#aumnom

Aum Nॐm Crystal Blog Series: Entry 1

I have created this series of blog posts for people who are interested in crystals and either don't know where to start, or are curious of further methods and insights that can be gained from the study of stones. 

Let me start by stating that my personal philosophy toward any energetic or healing art is that there is no right or wrong way.  The most important thing is to hone your own intuition through practice.  Now, practice can mean so many things, not necessarily a regime or routine.  What I mean by practice is consistent, conscious interaction with your crystals.  This series is not too concerned with the whys and wherefores of stones and energetics, although I may go off on a tangent regarding my own insights.  This information is intuitively gained through my own consistent, conscious interactions that continue to this day and that I intend to continue throughout my life.  Any conclusions I come to existentially or philosophically are prone to shift and that is how I like it. 

Always feel free to add your own voice!  The methods and approaches I write of here are open to expansion and interpretation.  I also welcome your own experiences and ideas, which I hope might differ from mine, as they will only benefit myself and readers.  Through challenge, questions and sharing we can all deepen our own personal practices.

© 2012 Leah Cooper

Entry 1 - Getting To Know You

Today I would like to start with a simple exercise, one that opened up my eyes to the difference between tumbled and raw stones.  I also believe this exercise a basic starting point when procuring and getting to know the stones that have come into our lives. In the spirit of GTD (a now legendary organisational book by David Allen), I encourage you to get all of your crystals and stones together in one place.  Sit with them all in front of you so you can get a sense of how many you have altogether.  Some people go to crystal stores, others pick up stones on their travels, still others have bought or been given jewelry with stones in them; many of us have a collection due to all three actions.  Go ahead and get every last stone and piece of jewelry that isn't glass or plastic, unless it "calls to you" (see Entry 3); you may find you already have quite a range at your disposal. Now, take up each stone in turn and examine it.  Turn it over, look at it from all angles, get to know its shape and size, colour, texture and individual nuances.  Gently, and without expectation, cast your mind over how and when you found or purchased it, from whom you got it, things of that ilk.  Let thoughts about the stone come to you, whatever pops up is right; and if nothing comes it may not be time for that insight as of yet.  Don't feel pressure during this exercise, there is no right or wrong way or thought.  I keep a journal where I take notes about my current energy work insights.  If you would like to dedicate a notebook especially to this, do so; it is always illuminating to look back on previous entries. Next is the step is so simple, yet truly awe-inspiring: Sit in a quiet place where you can be physically comfortable and will remain undisturbed.  Take the stone or crystal in your hand and feel the sensations that come up in your body.  You can try a few different ways of holding the stone: envelop it fully, hold it with space between it and your fingers or in perch it on your open palm.   What do you feel and where?  Depending on the stone, I have felt cascading vibrations, aches, warmth, pin-like pricks and pain, among other sensations.  These occur all over my body, sometimes in specific areas, other times in whole limbs.  Really, there is no end to the variety.   Each stone is different, and depending upon my mood or what I am going through at the time, it may differ widely. One thing I am certain of, however, is the difference in strength between raw and tumbled stones.  There are exceptions, some crystals are very strong, even though they are shaped.  For example, I have recently been working with a spherical rutilated quartz that I find to be very powerful.  For the most part, though, a raw stone will be felt more distinctly. The first time I really noted this was when I held the stone from the photograph above, a very effecting piece of raw Amazonite.  I am still waiting to be ready for this transformative stone and there is a space in my collection for it.  I have two smaller pieces of tumbled Amazonite, and it is my feeling that it may be a large piece.  This kind of insight can sometimes reveal itself a little at a time (my writing this brought up the image of a larger stone and I have been puzzling over the question of this Amazonite for a while now).  Stay aware of the thoughts and feelings you have about your crystals, and of how they progress. I suggest using a reference book or online source to identify your crystals and stones, and to research their metaphysical properties.  You will be surprised at how apt each crystal is, whether it is in connection to the person who gave it to you, the time at which you found or purchased it, or even the location within your house where you had been keeping it. You have your assignment.  Give this a go!  Think of it as a first introduction, as over time you will find that you can get to know your stones very deeply indeed.

<-- Click through to dendria's website.

