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| The Lining Have No Gosts |
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Thursday, September 6, 2007
The Living Have No Ghosts As a litigator at Smith & Hudson, my salary flattered and exhilarated me, yet nothing I would purchase could soothe my private ghost. “What about your dreams?” she haunted. Despite skiing vacations in Aspen, Navajo silver and turquoise jewelry, health spas, and clothing boutique binges, the rattle of her questions would not subside. “What about the you you wanted to become?” Oh, yeah, that. Too busy this week and next. Pink message mountains and manila file jungles on my desk; yellow Post-its crammed with case citations. Demands. Hours and minutes of my breath. Day after day, I'd scrutinize complaints and briefs until my eyes itched, blurred, then tilted toward the misted blue and white mountains outside my thirtieth floor window. This is my time on earth, I thought. Yet I have to down enough jolts of mocha java just to stay awake. There was something I came for—wasn't there? The wondering gnawed at me, tainted with a peculiar sense of shame, the shame of not becoming. One chance to live. Something meaningful, deep in the canyons of my being, I could be doing. “Doing?” the critical voice in my head jumped in. “You should be doing the brief in front of you. Stop asking fluffy, cosmic questions. Grow up. Accept life. You work. You buy a Honda. Later a Benz. You die. Who are you, someone special?” “No,” the ghost moaned. “What about your dreams? What about your dreams? What about the knowing inside you? This life of living on your surface will not complete you.” Maybe I just expected too much out of careers. After all, I didn't sweat in some factory or grope through my days with a swollen abdomen in a country that didn't have enough clean water, much less caffeine-free Diet Pepsi. “Do you know how hard other people work to earn the money we make in a week?” Alan, another attorney, once commented. He leaned back into his buttery leather chair. “There are worse things we could be doing,” he grinned. Still I wondered if there weren't better. “You're using your writing talents,” my mother once assured me, as did others, since I wrote legal arguments and memorandums. But I might as well have been writing prescriptions or directions to a party. Like Picasso painting the deck or garage. Some inner creative clock ticked, clicked, and bonged in my mind. The sands of the hourglass seemed to pile up an incriminating mountain against me. One life. One chance. Could I risk never writing my poems, articles, and books, not even attempting to approach the palette of the artful life I fantasized? No. I could not face death knowing that I hadn't dared to live my life. “I'm not ready,” I would sob. Maybe throw my appointment book across the room or stomp my non-corporeal foot. “I didn't get my turn.” I maintained this fantasy that, after death, voluminous beings in white robes would display a movie of my life: its meaning, lessons of love, opportunities, and special effects and scriptwriters. I dreaded the knowledge that I could have glided into my vision, clicked my heels three times, two times, even once, but I had chosen not to bother. “You were meant to write books,” sighed the angel in the fantasy, running the movie. She bowed her head, as her feathers shuddered with my cosmic shock and loss. “We thought you knew.” One day in real life a connection smacked me between the eyes, in between sighs, in between calculating how many more hours and minutes of law I had to practice before I could retire and crawl off and curl up into sleep. The angel in the after-death fantasy was the ghost that plagued my days. I did know. I did know. I did know. How could I ever feel peaceful again, not devoting my precious resources to the purpose and promise of my life? How could I ever see my time-robbing, monopolizing and lobotomizing job as “safe” just because it paid well? I felt at risk with every passing second. My heart beat the beat of a writer, while I struggled, shopped, and cried to therapists in the life of an overworked attorney. I did know. And so do you. Only by living your dreams can you dispel your ghost. Your gnawing is your knowing. On the right path, there is no secret mortification and no phantoms. We pay our bills, climb our hills, and swoop through our lives with the lyricism of no regrets. No amount of money can buy this essential peace of mind. No salary ever pays enough for us to leave our truth behind. Only a life of self-honor feels safe and sure. Everything else leaves us empty, hungry, and haunted for more. ©2007Tama J. Kieves. All rights reserved. Tama J. Kieves is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School who left her practice with a large corporate law firm to write and to embolden others to live their most fulfilling lives. She is the bestselling author of THIS TIME I DANCE! Creating the Work You Love and is a sought-after speaker and career coach who has helped thousands world-wide to discover and live their creative dreams. Visit her at www.ThisTimeIDance to find out about her workshop calendar. Sign up for free inspiration and support through her monthly e-newsletter. Ayahuasca and the Plant Spirit Shamans of the Amazon Rainforest Part 2 ‘Whether the plant is to heal the body or the spirit or whether it is part of an apprenticeship, what makes it work is your good intention towards the plant. They are beings, which have their own forms or they can be like human beings with faces and bodies. When the spirit accepts the person, and the person has the will, the spirit grants them energy. The path to knowledge opens, and the healing takes place’ Guillermo Arevalo – Shipibo Maestro In the Amazonian tradition working with planta maestras (teacher plants) is known as the Shaman’s Diet. The working can be seen as a conscious body of actions to incorporate the plant spirit into one’s own spirit. From this incorporation or union, the plant spirit informs and teaches the maestro or apprentice. They learn the magical chants (icaros) which invoke the power of the plant, how to use the plant for healing purposes, and how to strengthen the dieter both psychologically and physically. The purpose of the diet is to prepare the body and nervous system for the powerful knowledge and expansion of