What makes the present situation even more terrifying is the underlying sense that something is very different this time.  We are seeing breakdown after breakdown within many of the socio-economic realities that we have taken for granted as being ‘safe and sound’ for so long.

Many of the newly jobless will have a tougher find finding employment in their line of work…and many will see the industry they toiled for so long completely disappear.

From the 30,000-foot level, we have to realize that this is OK…as the ‘unsustainable’ is finally showing to be, well, unsustainable.  And amid all the breakdowns there are, and will continue to be, many fantastic break-throughs that will literally transform what it means to be a human being in this world!

But this can be extremely difficult to see right now as we are smack-dab in the middle of it, directly in the thick and dense processing phase where it is so easy to get lost in fear and anxiety.

The question naturally arising in SO many is: “Well, what should I do”?  This is the 100 Million dollar question right now, and it’s a good one.  And I am not going to propose any universal answer in this article.

Rather, my purpose is to simply shine awareness on what is happening, and to get your mind stirring whether you personal world has been shaken or not, because ALL of us are being affected by the massive transition happening on this planet right now.

We ALL need to be vigilant and aware, and to allow ourselves to be guided (as gently as possible) to the next phase of our evolution.

The writing is on the wall, our biggest systems are breaking down, greed and separation do not work.  Rest assured, there IS hope for a better tomorrow…and much of it depends on how we deal with the challenges today!

So, What SHOULD I Do?

Begin to realize that when things in the external field become chaotic and stressed, our minds like to pull us even more externally searching for answers.

But the answers are not ‘out there’.  They are within you, and when times are tough we need to be even stronger and cultivate the ability to look within for solutions.

As hard as it seems to do, NOW is the time for powerful self-reflection, stillness and patience.

Yes, I fully understand how this sounds.  Life is throwing all kinds of challenges at you, things need to be dealt with, handled, and brought to some kind or order…and this blogger guy is telling you to meditate and not do anything.

But that is not the case.  Being patient and still, and moving slowly and thoughtfully throughout your day creates the necessary space for greater wisdom to come to the forefront.

It may take time, but the answer to the question ‘what should I do’ is always there.  Another great thing to do is constantly gain perspective on your life situation.  Try this exercise:

Get Great-Grand Perspective

We so easily lose sight of the fact that our lives as human beings are fleeting, microscopic and meaningless.  Think about your great grandparents.

Many of you may have memories of some (or all) of your grandparents…but very few of us can remember anything about the next generation back.

Close your eyes and try to imagine the lives of your recent ancestors…these people who lived and breathed at one point, and who are your family.  You may or may not know something about who they were, but just try and think how important everything must have seemed to them.

I know my great grandparents came from Hungary and Russia, and came to the United States in the early 1900’s and raised my grandparents.

How much they must have struggled and stressed…living through World Wars and depressions…and how much joy they must have had, experiencing a new country, new possibilities, and new way of being in the world.

When you take a moment and really go back, it is amazing to think about.

But your great grandparents are gone.  Forever.  Dust in the wind. All the stress and anxiety they felt amounted to nothing but a forgotten history.  All the successes and triumphs they achieved mean nothing today.

And how often are these people thought and talked about?  Not much, if ever.

You must realize that one day your existence will suffer the same fate.  Everything in your life that you take as SO important, everything that is SO real to you will not matter and soon be forgotten as if it never mattered at all.

Yes, in a very real sense your life (our lives!) are totally meaningless and void of any value in the greatest scheme of things.

But What About ‘The Real World’?

When I say things like this to friends and family, the response is usually “OK, I get it, but what’s the point of saying that?  Does that mean I should sit around and do nothing if it all meaningless and purposeless?  Should I never go to work, have relationships, raise a family, and try to get ahead in the world”?

Of course not!  These questions are simply missing the point.  Knowledge of our meaninglessness is freedom; freedom to explore the life that you were meant to lead; freedom to see the places you were meant to see; freedom to interact with the people that you were meant to interact.

The ‘real world’ can often be like a prison, incarcerating you in all of the heavy expectations that were ingrained in you as a young person.  Realizing the absolute non-meaning of your life is lightness, freedom and joy!

