As a teacher, I have observed that the more I can bring a person to experience the essence that already lives within them (rather than telling them in words), the more they will be inspired to awaken to that energy. Once they feel this resonance inside, they will want to live from that vibration more and more.  That is how it happened for me.

Well, each person on this journey experienced this very real power that lives at the center of our being.  Beyond words, beyond description, just pure experience of what we are all connected to, at all times. Reflected in the clear light of the sacred place in Teo, each of us embraced our true selves as we are.

This particular trip was especially focused on opening our hearts to how we perceive and dream our lives. Our mind does the dreaming and our bodies feel the impact of the quality of that dream. If we want our personal dream to bring us happiness and fulfillment, we need to find the courage to look within to our hearts as the guiding force in our lives, and get clear about what we are choosing instead of this.

Our heart center is the portal where we open to feel all that we are. During these days spent together, we opened a space of possibility and came away with a real sense of how to live our lives from more awareness of our connection to life. The time spent there allowed the energy of this opening to be felt as something real in the body. We created and experienced an energetic “groove” that our body remembers.

The energy from our recent retreat in Teo fed and empowered us.  It now naturally wants to flow forward and inform our daily choices more and more. After feeling so good, we want to experience this quality of energy again and again.

Now that we are back home, in our familiar dreams, we can quiet ourselves, receive our breath, and focus within on the memory of the sensations of fullness. This allows us tap into our incredible journey again and again. Keeping the heart center open allows us to live more lucidly, more in the flow of life.

Of course we will face challenges in our old dream but we are now better prepared in how we might respond to them. When in the elevated energy of a group in a sacred place, we may notice how clear the choice is to live from our hearts. But what choices are we drawn to make when we are at home? Will we react from our old limited ways of thinking? We might not always be able to make the choice to go beyond what closes our heart and instead choose what frees it.  But we can certainly feel the difference.

The choice to open or close your heart to what we face each day is what defines the spiritual path and delineates our practice. We can feel the difference when we choose to live from our hearts. The results are immediate. Our lives and our creations are seeped in a quality that feels like honey – the honey from the heart.  We can look around and watch this sweet quality manifest all around us.

So my desire for each of you, for all of us, is to find this golden place within as often as possible, to first give it generously to ourselves, and subsequently to share it with everyone who is in our lives. Then, with pleasure, we can watch it ripple out into the larger world, in waves of uplifting energy sent from our hearts.

I love this quote (and pretty much anything else Joseph Campbell wrote).  When does our “journey” move from resistance to flow?  From clinging to the old way of living, from living with an under current of fear in our lives; fear that we aren’t enough, fear of losing what we have, fear of the unknown. 

Not paralyzing fear.  That’s not what I mean – it’s a subtle feeling, a whisper of a voice in our mind that says, “You can’t live like that,” “You should believe like this,” “You’ll never have that,” “Feeling good is something other people can achieve.”  Then February comes along and it’s time to head South.

Each time I travel to Mexico and embrace Teotihuacan and its pyramids, I experience some new revelation.  Some new insight that has been buried inside of me.  “Move.  Move.  Move into the transcendent.”  Remarkably that always happens in Teo. 

And the best part is I don’t really have to do anything to make that process unfold.  Well maybe one small thing is necessary.  I need to be open to what is.  It may take a day or two for my system to register what’s going on, for my mind to release the ideas of what my Teo experience should look like.  Since me being a bit hard of head, the Universe does a gentle jack hammer riff on me and eventually some Light seeps in.  Eventually I see the opportunity.

So what was the “adventure” for me this time around?

Bodhi (my almost three year old son). Bodhi. One word conjures up so many images.  Why? (Yes you may ask why).  I was charged with taking care of Bo while the lovely Dreamers and group participants had their fun at the pyramids.  My first reaction was pretty predictable. 

How was it that I, a “master,” had been relegated to chasing a toddler around a labyrinth and changing dirty diapers? 

Wasn’t I “supposed” to be leading the charge up the Avenue of the Dead? 

What the heck was I going to do all day with this little being? 

As if that wasn’t difficult enough by default, I suddenly found myself also in charge of playing with Lola & Bella, Lee & Mee’s (the owners of The Dreaming House) little girls.  Great.  This is exactly what I came to this beloved power spot to do: play “Manny” for a week.  This was not my plan for my spiritual enlightenment.  Nope.

Ahh dear reader you must anticipate the punch line rapidly approaching, no?  The cosmic smack down of Jamie coming fast huh?  Yup. 

