Patterns

We can see patterns all around us. There are traffic patterns, often associated with for instance rush hour. There are weather patterns, the seasons provide us with patterns, but also the sun shining through the leaves of a tree creates patterns on the ground beneath it. 

And come to think of it, even the way in which plants grow follows patterns ~ a very unique, rhythmic pattern of growth, making it possible to identify a tree by observing its shape, its pattern…

Patterns are rhythmic recurring ‘designs’. This means that there seems to be a ‘cause and effect’ associated with a pattern ~ “If this is occurring, then that will happen”. This ‘cause and effect’ then makes patterns predictable.

In our personal lives, patterns provide structure.

Getting up in the morning, taking a shower, getting dressed and drinking a cup of coffee is my pattern to start the day. As long as I follow this pattern, everything in the world around me, or at least in my direct environment, fits in place. My start of the day sets me up with a sense that ‘all is good’, and that my day has every chance to unfold itself according to plan...

Yet when the pattern is not complete, for instance because I choose not to drink my cup of coffee immediately after getting dressed, the structure I have given the start of each day feels ‘off’. And continuing my day, it is almost like some part of me is waiting for ‘the other shoe to drop’.

Fact is that most of us feel comfortable functioning within a structure, and patterns give us a structure that is flexible enough to change on a moments notice when a situation requires us to do so.

And there is the rub...

Sometimes we experience patterns in our lives that seem fixed ~ when the ‘cause event’ takes place, we feel unable to change the ‘effect pattern’.

Frequently this is true for patterns that have to do with interaction with others. These patterns often have started during our childhood, and prove very hard to recognize. And as long as we don’t recognize both the ‘cause event’ and the ‘effect pattern’, it is almost impossible to break patterns like this.

Whenever the pattern is triggered, we find ourselves reacting in a way that we don’t necessarily want to, but can’t stop ourselves from doing so nonetheless...

In most cases we may not even want to break patterns like these — we accept them as part of who we are. In other cases, when we feel a pattern has grown into a habit, we may feel we do want to release the old pattern, or replace the old pattern with a new pattern that, while still providing us with the desired structure, better suits us at this point in life.

First published on November 4, 2011

Shifting our Intentions

In our day-to-day lives we do any number of things “that just need to be done”. Some of them are chores, while others may be task-, work- or job-related. And then there are those things that have to do with self-care — with taking enough time to do those things for ourselves that allow us to recharge, and stay healthy.

Often our manner of handling these things is the quickest, most efficient way that we have found through our experiences. Even our “me-time” is chosen to give the best results in the time we have permitted ourselves…

It makes me think…

What would happen if we would shift our intentions just a little bit? If we would find ourselves doing all the same things we have always done from an ever so slightly different perspective?

For instance, instead of having our focus on “preparing a healthy meal”, letting our intention be something like “Preparing a meal made with love, and having fun doing it”?

Chances are that meal will taste different, probably even better.

It seems like shifting our intentions, especially with the most common every-day tasks we do, can lead to surprising results…

We all have moments we look at ourselves in the mirror… For instance during our morning ritual of getting up, or when we retire in the evening. 

If we would shift our intentions in those moments from checking our appearance, to truly seeing ourselves — looking ourselves in the eyes, and seeing ourselves beyond our appearance…after all, the eyes are the window to the soul. What would we see?

If we would permit ourselves to become quiet and to drop into a meditative state while connecting with ourselves as we see ourselves in the mirror, we can even ask ourselves a question or two…

And we may be surprised by who we are looking at. Almost always seeing ourselves through new eyes will help us discover new aspects of ourselves, a greater wisdom, and a great deal more life experience than we give ourselves credit for…

Needless to say that we can choose to shift our intentions just a tiny bit with pretty much everything we are doing — just as a fun thing, to see what happens. To observe the changes in our experience…

If we are willing to surprise ourselves this way, there are a couple of side effects… First, we are more in the moment. Second, it will raise our awareness. And last, but certainly not least, it will give you new insights as to who you truly are…

Body and Light body are wholly one…

You are sitting in a cave. There is not a lot of light that comes into the cave through the small entrance, yet as soon as your eyes are used to the absence of light, the darkness disappears. You find it is quite easy now to look around in this cave. Its sides are smooth and dry. Further down the cave is an indentation in the floor that might have held water some time long ago. You feel safe and at peace in this cave…

Your mind seems to move up just a little bit, and you become aware of a sense of wholeness and wellbeing inside yourself, and all around you. You notice how this sense of wholeness and wellbeing influences your physical body — your bones, your muscles, your organs, your nerves… It touches your entire system, and your body seems to radiate as a result. 

