What is the ego?

I’ve been mentioning the ego so much in my other posts that I thought I should speak a few words about what it actually is! This is what it means to ME, as in the lens in which I see this term through. Interpret how you will, it’s all up to you after all!! This is where true freedom lies.

So…the EGO. We all have one; yes even gurus and enlightened ones too. It’s about first recognizing that you have one and then going from there. The ego is that voice in your head. You know what one that is ALWAYS talking? Literally always, it never shuts up! Commenting about everything, making judgements about people, things, feelings, experiences. It labels, constructs, tells stories, and creates illusions within the mind that don’t actually exist.

The ego tries to protect itself, tries to have control, it really LOVES control. Over situations, others, the way we perceive certain situations, the way we act. Everything. It does this because it wants more, it always wants and wants and wants and is never satisfied. This is why a lot of us never feel happy when we are searching for things that are outside of ourselves. For when we are searching out, it is almost always the ego calling the shots, the ego at the wheel. And sometimes if you let it, it will drive you to some crazy and dark places. Ever wonder why you freak out over something so small? Why you let “the little things get to you?” Why something about someone else makes you upset? This is all ego.

The ego lives on fear, feeds on fear. This is also why a lot of the things we don’t like about others is actually the things we dislike about ourselves. You can’t dislike something about someone unless you dislike it about yourself. This scares us. It scares us because it sheds a light on the things that we try to hide. But its important to shine this light and not turn away; face these fears and not listen to that voice inside your head. Acknowledge it and then let it go. Let it flow through you like the wind. We are all energy and energy is meant to flow, not remain stuck and stagnant within. So breathe and let it go.

After you recognize this voice inside your head. Begin to notice. What is it saying to you? What kind of language is it using? What is it’s tone like? How does it make you feel? Stressed, anxious, joyful, sad? When you experience these emotions what does this voice do with them? Does it want you to suppress them or to let them out? Whatever you notice happening within, always ask yourself why? Why am I feeling this way? Where is this feeling coming from? Why is it coming from there? Just contemplate and notice. Try to do this without judging yourself.

Perhaps begin to notice the stories you tell yourself. This is a big one! Are they true for you at this time in your existence? Why do you believe them? What do you believe about these stories? If they don’t resonate with you, you can always stop and re-write. AT ANY TIME! You can be who you want in each minute of each day. If you don’t like who you are, what you’re doing, then change the story of yourself. When you do this, you will begin to see your outside world changing as well.

Being present is another way to help calm the waves the ego makes in your mind. There is a saying I like to use, “where awareness goes energy flows”. So, what you are really concentrating on is where most of your effort and energy will go. Make sure it is towards things that will help you to become the highest version of yourself you want to be/already are. The ego really likes to take stories and spin them out of control, adding on layer and layers to these stories that are not true. Notice this and just let it go. As you move through your day, try focusing your awareness on one thing at a time. If your mind wanders (and it will) simply bring it back to what you were doing. Eventually the voice will start to quiet bit by bit, and soon you won’t notice it as much. You may find yourself able to think before you act, stay calmer in situations where you once would’ve lost control, and experience more inner peace instead of living in fear and negative emotions.

The ego will try to hold on. It doesn’t want to let go of its control and its power. It lives in fear, so it will do everything it can to keep it, laying traps for us to get stuck in. This is ok! It’s good to remember we are all on a journey of self-discovery. There is no time-clock. We have infinite amounts of time. Hell, it doesn’t even exist! Just another creation of the mind. So don’t worry, its all a process and know that it will take time and just breathe, relax, and always remember not to be so hard on yourself.

At the end of the day, your thoughts are not you. Just another aspect of the mind. You don’t have to listen to that voice inside your head. You have the ability to tell it no, to simply let your thoughts drift in and out and not allow them to attach themselves to your inner world. For you are the ruler of your inner world, not the slave of your mind.

I hope this helps shed a bit more light on the ego, consciousness, inner world, etc. Ego is one that will come up a lot on this site so if you have any questions or comments feel free to comment or message me!

Peace,

Rylee

Naked yoga/body love & positivity:

Bodies. There is so much that surrounds them. Whether this be the way we feel about them, the way our society feels about them, and the way they feel themselves. Our bodies are pretty amazing, and they happen to know a great deal about themselves and what they need to remain healthy. However their messages sometimes get lost when they try to tell us what they actually need to keep themselves healthy and allow us to live our everyday lives without pain, fatigue, blockages, etc.

