Gaia: Transformative Tools and Technology

The alchemy of the four elements and conscious transformation.

http://spiritualalchemy.gaia.com — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:28:35 GMT

Hello all-

I have been working with the four elements (Earth, Water, Air, and Fire) - in the form of the elemental cycle or mandala - for a number of years now as a tool for both self-transformation and as a way of penetrating the mysteries of the objective world. It seems to me that the elements provide a profound tool for the structuring of human consciousness, particularly around situations undergoing change, whether inner or outer.

My personal interest in this topic has led me to try and explore the elements and the potentials of the elemental cycle as the topic of my master's thesis in Consciousness Studies, which is almost completed. As a part of this I have created a primer on the four elements and how they can practically be used as an objective tool for self-transformation and for help in structuring our consciousness around difficult or otherwise mysterious situations. The primer has been placed at: http://www.spiritalchemy.com and is completely free.

As a part of my work I am also looking for people who wish to try out the elemental cycle for themselves and who can provide feeback on the process - this will help me understand how other people work with the cycle and what it does (or does not) do for them, all with the aim of refining and evolving how to present the elemental cycle as an effective transformative tool. I see this as a collaborative aspect of the work, and one that is important for well-roundedness.

I would love to share this tool and see how it works for you!

-peace-
-Seth Miller

Intro reflect of me in you

http://uroborospiralbridge.gaia.com — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:19:54 GMT

Hi, Zaadzland citizens!

I'll like to introduce myself. I want to benefict of your condescendence to say a ”few” words about me.

I wouln't dare to make them so ”few” to your patience if I wasn't sure that to speak about me (just like each one of us speaking of himself) is to speak about the all of us' endowment and empowering for the purpose we all cross here in Zaadz's seed plantation.

To speak about ourselves is to speak before a mirror, mirror that reflects what we are,
what we appear to be, what we think we are and also what we would like to be now, in the future or ever.

I'm sure we agree in that not all of this self-refletion of each one of us are coincident in its contain. It's a good thing to be so.

Nevertheless, we can say that, in a certain sense, we are all of these reflects. Our past, present and future, and the their mutual living flesh mix are there as a conducting line in our lives.

We are what we are - as a power to be and to become, naturally or super-naturally, an increasing better human being.

We are what we appear to be to the others, and differently to each one of the others - we are, therefore, a multiplicity of appearences of us to the others, each one of it “true” and “untrue” at the same time.

The truth is an everlasting growing process to discover in a more and more fullness.

We are what we think we are - which is our self-appearance, our self-image, different as well of the image we impress in others, in each one of others.

We “are” finally what we would like to be, our project for ourselves, our project for ourselves to the others.

We are therefore a multiple existence, a be-ing entity, a project to be the self we already are.

So, what will appear to you, to each one of you will be a different Lapdrey, a different “Pilgrim of me” pilgriming in you.

So then, also what will appear to me, of you, will be each one of you pilgriming in me, according to each crossing encounter of each one of us to each other.

It is deeply enriching that it may be so, because the building of you and me, the building of me and each one of you, the building of each one of us and each one of the others will be so on the best way to its empowering, fulfilling and perfectioning.

So, what you will read here is only the present reflection of me in the (challeging) mirror you all are for me.

I think this model of mutual network crossing of each one of our paths is the best and most promissing and profitable one: it is the only, I think, that may allow us to consider the widest inclusive growing model for us: individually, collectivelly, networkingly.

We are for sure One in our human nature, the One self in all and each one of us: this is the commun frame and the challenge towards our personal, collective and transpersonal mutation.

But, on the same time, each one of us is unique, he is the Unique soul in all and each one of us: this is our fingerprint and the promise and the way to an individual, collective, communing Promise Land for us to live -

to live, share and commune all this richness in an everlasting growing life humanly divine.

“Oroborus spiral bridge”

As a pilgrim of me,
I have been searching for the sense
of life and death.

After I found its intangible golden seed,
I disgracefully lost it again,
for my unconquered imperfections.

I have made the turn of the inner world,
and now I came home again
to recover both half parts of me.

My goal is therefore to unit them:

as a fruitful blessing from above,
as a precious gift to be offered,
as a noble heritage to share with others
and as an everlasting life project to perform:

here, now and elsewhere.

Time for seed,
time for deeds,
time for being a flame of joy.

I am the ground,
the others are the wings.

The divine Spirit,
the vivifying freeze and the secure bridge
for eternity.