Being Good to Yourself is Good for All: "For You" VS "In Your Stead"

Maintaining relationships can be a challenge, as can keeping your own mood, needs and desires uninfluenced by your partner’s.  Sometimes it’s hard to recognise where you end and they begin.

© 2005 Leah Cooper

The other day, my boyfriend was syncing his iPhone before going out.  He was about ready to head out the door, and I cold-unplugged the phone and handed it to him as he left the bedroom.  What ensued was a very painful and clear lesson in the virtue of doing something "for" someone and the damage that can be caused by doing something "instead" or "in the stead" of them.  Knowing the difference can help create a stable base from which to interact with those with whom you have close relationships.

How can we stay true to ourselves, to our own dreams and aspirations, to our own well-being and happiness; while simultaneously carrying on a deep and meaningful relationship with another person?  A wife who waits on her husband hand-and-foot and a girlfriend who insists her boyfriend call her whenever he changes locations: you may agree or disagree that these are related behaviours.  It may be argued that either one or both of these behaviours are perfectly fine, natural, even wonderfully caring.  Can it be denied though, that a wife who puts her husband's needs before her own is putting her own needs to the side, if temporarily; or that a boyfriend who feels obligated to stop and text his girlfriend every time he wants to go somewhere else is "giving in" to the requests of someone who is absent?  How can we truly be who we are and follow our own feelings, staying in our personal natural flow, when we are constantly checking it against the desires or expectations of another, whether they are imagined or not? It's quite the dilemma on the surface, but if we look closely at the concept of selfishness we can have it all.  Now, I prefer the term "selfull", a (granted) made-up word that may or may not be met with chortles or barf sound effects.   Let's look at the definition of "selfish": 1. Devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others. 2. Characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself; selfish motives. I'm not going to argue against the word selfish being negative, the use of "only" in both of these definitions makes it abundantly clear that being selfish is to the detriment or at least exclusion of others.  So, let's ask ourselves: what if we took out the “onlys”?  Can there be a word for positive selfishness?  Take a moment, go back and reread those two definitions, omitting "only".  You back?  All right... so doesn't it give you the warm fuzzies?  It's quite an innocuous and extremely empowering concept.  There doesn't seem to be an adverb with such a meaning, at least in English.  We can't use the word "selflove" as that's the new PC term for masturbation, isn't it?  What if selfish motives were actually a noble and wholly necessary pursuit?  What about being devoted to or caring for <i>yourself</i>... regardless of others?   It sounds wonderful, really.  That's what "selfull" means.  When I attempt to use selfish in a positive way there are still so many stigmas and remembered reactions, I reject it on some level.  So, I embrace being "selfull".  Having established that looking out for one’s self is a thumbs up, let's move on to how we treat each other. When searching for a relationship, "finding my other half" or "being made whole [by my partner]" are widely accepted as valid priorities.  The apparently harmless and sweet notion of union with another person is one that is still the norm; as are small, innocuous habits, such as telling someone else what food your partner likes or reminding your partner in public of something they said earlier that contradicts their current actions.  These are just natural behaviours of an exclusive intimate partner, correct?  Now codependency, a collection of behaviours initially defined from the habits and interactions of those who are close to an addict, is seen as the opposite of natural.  It is at the other end of the spectrum: controlling, emotionally manipulative, self-abasing and pretty much clinically unhealthy.  Certainly, there are extreme cases, but what about a girlfriend who parrots her boyfriend's opinion on just about everything?  How about a husband who obsesses constantly over his wife's woes at work?  Mentioning both of these ideas as related to each other may not connect comfortably, but when each side of this apparent spectrum's behaviours are closely analysed, it becomes clear that the line between having and holding someone and making a relationship more important to you than you are to yourself is pretty blurry.

