If a guru is necessary, a guru will happen. I don’t know if it’s necessary for you. I can say that for some people, it is necessary, because existence brings it about - it happens. Who are we to judge whether it’s some sort of ‘weakness’ or ‘projection’ (or the opposite - a requirement) to have a guru?
The appearance of a guru in human form may or may not happen in a spiritual seeker’s lifetime of experience.
I don’t know why it happened in my case - destiny, I suppose. I do know that one month before events conspired to bring me to Mumbai to meet my teacher, I had prayed fervently: "God, if there is a teacher out there for me, please, I pray with all my heart, let me meet him or her."
You see, I was done. D-O-N-E with the seeking. I was tired of chasing tails. And I had lost hope that there could be a teacher out there for me - a sage so perfectly transparent and trustworthy that I could surrender in my heart and mind. It is said that is what it often takes before a person is ready to surrender. I thought it could never happen for me. (Heck, there's even a chapter in my Bindi Girl book about my guru allergy!)It was Thanksgiving Day when I first entered the home of Ramesh Balsekar (1917-2009). In the three years I spent with him, I found him flawless, perfect in his understanding of advaita vedanta, and he was a master teacher. I never heard him miss a beat.
They say when we meet our guru, it is perfection. That was my experience. My guru was perfect for me in every way. And therefore, it must also be perfect that Ramesh is no longer here in physical form, having left the body in September 2009. Though I miss him with all my heart, I trust that there are reasons as to why I only got to be with my teacher for a short period. Perhaps it's because I need to be back in the West, and not tied to India. Perhaps three years were all I needed to be at the guru's feet. Perhaps the transmission, and our time together, were simply complete.
In one of our final private discussions a few months before Ramesh left the body, he asked me if I'd written yet about the teaching, the "downloaded" understanding of advaita (non-duality). I said no, that it hadn't happened yet. Perhaps it is now arising... words to express the ineffable.
This is the first time in four years I haven't been able to be in Mumbai to celebrate the birthday (jayanti) of my beloved guru, born May 25, 1917. To express my infinite gratitude and celebration, I am posting a short series of unpublished writings about my connection to Ramesh.
Thank you Ramesh-Guruji!
And thank you to grand-guru, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
I'm so happy to be a part of this lineage.
With love,
Everything is changing on earth these days - the planet is going through its share of shakeups and we are also feeling the shifts as a species. For this reason, it is more that our immune systems are super-charged. And, with the regenerative vibes of spring in the air, I felt it was a good time to feature an interview on wellness and vitality.
I met Cathleen at a health fair in 2007 – an invisible hand pushed me in the direction of her booth. My intuition told me to trust her as I sorely needed her help. I’d returned from India with a bad case of parasites – NOT fun. Allopathic medicine prescribed pharmaceuticals, which killed about 70% of the critters, but another 30% were still active in my system and were making me crazy both physically and mentally.
Cathleen did a full health analysis of my system, and within two to three months of natural food, herbal, and vitamin remedies, I was rid of parasites and healthier than before. Since that time, I’ve consulted with Cathleen on a regular basis, with phenomenal results. I consider her to be my primary health and wellness consultant. Since I love to share off-the-beaten path finds with Travel and Soul readers, I wanted you to know about Cathleen's services, too.
Wellness from Within:
Health Interview with Cathleen Waraner of Dancing Diagnostics
Erin Reese: Cathleen, thanks for talking with us today. How did you come into this field of alternative health, nutrition, and wellness?
Cathleen Waraner: First, through an automobile accident in 1975, in which I almost died. The near-death experience left me with the gift of seeing what is happening inside a person’s body. The nutritional and alternative healing wisdom is a thirty-plus year body of knowledge concerning food, herbs, and vitamins as medicine. I began to apply my gift of intuitive sight along with alternative healing in 1983 when my eldest daughter was deathly ill. She was in the children’s hospital and treatment was not successful at all, when I met a woman who recommended sending her hair for analysis to a company in Arizona. Through hair analysis, we learned that my daughter had dramatic allergies to wheat, among other things. We started right away to heal her with herbs and food changes. I became, of course, highly interested in hair analysis, which I now do myself through dowsing with a pendulum.
ER: Can you tell me how you came to work with a pendulum?
CW: In 1991, I met a healer named Phyllis Williams in Calistoga. She used her pendulum with great results to help others make the changes they needed. This reminded me that as a child, I would go to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and stare at that huge pendulum that knocks down the pegs as it moves with the Earth’s energy. You may have seen it?
