ONE SPIRIT COMMUNITY

By Samantha Sweetwater

Creation Dances. The universe dances. When existence was born out of the great, undifferentiated field of the One, the dance was born. Since the beginning of time and the beginning of existence, being has been dancing with essence. Our souls are dancing the space where our spirit and our bodies meet.

The dance is the great unifier. Dance invites us into union with the masculine and feminine, seen and unseen, being and doing, spiritual and physical aspects of ourselves. Gently, fiercely moving us in the tides of our own bodies and emotions, it brings us right to the center of soul. To dance is to celebrate being human – being a spirit in the body living on this miraculous planet called Gaia.

Dancing Freedom is my spiritual practice. It is not a religion. It has no dogmas, no boundaries. It welcomes all bodies, all gestures, all gods. It invites diversity, and through embrace of the wild multiplicity of expression, teaches the truths of Unity. Dancing is spiritual because it is a way of joy. Joy means saying a divine yes to life – to the movement that IS life – all of IT – and, to our divine creatorship. When we move and just keep moving, we become one with all parts of ourselves and with the great cosmic dance.

I believe the dance can set us free. Freedom means that we are at home in our bodies and in our spirits. It means that we have fluidity between our inner connectivity and outer expressivity. When these two parts of ourselves are in dynamic flow, we live with soul. WE dance in the fire of love that is at the center of hearts. Freedom means embracing that fire – being ok with the full spectrum of our experience, at home in all of our stuff AND in our exaltation. I call this divine OK-ness. It is a place where there is no separation between the sacred and the mundane – a place where we KNOW that THIS is the true essence of sacredness. When we live here, we are free. Incredible magic happens. The world opens before us as a place of wonder, color, authenticity and beauty. Our instinctive, intuitive and worldly aspects reconnect. We stop going through the motions of life, and instead really feel the vibrancy and joy of existence pulsing through us.

No true freedom can emerge from resistance. What we resist persists. We are learning how to really love what is, how to embrace. The path of liberation asks us to surrender everything while we simultaneously hold the mother wisdom of creating safe space. What does this look like in the dance? It looks like working within a clear container of practice where we can really let go to explore. It means developing the clarity of our own sense of yes and no. It means exploring how our physical and emotional experiences are holographic reflections of all dimensions of our experience. Our skin is a sacred boundary. Our hearts have boundaries and borders that can be contained, entered, held, opened, surrendered, tuned. It is through naked dialogue with the bounded aspect of experience that we come to the blissful experience of boundlessness. It is through the existence of a contained self and a distinct other that we give and receive. When the flow is open in both directions, we can open to the infinity loop of creation.  Now, we are one with the universe dancing.  Now, we are Dancing Freedom.

Samantha Sweetwater, founder of Dancing Freedom, soul coach and priestess, empowers embodied leaders in seminars and trainings internationally.  Learn more: http://www.dancingfreedom.com or http://samanthasweetwater.wordpress.com.  Samantha is a movement facilitator at One Spirit Weekend.

By Morgan Langan

Many People are experiencing some form of increased “pressure” these days; in the form of financial struggles, relationship challenges or health issues. Any form comprises only a small percentage of “all that is” about your life. It is helpful to live life from the perspective that you are one part of a collective. We do not want things to remain the same! Thus we must be better prepared to adapt to even greater changes. We are evolving as a species, one individual at a time! New discoveries are proving scientifically what the great sages and saints of our history have been saying for thousands of years: We Are ONE!

In our human form we tend to focus on what we can see. It seems as if we are separate from each other. Yet many of us have had momentary glimpses of another reality in which we are all interconnected through One Spirit. It cloaks us in abundance, beauty and divine love. This view of life feels more real to us. It also feels good because it evokes love, compassion and awe. Studies have shown that the greater our feeling of connectedness, the less stressed we are. Positive emotions help us meet life’s challenges with grace. They account for the increased health and vitality among elderly people who have pets, or a circle of good friends, and are the reason that happily married couples live longer than singles. Yet because our interconnection defies our senses, positive emotional experiences are short-lived for most of us. They are unpredictable and wiped out in an instant when an event passes by that is not to our liking.