My life’s spiral-bridge path
(please take a look to me in Zaadz's project: http://uroborospiralbridge.zaadz.com)

I am basically a poet, a doer: someone that makes reality come to being, through the intentional power of language: thought, said, written or… lived.

I feel that I definitely have to link, in a better synthesis, both wings of my active being:

- the warrior worker that works with active words of powerful and efficacious effect on soul inward level,

- and the warrior worker that works with communicational and efficient active words on life outward level.

Now I feel I am on the point to find the right spiral bridges to such a deed in my life.

That's one of the reasons why I’m here:
as a living spiral uroboros, growing by an integral, transglobal and biotheosic model to be achieved and made resonant.

In the alchemy of this process, on the deep mirror of my soul, I look at me as a serpenting, circulating, spiraling human being, in a permanent rebirth from his own ashes, in four simultaneous and interdependent directions: upward, forward, downward, and aroundward.

So to be born divine, to be growing more human, to be more effectively compassionate and a more apocalyptically future revealer.

I' am therefore, essentially, a seeder - a zaadzer.

As such then, my day by day life's agenda is:

to learn
to share
to receive
to struggle
to perform

amongst a community of beings called by the tunes of future,
from the very bosom of the eternity of beauty.

My life's goal: Life is the mean, eternal life is the goal

I keep a proposal in life: permanently rebirth from the ashes of myself.

I awake, each new day, thanksgiving for the wonder of life -
in the positive, firm and enlightened propose to anchor
in the most intensive and fruitful Now, and now on -

personally, convocationally, interseptionally, congregationally, realizingly.

I work to the purpose of searching the major, higher and deeper
common, parallel, intersected, concentric
spiral interaction of all and everything:

in everyone, for everyone.

Another form of "emotional clearing," and a request...

http://clearlifesolutions.gaia.com — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:03:45 GMT

Dear Friends,

I am writing to ask for your assistance in helping me launch an
exciting challenge. If you feel it would be of good service, please
pass this along to a friend, a colleague or a loved one who may be
interested in a mind-and-heart- opening experience of inquiry.

In between my regular clients and volunteer schedule, I've made a
commitment to facilitate 31 people who are new to The Work of Byron
Katie for one hour each between now and Jan. 31, 2007. I'm offering
these 31 telephone (or Skype) sessions of Transformational Inquiry to
people who have never done The Work, never attended a "Work"-shop or
introductory program and never worked with a facilitator before.

All I ask of participants in this challenge is to:
1) visit my website, clearlifesolutions. com and once there, subscribe
to my newsletter, Transformational Inquiry
2) fill out a 10-minute feedback form after our session to help me
track my calls and learn from our time together.

There is no further obligation. If we have a successful experience
together, I may offer to continue working with you, but there is no
pressure for you to do so.

What can you do with just one private session of Transformational
Inquiry with The Work of Byron Katie? You can begin to understand the
obstacles that keep you from realizing your highest potential in your
life and work. You can begin to delve deeply into a process that is
changing lives all over the world. You can give voice to the stressful
"I know" thoughts that have been running your life forever and, once
acknowledged and met with compassion, you may begin to "unlearn" them.

How do you know if Transformational Inquiry is a good fit for you
right now? Experiencing it is the best way to find out, but here are
some clues...

*You've been running into the same walls in a situation or a
relationship for some time and don't quite know why, inquiry can help
you tap into underlying self-limiting beliefs behind your repetitive
behavior. (Once explored from all angles, these beliefs tend to
release us in time.)

*You're sick and tired--and you are sick and tired of being sick and
tired!-- that could mean you have enough willingness to "leave
everything you know behind" (David Whyte).

*You are a counselor or a coach and you would like a "booster shot" of
clarity to work more effectively with your clients and in your own life.

If you qualify for this offer, please...
1) familiarize yourself with The Work of Byron Katie by reading the
material at my website, http://www.clearlifesolutions. com and at the
official website of The Work of Byron Katie: http://www.thework. com
2) sign up for the Transformational Inquiry e-zine at the Clear Life
Solutions website, http://www.clearlifesolutions. com (if you have not
done so already!)
3) Write to
carol@clearlifesolutions.com
with a "Yes" by November 1, 2006 and tell me briefly about yourself
and why you are interesting in a "test run" of The Work. Also please
let me know who referred you so that I may thank them!

