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The Mountains Are Calling

March 21, 2016 Alistair Jordan Leave a comment

Think about what it would be like to spend a week in the mountains, learning from modern practitioners of ancient earth skills. Think about taking that knowledge home and using it to ground your diet to the earth in the same ways that your ancestors did. If you’ve been wanting to actually learn about living with the land, this spring in Asheville, N.C. might be the time to do it.

Local practitioners and teachers of permaculture, such as Wild Abundance, hold weekend gatherings and week long intensives like Ancestral Foods Cooking Class at their homesteads, where hands-on skills are shared by true teachers of the ancient crafts.

Botanists, herbalists, foragers, and homesteaders flock to these mountains, as they are the oldest on Earth and make up one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Being able to explore these beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about the forest and its secrets is one of the most profound experiences you’ll find. It connects you with more than just your food, it connects you with the spirit of these mountains and the life to be found in them.

The permaculture and homesteading movement offers a chance to break out of the dependent consumer cycle that is killing our planet and our spirit. We owe it to ourselves to learn how to unplug from that. Taking back the food you eat is a great place to start.

There are those that say switching to a diet of simple, raw, wild ancient foods and foraged foods have miraculous health benefits, including relief from common illnesses to more advanced diseases such as diabetes and even cancer. But the fact of the matter is that eating off the land just tastes good and feels good. You will soak it up and enjoy it in your every cell. You’ll feel happy and healthy and juicy and nourished and you will love it.

The permaculture movement also offers hope of a world that marries 21st-century technology with the ancient skills of cultivation and stewardship over ourselves and our land. Our ancestors developed these skills from a loving, nurturing, reciprocal relationship with the earth.

Here in Asheville and the surrounding areas, you will find a celebration of these values and the sacred lands that it occupies. Join us this spring as we celebrate the ancient ways with the gifts and wisdom of these mountains.

News

This Man Beautifully Describes The Experience of OCD Through A Breath-Taking Poem

March 18, 2016 Alexandria Leave a comment

I found this video a few years ago and love revisiting it from time to time. I haven’t made an article on Spirit Science for awhile and thought I could start again by sharing something I love. I’ve always enjoyed watching slam poetry or live, intense bearings of the soul through beautiful words and body language.

I can’t ever watch this video without tearing up! It speaks to me so loudly even though I don’t experience OCD to this degree. I think a lot of the causes of things like ADHD and OCD are direct results of the disconnection in our society. It’s how we read the brain, how we’re just starting to understand consciousness scientifically, how we dismiss what we don’t understand as mentally ‘ill’.

We’ve constructed a world that is the fundamental cause of experiences like OCD. Where sitting still for half of the day in a classroom is the best way to learn; where we’re shown constant stimulation from the media and get sucked into a continually rushed system of living.

This man so beautifully describes what he experiences everyday. every time I watch it I get a shiver that radiates throughout my body. It makes me reflect on who I am and why this world is the way it is. I hope it does the same for you.

Chakras, News, Philosophy, Relationships, Solar Plexus (Will-Power), Theory, Third Eye (Insight)

Understanding Soul Contracts: Agreements We Made Before Coming to Earth

March 18, 2016 JJ Leave a comment

Before we are born we are asked just one question by our soul family. “What is it you would like to learn this lifetime?” It is then, in our answer, that soul contracts are formed.

If we wish to learn patience, we will not ask to be surrounded by Zen Masters, but rather people (siblings for example) who will push our buttons and annoy us to the ends of the earth. If we wish to learn love, we will be shown hate, and no matter the lesson, we ask that the opposite be brought to us for example, if self confidence is chosen, then friends in disguise will come and step on us.

It is within this very principle that all soul contracts are based, for it is only in being stepped on that we have no choice but to learn to STAND UP for ourselves.

Self development can be a deeply painful process that by nature requires us to be scrubbed. It is in the repetitive scrubbing of a diamond that it gains its sparkle and we are no different. There are two kinds of pain, learning pain and abusive pain. While the latter serves little to no purpose, the former is fundamental to our growth as human beings.