Just as our sense of connection evokes positive emotions our, sense of separation brings negative ones. They bump us out of our present moment of awareness, which is the only place that Oneness can be found. The more separate we feel the more depressed, angry and stressed we become. We feel as if we are in competition for limited resources. We know that stress taxes the immune system, making us prone to cancer, heart attacks and other life threatening illnesses. In short, we die sooner.

As adults, our natural tendency leans closer to negative emotional experiences than to our positive ones. Even when we know that we are Spirit at our very core, we function in a constant state of forgetfulness, thinking that our physical form is all there is. This is why we need a daily practice… to remember. In this remembering we can hold the Oneness, even though unseen, in a balance with the visible world.

It stands to reason that the more that we can stabilize positive emotions, the healthier, happier and more compassionate we will be. We will live longer and become better leaders. But how can we evoke and stabilize these emotions?

Scientists have been studying the biology of stress for years. We know that it triggers the Fight or Flight Response; regulated through the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hormone adrenaline.

What most of us don’t know is that our body also responds when we reach out to connect to others and to the natural world. In addition to the biology of stress there is the biology of love and compassion, and it also under the control of the ANS.

Research at the Institute of Heart Math has shown that we can bring on the Compassion Response by simply slowing our breathing. It is strengthened even further if we consciously generate feelings of love and appreciation, and imagine breathing directly through the heart area. We can strengthen this response many-fold by being in the presence of others who are stepping into their full potential SELF. By expressing from the Compassion Response, our hearts and minds synchronize as SELF.

It is in this experience that we become entrained in One Spirit and cloaked in the abundance, beauty and divine love of our inter-connection. This is the magic and the grace of One Spirit Weekend. We hope you join us to learn to embody your role as an awakening leader during this shift.

Learn more by attending One Spirit Weekend!

By Morgan Langan

Puma and I had an amazing interview with Dr Vernon Woolf last week. His message for us was both inspirational and sobering. On the inspirational side, he told us that the timing of One Spirit Weekend is vital. We need leaders in their chosen field of expertise to step forward now more than ever. On the sobering side, he said that the time to take physical action is rapidly ticking down. Based upon all of the scientific data which he has available to him; the human race has as little as 2 years and perhaps as much as 25 years to change the WAY we are interacting with one another and this earth. I believe we are all sharing his sense of urgency. As a species we have been ignoring all of the warning signals so long that the world is literally on the brink of destruction. This is a pivotal point in our collective human consciousness.

Whether you believe personally you can make a difference to reverse this situation or you believe there is nothing you can do; you are right!

When I asked Dr. Woolf how to know what information is the right information, he said that the scientific information available regarding the physical status of our planet is undeniable. There are vested individuals who would rather we did not have all the facts. It is vital to carefully examine the source of any information you hear or read.

For 30 years Dr. Woolf has been teaching people how to utilize consciousness in order to “act responsibly” this is why we are so excited to have Dr. Woolf presenting our keynote address at One Spirit Weekend! He is at the forefront of changing physical reality. Not simply talking about it or theorizing about what could be done, he has been actively doing it! For 9 years Dr. Woolf worked with the Russian people as they transitioned from communism into a functional social and economic system. His program of Holodynamics was accepted and utilized by most levels of government as well as the scientific community. This comprehensive system of consciousness was integrated into many aspects of Russian life and lead to the largest privatization of land in the history of the world. This was accomplished without the need for war. Humbly, Dr Woolf says that during this entire time he never told anyone what to do. He simply taught the science of consciousness and people worked together to bring about the changes they wished to see.

What changes do you wish to see in our world? What is the legacy you wish to leave for future generations? Dr Woolf brings practical and demonstrable solutions to the problems which we are now facing. Based upon his success in Russia and his understanding of consciousness, he has designed “tracks” to direct your efforts in your particular area of leadership expertise. He will teach you the steps necessary to reach your full leadership potential so that together we may lead this world to a new WAY of being.

Please take the time to research Dr Woolf and www.Holodynamics.com then schedule your travel arrangements to join us in Sedona October 2- 5, 2009

Sincerely,

Morgan Langan

One Spirit Weekend Co-Founder

By Yachay Azzaraya

I am sure you have heard the phrase “just take a deep breath and calm down.” This common technique of breathing to calm one’s self is more powerful and significant than one might think.

