What Can We Learn from Standing Rock? Part 4: Bring it Home

From the Elders at Standing Rock, the Fourth Principle: Bring it Home. What are the issues alive in your own neighborhood and how is the earth, water, and air needing your help? The work before us is everywhere.

For me, this is the most important principle of them all. This is, as they say, where the rubber meets the road. 

The elders are showing us a new way forward—a way based on indigenous wisdom, ancient practices that have proven to be life-sustaining and that hold the wholeness of the system, what is best for all, at the heart of their prayer and their work in the world.  They are creating a new legacy, and opening the way for us to do the same. Many of us are feeling a powerful sense of I’m Sorry…for the history of atrocity against Native Americans by this country, and also for the damage we’ve witnessed and participated in against this planet. It is powerful to see the truth, to acknowledge the wrongs that have been done.

This apology is a great start. There’s another very important component to moving forward in a new legacy, though. Yes, I’m sorry. And…Never Again.

This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we Bring it Home.

An apology without action can soon become empty words. It’s how we move forward that gives our words substance.

What actions can you take in your day to day life that walk this new legacy forward and make it real? Is there anything going on that hits you in the gut, that feels as if it is not in the interest of the whole, is not life affirming? Anything you’d like to see come to life? Any neighbors you’d like to reach out to, get to know better? Volunteer work to be done? Where are you called to put your stake in the ground?

This doesn’t have to be a big deal. It’s the small stuff that really makes a difference—action by action, thought by thought, word by word. That’s how we bring it home. The consistency of our thoughts, words and actions. The persistent commitment to keep our prayer at the center of our day to day lives. Our choices as to where we spend our money, where we bank, who we do business with. Where we invest our money. 

Are there any issues related to the earth, to air, to water that you have passion for? How can you take action to help this country move forward in a way the cares for the planet?

As we move forward into 2017, I invite you to dream into ways you can create a new legacy in your life. When you hold this in your heart as a priority, the daily choices you make will be influenced. In the very best of ways. 

Sending you all love, and blessings over this holiday time.

With respect,

Zardoya 

What Can We Learn from Standing Rock? Part 3: Every Person Is Important and Useful

From the Elders at Standing Rock, the Third Principle: “Every Person is Important and Useful. There is much to be done. Whether you pick up garbage or write a blog, cut wood, scrub pots, or go out on a direct action, every act you do is a prayer and all acts are sacred. In this place there is no hierarchy in the realm of work.”

Whoa. Let me repeat that last line: In this place there is no hierarchy in the realm of work. 

Just stop for a moment and take in these words. No hierarchy in the realm of work. 

This is a concept completely foreign—and opposite—the western world of work. Wait…scrubbing pots is as important as sitting in prayer or taking rubber bullets on the front line? What?

I witnessed this principle in action countless times at Standing Rock. There was…a flow. When a need was identified, inevitably someone would step forward and say "I can to do that…" There was no hierarchy, there was only the moment and what was needed in that moment. Actually, I had no idea what the people I encountered "did" in the outside world. Each person's contribution was important, timely. There was a willingness to step in, over and over again. 

Hierarchy is inexorably woven into our western minds and ways of being. The CEO is far, far more important than the executive assistant, right? And yet…how would the CEO function without that assistant? How would our world function without teachers, or nurses, or garbage collectors, or dish washers? There is much to be done, and each person has a role to play in supporting the whole.

How did we get so out of balance? To the point where the CEO earns more money in one day than his or her employees make in a year? Where decisions are made from the top down, often without full consideration of impact on the whole?

How can we start to build balance into our western world? To view each person as important, each action or function as an essential part of the whole of our community/world?

An image comes to mind, of a sphere made up of facets, like a gemstone. Each facet shines and reflects light brilliantly, no one facet more brilliant than another. Together, they create beauty. Wholeness. Function. What if we learned to live from this place of community, of wholeness, of valuing the contributions of every person as important and useful?

And then, there's the other half of the third principle: every act you do is a prayer and all acts are sacred. In a prayer camp, where the commitment is to hold sacred energy in your thoughts, words, and actions, it’s easy to step into the energy of this principle. There are reminders all around; when one begins to falter a bit, another steps up in full prayer and the energy shifts.

It isn’t always perfect at Standing Rock. There have been times when actions were taken, especially on the front lines, which were not in alignment with the prayer of the elders, not sanctioned by the chiefs, and not centered in prayer and the sacred. There were moments I saw on video that involved name calling, rock throwing, taunting of officers on the other side of the front line.

And yet, prayer was also present. Gentle corrections were made…sometimes fierce corrections were made. There are many who are committed to a prayerful demonstration, and these people hold a front line of their own. The fact that the demonstrations have remained as peaceful as they have, in spite of incredible tension and excessive push-back on the front line, is remarkable. Prayer and the sacred have prevailed.

This concept hearkens back to the second principle, that of basing our action in prayer and ceremony. When we act from a place of prayer, holding the sacred in our hearts, we move in the world of ceremony—no matter what we’re doing. We establish a link with the energy bank of our prayer, and we walk it forward into the world. And there is no hierarchy in prayer…each thought, each word, each action is equally whole and holy.

We need each other to hold the line for the sacred. To remind each other, even if it’s simply by standing by in your centered, prayer-based self. To hold the line for the sacred, for all that is life affirming. To gently—and sometimes, fiercely—hold the line for the whole. To value the contributions of each and every person we encounter.

This is a particular challenge in our polarized country at this time. I invite you to play with this principle as you move in the world. To hold the knowing that each person's contributions are important to the greater whole, to the evolution of human consciousness. This is no small challenge...see how big you can get, how open your heart can become, how strong your pillar of prayer-energy can grow. 

With respect,

Zardoya

What Can We Learn from Standing Rock? Part 2: A New Legacy

From the Elders at Standing Rock, the Second Principle: "We are building a new legacy here. It's a legacy based upon the wisdom of the elders whose lives are steeped in prayer and ceremony."

From Merriam Webster, the definition of legacy: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past. 

This feels to me like a pulling forward of an old way of being, and applying it into today's world by sharing openly.

