The power of vulnerability:

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a great 2020 so far! Today is aloha Friday and also a FULL MOON!! I don’t know too much about astrology, but I do know that full moons shed some light on our inner darkness, causing everything we have been trying to suppress (emotions, feelings, traumas) to come to the surface. This is why some people may feel a bit out of balance and perhaps like they are going a bit crazy! Don’t worry you are not, and honestly if you feel like you are-it is a good thing! Don’t fight it: the wild emotions, the feelings; they are all a part of what it means to be human. We can take a lesson from our beautiful friend the wind: simply let it flow through you: in and out of your limbs. The more we hold onto things, whether this be tangible or intangible, the more we remain stuck; in patterns, habits, thoughts. This can cause us to have illness within our physical bodies as well as in our mental spheres. So just breathe and let it go!

Now for my talking point this week: vulnerability! Full moons ask us to be vulnerable with ourselves and others. This time allows us to really look within and ask what we need to let go of. What is it that holds us back from becoming our best selves? Why are we so afraid to let ourselves be vulnerable? To let ourselves be open? Most of this stems from fear: fear of rejection, of being hurt, not loved, misunderstood, etc. To be vulnerable in our society is to be looked at as weak and emotional. We’re taught to be strong; to hold it all in, because no one wants to see the “ugly side” of things. But we as humans have more than one side, more than one emotion. One is not more beautiful than the other, that is what makes being a human so magnificent! Its that we get to experience all of the feelings, the whole spectrum of colorful emotions!! Without one you could not have the other, we would not be whole.

Yes being vulnerable can be fucking scary. It has been the hardest thing for me to overcome, and I honestly still have work to. But I am trying, and thats all that matters. By putting ourselves in the fire ( this is also tapas, one of the niyamas of yoga, more on that later), we can help to burn away anything we no longer want or need in our lives such as past traumas, habits, etc. Yes perhaps defending ourselves, keeping our emotions closed in was some survival skill we needed at one point in our lives. But its important to know when it is time to let go, to release and realize that maybe these learned habitual patterns are not what we actually need in the new.

Letting others see our vulnerabilities can also help them to become more comfortable with being vulnerable themselves. When others see us living authentically it gives them the opportunity to see us for who we truly are as well as see themselves and notice if they are truly living the life that they want to be living. When we let go of fear and the fake armor that we hide behind, we create deeper connection with ourselves as well as with those around us. We also feel more at peace within, and cultivate more self-love:) And we all know, the more love we have for ourselves, the more we have for pachamama, and all of her children!

So my challenge to you is to open up to yourself, perhaps become more introspective and ask yourself if you are holding anything back, if fear is driving your actions or the way you live your life. Find where this fear is and then go after it and dive right in, conquer it, and you will find that it wasn’t actually so scary at all, that maybe opening up and being vulnerable with yourself and others is exactly what you needed.

I realize I am posting this on Sunday and not aloha Friday, but life became busy when I was typing this up Friday night and I wanted to move with the flow not fight it, so I am posting it now when I have more time to edit and write! Feel free to comment or message, everyone have a great week!

Mahalo,

Rylee

What is consciousness?

Because the purpose of this blog is to discuss and inform on all things consciousness I thought I would discuss what this concept means to me. Again, as with anything on the website, you are welcome to take whatever you want from what is posted. We all experience our own realities, and thus form our own understandings and perceptions. What a beautiful thing this is!! Life would be pretty bland if we all thought/interpreted the world in the same way.

Consciousness to me means being/becoming aware. Aware of what? Aware of everything! The way the soles of my feet feel on the drenched grass after a fresh rain with soppy mud from Gaia. The way my thoughts form stories in my mind that make me believe certain things about myself are true (Most times they’re not). The way these thoughts form habits that in-turn effect the way I sometimes behave on the outside and feel on the inside. Realizing the fact that I am not my thoughts, that there is something else. Something that lives inside, behind the curtain of thoughts. Something that has always been present within me, I just never realized it until I became conscious, or awake. It’s simply understanding that I am not my emotions and thoughts, they are just apart of the human experience that I get to have on Earth at this time, how groovy! I am very grateful to get to experience the ups and downs.

Sometimes becoming aware or conscious of our world and the way it is can be a lot for me to take in, I’m sure others feel the same way; this is my experience. When I “awoke” I realized that we live in a very materialistic society that is run on nothing more than quick fixes (that I don’t actually think fix anything, at least not permanantly), greed (always wanting more, this is ego!! More on that later), and power. I noticed that some humans were working so hard, doing things they didn’t necessarily enjoy doing, simply to buy more, experience more, have more! I feel that this “more” situation is simply a hole we’re all trying to fill. This “more” problem has led to a lot sadness, death, destruction of human lives, cultures, ecosystems, etc. This was difficult for me to see at first, for I felt as though I had been blind my whole life to it all.

After some deep diving within through mediation, contemplation, and alone time (a lot in nature), I realized that there is a lot of good with the bad, there is also never just good and bad. To me it’s not one or the other, it’s a spectrum. That goes with anything: emotions, words, people, labels. Nothing is black and white, this has helped me understand A LOT about how I see things. I don’t believe there are bad or evil people. I do believe there are people that do bad things, getting swept up in their minds and illusions. The good thing is I do believe there is a shift within the world. People are “waking up” and understanding that maybe the way things are done is not the only way they should be done, perhaps there is a better way. There IS a better way.

This is what consciousness means to me. I could say a lot more, which I probably will in another post sometime. Another thing I have learned through becoming more conscious: there is always enough time!! Don’t worry about checking off all of these imaginary boxes on your to-do list of life. It will all happen when it is supposed to happen, don’t worry! Just flow don’t fight it. I know I’m not perfect, but I am me. The me I’m supposed to be, and honestly that is good enough, oh and I’m human right now. Pretty cool, so sometimes I make mistakes and am hangry and tired and that is alright too, it’s simply being aware of all of this and not letting it dictate your life.

Consciousness is cool! I would love to hear everyone’s own definitions/experiences! Feel free to share if you would like, or message me! I am grateful for the opportunity to share and have the ability to be writing this post right now.

Yes my nose is sunburnt and my face is sweaty because I live in the frickin jungle and I love it.

Peace,

Rylee

Podcasts I Love:

At the beginning of my spiritual journey I found myself listening to A LOT of podcasts that dove into the many realms of consciousness such as astrology, angels, the awakening process, meditation, yoga, mysticism, holistic health, etc. They really helped me on my path as they still do now.

When I first started the awakening process, the life I knew before suddenly felt very strange to me. It was almost as though I had been awakened from a dream. Thus, spiritual awakening! I didn’t know who to talk to about what I was feeling inside, what was happening to me, and what I should do about it. I thought I was legit going crazy, as do others whom I’ve talked to while on this path.

Listening to others through podcasts talk about their own experiences, how they dealt/deal with it, as well as well as how they incorporate it into their everyday lives helped me realize I wasn’t alone, wasn’t going crazy, and what to do about the path I was now traveling on. Here is a list of some of my favorite podcasts, if you have any you would like to share, please feel free to comment. Most can be found on iTunes and Spotify. Enjoy!!

  1. The Highest Self- Sahara Rose: Aryuveda, dharma, interviews, past lives, literally everything you need to dive into spirituality

  2. The Woke Mystix: Mysticism, astrology, intuition, self-care

  3. Sattva Himalayan Wisdom-Anand Mehrotra: Consciousness and inner wisdom

  4. Cosmic Body-Danielle Paige: She has a great awakening story & amazing astrologer

  5. Yogaland-Andrea Ferretti: This one dives deeper into yoga teaching and practices

  6. Unlocking Us-Brene Brown: Brene is a shame expert and if you haven’t watch her TedTalk, read or listened to one of her books I strongly encourage you to. She is awesome:)

  7. On Being- Krista Tippett:She interviews a variety of people on the big questions of meaning.

  8. Magic Lessons-Elizabeth Gilbert: She is author of Big Magic and Eat Pray Love. I’ve only just started listening to her podcast. So far I am learning a lot!

  9. Armchair Expert-Dax Shepard: I’ll admit I was hesitant about this one. My sister told me about it so I took a chance and I thoroughly enjoy it. Dax is very honest and real about big issues in his life and so are the guests on his show.

  10. Mysterious Universe-Aaron Wright and Benjamin Grundy: Just started listening to this podcast and I absolutely love it! Both Wright and Grundy have a lot of wit and humor as they talk about various topics such as shamanism, ancestral healing, lucid dreaming and more! Highly recommend.

  11. Storytelling Magic & Medicine-Shannon Kelly and Tara McDermott: I found this podcast recently, and boy do I love it! Kelly and McDermott bring in various women on the show who tell their stories. This podcast is full of wisdom and love.

  12. Radical Remembrance-Conversations on Being Human with Luna Love: I have been listening to this podcast a lot recently. All about women in leadership postistions. Navigating their own businesses and leading in a feminine way!

  13. Manifestation Babe-Sooooo good!! I seriously resonate with her so deeply. This podcast is all about how to manifest your dream life, challenge your beliefs, and live a life aligned with your highest and true self.

  14. The Life Coach School Podcast-This podcast has given me some serious wisdom on how to up-level my life, make changes that serve me, as well as tools to help my coaching clients. Highly recommend for anyone, but especially coaches.

  15. The HEAL podcast-A wonderful podcast for-you guessed it-all things healing. In this podcast we learn how we all have the ability to hear ourselves with our choices and mindsets. Anything on our healing journey is possible. Based off of the HEAL documentary on Gaia.

  16. The Sovereign Project-If you are interested in Human Design and astrology I recommend listening to this podcast by Heather Mann. She goes deep into the mechanics of evolutionary astrology, breaks down human design, and teaches us how we fit into the new paradigm.

Books!

I love reading. It is something I have always done as a child and will most likely do until the day I leave this body. Thankfully most of us humans have the tools to be able to read and write with our hands, eyes, and minds! I am grateful for all of these books for helping me dive deeper into my consciousness and the workings of my inner self.

I would like to add that knowledge can be power. But always use this power with good intentions. Sometimes I find myself reading just because I want more knowledge, which can be another ego trap. (I’ll get into that in another post). I always try to remind myself as to why I am reading what I’m reading, what do I feel about the content, and how can I implement it within my life if it resonates with me. Taking time to rest, reflect, and digest can do wonders for the soul.

Now then, here is a list I have cultivated. Feel free to add any more you feel align in the comments below! Most can probably be found on Amazon, or perhaps used bookstores (shopping local is a good idea).

  1. The Alchemist-Paulo Coelho: Purpose/Dharma/Personal Legend

  2. Siddhartha-Hermann Hesse: Enlightenment

  3. Mother Earth Spirituality-Ed McGaa: Native American Spirituality

  4. Rainbow Tribe-Ed McGaa: How non-natives can practice/incorporate Native American Spirituality

  5. Dancing the dream-Jamie Sams: Paths to the inner self, Native American Spirituality

  6. The Book of Awakening-Mark Nepo: Poetry and everyday examples and stories

  7. A New Earth- Eckhart Tolle: Becoming aware, calming the mind and emotions

  8. The Power of Now- Eckhart Tolle: Focusing awareness on present moments

  9. The Untethered Soul-Michael A. Singer: Releasing attachments

  10. How to Change Your Mind- Michael Pollan: History and uses of psychedelics

  11. The Way of Zen-Alan Watts: How to live according to the way of Zen perspectives

  12. The Wisdom of Insecurity-Alan Watts: One of my favorite books, I’ve read it many times, and learn something new every time.

  13. The Yamas & Niyamas-Deborah Adele- Goes through the first two limbs of yoga. Five ways to practice restraint, and five ways to embrace on and off the mat. Highly recommend, even if you don’t practice yoga!

  14. The Bhagavad Gita-This one has a lot to say about consciousness, the mind, and emotions, a lot of layers, a lot of profound wisdom.

  15. Healing Wise-Susun Weed-A different way of healing the body, mind, and spirit! Not necessarily western, not alternative, but a mix/third approach. I really enjoyed this one as well, especially as a woman who experiences monthly cycles.

  16. Ayurveda-Sahara Rose-Bringing the traditional ways of the sister science of yoga (Ayurveda) to the western audience in more simplistic terms. Great for anyone interested in healing themselves with Ayurvedic techniques.

  17. On the Road- Jack Kerouac-Isn’t considered as spiritual. But I really love this book and what it had to say about living life in the moment and enjoying the ride.

  18. Daring Greatly- Brene Brown-This book is what the title says. Let going of our fears that keep us from living a loving life with an open heart. Its all about daring greatly and diving into the uncomfortable by living a vulnerable life. I’ve read this book twice and will most likely read it many more times.

  19. The Four Agreements-Don Miguel Ruiz-Living your life by the four agreements as described by Ruiz: 1. Be impeccable with your word. 2. Don’t take anything personally. 3. Don’t make assumptions. 4. Always do your best.

  20. Break The Norms-Chandresh Bhardwaj- He talks about myths that are associated with spirituality/society and how we can break them as well as decide for ourselves what works best.

  21. Ishmael-Daniel Quinn-My bf really wanted me to read this and I am glad that I did. It is about a gorilla criticizing modern society and how it is harming us all.

  22. Awakening Intuition-Frances Vaughn-This is a good book if you want to become more acquainted with your intuition. Vaughn gives many different practices you can engage in and also talks about roadblocks on the road to intuition.

  23. Ecological Intelligence-Ian McCallum-Wonderful book about our connection to the natural world and what we can do to become more connected to ourselves, nature, as well as what we can do to help the environment. Also includes a lot of poetry, whoo!!

  24. You Are A Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life-Jen Sincero-A friend recommended this book to me (thanks Bri!!) and I think I read it in like two days. Life-Changing. If you are ready to leave your doubts and fears behind, to take control of your life, and make some much-needed changes, then pick this book up! It fucking rules.

  25. How To Do The Work: Dr. Nicole LaPera: Beautiful book written by psychologist Nicole LaPera. She takes a holistic approach to our healing and offers us things we can do along the way back to our journey of health and wholeness. It isn’t an easy journey but it is definitely worth it. Just like reading this book!

  26. Braiding Sweetgrass: Robin Wall Kimmerer: A very enlightening book on our lost connection to our plant siblings and how we can re-establish this connection through indigenous wisdom and spending time communing in the natural world. A truly beautiful story.

  27. If Women Rose Rooted: A life-changing journey to authenticity and belonging: Sharon Blackie: Wow. I think this is one of my absolute favorite books. Blackie talks about her own journey towards reclaiming her authentic self as a woman through myths and personal stories. Highly recommend.

  28. Walking Softly: Thomas D. Peacock: A story about the path of an Ojibwe man’s life to becoming an elder and what it means to be in alignment with ourselves and the world around us. I really loved this story.