“Shadow work has helped me better integrate the whole of who I am. I used breath work and other modalities as mediums to bring healing and awareness into my life. Although it helped me uncover much of what was hidden in my subconscious, I was still suffering greatly.  I was feeling fragmented, confused, and unbalanced. Working on my shadow traits with Julia, has enabled me to see my life through a different perspective. This has been about learning to look at the many sides and colors of my ego with attention and acceptance instead of allowing my ego to act on behalf of my conscious being.

I am now more in my power to make decisions that are aligned with my true self… great lessons about patience and perseverance. There are no magic pills to make life problem free, or have someone else absolve me of taking care of challenges. This work has been totally about ME, my process of learning to take care of myself, and to be accountable for my words and actions. The power of shadow work is not only in the lessons I just described, but more in Julia’s unique way of conveying a message in very subtle ways that the soul can recognize, her unshakable support and her conviction at the possibility to bring about change.”

LaTru – Administrative Ranch Assistant

 

“Shadow Work is the most important and significant work of my life. The dedication required to look at ALL aspects of my being, ALL the time, is challenging, but the only way to peace. There is much drama and trauma in the world. Learning and practicing skills to see clearly through chaos and cultivate compassion where there is suffering, transforms the negative into the positive.  This is only achieved through integrating our dark and light sides within, and learning to implement self-care.

The result: authenticity in being, deep understanding of life as it is, and the knowledge that we can transform and heal our self and the planet.”

L’aura C – Writer / Agent

“Shadow Work with Julia George, has been a life altering experience.  Gaining the courage to face all parts of myself and my projections from the past is what has allowed me to live in peace regardless of the chaos that exists around me.  I learned to create the life I want and stop expecting those around me to be someone they are not.  I can accept them for who they are, which ultimately is me accepting myself as I am.

This work has helped me personally as well as professionally.  As a psychotherapist I now integrate the concepts into my work with clients that are ready and willing to face themselves.  I see it as an essential aspect of a person’s life long transformation.  I believe that this intense yet relatively short-term work can get us to the root of our story and allowing us to create a more balanced lifestyle more than we’ve ever known.  I am seeing results in my clients that I personally experienced by doing the work and believe in it.  Living each day in awareness and having peace even in the most difficult circumstances is the freedom we long for and awaits us when we are truly ready to let go of what no longer works and trusting that the universe will always provide us with what we need.”

Jenn N – Licensed Addiction Specialist

 

“I first contacted Julia when my wife and I first separated, from the recommendation of two very close friends. Julia’s approach was welcoming and she helped guide me in a non-threatening but truthful and enlightening process to deal with my dark repressed self.

For 38 years I had been burying problems and denying them the conscious space they deserve.  In turn, I continued to attract the same energy and relationships.  Julia guided me through a process to recognize, accept, and let go of my negative feelings and thoughts.  Over the years I have not been fully present because I have distracted myself to not deal with the challenging issues that affected my life.

Learning how to be present and finding happiness in just being is an art.  I now work on it every day and would not have been able to without the work I have done with Julia.  Doing was my specialty.   Julia taught me how to just be.  Spending time being while balancing doing has brought an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness into my life.  I am grateful to focus more time living in the light instead of the lurking in the shadows.”

Randal G – Firefighter / Paramedic

 

By Laura Castanza and Julia George ©2014

One of the many gifts we receive with the human body is a brain that can reason over our instinctual nature and resolve conflict through communication. This intention naturally establishes healthy boundaries.  It is the soul of our humanity to preserve and revere others, initiate unification when we misunderstand, and maintain a safe space for self-care.  This human ability has greater potential than practice given the level of dis-ease on planet Earth.  Yet, the prevailing level of suffering between all living things can lessen when we work towards healing our hurts within.

It is common for us to quickly judge and blame others for our suffering. This reaction is an angry defense mechanism loaded with misinformation as we direct this aggression towards others in search of relief.  The illusion of “fault” comes from the tainted perceptions traditionalized by generations of belief systems, and recreates our pain and separateness.  We look outside of our self for sources of our misery such as our job, our spouse, the world, the weather, the traffic, etc…  Rarely do we look within to what we have created, based on our life story up to this point.  If we are unaware and lacking insight to see the pattern of our past experiences, we project our unhealed issues onto the world around us, recreating scenarios over and over again.

