The Dawn of Transformation

The world is awakening to a new level of consciousness as people from every corner of the globe are becoming increasingly aware of their connection to something greater than themselves. Yoga centers are appearing in every community; alternative healing is accepted and practiced by millions; books about meditation and spiritual growth are bestsellers. More and more of us are feeling that the rhythm of the world we have inherited is not in harmony with the song that plays in our hearts. Something deep within our essence keeps saying, “there must be a better way”, and we are compelled to search for alternatives to the norm. As this awareness emerges within individuals they begin to make conscious choices in their daily lives - choices which reflect their highest values. Instinctively they gravitate toward others who are evolving in the same direction and this creates a dynamic source of energy with the potential for transformative change.

There is a wonderful analogy in Nature for this type of transformation: the metamorphosis of the humble caterpillar into a glorious butterfly. In the last weeks of its life a caterpillar ravenously consumes many times its body weight making it so bloated that it can no longer move. At this point all it can do is hang upside down from the nearest branch where it gradually encases itself in a shell called a chrysalis. Inside of this dark cocoon the caterpillar starts to decompose but then something extraordinary happens. Amid the chaos of the caterpillar’s decaying body a completely new type of cell emerges seemingly out of nowhere. Biologists call them Imaginal Cells because they carry within them the information and imagination to create something entirely different. These new cells are completely foreign to the caterpillar’s immune system so it sees them as enemies and immediately begins to attack them. The battle rages on, but the imaginal cells are persistent and for each one that is destroyed thousands more arise to take its place. Soon the caterpillar’s immune system is overwhelmed, and as its body continues to break down these miraculous imaginal cells cluster together to orchestrate the creation of an entirely new organism – the graceful and beautiful butterfly.

Those of us who want to live in a world that reflects our highest ideals are the imaginal cells of society because we have the imagination to see ourselves as something other than what our culture and conditioning have programmed us to be. By using that awareness to consciously bring our thoughts and deeds into alignment with our true inner wisdom we become an inspiration for others to follow the same path. This is the evolution of consciousness that we see unfolding all around us, but can it grow strong enough to bring meaningful change to the world? The answer to that question just might be found in the enormous power of human intention.

Throughout the ages mystics and sages have spoken of a “one-ness” that links us to everything in the universe. Modern science has now proven that there is in fact such a field of connection and that it is strongly affected by our thoughts and emotions. Proof of this comes from satellite measurements of the Earth’s magnetic field which always stay within a specific range except when there are events that attract intense human attention. On September 11, 2001, the magnetic field of the planet Earth spiked way above the normal range and stayed unstable for days*. Similar readings have occurred at the time of other events that galvanized human emotional attention. Why is this important? Because from quantum physics we know that our entire physical world is held together by electromagnetic energy and that same energy connects all of us to each other through the field. This data and similar studies** suggest that by concentrating our attention we can have a profound transformative effect on all of humanity and on the world around us.

The challenge that we face is learning how to harness this incredible power of attention by focusing it through our intention for positive change. The good news is that the equipment we need to accomplish this task is very close at hand. The strongest transmitter that you have for projecting your intentions into the world is not your brain – it is your heart - because the electromagnetic field of the human heart is 5,000 times more powerful than that of the brain. But it gets even better. Recent studies have proven that when we are feeling heart-based emotions like love, compassion, gratitude and kindness we create coherence between the heart and brain which increases the power of our intention/attention exponentially. This means that a relatively small number of people projecting these love-based emotions can have an enormous effect on the field that connects all people and which underlies our entire physical reality.

Just as the imaginal cells clustered together to create beauty from decay, so too can we create a community of awakened souls with the potential to transform the world. It all starts by choosing to live consciously so that our lives become a reflection of the feelings that emanate from our hearts. In so doing our positive intention is focused like a laser to send a powerful message that is mirrored and magnified in the very fabric of the universe.

For all of the world’s imaginal cells the message is clear:

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE

The Mysteries of 2012

There is a persistent prediction going around that powerful cosmic forces will come together on December 21, 2012, to cause radical changes on the planet Earth. This rumbling rumor has spread rapidly from the fringes of the New Age movement to the edges of everyday consciousness, and it has spawned numerous different prophecies ranging from an apocalyptic disaster to the glorious dawning of a spiritual revolution. Why has this date attracted so much attention and what could it mean?

