By Rev. Anita Pathik Law, CFCC, CHt, Awakening theHealer Within
www.powerofmyway.com/awaken.html
I’ve long been heard sharing several foundational teachings found in the work we do with the Power of Our Way Medicine Wheel. Lately, due to the themes I am seeing, one of the most significant of these teachings is;
All conflict is sourced in the beliefs we hold within our mind; a mind conditioned through our experiences and energized through cultural beliefs and teachings.
Conflict appears in our lives in all sorts of ways. For some, it may be a conflict held only in the privacy (and illusionary aloneness) of one’s thoughts. For others, conflict shows up in our relationships, our bodies, or in feelings of inadequacy or lack of control. It may be situational, meaning it appears to be isolated, and is very focused on one area of your life. Or, it may be such that everything is tainted with an energy of chaos. Regardless, in a world where we love to feel “in control” and clear, and often gauge our sense of “wellness” and happiness based on the degree to which control and clarity is present for us, any sense of conflict can feel uncomfortable.
One type of conflict is doubt. Conflicting ideas about what you believe is possible (or not) and what you are actually seeing in your life can feel discouraging, to say the least. For most of us, however, more often than not, the conflicts, struggles and annoyances we are experiencing in the “here and now” are really a lot less about life as it is today and more about unresolved conflicts from the past. This awareness, and one’s commitment to engage in whatever practices they need to clear out the emotional and mental back log, are major keys to living peacefully in the present. In fact, most of what irritates us was implanted in our pasts and we operate quite unconsciously and obviously don’t even know it.
Down the Rabbit Hole We Go
All of a sudden, we find ourselves spiraling down a rabbit hole of muckiness. Whether reacting in defensiveness, anger, judgment, fear, resistance, avoidance, procrastination, or even a lack of clarity, the conflict is always within. As much as we would like to think that conflict often exists “out there”, the fact of the matter is that the genesis of our conflicts is never really outside of us. Rather, it is 100% sourced in our beliefs and they way we think.
Historical woundings or imprints (conscious and unconscious) surface through various triggers. A trigger can be just about anything and most of the time we are unconscious of what set off the chain reaction of uncomfortable feelings, thoughts and behaviors. Sure, you might know some of your touchy spots, but in reality, most are buried in our subconscious beliefs and perspectives. Interestingly enough, the subconscious is not known for being founded in absolute reality and truth.
Because we’ve been taught to resolve conflict that exists “out there”, because we are not healing the disparity that exists within, the external outpicturing of our lives continues to reflect the internal. When we remind ourselves that we create from our thoughts and feelings about things, we immediately access the wisdom and opportunities that exist to heal within ourselves.
The Divided Mind
All conflict is a manifestation of a divided mind – competing parts within us that are out of alignment and disconnected from the greater essence of the moment – and the opportunities we face to allow our resonance, as opposed to some form of linear logic, to bring clarity and direction in our lives. When conflict exists in relationship with another, it is still a result of two divided minds bringing their personalities, beliefs and histories into the mix.
I ask you to reflect upon that which exists in your life in harmony, clarity and ease? Odds are it is because you have a sense of self confidence and worthiness. In fact, even in places and spaces where things may not be unfolding in the ways we might “think” we would like, it is possible to be in harmony and peace with uncertainty. It is possible to be at peace with parts of ourselves that are unclear. So much of the stress experienced in a consciousness of uncertainty is because we somehow have come to believe that uncertainty is a bad thing.
Trust in Divine Unfolding
Trusting in Divine unfolding and emergence, and having (and exercising) faith in your ability to be present and respond in the ways you are guided – in the moment – create a foundation that is less attractive to struggle and doubt. It allows for more clear and direct spiritual guidance and intervention as well, largely because we are not operating from the illusion that we should know everything or figure it all out ourselves.
What if uncertainty and living in the mystery of your unknowing was something you just simply surrendered to? What if you lay down the weaponry of your own self judgment and stopped “shoulding” all over yourself? Instead of blasting yourself with ideas such as “I should be clear, I should be further along,” we trust in the perfection of wherever it is that we find ourselves. If your tendency is to add pressure by telling yourself, “I should be trusting more, doing more, taking more action…” I ask you, “Should you? Really?” How are you so sure? Where does that belief really come from and whose voice is actually talking to you?
Awakening to our inner healer (and inner conflict resolver) is largely reliant on becoming aware of our thoughts and how the past has created filters that prevent us from seeing and acting from the highest truth of our beings. We must release all that is not aligned with health, wellness, peace of mind and compassion. Releasing the past is ongoing because every present moment we are creating a past moment. It is not as if we do a onetime “spring cleaning” and life suddenly gets easy. The myth of enlightenment is that human life becomes eternally harmonious. It is not life that becomes harmonious, just our interaction with Life itself and the perceptions through which we create our experiences.
Becoming a Hollow Bone
In my spiritual practice, one of my main priorities (and practices) is to become a “hollow bone.” I seek to be a hollow bone in all of my relationships and endeavors. Easier said than done, right? A wonderful explanation of this powerful concept is found in an article about the Teton Sioux Ceremonial Chief, Fools Crow. Called the “Historical People of Power” and found at http://www.powersource.com/, the author says;
“Fools Crow agreed with Black Elk when he said, "I cured with the power that came through me. Of course, it was not I who cured, it was the power from the Outer World, the visions and the ceremonies had only made me like a hole through which the power could come to the two leggeds (people). If I thought that I was doing it myself, the hole would close up and no power could come through. Then everything I could do would be foolish." He believed that the Higher Powers taught that this healing power comes in and through a person first to make us what we should be, and then flows through us and out to others.
