Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Ripple Effect

Months after this discipline, I am still feeling the effects. I have experienced such an amazing abundance of love and conscious relationship since I completed it. I live on a small island and prefer to keep the details of my love life private, but I can share that I am experiencing more abundant fulfillment than I would have ever thought possible. I'm also healing old patterns, powerfully shifting relationship dynamics, and exploring an entirely new realm of conscious exchange.

If you're considering taking initiative to become empowered to transform your relationships, I highly encourage undertaking a mantra discipline! It really has set up beautiful resonances for me that I'm still experiencing a wonderful ripple effect from...

Good luck!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Reflections & Measuring Success

The Day After

It seems like a lifetime ago that I started this discipline. I can't believe it's only been 40 days. My energy has so completely shifted... I feel like I'm in a different relationship with the fundamental vibrations of creation. When I withdraw my mind from "normal" activity and drop in to awareness, the pulse of dynamic presence is palpable, energizing, and profoundly peaceful.

On the practical level re: my intention to prepare for a conscious relationship, without divulging anything too personal, I'll just say, "It works!" Not only have I attracted promising potential partners at a whole new level, I have also experienced a deep healing with the archetype of my father (who has passed on), and experienced a deep level of resolution with a previous partner.

Thank you to anyone reading this, for opening your heart & mind to what I've shared.

I love doing these disciplines, will share more with the next one I engage, and will certainly be glad to help anyone develop their own.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The Home Stretch...

Day 36

Spiritual discipline is such a personal thing, and we reap the direct results of what we sow. Every time I do a discipline, I accumulate so much energy that all of my projects go into high gear. There's so much creative juice flowing, it needs to be expressed! It's really quite a wonderful experience.

As it relates to the original purpose of this conscious relationship discipline, I feel that the deep, powerful undercurrents within the river of my being have shifted significantly. The channel that cut into the murky depths has been flushed, re-routed.

And to be honest, I have slacked off somewhat since the first half of the discipline. I wonder what would have happened had I maintained my original intensity? I'll find out soon enough, since I plan to continue this practice.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Glimpses of Mastery with Hormonal Fluctuations - Men Everywhere Should Rejoice!

Day 27

I would bet that if one chronicled all of the arguments between men & women throughout history, a large percentage of them would occur when the woman has PMS. Our bodies are chemical factories, and a few days out of the month, it's like someone tampered with the mix, sending us on a bad trip that lasts for days.

Yesterday, I had a very new experience with my own bad trip. I'm attributing it to all of the mantras & intention around balancing my inner masculine & feminine (at the chemical level, testosterone & estrogen/progestrone). I was feeling quite agitated (not at anyone in particular, luckily!). Throughout the day, I was able to maintain a clear witness state and use the agitation to my advantage to be extremely productive!

Since I viewed the agitation as pure energy, not something I needed to fix or indulge in, I was able to appreciate the quality of the energy as "that which acts" (i.e. "raja" in Sanskrit, vs. "tamas" - that which obscures, or "sattwa" - that which manifests) The SHRIM mantra is helping me understand the nature of energy in the universe; the whole universe is composed of various combinations of rajas, tamas, & sattwa. And the "I" that I truly am is beyond all that...

If I can successfully maintain this budding mastery, and teach other women to do the same, I foresee much more in the way of marital harmony in our culture of quick hook-ups, short-term relationships, and over 50% divorce rate! ;)

The key is to establish oneself in the eternal presence of the soul.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Momentum & The Tipping Point

Day 23

It's interesting that just over half way through this discipline, there's a part of me that feels I've already gotten what I needed, and there's no reason to continue. The intensity of my desire for a deeper experience of conscious relationship has been satisfied by my inner experience, and I'm sated, at least temporarily.

However, just under the surface of that thought, there's a knowing that I'm polishing away at some deeply held patterns, and that gives me the motivation to continue on. It's unfamiliar, unknown, and a little scary to approach this place. It's like venturing deep into a cave, brushing off cobwebs, and not knowing where I'm going to step next. I know I need to press on into new territory if I want anything to actually change in my life.

I am aware of my need for tenderness & self-care, and am comforted by the brilliant torch-light of the mantras. (Or perhaps a head-lamp would be more appropriate! The light of the mantras coming through my third eye... :)

It's also interesting to note that over the past week, I lessened the intensity of my practice due to time constraints, and I've noticed it's harder to maintain the momentum. I was squeezing in the mantra practice in bits & pieces, and counting yoga asana practice that wasn't specifically dedicated to this discipline, and it felt like the energy dissipated considerably.

On the other hand, when I was doing the practice full-on, during the first 12 days, the energy I was generating seemed to propel me forward of its own volition. There must be some magical tipping point where the momentum becomes exponential. I'm sure it's different for everyone, and it probably changes from day to day. I am committed to getting back to it!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Hundreds of Juicy Tidbits

Day 19

This is my horoscope this week from http://FreeWillAstrology.com, and I just thought it was fabulous: "This would be a good time to activate your sleeping potentials by chanting positive declarations about your relationship to what you need. Instead of typical New Age affirmations, however, I think you'll benefit from something edgier and more poetic.
That's why I'm offering you the statements below. They were originally written by Andrea Carlisle for use by spiders. Say the following several times a day: "I am now receiving many fine fat flies in my web. My web is strong and masterful. My web is irresistible to all the attractive creatures I like to nibble on. I am amazingly clever and extremely popular. Even now, hundreds of juicy tidbits are headed towards my web."

I am definitely experiencing some juicy tidbits in life! I've been reflecting on how amazingly happy I am, so full of gratitude. I can feel this practice working through me, opening my heart, accelerating the possibilities for my life's expression in ways I thought were in my distant future, not in my present.

My primary focus has been on other things for the past few days, but I'm really appreciating the consistency of focus. It feels like self-care. And I definitely sense how the commitment to the practice is shifting things at a tectonic level.

If I were a spider, I'd be fat & happy from hundreds of juicy tidbits. And there are more headed my way? Awesome! :)

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Grinding Away at the Karmic Wheel

Day 17

It's been a few days since I've written, but I'm glad to say I've been keeping up the practice despite being very busy. I figure if it's a choice between doing the practices, and writing about not having time to do them, I'll do them!

Even though I've had to modify them slightly for available time (doing fewer than 108 repetitions of each mantra, or doing just a sun salutation and an inversion, backbend, and hip opener instead of a full on asana practice), I'm keeping the fires stoked. It feels good to keep the commitment.

It's interesting to notice the temptation to slide out of the practice, to come up with an excuse as to why I don't want to continue, or feel like I need to continue any further... but I've been doing spiritual disciplines long enough to understand that it grinds away at my karmic wheel, polishing rough spots where my previous groove is to avoid them. Though sometimes it's good to go with the flow and do just what feels good, in this case I know deep down that there's "stuff" being dislodged from deep within me, for illumination, healing, and transformation. I really want to get to the next level, and so I'm determined to see the practice through for the full 40 days!

Which, in the scheme of things, is NOTHING! I have a friend who is a head monk at Tyangboche Monastery in Nepal, and he has done several 3 year silent retreats. Jaws drop. Heads shake in disbelief. Most of us can only imagine the discipline & focus, not to mention the resulting states of consciousness that would come from such a practice. 40 days - can handle! It feels like a good balance for this modern yogini. :)