Fully imagine yourself in each of the following situations. With each one, enact your experience with a focus on how you would be breathing.

1) You are sitting in rush hour traffic, inching along.

2) You are giving birth to a newborn child.

3) You are riding a rollercoaster.

4) You are running a marathon.

5) You are gazing into your beloved’s loving eyes.

This exercise highlights the amazing way in which our breath is intimately connected to how we experience reality. The way we breathe creates the way we feel. The science of breath is known as pranayama in yoga, and is a powerful way to gain mastery of one’s emotions and life. Simple breathing exercises, with practice, can give us the ability to stay calm in tense situations, to experience greater peace of mind, and more joy in day-to-day life! More intensive breath practices can really open up the energy channels in the body, and the resulting bliss is well worth the dedication. I have never experienced such deep shifts from any other practice.

Pranayama has healed my physical body deeply. But more pronounced, perhaps, is the psychological transformation. The energy potential that is opened with the breath produces fundamental shifts in the way I see and experience the world. I experience regular shifts in my lenses of perception, constantly seeing things more positively and optimistically. It’s as if the power of prana is empowering me to live life more fully and vibrantly. Discover this ancient science for yourself, I guarantee it will make you feel amazing!

For a great introduction, I recommend Science of Breath by Swami Rama, and for advanced practices, Path of Fire and Light Vol. 1, both available from www.himalayaninstitute.com

By Kerrie Dancing Butterfly

Here are some of my favorite inspirational quotes from David Wolfe’s Best-selling Book, The Sunfood Diet Success System.

“If you are not working to achieve your own goals, you are always working to achieve another’s goals. What you may want to ask yourself is: Are these my goals? And, Are they worthwhile goals?”

“By fulfilling our natural diet of raw food plant, and by allowing only positive thoughts to govern our minds, only glorious vibrations will emanate from us and all earthly conditions will begin to sway positively in our direction.”

“Strong faith creates a positive attitude. Success seems to be connected with attitude.  If your attitude is strong, powerful, attractive, and graceful, you can achieve any success you desire!”

“The greatest seed of all–your limitless potential—is with you at all times.”

“Negative thoughts alone can create havoc throughout the entire nervous system.  However, strong, pure, and happy thoughts build fortitude and beauty.”

“Set goals that challenge your brain to think in new directions.”

“Use the trial and success method: Learn from your past mistakes and adjust your behavior accordingly to achieve your goals—treat your past as a school, a vast resource to learn from to better yourself.”

“Faith is the ability to have trust in powers greater than yourself, to confidently stride into the unknown and to believe in your own abilities—no matter what.”

“Improve your food choices and you dramatically improve the foundation upon which your body is built.”

By Kerrie Dancing Butterfly

Just wanted to tickle you to today and invite you to join me in bringing back into sacred balance the blend of stillness and movement in your life. Why is it so difficult to strike a balance between stillness and movement?  As humans we fall into habits so easily. What is your pattern or tendency?  I’ve outlined here 4 categories with examples in each one, so that you can visit where you are imbalanced and join me engaging some of these less-visited practices to bring balance, harmony and energy back into your life.

In which of these four do you tend to spend most of your time and which do you neglect?

Busy body & busy mind: physical tasks, competitive sports, running errands

Busy body & still mind: yoga (when staying present), some sports like jogging, dance

Still body & busy mind: office & computer work, writing, art, reading, journaling, games

Still body & still mind: meditation, baths, watching the sunset, stargazing, massage, napping

All of these in different forms are valuable to experience in balance.  I am sure you have others to add to each category.  Since I have recently been experiencing lots of computer work, yesterday, I brought in more meditation, napping, stargazing and massage.  By the end of the day I felt so relaxed, nourished and recharged.  Today, I added movement with stretching, dance and yoga.  My energy is revitalized and my mind is clear!  Balance feels great.  Check this out this exercise and see where you can bring more balance to your life.

By Yachay Azzaraya

Shilajit is one of the oldest and most powerful superfoods that will help strengthen and energize you.  In order to lead effectively and efficiently you will need nourishment that supports you in the execution of your dreams and daily life.  Here is an interesting story I would love to share with you about Shilajit.

