Category Archives: Mastery

The way of effortless effort.

The Power of Acceleration ~ Pt 2 ~ Expansion and Evolution of the Mind

Accelerated mind states bring profound and dramatic increases in awareness, while at least for the time being, neglect the processes of integration and resolution. Guiding the shape of acceleration to that of a spiral guides the knowledge back through all the spaces and levels that have been missed. Trusting that we can always find ourselves again we leap out into the space of our consciousness. The lines and paths that we take within the spiritual and mental realms are vastly different to those within the physical. In the physical the shortest path between two points is a straight line. In the spiritual and mental dimension points can be opened and connected to within other points, to an infinite degree. For this reason excessive acceleration can lead to problems with integration or “re-entry.” This is one problem that can occur to people who rely on drugs for acceleration and is reason that shamanic traditions that use drugs prepare their bodies through ritual.

Training the mind and body to understand how to consciously accelerate involves the same principles that all meditation and Esoteric Alchemy use. It is all about movement. While integration is about receiving and harmonizing, acceleration is about finding gaps and spaces and moving through these. At the same time we send our consciousness out with the intention of connecting to the source of the knowledge that we seek. This acts as a beacon or thread of intention. By communicating, feeling and seeing this beacon we understand and intuit which paths and spaces will open up further paths and spaces and which will not. Working with intention to direct our journey towards purpose and meaning ensures that our creation of consciousness is congruent with our truth.

It is also important to recognize the way that our higher consciousness communicates with us. For some there will be a leaning toward the visual, others auditory, kinesthetic or one of the other senses. While it is always beneficial to develop a well-rounded set of psychic senses, for the purposes of communication it is better to acknowledge the language that is being spoken.

Acceleration will always bring a sensory increase in one or more areas. If working with the chakras for instance one may see layers of colored energy rippling and peeling open. Or if one is more auditory one may hear tones moving and shifting through frequencies. Thoughts and seemingly random imagery may flash before the eyes and mind. All of these are indications of acceleration, similar to how sights and sounds flash by when we are in a speeding car. In the beginning it is fine to investigate some of these phenomena, but eventually it will be shown that only by staying true to the purpose of our journey will we find the meaning and answers that we seek. There is a literal infinity of sceneries that the consciousness will show us and if we allow it, this slide show can and will continue indefinitely!

The process of gathering knowledge from an accelerated consciousness is usually one of cycles. Each cycles allows us to push a little bit further and understand where we go a little bit more. As is often the case, just as acceleration is an experience that often elicits excitement, it is the return trip, the integration the elicits the understanding and thus the rewards.

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The Power of Acceleration ~ Part 1 ~ Expansion and Evolution of the Mind

Acceleration is moving the consciousness in the direction of our boundaries. It is acceleration that trains our mind and body to bridge the gap between the physical, mental and spiritual. It is acceleration that allows the consciousness to at first experience separation and then unity. Acceleration provides a means of intensity. It is a push for growth and a striving for movement and evolution.

It is always important to understand just where it is that we are accelerating to and for what purpose. Acceleration for the sake of acceleration will teach control and focus, but without wisdom it is basically useless. It is wisdom, understanding, reflection and observation that brings us our reason, and reason brings us meaning and purpose. For example discipline for the sake of discipline will only bear so many fruits before the entire practice becomes meaningless. On the other hand in the beginning discipline is needed to support the development of observation, reflection and wisdom. Acceleration is used to push the envelope of development. Instead of a mind that is complacent and lethargic we push it to understanding and becoming familiar with the feeling of alert awareness. At a deeper level what we are really developing is the ability for the mind to transcend both the illusions of complacency and alertness. This however only occurs by the ability to accelerate between the two, eventually joining the two experiences.

Unlocking weaves of wisdom and understanding also comes from accelerating consciousness. It is simply a matter of feeling out the boundaries, shapes and forms of what we perceive our wisdom and spheres of knowledge to be. Then we push out these boundaries. We must be observant and aware. If we push too much then we lose grip of the boundaries, it is almost like they slip off our consciousness. Of course if we do not push enough then our mind is pushed back to the most crystallized pattern of consciousness. The entire process is almost like trying to hold a ball under water, push too hard or not grip in the right way and it may slip up under our hands remaining on the surface. If we don’t push enough then we can’t break the surface pressure of the water.

