Catching up with you

It looks like I've abandoned you but not so...
Go to AWAKENING CHOICE DREAMS and check out the my blog over there.
I have 2 new posts on Dreams:
FEED YOUR SOUL - July 10 - about consulting the card oracle
and
GOOD NIGHT & GOOD LUCK - July 13 - about synchronicity and David Strathairn
2 things I have in common with David Strathairn, the wonderful actor:

1. He began his career as a clown. Clowns freak me out! However, my nephew studied clowning as part of his university theatre program and told me that clowns are like aliens that have come into this world and don't know a thing - everything seems odd and wondrous to them. Since I can totally relate, and I find DS gorgeous, I'll forgive him for having been a clown.
2. His maternal grandmother was native Hawaiian. I love all things Hawaiian.

Check out this site as tomorrow as I'll post the entry that I sent to Gail Vaz Oxlade for her WEEK OF STORIES and you will see exactly why my entry - filled with failure, no lessons about money learned and illustrating, probably not, the best way to spend money during a financial crisis - didn't make the cut. But before you leave here click on the link for GVO and check out the stories. They're fascinating, full of life lessons learned and they might even inspire you to deal with some nagging debt issues yourself.

EZE EZE

Rod doin' EZE EZE Vancouver Island 2010

Last weekend I was one of the adult "campers" riding the big brown Tim Horton's bus on its 3 hour journey to the Tim Horton's Wellness Weekend at their Memorial Camp outside of Parry Sound. The air was filled with the excited chatter and laughter that only a bus full of women filled with anticipation of a weekend "off" from family responsibilities, can make. Let's just say that a very good time was had by all!

From Fri at 6pm to Sun at 6pm - 48 hours were theirs to be as active as they choose. Soapstone carving, massage and tai massage, educational talks on ageing parents and nutrition, spinning, pilates, yoga, nature walks, zip lining, meditation and dreamwork were some of the offerings. Also available to these hard working women (and a few hardy men) was the chance to: actually read a book, sleep in, sit by the lake on a beautifully sunny and relatively warm weekend, enjoy a wine tasting with hors d'oeuvres, and dance their butts off on Sat night to the sounds of MUSKOKA ROADS band.

48 hours - no cooking, grocery shopping or thinking about food; bliss! Whatever shall I try was my only thought as I perused the tray of appetizers presented for my consideration and as I stood by the tables loaded with fabulous dishes, beautifully presented by the hard working kitchen crew.

Not only was I an enthusiastic "camper" (I came home with a find soapstone carving of a turtle and zip lined this year - wooo hooo) but, for the 4th year, I was also a presenter.

In the first years we focused on: relaxation, stress management techniques and practical meditation. Over the years this has evolved into: creative visualizations and guided dream journeys with the voice and drum to gather healing, support and wisdom. We play dream games and explore the magic of synchronicity through everyday oracles and tapping into the wisdom that arises when a group gathers for this purpose.

I look forward to this weekend with excitement, anticipation and, I have to admit, some degree of anxiety. Each group is different, all contain people with varying degrees of exposure to the type of work I present. I come prepared to respond to what arises within the group and flow from its energy. Excitement and anxiety feel the same - so I can see this as a good thing or get hooked on any negatives that may be floating around in my mind ready to be taken up and amplified. Self-doubt threatens to overwhelm me.

As Rod drives me to Tim's head office in Oakville I relax my breath and take in the passing scenery. At the moment another wave of anticipation/anxiety begins to wash over me the words EZE EZE come into view. There they are blazoned on the licence plate on the car in front of us. Easy, easy; take it easy, you've got a lot of tools to draw from — relax. Not only did this synchronic event ease my self-doubt, it also provided me with a perfect example to use during the workshop to demonstrate synchronicity working through the appearance of an everyday oracle.

EZE EZE, such reassuring resources are available to us at all times. Sometimes we forget, that's all.

Note: All the proceeds from this event goes to the kid's camp!

Channelling Angelina

This pic appeared in Cristina's Blog
pictures via: celebrity-gossip.net/justjared.buzznet.com

Angelina Jolie, she of the pillowy, ruby red matte lips and catlike sweep of eyeliner at the Golden Globes 2012 stands regally overseeing her domain. The red slash blazoned across her collarbones, skims her left shoulder and then disappears into the white fabric wrapping around her torso and under her right arm adding a swanlike length to her neck. There can be no mistake who's in charge at this event nor in my dream of Friday night.

However in my dream, after a day of hard work alongside others in the fields and schools she stands hair-tousled in the drab, dusty brown garb of a soldier. Only her regal bearing reveals who she really is. She surveys the scene as all hurry about her organizing the troops for her inspection because SHE HAS ARRIVED.

What a contrast to the Angie of her early days rife with rebellious, distasteful images: Billy Bob Thornton's blood in a vial on a chain hanging around her neck, the steamy hot kiss shared with her brother at the 2000 Oscars, the home wrecker who stole the heart of the husband of America's sweetheart.

Action hero, adopted Mom of 3, birth mother to 3 more (a set of twins included) who tows her international brood around the world for work and education, movie star with clout, actress, director, humanitarian spokesperson and benefactor paired with another godlike yet down to earth alpha being.

Whether the "real life"Angelina knows or cares who she was, how she was perceived and how far she's come matters little to me. What matters is how I feel slipping into the role of the dream Angelina. I'm pleased with who I've become and my strength. I've discovered who I really am. I've dropped away all the games and roles. Be myself, follow where my heart leads and others will be inspired to support the work and do the same for themselves.

The action for the day...channel Angelina.

Greet the day from "her" vantage point. How does it feel? Does it change my actions and reactions? Will I be blessed with a new point of view; more optimism and self-confidence?

It's perhaps not surprising that this is also a technique sometimes used in hypnosis to help you reach your goals. Become who you want to become, or at least discover who you admire or who inspires you. By mimicking how it "feels" you are on your way. Walk around in their skin to find out how they got there and what it takes for them to continue being who they are. Back up this "fake it to make it" route with research, work and effort in order to achieve your goals. And use the feeling SHE HAS ARRIVED to inspire you on your way.

*          *          *

"REAL LIFE" SYNCHRONICITY:

The next morning (Sat) still working on "Angelinafying" myself.
Saturday morning - I send out an e-mail to a friend/fellow therapist confirming my appointment with her.
Saturday night - I receive an e-mail from her that starts...
Alpha Nance...
Sunday morning - I respond...
LMAO re: the alpha comment. She has no idea about this dream or my adventures in being the very "ALPHA" Algelina Jolie.
Sunday night - She responds.
This was a spell check error on the part of my i-phone. I typed in Aloha Nance and it got changed to Alpha Nance.

I love it! At least part of the universe got my message. I think I've still got a lot more work to do.

Dream prescription

CEDAR

My bed shakes in time with the clinking of Flippy's toe nails against the name tag that dangles from her collar. This is the daily neurotic ritual she performs to get me out of bed before I am ready. She knows it drives me nuts.
I stumble out of bed, unzip the a pre-portioned packet of brekkie into her tin bowl and then one into Maya's. I should get up but the rumpled, warm duvet upon my bed beckons me back and into its fold I willingly fall. I don't want to fall back to sleep though. With no dream remembered from last night and still barely awake this is an opportune time to drift into the hypnogogic state.

A west coast village is nestled in a densely forested area. The random patter of droplets is just one reminder of the recent rainfall. The lush shades of green on the leaves of deciduous and coniferous trees and the low lying growth of the forest floor appear as splashes of luminous colour against the background of darkly glistening black-brown of the trunks, branches and loamy soil of the surrounding forest creating a visual feast.

