Balanced Choreography

Balanced choreography – what does that mean?

Imagine being a tight rope walker on moving on a rope stretched between two buildings high above the street.  You use your balancing staff to help you adjust left and right, forward and backward.  You take into consideration the shifts in your body weight as you take a step forward, the wind patterns, how the rope might be stretching, how the crowd below is affecting you.  And you do all this with the least amount of energy, in balance, as you choreograph your movement forward efficiently and effectively.

Life is like this.  We may not be actual tight rope walkers facing death if we misstep.  But, on some days, it may feel this way.

One of the most basic tools within the Sweet Medicine SunDance path is the Balanced Choreography Wheel. This wheel teaches us how to align ourselves with energy rather than fighting it. This wheel can be used to find the places where we leak energy in our everyday lives.

This wheel overlays the aspects of our humanness (emotions, body, mind, spirit, and life-force energy) with the natural energy or motion of each of the worlds (plant, mineral, animal, human, and spirit) also sit in a specific direction of this wheel.  The worlds, when we connect with them, teach us how to be in balance in our own naturalness.

In the south sits our emotions and the plant word, who teach us how to give with our emotions with tenderness.  Think about all the plant world gives us without any expectation and strings.  Fruits, flowers, vegetables, shelter, medicine, herbs, furniture, toys, rope, and most importantly, oxygen.

Our body and the mineral world sit in the west.  The minerals assist us in knowing how to hold (and transform) with our body.  Just think of all the minerals that are spurred to action as we take a bite of food.  Calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, chloride, and so many more minerals keeps our heart beating, our bones strong, our blood flowing, our nervous system sparking and signaling, and our muscles supple.

The north holds our mind and the animal world, who teach us to receive with caring.  When we have an open mind that is ready and willing to receive, it places in the present moment.  When an owl in a tree hears a rustling below, it listens, smells, looks, and senses where the rustling is coming from and who is making it.  It does not sit on the branch and think about how much the noise maker weighs or whether it will be too furry to eat, whether they had the same meal yesterday, or what its friends might think if s/he does not catch this potential prey.  It uses its senses and seizes the moment.

In the east sits our spirit and the human world.  Here, we learn to determine our lives with passion and lust with spirit.  When we know ourselves at a soul level, we understand that it is not our minds who are in control of our journey.  Our higher self guides the journey so we have the opportunities to learn and grow, to change and transform.

To be truly alive is to have fluidity in our emotions, flexibility in our minds, stability in our body, expansiveness in our spirits, and orgasm with our sexuality.

 

#knowledgethatworks #directions #elements #seasons #worlds #powers #balance #choreography

The World in Which We Live – Center

As we know, all “4” wheels have 5 directions, so let us look at the center of this overlay of wheels.

This direction holds the element of the void, solstices and equinoxes, the spirit world, the black hole as the heavenly body, our human aspect of soul-sexual-catalyzer of energy, and the self-expression of breath and ki/chi.

The center sings of the black hole, the womb, or the void – the space where all possibilities and potentialities reside – and is stabilized by the element of the void.  Think about that for a moment…  this space of expansive limitlessness is also what stabilizes our limitless expansiveness!

The seasons that reside in the center are the solstices and equinoxes, the four markers of death, change, transformation, rebirth, and life.  The markers of the shortest and longest days (or nights) and the times of the year when the light and dark are in balance.  These seasons teach us the necessity and beauty of life and death.

The spirit world lives in this magickal place of the center, from the faeries and elementals to our own awakened selves, from our blood relations to all our relations (plants, animals, minerals, clouds…).  Such an abundance of opportunities of inter-connection, inter-dependence and inter-reliability.

Our human aspect here in the center is our soul-sexual-catalyzer of energy.  All forms of life have spirit, or “Manitou”.  Though the naming of spirit varies, its essence remains always present and is known by all earth cultures.  It is that Universal Life Force Energy that pulses through all forms of life.  We experience this energy through our breath or chi-ki flow.  It is this pure Life Force Energy that makes all life, all power, all self-expression possible.

Harmony is the gift we receive – the ability to be in harmony with our self, life, and others!

#knowledgethatworks #directions #elements #seasons #worlds #powers
To learn more about DTMMS and its program, please visit www.dtmms.org

The World in Which We Live – East

The last cardinal direction we will explore is the East.

