The Luminary Journal
By Tuaca Kelly The weather couldn’t receive a complaint from me. The day possessed a warmth and grace that may have included the presence of California Grey Whales – just off the Big Sur, California coastline where I was standing at the time. I was 24-years old, outside in nature under the canopy of daylight stretching my legs. The stretch – to open my abductor muscles – is one I had executed numerous times in my martial art dojo and, at least for me, took some time to melt into despite intention or repetition. While ‘breathing’ through the exercise, a man (that would become one of my deeply valued craniosacral teachers) walked up to me, pointed his penetrating blue eyes directly into mine and said, without affect or apology: “It will always hurt.” Then he left my sphere of determination as smoothly as he arrived. His words found their reason immediately. I knew what he meant. I recognized it as truth. And in the following moments I would both accept and question the poetry I was gifted with. Life, and the growing pains therein, would have many experiences including bliss and discomfort; to concede was to quell suffering. I continued with my stretching to earn my way across the threshold. Years later… Late one night I felt an incredible force vibrate in my throat then fill my mouth. A bewildering interest consumed me as the rising pressure quickly inflated my cheeks. I could not contain whatever divinity was destined to emerge. Lead by a single plosive “puh” sound was an unrelenting stream of language. I began what is known as Praying in Tongues. My grandmother, also an intuitive woman of faith, had prayed in tongues. I never saw her do it, but I knew on the day she crossed over, in the moments I held her while her spirit ascended to ‘no in-between’, that I would have my own experience. And so it began. Although I’d not witnessed it before, I knew exactly what was happening. My body heat rose with the unprecedented message and the velocity in which it came. I was listener, conduit and observer simultaneously. Completely conscious I had the wherewithal to get my iPod and record what I could. As this incredible mix of consonants and vowels were pushing forth, I also understood what was being said. There was instantaneous translation. The key points from that message were to humans, about humans verbatim: “You make it so hard on yourselves. It doesn’t have to be so hard. We’re here to help.” The praying continued untimed. I was awestruck, grateful, fascinated and reverent. Today… Is a perfect moment to annihilate any preconceived notions about expansion of consciousness, transformative healing, growth and the process of becoming: it is work; it is one of the most valuable investments an individual can choose to make; and it can be absolutely excruciating and exhausting at times. Have no illusions about ‘spirituality’ for all emotions and experiences are integral to growth, to building character, to showing ourselves the individual one aspires to see and realize in the actions and thoughts they value. This isn’t to say we have to suffer or go against the direction of ease. There is help and becoming a martyr isn’t the wish of the Sacred – but an educational fate for some, nonetheless. There is always an opportunity to shift course while headed toward a particular goal, to appreciate the hurdles with a new perspective, to accept their characteristics along with your ability and difficulties in learning to surmount them. To echo the essence of the messages that were transmitted and downloaded to me in my schools of wisdom: life is experience, a precious one, and there is a peculiar relief in the act of confessing to the ardent or idealistic mind: it will always hurt and there is always help. Be gentle with yourself and others. Homework: 1. Listen to the ‘hurt’. Growing or building muscles (for example) comes with a price: you’re tearing muscle fiber each time you breach a new weight threshold. This maybe considered by some as a ‘good hurt’. If the pain has a different quality pay close attention to make sure you’re not causing unnecessary injury. In other words: do no harm. 2. Ask for help. When a something is beyond your depth, stop, do nothing, see what comes. The next step maybe to ask for help. It is important to recognize boundaries in any profession or relationship. (This builds integrity!) 3. Have something to look forward to. Your vitality is related to your creativity and desire to grow. Make tangible plans for your self in which you can measure, validate and consciously breathe through the experience, (e.g., playing tennis with a friend once a week; take a language course; join a book club; meditate each day. 4. Applaud your accomplishments. No matter how trivial the task may seem, acknowledge its completion and your care in performing it. This builds a positive attitude, alters your own brain chemistry and raises your energy. When have you moved through pain and what did you learn from it? How do you recognize when you need help and how did you ask for it? Have you made yourself alone with a problem? What was the outcome? To place hurdles on your path on purpose to create challenges? Please share. Etiquette: Only mature and constructive comments directly related to the article’s topic are welcome. Published: June 30, 2014 Tuaca Kelly, spiritual teacher, medical intuitive and master healer serves to assist others in recognizing and developing their multidimensional consciousness and health, critical thinking skills, intuitive discernment, and realizing their soul potential. She lives in the Netherlands with her wife. For further insight visit: www.lovethemessenger.com The Luminary Journal