My friend and roommate (I live in a community currently) Tori and I decided to teach our first naked yoga class this past week. I had the idea while on a walk. I thought to myself, “why are there no naked yoga classes offered anywhere?” I for one find clothing more of an obstruction to living freely and try to be without it whenever I get the chance…thank goodness for nude beaches!! To me, I can move my limbs more freely and really connect with mother earth and the energies she gives. Instead of trying to fix my top, or worrying about how I might look in shorts, my mind becomes quieter as I move with the rhythm of my heart and feel the wind on my bare skin, it brings me back to my roots.

But this is not the case for everyone, and I am only one perspective in a sea of many. Society sexualizes our bodies, making them mere objects to sell more material goods. As children we are constantly bombarded with half naked images of those who meet a certain criteria of how a body should look. We see these everywhere: TV, smartphones, the internet, on billboards…there is no end!

Yet, no one actually talks about bodies! This topic is pushed aside, and we are made to believe that we should hide them, overwork them, and undernourish them. This is very confusing for people which is why some experience hyper-sexual tendencies or the opposite hypo-sexuality. We are all constantly criticized and shamed; sometimes by those closest to us such as family, friends, and coworkers. This has got to stop! Criticizing ourselves not only leads to problems for us but those around us. When we put ourselves down, others see the “flaws” we see in ourselves and thus begin to see “flaws” within themselves. It’s a never-ending chain of negative energies that our bodies take in everyday. And our bodies are literally all energy! They can feel the stress we put on them, and they definitely feel the anxiety most of us feel when thinking about how we may look with or without clothes.

Our bodies are our temples! They are the only true home we have on this earth. They may be temporary, but what we do with them and how we treat them can greatly effect the outcome and quality of life we are living.

Both women AND men are constantly body-shamed. No one is left out of this. Unless one looks a certain way or THE ONLY WAY in society standards (which is highly unachievable for most) we are doing something wrong. We’re called lazy, overweight, fat, underweight, malnourished etc. Everyone is labeled “too this or too that”. But never enough as is. We always say to ourselves, “I’ll be happy once i’m a size blank” or “once I lose ten pounds I can finally do blank”. This is an illusion. We can do and be everything we want at anytime. We also don’t need to hide or be ashamed or who we are on the inside and the outside! All bodies are beautiful. Read it again: ALL BODIES ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Now read this: I am beautiful and worthy of love just as I am.

Now read it again! And as many times as you have to.

Practice self love. You are the only one that can truly give you the love you so crave and deserve. The only one. Once you give yourself this love and stop showering yourself with negative thoughts and hurtful words you may begin to see the beauty within and all around was there the whole time.

I encourage you to step into this fear you have of your body, perhaps the shame you may feel around this topic. I encourage you to just study this, without judgment. Notice perhaps where this shame, guilt, and fear might be stemming from. Then forgive yourself. Then remind yourself that the only thing that matters is how you feel about yourself. THE ONLY THING. Don’t let society tell you how to look, don’t let society tell you how to dress, what to wear, what not to wear. Life is to short for all that nonsense. Don’t let society tell you what to eat, how to eat, when to eat, what to eat. LET YOUR BODY TELL YOU. It truly does know exactly what it needs! Just listen to it. Wear clothes, don’t wear clothes, eat that, don’t eat that. Whatever feels right within, your soul always knows what is best for you at all times. Simply listen to your heart and find peace within this beautiful body that you are blessed with.

This is a heavy one. I appreciate you all for being open to me sharing my view on this. I am grateful for my body and this life for giving me the chance to live out my soul’s purpose everyday. Feel free to comment, share, and message me if you want to chat more about this topic.

I also included a picture of us after our class. We were sweaty and happy and free and full of love for all the beautiful souls that opened their hearts to our teachings and their vulnerability. For the more comfortable we become in the uncomfortable the more we grow. One day I hope I won’t have to block my nipple out of photos and people will simply accept my body for what it is, a body. I love and respect it and don’t like to hide any part of what gives me strength.

Mahalo,

Rylee

Guides/teachers/gurus/ (Do we need them like we think we do?)

Here’s a little video I recorded about guides, teachers, and gurus. In my opinion, everything you are searching for on the outside you already have on the inside! It is all there, it’s simply taking the time to look within and do the work of discovering your true self, the one that has always been there. The one that knows all! You are your own teacher. No one knows you better than yourself.