Sitting in the east direction is the element of fire, the season of summer, the human world, the sun as the heavenly body, our human aspect of spirit and spiritual, and the self-expression of illumination, enlightenment, pleasure, beauty, and medicine.

The east sings of the expansion of fire and is stabilized by the element of fire.  Summer models this expansive stabilization perfectly with its fire and heat of the sun and the full expansion of life’s vibrancy and joy!  Our spirits love expanding, manifesting beauty and pleasure through engaging life at the edges of the unknown and unfamiliar.

Among all creatures, the humans are the only world who were created with a free will, agency of choice, and self-determination.  We determine our reality.  It is also only the humans who have the genitalia for experiencing full body orgasm at will.  These two features distinguish us from the other Worlds.  With that comes authority, responsibility, and power.  It is our choice whether we exercise these in beauty and for recreation or in pain and for destruction.  To become “Humans” requires four evolutionary steps into maturity –

1. Willingness to assume authority
2. Ability to take full responsibility
3. Desire to co-empower self, life, and others
4. Knowledge to stand fully accountable

Hope is our gift when we are balanced in this direction.

 

#knowledgethatworks #directions #elements #seasons #worlds #powers
For more information about DTMMS and its programs and workshops, please visit www.dtmms.org

The World in Which We Live – North

As we move around the wheel, the north direction is next…

In the north direction, you will find the element of wind, the season of spring, the animal world, the stars as the heavenly body, our mind and mental as our human aspect, and the self-expression of wisdom, logic, alignment, harmony, balance, meditation, contemplation, knowledge, harmonic resonance.

The north direction sings of the flexibility of the wind or air, the element of the north.  Did you know that trees gain their strength and ability to stand tall under their own weight through bending with the wind?  Check out this story about the importance of wind at the Biosphere 2 project in Arizona.

Autumn, the season in the north, with its winds that tosses us about, tests our flexibility and willingness to surrender to change.  As the leaves and flowers die, the winds also scatter their seeds in all directions to lie in fertile ground, ready to come to life at the appropriate time.

The wind also carries sounds, scents, and whisperings from spirit to those who are open to receiving them.  In this, the animal world are our greatest teachers as we learn how to receive.  Remember those moments when you watched an animal lift its nose to the winds, gathering the necessary information to follow its prey, know where to find water, or flee from its predator.  Or maybe, a time when you were feeling sick or sad and your cat or dog sidled up beside you, receiving your energy?

Looking to the heavens, the stars remind us of the abundance of possibilities.  Even in the darkest of moments, there is, there are zillions of lights that will guide our journey and help us navigate our path to enlightenment.

Our mind and the myriad of thoughts is similar to the stars.  So many possibilities to focus our attention on.  Engaging life with an empty cup and open mind provides multiple viewing perspectives, allowing us to receive signs, symbols, information, and energy.  From this balanced place, our self-expression is wisdom, logic, alignment, harmony, balance, meditation, contemplation, knowledge, and harmonic resonance.

Our gift from the universe when we are balanced in our mental aspect is humor.  The ability to smile at our circumstance, laugh at our own folly, and to be guided by the joy in our hearts.

 

#knowledgethatworks #directions #elements #seasons #worlds #powers
For more information about DTMMS and its programs and workshops, please visit www.dtmms.org

The World in Which We Live – West

Moving to the West direction, we continue our exploration of the world in live in…

The element of earth sits in the west, joined by the season of winter, the mineral world, the Earth as the heavenly body, our body and physical as our human aspect, and the self-expression of introspection, intuition, change, and death.

The stability and endurance of the Earth is song the West direction sings, and what does this better than the element of earth? From the tiniest grain of sand to the monumental Himalayas, both speak to us about stability and endurance.

Winter calls the earth and its inhabitants into itself, into ourselves, for a time on introspection and death.  As the earth slows down and sleeps, we live off her abundant autumnal harvest. As our outer activity also slows, we drop into our inner world, our wombs and spirit wombs, to hear the wisdom of our intuition.  We identify what needs to change and die within us, what needs to be composted, so to speak, so that the seeds we dream into fruition have fertile ground to root and grow.  What dreams and seeds will align us with the earth’s stability and endurance?

