Increase Your Mojo and Energize Your Life!

As many of us know, our mojo (male or female vitality or libido) declines as we age. This happens as result of a decline in sex hormones, because as we age these vital hormones become depleted.

But, they don’t have too!

If you’ve surfed the web long enough, then you are fully aware of the endless sites offering remedies for male enhancement. If you haven’t stumbled upon the sites themselves, perhaps they found their way to you via email; just check your bulk mail folder. These products don’t actually increase the size of the penis, at least not beyond its original dimensions; rather they increase the supply of vital hormones that give men an erection.

Every man remembers the time when having an erection was a problem: waking up in the middle of the night because of painful throbbing loins, or hiding that uncontrollable chubby in their pants during algebra class. Those were the days. Well, if you are approaching forty, then those days are far and few between. Why? Well, the wick in our candle has burnt down quite a bit as we approach middle age, no pun intended. I again am referring to our supply of vital hormones. There are many reasons for this depletion, some of which are stress, excessive loss of semen for males and poor lifestyle habits—females grow depleted from blood loss. Whatever the reason, low mojo affects every part of our lives. These sex hormones are not only vital for attaining a healthy sex life, but they are the foundation of sound health and vitally. Sex aside, this energy is the pep in our step, our get up and go. It’s the reason and force behind our creativity…get it, “for creation”—pro-creation. Our mojo is really the pro-creative energy in our lives. This power is vital for living a happy, healthy, abundant life.

Knowing its importance, herbalists of the Far East found particular herbal substances that enhanced the pro-creative force. They had the remedy long before Viagra. Since the feelings associated with sexuality are much more relaxed in Asia than here in the United States, people are comfortable discussing issues of impotence or declining sex drive. As a result, utilizing these mojo enhancing herbs as preventative maintenance became a part of their everyday lifestyle for both men and women.

Are you wondering, “What are these amazing substances?”

The substances that I am speaking of are known as tonic herbs or adaptogens. Adaptogens have the unique ability to normalize the body’s systems, meaning they neither over stimulate nor inhibit the body’s normal functions. They are always helping to bring the body into homeostasis. To summarize their core function, adaptogens restore the adrenals. Our adrenals are the body’s primary mechanism for responding to stress—whether it’s mental, emotional, physical, spiritual or environmental. As we live life, we endure stress—whether we know it or not. This is crucial, because stress depletes the adrenals, which depletes the sex hormones, which means stress exhausts our mojo! Adaptogens are known to restore the sex hormones in the adrenal cortex for both men and women. Herbs, such as He Shou Wu (or Fo Ti), increase fertility in women and virility in men. Studies show the herb America Ginseng strengthens the overall constitution, male libido, female vitality, immune function, and general energy levels.

Fortunately, there are many adaptogenic herbs available. When supplementing with adaptogens, we need to do some due diligence by researching the quality of manufacturing and the origin of the herbs. Also, make sure the formula uses a wide array of adaptogens. Lastly, try to find out what percentage of the product is actually adaptogens versus fillers or other ingredients. Many manufacturers will state they have several adaptogens in their product, but many times the total amount of adaptogens is small.

To get more information regarding adaptogens and how they restore the sex hormones visit www.shentrition.com.

The Divine Marriage

Marriage between two adults is a symbol or material example attempting to reveal the true marriage – the union between our divinity and our humanity. A common word used today that stands for this divine marriage is wholeness.

Wholeness involves the coupling of two polarities within our own selves, the yin and yang, female and male, non-physical and physical. Once these polarities are reunited, then we can begin our new life, our new existence, as divine beings in this material world while bringing fourth our offspring or divine creations. As whole beings, then and only then, are we able to create from a fully conscious place.

Romance in many ways is the lure that brings two people together so that they may work out this divine drama. However, rather than being a portal that takes us deeper within, romance can more times than not become an obstacle. Instead, of finding ourselves through relational interplay, we lose ourselves in the abyss of relational trauma and drama. However, if we can remain true to the path of wholeness, and view the relationship for what it is, then we are able to truly complete ourselves and thereby become fully functional beings.

The chief signpost of wholeness is undifferentiated love. Undifferentiated love is love without exception – meaning it’s not contingent on any person, place or thing. It just is-Love!  As complete, fully-functional beings, we not only begin to experience undifferentiated love, but it literally becomes who we are – that is we embody it. Some even say that undifferentiated love is the baseline of the universe, cosmos and beyond. Coincidentally, undifferentiated love resonates at 7.83 Hertz, which is known as the earth’s pulse or what is commonly called, Schumann Resonance.

Wikepedia explains:
This global electromagnetic resonance phenomenon is named after physicist Winfried Otto Schumann who predicted it mathematically in 1952. Schumann resonances occur because the space between the surface of the Earth and the conductive ionosphere acts as a closed waveguide. The limited dimensions of the Earth cause this waveguide to act as a resonant cavity for electromagnetic waves in the ELF band. The cavity is naturally excited by electric currents in lightning. Schumann resonances are the principal background in the electromagnetic spectrum between 3-69 Hz, and appear as distinct peaks at extremely low frequencies (ELF) around 7.83, 14.3, 20.8, 27.3 and 33.8 Hz. In the normal mode description of Schumann resonances, the fundamental mode is a standing wave in the Earth-ionosphere cavity with a wavelength equal to the circumference of the Earth. This lowest-frequency (and highest-intensity) mode of the Schumann resonance occurs at a frequency of approximately 7.83 Hz (earth pulse).

