Take time out to begin to your alignment with the natural rhythms of nature! The evening will begin with meditation continue to celebration of the full moon and continue with making personal affirmations for planning your waning cycle.
RSVP required – renee@insideawareness.com or 2five0-36one-75zeor8
By donation
©InsideAwareness
Take time out to begin to your alignment with the natural rhythms of nature! The evening will begin with meditation continue to celebration of the new moon and continue with making personal affirmations for planning your growing cycle.
RSVP required – renee@insideawareness.com or 2five0-36one-75zeor8
By donation
©InsideAwareness
Sacred space is an experience created by one’s inner connection that is reflected in one’s outer nature and the their environment. It is the ability to experience a particular connection to; oneself, what is above, what is below and around oneself in the landscape. This connection includes reverence and honor. It represents balance within oneself of the physical (north, south, east & west), mental (masculine), emotional (feminine) and belief systems (values, devotion).
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Posted in Sacred Space
Tagged Contemplation, Environment, Mindfulness, Sacred Space, Self Awareness
@ Oneness Wednesday – Church of Truth – James Bay
by exploring individual quadrants of this Walking Map of Consciousness
By Donation to Church of Truth
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Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Church of Truth, Contemplation, Emotional Aspect, Mental Aspect, reflection, The Beauty Path
This month Renee Lindstrom, of Inside, was invited to present and feature the topic of ‘contemplation practice’ at the Church of Truth in Victoria, B.C. She decided to explore two maps of consciousness for learning and growth in one’s inner and outer worlds. These two maps of consciousness are the *Labyrinth and the *Medicine Wheel. The month began with sharing a labyrinth walk by candlelight in a local Victoria park on the eve of the anniversary of Gandhi’s birthday, October 1st. This date is also recognized internationally as the “Day of Nonviolence.”
The community group hosting these events, The Church of Truth, had shared weekly evening walks on this labyrinth all summer. By doing so they have begun to develop a heart-felt connection to the land and deepened this among themselves. They shared their own wisdom, healing and conscious awareness techniques throughout the summer while walking this ancient pathway.
The evening focus of October 1st was to open the month as a “gateway” to explore a personal deepening awareness while experiencing *sacred space. The purpose was to experience this ancient pathway and it’s sacredness and in doing so, integrate the inner body wisdom this map reflects. Each workshop this month will continue to be a multi-layered learning experience for deepening one’s connection to inner wisdom. Each workshop has its own learning benefits and can be experienced separately or together.
A planetary need is for all human kind to connect to and grasp a “point of consciousness” in our daily practice. A point of consciousness that is our recognition and understanding of the full circle of life, that which has all things.”
A learning point that Renee introduced Oct 1st was this circle with a cross in the center. The cross represents the four directions. This circle in the drawing below was drawn to represent the Map of the Medicine Wheel. Yet on October 1st it was introduced as the Map of Body Balance. Yes the body has four directions: north, south, east and west. It is circular and is three-dimensional, not two. The invisible lines of the cross in the body represent balance from side to side and front to back.
Explore your balance! Stand with your feet together. Shift your weight from side to side a few times. Shift your weight forward and back a few times. Each time you shift your weight you are crossing your center (plum) line. Each time you take a step in walking you are crossing both lines) Imagine walking a map that represents this inherent body pattern?
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For the purposes of learning about one’s inner consciousness, let’s say there are two types of consciousness. One is an automatic and habitual experience, acted out regardless of consequences and without any thought to it. This is a closed state without choice that lacks understanding. Generally, it is a reaction to something that is not happening and is not reality. It is a perspective based upon the past or future and not the present moment. The second is a focused awareness of attention for understanding reactions before taking them. This is an open state of choice, acceptance and the point of shifting and making change. It is a response to what is real in the moment. An example as follows:
Attitude of:
Some Inner Thoughts:
Feelings: Fear, Anxious, Terrified, Despondent, Hopeless(ness), Frustrated, Angry, Tense, Shaky, Panicky
Some Mental & Emotions Reactions:
Some Physical Reactions: Stress, Tension, Anxiety, Holding, Clenching, Shallow Breathing, Locked eye movement, loose of flexible movement and balance
As children scarcity is an unconscious learned attitude of behavior much like eating, rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing and walking. The difference is that it has been learned through the modeling of those around us while learning functional movement is an inner resource of somatic awareness and experiencing.
Learning skills to transition this attitude into one of abundance is more than a possibility. It is a reality and begins with becoming aware of one’s habitual behavior responses. This can be learned through combining the mental and emotional with getting InTouch Talk or through physical movement with getting InTouch Movement. These are easy integrative learning methods. It supports your contemplative practices or can be supported by adding contemplative practices to be able to cut the distraction.
For more on getting InTouch workshops or movement coaching, relationship coaching
Recently I enjoyed viewing a “Coles Notes” explanation of the a Medicine Wheel from a fellow Canadian in Alberta. This Elder was connecting with a troubled youth through the act of walking. There was not a direct focus on any issues. I observed through their discussion that the Elder was very aware of this youth and their needs through their behavior and unspoken expression. Rather than being direct and telling the youth anything, it was through guidance and modelling. The Elder began sharing the concept of the Medicine Wheel and encouraged the youth to walk, enter and stop in the center. The explanation of the Medicine Wheel was subtle and included the four directions, north, south, east and west. There was also mention of the balance of the four aspects of self for connecting to ones center.
Viewing this was a revelation and it was exciting to recognize the similarities to the core principles in the integrative centering and wellness tools offered in the getting InTouch programs at Inside. These include levels of experiencing integration from the outside in. These include
The wellness tools are for creating an open learning mindfulness versus a closed mind that knows everything. The difference:
Becoming comfortable within oneself leads to acceptance and expansion beyond experiences into deeper relationships.
Staying in the discomfort of always knowing the answer, in fear of feeling, leads to a *struggle. Being right creates disconnection from all things.
*The struggle is keeping the walls of power up that come from being right.
One way to experience balancing aspects of self with Inside is through sharing a Labyrinth Walk. If you compare the following labyrinth design with the Medicine Wheel above you will see the similarities. Listening to the Elder share his Medicine Wheel with the youth I was able to hear very similar guidance of sharing a labyrinth walk with others. I was thrilled to experience the connectedness between these ancient patterns!
Chartres 11 Circuit Labyrinth
Other ways to experience balancing aspects of self with Inside tools and techniques:
Read more on Balance:
Center for Inside Awareness 