Your heart is beating its steady rhythm and your breathing starts to slow down as soon as you focus on this sense of wholeness and wellbeing that seems to envelope you as a cocoon. Your may ask yourself where this is coming from, and with that, your mind moves up just a bit further as it keeps it focus on your physical body. Your mind quietly observes your physical body.

You feel the energy change as you become aware of another Being. It is light. It is whole. It is you… The cave seems to fall away — just its protection and the sense of wholeness and wellbeing stay with you, and you permit your Light Being and your physical self to step away form each other. Your Light Being turns around such that your Light body and your physical self are opposite each other, and when your physical eyes meet the eyes of this Light Being, you instantly recognize your true self… You realize that your Light Being is your reality, and your physical body is the “vehicle” through which your Light Being can exist in the material world. Just as your Light Being is needed by your physical self as it is a compass that shows you true north…

Your physical self now asks your Light self about your unique, personal path that you are walking in a changing material world… And the Light Being, your true self, answers:

Know that your energy is entirely yours. You can use it whenever and wherever you wish, for whatever is needed. In order to do this most effectively, it is good to bring your physical self and your reality self, the Light self, together as one. To honor it, and respect it. To feed it, and care for it. To be kind to yourself, to take time to smell the roses, and to let your reality shine through you. To be aware and willing to accept as to what your Light self is whispering in your ear…

Your physical self now ask how you can bring your Light Being and your physical body together in wholeness — as one…

In the space between your physical body and your Light Being the energy begins to move. A color is emanated from your physical body, and your Light body radiates a color as well. These two colors start to weave together, almost as if they are dancing. They mix and merge, and finally become a third color. This third color then comes together in a ball of colored light. In this sphere of colored light, a symbol appears. You notice how it is drawn, line by line. When it is finished, the symbol begins to move. As you observe the symbol moving within the sphere of colored light, you realize that this is your energy. You are being shown the pattern and the rhythm of your energy. It has color and movement, and it is yours to use…

Your physical self and your Light self both stretch out their hands, and when they touch it is the start of a spiraling movement. Around and around… you are moving ever higher, yet in the same movement you are also moving lower and lower… You stretch out, and yet you come together. You become one. You are one. You are… One… One… One…

Slowly you become aware again your surroundings. The cave, the flat stone you are sitting upon. You take a deep breath, and you know something has changed. It is a good change. Your physical body and your Light body are one. You feel safe and at peace. You remember the symbol and the color of the sphere, and as soon as you recall those, a sense of wholeness washes over you…

You take another deep breath, then you get up and move out of the cave and into the light of the sun.

The Longest Path

 “Sometimes the greatest distance is back to self.”

I am standing on the side of a small river. Its waters have streamed through its curvy path for eons of time, slowly, steadily, back to the sea. A soft breeze caresses my skin as the sun warms my back. And I watch the water flow by, slowly and steadily following the twists and turns of the old river.

I am standing there, pausing… With so much going on and so many changes afoot, the quietness of this place is comforting. All there is, is the water flowing by, the warmth of the sun, and the breeze that makes the leaves of then trees softly whisper. I listen closely, yet I cannot quite hear what they are saying.

There is something here, although I don’t know what it is… 

I am standing close to the river, far away from everything. I have sought out this quiet place many times before, and as I look around I notice that this so familiar place is somehow different. The light of the sun seems brighter, the flow of the river seems to have a greater purpose, and the quietness seems to deepen. 

And then, somewhat unexpectedly, the stillness becomes so vast that time ceases to exist.

