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Beware the False Prophets

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The universal alarm clock has sounded.  The world is waking up.  The light and the dark are both stepping onto the playing field.

We have to be sure that we hold our power, that we hold our space in this cycle.  Where is your truth?  Where is your light coming from?   We have to be sure that as we beginning connecting to teachers, guides and community that we be sure we are using discernment.

We have to be careful where we place our alignment.  Blind faith is dangerous.

As light comes in, so will the dark.  There will be those that carry the bright darkness that will bring messages, but for many of these teachers their truth comes with a price.  What are you willing to give away for that person’s truth?

We each have work to do.  We each are teachers, students and holders of light.  It is important that we start connecting to our soul families.  It’s time that we start stepping into our own light and help to ignite the light in those around us. Its time that we stop being followers, and start becoming leaders. First you have to wake up to your own light and know that you are just as powerful as those that claim to hold all the answers.

A lot of people throw around “new age speak” like candy on Halloween.  Don’t get lost in all the talk of merkabas, light, and ascension.   Step out and help those that are in need.  Get out from behind the walls of your computer, your facebook groups, and actually become part of the transition.  Change doesn’t happen because you are sitting in your room hoping to astral project.  Change happens when you volunteer to help the homeless, organize park clean ups, and get your hands dirty with the world around you.  A merkaba might be great, but even better is the satisfaction that you actually made a difference in this world.

Follow your own light, and shine it brightly… shine fiercely

 

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell 

 

 

Upheaval: Cycles of love and chaos

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Chaos seems to be a constant in our time.  We are feeling the energy shifting around us with more frequency.  The earth and the universe that surround us are in constant change.  We are feeling the frequencies of both love and chaos enter into our lives.  We have to be sure that we are preparing ourselves for the cycles ahead.

Welcome to 2012.

I am not going to talk about the doomsday events, nor am I going to talk about the coming wave of light beings, and we will be sure not to talk about the mother ships lovingly circling the earth, but we have to admit this has been an interesting year.

2012 is what I like to call the year of expectation.  It’s a very powerful and spiritual time, and as a global society we have energized it with a vibration of spiritual change.   For better or worse, we are all “expecting” that something or even nothing will happen.  Within the “something-ness” and “nothingness” of this year are a multitude of layers.  Poles are shifting, the weather has been intense, violence has been on an increase, and mother Gaia is shrugging her shoulders.

As new energy comes in, old energy goes out.  Dimensional energies are also merging.  We are in 3rd dimensional density.  This is our tangible reality.  Just beyond us is the place where thought becomes manifest.  One of the theories is that as 4th and 5th dimensional energies begin to merge with our more dense reality we will see thought become reality in an instant.  Many of us are feeling the pushing sensation, the call to do something greater than what is right in front of us…and many of us are taking to the call.  For others, this call is bringing conflict.  Trust is not something we do well with in this density, but it is a big part of the spiritual process.  Trust that when you take that step out into the world, that the universe is going to be there.  Just as when you inhale, we seldom guess if the air is going to fill our lungs… it just does.

Love and chaos are beautiful dancers.  In Chinese philosophy it is thought that through chaos all creativity is born.  We are creating new realities constantly.  Each breath is an action of dying, and then being reborn.  We have to learn to trust the breath.  Breath is movement, breath is action, breath is compassion, breath is life.  We in essence are the breath, and everything in the universe breathes.  It’s important to pay attention to your breath daily.  Notice if you are holding it in, or forgetting to inhale.  Are your exhales shallow?  The breath is what will help us get through the upheaval.  As it moves, so do we.  Every try to run a marathon holding your breath?  It’s not possible.

Showing up to the experiences is also a tough thing for a lot of us to do.  I know there are times I would much rather watch a delicious movie on netflix, but avoiding things in our life do not make them go away, it only gives them momentary space, and at times this actually waters things weeds we might not want in our garden.  Showing up is also defined as taking responsibility, accountability, and acceptance of what is right in front of us.  Showing up is also loving those sometimes broken pieces, the struggle, and the upheaval itself.  Yes, love your upheaval.  Love it so fully and unconditionally that it becomes something that aligns you instead of something that binds you.

Love and chaos.  Both beautiful.

Breathe, trust yourself unconditionally, and show up.

Namaste.

 

Mahayogi Das CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell

 

PBP2012: “O” is for Owning all parts of the self

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Integration seems to be a key spiritual them that is coming up across the board for many people this year.  Going into the shadow parts of our path and seeing what might be buried deep in the dark soil of our experience.  When we dig a little deeper we see the seeds that are starting to blossom.

