Art of Surrender Series - Part I

I am beginning a series on the Art of Surrender. And I'm so excited!

This practice has become a focus in my warrior training and it is an exciting, sometimes nerve-wracking, always potential-filled roller-coaster experience. And in those moments when "It" happens, ahhh... there are no words to describe it.

Today's article comes from a wonderful writer named Robert Adams.

"The Art of Surrender" according to R. Adams

Surrender. And you are amazed by what you have heard. You begin to do just that. While you are at work. While you are washing the dishes, while you are watching TV, you always remember to surrender. And one day the inner teacher pulls your mind inward to the Source and you Awaken. You become liberated. You become your Self. Then you are Free.

There is nothing in this world or anywhere else that can affect you or cause harm to come to you unless you believe it. The growth of the world is made up of mental beliefs. Everything that you behold is a projection of your mind, and because it keeps changing constantly, you cannot say, "This is reality." For instance, your body is not the same as it was 10 years ago, or 20 years ago or when you were first conceived. How can you therefore say that your body is real?

On Impermanence

The world isn't the same as it was twenty years ago, everything has changed. Then how can you possibly say the world is real? Most of us are afraid to get into that subject...for we begin to feel that nothing is permanent, and this brings fear. If nothing is permanent, then who am I really? What am I? Where did I come from? What is the source of myself? These questions can only be answered by you.Something Beautiful

There is something more beautiful, more grand, more wonderful, than you could ever imagine, that exists within you, which is the substratum of all existence. Yet in order to feel this joy, this bliss, in order to find total freedom from life's so-called burdens, you have to dig for yourself. You have to give up something. You can't stay the way you are, with the same disposition. the same values, the same preconceived ideas, the same concepts and be free. You cannot do this. You have to do an about face and totally give up all your ideas about what life is, totally surrender your ego, your mind, your body.

Just Being is enough. Not being this, not being that. Just Being. The Secret to Peace of mind is to not identify with anything other than your True Self.

To whom do you surrender this? To your Self .... the only burden you have ever had is your mind. There is no other burden. See if you can stop your mind for a few seconds and see how peaceful you are. When there are no thoughts there are no fears, no worries. There's no anxieties, no desires, no wants, no greed, no hurt, no enemies. It is the mind, the thoughts that cause these things to come to us. We actually create these conditions. We create our own reality. Think of the kind of life you are living today, your possessions, your friends. your loved ones, your employment. Do these things come to you through luck or chance? Of course not. You have created all things yourself, for you have believed in the false self, you have imagined you are a human being who has to go through experiences. You have been brainwashed since you were little to believe the things you believe today.

(Note: Transcript 32: " The love you share with others in this life is eternal." )

Go Within

So, if you really want freedom, liberation, you do not go searching for this. It is nowhere to be found. For it already exists within yourself. You are already That. So where can you go searching for it? Who can give it to you? If you want water, you turn on the tap. You do not look at the tap and scream and cry, "I want water." You turn on the tap and you have water. Yet when you were a little kid, you did not how to turn on the tap.Therefore, if you wanted a drink, you would cry and make a fuss, and your mom or dad would open the tap and give you a drink. So, can you drink from the spring of eternal life which is your reality? You have to turn on the tap. You have to turn yourself inside out. Can you imagine how you would look turned inside out? It wouldn't be a pretty sight.

The Choice

Most of us believe that if you hear the right word, that if you awaken through the Grace of a Sage, you will be free. This is true in some cases. But these people that you have read about in the holy books who were touched by the Grace of a Sage, these people have done their homework, prior to his happening. You have to want it yourself, and when you want it badly enough, something will happen to you. When you desire liberation more than anything else in life, you have begun to give up your stuff.

credits:
Visit The Robert Adams Infinity Institute of Compassionate Living.
Link to entry on Current Teacher's page
The previous article by The Robert Adams Infinity Institute of Compassionate Living.

Freedom Eagle

Hubby & I were at the colorado "beach" yesterday w/our dogs. We were having a pretty awesome discussion about the new cycle coming in 2012 and we saw a bald eagle flying overhead! It was the 1st time I have seen an eagle soaring freely! He had a beautiful stark white head & tail and everything. :) It was amazing. It took both our breaths away.