Once we’ve stabilized in wholeness, undifferentiated love puts us in sync with the earth’s rhythm, vibe or flow; this is also synonymous with the idea of grace in Christianity, wu wei in Taosim, effortless action in Yoga or even what many athletes refer to as being in the zone. Being in this flow, or better said, “being flow” not only brings us into harmony with the earth’s rhythms, but into connection with all sentient and non-sentient beings, harmonizes our biological systems, and, last but not least, carries us to our visions, intentions and goals with relative ease.

Our intentions are the offspring of this divine union. In our previous state, our intentions arose from the fear of being separate and a sense of lack. We felt disconnected, divided, and incomplete; so we sought people, places, and things in an attempt to fulfill ourselves. In wholeness, our intentions result from already being whole and therefore are an overflow or the “extra something” we have to give – they are our gifts.

If we are to seriously undertake the path towards this divine marriage, and move into flow, then we must consider the fundamental first step – taking care of the body. Our bodies are reality-generating organisms. Within our bodies the two polarities, male and female, commingle to produce their offspring or our divine intentions. If our bodies are in tip-top condition, then it is much easier for this process to flourish. If our bodies are weak or even worse sick, then our offspring (intentions) will not carry through to the full term of birth and instead lead to a miscarriage of sorts.

To ensure a fruitful union, we developed the Shen Life Starter Kit.

The Shen Life Starter Kit addresses the seven biological needs of the body. Once these biological needs are met, the body is on its way to optimum functioning and wholeness! Watch this video to see more or email any questions. Make note of the role sexuality plays in the divine union as discussed in the video. I’ll discuss that more next time…good stuff.

To whole living,

Stephen

Ancient wisdom

Throughout history a rare few sages knew of certain herbal substances that would greatly enhance their spiritual awakening. In Yoga these revered herbs were called Rasayanas, alternatively, in Taoism they’re known as tonic herbs. In the West we call them adaptogens. Adaptogens enhance what Hans Seyle, the father of stress research, calls “adaptive energy;” this same energy is called prana in yoga, qi (chi) in China, ki in Japan, and in other mystical circles, it is called lifeforce. Our lifeforce is responsible for the optimum functioning of our bodies, minds and emotions. More importantly, when we have abundant lifeforce, then it is possible to ignite a spiritual awakening. The more lifeforce we have, the greater the awakening. However, even if a spiritual awakening isn’t the goal, these remarkable herbs restore balance and enhance our general health. To read more go to www.shentrition.com.

Flu Prevention, Adaptogens & ShenTrition

Flu Prevention, Adaptogens & ShenTrition

This answers a lot of questions and concerns about what to do…did you know?

How WE Create Health or Disease – p2

Dr Ihaleakala Hew Len Part 2

Part 2 of the simplicity of 100% responsibility.

How WE Create Health or Disease

Dr Ihaleakala Hew Len Part 1

Personal responsibility does create/influence the world as we know it – Dr Ihaleakala Hew Len has a great example of this in action.

Introducing the Big Picture of Shen Life p1

Intro to Get Shen 1/2

Here’s a great introduction to Shen Life and it’s lifestyle products.

Investing In Your Health…4/4

Closing thoughts and other good tips finish the chat about “investing in your health.”

more about "Investing In Your Health…4/4", posted with vodpod

Investing In Your Health…Part 3/4

the conversation continues…part 3/4

more about "Investing In Your Health…Part 3/4", posted with vodpod

Investing In Your Health…Part 2/4

More about your health…Part 2/4

more about "Investing In Your Health…Part 2/4", posted with vodpod

Investing In Your Health

Here’s the latest and greatest.

more about "Investing In Your Health", posted with vodpod

Check out this link…

Here is something to check out for those interested in storing healthy food for a rainy day.

http://www.internet-grocer.net/organic.htm

Yes, it’s store-able organic food!

A True Saga…

This story was emailed to us as a true story about the power of ShenTrition…enjoy, we did!

“…so, after I drank my ShenTrition this morning, I was feelin’ the fire with in! So, I did what every Montanan would do…I first when to MSN weather to check the weather for the day. Since it was going to be a nice calm day, I figured I would go burn some weeds in my pasture.

Well, everything was going fine…I was Shen-in’. Weeds were burning kind of slow, and that’s good. I got this under control.

Did you know that calm does not mean calm here in Montana?

Ok, now for the rest of the story. Did I mention I sure do think Kalispell’s West Valley Fire Department is one of the best fire departments?! Have I mentioned that? Well let me tell ya…I was really impressed with how well they handle their hoses. Yep, 100+ year old monster trees with 30 foot tall flames, not a problem, put-er right out time after time… 20 to 30 foot tall grass fed fires rushing, or should I say racing, up not one hill but two hills…not a problem, put-er right out. Did I mention when pine trees catch on fire a tee shirt and rake won’t put it out?! I sure am going to miss that shirt.

Earlier, I was wondering whether I was in shape enuff to go spring bear hunting this year. Now, I’m fairly sure I am, as long as I take my ShenTrition in the morning and start a good fire as a motivator.

Let me tell you I was runnin’ here, I was runnin’ there. I was beatin’ out the fire on this tree and that tree and then on to the next tree. You know that ShenTrition feels just like adrenaline when it kicks in. You’re able to run up and down hills caring five gallon buckets of water just like you were fifteen again. Hell, my back didn’t even hurt! I did learn fightin’ an out-of-control fire while swinging a tee shirt is a great way to lose those unwanted body hairs on your belly. I’m pretty sure it worked just as well as Nair would… and I am also sure of one other thing, I don’t have any clogged arteries any more. Nope, blood is pumpin fine.

