Podcast Episode: Embodying Paradox, Change & Humor In The Everyday Moments Of Life

Abstract swirling streams of water twisting around glowing blue and teal geometric crystals
Swirling water streams intertwine with glowing geometric crystals in an abstract composition.

Check out this newly created experimental AI Podcast feature that aligns with my writing, compliments of WordPress.

Full Disclosure: Truly, I do take pride in my writing, and have yet to use AI for the written word. However, I have been having fun with playing around with AI for illustrations.

This podcast version of 1 of my more recent writings stars 2 AI created characters named Pip and Mara.

Please enjoy the podcast & transcript below:

Pip: Classroom Mothership Earth — where the curriculum includes falling off your bike, losing on purpose, and calling all of it wisdom.

Mara: That’s actually a fair summary. Ari Joshua Bouse has a new post up exploring resilience, paradox, and how everyday stumbles become the practice itself. Let’s start with what it means to stop fighting the dark and work with it instead.

Embodying Paradox, Change and Humor In Everyday Life

Mara: The central question here is how resilience actually gets built — not by avoiding difficulty, but by changing your relationship to it. The post argues that resilience is cultivated, not inherited, and that the everyday moment is where that cultivation happens.

Pip: And the frame for all of it comes from a Taoist concept the post calls Investing In Loss. The setup is direct: “you might lose a game 99 times out of a hundred. But if you lose 99 times and you are paying mindful attention about your partners moves, you can learn their tricks, and spring the trap to win the 100th game.”

Mara: So the upshot is that losing, done consciously, is actually data. The mindset shift the post is pointing at is the difference between defeat and apprenticeship — same outcome, completely different relationship to it.

Pip: The bike and the swimming pool make the same case more viscerally. Most of us got water up our nose and fell off the handlebars and somehow did not develop lasting trauma from either. We just got back on.

Mara: Right — and the post uses that to ask a genuine question: how do we stay present in everyday life the way we were present when we were learning something genuinely new and a little scary? That’s where Dan Millman enters. The Way of the Peaceful Warrior gets name-checked as a long-running personal touchstone — a book recommended in high school, not fully read until after college, but never forgotten.

Pip: There is something quietly honest about admitting the book sat on the to-do list for years before it landed. Delayed absorption counts.

Mara: The post opens with two epigraphs that frame the whole thing. Eckhart Tolle on bringing in light rather than fighting darkness, and S. Kelley Harrell going further: “bless the darkness, hold the light, because the two aren’t divisible.” That’s the paradox the title is naming — not resolving the tension, but inhabiting it.

Mara: The shadow-boxing image the post offers — awakening to shades of your hidden self in a mirror — suggests the inner work and the outer stumbling are the same practice, just different angles.


Pip: Lose on purpose, get back on the bike, and hold the light and the dark at the same time. Straightforward advice, if you don’t mind the bruises.

Mara: That tension between difficulty and openness seems like the thread worth pulling next time.

Please enjoy the original post that inspired this new podcast version at the link below:

May all Beings be free of suffering, and awaken to God Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, Unity Consciousness, Diversity Within Unity, Inner Peace and the Universal Pillars of Love And Truth.

Time For A Siesta

Daily writing prompt
What’s a cultural tradition from another country that you wish existed in yours?
Woman sitting cross-legged on cushion meditating amid candles and salt lamps

America Runs On Dunkin’.”

With no disrespect, the above quote is a bold and telling commercial mantra that’s not something to brag about.

Speaking of programming, how clear is it to everyone that societal conditioning, or in this case the power of corporate propaganda, is captured in the above quote?

Then again, consider the source and the message brewing behind it, if you’ll pardon the pun.

This writer really enjoys allowing for paradoxical thinking to percolate on the truth that just because I’m pro-rest does not mean I’m anti-caffeine.

Consider the cultural tradition of the Spanish word Siesta.

