Another great post, Mary. I do the same with my phone - wish I'd had it in me to ditch it for good, but I got seduced by the damn camera. Lately, I've retreated a lot from a lot of the heartache and drama in the world. I'm not burying my head in the sand - I try to keep somewhat informed and I am able to do so without going into fear or depression, so that's a blessing. Spending more and more time disconnected and in Nature, can only be a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. Keeping my vibe high as best I can. I hear rumblings of masks returning but I don't need to look any further - I didn't wear one last time and I don't plan to start now.
Speaking of masks (just the word triggered me for the longest time) Kripalu lost its mind over Covid. They have a school of Ayurveda, yoga teacher training program, breathwork, etc. and they STILL require testing and some mask-wearing. Until recently, you couldn't get a massage without having to wear a mask. I've been there many times but never ever again. Are they really so dense or were all of these places getting money from the government for complying? One of the things that truly made zero sense to me was all of the holistic-minded people and places that fell for the psyop. xo
Keeping our vibes high is essential. You know better than anyone what works for you -- keeping tabs without overdoing sounds just right. (And the damn camera, indeed. I used to be an avid 35mm photo buff, but ugh, lugging that thing around!)
Kripalu ABSOLUTELY lost it. And lost me in the process. It used to be my happy place -- the place I could always go to recharge, but I'm with you: I doubt I'll darken its door in the future. Did you read Toby Rogers's latest piece? He asks the question, "“What produces the rebels who dedicate themselves to overthrowing corrupt systems rather than trying to fit in?” So many interesting answers in the comments!
I can barely stand living with truth, but find living with lies is unbearable. I guess that makes me an outlier. (My unconscious seems to be playing word games with me 😁)
I would leave the US if I could, but have no where to go & no way to get there. So I just try to make the best of it. I find it helps a lot to believe in God & focus on his creations that are greater than the people who are wannabe gods.
Rough choice between the two (hard truth or harder lies), but I am so with you. For a while my husband and I considered moving to Mexico, but then decided that we cared enough about the US to do what we could here. And oh my, yes... I love how you put it: "his creations that are greater than the people who are wannabe gods." Perfect. Thanks for your comment!
The easy road might lead to discomfort, but it is effortlessness that shows me I’m on the right path. There is a distinction, I know, between the two. Ease creates weak men. Effortlessness is made magic through hardships. And I use it as a good marker for decision making.
You mentioning the TSA pre check in reminded me of that day in Boston where you could have gone on without a care in the world, yet you waited for me to get all my equipment out to get scanned, and then you managed to use those yoga legs to leap like a gazelle and stop my flight from leaving without me. It was truly a beautiful sight.
That is such a great point, Tonika! I hadn't considered that effortlessness IS something different, isn't it. Your differentiation is intriguing! Would you say more about "effortless is made magic through hardships"? I can think of different interpretations of that, but I'd love to hear yours...
Oh man, the photo finish...I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Thanks for the memory, friend 😂
You know that feeling when you're in love and nothing can bring you down? It's the same feeling when you're doing what is yours to do and even though there are challenges to your journey, you handle them as if you were born to handle them. The side of the mountain crumbles, barring your way into the tunnel, but that only helps you use the rocks to climb over; it gives you not only permission but the power to overcome. It's almost as if effortlessness wants to prove that magic is with you. That god/source/consciousness is whispering in your ear. Not to mention that if you are brave enough to rise to the occasion of overcoming challenges, you're adding the secret sauce to the whole effortlessness stew. Providence loves courage.
Oh Tonika. I'm just sitting here, shaking my head in wonder at this profound truth, absorbing its import and grace. You've described it perfectly. It feels like a poem, or something that wants to be a poem...
The philosophies aren’t mine, but I have experienced the feelings. Terrence McKena speaks of this: “Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering it's a feather bed.” The thing is, Providence doesn’t know you’re committed until it presents you with hardships. Then, your actions become powerful prayers for miracles to transpire, and with them comes the effortlessness of your journey. How many mushroom did McKena take? 😂 Fungi for the win.
Tremendous piece. I'm always blown away by your work, which is often in sync with my own thoughts. I have more to say about this piece, but I need to think a bit more...
Take your time, Jack! I read your latest and LOVED IT, and am pondering on it myself. Much to think about in these times, eh? All I can think of is the Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."😂
I would suggest a video chat to discuss your latest piece and mine, but I'm afraid we would chat for a long time - it seems there are many similar points of conversation we could mutually explore...
"I can feel the difference this new morning routine is making. How could connecting with myself, Source, and nature before I join the world outside that sphere not improve my day, my life?"
