysteries of the body as they reflect the constant flux and re-balancing of humanity and spirit, yin and yang.

Unlike its centuries-old predecessors, or even its pre-1990′s representatives, menopause no longer inspires visions of old gray crones on rickety limbs, old maids or even granny-hood and retirement. Youthful, vibrant and wise women are instead the ambassadors of this passage. In Goddess circles, there is a new term for those in this particular cycle of life: they are Queens!

Pretty much all women in any stage of menopause will tell you–whether it be pre, peri or post–this is a time of incredible growth and multidimensional change, especially if it is navigated naturally. One physical symptom can encourage a thought or an emotional response, which if given the least bit of attention can lead to moments of great inspiration and epiphany. In reverse, acknowledgement of that same creativity and connection can be traced back to an uplifting sense of physical warmth and well-being, and an aggravating hot flash, depending on the person or the moment.

Whether a conscious voyage or not, menopause will almost always call on the deepest forms of inner strength and stamina, self-worth, inherent confidence and capacity for sometimes excruciating inner expansion, even when hormone replacement therapy is the preferred method of management.

There’s only so much a false floor can hold.

Certainly an appropriate word when applied to any attempt to control menopause (as with HRT or even herbal support), management can potentially make the ride a bit smoother for a while. Yet, there is another option. Mastery, an essential practice of curiosity, self-compassion, positive outlook, intriguing emotional balancing acts and deft juggling, physical health, as well as a focus on spiritual connections, or devotion.

Truthfully, we all eventually realize there is no controlling much of anything in life, much less this wondrous cycle in spite of its many unmarked capillaries to denial. The creative power of menopause is unfathomable, and that is no exaggeration. Women may as well look upon this as a transcendent event because it will take them into the shadows of the unknown whether they are ready or not. Mastery–skill, understanding and virtuosity among other definitions–is proportionally a much more accommodating vein through which the grander energy currents can move and flow.

Unfortunately, menopause is not really seen by the outer, non-menopausal world as anything beyond some sort of middle aged, physical event or, strangely, a day marking the end of menstruation. It’s different now. Consider this: 11 years ago, out of approximately 281.5 million people, there were 32 million women in the US between the ages of 35-49. That’s over 11 percent of the total US population.

Today those same women are now between 46-60 years old, in some part of the menopausal cycle. Along with that incredibly large and influential portion of the populace, we can thank Dr. Christiane Northrop for its current state of visibility. Since the publication of “Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom”  in 1994, many interesting and informative books have been published about menopause, it’s physical, emotional and even spiritual aspects. They are filled with personal stories, information about how to alleviate symptoms and the management of life during menopause.

No one yet, has written a book about truly the mastering energy of the female body during menopause. There are several key sections & chapters in a book about mastering the energy of menopause:

1. Acceptance

2. Gratitude

3. Enjoyment

4. Amusement

5. Trust

6. Self-compassion

7. Self-empowerment

8. Self-observation

Meanwhile, here are some questions to ponder in present time or for future reference:

-How do women take practical command of their own spiritual journey during menopause?

-How do they find mastery here, and then help to guide the next generation through this incredibly demanding and magical time in life?

-What if some day down the road access to herbs and supplements, not to mention pharmaceuticals, were denied to the average person?

-What if there were no more candles or bathtubs filled with sea salt, CD’s and ipods, chamomile tea?

-What if there were no more external substances and outside remedies to ingest?

-What if we were asked to find a way to communicate with the true God and Goddess of our hearts, as opposed to some fluffy ideal that makes us feel good…temporarily?

-What if, humanity was one day fully blessed with remembrance and guided toward a gateway into the deepest most inherent part of our beingness?

-Would we know the way? Would we have the courage to step through the gate, to embrace the truth of our inner sanctuary and essence?

-Would we be willing to nurture ourselves enough to find that gate and to sustain that once beyond it?

If you’d like to be part of a menopause survey and study, please join the Queen of Fire Community!