Moreover, further exploration of siesta’s lineage derives from the Latin phrase hora sexta.

Because in the ancient Roman system, the sixth hour was roughly considered the middle of the day.

Ah, Rome . . . The Eternal City. “When in Rome.”

Historically, siestas are common in warm-weather zones like the Mediterranean (especially Spain), Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Asia

Often taken after a large midday meal, siesta is a cultural practice designed to avoid the intense heat of the afternoon and recharge for the rest of the day

In many towns that observe the tradition, the workday is split. Businesses and shops close for a few hours in the early afternoon, allowing workers to go home, share a large meal, and rest before returning to work until the evening.

Personally, I have a strong value that supports the value of rest. No need to fight against being tired. We all need down time where performance isn’t the focus.

And while any good value shouldn’t necessarily be mandated, the idea of taking a Siesta should be encouraged, incentivized and integrated within the framework of a systemic, developmentally healthy program design and paradigm.

I have always been intrigued by the idea of taking a siesta, catnap or what modern researchers call the power nap.

Furthermore, many of us have heard stories that align with modern pro-health research that concludes that a short 20-to-30 minute power nap can significantly boost cognitive function, reduce stress, and improve alertness.

Back in early Elementary School, I remember when we experienced a version of siesta that was generally part of our daily routine. After lunch & recess (my favorite part of the day), we would reintegrate back into our classroom to rest in a designated personal space, where the lights remained off and we were expected to be quiet.

In fact, some of us had fun pretending to be asleep, maybe some fake snoring or real farting, you get the drift. Funny, some of us pretending to take a nap actually ended up falling asleep without realizing it.

Social Learning Theory in action. Imagine that.

People weren’t calling it teaching siesta as a healthy transitional form of co-regulation back then. And yet, that’s exactly what it was.

Interestingly, the siesta is a time-tested tradition that remains a working cornerstone of cultural heritage.

Of course globalization and modern work schedules have caused the daily multi-hour closure of businesses to decline in larger cities.

There’s nothing wrong with taking action, performing tasks or drinking caffeine.

And yet building in rest and downtime into our everyday routine carries with it a power not to be underestimated.

Time to take a Siesta!

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

A New Moon in Gemini, Summer Solstice, Full Strawberry Moon & Mercury in Retrograde at the End of June

Supermoon rising over a forested lake with fireflies and dock reflecting moonlight

A New Moon in Gemini on June 15th welcomes new beginnings with manifestation of changes and spontaneity streaming through the airwaves. Safety lies in thinking about our feelings and sharing them with others.

It’s hard to go wrong with a cool head.

And yet, a cold heart can be a good relational repellant, not to mention coming across as callous to others.

Harmonizing with our heads and hearts helps support effective communication.

Tuning in to the energies of this new moon gently aligns with guidance around setting intentions for the months ahead. It’s as if the Universe is encouraging us to lighten up, be playful, and have fun along the way.

Tis the season for connecting with friends, organizing social events, and storytelling. Perhaps communication projects may come to life with greater ease, or communicating topical truths. Tapping into healing vibrations can be a real felt sensed experience during this timeframe.

On most places around the planet, the Summer Solstice and Father’s Day both fall on Sunday, June 21. This is a rare occasion, and will not happen again till 2037.

Peak sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere is associated with Grandfather Sun-Yang energy, where outward expansion, frolicking and growth seem organic.

In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s Grandmother Moon-Yin energy where the darkest days reaches their Zenith, and then we turn inward, journey into the soul and sit with the darker aspects of life.

Ah, the duality of living on this Planet reflects the interplay between the Yin and the Yang.

Even in darkness, there is light. If you look to Nature, you will see the fluidity of these energies at play and the way they are always seeking balance.

Additionally, a Full Strawberry Moon on June 29 reflects lineage connections to the Algonquin and other North American nations who noticed the connection between the wild berry harvest to this Full Moon.

