soul work

Technology… The Good, The Bad, and What do we do when it Disappears

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So, I’ve been combing through a bunch of my old blogs…  many are no longer active, but there are still some nuggets and gems.  One of the things I’ve found myself doing is going back and looking at my spiritual foundations.  I’ll be re-posting some of the nuggets here.  🙂

Originally posted November 4th, 2009

 

payphone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This is a payphone, in case you’ve forgotten what they look like)

We live in a time where at the blink of an eye we can communicate with everyone we’ve ever met. With the click of one button, the world can know where I am, what I am doing, and what all of my likes and dislikes are. The big question is: how much of ourselves are we going to give away to the technological world. With every application in the world available at a tap, we get further away from connecting to one another. I can remember a time where people actually walked up to one another and said “Hi, my name is….”, now the first question is: “Do you have Facebook, myspace or twitter?”

We have become so reliant on these little gadgets and devices. I noticed a funny icon on my phone the other day. It asked me if it wasOK that Google collected information on my searches, location, etc so that it could provide better quality as far as searches. Google (and many cell phone providers) have been known to collect and build profiles on users–and more along the Big Brother lines than helping me find the best vegan pizza joint in town. We really have to be careful where we give away our information, we have to use our intuition to decide if it is necessary to venture down these techno highways. They are great for the service they provide… but, does anyone remember how to use a map or even know what an Atlas is? GPS has stolen away the necessity to learn how to read basic maps, we can even have our books read to us by our IPODs, there are programs that slow brainwaves down for meditation, there are neat applications that just suck us right into a world of dependence.

Last night it seems that TMOBILE also crashed. I can still remember how angry I was getting that I could not check my email, send a text, or make a call. I also then realized how attached I was to this phone. It was a wake call… pun intended.

What do we do if all this technology disappears tomorrow? Do you know the actual phone number of the 3 top people you call the most? With a click of a button, a call is made. If I had to walk up to a payphone, I am sure that my speed dial or top 5 will not be programmed in (pay phone? What in the world is that?).

Take time each day to put away the techno-toys. Detach completely. Go a day without using them, detach from email. Send a letter (pen and paper) to a friend. Go a day without texting. Write down all the important numbers in your phone. Ask yourself “If there were no way of using electronic means of communication, what would I do?” This is an extremely valid question, and its another insight that popped up during the TMOBILE outage. I’ve been fortunate to have been introduced to a telepathy technique which is very effective. We have to look outside of ourselves and the techno boxes we’ve put ourselves into.

Much love to you all,

Mike Brazell

xoxo

Coming into 2014 alignment

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We made it through another year.

2013 has brought a lot of opportunity, and also a lot of change.   Stepping into the new year has brought me a chance to align with deeper parts of my own journey.  This is going to be a year of exploration, growth, and movement.

One thing that I have always wanted to do, but have for one reason or another have not gone all the way is shifting to eating raw.  So, this is the year I plan on going all the way with it.  Making the shift gives me better connection to the foods that are entering my body, my health, and my spiritual practice.  I do feel that what we eat should be part of our spiritual practice.

I’m spending more time writing poetry this year.  I got away from it for a while.  Poetry brings us face to face with the raw elements of our life.  Poetry is alive, it moves, it lasts mere moments–but echos deeply.   So, my goal is going to be to write a poem a day.  I’ll post some of them here.  I am also going to work a bit harder to get some of my work published.  I’ve wanted to do a chapbook for sometime, and now is the perfect year to make that a reality.  So, stay tuned for that.  I am also going to start attending open mics/slams again.  There is something beautiful and sacred about sharing your work in the public space.