Except it was a beautiful revelation – another brilliant opportunity (isn’t our life packed with them?) to switch from what it should be to what is. 

Remarkably I found myself gradually becoming more and more present.  Slowly finding the joy of seeing (SEEING!) through the eyes of small children.  Playing again with no attachment to what we were playing.  During the games, the discoveries, the emotions of these three children shifting and swirling like little dust devils – I found myself totally present. 

Let me say that again for effect: totally present in the moment.  Wow.  Try that for even a minute. 

You can’t, I know.  I can’t either when I’m plugged into my inner dialogue (especially back in my Bubble of a dream in Marblehead where I live).  But some crazy shift occurred without even leaving the Dreaming House grounds.

What a relief, huh?  What a gift (yet again, thank you Teo).  Really. What I saw was the “adventure” that is called my “process.”  We all arrive in Mexico with some sort of discomfort, some nagging pebble in our shoe (chaffing against our soul?) too small to stop and remove, but enough of a reminder to get our attention. 

During our stay in Mexico the opportunities are many and constant to release so much that is baggage in our Hearts, so much that is not allowing us to fully shine, be totally present, to live from that drum beating place that IS our Heart.  Our innermost Desire, our Dream of Life.  To be in service to a feeling.  That feeling is Love. 

Well the funny thing is the Universe smiled and patted me on the head like a good little boy after my great realization.  On our last day of the trip, Bodhi and I entered the pyramid grounds at Gate Five and walked to the base of the Sun.  We planned to join the group at the top for the closing ceremonies. 

As we approached the base of the pyramid Bo saw his mom (Meghan) across the plaza and casually waved to her.  He then said to me, “I want to climb the Sun now.”  And climb he did.  One step then another without pausing. 

When we had climbed to the last flat spot before the top he sat down and said, “Papa, look how high the Dreamers are,” as we looked down at the group gathered below us at the base.  We had some water and a snack. 

My thought was we would hang out while the group gathered at the very top.  I would keep an eye on Bo but we didn’t have plans to join the ceremony.  My feeling was we had to get right to the top and start holding the energy.  And that’s what we did. 

Climbing quickly the rest of the way. Then Bo sat with me as I began to settle into the space at the top of the Sun.  He was quiet and I could feel our connection deepening as we sat there.  Gradually the group came to encircle the top of the pyramid and a ceremony was created.  Meghan sat down and put Bo in her lap and leaned into me. 

Of all of my experiences on top of the Pyramid of the Sun this one was so sweet and tender.  It felt like heaven.

Each one of you who are reading this knows that Love is transcendent.  And I bet you also know that life is an adventure. 

So my advice? 

Go find a few toddlers.  Put your cell phone down.  Take off your shoes.  Find a ray of sunlight.  Connect to that moment.  Take a really deep breath and go play.

Thank you Bodhi.  Thank you.

Mastering Awareness with consistency is the key to making changes in our lives. The first step to mastering awareness is self-observation—noticing where we focus our attention, and how this focus makes us feel. There are two basic feelings—feel good and getting better, paddling down stream; or feeling bad and getting worse, paddling up-stream.  If we are not feeling good, we have the opportunity to focus our attention from another point of view, take another route. Many will say that is easier said then done. With persistence and desire, however, shifting how we feel is simpler when we detach from the stories and assumptions in our heads.

For example, inconsistent, even chaotic and intense weather patterns have recently inundated our lives, effecting appointments, travel plans, and the comfort and safety of our homes from power outages and weather related erosion, and global catastrophes.  Instead of assuming the worst-case scenario into the future, the doomsday, fear producing warnings of 2012, we can look instead to the abiding power of the Earth, our responsibility to live in synchronicity with Mother Nature and discover new and better ways to make this happen

We can put our faith into ingenuity and wisdom instead of putting faith into fear, diminishing and constricting our lives. We can experience global climate change as an opportunity to grow in Oneness with all of humanity, while deepening our respect for the events in the natural world. 

Mastering Awareness is learning to focus our attention on what is propelling us to think and act and feel the way we do.  We have the option to stop making choices from conditioned responses, addictive behaviors, and the distortions in our programmed minds.

The key to living in Awareness is to stop making assumptions, repeating stories in our heads and sharing them with others, assuming the future will be a continuation of the past, and presuming that we will always experience life in the way we have. Defending our point of view, justifying our behavior, and rationalizing our perception of the world, expecting others to be and do exactly what they have done in the past is out-dated. Our obligation as a humanity to create in the present, relinquish assumptions based in the past projected into the future has never been clearer. This shift, like any other begins with each of us.