And depending where you are around the world, the other names of this Full Moon reflects what mattered most to humans on the land during mid-summertime.

We will also be shifting gears into Cancer Season (June 21-July 22).

Cancer the Crab is a time when we are encouraged to focus on nourishment, self-care, and our emotional health that breathes in a softer tone that supports reconnecting with ourselves and our hearts. Crabs reflect emotional sensitivity and tapping into the feeling realm.

How you can integrate self-care into your daily routine?

How can you integrate a sense of safety and security into your life?

Furthermore, Mercury will be in Retrograde on June 29 – July 23. These energies are in alignment with slowing things down, reflecting on the past, and focusing on the here and now.

Energetically, Mercury in Retrograde is a good time to be mindful of subconscious thoughts, including past programming. These energies can be a healing and highly intuitive time when we work with its energies intensionally.

Moreover, our psychic abilities and dreams can become triggered so that we can tap into deeper insights by working with our subconscious minds in ways where the unseen realms yield useful information to light our way.

Please feel free to echo my reading of the Great Invocation Below. Consider speaking the lyrics aloud, telepathically or any way that you want to amplify the sentiment to co-create Heaven on Earth. Doing this embodies becoming the change you want to see in the world:

May all Beings awaken to God Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, Unity Consciousness, Diversity within Unity, Inner Peace and the Universal Pillars of Love and Truth.

Ari

Gemini Awakens A Twin Full Blue Moon At The End Of May

Two women sitting cross-legged on a patterned rug, facing each other and holding hands in a room with plants and crystals

“The real measure of our lives has to do with your Values, not your valuables; by your Goodness, not your goods; by your Self-Worth, not the weight of your wallet.”

-Dr. Wayne Dyer

Following a powerful Wesak Full Flower Moon on May 1st, a New Moon in Taurus will happen on May 16th. Spring energies are springing, in the Northern Hemisphere at least. Everything is ephemeral, and it’s hard not to feel inebriated by the seasonal energies of growth and transience that are reflecting back to us from Nature.

This new moon gives us a friendly reminder that a deeper sense of stability comes from self respect. Deeper respect comes from accepting ourselves for who we are over what material things we manifest, and perhaps become identified with.

Nothing wrong with manifesting abundance in the 3D realm. But we can align with calmer and restorative energies by focusing on how short term actions may affect long term gains. Imagine the possibilities when politics and the stock market consistently reflect that kind of mindset.

When we accept that change is a natural part of life, then we are more equipped to embrace that change is the only constant in everyday living.

I focus on this when dealing with the losses that we face with our loved ones during our lifetimes here. As a human being, I still get sad when people (including animal friends) close to me get sick and suffer, die unexpectedly or those who have lived a good life or die by natural causes. And of course I grieve the death and dying process of those I have never even met. But what I am mindful of is reminding myself to have the self respect to not get sucked into the dirge.

Truly, facing our own mortality is sobering. Because I had to face my own mortality and loss of innocence at a younger than normative age, I woke up to the truth that doing so gave me an opportunity to work with the feeling of facing my own death. It isn’t that I don’t have my fears. I just move through them by trusting that the light of consciousness will guide me toward the end of the tunnel.

Many people, like my dad, have experienced that process during near death experiences. But you don’t have to physically die to know the experience. Just as an example, the sacred medicinal energies of Groundhog is a friendly reminder that the shamanic death without dying is a real possibility.

But it is also freeing to awaken to our soul purpose, know that our time here is limited and it’s what we do with this precious gift that counts. It’s like the old story about the zen master whose students are watching him die, and they are perplexed because as he’s taking his last breaths, he grieves his own death by asserting that he wants to live!

Speaking of death and rebirth, Gemini season will be in the air from around May 20 till the Summer Solstice on June 21st. During this timeframe energetically, our chi will be flowing from our lower chakras to our upper chakras to support creativity, self-expression and our desire to share. Communication is doubly powered up by Gemini, if you’ll pardon the astrological pun.

