My Sacred Myth

Sacred Myth – Origin Story

Dearest one, in this story I will tell you about the depth and the vastness of Life itself, with words that are not big enough to hold the wonder and the essence of the Unnamed one, our Beloved Creator.

It is a story that begins with a potential so vast, with a Love so powerful and indescribable that it opened space, a vast pregnant emptiness waiting to become. At first, all this force was contained, imagine it could fit in the tiniest grain of sand, so small that you could not see it with your eyes; and yet sweet soul, you could feel it everywhere, it vibrated and sang, it was so very big inside

Just like you are!

The power of Life remained very still for the longest time, for a whole eternity. Then came the time when it could not be still anymore and the breath of Life ignited its power and it exploded into great showers of light and heat, illuminating the immensity of the universe with millions and millions of planets and stars spiraling into space.

Among the 200 billion galaxies that exist in the universe, there is a galaxy we named the Milky Way, you can it if you look up on very clear nights. Inside it, our wondrous blue planet Earth came to be. It too began as a great ball of fire with volcanos bursting up into the skies, spitting red streaks and huge black clouds shaking energy into matter that became rocks and mountains, valleys, oceans, rivers and lakes. Volcanoes warmed up the earth and gave way to water and life, sparking life force within tiny squiggling micro-organisms, that kept searching and finding their flourishment in a wild natural world. Elements intertwined fostering rhythms, balancing wind, fire, soil, air and water, forming cyclic seasons. Life Giving Breath continued to flow, fostering life as plants and animals came to inhabit forest and skies, oceans and land.

Can you imagine it my sweet little one? Close your eyes and see our vibrant Earth spinning on herself. She is a heavenly dancer keeping tempo, spiraling of the moon, the sun, planets and starts, forever extending her light towards the heavens in her incomparable beauty. She is a life-giving organism, breathing and pulsing in harmony with a heartbeat buried deep within herself, like your ow heart.  She is self-sufficient, whole and perfect, just as you are.

As the essence of All that Is, evolved and expanded, the first man and woman were created and with them came the gift of consciousness, the freedom of choice. We are children of both heaven and earth, flesh and spirit, heart and mind, different yet one and the same.

The quest and wonder of the Eternal Spirit dwells in our physical body, it comes alive at times of love and gratitude, of profound despair and pain. Like volcanoes busting forth, our soul awakens within us a deep longing for communion and belonging, calling us to become who we are meant to be; to grow inward towards the Divine and to reach out to the divinity of each other.

Remember, Life on earth moves in cycles. Sometimes these cycles can be long and slow, while others are shorter and fast. You will find some will be blissful and others will be painful; there will be moments when you know you belong, clearly seeing the meaning and unfolding of your life. Others that will be dark and lead you to despair and confusion.

Practice silence, quiet down, listen, pray, and breathe in and out the essence residing within your being. Find your essence reflected in the eyes of another, in the delicate petals of a flower, in the flight of feathers and fluttering of tails, in the iridescent quiver of scales and fins and the furry warmth of furs. Find yourself reflected in skins of all colors, in every creed, you are boundless and you will find yourself vibrating in the wind and breath of Existence itself.

The human journey is made of both togetherness and aloneness, of unbearable joy and excruciating pain, you will learn to embrace life and death, union and isolation. Seek to find justice and restore the pain left by unfairness, discern the paths of duality and find unity. Look for what is precious to you and recognize the same desire in others, listen and speak from the truth of your heart.

Hold yourself in kindness, befriend all that makes you the person you are, embrace your beauty and your shadow, offer this to the world. Surrender to the mystery held in the reconciliation of your pain, loss, anger and wounded-ness, making peace inside of you. Pray and surrender to the coming together of opposites, fostering communion in your world. This will ensure the future of those coming after you, the future of the world. 

Little one, we are here to develop the capacity to see beyond ourselves, to imagine new worlds, to love and come together, to fight for what is just and reconcile what seems to be at war. We are meant to forever grow and transform, to reach towards our fullest potential and find our place in the world. Know this is just so, remember that you are forever loved in the holy breath of existence. Everything and everyone matters, be especially open and kind to the events and actions you do not understand or approve of. It is good to remember that Life´s mystery is filled with a knowing, so deep, so vast and eternal that we are safely held the tension of Life´s mystery.

Remember to be gentle and kind, take your time to know yourself and others. Be curious, keep your heart open and your mind wide. Breathe the width of life into your cells remembering that you are made of star dust, illuminating the creative consciousness that brought space, sound and movement to all that we know and are.  