Imagine living with no limitations, and having pure unadulterated liberty to allow your inner most soul uncover itself moment by moment!  This is the blessing that was granted to you upon being born….yet it is SO easily forgotten.

And attaining perspective of our purpose-less existence does NOT mean that you should ‘sit around and do nothing’.  On the contrary, truly experiencing this breakthrough leads to powerful and swift action.

The action you take becomes determined by intuition, purpose and love as opposed to fear, stress and external circumstances.  You become free, featherweight and empowered to lead the life you were meant to!

SO even though times seem tough, and the world as we know it appears to be disintegrating before our very eyes, constantly bring yourself inward, give yourself perspective, and have awareness that new realities are being born that will make ALL of our lives extraordinary!

*If you like this article, please share it with a friend.  Thank you

To me, what this film is documenting is the very thing that can bring transcending and fundamental changes in the world.  More than EVER, we need to spread awareness of this message…get involved in it…and encourage our friends, families, colleagues to join in.

I will tell you that doing this work for the past year has been an incredible experience.  Millions of people are shifting their habits, careers, and even their worldviews, and we need to rejoice in this global awakening!

Have you seen the Paul Hawken clip that describes THE SHIFT?  If not, check this out and begin seeing how real it is:

World’s Largest Social Movement

OK, so this is just a short post to ask that you to go to THE SHIFT site, http://www.theshiftmovie.com and sign up!

Today, the message for this powerful film and movement was finally released to a very large audience! Over 4 Million people know now about THE SHIFT…so lets give this movement some legs!

Also, for those of you bloggers, list owners, or just very popular people…please send this message around.  Vote on it on Digg, Stumble and all social networks!

Here are some links:

THE SHIFT on Digg

BRAND New Facebook Fan Page

Thanks everyone…this is going to be huge…it needs to be.  Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!

Todd

Have you ever experienced a period of time where it felt like everything you did was perfectly in flow with the way you should be living your life? When it happens you usually encounter a high frequency of coincidences, or what I prefer to call synchronicities.

Most people dismiss these experiences as just random acts in the random play of life. I could not disagree more! The moments you are truly living in the flow (and it could be for an hour, a day, or even weeks and months on end) are the times you have access to the universal wisdom that lies within each of us.

And this wisdom holds the key to living a life with excitement, success, fulfillment and love we all desire! Therefore it is imperative not to dismiss the times you experience high degrees of synchronicity, but rather bask in its wonderful flow with attuned awareness and consciousness.

It is also important to share these stories with friends and loved ones, as living in the flow is contagious…the more we talk about it and think about it, the more it happens.

Which brings me to MY tale:

A few weeks ago I was travelling back from LA on business, and the morning of my flight was the beginning of 24 hours of very intense coincidence and synchronicity.

It began at dinner with a bunch of colleagues as a friend shared a very emotional story of something that happened to him in the past, the date of which became quite significant in his life.

Almost on cue, Keri (one of the other people at the table) and I blurted out “what’s the date”? It turned out to be September 20 and Keri and I looked each other and she said ‘yea, that’s my birthday’.

Keri explained that she just knew he was going to say that date. The gentleman next to Keri then shared that his eldest son was born on September 20. The person next to him then explained that September 20 is the day her mother died.

Another friend chimed in that his eldest sister is born on that date. Besides me, everyone at the table had a significant story regarding September 20! It was an eerie (and very cool) few moments…and the connection between those at the table was palpable.

Synchronicity 30,000 Feet In The Air

The next morning I get on a plane back to New York, exhausted from the long trip and passed out. A few hours into the flight the girl next to me taps my leg (while I was sleeping) and says “excuse me, but if you are bored and need something to read I have an extra book on my bag”.

I looked at her for a second as if to say “are you kidding me…you wake me up to exchange pleasantries”, but I just go with it and ask ‘what book’. Of course it turns out to be the Eckhart Tolle A New Earth book, which I have written about a lot on this site.

This sparks a pretty deep conversation and we ended up talking for close to three hours. It turns out my new ‘friend’ is going through a pretty serious awakening process and there were many similarities, or coincidences, between us. I guess there was a reason she felt compelled to wake me up!