The Twins reflect our status as part creature and part divine. As spiritual beings having human experiences, we exist as the form of a mortal that has incarnated in this lifetime.

Coupled with our form identity, we have a formless eternal identity that reflects a central Law of Thermodynamics positing that energy cannot be created or destroyed. Our souls live within our bodies during the gift of this lifetime. Our bodies are our temple, but they are temporary because we all die. However, our souls live on. Interestingly, science and spirituality are converging on this Universal truth beyond a shadow of a doubt.

There will be a Blue Sagittarius Moon on May 31st. A Blue Moon only happens approximately every 18 months or so, and occurs when we have two Full Moons in one calendar month. Blue is symbolic of water, loyalty, trust, and faithfulness.

This extra Full Moon at this time invites us to release old aspects of ourselves that no longer serve us so that we can move forward in alignment with who we are becoming. The winds are at our back for taking risks and opening up to a sense of adventure in our daily lives.

An optimistic and longitudinal approach to life; such as communicating with our ancestors, can invite abundance and good fortune. Remember that there is so much help in the spirit realm just waiting for us to tap into, if only we ask and allow ourselves to receive their collective crystalized wisdom.

But then again sadness, sorrow and hardship are natural parts of reality that are not to be suppressed or repressed. We can lean into them, and discover acceptance of them as part of the totality of our experience.

Keep in mind that the forthcoming Summer Solstice reflects peak sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere. Time to frolic in the festivities of the season.

In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be the Winter Solstice or the darkest day of the year. Coaxing back the light resurrects a felt sense perception that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

May all beings be free from suffering and awaken to God Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, Unity Consciousness, Diversity Within Unity, Inner Peace and the Universal Pillars of Love and Truth.

Ari

Remembering The Great Invocation

Happy Wesak Full Flower Taurus Moon today Folks!

In the spirit of Christ Consciousness, Buddha Nature & the Earthy grounding energy of Taurus…

Please scroll down to the Great Invocation below that was shared recently by a spiritual teacher that I have had the good fortune to work with.

Person meditating cross-legged on rocky mountain at sunrise with clouds and peaks

From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into human minds.
Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into human hearts.
May the Coming One* return to Earth.

From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide all little human wills –
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

From the centre which we call the human race
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

May All Beings Be Free From Suffering and Walk In Alignment With God Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, Unity Consciousness, Diversity Within Unity, Inner Peace and the Universal Pillars of Love and Truth.

Ari

Having Fun With Exercise

Daily writing prompt
What’s the most fun way to exercise?
Outdoor wellness activities including aerial yoga, massage, and battle rope exercise by a lakeside pavilion

–William Cowper

Like the quote above, I really need to mix it up when playing around with a consistent everyday exercise routine.

What I mean by that is that I have more fun by following a balanced game plan that involves consistency, predictability and structure. Including healthy doses of novelty is also key.

It’s fun to get started by cutting up a fresh lemon and lime and spring water to put in my water bottle, which helps me get in a good mindset for the day.

And then taking supplements while preparing a hearty smoothie with fresh fruit, kale and protein & green superfood powders helps me get into the exercise vibe. It’s fun creating a proactive base smoothie tincture with the powders, gut support and serums good for the neurological system.

The travel ninja blender has become a good friend.

Nowadays, I enjoy physically going to a community gym and working on the various new equipment because it’s a nice way to connect with like minded people who are on familiar roads along the journey in healing.

Besides, it’s good to have somewhere to go because I know what I’m there to do, and look forward to being in a social environment that encourages this kind of human behavior.

If possible, I like to start out by warming up in a standing foot vibrating light therapy machine.

And then after that I typically use some of the other equipment for resistance training. I don’t lift heavy weights anymore but enjoy getting in my resistance training with low impact weight lifting.