This new legacy involves showing us how to walk from a place of deep connection with all of life. It’s a form of action through prayer which is foreign to most Westerners. Not a recite-the-words prayer. Not a from-the-outside-in prayer. This type of prayer comes from our own inner wisdom, and the wisdom of our ancestors, who are available to us at all times. Even THAT concept is foreign to most of us. This type of prayer involves listening inside. It involves being open and vulnerable as we touch our hearts and build a dream for balance and all that is life-affirming. It involves coming together with others to share our intentions and strengthen the prayer.

Photo Credit

When we do this, we create a field of energy—like pillars of light, or a bank of energy that surrounds us, filled with our positive intention and holding our dream. This bank of energy was, for me and many I have spoken with, palpable around the camps at Standing Rock. Around the movement of Standing Rock. You are surrounded by it, can feel it, and are influenced by it.

When we create prayer in this way, we engage in an inner conversation with life, and the ancient energies become available to us for guidance. And here's the kicker for those of us domesticated into the Western mind: when we ask for guidance, we must set aside any sense of knowing, any attachment we have to how the outcome will happen. 

When we ask the ancestors, we must step out of our linear, often cynical, frame of mind and become empty, open, and curious…listening for the whispers of guidance that come.  We must become comfortable with uncertainty as to outcome, and hold only the certainty of the dream.

This is not a one-time action. The action at Standing Rock is based in prayer and ceremony. Through ceremony we maintain this relationship with our prayer, with the ancestors and the spirits that guide us. Each act we make from a ceremonial mindset establishes a link with our prayer, opens the gateways for guidance, opens our hearts and minds to listen. 

Ceremony can feel like it has to be something big, or formal, or woo-woo. Actually, it can be as simple as closing your eyes and listening, or lighting some sage or incense, or sitting by a fire and contemplating. Even thinking about your prayer and the ancestors as you go about your day, washing dishes, or shoveling snow. Each time a thought goes through your mind related to your prayer, acknowledge it, acknowledge the ancestors, thank them for their guidance, and LISTEN.

Ceremony is a crucial aspect of maintaining the energy field you build with your prayers. This is the legacy being shared with us by the elders at Standing Rock. They are showing the way for resistance not only by saying NO, but by holding the energy field, the YES, so powerfully that the no cannot overtake it.

They invited non-indigenous people to become a part of this movement—in itself, this is an unprecedented act. A new legacy. The ancestors and the elders sent out a call, and those who heard the call showed up, either in person or in prayer. White folks, from all over the world, showed up in support of those same tribes whom our ancestors nearly obliterated. They welcomed us with generosity and openness. Many of us came with a message, whether spoken or silent, in our hearts: I'm sorry. I'm here now to support you. 

And then the veterans heard the call. What started as a group of 500 to 1000 in initial planning turned into thousands of US Veterans came to Standing Rock. A powerful military presence, only this time they didn’t circle the tribe with guns pointed inward, wreaking havoc and death on the natives. 

This time they circled the tribe and turned around, hearts forward, to protect them. In a powerful forgiveness ceremony, the words were spoken: I’m sorry. I'm here now to support you. And the words were received and acknowledged by the elders. Powerful healing on so many levels. A new legacy.

So a new legacy…what does that mean for us going forward? We’ve been shown the power of creating a field of prayer around our intentions. We’ve been shown the power of taking a stand for all that is life-affirming, all that protects our children’s future and our planet and those who are marginalized in this world. We’ve been shown the power of opening our hearts and hands to those who once were our oppressors. 

And we’ve been shown the power of I’m sorry. Of choosing a new way forward, with intention and grace. Of taking a stand and holding it. No matter what, holding it. Of asking for guidance and of listening before acting.

These are practices we can apply in our daily lives in many ways, big and small. This is a legacy we can carry forward ourselves and share with others. How many ways can you build prayer and ceremony into your daily life in order to dream forward the future?

With respect,

Zardoya

What can we learn from Standing Rock? Part One

I’ve been deeply moved by the indigenous people gathering at Standing Rock in North Dakota ever since I first heard of their cause. And, while I’m definitely in alignment with the cause, I’m most deeply impacted by their methods. The deeper cause, of coming together in a peaceful manner to put a stake in the ground for life.

From the beginning I’ve felt they are modeling something important for us all. After a week in the Rosebud Camp at Standing Rock, serving in a medic tent for 12 to 16 hours a day as the wind howled and the snow blew sideways, I’m more certain than ever. We, the people of this country—the people of this world—must pay attention. Our future depends on it.

It’s going to take awhile for me to “unpack” my time on that land with the people. The energies I felt there, the people I interacted with, and the stories that were shared with me. My intention has never been to blog about my experience there. It was deeply personal. And yet, many are asking. It feels important to share perspective, to explore what the indigenous people are showing us, and what their methods and history can teach us.

Each newcomer to the Standing Rock camps is asked to attend an orientation session in which the principles of the camp are explained. The four principles the camps live by are:

• We are indigenous centered.
• We are building a new legacy here.
• Every person is important and useful.
• Bring it home.

I’ve been contemplating each of these principles since I first heard them, and feel there is much we can learn by diving into them. And so I offer what I can to you all: my perspective, my words. Over the next weeks, as I unpack, I will share my thoughts here, with you.

Part One: We are Indigenous Centered

Indigenous means native. Natural. Inherent. For me, it means one who is deeply connected to the essence and interconnectedness of all of Life. Sacred.

There are some on earth who walk with the memory of this natural, inherent connection with All that Is. Many indigenous cultures have retained this wisdom. Many who are non-indigenous, who have had this inherent wisdom domesticated out of us, generation after generation—we are seeking, learning, working at re-connecting. And many don’t have a clue, or even a care, as to what I’m talking about.

Standing Rock is an indigenous camp. This is made abundantly clear in every facebook post, every online site, every communication from the camp. To create a movement that is indigenous centered is to honor the sacred essence of life. What makes the movement at Standing Rock unique is that is has been, from its inception, a prayer-based movement, initiated by women and youth, and held by the elders. This is the connection that those of us who are non-indigenous are being stretched to comprehend, and to live within.