Integration is more that just coming into alignment with our path, but I feel we need to fully own those parts of self so that we can truly become whole within our working.  I feel that we have to become the magick, we have to be the divine spirit, we have to claim that divinity that is the driving force behind all the wonders we see in this life.  Holding ourselves apart from the journey gives us an out.  I feel too often we look to escape from our great work. It is time that we move into states of greater connection with the parts we might be ignoring.

So, how do we begin this process?

What are your taboo topics?  What are the issues of your experience that you’d rather keep buried in the soil?  Where in your life do you feel fragmented?

As we move through life, we often leave little pieces of our soul buried in those moments.  These tend to be the tough spots that draw us into the past through deep emotion.  This can be hard.  There are moments of our life that we might not want to re-acknowledge.

Bringing all of our parts into alignment (event the vicious ones) allows us to own our shadow.  It allows us to breath new life into those moments and to acknowledge the lessons we’ve learned about ourselves along the way.

Take a moment to ask, “What parts of my life am I ignoring?”  “Where might I have left pieces of myself along the way?”

Owning all of our parts puts us back together.  It allows us to be whole.  It allows us to be the divine soul that we were always meant to be.

 

Coming into alignment with my life: Fasting, Contemplation, and Yoga

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Today I kicked off a new direction.  A new re-engagement of my path.  I am choosing to live a more whole-hearted existence.  Even as someone that engages a more direct spiritual path, I sometimes find myself at odds with what I truly want from life and from my path.   I feel at times we really get caught in the actions of giving, and we do not take time for receiving.  I am now going into a place of balance.

When I feel the world around in flux, I move into the internal landscapes.  I am about to engage on a new path, and its time to cleanse and take responsibility for all that is in my life.

So it begins.  I am starting a 40 day (maybe longer) fast.  Now, to some this sounds like an impossibility and/or perhaps a bit loony.  Well, of course!  Taking full ownership of what we put into our bodies is a radical idea.  Food is a source of power and potential.  Its is energy.  It gives us fuel, but we often surrender power away to our food choices.

When I engage in a fast, I go hardcore.  So here are my eating parameters:

  1. I am only drinking water
  2. I am only eating simple non-processed raw foods
  3. I am only going to purchase foods with minimal/no packaging
  4. I will eat a balance of carbohydrates/fats/proteins
  5. I will be kind to myself and those around me while in the detox phase of this dietary transition.

Ok, so why line number 5?  Well, I am starting this in the middle of a Mercury and Uranus retrograde, after being bombarded by solar flares… So, I have to be sure that I am kind to myself, but more so those around me.  When we detox the body starts to purge away toxins stored in the organs, the muscles and fatty tissues.  This can make us initially feel sluggish, weak, and for lack of a scientific term.. BLAH.  We tend to lash out at those that are closest to us in these times, so we have to watch where our actions may be taking us within this space of cleanse.

**Also a special note to loved ones of those engaging in a fast/cleanse:  Be kind to those engaging in this spiritual pursuit.  It’s not easy aligning the body, mind, and spirit through relinquishment of our favorite food stuffs.  Don’t tempt us away from the journey by offering us things that are not in alignment with our goals, support us in our journey towards alignment, and be part of the process through actions of love.

Along with the food parameters I am also adding some lifestyle changes that to this process, as well as some daily tasking that I am to take on:

  1. I am going to do 1 creative thing a day.  Draw, paint, write a poem, sketch, write a story, etc.  I’ll be posting those on this blog.
  2. I am to reduce my ecological footprint as much as possible.  (I’ll discuss this in a bit)
  3. I am to reduce the amount of stuff that I am holding onto.  This is to include clothing, books, ritual items, etc that is no longer serving me towards my goals of alignment.
  4. I am to live a more simple life.  In action and words.  (more on this in a few)
  5. I am to hand make one or two outfits by hand (this is something I’ve always wanted to do.. I’m going very yogaish… and this is gearing me up towards creating the clothing line for the website launch).
  6. I am only to travel with minimal stuff.  I tend to overpack, and carry too much.  I love my books, and instead of taking 4 books with me on one single journey.. I’m making a resolution to take each book I pick up from start to finish.
  7. Daily personal yoga practice/meditation/contemplation of sacred text
  8. I am to start my day at 4:30 am daily to make full time for spiritual practice.

This sounds like a lot, but it really is just about coming into alignment on a deeper level with a lot of things that are currently in my experience.

I am also taking this time to engage a higher level of responsibility for the world around me.  I’m reading a pretty amazing book called: “Radical Simplicity by Jim Merkel”.  The book helps takes you through a process of acknowledging what your eco footprint is and how you can start to reduce that by leaps and bounds.

