We all have judgments, prejudices, opinions and beliefs. Have you ever changed your beliefs or opinions during your life? Can you recall what happened to cause you to change an opinion?

Most of us want the same thing. We want a world where everyone is fulfilled, healthy, successful, and at peace. Sometimes we think to get there we need to go through struggle, arguing and coercing, even fighting. We think our own way is best and we need to make others conform to our way.

 

So, we post on Facebook, Twitter, and other forums. We write, speak, text and PM. We blast those who speak of other opinions and judgements. We call them haters and we hate them. (huh?) We don’t ask them questions like, why do you feel/choose that way?

 

Imagine you are faced with people who have a different political view than you and they are trying to make you change your mind and agree with them. How would these actions make you feel?

 

• Call you names, because they believe you are wrong and lower in importance and intelligence.
• They tell you they are right—period. There is no room for listening to your views.
• They assign erroneous characteristics to you, saying you don’t care about people, or you’re completely irrational for thinking what you do.
• You watch talking heads on TV shows insult those who think like you.

 

These behaviors do not-

• Add productive ideas
• Add solutions
• Encourage communication
• Heal

 

On the contrary, they only divide further, cause more anger, and deepen the wounds.

 

Everyone is operating at their own level of consciousness. Each person is doing the best they can with what they have known, felt, and experienced in their lives. There is huge diversity in the world today, and the bell curve of levels of consciousness in the United States and other industrialized countries is and has been shifting toward more awareness. This is evolution; sometimes a painful process when some groups are ignored, abused, pushed away, or have assistance and caring withheld from them. When their needs aren’t met, they can get stuck in lower levels of awareness, especially when they are born into a sub-culture where this is the norm. Their rising consciousness gets blocked. By ridiculing them, pushing against them, we cause their complaints to strengthen, along with their anger. What you push against grows.

We must infiltrate these groups. We must meet them where they are and ask them what their experience is. It reminds me of the African-American man who went to a KKK meeting because he said, “How can they hate me when they don’t even know me?” It changed the men in that group. They became friends with him and eventually gave up the KKK. This is an extreme group and most of us would never approve of their message, but they are human beings.

 

The first two levels of biological responses to stress are Fight or Flight (physiological) and Reactive Response, the psychological equivalent. These are old, hard-wired responses to threats in the environment and grounded in our survival instincts. The Reactive Response can be triggered by criticism, anger, sarcasm, etc. but it can cause the same fear and lashing out, adrenalin release, and rapid breathing as fight or flight, or just withdrawal and depression. These two reactive responses are how the majority of people react to stressful situations.

 

But there are five more responses:  Restful Awareness, Intuitive Response, Creative Response, Visionary Response, and Sacred Response. These are all higher forms of responding, more conscious and aware, and we all have had moments where we’ve experienced them. They increasingly move one past the ego and the fear-based, unaware state.

 

So, it makes sense that to be of service in this world, this ability of moving out of the first two responses and into the higher responses, is one to acquire. This way we won’t get triggered with fear and anger when we hear opposing views, distraught people, angry people, and fearful people. We can center ourselves and listen to them. When someone feels heard, healing can begin.

 

How do we do this? Evolve our own reactive responses? There are many ways so find one that resonates with you, if it doesn’t help try another one.

 

I usually tell this story to my new meditators:

Back when I first learned the meditation method I now teach, it had been a few months, and I hadn’t really noticed any difference in my life. One day I went to the grocery store and was in the check-out line. I could hear the cashier snapping at the people ahead of me. She sounded angry. When she was checking my items, she attacked me for doing something wrong. I don’t even recall what it was. I paid and was halfway to the car when I noticed something unusual for me. See, normally if someone lashed out at me, I would feel the adrenalin flow, blood rushing to the face, and my heart would start beating fast. None of that happened. I just thought she was having a bad day. This was really significant. I was by-passing the lower responses!

 

Here’s the list of suggestions:

 

1. Meditate every day
2. Read inspirational material nightly
3. Notice when you are responding physically, tightening chest or stomach, heart pounding when watching the news or a story, and turn it off. You’re becoming aware!
4. Take steps toward a more plant-based diet.
5. Watch your thoughts. Watch when you judge others. Know your thoughts are from your ego and not from your higher self.
6. Get enough sleep
7. Find others doing the same thing.

 

What you will notice is more episodes of feelings of love from within. More patience. More understanding where others are coming from. Less judgement, less criticism, more solutions, more productive communication.

If you are interested in attending a program, sign up for my newsletters (homepage top right) where they will be announced.