I am standing in my familiar spot close to the old river, finding myself in a place outside of time and space, and everything around me is quiet. And in this space, an anticipation is building. I can feel it as my focus increases and my mind becomes crystal clear…

I am standing on the side of the river of all time, sensing all the times I have been here throughout eons of time…

Then I realize I am no longer alone. An ancient cat has joined me. It is huge, yet to me it is also very familiar as we have walked the path together for as long as I can remember. I greet it, and it greets me. 

From a distance I see a shadowy figure approaching. As it comes closer its shape becomes more defined, almost as if she is materializing out of the energy of nature itself… I look at her — she is the wise woman, the mother and the maiden all at once. She is quite close now, and when our eyes connect, I there is a great recognition… I know her. And yet, somehow, at some level, I do not know her at all.

When she speaks, she speaks softly, almost as if she is singing. Be still and listen… Listen to what she is saying… Listen to her message…

She looks at me and says, often the longest path, is the path back to our selves. That inner path that leads to greater knowledge of self and true authenticity…

Then she turns around and disappears, just like she came. With every step she takes, she becomes more “shadowy” until all that is left is the energy of nature.

The big cat gets up and stretches. It rubs against me one last time, and then walks away on a path that didn’t seem to be there before. It stops and looks back at me, almost calling me to join on this new path. And I know this is the direction I will take. As soon as I have made that decision, the big cat disappears.

I take a deep breath and find myself standing close to this so familiar river. I have no idea how long I have been here. However long it has been, even though my surroundings are very familiar, something has changed. 

I have changed. I have gained a new understanding about myself, and about the river, and the water that seems to have an even greater purpose in its flow back to the sea. 

And I have found a new path, an inner path… A path that may be long, yet it will lead me home…

With the sun on my face, I start walking.

The Labyrinth -- a meditation

I have been following the path for a while now, but I have not paid much attention to where it is leading me. Deep in thought, I have just kept walking, step by step. It has become a rhythm that is comforting to me. Step by step.

I haven’t noticed that the sun has disappeared behind dark clouds. I haven’t felt the wind picking up, the temperature dropping. All there is, is the rhythm. Step by step.

Suddenly the path ends. I stop, and so does the rhythm. I look up and startled, I observe my surroundings. The landscape seems desolate. I shiver. It is cold without the sun shining on my face. Slowly I turn around, the barrenness seems to stretch even further than my eyes can see. Then, my attention is drawn to a pattern that is laid out on the dry soil. I walk over and look at it. It is clear that someone took great care in arranging the stones in this pattern, and I almost expect that person to be there. But a quick glance over my shoulder confirms that I am the only one here. Alone with a pattern made of stones. I start walking around the edge of the pattern, and I find that it is larger than I thought at first. In fact, it is so big that it is impossible to see the whole pattern — impossible to see what it is or what its function might be. I am curious now, eager to explore and to discover what it is all about.

I come to two big rocks and somehow I know that this is where I will find the answer. Between the rocks seems to be the entry way into this elaborate pattern. As I come closer, I notice that symbols are carved on the sides of these rocks. They look ancient, and yet, they are so crisp that they might have been chiseled in the rock only yesterday. I step between the boulders, and I am only mildly surprised when I hear a voice that says: “This is the portal into the shattering patterns, do you embrace the change?”

Without hesitation I answer “Yes,” and I am allowed to continue. The pattern is now a clear path and I follow it. Pretty soon I come to a big crystal that is standing in the middle of the path. When I look around, I see that a number of paths come together here, with the crystal standing in the middle. I count the paths; there are seven. Not sure what to do, which path to take, I focus my attention on the crystal. As soon as I do that, it comes to life. Colors flow within it. I move closer to have a better look. Fascinated, I stretch out my hand and touch the crystal. A sing-song chant bursts forth from it:

“The rut is a route to no change at all.

Just over and over the same words, the same call.

So what does it tell you? What have you learned?”

I ponder the question for a moment as I recall the cold, desolate, barren landscape that my path had led me to. Step by step, in a soothing, unchanging rhythm. What did I learn? What could it have taught me? I look again at the crystal and I see that the colors are changing. And so does its chant. Still in a sing-song way the crystal tells me what my path could have taught me and I listen. And I hear what it is saying... 