consciousness given by teacher plants. It offers a significant challenge for the rational Western mind to come to terms with the teacher plants, and a leap of imagination is required to incorporate the ‘other’ consciousness, or spirit of the plant. We also have a ‘linguistic’ limitation (as an analogue the Inuit have over fifty distinct words for snow), in that the word ‘shaman’ is very recent to the Amazon, coming via the Western world in the last 20 – 30 years. There are many words which denote the plant specialisation of the maestro or Vegetalista. Benjamin Ochavano a 70 year old Shipibo Vegetalista says that his father was known as a moraya or banco (healer), in Spanish it was a curandero. A curandero could then further specialise in a particular plant such as chonta (bamboo) and be a chontero. For example a curandero who specialises in smells and perfumes would be a perfumero. Another challenge to our rational mind to enter the magical world to which we are transported by plants is that it is mainly accessible through dream language or an expansion of the imagination. Thus dreams & our imaginative powers act like doorways during a plant diet and connect us with the plant spirit. The rational mind can only struggle, to take as an example the famed ‘love potion’ of the Amazon known as the Pusanga. In rational terms it makes no sense whatsoever, how can a concoction of leaves, roots, and seeds attract a lover, or good luck to you? My experience working with shamans in preparing Pusangas (which normally is prepared away from their clients so it was a privilege to be invited to participate in the preparation) showed me that far from interfering with the freedom of other individuals or putting a ‘number’ on them, we were altering something within ourselves, which was brought out by the ingredients, the magic of the plants. Whatever it was, it felt wholesome and good. It is what is in oneself… one’s own magic. Asking Javier Arevalo (the shaman) what does the Pusanga actually do, is it inside us or outside of us? His response was “When you pour it onto your skin it begins to penetrate your spirit, and the spirit is what gives you the force to pull the people. The spirit is what pulls”. The anthropological term ‘sympathetic magic’ does not give this justice, to illustrate this, the water used in the preparation of an authentic pusanga (which has been specifically made for you) has been collected from a deep trek in the rainforest, sometimes 40 or 50 miles, where there are no people and where clay pools collect and thousands of the most beautiful coloured parrots and macaws gather to drink from them for the mineral content. Now the great leap of imagination required is to bring into yourself the knowledge, the feeling, the sense that the water in the Pusanga has drawn in or attracted thousands of the most brightly coloured creatures on the planet. If you do this, it can generate a shift in consciousness in you. You can sample this for yourself, just find a quiet moment and space, close your eyes, and with the power of your imagination as the launch pad, draw in the verdant, abundant forest filled with life, colour, and sound. Sense the rich vibrancy of the rainforest as a single breathing rhythmic totality of life force. When you have this image, expand it to include, the humid warmth, the smell of earth, the scent of plants, hear the sound of insects and bird song, allow all your senses to experience this. Then with a conscious decision draw this sensory experience into your being. Whenever you are ready, open your eyes, and check how you are feeling. Maestros do not invent diets, they are given by the plant spirits themselves, but there is more to it than simply abstaining from certain foods and activities. It involves a state of purification, retreat, commitment, and respect for our connection with everything around us - above all the rain forest. When we listen to our dreams, they become more real, and equally important as everyday life. Howard G. Charing, is an accomplished international workshop leader on shamanism. He has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans & healers in the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. He is the author of the best selling book, Plant Spirit Shamanism (Destiny Books USA). His website: http://www.shamanism.co.uk Enhance Your Concentration With Self-Hypnosis During recent weeks, the city of Sheffield here in England has been hosting the World Snooker Championships. Have you ever seen a more hypnotic sport? I know that some people would argue that it just sends them to sleep, though it is extremely hypnotic and at times I have found it to be extremely relaxing and exciting and I am amazed at what those professional players can do with the balls. Snooker players sum up a lot about what I think you need in life to be successful - they have to practice and practice and practice to get to those levels, they have to be focus on what they want to the exclusion of all else at times, they have to learn from their mistakes and learn from each other. I know you can get metaphors to the same effect from most sports, it is just that this week I was inspired by one particular young man. The hero of this years tournament, for me, was the losing finalist - a 23 year old man by the name of Mark Selby. They call him 'The Jester from Leicester.' Not only was he wonderfully exciting to watch play snooker... He actually smiles during games!! He has fun, he makes jokes, he entertains, he has a look about him that is extremely endearing and I really warmed to him despite this year being the first time he had broken into the top flight in the Snooker World championships. Mark Selby seemed to really enjoy what he was doing and I find that so inspiring. What really amazed me was this guy’s stamina too. First of all, because he was not in the world top 16 rankings prior to this tournament, he did not get an automatic place in the tournament, so he had to qualify with several matches. In the first round, he came from 5-0 down, to win 10-7. In the second round he beat former world champion Peter Ebdon, having trailed 6-2, he won 13-8. In the quarter finals he won 13-12 in a last frame decider. Then in the semi final, he beat another former world champion Shaun Murphy in a gruelling match, having trailed for much of it, 17-16!! A last frame decider again. Each