An opening exists at the moment we reach our peak of acceleration. At this point we have the opportunity to see, listen or feel for a communication or energy that understands what exists at this peak. Just as importantly this communication understands how energy and consciousness can exist at this peak. The significance of this is that once we bridge and link to this communication then acceleration to this point becomes easy. It is going from dial-up internet to broadband. More information is available, the communication is easier and clearer. As movement from this point becomes familiar areas of consciousness that were once normal become slower and easier still. It is like seeing 3 moves ahead, then 6 moves ahead and so on.

Acceleration is all about knowledge. The more knowledge that is integrated and understood, the easier and clearer the synchronicities and manifestations become. On that note it is important to remember that acceleration occurs in many directions. As much as it is important to learn to accelerate to a higher and faster vibration, it is also important to learn how to accelerate to denser and slower states. Another way of explaining this is that the mind needs to realize the experience of moving instantaneously from dense energy to subtle energy and vice versa. The paths through which the mind must travel to and fro are the paths that provide the opportunity for experiencing unity between the two. With each separation that we bring together and bridge, consciousness is allowed to experience and understand the nature of universal unity.

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Spiritual Realization ~ Part 3 ~ Awakening Enlightenment Consciousness Through Active Meditation

The experience of realization can be as simple as reading a newspaper and being aware that you are reading the newspaper. This can involve noticing your posture and the way your body turns the pages. It can extend to observing how your mind and emotions react to the news that you read. Moving deeper involves finding dual and contradictory emotions and learning to access them simultaneously, moving back and forth between them, or entering into one so deeply that the other is for the moment seemingly gone. When we are familiar with the flow of consciousness at this level we may seek a deeper or more elusive space and seek it out, entering in, through and expanding into it. All the while we are still fully in the experience of reading the newspaper. Rather than compartmentalizing experiences we are allowing the mind and body to experience multiple layers and levels of consciousness. This is realization.

As long as we compartmentalize various emotional states, feelings and experiences our consciousness sees these states as solid, individual and fairly permanent. By opening up several states within the one we break this illusion, showing ourselves that emotion, feeling and experience is actually occurring on a multiple level of dimensions. The aim of all this is to train consciousness to understand that it does not need to be trapped in any emotion, feeling or experience. It has real and tangible choices.

By choosing a simple exercise such as noticing body sensations, posture or breathing and being aware of them during routine daily life we need to understand their purpose. Without purpose we are simply performing rote exercises and the mind will totally miss the point. Without understanding the purpose and reason integration cannot occur. Without integration there is no empowerment and the experiences will gradually become hollow and meaningless.

Observing the breath is not done simply to observe the breath. This level of understanding will not bring much benefit because how many of us truly wish to live life observing our breath all the time? It’s like speaking but not understanding that speech is a method of communicating with other people! Similarly observing the breath trains the mind to focus and sensitize to a particular frequency and subtlety of energy. Again simply observing this energy may have some benefits such as calming the mind but there is also an opportunity to understand that a language of communication is being developed here. By understanding that this level of observation is a way of listening to the language we open ourselves to the opportunity for communication! There is a big difference between these levels of understanding. While one is simply aware that energy is present, the other is aware that a communication is occurring and because of this awareness is able to create an intention to learn the meaning behind that communication!

Context, understanding, purpose and reason give way to creating real meaning in our experiences. Start with just observing physical sensation. It could be awareness of the tip of your nose. Just be aware of it at times throughout the day and also spend some time really listening and observing its feeling. Notice the various degrees and types of sensations. Explore and move into anyone of these. See what happens when you keep part of your consciousness attuned to these threads during the day. Become familiar with changes and shifts. Listen to the language and find ways to make conversation. Remember the context in which you are practicing and training. Remember why you are practicing – why did you originally start this type of development? How do those reasons fit in with the practices that you are now doing? How can the practices that you are presently doing help teach you within the context of that which you seek?

All these questions lead to the development of solutions that are relevant for our life path.

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Spiritual Realization ~ Part 2

The first step of practicing realization is always observation. Observation is what allows us to know where we are, and it is only in knowing where we are that we can begin to move. Movement is the essential key for transcending illusion, because through movement of the mind illusion can no longer exist as it was. When the mind becomes aware of that world outside illusion the walls effectively begin to crumble!

Movement begins by focus. It is through focus and concentration that we pull our mind toward a goal and attract that goal toward ourselves. The stronger and more intense our focus the greater our steps toward that goal. The more patient and sustaining our focus the longer we can maintain our journey. Intensity provides depth and patience provides continuity. In the long run patience and persistence by their very nature will bring depth, knowledge and understanding so it is important to develop these abilities even if all others are lacking.

