The Art of Being

Have you ever wondered why you fall out of that wonderful meditative state you wake up to so quickly?

For one thing, in a woman’s world everything that happens is perceived to be equally important. So, ‘the milk is finished’ is right up there with ‘I have to get this contract signed today’ and ‘I have to call my parents’ with ‘I need to prepare my presentation for next week’. It is an equasion:

Woman’s world: all = equaly important

So it is no wonder I find it hard to stay in that relaxed, meditative state I wake up with in the morning. As soon as I get up, everything I encounter on my way down to my special place in the garden associates with at least a dozen other things, and invites me to speak or express.

This ranges from the stairs need sweeping, the mail sorting and the desk clearing to the sun is calling me to meditate, and I’d like to go bike riding; yes, a shower would be nice, tea, breakfast now or later? A passing car sends a song floating through the air…hmm dancing perhaps?

...can I pass without being distracted...

Hard to handle?

Do you recognize this? It seems so easy to get lost, doesn’t it… How do we handle this?

Well, it is useless to try and silence the mind. And equally useless to work (even) hard(er) to fit it all in. I’ve tried that for years, it doesn’t work.

What then? I’ll tell you my answer: I practice the Art of Being. Since I have adopted this, my world has changed dramatically. It might work for you too!

Now, before you say: but I don’t have time for another practice! RELAX!

Practicing the Art of Being tranformed my world

The Art of Being is done in NET: No Extra Time because it only requires AWARENESS. It boils down to an ancient message that is still very true today:

be totally present to whatever it is that you are doing

whether you are sweeping the stairs, sorting the mail sorting, clearing the desk, greeting the sun, riding your bike, shower, have a cup of tea and breakfast or dance! It sounds simple and it is. Simple, but not easy.

It takes time to relearn

For years on end we have granted our minds the liberty to wander off into future and past. The ultimate lack of awareness is arriving somewhere and not knowing how you got there; your body has gone through all the motions, your mind has been all over the place.

...we have granted our minds the liberty to wander...

Practicing the Art of Being means you strive for the opposite: total awareness – of every details of what you are doing there and then. In doing so you will eXperience how your body moves, how you feel  and most important: what your intuition is telling you.

...be totally present to whatever you do...

Being natural

And this fits women so well! Why? Because 4 out of 6 characteristics of the feminine energy are triggered:

SURRENDERING fully to what you are doing,
TRUSTING that it is the right thing for now,
following SPONTANIOUS impulses, and
EXPERIENCING the MOMENT.

And just wait until you feel the FREEDOM of that!  When you practice the Art of Being, you can’t be distracted unless you let yourself drop out of awareness.

eXperiencing, by Diana

Below a review by Diana, who won a Tarot Reading during my time as a MoonScout (published with permission)

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eXperiencing

If you shared what “experiencing” meant to you, you could win one of three gifts:

1) a Silk-meditation, for which Cheta uses soft silk from India;

2) a Tarot reading, focussed on your own problem solving capacities, and

3) an emMatrix session, in which where you eXperience your own balance.

Well, she knew which of those she wanted, that Silk meditation, that sounded delicious, even if she had no idea what a Silk meditation would actually incorporate.

Definitely no Tarot reading

What she did know, was that she preferred to see any Tarot Reading stay as far away from her as possible! No, her latest interactions with Tarot didn’t bring back any fond memories. However, fate stepped in, and on her 50th birthday she received the “good” news from Cheta, I can congratulate you twice Diana, first on your birthday and you have won a free Tarot Reading!

Trusting and Letting Go

She had about two weeks time to get used to the idea, and to let-go of her previous eXperiences with Tarot. Meanwhile, she felt more and more at ease around Cheta – who moves through Tilburg in a intriguing way – a way trusted Tilburg inhabitants could easily envy (which is unnecessary) – and in the end she could surrender herself completely to whatever was to come!

The day has come

After a spontaneous and warm welcome Cheta almost imperceptibly and very subtly shuffles the small deck of Tarot cards. Whether there is a question alive in her? Well no, not specifically, years ago she was full of questions, now it has almost become silent! What has been occupying her mind was this idea whether in future she could provide some extra income for herself through organising walks to the nearby Abbey, de Koningshoeve, walks she enjoyed herself tremendously time and time again.

The first card that Cheta turns is as surprising as the rest of them; they shed light on her life story now and the possibilities in the foreseeable future.

Surprised, amazed and light-hearted about all that is revealed, she listens intensively, the clock strikes twelve as the last card is displayed, she listens, her eyes glued to the cards, she understands and embraces Life, hér life!

The usual path, yet different

Joyfully and full of energy she says goodbye to Cheta with a heartfelt hug, on arriving home she grabs her backpack, puts on her walking shoes and sets off to discover the world, it is just her “usual path”, but it feels different.

Today she notices doors…. So very many different and beautiful doors. Her camera is working overtime, a girl jumps out in front of her, they both startle, but not for long, what a beautiful door this is, the girl looks, walks next to her and agrees, gosh, yes, we actually really have beautiful doors!

At the end of the street a feisty lady of around eighty is just as surprised, and again she is not, they talk about the doors, and about life, they soon will cycle over to the Abbey together she promises, yes, that would be nice ….

And so it is and this is what will happen.

Thanks Cheta, for this very special Tarot Life Experience.

All the Love, all the best. Diana

My Silent Walk

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Cor Stehouwer, our guide, uses clear non-verbal communication to point out certain things to us: how wide the landscape is – listen to that woodpecker – smell the delicious air – try and taste this… Although I often walk in nature, his way of looking at it adds a different dimension. I am enjoying myself very much, feel happy and grateful.

The variety of landscape in this area called Kampina is huge; there are natural lakes, sand dunes, as well as a dark forest, a very old stream, and so on.

Trust and Surrender

Just how much my sensory perception has increased becomes clear when a distant humming sound appears. Agonizingly slowly is comes closer, yet the direction is untraceable. Anger rages through me. I let it be there. After a few moments is just disappears again. I follow the tiny plane above me with a smile. I do not have to get distracted, I can always choose how I react to something. Cor signals to take off my shoes and follow him. I hesitate. With my bare feet on the coarse grass, that takes some courage  hmmm… trust … surrender …

It turns out to be the best part of the hike.  Silently I stand up to my ankles in water. Here. NOW. We perform some Tai Chi movements, the energy rings in the air. Emotions come and go. In the distance a deer jumps out of the bushes. Wow ..

The world distorts

Deeply touched I walk on, slowly. It feels like my reality gets more and more distorted. I let myself fall behind to experience what is going on.

Slower, I want to move even slower…

When at the end of the walk Cor breaks the silence, it feels far too early. This evening could have lasted at least another three hours.

Nature’s Paint box

After saying our goodbyes we drive back to Tilburg. Mother Nature adds her comment to the eXperience by colouring the sky in the most beautiful shade of orange.

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY IN IMAGES

Altiplano

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An amazing trailer of an amazing movie, in which the lives of two women who literally are worlds apart, become connected through a chain of events. Even although they grow into warriors, the feminine energy remains. One to Watch!