© 2003 Leah Cooper

There are many gentle and subtle things we can do in order to keep ourselves in a healthy balance between being a fulfilled individual and being in a satisfying partnership.  The lesson that finally came into focus for me when I "helpfully" messed up my boyfriend's phone, is that of the difference between doing "for" and "in the stead of". When we do something FOR someone, it is a gift, whether it takes physical, emotional or energetic form.  The preposition "for" has many uses, but in the case of doing something for someone what you are doing is temporarily suiting your actions to the purposes or needs of someone else.  You are being of use to them, making their life easier, showing you care, being of help or assistance.  For a moment, you are shifting your attention upon someone apart from yourself and using your energy, time and lifeforce in their interest, not your own.  Motives aside, "for"ing is a temporary state that ends with the task being completed. In the case of doing something in someone's stead or instead of someone you are acting on their behalf, as a substitute or replacement for your loved one.  You take on a task they could very well do themselves, such as unplugging a syncing iPhone.  My boyfriend knew the phone was syncing and would have checked to make sure it was done, then hit eject and successfully unplugged a properly synced phone, not one with half the tracks he was planning to listen to grayed out.  There are of course so many times in life when doing something in someone's stead is more than necessary and even requested; although, as I’m sure is the case with nearly everyone, I hardly ever stopped to determine this before acting. If I am to be lovely old selfull, and my boyfriend is to be selfull as well, then wouldn't my making an executive decision about whether or not he does something interfere in his flow?  Being mindful overall is an important part of gratitude and getting in and staying in our own flow of greater good.  The more attention we pay to our own selves, attitudes, emotions and actions, the more we benefit "The One"s in our lives.  It's a win-win, certainly. How about this little exercise? : When you are about to do something for someone you care about, stop for a moment and ask yourself, "Am I doing this FOR my hunnybunny, or INSTEAD OF my sugarbritches?" If you're not sure which it is, ask.  I truly believe that we are all one, and I also believe that separated as we are into these single-occupant physical bodies, only we can know our own needs and wants (especially of the moment).  It can seem scary, sad and upsetting to acknowledge our disconnection; but at the same time, isn't that what makes relationships so amazing?  Life is full of contradictions and dichotomies, all of us being one and separate simultaneously being a good example.  No one who is following their passion in life and flowing in all their possibility would want to be with someone who is exactly the same as they are, we are each unique and have our own contributions to make.  Diversity and contrasts are what attract us to each other, what bring us joy and expand us and make us want to love each other.  I want someone <i>else</i> to share my life with; a beautiful, one-of-a-kind awesome being who happens to be separate from me.  There is no other option, anyway.  That being the case, I will be mindful and do things for my love, rather than in his stead.

Last night I went on an amazing journey, crafting my first medium-sized calligraphy pieces for Pause In Joy's new acupuncture space.  Follow my process right here and stay tuned for colour photographs (macro for Etsy!).

The process, step-by-step in photographs:

1) The Master Plan

2) 筆 (ふで/fude/brushe(s)), 文鎮 (ぶんちん/bunchin/paperweight) and 硯 (すずり/suzuri/grinding stone) ready to go!

3) Practice runs underway

4) Dad's colour wheel amidst the B&W

5) The kanji and signature are finished

6) Labels calligraphed and cut, ready to paste on back

6) Dark green wax seals added and glazed

Dear Community, Family, Friends & Readers,

Today I was doing my Morning Pages and I had a revelation: I must share my Gratitude System Calendar with whomever I can, as it develops.  So here we are.

What is the Gratitude (System) Calendar? Click the link to go to my PUBLIC Google Calendar. Well, I came up with the concept through necessity. Every time I have implemented a system to organize myself and my life, I have inevitably fallen off the wagon, whether it was a day, week or six months later.  Sound familiar?

The Gratitude Calendar is a system that allows us to organize our lives and scheduling through tapping into our core values by way of GRATITUDE.  The birth of this concept happened just last week as I was once again getting frustrated at "losing focus".  Throughout October I had come across many different wonderful methods to streamline my actions as I launched into a life where I would be living my passions.  My daily resource was giggle-snortingly lovely Goddess Leonie's amazing offering: The World's Greatest Summit.  These ideas included, and were not limited to: having only one thing to do a day; focusing on one area of life each day of the week; making illustrated progress charts; writing up core values; meditating for answers; going for walks; creating actual maps of processes with goals as destinations.  I needed something that would keep me on track, yet also allow for the type of extreme switchback flexibility that I need to let my creativity move me along my path.  Every one I tried was a blessing, and every frustration brought me closer to my answer: I had my own system to birth into the world to help myself and those with whom it would resonate.