It is important to understand and investigate what movement of the mind is. The truth is that the mind is always moving, however it tends to move within set patterns of thought, emotion and feelings. These patterns are what we know as our personalities and the stronger they are, the more sure we are that we are who we are. The type of movement that we want to develop is one where we are in control. That is to say that the mind does not simply flit back and forth between thoughts and emotions at its own will, but that we are able to directly move and hold it on particular thoughts, feelings, images and sounds as we desire. In the beginning our level of control may well be weak, but through continuous practice all beings are capable of mastery.

In the beginning it is unimportant what methods we use for concentration, but in time if we are to improve we need to assess what it is that our practices are developing in us. For example if we are wishing to develop receptive and sensitive movement and control, we may not gain much from focused and hard breathing exercises. On the other hand if we are seeking to elevate our energy levels we may well choose these. By remaining alert and paying close attention to what and how consciousness is being formed and shape as we practice, we will begin to see the bridges that link any and all meditations. This is essentially what realization is about – finding, crossing and linking spaces, gaps and bridges. This mental and physical development is what allows us to shift from a low energy state to a high energy state or vice versa. It allows us to shift from anger to peace, hatred to love or shame to compassion.

While the ability to shift through emotions is valuable what is of far more worth are the processes and attributes developed by doing so. It’s like training ourselves to ride a bike and in the training finding that not only can we ride, we can fly! Gradually we discover that the faculties and expanded senses that we have developed provide opportunities for knowledge and experiences beyond what we had imagined. Moving into these we find deeper and higher paths of potential. What is being explored and discovered is our own consciousness, and it is the experience and realization of its whole and true nature that brings us empowerment.

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Spiritual Realization ~ Part 1 ~ Awakening Enlightenment Consciousness Through Active Meditation

Realization is the experience of understanding. It exists in the moment that we shift from one perception of reality to another. In that instant, our consciousness is able to exist and open to these two realities and being here, seeing and feeling here, we are able to understand the multi dimensional nature of our mind and body. Through this nature we are given the opportunity to find our true self.

The practice of realization is essentially about controlling the mind, and through the mind being controlled the body is mastered also. As long as we retain a connection and communication with the body and the physical then we retain the opportunity to transcend and evolve these aspects and in the process we develop mastery of our consciousness. This is the reason why our training needs to be challenging. We need to at first get a grip of the basics, learning stillness, movement and control, then we face co-operative challenges in order to increase the depth and level of our mastery. Cooperation works by seeking challenges that stretch us a certain amount, but not so much that we lose ourselves completely or give up the journey. If we were guiding a baby to walk it would be counter productive to knock it down each time it almost gets to its feet. Similarly, we must look for challenges that are appropriate to our level of skill. For this sincere and honest self appraisal is required.

The experience of realization always comes back to the same principles. By practicing the art of moving through illusions we will always find that there is more to reality than what our mind and body would grasp and have us believe. The stability that we all seek can only be found in accepting the unstable and ever changing. With beautiful irony it is through this real experience of acceptance that we can find a peace and stability that is eternal and does not change.

We also need to understand and practice the art of moving through illusions. We need to study illusion and understand what it is that makes an illusion what it is. No illusion can exist without belief in it. The deeper and stronger the belief, the more powerful and effective the illusion. The reason that it is not enough to disbelieve at a purely intellectual or conceptual level is because this level simply stimulates the surface area of the mind and consciousness, it doesn’t even touch the subconscious let alone the unconscious. Working with the senses of feeling, imagery, sound, smell and taste move deeper into the subconscious but must be trained and practiced in order to get deeper still. The deeper we get the further we move through the illusion. We then begin to understand the real nature of illusions. It is not the illusion itself that holds us, it is our grasping and inability to move past it that keeps us attached to it. Deep sensory cleansing purifies the bonds that hold us to illusions. As we move in deeper the awareness and intention of seeing and feeling, recognizing and responding all become refined and sensitive to a more accurate and effective way of finding truth.

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Recognition and Advanced Manifestation ~ Part 3

Mastery of the skills of manifestation comes through intensive practice and work. We must develop the ability to continuously confront and respond to what is required. This practice must be cultivated until courage, sensitivity and awareness becomes natural.

All masters who have developed the ability to manifest instantly have progressed through the ranks of first expending massive amounts of energy, focus and will in training. The furnace of training involved in this type of practice is what tempers and conditions the consciousness and enables it to move and create. There is no avoiding this if we are to gain these skills. The very fears, doubts, lack of patience and confusion that would prompt us to find an easy route to manifestation are the exact same aspects that will strengthen and develop our consciousness. We need these aspects to develop strength and sensitivity, a type strength and sensitivity that enables us to control our consciousness. This is what manifestation is and requires.