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Consciousness, Energy Physiology, Menopause, The Mysteries | No Comments »

Stress & Self Reflection

July 5th, 2011 by Michele

I’ve learned a little lately by watching myself create stress out of thin air. Because of that self observation, now, instead of making haste when I’m at home feeding the cats or making dinner, I move thoughtfully and slowly; I breathe while I work; I drive the speed limit more and more, and I’ve begun to give myself time in between engagements. These are the simple things I do to shift my programming.

One of the sources for my stress, I’ve fairly recently discovered, is driven by a need to please. Now this isn’t profound, yet it’s something we all do at some level. It can be incredibly insidious. We often ignore and or we continue to find deeper levels of it. It’s not hard to spot this trait in others, though our own blind spots get bigger as we get stiffer. Take a moment to honestly inquire within about how you try to please other people.

Do you see it? Why do you do this?

How does it appear, in what situations, and where does it come from? Its origins are probably linked to a deep desire for relationship, fear of losing those relationships or some other deeply rooted survival concern which honestly could be just as stressful as the obsessive compulsive act of pleasing. Even the relationship you have with your personal image, your work and other definitions in the world are at stake here.

On a more positive note, this desire to please is connected to a desire to serve, albeit at times quite compulsively; to help or to assist in some way. For me, well all I want is to make sure everyone gets on the road to ascension! That’s a lot of work, isn’t it? And it’s really not my job, anyway. How much effort and stress do you think that stirs?!

Are you stressed right now? How so? Take a few breaths, touching your lower abdomen between your navel and pubic bone. Feel the connection between your breath and this point on your body. First ask yourself how you feel physically, wait while you breathe and then ask to sense the emotions present. Maybe you notice some thoughts running through your mind; these are linked to emotions and of course, the mental tapes are often the cause of stress in the moment.

If you can get past the front story, can you find what lies underneath those stories? Take a few more breaths, relax and ask for the information to surface. What drives your stress?

Is your stress primarily emotional, mental, physical or even possibly spiritual? Are you in the midst of a personal crisis, a serious health issue, death in the family, marriage, new born, financial instability, war, natural disaster, work pressure or job shift, perfectionism, emotional suppression, simple digestive concerns or even self-worth issues? Do you experience any spiritual oppression or any other negative and pervasive energies?

Breath by breath you can access the cause. Not so ironically, you really can’t access the information while in a state of stress! Take another deep breath to release any negative or intense energies. Do it again, repeating this slow, thoughtful breathing for at least 9 cycles. If you’re compelled to jump up and do something, take another deep breath, noticing how you feel.

Your breath will take you on an inner journey, deeper into more thoughts, buried dross and long forgotten experiential emotions. Be still, like a bird watcher. Feel the rhythms of your breath moving and cleansing.

Journal about your stress in this moment and again when you take the time to explore, inquire and self-reflect; request more clarity as you drift off to sleep tonight, awakening with new insights and relief.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Brain & Nervous System, Consciousness, Energy Physiology | 3 Comments »

How the Cycle of Stress Works

July 5th, 2011 by Michele

How does the Cycle Work?

It’s also in us to be stressed in the right circumstances; that’s the true rhythmic and elemental piece. Like food, if we’re addicted to stress, how do we find balance without becoming overweight, diabetic or anorexic; and in this instance, complacent and apathetic or dead in the face of a kumodo dragon on some movie screen?

In simple terms, here’s the way our system expresses stress: the fore brain perceives a potentially dangerous situation and transmits this information to the hypothalamus deep in the midbrain. The hypothalamus sends a message via the sympathetic (masculine, Yang, Sun) branch of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) to the endocrine system (pituitary, adrenals) which then pumps up the appropriate chemicals and limbs to deal with this danger. In the end, it’s usually adrenalin that overtakes our systems making us feel fast, strong and powerful, able to overcome anything. So we run away, or we stand and take on the challenge. This is better known as fight or flight and it takes us right back to our mammalian and sometimes reptilian patterns.

But you already know that.

How wonderful to feel so formidable! Our ego-minds get engaged encouraging us saying, “let’s do that again!” And so the cycle perpetuates.