The air, freshly transfused with life by ocean breezes and earthy forest scents energize me. I breathe full and deep as I walk towards the plank house in the distance where new construction is taking place. A powerful middle-aged native man has drawn excess boughs of cedar and pine from the roof line. He walks towards me cradling them in his arms. No words are exchanged as we meet. He holds the boughs out to me as gift offering which I accept without question.

My alarm goes off. Though it seems like hours, a mere 15 minutes have passed.

I have been given a gift of cedar and pine in the dreamspace. I know that these substances will provide me with healing and wisdom if I honour them in waking life. But what does this mean and how am I to use these gifts?

I decide to go for a walk to help me ponder these questions. As I step foot out the door a light, misty rain, not unlike that in my dream, has begun to fall. And I walk...
It is not the boughs that are important. It is the cedar and the pine leaves that hold the power. It isn't about size or bulk but about scent.


How is it that I never saw before the varieties of cedar and pines that exist just outside my door? I pluck only those samples that are given up willingly by the trees. Gently I crush their leaves and needles in my hand. To my delight and surprise each variety yields a distinctly different aroma. Who knew? I expected a generic scent - pine to smell like "pine"; cedar like "cedar". How did I not notice this before? Periodically as I walk I sniff the little bouquet I have gathered. My chest feels light, my sinuses clear and my breathing is free and easy; a big contrast to the inter-scapular tension and sinus congestion that has been plaguing me these past few days.

Is that it, I wonder?

Take them home. Have a warm shower (no problem as I'm getting wet AND cold) and place them on the floor of the shower as you do so.
I willingly comply. The scent of pine and cedar is heightened by the warmth and the steam of the shower. It's invigorating and uplifting.

Gather them up, run the fresh water through them and shake it off all over your skin.
I recognize this as a form of smudging used as an alternative to smoke. I sprinkle myself from head to toe.

What am I to do with the leaves once the shower is over?
When you are finished mix the batch with some tobacco, scatter it under the cedars outside your front door and give thanks for this day.
I do so gratefully.

What does this all mean? I haul out my reference books on aromatherapy and these properties/messages seem particularly relevant:

CEDARWOOD - Soothing and uplifting, good for nervous tension, appropriate if you have problems with self-identity, encourages interrelation with other people. *
Strength  Endurance  Centainty
Fortifies and strengthens, tonifies: the body's Qi energy, Kidneys, Spleen/Pancreas, Steadies the conscious mind and fortifies the action of the will to hold firm even against persistent external forces, bolsters the transforming power of will helping us to transform an emotionally charged negative situation into one from which we can derive strength and wisdom. **

PINE

PINE - Refreshing and opening, can be used to revive the nervous system, main action is on the respiratory tract - chest, throat and sinuses, decongestant, eases aches and pains.
Pine helps the adult, once rebellious spirited child with non-conformist attitudes, break through to reclaim sensitivity, enjoyment and happiness in life.*
It is psychologically fortifying, instills positivity, restores self-confidence and counteracts pessimism. Helps to restore balance where there is a weakness of "boundary" ("where one can't distinguish others' responsibilities from one's own") and self-identity replacing undue guilt with forgiveness, self-acceptance and self-worth. **

*        *        *

NOTE: a few days have passed since I had this experience and began writing this post. I'm glad to report that the mucus membranes in my sinuses, for the first time in months, are no longer bothering me. The day before the experience I'd done a kundalini practice a little too vigorously leaving my hips feeling achy; this too has subsided.

It is possible that these scents were given to me to further actions that I've been consciously working towards in my waking life since returning from Hawaii namely letting go of old emotional patterns that have plagued me all my life and left me feeling unworthy, negative and pessimistic. The result has been almost radical self-acceptance with a huge dose of Ho'ponopono (forgiveness towards others and myself for any misunderstandings that have caused pain) resulting in a renewed sense of purpose, self-worth, gratitude and HAPPINESS. 

My journey these last few months has been to allow myself to find out what it is to really enjoy my life.

* source - NEAL'S YARD REMEDIES ESSENTIAL OILS - Susan Curtis, 1996 Aurum Press Ltd.

** source - AROMATHERAPY For Healing the Spirit - Gabriel Mojay, 1996, Gaia Books Ltd.

IMPROVING DREAM RECALL-Dreamwork 101

The biggest challenge facing every beginning dream worker is remembering our dreams. How can we improve dream recall?

REALIZE THAT DREAMING IS A NATURAL ABILITY
First off realize that it is a skill that we naturally have. Notice how easily children recall dreams and engage in them. As we age we are told to let go of childish things, unfortunately most of us live in a culture which would include dreams and dreaming in this category. So, dreaming is a natural state, one that we all experience many times every night. Dream recall, also a natural ability, is honed and perfected with practice.

ASSIGN DREAM RECALL AND RECORDING SOME IMPORTANCE

What will you GAIN from remembering your dreams? What is your motivation? How will this practice benefit you? Increased creativity, problem solving, fine tuning intuition, exploring lucid dreams, travelling to different realities, time travelling (past, present, future of our present life), travelling into past and future lives, fun, healing, entertainment, future spiritual gain - developing mindful awareness and mind training to help in times of challenge and transition when emotions may be high, pain intense and as a preparation for the dying process, to explore the nature of "reality", mend the past, set a nightmare right and reclaim personal power, to resolve and release recurring dreams, a form of self-study... these are and have been just some of my motivating factors. What are yours?

MAKE DREAM WORK AND RECORDING THEM A HABIT: Realize that you will have to dedicate some time EVERY DAY to dream working. Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth. How much time do you want to allot to dream work?

PREPARE YOURSELF: Set your alarm clock to go off anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes before your normal arising (this means you may have to go to bed earlier). Find an alarm clock with a soft sound. If it is too loud or "alarming" you will be woken up too abruptly, as will your bedmate. You want to become gently aware that you are rousing from sleep. Place a pen and a journal within easy reach (mine is in a basket under my bed. I simply roll over and reach down and have accessed it with very little disturbance). Some people like to use a recording device but I find the act of writing accesses the subconscious mind most effectively.

BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP SET AN INTENTION that, "I will remember AND record my dreams upon awakening." Repeat it mentally as you set your alarm reminding yourself that the alarm is to trigger you to recall and record your dreams.

MORE ON INTENTION: Sometimes our motivation and intention needs to be more enticing and fun than just, "I will remember AND record my dreams upon awakening." Set yourself a fun assignment i.e. I'm going to explore and relax on a beautiful, sandy beach and get some sun or I'm going to meet that great guy/girl that I saw yesterday. Make it interesting, something to look forward to; an adventure. As you drift off imagine your chosen scenario. When you awaken check. Did you go to the beach or meet the guy? If yes, you may find it easy to ask your dream self to tell me (your waking self) all the details.

THE ALARM CLOCK REMINDS YOU OF YOUR INTENTION not only to remember your dreams but to record them as well:

Many people open the door to dreams but don't do the follow through because of laziness it takes too much effort I'd rather go back to sleep for a few minutes more, or they hit the ground running as their mind gets flooded with other things that seem more important I've got to get going, got to do X and X and ..... 

Do not allow yourself to rush into your day! That's why you've set the alarm for an earlier time. Its ring or buzz is a reminder that you have set aside this 15, 30 or 60 minutes for dreamwork. It is also a signal to get your journal and pen which you placed within easy reach the night before.

USING THE ALARM CLOCK AS A TOOL TO DREAM RECALL AND RE-ENTRY - 3 different scenarios and the approaches I employ for each.
Note: Though I don't usually need 60 minutes for dream work I set aside that amount of time. 

1. The initial alarm goes off. I turn it off, grab my journal and pen and the dream virtually spills onto the page. I may or may not need to re-set the alarm clock to ring at the time I NEED to get up.