Other than beginner’s luck, which (in my opinion) is the universes way of showing us that we can achieve a high level of success, with of course, practice; the first step to growth is being knocked off balance.

We get removed from center by ‘x’ amount which is directly proportionate to how much we have chosen to learn. It is through learning and growth that we come back to our center with the tools that were required to bring ourselves home.

The flip side of our return to balance is expressed directly as growth.

The universe in its infinite love for us will continue to send us lessons, and one of the most frustrating truths to accept is as follows: ‘Wow, you learned a lesson, you overcame a problem?

Congratulations, here is your reward… ANOTHER problem.’ Each time we show the universe that we can take the heat, life becomes a little hotter! It is simply one of the painful aspects to this path of learning, yet it is beautiful because of the growth we experience from it.

The main thing to remember here (going full circle) is that it is our friends who come to teach us these lessons. It is our soul friends who (by our consent) hurt us, our friends who betray us and our friends who give us our opportunities to learn.

In order for these experiences to seem real, we naturally forget that they are our friends when we cross over the river of forgetfulness (birth). If you would rather be happy than right, just pretend that they love you, it will definitely change your perspective!

Crown (Knowing), News, Third Eye (Insight)

Spring Cleaning for the Mind

March 17, 2016 Alistair Jordan Leave a comment

Winter is ending and new life is springing up everywhere. It’s time to do some spring cleaning and just like we clean our house from the built up layers of winter, we should also clean ourselves body, mind and soul.

Cultivating a harmonious mind is a lot like cultivating a harmonious home. Just like keeping our floors swept, regular clearing of thought-waste is an essential for those seeking a sound mind.

We occupy our minds in much the same way that we occupy our homes. In fact, your mind is your home, experientially speaking. From there you sit and watch the world play out around you. You take in everything you see and feel and decide how to react all from your little control tower you call your mind.

It has been said that your current state of mind is the sum of your thoughts up to now. We are inundated with thoughts all day every day, so we must come up with ways to let go of thoughts that no longer serve us. All thoughts, especially hostile ones, leave behind little bits of themselves that collect over time in dark corners and need to be lovingly cleared out and let go.

Here is a simple meditation/visualization that can be done quickly or with great detail when it’s time for your mental spring cleaning.

With a soft gaze forward take a few deep breaths, and settle the mind as you would starting any meditation. When you feel settled and present, close your eyes and bring to your visual mind the room that you are sitting in, exactly how it is.

Declutter and clean the room in your mind. Don’t let this become another to-do list, just give yourself a few moments to feel what this clean new space would look like.

Light an imaginary incense or candle and feel the cleansing smoke wash through the air, (some actual smudging beforehand will help too).

Beginning directly in front of you, take your mind around the room, section by section. In these sections, remove anything doesn’t bring joy and replace it with something that does. A plant, a painting, a window letting in beautiful natural sunlight, or any other element that brings pleasant, fresh chi will do.

Work all the way around the room from where you are sitting until you come back to where you started. The amount of detail is entirely up to you and how much time you are able to put in. In a few minutes you can give it a quick once over, or you can take your time and really work it out.

Spend some time mentally in this place you’ve just created, not thinking about changing the physical room into something else, just enjoying this peaceful place.

Before leaving the room, express gratitude for the time you’ve spent there and any pleasant feelings you’ve experienced. Exit and open the eyes when you feel ready.

Not only will you feel more at home as you continue your day, but you will be building a safe space in your mind that you can access any time. With continued practice, you can ‘build’ even more elaborate rooms that your mind will recognize when summoned later. By utilizing your knowledge of feng shui and applying it with a healthy dose of imagination, you can create mental spaces conducive to a healthy, harmonious, state of mind.

Healing, Inspirational, News

5 Curses To Recognize As Blessings in Disguise

March 17, 2016 LJ Vanier Leave a comment

As they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But, I think we can all agree that this is easier said than done. Sometimes it’s hard to see the blessing in the worst catastrophes and to remain confident that everything will work out, especially when you’ve just been blind sided.