The indigenous people gathered at Standing Rock have opened their hands and their hearts to non-indigenous people across the globe. They asked for our support and invited us to their home. The camps are filled with white faces—definitely the majority. Some of these people get the principle of in indigenous centered camp, and some don’t.

Sure, on the surface the principle is simple. We’re the boss here. Right? But it is so much more. We have been invited to take a look at our assumptions of white privilege, and to set them aside and move in a new way. To honor a different way of being in the world—one that is connected to the source of life, to the earth, to the heart. To set aside our impatient way of moving, our judgments as to what is or is not effective, our ceaseless questioning. Our ceaseless questions.

To remember always that we are guests, and that indigenous wisdom is at the heart of this movement.

Again and again I witnessed native people gently correcting the assumptions of white people. A personal example: when the blizzard stopped, I went outside to find someone and encountered a Lakota elder shoveling snow. I greeted him, and made an offhand comment about how I didn’t like it when it rained for hours before the first snow, as it had done in this case. Leaves so much ice under the snow, I said. What a mess. The man held my eyes in a gentle gaze, and he said “Mni waconi. Water is life, and she comes to us in many ways. I am grateful.”

My perspective shifted immediately and profoundly. No chastisement, no shaming. Open-hearted. Grateful. Gentle. My offhand comment, one that is as much a part of Minnesota heritage as “Hey, is it hot enough for ya?,” is a demonstration of my own disconnect with nature, and all the ways she comes to us. An old habit of sliding into sanctioned cultural sound-bites, rather than taking a moment to appreciate what is.

We, the white folks of this land, have been domesticated out of our connection to source, to nature, to life. For generations we’ve been told we have dominion over the earth, the skies, the animal world, even other races of humans. Many of us are coming home to this understanding, bit by bit. We’re talking the talk, which is a start. The indigenous tribes at Standing Rock are showing us how to walk the walk.

We live in a world of preference and aversion. How things “should” be, even how rain and snow should fall from the sky. We’ve been taught to question everything. That there is an answer for everything. Maybe even that we know the answer to everything. Really?

What would it be like to live in a world where we walked in intimate connection with life? With nature—the plants, the water, the animals, the land? Where we were comfortable sitting with a question in our heart, receiving the many cues and teachings from life related to that question organically, as they emerge?

Where we appreciated the many facets of nature, from rain to snow to hot summer sun? Where we trusted the wisdom of our elders, and treated them with respect. Always. Where we understood the power of prayerful intention, and knew when to put a stake in the ground for life?

Where we invited others—even those whose ancestors played a role in colonizing and nearly eradicating our race—to join hands and hearts with us?

This is no small action. Native Americans are the most marginalized people in this country. And yet they are reaching out to us. To white people. To colonizers. There’s a willingness to show the way forward. A humble knowing that there is no other way. This is an unprecedented act of wisdom and courage. From where I sit, if we (white people) stand a chance at waking up, at survival, we must pay attention to all of our indigenous brothers and sisters. Those who have not lost their connection with the source of life. Those who remember how to pray. Those who know how to gently but fiercely protect all that is sacred.

We don't need to be present on the land in North Dakota to receive these teachings. Listen. Watch. Learn. Take it in. All of it. Even the squirmy parts when our white privilege is revealed to us. And for each of us who reads these words and thinks we're already there, that we're already "doing it," I challenge you to dig more deeply. Pay attention. Once you open this doorway, once you ask for this teaching, it will come to you. In countless ways, it will come.

Each one of us who makes this request is making an unprecedented act of wisdom and courage. Stay open to the whisper-teachings that are coming to us in this time.

Because the time is now.  

With respect,

Zardoya

Be the Ballast

These times mark a turning point.

Such a broad range of emotions swinging wildly across the planet. For some: elation! Victory! Righteousness. For others: fear, disillusionment. Grief. Anger.

With such widely divergent energies in a powerful swirl, where - and how - do we land? The answer to this question is likely different for each of us.

I'm a little surprised by where I'm landing. I feel my fierceness. I feel resolute.

I feel fiercely protective of all that is life affirming, of all humans on this planet. For the planet herself. Fierce in my knowing that the principles of creation are actively at play in this world, and are guiding us along our clumsy, jiggedy-jaggedy trajectory toward the evolution of human consciousness. These energies are guiding us, like tugboats nudging the large ship of humanity, keeping us on the path of love.

Large ships require something called ballast to keep them stable and steady on their course. A heavy material, such as gravel or iron or water, is loaded deep into the belly of the ship. This grounding force prevents wide swings in the wind and the waves; it allows the ship to stay on its trajectory.

The wind and the waves of change are rocking our country right now. We're looking into the face of our future, and the potential exists for a massive change in trajectory. We need some ballast.

I believe we're being called to be that ballast. To put our stake in the ground for all that is life-affirming. For all the dreams we hold for our future.

Yes, push your stake firmly in the ground, stand tall, put your shoulders back, open your heart, and hold your ground.  Do not surrender to wide emotional swings into righteousness, fear, disillusionment, and anger.


It's time for us to move in the world from a solid place of personal truth and self-authority. Because we've just been tapped to kick it up a notch. It's not enough anymore to pray and hold the dream. Yes, we must keep praying and dreaming. And...we must walk those prayers and dreams into our day-to-day lives.

This is less about fighting back than it is about holding ground. Steadfastly creating the world in which we want to live. Taking "Be the change you want to see in the world" to the next level and, with fierce and resolute action, building a world that is life-affirming, self-sustaining, in balance with nature, for the people and by the people. Perhaps the reality is that only the people can create that world. Maybe its time we stop thinking our government or world leaders will usher our vision into existence.

What does that mean for you? Listen carefully...when you feel life tap you on the shoulder; when your heart surges forward, pulling you into action; when life asks you to step in, DO IT! This can manifest in countless ways, from the seemingly small actions to large social endeavors. It may be deep, internal change, or shifts within your immediate family, or stepping up in your community. Maybe running for office, or supporting a cause that speaks to your spirit.