 

There is a leading edge of evolution functioning within humanity. This leading edge is a minority of the population, yet large enough to have an impact by showing the way, being an example of where we can go, how we can be, and what we can accomplish. According to Ken Wilbur, author and integral theorist, in his recent e-book, Trump and a Post-Truth World, this leading edge has been failing to lead inclusively for a few decades now.

The leading new evolutionary movement emerged in the 1960s full of promise, compassion, forgiveness, and love. War wasn’t the answer, cultural, racial and gender divisiveness was to be overcome, and an optimism spread over the land that it was possible to have a just, good and truthful world.

But this leading edge of the most evolved expression of consciousness in any numbers somehow lost its way; somehow ran itself off the rails when it began embracing the idea that it was elite, better than, and took upon itself to rescue the lowly, the less than, from imagined oppressors. This edge saw victims everywhere, and surmised an oppressor or oppressors were always to blame. This created grounds to become angry and hateful to those it deemed oppressors. Also, the ones seen as ‘less than’ weren’t respected as much as those who followed the leading edge beliefs.

Those who were targeted by the leading edge as unworthy felt the disdain thrust upon them, hence a deep anger grew.

Everyone is operating at their own level of consciousness, we know that. Each level has value. At each level of consciousness there is a relatively balanced, healthy state and an unhealthy state. A balanced healthy state at all levels contributes positively to the whole, and gives impetus to grow into the next level. No matter where we are on this measurement, we hold all the previous states we have moved through, just as we still carry our childhood and adolescence within us. When the leading edge, that highest evolved state in large numbers of the population, is balanced, healthy and sound, this progresses the whole by leading productively, defining truth and goodness, acceptance of all expressions of consciousness, acceptance of differing opinions, thoughts and ways of living from previous states.

What is needed is an environment of inclusivity. We need strong leaders who exemplify goodness, truth, and compassion, and show us what that looks like. Leaders who don’t partition off segments of society and label them. Someone to get the leading edge back on the rails so that it moves forward once again. We haven’t seen this in a long time.

There are two ways this could happen. One would be for someone or some group within the leading edge with these ideals to emerge into our awareness and get our enraptured attention. Pretty tough job.

The other way would be for the quite small, but extraordinarily effecting, edge beyond this one (that began in the 60s). The new, furthest edge that automatically holds the truths of goodness, beauty, inclusiveness, compassion, and love, and will not be infected by elitism, judgmentalism, or divisiveness. At this level, the purpose is to serve. Everyone.

And this edge can lead the current edge, show the way, help get it back to where it can be once again productive and positive.

Ayurveda is a very deep topic, a vast, ancient, body of knowledge divined long before any other known health system. But it’s more than a health system.

I’ve been studying this subject a bit here and there for several years, and lately I’ve gotten more serious about it. Perhaps because I’m aging and my health is becoming more precious to me. Perhaps because I see so many people around me suffering. Or, just because it is one of the most fascinating subjects I’ve looked into.

The more I study it, the more intrigued I am. It is so beautiful. An elegant way to view our personal systems: physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. It is a consciousness based philosophy, viewing all that we see and experience in life a result of how consciousness expresses through us and how we influence it by our thoughts, actions and beliefs.

Some basics:

• We are each born with our own individual combination of the elements of life, fire, water, air, space and earth
• The unique balance of these at birth is perfect to support each of us in our wellbeing
• As we grow and live our lives, interacting with our environment and others, we can shift away from this ideal balance.
• When this imbalance isn’t addressed, over time it can grow into an illness, disease, chronic condition or emotional illness.

Ayurveda, in a simplistic description, is a system to move the mind and body back to the original balance of elements so the whole system can function the way it was meant to, with one experiencing wellbeing: vitality, joy, and inspiration in their life.

There are three main mind/body types, Vata (air and space), Pitta, (fire and water), and Kapha (earth & water).

When a person has a Vata constitution, they have a tendency to be slim, quick moving, talkative, creative and inspiring. When they get stressed, they may get anxious or worried. If their body develops too much Vata they may get arthritis, degenerative conditions, constipation, all considered to be from too much air/space which are drying. Vata types can tire more easily and should choose gentle exercise like walking and yoga, or they could need joint replacements!

Pitta types usually have well developed, athletic bodies, with a sharp intellect, and determined, sometimes intense, personalities. Most leaders are Pittas. Under stress, Pittas may get irritable or angry. Since fire is a dominant element, if a Pitta has too much fire, they may tend to get rashes, heartburn, inflammatory illnesses, heart disease or rheumatoid arthritis. The preferred exercise for a Pitta would be moderate: swimming, biking, yoga etc.