Upon landing, I had to go directly to a meeting for yet another start-up venture I am involved. This project’s leader is a particularly bright and engaging individual named Derrick Ashong (from the band Soulflege, The SHIFT movie trailer, and a few infamous YouTube videos).

I got to the meeting just as Derrick was starting his explanation of the business, and listened with great interest as he described a launch event in New York City this fall on…you got it, September 20. I almost fell off my chair, and shared with the folks at the meeting my dinner experience from the night before. Synchronicity working its magic…

The Next 12 Hours

The next morning I woke up and went to my usual diner for breakfast. I have become friendly with one of the waitresses there (she always sees me reading books on meditation, self improvement and the like) and upon seeing me says “OH, where have you been, I’ve been waiting for you and have some stuff you might enjoy”.

She then hands me a bag with a few books and a CD by a local Cellist I told her I liked. One of the books concerned Yoga practice, and seeing it tipped me off that there is a local Yoga studio that I have been meaning to check out for some time…and that today might be the perfect day to do it.

You see, a few weeks before I received an email from the business development manager of this particular Yoga studio after she did a search on the ‘caterpillar to butterfly’ phenomenon and found my article on Google.

She became intrigued by We The Change and saw I was located in New York City and sent me a very nice email. After some communication, she suggested I come into the studio and take a free class.

SO, after a few hours of catching up on emails I went over to Lafayette street to check it out. I walked into the studio and it was pretty much closed (it was the middle of the day and they only have classes in the mornings and evenings). BUT there was one person there: Kristen, the girl who had written me the email.

The two of us hit it off right away, and got into an hour conversation about all sorts of things. One of the major coincidences was that she used to date Daniel Pinchbeck, the author of 2012 The Return of Quetzalcoatl (the book I was reading and in my bag at the time).

She then told me a story of how a few years ago she spent an entire summer in a state of love. I was intrigued by this and asked her what this felt like. She explained that during this time she was constantly enveloped in feelings of grace, peace and acceptance.

She also realized that this is how human beings were supposed to feel ALL the time, and that love and non-resistance were our natural states…and stress and anxiety were mind-made constructs.

Living in Continual ‘Love’?

On the way home from speaking with her, I gave the idea of living in a constant state of love some thought. Was it really possible to live this way all the time? I stopped off to pick up some lunch and walked into my apartment. I turned on the TV for the first time in about 2 weeks and the first thing I heard was Hugh Grant’s voice in the movie LOVE, Actually.

Of course this movie was on, given the conversation I just had and the day of synchronicity I was ensconced (FYI, if you have not seen this film, it is AWESOME and I highly recommend it)!

SO, I sat there and watched this movie which is all about Love and the various forms it comes. When it ended I realized that it had been exactly 24 hours since I landed from Los Angeles. I reflected on the events and got the sense that I had been living in a state of grace, acceptance and love, and that the 24 hours were full of flow and synchronicity.

In The End…

I feel that these moments are the universe’s way of telling us “you are on the right path”. I believe it is our job to manifest these synchronicities in our lives, and to experience with heightened awareness the wonderful feelings of flow they provide. OR, you can simply be resistant, combative and constantly unfulfilled with life. We all have this choice…which sounds better to you??

Photo Above By Cheryl 

I have gotten several emails from blogger friends and concerned readers asking “is everything OK with you”? The sentiments have been heart-warming, and I appreciate your interest in my well being.

First off, the answer is ‘yes’, everything is OK with me. The reasons for my taking a break are very personal, but in honoring my mission for complete transparency concerning my journey in life I would like to share with you the experiences I have had over the last 6 weeks.

The goal: to help you garner a few nuggets of wisdom and start seeing that it is OK to have down cycles in your life. To help you see these times are very necessary and often set the stage for a greater ‘you’ to emerge. Let me explain:

Start of My Downward Cycle

Towards the end of March, my long-term girlfriend Irina and I decided to split up. After 3+ years of beautiful time together (and 2 years of living under the same roof) we mutually agreed that the best thing for us to do was go our separate ways.

