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Today was the foundation anniversary of the family temple. I’ve refrained from taking pictures during ceremonies because I didn’t want to turn ceremonies into spectacles but something today though wanted to share the experience and when I checked in the Gods of the temple seemed ok with it. It felt like they acknowledged I belong here. I asked if they were sure and at that moment Ebee looked over to me and told me to grab her camera and take some pictures. Ceremonies here are part spiritual alchemy, part family or village get together and my Bali family sure made me feel like part of the family. Ebu, the grandma had me sit with her and everyone was trying to get me to eat more. The Monku (priest) remembered me from other ceremonies and made the joke that the family should adopt me. I felt incredibly at home, not only with my Bali family but in the temple with the Gods. The spiritual energy was palpable. Ceremonies like today happen every six months for each of the family temples. When combined with other ceremonies the Balinese are constantly brought back into contact with family, friends, and the village as well as with the Gods. Loved ones, community, and the Mystery become the foundation of life and are constantly supported by each other. Imagine a world where our faith unites us and brings us together rather than separates us or fractures our communities? May this be the world we create! #community #baliculture #hinduism #embodiedmindfulness #mindfulmoments #sacredmoment #enchantinglife #culture #newvisions #ageofaquarius #ageofaquarius♒ #depressionrelief #selfcare #selfdevelopmenttools #personalgrowth #prayerispowerful #shadesofawakening #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #livingalchemy #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #lifeunfiltered #Bali #BaliAdventure #Wanderlust #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #expat #balihealing (at Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-JpPzhIR4/?igshid=15l3tc2d1tyxy

Today was the foundation anniversary of the family temple. I’ve refrained from taking pictures during ceremonies because I didn’t want to turn ceremonies into spectacles but something today though wanted to share the experience and when I checked in the Gods of the temple seemed ok with it. It felt like they acknowledged I belong here. I asked if they were sure and at that moment Ebee looked over to me and told me to grab her camera and take some pictures. Ceremonies here are part spiritual alchemy, part family or village get together and my Bali family sure made me feel like part of the family. Ebu, the grandma had me sit with her and everyone was trying to get me to eat more. The Monku (priest) remembered me from other ceremonies and made the joke that the family should adopt me. I felt incredibly at home, not only with my Bali family but in the temple with the Gods. The spiritual energy was palpable. Ceremonies like today happen every six months for each of the family temples. When combined with other ceremonies the Balinese are constantly brought back into contact with family, friends, and the village as well as with the Gods. Loved ones, community, and the Mystery become the foundation of life and are constantly supported by each other. Imagine a world where our faith unites us and brings us together rather than separates us or fractures our communities? May this be the world we create! #community #baliculture #hinduism #embodiedmindfulness #mindfulmoments #sacredmoment #enchantinglife #culture #newvisions #ageofaquarius #ageofaquarius♒ #depressionrelief #selfcare #selfdevelopmenttools #personalgrowth #prayerispowerful #shadesofawakening #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #livingalchemy #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #lifeunfiltered #Bali #BaliAdventure #Wanderlust #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #expat #balihealing (at Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-I_uxBGyV/?igshid=29wh3pvrceu3

