PBP2012: “G”- Growth

When most of us first step onto our divine space we do so hoping to get somewhere.  We begin by planing seeds that we hope will take shape as we water them our love, and shine our light into our inner being.   We move through our practice building momentum and we move, but where are we moving towards, and how do we gauge our growth in that space?  As a yoga teacher I have the joy of watching my students grow into their practice.  They show up, they try, they challenge themselves, and then the inevitable statement: “But I don’t feel like I’m making progress” echos from the depth of someone’s being.  Often times we engage in practice without a goal.  Ascending might be a tough goal to try to reach for tomorrow (but if you are able to do it, send us an astral email and let us know about all the cool restaurants).   The idea is that when we move without having a plan, we may find it harder to gauge where we are on our scale of growth.  Is your goal to begin a physical practice?  Is your goal to do a ritual you have never tried?  Having something to drive towards is our first step in moving towards growth, the next step is growing into new roles within your practice, community, or connection.  Students eventually become teachers, teachers become mentors, and we move into greater states of connection and learning.  As our practice evolves, it is up to us to also evolve and to grow.  We have to reach our arms up towards divinity and let the light move us forward into greater states of movement.  When we grow, we make space for those coming down the road behind us to step into new position.

Where is your growth currently?  What are you striving towards?  What is the next step/phase/position that you are moving towards? What seeds are you planting in your life?

 

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

Weekly Spiritual Fitness and Nutrition Tip: 3/28/2012

Coming into alignment.   In order for us to be better aligned in all areas of our lives, we have to be sure our physical body is in alignment.  We can do this by strengthening our core, and using better posture.  Even the foods we eat can either bring us into center, or shift us off balance.  Right now, check to see where your shoulder are (are they rounded forward/slouching/raised), now take a deep breath bring the heart center forward and feel the physical body aligning itself.  I’ll post a video on this later this week as it’ll make more sense if you can see the process, but I wanted to ping all of you to start being aware of how you sit, stand and move.  Fitness is aligning ourselves at all times, not just in the workout arena, or behind the computer.  Take a water hose for instance, the more bends it has in it, the less the water can move through it.  Poor posture, core strength and poor nutrition can keep energy from moving through you and into your great work.  Take an inventory right now of food, situations, and times you feel “less aligned”.

Be sure to check out my yoga blog: The Deviant Yogi: Journey of a Yoga Witch  Ill be posting articles on balance, core, and meditations to bring your temple into greater alignment with the spirit.

My Weekend of Self Possession with T. Thorn Coyle

“Golden bright mystic light piercing the bowl of night

Draw down the Light
Draw down the Star of Opening
Welcome you, limitless
Light in Extension”

 These lyrics from Song of Tiphareth pretty much sum up what I experienced this weekend at T. Thorn Coyle’s Self Possession workshop.   The weekend began with a night of drumming, journeying and community.  We moved through a powerful weekend and reached into the depths of our being.  So, before I get into the details of what I learned, let’s take a trip backwards in time.

At the beginning of this year like many others I faced a lot of upheaval.  I felt like the I was a bad puppy and my universe was just slapping me around with the Sunday edition of the Washington Post.  At times I felt like I was doing nothing more than spinning my wheels.  At worst, I felt like moving to some mountain and just retreating away from the world.  This can be especially tough for those of us that are not only spiritual, but we “do spirituality” for a living.  I love my work and the connections that I have with those around me, but even that was feeling draining.  Now, I’m no stranger to Thorn’s work.  My partner David talks about her constantly, and has been to several of her workshops.   I’ve had a copy of Kissing the Limitless  lying around for about a year.  I’d open it on occasion and flip through, connected with some of it here and there, but never really took on the work it was asking of me.  In DC we have been fortunate enough to finally have a Pagan community Center come into full manifestation.  David thought it would be great to have Thorn come in for a workshop.  I tossed out there, that if she did the Self Possession workshop that I would think about going.  So, time passed and the schedule was set.  More upheaval set in, and David offered to help cover the cost of the class if I would go.  So, it seemed the universe was doing everything but driving me to the front door and I took this as a sign to go.

So, why all the back story?  It is when we are at a moment of defeat, when we finally surrender that we can enter into a state of grace.  When we have no other choice but to let go, that the universe aligns every thing for us to come out of that dark night of the soul.  I am fortunate that I have wonderful people in my life.