I am spending more time with sacred texts, writing my own commentaries, and will be posting some of that here as to open deeper dialogue.  Too often we trust only the templates of others.  It is important for us to explore our personal relationship with spirituality.  2013 was a year of exploration for me.  I had the opportunity to dive into the study of paganism and witchcraft.  I learned a lot about myself, got to attend and meet some wonderful teachers, and saw how the dynamics of magick play a role in the ever-changing landscape of life, but as with all things that change, those are no longer my avenues of study.  I still practice personal forms of ritual, but I am moving those to the deeply personal, and no longer engaging the public sphere in that way.  I closed up the Yogawitch.com blog site, but will leave it up as an archive of my journey into intersecting Magick and Yoga practice.

2014 is going to be my year of placing spirituality in action.  I am diving deeper into soul specific work, working with intuition, and going back to my core spiritual work.  Journaling daily helps to connect to my soul journey.  My core practice has always been rooted in Christianity and the Eastern traditions.  I have a wonderful bible journal that I use to do study, soul dialogue, and daily tune ins.  Each day I take a moment to dialogue with my soul.  Intuition always has a lot to say if we pause and listen deeply.  The next step is capturing this dialogue, referring back to it, and trusting what is coming through.

I am going to start blogging with greater frequency.  Last night at the New Years Eve Psychic Fair at Sacred Circle Books, I kept hearing that I need to finish my book (from other psychics, and a few of my clients).  I am going to bring that through this year as well.

Diving deeper into my yoga practice (both professional and personal) is also on my list. I am going to be posting flow videos, technique study, and taking yoga on the road (big project in the works, stay tuned).

Travel is also on my agenda this year.  I plan to take my life to the road a bit, to do a spiritual adventure of sorts.  I am looking for places to visit, people to engage, and communities to share space with (place your suggestions below, or send them to me via email soulinteraction@gmail.com)

So, this is going to be a very engaging year.   This is the year of action, but also closure.  My mantra is: I am READY.

What are you shifting into this year?

You are loved.   You are Beautiful.  You are Divine.

Distractions

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ModernDistractionsCOMICWe live in a fast paced world.  It seems that the more advanced we become the less time we have.  There are so many things around us constantly calling for our attention, and it can be a bit hard to keep up.

Distractions can come in many forms, and at times we allow our distractions to become limitation.  When we give energy to one thing, we are choosing not to give energy to something else.

How much time do you spend on facebook a day?  Do you spend an equal amount of time making actual friends, new connections?  Instead of spending time in Farmville, go out to a farm and actually engage the earth.

Identifying our distractions can be easy, changing the patterns that keep us bound to them can take a bit more work.  If you do not currently keep a journal, I suggest you start one sooner than later.  One way to see where you are surrendering time is to keep a log of how long you spend in meditation, on the computer, working, reading, etc.  Keeping a time log is much like keeping a calorie log.  Until you know where your calories are coming from it is difficult to balance your diet.

One thing that I also encourage is setting spiritual goals.  What is it that you want to create, do, or experience spiritually?  Giving yourself things to work towards allows you the ability to move, but it also allows you to better identify the distractions along the road.  An example of distraction impeding spiritual practice is often seen in mediation.  We decide we want to meditate.  Then we have to go out and buy the meditation books, cushions, just the right meditation music, and all the while we could just start meditating.  Now, I understand it is important to expand knowledge, to get fun tools to assist in our practice, but if the search for “just the right” tools is keeping us from starting our practice, then it becomes a distraction.

Being able to take conscious steps to engage our distractions, moving away from things that are limiting you.  Decide on a place to move towards, and then start moving.

What are your distractions?

What keeps you from showing up to your practice?  What can you do to remove those limitations?

You are loved.  You are Beautiful.  You are Divine

Fasting and Detoxing: Day 1

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Life is a fantastic journey.

The past few weeks have been interesting to say the least.  I feel more connected to my own journey and experience but feel that it is time to pull out one of my favorite techniques for going a bit deeper.   We imprint, and we are imprinted constantly by living the human condition.  What we eat, what we think, what we choose to let in, and what we let out imprints on us on many levels.  When we fast we are taking time to let go of distractions, and detoxing is polishing up the pieces that need a bit of attention.