I am not ready to get into the details of why we broke up, or my philosophy concerning relationships and ‘life partners’. I am sure I will have more to say on this in the future, but now is not the right time.

I will say that the split is very tough for me (and I imagine for her too) because we never fought and had no animosity between us. In a nutshell, we wanted different things and simply began to ‘grow apart’.

The morning after we made the official decision, my front tooth (which is a crown) cracked and broke off. This particular tooth has been my nemesis since I was 9 years old when my best friend (still to this day) inadvertently hit me in the face with a bag filled with silverware and broke my natural tooth to the base.

I haven’t had a problem with that tooth in 8 years, but the day after a traumatic and emotional decision was reached the thing decides to crack off. Funny the way life works. I believe that coincidences like this hold great meaning (as opposed to random, dis-connected occurrences) and I sought to understand what was going on.

In this case I believe my tooth breaking was a physical manifestation of the breakdown in my life that was underway. The universe was telling me ‘things are becoming undone’. I just didn’t know how far it was going to go…

The Downward Cycle Continues…

After going through the very uncomfortable process of getting a new front crown, I was traveling back from Los Angeles on a red eye after extensive and exhaustive business meetings regarding The SHIFT project I am working on.

I was excited to get home and just chill. Upon entering my apartment Sunday morning I immediately switched on The Masters golf tournament (one of my favorite sporting events of the year). As I began to unwind I felt a little twinge in my throat. I got up to make some tea, and it hit me all at once: I was sick. My body felt completely broke down.

The next several days, I chose to honor the intelligence of my body and slept late, drank plenty of fluids and relaxed as much as possible. This was tough, believe me. I had a lot of important things going on in my life, and I felt that it was the worst possible time for my body to break down.

For one, I was turning 35 that week. A BIG birthday mentally and I really had intentions of spending it with some good friends in light of my recent break up with Irina. Second, there was a ton of work that needed to be done for The SHIFT and some other projects I am working on.

But none of it happened—my body was speaking loud and clear. Although I was trying to listen, and was giving myself requisite time to heal, I did not fully realize the greater context of these congruent events. In fact, I think I am just starting to realize the life lessons inherent in the ebb and flow of the last 6 weeks.

Bottoming Out: Downward Cycle in Full Effect

About 6 days later, a newly single, very ill, new tooth wearing, and exhausted Todd went to his parent’s house for a family dinner and gathering. I walked into the house, my mother took one look at me and said “what in the hell is wrong with you…” and “do you have any idea to take care of yourself”! I guess I looked pretty terrible.

My sickness had progressed and I could barely hear out of my right ear. I definitely had a pretty strong sinus and ear infection…potentially worse! But I somehow made it through the dinner, and promised my mom I would go to a doctor immediately the next day.

As I went upstairs to my parent’s guest bedroom and prepared for a lengthy slumber, my newly crowned tooth (which cost me $1,800 by the way…I do not have dental insurance) cracked again. I sat there looking in the mirror at myself, and what I saw was this: a tired, sick, one toothed, un-motivated, confused, scared, lonely, and sad little boy sitting at the edge of his parent’s guest bedroom bed in pajamas.

What in the hell was going on with me? How could all of these things be happening at once? I allowed myself to soak in the feelings of self-pity for a few moments, and I wallowed in the unfairness and pain of my present circumstances.

But a funny thing happened: right in the middle of my deepest despair I began laughing at myself.

I had a sudden realization that my mind had totally taken control of me, and was perpetuating a story of being a victim of all these occurrences. Although I was still ill, single, and with one tooth, this very awareness snapped me out of it. In a sense, I awakened for a moment. This was the start of the upward cycle…

Putting It In Perspective, And What It All Means!

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article concerning what happens when a Caterpillar turns into a Butterfly. If you have not read this one, please take a moment to read it because I think it applies very mightily to the downward cycles I recently experienced.

I feel as if the last 6 weeks served as a very necessary and important stage of what needed to happen in my life at this time. In retrospect I experienced a great clearing in a myriad of areas including intimate relationships (Irina) and physical health (infection), and was forced to deal with a variety of emotional, physical, and spiritual realities.