The first thing you notice about Thorn is her presence.  Her energy is intense, as it has to be for the work that she does.  When opening and aligning the souls of others you become a torch that ignites those around you through just your very being.  They are the teachers that have actually done the work, they wear their humble nature like a cloak and through them we see that the journey is possible.  I also noticed her tattoos, and honestly it was nice to not be the only mega tattooed person in the room.

The process of soul possession is about coming into alignment with those sometimes fragmented pieces of ourselves.  To love our life not only for the joys, but for the struggles. That we can connect to our innate divine nature through unbinding the energetic anchors we hold onto.  Thorn leads the class in a very intuitive fashion.  You can see and feel her listening to the soul of the class and this allows her to give our group exactly what we need to facilitate growth.  We created Soul Timelines, danced, drummed, chanted, and found little pieces of ourselves that we have forgotten to hug.  I am not going to go into every detail from the weekend, as I am still processing much of what I learned.  I can honestly say that this weekend changed my life.  I am more awake and away that I have been in a long time.  My first awakening came from learning the PAT (Perceptive Awareness Technique) from my Spiritual Mom Susan Zummo.  I am going to write a blog about that experience soon.  The other part that I loved about this weekend was the community that  formed through the experience.  You do not often see people taking on deeper soul level work.  Working through the soul’s energy tends to take us into the deeper, sometimes tougher lessons.  Our group was made up of community leaders, practitioners, healers, and seekers.  I felt sad when the weekend was over, but know that as we all go out into our respective communities that we take something new back to facilitate an igniting of that soul energy.  We are now the torches for our communities and it is time to do this great work.

The teacher is that person just a few more steps down the road than we are, showing us that it is possible as long as we keep moving, breathing, and connecting.  I offer thanks and appreciation to all of my teachers, those that are known and unknown, the ones that are of this energetic realm and beyond.

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called “truth.”  ~Dan Rather

For more information on T. Thorn Coyle and her upcoming events, please visit her website at:

www.thorncoyle.com

You can also sign up for online video classes and discussion at:

www.thorncole.com/fiat-lvx

Also consider supporting her Solar Cross Temple.  They do a lot of great work in the Pagan Community:  Pagan elder care, prison ministry, environmental work, work with the poor and the homeless.  Consider making a donation to help keep this important work moving forward.

www.thorncoyle.com/solar-cross

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

PBP2012: “F”- Fasting for Spiritual Growth

Fasting is an important aspect of coming into alignment with our spirituality.  Fasting allows us to come into alignment and to see where our personal power might have been surrendered to situations, things, food, or people.  Fasting takes a bit of planning as well.  One of the things that I like to do with my fasting is to take a few days to really plan it out.  What do I hope to gain?  What will I be giving up?  How long do I want to fast?  Being sure of our reasons for fasting and where we hope to go with it is an important aspect of the entire process.

Fasting also does not have to just be about food.  We are constantly facing distractions, and there are a lot of things that deplete us of our energy.  Fasting from the internet, cell phones, or even talking for a day can bring us back into alignment with the world around us.  Fasting from food can show us where we might be reaching out through our emotions towards foods that might be harming us.  Set a spiritual goal for your fasting cycle.  Allowing yourself to find a deeper connection with your divine self.  Pick a favorite book, some new chants, or even a physical practice like sacred dance/yoga.  Set a schedule for your fast, and stick to it.  Showing up is one of the hardest things to do in our spiritual practice.

Remember, there is no such thing as failure.  I set a time parameter for my fasting cycle, but if I do not reach the entire goal I consider the time I showed up a success.  If I didn’t make it to the end, I sit with that and I see where my stumbling stones might have been.  I journal a lot during my fasting period.  I look at my emotions, I go deeper into my divination practice, and check in with my emotions constantly.  If I am removing something from my experience checking in with my emotions it allows me to see what power I might have given away.

Take a few moments and think about how you can deepen your spiritual practice by allowing something in your experience to sit on a shelf for a while.  What is something you feel you can’t do without?  That is where you start.

M. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

Changes, Classes, and Crazy Energy

Did anyone get the licence plate on the bus?!

There is crazy energy in the air.  We are going through several retrograding plantes, solar flares, and season changes.  So, what does one do during all the craziness?

We change!

Change and growth really are the theme of the year, and I’m also going to be making some big changes to my blogs, my website, and just to lots of things in general.  I’m working towards taking things to the next level.  My goal is to be of greater service to everyone.  I’m focusing my time, my energy and breaking through stagnation.