By Tuaca Kelly The contentment continues to linger in my tissues. Though one-week has elapsed since our return home, I feel as though I’m still at the nature retreat centre where my wife and I just conducted our first annual silent retreat. There is a specific quality of relaxation that coaxes me to melt, making surrendering to the moment all the more attractive and accessible. This is in spite of the sounds of glass bottles falling from the recycling trucks used to transport them into massive collection bins with a piercing shatter; the increased volume of the city pushing its edge’s to celebrate King’s Day and the unusual heat-provoked juvenile nighttime ruckus in the neighborhood. With how I am feeling, my body may as well be walking around the retreat’s lake, in the midst of a midday siesta and sitting with the participants in silent meditation. I feel good – and I attribute my “ahhhh…” in part to silence. Silence for me is a dedicated period of devotional listening and an essential component to health, balance and the cultivation of an intimate relationship with nature. It is through silence that recalibration to one’s own breath, desire and humanity can flourish; it is a great equalizer and giver of truth; it is the leap from precipice into the answer; it is the gift most deny themselves daily. So how is it that this great teacher is too often overlooked? The day before leaving for my retreat I ran preparatory errands to places where I have some familiarity with the shopkeepers where rhetoric is often light and playful. In one such place, with one such person, I mentioned my retreat-bound excitement. Upon hearing this, the owner of the shop stepped into the conversation to encourage his employee to go, to be in nature, to relax. When the employee understood there would be no talking for four-entire-days he shook his head with an adamant no and laughed as though the suggestion was comical. It seemed the concept of not talking was more than enough to underwhelm him. I can imagine. Every time I enter that shop the television is on or the employee is standing outside smoking a cigarette or talking on his mobile phone. There is clearly a degree of brisk or restless activity and entertainment that he is accustomed to. And if a respite from that flavor of occupation – or distraction as the case maybe – would give liberty to more intimate feelings, including sadness, grief or disappointment, the surfacing realities may change or threaten to change the lifestyle he values? This isn’t to say that his hobbies don’t bring him satisfaction or social rewards, but when avoiding silence becomes the norm, when not listening and consequently decision-making is left to chance, that seems like risky business to me. Perhaps this man considers that silence is something ‘other people’ do, people that wear clothes made from sustainable hemp, eat fermented raw foods from canning jars with their own set of chopsticks, practice AcroYoga in city parks, or follow Mother Amma from one ashram to the next? Perhaps he doesn’t recognize himself in any of these visions and maybe – stretching maybe – if he saw a professional athlete surrendering to silence, he too would consider granting himself the experience? While this is a possibility, I tell you in earnest that beyond claim of country flag, sports team or other association, silence is for everyone that stops and listens for it. The value, lessons and virtues are made apparent through the actual experience of it and I can only encourage you to nourish yourself with this great teacher. Care to listen? Ready, set, shhhh… Homework: 1. Commit. While there can be ideal settings for silence, such as a nature retreat, you have everyday of your life to take care of yourself as best you can. Just stop and listen…even when noises (such as glass bottles) are in the distance, go deeper into your listening. 2. Meals Times. Granting moments of devotional listening before and throughout eating your meals will help guide your choices and prevent over exertion on your body by eating just what you need, not too much or too little. Relaxed eating makes for healthier digestion. 3. Breathe. Silence opens you into your humanity. Different emotions are bound to arise. Stay connected to your body and your breath. 4. Invite your family. If your family members are hip to silence then consider a practice together, during meal times for instance. Consider begging one morning each week for an hour or more in silence. 5. Gentleness. If your family doesn’t understand how come you want some moments for yourself, this maybe an indication that you haven’t taken any before? Balance is key. 6. Consider a retreat. An annual or bi-annual silent retreat in nature can do wonders on the system. It is important to rest, recharge and refuel. It is important for devoted mothers and fathers to remember they are also women and men. A silent retreat can be a liberating rediscovery of individual needs and enhance the relationships between family members. Do you have a time devoted to silent meditation? Have you been on a silent retreat? Do you think sitting around quietly is beneficial? How does silence inform you? Are you a parent striving to balance family obligations and self-care? What of these exercises are you willing to explore and report on later? Please share. Etiquette: Only mature and constructive comments directly related to the article’s topic are welcome. Published: 18 May 2014 Tuaca Kelly, spiritual teacher, medical intuitive and master healer serves to assist others in recognizing and developing their multidimensional consciousness and health, critical thinking skills, intuitive discernment, and realizing their soul potential. She lives in the Netherlands with her wife. For further insight visit: www.lovethemessenger.com. Read the Dutch translation. |
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