While changes of this magnitude can serve as a major wake up call or a catalyst to initiate our spiritual growth and evolution of consciousness, when we hit these road blocks, it’s more than difficult to just pick up and say “hey, better things are waiting for me around the corner!”.

It takes time to process, introspect and finally see, that the hand we’ve been dealt, was exactly the change we might have needed.

The purpose of this article is to support you through any hardships that you might be going through. We feel you. We go through them too… <3 We’re all in this together!

5. You lose your job

We all know that getting fired never feels good, but let’s be honest about it, if you were truly and honestly pursuing what you really wanted to do chances are you wouldn’t be kicking your lunch box down the street right now. Sometimes, when we can’t make the decision for ourselves to move on, life gives us a hard shove to get going in the right direction. Take time to reflect on what you appreciated about your previous position as well as the negative and you will find if you are honest with yourself, that it wasn’t the right fit for you.

Now is great time to do some real introspection, especially if you have been in the same role for a long amount of time. You may find a completely new direction and one that serves your true authentic self and let’s you shine.

4. You separate from your partner

First off I’d like to say, as hard as it may be for some of you to hear– not everyone is meant to be with us for the long haul. Everyone has a special purpose in our lives, and with each person we are able to share moments which leave lasting impressions that we can take with us along our journeys. At every moment we are learning and growing and we never stop; change is continual and as we change, it only makes sense that the people, experiences and circumstances change along with.

If you are newly single or mentally processing the fall out from a long-term relationship, the aftermath can be devastating. If the relationship has been closed off by one of the partners, the best thing you can do is keep your distance. Early after a breakup the emotions are still running high with both individuals and you’ll both need your space.

When we give ourselves this space, we allow for healing to usher in and a time of reflection begins. Quite often, if one partner has decided to leave, the other may also feel in some sense relieved, as relationships can only flourish when both partners are in harmony. Soon, you may begin to recognize that it was only the familiarity and the attachment to the person which enabled you to continue in the relationship, all the while your spirit was urging you onto new and needed experiences.

3. You lose your house

Losing your home is devastating. Without a home base to rest our heads at the end of the day can make us feel lost and unstable. A shift from the normal safe routine, we quite literally feel like we have been thrown out to the wolves, to fend for ourselves. Upon reflection however, you may find that your home wasn’t benefiting you in some way. Either the mortgage was too high, or the area where you lived wasn’t serving you or your families needs. Whatever the cause, when we can find trust in knowing that everything happens for a reason, we find comfort in the understanding that life can be like a tornado, and sometimes that tornado is what it took to shake us out of our stagnant state. It’s best to just let it pick you up, ruffle you up and put you back down where you are supposed to be.

2. You are diagnosed with an illness

The most serious of events to transpire, being diagnosed with any kind of illness quite literally catapults you into a state of shock. While this occurence may not rightfully fit in with a few others on this list, it is included because of its profound impact on emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being. There is nothing more frightening than being told your health is at risk, while at the same time there is also nothing more that would motivate us more to live our life to the fullest. Being told that your time is limited or that you’re physical health will not permit you to do the things you once thought, immediately puts you on this path. The path to experience everything you can in the time you have. The path that opens your heart to forgive and love others in ways you never thought were possible and to appreciate the little things in life, that most others often tend to ignore.

1. You lose someone close to you

When you lose someone you love, there are no words to express how you feel. There isn’t anything that can comfort a grieving heart and nothing will ever replace that person. You are only left with a gigantic void that pierces so deeply that it permeates to the fibre of your being. Now, we can never say that losing someone is a blessing, however we can say that not having this person truly and deeply highlights our immense unconditional, insatiable capacity for love, that we should always appreciate.

I believe that love is at the fabric of our being, it is the vibration of creation and without love– life would cease to exist. We can love far after a person is gone and long before they even arrive. Our genuine inherent ability to love with all of our being is so deep, that it transcends space and time and in the end if you don’t believe in life after death, rest assured in knowing that if anything is to go on past our physical bodies when we die, it’s love.

by LJ Vanier, Team Spirit!