Together we can create a solid, very real version of our vision that will exist side by side with the broken systems that are currently in the forefront. As those structures get dismantled and fall, it's then a side-step into the new. Rather than annihilation, let's be prepared to move forward and care for humanity, the planet.

We really are Stronger Together. We need each other to help us hold our ground. The time is now.

We are the ones we've been waiting for.

With love and respect,

Zardoya

What is Prayer?

I've been turning this question, What is Prayer, over the past day or so, ever since my last post. It's unusual for me to use the word prayer to describe my inner journey, much less post it in a public manner. Actually, maybe unusual isn't the right word...it's new for me to frame my journey in this way.

Historically, I've thought of prayer as it is described in the first two definitions above: a request to God or an object of worship, a religious service of some sort. This form of prayer is powerful, and manifests in so many ways, through the traditions of so many faiths. Millions, maybe billions, of people pray in this manner every day. When it comes to speaking of prayer, the image of a God or a religious service probably comes to mind for most of us.

However, this method of prayer is not the way for everyone. Many don't resonate with a formal place of worship, or with structured religion. The term "prayer" has been so strongly associated with those things that it hasn't been part of my personal language for many years. My way has been to get still, become quiet, to meditate, to get out in nature and center myself...a deeply internal process that helps me feel connected with source, which could be described as God. It's a process that always brings me back into balance when I'm off-kilter.

Something is shifting for me, though - and, I believe that shift is happening on a larger scale, as well. The deep personal and internal process is still very present for me, and I'm aware of something else, a pulling forward, a drive to focus not only on myself, but on the whole. Humanity. The planet. All of it. And that feels like prayer.

The third definition above hit home for me: prayer as an earnest hope or wish. Yes. That's what it feels like. My heartfelt longing for a world in which we care for each other and for the planet; where we treat each other with kindness, are aware of our impact, and our actions are life-affirming.

It feels to me that prayer is about intention. It starts with that inner process, getting quiet, centering, coming into balance. Many folks do this in a place of worship, some get outside in nature, or listen to music...the possibilities are endless. From this place of quiet emerges our longing. Our hope. Our wish. And when we focus our intention and send that energy out into the collective, we send a prayer.

No matter how we pray, whether in forest or a mosque or a temple or a church, whether in front of a statue or a crucifix or a mountaintop, underneath the thoughts or feelings or chants or verses lies the simple essence of longing. Of hope. Of our wish.

That is beautiful.

And so...I pray.

With respect,

Zardoya

And So, I Pray...

Today was one of those days.

One of those days when everything was, on the surface, fine. Great, even. And, for the entire day I was aware of a tugging feeling. A disturbance in the force, as it were.

I've been trying to stay on top of the news, to follow the world events during this time of huge transition. It isn't easy. I feel myself recoil from the ugliness and flat-out manipulation seeded in every article I read about the election. My heart contracts with horror when I watch a video clip of the stand-off at Standing Rock. Everyone, on every side of every issue, is making a strong case for their truth. Even people with the best of intentions (which translates into those who's stance resonates with mine!) are working hard to get their side of the story out.

Truth is, I'm tired. Tired of the constant attempts to spoon-feed me what I'm supposed to think. The efforts are so transparent they might be funny if they weren't so calculated and relentless. Maybe "they" are trying to beat us down, like if you say the same thing often enough - even if your actions are out of integrity with your words - eventually people will believe you.

Today I felt a sense of helplessness, of fear, of a sort of bewildered state of What the @#%&! Dis-heartened. As if I'd stepped into an energetic pool of overwhelm that's floating around our collective field. Not exactly sure what to do with myself.

And so, I went outside, built a fire, wrapped myself up in my wool poncho, and I sat. With a sliver of a moon and brightly shining Venus in the western sky as my witnesses, I prayed.

In the prayer, I found home in my center again. I could sense the solid wisdom of the ancestors, and the deeply held hope of those yet to come. They, too, are praying.

I see the web that connects us all; I feel it..any time there's a disturbance anywhere in that web, it affects us all. Sometimes it feels like a gentle tapping, barely noticeable. Other time it feels like a herd of elephants jumping on the web like it was a trampoline!

And I know that when I pray myself back to my center, it affects the web, too.

Photo Source

What do you do when you find yourself caught in the web of fear or overwhelm, when you feel dis-heartened?

How do you pray?

I invite you to share how you re-locate your center in the comments section, Maybe we can co-create a pool of ideas, simple ways to plug in. Or maybe to unplug! To find home in our center.

Because when we share our prayers, they become stronger. 

With love and respect,

Zardoya

What's Your Prevailing Current?

The increasing emotional polarity in our world has become impossible to miss. The actions of our leaders—and the subsequent reactions of the people— are more transparent than ever. The result is increased intensity across the board. Increased emotions, such as fear, anger, and self-righteous judgment. Like love, kindness, and fierce protection of life and the planet. These two currents run side by side, influencing us all and contributing to the general messiness of being a human being.

Photo credit

When you break it down and look at what’s behind each of these emotions, each of these currents, it comes down to two simple energy streams: Love. And fear. They exist in our collective consciousness, like huge pools of energy. Each and every thought, word, or action we experience emerges from and contributes to one of these pools of energy, either love or fear. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are IN it. 

Have you ever been with someone who insisted they were “Just fine,” but you could feel the anger emanating from them? Behind anger lies fear. Always. Or have you encountered a stranger, maybe a waitress or bank teller, who was just going about their business, but radiated kindness? Behind each act of kindness lies love.

My intention is not to imply that there are “good” emotions and “bad” emotions. It’s not so simple. It is important for us to understand the energy stream with which we are engaging. Ultimately, what’s needed in this world are thoughts, words, and actions that are life-affirming. For example, sometimes anger is very life affirming! We channel anger when we protect our children, when we say NO to violence and exploitation. Here’s the thing, though—at their root, those protective actions are about love. Now if we hang on to that anger, it's a different energy entirely. For example, if we become self-righteous in judging perpetrators, we run the risk of shifting from love to fear. When we trace our emotions down to their tap root, their source, we can always identify whether they come from love or fear. Try it! It is truly an eye-opening practice.