After that, I prefer getting in my cardio primarily on the elliptical machine and treadmill; perhaps also some biking to cool down and stretch or maybe a rowing machine.

For the sake of creativity, it’s fun to design my own format by increasing and decreasing the speeds and tension on the machines periodically when I intuitively feel moved to do so.

It’s helpful to exercise mindfully by checking my heart rate, noticing how long and far I’ve traveled and how many calories I’ve burned.

My favorite part is cooling down with the massage machines before I leave the gym. On my ride back home, I’m already looking forward to drawing a bubble bath with epsom salt to relax and sooth sore muscles.

On alternative days, I like getting out on the trails for a good hike, mixed in with a mid-point sitting meditation to connect with Nature and the animals or going for a run and ending with jumping rope.

There’s a College nearby with a track, so I’m looking forward to getting in a little track work here and there as the Spring temps continue to warm. I like to run walk jog as a way to work in a little lather, build cardio and get the heart rate up and down.

Another fun way to follow an exercise routine is to warm up and cool down with a little T’ai chi and Qigong.

And how could I forget the training montage below. The visuals and soundtrack are forever imprinted in the mirror of my mind as shown in the video below:

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

When Attacked By Racing Thoughts, The Energy Of Frog Reminds Us That Sometimes, We Just Need to “Stop It!”

Back in my Preschool social work practice days, I remember sometimes singing with the students during circle time.

One way I started to get out of my comfort zone, and work with stage fright aka performance anxiety at that time of my life was to play my guitar and sing to them. Like when I first sang aloud with the animals, the littles made me feel more welcomed and relaxed.

Given that we were a special purposed program to help students overcome their developmental delays, I came up with a replacement chorus to the classic old tune, Oh My Darlin’ Clementine.

The message was a simple way to use humor to normalize experiences with anxiety, and went as follows:

Anxiety, anxiety, anxiety is the root…whether rationalizing or in denial of…Anxiety…The point is moot.”

Over the years, that little jingle has served as a positive self talk mantra, as well as the clip below.

Keep in mind that therapists are human too. And the good ones have a sense of humor, and don’t take themselves too seriously. You can say the same about folks on the spiritual path or any of us for that matter:

Furthermore along the trails this spring, amphibians like salamanders, wood frogs and peepers make the trek toward vernal pools for their breeding season on what’s called Big Night.

Their great migration and safe passage requires overcoming dangerous obstacles like human trafficking patterns, such as driving cars on roads, etc.

Of course humans do many disgusting things, and have shady tendencies that reflect in the 3D realm.

But we can move beyond the victim and perpetrator behavioral trap by being mindful of our shadow work.

We can do this by working with our karmic issues by letting go of, and releasing our old soul wounds.

And then in that process, we are becoming more deeply in touch with our better angels.

Have you felt tempted by fate recently?

Are you noticing any old energetic patterns of yourself rising back to the surface?

Loving Kindness is one way to embody this transformation when sitting in meditation; as well as in our everyday footsteps.

Besides, Life is springing up everywhere as singing peepers and wood frogs signal to us that spring is arriving with glee, rhythm and blues:

A New Moon in Pisces today reflects deeper sensitivity and perceptiveness in the social environment, as does engaging in creative or spiritual forms of imaginative Pisces energy.

Moreover, the Vernal Equinox or the first official day of spring will take place on Friday, March 20th. This date also marks the beginning of Aries season, as well as baseball season aka America’s Pastime at the tail end of March.

Mercury also goes back direct on the first day of spring. No worries, mate… things tend to clear up about 10 days or so when the fog lifts.

In many ways, it’s like a new year because Aries is the first sign of the Western Zodiac.

This writer doesn’t think its a coincidence that the fire element is the ‘I Am’ consciousness of Aries the Ram’s primary driver.

Like any of our gifts, we have to temper them, and not throw caution to the wind, so to speak.

A Full Pink Moon will happen on April 1st…aka April Fools Day.