Make a commitment to watch your mind and be your observer. Notice the myriad of assumptions you make every day. Focus light on your assumptions. Cast doubt on what you believe, ask questions and even more important ask follow-up questions, gather information, be quiet and notice your feelings, and make space for options and innovative approaches. Free yourself from making assumptions and enjoy the result of living feely in the present moment.

Everything required to create anything in your life is already here. If something is “missing” you need to raise your energy level to the energy of what you desire. This applies whether you desire more money, more free time, better employees, a better relationship, more ease or peace. Your greatest resource is your energy level. Do you pay attention to it? You manage other resources: money, clients, suppliers, gas in your car. Even if you have other great resources, if your energy is low, it is challenging to get through a day, let alone create big changes in your life. You are up to big things and ready to create a new level of prosperity for yourself. To attract anything “more” than what is in your life today requires increasing your energy. The energy I refer to is a combination of your physical energy and your emotional energy. You are more in control of your energy than you think. You are responsible for your energy level – no one else is.

Your energy follows your attention, and what you give attention to increases. As you pay attention to your energy level, you naturally feel your energy rise. This extra energy needs a place to go. Either you direct it with your attention or it will flow back to old beliefs and habits that may not be in the direction you want to go. How do you direct your energy with your attention?

You are sending out energy all the time. This energy rides out on your thoughts, words, actions and emotions. You direct this power by where you put your attention. This energy contains messages that attract to you the circumstances, conditions and the emotional quality of what is in your life today.

Life is responsive to your attention. What you give attention and energy to will increase. If your attention is scattered and unfocused, so is what you get back from Life. If your attention is clear and directed, so will be the response in terms of what you attract. Life does not have an opinion or preference for you. It is neutral. It will give you more of what you give your attention to; “positive” or “negative.”

The emotional strength and consistency of the messages you send create a response where “more of the same” comes to you. “Like attracts like” is a simple way of saying this. If you are miserable, you attract more misery. If you are grateful, you attract more to be grateful for. This is called The Law of Attraction. Imagine being able to harness and focus this natural Law in the direction of your dreams and desires.

Some key concepts and practices around the Law of Attraction are:

- The more you Think, Speak and Act about something, the more you attract it;

- The more Attention you give something, the more you attract it;

- The more Emotional Energy you put into something, the more you attract it;

- The more CLARITY you have about something, the more you attract it;

- Gratitude accelerates the process

- Sharing GOOD NEWS attracts more. We have a practice in my business – “It’s not Good News until you share it!”

Place every feeling that arises
in the mortar of your awareness.
Raise the heat of your attention
as you breathe.
Trace the patterns of your sensations. 

Watch as the base metal dissolves:
Thoughts try to coagulate meaning,
Ideas insist on their validity,
Vibrations intensify,
Panic may arise,
as an option.
Breathe deeply,
and observe as illusions melt,
wisps of smoke,
chimera. 

Notice the glimmer round the edges.
Feel the energies unleashed and flowing.
Breathe deeper.
Accept, allow, release.
Continue the expansion that
concentrates pure peace. 

This is the gold worth mining.
This is the treasure that you are.

ecluksch 01/14/10

As often in such genres, good is confronting evil once again.  The evil is clearly drawn with healthy doses of greed, hostility and ignorance.  The good is misperceived as “less than” and subjected to a healthy dose of torment.  And in the middle of that old formula is a theme of union, the Na’vi people are capable of joining their consciousness to the natural world all around them, to their ancestors and to the planet they inhabit.  One human gets to fully explore this possibility through the use of an “avatar”, a genetically engineered Na’vi body that can be inhabited by his human consciousness. 

I wonder, can we as viewers allow ourselves to see our humanity reflected through all of the mirrors of the characters and the emotions that we experience in this film?  We cheer for the Na’vi and feel a reflection of our own communion with our mother Earth or the reflection of our desire for a greater sense of union with our planet and with each other.  We leave the theatre feeling empowered, or asking questions, or incensed or with a sense of longing.  The movie even falls flat for some whose critical thinking gets hooked into noticing the flaws of plot.  These are all aspects of ourselves.  We are the Na’vi and we are the “jarhead clan”.  We feel, we criticize, we attempt to control, we have trouble letting go, we surrender, we are jealous, we grow, we love and we are connected to each other in so many ways.  