My life purpose is to integrate creativity and practicality. This aspect of myself was discovered through my reading of The Celestine Prophecy.  My creative and practical sides had never fully integrated, in fact, it seemed this dichotomy was a curse keeping me from being "conventionally" successful.  Then, as November dawned, I truly looked at my own core values for the first time in my life and realised: I chose not to follow convention for a reason, and it was time to own that decision.  I had made the decision pretty much before exiting my teens and had not embraced it because I was too scared of the great unknown that came hand-in-hand with pursuing it.  Well, now is my time.

I have a plethora of deep and insightful knowledge at my fingertips that I am bringing into play with the Gratitude Calendar.  While studying and creating in the areas of Japanese language, calligraphy, prose, poetry, Feng Shui, Reiki, flower arranging and cooking; my money had been made in retail, visuals, interior design, office management, bookkeeping and ESL (English as a Second Language) tutoring.  Every single one of the skills I have cultivated through my studies and jobs have made a contribution to what I am in the process of putting out into the world right now. 

Using this system, let's work to amalgamate the sum of the inner and outer space that is our lives!  Please remember that this is a work-in-progress, so I am anticipating changes in the next weeks and months.  My next post will begin explaining the basics of the Gratitude System.

For now, ask yourself: What am I grateful for? 

How do we find joy?  Isn’t it the most difficult and ephemeral state to attain? 

Here is one simple, easy way to find joy.  How long your joy lasts will depend upon the length of your appreciation. Aside: The factors of simple, easy and joy time = appreciation time are constants.

Open a window.

Do you have a window open now?  If you do, yay!  If not, go ahead, open it.  Is it snowing, raining or the middle of the night…?  That’s even better!  I open my windows every day, even when I’ve had a long night and wake later to find that by the time I wander into the living room it will soon be dark. 

I have neighbours who use their air conditioner every day of the year, here in California.  Laying in bed in the evening and then having awoken in the morning, I am surprised again and again at hearing the constant hum of the machine.  They leave it on even when we have one of those icily refreshing, desert-dry (and consequently frigid) nights.  Many find it relaxing, and the "white noise" comforting, but from my Australian-raised point of view, all I notice is the buzz of electricity and drawn curtains.  It is true, we are across from each other, but they have curtains, sheer, but substantial enough to give them privacy in the bright daylight.  I often wonder why they don't open their windows or curtains more than once every few months.  This fascinated me after moving from Boston, and before that Texas, where each has their shut-window/AC culture in full effect (for the most part).  It had seemed to me that living in West Hollywood, with the surprisingly constant fresh breeze, that everyone would have their windows open.  Many do, but I walk around my neighbourhood quite a bit and curiously, many windows stay closed for weeks at a time.  Maybe they just don't realise there is a breeze, which is probably because they are not in the habit of opening their windows...

Opening a window allows air to circulate in your home, as well as light; this, in turn, circulates chi throughout your living space.  There are many times of day when opening the window might not have a beneficial effect, but it's a fun exercise to get to know your home or apartment and how the air moves.  Sometimes you will only be able to open the windows in the early evening, and even then, perhaps you can only open it a crack because you have a resourceful cat.  Or maybe you live by a busy road and need to use a fan (or prop the apartment door open) to move the air from the back of the apartment through the top of the front windows so as to avoid lungfuls of exhaust, not to mention noise pollution.  In my current apartment, all of the air moves from the living room, through the kitchen and hallway to coalesce in the bedroom, so smells from everything we cook or any remnant of incense lit loiters there and becomes stagnant.  Because of this wonderful flow we are easily able to air out the place, but we must open the bedroom windows at least once a day to avoid stale air at bedtime.  Certainly, air pollution is a concern, but the dust, mold and damp that results from a stuffy home is just as detrimental, if not moreso.  Once your body becomes accustomed to the air outside, you'll also find that you might sweat or shiver and therefore your skin will refresh itself or you can feel cozy in your slippers.  This reminds us of what is happening with the seasons and nature (more on that later).