In the recent months, I’ve found myself asking myself this question: What’s it going to take for humanity to wake up? It came up for me every time I watched the news, heard the ugliness of our political rhetoric, learned of another police shooting or another bombing in Syria. What’s it going to take? I now realize that this question was coming from a place of fear. Really, what I was asking is this: How bad does it have to get?

In holding that thought, I was feeding the fear energy bank. Even though my intention is about creating a world in which we live in peace, where the needs of the people and the planet are cared for, I was coming from a place of fear. I was contributing to the size and power of the fear current. And when we do that, we make fear the prevailing current.

What if we all made a conscious choice to make love the prevailing current? I still wonder what it’s going to take for humanity to wake up. Only now I find myself checking in with love, feeling into that current. Seeing it getting bigger, and stronger. Influencing our world leaders. Instead of wondering how bad it has to get, I’m wondering how good does it need to get before love becomes the prevailing current? A subtle, but very powerful shift in perspective.

Currents image courtesy of NOAA

I invite you to notice when you experience a strong emotion. Feel into it, explore the tap root. Are you reacting from a place of fear? Or from love? We are all responsible for tending these currents, for the consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions. Why not choose love as our prevailing current?

With respect,

Zardoya

When Corporate Greed and Public Skewering become Personal

I always know when I need to write about something, because it just won’t leave me alone until I do. A bit to my horror, today I find myself writing about something I, on many levels, abhor. Corporate greed and politics. Ugh. But…here I go…

My mind has been swimming these past few days with images of the Senate interrogation, and the subsequent media indictment, of the CEO of Wells Fargo Bank – my cousin, John Stumpf. This is a first for me, to have feelings about some corporate head being interrogated. However, this time it feels personal because I know John. I know his family. I know the deeply embedded values and general goodness of his parents and the 11 children they raised.

When I watched the video of Senator Warren’s interrogation of John, I saw things from an entirely new perspective. I’ve been a fan of Ms. Warren for years. I applaud her hard work on the behalf of the people, and her consistent drive to put an end to greedy corporate practices that drive up profit and pad the pockets of CEOs. Including John Stumpf’s. 

However, I was sickened by the headlines that brought me to the video. “Watch Elizabeth Warren skewer John Stumpf in Senate Hearing.” A public skewering – that’s what it looked like and felt like to me. Is this what we’re after now?

I was sickened by the interrogation itself. What I saw was a politician with an agenda (albeit, in my opinion, an important and necessary one) hammering away at a man, pulling isolated facts out of a pool of countless pieces of truth, and posing “questions” that could only bolster the facts she had pulled. There was no room for Mr. Stumpf to explain or provide a broader perspective.

What I saw was a man – a good man, in my opinion – getting skewered. It felt to me like Ms. Warren’s direct interrogation style has become sport. I saw thinly veiled glee in her face as she, again and again, trapped the man in his own answers, while making it impossible for him to provide a larger perspective. “That’s not what I asked.” Repeatedly, this was what I heard when he attempted to provide a bigger picture.

Would I have even noticed this if it had been another CEO from another bank in that chair? Likely not. In fact, I would probably have been cheering her on. Go get ‘im, Elizabeth!

But instead, I found myself filled with a nagging question: where was the quest for the bigger truth that could actually shed light on how practices like this emerge in companies? Because sales incentives like the ones implemented by Wells Fargo are not only common in corporate America, they are the standard. And, make no mistake about it, they impact the way folks do business all the way up and down the corporate ladder. 

“You should resign,” she quipped. Really? Would John’s resignation even make a dent in the issue of corporate greed?

Because clearly this is about greed. Corporate profit. Making the shareholders money each quarter. It’s about the engine that drives corporate America at every level. Going after one man, or even one company, is not going to get at the root of it.

In the grand scheme of corporate greed, this “scam” is tiny. I’m not implying, in any way, that it was okay. But let's put it in perspective. It resulted in 2.5 million dollars profit over the course of several years, in a company whose annual profit runs in the many-billions column. Peanuts compared to the corporate greed we witnessed in the 2008 bailout. And those guys skated away. With billions. “Skewering” John Stumpf, or even Wells Fargo, cannot make up for the pass that was given back then.

If we want to really get at the core of corporate greed in this country, we need to go to its roots. The system is so seriously flawed that it will take a grand effort to even locate the roots. I encourage Senator Warren to continue her hard work on our behalf. And I encourage her to open her perspective, to learn from these CEOs, To listen. Because there is much left unsaid in this case. In my opinion.

I encourage John to tap into his own deep roots, the values I know he was raised with. Perhaps having a leader like John at the helm of the largest bank in this country is exactly what’s needed to make deep and lasting change in a broken system. In my dream, I see men like him recognizing that the corporate system is corrupt, that it is run by greed. Only the folks from the inside can really provide the larger perspective on how our business model has gone so wrong. They need to be willing to speak out, willing to step forward and make changes. Even changes that will impact their bottom line.

And…they need to be heard by those who have the power to make changes in the laws that regulate the industry. Perhaps the only way to make real and lasting change is for folks like Elizabeth Warren and John Stumpf to team up. What a concept, eh?

So, I walk away with a bigger perspective. I see with more clarity how important it is to stop taking sides, stop operating as the “good guys” against the “bad guys.” Because it was less clear to me, in this case, which was which. 

As long as we continue to push our own agendas exclusively, to hold our own perspective as the only truth, we will stay in the same kettle of soup. Courageous action is required here, on all sides of a complex issue.

Do our elected officials have the courage to look for the root cause of greed-driven corporate (and for that matter, political) practices and make changes that can truly impact the future of business in our country? Rather than going for the low-hanging fruit and “skewering” those individuals who get caught in the act?

Do the corporate leaders have the courage to make changes in their practices that they KNOW are out of balance, that put profit above the good of the people? Will they ever stop putting their own personal income above the good of their employees and their customers?

Do we, as consumers, have the courage to face the whole truth? To show, every single day with every single purchase we make, our values? Will we recognize that this is the only way we can say no to supporting greedy business practices?

Do we all have the courage to see the entirety of this flawed system that WE have participated in for generations, that WE have allowed to become so strong it seems impossible to change?