ER: Oh, yes, I love that – the Foucault Pendulum!
CW: Exactly. I used to stand there and watch it for long periods of time, fascinated. Pendulums can test energy qualities of objects and information, and it has been scientifically proven, like dowsing.
ER: You use dowsing with a pendulum in your work. Can you tell us more about that?
CW: I learned the art of dowsing for water when I was six years old, from my grandfather. I like to use pear sticks, but I can even use willow or wire rods. Today, I use the pendulum for dowsing to search for specific information about a person’s health. Dowsing is no longer considered strange. Scientists are now using pendulums for dowsing themselves and dowsing is approved by the American Academy of Sciences, the UN Department of Education, and the British Academy of Sciences, just to name a few.
ER: And you use pendulums to dowse for health and wellness information from your clients’ hair?
CW: Yes, the great thing about hair analysis is that I don’t actually need to be physically present with the person in order to do a health work-up. What happens is that the person sends me a few strands from combing, after sleeping on unwashed hair overnight. When I get the hair, I do the full analysis, uninterrupted, from my own home office, and we go over the information by telephone. We can go really in-depth this way.
ER: What kinds of information do you get through this analysis?
CW: We determine whether you are assimilating your nutrients, whether you are acid or alkaline, whether you have enzyme depletion or not. We see if you are sufficient in fats, carbohydrates, protein, and minerals. We can see how your blood sugar is regulating, and if you’re dehydrated. We see if you are getting enough of the right oils, enough water, salts, and so on. We also see if you have enough of the key amino acids, which are vital for the brain and nervous system, and the immune system. We go through a health checklist, examining the glands and organs…
ER: That’s amazing that you can see all this with pendulum dowsing.
CW: Yes, the main thing is that it is a complete wellness analysis. I check for allergies, too. This is really important: people are getting more allergies through new pesticide use on non-organic foods. We can see if people have environmental toxins in their system, or irregular cells.
ER: What happens once you do the analysis?
CW: Then I step into the coaching part of my work – food therapy, health education, and lifestyle counseling. I am a complete supporter of organic food. I had one of the first organic farms in the Napa Valley back in 1993, called Wild Boar Run Untamed Organic Specialties.
It is really important for people to understand that the nutritional quality of organic foods has a much higher nutritional impact on the body. Organics have a higher vibrational frequency, which truly supports our system.
ER: A lot of people say they can’t afford to buy all organic, but it seems they can’t afford not to.
CW: That’s right, we have to get away from pesticide poisoning, which is a major problem for our immune system. I’m also a big supporter of eating locally – I encourage the “Farm to Table” approach. Organics are in our best interest. Otherwise, we are constantly stressing the body, detoxing whatever we eat – all those pesticides cause greater imbalances in our system.
ER: It’s super important to keep our immune systems strong these days, with all the viruses…
CW: Yes, we have to keep our nervous systems strong, and our bodies disease-resistant. Also, we can’t eat factory farm animals or animal products that are pumped with antibiotics. If the animal has been fed antibiotics, WE get the antibiotics. This IS contributing to more colds, influenzas, and infections in humans in general. If someone has to choose between a vegetarian lifestyle and eating factory-farmed animal products, I’d rather they eat vegetarian.
ER: Who should contact you for a consultation?
CW: Anyone who is interested in enhancing his or her well-being. I help people feel and look and BE more radiant. I help them get stronger to resist the emerging bugs and viruses that are the greatest threat to our species today. I can help people boost the immune system so that they have NO downtime with colds and influenzas, and help people have more strength. People often don’t realize how sick they already are.
ER: I know. You’ve helped me fight off some major viruses. I’ve been amazed at what you’ve helped me with!
CW: You’re also a person who is truly committed to her health, and the world needs more people who are positive, healthy, radiant, and spiritually gifted. Food and lifestyle coaching can help others in this way.
ER: I’m surprised at how we continue to turn to drugs and pharmaceuticals when there are natural ways to heal the body. People are often fatigued, or spaced-out, have vertigo, or are depressed or have constant low-grade infections – and you can help them see if it’s an allergy or heavy metals through environmental poisoning, or if they have parasites or a bacterial infection. This is why I wanted to share your work with Travel and Soul readers… so they can find out if they’ve got some sort of imbalance throwing off their whole system… So people should call you for an appointment?
