PERSPECTIVES

“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.”

~Henry David Thoreau~

Spring Awakening …
After a long winter when nature is mostly dormant, the springtime awakens a stirring in all things. As the daylight lengthens and the earth warms, life begins to slowly move. The seeds in the ground, hidden and protected by the soil all winter, swell and set roots more deeply to begin their journey of life. The trees draw more moisture and nutrients from the earth and set buds on their branches, in preparation for sending leaves to the light to create energy. The animals emerge from hibernation, a hunger in their bellies, and those who did not hibernate feel an easing inside. They have all survived the time of winter stillness, the great purification.

At first this is a gentle thing, a mere impulse of awakening. It is mostly hidden, this initial awakening, available only to the discerning eye, but soon the awakening life gathers momentum and though still fragile it blankets the earth with unmistakable signs of life. Shoots of new plants emerge, tender new-green leaves dance in the warming breezes, and the songs of birds and insects fill the air. What began as a subtle thing now surges into the expression of the immense force of life.

After a long and dark winter, the human heart also begins to awaken into life. It swells with new hope as the hardships and inactivity of winter abate. Lifted by the young life all around it, a new enthusiasm stirs and new dreams set their roots in the soils of life, of consciousness. These things too seek expression after a lengthy time of quiescence, and these new dreams, flooded with hope, attention, and intention, are energized and begin to take shape.

Many of us on the spiritual path watch closely the movements and rhythms of nature. We find that moving in harmony with the larger life around us helps us stay aligned with and sensitive to our own inner life and the opportunities available there. Recognizing how inextricably linked we are to a larger life strengthens our life and allows us to stay balanced, healthy, and effective in our actions.

But even those who don¹t walk a spiritual path respond unconsciously to the larger rhythms of nature. The winter cold keeps most indoors in a kind of forced hibernation; spring is a time to remove the cobwebs that have accumulated from so much inactivity (the spring cleaning) and set plans, the seeds, of new directions; summer is a time of intense activity, accomplishing our plans and playing; while fall is a time of gathering our fruit to us in preparation to the coming rest.
The gift of being aware of these larger rhythms is that they can become guides that we can use consciously to act in harmony with the force of nature. They guide us into harmony with a larger power that we can use to strengthen our life.

In this article, there are two rhythms that we will focus on. First, we look at a kind of psychic “spring cleaning” that will allow us to clean out the stagnation of a quiet winter and prepare for the intense action that we are called to. Second, we will look to the rhythm of spring for guidance to the kinds of intentions, or seeds, that we could plant in the soils of our heart that might yield the greatest benefit to us.

Spring-cleaning is rarely fun. We don’t do it for entertainment. However, in the springtime, we begin to notice the accumulation of “winter stuff” around the house and yard. It isn’t “spring stuff,” so we put it away, clean it out, and when we are done, we feel lighter, our homes feel clearer; more light and energy flows more easily through it. Spring can move in and we feel lighter and happier.

Well, the same thing needs to happen in our inner lives as well! We need to clean out the cobwebs and put the “winter stuff” away. We cannot do it through meditation as that is a “winter” practice (or night-resting). And unintentional activity will just be activity. We must align our intention with our action. For that I like to dance!

Practice #1

To get everything moving and clearing, I would like to suggest a particular dance. I prefer to dance outside standing on the earth, but inside is fine. Begin by vigorously shaking your whole body. At first just shake all parts of the body to loosen the muscles. Do it wildly, but not so violently that you might hurt yourself. Do it just hard enough to feel your entire body warming up.

Once you are loose, begin to shake as a dog does right after its bath when it is trying to get the all the water off. Imagine you are shaking off all the stagnation of the winter, the “winter” thoughts and emotions. Feel them as drops being flung off in all directions! Continue to shake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until you feel a flush of warmth throughout your entire body, perhaps surrounding it as well. Don’t dance the point of exhaustion, just until you feel all the tired and stagnant energies of the past season flung away.