Synchronistically, The Fool card in the Tarot deck is symbolic of new beginnings, limitless potential, and the courage to step into the unknown.

Indeed, it takes a leap of faith to step into the mythical quest…one step, one foot, one breath at a time.

Spring energies reflect another positive self talk mantra; as in, out with the old, in with the new.

Tis the season for setting new intensions, seeing things from new perspectives, and planting new seeds to spring forth.

Moving our bodies is a good way to cleanse and release every cell.

Remembering to take a deep breath to support new life, and then breathe out all the dead air of old ways is good Sacred Medicine; as is holding the highest vision of yourself.

Light and dark energies are in alignment again on the Spring Equinox.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the sunlight will rise till its climax with peak light on the Summer Solstice on June 21st.

At the same time, the darkness will rise till it reaches its zenith on the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemishere.

The Winter Solstice is a powerful time for letting go, while the Summer Solstice is a powerful time for manifestation.

Gratitude is always a powerful attitude to walk with in our footsteps, as is an openness to the present moment as it is.

May all Beings be free from suffering, and experience an awakening to Inner Peace, Diversity within Unity, and Cosmic Consciousness.

Ari

Embodying Paradox, Change & Humor In The Everyday Moments Of Life

“Instead of fighting the darkness, you bring in the light.”

–Eckhart Tolle

“In the end, bless the darkness, hold the light, because the two aren’t divisible.”

–S. Kelley Harrell

Now more than ever, our resiliency needs to show up in our everyday humanity.

We all have the capacity for resiliency.

Resiliency doesn’t come from having a charmed life, not having to deal with stress, nor facing obstacles that get in our way or living in a bubble.

Rather, it’s something that we cultivate, like building energy for better strength and conditioning.

In much the same way as the Taoist idea of Investing In Loss, imagine the darkness you face is like a ghost that you are playing with rather than fighting.

Just as an example, you might lose a game 99 times out of a hundred.

But if you lose 99 times and you are paying mindful attention about your partners moves, you can learn their tricks, and spring the trap to win the 100th game. Your mindset of losing shifted, like the saying, “if you had fun, then you won.”

That’s Investing In Loss in a nutshell.

Because you remained open, let go of perfectionism, and learned that it’s the process that matters along the way.

As you are shadow boxing in front of a mirror, imagine yourself awakening to shades of your hidden self.

Perhaps blind spots will be revealed when you allow the light to come in, and shine brightly on your soul.

Just as an example, do you remember learning how to ride a bike or how to swim?

Some of us never did learn how to do either for different reasons.

But most of us who did learn how to ride, and swim know that novel learning curves didn’t come without falling off our bikes or getting water up our nose.

Somehow, most of us made it through learning a sometimes painful new skill without losing a limb from the bike accident or drowning in the water.

And most of us got back on the bike, and back in the water without developing PTSD from falling or sinking.

So how do we allow ourselves to be mindful of the present moment in everyday life?

I remember an old High School teacher who recommended a book called The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman, during my Senior year. I didn’t read the entire book till after I graduated from college. But I remained intrigued, and never stopped looking forward to reading it

In fact, the Peaceful Warrior message resonated so much that I read some more of Dan’s books after that, and then watched the film adaptation many years later, after it came out in 2006.

Check out the short video below that reinforces his mindful approach to life’s everyday moments:

May all beings be free from suffering, awaken to Inner Peace, and open up to the realm of Cosmic Consciousness,

Ari

Racoons Unmask Natural Internal Martial Arts Wizardry & Magicianship

 Whenever suffering occurs in your life, whether coming down with the flu or not getting the job you wanted, you seek to know it fully rather than resent or deny it. Instead of distracting yourself, with fantasies, or worries, you focus your attention calmly upon the felt sense of what is happening. As you perform this task, you become acutely conscious of your reactive “arising’s” and the potency of their force. They too, are to be included within that, same wide, still embrace. You do not free yourself from narcissistic or self-disgusted longings by suppressing them, but by accepting them as the arising of habitual inclinations, which may be psychologically, culturally, religiously, or instinctively conditioned.