Well, my neighbor  just showed up. I suppose he wants to rub it in a little, because his son was one of the first responders. I feel like a power nap now, but I will be back in the news soon I’m sure.

Hope you enjoyed this testimony on the power of ShenTrition “

~Montana Rockz

Scoop, Stir & Drink CONTEST – You can win ShenTrition FREE

Go here to be sure to enter your recipe in the comment section!

Watch how to make a tasty longevity formula / superfood supplement drink. And, ENTER Shentrition Recipe Contest! Yes, there will be a winner and a prize

THANKS TO KGEZ

This is an official thanks to z 600 am The Edge Radio Station and all the the great listeners that stopped into the radio station yesterday that provided some video testimonies.

The newest reel of testimonies will be available shortly.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING SHENTRITION AND SHEN LIFE A SUCCESS!

~Erica & Stephen

Money matters…economics 101

1. Corrupt Banking System – Cartels Robbing the Public

Economics 101 – Part 1

Feed Your Spirit!

If you knew “some-thing” could give you an extra advantage in your spiritual growth, would you use it?

Of course you would!

Well, I’m going to introduce you to an ancient secret that masters used for centuries to boost their inner development. But, let me preface things by saying, “nothing is more important than your meditative practice with regards to spiritual growth!” The ancient masters of the Far East knew this absolutely to be true, and referred to their meditative practice as Inner Alchemy.

Webster’s Dictionary defines alchemy, “as turning something common into something special, or to change from one form to another (typically into something better than its original form).” Many historians think the Ancient Alchemists were merely looking for a way to transform lead to gold. It’s true that many did so. However, true alchemists, spiritual alchemists, sought something far more valuable than gold, in fact something priceless—Spirit. Rather than melting down metals and combining them into some special mixture in the hopes of making gold, they turned their attention inward, hoping to transform their ordinary selves into something extraordinary—hence, Inner Alchemy.

Though their meditative practice or Inner Alchemy was the core of their spiritual practice, they discovered additional ways to optimize and expedite their growth. These practices were referred to as Outer Alchemy, which involved learning to live a natural lifestyle and incorporating such things as mindful movement, breathing exercises, proper nutrition, acupuncture, massage, and herbology. They found that out of these external practices, herbs gave them the greatest advantage in their spiritual growth. Not just any herbs, but specific botanical essences with super boosting properties. These are referred to as tonic herbs.

[Webster’s Dictionary defines a tonic as follows: something that lifts the spirits or makes somebody feel better generally; a medicine that purports to make patients feel stronger, more energetic, and generally healthier.]

Out of the hundreds, if not thousands, of herbal botanicals that are available, there are but a few, that are truly considered to be tonic herbs! Of these, only a handful are known to have specific properties that can enhance one’s spiritual growth and be considered a spiritual tonic, a substance that helps to turn something common into something special.

CLICK HERE TO FINISHING READING ARTICLE…

Now – No Shipping and No Sales Taxes!

“As a dedicated consumer of ShenTrition, I thought how great would it be to get it every month without thinking about it,” requested one individual.

We heard your call and now ShenTrition is available as a monthly subscription product. To subscribe for this monthly program, Click here, “because I love the effects ShenTrition has for my well being and want to BUY IT every month!”

If you haven’t tried ShenTrition yet, do so. It manages the damaging effects stress and internally and reduces the roller coaster of moods.

Thanks for you feedback.

We’re listening,

Team Shen

ShenTrition Hits the News Stands

Press Release: NEW SUPPLEMENT HEALS STRESS NATURALLY

Pain is part of life, suffering is optional!

“Pain is part of life, suffering is optional.” Last week I heard this phrase used so many times in a workshop that it began to sound like a bumper sicker slogan. It’s catchy and it stuck. I sat with this idea for over a week contemplating why there is the experience suffering in my life, and here is what came up.

The experience of suffering presents itself because the self-limiting image/ego resists being in flow. Plainly stated, the self-limiting image wants absolute safety and security from the unknown. It wants to know what is coming around the corner. On top of certainty, the ego wants to be right about what it knows! The self-limiting image feels as though it is at the center of the universe and the universe should behave according to its wishes. When the universe doesn’t behave as the self-limiting thinks it should, then lamenting and suffering results.

However, change is an absolute in life. Pain is part of the change or growth process. Our tendency is to swim to shore to avoid change, rather than remaining in the flow of the river of life. This simply prolongs the pain and results in suffering. For me, learning to relax into the river of life may be frightening and painful at times, but the pain usually amounts to little more than a small bruise, unlike the prolonged suffering that is brought about from swimming to shore. Therefore, in short, pain is part of the flow of life, and suffering is the result of the resistance to the flow and its occasional pain.

What do you think?

Powerful Stress Relief

Are you stressed?

In our not too distant past, we humans were under much different external threats than we are today, such as being eaten by wild animals and violence from hostile invaders. Thankfully, today those life threatening stressors are almost non-existent. However, our bodies still respond to stress in the same way as when we were running from tigers. This stress response is termed as “fight or flight.” To help us protect, defend, and safeguard our survival more efficiently, the body releases hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol, and others into our blood stream during the “fight or flight” response. These hormones give us a boost of super-human strength similar to nitrous oxide in a racecar. When a racecar driver needs an extra boost of power, he hits the button that releases a much higher-octane fuel into his engine—NO₂. The car’s horsepower increases greatly. However, as every racecar driver knows, nitrous oxide significantly reduces the life span of the car’s engine. This is very similar to the way the “flight or fight” response works in us: though the strength we get is incredible, it expedites aging and decay in our tissues and cells!