Because our Western world no longer offers us many opportunities for the very physical and eminent danger of being killed by wild beasts, falling over a cliff, or going without food on any given day, we automatically find ways to exercise our fight-flight mechanism. Thrill seeking through outdoor adventure and other extreme behavior in our culture; driving in a car and creating stressful situations in contained environments like work or career; and relationships can trigger adrenalin just as easily. So we do it, over andover again. It becomes so sophisticated, this need for power and speed, that the tiniest things can trigger a release of our inner, biologically spiritual drug.

Physiologically we have yet to evolve to our greatest capacity, and abating stress is a really important step up into higher consciousness. If we remain stuck in the lower vibrations of stress, we cannot access the divine experiences we long for; sticking here is no better than hanging out in a dingy bar playing pool all day long or watching reality television murder stories all night long.

Like Don Quixote, we humans like to fight our elements microcosmically (inside our own spiritual, mental and emotional terrain) too, so we really need to learn a little about managing and abating stress before even our sacred practices take us into unresolvable, addictive stress patterns.

Have you ever seen a Yogi addicted to stress? No joke, I have!

Some say stress motivates us. Some say it’s a demon, calling it an ever-present, oppressive omnipotence that pervades the universe. Some deny stress altogether, thinking they’re cool and collected. I have my doubts about the truth in those images, even when the projections look calm, not sweaty. Some are just so addicted to the biochemistry of stress, and for a while, at least until they use up their resources and burn-out their adrenals, they look really good in tight skin suits, sinewy, dry muscles and rigid jawlines.

Where’s the razor’s edge here? I believe it’s up to you to find your own fine line.

You can read more about the cycle of stress and the autonomic nervous system here.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Brain & Nervous System, Consciousness, Energy Physiology | 2 Comments »

Elements of Stress

July 5th, 2011 by Michele

ELEMENTS OF STRESS
Why do we stress?

Let’s start with some habits. Does any of this sound familiar?

1. Striving (struggling) to make things happen.

2. Completing everything so there’s nothing to do before going to bed or on a trip. Or, doing one last thing before leaving the house.

3. Rushing from one appointment to the next.

4. Hurrying up so you can relax.

5. Driving fast everywhere you go.

6. Always about 5 minutes late because you leave right when you need to be where you’re going

8. Using power over people in your life.

9. PROCRASTINATION and CONTROL!!

These are all very basic and fairly normal stress states, though they’re really only symptoms of what lies much deeper within us. Will you be one to discover what’s underneath the sprawling superficial layers that cover the root system? If we know we’re creating more stress by acting in these ways, WHY do we perpetuate it? Or do we even notice?

Many of us actually like stress because it’s in our nature to push the envelope. Just how far, and in what ways can we push it for purposes of learning and growing before it truly becomes a stress monster or even an addiction?

The energy of our human composite is something akin to creation and destruction, expansion and boundaries, masculine and feminine principles. These are the foundations from which we use stress to evolve naturally, though in this era we sometimes push our minds and bodies so far with the constant pressure of the media and the introduction of newer and grander technologies, we fry our brains and injure our constitutions.

We can break Yin and Yang into individual parts and see how extreme masculine energy quickly grows into that monster. It’s symptoms are over-powering, over-acting, pushiness & bulldozing, willfulness, over-achievement, control, and are often a result of our resistance to flowing with our natural rhythms and soul forces. This monster feeds on the distance or space we create between Yin and Yang, each other, and the amount of time and energy we expend jumping from one construct to the other searching for an experience of balance and integration. Then destroy it all over, again and again.

If we were more emergent and a bit more curious, as opposed to distracted and compulsive, would we be so stressed? Or would we be bored from a lack of polarized definitions?

Stress is elemental in geological, philosophical, sociological, anthroposophical, physiological and metaphysical ways. Because at best, we humans are ever the alchemists, striving to harness, transform and control the elements of earth, wind, water, fire, space, our minds and emotion; we create lots of chaos in everything we do. And with that we leave a lot of entropy.