Someone in a FB group I cofacilitate called asked about Jung’s use of mandalas. As I have Jung’s Red Book laying in bed with me (some people have lovers in bed, others have cats and dogs I have the soul books of dead visionaries) I figured I’d create a quick video about it. Much of the world has forgotten that a lot of our modern psychology, healing modalities, and much of the “New Age” has its roots in Jung’s work. That writing has its roots in Jung’s mental break down/spiritual emergence where he sought to reconnect to his soul after feeling like he’d let her starve. Essentially he worked hard to be “successful” but felt empty of meaning, at which point his mind rebelled and he began to have visions and enter into a deep process that today would be diagnosed with a host of labels such as depression, mania, anxiety, and perhaps Schizophrenia. The Red Book explores his attempt to fight this experience while his soul or a deeper part of him teaches him that the madness is important. It holds the seed to his wholeness. It’s a story of breaking through his social conditioning to find the depths of who he was. Manadalas were a way for him to explore this wholeness beyond rational/analytic thought. Once he did this he felt more connected to his fullness and became more embodied. It’s the foundation of his work. I went through a similar process. I actually put the Red Book aside without reading when I first got it because I felt I needed to have my own process and compare notes after. If you’re having your own experience of breakdown/emergence I’d recommend Shades of Awakening on FB. It’s a good support community. You can also join my mailing list to hear more of my personal exploration and insights via the tree link in my profile. Feel free to reach out with any questions. Love and Blessings! #carljung #mandalas #psychology #shadesofawakening #enchantinglife #newvisions #ageofaquarius #ageofaquarius♒ #depressionrelief #anxiety #selfcare #selfdevelopmenttools #personalgrowth #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #livingalchemy #livingstory #lifemagic #innertruth #innerworld #herosjourney https://www.instagram.com/p/B6pLaJch8tz/?igshid=ly03dta2ad5f

It’s the holiday season. Many are grieving lost ones. Many are grieving those still here but no longer around. Some are grieving themselves, lost from the familiar; from the traditions, people, and dreams they had before. Whether we think about it, sob for it or try to ignore it, the body knows what’s happening. There’s a reason there are so many holidays in the darkest part of the year. It’s in the experience of wholeness; grief and closeness that we touch what is essential. Let yourself grieve. Let yourself laugh. If you know someone who could use connection bring them in. Celebrate the true meaning of the season, the brightening of the night as we gather together and share our warmth. The fullness of it all, these specks in amber. #poem: stilled moments caught. the sun-kissed me this morning as flowers fell from the trees. a week ago she was skin laced bone & breath, now she is dirt-stained, lungs emptied. my sister said "i don't cry when they die anymore" i knew what she meant. i sob for life. flecks in amber #poetry #instapoetry #poems #poet #poetryisnotdead #poetsofig #spilledink #poetrycommunity #embodiedmindfulness #mindfulmoments #sacredmoment #enchantinglife #lifeissacred #pathsoftransformation #pathsoflife #windsofchange #ameaningfullife #liveyourstory #livingalchemy #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #innertruth #innerworld #innerworldsouterworlds #personalmythology #herosjourney #returningtonaturesrhythm #lifeunfiltered https://www.instagram.com/p/B6LAnwbBbaE/?igshid=ymjhk9ofi8c1

I’ve had a lot of difficulty as an adult around the concepts of rest and play. I know I need it but it’s hard to make space and time for it. In particular when I block off some time for rest I feel bored, lethargic, and directionless. I’ve had counselors try to work with me on it being ok to watch movies and play video games and yes that is great if it works for you (and it does for me sometimes) but most of the time I feel bored, drained, and jaded by these activities. This last Monday I was experiencing this when I asked myself “what would you really like to do?” And the answer came “work on my poetry.” So that’s what I did for hours and I loved it and it felt fulfilling. I’ve also been participating in the #vss365 challenge on Twitter where one writes a very short story or poem from a prompt every day. It’s been incredibly fun. The poem here is the result of today’s prompt of “curry.” It gets the creative juices flowing and feels fulfilling. Rest and play are incredibly important but what that looks like may not be the same thing for you as for others. I know I’ve spent a lot of time trying to rest in ways that didn’t work for me because others said it was what you do. Find the ways of being that fulfill you. That leave you feeling better rested, delighted, enjoying your self. Find these ways and do them no matter what others are doing. I’ll be dropping my Twitter handle down below. If you have a space where you practice a hobby or share some part of your rest and play please share it here! #play #dream #create #poetry #instapoetry #creativewriting #poems #poet #poetryisnotdead #poetsofig #spilledink #embodiedmindfulness #enchantinglife #pathsoftransformation #windsofchange #ameaningfullife #livingalchemy #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #personalmythology #lifeunfiltered https://www.instagram.com/p/B57wwhSBDSr/?igshid=rz44qhh3q83m