In extreme situations, this “fight or flight” function is needed; however, very rarely do we find ourselves in extreme situations. Yet, based on our hard-wired history, we react to today’s stressors as they were the equivalent of escaping from wild animals. Consequently, most of us, unknowingly, are under a low-grade stress response all day long…and some of us even while we sleep. Like the racecar’s engine, these stress hormones are very dangerous to our bodies if they are released for extended periods of time. That is why medicine regards stress a chronic condition.

Heal Stress Naturally with Adaptogens!

Achieving a completely stress-free life where we aren’t switching into “flight or fight” may not be possible for most, but you can reduce it significantly! Here’s how.

Take adaptogenic herbs, or adaptogens for short.

What are adaptogens? The key word here is “adapt.” Even though we aren’t being chased by large animals anymore, unless you go hiking in the Alaskan wilderness, we do have stressors such as a financial troubles, job worries, family dramas, and health concerns. To many of us, these stressors are experienced with the same intensity as the wild animals were in the past. Therefore, it is important that we learn to “adapt” better to these stressors, so that we are better equipped to deal with them.

Adaptogens were popularized by Russian scientists when they discovered the amazing effects they had on their Olympians. They found that adaptogenic substances greatly reduce the recovery time during training, therefore, helping them to better “adapt” to the extraordinary amount of stress imposed on their bodies. They borrowed this technology from ancient Chinese Physicians who had been using adaptogens for thousands of years in wound healing, stress reduction, mental clarity, alleviating depression, longevity and energy rejuvenation.

The miraculous ability to help us “adapt” to stress comes from these herbs’ unique dual-directive function; meaning they neither over-stimulate, or under-stimulate the body’s systems, but have a normalizing effect on the body and mind. Simply put, adaptogens enable the body to better cope, resist, and adapt to any stressor, whether it be ment

al, emotional, physical, or environmental. Additionally, they have the miraculous ability to aid the body in maintaining homeostasis (the crucial balance needed for optimum functioning within the body). Balance translates into deeper relaxation, optimum function, and better health!

Your body will still respond to stress appropriately, but the negative effects are minimized when supplementing with adaptogens. More importantly, these herbs relax the roller coaster highs and lows we experience from the stress response.

Boost Your Immune System!

Though stress itself is not an illness, it has been linked to a myriad of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. In fact, studies have shown that stress is the #1 cause of all disease. The American Academy of Family Physicians estimates that around two-thirds of all trips to the doctor are for stress-related complaints. With this in mind, stress is a serious threat to our immune system compromising our health and well-being. Luckily, adaptogens help to heal the root cause of stress. In turn, the immune system flourishes as the protector of health.

Here is a little known fact: adaptogens were given to over a half a million people after the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl in 1986 to help offset the negative effects of radiation poisoning and strengthen their immune systems. These herbs must have some serious power to be used in that situation.

Not only is stress dangerous to our internal health, but most, if not all, accidents and mishaps are caused by stress. When we are under stress we make poor decisions. When we are gripped with anxiety, our awareness is occupied; therefore we tend to pay less attention to details. Sometimes, those details can cost us dearly. Like when we don’t see that car pulling out in front of us, or when we make an expensive blunder at work that ends up costing our job. Details matter, and supporting our ability to stay on top of them is worth it.

Energize your Body!

To be more specific, regarding stress, adaptogens have the amazing ability to restore the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are the body’s primary mechanism for responding, and adapting to stress. Sometimes referred to as the body’s batteries, the adrenal glands supply the pep for our step. When we are under chronic stress, the adrenals glands get taxed until exhausted. Therefore, if they are weak, we are weak.

But, nature has provided us with a solution to low energy, and it is to recharge the adrenal glands with adaptogenic herbs, thereby producing a natural boost of energy. Yes, adaptogens recharge the adrenal glands, which this gives us more abundant energy!

Alkalize Your Body

As stress levels increase and remain, our acidity rises to dangerous levels. Stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, are part of the reason for this. I’ve heard some say in the medical field that these hormones in the blood stream over long periods of time act like battery acid slowing eating away at our health. High acidity levels increase the risk of diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and a host of other fatal diseases.

In fact, one study has shown the one common characteristic in all types of cancers is a high acidity level—that is the pH is highly acidic. The study went on to show that no type of cancer can survive in a body with a balanced ph – that is its alkaline and acid levels are in the correct balance.

Along with healing stress, strengthening the immune system, and providing a clean boost of energy, adaptogens help to normalize the body’s pH level — a biomarker of sound health!

What to look for in an adaptogenic supplement!

An adaptogenic supplement needs to have a broad range of adaptogenic herbs such as Eleuthero Root (Siberian ginseng), American Ginseng, Ashwagandha, Astragulas, Shitake Mushroom, Miatake Mushroom, Polygonatum Multiflorum, Atractylodes, Cordyceps, and others.

It needs to be delivered in a macronutrient base (that is a proper balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), since the body better metabolizes herbs and other micronutrients with a food or macronutrient based delivery system.

Make sure that the sources of ingredients are all-natural!