I am also taking this time to journal more.  To engage introspection on a deeper level.  Daily readings, predictions, channeling and being in spirits energy.

I am also moving towards aligning myself with my community more, which is another reason for the new website.  This will have its own post soon, and its going to be pretty amazing.. so stay tuned!

I am also going to move towards living my yoga completely.  I at one point thought about the possibility of taking my initiated yoga name as my legal name, I’ve been in contemplation of this for a few days now… I am going to realign with that name energetically as I feel it helps me to integrate my spiritual self into my mundane life.

There are a few of you that have expressed coming on this journey with me.  This is a great time for alignment.  Fasting, centering, and breathing are great ways to begin this process.

What are you willing to part with, and for how long?  Fasting can take many forms, and not always food.  You can fast from Facebook, talking, sugar, coffee, etc.  The idea is to regain your power, to hold onto center and to be in alignment with what you want from this experience.

Set a time limit, and remember–there is no failure. We start, and then we stop.  If we stop before we reach the finish line, it gives us a chance to see where we still may be in limitation… this will allow you to come into alignment with actions of expansion.  When we are aware of where we are, we have the power to move forward.

I am also going to be more cautious with the things that I say.  So, if I appear quiet, it is not that something is wrong, or that I am upset, or that I am ignoring you.  It is me, absorbing the beauty of each experience, and then reaching out through that energy with words that are filled with spirit instead of just reacting and giving power to things that do not deserve it.

There are lots of positive changes just on the horizon.  What are you doing to engage your path?  What are you doing to be more in the body?

Stay tuned, much, much more to come!

Mahayogi Das, CFT CSN MAT PAT

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell

The Changing Face of Spirituality

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One of the beautiful things about my job is that I get a front row seat to the world of spirituality.  Managing a book store gives me access to not only what is entering the world, but what people are seeking.

“I’m spiritual, just not religious” is a common phase that is tossed around a lot these days.  I am seeing more and more people coming into a greater state of alignment with their own vibrations and this is causing them to question old patterns, ideas, and concepts.  Questioning the world around us is powerful. It is common ground that we can all reside in.  The beauty of life is all the unknown.  Even in debate and disagreement we are able to grow.  If we only sit at the table with people who share the same ideas and beliefs as us we only get more of the same.  It doesn’t mean we have to accept someone else’s reality, but it allows me to at least share in a moment.  Challenge is good.  Challenge allows for us to move through resistance.

For me, spirituality is about expansion and not limitation.  I am seeing so many people reaching across the aisle to connect with others.  We still have a lot of disruptive energy in the world around us and communities are coming together to respond to these shifts in consciousness.

We are becoming more active in our spirituality.  Yoga, Qi-gong, breath work, and nutrition have been areas I’ve seen a lot of people starting to come into alignment with.  We must honor the temple the soul resides in.  New energy is coming in constantly, and we need to be able to hold and channel that energy out to be of the highest service.

The new generation of light workers are awakening to their purpose.  We all are.  Latent healing and intuitive gifts are activating in everyone.  Many of us have felt some resistance in the shift.  Resistance is not always bad, but let your resistance open you to expansion and not limitation.  Do not let your fears get the best of you.

I’ve noticed many drifting into old places.  Others are drifting into the future.  We only truly have the singularity of one breath in any given moment.  Don’t take it for granted.  The past shapes us, and the future helps to guide us… remember that the destination is the road beneath us.

Find joy and appreciation in all that you do.  Even if you do not like your job, appreciate it.  The resistance you feel from going in to that place day after day will only inspire you to grow into new opportunity.  Everything can be “good” if you find the gift it is bringing you.  Upheaval is a state of cleansing.  The more we tune into our intuition daily the more we come into greater alignment with that divine flow.

What are you moving yourself into?  Where are the waters of the divine taking you?   What is your resistance?

Michaell A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT
www.michaelbrazell.com
www.deviantyogi.com (yoga blog)
www.soulinteraction.com (spirituality blog)
www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell (radio show)

Grounding Through Gardening: My Unfolding Journey

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So, I have never been one to garden.  It’s not that I have a black thumb, but for me time seems to move so quickly that I barely have time to breathe much less connect to nature.  In one of my recent meditations I was asking what I could do to ground more, and the answer came in very clearly “Ground though touching sacred earth”.   I love nature and being outside, and it makes sense that connecting to the earth in a very tactile way would be fundamental in grounding down all this new energy that is coming in.  I’m lucky in that I have some wonderful friends that are avid gardeners and I can pull from their wealth of knowledge.