I’ve done a few posts in the past on this topic, and this one is going to be a bit different.  I typically share the details of my fast and detoxing plan, but I am going to hold that part sacred and just for me.   Fasting on many levels is a very sacred action.  We are communing with the soul, and allowing space for growth…. as a teacher, it is also my purpose to help show others that they too have access to these tools and they are there when you need them.

When many people hear the words “fast” or “detox” they immediately jump to food.  This is one aspect of fasting, but in a time and age where distractions are a plenty you can really choose to start anywhere.  You can fast and detox from facebook, from your cell phone, from speaking, from food, from sugar, from candy, from smoking, and the list can really go on and on.

Things change when you begin the process of letting go of distractions, emotions come up, resistance starts barking at you…. have a plan.

Going into a fast or detox without a plan is a good way to set yourself up to not complete your goals.. on,  and have some goals or milestones you want to move toward.

Write your plans in a journal and keep that journal with you.  The fast should challenge you, it should not be something that is too easy, but something that is not going to harm you.  Fasting allows us to see what power we have given away to the distractions in our life… are we mindlessly eating?  are we addicted to being online?  how much power does texting have over you?  can you go without tv for a few days?

When we create space by removing distractions we often begin to see we have more time… we might have more energy… we might find we have more awareness of our surroundings, etc… awareness begins to shift a bit… and this is powerful.

What holds you, and what are you holding onto?

If you are doing a dietary cleanse/detox or fast… Do your research.  Do not jump into it without knowing what you are doing to the body, what you are feeding yourself and the effects of what you are removing can have on your body.  Ex… removing caffeine can often cause headaches, etc.  Allowing your body to detox slowing, doing 1/2 caf, reducing, shifting to teas, etc. can assist with helping you make the transition away.

When you detox you are resetting the body.  Not just the physical body, but we also notice our patterns and habits that might be bound to the food/action.  “I must have that morning cigarette/cup of coffee”…   we hold affirmations that can at times bind us to the actions, not always are those affirmations positive as you can see above…  Keeping a journal of the emotions that come up in the absence of the cup of morning java, can show you a lot about yourself and your patterns.

Fasts can be as short or as long as you want.  Some people can go up to 40 days, others do a  3-7 day experience… One thing that I always like to point out is that there is no such thing as a failed fast.  You start, then you stop.  If you stop before your goal is reached, what caused you to terminate the fast… journaling this will help you to do the internal dialogue necessary to help you the next time you decided to fast/detox.

This is a bit of a ramble post…. and in the future fasting check in, I’ll be posting more of a journal style entry to give you a bit of insight into my process (internal and external) when taking on this sacred practice.

 

You are Loved.

You are Beautiful.

You are Divine!

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.yogawitch.com

 

The Spiritual Journal

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I’ve done a few posts on journaling, but I really don’t think it is something that can be overstated… journal are one of the most powerful spiritual tools that we have access to.  Journals are places we can catch our thoughts, our moments of gratitude, our struggles, our fears, and whatever else our soul desires.    Journaling allows us to engage in self-reflection.  There really are not any rules or right/wrong ways to journal, but I would propose on rule- Don’t hold back!

There are times we begin to go beneath the surface.  We scratch through one layer of our life experience and then we go a bit deeper, then we become afraid of what we will find when we go all the way through… We become trapped in that middle layer, and that creates stagnation.  We have to push deeper, and this can be a lonely process for many of us.  Journals are companions that we can access without judgement.  We can dive deeper into our psyche and it holds our memories in spaces that allow us to access when we are ready.  Diving below the surface of our lives allows us to gain insight.