There are types of manifestation that are like puffs of wind and to those of us that can perceive this energy we can see that it is instantly dispersed. There is quite literally not enough energy or effort to hold it in our reality. The type of energy that we need to develop is of the mindset that is resolute and fixed in its determination to achieve its goals. If we have the mindset that we wish to manifest but only if we need not do any real hard work, then this is the exact intention that is expressed and projected. If we have the mindset that we will do whatever is required, that we will find a way and that even if we meet a wall we will climb over or find a way around it – then this is the type of energy and intention that we will manifest. At the mental level this type of consciousness looks for opening and opportunities everywhere. At the physical level the body is prepared and sensitive to respond.

Mastery of manifestation has never been about producing reality effortlessly. This has simply been a byproduct. The aim of manifestation is just that – to manifest exactly what we want, using whatever tools and knowledge we have and can get our hands on. This mindset creates that of an inspired, disciplined and dedicated explorer, on the lookout for new and better ways to do what we do.

It is this mindset that creates effortless power.

By finding ways in which first and foremost we achieve our goals we find better ways to succeed. If we simply seek to find easy ways and forgo making achievement our priority then we will find that what we create are ways of ease but not a lot in the direction of success. Finding ways that lead to our goals provides an opportunity to know and understand the destination. Then we can find paths of lesser resistance and effortless power. The ironic beauty is, that in achieving effortless power we have already transcended the need for it.

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The Power of Recognition ~ Part 1

Real, tangible empowerment exists when we train our physical and mental consciousness to recognize it. Recognition is the development of listening, seeing, feeling and perception. It is our senses that provide us with the opportunity to judge and perceive our experiences, and thus it is our senses that determine what empowerment truly is. Without the ability to hear it would not matter how beautiful sounds might be as we would not be able to appreciate them. Without the ability to see it would not matter how beautiful sights might be as we would not be able to see them. Without the ability to feel it does not matter how beautiful a feeling may be as we are not able to feel them.

Understanding what to recognize at the intellectual level provides us with a road map of what it is that we are seeking, but this is all it is – a road map. Intellectualization does not provide us with the feeling, sight and sound of the actual experience. We may read all there is to know about enlightenment, empowerment and awakening, but without actually experiencing it we are simply reading and relating a story.

The gift of the intellect is that it acts as a gatekeeper to deeper knowledge. By understanding at an intellectual level we give permission and allow ourselves to explore a more dedicated level of experience.

For all intents and purposes intellectual recognition affords us two things: the ability to see that a certain path will lead us somewhere and a certain level of confidence in our ability to manifest this direction. This is a level of vision and insight which by its very realization provides us with the opportunity to recognize ability. It is ultimately the confidence and insight which comes from this which allows us to move.

Intellectual recognition will lead many of us to taking the first steps to experiential, physical and spiritual recognition. For some it will be the first step, for others a foundation of faith or inspiration may provide the base in which to move. What is important is that we learn to use this energy in a way to sustain the direction of our consciousness. It is this continuity of direction, intention and energies that ultimately creates and manifests our life in a way that is meaningful.

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The Spiral Path – Unlocking the Mysteries of our Karma and Past Lives

Becoming masters of our own spiritual destiny requires just that – that we be masters. This means moving our consciousness more and more in the direction of listening to our own inner voice, developing our psychic senses, knowledge and wisdom – all the faculties that provide us with the ability to make our own choices. It’s about being responsible for our own choices, progress, knowledge and intuiting. It means being in control of seeking.

It’s important to differentiate between learning and acknowledging teachers and placing all our faith in teachers and outside knowledge. It needs to be remembered that all beings have their own path and even when this path is one of teaching and sharing knowledge, it is expressed in a particular way that is specific to that being’s own journey. Tools and techniques can be given and knowledge can be imparted on how to integrate information, however the feeling of it must be done and experienced ourselves. Furthermore it is the actual process of learning to trust our own power and wisdom that opens the way for communication and a relationship with our true self. During this process we develop the ability to listen and speak, mutual trust born from learning to give and take and understanding and respect.

For a “teacher” to transcend their own ego’s need for adoration from students they must recognize that a “student” is only passing through. In this the teacher gains the opportunity to confront their own ego at the juncture where it is most powerful and in moving through the illusion of this power they find real empowerment.