As for light, we are solar-powered, much like cats are famous for.  We need vitamin D in order to properly metabolise nutrients found in the food we eat and the supplements we take.  A "dose" of D is free and as near as your curtain pull.  In the summertime the sun can be too much, and the windows may need to stay shaded (awnings on the outside of the window work wonders for this), but only until the afternoon when the sun has passed by.  Knowing the cardinal directions your apartment or home windows face and tracking the sun just by glancing at its position every day can connect us to ancient and simple cycles that become familiar and comforting as years pass.  You can know where and when to find the light you need for a project or task, because although fluorescent lights do indeed allow us to sit inside and do intricate work, so too does the sun, ranging by the open window.  And isn't it such a pretty light?  Nothing can compare to natural light, whether to read or photograph by or just to bask in.

Chi moves when we move, and animals refresh chi as they wander around the home, as do plants; however, chi is like any energy, and it must be replenished and renewed from a vibrant source.  Yin energy is drawn from darkness, stillness and quietude, while Yang energy is drawn from activity, light and stimulation.  Each of these energies are chi and must be balanced in a home, so if your home is in the dark all the time, there will be too much Yin.  Conversely, if you live in a home that is all glass from floor to ceiling with no curtains, there will most likely be a surplus of Yang.  The same chi cannot be circulated in a space indefinitely, like air it becomes stagnant, trapped and decidedly funky; and when chi becomes "stuck", you and those you live with do too.

The most common way fresh chi enters the home is through the front and back doors... and the windows.  Any sinks, drains or toilets drain chi (especially if the toilet lid is kept up and the drains unstopped) and so, if you consider this, without open windows to move and stimulate chi, the energy of the home is slowly draining away.  If you work from home and have a few days when you haven't gone out, you may know that feeling of becoming a kind of gritty old hermit.  Additionally, the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (aptly SAD) is well-documented; and isn't it strange that some are crippled by this, while others are not?  This is because not just ones physical body, but ones energy body is influenced by lack of light, air and stimulation.

In our world of constant activity, especially through our connection with technology, it is easy to forget that the natural world is outside that window.  Sure, it might just be one sad little tree, or a bird forlorn among the tangle of power lines, but we are still on this earth.  Opening and closing that window is to connect to nature.  How about the first whiff of Autumn, when the air turns crisp?  Or the sight of a sunset painting the clouds?  How about the sensation of the first drops of rain hitting the windowsill, sending a fine spray into the room as you rush to latch the window against a sudden storm?  It seems so romantic as you read it, doesn't it?  Well, it is!  It is absolutely a wonderful feeling to stand in the open window for a just a moment, the sky darkening, swelling raindrops gusting in on the wind.  Open the window and be in an actual physical virtually reality: imagine you are out there in the natural world.  Feels good, right?  Perhaps not all of us will go hiking up a mountain every day, but we can open the window to see that squirrel chattering at the crows across the way, protective of its newborn pups.

So far my examples have stayed within the realm of the physical world, but what about the joy I was promising?? 

Opening the window is a metaphor for opening to the world, and it manifests not just in physical contact with the world outside the window, but in instinctual contact with nature's cycles and spiritual contact with the present moment.  Opening the window feeds the body, emotions and soul.  When we open the window, possibility floods in taking the form of sounds, smells, sights and sensations.  We reconnect to the active Yang energy of the busy road near the house or the calm Yin energy of the garden below.  Furthermore, because we are human and full of desires, feelings and thoughts triggered by our physical sensors; with that rush of life energy come memories, hopes, dreams... past, present and future swirling into our minds and souls. 

~ Originally posted October 4th, 2011 4:53am ~

Yesterday I got up and went straight to work on trying to come up with my first calligraphy piece and soon found myself very anxious - not feeling resonance with my ideas, nor confidence to pull off what I was planning.  I asked myself, was I on track?  Why was this vision in my mind's eye more a painting than a piece of calligraphy?  I was frustrated, I had to get up from my work.  So I did my Kali mantra, practiced some others and did a Manipura (मणिपूर - center of dynamism, energy, willpower and achievement) mediation for inspiration; letting a golden lotus blossom emerge from my navel and then bringing my awareness down there, until I peered out from between the petals.

Afterwards I puttered around, catching up on interviews, talks and videos from Goddess Leonie's "World's Biggest Summit" (...going on through October! Check out my earlier post to sign up and get in on the wisdom!!!). I ate a late lunch, laying along the couch seemingly exhausted, trying to unwind with a little audiobook break ("The Shadow Rising" Book 4 of The Wheel of Time).