Energy, Healing, News

6 Signs It’s Time To Focus On Your Own Well Being

March 17, 2016 LJ Vanier Leave a comment

Its rather easy to get caught up in “the system”, also known commonly as the matrix, and we kid you not… it will bring you down.

This is why we’ve put this list together. To expose some of the common traits that happens to people who live in urban jungle. Thank you for reading, we sincerely hope this is helpful!

~ ~ ~

“The only thing you can take with you when you leave this world are the things you’ve packed inside your heart”- Susan Gale

It doesn’t take much to be a spiritual person. Being spiritual really just means putting the emotional and psychological needs of yourself and others, ahead of the material and physical qualities of the world.

Being spiritual is about showing compassion and helping others versus a continuous self-serving rhetoric that puts others down, while it catapults you to the top. Being spiritual is about being selfless in material gain and selfish in soul progression. But, when we lose sight of this our energy turns towards these material illusions that can lead us down a path of greed, jealousy and envy all of which lower our vibrational energy.

Because the power of our thoughts are so potent, the energy that accompanies them then radiates from our being like sounds waves. Quite literally, what we think holds its own vibrational frequency and when we align ourselves to what is true to our soul, we find peace, acceptance and harmony in our existence.

6. You worry too much.

Worrying and over thinking stems from lack of trust. When we don’t trust ourselves it’s hard to trust the world around us. But really, it’s like slapping ourselves in the face. When we aren’t confident enough in ourselves to trust our path, we end up undervaluing our own existence. Which leads us to…

5. You undervalue yourself

The best way to describe your higher self in this circumstance is to think of yourself as a child with hopes, dreams, creativity and all of the confidence in the world. When we are young our worlds seem small, and yet our imaginations are ten times greater. When we grow older, our worlds have grown bigger and the opposite for our imaginations. Your higher self knows that you have purpose, your dreams are important and your mind matters. Don’t sell yourself short, you are just as valuable as the next. Thing big, dream bigger.

4. You hold onto things too long.

At the fabric of our being we find energy and energy is always in a constant state of vibration. That is to say, energy is always in a state of flux. So should we be. We can allow our minds time to process, this is healthy however, when we get stuck on things and can’t let go of them, they become weights that we carry around.

Not to get me wrong, I get it. Life can throw us some hard balls, and even more curve balls when we aren’t expecting it. Allow yourself time to process and time to feel. Feeling all of the emotions that we can really makes us feel alive. Embrace your sadness, celebrate your joys and then move on to the next.

3. You ignore your own needs.

It’s easy to get stuck in repetitive energetic cycles which do not serve our higher good. Whether it’s a lifestyle, a job, or a relationship, when we fall into these cycles we feel trapped, all the while knowing it was time to get out a long time ago. Usually at this point emotions begin to stir just below the surface as your inner voice is being neglected.

2. You drown out your inner voice

“Everyone who wills can hear their inner voice, it is within everyone”- Ghandi

We have all experienced intuition in the form of what we call an inner voice, but the degree of intensity will vary dependent upon the level of ones consciousness. Known as a flash of insight, this natural instinct can go unnoticed if someone has been ignoring it for too long. But when we trust our intuition it allows us to be more consciously aware of situations and activities in our life. Never be hasty, always take a moment to listen to yourself, trust yourself, trust your heart.

When we listen to our hearts, we are in tune with our intuition. This connection reveals the once hidden truths about ourselves, and our current situations in life, allowing us the opportunity to stay in touch with our subconscious mind; releasing us from limitations and removing aspects of the restrictive ego. This then leads to tremendous growth, creativity and an evolution of conscious awareness.

1. You are stuck in the past.

The only way to keep the past alive is to recycle the memory. When we recycle memories, we are unconsciously regenerating the old energy of these experiences, in order to “keep them alive” in our cells and when we do this, our ego then continues to feed off of the attachment. This repetitiveness causes our energetic body to become stagnant and stuck without forward progression.

When you release the past, you raise your vibration and the old energy will die off allowing for new more positive energy to flow through. New energy brings change and change always brings new opportunities for growth and harmony.