From the sands and soils that soak up the waters, to the rocks and stones that hold the transformative heat for a purification lodge, or the gems and precious gems, the crystals, or mixed ores and metals, the mineral world teaches us to hold and transform energy.  The mineral world also teaches us that substance is merely, primarily and basically a container, a vessel for spirit.  Similarly, our physical body, with all of the minerals that make up our structure or support its functioning, is also a vessel for spirit.  We are spirit having a human experience.

When we are aligned with the west energies of holding and transforming with intimacy, our dance or choreography is balanced in our physical aspect and the gift of the universe (the huaqua) to us is health.

 

#knowledgethatworks #directions #elements #seasons #worlds #powers
For more information about the Deer Tribe and its programs, click here.

The World in Which We Live – South

Each of the aspects we are about to explore sit on a wheel.  When we look at a single wheel, e.g. the Season Wheel, we have the opportunity to learn about the specific items in each direction: spring in the south, winter in the west, autumn in the north, summer in the east, and the solstices and equinoxes in the center. Understanding one wheel at a time exhibits one level of knowledge.  Deeper teachings beckon us as we overlay wheels to investigate the interrelationships of the myriad of aspects that all sit in one direction.  It is through the overlays and interrelationships of energy that we can begin to know, honor, and be in harmony with the world in which we live.

Let us begin our exploration of this amazing world in the south direction.

In the south sits the element of water, the season of spring, the plant world, moon as the heavenly body, our heart and emotions as our human aspect, and the self-expression of trust and innocence.

Water as the stabilizing element in the south sings a song of fluidity.  Think of the multitude of expressions of water…  one single drop, the ocean, rivers, streams, creeks, puddles, ponds, lakes, waterfalls, marshes, swamps, the underground aquifer, rain, and even ice and snow.  Water is constantly purifying and recycling itself.  All the water that is present on Earth is all we will ever have.

Spring sits here in the south as it is the season where the frozen waters melt, reawakening and rejuvenating life out of its winter dream as it begins to flow.

The Plant World also adds its essence here in the south, through teaching us about giving unconditionally.  A rose continues to bloom whether we appreciate it or not.  Plants give nourishment, shelter, food, beauty, and inspiration, and, they are our primary source of oxygen.  Without plants, we could not live.

The Moon, as the south heavenly body, waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows, and controls the tides.  Her light is a reflection created by the interplay of the sun and the earth.

As without, so within…  Internally, our emotions are a reflection of the water.  Are your emotions as deep as the ocean?  Do they trickle like a creek or torrent like Niagara Falls?  Is your heart open and compassionate?   Do you give with your emotions with tenderness?  Yes, all emotions?  What does it look, sound, or feel like to give the emotion of anger with tenderness?  With this open heart and flowing emotions (e-motion, energy in motion), we create the self-expression of trust and innocence.  We engage the world within our own essence (innocence) with the trust of a child, experiencing the world in the powerful presence of each moment, right here, right now.

When we are aligned with the south energies of giving with tenderness, our dance or choreography is balanced in our emotional aspect and the gift of the universe (the huaqua) to us is HAPPINESS.

And, who wouldn’t want more happiness in the world in which you live?

 

#knowledgethatworks #directions #elements #seasons #worlds #powers
Visit www.dtmms.org to learn more about the Sweet Medicine SunDance path and teachings.

The World in Which We Live

The world in which we live is defined by the powers of four DIRECTIONS and stabilized by four basic ELEMENTS.  Our lifestyle is determined by the four SEASONS and our companions on this earth consist of four groupings or what the Sweet Medicine SunDance Teachings call the four WORLDS. Within us, these elements, seasons and worlds are reflected in our heart, body, mind, spirit and soul. Both inside and outside of us humans the POWERS OF THE FOUR DIRECTIONS manifest their beauty and power.

Each of the directions, elements, seasons, and worlds sit in a particular direction on the Medicine Wheel due to the essence of its energy and give away of beauty. Join us as we explore in direction in detail.

#knowledgethatworks #directions #elements #seasons #worlds #powers

Earth Astrology – Snake

Snake is the totem animal
within Sun Bear’s Earth astrology that corresponds
with the Sun Astrology sun of Scorpio.

Just off the top of your head, what do you know about snakes?

Snakes, with their bellies so close to the ground, teach us how to align our heart beat and energies with Grandmother Earth’s, to be grounded, to gather knowledge with all of our senses, to slither gracefully and sensually (with our full body) through life, and to not worry about danger unless it is right in front of us.