And lastly, make sure the product was developed by a qualified herbalist who understands internal medicine, not simply a nutritionist who has studied herbs or worse a businessperson looking to simply make a buck.

If you are interested in more information on adaptogens and where to receive the best adaptogenic supplements, go to www.shentrition.com. Or email a question to Stephen@Shen-Life.com.

Heal Stress Naturally!

Stress, depending on how we metabolize it, can either be eu-stress, a healthy motivating influence, or dis-stress, an inhibiting diseased syndrome. The latter, distress, is the number one cause of disease within the body.

Looking at distress can be stressful, so let’s keep things simple.

From a biological perspective, stress produces chemical reactions internally. These chemical reactions can be very harmful to our health. Generally, most of us remain in a low-grade stress response all day long, and often yesterday’s stress builds the foundation for tomorrow’s. When stress is chronic like this, it sets the stage for disease. The cycle can be maddening, but there is a solution.

If we can help our bodies’ process stress faster, then health, balance and peace are ours for the taking. Traditional management techniques do work, such as exercise and meditation. Yet, an aide exists that is much easier to implement and targets the negative biological effects stress produces. In fact, nature provided it for us. Adaptogenic herbs are nature’s solution for the syndrome we know as stress.

Adaptogens (also called tonic herbs in Chinese Medicine) provide a normalizing influence on the body, which means the effect is neither over stimulating or inhibiting, but is generally tonifying to the body. The core benefit of adaptogens is their ability to help the body cope more effectively with stress, and to help heal the systemic damage caused by stress. Specifically, adaptogens recharge the adrenal glands, which are the body’s primary mechanism for responding to stress and emotional changes.

Nature provides many adaptogenic herbs. Since adaptogenic herbs have a normalizing effect on the body, they can be taken on a daily basis for prolonged periods of time without causing imbalance. Doing so as a preventative measure is by far the best approach!

Now a product exists that offers most of the main adaptogens plus superfoods, powerful greens and hemp protein – its called ShenTrition.

Wheat Free. Dairy Free. Soy Free. Gluten Free. All Natural. Cruelty Free. Vegetarian. Made in the USA!

Click here to BUY NOW!

Be All That You Can Be

Over the last several decades, especially since the self-help movement of the seventies and eighties, much has been made about the need for self-actualization. Movies and books that popularize this pursuit are making millions, because so many people crave to fix their life situation. Simply put, self-actualization means, “to be all that you can be.” The problem with this ideology is that it places the primary emphasis on self-development, rather than self-knowledge. Self-knowledge means to “know” ourselves in the most fundamental way.

It is impossible to be all that we can be if we don’t know who we are. To know who we are, we need to know the deepest aspect of ourselves — Spirit. If we don’t begin here, then we risk the self becoming strengthened to the point where it mistakenly thinks it alone is Spirit, as is the case with much of the self-help movement. It’s difficult to see this distinction, because the same language is used in both authentic spiritual and self-improvement pursuits.

Now, I am all for being all that I can be. What would be the point in living if we can’t be the best human being possible? Yet, without a complete union with Spirit, the self always functions from a sense of lack. It stumbles through life trying to fulfill itself through endless tasks. This kind of self-actualization is similar to the cravings of an addict. Accomplishments are treated more like momentary highs, rather than true acts of self-fulfillment. Much like an addict, the self must keep busy achieving so he can keep the sense of lack or withdrawals at bay. The individual becomes an over achiever scampering onto the next great challenge—busy chasing the next high.

With this in mind, it is easy to see that the self is never fully satisfied, because it feels incomplete. No matter how many successes, whether they be the highest awards and accolades, history-making records, multiple college degrees, or even tons of money, the self-driven life is constantly in a ravenous search trying to compensate for its feelings of lack, insecurity, and fear. That’s its curse! Therefore, it is impossible to be all that we can be from the perspective of the self-driven life. We must make the transition to a spirit-driven life, a Shen Life.

Our spiritual nature is totally complete in and of itself; it never searches for fulfillment, because all is fulfilled through knowing itself. From this perspective, we are on the right track to being all that we can be. Once stabilized in Spirit, then we understand that the self is what Spirit uses to express itself. Our external lives become the offspring of this union. We are the creative source, the creative tool and the creative expression all at once—a holy trinity. Life is seen as a creative flow, and an endless expression of who we are. Truly, there is nothing to search for because everything is right here within our very own selves.

That’s the switch from a self-driven life to a spirit-driven life, a Shen Life.

Let’s reach for it!

I Am So Special

The need to feel special is at the core of the self-driven life. Though, each of us has a unique interpretation of what it means to feel special, we all entertain the internal notion that we are special and that the world revolves around us. Sort of like the world is a play, we are the superstars, and others are props or supporting actors at best. This delusion is inherent in the human condition and we are all participating in our one-man stage shows. However, there is one segment of the population that takes this to the extreme. It is among spiritual seekers that this compulsion to be supra-unique rears its head up to an extraordinary extent.

Throughout the change from a self-driven life to a Shen Life, the self continuously jumps in and takes control. Like an obsessive stage mom, the self takes credit for everything or spins situations to be personal to its self-image. For instance, during the transformation, there will be countless bio-energetic sensations or mystical experiences and deep insights with mind-blowing realizations, however, rather than allowing these experiences to pass, along with everything else that will change, the self jumps in and says to itself, “Look I am so special, these happened to ME.” The self doesn’t acknowledge that many people have these experiences; though, if it does realize that others are having them, it quickly validates its’ experiences as being more profound. It overly identifies with these experiences, and instead of breaking down the self-image, the energetic experiences reinforce the self-image’s feelings of superiority and supra-uniqueness.