Codependency, the reliance on others to value/validate us, is a primary mode in our relating.  Most often we are distracted by the perceptions of others over our own, and live according to those views.  It manifests through feelings of need to belong and be accepted, and it is a direct reflection of how our caregivers perceived themselves.  Often, we unknowingly seek and attract energy that supports the role(s) bestowed upon us by others.  This impairs our inner vision, and any level of authenticity is sacrificed as we disappear in a façade.  Conflict naturally arises when expectations are not met in our relationships.

Conflict is the result of subtle indicators that culminate into an apex for change.  Sometimes termed as a “crisis of commitment”, a tacit agreement exists and supports the status quo of a relationship between people; then suddenly, something challenges it to change.  When this occurs, we are called to reevaluate the relationship.  Circumstances sometimes force us to heal without others, to find creative resolution when the crisis/conflict abruptly ends the relationship with communication having been severed.  This is mostly due to an emotional trigger that exposes perceptual differences and a significant variance or lack of communication from our life story (cultural, societal, familial upbringing).  Such conflict exposes the deepest and darkest issues in need of healing.

Perceptual differences as to how a situation, circumstance, or event plays out, is what creates conflict in the first place.  Again, our story or past experience dictates the intensity of the conflict.  What is not seen is the responsibility of each participant in creating the situation.  If we believe that everything happens for a reason, for the benefit of our physical and spiritual evolution, there is a greater chance of resolve.  But if we take the position of falling victim to the conflict, the emotional wound touched upon will continue to fester for the next reminder creating the same situation possibly with different players and circumstances.

To be in conflict is uncomfortable for most, yet it is always revealed as an opportunity for growth.  As children we experience a physical growth spurt, and in adult form the discomfort is more significantly through the emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies.  Processes that can aid us in minimizing conflict while still promoting the growth of our soul are consistent, conscious communication and the creation of healthy boundaries.

Healthy boundaries come from a clear and distinct perception of what is “right” and “wrong” for us based on our belief system, virtues and values.  Boundaries (or lack thereof), are established in our formative years, and are maintained or built upon through continued experiences as adults.  Unfortunately, most of us lacked clear and concise boundaries growing up.  As we become more aware, we can establish healthy boundaries, and become diligent at maintaining them even if we were not taught at an early age.

In establishing healthy boundaries with others, there is no need to draw a line in the sand or dictate to others what they are NOT to do to us.  Instead, we must take a proactive approach and NOT participate in uncomfortable and unhealthy behavior.  As a result, we establish a personal standard, not a soap box dictation of “how the world should operate”.  Our self esteem will prove our success, because if we do not feel good in our being, we allow our boundaries to be violated and will participate in situations to our detriment.

We are all operating from a foundation in which others have no clue.  Therefore, boundaries have no meaning without consistent and conscious communication.  Although we owe no one an explanation for our actions, it is helpful in understanding why we make decisions we do that affect others.  Our intention in sharing this information must consciously come from the heart without an emotional charge.  All too often, our subconscious and ego self is edging for personal gain and advancement, or working out and acting out our back story.

Emotional awareness, knowing how we feel and/or what feelings are driving our current actions/decisions, will minimize the conflict in our life.  Conflict always begins within.  Usually we participate in something that does not resonate with our higher self, feel trepidation or engage in activity before we clearly know what it is we are doing (an auto-response).  If no one else is involved, we are lucky to clean up our own mess. But if the conflict within involves others, we have asked for a lesson.  Granted, it is for the betterment of all in the long run, but if we can communicate a healthy boundary, a need, or mere uncertainty with those we involve, we can divert conflict and perhaps engage in a resolution without escalating what truly is an internal conflict.

When conflict escalates and we are at odds with one another, it is most beneficial to allow others an opportunity to speak their truth.  We all have a right to be heard, and have the unique ability to heal our self and this world through the gift of consciousness.  Why not participate in the learning process of healing misunderstanding?  Even if a relationship does not resort back to its original identity (friends, partners, co-workers, etc…), it will evolve as intended through a better understanding of the perceptions at play.

Resolving conflict happens in facing our painful reminders from the past, taking responsibility in creating the situation for our healing, and transforming the negative beliefs that keep us apart and in darkness. This heals all and creates the “Peace on Earth”, we long to achieve.

For more information or to discuss this article one-on-one, contact Julia George/Aquarian Age @ 561.750.9292

By Laura Castanza and Julia George ©2013

What distinguishes the human species from any other on the planet is the level of emotion we experience. Although other species experience and express emotion, the complexity of human emotion surpasses that of the natural world. Every experience we have lived through since our conception is linked by the mind and intellect to feelings which become the foundation of our reality, limiting our view. It is only through self exploration and the desire to break free of this narrow view of our self and this world, are we able to actually change the way we feel. This task is the most arduous of healing our self; and like building a muscle, it must be practiced religiously if we are to transform.