A big nemesis showed up again (tooth) and passed through the physical milestone of a ‘new age’ (35). I was forced to slow down and rest even though my mind wanted me to move, move, move and act, act, act!

Everything in the last few months has pointed to a clearing of the past and setting the stage for a greater future to emerge. I feel like the last 6 weeks of my life were similar to the Caterpillar’s time as a big blob of goo right before it takes form as a new realm of being: a Butterfly.

So where am I right now? In one word: re-emerged. I feel very clear headed and empowered. I am traveling out to Los Angeles next week for work and am crystal clear about what needs to get accomplished. It was also very apparent to me that now was the right time to publish a We The Change article again, and that I needed to share this specific story with you.

(In fact, I started writing this piece last week, but it just felt ‘off’. I wasn’t quite sure what I was trying to accomplish. The big blob of goo that was Todd was not ready yet).

I also know what I need to do to honor my wonderful relationship with Irina, and insure that we both are able to create the greatest future that wants to emerge for both of us.

TIPS For You

In all, my downward cycle was a necessary stage for the beautiful upward mojo that I now have. Here are some things that I hope you can take away from my story:

– Shed the light of awareness when you are in a down cycle. Don’t force yourself out of it, just be aware that these times exist for a reason and accept them. Have ultimate faith that you will inherently know when the time is right to re-emerge.

– Appreciate the uptime, but understand that it is also fleeing. No human being can sustain feelings of true contentment forever. Again, awareness of the cycles is the key.

– Notice coincidences and synchronicity: they are telling signs that clue you in to inner intelligence. Put value on them!

– Honor the intelligence of your body

– Never have your nest friend knock out your front tooth

– Realize that the sentiment ‘I have not been myself lately’ is foolish. You are always yourself, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, etc…

So I am BACK. Tune in for continuing We The Change pieces!

It began last Sunday as I relaxed on my couch watching the Master’s golf tournament. I had just flown back from Los Angeles where I spent a hectic 4 days in full work mode. As I got up to make a sandwich, I felt a twinge in my throat and a weakening in my legs. At that moment, I knew that some form of illness fell upon me.

Although this ‘immediate awareness’ to my sickness may seem pretty cool to you, the truth is that my body was breaking down for several days before this. I just didn’t take notice. Here are 4 great suggestions for sickness prevention and care:

1. Prepare for Airplanes

The human body is not used to being at 30,000 feet of altitude for several hours. It has been scientifically proven that we are much more susceptible to illness, particularly infections, when flying.

What I ended up contracting was a pretty serious nasal and ear infection, and I am sure this manifested through a combination of lack of sleep, work stress, and high altitudes. Therefore it is imperative to prepare your immune system each time you fly by securing adequate rest, eating healthful foods, and limiting anxiety before and after your trip.

You can also go a step further and load up on vitamins and products like Emergen-C to prepare for flying. The point is, don’t be like me and learn the hard way…

2. Understand The Nature of Your Illness

Another mistake I made was not understanding the true nature of my poor health. For some reason, I was under the impression that I had contracted some type of virus while in Los Angeles, while the truth was a pretty hard-core bacterium had taken hold of my head, neck and chest.

After three days of resting, taking vitamins, and ingesting bowl after bowl of chicken soup I should have seen a health professional. Not doing this caused the infection to grow much stronger than it should have and left me sick for much longer than I anticipated.

When you are unsure what your sickness really is, go to a doctor.

3. Use Modern Medicine After Holistic Measures Fail

I always try and heal my body with holistic measures first. 95% of the time I find it works, but there is always the 5% chance that we need the genius of modern medicine to help us.

Believe me, I hate going on antibiotics. They cause much damage to the body, particularly to the large intestines where they kill off millions of disease fighting bacteria that we need for optimum health. However, sometimes modern medicine can be wonderful, and my recent bout with infection was certainly one of those times.

The important thing when taking a dose of antibiotics is to build the immune system back up afterwards. I am currently taking a daily dose of probiotics to build my large intestines back up, for example.

4. Use Exercise as a Means to Gauge Your Sickness

Everyone says “rest, rest, rest” when you start feeling sick. But I always find it more useful to ‘test’ my body when it is not feeling well is by exercising. I am not talking about running a marathon but doing some moderate cardio workout to gauge the nature of your sickness, and even flush it away.