of these games were hours long and the individual frames were often going on for very long times. The final, which he lost to John Higgins 18-13 went on until the early hours of the morning! Wow. To maintain that level of mental endurance and concentration for such intense, pressurised lengthy periods of time is just incredible. I get asked very frequently about how we can increase our powers of focus and concentration and so this week I thought I would a simple self-hypnosis technique with you to help you do just that. This technique today can also be used for all manner of things including stress reduction, Here is a simple technique to help you keep focused for longer periods of time. Step One: Be in a place where you are not going to be disturbed for a while. Get yourself comfortable, with your arms and legs uncrossed. Then just focus on the moment, notice what thoughts you are thinking, notice the sensation of stillness and the rhythm of your body and just be an observer of your experience for a few moments. Just observe yourself existing in that moment, without interfering with it at all. Then take a slightly deeper breath and exhale slowly while closing your eyes. Imagine that you can feel gravity pulling you to whatever it is you are resting on. Feel your body being supported. Tune in to the moment and feel how it feels to just relax and observe how and who you are at this moment. Step Two: Now bring your awareness in and concentrate on your breathing. Notice the parts of your body that move as you breathe in and out. Notice the wonder of your breath, be aware of the temperature of it - maybe it feels cooler when you breathe in and warmer as your breathe out. Imagine that each breath is going deeper. That does not have to be a bigger or a larger breath, just a breath that relaxes you while you are keeping your awareness on it. Be sure at this stage to just let your breath happen without you interfering with it. Keep doing this for a little while as you notice your body relaxing around you and your mind slowing down, yet keeping your awareness on your breath - if your mind wanders, then just keep bringing it back. Step Three: As you feel more relaxed, noticing the rhythm of your breathing, maybe it slows down slightly. Allow your breath now to move to other parts of your body. Imagine breathing in to muscles and parts of your body and releasing them, relaxing them and imagine the muscles softening and the nerves in those muscles just becoming still and quiet. Not having to do anymore than is absolutely necessary. Step Four: When you are sure that you have sufficiently relaxed your body and are still focusing on your breathing, now move your awareness to your mind. This is where the key to this technique exists. Using your imagination, imagine that in front of you is a clear glass jar. The jar is clear, it is clean, even shiny and it is well and truly empty. Really imagine details of the jar, the textures, the way light reflects off it, the top and bottom of it, what kind of lid it has - really get a good idea in your mind of how this jar is. As you have been doing, observe yourself now. While you continue to observe yourself, imagine that unscrew the lid of the jar and remove it for now. Look closely at this empty jar, become aware that it is waiting to be filled. Imagine it inviting you to put something inside. So this is your chance to let go of any burdens, any distractions, any unwanted thoughts and aspects of routines from your day. Whether they were generated by your activities, your work, any tasks you are wanting to perform, any errands, your travels, your apprehensions, any anxieties, your cares, any discomfort you may be experiencing or any other thing. Observe carefully now as one by one you place them into the jar. Imagine that your mind pours it all from inside of you and places it into that jar. Continue now to fill the jar with any remaining distractions, burdens or unwanted thoughts or feelings. You can have fun here and be creative. Maybe you can imagine a string of things pouring out from you, or a cloud with all these things inside, all travelling into the jar. Empty it all out in to the jar. Step Five: Carefully and deliberately now, replace the lid on the jar. Give the lid one extra turn. Breathe deeply now and observe that you stand and begin to carry the jar toward a door. Open the door. Outside, on the front step is a large shiny aluminum trash can. Open its lid now and place your jar inside,... Know that you may dispose of it now and forever.., or return for it at another time, if you wish.... Put the lid back on the trash can... turn from it... walk back through the door. Lock the door and return to your chair. Affirm with yourself something along the lines of "I have true clarity of thought and supreme concentration and nothing can interfere with it until I have achieved ___________" Or something along those lines, using language that appeals to you and resonates with you of course. Imagine that you have a focused vision, a level of concentration and focus now that is going to serve you really well with whatever you want to begin focusing on now. Feel it, experience it, imagine brimming over with this track of your mind and imagine generating a state of being within yourself... feel prepared to really be this way. Step 6: Bring your awareness once again to your breathing and notice its rhythm, pace and depth. Tune in to the moment that you are in once again. Become aware of your toes and fingers, give them a wiggle or two and then open your eyes. Hold your body in the way you would when you are focused. Hold your thoughts in a way that says "I am focused" and go about your day or the upcoming task or whatever it may be in a truly focused fashion. Spend some time getting yourself really focused and engaged in something that you wish to achieve and notice how much more you excel! Adam Eason is a UK based, renowned consultant, speaker and best-selling author. Please visit his website for a vast range of personal development resources and to receive your amazing free, instantly downloadable hypnosis session for ultimate relaxation and the sensational free ebook 'The Happy Brain Manual' filled with techniques, tips and strategies to make more of your brain: http://www.adam-eason.com Thank you. |
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