If this tendency isn’t confronted, the self-image can begin to think, feel, and act as though it has been divinely appointed to change the world; thus begins the self-driven path to impose its spiritual, social, or political ideas onto the world. It’s inner mantra says, “what I have and who I am is so special—the rest of the world needs what I have.” The dilemma here is that the self hasn’t grown in its’ awareness and understanding to the point where the world is seen as it is – spiritual in nature. From this enlightened perspective, nothing needs to be changed. On the other hand, the self-image, high on its own mystical delusion, can’t grasp the idea that the less the self does, the more Spirit can do through it by inspiring others to awaken to the truth of their nature and the world’s true condition. Instead, it thinks it knows best, and moves forward in a frenzy of self-masturbation, pseudo-altruism, and messianic grandiosity. This is the highest expression of spiritual pride!

Just recognize, if the sentiment arises, “I need to do something to change or save the world,” then rest assured the self-image has taken over the experience. In Truth and Reality, nothing needs to be changed in this way; everything is as it is supposed to be. When we fully awaken to our spiritual nature and when we begin to see with the eyes of God, we’ll come to understand what the Old Testament communicated in, “that God cannot look upon sin.” When God looks out onto the world, God can only see himself or the many expressions of himself, which cannot be problematic. Therefore in God’s eyes there is no problem. All is well. On the contrary, the self-image sees nothing but problems and wishes to heal and change the world. In essence, the self-image projects it’s own internal drama onto the world and others. As we begin to see with the eyes of the Creator, then all of Creation is infected with what we see – perfection. Then, we understand that it is not by our efforts the world is changed, but by our divine vision. This internal revolution is the highest form of activism we can possibly engage in, and one that infects others similar to the way a virus does – subtle, but profound!

There comes a point when we no longer need to be recognized for our spiritual attainment and spiritualizing our self-image is seen for what it is – hiding behind a mask. You know what I am talking about – the slow, gliding walk, the puppy dog eyes of humbleness, the placid smile and the folded hands placed gently across the lap when seated or behind the back when walking, and let’s not forget the over engaging eye stare whose intention is to convey to others our deep spiritual attainment.

When we have come to the point where the “my” of spiritual attainment has lost its grip, then we settle into the Creative Flow of life. Then finally, we have made the shift into a sprit-driven life. We are not interested in gaining validation or respect of others. When we speak, we do so from the perspective of Spirit. We can say without selfishness that we are the One that we have been seeking – Spirit. When we speak as Spirit, then it doesn’t matter if people listen to us or not, because Spirit is speaking and Spirit is listening at the same time. Spirit speaks through us, as us, to us. If people hear it, then they did so by their own initiative and they were ready to hear, not because of anything we did or tried to convince them of. It is crucially important that we eradicate this tendency within us before it takes over the entire growth process, like a forest fire engulfs an entire ecosystem. Then we’ll truly “know” what it is to be special!

Do it with Love

It really is not so much about what we do in life as far as occupation or direction we take, but more importantly what we bring to the table when we do it. That is, are we bringing the Love?

Love is the universal solvent that breaks down all uncertainty and indecision leaving in their place a sense of supreme confidence that all is well and fine – even if the shit is hitting the fan.

This Love that I speak of is not the love of romance, nor is it the love of country, and surely its not the abstract love of an idea. In fact, its a tangible stream of gue that flows downward from the crown of the head into the physical heart and radiates to every cell of the body. In this way, the recipient of this liquid love is washed from head to toe with this Divine Tonic removing all that is not worthy of God’s presence; what is left is Love itself, the full embodiment of God in the flesh.

So, if you are plagued with indecision, a problem or questions about whether or not you are doing the right thing, then ask yourself, “Am I doing it with Love?” If you are, then its the right thing. If not, wait until you feel warm and fuzzy from the Divine Love Gue before making your choice.

Be sure to do it with Love.

Flow

There have been many terms used to describe FLOW throughout the ages. Whether it was the Christain’s “grace”, or the Taosist’s “wu wei.” Almost every great religion or philosophy had this concept as the highest attainment in their practice. In Shen Life, we too see this as the highest attainment.

FLOW brings with it clarity, which sometimes can be likened to a form of prophecy. This aspect of clarity is similar to that of psychic vision where the person having the vision can see a particular possibility that exists for someone or something in the future. However, its not this aspect of clarity that I am talking about. The most important aspect of clarity is the ability to see things in their early stages of development. The Taoists have a saying that goes something like this, “taking care of the small before it becomes big.” This simply means seeing things in their early stages of development and taking the right steps to avoid problems that may arise. Simply put, this is what my father called good ole common sense. Something that is sorely lacking in our world today! Daddy always had a good suggestion on how to remedy what he called, “a good case of the stupid ass.” He would suggest that we pull our head’s out of our asses so we could see what was right in front of us.

For many of us that have been in the human potential field, we have been drinking the positive, blind optimistic kool-aid. Some things are developing in our world right now that are not going to be pleasant or positive for any of us. No matter how much positive thinking or wishful thinking we throw at it, it won’t matter. Many of our fellow citizens are going to struggle with things that just a few years ago would have been considered impossibilities. This is not to say that we are to become pessimist, but rather to be open to all possibilities so that we can maneuver our way through whatever happens in an efficient and harmonious way.

