Sacred Ground

There is a road in the hearts of all of us, hidden and seldom traveled,
which leads to an unknown, secret place.
The old people came literally to love the soil,
and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of
being close to a mothering power.
Their tee-pees were built upon the earth
and their altars were made of earth.
The soul was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing.
That is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of
propping himself up and away from its life giving forces.
For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply
and to feel more keenly. He can see more clearly into the mysteries of
life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him.

-Chief Luther Standing Bear

When I was a child, I preferred to be barefoot.  I loved feeling the earth beneath my feet and the grass between my toes; I would spend hours sitting on the ground, exploring the little world that exists down there.  The blades of grass formed forests for the ants and tiny insects. I watched them work to gather food or find their way back home; or maybe they were little explorers.  I wondered what their perspective of life was. Probably not much different from my world that was barely opening up to the vastness and complexity of the universe around me. I remember feeling so connected to nature and the earth. Mother Nature was my playground. I loved climbing trees, discovering plants and animals and I spent a lot of time laying in the cool grass, looking up at the sky. It was a comforting feeling to know I was cradled safely.  There is something to be said about the ground and it's sacred energy.  

I found myself lying on the cool lawn of a nearby park last Saturday night. I could hear myself think, and feel. For the first time in a very long time, I remembered how much I loved laying on the ground and feeling the depth and strength of the earth beneath me, to feel the cool blades of grass against my back like a soft blanket, to connect physically and on a soul-level with the world we belong to.  It's amazing to me how much we forget that she's there.  Always there, holding us up, providing for us, nurturing.  We get so tangled up in a world of wires and disconnect that we forget the magnificence that exists right beneath our feet.  If you are ever so inclined, take your shoes off, lay on the soft grass and you will feel the loving energy that exists there. 

We Are.

We do not become healers. We came as healers. We are. Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not become storytellers. We came as carriers of the stories we and our ancestors actually lived. We are. Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not become artists. We came as artists. We are. Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not become writers, dancers, musicians, helpers, peacemakers. We came as such. We are. Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not learn to love in this sense. We came as Love. We are Love. Some of us are still catching up to who we truly are.

Myths and Twin Flames

The Greek legend that Aristophanes tells in Plato’s Symposium is another kind of story, which is similar to that of the second chapter of Genesis and the Hindu story of the Self. Aristophanes says that in the beginning there were creatures composed of what are now two human beings. And those were of three sorts: male/female, male/male and female/female. The gods then split them all into two. But after they had been split apart, all they could think of to do was to embrace each other again in order to reconstitute the original units. So we all spend our lives trying to find and re-embrace our other halves.

Although Aristophanes was considered more of a comic poet than anything else, I can’t help but wonder if his speech on love was meant to enlighten us on our crazy human behavior or confuse us even further. I guess it’s a primitive version of explaining why we feel a sense of wholeness when we meet an equal counterpart.

When I first read the Greek legend that Aristophanes talks about in Plato's Symposium, I didn't realize the correlation between his story, the Hindu story of Self and the second Chapter of Genesis when God creates woman from man. The two beings, male and female, are theorized to have begun as one and split into two life forms, but always maintaining a sense of connectedness with each other, whether on a spiritual, conscious or sub-conscious level. It could also explain why we have our feminine side and masculine side. It is quite fascinating when you think about it. In the same way that twin siblings are connected on an emotional and mental level, wouldn't it make sense to have that innate understanding within yourself if indeed there was another person out there who mirrored you? Truly something to ponder.

"Every relationship has a spiritual purpose that helps us grow and become stronger. Sometimes, our most challenging relationships bring the greatest personal blessings. From them we learn about forgiveness, patience, and other virtues." ~ Doreen Virtue

Hanuman Festival

The Hanuman Festival is two weeks away as I write this.  When I first heard about it, I knew it was something I had to attend.  Not just for the yoga but for the atmosphere, the energy.  I'm looking forward to losing myself in the moment.