If you are among the first 31 qualified responders to this offer, I
will write to set up a mutually convenient time to work and forward
instructions for preparing for your session. (You do have to do a
little "homework" first.)

Why am I doing this? I was inspired by a program I learned about from
life coach Julia Stewart (a member of Zaadz) in which new coaches commit to working with
100 clients in two years or less. They fill their practices and become
better coaches in the process...and thousands of people who've never
previously been coached experience the benefits of coaching. It's a
win-win.

I've already worked with well over 100 people in my five years as a
facilitator, but I've never undertaken such a "Challenge"
("Opportunity! "). I see "31 by 31" as a way to introduce more people
to this powerful process that has changed my life... to grow my skills
as a facilitator. ..and to grow in service.

If you know of someone who may be interested, please forward this
email to them. Again, the deadline for applying is November 1, 2006.

With much love,
Carol

No longer free (was Re: Useful site for Strength Training new...)

http://BodhiGeek.gaia.com — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:43:04 GMT

Ack! As of today, it's out of beta and no longer free. They did add the ability to define what equipment you have access to.

Useful site for Strength Training newbies

http://BodhiGeek.gaia.com — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 05:30:52 GMT

Here's a worthwhile toold for some. This is a web based program, but pretty interesting: http://hyperstrike.com/

As a complete newbie to strength training, I've found the Flash models of the exercises invaluable.

The site is designed to function as a virtual personal trainer. It functions pretty well in that respect. You tell it your goals and it developes a plan for you. You can swap out any give exercise from a list it provides you. I wish it would allow you to define what equipment you want it to draw from, so you didn't have to swap each time, though. I also wish it would allow you to completely define your own program, so you could use it just for organization and printing daily cheat sheets.

It's free and worth checking out for the perdy pictures (Flash animations) if nothing else.

-Dave

Re: A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

http://enlightenmentdotcom.gaia.com — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 18:18:23 GMT

Nicely put: the risk is that we'll be divided, and not really "get" anywhere (as if there were anywhere to get). And I like your notion of joy. Without it, why bother? And without it, you won't continue the practice anyway.

Re: Software: Program Tracker

http://redyellowblue.gaia.com — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 18:12:48 GMT

Hi Roelke,

I've used Calorie King for a couple of weeks now and like it very much. Though I haven't seen sparkpeople, it is likely more flexible than sparkpeople given your description, and can account for 5-6 meals a day.

Check it out at http://www.calorieking.com/software/

Bill

Re: A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

http://tomsidebottom.gaia.com — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 02:45:06 GMT

I see the analytical meditation as providing access to vertical growth, exactly as you say. The stabilizing meditation, though, I see as providing increased breadth of understanding at a particular level of View - rather than reaching downward. The View (and here I'm using my translation of the German term Weltanschauung) is the complete world that one can apprehend and operate on within a particular way of viewing the world. Stabilizing meditation helps refine the View without moving it upward or downward. It increases its capacity without changing the viewpoint. Analytical meditation helps to move between levels of View.

Re: A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

http://magi.gaia.com — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 13:54:57 GMT

I agree with you Tom! We have a tendency to over look the very critical difference between horizontal and vertical practices. Thank you for bringing up the Tibetan perspective on Stabilizing and Analytical meditations, I was unaware of the concepts. Wilber does a great job of making the distinction between vertical growth and horizontal unfolding. I think an Integral Practice must contain both. The Stabilizing practices work like Agape...they are reaching down and into, where as Analytical practices continue the Erotic drive upward to higher stages of consciousness.

Namaste

Re: A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

http://tomsidebottom.gaia.com — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 00:24:08 GMT

My previous post was cut off in the next to last paragraph. Here's the remainder:

Back to integral practice for a moment: I found Wilber's essay in the most recent What Is Enlightenment very helpful when he discusses the difference between horizontal and vertical practice. A yogin or Buddhist master may have profound practice at a particular worldview - and yet be limited by that worldview. Wilber discusses the importance of vertical practice to move between worldviews.

The Tibetan Buddhists have a similar notion when they describe Sustaining and Analytical meditation. Sustaining meditation works to maintain and to deepen practice at a particular level. Analytical meditation probes deeply. We need both.

Re: A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

http://tomsidebottom.gaia.com — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 03:27:15 GMT

Super post!