You might forget it, or may have trouble finding your way back to your own Godliness, but remember sweet one, that you are never alone, that you are a perfect expression of the Eternal on earth. Remember that you are already enough, filled with endless potential.

Know that The Beloved holds you, and shines through you.

I see it in you

I know it

And so do you.

It seems to me that the pursuit of coherence is heightened by the great paradoxes and apparent opposites of our present world. Knowing about social division and unfairness, the distortion of political interests and extremism, the depredation of nature and the environment, all seem to demonstrate how the systems we are a part of, are deeply compromised. We are continually invited and lured, to watch, listen and read about the innumerables ways must act, respond and commit to if we want human and natural life to subsist in the near future.

A call for discernment, action and mindful reflection. There in an inherent tension that resides in holding a innate desire and longing for beauty, justice, peace, love, connection, the opportunity for growth and development that is contrasted with a reality filled with what seems to be the opposite of these qualities.

We often relate to the chaos born out of conflicting information with confusion, fear and anxiety. We can take thoughtless actions with the sole purpose of avoiding the stress of these feelings, because the spin of our reality goes out further and beyond what we think we can face. We can choose to deny the pain and intensity by avoiding it altogether, because the task of figuring out the layers of the discomfort feels insurmountable. Many of us commit to sustainable actions that often seem to be tiny drops in an ocean of need, yet they offer a sense of meaning and purpose to every action and commitment to support Life.

I believe that we are active participants of the reality we live in, by choice, by ignorance, by leniency, by action and its absence. I know we are powerful creators and the 'truths' we hold have significant impact on our life and the world. I also find that The Great Encompassing Truth exceeds our limited human understanding, it is greater that we are. Making sense and attempting to discern with our mind and heart all the contradictions, the paradoxes and the imbalances of our reality seems to be a task we must relinquish to something greater than ourselves.

The spiritual journey leads us to confront and question our 'truths', what we were taught, what our family and culture value, who we believe we are and are meant to be, and more importantly how this relates to the whole. We need to ask ourselves if our perception of the 'truths' we hold today, is sustainable in our present reality. As we choose to embrace a human and spiritual journey it seems impossible to deny the call to widen our capacity to tolerate discomfort and fear, the sense of loss and despair and the cry for change, they are constant life companions.

Joseph Campbell research on the Power of Myth and The Stages of Faith by James Fowler, have been instrumental in the relief I have felt knowing that, as much as we have a curve of development as humans, we can also develop as a spiritual beings throughout our lifetime. Studying powerful archetypes can significantly add to a sense of congruency and well being in this time of great dissonance, helping us to resist the temptation of separating even more, from what we find overwhelming, threatening, offensive, destructive, unreliable and doomed.

I find that the spiritual 'truths' we picked, practiced and learned throughout our life deserve to be looked at and pondered upon with attentive hearts, minds and spirit. Are they big enough for our present need for coherence? Is our spiritual myth -or sacred story- big and powerful enough to hold the pain of extremes, the rage of injustice, the uncertainty of the future, the fear of death and destruction?Can we find comfort in the intimate prayer we cultivate as we face the unknown? Does it allow us to surrender to greater forces, as we actively seek to live in full presence and mindfulness? I trust it is worth our time to read, research and actively find the meaning and purpose of the spirit of life itself, because we are its embodiment.

This is my choice. To practice the art of surrendering to what is greater than I, while committing to the practice of life. Growing my capacity to tolerate the discomfort I feel as I make the best choices I can along the way. My thought is that we can responsibly develop an intimacy in our spirituality, we can practice it by choosing values, beliefs and actions that are embedded in powerful myths based on an ancient human search for equilibrium of body and soul, light and darkness, faith and despair, war and peace.

I trust we are successful when we are able to co-exist and creatively relate with the most inconvenient feelings and thoughts while finding peace, connection, hope, joy within life as we know it. I envision us developing a spirituality big enough to foster a respectful mutuality, voluntarily including the 'other-ness' of ourselves and the world because there is enough space for it in our comprehension of the spiritual nature of our crazy and beautiful reality.

A human path to spiritual development

As a master, teacher and practitioner of a healing and spiritual practice like Reiki, students, clients, family and friends often ask me what I believe in, what do I turn to in times of need, despair, loneliness and is Reiki the answer to these questions. My experience has shown me that my Reiki practice has opened me to my doubts, to ask questions and challenge what my family, culture have taught me, it has shaken up my ideas about what words like Spiritual and Divinity mean to me.

