FLUSHING OUT YOUR SYSTEM

     In our household, we take water conservation pretty seriously: we have a xeriscape yard, use low-flow appliances, and recycle gray water to help water our trees, among other things. So, when I recently saw a vast stream of water gushing out of a fire hydrant and flowing down the street just around the corner from our house, I immediately pulled over, ready to call 311 and report this stunning waste.

 

SPOTTING THE PROBLEM

     But on closer inspection, there was already a San Antonio Water System (SAWS) employee on the scene, standing nearby in the shade of his truck, casually observing the cascade of water. When I got out of my car to engage him in conversation and find out why this was happening,  the man was polite, but unfazed as he reeled off an answer he'd clearly given many times before.  He was conducting a mandatory, annual SAWS maintenance procedure, because this fire hydrant hadn't been used in the past year. Therefore, he's required to flush hundreds of gallons of stagnant water out of this pipe, until the water runs clear enough to pass the water quality test he'll administer. Moreover, this was just one of several hydrants in our neighborhood that would be flushed that day. He was also quick to point out that failure to do this could easily allow stagnant water to wash back into the water system and cause a costly, wide-spread contamination of our entire municipal supply, which is exactly what had happened in Corpus Christi just a few months ago.

 

TAKING ACTION

     As I drove off, shaking my head in disbelief at the sight of this massive stream flowing out of the hydrant and into the gutter, it occurred to me that this seeming waste of precious water was an apt metaphor for the way we tend to accumulate stagnant energy inside ourselves. Whether it comes through stress, lack of exercise, poor diet or physical fatigue, if we don't take conscious action to address such stagnation, it can contaminate and/or diminish every aspect of our body, mind and spirit.  "Flushing it out" of our system doesn't have to be complicated, time-consuming or expensive, but it does require some degree of self-awareness, honesty and diligence. Whenever you notice yourself feeling sluggish or depleted, it can be helpful to look for those places in your life where the energy is stuck or stagnant, and then take action to release it. Addressing it can be as simple as taking some time off to be in nature, engaging in vigorous exercise, committing to a period of prayerful reflection or volunteering to be of service to others.

 

TRUSTING SPIRIT

     Now might be a particularly good time to do some kind of inner "Spring Cleaning" since it's the season for renewal and new life. But, whenever you do it, this process of flushing out the stagnation starts with an awareness of the blockages in your life, and a willingness to take action, remembering that you don't have to do it alone, knowing that the free flow of Spirit is always available to support you in the process. At least, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it...

With gratitude and blessings,

     Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.

TAKING AS SPRING BREAK

     Winter's clearly behind us here in South Texas, and spring is signaling her warm, vibrant energy of rebirth and renewal in many wondrous ways. The birds, bees, trees and breezes are all doing their best to get our attention by whispering:  "Hello, humans! Come join us outdoors - breathe, listen, watch! Remember, there's more to the world than what you can see from your window, your car, your computer screen. Come outside and touch, smell, feel some of that delicious, nutritious more-ness..."

 

STANDING STILL

     Having heard this invitation myself, I'm taking the liberty of extending it to you. Won't you take some time today, tomorrow or sometime sooner than later to go outside and let the waves of spring energy wash through you for a few minutes or more? Gardening or hiking or biking or simply standing still in a space that allows the Sacred to brush your face, soften your heart, and remind you of your amazing, grace-filled place in the great circle of life. 

     Perhaps you can join me and my musical friends this Saturday night in the Cave Without a Name for our annual Spring Equinox concert, for what's sure to be a rousing experience as we focus on this energy of spring from deep within Mother Earth together. Or maybe you can come outside and spend a Day in the Garden near Kerrville with us next month or our weekend-long Spring Retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels (details for both events listed below).

 

LISTENING DEEPLY

     But hopefully, you won't have to wait that long to find yourself outdoors, drinking in the beauty surrounding you, hearing the lyrical song of rebirth and renewal being sung by all of nature. Wherever you go - whether it's in the courtyard of your apartment complex, the parking lot at work, a city park in your neighborhood, or just outside your back door - every blade of grass, every bird, every tree is buzzing with new life and inviting you to re-connect with that same vibration inside of you. Why not?  At least, that's my invitation... and I'm sticking to it.

With joy,

     Rudi

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.

TAKING A BREATHER

     In my softer moments, the sight makes my gut flutter and eyes water; in a more cynical mood, I might mutter something about having seen yet another "raccoon pancake" on South Presa Street, around the corner from our house. That may seem a little harsh, but unfortunately, wild animal "roadkill" is a seemingly unavoidable, fact of life in my neighborhood, where Presa is a major artery that runs parallel to the San Antonio River for several miles of relatively undeveloped greenbelt, which houses a lot of wildlife. Technically, the speed limit is 40 miles per hour, but cars regularly travel much faster along this stretch of the road, especially on late weekend nights, when the hot-rodders spillover from the Southwest Military Drive drag strip.

TAKING IT IN

     Over the course of the past few years of Mondays, I've seen many a dead hawk, owl, rabbit, squirrel, possum, fox and coyote lying on the road. Each species evolved with a particular set of skills to survive in nature; each being strong, fast and especially adapted to thrive in its own way - but none can outrun a ton of steel on wheels, hurtling down the road at those speeds.

It was during one of those tender-bellied Monday morning moments not that long ago that I suddenly saw that these animals aren't the only victims of our fast-paced culture. That, like a number of people, I was feeling flattened by the speed and intensity of a life spent juggling career, family, music, driving, yard work and housekeeping, while simultaneously trying to keep up with a seemingly non-stop flow of calls, texts and information streaming in from those ever-present smart-devices.

 

TURNING IT AROUND

     These days, whenever I find myself feeling deflated in that way, I choose to remember that it's only because I've allowed the free flow of Co-creative Spirit to get blocked. And that I can change that state, both physically and metaphysically, just by taking a few simple actions:

     1. Get up and stretch; move across the room a few times; or better yet, head outside for a minute or two of stretching or movement.

     2. Drink 2-6 ounces of room temperature, filtered water; try to sip and savor, rather than gulping it down.

     3. Focus on the breath for a minute or two. A few rounds of yogic "Breath of Fire" or alternate nostril breathing is great; but so is the simple act of watching the inhale-turn-to-exhale-turn-to-inhale cycle for a few times.  Either way, finish by taking an extra deep breath or two, and imagine using the exhale to inflate a big, brightly colored, blow-up beach ball.  Then imagine that ball is my Higher Self, pulsating with energy and breath; feel that pulsating in my physical self: chest, abdomen, groin, hips, feet, up and up thru the legs, spine, neck and scalp.

     4. Hold hands/arms out in a position that communicates a willingness/desire to receive more Love, ease and abundance right now. And then simmer for another minute or two in a deep-seated willingness to receive it, bless it, send it out into the world - and then receive it once again, in a ceaseless flow.

     5. Go back to the task at hand, feeling fully inflated, tested and rested, and ready for whatever comes next. 

TURNING IT OVER

     Having practiced this process for awhile, I can follow this whole progression in less time than it might take to drive through at a fast food restaurant and gulp down a greasy take out lunch. And my soul feels much better fed! You see...the choice is mine (and yours) to make. But really... why not choose love, ease and abundance?

With gratitude and blessings,

     Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.

EYES WIDE OPEN

     A few weeks ago, I was blessed with the rare opportunity to see a bald eagle soaring just a few yards over my head, while standing at the end of our street, overlooking the San Antonio River. What a truly majestic sight! It circled overhead once, with just a few flaps of its giant wingspan, before flying two hundred yards upstream, where it lingered for several minutes longer, apparently searching for fish, then flew out of view

 

UP IN THE AIR

     It was a rare, and all-too brief sighting, because our national bird is seldom seen in this part of Texas. Later that day, this particular bird was officially identified by local wildlife experts as being a young male bald eagle, who speculated that it might be searching for a new nesting site. This caused quite a stir and was featured on a local TV newscast that evening, as well as in the San Antonio newspaper for the next few days.