When we allow ourselves to see all these aspects of ourselves, we can begin to move away from seeing other points of view as “weird” or “dumb” or “less than”.  Can we even move to embrace all these aspects of ourselves rather than idolizing some and demonizing others?  Can we really begin to move toward union by seeing the root cause of our separation: our rejection of aspects of ourselves? Our self- rejection then projects our disowned “self” out onto others.  “They” are the problem and they need to be fixed.  If they cannot be “fixed” then they need to be cast out or annihilated.  And so we project our internal drama out into the world over and over and over once again. 

At the root is the fear of not being enough; of needing to adopt a certain identity to count, to matter, to be worthwhile.  I am if I can prove you are not.  And that is what we say to all those “less than” parts of ourselves.  I am worthy if I can control my fears, my anger, my jealousy, my “weaknesses”.  I can feel superior and perceive my group, my nation and my planet as superior.  What is out of reach, though, is a deeper sense of worth and belonging, a sense of connection to the force of Life that flows through everything, even Colonel Quaritch.   He is a reflection of the darker side of our own fear and of our need to manage and control so we feel safe. He is the security officer.  He simply takes it to the extreme so that we can feel the tension of living on fear and observe the results of that dream of separation.  Perhaps, the more we take responsibility for our angry feelings and the need for control in our own mind through the process of acceptance, the less need there will be for the external mirror. Unity is the result of creating union within, from accepting all that we are with compassion and forgiveness.

Finally, a word about the longing many people feel for an experience of unity and communion like that of the Na’vi.  You are that which you long for.  You have a remarkable heart that emits an electromagnetic field that is experienced by everything around you: plants, animals and the earth itself.  Your heart is an intelligence waiting to be tapped.  It is your link to communion with yourself and your surroundings.  When that heart field is filled with unconditional acceptance of all that we are, that heart field is unified and all of Life feels that energy.  This website is filled with heart wisdom and a community that delves deep into the possibilities that are experienced when we surrender our notions of less than/better than and open to the flow of Life that we are.  When we surrender our opinions and drop deeply into the wisdom of our hearts and feelings, we embody the Avatar of our awareness and union is the result. “I see you” takes on a whole new meaning.

“Awaken” documents the spiritual wisdom teachings of the five teachers, sages and shamans from, diverse spiritual background’s about how to awaken to a higher consciousness amidst the current energetic shift on Earth. Collectively featured in the film through a series of individual teachings, each of the master healers share the significance of this present time of planetary evolution and guide the viewer to embrace the current global crisis as an impetus to awaken to becoming more responsible in their choices. Each sage communicates their unique message and energy to assist on the personal journey of self discovery and remembrance that is available to each one of us at this fortuitous time in our human evolution.

I have had a wonderful experience in the process of filming this project. Danisa Perry, a former student of mine had shared with me over 10 years ago her vision of the film she wanted to make. At that time we were both living in LA, she was studying film making and Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica. When she shared her dream of the film, I must admit I was very skeptical, especially since she was talking about an energy that would come through and beyond the visuals and the spoken words to touch and inspire the audience. At that time, before I had any real evidence of the power of transformational energy to be transmitted through electronic media, I thought her vision was a bit of a fantasy. Then several years ago Danisa found me on the east coast and shared how the film was underway and invited me to be a part of it. Most importantly, she shared with me the means she had discovered that allowed each teacher direct, energetic contact with the audience through the filmed media. That her priority in the making of the film was to have the viewer “experience” the energy of the master teachers, beyond their personality, but more as a direct channel of wisdom that could create a transformative experience akin to being in the presence of the sage.

Danisa, in all her courage and with the power of her vision, brought her film crew to Amy’s Healing Center in CT in 2007 and I was able to experience first hand her brilliant method for creating the film of her dreams….and soon to be mine as well.

Last spring it became clear to me that the interview and teaching that I had filmed a year earlier was outdated and no longer was the energetic quality that I wanted to convey. So I asked Danisa if I could re film my piece. She gladly agreed and invited me to come to Santa Barbara to where she and Pablo Diaco, the co-director were going to be filming Barbara Marx Hubbard who had just signed on to be our “elder master.” Knowing of Barbara and having great respect for her work, I was on my way to California with great excitement and anticipation. Meeting Barbara and discussing at length our views on spiritual awareness, community, and our work was beyond anything I had experienced in terms of the quality of vibration that was present as we spoke. I had a very clear moment of experiencing what the true collaborative spirit is about. A moment in which sharing ideas and visions that inspired us, opened up and new information, a more clear version of our former ideas, for us both, came through. She was a mirror in a new way for me and I for her. At any rate, the current film reflects this lovely energy of collaboration and clear communication. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a diverse and lovely family and I hope our desire to share with the world our message and our love comes through for each of you as you view the film.