Kudos to you, dear, Mary. What a new excellent choice you are making. I'm so glad you are already seeing its benefits.
Thank you for the kind words and link to my essay, and more, thank you for the thoughtful essay here. I can most definitely relate. I believe there is nothing more important than (as you describe) connecting to ourselves, Source and nature at this time. As simple as it is, the reorientation is anything but. Simple acts can produce amazing results.
Many are being swept up into the ease of daily life and its habits, easily ignoring the very big and real threats at our door. It appears the world has already split in some substantial way; between those who know and are actively seeking to do something - essays included - and those like the teacher who won't even look at 9/11 questions -who refuse. I suspect more will come over as the vice of tyranny grips us tighter.
It's such a balance, since those of us who see what's happening can't spend all our time looking at the abyss. I know I repeat the same message over and over - that Nature sustains us - because, well, that's true. It fortifies, it reminds us of what's enduring in times of collapse and that we are indeed weaved into that story of endurance as much as we are weaved into this time of unraveling. We must find fuel for these time, and for me, Nature is the best I know. (Which includes, of course, the Source behind it.)
A beautiful, thoughtful essay with wisdom and honesty throughout. So appreciate your work and you, Mary. Best.
Your essay was integral to mine, Kathleen! I have loved the graceful back-and-forthing between our thoughts; the inspiration just blooms and grows. LIke Edelweiss! Like Nature! 😉 I'm glad you keep repeating the same message about how it sustains us, because we need to be reminded. At least, I know I do. It is so, so easy (there's that word again) for me to get caught up in the direcasting of others, and even engage in it myself.
Although some of it is useful and necessary, I also have to remember that there's a much bigger plan at work here. The path, as usual, lies in the middle. Your writing always puts me there.
So grateful for your comment, and the appreciation is fully mutual... xox M
"I have loved the graceful back-and-forthing between our thoughts; the inspiration just blooms and grows." I was nodding reading your comment. Yes, exactly.
I remember working on a farm once and the gentleman who owned it said he was all about “bringing people into the light” …when most of the time he would bash trump supporters, and put me down saying that 5g was a crazy tinfoil conspiracy. I left shortly thereafter but hope I planted some seeds. Thank you so much for the article Mary. I am overjoyed I was able to impact your life even if over this tech that we are learning to use as a master, rather than it servant. Have a wonderful day and enjoy that morning Sun!!!! God Bless, Roman
Funny that I just read that book last weekend and this weekend I am visiting the Big Easy! So many magical places to experience in our new homeland - the South. Biscuits, beignets and grits, oh my.
I believe life is a series of cycles between easy and difficult, learning and integration. All of us figuring it out as we go along, at our own pace. I am less optimistic at the prospect of luring anyone out of the level of ease of their own path, at that moment. I do worry that we are losing touch with what it means to be human, to feel and connect and grow.
I had a flash of a vision the other day at the airport, of a future where half of the people wore VR glasses, literally blind to the world around them as they walked through the terminal. And why not? Whats to lose from overriding the part of travel that is unintentional, the space between. Like wearing headphones while walking down the street. But if we are all connected, we are cutting ourselves off from interacting, from hearing another’s perspective, perhaps sharing one of our own - exactly what someone else needs to hear, a message from the universe.
Love this, CM. I think you're right -- cycling between "easy and difficult, learning and integration" is the human condition. We do that as collective cultures, and as individuals. I think we even do that from life incarnation to life incarnation; some lives we live are filled with hardship, while other lives are times of relative rest -- opportunities to learn and integrate.
Your vision of the future is chilling, all the more so because it's highly imaginable! I used to treasure the weird, spontaneous interactions on the sidewalks of NYC, but the last time I was there, people were like zombies. And that was pre-covid!
Thanks for your insights, as always, friend... and I hope your trip to New Orleans was filled with beignets. I've heard they ARE magical.
Thank you Mary. Yesterday I didn’t look at my phone for an hour or more after waking up. I signed up for an annual subscription and left you a special note there but I’m not sure you were able to see it… Your pal Micah
Another great post, Mary. I do the same with my phone - wish I'd had it in me to ditch it for good, but I got seduced by the damn camera. Lately, I've retreated a lot from a lot of the heartache and drama in the world. I'm not burying my head in the sand - I try to keep somewhat informed and I am able to do so without going into fear or depression, so that's a blessing. Spending more and more time disconnected and in Nature, can only be a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. Keeping my vibe high as best I can. I hear rumblings of masks returning but I don't need to look any further - I didn't wear one last time and I don't plan to start now.
