at the still-point

We all have those moments when we feel deeply contented, at peace, and comfortable in our own skin . . . for no apparent reason except that, without thinking, we know in our bones that everything is alright . . . just as it is.  

They are moments that when we try to figure them out, or try to grasp them, they fly like fleeting gossamer dreams. 

 This is the sacred instant when we are practicing perfect self-love, opening to the constant supply of affirmation that is pouring out upon us.  If we rest in the stillness of these times we can extend them indefinitely.  We find this “still-point” when we rest in the truth of our connection to everybody and to everything.  We often have this experience when we are out on the land, feeling the dirt beneath our feet and the sky gracing our brow.

The Genesis story says that, in the beginning, we were fashioned by the Divine from the clay of the earth, and I imagine the clay was red in color.  It is said that this great creative force made us in the image of him and her-self.  The Old Testament uses the plural:  “we” formed them, “man and woman” in our image, as if our source has always unashamedly embraced the force and power of the masculine and the creativity and nurturing of the feminine.

This clay, this dirt from which we are made (with the help of a little holy spittle) was once a part of a star.  We know that light is born out of darkness; darkness comes first and it is all God – there is only God.  Scientists agree that our Universe began with a “big bang” and this chunk of rock called Earth was thrown into place.  So this dirt was once stardust and that means we are also made of stardust.

So we are intimately connected to the planet; we belong here; we are here on purpose; and perhaps our most important “reason to be” consists of remembering why we are here.  What did we come here for?  When we sometimes feel like “strangers in a strange land” we are aware of our connection to the stars, but have forgotten our profound connection to the earth.  We arrive at the still-point when we know it is not “either – or”; it is “both – and”.   

Our feelings of discontent are often the catalyst for our healing; our remembering.  I want to say that our soul-self is always at peace with our “place in the universe”, but our human-self is often uncomfortable because we may have a constant nagging feeling that we do not belong here.  It is not enough to bring this understanding into our human mind; we must bring this deep knowing into our blood and our bones.  This is why we journey:  to bring many of the things we have known forever with our minds into a body-felt knowing; a visceral understanding.   

In this season of gratitude I am thankful to be hiding out in Portales, New Mexico with my dear friends and soul-family.  I am repeatedly impressed with this unlikely place of portals, this place of doorways, out here on the edge of the prairie, home to dairy farms and acres of peanuts.  Many are taken by what is missing, like trees and hills.  Many do not notice the great expanse of sky that invites us to celebrate our relationship with that living breathing blanket over our heads. 

I am thankful for the amazing group of seekers that showed up last Saturday to experience Shamanic Breathwork™ Journeying.  We had eighteen on the floor (mostly breathwork virgins) and Anne and me walking the floor; holding sacred space.  I guess I am constantly surprised how folks keep showing up to do their inner-work, to find a deeper understanding; to experience that illusive still-point and to begin to step into the reason they were born. 

I will be returning to Sedona to repeat this workshop for our “First Saturday” gathering on December 3^rd.  I am impatient to share this transformative experience with my soul-family there, and I am incredulous that any of my friends and associates have so far resisted my constant harping, “YOU NEED TO BREATHE!”   

My wish for you at Thanksgiving is to recall those moments when, for no apparent reason, you knew that everything was alright.  That feeling is your birthright as sons and daughters of the earth; as sons and daughters of the stars.

Awaken the Shaman Within

A Shamanic Breathwork™ Journey

Saturday, December 3^rd   1:00 – 4:30pm

Unity Church of Sedona, 65 Deer Trail Drive

Sedona, AZ 86336     $50 (discounts available)

Logistics:  Bring a closed bottle of water, a blanket and a pillow to make a comfortable journeying pallet. Wear loose fitting clothes. The workshop will run until about 4:30pm allowing time for a short artwork and process/integration exercise.  Please arrive 15 minutes early to settle in and set up your pallet.