Snake, especially the rattlesnake, is the teacher of the nagual (spiritual) enemies of fear and death, protector of all the teacher plants and the healing herbs, and holds the secrets of spiritual sexuality, of Quodoushka. Snake, along with the raven and crow, is a teacher of the Twenty Count, in that the sigils of the Twenty Count and the four Worlds are carried on its back. Along with communicating telepathically with other animals, snake is the protector of women’s lodges, and warns when you are out of alignment with the plant and mineral world. Snake is also the keeper of alignment with Grandfather Sun as it sheds its skin yearly.  And, they are very adaptive to their environment.

Living snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica, and on most smaller land masses; exceptions include some large islands, such as Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, the Hawaiian archipelago, and the islands of New Zealand.  Most species are nonvenomous and those that have venom use it primarily to kill and subdue prey rather than for self-defense.

#knowledgethatworks #totemanimals #earthastrology

Seasons – Autumn

The fall sings with the wind
that tosses us about to test
our flexibility and willingness
to surrender to change
as the seeds ride on the wind
to their new destination.

#abundance #harvest #gathering #lettinggo #goinginward

#knowledgethatworks #seasons

Autonomy

A couple of days ago, we posted about Freedom, one of the three primary tenets that the Sweet Medicine SunDance (SMSD) Path focuses on fostering.

In addition to what was posted earlier, if you look up “freedom” in Webster’s Dictionary, the definition states:

Freedom – the quality or state of being free: such as

1. the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
2. liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another
3. the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous
4. the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken
5. boldness of conception or execution
6. the power or condition of acting without compulsion

The Oxford Dictionary references two philosophers, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Jean Paul Sartre: “‘Freedom for Hegel is not freedom to do as we please; it consists in having a free mind.’; ‘For Sartre the necessity of freedom is paramount in his thinking.’”

FREEDOM, within the SMSD Path, is the letting go of constricting beliefs, the shedding of all our barriers and reservations, and the diving into the total potential of knowledge and POWER. This is the essence of growth in the Warrior’s Way of Enlightenment.

Let’s look at the importance of Autonomy.
Interestingly, there are not a lot of quotes about autonomy.

“Control leads to compliance; autonomy leads to engagement.” ― Daniel H. Pink

“The essence of independence has been to think and act according to standards from within, not without: to follow one’s own path, not that of the crowd.” ― Nicholas Tharcher, Rebels and Devils: The Psychology of Liberation

“Because to take away a man’s freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.” ― Madeline L’Engle

“There are people, she once wrote, who think that we cannot rule ourselves because the few times we tried, we failed, as if all the others who rule themselves today got it right the first time. It is like telling a crawling baby who tries to walk, and then falls back on his buttocks, to stay there. As if the adults walking past him did not all crawl, once.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Purple Hibiscus

According to the Webster Dictionary, autonomy is the quality or state of being self-governing especially, the right of self-government, or the self-directing freedom and especially moral independence.  Oxford Dictionary, referencing Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy, defines autonomy as the capacity of an agent to act in accordance with objective morality rather than under the influence of desires.

When a student embraces the Warrior’s Path, the journey must be approached as we would a pilgrimage to a Holy Shrine. We must hold in our hearts the knowledge that there is only one true way or route to this shrine — COMMITMENT and DISCIPLINE.  We take to the road with certainty and strong Will and Intent to reach the goal. As we proceed, however, other roads that seem to be more attractive, more enjoyable, more socially acceptable, more physically (economically) rewarding or merely easier or shorter will always appear. In our confusion, it may soon appear as though the other roads better match the superficial appearance of what we think the path “ought” to look like. Instead of following our “true” route to the “shrine”, we then find ourselves wandering in all directions with our energy scattered, racing after what entertains us at the moment and losing the possibility of reaching the shrine.

Embodying autonomy, our ability to be self-governing agents in, of and for our own lives, provides the strength and fortitude to follow our internal moral compass and to stand resolute rather than be influenced by the desires of others or even our own fleeting whims.  We become leaders, positive image-makers, and sacred humans who are part of the solution.

By committing to walking the Warrior’s Path, we find our way home.

Are you ready to discover your own inner spiritual warrior?
Discover how at http://www.dtmms.org

#autonomy #knowledgethatworks #warrior #enlightenment #commitment #discipline