by Charles McAlpine | Jul 17, 2016 | Blog
This week I finished a 60 day ‘self-healing’! I am not sure where the idea came from. But I know there were several things I had been thinking about for awhile. They all seemed to converge at this same time. So when I say self-healing, I decided to focus on mind, body spirit. Writing about what I was experiencing and doing with my body. My thoughts and emotions. Even my spirituality. I would also include what I was not doing. Everyday I wrote. Sometimes for an hour sometimes for 10-15 minutes. Each day was about capturing the where, what, how and why of my day. I started out with one idea. To pay attention to what I was eating. Most of us know what’s good for us. That doesn’t mean we choose that. This was the one structure I knew I could track. Am I making the choices that feel best and aligned for me. Other than that, this has been an open expedition! What I discovered is a new me. I am not the same person who started the writing exercise. I didn’t have a particular agenda. But, my experience was completely different than what I imagined. I feel like I caught up with myself. I learned who I am by focusing on who I am becoming. I learned who I am by letting go of who I no longer am. There are stories I have been telling myself. Stories about who I am. What is challenging. What is working and what isn’t. I have been telling stories about who I am as a spiritual being, business owner,...
by Charles McAlpine | May 1, 2016 | Blog
Fito and I have both been having a similar experience, but not necessarily sharing it with one another. Finally on one of our nightly walks, it came up. We have both been feeling the energies of ‘expansion’. The energy of flow, abundance; the energy of more. Yet prior to our conversation we had both been dealing with it in different ways. Fito was not talking about or sharing his experience of these energies of expansion because he “didn’t want to jinx them”. He thought that somehow, if he talked about what he was sensing or feeling.., those energies would go away. I on the other hand have shared with you, through this blog, that I have been feeling these expansive energies since the beginning of the year. However instead of being afraid I would cancel them out somehow by sharing them.., I have spent a lot of time looking for proof or evidence of this expansion in the 3-D world. Do we have more clients, transactions, workshops, etc… Or is their more money in my bank account. What we decided was that both of us are putting barriers in our own path. If you feel a new flow or rush of energies and then refuse to acknowledge it for fear it will go away; it is your fear that disrupts the flow. On the other hand, if you don’t trust it and begin to search for proof or start collecting evidence; that too can disrupt the flow. Instead, you have to simple bask in the energies that are flowing in and around you and be willing to “RECEIVE” them....
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 20, 2016 | Blog
Do you ever feel like you have one foot in one reality, with the other in another? I ask because this is how my life feels right now. I could look to one or two different situation or circumstances and say that they are “the cause” of this sensation of living in two worlds. But in truth, when I slow down and really contemplate this, I realize it is in every aspect of my life. One foot is still on the treadmill of our 3-D world where there are expectation, requirements, demands, opportunities and a whole lot of “should(s)”. We are told from a very young age what is expected, important, and valued. We are conditioned to accept our place within limited and limiting hierarchical structures that are based on social, educational, cultural, religious, and place of origin norms. Without even realizing it, many of us fulfill our perceived destiny based on beliefs and internalized messages whose origin we barely remember. We are navigating life as if we are asleep. This is regardless of whether or not the life we have created is deemed good or bad; rich or poor; adventurous or boring. We are asleep because we rely solely on our five physical senses to navigate. We assess and assign value to something or someone based on what we see, hear, taste, touch or smell. From infancy we have relied on these physical senses to help us interpret life. For those who choose a spiritual path something else emerges. We begin to listen for messages from the voice within. When we first connect with this internal guidance, we...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 28, 2016 | Blog
Let’s talk about Energy. I frequently mention that I find myself navigating my day by sensing, feeling, or simply knowing where, what, when, or with whom I have a connection. What feels right.., what resonates. This means I am either drawn to something or I am not. Sometimes I even feel repelled by something or someone. When this happens, I want to move away from it or them. These sensations are all based on energies that either feel harmonious, static, or discordant. Energies that are either bumping up against our own energies or blending with them. Never forgetting that there are significantly more energies that we are oblivious to, simply because they neutral for us. Each one of us has our own energetic field. Everything we do affects this field. The food and exercise choices we make, the people we hang out with, our work environments, our attitude, our behavior, our thoughts and our emotions. As we walk around, people may be drawn to, repelled by or oblivious to us. AND, us to them. Basic and simple to understand.., right? Well here’s the rub. For a long time, most of us suppressed or did not trust our ability to sense or interpret the sensations that we got from the people, places and things around us… Unless it was dramatic or intense. This means that in order for us to reconnect with our ability to sense, feel and trust energies, we had to amplify our awareness of them. We had to turn up the volume. The easiest way to do that in a dualistic world is to divide them into...