2. The initial alarm goes off. I grab my journal and pen. I know the dream is there but it's not willingly revealing itself to me. I leave my alarm on snooze (it goes off at 4 minute intervals) and draw it close to me so that if, during dream re-entry, I drift off I will be brought back to my intention to write my dreams. I have recaptured full dreams using this technique. They may have been from earlier that night or taken place during a 4 minute period (In dream time a lifetime can be lived in 4 minutes!) Once I'm well on my way to dream recording I effortlessly and without disturbance, re-set my clock for the time I NEED to be up. 

3. The initial alarm goes off. I grab my journal and pen. I sense nothing. I set my alarm for 15 minutes later and allow myself to go back to sleep "perhaps to dream". Upon awakening I either set my alarm for when I have to get up and begin recording what I've recalled or do the snooze technique. 

A NOTE REGARDING INTERRUPTING SLEEP - some people recommend setting the alarm to go off at specific intervals (timed to maximize contact with REM sleep) throughout the night to increase the likelihood of capturing a dream. Personally I don't like this interruption until the later hours of the morning when REM sleep is longer and more vivid, intervals between shorter, and the hypnogogic state (state between waking and sleeping; sleep and waking) more easily accessed. Recent research shows that our natural sleep cycle (and one that existed before the invention of the light bulb) is to sleep for about 6 hours, wake up for an hour or so and then go back to sleep for an hour or two more. This second sleep is rich in dream offerings and increases the likelihood of experiencing lucid dreams.

Others recommend recording a dream if it has woken you up during the night. Good advice! Either write in full, write a word, phrase or dream fragment that can serve as a doorway into fuller dream re-entry in the morning.

Still others, recommend drinking a glass of water before sleeping so that you will have to wake up to use the washroom in the middle of the night and perhaps recall a dream. As a Shiatsu Therapist I don't recommend this - it is unnatural, taxing to the bladder and kidneys and I believe, may be disturbing to the nervous system if done to excess. 

If you want to try the water technique, use it as a memory prompt. Have a glass of water by your bedside and drink a small sip before bed while repeating the suggestion, "I will remember and record my dreams upon awakening." Some people have found that upon awakening the act of drinking the water, even just reaching for the glass, triggers dream recall.

BODY POSITION DURING RECALL AND RECORDING:

Disturb yourself as little as possible. Lay in the position in which you awoke. If no dreams come or if you think there is more to be recovered, change into another sleep position and wait there. Record what comes. In changing positions I often gather more info and glean a new perspective from each position. I record with my free arm (it helps but isn't necessary to be ambidextrous).

WRITE IT DOWN:

The smallest, most insignificant "dreams" or waking thoughts can prove to be filled with information or be the vehicle to synchronic happenings during the day. If you've read any of my other entries on dreams, dream work, dream circle you know that dreaming constitutes more than just sleep dreams.

I GOT NOTHIN' - WRITE IT DOWN:

If you really have no dream to record WRITE DOWN, "No dreams recalled" this act, oddly enough, has spurred on many a dream recording.

What are you feeling, thinking, sensing? Write it down.

Tell yourself a story. Write it down.

DURING THE DAY:

Be open to the fact that your dream may spontaneously come to mind as you're engaged in daily activities. Take a moment to review, remember and write it down as soon as possible. 

TALK ABOUT DREAMS with: your family and/or friends who are open to this material.

READ ABOUT DREAMS - reading about dreams increases the likelihood of recall.

JOIN A DREAM GROUP - learn from the wisdom and experience of others. Being in the company of other dreamers inspires us to becoming more skilled in the art of dream navigation. In dream groups/circles we explore the many facets of dreams and dream-related states. There is also plenty of time for Q&A.

CONSULT A DREAM WORKER WHO KNOWS THAT THE DREAMER, AKA THE AUTHOR OF THE DREAM, HAS THE ABILITY TO UNCOVER AND DISCERN ITS WISDOM, who will help you develop facility with dream work. Challenging dreams such as nightmares, night terrors are not suitable for most dream groups/circles and are best explored one-on-one in private consultation with a dream worker.

I host a dream group at my place every second Wednesday of the month and at various locations in the Oakville, Burlington area.
I do one-on-one dream consultations and lead dream circles for individual and corporate groups.

Mirror Mirror

"Real" life spills into our dream world and vice versa reminding me that the veils between the worlds are permeable indeed.
A friend buys a beautiful one of a kind hand crafted mirror at an exclusive art and craft show. She hangs it on a wall in her office. When it is unveiled, the natural light streaming upon it reveals a less than perfect product. During the fabrication process perhaps the grinding plates were too coarse as the reflective metal surface under the glass is scratched. We take it back to the seller's booth and on second viewing in this space the flaw is so obvious it is inconceivable that it could have been missed during the stages of production and by artisan, seller and purchaser alike; but it was.
It happens. While working as a camera operator, in the composing room of a local newspaper, I occasionally subbed as a proof-reader. I performed the latter duty in a small cubicle papered with clippings of the "ones that got away" such as the headline proudly declaring "PUBIC MEETING A RESOUNDING SUCCESS!"
But I digress.
Back to the mirror and my point. This waking dream-like event fuelled a waking dream spurred on by an uncomfortable "real" life interaction that I had had with a woman who was acting in a, perhaps self-appointed, authoritarian capacity. The details are not important except to say that we had widely differing assessments of a situation. What is important is that we were both acting from what we felt was the best interest of another person. Our perspectives spoke volumes about us as individuals and our particular take on life.
What causes some people to have such a narrow, uptight, shame based, constricting, dour and solemn view that distorts the intentions and actions of another? I asked myself later that night weighed down by the event.
As I posed the question I drifted off into a waking dream enveloped in a grey, fog-like mist. The mist swirled around me leaving misshapen forms in its wake as I backed away. I latched on to one form, squinting to get a clearer picture of the image before me. An odd sensation took over me. I began to embody it.
Walk away. 
I stopped
Walk away. I was warned.
Stealthily I backed away until I emerged from the spell of a fun house mirror. There I stood gazing at the distorted reflection of myself.
Do not gaze too deeply or you will be ensnared once more. Look around.
There were many such shadowy, misty mirrors; each with their own particular pattern of distortion.
Your image in any of these mirrors will reflect a distorted view of yourself. 


Like a moth drawn to a flame I was strangely fascinated by each and felt compelled to delve deeper into their shadows.

GAZING INTO THE CRYSTAL MIRROR
©Nance Thacker '12

Gaze too deeply into any of these and you will be transported into a world of distortion fitting the reflection. You are familiar with these worlds. Though it will be challenging, it is time to let go of your fascination with these things. You have many choices. Look around. Find the mirror with the impeccable finish. The one that reflects most accurately the brightest, clearest, lightest image - your true self.
Mirrors in frames ranging from ornate and opulent to mere ribbons of metal or unfinished wood, hung in the air or stood self-supported forming a brilliant, shining maze in an otherwise black space. Looking from mirror to mirror, I caught glimpses of multi-reflected selves and infinite possibilities.
Find the mirror that shines brightest. The one ringed with gems and crystals. They will strengthen and amplify all the positive feelings and thoughts that you put into it and will reflect this world back to you.

*      *      *

GAZING INTO THE MIRROR OF
GROWTH
©Nance Thacker '12

A few days later my elderly client wants to go over Kahuna Harry Jim's FOUR DECLARATIONS with me. She's not sure of the meanings that they hold. I know them by heart as I recite them before and during my treatment sessions but I decide a re-reading of his book WISE SECRETS OF ALOHA is in order so that I may relay their wisdom as clearly and accurately as possible.

To my shock and amazement I have been reciting one of the lines in the first declaration incorrectly as:

"My presence in the Halau is a sacred manifestation from me to myself to shower gratitude, GRACE, and bliss to my whole being and through me to the receiver."