The Joy of Living in the Moment - Where the ordinary is extraordinary

It seems the older I get the more I appreciate the extraordinary in the ordinary. Not that I didn't appreciate it before. But there is something deeper and simpler happening with my day-to-day joys. I think it is also in accordance with the earth changes and shifts, and returning to all things simpler and appreciated.

Yesterday my hubby and I were eating veggie burgers (well, I was, he had a regular - but with some very yummy toppings, cranberries, brie and carrot slivers. Mine, a homemade veggie delite of rice, beans and whatever else (delicious) made into a fab-burger, and stacked with julliened roast red peppers (tons), sprouts, onions (I love being married, you can eat onions anytime) and divine balsamic dressing. We shared a side of sweet potato fries that was served with some crazy good roast-veggie-alioli. It was veggie heaven!) We were at a local (wonderful) eatery when news came on the tube of a Tsunami watch in Hawaii and the earthquakes happening off the coast of Chile.

First, and of course, I wanted to cry. As I always do when humanity shares an event like this. I also felt simultaneously glad to be in a public and social space when the news came, b/c it felt like being connected to our human family, and being a-part-of instead of apart-from, as we all sat in concern and focus together. You could feel the love and common bond in the room. Secondly, I also felt a warm need to get home to our doggie-dogs, to cuddle and feel so grateful simply for our togetherness in these shifting & sometimes challenging times.

But later, while taking our dogs for a walk, my hubby made a joke and I felt so happy to laugh. In that moment, I was somehow reminded that even as life and indeed the planet experiences its challenges, there is a bigger picture, and part of keeping the balance and our Way is to also honor our spirit and joy. Every day. No matter what else is going on. It's a part of being balanced and whole. And it is so important too.

It felt good to feel good. And to stay connected to that side of Self too. The common bond and the detached awareness. It's both. But the joy felt really good.

Then I came across this post by a blogger named Sasha. She didn't add her last name, but it was so uplifting I wanted to share it here as well. A wonderful and simple account of living in the present. And it seemed to go with the theme I've been feeling today of appreciating the extraordinary of the ordinary. In any case, I hope she doesn't mind that I'm sharing her writing today too.

The Joy of Living in the Moment
by Sasha's Tea Room Blog
I recently discovered quite by accident, and much to my delight, the true feeling of living in the moment. I guess I would describe it as a zen type feeling, a state of content and awareness of this feeling with the absence of any other thought. There is no past, there is no future. You are experiencing the joy of being in the experience of now. When we dwell on the past it keeps us from experiencing this day just as looking forward to another day to come robs us of now. ... It's not the parties, the trips, the shopping sprees that bring the joy. Rather it's the cat sleeping beside you as you type away on your computer, gazing at the sky looking for the shooting star, feeding wildlife, cooking a savory meal, relaxing in a warm bath..... The ordinary. It really is extraordinary.

Thanks to Sasha for the graceful reminder. I was just feeling it too!

The Comfort of an Unmade Bed

Comfort Food for the Soul: The Unmade Bed

On Saturday I made the bed up fresh. New sheets. Fresh from the dryer and sooo wonderful. In fact, all of the bedding was fresh and delightful.

By Sunday it was cloudy and gray. Waking up in those fresh sheets on a cloudy day felt irresistable.

I sometimes make it a practice not to make the bed. If for no other reason than to break my habit of feeling like I have to. But on this Sunday, I left that bed unmade with such joy for the comfort it gave me the entire day.

Each time I walked into that room, that wonderful room with the unmade bed, that cozy, cushy bed with the freshly made sheets, my cloudy Sunday felt like such a comforting treat. Home. Love. Easy. Comforting.

And later that night, I couldn't wait to climb back between the sheets of that warm and inviting cozy unmade bed.

Things to Believe

Here is the Group Belief narrative
from www.awakened-journey.com

Hope to see you there.


We believe that humanity is at a cross-roads in her journey to a better world.
We believe that we are all a part of One world and that together we can make a difference.
We believe that what we do, and think, and choose, matters.
We believe we can create a better world.
...In fact, we believe we already are!

www.awakened-journey.com

Toltec Teachings

Toltec quotes:
by Kristopher Raphael

"Our Dreamer is much, much larger than we are. On the level of Destiny the Dreamer is the one in control. As the leaf is a part of the tree, we are part of our Dreamer. However we are a part with a "mind of its own". It is this mind of ours with its beliefs, wounds, patterns, attitudes and ego that get us into trouble, and convince us that we are separate from that which we really are, our Dreamer."