CW: Yes, they can call me to discuss their health goals and if we decide we want to work together, I charge $250 for the complete consultation, write-up, and two follow-up phone sessions over a four-week period.
ER: I think your prices are very reasonable for the amount of wisdom and attention you give to your clients.
CW: Yes, and children or babies are only $100.00 – I do like to work with children! I also work with animals. For that: horses are $85, dogs are $65, and cats are $45.
ER: I’ve been amazed – everything you’ve ever shared with me as worked, and every time you recommend something food or supplement-wise, you always tell me the most cost-efficient way to do it, and the very best company to buy it from. I want everyone to know that they can truly feel better and be healthy on the deepest level possible.
CW: The healthier we are, the more aligned we can be with nature and the cycles of our lives, and walk in balance, be happier, and more radiant.
ER: Thank you, Cathleen. This is a great spring kick-off article – real food for the soul.
CW: And thank you, Erin!
Wellness Counselor Cathleen Waraner of Dancing Diagnostics works by telephone and in person by appointment. For more information, call Cathleen directly at (707) 279-8358. She can also be reached by email at dancingdiagnostics@yahoo.com.
In Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, climber Aron Ralston saws off his own arm in order to survive. I have never been stuck in a Moab desert crevice, but I have experienced trauma in which I’ve been trapped and terrified. Even if we haven’t been in a major life-threatening situation, we’ve all felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes, the hardships of existence feel just like that canyon fissure, don’t they?
Facing the Self
Just below the surface, 127 Hours is about a young man coming out of extreme selfishness. Our hero realizes how narrow-minded he’s become: not needing anyone for anything, ever - and not giving of himself to anyone, either.
At the end of the film, Aron gushes, calling to his rescuers, “Help! I need help!” and we know he is talking about much more than medical attention: he is talking about the human condition, the need for interpersonal connection in order to get through this thing called Life. Aron’s existential bubble of destructive self-centeredness has popped; he can’t make it alone.
The guiding image that inspires Aron to make the final cut is that of his unborn child. This vision is revealed as his future son in a delirious premonition. We can also interpret this adorable boy to be the as-yet-unborn – unclaimed – part of Aron's self that wants to survive: this is raw Life Force appearing as his Inner Child. (I also like the symbolism of the son-flower on Aron’s t-shirt.)
On its deepest level, this film is about liberation. Aron goes for FREEDOM in its rawest sense.
In severing his arm, Aron doesn’t know if he’ll pass out from the agony, or if he’ll bleed to death. He has no choice but to take the risk, and face the horror of it all. IF we come to the point in our life where we are TRULY ready to be free, we have to face everything. We have to be willing to face the death of the “me.”
The Death of the "Me"
How do we ‘do’ this facing? Through the process of inquiry, called vichara, we allow it all. We go with the tiniest tad of willingness – sometimes kicking and screaming and frothing and flailing, but go we must!
We LOOK underneath the pain, the suffering, the agony, the horror. Through the inquiry process, we keep going, into and through the black hole of grief and loss to the point of Nothingness – the Nothingness that is everything, the fullness, the plenum.
In order to truly realize liberation, we must face the fear of our very own death on the deepest soul level. Absolutely, it can feel like we’re cutting off our own arm, or even decapitating ourselves. If we’ve suffered enough, banging our heads against the wall by seeking here, there, and everywhere for happiness, we may finally get to the point where we raise the white flag of surrender.
I call that moment Grace.
I’ve observed in great teachers and in my own direct experience that effective surrender has to be total. It has to be the only thing that matters in your whole life – more important than any desire, relationship, worldly acquisition, or outcome. And, like Aron Ralston found out: you have to be willing to face your own death.
The Ultimate Freedom
It’s not surprising that a key song in 127 Hours is called “Liberation Begins.” Liberation is a process, and a moment. In Aron Ralston’s case, it takes five days of crushing inquiry, but he eventually sees that it's built up over a lifetime. Everything has to happen exactly this way in order for him to wake up.
In this moment of realization Aron tells us: “Everything... just comes together. It's me. I chose this. I chose all this. This rock... this rock has been waiting for me my entire life. Its entire life, ever since it was a bit of meteorite a million, billion years ago. In space… It's been waiting, to come here. Right, right here. I've been moving towards it my entire life. The minute I was born, every breath that I've taken, every action has been leading me to this crack on the outer surface.”
We don’t have to be stuck in a Utah canyon with nothing more than a cheap Made-In-China chisel to try and pry ourselves loose. We’re already stuck in the crevice, the crevice of our own limited mind, right here and now. We’re already in the perfect position to face everything, because it’s all before us and in us. We don’t have to go anywhere – not India, not church, not even out of the house.
In fact, it’s often more useful to not move at all. Just stop. Face everything. Face the blood, the gore, the severing of the nerve. Have the nerve to go there.
It doesn’t have to be all at once (though it might happen that way); you can start to inquire anytime - little by little, day after day - as it arises. Die to your concepts, beliefs, and constructs that give you the illusion of safety. Be willing to die to that which gives you a false sense of identity, a “me.” Find out what is unchanging – that which never dies.
This is ultimate freedom, and nothing can ever take it away.
You have enclosed yourself in time and space, squeezed yourself into the span of a lifetime and the volume of a body and thus created the innumerable conflicts of life and death, pleasure and pain, hope and fear. You cannot be rid of problems without abandoning illusions. Fight with all the strength at your disposal against the idea that you are nameable and describable.
~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That
“Are you the one for me?”It being the month of amor, I decided to find out more. Since I have an inside connection to a professional love alchemist-astrologer, I knew exactly who to ask. Who is this love alchemist extraordinaire? Her name is Jessica Shepherd, long-time cosmic teammate, and one of the best colleague astrologers I know.
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to assist Jessica with her book project. As developmental editor, I helped prepare her manuscript for publication as well as the proposal that landed her a sweet deal. The result? Jessica’s masterpiece, A Love Alchemist’s Notebook: Magical Secrets for Drawing Your True Love Into Your Life, earning a fantastic feather-in-cap of a Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review. Bravo!
Yesterday, I caught up with Jessica to discuss just a few of the principles in her book. Being Valentine's weekend, it was a perfect time for a Travel and Soul interview on the topic of soulful love...
Love and Soul:
An Interview with Jessica Shepherd
Erin Reese: Jessica, we have so much to discuss. We’re going to have to break this interview up over a series!
Jessica Shepherd: I know. This is such a rich area – soulful love.
ER: I’m reminded of the power of your book. Remember, when I was editing the manuscript, how I was living in India and working on it every day? I had several experiences when my heart chakra actually began throbbing while reading certain sections of the book!
JS: Yes, I’ve since heard from several readers that the presence of A Love Alchemist’s Notebook, in itself, is powerful enough to open someone’s heart. Some tell me they keep the book on their nightstand as a sort of talisman – there is a sympathetic magic to attract true love, just by its physical presence. After a talk I gave in Vienna, a woman came up to me and told me how having the book in her house transformed her space. She felt more feminine, fun, receptive, joyful, magnetic energy – it was like Venus Herself was emanating out of the book!
What Is a Soul Mate?
ER: Jessica, your book focuses on attracting one’s true love. Do you believe that we have just one soul mate for life?
JS: We have many soul mates, and we have one. It’s a paradox. I define a soul mate as a person who brings us closer to our authenticity, our power, and fulfilling our dreams. That’s the kind of person we want to spend the rest of our lives with! A soul mate brings us closer to our self, opening us to who we truly are. The locus of a soul mate relationship has more joy and love than pain.
ER: That resonates. I can feel my heart chakra when you say that. It’s true!
JS: I’ve had many soul mate relationships – my sister, my grandmother, a friend who was like a surrogate partner for me for four years. Even if a relationship ends through death, divorce, or departure, it can still be a soul mate relationship. A soul mate relationship feels as if it can last forever; it does hold you in your truth and help you to self-actualize in a loving way.
What Do We Mean By “The One”?
ER: So if we have many soul mates, what do we mean when we say we are looking for “The One”?
JS: We do have a romantic mate, a partner that seems to travel with us from lifetime to lifetime. We may go a lifetime without meeting them, or live part of our lives without them. This is information I have gleaned through intuition and through studying reincarnation. This is a sexual, romantic partnership – with the soulful qualities of love and joy and self-actualization – that lasts. It’s also interesting to note that we have soul pods, or soul families, that seem to incarnate together over time to help us grow and evolve.
ER: It seems like over-emphasizing finding “The One” could be really limiting.
JS: Yes, it can be dangerous. We live in a culture where romantic love is shoved down our throats. We are raised and conditioned to look for princes and princesses. That viewpoint is not really arriving. It may be a piece to a puzzle, or may cause a delay in growth. That being said, romance is important in all soulful relationships to keep love alive: shared tenderness, eye-gazing, sexual satisfaction. Busy couples may need date nights – the type of romantic support varies. But romance is important to cultivate.