Speaking of masks (just the word triggered me for the longest time) Kripalu lost its mind over Covid. They have a school of Ayurveda, yoga teacher training program, breathwork, etc. and they STILL require testing and some mask-wearing. Until recently, you couldn't get a massage without having to wear a mask. I've been there many times but never ever again. Are they really so dense or were all of these places getting money from the government for complying? One of the things that truly made zero sense to me was all of the holistic-minded people and places that fell for the psyop. xo
Keeping our vibes high is essential. You know better than anyone what works for you -- keeping tabs without overdoing sounds just right. (And the damn camera, indeed. I used to be an avid 35mm photo buff, but ugh, lugging that thing around!)
Kripalu ABSOLUTELY lost it. And lost me in the process. It used to be my happy place -- the place I could always go to recharge, but I'm with you: I doubt I'll darken its door in the future. Did you read Toby Rogers's latest piece? He asks the question, "“What produces the rebels who dedicate themselves to overthrowing corrupt systems rather than trying to fit in?” So many interesting answers in the comments!
Same with the 35mm! I miss working in the darkroom until the wee hours of the night. Now, I barely touch my bag full of 35 mms. :(
I tried reaching out to Kripalu a few times to give my two cents about their policy, but alas, they didn't see fit to respond. Adios to them.
I did not see Toby Roger's latest but I will check it out! xo
I can barely stand living with truth, but find living with lies is unbearable. I guess that makes me an outlier. (My unconscious seems to be playing word games with me 😁)
I would leave the US if I could, but have no where to go & no way to get there. So I just try to make the best of it. I find it helps a lot to believe in God & focus on his creations that are greater than the people who are wannabe gods.
Rough choice between the two (hard truth or harder lies), but I am so with you. For a while my husband and I considered moving to Mexico, but then decided that we cared enough about the US to do what we could here. And oh my, yes... I love how you put it: "his creations that are greater than the people who are wannabe gods." Perfect. Thanks for your comment!
The easy road might lead to discomfort, but it is effortlessness that shows me I’m on the right path. There is a distinction, I know, between the two. Ease creates weak men. Effortlessness is made magic through hardships. And I use it as a good marker for decision making.
You mentioning the TSA pre check in reminded me of that day in Boston where you could have gone on without a care in the world, yet you waited for me to get all my equipment out to get scanned, and then you managed to use those yoga legs to leap like a gazelle and stop my flight from leaving without me. It was truly a beautiful sight.
That is such a great point, Tonika! I hadn't considered that effortlessness IS something different, isn't it. Your differentiation is intriguing! Would you say more about "effortless is made magic through hardships"? I can think of different interpretations of that, but I'd love to hear yours...
Oh man, the photo finish...I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Thanks for the memory, friend 😂
You know that feeling when you're in love and nothing can bring you down? It's the same feeling when you're doing what is yours to do and even though there are challenges to your journey, you handle them as if you were born to handle them. The side of the mountain crumbles, barring your way into the tunnel, but that only helps you use the rocks to climb over; it gives you not only permission but the power to overcome. It's almost as if effortlessness wants to prove that magic is with you. That god/source/consciousness is whispering in your ear. Not to mention that if you are brave enough to rise to the occasion of overcoming challenges, you're adding the secret sauce to the whole effortlessness stew. Providence loves courage.
Oh Tonika. I'm just sitting here, shaking my head in wonder at this profound truth, absorbing its import and grace. You've described it perfectly. It feels like a poem, or something that wants to be a poem...
The philosophies aren’t mine, but I have experienced the feelings. Terrence McKena speaks of this: “Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering it's a feather bed.” The thing is, Providence doesn’t know you’re committed until it presents you with hardships. Then, your actions become powerful prayers for miracles to transpire, and with them comes the effortlessness of your journey. How many mushroom did McKena take? 😂 Fungi for the win.
This, itself, is alchemical/philosophical gold. Thank you SO much for adding it to the conversation here. We're all better for it.
PS I'm convinced Fungi will save us 🍄
👊
Tremendous piece. I'm always blown away by your work, which is often in sync with my own thoughts. I have more to say about this piece, but I need to think a bit more...
Take your time, Jack! I read your latest and LOVED IT, and am pondering on it myself. Much to think about in these times, eh? All I can think of is the Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."😂
I would suggest a video chat to discuss your latest piece and mine, but I'm afraid we would chat for a long time - it seems there are many similar points of conversation we could mutually explore...