Emotional awareness is the key component to present moment awareness, the awareness of our surroundings including the feelings that arise during each experience. Yet often we are not present in the moment as thoughts from the past prelude our aspirations for the future. In this meantime (the present), we are absent and therefore recreate experiences mostly to our displeasure. To successfully interrupt and transform such patterns, we must objectively observe our emotional states.

Our five senses (taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell) are the primal indicators of where we are in relation to our physical surroundings; however the sixth sense commonly referred to as our intuition, is emotionally based. It can assess situations and guide us prior to the initiation of our other five senses. But because our sixth sense has not been perceived like the other five, we tend to disregard the information received, because feelings are not tangible. To discern what is truly happening an objective approach to all sensory awareness is necessary.

How are we able to objectively approach our senses? Only the word “discipline” can describe what it takes to be more than ever thought possible. When we awaken to the more spiritual significance of our existence on this planet, there is greater ease in objectifying our experiences as we become more connected to the interrelatedness of the Universe. We begin to understand more fully the effect we have on our surroundings, and seek change. The discipline necessary to offset our previously unconscious drives is to retrain and recreate our self through our most intelligent body, the mind.

The mind is the library/computer of our life, taking in information, cataloging and categorizing all our experiences for future reference. If we are living unconsciously, the mind operates on autopilot, sending signals to react to stimuli based on current sensory input and past memory of the feelings that arise. We are primitive in such a state, labeling what we are feeling as pleasure or pain and pass judgment. Judgment acts as a self-defense mechanism comprised of dark criticisms projected onto others in an effort to hide our own inadequacies and feelings of low self esteem. It becomes most obvious when we label others or situations as “good” or “bad”. Conversations with others denoting complaint, dissatisfaction, sarcasm, and/or condescension indicate self judgment being expressed.

Judgment is not entirely negative as we can assess dangerous or high risk scenarios. However, when we pass judgment in common life situations while interacting with others, we hinder our ability to receive new information necessary for our growth. Judgment alone does not prevent us from experiencing something new; it is the attachment to our perception that holds our judgment firmly in place, keeping us disconnected from others. When our perception is locked down, then our feelings (usually negative) remain supported as well.

In a world where love rules, it could be argued that strong holds in perception and feeling are positive. But our existence is one of duality where we experience love and fear, joy and sorrow, right and wrong, light and dark, etc… When we cling to one or the other, we impede the flow of life. Holding onto any of these feelings leaves us trapped, stuck, and destined to repeat painful cycles. It is a Universal law that nothing remains the same. If we accept this truth, then our life will improve.

Acceptance of all beings and life as it is, is the first step towards shifting our perceptions and changing the way we feel. It is only from this grounded position that we have the stability to see the problem so that we can change it. Often times we try to control everything around us externally, instead of working with the sensation driven feelings internally. Because we “react” to sensations more than “respond” with intelligence to situations, we make less than adequate decisions. The lure is immediate gratification, and when that is sought, self sacrifice or self sabotage results.

We have a fair amount of energy to put into our choices, without overriding our senses with intelligence, or vice versa. Normally, we are compelled to follow and satisfy our senses, a primal or lower level drive reinforced by the standards of our predecessors and peers kept firmly in place for generations. Yet when we engage our emotional awareness, the same amount of energy can be applied towards conscious choices through linking our mind with our emotions. The result is heart-felt rational choices that positively affect a bigger picture.

Practicing emotional awareness is our most challenging endeavor. We are constantly reacting to external stimuli through instinct which causes us to resist or run from most situations. To effectively practice, we often must decelerate our self to engage in present moment awareness; literally slow our self down. This naturally transforms our reactions to appropriate responses. The best means towards this transformation is through conscious breathing.

When we consciously breathe, our focus shifts to self care and wellness. It also opens our heart space through the mere action of air intake. Our chest widens and becomes more flexible with each breath. The life force we invite in becomes the dominant energy in the situation, calming our mind and surrounding environment. The whole world seems to respond more positively, and a manageable moment is created. Even if we are in the presence of another who is losing control, we maintain a healthier level through this primary self care mechanism; the one “losing it” is more likely to calm down when no one “buys into” or is affected by the projection.