There are three main threads to this story, and the first involves the ancient Mayan civilization of Central America. These people had developed incredibly sophisticated mathematical and astronomical knowledge many centuries before such things were discovered in the West. Their “long count” calendar was projected to last for 5,125 years, culminating with “The End of Times” on December 21, 2012. Some say that the “end of times” just means that the Mayan calendar will reset to zero for a new cycle; others see it as a major turning point in human history.

The second path that leads to 2012, is the theory of Galactic Alignment which occurs only once every 25,800 years when the Sun, as seen from Earth, is directly aligned with the center of our galaxy (the Milky Way). This will also happen on December 21, 2012, and it is not just a coincidence that it is the same day as the Mayan “End of Times”. The Mayans called the center of the Milky Way the “dark rift” and in their mythology it is linked to the creation of the Universe.

The final piece to the puzzle is called the Precession of the Equinoxes which involves astrology. Simply stated, the constellations related to the twelve signs of the zodiac move slightly backwards in the sky each year, so that every 2,160 years or so the one that is visible at a certain point in the sky changes. On December 21, 2012, most astrologists agree that we will have finished one of these long cycles and moved from the Age of Pisces to the much-anticipated Age of Aquarius.

There are many different interpretations of these celestial signs and they present a broad spectrum of possible consequences. The gloomiest prophecies see the Earth undergoing cataclysmic changes and natural catastrophes that would mean the end of our world as we know it, while the more positive ones view December 21, 2012, as the portal through which a vast awakening to enlightened consciousness will emerge.

The end of the world scenario relies partly on scientific evidence that there may be unusually heavy solar flare activity sometime between 2010 and 2012. It expands upon this possibility to envision a huge explosion in the sun’s atmosphere that would trigger a geometric reversal on Earth, wherein the magnetic polarities of the North and South poles would be switched around with disastrous consequences. Without going into all of the details, one can safely say that the scientific basis for such an event is extremely tenuous. This has not however stopped the people in Hollywood who will soon release a new adventure movie called “2012” which is based on these doomsday predictions and features all manner of death and destruction.

The most optimistic interpretations of the meaning of 2012 believe that this “End of Times” does not mean the end of our material world, but rather the end of our obsession with materialism. This positive spin on 2012 says that the current worldview based on the low vibrations of fear and greed will be swept away by a sudden shift in global consciousness to the higher vibrations of love and light. There is some evidence for this hopeful prediction in that more people than ever before are searching for an alternative way of seeing the world. However, the fact remains that the vast majority of the human race still clings stubbornly to its old ways of thinking, and it is extremely difficult to imagine that this could change so dramatically between now and 21/12/12.

So if it is very unlikely that the world will end in 2012, and it is equally unlikely that the majority of the world’s people will instantly wake up to a higher level of consciousness, then what are we to make of this whole phenomenon? I suggest that if December 21, 2012, has any significance at all it is not because of what may happen on that one specific date, (remember Y2K!) but rather, that it represents the center point of a range of years in which the potential for a great transformation exists. The winds of change are blowing and their effects can be felt in the failing of our old systems of finance, ecology, energy and politics. As these traditional structures falter we are presented with many challenges, but also with a great opportunity to alter our course and to steer civilization in a more positive direction. Perhaps the energy surrounding 2012 will be the catalyst that inspires the people of this planet to start choosing a new and more enlightened path in our quest for a better world.

The Law of Attraction

With the surprising popularity over the past few years of the book and movie called “The Secret” many people have heard about the Law of Attraction, but few have a real grasp of what it actually is and how it works. The basic principle underlying this phenomenon is that throughout the Universe like attracts like, meaning that all things which vibrate at the same level are attracted to each other. The way that this applies to you and me is that whatever we think and feel will be attracted into our lives according to the basic mantra that “energy flows where attention goes”. That seems quite simple so why is it that, since all of us want to be happy, healthy and wealthy, not everyone actually is? To find the answer to that question let us assume for the moment that this truly is a Universal Law, and look into how it is supposed to be applied effectively in our lives.

One reason that we do not always get what we want is that the Law of Attraction does not discriminate between positive thoughts and negative ones – wherever your attention goes that’s where the energy flows, and that is what you will attract. For instance, if you are having difficulties with your work situation then much of your attention would focus on the fact that you do not want to have problems with your job, but in so doing your main point of attraction would be “problems with my job” and that is exactly what you will attract. The way to transform this is to consciously choose to focus your attention in a positive direction so that your point of attraction is in line with what you really want. In this instance you could center your attention on something like: “I can make my job enjoyable and fulfilling” and this would start creating the harmonious situation that you desire.