Many newbie spiritual practitioners always ask me how to hone their psychic skills… Journal your spiritual experiences    Too often we have profound moments and we forget to capture them.  When we take the time to journal the experience we can go back to it, learn from it, and evolve it.  Write down the readings that you are doing for yourself, write down the insights gained in that meditation you just completed, and capture inspirations as they occur to you through the day.  Magickal practitioners often create a “Book of Shadows” to capture their spellwork, lessons, and thing relating to their spiritual path work.   Many in the new age community could really learn from this.  I would encourage everyone to keep an ongoing psychic journal, dream journal and life experience journal.  Do a google search for “keeping a book of shadows“, and read up.. add what works, leave what doesn’t.

There are a lot of people who prefer to use electronic journal (online, voice recorder, laptop, etc), but I prefer good ol’ pen and paper.  There is something about putting pen to paper.  It slows us down, it allows us to be a bit more tangible with our journaling.  I also carry a smaller journal in my back pocket for those on the go inspirations that tend to grab me in my randomness.

If you have not started a journal, I would encourage you to start today.  Allow it to be a traveling companion, take it through your day.  Walk with it.  Capture whatever inspires you.

You are Loved.  You are Beautiful.  You are Divine.

Michael Brazell

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.yogawitch.com

www.facebook.com/yogawitch

Birthing the New Era & Messages for 2013

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We all survived 2012.   The new era is upon us.   There are many that are happy that 2012 did not bring with it certain doom, but for many 2012 did bring much upheaval.  Some are still sorting through the pieces.  Some are finally taking a breath and giving thanks that it is over.

 

 

 The end is only just the beginning.

EarthMother-birth-Goddess-fochtman-KubbyI really hate to be that guy that comes in and bursts the bubble, but we need to be real about what this new age is bringing us.   We are not just going to hop into a beautiful new experience of love and light.  There will be light, but there is also darkness.  We are still in the womb.  The birthing process is beginning.   Rarely do children just pop out of the womb.  The birthing process is difficult.  It can take a long time.  There is blood.  Screaming.  Breathing.  Tearing.  Stress… and it all leads up to the most beautiful of all creations.

We should look at 2012 as our labor phase.  The weather, the earth, the elements are all still cleansing us. I think we have forgotten who is really in charge and mother Gaia is reminding us that it is by her will that we are allowed to be present in the delivery room.  I agree that we will meet lots of love in the process, but we have to also remember that we have to stay strong in our processes.

We just recently had our New Years eve psychic fair at the shop.  The readings at this psychic fair give me a gauge for what the year will hold for many of us.  January and February are going to be months of reprieve from the chaotic energy of 2012.  Things are going to feel “easy”.  It will be easier to move energy, things will feel lighter, and we may feel this sense of spiritual euphoria.  The lesson here is:  DO NOT BECOME COMPLACENT.  We are being given a chance to rest, to get our bearings, and to decided what we truly want from this experience.   What are you birthing in this coming year?   What are you hoping to create?  Do not abandon your spiritual processes, do not become lazy with your yoga, meditation, studying, connecting and prayer work.   This is the trap when things feel overly aligned.   Then when the energy picks up again in March/April you’ll be behind the ball instead of in the flow.

Up your protection.  Start a daily protection ritual.  This can be simply adding prayer work to your day, smudging, incensing, or whatever you feel amplifies your auric space.

This is the year of Embodied Spirituality.  The 4th and 5th dimensional energies are merging with the 3rd dimensional space (the dense space we call home).  Manifesting will happen faster than ever, but we must do it from the lower soul.  Trying to jump up and out of the body will make you feel disconnected.   A lot of new age spirituality has been about getting us “out of the body”.  Do not forget that no matter how high you soar in the astral realms, the physical body is where life is lived from.  All that you see in those realms can be beautiful, but what is it serving you here.  What are you creating.  Do not use ascension to escape.  Ascend into your experience by dropping down into your wild animal soul.  Connect to your body, your sex, your primal nature.  Our bodies hold the memories of all that we are, have been and will become.  Do not forget her in the process of trying to align.  When we forget to include the lower self we are only getting a portion of the information that we need in order to use discernment.  We will only be manifesting through the egoic space and not through the space of full alignment.