Then stand straight and feel your vitality and life force filling you and surrounding you, and the strength of your muscles well used. Now send your awareness down through the bottom of your feet and sense the energy of the earth below you. It might feel warm, even hot, perhaps electric, or it may simply feel like a gentle force. Allow that energy -- direct it to enter through your feet, come up your legs, and gather at your belly. Feel your energy and the energy of the earth blending together.

Continue to draw more and more energy from the earth into your body until your entire body is filled with these combined energies. Draw up even more energy and feel the energy burst beyond the limits of your body and wrap you in a cocoon of energy and light. Now stand there for another minute or two to enjoy the feeling of new energy filling your body. Do this exercise for 5 to 7 days to fling off that which is old and used up, and to fill the body with fresh new energy.

After this exercise, your whole body will feel clean and bright, and it will be fully prepared for the second exercise of this newsletter, the planting of new seeds. Even if this is the only dance you do or it is the only method of psychic spring cleaning you use, you will be filled with new energy, you will feel clear and present, and you will be at peace, ready to launch into the new directions that you feel as seeds in you desiring.

Practice #2

It is ideal to practice this right after the previous exercise to put the gathered energy to good use, but it is not necessary.

For this exercise we should remember that we are planting something small and fragile. It must be protected and nurtured to have a chance to grow into something mature and powerful. We protect and nurture these fragile seeds with our intention and attention, but, as in nature, we must first do it hidden from all view but ours because the initial movements towards life are tender and vulnerable. Don’t talk about that which you are gestating in your heart, just hold it wrapped in love and a deep yearning for the fruits of what we have planted. (Talking, at this stage, will not help. In the summer and fall there is plenty of time to talk, in fact, we must talk in those seasons or our seedling will never emerge into the light and thus never bear fruit!)

The best seeds to plant at this season are those that we most need to grow inside ourselves, the seeds that will yield the greatest fruit. Pick the smallest seeds, the areas of our greatest need or even weakness. Now is not the time to dream of a better job or a bigger house. Now is the time to move mountains. Now nature is cooperating with our plantings, use that added force! The seeds I recommend are the seeds of faith, gratitude, peace, unconditional love, or any other of the qualities that reflect and emerge from spiritual realization. Pick one!

So, standing in the warm, energetic glow from the last exercise (or in a relaxed posture if you do this exercise separately from the previous one), call to mind the seed you are planting. Do not create an idealized version of it (you are planting a seed not the entire tree!), but see it as you currently see and understand it. The deepest part of your heart sees and knows what the seed is to become, just as the Creator knows the tree an acorn will become when it matures and bears fruit. Just putting your attention on the quality, as you know it now, will energize it and allow it to thrive and grow into its fullest potential. Just hold the thought empowered with the feelings that arise from this quality in the heart, wrapped in the warmth of your warm, clear energy for a couple of minutes. Then release it and go about your life.

Now, just enjoy the awakening of spring knowing that you are in balance and harmony with the forces of life and creation, and that you are growing, in the secret place of your heart, a powerful quality that will change your life.

…. Malcolm

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Sunday, May 13 th is Mother’s Day. Here are some great places to shop.

And by clicking on these links to make your purchase, you help fund our scholarship program without spending a penny extra! Thank you.

If any of you newsletter readers have a local place (like a health food store, or yoga center, or community center, etc) where brochures can be displayed, please let us know and we’ll be happy to send you some. We always greatly appreciate efforts to help us get this work out in the world in an ever-growing way.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Click on the underlined links below to read about a particular class, or go to The Total Human™ Programs or Earth-Heart Programs to read about other classes not listed here, and TTH Student Comments or E-H Student Comments to read comments from past participants.

Only a couple of spots left in his year’s Sedona Women’s Retreat “Reconnecting With the Power of the Sacred Feminine” running April 18-22 at Angel Valley Retreat Center! Come and spend 5 days in an extraordinary setting with a group of women as amazing as you. Ancient yogic and Native American women's power teachings, plus much, much more. Extended payment plan available for this and other programs. Call to inquire.