Loving these days of Saraswati celebration. Saraswati is the goddess of learning, music, art, inspiration, and insight. She started off in the Vedas as a river goddess with her name meaning one who possesses waters. As rivers are often sacred and purifying she took on the qualities of purification. In time she began to represent all that flows such as the rhythm of music and true inspiration. What’s interesting with this is that she keeps her properties of purification so that education, inspiration, and the arts are seen as ways of purifying the mind and soul. This feels quite different from the way we treat education in the West where knowledge is associated with power. Currently the humanities are getting cut back as people ask “what’s the point of an education if it doesn’t provide a paid skill. Few would consider an education that touches on self care, mental health, or spiritual expression. Meanwhile our society and culture is crumbling. What if we focused our education around that which enlightens, beautifies, clarifies and purifies the mind? What if this was the inspiration of our art and music? What if it was the goal of all mental practice and the source of our inspiration? A river of inspiration that blesses and cleanses. Washing away the delusions of the mind, our bias, our projections, our obsessions, the lies we tell ourselves, our delusions regarding the world. This mindset isn’t foreign to the Western world. It informed Greek as well as that of the renaissance and other regions of the ancient world from the Americas to Africa China and Japan. Perhaps in our search for knowledge we’ve forgotten the point of education and with it the wisdom that empowers us to stay in relation to each other and the world. #saraswati #hinduism #education #society #poetry #embodiedmindfulness #enchantinglife #culture #newvisions #ageofaquarius #ageofaquarius♒ #depressionrelief #anxiety #anxietyfree #selfcare #selfdevelopmenttools #personalgrowth #prayerispowerful #pathsoftransformation #windsofchange #ameaningfullife #lifemagic #lifeunfiltered #Bali #BaliAdventure #Wanderlust #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #expat #balihealing (at Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5yjMvCBpjk/?igshid=3aqfdax66ms0

I helped Meme make offerings today. I love this culture with its traditions that have parallels to the old ways across world. To mindfully arrange flowers, make offerings at altars, sweep out temples creates a whole new state of life and being. It’s a means to embody our gratitude for life’s beauty. To show our devotion to the wonders of life whether the day has been pleasant or upsetting. This aspect of devotion has truly enriched my life and yet as I write this I have @alanclementsworlddharma ‘s voice in my head. “Say no to spiritual apartheid.” The separation of our spiritual experience from our every moment because we think it’s best reserved for a temple or a church, for the yoga studio, our full moon celebration or a moment lighting some incense. These pictures were taken in the kitchen as I mindfully placed flowers and a cracker with each offering saying “thank you for the ups and downs. For being here with me. For this family.” How can we incorporate that spirit with us everywhere we go? So that every step is a thank you? Every breath is transcendent? Every act is a moment of artistry expressing and praising life in all its wonder and terror? Alan calls this the state of beautifying our minds and life. I’ll call it the state of making these moments sacred. What has worked for you to bring this about in your own life? To imbue the seemingly mundane with the full presence of you touching reality? #mindfulmoments #sacredmoment #enchantinglife #lifeissacred #culture #newvisions #ageofaquarius #ageofaquarius♒ #fullmoonritual #personalgrowth #prayerispowerful #shadesofawakening #pathsoftransformation #windsofchange #ameaningfullife #liveyourstory #livingalchemy #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #innerworldsouterworlds #personalmythology #returningtonaturesrhythm #lifeunfiltered #Bali #Wanderlust #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #expat https://www.instagram.com/p/B5p7YxGBEvw/?igshid=1rbu75kmrrsod