We are preparing for the new age.  We are driving forward in our experience, and creating waves of love, light, darkness, and connection.  Where are you being called?   What do you need in this time of transition?

Be safe, keep working, and do not forget….

You are Loved.  You are Beautiful.  You are Divine!

Namaste

Michael A Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.facebook.com/yogawitch

www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell

www.yogawitch.com

Embracing the New Year: Gratitude and Possibility

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gratitudeSo, it seems we made it through the Mayan prophesy, and we are moving towards year that is filled with possibility.   This past year has not been easy for many.  2012 was an energy that really shook many of us up, and for better or worse we are here.  We are entering a time where possibility is unlimited, but we have to begin focusing on what is important–what is it that you truly want from the experience and what are you willing to create?

As we move into this new year it is important to not set resolutions but to set intentions.

I did feel the rocking that this year gave.   Things came into fruition that I never thought would be possible, and things also have started to fall away.  The ending of this year for me was filled with accomplishment and alignment.  New beginnings are a daily thing, and each day brings new breath.

I have a lot that I want to do this coming year, and finishing up my writing projects is going to be a big priority.  I am also evolving not only my client practice, but my personal practice.   Stagnation is not something that needs to be embraced this year, and holding oneself back from a fully embodied spiritual practice is not something we are going to be allowed to do.

This is the year of the embodied warrior.  The spirit of movement, flow, transition and owning our many parts.   The shadow elements will still be there, but it is important to recognize that they are there to help nudge us along on our journey to self discovery.   Breaking free of expectations and letting your life unfold as you want it to.

What are you holding yourself back from completing, accomplishing, or doing?   Where is your resistance, invite to the table… work through it.

My commitment to this year is going to be to get his blog up and active in a new way.   I want to take my personal writing to new heights.  I was able to finish a manuscript for the Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge and now have to edit and organize it.  I am also working on a new book on Yogic Witchcraft, and have a new blog  www.yogawitch.com and a wonderful radio show on blogtalk that is really picking up steam (www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell).

I am also taking my personal practice to a new level and am claiming my many parts.  I am a student of BlackHeart Feri and recently had the opportunity to ground new energy at the Between the Worlds conference.  I am excited to begin this new path of study, and it has already had a profound effect on my life.

Yoga is going to be taking a forefront in my journey this year.  I am deepening my personal practice but am also going to be offering new classes, workshops, and events geared towards helping others tap into their unlimited potential through yoga, ecstatic practice, and magick.  Stay tuned!

My partner David and I have done a lot of joint projects this past year, and I am thankful that I have had such a wonderful partner standing beside me through the ups and downs of the spiritual journey.  Living a spiritual life is not often an easy one, but having someone who you can share this life with is an absolute gift.  He has inspired me to finish my book this coming year and submit it to publishing.  He has also inspired me through his tireless work with community to deepen my roots here in the area.  I am working on creating and re-launching several of my meetups so that we can create the sacred space needed for touching the sphere of possibility in 2013.

There are lots of things that I neglected in 2012, and some things that I did not complete, that I will take into 2013 with renewed energy.

I thank all of my teachers, my friends, my clients, my students, my colleagues, spirit, and I thank the breath for keeping me moving–even when it seemed like giving up would have been an easier option.

Be ready to see new stuff!

What is in your sphere of possibility this coming year?  What are you leaving behind in 2012, what are you carrying forward?   What are you most grateful for?

“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.”- Golda Meir

You are Loved.  You are Beautiful. You are Divine!

Namaste!

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com 

www.yogawitch.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell

Seance: How to Safely Reach Through the Veil

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Halloween tends to be a time that brings an allure to what lies just out of the normal scope of reason.  The veil between worlds is said to be at its thinnest, and for many the desire to reach through is enhanced.