Once your thoughts are vibrating on this positive level the next step is to align your feelings and emotions with that same point of attraction. One can think good thoughts and repeat positive affirmations all day long, but if at the same time you are having feelings of fear and doubt then you will not manifest what you desire. In fact, according to the Law of Attraction if you are stuck in negative feelings and emotions then you will attract that same kind of negative energy into your life. Have you ever had one of those mornings that from the moment you got out of bed you just didn’t feel right, and then everything seemed to go wrong for the entire day? If so then you have experienced the downside of the Law of Attraction in action. Your initial negative feeling was your point of attraction and that snowball of negativity got bigger and bigger as it rolled through the events of your day. The way to get out of that downward spiral is by making a conscious choice to use your free will and imagination to “change the energy”. You do this by choosing to focus on something that is positive and joyful so that you can experience the good feelings that flow from those happy thoughts.

Here is an example of how it is all supposed to work. If you desire to have a wonderful loving relationship then start by imagining what it would be like for that to happen in your life. Fill your mind with positive thoughts about the perfect relationship and then begin to feel the excitement that comes with the first blush of romantic love. Be constantly vigilant to avoid negative thoughts or feelings like “I don’t deserve this” or “this couldn’t happen for me”, and if they arise quickly banish them in favor of new ones filled with joy. The final step is to let go of your expectations of how your wishes will be fulfilled and trust in the process by allowing the Law of Attraction work its magic.

Now you have an idea of how to apply this law in your life, but is it really a law or is it just wishful thinking dressed up in a shiny New Age package? Despite the fact that here are numerous documented cases showing how the Law of Attraction has worked for many people this does not satisfy the skeptics who desire hard evidence. Finding scientific proof for this process will involve measuring the vibrations created by thoughts and feelings to see if they affect our reality.

Until we develop instruments that are sophisticated enough to measure these subtle vibrations we will not know for certain how this “law” works, but there is something that we do know for certain right now. We know that regardless of whether or not you believe in the Law of Attraction you always have the choice – every minute of every day - to consciously think positive thoughts rather than be the victim of whatever comes into your mind. This marvelous gift of free will allows you to create your own perception of reality and to consciously put forth the type of energy that you choose to project. Think what a wonderful world this would be if we all chose to send out thoughts and vibrations that reflected our highest good………..

Follow Your Heart

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a source of wisdom that could give you the answers to all of life’s questions? Perfect responses for everything from the biggest decisions to the smallest wonderings: Should I take that job? Is she/he right for me? Can I trust him? Should I go out or stay home? ….. and on and on and on …… Whatever the situation your path to happiness would always be clearly marked. Sound good? Well congratulations because each of us already has an inner guidance system that always stands ready to steer us in the right direction. It is our wisest self or soul self, and it speaks the wisdom of our hearts. When we choose to listen to its messages the doors of life swing open wide and we become a shining reflection of our true inner beauty.

The challenge that we all face is learning how to consistently connect with this heart-based wisdom so that we become a living expression of our inner knowing. Every situation in life presents you with the opportunity to choose whom you wish to be in the world, and the choices are always clear. You can either continue the same old responses and reactions that have been programmed into your mind since birth, or you can choose to follow a more intuitive path. That path leads to the wisdom of your heart which will gently guide you to the thoughts, words and actions that reflect your highest vision of yourself.

Albert Einstein put it this way:

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

We remember “the gift” when we choose to answer life’s questions by following the intuition that emanates from our hearts. In so doing we align ourselves with the love-based feelings of joy, gratitude, kindness and compassion.

This all sounds very simple, and in fact it is: you make conscious choices that are in harmony with the wisdom of your heart so that your inner radiance is reflected in the world. Very simple…… but not always so easy. In fact it can be quite a challenge because life does not always flow smoothly, and situations arise where you may be feeling angry, nervous, fearful, or confused. In those difficult times your emotions can get you so worked up that the last thing in the world that you want to do is to start looking for inner guidance. The only way to be able to find the wisdom of your heart in such stressful moments is by learning to build stronger lines of communication between your conscious mind and your inner wisdom…. between your brain and your heart.