"The elements of the world don't exist the way we assume they do. They exist only because we discriminate them from other things. As separate things they don't exist. As separate things WE don't exist. The problem is that the world we live in is so linked with our concepts that we cannot separate who we are and the world we live in from the content of our minds. We are not just living IN the past, we are living the past."

"Within the human the Nagual aspect is the unstructured part of self. It is UNLIMITED. Our tonal is our personality aspect, which consists of our mental, emotional and physical bodies, is our structured aspect. Our personality contains our POTENTIAL. If we fully align our tonal to the Nagual through the Dreamer we have UNLIMITED POTENTIAL."

"The jaguar moves silently following every movement of its prey. The prey is unaware of its presence. When stalking we, like the jaguar, must also observe in silence. If we begin to judge or try to change what we observe, we lose our stance as the stalker. We become that which we are stalking."


From don Miguel Ruiz:

+ Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

+ Your life is the manifestation of your dream; it is an art. And you can change your life anytime if you aren't enjoying the dream. Dream masters create a masterpiece of life; they control the dream by making choices.

+ Christ called it heaven, and Buddha named it nirvana. But they mean the same and what they tried to express is that experience that they had when they experienced the truth. And whoever experienced the truth, he will explain in their own way, but whoever listens, whoever is explaining the truth will understand it right away because they were there.

+ Be aware that even if you meant your words as honey, other people can turn what you said into poison.

+ You face life depending on who you believe the main character is, the way you learned to be. Your father tells you that you are this way. Your mother tells you that you are that way. And that's what you become.

+ The infinite, the absolute, is a living being and the only one living being that really exists. And we all are part of that living being. And from that point of view, the way I see the universe, the way I see God is as perfection, like only perfection exists and it's not difficult to understand at all.

+ At the present time I really have no religion at all. But I love and respect all religions and philosophies. I see how they get formed, how they grow up, and how powerful they are. But for me to believe in a specific god.. no.

+ I can tell you that we have only one mission and that is to make ourselves happy. The only way we can be happy is by being who we are.+ Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive.. the risk to be alive and express what we really are.

+ Every human is an artist. And this is the main art that we have: the creation of our story.

Eating Right to Feel Our Best

At its simplest, food is fuel. Though our preferences regarding taste and texture can vary widely, we all rely on the foods we eat for energy. Most people are aware that it is vital we consume a diverse assortment of foods if we aspire to maintain a state of physical well-being. However, the intimate connection between diet and our mental well-being is less understood. Just as the nutritional components in food power the body, so too do they power the mind. Some foods can impair cognitive functioning and sap our energy while others heighten our intellectual prowess and make us feel vigorous. What we eat and drink can have a powerful effect on our ability to focus, mental clarity, mood, and stress levels.

Food allergies, which don’t always manifest themselves in forms we recognize, can also play a significant role in the maintenance of mental health. Thus, for most of us, even a simple change in diet can have a profoundly positive impact on our lives. Taking the time to explore whether anxiety, muddled thoughts, or inexplicable tension can be linked to a food allergy or food sensitivity can empower you to treat your symptoms naturally. The benefits of a healthier, more personalized diet are often felt immediately. Sugar, saturated fats, wheat, and dairy products are frequently allergens and can stress the body. For people that are allergic, consuming them can cause imbalances in the physical self that have a negative effect on the body’s ability to nourish the brain. Water, fiber, nuts, unprocessed seeds, raw fruits and vegetables, and vegetable proteins, on the other hand, support physical and mental functioning by providing those nutrients we do need without additional substances we don’t.

A balanced, natural diet can ease mood swings, panic attacks, anxiety, and mild depression. Intellectual clarity and agility is improved when the mind receives proper nourishment. Even those individuals who are blessed with the ability to consume almost any food can benefit from a healthier and simpler diet. Since the mental and physical selves are closely bound to one another, we must feed each the foods upon which they thrive.