Malcolm is now accepting a limited number of students for his long-distance, one-on-one mentoring program. 6-month minimum commitment required. Call or email for details.

Malcolm’s next Vision Quest is scheduled for May 12-19 in southern Oregon near Ashland. The NJ Vision Quest is scheduled for July 1-8 in the Pine Barrens. The Sept Quest is still TBA. See website for details.

Come join us for our wonderfully energizing, deeply relaxing, thoroughly detoxifying Lighten Up Retreat June 9-13. Twice daily yoga, meditation, nightly sweatlodges, fresh juicing, and much more. We’ll be at Zaca Lake Retreat Center about 50 miles NE of Santa Barbara, CA. It’s a beautiful 20 acre lake on land that has been held sacred by the native Chumash peoples. Check out their website www.zacalakeretreat.com

Malcolm’s Protector Course will run July 10-19, back-to-back with the NJ Vision Quest for those interested in taking both. If you’re interested in helping someone Protect one of the 100-person Quests in 2008, this is your last chance to take this class before they happen.

Allyson’s All-Women Vision Quest will be run in southern Oregon near Ashland Oct 14-21 (the same location as Malcolm’s May VQ). It will happen one day after the Advanced Women’s Retreat “Accessing the Ancient Wisdom Within You,” (only 2 spots left) being run close by at Buckhorn Springs Retreat Center (Oct 8-12), for anyone wishing to take them back-to-back. Please note that you must have attended the first Women’s Retreat (above) to come to the advanced women’s program.

Malcolm’s Personal Intensive dates between now and the end of the year (only 2 per week scheduled) are very limited:
Mon Apr 23 – Sat April 28 (one spot left)
Mon Apr 30 – Sat May 5
Fri May 25 – Wed May 30
Mon Oct 22 – Sat Oct 27

Dates fill up very quickly.

HELPFUL PRACTICES

EXERCISE YOUR CREATIVE MUSCLES
Mark off some time in your date book to do something creative. Actually schedule it in as though it’s an important business meeting that can’t be missed, and keep the date with yourself. Once a week if you can manage it. Color, paint, build a bookshelf, etc. It doesn’t matter what it is – but create something that’s just for you. Setting aside time to devote to exercising your imagination is highly undervalued. Everyone seems to agree that it’s important, but when push comes to shove, how much time do you actually devote to it? The most creative thing people seem to be focused on these days is creative planning on how to pay the pile of bills sitting on the table. Make 2007 the year you put your own creativity back in your schedule.

NEWS

 Earth-Heart students, please be aware of an address change. The new P.O. Box is 1437. Please change it in your address books. The rest of the info remains the same.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Join the Spiritual Cinema Circle, and have inspiring, uplifting movies delivered to your door. Click here for details.

Journey to The Wild Divine : biofeedback, breathing, and meditation skills. Build stairways with your breath, open doors with meditation, juggle balls with your laughter, and so much more. The Journey makes biofeedback, a popular method of alternative healthcare, easily accessible and empowers you to take mind-body wellness, literally, into your own hands.

WORLDWIDE “WEB OF LIFE”

We want to support organizations out there who are working for the uplifting of humanity. If you know of websites that are doing really good work in the world, email them to us for possible inclusion in a future newsletter. We’d like to help get the word out.

http://www.medicinewaters.org

The Medicine Waters Conservancy's vision is to ensure the preservation of lands throughout the Pine Barrens of NJ, especially those areas used and loved by Stalking Wolf, Tom Brown, Jr. and the thousands of Tracker School students who have learned and grown so much there. The Conservancy focuses not only on preservation of these lands but in restoring a healthy ecosystem, repairing damage that has taken place through human misuse and preventing future misuse.

http://www.unitedplantsavers.org

United Plant Savers' mission is to protect native medicinal plants of the United States and Canada and their native habitat while ensuring an abundant renewable supply of medicinal plants for generations to come.

Many blessings to you all,

Allyson

and

Malcolm