What Are Karmic Mates?
ER: One of the most interesting sections of your book, to me, Jessica, is the section on “Karmic Mates versus Soul Mates.” As someone who has had a series of relationships that have all helped me grow, I want to know more about this.
JS: Karmic Mates are special people, too! What do I mean by karma? I like Osho’s definition, that karma means ‘incomplete action.’ There is something to resolve. Karmic mates are people with whom we have previously agreed to exchange a gift, a lesson, a healing with in this lifetime, or to resolve an old pattern with. The difference between a karmic mate and a soul mate is that, with karmic mates, we WILL complete it at some point. With soul mates, it feels it could go on forever – it is open-ended. Yet with karmic mates, there is some point of resolution.
ER: How do we know we’ve completed the karma, then?
JS: We recognize it because at some point the relationship becomes compulsive. Instead of love, something has to work itself out.
ER: Oooo, the relationship becomes compulsive with a karmic mate. That’s clear! It’s like a record that starts skipping.
JS: Exactly. We cling to it and get wrapped up in identification with the relationship and the pain body. That’s a karmic relationship.
ER: If someone has a lot of short-term relationships, should they feel they are doing something ‘wrong’? People can easily feel like they’re screwing up if they don’t have one long-term partnership.
JS: Not at all. Many people have many relationships with many fascinating people who turn us on to different parts of ourselves. The quality and ration and lessons will be different from person to person. There’s no cause to feel bad. It’s cause to cherish and really look. It’s possible it’s not in the cards to be with 'The One' right away or even in this lifetime. It’s truly about loving the ones we’re with. Be soulful with the ones we’re with now. That’s real spiritual romance.
Soulful Love
ER: So even if we’re with a karmic mate, we can be soulful… and ‘burn through’ karma quicker? That’s powerful, the simple understanding that I’m meant to put my whole heart into it, no matter what.
JS: Exactly. Bring all of your self, your knowing, your wisdom – all that you’ve learned through past relationships. Bring all of it to the current situation, with whomever you find yourself with. Be in the heart space together, find out the truth of what you are and be open to whatever you’re going to exchange with this person. It’s the freeing power of authenticity.
ER: It’s one of my favorite sayings, “The truth shall set you free.” I’ve found it to be truly liberating! To see the truth of who a person is…
JS: Right. We must break the conditioned con game that it has to look like X, Y, or Z to be meaningful. Maybe a mate can’t give you everything you want, but look at what they are offering you. Maybe he can teach you guitar, maybe she can inspire you to practice yoga or meditation. Find out the truth of what they are, and what they are offering, and be in that.
ER: That’s deep, Jessica. I feel it. When I see the truth of who a person is, my heart is blown wide open, and there is real energy and ecstasy – a blissful peace of acceptance. That seems to be what we’re after anyway, so we can experience it anytime, no matter who we’re with.
JS: Yes, that is soulful love!
ER: “Love the one you’re with.” Thanks, Jessica. I look forward to our next interview!
JS: Thank YOU, Erin. You were a big part of bringing A Love Alchemist’s Notebook into manifestation! Surely it is working in your own life and your Travel and Soul readers will benefit too!
To order your copy of Jessica Shepherd's A Love Alchemist’s Notebook from Amazon click here.
To receive one of Jessica's truly astonishing, specialty love astrology readings, email her here. Tell her you read about her on Travel and Soul, and you’ll receive a free Alchemical Goddess Venus report with any love reading. This is a special Valentine's offer good through February 17.
"I am delighted with the confident, graceful way Jessica Shepherd blends astrology, metaphysics, positive Pagan spellcraft, and plain chicken-soup wisdom." ~ Stephen Forrest, author of The Inner Sky"Shepherd's approach is rooted in fundamentals - self-confidence, wisdom, and patience - and effectively makes enlightenment fun. A welcoming oasis for those who feel stranded by lower-your-expectations dating guides." ~ Publisher's Weekly starred review, February 8, 2010
"You may know the groundbreaking creativity book, The Artists Way by Julia Cameron. Jessica Shepherd's A Love Alchemists Notebook is THE Artists Way for love, relationship, and romance, with a complete creativity system to attract love into ones life. The alchemical principles are timeless, and the exercises within WORK." ~ Erin Reese, Travel and Soul Media
1. Whale Watching
3. Nude Bodysurfing