Some of this chaos and entropy are immediately noticeable, and when we are awake and present, we use the entropy for our evolution. Yet, much of it remains un-recycled, and has long standing repercussions, even covert reactions and effects that bubble up intermittently and often appear centuries down the historical pathway in places we’d never think to look.

On a purely physical level, think about nuclear energy; it epitomizes stress from within its creation, to the use of its power, to the day it becomes destabilized like in Japan or Three Mile Island, and of course into the earthly elements for decades and centuries to follow.

Directional cue: Don’t waste too much time on superficial mundane meanderings here; think back to the basic studies of geology, physiology, philosophy, anthroposophy, sociology and metaphysics. How does stress, chaos and entropy create more stress on the related and subterranean levels inside of you?

It’s in us to be stressed, and if we aren’t already naturally and actively engaged in the practice of stress, we make it so, everywhere we go. We wear stress like a trophy in every season by resisting what we’ve already chosen–human form, earth life, our families, jobs and more. And yet, it’s also in us to be free and relaxed, if only we could trust and allow the Sun to shine, the winds to blow, the earth to quake and the rains to pour without our help and interference. If we did allow it, if we did use our will coupled with clear thought and inspiration, what would be able to manifest? If we used our God-given gifts, we might just be more balanced!

If.

This resistance runs deep, though. On the outside it may look a lot like certainty, knowingness, intelligence and actualization, especially when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Our minds see what they want to see. Sometimes it holds all those wonderful qualities, that’s true. Yet when it doesn’t, or even when we’re brave enough to slow down to experience a different rhythm–an internal rhythm, one that’s linked to the rhythms and tides of our planet and beyond–then we know there’s something off beat inside of us. Until we change our pace for a mere moment, until we live without extreme stress and breathe a bit more consciously, we’ll never know this other option exists.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Brain & Nervous System, Consciousness, Energy Physiology | 2 Comments »

Planet What?

March 14th, 2011 by Michele

Dateline: Santa Fe, New Mexico, approximately 3:30 am, Tuesday, February 21.

Nineteen hours into the future, in Christchurch New Zealand, on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 21, a 6.3-measured earthquake had just roared through the south island of that little island nation.

At that time in the US, most of us were fast asleep. In my bed, I imagined I was high on a hilltop; the waves of golden grains and grasses rolling by in the breeze as I looked out at the landscape and beyond.

It must have been summer time in the California coastal foothills. The sky was a burnt-yellow haze.

The sun was warm, not hot, though the air felt like the singeing yawn of an oven door opening as it moved through my nostrils. Dry and incredibly still outside, everything was quiet with that hovering, heavy feeling we left coasters call Earthquake weather. It was almost one of those days when time stood still.

I was alone.

For a while all I could see were the hills as they swept down toward the ocean, someplace far below me and a little further West. Scanning the horizon, there was nothing to see, really, yet my gaze went beyond the limits of my eyes; I was intent on finding what I felt was soon arriving, from someplace way out there.

Not too surprisingly, a large, sand-colored sphere appeared in front of me, floating in that murky haze, right where the sea must have flooded out from the edge of the world I knew.

I stood up from a squat and almost fell immediately back onto my butt into the itchy grasses as the great marbled mass bumped into Earths’ aura. Before I stood up again, the monster ball had nudged the atmosphere two more times.

Strange how I was still calm; even stranger that nothing serious had happened, yet. It took a little while before my mind finally groked that this giant brownish-tan sphere was actually another planet and I was watching the collision point between it and my Earth, all in excruciatingly slow, slow motion.

Almost as though the two behemoths had locked horns, they’d pressed on each other a few more times before I realized the hills were caving in on themselves and debris was falling down from the sky above. Chunks of the Earth that had first flown upward were landing now, like a thousand mines all exploding simultaneously in front of me.

I started to run when I finally awakened to the severe reality of this event only moments later. I ran down the rounded golden bellies of grain, kind of sliding, kind of flying. I focused and listened to the clearly directive, inner conversation that told me over and over “to hurry and warn everyone about the earthquake before it happened.”

Then my body woke up.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Consciousness, The Mysteries | No Comments »
« Older Entries