May/June 2003
Feature Articles
Holistic Health Q & A
by Julie Gatza, D.C.
To restore and maintain good health,
clean out your body's toxins first.
What is... Neurotransmitter Imbalance?
by John B. DeCosmo, D.O.
Depression, anxiety, fatigue and sleeplessness
aren't just in your mind. An imbalance of molecules in your brain could
be the cause.
UnCommon Sense!
by David Findlay
Winning the Pease.
Articles on the theme "Environmental Consciousness"
Cancel That Thought
by Dr. Audrey Craft Davis
You can stop contributing to planetary
pollution by changing your negative thoughts into positive ones.
An Inside Job
by Martin Montes
Recycling laws protect our outer environment;
good habits protect the inner.
Inside & Out
by Charles Larsen
If you're swimming behind a shark,
you'd better know where the rest of his family is.
Your Consciousness is Showing
by Nancy Buchanan
Manifesting the thoughts and things
that improve our personal and global environment.
Learning - Naturally
by Barbara Bedingfield
Helping children appreciate the environment
around them at the different stages of their lives.
Awareness of All Life
by Matt Guest
Our physical environment is a reflection
of our inner self awareness.
A Lost World?
by AnneMarie Dyer
The state of our environment is a reflection
of our overall spiritual condition.
Natural Wonders
by Suzanne Persons, Ph.D.
Connecting with nature is easy, and
often dramatic, when you live on Florida's Suncoast.
Awareness of All Life
by Matt Guest
Once upon a time in an ancient past there existed only Spirit and earth, and the Spirit flowed throughout the earth pulsing with waves of the purest affection. And as the Spirit intertwined with the earth, the earth swooned and erupted with joy over this great power and affection, giving birth to a rich creation of physical life bursting forth with this infinite love. It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful of creations, and soon the earth teemed with untold varieties of life -- the ultimate expression of this most passionate union...
To talk about life in such a way is poetic. And poetry is one way of expressing within our finite physical world the joy that we feel for creation. We sing a song, paint a picture, write a book, make things with our hands, or fall in love to express our passion for life. But all of these, no matter how moving, are still only limited attempts at capturing the depth of the joy we feel inside when we look at the beauty of the earth and the life within. Only by going beyond these incomplete forms of expression can we ever truly embrace the infinite source of life. This is the world of the dreaming body -- a world where all forms cease to exist and where truly lasting connections to all forms of life are found.
Self-awareness is the awareness of all life. You, as a human being, are created to be aware of life in all of its many forms, and your mission here is to constantly enhance that awareness in order to enhance the awareness of all life. This is the way that the earth and humankind become enlightened. This is how a global shift takes place. This is how we come to take care of ourselves, one another and our environment. This is how we end all war and the many subtle faces of violence.
You are already affecting the earth and all forms of consciousness regardless of whether or not you realize it. Becoming aware of the Unknown within you is the first step towards real self-awareness, environmental awareness and world consciousness. This means that you understand that life in all of its many forms exists within you already. This life is your soul or dreaming body. Your dreaming body is the Spirit, the Unknown -- the source of all life. And any change that you attempt to make within yourself, within the environment or within the world will have zero effect unless you become aware of, and strengthen, your connection to your own dreaming body first.
So, how does one become aware of and strengthen this connection? By listening. Listen to your intuition -- your inner knowing. Listen to your physical body and its knots and blockages. Listen to the words and non-verbal actions of those close to you. Listen to the dreaming bodies that visit you when you are awake and asleep. And listen to the voice of the earth in your backyard and the world. By listening instead of talking, you hear what your dreaming body is telling you about yourself and, therefore, the world. And by listening instead of talking to yourself about your self-image and what others think of you, you hear the voice of the Unknown.
Listening is the only way to achieve harmony between your dreaming body and your physical body. Disconnection between the two is the source of all ignorance and violence toward ourselves and one another. Listening is meditation. Meditation is a way of life, not a program that you impose upon yourself. Your mind becomes still because your life becomes simple and focused, and you consciously nurture your connection to your dreaming body -- the Unknown. When you listen, you are feeling the universe. Suddenly, you find yourself understanding and communicating with everything and everyone. This is consciousness. This is self-awareness. This is how you discover your connection to the environment and the world-at-large.
Your dreaming body should fill your physical body as water fills the container of a potted plant. It should permeate and inhabit every organ, bone, muscle, gland and your brain -- every crack and crevice, every molecule and atom. Your physical body must be a safe haven for your dreaming body. It must be strong and well cared for. It must be fed and clothed with the finest that the earth has to offer. We, as individuals, as a society and as a country are having to face up quickly to the results of who we are, and especially who we are not. The state of our environment and of our world is reflecting back to us, in no uncertain terms, the results of our ignorance. This is not a time to speculate, think, or point the finger. It is a time to act within yourself. Now is the time to physically embody the Truths that are screaming out within your dreaming body. Now is the time for you to become a beacon and living example to those around you.
The earth is our source of physical life -- our partner in this part of the journey. As physical beings, we are required to take from the earth in order to continue our physical existence. All of life is a sacrifice. Whether from plants or animals, water or air, we take life from the earth to ensure our own. This is part of the physical dance. We consume energy to beget energy. We assimilate awareness to enhance our own awareness. The thing to remember is to tread lightly and not be greedy or careless with this life. Always give thanks to the forms of life that sacrifice themselves so that you may continue. Remember that one day you, too, will become food for another. One day, you will give back. And if you are conscious of the way that you live and of your effect on others and the earth, perhaps you will become a banquet for the Unknown.
See all life as equivalent to your own -- all awareness, all forms of consciousness. Awareness is enlightenment. Give first to yourself the gift of the Unknown by listening to your dreaming body. Then you will overflow with joy and lasting affection, and you will be capable of caring for the earth and all of its many forms of life with the same respect, awareness and affection that you have shown for the Spirit within yourself. May you find your highest fulfillment.
Matt Guest is the author of The Face of Power. He offers
guidance in energetic self-awareness and dream interpretation. (503) 598-8764
www.thefaceofpower.com
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