The way to do this is through practices that teach you how to access inner stillness, because in order to find the wisdom of your heart you must first get past the chatter of your mind. There are many ways to find that peaceful place within and all of them are equally good; whatever feels right for you is your perfect path. Meditation is the classic approach and it works well with breathing exercises that help you to travel inward. Moving meditations like Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Chi connect you with your inner presence by working through the body and breath. Being in Nature is the simplest way to strengthen your connection to the wisdom of your heart. Walking in the countryside, working in your garden, or just sitting under a tree lets you feel the stillness which is always present in nature, and through that feeling you can experience your own inner peace.

Of course the point of all this is not to spend your life sitting on the top of a mountain in silent meditation. The reason that we build a strong connection to the energy of our hearts is so that we can have access to that wisdom when making choices about how to act in the world. Following your heart means walking through life with love energy as your guide - intentionally creating your thoughts, words and deeds to be a clear reflection of the beautiful person that you truly are. It means not just talking about it, reading about it, or thinking about it, but really living it.

Each of us has a unique gift to give to the world. That gift is our beautiful inner light; fully emerged, and creatively expressing itself in every aspect of our lives. It is our birthright to shine with the full brilliance of the love, compassion and kindness that is always present within our hearts. In so doing we not only make our lives incredibly rich and fulfilling, but we also become a beacon for others to follow… holding the space and creating the vibration for all of humanity to evolve to its greatest potential. So whenever you come to a crossroads in your life remember these simple words:

“ It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;

what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

(The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

The Strange World of Quantum Physics

Many of the things that we take for granted in our daily lives would not be possible without the discoveries made over the past 100 years that are known as the “new” physics. Nuclear power, lasers, computers, satellites, mobile phones, MRI machines and just about all of modern technology are the result of the application of the principles of Quantum Physics. Understanding how this works can be a challenge, but the basic principles are easy to grasp if we avoid scientific jargon and don’t get bogged down describing the complex experiments, so let’s give it a go.

Traditional “old” physics was created by Isaac Newton and others in the late 1600’s, and they did a remarkable job of describing how our material world works according to fixed laws which explain everything from falling apples to the movements of galaxies in space. Newtonian physics was so successful that it became a generally accepted fact that the world was a huge mechanical system that was completely governed by these laws of motion. The fundamental building blocks in this mechanistic universe were called atoms and they were perceived as dense balls of matter, but as measuring devices became more sophisticated it became clear that atoms were not solid objects, but were in fact tiny solar systems with electrons orbiting the nucleus, and that when you look really closely you find that…………….IT’S ALL EMPTY SPACE.

The atoms which make up everything in our universe actually have virtually no mass; they are 99.999999% empty space. To give you some idea of the scope of this, if an atom were the size of a gigantic cathedral, the nucleus, representing the mass, would be the size of one grain of sand! The electrons that “orbit” this tiny nucleus would be the equivalent of dust motes floating near the ceiling of the cathedral. All the rest would be empty space. So as science looked deeper into the nature of matter to find the building blocks of the Newtonian universe, they found instead a strange and mysterious world with tiny specs of matter surrounded by vast empty spaces.

Thus was born the science of quantum mechanics which seeks to explain the nature and behavior of matter and energy in the world of very small things and to solve the mysteries of how these affect our larger physical world. From the early 1900’s until the present day, numerous experiments have proven these four basic principles of quantum physics:

1) Everything is Energy

Going back to the fact that atoms are mostly empty space how is it that things feel and act as if they are solid even though there is no real mass? It is because these vast empty spaces are filled with electro-magnetic energy. Einstein’s famous E=Mc2 essentially means that energy (E) and matter (M) are interchangeable, and that there is an incredible amount of energy in the universe and very little matter. Thus a handful of uranium provides the power of an atom bomb.

2) Wave-Particle Duality

Light is pure energy that can express itself either as an electromagnetic wave or as a stream of particles called photons. Subatomic entities like electrons can also appear as either a particle or as a wave of energy. When something is in its wave form it has no definite existence; it merely represents an infinite amount of possibilities of how and where it can exist. It only has measurable existence when it chooses to be in particle form. Which leads us to……………..

3) The Uncertainty Principle

OK, this is where it really gets weird. We have established that the basis of all matter is intangible quantum energy that swirls around as wave-like possibilities with no definite material existence. But it only has this ghost-like quality when it is not being looked at. When it is observed, as when a scientist tries to measure it, the undetermined wave qualities disappear and it becomes a real particle with a definite location. In other words, at the subatomic level when you shine your consciousness on something you bring it into the material world.