I'm up for it! 😊
"I can feel the difference this new morning routine is making. How could connecting with myself, Source, and nature before I join the world outside that sphere not improve my day, my life?"
Kudos to you, dear, Mary. What a new excellent choice you are making. I'm so glad you are already seeing its benefits.
Thank you for the kind words and link to my essay, and more, thank you for the thoughtful essay here. I can most definitely relate. I believe there is nothing more important than (as you describe) connecting to ourselves, Source and nature at this time. As simple as it is, the reorientation is anything but. Simple acts can produce amazing results.
Many are being swept up into the ease of daily life and its habits, easily ignoring the very big and real threats at our door. It appears the world has already split in some substantial way; between those who know and are actively seeking to do something - essays included - and those like the teacher who won't even look at 9/11 questions -who refuse. I suspect more will come over as the vice of tyranny grips us tighter.
It's such a balance, since those of us who see what's happening can't spend all our time looking at the abyss. I know I repeat the same message over and over - that Nature sustains us - because, well, that's true. It fortifies, it reminds us of what's enduring in times of collapse and that we are indeed weaved into that story of endurance as much as we are weaved into this time of unraveling. We must find fuel for these time, and for me, Nature is the best I know. (Which includes, of course, the Source behind it.)
A beautiful, thoughtful essay with wisdom and honesty throughout. So appreciate your work and you, Mary. Best.
Your essay was integral to mine, Kathleen! I have loved the graceful back-and-forthing between our thoughts; the inspiration just blooms and grows. LIke Edelweiss! Like Nature! 😉 I'm glad you keep repeating the same message about how it sustains us, because we need to be reminded. At least, I know I do. It is so, so easy (there's that word again) for me to get caught up in the direcasting of others, and even engage in it myself.
Although some of it is useful and necessary, I also have to remember that there's a much bigger plan at work here. The path, as usual, lies in the middle. Your writing always puts me there.
So grateful for your comment, and the appreciation is fully mutual... xox M
"I have loved the graceful back-and-forthing between our thoughts; the inspiration just blooms and grows." I was nodding reading your comment. Yes, exactly.
"LIke Edelweiss! Like Nature!" 💕
I remember working on a farm once and the gentleman who owned it said he was all about “bringing people into the light” …when most of the time he would bash trump supporters, and put me down saying that 5g was a crazy tinfoil conspiracy. I left shortly thereafter but hope I planted some seeds. Thank you so much for the article Mary. I am overjoyed I was able to impact your life even if over this tech that we are learning to use as a master, rather than it servant. Have a wonderful day and enjoy that morning Sun!!!! God Bless, Roman
Thank you, Roman, for your work that IS bringing people into the light! Appreciate your presence so much.
“It is by suffering that human beings become angels.”
VICTOR HUGO
Damn. Victor Hugo for the win.
Funny that I just read that book last weekend and this weekend I am visiting the Big Easy! So many magical places to experience in our new homeland - the South. Biscuits, beignets and grits, oh my.
I believe life is a series of cycles between easy and difficult, learning and integration. All of us figuring it out as we go along, at our own pace. I am less optimistic at the prospect of luring anyone out of the level of ease of their own path, at that moment. I do worry that we are losing touch with what it means to be human, to feel and connect and grow.
I had a flash of a vision the other day at the airport, of a future where half of the people wore VR glasses, literally blind to the world around them as they walked through the terminal. And why not? Whats to lose from overriding the part of travel that is unintentional, the space between. Like wearing headphones while walking down the street. But if we are all connected, we are cutting ourselves off from interacting, from hearing another’s perspective, perhaps sharing one of our own - exactly what someone else needs to hear, a message from the universe.
We are cutting ourselves off from life itself.
Love this, CM. I think you're right -- cycling between "easy and difficult, learning and integration" is the human condition. We do that as collective cultures, and as individuals. I think we even do that from life incarnation to life incarnation; some lives we live are filled with hardship, while other lives are times of relative rest -- opportunities to learn and integrate.
Your vision of the future is chilling, all the more so because it's highly imaginable! I used to treasure the weird, spontaneous interactions on the sidewalks of NYC, but the last time I was there, people were like zombies. And that was pre-covid!
Thanks for your insights, as always, friend... and I hope your trip to New Orleans was filled with beignets. I've heard they ARE magical.
What pain do you want in your life? What are you willing to struggle for? These are the questions we all need to be asking ourselves right now.
Thank you Mary. Yesterday I didn’t look at my phone for an hour or more after waking up. I signed up for an annual subscription and left you a special note there but I’m not sure you were able to see it… Your pal Micah