I have asked myself questions throughout the years; what do I believe in? How do I word the experiences of feeling connected, at one with what I cannot see nor describe? I´ve spent a long time pondering on my desire to understand, follow and cultivate the developmental curve of my spiritual life. I see that we hold restraining ideas or beliefs about what being spiritual is supposed to be, or what a spiritual life should or could look like creating great pain in our desire to belong. I often become exhausted by what our current culture values as spiritual.

This conjuncture of forces places extreme demands and expectations on the way we value or undervalue ourselves. I know many of us are challenged by what we´ve learned, embraced and/or moved away from spiritually, often blindly moving through the journey of the blessings and challenges of our everyday life. On the one hand we have to uphold the upmost positivity, mindfulness, consciousness to be spiritual, and the other has to face the most heart braking separateness and destruction of the sacredness of nature, life and people created by our own flawed human nature.

I wonder what a day to day, 'normal' life infused with a spiritual quality is like. For example do we know how often we internally ask for help without even realizing it? To whom, or to what, do we offer a moment of intense gratitude and joy? How many times do we place ourselves in the mighty power of the Unknown with an inherent trust that it is all we can do, all this without even questioning ourselves?

Is it possible to live our life with a conscious awareness of the spiritual nature of All that Is. Knowing that the essence of Life is imbued in the small and inconsequential encounters, events, places and actions that make up the fabric of our everyday life? Can we allow ourselves to relax in our limited yet powerful human reality, in our desire to be who we are, as we are, willing to let go of the need to be grandiose. Can we willingly sharpen our eyes, ears, touch, hearts and minds to the extraordinary relief of fully enjoying what we are living in the moment!

I choose to believe that this is possible, for us all. Believing that we can use the moments when we feel at one with infinite mystery of existence. We experience it as we savor the flavor and scent of an apple, smile to a stranger and are gifted with the same response, when we are touched by beauty or pain, these can be the touchstones of a spiritual life. They enables us to face and respond to the restrictions and potential of our human, flawed and deeply spiritual nature.

What is it about the idea of succeeding and manifesting what we have called, longed and worked for, that creates such tension? 

It seems that at the very moment a part of us says "Yes" to a creative impulse, a restraining force of the same intensity says "yes but, what if, maybe...". Many us shy away from this unavoidable and necessary tension, because somewhere, somehow, we have been led to believe that if something is "meant to be", it should be effortless and free from restraints. 

When I visited the desert in Arizona I stood in awe in a desert populated by Saguaros evoking in my mind scenes played out by mythical Gods, their arms raised up the heavens, pointing a direction out into the horizon. They live up to 200 years, in extremely adverse conditions, growing only 1 to 1.5 inches  in the first 8 to 10 years of their life, it may take 45 years for them to grow an arm and they can reach up to be 70 feet tall; gathering rain water around their very shallow roots and storing this precious resource for times of drought and extreme conditions. They seemed to be thriving and blossoming under the scorching sun, creating life and homes for innumerable life forms. 

I hold this memory as a story of success because, through the Saguaro, Life found a way to balance and create a way to reconcile what seemed to initially be a place of contradicting and opposing conditions. An extraordinary plant adjusting and thriving in places of heat and drought.

Can we hold the same commitment for our personal, professional and existential success? Can we allow for the tension to be part of this process, viewing it as the necessary condition for our potential to blossom? Can we welcome surrendering to the restraints, and hold the faith needed to believe that we can further our world and lives, envisioning the reconciliation of these opposing forces, as the potential of coherence held in our collective unfolding? 

I like to think so. 

Life balance

Most of us have an image of what it means to live a balanced life. We know how valuable it is to have a healthy diet, to sleep enough, to exercise, to have loving, vital interpersonal relationships, to have hobbies, meditate or have some other discipline to quiet the mind.

We know this is the counterpart we need to balance the tension that stems from the demands of a work environment that never seems to end, a schedule where there is 'never enough time', of having to meet the demands of family duties, and the natural restrictions inherent to living in a place like Mexico City.

In my practice I often hear my patients say that they intuitively know what they 'should do' to feel better, but it seems too complicated to achieve. For example, cooking and taking home-cooked meals to work, sleeping more, reading or exercising, connecting and communicating with loved ones, turning off the television, not spending hours on social media.

What are the signs that tell us we need change in our life? Physical ailments or emotions that are hard to handle and communicate. It can also be feelings of oppression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability and depression. It can come up as tension and conflict in the couple, family or work relationships. In general, there is a sense of weariness, isolation and lack of meaning.

It is important to realize and respond to the messages sent by our body, feelings and thoughts. To live in equilibrium is an individual and dynamic experience, what was balanced yesterday might not be balanced today, because our life is in constant motion. What is true is that we are fully responsible to attend to our needs and hold the delicate alchemy of creating poise in our lives. 