It will be a new way for me to engage my spirituality as well.   For me tactile spiritual experiences are important.  It lets me see spirituality in action.  I’m planning a little indoor garden and a small outdoor box garden.  I am having fun choosing my herbs and many of them I plan on using in my Deviant Yogi hoodoo mixes.  I’m also looking forward to the depth of discovery that I know will come from connecting to the souls of these plants.  The essence of life and spirituality in action moving through them as they breathe into this world.  I am going to work in specific meditations, utilize focused healing, and music.  I’ll also document my entire process so that you can all share in my joys (and struggles) as I move into this new and fascinating direction.

It is also important to have plant life inside.  It brings life and love into a home. I know this will be a great addition to my yoga room.  Plants are one of the most tactile ways we can connect to the divine.  There is a scent, touch, life, death, silence, and breathing– and they are all manifest at the same time.

What are your favorite plants?  What are your most memorable encounters in a garden/while gardening?  Share any spiritual experiences you’ve had in nature!

 

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

http://www.michaelbrazell.com

http://www.deviantyogi.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

Alone in Our Connections: Technology and Seperation

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The world is moving faster than we are. I am actually sitting on the metro writing this blog post. Joyfully connecting into each word as a world moves by around me. It is a beautiful thing that in an instant we can connect around the globe. We have access to countless bits of information, and this access can even come in the confines of a tunnel running under the nation’s capital. As I look up to scan the crowd I see that almost everyone else is doing something similar. Rarely do people make eye contact, and even more rare is the reaching out of a voice or even a smile to a stranger. Our technology allows us to be separated but not alone. I find that it is hard for me to sit at home and write, but if I plug into a coffee shop the words flow with ease. There is something about being in the energy of others that allows me to connect into myself. It allows me to see where I am in this world, and even though many of us are not connecting, we are still in some way sharing this moment. Not having to be alone, connected through our disconnection.

There is a theory that the 2012 incident that might actually happen is an elimination of technology due to a giant solar pulse. What would that look like? What would it be like if all the walls of our disconnect came tumbling down if even for a moment. Texting, tweeting and “liking” things has enabled us to share our thoughts in an instant. We can project out into the world pieces of who we are instantly. We can reach out to loved ones and say “Have a great day!” or “Hope work isn’t too stressful!”. Tho, I notice that the same people we send those text to, when put in the same room with us, we pull away from. May of us remain plugged in even when in the presence of family, friends, and partners. The art of conversation is dying. When instead of sitting down and planning out a future, you are restricted to having to check each other’s online calendars to determine when it will be okay to be present in each other’s experience. Technology allows us to scar someone else with ease. We can send passive aggressive texts, tweets and posts. When is the last time you said “I love you” in full presence and connection with someone you are sharing this life with? We don’t even really need to type it out fully on our cell phones, we only need pre-program the message to fly out at the touch of a button.

How does this impact our compassion for one another? For some, caring is sending the text, and I’m not saying that we shouldn’t use technology as a tool to reach out to those we love. I feel that it is more important to balance that out with a step into this reality. We have to connect to one another on the tangible plane of existence. When we “text argue” or “text talk” we get to plan out every word. Every thought gets a level of control, and we can avoid vulnerability like a plague. When we are face to face with someone else, standing in each other’s presence we can truly be in a place of deep feeling. When our partner, family, or friends have had a bad day we can be present. We can show empathy and reach out in compassion. If we stay plugged in we only may notice this on the perepherial. We seen the slumped shoulders, the tired look, but we don’t connect. Sometimes we only find out about the lives of those we share lives with through their Facebook updates or tweets. Rather than having intimate moments with those closest to us, we share with the masses. I’ve even seen people end relationships via the internet. When we can close down at the touch of a button we get this sense of control that is lost when we have to come face to face not only with others, but with ourselves. When lives are planned out in 2 month intervals via online appointments spontaneity dies. Spontaneity is one of the fuels for passion, and without it the flames eventual turn to embers that barely sustain heat. But what does it say about where we are in this society when we live our lives 2 or more months into the future. We do are not in the now, and that robs us of being fully aligned and present in our divine experience. It keeps us in full disconnection from those that are in this moment with us. THe further forward we live, the less room we create in the moment. I am not saying that we should not plan ahead, but when we become so rigid in our lives that deviations cause panic then we are damaging ourselves. Compassion to the self is something we forget about.