Most importantly, do we have the courage to dream a more fair and equitable business model for our country, and to hold on to that dream no matter what?

Dream big, my friends. It is so needed.

With respect,

Zardoya

Just Breathe

Just Breathe…

How many times have you heard these words in your life? Usually when we’re in some sort of struggle – we’re frightened, or we’ve had a big shock, or we’re in pain. The classic scenario is a woman in labor: hoo, hoo, hee. Right?

Why does breathing help us during situations of distress? What is it about the breath that calms us, centers us, and brings us back to our bodies?

We breathe countless times each day, in and out, in and out. It’s the very first thing we do when we’re  born, and the very last thing we do before we die. Breath sustains life. We all know this; if we go without breath for more than a couple of minutes, our brain begins to shut down. How often do we actually think about this process, though?

When we take a deep breath we send a signal to our vagus nerve, which stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system. Our parasympathetic nervous system lowers our heart rate and breathing rate, relaxes our blood vessels, and puts our body into a state of calm and healing. Pretty cool, right? One deep breath is all it takes to start this process. 

Go ahead, try it right now…a slow, deep breath in…and slowly breathe out. Can you notice a shift?

But there is SO much more to it than that. When you zoom in on this process even more, the magic starts to reveal itself. When we breathe in, we’re taking in a combination of molecules we need to sustain life. Oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen. We breathe out carbon dioxide. These are invisible particles, not manifested in we-can-see-it-and-touch-it physical form. They enter our bodies through our airway and go deep into our lungs. Here’s where the alchemy happens – our lungs serve as the bridge between the unmanifest world (air) and the manifest world (the cells of our body). 

When we breathe air into our lungs, it enters these tiny little sacs deep in our lung tissue called alveoli. From there, the vital molecules are passed into the into the arterioles, then the arteries, and then carried to every cell in our physical being. Life-sustaining oxygen, magically passed from the ethereal world of unmanifest form into the very real, manifested, corporeal matter of our body.

How is this not a miracle? With every single breath, with every beat of our heart that circulates the vital molecules to our physicality, we are saying yes…yes…yes to life.

I invite you to pay attention to your breath throughout your day. Notice when you’re inclined to feel constriction, or to hold your breath. Notice what happens when you consciously take a slow, deep breath. Feel the alchemy happening in your body. Appreciate the miracle of choosing life again and again, with each breath you take.

The beauty of it is you can do this practice any time, any place. No one needs to know – you can practice deep breathing during a meeting, or even during a fight! 

Notice the shift in your physical body, and also notice the shift in those around you. Because here’s another secret about breath: it moves energy.

But that’s for another time, another post. 

For now, play with breath, with this life-sustaining force we dance with every moment of every day.

With love and respect,

Zardoya

Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind.

This message is too important not to share. I have nothing to add...please read all the way to the bottom. It's worth every moment. 

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I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations, ask you to understand an Indigenous perspective on what has happened in America, what we call "Turtle Island." My words seek to unite the global community through a message from our sacred ceremonies to unite spiritually, each in our own ways of beliefs in the Creator.

We have been warned from ancient prophecies of these times we live in today, but have also been given a very important message about a solution to turn these terrible times.

To understand the depth of this message you must recognize the importance of Sacred Sites and realize the interconnectedness of what is happening today, in reflection of the continued massacres that are occurring on other lands and our own Americas.

I have been learning about these important issues since the age of 12 when I received the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle and its teachings. Our people have strived to protect Sacred Sites from the beginning of time. These places have been violated for centuries and have brought us to the predicament that we are in at the global level.

Look around you. Our Mother Earth is very ill from these violations, and we are on the brink of destroying the possibility of a healthy and nurturing survival for generations to come, our children's children.

Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the Sacred Black Hills in South Dakota, "Heart of Everything That Is," from continued violations. Our ancestors never saw a satellite view of this site, but now that those pictures are available, we see that it is in the shape of a heart and, when fast-forwarded, it looks like a heart pumping.

The Diné have been protecting Big Mountain, calling it the liver of the earth, and we are suffering and going to suffer more from the extraction of the coal there and the poisoning processes used in doing so.

The Aborigines have warned of the contaminating effects of global warming on the Coral Reefs, which they see as Mother Earth's blood purifier.

The indigenous people of the rainforest say that the rainforests are the lungs of the planet and need protection.

The Gwich'in Nation in Alaska has had to face oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, also known to the Gwich'in as "Where life begins."

The coastal plain is the birthplace of many life forms of the animal nations. The death of these animal nations will destroy indigenous nations in this territory.

As these destructive developments continue all over the world, we will witness many more extinct animal, plant, and human nations, because of mankind's misuse of power and their lack of understanding of the "balance of life."

The Indigenous people warn that these destructive developments will cause havoc globally. There are many, many more indigenous teachings and knowledge about Mother Earth's Sacred Sites, her chakras, and connections to our spirit that will surely affect our future generations.

There needs to be a fast move toward other forms of energy that are safe for all nations upon Mother Earth. We need to understand the types of minds that are continuing to destroy the spirit of our whole global community. Unless we do this, the powers of destruction will overwhelm us.

Our Ancestors foretold that water would someday be for sale. Back then this was hard to believe, since the water was so plentiful, so pure, and so full of energy, nutrition and spirit. Today we have to buy pure water, and even then the nutritional minerals have been taken out; it's just empty liquid. Someday water will be like gold, too expensive to afford.

Not everyone will have the right to drink safe water. We fail to appreciate and honor our Sacred Sites, ripping out the minerals and gifts that lay underneath them as if Mother Earth were simply a resource, instead of the source of life itself.

Attacking nations and using more resources to carry out destruction in the name of peace is not the answer! We need to understand how all these decisions affect the global nation; we will not be immune to its repercussions. Allowing continual contamination of our food and land is affecting the way we think.

A "disease of the mind" has set in world leaders and many members of our global community, with their belief that a solution of retaliation and destruction of peoples will bring peace.

In our prophecies it is told that we are now at the crossroads: Either unite spiritually as a global nation, or be faced with chaos, disasters, diseases, and tears from our relatives' eyes.