Even when we open our heart space and become better at receiving information, we still must observe our mind’s interpretations carefully. It took a lifetime to make us, and can take the remainder (or more) to change our feelings. Our attitudes reflect our current thinking process. When we are not consciously practicing a spiritual belief system that supports inner peace, we can easily become derailed by the suddenness of life. As soon as we regain consciousness/awareness of what is happening, we can simply decide whether our attitude is positive or negative. Do we see possibilities or a dead-end? History tends to steer our thinking to dead-end, but when we “lighten up” through our awareness, we can embrace challenge and embrace change with open arms.

Changing the way we feel through disciplined practice is well and good. But a close spiritual support system is necessary to hold these truths to the fire, and call us out on any discrepancies in our thought processes and actions. There is little hope in seeking to change through our own work if we surround our self with negative living or work situations and people that want to keep everything “status quo”. When we surround our self with a network of positive energy, we are more likely to succeed in truly shifting the way we feel, bringing greater peace within as well as light and authenticity to this world.

For more information or to discuss this article one-on-one, contact Julia George/Aquarian Age @ 561.750.9292

by Laura Castanza and Julia George 2012

As we travel in the human body on Earth, our physical existence requires our primary concentration. We seek all the essentials to keep us alive (food, water, shelter), as well as our perceived needs (money, job, a mate). When we consider what constitutes our own species, what we as human beings are actually made of, we discover that our physical self is only a small part of who we really are, and our perceived needs may be far less than actual.

Our physical body exists as a vessel carrying us from place to place, but the intricacies of our mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies, wield much more power and depth in creating our reality. We can link our physical self scientifically to genetics but our inner bodies are much more enigmatic as they reside beneath our superficial self. The energy of these bodies contained mostly in our subconscious, manifests in all of our experiences.

The subconscious lies beneath consciousness; a purgatory between the unconscious and total awareness. Our subconscious contains a wealth of self knowledge and has the potential to bring forth light. But, it often suppresses truth beginning with our karmic entry and the experiences we’ve chosen to evolve our soul to higher levels.

These experiences from this or past lifetimes, becomes“our story”. It is a cumulative compilation of familial, cultural, and societal influences we have lived prior to our self awareness. Our own personal story along with the story of each and every member of our human family is collectively known as “the human condition”. This “condition” consists of nothing more than subconscious energy.

Today this “human condition” is one of suffering because in an unaware state, we are more apt to react from the damaged parts of our psyche. Had we a truly loving upbringing, suffering still exists in the world and is felt at energetic levels. As our species works toward self awareness and mastery, the collective consciousness will shift more rapidly, healing us and the planet.

The subconscious is like a magnet attracting situations, people, and circumstances to help us attain what we need to heal at a soul level. Whether positive or negative, our soul is challenged with the choice to fear OR embrace our life with love and transform. Fear or love is the only choice, as neither can exist in the same continuum. To make healthier choices, we must look deeply into our driving force.

Our motivation (drive) and our intention (goal) set the stage in our decision making. We often fail to realize the subconscious patterns at work in our life. A pattern can be described as functioning on “autopilot”, where we go about functioning in a familiar or mundane fashion with little to no thought at all. Present moment awareness requires us to be engaged in ways that evoke our emotions, while “autopilot” can sever our connection to life. How do we regain control?

The only control we have is in and of our mind; although, it may require a lifetime or more of self discipline to truly understand and work with our mind’s manifestations. Because we have a brain, we have the ability to explore the multitude of reasons and meanings associated with our intentions and actions.

Our intentions play out in our attempt to get our needs met. What we perceive/think we “need” in life is not necessarily what is needed for our soul’s advancement. Such thoughts and feelings of “need” can be: to find a mate, to make more money regardless of having enough, changing jobs or locale due to dissatisfaction…etc. The common motivator is a sense of lack and dissatisfaction of self. If our intentions are based on satisfying our wants (dictated by our personality/ego), the Universe will make a correction if our soul need does not align. We may find a mate, more money, a new job and/or town to live in, but our dissatisfaction will continue without awareness of our subconscious patterns in play. This is the reality of our journey.

When we embark on the journey of self awareness, it is commonly ignited by a major, painful occurrence in our life: a serious accident, an illness, a death, a failed relationship, loss of job, etc… Prior to such an occurrence, we’ve been operating on “autopilot”, with little to no thought about what’s going on within or around us. More than likely there have been warning signs or “red flags”telling us of a need to change, but we have been either oblivious or actively denying universal messages signaled in minor events leading to our awakening.

