“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future
by merely changing his attitude.”
—–   Oprah Winfrey

How much is your struggle costing you?

How much does it cost – in time and money and lost relationships, when you’re struggling?  When you’re pushing, pushing, pushing, disappointed, frustrated, angry, more pushing.   If you just look at it financially, is all that struggle, fighting, resistance worth $100? $1000? $10,000?  $50,000? Money that could otherwise come to you through the path of least resistance.

When you’re coming from a good place people around you pick up on that. They pick up on your sincerity.  They pick up on your genuineness.  And as a result of that people are more apt to work with you. They’re more apt to open up opportunities for you. How many deals and purchases are based on a gut feeling?

Are people feeling good when they’re with you?  Or are they feeling your pressure?

Put out a clear intention as far as what you want in business. And then let go of resistance.  Let go of trying to make it happen.

That doesn’t mean you sit around waiting for the universe to deliver.  It just means you don’t hold so tightly to the outcome that you forget the present moment.  You let go of pushing – pushing against the past, pushing for the future. Ironically, when you push for the outcome you say you want, you end up pushing against it – Because you’re so focused on it NOT being here now.

When you’re not struggling and you’re not pushing and you’re not fighting, you’re able to see openings that you didn’t see before.   You feel better and people feel relaxed and comfortable with you.  Relationships can be built.  And money comes from the value you share.

photo by nito at fotolia.com

How can you use a conflict or upset as something that will benefit your own healing process?  Use the strength of your emotion to fuel change.  You can feel the power in your emotion.   Use that power for good.

Everything that we’re projecting as far as the way people are, the way situations are, is based on our previous experiences and the conclusions we’ve drawn about how life is. It’s all based on how it’s been, how it was before.  We really never get the opportunity to fully appreciate and experience how it is.

Your beliefs influence your experiences.  Your beliefs create expectations.  You brought your beliefs into your upset or conflict.  They may even have contributed to the upset.   They influence how you behave. They influence how you interpret the behavior of others.  They define the limits of what you believe is possible.

But in the present moment, you get to choose. Knowing what you don’t want gives you the chance to decide what you want, to declare it clearly – to yell it at the Universe if you have to.  I’ve had this experience in the past and now I know, I don’t want that! I want this instead. I want this!

You know you’re stuck in the past when your beliefs are interfering with what you want and desire. Your beliefs are so very real to you.  But even when you’ve formed beliefs that take you out of alignment with what you want, even when your past experiences weren’t what you hoped for, even when you wander, you can still find your way home – you can still find your way into a clean new perspective in the present moment. You have beliefs – They don’t have you.

No matter how bad the upset, you can find a thought that will move you in the direction of what you want – move you in the direction of the life you hope for.  No matter how bad the upset you can find a meaning that serves you.

Quiet your mind for a moment.  Withdraw your attention from how things are. And imagine how you want them to be.

Create a belief that is in alignment with that vision.

A belief is just a thought that feels true to you.  Reach for a thought that feels true to you and is ALSO in alignment with what you want.  A thought that moves you forward instead of taking you back.  A thought that feels better, that gives you relief, that allows you to take a deep breath.  A NEW THOUGHT.

Finding a new set of beliefs is not the same as being hopeful.  It’s not making wishes and hoping they’ll come true.

Finding a new belief is a statement of your truth – without contradiction, without doubt, without justification.  Choose it wisely.  Invest your energy in beliefs that open new possibilities.

You decide.  No one else.  You decide your worth.  No one else, no force outside you, holds that power. Your beliefs are your declaration to the Universe.  Your thoughts, your beliefs, define your intentions.

Take action. But bring your beliefs into alignment with your goals first.  Then you take action from a place of inspiration, not desperation.

The value of upset is twofold – That upset is generating pure raw emotional power and you’ve also got absolute clarity about what you want.  The bigger the upset, the bigger the clarity and the more intense the emotion!  You decide how you want to use that power.  You can feed old beliefs, the same beliefs that brought you here.  Or you can use that power to fuel your new creation.

Special thanks to by Angela Marie  for her “Dancing on the Volcano” illustration on Flickr.
Shared under Creative Commons BY-ND.

This meditation takes you on a journey along a Translucent Stream, the stream of Life Energy.  Float on it.  Breathe with the rhythm of it.  Calm your mind.  Relax your body.  Take a ride on pure expansive consciousness.  And bring back a souvenir.