Kapha types have a more substantial body, an earth quality, and they tend to be warm, nurturing, steady and calm. When they learn something it isn’t usually forgotten. Under stress, a Kapha will tend to avoid conflict, and when out of balance, often wishing to ignore problems, like sticking their head in the sand, with a tendency to get lethargic or depressed. Physically, if too much heavy, oily food is in their diet along with an inactive lifestyle, they will gain weight and have a hard time losing it. They can develop sinus issues, diabetes, varicose veins, and edema. Their best form of exercise is more strenuous: weight-lifting, jogging, etc. as they have great endurance. (Once you get them moving!)

Our actions and reactions, our thoughts and feelings, all combine to either support our health or impede it. If you aren’t experiencing wellbeing, know that you can find it again. A practitioner or Ayurvedic physician can prescribe foods, herbs and routines which will nudge you back into balance before a disease develops.

Western medicine is absolutely critical for urgent care, but doesn’t address many vague symptoms of imbalance like insomnia, constipation, sadness, lack of motivation or joy in life. At best, they prescribe drugs that mask these symptoms without discovering the cause.

Ayurveda can help you discover the cause and address it. It’s worked with me quite a few times when I had vague symptoms that a regular doctor would just say, “You’re fine. I can’t find anything wrong with you!”

For example, once my skin was itching for weeks and nothing I tried worked. My Ayurvedic physician gave me some herbs and practices, and it was gone in three days! He said it was my body detoxing so he helped it along. Putting lotions on it wouldn’t have addressed this at all.

It isn’t always quick like this, and in our impatience, we want speedy fixes; shifting the body and mind back to health can take some time. It may have taken years to become imbalanced, so it makes sense one needs to be patient and focus on a lifetime of healthy practices instead of immediate cures.

It is a beautiful science which views humans as an incredible orchestration of energy and information always in flux, morphing into the next thing by perception, from God consciousness into the raw elements, forming the material world and you.

Two trees, strong and
firmly planted,
could only travel
through the experience
of their roots and leaves

For a few short moments
the leaves of the two trees,
anchored far apart,
lifted in the wind
and were carried side by side
till falling to the earth

As seasons passed
the leaves of the two trees
rhythmically intersected
and revealed the experiences
of their stationary creators

Their encounters were
fragile, yet meaningful
and the knowledge and
memories lived on
in the trees

And the trees,
though far apart,
grew to know
one another

“We will be here on earth
for a long time,”. They said
“and we will learn more
of each other,
and we will grow with
the shared ideas
and feelings, gathered
by our leaves,
and we will be better
trees”

More seasons passed
and the trees grew
boundlessly, with
unparalleled size
reaching high to the sky,
filling the surrounding air
and rooting deeper
into the earth
And one day
a miraculous day,
their roots and branches
grew so long
that they touched
in the soil and the breeze

Copyright© 2017 Kasey J. Claytor

March 29, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kasey Claytor
877-650-3796

The Light of Grace, Journeys of an Angel named 2016 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist

Bloomington, Indiana—Today, Hay House is pleased to announce The Light of Grace, Journeys of an Angel, has been recognized as a finalist in the 19th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.

As part of their mission to discover, review, and share the best books from small, university, and indie publishers (and authors), independent media company Foreword Reviews hosts its annual awards program each year. Finalists represent the best books published in 2016, and submitted to Foreword Reviews for award consideration, and were narrowed down by Foreword’s editors from over 2,200 individual titles spread across 65 categories. A complete list of finalists can be found at:

https://awards.forewordreviews.com/finalists/2016/

“Choosing finalists for the INDIES is always the highlight of our year, but the choice was more difficult this time around due to the high quality of submissions,” said Victoria Sutherland, publisher of Foreword Reviews. “Each new book award season proves again how independent publishers are the real innovators in the industry.”

INDIES finalists are moved on to final judging by an expert panel of librarians and booksellers curated specifically for each genre and who will determine the books who will be named Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award winners. Winners in each genre—along with Editor’s Choice winners, and Foreword’s INDIE Publisher of the Year—will be announced during the 2017 American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago on June 24, 2017.

About Foreword: Founded in 1998, Foreword Magazine, Inc, d.b.a Foreword Reviews is an independent media company featuring a Folio:Award-winning print magazine, stable of e-newsletters, and an online platform. Foreword exclusively covers small, university, and independent (non “Big 5”) publishers, the books they publish, and the creators they work with. Foreword is based in Traverse City, Michigan, USA, and has employees and writers all over the world.

20 years ago, as a stockbroker, I had a client that was very demanding. In an effort to satisfy her requests, I went above and beyond my normal responsibilities, spending an inordinate amount of time on these ‘extra’ tasks, like helping her find lost documents, reading her contracts with other insurance investments and  going over her tax documents. Surely, I thought, she appreciated my extra time.