After two days of feeling ill, I went to the gym and jogged lightly for about 15 minutes. Afterwards I went into the sauna and envisioned the sickness being soaked out of me. This process usually works quite well. In this case, it didn’t work as I still felt ill the next day.

At this point I was quite sure that whatever I had, it was more serious than the common cold. I still didn’t go to a doctor (like an idiot), but knew I needed to take it real easy.

In The End…

Because I rarely fall ill, I have learned it usually means the divine wisdom of the body is communicating with me that I need to slow down and take a break. When I was younger, I used to fight and ignore sickness. Now, I look at times of physical weakness as a check point in the continuous cycles of my life.

SO, honor the wisdom of your body and pay attention to the signs if illness. Then, take proper care of yourself. I hope you found these four recommenndations useful…

Even though this practice is primarily used during meditation, I have found great use in utilizing body awareness in my every day life as well. For those of you who already have a meditation practice, I highly recommend trying the following steps.

For those of you who do not currently meditate, the practice brings a great sense of peace, joy, perspective and fulfillment into your life. I highly recommend you giving it a whirl and have written two excellent pieces on ‘meditation for beginners’. I encourage you to check them out:

How To Meditate For Beginners
20 Steps for Quieting The Mind

Body awareness is extremely healthy and initiates the flow of fresh oxygenated blood to body areas that usually fall below the radar of your consciousness:

Using the Body

The big question for beginners is: where do I focus my attention during meditation? There are myriad schools of thought which answer this question. Many teachers suggest using the breath as a focal point to deeper awareness.

I have used the breath to some degree of success, but have always found deeper experiences through focusing on my body parts. Here is how:

First, it is always helpful to make your practice of meditation ‘formal’. Meaning, set aside at least 15 minutes every day to practice meditation. Make sure you will not be disturbed and commit yourself to sitting in stillness with your body, breath and even your thoughts for the allotted time.

After taking a few deep breaths, begin noticing the air as it travels in and out of your nostrils. Notice how the air feels colder during the inhale and warmer during the exhale. Focus your attention on where you feel the air most prominently.

Next, follow the breath inwards and notice it in the belly. Begin feeling the sensation of your stomach expanding with each inhale and deflating on each exhale. Really be there with your stomach as it goes in and out. Try and feel the air enter your domain and sense the space it is taking up.

Lower Body Awareness

After a few minutes of conscious breathing, you will have greater control on your attention span. That is the goal, and the next place I suggest bringing your attention is to the feet.

Start feeling your toes, heals, and arches in whatever position they are currently in. Notice a tingling sensation that seems to follow your attention, and bring your full awareness to it.

Next, lead your attention up the leg, through the ankle and on the calves. Stay there for a moment and breathe into the calves. Feel the blood flowing in your lower legs, and then bring your attention upward to the knees.

I love focusing awareness on the knees. They are a mystical and sensitive part to the body and bringing awareness here also brings health!

Follow the path upwards through the thighs and focus astutely in your pelvis area. Allow the tingling sensation to emanate throughout the pelvis and massage the internal organs that work so hard to keep you healthy.

The tingling sensation I describe is SO important in body awareness. It represents your life flow, your vibrational force, and the very essence of your being alive. Bring your attention to it over and over again.

As you continue to move upwards combine your attention with love and appreciation of the body parts you are feeling. When you begin this process, it might be as if you are feeling your body for the first time. Awareness is love, and love is wellness.

Upper Body Awareness

As you work your way upwards, feel your stomach and internal organs hard at work. Just sit with them, notice them, and appreciate them for what they do.

Sense the beating of the heart and bring your full attention to this beautiful masterpiece. Really feel the beating and begin to understand that this is your life, and not all the stresses of your every day ‘life situation’. Right here, right now, you and your heart.

Be still, and be at peace. No where to go, no where to be…

As you follow your awareness up your chest and shoulders, and down your arms into your hands notice how gentle and light your fingers feel. They are delicate and beautiful, and allow your awareness to wash freely over them.