At the same time as the student learns that no teacher or being can bring them liberation if they do not take the steps themselves, the teacher is also learning that no student or being can bring them power if they do not realize this power themselves. This journey of learning is a weaving and twisting, shape shifting movement of mind, body and spirit that at its depths reveals the true teacher which is always within ourselves. In looking for the lessons in every moment and place we follow the leads, the flows and spaces and find this inner teacher. For a time consciousness makes sense. Then it is lost as a new expansion occurs and the grasping mind recognizes that the unknown has met what was for a time familiar. Stretching the mind once again we come to know the unknown intimately and once again there is integration. This weave of chaos becoming order then back again is a gift that allows us to understand the real essence of integration, unity and connectedness. The journey at times may seem infinite, but realization occurs to the one taking the journey, not the journey itself. As our consciousness learns to see itself, it begins to understand that each step has removed a thread of division that separates perception from truth. The journey has come full circle.

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Spiritual Integration

Integrating spiritual realities into our lives requires at least in principle two things. The first is to send our consciousness through the window that opens and allows exploration of the spiritual realms and then we must train our physical body to experience and open up to this reality. Developing the psychic senses is a clear way to look through the dimensional windows, but in many ways this is simply the gathering of knowledge. The opportunity that a psychic sense such as clairvoyance offers us is to see clearly and truly how energy and entities are interacting and so understand how to affect the result. Likewise a skill such as clairaudience allows us to listen to the guidance of entities and energies and so understand how to create and manifest in a particular direction. The development of these skills is not by any means mandatory for spiritual development, they are simply extra tools for enhancing the journey. All of us have the ability to feel and observe and this is the most important principle of all.

In seeking peak experiences, spiritual realizations and empowerment we are actually seeking union with the true self. The true self is the peak, it is empowerment and it is spiritual realization. The process of observing and feeling allows us to move through the layers that obscure the true self from perception. This is the experience of realization and it is also the experience of true peace. When it comes down to it, it may be said that what we are truly seeking is inner peace and although the paths to realizing this experience are often different the principle is always the same. It is about meeting each atom of experience and allowing it to be exactly as it is. This reality of allowing an internal experience to be exactly as it is, is the energy of peace. We feel and perceive any particular energy and we do nothing. In doing nothing we allow these entities or energies to be exactly as they are. We ask nothing of them and so they experience peace and that peace is being formed and realized from within us. It is being created and shaped within us. The reason why we train our minds to become formless is so that we can take the shape of whatever form is manifested within us. When we hold our form there is a clash as two forms meet. When we allow our form to move and shift then there is no clash, only peace. As our consciousness is directed to connect with more and more energies and is given the opportunity to create peace, less fear arises simply because we know that we can meet and experience whatever comes our way. Without fear our mind and body becomes clear. Through this clarity the experience of our true self becomes effortless and furthermore because the experience has come through directly connecting with everything that comes our way integration occurs at the deepest levels of our being. There is no gap between spiritual and “normal.”

Since the accelerated way is through developing the psychic senses and then turning them within, we need to be aware of times when the development of these senses requires balancing with the physical body grounding and integration. In short I would recommend at least 3 times a week practicing grounding work. The essence of grounding work is connecting to the physical body, feeling and observing it and bringing the mind fully into it. The easiest way is to just observe the body during physical movement. Anything from walking, doing the dishes, showering or doing up your shoe laces. Observe your posture, the way you hold your weight and balance. Notice and objectively observe any physical tension and areas of relaxation. All physical manifestations are connections to consciousness and it is through these connections that the mind integrates with the body. The process of experiencing the physical and alternately experiencing the spiritual and subtle allows the realization of a consciousness that is expanded. Directing the mind to move between the spiritual, mental and physical provides the opportunity to observe the movement, the landscape and the spaces interwoven beneath and through these elements. Within these spaces and flows exist the essences that connect spirit, mind and the physical. Experiencing these paths of power allow us to find a unity between what we have previously perceived and experienced to be separate levels of consciousness. This unity and integration opens up the experience of spirit within the body, the physical within the mind and the mind through the spirit.

Integration is where real empowerment exists because it brings the experience back home to where we live. It is perhaps the most sustainable and realistic means of spiritual life because it does not seek to leave a single iota of being behind. All is met, the dark, the light, the ego, the personality and the higher self. With each meeting there is an opportunity for mastery through the experience of looking straight in the eye of whatever energy it is that exists there. We feel and choose to be open and the feeling and experience is allowed to be as it is. What is gained is a consciousness that is opening to a realization of truth.

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