It’s a blessing to live in a place dedicated to the Mystery. With today's Full Moon in Taurus Ubud is alive with ceremony. Meme was already making offerings when I got to the family temple. Even little Bella was dressed up and ready help. With Mercury and the Sun in Scorpio things have been rough for a lot of us. People have been reaching out to me about the depths of their depression and frustrations. We’ll brainstorm ways to adjust their diet, tools and tips to transform the mind and body but healing takes time and they're aching today. When they ask what got me through the depths of my chronic depression, the extremes of my bipolar or trauma the truth of the matter is it was the Mystery. At the darkest times of my life what got me through was calling out, often sobbing, sometimes screaming. With time and mindfulness I began to see the signs that I was heard and a relationship was built. Yes, diet, exercise meditation, writing, depth work, astrology and so many other practices have helped to transform my life but the thing that got me through the worst of it, the thing that brought me synchronistically to those practices, was a relationship with the Mystery. Here in Bali that relationship is practiced daily through devotion, prayers, and offerings. A friend of mine recently told me that he is glad he grew up here because people who don’t have their tradition suffer so much more. He said that in Bali you draw close to God because when you are close all the worries of the world fade away and you can see easier. Often times we ask for help or blessings but the root of healing is to grow close, to draw near. From this springs transformation and blessing simply from being in relationship. Blessings on your relationship to the Mystery and tonight’s Full Moon. P.S. I did a guided meditation at the end of my friend’s free lesson on the Full Moon/Mercury Retro today. Link in bio. #fullmoon #astrology #scorpio #mercuryretrograde #depression #bipolar #prayer #ameaningfullife #livingalchemy #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #Bali #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #shadesofawakening (at Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4xE5pchGrH/?igshid=1auqkktyhj9v3

It’s been a rough couple of days. Saying bye to loved ones in the states for another year. Getting sick during 24 hours of travel. Last night in the haze of jet lag and my cold I found out a dear friend died far too young from her battle with cancer. Life has its ups and downs and the Mystery has many faces. Some we delight in, some bring tears. I wasn’t sure I was up for client sessions today but the still calm voice inside said it’d be good for me. So I went to @somacafeubud and sat down to work with clients. They shared their struggles and their wonders, the magic happening in their lives, and together we came up with ways to accept the painful face of the Mystery while creating strategies for transforming that pain into something healing, empowering, beautiful. The conversation and insights flowed on their own and cut through the weariness and grief. I feel blessed to experience the flip side of the pain and send love to all those going through the thick of it! #sick #grieving #thankful #themystery #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #livingalchemy #lifeunfiltered #Bali #dharma_travel #lifeinbali https://www.instagram.com/p/B3vkrXLpoc8/?igshid=1vtqw507l12lk

When you open up to the Mystery you enter into relation with the world. Yesterday was my birthday. I ordered way too much food and due to ceremonies, half the people who said they were coming couldn’t make it. Five years ago this would have devastated me. The narrative in my head would have insisted this was a sign of my value in life, easily canceled and forgotten. This time around I recognized that things like this happen. Still, there was a point in the day when I almost sank into self-pity. I had gotten bored and my mind started thinking over the cancellations and whether I have a true “tribe,” a set of deeply connected friends that I could hold onto. That used to be my old obsession. People who would stick around, people who had your back. It was the root of my codependency, me trying to prove I was close friendship to those who didn’t want it. I hurt myself by trying so hard while pushing everyone away in my desperation. I recognized this train of thought yesterday and wanted to nip it so I performed the simplest ritual. I cut my nails and asked the Mystery to cut away what no longer belongs and then called my energy back from these parts of my old self. At that moment a new friend came up the stairs with a slice of birthday cake and candles. We sat and talked for a couple hours. Later that night my Balinese family brought cake and presents. I almost cried knowing that’s not an easy thing for them to do but they love me and wanted to show it. I’ve seen this happen at other times in my life. Times I thought I’d be alone because I chased people away but others showed up when I needed them. When we enter into relationship with the Mystery, with the Cosmos, we enter into relationship with the world itself. Those friends you just met, the ones thoughtful and considerate enough to do something special for your birthday, they become the face of the Mystery, the best friend you’ll ever have who is with you wherever you go. Love and Blessings to you this day and may you know the Mystery is with you. #Bali #birthday #family #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #liveyourstory #livingalchemy #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic https://www.instagram.com/p/B1TdaktBJgk/?igshid=5ddei6w560fs