4) Quantum Entanglement

This is very strange stuff that Einstein called “spooky action at a distance”. In the simplest terms it means that when subatomic particles are mingled together they become “entangled” with each other and a permanent bond is formed. Once this is done then whatever is experienced by one of these particles will be instantaneously felt by the other regardless of the distance between them. Entangled photons can be thousands of kilometers apart, but when you pinch one of them the other jumps at exactly same moment. Bell’s Theorem takes this one giant step farther by stating that this type of permanent connection occurs not only at the quantum level, but that it exists on the macro level of people, places and things.

This points to a scientific proof that we are all connected through our consciousness to a “One-ness” that flows from the smallest parts of our being to the farthest reaches of the cosmos……. but that discussion is for another day.

The Art of Conscious Living

Have you ever wondered about where the motivation for your thoughts and actions comes from? Countless studies have shown that our conscious mind is running the show only about 5% of the time while the other 95% of what we think and do is controlled by our subconscious mind. The conscious mind has the ability to create thoughts and initiate action, but the subconscious acts more like an information processor that records everything in your life and stores it for future use. When the conscious mind is inactive or distracted the subconscious automatically steps in and takes control, but it is only able to reflect your past experiences and has no ability to initiate original ideas.

From birth until about the age of six your subconscious mind downloads and stores everything from its environment; every word that it hears, every emotion that it feels, and every image that it sees. This accumulation of input from your family, religion, television, society, etc., becomes your basic persona or habit mind. This downloading is most intense in those first six years but it continues throughout your life as your subconscious obediently absorbs the norms and beliefs of your schools, friends, culture, government and media. On a certain level this subconscious data base is extremely useful because it remembers how to do the countless things that you have learned over the course of your life. You can drive a car, cook an egg, and dance the tango without having to consciously think of how to perform each step because your subconscious stores all of that information. This is all well and good when dancing or preparing an omelet, but the problem arises when you allow your subconscious habit mind to make the choices that define who you are and how you interact with the world. By letting the subconscious take over these personal decisions we surrender our power of choice and as a result we go through life unconsciously repeating the beliefs, habits and judgments that we have inherited from others.

The way to restore your free will and regain control of your life is by learning to live consciously. The subconscious only takes over when the conscious mind is not paying attention, so if you increase your awareness the conscious kind will be in control for much more than the "normal" 5% of the time. You can achieve this higher level of awareness by cultivating mindfulness which simply means setting your intention to be in touch with each present moment. A mindful person when faced with a choice of how to act in the world consciously resists their automatic subconscious reactions and then chooses to follow the guidance of their inner wisdom. This inner wisdom or wisest self lies deep within all of us and at every fork in the road it whispers the key question:"Who do you wish to be?". Mindful awareness allows us to hear those whispers and to make choices that answer that question with a resounding YES.

By living consciously you take responsibility for who you are in the world by intentionally choosing your thoughts, words and deeds so that they are in alignment with your highest ideals. This is quite a challenge because you must overcome an entire lifetime of being programmed by the ideas, actions and beliefs of other. At first you will continue tho think say and do things that are not in harmony with who you wish to be, but as each of these old patterns of behavior arises you simply shine the light of awareness on it and then gently correct yourself. Over time this process gets progressively easier because your conscious choices will create new positive habit patterns in your subconscious, and the old inherited reactions will gradually lose their power.

As you continue to intentionally create your thoughts, words and deeds so that they resonate with the wisdom of your soul you will find that consciousness will magically evolve in all areas of your life. You are likely to become more discerning about what you put into your body and how you keep it healthy. Your tastes in music and entertainment may become more refined as will your choices of where to go, what to do and who to hang out with. This evolution of consciousness will unfold easily and effortlessly as a natural reflection of being in alignment with your highest idea of yourself.

Of course living consciously does not mean that everything in your life will always go smoothly, but it does give you the power to choose your inner experience in all situations. To feel what this means imagine that you are watching a falcon as it glides gracefully through the sky. With wings magnificently outstretched it climbs, dives and changes direction with only the slightest movements of its feathers. The winds may come from north, south, east or west, and they may be gentle or they may roar. The falcon has no control over the wind, but it has complete control of how it flies, and regardless of how the winds may blow the falcon always flies with elegance. The events of your life are like the wind because you never really know what direction they will be coming from. Sometimes the winds of life will bring you joy and happiness, but other times they ,may create difficulties or sadness. When you live consciously you ride these currents gracefully - soaring with the highs and flowing with the challenges. Just as the falcon flies elegantly in all types of wind, you can use your free will to live every moment as the beautiful person whom you choose to be.