Face Your Fears

For today I recommend Dan Millman's "Everyday Enlightenment" as a practical guide not only for enlightenment but foremost for peaceful living. I enjoy every page of it as he guides me through important steps of personal growth from perspective of 12 gateways:

Discover Your Worth
Reclaim Your Will
Energize Your Body
Manage Your Money
Tame Your Mind
Trust Your Intuition
Accept Your Emotions
Face Your Fears
Illuminate Your Shadow
Embrace Your Sexuality
Awaken Your Heart
Serve Your World

As I was contemplating what to share with you today, the book opened on Zones of Fear under gateway Face Your Fears. Conveniently there is a section that gives instruction for face and head massage that you can do alone or with a partner:

Work gently and slowly along all bone surfaces, pressing deeper where tolerable and softer where more sensitive. Smooth forehead from middle to sides. Press your forefinger between the brows and smooth along the bony ridges. Massage temples, cheekbones, around nose, lips, and chin. Work deeply under the jawbones. Massage external ear, twisting and turning. Vigorously rub scalp.

This intensive body work is designed to clear away the residual tensions associated with past and current fears. It does not make fear go away, only the tension that accompanies it. By eliminating the tension, you'll learn to keep your body relaxed and your mind flexible, so that you can act effectively decisively, and courageously in the face of fear.

Fear of Misunderstanding:
Ears, neck area, and mastoid bone

Worries and Wondering:
Forehead from eyebrows to hairline

Anger:
Eyebrow ridges and space between eyebrows

Prejudices and Judgments:
Eye socket ridges and muscle attachments

Shame:
Cheekbones

Fear of External Control:
Nose

Fear of Being Disappointed:
Lines from base of nose to the mouth

Fear of Being Disgusted:
Mouth, lips, and muscles around the mouth

Fear of Inferiority:
Chin

Fear of Revulsion (sights, smells, circumstances):
Jawbone

I bought this statue recently in a store for TCM supplies.
Each 'hole' represents one acupressure point, each character is the name of the AP point.
Each (vertical) line of holes represents a meridian channel that TCM is based on.

For all those birds that can read

Wheels

These wheels in Tibet are polished by pilgrims' hands who spin them in hopes for their prayers to be answered. There are rows and rows of them, stretching around the temples, in street corners.

I am not sure why I chose this photo today. Maybe it reminds me of the times when I went to Tibet, maybe because one client today contemplated Buddhism instead of Catholicism which triggered talks about religion, maybe because I secretly wished my prayers were answered.

In any case, once upon a time I spun praying wheels in Tibet. The moment was magical.

Out of sight

It was coming in waves - I first heard some people couldn't view their blogs and then panic spread on Wednesday: massive virus attack for whoever was online that day (luckily I have Mac & remained protected). On Thursday I couldn't view my blog anymore. This is no surprise, it happens every year, once or twice, like clearing the closet, getting rid of old clothes.

Good news is that I can access blog, I can edit, I can view my posts. For the time being it is other bloggers that I can't reach. Once again China closes its walls.

Conversations With Turkey

It came into my dream
just like that
solemnly standing and waiting
for a whistle
and intriguing response

I give it back
remembering time
when I visited home
Beautiful places
engraved in my memory

Summer on the fields
herding sheep or
observing lady birds
will it fly away?
where will it go?
my mom says
it means guests will come

And then she also showed me a trick:
she whistled and turkey responded
with its funny call.
And no matter how many times
the whistle would blow
turkey was ready
to give away its perspective
I tought at a time
it was the most amazing wonder of the nature

Where the Hell is Matt

When I saw the title of this email I started recaping how many Matt-guys I know and which one was missing. Truth is, I haven't seen neither one of three I know for a while. I clicked on the link regardless and after watching this amazing video I wished I knew this one. Truly inspiring - check it out on YouTube and his webiste (for outtakes that didn't make it for the final cut)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNF_P281Uu4
http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

Astra, thanks for sharing!

Before and After

How is it so that
Chinese word

yiqian
which means
before
consists of

Yi

which means

according to

and Qian

which means

forward

while

yihou

means

after

and

consists of

Yi

which means

according to

and Hou

which means

behind

Chapter 36

If you want a thing to contract,
You should stretch it first;
If you want a thing weakened,
You should strengthen it first;
If you want a thing gotten rid of,
You should promote it first;
If you want a thing taken away,
You should give to it first.
Lao Zi

Dao De Jing

Tibetan monk prays in the field of clothes disposed by pilgrims
(belief is that getting rid of old clothes is necessary for the new beginning)
Kailash, Tibet, June 2002

Ren (third tone) - to endure; tolerate; put up with

How simple and obvious is it that this character consists of two: knife on the top and heart at the bottom. Literally - to stab one's heart. The way I learnt about it today: pain is inevitable when you put up with something, somebody. After a while pain transforms into learning, awareness and expansion. Only by not tolerating pain endures and cuts heart bit by bit.

Tolerate others like you would tolerate a child

Can you see any difference?

These two photos were taken on the same day, two clicks away from each other and except a slight change in angle they have one major difference as big as an airplane.

Mysterious shades

I like looking up
and checking the skies
just to make sure it is still there
attached to sun, moon and stars

It surprises me
with different perspectives
revealing its beauty and grandeur
solemnly retrieving into the night

Where sister moon
shyly displays her evening gowns
In matter of minutes
it takes my breath away

Prayer and Politics

I don't like politics. I actually haven't watched more than 5 hours of any kind of news since 1999. News remind me of shopping in China - you never know if you got the fair price. If you like bargaining then it is a heaven but if you like to shop quickly and easily - it is a nightmare that often ends with a question - have I been cheated?