–Stephen Batchelor

When contemplating darkness and disguise in the throes of this wintry dirge, I think about the sacred energy medicine of Racoon. These sentient beings embody the self-defense mastery of the internal martial arts. When we play around with opening and closing our eyes in the 3D realm, we are playing with form by putting on a mask, and accessing a primordial creative power within. For those Star Wars geeks out there, the clip below reinforces the felt sense experience of letting go of our conscious minds by seeing without seeing:

Stepping into new dimensions and accessing deeper realms are real possibilities with Racoon consciousness. This spirit guide is a friendly reminder to do a deep dive into the popularly unpopular fear of the unknown. Rather than avoidance, we become inviting of spiritual awakenings into new ways of looking at ourselves. But if we choose to ignore such soul promptings; perhaps the reality based, felt sense experience might otherwise remain hidden or unavailable to our naked eye’d view our previously unexamined selves.

Racoon’s transformational vibrational frequencies align with traits that can support growth in fine motor skills, such as dexterity; as well as a sensory diet, like self-stimulation forms like self-massage, and bodily compression. They certainly can also inspire cleaner eating approaches, like washing our food, and emphasizing a plant based diet. Or maybe you like to pluck away on a musical instrument. Close your eyes, picture a racoon and see what happens organically.

From a heartwarming and mindbending felt sense of spaciousness, the internal martial arts help us cool down from the inside out. This differs from the so called external martial arts; which have traditionally emphasized relaxed on the outside, intense on the inside. But like astronomers and astrologers, social workers, psychologists and many therapists and other energy workers; you can be both and we need all of them.

Speaking of the internal martial arts, check out William C.C Chen’s demonstration below. He used to come to the place that I took classes many moons ago. The ‘Studio’ was heavily influenced by his teachings. And sometimes he would come visit, and do special weekend workshops. I remember meeting him once. He certainly filled the room with his form, which was a real shared felt sense experience by many of my old teachers and peers in that community:

May all Beings be free of suffering, and experiences Inner Peace as a way of Life,

Ari

A Doubly Colorful & Fragrant Full Flower Moon

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

A Full Flower Moon will happen on Thursday, May 23rd. Hummingbirds accentuate this point because they embody effective cross pollination of spreading the seeds of love and flowering of consciousness.

Of course this moon goes by many names, such as Mulberry Moon by the Creek and Choctaw or Moon of Green Leaves by the Lakota or Field Maker Moon by Abenaki.

Other ancestral names given by the Celtics and Old English are Hare or Grass Moon. And for those who hear the peepers singing, it’s easy to understand where the name Frog Moon sprung from, if you’ll pardon the seasonal apropos pun.

Speaking of frogs, remember the beautiful Lotus Flower grows out of the Lily Pad in the gnarly swampy bog areas. This is the true roots and meaning behind Flower Power because the Lotus Flower represents the Flowering of Consciousness and awakening our Human Potential.

Meditation on Flower Power reveals for us to pass on buying into the commercial that sells that the 60s were all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. Yes, those ingredients were real parts of that era. But underneath those appetizers was a main course meal that fed expanding consciousness; including the questioning of conventional societal programing, working on Civil Rights and leveling the playing field.

When we truly acknowledge an authentic awakening taking root in our souls, we recognize that we are living on Indigenous lands, and have all been affected by Colonization. In this state of awareness, we will evoke a living memory of our ancestral roots. May we breathe in a sense of clarity, renewal, healing, and rejuvenation into our souls during this season.

Let’s not forget that White Privilege and White Supremacy are real collective traumas that affect everyone, regardless of how we identify. The reality is that we humans have been mixing it up together in a garden variety of ways; including having cross cultural relationships and intersectional experiences with one another. Variability in the species is a good thing. Nobody wins at the hands of oppression.