THE CORRECT VERSION IS:

"My presence in the Halau is a sacred manifestation from me to myself to shower gratitude, GROWTH, and bliss to my whole being and through me to the receiver."

I wonder what will be freed up in me once the seeds of welcoming growth take hold?

From Uuugh to Ahhh

Uuugh, that was one of those dreams I'd rather forget! 

You know the kind. Filled with frustration, missed connections, rapidly changing scenarios littered with events gone wild and threateningly dark characters. Everything seems out of my control leaving me feeling lost and out of sorts upon awakening.

I lay there in a stupor. This type of energy rises up in you this time of the year; EVERY DAMN YEAR. You shouldn't be so surprised, I told myself reassuringly. My mind had raced ahead and was throwing in the towel to all my hopes and dreams. When this mood settles upon me like a weighted black robe its darkness envelopes me making it near to impossible to see and feel the light. I'm in limbo, unable to get a clear view of my surroundings, let alone envision a future of my own choosing. A future which just a few days ago seemed full of adventure and promise.

I'm not going to record this dream. I'd rather forget it. What's the point. It's all so depressing. I tossed back the duvet, sat up in bed and was just about to step onto the floor...

Don't be such a wimp. At least write down a title and maybe a little summary; no biggie. What can it hurt?


I gather up my journal and pen and lay back snuggling into the dreaming posture from which I'd awakened just moments before. 


TITLE: I've lost my ID and my money.
FEELING: upon awakening - lost, out of control, out of sorts.
FEELING: in the dream...Wait! Was I really lost? I didn't lose my ID or my money I actually got them back...
Before you know it a full dream recording and re-entry took form.

SUMMARY: 
- I'm participating in a course where there's been some dissatisfaction amongst the participants. Things haven't been brought to resolution as expected during the last few days.
- As we are disbanding I see a folk dance line forming. With hands linked they snake their way through the crowd. I hear the music and know the steps to this Greek dance and decide to join in. I tuck my ID and the leather money folder under my black windbreaker and leave it on a chair. I have some reservations but I think it should be OK.
- The leader is speaking in a foreign language, there is a woman between us so I can't quite see the steps and I'm making mistakes which affects the whole line. A friend's husband takes the woman's place. I feel much better about this as he knows what he's doing.
- I'm in a car driven by a friend. She's taking me and the workshop leader to the airport, but I realize I don't have my ID or money and have to go back. She's not offering to take me so I get out and take a bus to Sheridan College where I hope to go to their lost and found department.
- But, I realize that I know where my stuff is and this realization transports me there which is not Sheridan after all but a park setting.
- I see a bunch of shadowy types mulling around my stuff. One of them is sitting on the chair and beginning to take the money out when I say, pleadingly, tearfully, "This is my stuff. Please give it back to me. You have no idea how much I need it". He's moved by my plea and gives everything back to me. One of the shadowy types says, "How do we know it's yours." I know this is a ploy to get the stuff back so I hold it closer to my body. I KNOW WHO I AM AND I DON'T HAVE TO PROVE IT TO ANYBODY!  I keep talking over him as I walk away thanking the other man.
- I'm in my car now being directed to a detour lane by a traffic cop. Cars move slowly in single-file on a winding ramp lane. He's looking me in the eye and waving a flag commanding that I move to my left. But I don't want to go there...

This is where I woke up frustrated at being commanded to go somewhere I don't want to go. I remain in the dream this time and ask Do I have any options?

YES. I pull my gaze away from the cop. To my right is a freeway where cars are moving along quickly and directly to the destination of their choice. The ramp to my left would get me there eventually but it would be a slow and tedious process and traffic is backed up. I have choice, the cop is just trying to get me to make one so that the traffic can flow. I feel greatly relieved as I pull on to the freeway and come up to full speed merging with the traffic.

Ahhh, I emerge from the re-entry refreshed with renewed optimism and energy.

There were a lot of elements in the dream that related to past event happenings and to possible future ones. One warning I take from the dream is to keep a head's up on my ID and money during future travels and especially not to be too casual with them when I find myself distracted by social situations.

I believe that my day was vastly improved as a result of this dream work/re-entry. My initial feelings upon waking were misplaced due to the emphasis I'd put on losing my ID and money rather than on the fact that I'd recovered them. As a result a defeatist attitude prevailed. Had I left the dream unresolved the sense of dissatisfaction, being at a loss and out of sorts would have plagued me throughout the day and sapped my energy. The fact that my emphasis changed upon re-entry and that I completed the action at the end of the dream turned a negative almost nightmarish dream to one of inspiration and liberation.

BANNER: KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND GO WITH THE FLOW

I know nothing

nance thacker © 2012

On Sunday March 25th I facilitated a dream circle at De La Sol Yoga Studios in Hamilton. Curiosity brought nine participants with varying levels of experience in dream work/play to the circle.

I am always excited to share the technique of shamanic lucid dreaming, a wonderful way of dipping into the wisdom of soul, heart and our subconscious. Where will the journey will lead us?

In dreams anything is possible! We can sprout wings and fly like eagles or grow gills and swim like fish. Or sometimes seeking home can take us on a wild taxi ride, zipping through unmarked streets that seem more like sheet metal chutes than roads. This was how one woman's dream began. After describing her dream to us she permitted us to present lines of inquiry beginning with, "If it were my dream I would want to know..." following the lightning dreamwork process originated by Robert Moss.

We went around the circle expressing what, in her dream, aroused our curiosity. What we would want to explore in more depth.

One woman began, "If it were my dream... I'm not going to do it this way. Instead I'm going to tell you what I usually do. When I think about roads, it usually means..." Sensing a premature analysis of symbology coming down the road I stop her there.

A symbol can have totally different meanings for different people; context refines meaning. It's not that we don't employ the analytical mind; we just ask it to take a back seat until the subconscious has had time to play, reveal its wisdom and communicate using its own language. The meaning of symbols can be ascertained through observing how the "symbol" expresses itself and impacts on our dream and waking life experiences.

The best approach to take is the Zen-like attitude of the "I don't know" mind or empty mind. We don't want to replay what we already know. We want to discover what we don't consciously know.

"Let's not make the dream fit established confines about what symbols mean. That will only take us down a well worn path and bog us down as we try to make the parts fit our pre-conceived notion of how things work. It will suck the life out of the dream. Rather than telling the dream what it is trying to say wouldn't it be much more fun and interesting to let the dream speak for itself? All of our answers are contained and much more easily found within the dream world not out here."

She paused as she took in the new possibilities.

"The best way to do this is to gather intentions for dream re-entry. What would you like to know about the dream itself? What questions do you have for the road, the taxi driver, the policeman, even the rocks and the trees? You can ask them directly, embody them or receive information telepathically. In dreams you can have a discussion with anything that occurs even events themselves. You can walk around the dream and take a different vantage point. You can, through your intention, dream the dream forward or backward. Why did you choose one way of acting instead of another? What would have happened had you taken a different action?"

Like the other members of the group, she was quick to catch on and revised her question. This took her into a totally delightful and surprising course of events when we, fuelled by our curiosity, carried on the beat of the drum, re-entered the dream.

My intention for re-entry was to find out what would happen if I took the path instead of lay on the grass as the dreamer had done in the original version. She was content on the grass though she did wonder herself what would have happened had she journeyed on.

The "dreamer's" original dream (to the best of my recollection) is in regular text. My questions, the answers I received and further dream details are in coloured italics. Here it is...