In past few days my email and sms have been buzzing: Serbia won Eurovision song contest! I have to admit I was really happy to hear that and thought - finally there is some good for Serbia to be noticed for. No more war, no more crimes - it is a song and apparently well done. After all, people voted for it. So I googled Molitva (Prayer - name of the song) and Eurovision and checked YouTube to hear (see) the song. I thought it was nice, the energy was apparent and Marija was herself, natural and powerful.

And then surprise: another video on YouTube states that the song was stolen from Albanian performer. No comment, really - I don't like politics. And then news from Serbia saying that Marija won as compensation for Kosovo - how nice, others say that she is lesbian - how fantastic!

Just out of curiosity, I really want to know - how many people thought that Sinatra sold so many records because he was with mafia and how many thought that Melissa Etheridge shouldn't have won Oscar because she is lesbian?

One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest

I was 14 years old when I saw One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest in cinema. Seeing the daylight after the show I gazed at people on the street wondering: Who was 'normal' and who was 'crazy'? How do I know? Am I crazy? (Desperate inquisitive teenage quest for the answer to: Who am I?).

Today I saw Psychiatry: No Science, No Cures

Click to watch

No comment

From May to August

This month EQ calendar says MAY - STRESS
There are many writings on the page but from where I sit I can only see word STRESS.

I DON'T LIKE IT!

I skip May and go to ... August (had to skip June - Judgement, July - Sacrifice, all sound so negative): EXPECTATION

After all, if I was from another planet and there was nobody to explain how calendars worked, going to Expectation instead of Stress would only be natural.

My expectations for the next 3 months: I feel health, wealth, love and happiness, not more, not less, every day, in my dreams, just despite - relaxed.

May you have a relaxed May

Voices In My Head

If you hear a voice within you saying 'I am not a painter,' then, by all means, paint... and that voice will be silenced."

Vincent van Gogh

First time I learned about voices in my head whas on NLP Practitioner training with Paul McKenna. Dr Richard Bandler, co-founder of NLP, was taking us for a journey of 20,000 leagues under the conscious and there it was - my story teller.

It resides in my left ear, has strong arguments for why it is safer to stay in the known, not to risk, not to say what I think, how I feel - that is when my story teller is tired and sitting in the corner of my head wrapped in darkness of doubt and fear. There is another side to it too: proud, judgemental and forceful, giving me reasons why I need to push for the immediate results and resolve matters by fighting ego fight.

The insight wouldn't be complete if I didn't discover the other side (as you may guess - it lives my right ear): the silent voice that often says just "yes" or "know". It caresses me gently with calmness and joy.

It took a bit of practice and determination before I mastered the language of two and learned to listen. Eventually two parts got united and became friendly - leading me to the quietness of my mind. Today my story tellers wanted me to tell their story. I listened.

Check Paul McKenna's Overcome Self-Criticism excercise

Monkey does what monkey sees

An experiment was conducted - five monkeys in a cage, bananas hanging on the top, ladder welcoming their attempts to grab juicy fruit. Surprisingly (for monkeys only, since that was the purpose of experiment) each time any of them would try to take banana water would spray all over the cage and, of course, monkeys didn't like that at all. After few attempts all five monkeys rested and ignored forbidden fruit.

This experiment wouldn't be interesting if it stopped here - the next step was to remove one of the monkeys and place a new monkey in the cage. Revelation! New monkey went straight for bananas while old monkeys panicked, blocking the way up the ladder. One by one they removed old monkeys and placed new ones in - nobody got sprayed but somehow nobody was daring to go up the ladder either.

That is how the term learned helplessness came to existance.

Hold your breath, similar experiment was done with humans (instead of being sprayed by water loud noise was the 'punishment' and, voila, same thing happened).

Touched

When being a point of contact for friends and family
When messages say Happy Birthday
When it is about me but actually is all about them
When I feel older and it's just naturally great
That there are people out there that extend my purpose

Love you all
:D

Farewell

Like Little Prince I watch sunsets
Over and over again

My parents left,
Sunrise by my side.
One after the other
Like dilligent, patient ants
Days stroll their way forward
Bringing the future -
Creators design

I am who I am
We say it together

What needs to be unspoken
Rests in peace required
Nothing has been broken
Just a plate,
A vase,
And and ego.
All had their purpose
Thank you,
Good morning
and
Good bye

Enjoy the journey
Have a safe trip back home

Renewal

April is for Renewal.

"Entropy" means that anything left to itself will disintegrate until it reaches its most elemental form. So it is with self and relationships. Both need replenishing. Physical renewal is deveoped by exercise, eating healthy foods, and managing stress. Social/emotional renewal is strengthened by building bonds, providing serivces, and listening empathically. Mental renewal is facilitated by investigating unique ideas, learing new skills, and the juxtaposition of the old and the new. Renewal time cannot be left to chance; it must be anticipated and built into daily living.

My parents are visiting and I feel like my personal history is being re-written. I am hearing same voices, similar statements that used to 'push buttons' so many times before. Now I am renewed with peace and calm, laughter with my mom, giggle with my dad and patience, attentive listenning. I hear them for the first time.

Looking back at negative triggers that hurt so much before I am not sure why I couldn't snap out of it earlier. Major realization: nobody pushed my buttons but myself, it was just easier to blame others and find a reason for marginal living.

April seems like a good month to fall in love with my parents.

New love paints the day like Easter eggs.

Hristos Voskrese, Happy Easter - this year we celebrate it on the same day.