The Music is Francesco’s  Présence – You can find it on Jamendo.  His music and The Translucent Stream meditation are both shared under an Attribution-Non-Commerical-Share Alike Creative Commons license.

To download the mp3 file of this Meditation, right click the “meditation” link above, and choose “Save Link As”.  It will download the file to your computer or mobile device.

The Kai Chi Do Weekend Retreat last weekend was phenomenal!

Every Retreat is different, but we’ve seen time and time again that each group is the perfect combination of people.  We become a community as we own the reflection of ourselves in each other – the struggles that are familiar and resonate in our own experience, the tears that speak for all of us, the authenticity that inspires us all to courage, the kindness and compassion that transforms us, as we love people anyway, as we love ourselves anyway, in spite of our flaws and our missteps, in our joy as well as our terror.

We are powerful beyond our wildest imaginations.  And when we’re a community, that’s when the real magic happens.  Perhaps you can feel it too – in the music.

Root Meditation
The End of Suffering…………..by Gary Malkin and Thich Nhat Hanh
Padmasambhava……………….by k-liv on jamendo.com
Tara………………………………..by k-liv
Kyosui (O-daiko)……………….by Kodo
Mantra – Om Namaha Shivay.by Vyanah. Full CD available on vyanah.com
River Run…………………………by Paul Winter Consort
Om Mani Padme Hum…………by Jonathan Goldman
Glass Idol…………………………by Paul Hoppe and Tim Wheater
Moola Mantra Incantation…..by Deva Premal
Moola Mantra Invocation……by Deva Premal

Saturday Morning Kai Chi Do
The End of Suffering…………..by Gary Malkin and Thich Nhat Hanh
Open Minded Medal…………..by Kellee Maize (I love this!)
This Little Light of Mine……..by Gospel Dream
A Oracao Do Amor…………….by Iras
Everything is in You…………..by Jai Uttal
Amma (Extended Mix)……….by James Asher
Hara Hara Bom…………………by Jai Uttal
All I’m Sayin’…………………….by Spinnaface, on the Free Music Archive
Crazy Beatz………………………by L&M Project
Enur (featuring Natasja)…….by Calabria
House that Body………………..Eddie Thoneick presents Elementis
Rain in the Sun………………….by David Gordon
5 Minute Power Meditation…Music for Meditation and Relaxation
Journey to Shambala………….by Oliver Shanti and Friends
Superhero…………………………by Flooze
Ave Maria…………………………by Icons of R&B
Javanese Lullaby……………….by Cory Alan Carlick

Fire Meditation
Gopala Lullaby…………………..by Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach
Shakti……………………………….by Wah!
Prayer to the Buddha Maitreya by Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach
Jai Kali Ma…………………………by Bhagavan Das
Prayer to Shakyamuni………….by Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach
Om Namo Bhagavate……………by Desert Dwellers
Lilies on the Lake………………..by Michael Hoppe and Tim Wheater
Rain in the Sun……………………by David Gordon
Lotus Call Part 1………………….by Budi Siebert
Mantra………………………………by Krishna Das
Being and Time……………………by Swear and Shake

Sunday morning Kai Chi Do
The End of Suffering…………..by Gary Malkin and Thich Nhat Hanh
Sri Suktam………………………..by Shanti Shanti
African Skies…………………….by African Tribal Orchestra
Kali Maheshwari………………..by Lokah
Amma (Extended Mix)……….by James Asher
Karuna Sagari Ma……………….by C.C. White
Hara Hara Bom…………………by Jai Uttal
Dance Shiva Dance……………..by Jai Uttal
Varanasi…………………………..by Naid
It’s About Love………………….by C.C. White
Kebab Connection………………by dunkelbunt
At Sunrise…………………………by Desert Pearl
The Beauty Way…………………by Douglas Spotted Eagle and James Bilogody
Shanti (Peace Out)………………by MC Yogi
Blessed Be the Rain……………..by Miriam Venus
Psalms 23………………………….by India Arie and MC Lyte
Javanese Lullaby……………….by Cory Alan Carlick

Many Blessings!

—The Amazon links are affiliate links so Amazon may give us a few pennies on your purchase.

Photo:  “Paradise is Here!” by Eddi van W. on Flickr Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

Sand soothing our toes.
Kai Chi Do calming our souls.
Can Summer be near?
—Haiku by Joy

Just wanted to remind you that Kai Chi Do on Sunday April 8th and Sunday April 15th will be held at 9:30am at:
Sailport Resort
2506 North Rocky Point Drive
in Tampa (just over the Courtney Campbell Causeway, heading East from Clearwater to Tampa)

Many Blessings!
Hope to see you there!