I'm seeking home. I'm on a wild taxi ride, zipping through unmarked streets that seem more like sheet metal chutes than roads. My amiable, competent, reassuring, though seemingly misguided Middle Eastern cab driver takes me instead to a restaurant at the end of his line. He joins up with family here and I'm offered a meal and an invitation to the party that is in progress.
Q - Why were there no road signs? Why did you bring me here without asking for directions to where I wanted to go?
A - This is the route I always take. I shuttle people here on this direct line so there is no need for signs. You wanted to go home; this is the way. You can stay if you like. My day is done and I'll do the route again tomorrow as I always do and bring more people here. Now it's time for me to enjoy my home and celebrate the end of a day with my family and friends.
Realization - Due to work that I've done, I've been expedited to this place. And though the party looks fun and inviting...
I decline his offer as I'm curious about where I am and I want to see if anyone knows how I can get home.  I wander off into the street where a number of people are clustered around an imposing, authoritative police man in the garb of a motorcycle traffic cop. (Whereas in the "dreamer's" dream she saw a phone booth and tried to call someone without success, the phone booth doesn't appear in my version.) The officer is in control, answering their questions and giving each of them directions (by drawing routes and making notes on the road maps they hold before him) to help them along their way. I look beyond the group and see an overgrown path winding its way to the top of a hill.
Q - Where does this lead? I wonder to myself. 
A - The policeman glances up at just that moment. Noticing that I have seen the path, he waves me on giving me passage. I recognize that he is not only a traffic cop but a gatekeeper. Had others noticed the path they too would have been given permission to move on but instead they are being directed back to where they came. They won't be shuttled back but instead must find their own transportation — the way back is difficult and different for each of them.

Somewhere along the way in the original dream, the dreamer lay down in the beautiful lush grass.
My dream however, continues on...
I walk past the group wending my way through the dense overgrowth of lush greenery and long grasses following the barely detectible worn-thin, dirt path under my feet and emerge in a country setting atop the hill. The landscape is verdant and bursting with colour. An ocean-fresh, crisp, clean breeze caresses my cheeks. There is a classic, pristine farmhouse and barn at the end of a long driveway. I inhale long and deep; exhale with a sigh of relief. I know that all the potential I feel in this place will extend into my waking life. I feel free. I am HOME.


I turn to look to the vista beyond the cliffs towards the ocean. A translucent, luminous yin/yang symbol floats in the sky - one half overflows with green leaves, vines and flowers; the other is made of ice-cold brushed steel, nuts and bolts. Each half contains a dot of the other within. 
Q - What does this mean? 
A - The next part of my life (the green) is informed by all that has come before (the nuts and bolts). There is no conflict no need to reject any part of myself. In fact each informs the other and always has (the dot of the opposite in each). I need the balance of both.


I return refreshed and inspired and we begin to share our dreams. The "dreamer" is the last to tell the story of her re-entry. Experiences and images not contained in the original dream are echoed in many of our dream stories. Different courses of inquiry led to different actions and new realizations. Each dream has specific relevance to its "tracker" because the initial dream has become their own. Yet their versions may also prove to contain useful insight for the "dreamer"; only she will know if this is so.

Thanks to the "dreamer" for this rich and magical dream!

1 Turtle & 2 Piggies

No pictures tonight. Taking too long to download and I'm bagged. Goin' to bed. Goodnight all.

Off to the Kona side tomorrow - Mon Mar 12.

*      *     *

Thurs March 8

Excerpt from letter to Rod:

It was another amazing day. 

The dream work wrapped up this morning. Kim and Louise, my Canadian friends, left this morning as they were heading for the Kona coast and wanted to have lots of time to explore the places along the way. They have been a real riot! We laughed so much during our jaunts to the tide pools and the market last night. I'm very grateful for their generosity in including me in these adventures. 

On the last day of extended dream workshops Robert has the participants each do a short presentation inspired by their dream experiences. When I was flying at the point I had the image of many others flying along with me. I was also moved by uncle Harry's Ho'oponopono presentation at the Emax and I wanted the others to hear some of the Hawaiian music. So I brought in elements of all 3. We did some ha breath, some ALOHA with feeling and then I demonstrated the flying and the symbolism behind it and invited others to join me to fly to the music. A number of people jumped in while others "held space". It was a lot of fun!!!

I was planning a "kick back" day today but over lunch one of the dreamers asked me if I'd like to go to the warm pools with her and another dreamer. I jumped at it. We'd heard how nice it was but upon our arrival found a large pool walled off from the ocean with an opening for the tide to come in. The waves could come over the edge but it was very structured; a big shallow pool with steps and ladders into it. Not what we expected. So, we went back to the tide pools. (I heard from a local guest that she used to do Watsu and Water Dance in the pools before they became structured and popular.)

Though we put in at a different spot than the other day I found myself beckoned back to the thermal area. I'm so glad I heeded the call! I saw a fish that seemed exceptionally big to be in here and as I looked closer I realized it was a turtle. AMAZING!!! 

He wasn't afraid of me at all and in fact came quite close to me. He did have a bit of a beak and I was a little concerned at first. But, he was just casing me out, I could see it in his eyes. When he determined that I wasn't a threat we just hung out together. I didn't follow him when he dove down as I thought that might be too invasive but instead floated on the surface enjoying the view of him below me. He'd come up and take a breath of air once in a while and I'd lift my head out of water to see his head poke up. When another swimmer came upon us, the turtle decided it was too much and he tucked himself into a little underwater crevice so I left to give him some space. 

Sylvia, Simon and I talked perching on the rocks as the tide came in and waves broke over the rocks while, in the distance, a number of awestruck snorkelers floated in the pools. 

We had dinner with the 3 other remaining dreamers and then Sylvia and Simon had to leave for LA. She off to Robert's dream workshop at Mosswood Hollow in Seattle and he to LA and then to Peru for a few weeks to study with a shaman there. On our way to the dining hale we saw 2 of the wild boars that reside here. They are really cute and kind of take off at a gallop like little prehistoric wild horses.

Ho'oponopono, donuts & lava fields

I'm sitting at Hale Aloha being pestered by a mooching, short-haired black and brown tabby with a demanding cry as I lick locally made ice cream (tonight's choice is ginger) off of my wooden spoon. Today the rains came with a vengeance but no worries as I'm in paradise and there's always lots to do, or not do, if one so chooses. As a friend of mine says, "It's all good".
I bid farewell to a fellow dreamer a few hours ago. I am now the last of the dreamers left at Kalani and it is bitter sweet. Places like Kalani and workshops such as dreaming reveal how quickly and with what strength one can attach to others and call them "friend". In this safe, respectful atmosphere, the intensity of awareness that we are all just passing through prompts us to share stories of the past, our hopes and dreams for the future. We act from the best of ourselves, co-operate, show kindness and help each other as we can. So we see each other as "friend".

Wed Mar 7

We're in the second last day of the workshop with Robert and our dreams are starting to spill over into each other's lives - past, present and future. Last night snippets of dream images, words and concepts intended for someone else make their presence known in my dreams. Over breakfast a fellow dreamer recounts a dream she knows has a message for me. In the magical way of dreams, her dream becomes central to my experience of the morning journey to the land of the ancestors that Robert has assigned.

I am reminded again and again that in working with dreams (even those with "heavy" energy) when we maintain a sense of play, curiosity and courage, they will ultimately bring us to a place of wisdom and wholeness. Dreaming on it's own doesn't necessarily do this. Bringing the dream's energy forward into our "real" life transforms our attitudes and our life.

LETTER TO ROD...

An amazing day today. I stayed up far too late last night writing. Got to bed at about 12:45 but was up at 7:30. My clothes from the other day are finally dry which makes me very happy. I'm glad that I took so many sarongs as they've really come in handy and dry relatively quickly compared to other items. Cotton socks take the longest!

The dreamwork has been really fascinating especially what happens over 5 days - real transformative stuff! We get to know each other's stories pretty quickly and so see the effects of the work in those "ah ha" moments of realization. 