Not all awakenings are the result of drama or trauma; yet pain is part of the process, even when we experience a slow and steady rise to consciousness. It begins with the repetition of patterns we act out, surfacing from our subconscious mind. When we become aware of these patterns causing us pain, we are simultaneously given the opportunity to change our approach through thought, feeling, and action. This is a conscious awakening. But, if we have the same pain over seemingly different things, and fall victim to it, we will perpetuate the pattern and remain in darkness.

Each experience of pain is an indicator for growth, like when our body changes from child to adult. The pain associated with our growth in consciousness correlates to taking responsibility for our experience in every situation with all involved. There is a level of responsibility we accept (consciously or subconsciously), every time we engage with another. If we choose to look at our life as our creation, it gives us tremendous control to embrace the situation, do things differently, and create a better experience for everyone.

Emotional Awareness liberates us from our subconscious patterns. Identifying how we feel gradually moves us towards self knowledge through seeing how we operate, driving us towards divinity or doom. Knowing how we feel based on our story and tapping into the potential of being our best in the life we create, is the path towards healing. Harmony and awareness then replaces our old patterns of conflict and denial.

The Universe consistently reinforces our decisions in a way to show us who and where we are. The “answers” we seek reside in our own subconscious which lies just beneath the surface: our motivations/mind, feelings/emotion, and connection/spirit.  We must be willing to explore the vast landscape of our self through our mind, while proactively acknowledging the feelings that arise within each thought.  This journey to actualize the subconscious can take place at any time. Making that choice is the ultimate act of self love and our gift to the world.

For more information or to discuss this article one-on-one, contact Julia George/Aquarian Age @ 561.750.9292

By Laura Castanza and Julia George ©2012

One of the greatest challenges for souls who have chosen to reach higher consciousness in this lifetime is how to use our new found awareness and still address and endure a physical existence which is mostly operating at lower frequencies.

Once we awaken to the realization that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, our dilemma is creating balance between our awareness and the surrounding less conscious, physical world. Unless we are born in the context of a religious tradition that surrounds us with teachers and gurus in some monastic environment, we find our self in a unique position of trying to practice our spirituality among others who are largely unaware. Our ego struggles with its purpose to survive and be significant, while our spiritual self innately knows our purpose, the impermanence of our existence, and the bigger task at hand which is to heal and uncover/become the source of light we are. This duality can cause much suffering unless we recognize the conflict and incorporate the basics of our spiritual practice to resolving the issues in our daily life.

Our spiritual practice can be tied to religion or not, and is represented through our personal value system. Our practice usually brings us into a moment of awareness, connection, and contemplation with our presence here on Earth and that of the spiritual world. When we engage in our practice, we take time to enrich our self with prayer, meditation, and teachings/philosophies that reference and support our beliefs. Our value system is derived from this context and tends to direct us towards loving our self and others. We can spend minutes, hours, and days, studying scripture and teachings from masters, but it matters not if we do not feel the messages from within.

Hypocrisy is the result of knowing valuable teachings and practices towards betterment, yet unable to produce the antidote(s) in times of distress. A classic example would be engaging our self in a religious service, yoga class, or meditation, and then initiating or participating in road rage/anger on the way home. Intense emotions are part of the human condition, born of our story/upbringing, causing damage when we lack the immediate emotional awareness as to what is happening within us. Emotional awareness then becomes our savior.

Emotional awareness is when we identify what we feel at any given moment, and deal with those feelings consciously. Emotions are physical indicators followed by thought. Because we are energy, emotions sense undercurrents in every situation, and our response is physical before we even know what we think. Thoughts emerge almost immediately, referencing past experiences of pain or pleasure that leads to our reaction. If we feel pleasure, we’re apt to indulge in the situation. If we feel pain, a “fight or flight” reaction occurs. Either is bound to create further pain through the destruction of another and our self (fight), or the continuous avoidance of our issues (flight). There is an alternative.

Facing our emotions through identifying sensations and then lessening their intensity through self care, is our opportunity to create harmony and awareness in any situation. This is our chance to transform old patterns and reinforce our higher self. How do we do this? Through the basics of any spiritual practice: breathing, mindfulness, gratitude, and harmony.

Breathing is the first and foremost action we must take in any situation. If we don’t breathe, we cease to exist. When we consciously breathe, we are caring for our self and lessening the intensity of the situation (everybody benefits). Whatever is happening externally, beyond us, becomes secondary to our self-care whether the situation is serious or not.

Mindfulness is the monitoring of our thought process in the present moment. Our mind can be wild and unpredictable with the stories it creates in every situation. If we let it operate in an undisciplined manner (without our attention), we risk succumbing to a creation that is not in our best interest, nor in the light. Mindfulness is also referred to as moment-to-moment awareness; listening and responding thoughtfully (even if only an internal dialogue takes place).

Gratitude is being thankful for all of our opportunities, no matter what. We have choices, giving us what we need in our life. If we are on a spiritual path, we have an understanding that we are working towards healing our self. Healing takes effort, and is assigned to us through lessons related to the choices we make. It’s experiential learning. The more we become aware, the less drama we experience. We will still experience pain, loss, and the gamut of emotions; however the duration and suffering will lessen over the course of our lifetime (if we are truly feeling).

Harmony is contributing/shining our light in every situation. When interacting with others, it is important we bring our best self into the mix. This is not to say that we cannot or should not share our challenges with others; it means that we must deal with our self and not rely on others to carry our burden. There’s nothing in this life that will be too big for us to handle, otherwise we would not be subjected to it. The Universe is benevolent. Our emotional awareness propels us through every situation we encounter, getting us to the other side as quick as possible. This is why we are here.

The only path to share is the one we are walking. Those of us on a spiritual path have all stood on the “soap box” preaching to others; usually self-righteously while we spewed wisdom we had yet to practice. Words mean little without action, and our lack of action stems from our human condition. But, once we become aware of our discrepancies, we must own them, accept them, and move on. We move on through our actions; walking the talk. Once we know something to be true, there is no need to explain or justify with words unless another inquires.

How do we practice being spiritual in the physical world? By developing our support system. Without sharing the path with others who are choosing higher frequencies, we live in a vacuum unable to discern difference with acceptance; we remain at odds with all that we are. As we connect with those who are working to be in higher consciousness, we add positive energy to the collective without exhausting our self in the process. Living spiritually becomes an authentic manifestation of our true self, our true calling, and is the light of this world.

For more information or to discuss this article one-on-one, contact Julia George/Aquarian Age @ 561.750.9292

by Laura Castanza and Julia George

As we experience our human existence in physical form, there is a conscious and subconscious struggle with the duality of our earthly existence and its limitations beginning at birth and ending at death.  Without a map or clear direction of what is to come or how long we will remain on the planet, we can make great strides towards understanding our physical self in relation to our spiritual self.  This will inevitably bring balance to our finite existence in an infinite Universe.

If we believe our soul to be the great orchestrator of our journey, we make a conscious decision in the spiritual realm to incarnate as a human being in physical form.  The vessel we choose begins at conception including the circumstances that surround it, and develops in a meticulous and miraculous fashion.  Whether we are challenged with physical issues from the beginning, or develop them later, we are purposeful in this life in the context we’ve chosen (parents, culture, society).  Our form is a “base” energy, a sensory oriented body, navigating by instinct through our external existence, planet Earth.  It carries itself plus three other bodies: emotional, mental, and spiritual.

While the physical gives us mobility and outward presence to accomplish our purpose, it cannot do so independently.  To have sensory awareness of our environment, feeling is required. Feelings manifest from our brain and nervous system, but are expressed through our emotional body (our heart center) which processes stimuli.  When we experience being burned, our physical body will pull itself away to safety through instinct, and our emotional body will express the hurt/injury through verbal expression.  The emotional body is the “Expressor”, and we can gauge our own feelings and others through facial expressions: smiling, frowning, laughing, crying, etc.

Our mental body/mind relates all the experiences of our physical and emotional bodies through memory (our life to date).  The mind is mighty, constructing situations, absorbing information, and creating a personal reality around it.  It is a delicate tool, positively and negatively conditioned by everything we have been exposed to in our life.  If we consciously work to cultivate/train the mind, we’ll process situations through more reason and logic; if our mind is without discipline and we are functioning without awareness, we will suffer physically and emotionally from the mind’s perception of reality (our story).

Our spiritual body is our highest self, the whole core of our being.  This core consists of light, love, energy, essence, and is capable of transcending our Earth bound limitations through its ability to create our reality.  Our spirituality is the awakened soul; it knows we are part of the Universe and that everything is in order.  It oversees the health of our physical, emotional, and mental bodies through consciousness, and creates a balanced reality.  If we are less conscious and functioning predominantly at base levels, then the energy of our spiritual body diminishes, we become imbalanced, and we suffer through life.