Beneath the headlines is the deeper truth that we are living in an age where we are letting go and releasing all of that.

But Regardless of who’s on top, the horizontal evolution of power awakens the reality that power is shared in a way that is equitable. From this perspective, there are no real losers because there is enough, and we can all win. Most of us don’t want to be billionaires. But most of us want be free and have equal access to resources; including a safe place to live, learn and thrive as a human family. That’s not easy to do within the Fog of War and the dying old matrix.

Given the current and historical oppression that humankind has experienced on the Planet; including the genocide and enslavement of various groups of people, including Semitic, BIPOC & LGBTQ+ folks- it can be challenging to perceive the infinite possibilities awaiting humanity to co-create a more fair and just society.

Meditate on We The People consciousness; as well as the truth that everyone are Chosen People created in the image of Creator. This mantra will bear fruit to transcendence and transformation with humanity, our Planet and beyond. We are all One and Diverse expressions of Great Spirit. Our formless energetic selves are akin to the Color of Water.

It’s unbelievable what the upper echelon got away with during Gilded Age. How embarrassing is it to actually believe and promote a return to this way of life? Talk about Gangster. Time to keep those old guard crime rhymes off the shelf.

Underneath this parody of a fairy tale should be embarrassing to read to our grandchildren is the idea that a minority of souls in positions of power should control the narrative, galvanize and exploit everyone else in the form of a rigid ends justify the means belief in a maximum economic profit mindset.

Like the yin and the yang, the Universe is full of light and dark energies. It’s not about either/or; rather its about these energies flowing in synergy and balancing each other out. The Earth doesn’t complain when the Sun is hiding behind the clouds. Nor does the Moon resent the Sun for giving his energy to other moons, planets or energies. Yet the sun still shines and the moon still rises. The moon doesn’t tantrum at the sun for heating her waters, nor does the earth complain when the moon rises her tides and floods her shorelines. Nature has leveling impulses that humanity should get in alignment with. Like Eldridge Cleaver once said, “if you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.”

During this Gemini time of year, we shift from our lower chakras to our upper chakras. Lower chakras are more for grounding and naturally appear to align with the energies of the Ram or Bull, while the Twins spark the cerebral forces found in the upper chakras.

Keep in mind that our throat chakra is the realm of communication. Knowing when to speak and when to listen are key dynamics in effective communication. This includes conversations on the inside of ourselves; as well as the conversations we have with others.

Just as an example, coworkers and I often talk about how we have learned the art of hitting the pause button from sending an email by resting on the draft overnight. And then when the next day comes, the seemingly urgent email might not even need to be sent. Or if it does, a new tone has been discovered and implemented before the message is sent. I like to look at this skill as a form of journaling, letting go and processing.

Remember that birds of a feather, flock together when socializing in co-creative ways with like minded folks that reflects the power of the community. This time of year is great for getting out and about and socializing with folks.

Energetically, this is a good time to meditate on walking one foot in spirit, one foot in ground as a way to balance our experience of spiritual beings having human experiences. It is a balancing act to walk in the center of the circle without getting too swayed in either direction.

Our souls live in our bodies till the body expires and then they break out and find a new home.

We are probably at our best when our soul and humanity work together. But this can be challenging because of the tendency is to feed one over the other, depending on the person and their own unique experience or the cultural narrative they were born into.

People who are more materialistic are probably are more preoccupied with their humanity, while folks who are more free-spirited are probably aware to their soul’s promptings; although this is not always the case necessarily.

Energy is energy . . . It’s what we do with it that counts.

Regardless of our orientation, the key dynamic for all of us is to harmonize with our environment.

Reflect on stories you might cling or grasp to from your past that you continue to say to yourself. What might a new version of that story with a more awakened or positive outlook look like in the Mirror of the Mind?

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari