BACK TO THE GARDEN

Yet another big stack of papers seems to have appeared on my desk while I was in Chicago this past week. As I walk into the office, it looks overwhelming, and my heart sinks a bit. Instead, of sinking further, I decide to go outside and meditate for a little while, and prepare in consciousness for the Day In The Garden event I'll be leading with my friend and long-time yoga instructor, Willie McDaniel, at his lovely Hill Country Sculpture and Meditation Garden this Saturday.

  

GETTING STARTED

     Upon finishing my meditation, I look around the yard and see a bumper crop of weeds growing in our herb garden and flowerbeds. Because of the lingering after effects of our car wreck, I haven't done much yard work since October, so the weeds have gotten a big head start on me. But, now that I am feeling better, part of me thinks I "should" tackle these weeds now, while another part knows that I don't want to "should on myself" anymore, the way I used to do. Besides, the beds are so overgrown that the task looks pretty daunting, so why not hire somebody else to do the work? Yet, I can't help remember how much I actually love weeding the garden, because the results are so useful, visible and satisfying.

 

FEELING SATISFIED

     Instead of letting the sheer volume of weeds feel overwhelming, I remember that it's really no big deal. The weeding doesn't have to get done all at once. Just a few minutes of work can make a significant difference. So I put on my gloves, grab the clippers and start. Fifteen minutes later, almost half of one bed has been cleared, and the wheelbarrow is overflowing with greenery for the compost heap. I'd like to do more, but there's no need to put too much stress on my body and risk yet another trip to the chiropractor. So, for now, that's enough.  

     Heading back into the office, I pledge to take the same approach to that pile of papers on my desk. No need to feel overwhelmed by it all; just deal with it one bit at a time. Work is not a battle to be won or lost; it's simply another invitation from Spirit to be present with whatever is in front of me. No more, no less.

     PS:  Please consider joining us in Kerrville for a day of meditation, movement and music in the Hill Country Sculpture and Meditation Garden, from 10am-3pm tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that you, too, will find some wonderful blessings and lessons -- as well a great chance to relax in nature! (For details, see below).

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.

FINDING ANOTHER WAY

Sometimes, when I've let myself get upset about the latest political conundrum, the current cultural clash and/or the horrific news, I find myself wanting to blame someone else for this mess. But then I remember that I am complicit, as most of us are, because I'm not doing much about it, as most of us aren't. We're following along with the flock, like sheep... So I wrote this song and made this video (with my dear friend, Linda Cuellar, doing almost all the work!) as a way of helping myself and others laugh at ourselves while simultaneously issuing a not so subtle call to action: let's fix this mess! Let's find another way to be!

FINDING EACH OTHER 

As a sacred activist, I do my best to keep my eyes and heart open to both the joys and sorrows of the world, and to take compassionate action when possible. While I certainly vote regularly and have political opinions, too, I aspire to move beyond the old, dysfunctional divisions of Us vs. Them, Democrat vs. Republican, liberal vs. conservative, and embrace a more global, universal perspective that honors our deep connection with the Earth and all beings who dwell here alongside me. Not just as a good idea, but as a way of living from the inside out:  walking softly on the Earth, interacting compassionately with others and listening for guidance along the way. I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm committed to the journey, and it's in this spirit that I offer this video. If you enjoy it, feel free to share it with others. In any case, thanks for reading and listening for a few minutes as we travel this path together.

WE THE SHEEPLE

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.

LIVING FROM THE INSIDE OUT

When faced with the choices and challenges of daily life, we tend to rely solely on our rational minds and readily observable facts to help make decisions, the way most of our cultural training has taught us to do. But I firmly believe that the heart of the spiritual growth process lies in a willingness to watch for clues coming from beyond the physical realm as well. 

 

TUNING IN

      When people ask me what the Celebration Circle is "about," I say that we are an interfaith community exploring a co-creative approach to spirituality and learning to live from the inside out.  For me, this means supporting ourselves and each other in listening for what some would call the still, small voice of God, or the quiet workings of Spirit. Others might prefer to think of it as being true to our Buddha nature, honoring the wisdom of the Tao, or tuning into our intuitive intelligence and paying attention to seeming "coincidences."

 

ARRIVING HERE

     After many years of studying and practicing this process myself, and observing many others as they do their "inner work", I'm convinced that it doesn't seem to matter all that much what you choose to call this guiding force - or how you come to encounter it.  Whether you arrive by way of a joyous, mystical insight or a painful near-death experience, by a guru's initiation, silent meditation, or an addict's desperation, what appears to matter most is a willingness to see beyond the physical plane, to listen with your heart, to attune your consciousness to a Higher Good, to something larger than your MonkeyMind, chattering all the time.

 

LEARNING TOGETHER

     Learning this process is relatively simple, but it's not easy. It takes time, energy and commitment to unlearn old habits and beliefs. To drop our resistance to "what is" and embrace new possibilities of what is to come. To let go of our old story of suffering and separation in order to write a new story of connection and conscious co-creation. That's why Celebration Circle is not in the business of offering any magic bullets, dogma or simple answers; life is already full of magic, messiness, miracles and madness to be reduced in that way. Instead, we're here to companion each other along the spiritual path, creating opportunities and sharing resources to expand our vision, experience our connection to The Whole and explore ways to live from the inside out.  I am very grateful for the opportunity to do this work and for your companionship in the process.

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.

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.