Bridging the physical and the spiritual is the only solution to creating balance within every aspect of our being.  No one body can work independently of another as they have a healthy reliance (interdependence) upon each other.  Our level of consciousness dictates unity or conflict between our bodies and affects the quality of our life.

Resolution exists within our soul.  We have an innate drive beyond our physical world, calling our attention to something greater and more substantial, especially when things are amiss or troublesome in our life.  But we often miss the subtle indicators/warnings along the way, and sometimes experience a major accident or wake-up call to shake us out of our stupor.  We can avoid the latter through becoming more aware and dealing with our self entirely:  working with our body, cultivating emotional awareness, mental discipline, and spiritual practice.

Working with our body allows us better function in every way.  Our body is the vehicle of our soul.  It must be moderately and healthfully maintained for us to function at optimum levels; but how we feel inside ultimately decides how long or to what capacity our efforts last.  If we are to keep true to a physical program, we must integrate into our next important body, the emotional body.

The emotional body initiates the feeling to care for our body.  Fear based feelings, such as shame and insecurity, usually propel us to care for our self, or the opposite (physically deteriorate).  Unless we address these feelings, we never feel worthy of the work we are doing and will continuously sabotage our process until we get to the root of our issues that reside in the darkest parts of our psyche, our shadow.  When we face our emotional body and learn to become emotionally aware, our physical body becomes supported by emotional health…but not without mental discipline.

Mental discipline is the conscious monitoring our thought process.  Through awareness, we can learn to identify and objectify our internal language, self dialogue, and imagery within our mind that evokes emotion.  When we lack mental discipline, our emotional body is completely reactionary to every sensory experience it encounters; it’s wild and unpredictable.  If we become entirely scientific in our approach to mental discipline, we tend to disconnect from our emotional body, which leads us into the importance of our spiritual body.

Awareness and the cultivation of our spiritual body are crucial to integrating our physical, emotional, and mental bodies.  Our spiritual nature is just that, “nature”, directly linked to our planet Earth, a living breathing body.  In comparison, we are small like parasites.  When we are in harmony with nature, we nourish our self and support the health of the Earth; but if we are stomping around the planet trying to manipulate and own it, we are sucking the life out everything.

Spiritual practice is whatever we choose to do to harmonize and connect with the Earth, the Universe, God, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, etc…  Spiritual practice is often seen as a moment in our day when we honor the above; however, our spiritual body bridges all other bodies with the potential to create peace with every breath, within and without.  This does not mean that we walk around all day chanting mantras, kneeling at alters, etc.  It does mean that we maintain an open connection to the benevolent Universe.  It’s a dialogue of Prayer – when we speak to the Universe, and Meditation – when we listen.  Whatever our beliefs, this communication reveals our purpose, energetically through love.  To receive proper messaging, we must be open.  Messaging occurs through all our bodies as sensations and/or thoughts and possibilities, reinforcing only healthy options.

As we become more trusting of these messages through open heartedness, we reap the benefits we were born to receive for this very brief yet necessary lifetime we chose to be human.  Our soul evolves, and we transform.

For more information or to discuss this article one-on-one, contact Julia George/Aquarian Age @ 561.750.9292

Who Are We?

By Julia George and Laura Castanza ©2011

“Who are we?” is a question that bewilders many of us. Here we are on planet Earth; a vast and diverse place yet small and simple in proportion to the Universe. From our human perspective, our world seems dualistic with many opposites, mismatches, and comparatives. But if we explore more deeply, there exists unity, synchronicity, and continuity. What creates the separation keeping us at odds with each other and nature is a lack of understanding as to who we really are. It is because we mostly identify our self and everything around us from our ego/personality perspective: what we have (our primitive, external side necessary for survival). Rarely do we delve into the more subtle and powerful inner self of who we are. The unfamiliar sound of our inner voice/intuition causes us confusion, and confusion leads to calamity. However, if we can resolve our own oppositions within through exploring the depth of our soul, we can manifest our core reality in our outward experience.

Generation after generation, we are shaped by our predecessors. We have lineage/baggage to uphold, carry-on, or transform. It’s neither positive nor negative, but rather an obstacle keeping us from truly knowing our self. Laden with roles/titles doled out to us as youngsters from family and peers, our authenticity is buried under preconception. Preconceptions of who we “should be”, are from our caregivers who gave birth and/or raised us in their perception of the world. But these perceptions are not accurate, can be quite skewed/unhealthy, and tend to squelch our natural, creative inclinations to be who we truly are in this life.