70 million years ago the majestic Himalayas began forming when tectonic activity pushed the island of India into Asia. Ancient jungle and the sea floor between the two land masses became compressed into the mountain range. Within the mountain for millions of years, this organic material has reverted back to its pure mineral state. Shilajit is exuded from fissures between 9,000 ft to 13,000 ft as a black gooey substance. It contains over 85 organic minerals, including high amounts of fulvic acid, which our bodies need for optimal functioning. Yogis have been preparing it for oral consumption for thousands of years. It is considered a true panacea in Ayurveda. It is a wonderful adaptogen, strengthening our body’s response to stress. From experience, this is actually a food, since most of our produce, including organic, contains between 3-7 minerals.

The organic compounds in Shilajit nourish our cells deeply, providing the conductivity necessary for life. It rebuilds and fortifies stressed nerves, and increases immune system growth.  Shilajit detoxifies the brain and all major organs, especially the kidneys and liver. It increases physical power (jing). It increases endurance excellently. I have a friend who paddles his surf board to Catalina Island, a distance of almost 30 miles, and he drinks Shilajit in water the whole way. Its fulvic acid is literally the most powerful electrolyte on the planet! The more you take, the better you will feel. I take it daily and am astounded at how much energy it gives me to take on the day! Shilajit – truly ancient superfood.  Superfoods support super results.

Yachay Azzaraya is a specialist in superfood solutions and detoxifying living environments. For more information visit http://www.JourneysfortheSoul.com.

By Puma St. Angel

The word vegetarian has only recently become more of a mainstream word. Vegetarian food is just beginning to be offered in restaurants as main entrees and now you can even find a few vegetarian restaurants in a city.  Then, the word and concept of veganism started circulating; and now Raw Foods. What happened to the traditional meat & potatoes diet? When I told people that I was a Raw Food Vegan it was a far off concept for people to grasp but one that is so cutting edge people couldn’t help but to be very curious about it.

The Raw Food movement has exploded in the last 10 years drawing hundreds of thousands of people all over the world into its magic. Have you noticed that everything seems to be moving at a much faster pace? Well with this faster pace, we need the fuel to help us move faster to keep up with everything that’s happening! The meat & potatoes diet just isn’t going to make the final cut for the Super Hero diet. Have you ever noticed that when we need new tools to continue our evolutionary process, they seem to appear; like the computer and internet? It’s no coincidence that Super Foods are hitting the market now, to fuel us to handle the fast paced transformational times we are currently experiencing.

Thank you David Wolfe for bringing the concept of Super Foods to mainstream America!

Super foods are those “foods that have a dozen or more unique properties, not just one or two. For example, the Goji berry is a source of complete protein, immune-stimulating polysaccharides, liver-cleansing betaine, anti-aging sesquiterpenes, antioxidants, over twenty trace minerals, and much, much more.” David Wolfe, Superfoods

Today with all our technology, we have the ability to have access to the world’s best foods. Wouldn’t it make sense to make a smoothie everyday that contains 2 or more superfoods in it? Considering the fact that one superfood smoothie would probably contain more nutrients and minerals in it than 2 days worth of the standard American meal, isn’t it a no-brainer! For us here at One Spirit Weekend headquarters it is a daily regimen.

We are living in a time when we need all the ammo we can get, in the smallest package possible, to fuel us to be the Super Hero Leaders that we are. Here is a basic recipe for a superfood smoothie. From this recipe you can add more fruit or nut butters such as raw almond, cashew or pecan butter.

Protein Power Punched Superfood Smoothie

2 cups water or coconut water + meat

2 Tbsp. coconut butter

¼ cup hemp seeds

2 Tbsp. cacao powder

1 Tbsp. Maca

1 Tbsp. Spirulina

3 Tbsp. Aloe Vera Juice

3 Tbsp. Raw Honey, Yacon or Jerusalem Artichoke syrup.

¼ c. goji berries or ½ c. Blueberries or any other kind of berry.

Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Taste and drink!

By Kerrie Dancing Butterfly

What is the health of your family relationships?  Love them, ignore them, tolerate each other or talk every day?  Does the prospect of spending time with your blood family excite you are agitate you?  Your family memories may likely be woven with laughter as well as tears, support as well as judgment. Over the years I have found that my family has in every way imaginable brought great wisdom, humility and joy to my life.  In my family we had immense laughter right along with intense hair pulling, hurtful name- calling followed by competitive Monopoly games, aggravated yelling as well as helpful math tutoring.  Every experience brought lessons to me that has transformed and evolved the core of my being.