Then the colors in the crystal merge into a picture, and it becomes crystal clear to me how I got stuck in my pattern, what the pattern had to offer me, and how, in every situation, I seemed to follow the same pattern. With that realization comes the awareness that I want something new, that I need something different... 

The crystal seems to smile, and when I step back from it, I know which of the seven paths to choose. Without any doubt I move on. This path has unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes it seems to double back upon itself, but I keep going. There is a sense of excitement and anticipation building within me. Finally, I come to a circle of stones. All kinds of different stones form the rim of the circle. For a moment, I think that there may be other paths leading up here too, but I see none. Again, I look at the circle, and I notice a flat stone disc in its center. It seems to emanate light. I walk up to the edge of the circle, uncertain what to do next. 

The light in the center gets stronger and it calls me: “Come, come, enter in...” I step into the circle, and I walk around the disc in the center. Looking at the light it is emanating and how it is still growing stronger. I feel a desire to step into the light, and as I do, the temperature rises and its comfort sparks a new sense of confidence within me. It feels good. This light is now filling the entire circle. I choose one of the stones that make up the rim of the circle and pick it up. I look at its color, its texture. And when I hold it in the light, it shows me the lessons learned. It shows me the patterns shattering. It shows me the changes that are beneficial to me. And I embrace them and accept them.

I know that I am to keep the stone, and as I put it in my pocket, the light disappears. I am in a glen in the forest, the sunlight touches me and warms me. The forest is lush, and there are many paths and trails leading through it.

I smile, and softly humming to myself, I start walking.

From the book: "The Return of the Shaman"

The Return of the Light

The Return of the Light

Heard though unseen

Her song is carried on the breeze

Calling in the cosmic energy

And giving it away again

Words on the breeze

Arrows in the mist

Healing though unseen

She feels the energy flow getting stronger

As she stretches her hands to all

Who need her gentle touch

A candle in the night

Arrows in the mist

Winter solstice

The longest night is over

As the sun breaks through the mist

You can see her singing

And dancing to our earth mother

The energy flows from her hands

Ready to heal each of us

As we celebrate

The return of the light

From: “The Return of the Shaman”

You can buy the book here…

‘Bridge Builders’

I think it is a good thing to build bridges...

To create a way to get from one place to another. Or to permit two sides to be able to meet...

But what about the ‘bridge builder’?

Where does that person come from — and perhaps even more importantly, where is he or she going?

From a certain perspective one could say that the ‘bridge builder’ is in a pretty static position. In today’s world a lot of bridges are needed — so there are plenty opportunities to keep building bridges without ever crossing one yourself as the ‘bridge builder’; the architect of that walkway from ‘here’ to ‘there’. The ‘bridge builder’, the mediator, the moderator, the peace maker can just move on from one situation to the next; always building bridges.

Until...

In everybody’s life there comes a point of inevitable change. When one cannot do anything else than to change — to move on to something new and different. To walk that bridge and to move from ‘here’ to ‘there’.

And when someone has been the ‘bridge builder’ for as long as anyone can remember — chances are that when they finally make that all important move, everybody around them is in for a surprise! Rather than keeping the focus on building bridges, on mediating, moderating, even keeping the peace, suddenly it becomes apparent that even ‘bridge builders’ are ‘normal’ people with ‘normal’ needs and ‘normal’ emotions. People who want to move on with their lives. People who are — like the rest of us — fed up with being stuck in one place.

Yet while it seems so easy for them to build bridges for situations outside of themselves, it may not be quite as easy to get from ‘here’ to ‘there’ when it concerns themselves...

It is most definitely a step outside of the comfort zone...

It doesn’t mean necessarily that the ‘bridge builder’ will stop building bridges.

It does mean, however, that it needs to be done in a new way. In a manner in which the ‘bridge builder’ can build bridges while move forward on their own path — a mode that doesn’t get them stuck in one place while helping others moving on.

A way that may keep the peace around them, yet enhances inner peace.

It is a good thing to build bridges. To create that way to get from one place to another — a walkway on which two parties can meet. But let’s take our own responsibility and start building a bridge or two ourselves, rather than just relying on the ‘bridge builder’...

First published February 2013