We are the only species that is destroying the source of life, meaning Mother Earth, in the name of power, mineral resources, and ownership of land. Using chemicals and methods of warfare that are doing irreversible damage, as Mother Earth is becoming tired and cannot sustain any more impacts of war.

I ask you to join me on this endeavor. Our vision is for the peoples of all continents, regardless of their beliefs in the Creator, to come together as one at their Sacred Sites to pray and meditate and commune with one another, thus promoting an energy shift to heal our Mother Earth and achieve a universal consciousness toward attaining Peace.

As each day passes, I ask all nations to begin a global effort, and remember to give thanks for the sacred food that has been gifted to us by our Mother Earth, so the nutritional energy of medicine can be guided to heal our minds and spirits.

This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony or it will bring the end of life as we know it. Starvation, war, and toxic waste have been the hallmark of the great myth of progress and development that ruled the last millennium.

To us, as caretakers of the heart of Mother Earth, falls the responsibility of turning back the powers of destruction. You yourself are the one who must decide.

You alone – and only you – can make this crucial choice, to walk in honor or to dishonor your relatives. On your decision depends the fate of the entire World.

Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind.

Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time of such terrible danger?

Know that you yourself are essential to this world. Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You yourself are desperately needed to save the soul of this world. Did you think you were put here for something less? In a Sacred Hoop of Life, there is no beginning and no ending.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse is the author ofWhite Buffalo Teachings. A tireless advocate of maintaining traditional spiritual practices, Chief Looking Horse is a member of Big Foot Riders, which memorializes the massacre of Big Foot's band at Wounded Knee.

Read more athttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/26/important-message-keeper-sacred-white-buffalo-calf-pipe

"The Great Turning"

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is listen to NPR programming. This morning I heard Krista Tippett's interview with Joanna Macy for her program On Being. I strongly encourage you to click this link and listen to the entire program. It's a real gem.

In the interview, Joanna Macy speaks of what she perceives to the "the great turning." She describes this as a transition from a society shaped primarily by industrial growth to a society structured to be life sustaining. 

Photo by Denny Luan at Unsplash

Transitions, you know...they can be rocky. They are, in many ways, a leap of faith.

Just the other day, a remarkable young friend of mine posted on Facebook "Feeling grateful for all the good in my life right now but also struggling to feel any sort of good when there is such an incredible amount of bad in the world right now."

These words went straight to my heart. What would it like to be in my twenties during this time of transition? A conversation with my brilliant nephew this week also touched me deeply, as he shared his views on politics and the upcoming election. So yes, the youth are feeling it...we are all feeling it, even those of us with enough years under our belt to have a broader perspective.

So how do we hold on to the hopeful vision of stepping into a life sustaining society?

Here's what Joanna Macy had to say:

"It's okay not to be optimistic. Buddhist teachings say that feeling you have to maintain hope can wear you out! So just be present. The biggest gift you can give is to be absolutely present, and when you're worrying about whether you're hopeful or hopeless, or pessimistic or optimistic—who cares? The main thing is that you're showing up. That you're here, and that your finding ever more capacity to love this world. Because it will not be healed without that. That's what will unleash our intelligence and ingenuity, and our solidarity for the healing of our world." 

These words also went straight to my heart. They touched a place deep inside of me that knows this truth: as long as we cannot embrace the wholeness of ourselves, the wholeness of this world, we will remain in the same kettle of soup. 

By wholeness I mean ALL of it—the hope, the fear; the sublime, the depraved; the “good,” the “evil.” The entire messy existence of humanity. It’s ALL ours.

How do we embrace the depraved, the evil? We become present to it. We witness it. We see it as truth. We try to see what’s behind, to understand the truth of the source of it. Because there’s no denying it’s here. It’s present. To deny it does nothing but put off the inevitable time when we finally can see it.

This is true in the society as a whole, but it’s also true inside of ourselves. Those parts of us that we keep hidden, hoping no one will notice. Those parts of us that remain unexpressed because what if people think….?

Image by naturalawakenings.com

Growing our capacity to love the world. Growing our capacity to love ourselves. And others. That is true healing.

I invite you to notice those times when you separate yourself from what’s going on in the world; or when you cordon off parts of yourself and censor your actions. You might notice a constriction in your body, tension, impatience. Judgement. Anger, even hatred. 

Notice these feelings, and then expand into them. See the truth of what’s happening, harness your own intelligence and ingenuity rather than being spoon-fed what you’re supposed to think and feel. 

Feel into how big you really are.

Ever hopeful and ever present-ly yours,

Zardoya

Life as an Act of Creation

What if we viewed each of our day to day actions as an act of creation? 

Each point of contact with other living beings, whether that be our family or friends, strangers in the street, or even our pets, can be viewed as a creative act. A smile, a touch, some spoken words artfully spoken in the right moment.

Or sitting in contemplation - of the sunset, or the stars, or maybe the pile of dirty dishes that has accumulated in the sink, or watching our children play. Those moments when we sink in and reflect on ourselves and our lives - how is that not creation?

Photo by Zardoya

It seems that, as a society, we place value on what is produced. On what is created in the physical sense of the word. We've gotten a bit out of balance in our constant striving to create something rather than honor the act of creation.

I know I dance with this balance. Often. With that feeling that I should be doing something, should be making something. Should be producing.

And yet, when I sit and get quiet, I hear something different. Just Be. Listen. Reflect. Enjoy. When called to create something, to produce, then do that. Otherwise...just Be.

Can we learn to value this state of being as much as we value production? That inner percolation, the crucible from which life emerges...this is creation in its most literal sense. Out of nothing, out of the void, comes all creation. Inner and outer.

Recently I came across these words from Osho. They touched something inside of me; a deep recognition of truth:

"There are two types of creators in the world: one type of creator works with objects - a poet, a painter, they work with objects, they create things; the other type of creator, the mystic, creates himself. He doesn't work with objects, he works with the subject; he works on himself, his own being. And he is the real creator, the real poet because he makes himself into a masterpiece."               - Osho

Since I read these words, I find I'm paying much more attention to what I'm creating in my day to day life, and how that creation comes to be. I'm cultivating a deeper appreciation of what it is to create, and a broader definition of creativity. Of what it feels like to just follow my thoughts and impulses, to be quiet when I feel like being quiet, and to become active - to produce - when I'm inspired to do that. To dance between inner creation and outer creation.