I grabbed a copy of Wilber's new Integral Life Practice ITP DVD some monts ago, gave it a careful look, and did some thinking. Years ago an old friend suggested she was pursuing Aristotle's Life of Excellence by engaging the Aristotelian elements:

Earth: Body practice
Water: Emotional relationship
Air: Intellectual pursuits
Fire: Spiritual involvement

It's been about thirty years since she suggested those to me, and over time I've evolved my own 'Gang of Four'. So encountering the suggested practices in the ITP kit caused me to think through what I've been doing - and I decided mostly to stick with what I've been doing. (The one exception is that I've added Focused Intensity Training to my physical workout routines - it's been very helpful, indeed.)

Your essay speaks to me about the need to do fully regardless of what you do. My old Zen Buddhist teacher said the same thing to me years ago when she reflected on listening to an elite athlete talk about his training. His attitude of mind - the Hows, as she put it - were exactly the same as someone sitting zazen. The physical practice was different, but that wasn't important.

Now, for me, I need to keep in balance because I'm prone to what the ancients called enthusiasms. So my gang of four goes like this:

Earth: walking the Iowa countryside with my partner, John, in every season. I get to see the transformations going on all around me - which I often miss because I'm so head-bound. Earth is also aerobic and weight training - and these days some neo-pagan ritual work.
Water: the alchemical marriage with John. Alchemical language is a large part of my inner landscape. The alchemical marriage is creating a new energetic entity from the union of the energies of two lovers - a life-long practice that gives me great joy.
Air: a bit of philosophizing and communicating (like this message).
Fire: meditation to realize unitive consciousness - for me, mostly vipassana meditation with some inner visualization work.

Back to integral practice for a moment: I found Wilber's essay in the most recent

Thanks for your insightful essay!

Tom

Re: A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 12:43:58 GMT

Hay Antlion,

Thanks, I'm going to check into Candice Pert... I like that direction... and in fact I like or resoate ... or shoot... words don't cut it...

I could say I got more from your little post there than anything I've read here since I've been on... it's been fun, telling everyone all the cool stuff I've been doing, and how great I am... etc... but have not really gotten any sort of ... transfusion back... (still words don't make it...) but your post is different.

Peace

Donald

Re: A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

http://antlion.gaia.com — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:41:10 GMT

Hi, I enjoy reading different perspectives on "Integral Practice" and it's application - it gives you additional ideas to possibly incorporate and reinforcement to continue. I think that the world of computing has given everyone the misconception that we can multi-task; however, the results of linear development does have positive results for daily performance on a holistic level.

That said, I'm a procrastinator...lol...here's what I'm up to for ILP:

Planning:
I begin to create a goal sheet and a weekly schedule (sigh...I'm a project manager) which included the ‘five free therapies' (ref. Dan and Marty Butterfield in Boulder Colorado - Neuromuscular Therapists), 1) Diet, 2) Movement, 3) Breath, 4) Creativity, and 5) Spirituality. Enter Stage Left...an introduction to AQAL, MyILP and Spiral Dynamics (ref. Graves). I then stumbled across Dr. Candace Pert's "Molecules of Emotion" on the web, which neatly holds hands w/ Tolle, describing us as mind-bodies and she states that the future of medicine would be based on three principles, 1) how we move, 2) what we think, and 3) what we eat.

The Practice:
I try to consistently fit into my daily routine (mapped to the five therapies mentioned above) 1) Live/organic foods, and lot's of them + green teas, etc. (caffeine and fast food out the window...well almost ;-), 2) A combination of 1-2-3 (ref. MyILP Kit), Yoga positions, hiking, soccer, biking and basketball (some of these I find to be spiritual, too), 3) Vinyasa Yoga, 4) Expressing myself through art and guitar, reading, 5) Meditate, Tonglen, Mantras (I made a mala...more creativity!), Big Mind, and soon-to-be-introduced Shadow work (this will likely be monumental task in itself).

Re: Software: Program Tracker

http://integralawakening.gaia.com — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 00:15:06 GMT

sparkpeople is a nice program, but I wish it had a bit more flexibility. It seems you're stuck with a meal tracker that allows you only 3 meals/day + a snack. 5-6 meals is what I do and is very common for exercise programs and physical training.

this is wonderful though, hope more of these will pop up. online tracking is great:)

Re: Software: Program Tracker

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:36:16 GMT

sparkpeople.com focuses on losing weight, instead of building mass...it's free & provides online tracking of fitness progress, motivation, nutrition plans, etc.

Re: Meditation Timer Widget

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:27:12 GMT

This <i>so</i> rocks. Thanks, Vince!