Here are a few upcoming changes:

Soulinteraction.com (this site that you are currently reading):  Is going to still be the hub for all things spiritual.  I’ll be posting:

  • Book Reviews
  • channeling/Daily Readings
  • Predictions
  • Vblogs regarding some of the changes coming up
  • Pagan Blog Project Posts
  • Guest posts from psychics, pagans, activists, and those involved in the community.

Deviantyogi.com  This will be the hub for all things Yoga, Spirituality of Fitness, and more edgy spiritual discussions:

  • Yoga Videos and Online Classes hosted by ME!
  • Spirituality of Fitness Tips, Routines, and Diet Plans
  • Intersection of Yoga and my love for Hoodoo
  • Articles on my combination of these two very different traditions
  • Recipes and ordering information for my Yogic Blends/Oils

www.michaelbrazell.com:  This is my main site. I’ll be updating my appearances, classes, upcoming events, and news.  You can also submit payment for readings, sessions, and classes through this site.  It also gives a run down of many of the classes and services that I offer.

 

That’s just a few things that are in the works.  Here is my current class schedule for the DC Area:

Weekly:

Mondays and Fridays 9:30 AM:  Hatha Yoga (75min class) at Golden Heart Yoga DC.   Click to get directions and to come out for a class. (Cost 15.00/drop in)

Mondays 6:30 PM: Bears Do Yoga (60 min class).  This class is FREE and open to all those in that want to share in the local yogic community.  LGBTQS Friendly, and is a mixed level class.

Tuesdays and Thursdays starting in April I’ll be teaching a 6:30am Sunrise Yoga class at Golden Heart Yoga DC.  See above for link.

Monthly:

March 30th:  Soul Interaction Meetup Group.  We will be having an engaging soul based meditation followed by lessons in channeling and mediumship.  Click the link to join the group and to get information on class location

April 28th: Reiki Class at Sacred Circle Books in Old Town Alexandria.  Call 703-299-9309 to register or for more information

 

Stay tuned… More to come!

 

Mike Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

 

 

Divine Listening

We are in a world that rushes from one place to the next.  We are in the constant ebb and flow of the world around us.  We have deadlines, commitments, schedules and technology constantly pinging us.  Very often the divine is also trying to reach through our hectic experience to offer blessing, or guidance.  If we do not take time to slow down, very often we miss these messages.   This is a time where we have to be sure we are taking time to breathe.  We seldom even make time to just be in the presence of our own light as we rush along through the day.  Taking a moment to fully come into consciousness of one single breath can make a big difference.  When we rush, we often also fall.   We end up in situations that are not ours, and we end us using phrases like “I knew I should not have done that”.  Of course we did, but we were going faster than our intuition could grab us, and we were not able to hit the breaks in time.

If you feel like you are rushing through this life, slow down and enjoy it.  Take a moment to be kind to yourself and listen for those messages from spirit.   The intuition is the best guidance system we have, and it holds a much clearer map than we have.  Take a moment to just sit, breathe, and be conscious.

Michael Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

PBP2012 F: Freedom

This was a tough week for me to find something that would work with the letter “f”.   For me this work really exemplifies how I live my spiritual practice.  Freedom is also word that in invoked constantly in regards to group religious practice, but I want to take it a step deeper.  Do you give yourself “freedom” within your own practice?  Are you rigid in your structure, or do you allow yourself the freedom to mess up, or do you feel that the little statue is going to jump up and slap you for calling quarters in the wrong order?

When I first started yoga as my practice, I felt that I had to do it exactly like my teacher did it.  I thought that I had to follow someone else’s prescription for how my body was supposed to move, be, and connect.  My yoga at that point was someone else’s practice.  One day I decided to just put on some yoga music, and to just let the divine move me through my posture practice.  I knew that some of what I was doing was not how my teacher had instructed, but I felt a sense of freedom.  My body could adjust into the asana (yoga postures) in the way it was supposed to, not how someone else is supposed to.  Now as a teacher, I try to teach my students “the yoga of imperfection”.   We are where we are, and we are all far from perfect.  Allow ourselves freedom to evolve our practice, to let go and to be somewhat free in action, and connection moves us forward.