Kahuna Harry Uhane Jim gave a Webcast from the Emax centre. There were over 70 people attending in person at the centre and approx the same number on the web. He spoke on Ho'oponopono a practice, or rather a Hawaiian way of looking at life, bringing things into right relation, and forgiveness. Then he opened up the floor for question and answer. It was so good to hear him again. He's got such a lovely, gentle, compassionate spirit and has such joy - he's kinda like a laughing Buddha in physical appearance as well as attitude. I didn't talk with him afterwards. I studied with him once a few years ago. He has thousands of students and I'm hardly memorable.  Many from the audience wanted to talk to him about personal concerns and it seemed only right for them to make the connection with him. I am glad to hear that he lives in Buffalo for part of the year which would make future studies with him possible.

the market at uncle Robert's

After the session this afternoon, Anthony, a workshop participant who's become a tour guide of sorts for the group, suggested we go to the market in a town not far away. Louise and Kim were kind enough to take 3 of us in their car. The market took place on uncle Robert's land. Anthony told us that uncle Robert's son died recently and there was an outpouring of community support during the memorial service. This was evidenced by the pictures still posted all around the market. Hawaiians live in community. As I learned the other night, they are all about relationship. 

The market has an amazing array of foods of all sort. I had Thai curried pumpkin chicken with rice, a ginger lemonade (very gingery) and some of those little warm sugar donuts. If it's any consolation I thought of you while I ate. You'd have loved it! 

We met up with a friend of Anthony's who has suggested a reasonably priced place for me to stay overnight if I go to Kona. Everyone's recommending I stay overnight. I gave her my e-mail and will wait and see what happens with that. I have to check out car rental. It helps having driven with the girls to see what conditions I may find on the roads (they were the Canadians that took us to the tide pools). 

Moonlight on the waves at
Kalapana Beach

After we ate we explored the market some more with the sounds of the Hawaiian band in the background. Most of the wares consisted of food and handmade jewellery made of beads, semiprecious stones and wood. I was tempted by one item but it seemed a little steep. I can return next Wed night if I really want.

A real highlight was walking on the relatively recently formed lava field. The last flow that claimed the formerly extensive black beach happened in the '90's. Tonight the moon was full and so the rocks and our path were fairly well lit. It felt like we were at the end of the world or on another planet. We ended up overlooking a black sand beach dotted sparsely with young palm trees. We sat watching for some time, mesmerized by the sight and sound of the rollers crashing on the rocky shore. As we looked back to the land we could see in the distance the orange glow of the active flow on its way to the ocean about a 20 minute drive away. 

We drove home in true Canadian style eating donuts.

Tomorrow is the last day of the dream workshop and I will be sad to see the others leave as most will be heading out in the afternoon. Two have late flights tomorrow night. Four others are staying on a bit: two leave on Fri, one on Sat and the last on Sunday. 

I'm writing this from the kitchen in the hale in which I'm staying. The crickets are chirping, the "crokies" croaking and the gekos make their presence known now and again. And, I have just caved and am eating the last donut as I write this.

"DEAD" FUGITIVES

I'm sitting at the information desk of the local library in Burlington, Ontario. A young, black woman wearing a worn, dull brown wool coat with green lapels and fingerless gloves has come up to my desk. She's holding her 8 year old son close to her, one arm draped protectively over his shoulder and across his chest, the other gently resting on his head. He stands at shoulder height. They both seem tired after a long journey.

"What is the black community like here? Are they friendly?" She asks quietly.

I'm feeling very excited at the prospect of informing her that the community is very welcoming. We have a population of over 2,000 black people here and are an inter-racial community. But before I can get the words out, she continues speaking.

"We have been through (she lists a number of the States and their respective cities) and they weren't hospitable to us. They wouldn't take us in."

I find this is all very confusing. Why did she need to be taken in by a black community? And why wouldn't her own people take them in? What had they done? What crime could they have committed? All I see before me is a tired woman and child. It feels to me as if she's just arrived from somewhere and for a moment I feel like I'm displaced. Like I'm an attendant at a booth? Does she even know where she is? Do I?

I shake off my questioning mind. I'm going to tell her that, in fact, it's Black History Month here in our community and they will find a warm welcome here. I'm proud that our neighbouring community (and my hometown) Oakville was one of the underground railway's gateways to Canada as early as the 1830's. This was where many African Americans seeking freedom could start a new life, so we have lots to celebrate.

Before I speak, my supervisor reaches over my shoulder to my computer on which I've located an information package to print out for the black woman. He brings up a new window.
"They might find this helpful". He points to the screen on which is written "DEAD" FUGITIVES. I realize that this information is intended for me, not for them. "But there's not a lot about them left these days" he says and then casually walks away without further comment.

I turn to ask him if it means what I think it does and am surprised to see that my supervisor is Joseph, a past life self.
__________________________________________________________________________
NOTES on Joseph:
"Joseph" was brought to the southern states on a slave ship out of Africa. Strong, resilient and intelligent he most certainly would have been used for hard physical labour. Freed under the guise of purchase at auction by a New England lawyer, he was educated in the ways of his new country and its laws. Joseph served as a paralegal to the lawyer. With the full knowledge and support of his mentor, he provided legal advice to members of the black community and was an integral part of the underground railroad. He died, a well-respected man, having lived a long life of service to his community.
__________________________________________________________________________

Christopher Columbus Lee
an early African American
citizen of Oakville, Ontario
(Oakville Museum collection)

NOTES on dreaming:
I woke up a little disoriented and spent the rest of my day with my "head in the clouds".
The information on Oakville's role in the underground railroad is fact. READ MORE HERE.
During a dream when I find I'm asking myself questions (and especially of the WHY? nature - as I rarely engage in this line of inquiry in daily life, due to infinite possibilities) it is a signal that I am dreaming and an it's an invitation to become lucid in the dream.
Upon awaking I re-entered the dream to glean more information — my post combines the initial dream and the re-entry.

Some believe that in dreams we slip into other times and places and that is possible for dream visitors to slip into ours. Were this mother and child fugitives, time travellers from that period who had slipped into present day? Or was the scene around me shifting? If I had remained in the dream and turned back around would I have found myself into their time and place?

Perhaps today a few people still trickle into this area, driven by the energies of such fugitives - past-life or genetic ancestors. To what extent are our motivations purely self driven? How much do the unfulfilled yearnings and strivings of our lineage influence our daily actions?

No dreams recalled

"No dreams recalled" is one of the most common statements you'll find at the beginning of my dream journal entries. What's odd is that it's usually followed by a dream entry.

On those mornings I typically wake up without a dream in memory. Note that I don't say, "No dreams last night" or "No dreams to record". The statement "No dreams recalled" acknowledges that I do have dreams I just haven't recalled or remembered them. Fact is that we all dream. We all dream every night.

Though I'm reluctant to write that I haven't captured a dream, something nags me to do so. Maybe it's because writing in my journal when I wake up has become a habit and though I'm generally not a person of habit this ritual is the exception. Maybe it's because the dream is just waiting under the surface and some small part of me feels its presence. Maybe it's because I've made a commitment to my dreams, promising that I'd pay attention to them, so that even recording their lack is paying attention.

Whatever the reason, the fact is that 9 times out of 10 once I've finished declaring my lack of awareness they come spilling onto the page. And as I "feel" it/them out with pen in hand I'm instantly transported back into the feeling of the dream(s) complete with all the details that I need.

This has me realizing how quick we are to declare that we don't dream. In fact a few years ago, when I manned a "TALK TO A DREAMWORKER" booth at a local New Age shop for their Wellness Fare, the people that recounted the most incredible dreams were the ones who'd walk by me dismissively declaring, "I don't dream." or "I don't remember my dreams." Sure enough somehow they'd sheepishly make their way back to my table and sit across from me.

