Thursday January 4th

Almost as if it knows that I’m juggling massive stress, my internet is acting funky…sorry about the spotty posts.
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Let’s talk a little about the real reason I discuss racial issues.  Beside working to “clean out” my own emotional basement, a lot of this has to do with the nature of the little demons that hold us back: on the individual level it cripples relationships, keeps us from our dreams of success, damages our connection with our physical bodies.  Note that people generally blame their environment or upbringing for these troubles. And they are right—and they have to get over it if they are to live happy lives.

Note that on a social level, groups thrash around patting themselves on the back if they’ve done well, blaming others if they do poorly.  There is a flip-side to that one, though—note the recent comments by Conservative pundits that “The Democrats didn’t win—we beat ourselves.”  This is a line recognizable to anyone who ever played team sports, a coach stealing power from the other team’s efforts, shaming his players and trying to left-hand complement them at the same time.  Wow. As if the other team didn’t half-kill themselves with drills and practice into the small hours, and flay themselves on the field.  Or as if the Democrats didn’t pull out all the stops stirring up their base, and raising money.  You can ALWAYS take or deny credit or blame.  It’s a game, and people play it to what their ego considers the best advantage.

By looking at the different levels, moving back and forth between groups and individuals, seeing the excuses they use to disguise their greed, guilt, shame, or whatever—it is easier to understand the conversations in our own minds.
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I’ve thought that it might be possible to condense the basic requirements of forward motion in life to just three aspects: Breath, Heart, and balance. 
1)     If you work on the thread of breath connecting mind and body, using yoga, tai chi, FlowFitor some other body-mind discipline to raise and coordinate your energy, this is great.  Twenty minutes a day minimum, three times a week.
2)     If you will spend time meditating (say, Heartbeat med, working from there to the chakras as a visualization), it helps to clear out the emotional and spiritual garbage that is stirred up as the energy begins to “move.”  (These are metaphors, not literal statements of physics).  Again, twenty minutes three times a week minimum.
3)     Balance.  Remaining aware of your three major goals for the year, month, week, day. 

It seems to me that with these as a minimum, you can begin to collect methods of refinement and intensification.  Over time, you’ll find your own way…but never back off these minimums.  It is uncomfortable, and damn near everything in the world will conspire to stop you from maintaining such a simple program---excellent evidence that something important is happening here.