Our interpersonal disconnection is harmful. There are many cases where people won’t call for help when they hear someone in need, “Someone else will call.” We not only forget about the people we share this life with, but we absolutely forget about the earth. I can tell you how many Pagans I know that spend more time behind a computer, on their phone, or inside rather than actually celebrating the earth by going outside. Nature based faith requires us to at some point to connect into nature. Setting our computer screen savers to a woodland image is just not good enough.

Technology and advancement are wonderful. I mean, you wouldn’t be reading this blog without it. Take time to be in this world, and more importantly in your life. Connect with those around you, and create sacred time and space where technology is not allowed in. What would it be like to feel the love of all those around you fully? To unplug from the masses just long enough to embrace the idea that we can live in the moment? What would the passion of spontaneity look and/or feel like? Take a moment to give gratitude and thanks to what technology has brought you, then take a moment to make a commitment to re-connect back into your life. Plug into this moment, right now… what are you waiting for?

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.deviantyogi.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

Body Modification aka You Are TATTED UP

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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

Expressing Peace in Turbulent Times

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We only need to look around us to see that we are in a state of upheaval.  Times are changing rapidly and everyone is moving to the streets to have their voices heard.  Many are also taking this time to go into an internal space to create change within their own lives.  The road ahead might look bumpy, but it is only as turbulent as we choose it to be.  This is an important time to trust your intuition.  The one thing that we have to do is give ourselves permission to be angry.  Be angry!  Get Angry! —  but then allow yourself to move into a state of release and growth.  Why plant weeds in your own garden?  Holding onto anger will only attract more of it in your life.  We are all looking for change, growth, and we cannot expect others to provide that for us.  It is important to have a message of equality on all levels heard in the public forum, but we must first ask “What am I doing to create peace and change within myself?”  Too often we get caught up in the energetic tsunami of others.  This is why we are currently not seeing a unified message within the ranks of the “Occupy” movement.  As time passes I feel that a true, underlying message will begin to bubble to the surface.

Here are a few ways to express peace in your life right now:

1) Say I love you to someone next to you

2) Give forgiveness

3) Ask for forgiveness

4) Smile at a stranger

5) Volunteer and help those that are in need

6) Love yourself fiercely

7) Pray

8) Sing

9) Dance

10) Look in the mirror and love yourself

11) Write a list of all the things you are thankful and appreciative of.  Be in a constant rampage of gratitude.

12) If you feel negativity coming on, pull out your list from line number 11 and begin your gratitude flow.

13) Love your enemies.  Hate, never erases hate.

What are some ways that you bring peace into your life?  What do you do to bring yourself back to center?

Share your posts below!!!

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

http://www.michaelbrazell.com

757-839-3531

Michael@michaelbrazell.com

Transformation, Taking Charge: Being the Butterfly

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Not sure what is in the air, but it seems like everyone is going through some sort of transition, change, or shifting.   Even those of us that are in a place of spiritual connection are feeling the effects of global energy.  I personally am taking some steps to adjust my life into a state of preparation for the changes that are coming.  It is time that we take back our power, detach from negativity and learn to communicate with our divine nature.   I am going to share my process for the next week with you for a couple of reasons.  First, it holds me to a greater level of responsibility:  The better I am, the better I can be for those that I am of service to.  Secondly, it give you a process that you can take from if you are looking to develop a greater connection to your path.

I am taking 7 days to ground, reconnect, transition, and move back to center.

1)  I am fasting.  In the non-traditional way:  I am eating lentils, rice, raw veggies, water and tea (decaf)– no food after 8pm.

2)  I am going to bed each night at 11:00 pm.

3)  I am waking up each morning at 4:30 am for meditation, prayer and for my cardiovascular workout.  For the yoga I am doing a 27-54 sun salutation repetition.  Each day for the 7 days I am doing a focused meditation on a specific topic, and for that day will use a directed mantra for my prayer.

4)  I am doing a structured evening 60-90 min yoga flow.

5) I am eliminating all sugars, processed foods, caffeine (ugh) and filling my body with as much goodness as I can.

6)  I am going to write at least 1 poem a day, and journal my experience throughout the day.

7) I will do deep spiritual connection and readings for myself, my locale, and global (a few of which I will post here)

Next Sunday I am doing a 24 hour day of silent meditation, reflection and prayer.  I will not speak for the 24 hr time period (4:30 am Sunday-4:30 am Monday).  I will do yoga, silent prayer, and am planning a walk through a local nature trail.

These are just a few of the things I am doing, and I am doing a minimum of 7 days.   I could stretch it out do longer, but it will not be any less that this.

When is the last time you’ve connected spiritually to your path?  What sacrifices are you willing to make to dive deeper into your life, path, and soul work?