The family bloodline that you were born into is perfectly tailored to assist you in your personal growth and evolution.  It doesn’t matter which story you have about your family, each member has a specific purpose in your life to teach you vital life lessons and train you for the trials and triumphs ahead. If you feel tense around any of your family members, than you have more to learn.  Maybe a bully in the family will teach you about boundaries, compassion and inner peace.  Perhaps having different lifestyle preferences in the family (Spiritual, health, diet, sexuality) brings forth the lessons of tolerance, self-respect and understanding the value of diversity.

Contrary to popular belief, our family is NOT here to provide everything we need nor give us all the love we desire. We as human beings are here to learn how to provide for ourselves, love & respect ourselves and learn how to unconditionally love those around us.  To come to this level of self-awareness and love embodiment, it will take some training. What better teachers than those that have chosen to be karmically linked to you this lifetime?  Family will provide much support, encouragement and love in various forms along your journey.  Different family members will choose to play the clown, villain or ally to create a certain dynamic to show you something deep that you need to see.  Some of the trials will be joyful and others will be difficult; family will be there until you get it right. You are coded to grow and expand, which is exactly why you cannot just walk away from family.  Giving up on a family member means you are giving up on developing an aspect of yourself.  You are bonded with them to learn lessons of how to truly love, how to know yourself and how to be compassionate and tolerant of other’s choices. Family is a tremendous gift and resource for awakening leaders.  If you can heal your family ties and allow the deep bonds to teach and liberate you, then you will know true love.  Open your heart and connect deeply with your family and the gifts you will receive will be better than any Christmas morning.

By Puma St. Angel

Congratulations on embarking on becoming a leader in your own self care program. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or just starting out by reading this article you are on your way to becoming a Leader in your own life. Now the fun begins!

As we embark on a healthier path we become bombarded with information and a lot of times it contradicts other health advice we are taught. It can become very confusing. It seems everyone has their “science based” opinion about the do’s and don’ts of what to eat, how to exercise, what mind set to have, what spiritual practice is the best, what healing modality will heal certain ailments, what gadget is the best etc.

There is a lot of information to decipher to find what is right for you. This process can be daunting when all you want to do is “know” what is right for you and then focus your time, energy and money on executing the best self- care plan possible for you. Sometimes it is easier for someone else to tell you what to do, which has been occurring for a long time in the health care industry but not the most effective.

Every person is an individual. Yes, we are born with the same parts; heart, liver, hands, feet etc. but due to our belief systems, ancestry, genes and other factors we operate very differently from one another.  So it is very difficult and many times unsuccessful to treat an individual’s health problems the same way as another’s with similar symptoms.

The key to helping self-decipher all the information and advice, is to develop ones’ intuition. When you are guided by your intuition it can become easier to feel, sense and know what is right and wrong for you. Your internal guidance system will direct you into your highest potential and the best self-care program.

There are various ways to strengthen your intuition; your internal guidance system. The three main areas to begin with are the physical, mental and spiritual bodies.  Here are the basics to begin the strengthening process of your intuition. Please note that even though these three areas are separated, they exist together as a whole, they work together to create One Spirit, and therefore the tools & techniques for each area overlap and help with all the bodies.

Physical body: Cleansing the body of toxins and excess waste will help you become a better listener to it’s messages. Toxins in the body can prevent someone from being able to clearly hear their internal guidance system.

Mental body: Learning tools and techniques to quite the mind of chitter chatter will help you to hear or visualize the REAL messages that are meant for you.  Meditation, breathing exercises & yoga are just a few of the many powerful ways to access the minds intuitive nature.

Spiritual body: All the techniques for the physical and mental body will naturally guide you on your spiritual path. When you have physically detoxed, are practicing yoga and meditation, your internal guidance system will naturally lead you on a spiritual path that reflects your true nature.  When your heart and mind process spiritual and religious ideas and concepts you will receive clearer guidance on what the truth is for you.

Your self-care program based on your internal guidance system will provide a strong foundation for you being a leader in your life, a path to Independence!