But you know what? She didn’t. With my expectation for appreciation and her assumption that what I did, whatever I did, was customary, I was bound for disappointment.

I ended up writing an article called, Looking for Thankyous (reprinted below). In it, I examined my motivation for doing things for others.

I’ve had many instances to practice this awareness since, of course, as we all do; especially when losing a client, a friend, a job, an unacknowledged gift, or any form of rejection. It is human nature to have thoughts like, after all I did for him/her, they have no appreciation, I could not have done anymore for them, could not have tried harder, etc.

It recently happened again. A client did something out of the ordinary, potentially taking some business away from me. And, of course, I had done a bunch of additional work for her. Quickly, this time, I realized it was my set up. I created the expectation in her mind that all this extra work was part of my normal services. And when my mind (ego) started making reasons why she should have appreciated all of that, I caught myself.

Was I doing all that additional work for gratitude or approval? Or was I doing the extra work because it felt good to give? In the first instance it is merely a trade, I do this and then you will thank me.

I also notice now, the clients with the huge, fat files, (because of all the extra work) are the ones who roam from advisor to advisor, in search of something maybe no one can give. I’m making a mental note of that.

My potential irritation with her never came to pass. I did that extra work because I enjoyed doing it for her. My ‘reward’ was simply that. There are no strings attached.

Original Looking for Thank Yous 1996

I was recently made aware of our underlying motivations to do good deeds for other people. I work in a service industry and my job is to serve the needs of my clients in an advisory capacity. I have a tendency to do more than the basic description of my job because I do care about these people, and do want to help them in any way I can.

One client in particular was undertaking a major project outside of my normal duties that I was helping her with. It turned out that she became very upset with me because she assumed I would do more, and be aware of more of her situation than I reasonably could. I listened to her complaints and I agreed to do these other tasks for her. My secretary and I then did this extra work.

The next thing I know this client is on the phone with me again complaining and saying I should have done these tasks right off and she may not use my services anymore! To make a long story short, I wrote this lady a letter explaining that this work was extra and not usually part of my duties. I felt unappreciated!

So often during my workday I do get appreciation, smiles, notes of thanks, and contented gratitude. I had become so focused on the thank you I lost my focus of why I do what I do in the first place.

In the true spirit of giving, appreciation is nice, but is this really our ultimate goal? Is not the reward in the act of serving others, period? The resentment really does ruin the gift we gave. It is better to give because we want to serve our fellow man, in my mind this is to serve God.

So many angry people. So many fearful people. It matters not what political view one has, there is plenty of vitriol flowing on every side.
Anger is a step up from powerlessness. Anger gives us a feeling of control, a feeling of relief from victimhood, from passivity. So for that, it has a function. It pulls us through unacceptable circumstances.
Fear and anxiety, on the other hand, tends to hold us still while we wallow in the stew of these toxic emotions. Until it morphs into out-picturing anger, it only destroys our own wellbeing.
But even anger, if it isn’t transcended into a higher state, cases more chaos.
In this political climate, this level of stress in the world at the moment, this feeling of unwanted unfolding situations, what should we do? How should we approach our own future and our own plans for our lives? Do we have any way in which to move the global meter toward more peace? Have we any influence to raise the consciousness of the masses?
There are, of course, infinite solutions, from every spiritual tradition, from new thought leaders to ancient sages, we are not short of paths we can take with life-changing, even miraculous results. The important thing I want to relay to you is, find one. Take one. Seek one that speaks to you. One that centers you in your own peace, establishes you in your immortal source, your authentic self, your soul.
Release the attachments you may have to one side of a system, one view of governing, one version of right and wrong. This is a state of separation in which you project an enemy out there; where you see those who think differently or hold other ideas as wrong. This is a falsehood.
Remember, the only true reality is your inner world and when you identify with this reality you are far more compassionate, open, loving, understanding, and ultimately more effective in the outer world, even if it is just the energy you are emitting, which, alone has great benefits.
Contrary to many opinions, the best way to change conditions isn’t to take to the streets in angry protest, because it creates a backlash of the opposite view. What you push against grows stronger.
The way out? Love your brothers and sisters. Hear them. Attempt to understand while you listen instead of creating your response in your head. Listen with love. Watch as they begin to shift, change their posture, as the anger drains from their body. You’ll be creating a healing in your corner of the world.
Thinking one side is right and one side is wrong causes a societal illness, like a disease taking over the land where people are cells trying to annihilate each other.
A new system of thought is trying to emerge. All of us can foster this new, fragile form of being as it spreads among those who are ready and open. A better way is dawning.