by Charles McAlpine | Oct 18, 2015 | Blog
We have movement! I mean that both figuratively and literally! If you have been following along with my journey lately, you know I have been hanging out in the unknown! Passing through one of those thresholds that is a demarcation between “what was” and “what will be”. We all have them.., my latest one just seems to have lasted a LONG time! Personally, it feels like I handled this time of not knowing really well! There were certainly times of confusion, boredom, frustration and even a little bit of worry. But for the most part, what I want to celebrate was that I just stayed in the discomfort of not knowing. For a ‘control-freak’.., that’s a big-darn-deal! I spent plenty of time over the past few months internally observing my own situation. And, I have to say, I have a new appreciation for taking the time to develop “The Observer”. The ability to witness what you are going through (thinking, feeling and experiencing), with detachment and acceptance; knowing and allowing it to be okay. Experiencing your own journey not only from the path you are on, but also from a perch somewhere above. Where the ups and downs are not as dramatic. With a knowing that even though you can’t see what is around the next corner, you know you are right where you are suppose to be! It feels like this past few months (which at times felt like YEARS) of “observing” my own dance with the unknown, has been about ‘trust’. Trusting that everything will work out exactly as it is meant to be. Trusting that my...
by Charles McAlpine | Oct 1, 2015 | Blog
We are responsible for our own evolution. We decide how far and how fast we progress in our journey toward fulfillment; whatever that means to each of us. For some it might mean actualizing and manifesting something we desire. For others it might be about physical health. Still for others it will be creating loving, supportive relationships. Beneath whatever personal fulfillment means to us, there is a deeper desire to know and connect with our true SELF. What is it that lights me up? What is my purpose? How do I live the a meaningful life? The answers are unique to each person that asks these questions. Yet many of us are trying to answer them by observing, mimicking and repeating what others are doing or what they are telling us we ‘should’ do! “They” can be anyone from a family member, to a boss, church, magazine or corporation (or MANY others). We are bombarded with messages daily about how we are suppose to groom, dress, weigh, drive, believe, avoid, feel, etc… And even though this makes navigating and connecting with our personal truth more challenging; in reality it is an amazing opportunity to develop your own intuition and unfamiliar senses. A way for each of us to grow and evolve. Consider using this combination of crystals (Almandine Garnet, Honey Calcite & Amazonite) to support expanding your intuitive and unfamiliar senses for the purpose of evolving and personal expansion. Here’s why I like this combination! Almandine Garnet: First of all we need to be grounded and connected to our physical body whenever we want to shift of change anything....
by Charles McAlpine | Jul 18, 2015 | Blog
Mental hopscotch is apparently one of my favorite forms of entertainment! It seems there are a never-ending range of topics I will process, pull apart, re-imagine or simply allow my mind to jump around and through! I am sure that somewhere in all these mind games, there is actual stimulus for creating things in my life. Yet, I wonder, what would happen if I just took the time to get specific. Target what I really want. And let the other 5000 possibilities go? Would I create faster. Would I be less stressed? Would I get where I am going with greater ease? Our minds are our greatest gifts and can be our heaviest burdens. There is no rule book given when we enter this life that tell us how to master the mind. We are simply following the lineage of perceptions, ideas, trials and tribulations that have been passed down from the generations before us. Add to that our own fumbling experiences, and we are left with a map that only makes sense to one person. If it makes sense to us at all!! We of course know how to develop our intellect. Expansion of knowledge is constant. Wisdom is a possibility for all… Hopefully wisdom is something that we all get to enjoy someday as we reach the Sage years of our lives. Yet, our minds (my mind) goes wherever it wants! I may be planning to go grocery shopping, but my mind has me replaying a scene from a television show, or trying to figure out who the first person was to eat an artichoke. How many...
by Charles McAlpine | Jul 12, 2015 | Blog
I am tired of negativity, discrimination, divisiveness, fear-mongering, hate-talk, racism, misogyny, homophobia, bigotry and classism. Actually, to be truthful, I am worn down by them. Theses are tedious, never-ending energies that seem to be hurled around ad nauseam. I get it, we all have biases. We have preferences. We are drawn to some people and things, while we are repelled by others. But these days, it feels like we are being manipulated by some external force that wants to increase these hurtful and harmful prejudices. “They” wants us to feel and be isolated from one another. It is as if we are all part of a large marketing experiment, where if we all get isolated into our assigned group.., a market research group sort of. Each group is then reinforced to believe that their position, issues, concerns, traits, and perspectives are right and good. Each group is fed regular doses of information that categorize, reinforce and support their rightness. We are led to believe that if our segment does not achieve its goal, we will lose, possibly even cease to exist. We become so focused on the group that were sorted into, that we begin to lose the perspective of the other groups. Those groups become ‘them’. If any of ‘them’.., are not aligned or don’t share our perspective, they are viewed as the “other-side”. They become the bad guys. They are the enemy. We are good, they are bad. Us against Them. Justice against Evil. This means each group has been successfully separated from the whole. This means they have been reduced in size. Yet, because members...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Aug 31, 2014 | Blog
Community is on my mind. This past Friday, Phil Blank was leading our weekly meditation, playing the didgeridoo. It is always an amazing experience, but there was something special about this evening. There were over a dozen of us there for this meditation experience, many who I knew, a few who were new to me. Yet the predominant feeling was we were all connected. The didgeridoo, being an ancient instrument with a very primal sound, sends waves of vibrational energies across and throughout your body. Sometimes you feel it pulsing along your thighs or legs. Another time, arms or shoulders. It moves around. Yet regardless of where you are sensing and experiencing these sensations, you know you are being bathed in healing sounds. Phil usually brings the groups focus to the breath. As he says, “not only is it part of our life force, it is also something we continuously share”. And that was the feeling coming out of this meditation.., we were all sharing in the same experience. More than just this one meditation.., we were sharing our journeys. On this Friday evening, we all aligned, and came together in this space, at the same time. In the aftermath of the meditation, the sense of this sharing or being part of community was palpable! There was commonality, yet for many of us, we only knew a bit of the story of those who were gathered. It was not about where we work, how many kids we have, or any struggles or accomplishments we were experiencing. We simply showed up and allowed ourselves to unite energetically. To be a...
by Charles McAlpine | Aug 31, 2014 | Blog
Community is on my mind. This past Friday, Phil Blank was leading our weekly meditation, playing the didgeridoo. It is always an amazing experience, but there was something special about this evening. There were over a dozen of us there for this meditation experience, many who I knew, a few who were new to me. Yet the predominant feeling was we were all connected. The didgeridoo, being an ancient instrument with a very primal sound, sends waves of vibrational energies across and throughout your body. Sometimes you feel it pulsing along your thighs or legs. Another time, arms or shoulders. It moves around. Yet regardless of where you are sensing and experiencing these sensations, you know you are being bathed in healing sounds. Phil usually brings the groups focus to the breath. As he says, “not only is it part of our life force, it is also something we continuously share”. And that was the feeling coming out of this meditation.., we were all sharing in the same experience. More than just this one meditation.., we were sharing our journeys. On this Friday evening, we all aligned, and came together in this space, at the same time. In the aftermath of the meditation, the sense of this sharing or being part of community was palpable! There was commonality, yet for many of us, we only knew a bit of the story of those who were gathered. It was not about where we work, how many kids we have, or any struggles or accomplishments we were experiencing. We simply showed up and allowed ourselves to unite energetically. To be a...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jul 20, 2014 | Blog
They say that one of the ways to become more self-aware is to develop the skill of being the Observer of your own life. To witness yourself in action and instead of being attached to the actual event or experience you are having; allow yourself to be an impartial onlooker. Let’s say someone has just made a dangerous move in traffic, right in front of you. Not only are you surprised, you are likely angry and frightened by this close call. If you are in normal operating mode, you may react with intensity. You swear, send gestures, maybe scream at the driver of the car long gone. In ‘Observer’ mode, you are still surprised. You may even feel the anger. However, instead of going into full anger, you witness it. You contemplate the incident and begin to put things in perspective and context. Instead of screaming at the driver or going into road-rage, you calm yourself. Your anger never takes over. . . . . Learning to be an Observer of your life, is not something you do just for the heightened emotional situations. It is helpful during the mundane and ordinary times as well. As a matter of fact, the more you become a witness to your thoughts and emotions, the more it becomes a natural way of Being. This does not mean you don’t have thoughts and emotions, it simply means you are aware of them, and as a result, you influence them, they don’t control you. Observing your own reactions, behaviors and thoughts or emotions changes them. It changes you. Much like scientists have discovered; witnessing...
by Charles McAlpine | Jul 20, 2014 | Blog
They say that one of the ways to become more self-aware is to develop the skill of being the Observer of your own life. To witness yourself in action and instead of being attached to the actual event or experience you are having; allow yourself to be an impartial onlooker. Let’s say someone has just made a dangerous move in traffic, right in front of you. Not only are you surprised, you are likely angry and frightened by this close call. If you are in normal operating mode, you may react with intensity. You swear, send gestures, maybe scream at the driver of the car long gone. In ‘Observer’ mode, you are still surprised. You may even feel the anger. However, instead of going into full anger, you witness it. You contemplate the incident and begin to put things in perspective and context. Instead of screaming at the driver or going into road-rage, you calm yourself. Your anger never takes over. . . . . Learning to be an Observer of your life, is not something you do just for the heightened emotional situations. It is helpful during the mundane and ordinary times as well. As a matter of fact, the more you become a witness to your thoughts and emotions, the more it becomes a natural way of Being. This does not mean you don’t have thoughts and emotions, it simply means you are aware of them, and as a result, you influence them, they don’t control you. Observing your own reactions, behaviors and thoughts or emotions changes them. It changes you. Much like scientists have discovered; witnessing...