MORE THAN BEFORE

     I haven't seen the eagle since, although that's not because I haven't tried. I'd never been much of a bird watcher before, but every day since then I've scanned the skies whenever I step outdoors, hoping to see it again. For the first two days, each time I saw a large bird flying overhead my pulse leapt, hoping it was the eagle, only to find myself disappointed that it was "only" a red-tailed hawk, cattle egret or white heron. But, on that second day, in the middle of experiencing that same disappointment when what I hoped was the eagle was "only" an osprey, I found myself feeling embarrassed at my poor judgement.

 

LOOK AGAIN

     How in the world could I be so blind to the fact that seeing an osprey, too, is a blessing - as is the opportunity to see all of the birds surrounding us on any given day? Why limit the joy of looking skyward to another eagle sighting? Why not open my vision - and my heart - in amazement at the wide variety of birds in our area? In the past two weeks alone, I've seen blue jays, scissor-tailed swallows, kingfishers, purple martins, cardinals, woodpeckers, ravens, caracara, barred owls, plovers, killdeer, Egyptian geese... the list goes on and on.  Not to mention all the creatures that live on the ground around here!

 

     Whether I ever see that bald eagle again in our neighborhood or not, I am deeply grateful for yet another lesson in staying open and receptive to the opportunities for awe and wonder that surround us, wherever we are.

With gratitude and blessings,

     Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.

GOODBYE FOR NOW, HELLO FOREVER

gary s. whitford was one of a kind, signaled in part by the fact that he preferred to spell his name that way, without capital letters. He was a prolific writer, marketing guru, musician and cultural activist who used his gift for communicating extraordinary words to help foster the new story of peace, hope and possibility being born in the midst of our Dominator culture. When he passed away last week at age 66, the Celebration Circle and the wider community lost a rich, resonant voice.

GETTING IT STARTED 

     The Gary (which is how he liked to refer to himself, in third person) was one of the co-founders of the Celebration Circle, the one who talked Zet and I into convening a meeting in our living room with him and four other friends, where we decided to hold an alternative, lively Sunday morning gathering. And he's the one who appointed himself to write and print 100 copies of a flyer inviting folks to attend the first Sunday Circle on January 19,1992. This was before the days of desktop publishing, when it was still a complicated and expensive process to get a flyer printed, and Gary was the one who took care of that for us, printing all of our newsletters and announcements for the first several years of the Circle's life.

 

GETTING IT DONE

     It was he who wrote the initial draft of our Articles of Incorporation, and the one who figured out what to say on our application for non-profit status with the IRS. And when it was time for our first Circle website, it was The Gary who co-created the vision for it and wrote much of the copy that brought it to life. He wanted no part of religious dogma; he always sought to cultivate an on-going conversation about the daily struggles with faith that lie at the heart of an authentic, multi-dimensional spirituality grounded in everyday life.

 

GETTING BEYOND SADNESS

     In recent years, he went through a divorce and had health issues that caused him to pull back from public life quite a bit, but he remained a loyal friend and loving supporter. It was a shock to hear of his death, and part of me was certainly sad. But then, in going through his writings while preparing for his funeral, I found an email that he'd written shortly after his first heart attack several years ago, that began:

 

"I think it's very important to take the sadness away from death. I know we're gonna miss whomever, such a fine person to us, but we live and then we die. After death is mystery, so it's the life that counts. It's the orgasms...the laughter, the thrilling art, the lessons joyfully learned. It's the survival, not the tragedy. Make the most of life while whomever is alive and sing praise to that time when whomever passes. That is very important to me - they cried so much when Craig passed, they couldn't rocknroll. Make sure that doesn't happen when I go - I want a party - yeah, I know I won't know or care or be there, but dammit, they need to ROCK HARD. I have been incredibly lucky."

 

And finally, there's this reminder, taken from one of his many poems:

"I take this breath,

offered by the Eternal Good

that blesses all life.

I take this breath on purpose, with full consciousness.