A seance is one method that people use to collectively reach through to connect to those on “the other side”.  There are a variety of books that give process and detail the “how-to” for spirit connect, but I am going to share my personal process for connecting and doing it safely.

Anytime we open up to spirit we want to enter this space through protection.  Spiritual protection can simply be reciting a prayer before starting, smudging the space and self, or creating boundaries with stone (onyx, black tourmaline, or hematite).  Entering in through protection allows us remove fear from the process, it allows us to engage the connection through a place of love and openness.  If you are doing this in a group setting it is important to be sure that everyone is engaging in the protection for the event.  Creating a group dynamic of protection keeps the intent set for love and a positive connection on all sides of the veil.

After you engage in opening up to your protective work, you’ll want to set up sacred space and set and intent for the connection.  A lot of people assume that seances are solely used for contacting those that have crossed over.  You can open up to the energy of guides, angels, guardians, or your higher self.  Set the intention for the event.  Set the desire to open up to those external energies and then allow that intention to drive the event’s energy forward.  If there are loved ones that you wish to connect to set the intention to allow their energy to come through.  One way to do this is to have an object of theirs, a photograph, or their name on a piece of paper.  Focus tools allow you to deepen the connection of the experience and to call their energy in directly.  You can sit in a circle, or just create a relaxed environment that everyone feels comfortable in.

Once you begin the session, trust is the next stage you have to enter.  We have to trust that when we engage the process, that we are allowing this flow of information, energy and love to occur between our dimension and theirs.  Some people use spirit boards, automatic writing, pendulums, tarot cards, or just opening up your natural senses to the space.

A lot of people assume that they will get profound messages, but you have to be open to sounds, smells, sensations as well as anything vocal that might occur during the session.  Be sure to keep notes of what you are feeling, thinking, seeing.  Sometimes the message is in the process of opening up, inviting in our loved ones, and sharing in the energy of the moment.

We often forget about those connections until holidays  or other events connected to the passing.  They are with us when we need them, just a heart beat away.

To close the session, thank those that have stepped through.  Thank the energy, the divine, and sit in the energy of the experience.

Also remember you don’t have to wait until Oct 31st to connect, and you don’t need a medium to reach through.  We all have the power of connection, and everyday is sacred.

Love and Light

Michael A. Brazell

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell

 

Intentional Breathing: Creating Sacred Space

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According to a world population data 108 people die every minute.  We never know when we will say our final prayer, that deep exhale.  These numbers also remind me of how often so many of us take for granted the fact that we are breathing.  When life gets chaotic we hold or breath.  We forget that it is the breath that helps things to move.  We have to remember to breathe.

Intentional breathing helps us to make each breath count.  To go into a place of purpose with each inhalation and each exhalation.  When we connect into this space of intention we invite spirit into that moment with us.  We “bring in” something that we might be missing, and create space for clarity, connection, and movement.

So, here is an easy process that will help you to start a process of intentional breathing:

1)  Pick a word, a concept, or something positive that you want to bring into your experience. (love, hope, peace, joy, connection, compassion)

2)  Bring that word into your mind’s eye.  Focus on it, begin to feel it move through you.

3) Take a deep in-breath.  Breathe that word into every fabric of your being.

4) Exhale and create space for the next breath, create space for the intention to become reality.

5) Keep this process going.  The pause throughout the day and re-connect into this space of intention.

 

Where do you hold your breath?   When do you feel that you need movement?  What do you feel you need in your experience that you are lacking?

 

Mahayogi Das

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell

 

 

Soul Interaction Discussion Question

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How do you define the soul?  Is it definable?  If your intuition is divine guidance, where is it tapping into?  What is your wellspring of divinity?

 

Each week I’ll be posing questions to take us deeper.  Feel free to answer below, write them in your journal, use them as prompts for discussions in your spiritual groups, etc.  This is a great year for a bit of introspection.

Love and Light

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT