** Last night I had this organic moment while drinking water –a moment of clarity – at the most basic level, I’m an being/animal drinking these two gases that happen to make a liquid that nourishes my body. Weird, really, to reflect upon. I may have various levels of thinking/feeling/relating, but I have to drink water to be able to do any of those things. (I was realllllly tired, so my thinking was kinda strange anyway, hence my organic thought. *laugh.)
** The past few weeks I’ve been fighting/resisting these “monsters” as I’ve deemed them: things that threaten my dreams, my purpose, my “deepest desires” – ideas of financial comfort, of choosing the easy course, of appeasing others. I’ve turned to a few people for help/advice, but none so insightful as this little girl. Enjoy.
Go to: http://youtube.com/watch?v=UCOPNuuGeKA
** I just read On Liberty by John Stuart Mill – some parts deeply resonated with me. I think this quote is beautiful:
“Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing.” Mill quotes Wilhelm von Humbolt to say that to develop ourselves, for this “tree” to grow, we must have “freedom, and a variety of situations.”
The beautiful part of our society is that we have freedom (debatable, I know, but for the purposes of this thought, go with me). We have freedom, so we just need to seek and intentionally put ourselves in these varying situations. My goal for the week is to experience two “new” situations that challenge my thinking/way of life.
And... deep breath... GO.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Breathe in the positive energy...
In September, the concept of energy entered my life primarily through two sources: my spiritual director and... yoga. *laugh. I feel so cheesy saying it, but it’s true! I cannot justify it scientifically, nor biblically, but from what I have observed and experienced, I believe that energy has a deep impact on how we feel physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Tonight it all came together for me in a very beautiful picture. Let me explain.
BMH. My spiritual director filters her thoughts before speaking, sometimes stopping mid-sentence to say, “Oo. That’s negative energy. I won’t say that.” Or she’ll gently and humorously chide me for promoting negative energy in things I say or ways I act. Such language threw me off for the first few weeks of getting to know her; I had never used such terms or concepts. However, I have found that she’s right: what I say regarding a subject or a person really does infiltrate the space with an energy, either healing and growth inspiring, or negative.
Yoga. For those of you who haven’t tried yoga, its root is in breathing patterns with the goal of bringing energy to the body through strength, flexibility and balance, as well as focusing and relaxing the mind. During some exercises, one is encouraged to visualize inhaling positive energy, and exhaling negative energy and stress. (This is nothing new; any how-to-relieve-stress will advise breathing deeply.) The more I practice yoga, the more I am cognizant of the negative energy stores in my body, and how my body feels when they are released and filled with positive energy. Although slight, the difference is definitely noted.
Tonight. Taking that deep breathing idea... Tonight I was with a group of women who were encouraging one another. I noticed multiple times that when particularly encouraging words hit an individual, she would take a deep breath and exhale slowly. It was like a yoga breath. It was as if she was inhaling the positive energy, the words of affirmation and hope, and exhaling the fears, lies and insecurities. The image of these deep breaths of renewal is beautiful to me.
Tonight’s experience tied it all together for me. There IS some dimension of energy of which we are not immediately aware, but it is reality. In our personal spaces, in our words, in our bodies, in our thoughts. I think the concept of “energy” is tossed out in the lingo of new-agers, but give it a chance. Pay attention for a few days – to words, to spaces, to how your body feels, to deep breathing...
BMH. My spiritual director filters her thoughts before speaking, sometimes stopping mid-sentence to say, “Oo. That’s negative energy. I won’t say that.” Or she’ll gently and humorously chide me for promoting negative energy in things I say or ways I act. Such language threw me off for the first few weeks of getting to know her; I had never used such terms or concepts. However, I have found that she’s right: what I say regarding a subject or a person really does infiltrate the space with an energy, either healing and growth inspiring, or negative.
Yoga. For those of you who haven’t tried yoga, its root is in breathing patterns with the goal of bringing energy to the body through strength, flexibility and balance, as well as focusing and relaxing the mind. During some exercises, one is encouraged to visualize inhaling positive energy, and exhaling negative energy and stress. (This is nothing new; any how-to-relieve-stress will advise breathing deeply.) The more I practice yoga, the more I am cognizant of the negative energy stores in my body, and how my body feels when they are released and filled with positive energy. Although slight, the difference is definitely noted.
Tonight. Taking that deep breathing idea... Tonight I was with a group of women who were encouraging one another. I noticed multiple times that when particularly encouraging words hit an individual, she would take a deep breath and exhale slowly. It was like a yoga breath. It was as if she was inhaling the positive energy, the words of affirmation and hope, and exhaling the fears, lies and insecurities. The image of these deep breaths of renewal is beautiful to me.
Tonight’s experience tied it all together for me. There IS some dimension of energy of which we are not immediately aware, but it is reality. In our personal spaces, in our words, in our bodies, in our thoughts. I think the concept of “energy” is tossed out in the lingo of new-agers, but give it a chance. Pay attention for a few days – to words, to spaces, to how your body feels, to deep breathing...
Friday, February 8, 2008
Internship learning #1: Detained Immigrants
This semester I am interning with the National Immigrant Justice Center of Heartland Alliance. To further general awareness/knowledge of our country/world/immigration system, I'm going to offer updates.
Detained Immigrants. When persons flee their home countries to find safety in the US, they come to seek ASYLUM. Being a REFUGEE is asking for protection while being outside the US. Asylum is sought once in the US. Asylum happens one of two ways:
1. Once in the US on a visa or with a document (legal or illegally), one goes to a lawyer or organization to seek asylum. These are the persons with whom I work.
2. Upon arriving at Customs, the person declares they are afraid to return to their countries and are seeking asylum. At this moment, Customs officers detain them and put them in detainment centers (often local jails).
These detainment centers are overflowing. At any one time, there are approx. 30,000 detained individuals in our country. Therefore, the overflow are 'housed' in jails, and treated the same as the inmates. Their asylum cases *generally* go through the courts within a few months, but in some cases take years. Apart from the legal process, it astounds me that these people seeking asylum are imprisoned. Literally. They are coming to the US to seek shelter, to be safe, after having been tortured, received death threats, been raped, being heavily persecuted... and we put them in shackles (literally) and van them to a detainment center or jail.
Something's gotta give. I'm intrigued to learn more...
PS. If anyone is interested, there are volunteer opportunities to go to the detainment centers and talk with the immigrants to hear their stories and document them so we can then decide if they are eligible for legal help. Talk with me.
Detained Immigrants. When persons flee their home countries to find safety in the US, they come to seek ASYLUM. Being a REFUGEE is asking for protection while being outside the US. Asylum is sought once in the US. Asylum happens one of two ways:
1. Once in the US on a visa or with a document (legal or illegally), one goes to a lawyer or organization to seek asylum. These are the persons with whom I work.
2. Upon arriving at Customs, the person declares they are afraid to return to their countries and are seeking asylum. At this moment, Customs officers detain them and put them in detainment centers (often local jails).
These detainment centers are overflowing. At any one time, there are approx. 30,000 detained individuals in our country. Therefore, the overflow are 'housed' in jails, and treated the same as the inmates. Their asylum cases *generally* go through the courts within a few months, but in some cases take years. Apart from the legal process, it astounds me that these people seeking asylum are imprisoned. Literally. They are coming to the US to seek shelter, to be safe, after having been tortured, received death threats, been raped, being heavily persecuted... and we put them in shackles (literally) and van them to a detainment center or jail.
Something's gotta give. I'm intrigued to learn more...
PS. If anyone is interested, there are volunteer opportunities to go to the detainment centers and talk with the immigrants to hear their stories and document them so we can then decide if they are eligible for legal help. Talk with me.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Living Creatively - Money
Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is changing my life. It’s a book about re-discovering one’s creativity, giving it room to breathe. Cameron demands activities and self-reflection that daily challenge me. For example, this week’s chapter asks me to investigate my views of money - whether they inhibit creative living. I’ve found that I’ve not yet lived independently enough to have developed really negative views of money, but when reflecting over money and my future, I do allow money to inhibit my dreams.
I have never been a procrastinator. I’ve disciplined myself to live by delayed gratification – if I labor now, I will be able to enjoy more peacefully later. This outlook heavily clouds my view of money: if I work hard and earn enough now, then later I’ll be able to do what I want. And while at times, that must be done (for me, the next year will be asi), I acknowledge that it is possible to live one’s life in such a manner. I don’t want that. I want to live creatively and fully, being totally alive and letting God work beauty through me. If I love climbing mountains, I want to do it yearly and make sure that is a priority with money. If I love a certain kind of more expensive tea, I should treat myself to it.
This chapter really is about treating myself to things/activities that let God work through me, that make my life more colorful and exciting. It’s about taking the time and necessary resources to be good to myself. My treats for the week are:
**Clean bedsheets – whether or not they needed to be switched, I love the feeling of clean bedsheets.
**Ask myself the question: If money weren't an issue, what would I do with my life? Then seriously consider the answers.
**Make a list of materials needed to create this structure I have been dreaming about – regardless the cost of the materials, I’m going to do it!
**Homemade hummus. It went so well!
**I need to find a new artist, and buy an album that gives me energy.
**Re-arranging my room. I need change in life, so this is a small road to differences.
**Going out dancing this weekend.
**Finding images of things I would buy/do/create if money were not an issue – then add them to my image-file!
Yay for life. Yay for Cameron. Yay for being a creative being.
I have never been a procrastinator. I’ve disciplined myself to live by delayed gratification – if I labor now, I will be able to enjoy more peacefully later. This outlook heavily clouds my view of money: if I work hard and earn enough now, then later I’ll be able to do what I want. And while at times, that must be done (for me, the next year will be asi), I acknowledge that it is possible to live one’s life in such a manner. I don’t want that. I want to live creatively and fully, being totally alive and letting God work beauty through me. If I love climbing mountains, I want to do it yearly and make sure that is a priority with money. If I love a certain kind of more expensive tea, I should treat myself to it.
This chapter really is about treating myself to things/activities that let God work through me, that make my life more colorful and exciting. It’s about taking the time and necessary resources to be good to myself. My treats for the week are:
**Clean bedsheets – whether or not they needed to be switched, I love the feeling of clean bedsheets.
**Ask myself the question: If money weren't an issue, what would I do with my life? Then seriously consider the answers.
**Make a list of materials needed to create this structure I have been dreaming about – regardless the cost of the materials, I’m going to do it!
**Homemade hummus. It went so well!
**I need to find a new artist, and buy an album that gives me energy.
**Re-arranging my room. I need change in life, so this is a small road to differences.
**Going out dancing this weekend.
**Finding images of things I would buy/do/create if money were not an issue – then add them to my image-file!
Yay for life. Yay for Cameron. Yay for being a creative being.
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