We all have our moments of peak production. And we all have our moments of quiet reflection. And I notice we often have unkind thoughts and words for those moments of quiet: I was a real slug today. What a couch-potato. So lazy. I can't seem to get into gear today. What if we surrender to those moments of quiet, honor our need for a little respite in the rat race, and just allow ourselves to be? See that time as an act of creation - of working on ourselves, polishing up the mystic in us?

I invite you to play with this contemplation as you move through your days:

Notice your moments of production and your moments of quiet. What regenerates you, re-fills your cup? When do you do your best thinking and reflecting?

As you identify those moments of reflection and regeneration, acknowledge them as an act of creation. Even if its sitting and contemplating your dirty dishes, notice what's happening inside of you.

When the inner critic emerges - which it likely will, since we're so socialized into always producing - notice that, too.

And when you can get to the place where you smile at your inner critic, when you can see how that critic emerges from conditioning, then you can open into an entirely new layer of creative energy. The inner mystic, creating a masterpiece of the self. Dancing between the world of outer creation and the world of inner creation.

This is, truly, the dance of life.

Image by Freydoon Rassouli

With love and respect,

Zardoya

Holding the Big Picture, Part Three

As we unpack this transition from the age of money, power, and control into the age of unity consciousness, let's take a closer look at the truth behind those words. Unity Consciousness.

There is a growing awareness in our culture of our inter-connectedness. With each other, with nature, with all that is...well, with all of the nice parts of what is, anyway. Those parts that feel good. Those parts that validate how conscious we are, how evolved we are becoming,

Have you noticed this? There's a lot of talk about our unity as human beings, our oneness with our planet and the creatures who live here with us. All true, all beautiful, all very real. This growing tide of understanding is powerful and holds its own; that is, until anything ugly shows up in the field.

A policeman shoots someone who turns out to be an innocent African American man; a shooter opens fire on innocent bystanders and claims connection to ISIL; a presidential candidate invites second amendment proponents to "do something" about his competitor. This is ugly stuff. How easy is it to dismiss these incidents as issues that relate to others? Certainly not me...I'm awake. I'm aware of our unity as humans. Right? Perhaps these are simply less-evolved folks, the ones who will be left behind when our ascension into unity consciousness takes place.

I actually hear and read comments like this.

What?? Since when do we get to be selective about unity consciousness? How can we be one with all of life, except not the ugly parts? As long as we continue to judge others, to deem them different than we are, we're in the same kettle of soup: separation. Polarity. Duality. Good versus bad. Right versus wrong. Held rigid by the confines of our beliefs. Our thoughts...which drive our words and our actions.

Photo Credit

For example, when I think about someone like Donald Trump being our president, I have my personal reactions to that. And, what feels important to me is to really look deeply at what’s behind my personal reactions. And beyond that. To look not only at Trump the man, but what’s behind for the people who are so passionately supporting him. What is it in our collective consciousness that is emerging here? Because these are not stupid, or crazy, bad people, as they are sometimes painted out to be. If we're coming from a place of unity consciousness, I am no different than they are.

And you can switch that scenario to those who support Clinton. The "other side" of the fence in this current political campaign. Or Sanders.

There are two phrases that help me frame times like this. One of them is In Lak'ech Ala K'in, which is a Mayan phrase that means “I am you, and you are me.” The other is a phrase my teacher Nadia Eagles used to say, which is “If I were you, I’d be doing exactly what you’re doing.” Given the same life circumstances, the same influences, I’d be in the same place as you. And there’s a part of me that is in the same place as you, even the Trump supporters. When you get right down to it, there is no separation. 

We can talk about unity consciousness, and hold that dream, that vision. But walking it forward is what matters. What matters is truly holding someone like Trump who, on the surface, can say the most despicable things, as a part of me. Holding the truth that he represents a part of the collective field which is becoming transparent. 

It’s not like he’s creating this energy field. He’s giving it voice. It’s there, in our collective field, and we can’t continue to ignore it, push it away, and dismiss it, because it’s just gonna get louder if we do. I think that’s a part of what we’re seeing now. All that has been held back and repressed is emerging, and it'll just keep getting louder and louder until we see it. 

Unity consciousness sounds so pretty. Blissful. Magical. And that is part of it…and we are also one with all that’s been hidden, all that’s been masked, all that we pretend is not real for us, all that we think is only true for others. Unity is unity, and the more we continue to deny that simple truth, the louder it’s got to get. 

So, when I ask the question What’s it going to take, it’s a collective question, yes. But it’s also a personal question. What’s it going to take for each one of us to stop making the other the enemy? For each one of us to stop painting our denial onto the other, and truly shift our thoughts, and our words, and our actions? That’s what determines what it’s going to take. One by one by one. 

See the truth of it. The truth behind the rhetoric. Be talking about the truth. Shine light in all of the dark places by putting your attention on the big picture. The whole picture. Whether you side with Clinton, Trump, or Sanders is not important. The fact that you feel you must pick a side at all is the issue.

When you feel frustrated or frightened by what's going on - in politics, the economy, the police, terrorism - I invite you to consciously NOT choose a side. See the whole picture, the big view. That's unity consciousness.

Photo credit: Unknown

Because believing that we are one while engaging in separation from all we deem unsavory is living in illusion. We ARE one. The good, the bad and the ugly.

Open up your dialogue, both inner and outer. Become curious about the truth, about what's behind, what has been hidden and is now emerging. We really are that big! We can hold it all.

For me, what makes all the difference is being able to hold a bigger view, to see that everything we’re doing right now is about evolving human consciousness. Not just my consciousness, but human consciousness. All of us. And it takes a lot of trust to know that what’s happening is happening because it needs to happen in order for us to wake up. And we determine that course. Each of us individually that make up the collective, we determine the trajectory for that evolution.  

We determine what it's going to take.

With love and respect,

Zardoya