"I don't remember my dreams but..." they'd lean in closer, look this way and that to make sure no one else was listening and in a whisper continue, "there was this ONE dream..." As if testing the waters, a fragment of a dream would be revealed. When they realized that they were talking to a non-judgemental, genuinely interested and receptive audience, with a sense of relief the dream would unfold in great detail. Often these individuals had a long history of dream experiences which for some reason got stashed away but remained just under the surface waiting to reveal their stories and their wisdom.

Our culture has lost connection to dreaming. As a result we as individuals suffer as does our culture.
We lose:

• our natural ability to heal body, mind and spirit in an easy manner
• contact with creative resources and innovative ideas
• experiential knowing that death is a natural part of life
• a "movie" night out in which we are the creator, director and star in far flung adventures

and so much more...

So, if you have problems with dream recall. Don't be embarrassed, just write down "no dreams recalled". Sometimes we just need to coax them out into our mind and onto the page.

And for more help with recall and all things dreaming...
come join me at our monthly Dreamcircle (for further info click on: workshops, dream workshops, monthly dreamcircle) at Akasha's Den Wed night Feb 15 from 7 - 9pm and learn more about dreams and dreaming. Join us in bringing the dreaming back. Novice and experienced dreamers welcome. No personal information needs to be shared. Come ready to share a dream or just to take in the healing energy of the dreamcircle.

Dream Lovers

DREAMS ARE SOUL JOURNEYS

INTO UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

TO UNCOVER THEIR WISDOM IS A PRACTICED ART

OF CALLING OUT AND RECEIVING FROM THE HEART 

poem © Nance Thacker 2012

Artwork © Nance Thacker 1983

This art originally appeared on the cover of Yoga Centre of Victoria Newsletter, Feb. 1983.

Dreams & Synchronicity - our teachers

SATURDAY JAN 7/12:
There were no dreams hovering around my awareness as I awakened this morning. Disturbing myself as little as possible, I lay on one side and then the other, but none came to call or even brushed by me. But, I'm not disappointed as there are many different ways of accessing the Dreamtime. One of my favourite is to pull a card from an amazing deck that I've used since the lomi training with Harriette and Birgit in 2005.

My mind drifts and floats in nothingness as I shuffle the Journey to Kanaka Makua cards. Unless clarification is needed I will only seek guidance from one card today. This deck is stunning in its clarity and accuracy, so one is usually sufficient. The deck fans out in my hands and my fingers find the one in 49 that is the vibrational match.

AHI - Fire emerges.

From within the message, these words feel important and right and are recorded in my journal:
"Burn away what stops you. Make way for the new." and "To create and destroy".

I don't seek out what is stopping me, from what am I being stopped, nor what new thing is coming my way. Rather I feed the cats, move to my mat for my yoga session, prepare for and treat my clients and later clear the bathroom for Rod to begin our long planned renovation. I keep Flippy and Maya company downstairs as bashing and crashing resounds from their upstairs lair and open up the book  AWAKENING TO THE SPIRIT WORLD - the Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation, to where I left off last night. At the top of the next page - page 103 is A FIRE CEREMONY. Authors Ingerman and Wessleman describe this ceremony used to release core beliefs that are blocking one from using their creativity to its fullest and living ones' life purpose. Fire with the power to destroy, transform, transmute and create is the perfect vehicle for this task. They describe how to discover your blocking belief(s) or attitude, create a symbolic power object and imbue it with these qualities. The object is then burned in ceremony releasing these blocks in the process.

As I was typing this blog I referred back to my journal entry to make sure that I have the wording of the message from the cards correct and I'm drawn to glance through my previous night's dream. Something, I can't recall just what, is calling me. My last recorded dream describes a small fetish wearing blue and wrapped with a leather cord. I can call up the image as vividly now as I experienced it in the dream. I was curious about it but gave it no other thought once I began my day. Ingerman and Wesselman describe such a stick with some yarn wrapped around it and perhaps a letter or picture.

The synchronicity of these events is staggering. I have been given an answer to the question I'd posed before dreaming the other night How can I move forward and manifest my dream workshops? and was shown a vehicle to help make it so. To make it all the more clear I was provided with a book that explains just what this is, how to make it and its ceremonial purpose.

As I walked today I meditated on these blockages, recalled my dream object and later crafted it out of found and natural objects. The monthly fire ceremony in Ancaster is tonight, I will go as planned and burn it all away.

Note: I haven't taken a picture of the object. Once it has served its purpose it is meant to be destroyed.

JUST STEP IN IT!

I love a bright, sparkly, shiny, New Year better than any other time of year! It holds so much promise for newness or at least freshened resolve to try yet one more time to make it a great one.
Take this observation that I posted on FB just the other day...

If I could step into opportunity the way I step into cat poo, I'd be unstoppable. How is it possible that in a space of 1100 square feet, my foot (unbeknownst to the rest of me) smells it and makes a bee line to it like a fly on shit. PBG (poopy butt girl) strikes again. She gets a butt shave and the house is sanitized within an inch of its life.


I know this doesn't sound very promising, but if you really look at it, it's surreal, kind of like a dream.

TITLE: I'll call it - STEPPING INTO OPPORTUNITY. Feels better already, doesn't it? Better than STEPPING INTO CAT POO.

FEELING: How do I feel in the "dream"? You'd think my primary feeling would be pissed off, but it's not. It is amazement!

REALITY CHECK: How can this possibly happen with such unerring accuracy? I find it especially significant that Rod NEVER EVER smells it nor steps in it. Why just the other day, the warm, wafting odour of freshly made poo found its way all the way down to the nasal receptors of the thing that lives at the bottom of the stairs (that would be me). I followed its trail like a bloodhound in search of a missing child. I sniffed my way up the stairs and all through the ground floor, then up another flight of stairs and directly to the top floor only to find the steaming pile not 2 feet away from Rod who was merrily, obliviously surfing the web. Though there was an exception to the rule in that I didn't step in the pile, the incident proved categorically that this delivery is for me and me alone.
So, does this happen in real life? Of course it does :)
Is it likely to happen in the future? Of course it will :(
Are the people in the "dream" acting like they do in waking life? Yes.
Could it be a metaphor for something else...? Here's where it turns around as evidenced by my opening sentence. If I could step into opportunity the way I step into cat poo, I'd be unstoppable. And this leads me to...

WHAT DO I WANT TO KNOW about the dream: Could I step into opportunity the way I step into cat poo? What if I was able to refine my sense of smell, a primary survival instinct which resides in the  first chakra and the primitive brain, to sniff out opportunity? What if I was able to step unerringly into opportunity just like I do cat poo, without agonizing about it or trying to figure it out, just going with the flow and letting it find me; without weighing the pros and cons, doubting myself and my abilities but just trusting that, YES I CAN STEP IN IT! Not only that, but I WILL STEP IN IT with as much total conviction as I do with poo. WOW I truly would be unstoppable. The world would be my oyster instead of a steaming pile of shit (note, in real life I don't feel that life is a steaming pile of shit, it just makes a nice comparison).

HONOUR: How will I honour my "dream"?
Go with the flow, do what I love and let opportunity find me. Stop resisting and putting up barriers when things are going my way. Trust that, when it comes to my "big dreams" I too can have them become reality, just like they do for so many people I know.

BANNER: JUST STEP IN IT!

Wow, I love a bright and shiny New Year!
May you all have the best year ever and remember to JUST STEP IN IT!

AWAKENING CHOICE DREAMS

Everything that exists began as a dream.

You don’t have to sleep to dream. Dreams weave their way into our consciousness through daily coincidences, synchronicity and flights of fancy. Dreaming connects us with our Heart, Soul and Inner Wisdom. When we know how to dream lucidly we can reclaim parts of ourselves we thought we had lost and in so doing restore our personal power & well-being. Nightmares bear unresolved important messages and lessons because they are, as Robert Moss says, "Unfinished" dreams.  When we journey for resolution in what I call the dream fields (different levels of dream states) their energy is transmuted. As we gain proficiency in the skill of active lucid dreaming we empower and heal ourselves, our relationships and our environment. 