A west coast premier is in the planning. The film makers are actively looking at retreat, and spiritual centers as locations to premier Awaken, so please let me know if you know of such a place. The DVD will also be on sell on the website.  www.awakenthefilm.com

It’s so easy to make promises about the year ahead. We will stick to our diets, spend more time exercising, be more financially responsible, be more loving to our family, But, for most of us, the resolutions made today will be empty dreams six months from now. Why is it so difficult to make lasting changes? Real change happens when we feel genuinely inspired by our heart’s desire and unwilling to settle for anything less. It happens when we commit with all of ourselves to a new way of life.

If we harbor feelings of guilt or unworthiness, how can dreams ever manifest? No matter how hard you try, the result will still come back to sabotaging feeling happy with yourself, relationships, work, etc. Most of the time we walk around not even understanding why we are miserable, stuck or unfulfilled. We yearn to feel connected, happy, living our bliss or to even get a clue what our bliss is.

The ability for us to access our creativity, play and imagination is a direct result of clearing our limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging patterns that hinder our ability to live fully. In other words … lightening our emotional load. When our commitments fall to the wayside, it is not that we want to be quitters but rather that we are unconsciously more committed to an old story about ourselves that is comfortable and safe. Often outdated distorted beliefs will have you return to autopilot, asleep at the wheel, rather than being awake and alert as you traverse the limitless possibility of expressing your heart’s desire and purpose.

A sure-fire recipe for aligning with your true heart begins with facing whatever stories show up in your mind that you believe are the reasons for unhappiness or dissatisfaction with your life. What better way to celebrate the New Year than by revealing these unconscious stories about money, sex, self-care, religion or spirituality, politics, education, health care, what is right and wrong, etc. Once we have awareness of these cloaked beliefs, we are free to make conscious choices from our heart. We have a chance to be happy and create our lives in alignment with truth rather than what we should be doing.

These days prior to the New Year are prime-time moments to review what has past in the last 12 months and commit to the days & months ahead. You can ask a few questions to clear old baggage while guiding your life in the direction of your true heart.

1. A dream is born from our heart’s desire. Take a moment. Close your eyes. Imagine your dreams for the New Year. If you had nothing in your way…money, time, resources, no fears, doubts…where would you be doing? How would you feel? Who would you spend time with? What qualities would you like in your environment at home and work?

2. What are you willing to give up to get them? What habits, limiting beliefs, unhealthy relationships or situations?

3. As you reflect on your life, when did you become unwilling to do whatever it takes to have what you want? And why?

4. What cravings/addictions or unmet needs will keep you away from your heart’s desire?

5. What do you have your faith and trust invested in? Is your faith in line with your true heart and dreams or is it part of the old, outdated support system that no longer works?

6. What structure of support will you need to ensure this new future?

7. Who will help you stay awake and on the track of your true heart and be a loving supportive “kick in the butt” friend, gently reminding you to stay awake?

If you wish to manifest your dreams, begin by setting your vision on a dream you can reach and then create a plan that will be your guide. If at any time you don’t feel like following your plan, stop. Take a deep breath. Call forth your vision. Then pick up your phone and dial your friend. Ask him/her to remind you that veering off your path really isn’t worth the pain of repeating the past. It will only leave you feeling disappointed, depressed and unhappy in a dark gloomy hole rather than living the bright, amazing and fantastic life that is your birthright!

So today, YOU have the power to choose the course of your dreams, create a plan and stick to it. So gather your courage, strength and commitment and make 2010 the most inspiring year of your life! Manifesting dreams is just steps away! Instead of making those New Years resolutions this year only to find your self drifting away and dissatisfied, let’s make it work this time! Join me in Manifesting Your Dreams through The 4 Alignments of Self Care ™.

This workshop will be in 3 parts the following Wednesday evenings 6:30-9PM, January 6, February 3, March 3, 2010 at Yoga Passion, Beverly Farms, Ma. The cost is $85/series. You do have the option to attend individual sessions for $35.

Jan 6 – Write your Story

Feb 3 – Purpose & Priorities

March 3 – Treasure Mapping

Workshop practices include lectures, 4 Alignments™, awareness-building exercises, Meditation practices, group interaction.

The series ends with an optional journey to the pyramids of Teotihuacan, Mexico from March 25-30, 2010

Contact Grace: 603-651-9642 or graceventura1@gmail.com

to attend workshops or private sessions in-person or long distance.