It’s Galungan in Bali, thirteen days of thanksgiving that happens twice a year where the gods are honored for the abundance that they provide and their victory over adharma (disharmony). During this time the gods and ancestors are believe to visit the earth. Families gather, cook a bunch of food, put up posts in front of the house representing the mountains (home of the gods) and the abundance which flows from there. For nearly two weeks they make special offerings to the gods and ancestors who visit. It’s always interesting to see the parallels amongst traditions while at the same time noticing the difference in focus. In Bali thanksgiving is intimately wrapped up with the gods, ceremony, and spending time with the family. Not to mention the ancestors who have made this all possible. It’s a way of giving back to the forces of life that sustain us. What is a practice you can invoke in thanksgiving that honors those forces of abundance that sustain us? #abundance #ancestors #thanksgiving #balihinduism #pathsoftransformation #honoringthegods #ameaningfullife #returningtonaturesrhythm #lifeunfiltered #Bali #BaliAdventure #Wanderlust #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #expat #tradition (at Ubud) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0QMMl8hF9Y/?igshid=q11odx7fhc85

One of my favorite things about living at my family’s homestay is that here, as with most of Bali and much of the world, family units are multigenerational. On the poles of the generations are Ebu and Bella. Ebu (grandma, it’s the only name she ever gives for herself) goes to every ceremony in town (and many out of town) and holds the traditions of the family with a smile on her face. She’s constantly creating new offerings for the next ceremony and always starts the songs amongst the women during rituals. She knows how to perform every ceremony but it’s not a rigid following of tradition that accompanies her but rather a love for her community and spirituality. Bella is the resident four year old. Bright in intelligence and spirit and ranging from fierce to shy depending on the hour and day. In the video she’s teaching me how to count as she counts up how many ice creams she wants. It’s why she’s locked us into the kitchen, to demand payment. Her mother Mina only laughed and told me “we’ve been locked in.” I have never seen a parent in Bali yell at their child and I’ve never seen a kid spanked. For the most part parents seem patient and amused. Occasionally, in ceremony, they’ll give a special look or tone but usually they let children be children. People here know that their families and villages will be with them for the rest of their lives. There is a lot of attention paid to harmony and while people will occasionally clash they tend to come back together again in respect of that harmony. Personally I feel there’s a lot to be learned here about the wisdom that comes from sharing space and the times of youth, adulthood and wisdom. #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #liveyourstory #livingalchemy #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #returningtonaturesrhythm #lifeunfiltered #Bali #lifeinbali #expat #balihinduism #offerings #spiritualcommunity #mybalifamily #balifamily #family (at Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzpjDZFBAMH/?igshid=bbzcp9cer6ro

Once a Bali year every family temple celebrates the anniversary of its consecration. This happens twice a Gregorian year. Essentially it’s a family get together with praise and thanks for (the) God(s). As God in Bali is the Many as One. Since every house has a family temple that’s a lot of smiling faces at various get togethers, with prayers, offerings, and gratefulness. The priest who led the prayers today had four other temple anniversaries to bless. I found myself basking in the glow of a life lived in community, with supportive extended families, village support, and a grateful relationship with the Mystery. People will spend weeks preparing for a ceremony, friends, family and neighbors all doing what they can to help. Bali really is a tropical paradise but that is due to a lot more than the beauty of the island. It’s a culture that nurtures and nourishes community support and relationship to the Mystery. Which leads me to wonder, how can we do more of this in our own lives? #pathsoftransformation #ameaningfullife #liveyourstory #livingstory #beyondsurviving #lifemagic #returningtonaturesrhythm #lifeunfiltered #Bali #BaliAdventure #Wanderlust #dharma_travel #lifeinbali #expat #spiritualadventure #balihinduism #offerings #spiritualcommunity #mybalifamily #livingwiththemystery (at Ubud, Bali, Indonesia) https://www.instagram.com/pathsoftransformation/p/ByjFpsRBXSn/?igshid=lrbnu5z1kre8

Abortion Legislation is a Sign of a Suffering Society

"A healthy society requires more than voting, it is grown and cultivated from a healthy culture, with citizens that foster that culture with their attention, their actions, and support."

Going from rock bottom, mental breakdown & withdraws, to living an inspired life.

Faith is a Muscle & Life a Dialogue.