But my body was truly aching, twisting energy into small knots in and about my shoulder blades. I decided to take a bath. Beforehand, H mercifully massaged some knots out for me. I slipped into an almost scalding bath of Epsom Salts and sage oil, letting the tension drain. Then I went through my chakra meditation, activating each in turn. Vishuddha (विशुद्ध - creativity center, located at the throat) took some time to release and reach its blue, colloidal tendrils out from the front and back of my throat, to constrict in to form a tenuous, yet implacable blue bubble that finally and suddenly filled in. Once all were activated, I fed into each from the source until, like bubbles meeting on water, they formed into one.  I let the brilliant white glow expand until it had pushed its spherical shape through the earth and above me into the atmosphere of the earth.  Then I found myself within a white streak through the vacuum hurtling toward a crystal-like formation, glinting with all colours of the spectrum.  I entered the structure, crystalline forms all around me; it collapsed into white brilliance and I sat up in the the tub, back on earth.  I'm not sure exactly when it became apparent, but I had been superimposing other works over my own: my Reiki Master Teacher Patti Penn's paintings, full of colour, depth and reiki energy; Shane Guffogg's newest collection I had just seen the day before, of shining, intertwined earth-tone ropes, a luminous unraveling ball of twine... these began to recede.  My desire for wet, pigment-thick brush strokes faded.  I brought myself back to the immediate, black trails of the calligrapher's brush, realizing I hadn't even asked myself what kanji I wanted to write... 

Body languid, pores still pouring out heat from my bath, I dressed comfortably and wandered over to participate in Pause In Joy's Meditation Monday.  Jaime on gong, Patti on singing bowl... like a mystical flying saucer visitation, I sat, sweating, thoughts flowing over and around me as though I was a smooth rock in a gentle, but fast-moving stream.  Thoughts tried to cling but all slipped off; I was aware of each one clearly, felling them pass a hair's breadth from me the whole time, but somehow I was accepting, not my usual, impatient self.  No part of me was waiting for it to be over, but instead relishing more.  And then my Manipura piece's kanji came: "勇気" (ゆうき; Yuuki) --> "Courage".

~ Originally posted September 6th, 2011 3:28pm ~

Are you trying to learn how to quiet your mind?  Are you looking to connect with what you really feel, think and want?  Do you want to improve your life and health from the inside out?  Amusingly or irritatingly (haha), meditation is both the easiest and hardest way; in addition to being the most direct way.

I've been studying meditation for a few short years, firstly through my study of Reiki and just recently as a means toward its own ends.  I meditate in order to find stillness, clarity of purpose, gratitude and vision.  I use it to tap into worthiness and creativity, as well as to face fears and blocks as I follow my true path in life.

Your need may differ.  Perhaps you feel stressed?  Can't focus as well as you'd like?  Secretly hate being a couch potato?  Feel anxious and don't know why or what to do?  Are constantly bored?  Are sick of being cynical, negative or angry?  Wish you could be different or have things you don't have?  The list goes on and on...

Meditation can help with any kind of imbalance, misalignment or negative feeling.

But how to start?!  When I first sat down to meditate, my body hurt, my "mind" wouldn't shut up, I felt so bored and silly... ridiculous, in fact.  Everyone is different in their reactions, but we also need different approaches.  Some people need to sit in total silence with no thoughts, others need to chant, still others must visualize... finally, some need a variety of practices.  I will offering you options to try.

Try this:  

One Minute Meditation

Find a quiet, comfortable upright position in a place where you will not be distracted

Set an alarm for one minute (if the alarm is loud or jarring to you, place it somewhere that you will still hear it, but only faintly)

Close your eyes and clear your mind of thought (if thoughts come up, let them dissolve like smoke, or have them walk through an open do that you shut behind them - whatever works)

Congratulations!  You meditated!!!

"Hey, but what now?  I only meditated for one minute...", you might say.  Fair enough.  If you are up for the next step:

Meditate every day (you think of it) for one minute

Until you're ready to...

Increase the meditation by one minute each session...

OR

Let yourself have "no where to go, nothing to do" and meditate without the timer (just note the time you began on a piece of paper or timer and once you're done, check and see how much time you spent)