To achieve it we need time and space, even if it is only a few minutes a day. Going inward, meaning 'going home' within ourselves is the way we can acknowledge what is happening to us, get a sense of what creates the tension or unease and unveil what we need. It is here where we can responses to our questions and possible solutions to our lack of balance.

It is not always easy to accept what is not longer valid, face our resistance to change, and the uncertainty residing in new decisions and behaviors. To sustain your process I offer you a simple breathing practice that calms the mind, opens your inner wisdom and observation skills.

Sit in a comfortable position, with your back strait and relaxed. Lightly rest the tip of an index finger at the base of your nose (between your nostrils) and feel a light pressure. If you find your mind wandering, apply a little bit more pressure to help you focus on your breath. Breathe normally, feeling the air going in and out of your nostrils, you will notice how your breath deepens, you might also sigh.

Do this breath for 3 to 5 minutes (at least) morning and evening. It will allow you the 'be home' within yourself as you begin your day and 'return home' before you go to sleep. After some practice you will no longer need to place your finger under your nose. If you are constant, you will see rapid changes and gain clarity about what you need to do to live a more well-adjusted life.

Equilibrio de vida

La mayoría de nosotros tenemos una imagen acerca de lo que significa tener un balance de vida. Sabemos lo valioso que es alimentarse saludablemente, dormir lo suficiente, hacer ejercicio, tener relaciones interpersonales amorosas y vitales, practicar hobbies, meditar o realizar disciplinas que aquietan la mente.

Sabemos que esta es la contraparte que necesitamos para equilibrar la tensión que nos produce trabajar en ambientes laborales cuya exigencia nunca termina, horarios en los que siempre 'nos falta tiempo', cumpliendo con deberes familiares, además de vivir las restricciones naturales que presenta la ciudad de México.

En mi práctica escucho decir a mis pacientes que intuitivamente saben lo que “deberían hacer” para sentirse mejor, pero les parece complicado lograrlo. Por ejemplo, cocinar y comer alimentos preparados en casa, dormir más, leer o hacer ejercicio, convivir y comunicarse con sus seres amados, apagar la televisión, dejar de pasar horas en redes sociales. 

¿Qué nos indica que tenemos que hacer algo diferente en nuestra vida? Malestares físicos, emociones difíciles de manejar o expresar. Sensaciones de opresión, ansiedad, insomnio, irritabilidad, depresión. Tensión en la relación de pareja, conflictos familiares o de trabajo. En general, una sensación de desgaste, aislamiento y falta de sentido de vida.

Es importante darnos cuenta y responder a los mensajes que nos comunican el cuerpo, las emociones y los pensamientos. El vivir en equilibrio es una experiencia individual y dinámica. Lo que era equilibrio ayer ya no lo es el día de hoy porque nuestra vida está en constante movimiento. Lo cierto es que, somos responsables ante nosotros mismos para responder a nuestras necesidades, sostener la delicada y misteriosa alquimia de nuestro bien estar y balancear los diversos aspectos de nuestra vida.   

Para lograrlo, necesitamos tiempo y espacio, aunque sean unos minutos al día. Irnos hacia adentro, es decir “regresar a casa” en nuestro interior, es la forma en la que podemos reconocer lo que está pasando, percibir las sensaciones que esto nos produce y descubrir lo que necesitamos. En este lugar podemos encontrar las respuestas a nuestras preguntas y posibles soluciones a nuestro desequilibrio.

No siempre es fácil aceptar lo que ya no es vigente, ver nuestra resistencia al cambio y la incertidumbre de nuevas decisiones y comportamientos. Por ello, te ofrezco una práctica de respiración muy simple que aquieta la mente, abre la sabiduría y mirada interior.

Siéntate en una posición cómoda, con la espalda recta y relajada. Descansa ligeramente la punta de tu dedo índice justo debajo de la nariz (entre las fosas nasales) y siente la ligera presión que produce. Cuando tu mente se disperse, aplica un poco de presión (esto ayuda a enfocar la atención). Respira normalmente sintiendo cómo el aire entra y sale por la nariz. Notarás que tu respiración se profundiza, quizás te lleve a suspirar. 

Hazlo de 3 a 5 minutos (cuando menos) mañana y noche. Te permitirá estar “en casa” dentro de ti al iniciar tu día y “regresar a casa” antes de dormir. Después de practicar un tiempo, ya no será necesario tocar la base de tu nariz.  Si eres constante, verás que muy rápidamente tendrás más claridad acerca de lo que necesitas hacer para vivir una vida equilibrada.