In his becoming a hollow bone, Fools Crow believed that he went through four stages.
· First, he called in Wakan Tanka (Great Mystery) to rid themselves of everything about them that would get in the way, such as doubt, questions or reluctance.
· Then he recognized himself as a clean vessel or tube, ready to be filled with hope, possibilities, and anxious to be filled with power.
· He experienced the power as it came surging into him.
· Finally, giving power away to others, knowing that as they are emptied out, the Higher Powers will keep filling them with even greater power to be given away.”
This is really the only reason we travel into the past. We travel backwards only to develop awareness and clear away anything that could possibly clog the bone of our spirit and mind. Resentment, doubt, guilt, anger and judgment are just some of the states of consciousness that prevent us from being open to the ways Spirit speaks to us. Healing and opening isn’t as painful as we might think. In fact, healing (as I have experienced countless times) can be instantaneous and often does not require as much mental processing as we might believe. In fact, this belief alone often becomes the reason for staying stuck, because the expected experience of pain become one of the main reasons we avoid the process.
The Wheel offers an experiential tool for all sorts of healing and transcendence at the individual and collective levels and offers a roadmap to moving into higher levels of consciousness and experience – which ultimately translates into how we can be of greater service to ourselves and others.
During a recent conversation with the prolific author and researcher, Dr. David Hawkins (Power vs. Force, Transcending the Levels of Consciousness), my anecdotal observations were reinforced; the Power of Our Way Medicine Wheel is a tool for transcending the levels of consciousness. The further “up” we ascend, however, the more important it is to engage in the practices that allow one to become a hollow bone. And, as most of us find out, there is a lot more hollowing out that is necessary as we reach higher levels.
God Knows the Sound of Your Voice
In my spiritual practice, the act of becoming a hollow bone allows Spirit, Source, God, to presence itself within us in a very intimate way. It is our belief, on the Lakota Path that God knows the sound of our voice and recognizes us a very personal, intimate way. Personally, I find a great deal of freedom in surrendering to a wisdom and intelligence beyond my own, but the practices and rituals require discipline and an incredible willingness to surrender much of what we have come to believe about God and our relationship with our own Divinity.
One of the ongoing opportunities faced by “modern man” in his dance with “modern religion” is to elevate oneself beyond the dogma and the humanizing (God is vengeful, punishing, “out there” and only accessible through certain forms of worship) that has been done to the core spiritual principles of each of the main religions. This has impacted, greatly, our sense of connection and relationship to the Divine Source.
Over time the potency of TRUTH (with a capital “T”) represented in the translations and teachings, as well as the practical applications has been tainted by adjustments that have been influenced by politics and human agenda. David has been able to measure how the consciousness of various religions has actually declined as a result of our own tampering. In Christianity, for example, the revisions made during the Council of Nicaea (in A.D. 325, when the canonization process occurred) meant much of what is found in the modern Christian bibles was left out and altered to serve the political agendas and the level of consciousness of that time period.
Because of the sacred, untouchable, and perceptually infallible nature of the Bible and other religious “books of truth,” we have skirted around this issue for generations, and have been unwilling, or afraid to revise the teachings and include that which has been mistranslated or hidden. For many, religion has become a weapon, more so than a tool for healing, reconciliation and expansion. Inasmuch as humankind has sought a relationship with God, it is often sought from a place of fear and separation. Engaging in rituals such as meditation and prayer often reveals truths that we’ve denied of ourselves. And, the letting go of mistruth can be threatening to the parts of us who find security in the familiar - even when it doesn’t resonate or feel good.
Recently, I shared a movie and meditation called, God Knows the Sound of Your Voice (at http://powerofourway.blogs.com/power_of_our_way_blog/2010/03/god-knows-the-sound-of-your-voice-movie-and-a-meditation.html). In the creation of these resources, I simply followed intuitive inspiration (which is received most clearly and frequently when we are hollow) and had no clue as to the results of sharing them with our community.
The feedback was just incredible, and people from all walks of life felt a more intimate connection to their Source than ever before. It was as if the conditioning that so many had experienced in their upbringing just melted away. Within hours we had received emails and phone calls from many people who said that for the first time, they understood the potential and truth of that Divine connection. The healing was quite amazing. And, to me, it was the result of being that hollow bone and not getting in the way with my own fears, expectations or agenda.
Please take a few minutes and receive both at at http://powerofourway.blogs.com/power_of_our_way_blog/2010/03/god-knows-the-sound-of-your-voice-movie-and-a-meditation.html
Tap into some f*r*ee audios on this subject at http://www.powerofmyway.com/awakeningthehealerwithin.html
To becoming hollow…Namasté…Aho Mitakuye Oyasin, Ani
Join us for Awakening the Healer Within, beginning on April 20 at www.powerofmyway.com/awaken.html and open pathways for Divine receiving in more ways you can imagine!
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