Tuesday, October 7, 2014

The Dance of Rhythm - Autumn and the Colon/Lung/Metal Element relationships

In my health business/practice, we offer four cleanses a year - one in each season.  There are many reasons for this.  In Nature, and in our bodies (of which is a part of an unseen reality that is connected to and integrated with "nature."), there is a time of day, and time of year where each bodily system is more "active" and others less. This is called The Circadian Rhythm.

In the Fall, the metal element in some Eastern traditions it is named, has as its two main organ systems the Lung and Large Intestine (colon).  By offering focused foods, herbs, and supplements to both detox, nourish, and balance/harmonize, we have more leverage and our money/efforts go further than if we choose a time and place that is "willy nilly."

In some views, this metal element is viewed as the rhythm maker, the timing maker, the in and out health of our being.  In other words, this system helps determine healthy versus unhealthy balance between taking in - via breath, via food, via sight, any sense, and letting go in the same areas.  So we ask in my life these questions about balance of in and out:

  • In-breath versus out-breath. 
  • Food going in and waste going out.  
  • Ability to listen, or take in something in our lives
  • The ability to let go with fluidity and grace versus hanging on when it is unskillful to do so.


In Nature we can observe plants doing this in the Fall:

  • dropping their fruits/seeds for next year
  • dying back if an annual plant
  • Perennial plants draw in their life force deep inside (watch a tree's leaves this time of year) which is seen as yellowing and browning of the leaves, it appears dead.


In the human, this is the season of adaption to the change of weather from summer to winter, from heat and dryness and light to darkness wetness, and cold.  Our internal systems adjust, and our blood quality changes.  We call this "cold and flu season."  But not in my practice.  We say those who get sick is not just from exposure - which puts us in a disempowered position.  Through 20 years in practice, I see those who are well nourished, have a solid self-care, and are aware and awake to their internal shadows, do NOT get sick as much or at all.  These folks are willing to take complete responsibility for their health, not just blame "some bug out there."

By joining the group, or forging ahead alone in cleansing and balancing these systems, then we become more of partcipant in our health.  This is empowered health.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

A Mission for Life - Men and Women

Men's “Work” – a mission greater than ourselves                                           By Craig Lane

Men have protected tribes, families and societies for thousands of years.  Women too of course.  But since men tend to embody the Sacred Masculine more than most women, this speaks to the inner masculine, not just men.  But a shadow of the masculine has been running the world for far too long in my opinion.  The Sacred Masculine misdirected can be destructive, generate unnecessary pain and suffering, does not listen to the “correct voice” inside, and not collaborate through community and culture.

What is a mission?
Something greater than ourselves.  Some goal or large project we may not see the finish of, but we begin, plan, and nurture this mission throughout our lifetimes.  This is what used to be educated into young men before they were called “men.”  They had to prove they could pass through these portals of temptation, restriction of all things not necessary to life, and pass the tests of the elder men.

Not just for men, but for women?
My last girlfriend loved the idea of all the things men do in private sacred circle, and found none of the women's circles she attended or researched used these more confrontational models.  And for good reason.  The Sacred Feminine gives birth, creates, takes in the waste of the world and digests it, is dark, still, and Mysterious.  So this part is not meant to go out and overcome challenge.  But women can develop their sacred Masculine.

How have we been led to follow the laid out path?
There is evidence that our education is a form of programming.  Programming that we take on and limits us.  If you look around at the media, and its portrayal of the worst of humanity’s traits,  like greed, lust, violence, war, getting whatever you want at other’s cost, etc….
What I am asking is to look more deeply, and ask “what is my authentic self, my authentic voice say?”

How can we discover if it might be best to find another way?
I ask ALL my clients this question, “How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?  What is the first thing you notice upon waking?”  If we cannot say we wake happy, ready to face the day and its challenges, and cannot say, "I would live this life even if there was no payment for my service to society," then we might want to look at the make we want to leave on this place called Earth.

Inner alchemy shows us, for thousands of years, a path laid out by elders and teachers of those wishing to evolve consciously.  These steps we all seem to go through, though the timing and sequence varies – separation, burning out the crap, seeing what must be let go of, bringing it back together, fermenting it to new life, distilling out the by-products of this process, squeezing the sponge, then letting go and “letting God.”  Not only that, but spiritual teachers (often referred to as gurus in the East) almost all point to a need for a death of sorts, a death I call the stripping away of identity with form, with the outer world of illusion.  The movie of life is not real in a sense.  Once we see through it, then we can more effectively live in it!

What does it mean to have a mission?
It means we are operating in a larger field of awareness.  We have resources at our disposal of the entire universe when we let go, and surrender.  My teacher once said, “Reality is a hunter, looking for a moment of vulnerability.”  When we allow ourselves to become open and in a “container” of a mission and its support, then we must also be open to changes in the mission as reality unfolds around it.  These changes will be more evident if we operate in a larger field of awareness.  And The Hunter can have access to us.

What gets in the way?
The societal powers of "shoulds," unconsciousness, and the matrix of illusion that keeps us from seeing the true world we abide in.  See for yourself.  Enter through the doors the wise ones point to.  Do you have the courage to find out?

What does alignment with our goals feel like?
There are words spoken in ancient languages that better speak to this.  But I will say, it feels satisfying, edgy, at times a lovely neutrality, and a nakedness seems to come.  Can I be stripped naked and seen for what I am?  Symbolic of course, though I love nudity also!

How can one get support and be supported?

Come to The Masculine Mission support group.  This is dedicated to helping men (women can also join) find their mission, or a small mission, that one step of, or a larger piece of, can be completed within a year.  Or sit in groups like sat sang, go to yoga and meditation, eat healthier, be more honest and real with yourself is primary though.

You can contact me about this at