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“This
rock’s vibrating with playfulness,” laughs Bob. “My stone,” Julia
bubbles, “is transmitting living with ease.” Trish shares that
her river rock is conveying freedom. Becky senses a connection
to all beings from her stone.
As each person correctly identifies the qualities their partner
had transmitted into the rock, I’m astounded. The experiment is working!
At the same time, my doubting mind chimes in, “This can’t be happening.
It’s impossible that every person is naming the exact vibrational
quality their partner put into the rock.”
So much
for the accuracy of my mind!
Vision Questing
Three
days earlier, 16 of us backpacked into a pristine canyon outside of the
mystical town of Sedona, Arizona. Another guide and I were leading the
group on a vision quest.
Traditionally, indigenous people embark on a vision quest to reconnect
to their spirit and intuition. Aborigines in Australia go on a vision
quest-like “walkabout” that can last a day, a week or years. Many modern
folks use the vision quest to receive clarity about their life purpose.
Others open to guidance concerning the next step on their life path.
Still others seek to break free of old habits and patterns that aren’t
bringing them true health and happiness. Like the native peoples, our
courageous group is tapping into the raw vitality of Nature for counsel
about moving through life’s challenges.
Beyond Chocolate Mousse
Some of the backpackers were on our Day Hikes Vision Quest the previous
year. On that quest we only stayed in the canyons during the day. At
night the gang enjoyed the culinary delights of gourmet restaurants and
slept in cushy motels. Not to be undone by three nights of “roughing
it,” the group carried into the canyon all the camping comforts and food
delicacies, including inflatable seats and dehydrated chocolate mousse!
Our congenial questers came prepared for almost any eventuality. But
they didn’t anticipate the knock-your-socks-off power of the “Talking
Rocks.” Neither did I.
Science Breaks New Ground
In
startling research, scientists report that they can put information into
rocks and later retrieve that same exact information from those rocks.
The scientists’ findings are easily conceivable. Many rocks consist of
compressed sand that contains silicon. And, silicon is the basic
material used in computer chips. Since we use computer chips to store
and transmit information that is downloaded into them, why not rocks?
I
was game to try my own experiment. Could one of the questers “download”
information into a rock and another retrieve that same information?
Opening to the Unexpected
For
three days this gregarious group had been having fun with a variety of
shamanic exercises. The purpose of each exploration is to give people a
direct personal experience of the magic they’ve been reading about much
of their lives: Nature’s power to enlighten. Recharging directly from
the earth’s energy. Connecting with True Essence. Guidance from the sun,
wind and water. Messages from plants and animals. Miraculous healings.
Timelessness. Intuition. Oneness.
Rock Your World!
The moment is ripe! These frisky folks are open to frolicking outside
the box of their limiting beliefs.
The experiment begins in the middle of a dry creek bed. Each person
selects a rock they feel an attraction to. Then people pair up.
Secretly, one partner decides on an energetic quality such as humor,
honesty, kindness, compassion, innocence, integrity or flexibility. Then
they vibrationally transmit that energy to the rock by deeply feeling
the attribute within themselves while they are holding the rock. After
the transmission, the person hands the “vibrationally charged” rock to
their partner. The partner shares what they sense from the rock. Then
the partners reverse roles.
To my delight and surprise, each person describes the exact quality
their partner “downloaded” into the rock—often in precisely the same
words their partner used! A total of sixteen people randomly chose
sixteen different qualities. Sixteen accurate descriptions!
Gateways to Self Discovery
On
other vision quests, people have discovered that rocks aren’t Nature’s
only gateway for revealing hidden abilities and new possibilities for
living richer lives. There are many portals that lead to a more exciting
human playground here on Planet Earth.
Spin a Different Web
Often the actions of insects or animals demonstrate how people can make
helpful changes in their lives. While observing a spider constructing
its web, 50-year-old Mike realizes that it isn’t too late to spin a new
web for his life. Mike sees that just as the spider re-weaves its web in
order to catch new nourishment for survival, Mike can
adjust—re-weave—the way he makes a living in order to catch new
spiritual nourishment and thus, enjoy his work more.
Shift Limiting Patterns
Objects found in the forest can be gateways to peace and freedom. Sally
shifts a life-long pattern of spending money on “things” she feels will
make her happy. She’s engaged in a vision quest exercise of gathering
items to create an artistic design. The exercise directs people to
return feathers, stones, leaves and twigs to the place they found them.
Sally describes the encounter leading to her breakthrough: “I stumble
upon a fascinating-looking piece of wood. In fact, the natural sculpture
is so breathtakingly beautiful that I begin imagining where the wood art
will look best in my home. I crave that piece of wood. My
emotions have taken over.
“To heck with the exercise! I find myself plotting how I’m going
to justify to the group that I’m keeping this extraordinary wood
sculpture rather than return the object to the forest. After a half-hour
of self-induced anguish, I clearly see how my emotional pattern has
formed an addiction. Throughout my life I find art, clothes, furniture,
knickknacks—any item that I just ‘have to have.’ After acquiring the
object, the thrill eventually fades, leaving me to crave another ‘fix.’
“Sitting quietly in the woods, a question bubbles up from my inner
guidance, ‘Will this enchanting piece of wood give me true happiness?’
I’m flooded with memories of my unsatiable hunger for ‘things’ to fill
up my life and make me happy.
“And then I have a revelation. These objects will never make me happy!
What I really crave is the experience of happiness itself—not the
objects that I think bring me the happiness!
“Realizing where my happiness truly comes from, I hit upon a new
strategy: I can connect directly with the ‘happy’ feeling I get when I
acquire something new and allow the feeling itself to shift my mood. I
don’t need objects to feel good. Anytime I want to feel better, I can
draw directly upon the uplifting peak experiences of my life—my
storehouse of good feelings. With this new approach to happiness, I’m
finally free from the drive, the push and the relentless compulsion to
buy ‘things’ to make me feel better.
“When I
leave my one-of-a-kind art treasure sitting in the forest, I also leave
behind my addiction to seeking happiness through collecting ‘stuff.’ I
discover a source of peace and joy inside myself that has previously
alluded me in my life.”
What’s Your Vision?
Throughout the history of humankind, Nature has inspired people to
unearth fresh options for living more prosperous lives. Canyons reveal
insights that guide folks to more satisfying careers. Forests stimulate
realizations that lead people to more joy. And Mother Nature provides
other assistance—like talking rocks—that reminds us of unlimited
possibilities! What gateways in Nature can you use to find the
fulfillment you want in life?
Throughout the history of humankind, Nature has inspired people to
unearth fresh options for living more prosperous lives. And Mother
Nature provides other assistance—like talking rocks—that reminds us of
unlimited possibilities!
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