Breaking our own molds can be tough.  Evolving our practice is not a disrespect to our teachers, our paths, or to the divine.  Without evolution new ideas are not formed.  The one thing to keep in mind is to cause no harm to self or others, and ground yourself in the evolutionary practice.  An easy thing to start with is meditation.  If you feel that meditation can only be done sitting, do a dancing practice.  If you feel a ritual can only be done one way, try it using different energies.

Have fun with your path, and take freedom to the heart.  Allow yourself to open to your mistakes, to your fallibility… it is what truly makes us divine.

Tuesday Spiritual Fitness and Nutrition Tips: 3/13/2012

Here are your Tuesday Spiritual Fitness and Nutrition Tips!

Fitness:  Try something new!  The seasons are finally starting to change, and as it warms up its time to get ourselves back in gear.  Break free from old patterns by trying something new and different.  Shaking up our routines a bit can make things interesting and open us up to possibilities within our fitness path.  Trying group fitness classes, doing a trial at a gym if you’ve never done one, taking a dance class, getting a fitness oriented video game, or my personal favorite–Any DVD by Jillian Michaels.  Even just getting outside and exploring, taking a longer route to work, or even sitting outside for meditation instead of doing it all inside.  Deepen your connection to your path by trying something you’ve never done before.  Start by making a small list of things you might want to try, and begin at the top and work your way down!  Look for free events where possible, and many gyms/studios/etc offer discounted trials and drop in rates.

Nutrition:  Try something new!  If you have never tried being vegetarian, give it a go.  If you are vegan, try raw.  If you are raw, well… try fruits and veggie combinations you might not have tried before.  No matter where we are we can take a step in new directions.  Look for the most unusual fruit you can find, sample it.  Look up the nutritional information for it, and thing of ways to integrate it into eating plan.  Adding one new fruit or veggie a week can spice up your diet, and it gets the creative juices flowing.  Learning about the foods you are eating allows a deeper connection to them.

 

M. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

Body Modification aka You Are TATTED UP

Everyday I step out into the world and I turn heads.  I wear a colorful face and my spirituality is written on my skin. Many people ask me why I would do such a thing, but the truth is we all engage in body modification on some level.  If you dye your hair, diet, wear those “slimming belts”, put on make up, cut your hair, or any number of other changes–you have engaged in body modification.  Some of us take this a step further.  For me tattoos and piercings are an act of spirituality.  Each one tells my story, each one holds a memory, and each one allows me to call in new energy.  The symbols I have chosen to wear are sacred, but some of them are just personal.   Judgement, fear, and disconnection hold us apart from looking through the windows and often times we only see the walls we place between one another.  One of the things I love about my tattoos are they take people out of their hurried lives and into a new moment.  Even if it’s just for a second, we connect…Even if they look at me with judgement, we connect.  It’s a beautiful thing.  That kind of spirituality is much deeper than the ink in my skin.

M. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

http://www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

PBP2012: “E” Eating

So, I know what you are thinking.  How does eating relate to not only paganism, but to walking a spiritual path.   Eating is one of the singular most spiritual things that we all do.  The action of taking nourishment into the body to build the temple of the spirit transcends separations we may all have in faith paths.  We choose our food.  There is sacrifice involved in the preparation.  The consumption also brings in a connection to energy in a way that even a non-spiritual person can agree with.  This is also one of the few actions where we still foster a connection to community.  Most food comes from the earth in some way, it brings in the elements:  earth in bringing life, water in growth, fire in creation, and air in spreading the seeds and continuing the cycle.   So, eating is a deeply spiritual action.

With all that said.  This is also one of the areas we take for granted.  We, as spiritual practitioners, use food in ritual, in celebration, and in offering.  Tho, many of us also reach out for food that is not healthy to out minds, body or spirit.  Making food and eating choice be something that is a spiritual act will bring our path work fully into an area of our lives that impacts us directly.  When we begin to connect to the physical body we, we also begin to open up a path for the spiritual self to enter into our vibration fully.  Our body becomes clear, our souls awaken into each moment, and we are able to move through each and every experience fully.  When we drop weight, we begin to let go of limitations.  Our bodies move with greater ease, and we move away from disease.

Prayer work and food also go hand in hand.  Invoking prayerful energy into our meals brings us into greater alignment with gratitude.  In a world that moves us faster and faster taking a moment to connect into the simple act of eating, deeply, meaningfully, and with all of our being allows us to be present in all of our aspects.

How do you connect food into your ritual/path working?   Do you have a prayer that you use before you eat that you’d like to share?

M. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@gmail.com