Of course teachers and gurus are important too, and they can give us the tools we need to get on the path and dig. But its up to us to do the work and dig deep into ourselves! Into all those layers we are afraid of. Dive into this fear and you will realize there is another world within. I hope you guys like this one, feel free to leave a comment or message me!

I will probably write a longer post about this topic later on sometime! Peace and blessings homies.

Rylee

Thanksgiving:

Today I’ll chat a bit about my relationship with Thanksgiving. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with holidays in general. To me they feel more like another marketing scheme, they seems to always be surrounded by a lot of stress and heavy emotions. But, as I’ve said before, there is always the good with the bad and the bad with the good. Throughout the years, my perception of this holiday has changed as I learn and grow on this journey.

I always felt a bit disconnected to my family growing up. Like the black sheep. I couldn’t understand how I was lumped in with others that were so different than I was. But…I have discovered that my family is one of my greatest teachers/lessons in this lifetime. I am very grateful to have had all of my experiences (up and downs) with them. I believe it has helped me come into my power and also to be open to others that have different outlooks and perceptions of their reality. Because lets face it…we are ALL different! Different and unique, beautiful and wonderful. We are all different but yet ALL connected. A very important thing to remember.

When we place judgements on others (such as if a family member is eating meat, saying something we might disagree with, etc) we are no better than them at all. We are coming from a place of ego where we think we are better or more evolved because we are a “different way” than someone else. But NO ONE is better than anyone else. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, how much money you make. At the end of the day a wave rises only to come back down to the calm sea it first arose from. We are all the flat sea, we are all water. Literally, we are almost all water.

So taking this lesson, we can look at our relatives or friends or whomever perhaps through a different lens. Perhaps with one of understanding, and one which we can hold space for one another without judgment. Allowing others to fully be their authentic selves without fear of ridicule is the best gift we can give another! Just to be ourselves, what a wonderful time it would be!

Practicing gratitude is also a big one. What are you really grateful for? What actually matters to you? Practice being aware and conscious this holiday season. What do you really need to make yourself happy? Do you feel like your giving more than you’re receiving or vice versa? Its important to take care of ourselves and our well-being, sometimes this can mean setting boundaries. Perhaps telling others “no”. Spending time alone to reflect and taking yourself out of toxic environments can be a challenging yet lifechanging-practice. It’s all about where you’re at in the journey, and what is best for you.

Remembering the origins of Thanksgiving. The relationship between the pilgrims and Native Americans. A lot of the time Native Americans and their traditions are left out of our history. But they ARE our history. The very foundation of it. We as a society can learn a great deal from their culture. For instance, they never took more than they needed. From the earth, from each other. They practiced gratitude and gave food to the sick, widowed, and children first before themselves. Honoring them and the real story of our country is something we can also think about.

Don’t be so hard on yourself if you eat too much, too little, how you look, what others say. You are exactly where you meant to be doing what you’re meant to do. Just be your authentic self and always spread light, kindness, and unity.

Peace,

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

Roots of my journey:

Why did I start this blog? How did this all come to be? I could go into divine timing, alignment, inner wisdom, listening to my highest self, shifts of consciousness, etc. All of that is true, and all of that is why I am writing this post at this exact moment in time. Because I feel it is part of my soul’s purpose, or dharma. We all have a soul, and each soul has a purpose. One specific thing that the soul is contracted to do in this lifetime is to fulfill their dharma. Though “purpose” is usually thought to be one specific thing, one’s dharma can be achieved through many different avenues in their lifetime. (I’ll get into that in another post).

My purpose for this blog is to inform, connect, and channel divine wisdom to the best of my abilities. I want to create something that others can perhaps take and apply into their own lives. If one thing resonates, cool. If nothing does, thats ok!! We all have free will to be whoever we want at any time. This is a place where we can all hold-space for each other while communicating our ideas, energies, and feelings. This is a place where in a world that seems like it is falling to pieces, we can all find unity and love within one another.

My purpose in this life is world-bridger. To bridge the gap between different beliefs, ideologies, stories, and realms that have limited us all from existing in harmony with ourselves and one another for far to long. I hope that this blog and everything within it inspires you to be who you were truly meant to be, who you really are.

And so it is.

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.