I like to get a dose of inspiration every day.  Like a quick “pick me up”.  And my favorite places to get good news are KarmaTube and Gimundo.

What did Gimundo deliver to me today?  This little video where Simon Cowell learns (again) that you can’t  judge a book by its cover.

Click the images for more info.

Hope to see you there!

Wedding Ceremony For Reconnection with the Soul

Introduction
The Healing community of Kai Chi Do extends a positive warm welcome to all who have come to witness this sacred union between the Psyche and the Soul.

Please Silence your cell phones and pagers during the wedding process.

Call For the Soul
On this 6th Day of March 2012. “(Your Name) please bring your precious Soul to the Altar of Divine Union.”

Welcome
Welcome, family and friends to the sacred Marital Ceremony of the Soul and the Psyche. This is a very auspicious moment in time where the vibrant and eternal soul embraces the psyche, and the Spirit and the Mind vow to live as One. The marital ceremony is a special celebration where the illusion of separateness dissolves into the truth of Oneness.

This is a very special time for the coming together of our Being.  I would like to extend a warm positive intention for long life, health and good fortune to all of the members of this sacred union.  May you all live long and experience endless moments of true joy and happiness.

It is a great responsibility to give and receive a vow of eternal love and a life-long commitment to live in a unified way. The Four Agreements for Intimate Relationships is a guide and model for creating balance and harmony within the sacred union of Soul and Psyche.  This is a loving way to establish balance in your relationship with the world.

The Four Agreements
The first agreement is that The Relationship Comes First, which means that we value this union and assure it is nurtured before we pursue other ambitions.  We are willing to listen to the needs and wants of both Soul and Psyche, Spirit and Mind.  The goal of this first agreement is to reconcile any disharmony between Psyche and Soul, to find answers and balance in the middle road, where all aspects of our being are considered when making vital life decisions.  We begin the First Agreement by sitting quietly and listening to the still quiet messenger.

The second agreement is that Nothing comes between us, which means that a clear boundary is set with the attitudes, beliefs and desires of other people. The goal of this agreement is to create a clean and safe sanctuary where life decisions can be made.  Support and counsel is therefore sought from both the Psyche and the Soul, to keep the sacred bond harmonized.

The third agreement is that Everything we have, we have Together, which means that we take complete ownership our physical, mental emotional and spiritual natures.  We take ownership for our experiences.  The goal of this agreement is to embrace all aspects of our Self, both the Divine and the human natures, without sacrificing  either Soul or Psyche, without rejecting any aspect of ourselves.

The fourth and final agreement is that Leaving is not an option.  As a unified and blended being we have a commitment to stay present physically and emotionally in this sacred relationship. The goal of this agreement is to stay connected from a place of love and compassion through the endless movements of time.

Based on these four Agreements for Intimate Relationships, (Your Name) what is your declaration to your Soul?

Exchange of Vows
Eternal and Infinite Spirit, we are gathered here today to join this Psyche and this Soul in a sacred bond of marriage.
(Your Name) are you willing to open your mind and heart in a moment of liberation and truth?
(Answer, “I DO”).

Right of Passage
Please repeat after me: On this 6th day of March, I (Your Name) now completely accept that I am willing to embrace the essence of my being in a sacred union throughout all time, space and dimension.

Pronouncement
Please connect with your heart.
“By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the Universe I now pronounce you a unified being”.
(Your Name) “You may now embrace your Truth.”

Many Blessings.

Twin Buddhas photo © Unclesam – Fotolia.com

I really think this video captures the Spirit of Water in Kai Chi Do. Do the breath and the movement and your mind quiets, and your energy starts to flow.  Then your awareness expands and you feel connected to your Self and the Source of who you are.  Give it a try.

The music is “Tara” by K-Liv, available on Jamendo.com

Many Blessings!

Here’s some raw footage from our sunrise Kai Chi Do on New Years Day.  It makes a great 7 minute workout.  I couldn’t help myself – I just leaped outta my chair and started rockin’ the Chi.  Maybe it’ll have the same effect on you.  The music is great!  The first segment is “aum nama shivaya” by Wizard of ozO, and the second is “Choir Assembled” by Danilo Mazzeo.  Both are available on www.jamendo.com and shared under a Creative Commons By-NC-SA license, so feel free to Share Alike!  Remember to breathe!

Many Blessings!