Many have mistakenly thought of FLOW as a personal saviour that guides our steps, as a guide dog does for a blind man. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Flow allows us to see what is right there in front of us, and it is up to us to deal with it or not deal with it. The magic of FLOW is the ability to move through horrific situations that would cause most people to crawl into fetal position; and do it with rather ease all the while remaining in a state of peace and serenity. FLOW gives us the ability to deal with things head on!

So, as my old man use to say, let’s pull our head’s out of are asses, so we can see what is right there in front of us. To do this we must open ourselves to FLOW so that we can see the small before it becomes big, and make the necessary adjustments it takes to live optimally in this brave new world. (LOL)

Be like Water!

What is God Like?

What is God like?
“God is like sand in your face while sunning on the beach,
God is like a dog’s slobber hitting your face right after a shower,
God is like a pesky gnat buzzing about your face while taking a nap,
God is constantly in our faces,
Interrupting our self intoxication.
What is God like? 
God is like a thorn in our side!” ~SDR

Confidence

Hello All,

Here is a conversation between a friend and myself regarding confidence. I’d like to hear about your struggles with confidence…

Stephen: How is your dating going?

Friend: There has been a lot of women contacting me. I am being very selective.

Stephen: Nice. What kind of women are you attracted to – same as before or different?

Friend: Some of the same. I’m thinking that I really have to get rid of that magnet because that’s been a barrier for my growth in relationships. I feel I need to rid myself of the crap before I fully jump into that river of dating,or I’ll find myself with the same type of woman. Do you agree?

Stephen: In my experience it’s difficult to change perception or as you say “the magnet”without confronting it head on. So, I don’t think you can’t get rid of it by playing it safe– that is by not dating. Especially, since dating is your intention. We humans are active creatures. We change by jumping in the river of life and taking risks. Sure the current may be swift and we may bump a few rocks on the way, but if we can keep our heads above water and not fight the “flow” too much, we’ll find in time the river calms.

Friend: Yeah, I know. I think that for me personally success with women will open to success with other areas of my life (business, money, life, etc.). I think it’s key. Do you agree?

Stephen: I think it’s all connected. Every issue bleeds over into our lives or sense of Becoming. To the contrary, within our Being, there are no issues. The issues are like a wall of conditioning or veil separating our Becoming from our Being. Being can’t fully unite with Becoming unless the conditioning is gone. So, we have to make sure the confidence we seek isn’t more conditioning and it’s the natural result of reuniting Being with Becoming.

Friend: Yes, I feel that my confidence is not solid – it’s forced; behind it is a sense of lack.

Stephen: The normal way is “to fix” the issue by forcing a mask of self-confidence, and this can work on a superficial level; but to find true confidence is to find Shen, our original nature. Here there is nothing to be confident about or no one to impress by having confidence. It’s just a natural byproduct of “knowing” who we are in the deepest possible way.

Friend: Yes, I really feel that that is the only way.

Stephen: Well, it’s not the only way as I can attest to trying to force confidence most of my life, but it surely is a better way.

Friend: In the meantime it’s a bitch!

Stephen: It sure is! But, try not to take it so personal. The issues of the self-image are like bad drivers on the highway. We can’t chase them all down and scream at them (though at times I wish I could); and what good would it do anyway? The smart thing would be to simply let them (issues) pass and be on their way. If we resist them, they’ll linger on; and like the bad driver they’ll fight back.

Friend: So, the attitude we should have is like the Zen master’s attitude: we’ll see? Is this the “letting it pass” attitude?

Stephen: Yeah; but the Zen master knows something that most don’t. His realization is in the temporal nature of issues, and to resist them only prolongs the issue.Additionally, he realizes on a more profound level that the issues are unreal. It is kind of like the old saying, “It’s like two tears in a bucket, mother fuck it!” Right?

Friend: I have to chew on that for a while…

…

What’s your experience?

Forgiveness

When we are done with forgiveness, when there is no one or no thing left to forgive, what is left?  The sober realization is that the Forgiver is the thing being forgiven.  The “who” that forgives is the thing being forgived.  The two are one in the same.   In this light, is it wiser to investigate “who” feels as though they need to forgive, or simply is it wiser to forgive.  Or are they the same?  

Thank you for your responses!

~SDR 

What’s Next?

We humans are ever evolving. It began with the big bang, then to the single celled micro-organism, to hanging from trees, onto what we are now. Of course, this is the Reader’s Digest version, but I think you get the point. For some reason there is the unconscious belief in the collective consciousness that evolution has coming to its final resting place in us humans. Other than becoming kinder and gentler animals with more technological toys to play with, this is as good as it gets!

What I would like to hear from you all is where you think we are headed? Have we peaked or is there more to look forward to? Please don’t give me some cookie cutter, canned new-agey response like, “to infinity” or to “heaven on earth” or to “unity in diversity” or some other thing you read from the shelves of your corner bookstore. What I would like to read, is what you “know” personally? What have you “experienced” personally? And where do you think or feel or intuit these experiences are taking or leading you?

Thank you for your responses! They are greatly appreciated!

~SDR

One Power

Do you battle with many powers throughout your day? You know what I mean, the power of traffic, the power of bills, the power of co-workers, the power of the boss, and the power of family. It’s easy to forget that there is only One Power, One Cause, One Source, or One Supply in the entire universe, especially when it feels like the world is taking a big dump on your head! But, this is the exact time and place when it is most important to remember that there is only One Power! Surely, there are many things that seem to have a great deal of power over us; however, this is not entirely accurate. In those moments when the many false powers feel so real, its ever important to remember the Absolute Truth that there is only One Power giving rise to many different manifestations of itself. The more we learn to remember this, the more we experience the delightful ease of the One Power. Then, all of the many differentiations of the One Power no longer have false power over us!