As your attention creeps up the neck, bring it to your lips and mouth. Sit in pure silence and stillness as you feel the sensation of having a mouth. Next, follow the tingling to the nose and again feel the sensation of the breath as it travels in and out of the nostrils.

You may feel much more alert to your breath then when you first began this process. That is great, and appreciate how easily you have become an observer to your body.

Go to the eyes and allow your awareness to spread appreciation to your vision. Go behind the eyes and feel the brain working and sense its vibrational frequencies. This is a very powerful part to the practice, and I love feeling the sensation of my entire head hard at work as I sit here, in silence, observing it.

Full Body Awareness

Once your attention has traveled from toes to head, get a sense of the entire body. Feel everything all at once and spread the tingling of awareness throughout the wonderful organism in which you live. Feel your life force beating, breathing and flowing within you.

Appreciate with loving kindness all your body does for you. Say thank you. Say it again.

What a transcending way to start a day, and I hope you cultivate the thirst to feel your body. I have found higher levels of consciousness by learning how to focus on my physical body during my meditation practice, and I hope this experience is useful for you.

As always, I look forward to your comments!

Here are six reasons why hiking in the woods is a great thing to do, along with a few practical recommendations for getting the most out of the experience:

1. Notice How Everything is Perfect in Nature

As you become ensconced in the beauty of the woods, start noticing how there is no complaining.  Everything is the way it is, and there is 100% acceptance between all things.  And it’s a beautiful thing to realize. 

In my walk this morning, I came upon a massive rock that was somehow lodged underneath a huge tree.  When this first happened, it must have disrupted the natural energy flow of the tree.  But there was no animosity, and the tree continued to grow around and above the rock. 

The tree flourishes and beautiful moss now surrounds the rock.  I sat there for a long time looking at this incredible display.  What can we learn from this?

2. Notice How You Get Through It, No Matter What!

When walking in the woods, you will no doubt encounter rough areas where you have to be a little more careful.  Sometimes you may even lose your footing and fall.  But you always seem to make it through, don’t you? 

No matter how confused you are where your next step is going to come from, you consistently find a way and keep moving forward.  Such is the way of life, but we rarely see it that way. 

Learn from the microcosm of your hike that life always ends up OK—it ends up exactly the way it should be.

3. Go Wherever Your Feet Take You

One of the things I love to do is to let my body guide the direction.  Unless I am in real danger of getting lost, I allow my feet to just follow the path they desire without thinking “is this right” or “maybe I should go this way”. 

This is a wonderfully freeing way to go for a walk, one that re-establishes connection with that little thing inside of you called intuition.  Your body is smarter than your mind gives it credit for…so give the chatterbox a break for a few hours and let the intelligence of your inner you lead the way.

4. Follow The Path, OR Don’t Follow The Path

When you follow your feet, sometimes it leads off the pre-existing path.  This is OK, and if your body is pulling you in that direction I encourage you to go for it (unless, of course, it is potentially unsafe)!  Think about your life—isn’t it sometimes beneficial for you to create a new pathway for greater fulfillment and success to abound? 

Other times it is certainly better to stay on the path.  The important lesson to learn is how to listen within, and cultivate powerful instincts about things.  A walk in the woods can help you do this…

5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?

If you walk with someone, notice the difference between leading the way and following behind.  Which do you like better?  Sometimes I love leading the way because then I get to choose the direction and see new phenomena first.  Other times I enjoy being behind someone and letting them make all the decisions. 

Notice how your preferences constantly change, as they do in your every day life.  Realize that you are neither a leader nor a follower, but a little bit of both depending on the situation.

6. Pay Attention To Your Internal Body

After walking in silence for some time, I enjoy turning my attention inward and feeling my breath, heartbeat and feet as they hit the ground.  This can be a transcending experience and often leads to a moment of clarity for me. 

Why?  Because when the peacefulness of nature enters the bodily domain a sudden flash of awareness strikes that reminds me that we are not separate, lonely entities roaming the planet for a short and meaningless time. 

On the contrary, I get the sense of ultimate connectedness with all things—with nature, with myself, and with my inner purpose. 

Now that’s what I call a nice walk in the park…    

Picture above by Photocello2006