 

I just completed an Ayurvedic program designed to bring our individual type of mind/body into balance. With life so filled with stressors these days, and the perception of so much demanded of us, it is crucial we give ourselves the time to regain our balance and health inherit in our nature.

Ayurveda, the 5,000 year old system of creating and maintaining robust health, shows us how to think about our food, mindset, and our daily routines as either health producing or health destroying. These sage teachings are validated more and more as our modern science begins catching up with this amazing system.

It has been several years since I participated in a Panchakarma program designed to detoxify the body and mind, to return to robust health, and I knew I needed it again. I’d been feeling stressed. I noticed when I would grip the steering wheel too tight, and I’d make myself loosen my hands. I had aches and pains that some would say are expected at my age. I always seemed in a hurry. I did meditate and follow a healthy lifestyle, but I was out of balance just the same. My body was changing, talking to me, adding to my anxiety. Was this normal? Something I should accept? Or am I starting on a path of declining health?

Other people may experience poor health, increased irritability, chronic anger, sadness, weight gain, or lethargy, etc. Imbalance doesn’t have to show up the way it did for me.

I met Dr. Jain, an Ayruvedic physician and MD, a few months ago. We went over my own mind/body type—called Dosha in Ayurvedic terms—after which he tweaked my diet and daily practices, and suggested I attend an upcoming Panchakarma at his Mind Body Wellness Center in Flagler Beach, Florida.

I arrived on a late Sunday afternoon and got settled in my large, comfy room with private bath.  Dr. Jain’s wife, Michele, gave me a tour of the bed and breakfast type facility, including a pool in the back and the ocean across the street. The backyard slops down to a tributary of the intercostal waterway. It is a great spot to chill out and get some rejuvenating treatments.

Little did I know I was about to experience transformation.

As I moved through the first days I realized this program was different. Abundant access to the doctor, (I had a zillion questions) the highly professional and loving staff, the feeling of being totally welcome and accepted wherever I was at the moment, was powerful. It enabled me to embrace my vulnerability and eventual surrender so that I could receive all that they were doing for me and my health.

By the fourth day I hit what felt like a magical moment. After daily massages and other loving treatments, after fresh, pure, perfectly seasoned and nutritious food being cooked for me, after daily consults with Dr. Jain, lovely time with Michele, the staff and the other participants, a new me was emerging.

My mind calmed down. I liked what I saw in the mirror. I was losing my list of complaints. I lost the desire to be anything but the authentic me. I even gave up multitasking!  I’d been away from media long enough to make friends with myself and observe my thoughts again. I learned a new way to ‘flick’ away the thoughts that didn’t serve me.

I’m back home now with a new feeling about my world. I’m not in a hurry. What I need to get done does get done. All from bringing my body and mind back into its natural, balanced state. I wish I could describe adequately how good it feels.  And I just noticed today, I’m not gripping the steering wheel tightly anymore.

*photo is of Dr. Jain showing us how to cook a tasty soup for good health.

Courage is a force that is willed, and will isn’t from our ego, our personality or our logical mind. It is from our heart and soul. It rises up from deep within us.
I haven’t heard anyone talking about will or courage lately, but I have heard a lot about victims and victimizing, offending, blaming, pointing and complaining.
Just for today, let’s bring courage into the world. Stand tall and see where we can be of help; heal and inspire others. Stick that chest out and speak of the good of others and our future. Help bring about a healthier future. Don’t wait for some entity, be it government, organization or company, to do it. Don’t listen to the gnashing and bashing. You are better than that. And you have it in you.
Conjure your courage

I wrote this last night after watching the news. Instead of railing against how the news is presented, I write.

I like hearing about women who ignore the idea that the world is stacked against them. Women who do what they want regardless of what others think. Women who do not listen to the rhetoric that says women have been discriminated against, who act as if this is not the case, who venture into all worlds with the expectation that they can do anything, and see no barriers, only opportunities. This was ingrained into me by my father.

There were blocks in front of me in the early 80s when I became a stockbroker. I tried to join Rotary but was told they weren’t ready for a woman member, I was chased around a desk from a groping manager; I have stories, but making those stories into a victim’s story is devolving. I just chalked it up to the idiot behavior of a few. Mostly the men in my life have been great, and working in an industry with so many men has been a blast.

It seems like we’re going into another round of hearing women are victimized. One of the ways we fight this is by moving past the perceived barriers, don’t believe in them.

 

Those who choose to point at the reasons why they can’t succeed, won’t. Those who barrel on through regardless, just may change the world.