However, an intellectual understanding of this Truth will do little more than give some temporary comfort. We must know the Truth of One Power intimately! In order to do that, we must learn to surrender our belief in these many false powers. “How?” you may ask. By confronting the believer—our self-limiting image or ME—we surrender our belief in these many false powers. Since, the self-limiting image is the holder of these beliefs, it is likened to the general of a great army. Therefore, kill the general, and his army of beliefs goes with him! The more we realize this Truth, the less we do battle with these many false powers. Then, war is done and won: the final battle has been fought…Victory!

The key to finding enlightenment, wholeness, or a Shen Life, isn’t rocket science. However, with that said, it is very challenging. Why? We have to confront all of the misconceptions we have about life and ourselves, until there is nothing else left to confront, except for that One Power. Then, we’ll come to know ourselves in the deepest possible way…as that One Power!

What if…

Given this is campaign season, I’ve often thought what this world would be like if we had individuals who engaged in public service that were whole, enlightened, or had reached a Shen Life. Super-humans! Would society be ready for this? Could these folks really govern given that almost no one else is a Super-human? It’s obvious that those running for office pander to the electorate for personal gain. Yet, sometimes I feel they do it because the peeps simply can’t handle the truth! They are like children who aren’t ready to grow up. So, given the present state of consciousness of most of the electorate, can a Super-human govern in this social climate?

What are your thoughts Shen Life practitioners?

Talk about Inspiration…

Yesterday while watching TV, I stumbled on a story about a young 9 year-old boy living in Africa who is raising his 2 younger siblings, because his parents died. Now, his story isn’t unique for that part of the world, but something hit me while watching him.The boy showed the reporter a small square piece of plastic, like tarp stuff that insulates houses. That floppy plastic was his bed and shelter for his family. He struggled to keep it together as he shared his story. Despite obvious emotion, he did it. That 9 year old boy was so strong and mature. Clearly he took it upon himself to do what need to be done. That was it. He wasn’t looking for anyone else to do it for him. As I watched, something hit me. It wasn’t sadness or pity, it was admiration and inspiration! I saw this boy, developed enough to realize he couldn’t look for someone else to solve his problem, pick himself up. He didn’t look for a hand out, nor beg the government to fix his situation. He couldn’t hope that religion would miraculously save him. And obviously he was clear that his parents weren’t going to take care of him. He tapped into a wellspring of something else that gave him the balls to do whatever needed to be done to protect his family. I was in awe. And, that boy’s story stuck with me through the whole day.

This morning I shared this story with my wife. And she was impacted by the story too. But she reacted in a different way. She fell into the typical pattern of feeling sorry for the boy and his siblings. I could see it on her face…pity. Pity, that worthlessness from within that the self-limiting image (ego) interprets as compassion. Its the socialist’s idea of help. The Bleeding heart do-gooder’s excuse to give of their time and energy. Most people have that same pitiful reaction, and most people react quickly by wanting to fix it with money or some other pseudo-altruistic endeavor.

But, guess what. Most people don’t have half the strength or intestinal fortitude as that young African to actually to take action and do something about their own situations. People still look for someone or something “out there” to fix their circumstances. People generally feel sorry for themselves and others. If you don’t know what I mean, think about a tupper-ware party or any social gathering, conversations often involve someone telling of their latest awful drama and the usual response is, “aauuhh” with that pitiful pursed up facial pout; followed by a competitive dramatic event to get higher amounts of sympathy.

You know what, that boy didn’t do that at all. And his story is rough enough to beat out most. He just bowed up his chest, got the mollasses out of his asses and did what needed to be done! He made the best out of his situation! Probably to him his situation was like living at the Taj Mahal compared to living on the streets with no food, shelter or family. However, the bleeding heart do-gooders of the world, who show him pity, can’t see this empowering truth. Why? Its simple. Most of them have no idea what it is to reach down deep inside and find the best in themselves. People look to appearances. They only see the 9-year old boy on the plastic mattress with his siblings, and say, “Wow, they have it bad, that’s so unfortunate…they’re much worse off than me.”

THAT IS PITIFUL! (pun intended)

With the upcoming perfect storm of economic meltdown, politic unrest, and all of the other things approaching, the question is: can we as Americans can be content and grateful with a small piece of plastic and more importantly share our plastic with others when needed, and do so without the pity and sentimental bullshit we commonly mistake for compassion? Can we do it from a place of large, gutsy balls (or swollen ovaries in your females’ case). The young boy showed emotion, but was strong enough that he couldn’t waste any time in that position. There were things to do. And, we as Americans, as humans, have a LOT to do. Looking or waiting around for someone else to solve problems isn’t the solution. Nor is galvanizing a revolt against some perceived oppressor. The solution lies within! We all must tap that wellspring of innate power, our original nature, in order to do something and prepare for what’s to come. Its the best way!

Can you do that?

I am committed to do so for myself.

If you aren’t sure how, check out the Shen Life Teachings at www.shen-life.com. It explains in great detail what we all must do!

Hello world!

Hello.This is the beginning of many commentaries of mine on all things of life, spirituality and developing a Shen Life.

Visit www.shen-life.com to read more about the Shen Life Teachings.

My best,
Stephen