With this breath, I reach for eternity.

I am Spirit being me."

Thanks for the Good Words and your boundless love, dear friend.

With gratitude and blessings,

Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.

ALL THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT

   I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had painting with the folks at Pinot's Palette during the Circle Celebration social last Tuesday night. It was a hoot! Zet was planning to attend, but she had another obligation, so I went in her place. I arrived feeling pretty skeptical, because I've never enjoyed painting very much; the few times I'd tried it, the brush always felt awkward in my hand. 

FEELING GREAT                                                                                                                                 

     But within minutes of walking into the studio, I got caught up in the joyous, exciting vibes of this group of Circle friends, all creating our own versions of the same image under the direction of the staff artist. There was a lot of banter and nervous giggling to accompany our creativity, but also lots of snacking and singing along to the up-tempo soundtrack of 80's pop hits booming in the background.

     Like I said, I wasn't expecting much in the way of results, so I had fun just goofing around, trying to follow the teacher's instructions while talking, singing and enjoying the company. But, much to my surprise, when we finished the process two brief hours later, I actually liked my piece. And when we assembled to compare and admire each other's handiwork, I was truly blown away by the beauty and diversity of the images we'd created, as demonstrated in the photo above.

LOOKING GOOD

     The thing is, we were all following exactly the same instructions from the teacher, and all given an identical 8" x 10" blank canvas and a palette pre-loaded with the same eight colors of acrylic paint. And while we all all ended up with the same image, each was also very different from the others, too: richly-detailed and highly-individualized expressions of creativity.

     What a splendid demonstration of divine paradox, containing both our unity and diversity, our all-One-ness and aloneness. It's one thing to know it intellectually; it's quite another to see such a vivid, physical and tangible illustration. Definitely one of the more fun-filled spiritual lessons I've received lately! Join us on Sunday morning and you'll have a chance to see them displayed on the altar.

With joy,

     Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.

INVITED TO THE FEAST

 There are a number of reasons why I'm really looking forward to our 26th Circle Birthday party this Sunday-- including the fact that we're still continuing to grow as a spiritual community 26 years later. And that we'll have a great big, tasty birthday cake! Also high up on the list is the delicious potluck lunch we're certain to enjoy immediately following our Morning Circle.

 

FED BY THE PROCESS

     There's always something magical about the wide variety of food that Circle folks bring to our communal feasts. Even without a signup sheet or advance planning, invariably there's a delightful balance between vegetarian and meat entrees, spicy and mild side dishes, vegetables and desserts. Some folks clearly spend a lot of time preparing their favorite, home-cooked specialty; others grab something from the deli section at Whole Foods, or perhaps some crackers and chips from the corner store. Each has their own style and preferences, but the wonderful thing is that when they all come together on the buffet table, everything always seems to work out perfectly, with a wide assortment of tasty foods that's more than enough for everyone present.

 

BLESSED BY THE GIFTS

     In many ways, this potluck process seems like an apt metaphor for our independent, interfaith Circle community, comprised of individuals from a wide variety of faith backgrounds, lifestyles and modes of expressing our inner selves. Many were raised with traditional Christian backgrounds and are now seeking to widen their understanding of other traditions; some have a personal meditation style arising from their interest in Buddhism or a yoga practice, but are wanting to ground themselves in a wider community. Some are seeking a deeper connection to the Earth; others are seeking transcendental experience; some are longing for a place where they can dance and celebrate their faith to the rhythms of live music, while others prefer to remain seated and simmer in stillness.

 

TOUCHED BY THE WHOLE

      But each time there is a Circle gathering and our sacred space is created, all of these individuals become part of the greater whole that is our Circle family - and all are miraculously fed by the process, each according to her own needs and his own understanding.

      I, for one, embrace all of it, and am deeply grateful for what you - like every other person involved - bring to the ever-evolving, ongoing feast that is the Celebration Circle. I really hope to see you at our Birthday Party this Sunday, or sometime soon, and send rich blessings to you on your unique spiritual path.

 

With joy,

Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.