Who we “should be” is as burdensome as what we “should have”. Our story, the roles and titles we’ve been taught, comes with associated display materials or “stuff” for exhibition. We dive into the material world with fervor to support the mask we wear; never satisfying us while often times convoluting and endangering our well being. If we choose to stick to our story as adults, we will continue to chase the dragon of illusion. If we wake up, we have the opportunity live authentically through our inner treasure, our soul.

But who are we, really? Are we just a person born of our parents, society, culture, etc? While we are the product of our Earthly life for the time being (a mortal), we are much more in the grand scheme things (a soul). From a soul perspective, we are energy and essence, making us a crucial element of the Universe. Traversing planes of existence, our energy transforms or reincarnates through lifetimes depending on our awareness.

The level of awareness we reach in any one lifetime will set forth conditions for the next (a.k.a. our karma). These conditions are temporary unless we become ingrained in patterns we’re unable to resolve. Karma changes with every decision to change our patterns (for better or for worse). So, the realization of our self, our interconnectedness with all things, and subsequent actions towards harmony and the greater good (the light side of our being), ultimately aids our soul’s ascension/betterment.

This belief is based on the concept that energy is finite, yet ever changing. We witness it in physics; when kinetic energy (electricity) is hindered, it then turns to thermal energy (heat). Since our human species has found itself to be the most advanced/intelligent being on the planet, we either transform into another realm/plane of existence or reincarnate through lifetimes, as energy is not dispensable.

Our hindrances/obstacles as humans are the unwholesome, unskillful thoughts, feelings, and actions generated from our unhealed/wounded mental and emotional bodies. We have a number of bodies: our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Essentially, we’re all the same, only varying in color, shape, expression, capacity, and level of awareness. Our physical body is the vessel, and the emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies, travel within it. Fulfilling our soul potential in any one lifetime depends on overcoming our obstacles.

The dualistic nature of our planet reflects the dualistic nature within us. We are black and white, wrong and right, dark and light. Our obstacles reside in our darkness/unawareness, that which has not been brought to light. It is also referred to as “the shadow”. Various philosophies have noted 5 main shadow traits in the human condition: desire/cravings, anger, laziness, restlessness, and doubt. There are many “offspring” from these states all undermining our value of being and rule the majority of our actions. In a nutshell, desire is an insatiable thirst to get our “needs” met; anger is the result of continuous self dissatisfaction; laziness is our choice to not make choices; restlessness is our constant pursuit for distraction inevitably leading to anger; and doubt drives all the above = low self esteem, low self worth towards overcoming these obstacles.

When we are not acting out our shadow traits, we live and share: loving kindness/friendliness (unconditional love towards all), appreciative joy (happiness for others), equanimity (peace with who we are and what is around us), and compassion (kindheartedness). This is our light side, our soul’s nature, the center of our being, god within. It happens instantaneously when we are awed by something; but rarely does our light/love drive our day-to-day interactions. If we monitor our thought process for a single day, we will witness the frequency of shadow traits interfering with our ability to remain loving. Try it.

We can change when we realize we are not our jobs, our titles, our roles, our home, our car, our bank account (or lack thereof), or anything in our manufactured existence. We can change when we realize we are each other, nature, a soul, a crucial element of the Universe, essence. We do not have to destroy our manufactured existence to realize our true nature. However, to harmonize within our current existence, we must dedicate our efforts towards manifesting our self and our soul, right here, right now.

Acknowledging our light and accepting our dark is the only way to truly manifest our self in this world. The external perception of our self and the roles we play only become challenged by a conscious internal dialogue that takes place between our emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. Witnessing our shadow traits will remind us to redefine who we are from a core level perspective. Only then are we able to model our highest self and walk the world in a state of grace; this state only evolves from the resolution of our inner conflict. The world around us will begin to change for the better, subtly yet significantly. Remembering to practice non-judgmental awareness of our how are bodies communicate with one another (witnessing the manifestation of our thoughts and feelings without labeling them as “good” or “bad”) will liberate us from the calamity of not knowing how we feel and therefore acting out with negative consequences. Our world will open up as we attract and connect with others who also work to reveal their true essence. This support aids us in our own process and allows others to see who we are from the inside out. It is only through this revelation that we connect at a soul level and grow to see who we are.

For more information or to discuss this topic one-on-one, please contact Julia George of Aquarian Age @ 561-750-9292