(I'm using mine as a reminder to stretch and/or quit mousing around on my Mac :)

Re: Weight Training

http://integral-options.gaia.com — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 03:50:15 GMT

A pound of muscle burns as much as ten times more calories per day than a pound of fat. No myth there.

Other reasons to build muscle:

1) Makes the body more efficient at handling carbohydrates in the diet (lower blood glucose levels), reducing the risk of diabetes.

2) Increases immune system strength (steroids and growth hormone are gaining acceptance in treating HIV/AIDS due to their ability to increase muscle mass, thus increasing immune system health).

3) Stabilizes joints to prevent injuries.

4) Core strength is crucial in older adults to prevent falls. When balance is compomised for any reason, but especially age, it is core strength that stabilizes the body to prevent falls.

Peace,

Bill

Re: A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 22:01:02 GMT

Hi Jordan,

I fully agree with you and espcially with this part:" Remember: you can really only do one thing at a time anyway. Conversely, any practice can become integral to you if you are truly - and regularly - present for it. What's integral about a practice, then, isn't its external form or trappings, but rather, the consciousness that you bring to it, and give through it. "

Integral approach's goal is to to developp human beeing on all quadrant evenly. The risk is to divide energy and not realise much. Some tradition emphasize one technique in order to reach a non-dual state. And the risk is to neglect the body (usually).

So there's no end to it! So what you are saying seems a good way. I would add something: If the practice makes you joyfull, follow it.

In the end, no system will bring us where we wanna go. Will have to do it on our own.

"It is good to be born in a church, but it is not good to die int it"

Patrick

A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means

http://enlightenmentdotcom.gaia.com — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 16:02:12 GMT

Hey all, I”ve posted an essay that, perhaps, is worthy of reading. It focuses on a different meaning of what an *integral* practice is, different, that is, then where Wilber, Murphy, Leonard, and Walsh are pointing. It’s at: http://enlightenmentdotcom.zaadz.com/blog/2006/6/a_practice_thats_integral_to_your_life Enjoy, and let me know: what practice is integral to *your* life?

Brainwaves - enlightment and shameless promotions

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:33:24 GMT

Has anyone been receiving those annoying letters from (you will know if you have) ... where he always has "an even better offer" ... where you are going to pay thousand+ bucks for CD's that you can buy from Dr. Jeffrey Thompson for the price of like a regular entertainment CD... the Thompson CD's are GOOD... very good...

Even Master Charles's CD's are fine... and Monroe CD's are good... I just get annoyed at the promotional BS of some of these people...

I'm also on the list of ARE ... and get their stuff almost daily, having paid big bucks to go sit at the back of a big auditorium to see a 2 hr self promoting talk by a famous energy healing person... they had sold out the main program and were selling the special 2 hr thing where that's all you get of a weekend workshop... well, when we entered the auditorium, they had roped off the front and back sections ... and all of us who had only managed to get the 2 hr deal had to sit way in the back... and there was a whole section ... maybe 1/4 or 1/2 of the auditorium in front of us... empty ... so we could barely hear and see .... and if you had a question she did not see your hand go up ... because of the size of the place... anyway, my point is ... lots of people are using our drive to know who we are to get rich... Well, why not?

I could be wrong ... but seems to me that if it costs a lot of money... it may not be exactly what you need... or maybe you need it to realize (like I finally did) that you can't buy ... enlightenment ...

What prompted this rant, if it is a rant, is the announcement of the II Multiplex...

The most effective thing I've EVER done for myself / getting out of myself was a 10 day retreat that was totally free (food, everything) ... donations accepted but never asked for or requested...

Gaia: Transformative Tools and Technology

The alchemy of the four elements and conscious transformation.

Intro reflect of me in you

Another form of "emotional clearing," and a request...

No longer free (was Re: Useful site for Strength Training new...)

Useful site for Strength Training newbies

Re: A Different Idea of What *Integral* Practice Means

Re: Software: Program Tracker

Re: A Different Idea of What *Integral* Practice Means

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Re: A Different Idea of What *Integral* Practice Means

Re: Software: Program Tracker

Re: Software: Program Tracker

Re: Meditation Timer Widget

Re: Weight Training

Re: A Different Idea of What *Integral* Practice Means

A Different Idea of What *Integral* Practice Means

Brainwaves - enlightment and shameless promotions

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A Different Idea of What Integral Practice Means