One of the easiest ways to develop the skill of lucid dreaming is to re-enter a dream. Sounds impossible? It's really very easy and you do it all of the time. Whenever you recall a dream (or anything else for that matter), whether you are telling it to a friend or recording it in your journal, you are calling up again those images, words and events and inviting them to play in a creative state of mind which slightly different from wakefulness.


DREAM RE-ENTRY
Over the years, through the practice of recording my dreams, I've developed  the ability to re-enter a dream when I'm in the hypnogogic state between sleep and wakefulness. When I go to bed I set my alarm to ring 1 hour before I have to get up. When the alarm goes off I re-set it for 30 minutes and then record my dream(s) while laying on my side with the journal propped up on a pillow. I've set the clock just in case I fall back asleep. I want to drift on the verge of sleep to see if any more of my dream or its details are lingering there. If I have fallen back to sleep perhaps I'll have a dream to record on the second sounding of the alarm.


Sometimes a  dream is fully delivered and immediately words spill seamlessly onto the page as I record in an experience of automatic writing. At other times mere fragments appear which I'd like to flesh out more fully so     I go back into them and look around to get a clearer image or see events from a different perspective. I can ask questions of the dream or its characters and wait for the answer. Now, this is a most interesting place to be because since the answer resides in the question all that is needed is a sense of the question - the words don't need to be fully formed before the answer begins to unfold. The answer may be spelled out clearly or in a cryptic nature but at any rate there is "knowing" that the question has been asked and that the answer has been received. 


Sometimes just a feeling, sensation or thought is present when the alarm first goes off and these too are worth exploration and noting: What am I feeling? What thoughts are going through my mind? What do I first notice as I look around in the dream field that I've re-entered.


I don't invite the critical, analytical mind to come into action; I'm not analyzing the dream, I'm re-experiencing it and there is a difference. There is a light, wispy quality to the dream state whereas the state of analysis feels heavy and solid. 


Stay simply with the facts, observations and feelings and play with them in the dream fields and they will unveil their wisdom.  

virtual consumerism

I excel in the art of "virtual consumerism". This is something I found myself indulging in time and time again when I was living so far under the poverty line as to not even be a statistic. The only difference between me and a homeless person was that I had friends who allowed me to "house-sit" for them even when they didn't need a house-sitter and, when I had no place to go I could sneak a sleep on the mattress on the floor of my $50 a month studio space and shower at the Y a few blocks away (I had a free membership because I taught yoga there for $6/hr).

One time my friend Bud bunked at his potter friend's place in the country so that he could take care of "the PIES", the woman's 2 sheep, LAMBY PIE and HONEY PIE (Lamby's daughter) while she was on a 2 week trip. He asked me to "house-sit" the approx. 400 square foot apartment in which he lived. He'd taken an early retirement from his career as a newspaper and magazine writer to devote the rest of his life to his art; he was watercolourist. Bud's pension was meagre but he owned a house a few blocks from the ocean in the neighbourhood of Fairfield in Victoria. Two tenants occupied the bigger and more deluxe apartments that the house contained. Since one of his renters regularly checked out his place whenever he was away there really wasn't any need for my services except for the fact that he identified with my plight as a struggling artist in need of a break, he was a good guy and, despite our 20 some odd year difference, a really close and great friend.

Anyway, Bud and I would meet for coffee and talk about anything and everything: about life and love; give each other insight into the desires of the opposite sex (ours was a platonic relationship); food and drink; what we'd do when we we'd "made it"...

These discussions ignited flights of fantasy. I'd journey into possibilities of what I'd do when I was "rich" (all things being relative rich meant when I had some money in the bank). One dark, stormy, rainy night - feeling like a miserable, drowned rat as I waited for a bus and watched the hookers ply heir trade - I imagined myself at a beach in the Caribbean so fully and completely that I could "see" the crystalline blue waters. I could "feel" the warmth of the sand under my feet (though I was really wiggling my toes in rain soaked socks) and the sun on my skin. Riding the belching bus, huddled amongst a throng of late night commuters,  I "smelled" the salt sea air and "heard" the waves washing on the shore and the wind rustling the leaves of the palm trees. It was so vibrant that I felt, for the first time in a long, long time, hopeful, happy and refreshed; as if I'd really taken this holiday.

This was a brilliant discovery!

I took many such "holidays". I realized that I could virtually "buy" whatever I wanted as I perused shop windows AND enjoy my purchases fully and completely. The funny thing was that once I'd experienced these things virtually I felt no need for them to manifest materially; my desire was oddly, satisfied.

I was a "window shopper". I never actually went into the shops except to get a free spritz of perfume and  accept a free sample or two from the "Spritzer girl" at the Bay. "Yes, you really can get perfume for free." Bud's tenant told me and then went on to educate me on just how this was done. "Just go into the store. Let her spritz you. Smell it. And if you like it show it but tell her you're not sure. Say that you'd   like to try it out. Nine times out of ten she'll offer up a sample and throw in some others. You can even make a request. The stuff lasts forever so you don't have to fork out a dime...Just dress up a little when you go in."

All of this made me feel and smell so much better.

Just this past October, I visited the bookstore at the OMEGA CENTRE many times during my weekend stay. I had given myself a certain amount of allowance to spend on whatever I wished. I carried the cash with me when I went into the store knowing that, at any moment, I could make my purchase. Oddly, I kept coming out of the store without anything. It wasn't that I didn't desire anything, quite the opposite, but I found myself slipping into "virtual shopping" mode.

I found it extremely enjoyable imagining myself owning that singing bowl that I played while in the store. Later that night I enjoyed playing one that rested on its own pillow in the Sanctuary space. I loved the feeling of having the brand new indigo blue, brocade yoga bag - a symbol of the shift into a new phase my yoga practice was experiencing - and scrapping my well-loved, well used, worn out, old, copper coloured one that my sister gave to me years ago. I sang to the chants of Deva Premal, in perfect pitch of course as this is a fantasy, and cherished the crystal lotus I'd "purchased" to place upon my altar. And the spiral earrings constantly reminded me of my weird ways and the non-linear aspect of time.

On Sunday evening the money was still warming my pocket. I finally parted with some of it in the last hour of business, choosing those things I deemed to have the most value - 2 books: THE WORLD IS AS YOU DREAM IT - Teachings from the Amazon and Andes by John Perkins and AWAKENING TO THE SPIRIT WORLD - The Shamanic Path of  Direct Revelation by Sandra Ingerman & Hank Wesselman; knowing that the information they contain will perhaps lead me to places I have yet to discover.

And, to my delight the money which was not spent covered the cost of the gas that got me there and back; something that I hadn't accounted for in my budget for the weekend. WIN, WIN = total euphoria.

This little snip of a pic in the clip
reminds me that
dreams can come true

NOTE: I discovered only a few years ago that Esther and Jerry Hicks, authors of many books on the teachings of Abraham have a version of "virtual spending" which they call THE WALLET PROCESS (see #15 in their book ASK AND IT IS GIVEN). Summary: carry a $100 bill with you, but don't buy anything. Instead imagine buying things you would probably have spent it on. "Spend" it over and over again and feel the pleasure it gives you. Their theory is that it gives you a sense of financial well-being and abundance in that mentally you will have probably "spent" a thousand dollars, or more, in a day yet still have all of that money in your pocket. This feeling of abundance attracts abundance.

It is an interesting theory.

Oh, by the way, in December of the "drowned rat" year I actually spent a week in Antigua and it felt as good as I'd imagined it would.