Taking it To The Streets! One Love Alliance Update July 2010

Love and Blessings to you all!
The Summer Monsoons are just about to blow into the Sonoran desert, complete with rainbow sunsets and pure magic.

Here at The One Love Alliance our Summer has been packed with fun travels and adventures. The Flash Mobbers and Aligned Artists Alliance continues to grow. My thanks for your recent inquiries and curiosity regarding our next events. We are on hiatus till Autumn though we are in the pre planning stages for some awesome guerrilla street theater happenings that are sure to be a burst of joy. "Vitalizing communities through spontaneous acts of love in motion!" is the heart of the One Love Alliance, and 2010 promises plenty of opportunities to take it to the streets and delight in this playful exploration.

All are welcome! Please forward this update to your friends and come play with us! And if you live outside of Tucson and want to head up your own branch of The One Love Alliance, let us know and we'll help you get started!

Upcoming Events | Dance While You Shop!
Whole Foods Musical “Dance While You Shop.” Great for those of you who love the 80’s music in Whole Foods, have a loud voice and are happy to dance and sing in public. Please email us if you’d like to be on the core team for this event.

Upcoming Events | I AM HAPPY!
Inspired by Austin’s Improv community, we will march downtown with signs that say “Life is Good”, “I am happy”, “Peace”, etc. This is not to mock “real” peace marches, it is simply to have fun while transmitting a force of love, happiness and presence-on the street, in public, playful and free.

Upcoming Events | Tucson Free Hugs
This is open to courageous and adventurous peeps, who will hold a “Free Hugs” sign and venture out onto the streets with us. We will be trailed by a video camera.

Videographers, Volunteers, Participants, and new ideas are always welcome at The One Love Alliance. Just Contact us!

Blog Posts | Check Them Out!
The One Love Alliance Blog is going strong! Check it out, read the archives, savor those Nuggets of Wisdom and email in your questions to receive a poignant response with pure love and valuable insight. Sign up to follow us by Email, RSS Feed or Google Reader and receive your piping hot nuggets fresh off the cosmic cooker.

Intuitive Consultations | Tap Your Inner Wealth
Inner Wealth Intuitive Consultations, are now booking for September 2010 and beyond. Invest in your Inner Wealth and receive life changing support to catapult you deeper into the life of your dreams.

Wishing you all a glorious Summer, with much heart, play, laughter and love!!

Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu.
May All Beings Be Happy and Free.

Enough - As You Are - Glorious, In fact

Last weekend I was talking about the effects of media on brain development with MiLo, a friend, father, artist and yogi, I truly admire.

He shared that he used to work in Advertising, editing commercials. He noticed that at the end of the day, his heart felt sunken. He realized that it was due to the bottom line message of ALL the ads: "you are not good enough". You are not enough, so you need X product to fix you - to fill your need. How insidious and heart sinking indeed.

I grew up, like many of us, immersed in the cultural messages that media advertising dishes out. And, for a LONG time, I did not feel good enough. Now, I know better. To the very core of my being, I know I am enough, we all are enough, in fact we are miracles...every one of us.

Yet before I knew this simple truth to be self evident, I "worked it," trying to be enough, achieve enough, give enough, learn enough, look good enough, be smart enough, love enough, etc... I remember one therapist, who asked me straight out "Will you ever be good enough for yourself?" That stopped my world. And I know I am not alone in having walked that path. Perhaps it is a universal growing pang, or maybe a "champagne suffering" ill of the privileged, consumer driven Western Culture. I have discovered that the consumptive, compulsive urge to have, to want, to prove, to do, etc, is a toxic mimic for a deeper hunger that longs to be addressed. We are hungry for what we have forgotten is ever present to nourish us. I love what spiritual teacher, Gurumayi says, "All hunger is hunger for God"( in the most broad, ecumenical sense). It is a natural blessing to be satiated by the innate divine communion that is our birth right. Sometimes we forget to access and rest in what already always is: we are connected, we are enough - at essence level, nothing is lacking.

I wonder, until one hits the real treasure, how much love, food, praise, sex, success, stuff, money, is enough? Is it ever enough if it is not feeding the core need? Or resolving the question, "AM I Enough?" once and for all? We can be driven ambitiously by a compulsion to get and to achieve...or, we can be driven by a path of heart, a calling to serve, an authentic inspiration. More money or bigger success seldom equals having more authentic connection or living our bigger "God Life". I love money and success, yet sometimes their pursuit is enmeshed in misunderstanding and they become golden carrots that direct me externally in attempt to fulfill an inner longing.

And yet of all the questions, this next one gets most of my attention: When we look into our world, what reflects back to us that we are good enough? That in fact we are glorious, unique, and unified all at once?"

How do I answer this question?

• The frequency of nature... mountain, sky, thriving ecosystems, the bounty of flora, fauna, color and life, sends out a strong "you are enough" message. The natural world is such an amazing blueprint for wholeness.
  
• Trusted relationships with other beings...where we know, without a doubt that we are loved and lovable, as we are...enough.
  
• Life as Sadhana, which fulfills all our core needs so generously. Living life as spiritual practice, we become like the laughing Buddha. Knowing we are everything, we embody the good life of true prosperity and happiness. Buddha nature IS our natural state. We are love itself . How could it get any better?
  

At an intimate, cellular, vibrational level, communion with our essential being, mother nature and our beloveds transmits the message "we belong here, we are home, we are whole, we are enough." We are all a part of Something Beautiful (This tune by Alexi Murdoch, transmits this very message in a big way, listen).
___________________________________________________________________

How else do these messages come to us naturally in the world and how can we increase access and exposure so that knowing we are enough becomes the norm?

Please comment! I want to hear from you. After all, you are the beings reweaving the world, on the leading edge of human consciousness. Where do you find messages of your magnificent wholeness in the world? Let's focus there...that is liberation, that is truth...that is beautiful and that IS enough.

Artists Allied in Universal Love

Dear Allies in Love and Unity,
Today I want to shine the light of gratitude back on you and on all the artists, creators and community members that are The One Love Alliance.

This is best illustrated by Ubuntu ,"is a humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other." Loosely translated, it means, I Am because You Are. Introduced to me by teacher, Arnold Mindell, in his fabulous World Work, Ubuntu is at the heart of my vision for The One Love Alliance, and I am grateful to see so many of us living it every day. "A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others... for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole . Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explains "... Ubuntu speaks about our interconnectedness...You are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."

It is from this generous, fertile ground that I thank you with all of my heart. The One Love Alliance, is a cross pollination of all of us. Whether you are readers, activists, artists, clients, collaborators, event participants, friends, family or a combination of them all, thank you for being the living embodiment of unity and love in the world. Thank you for being part of this evolving, open system, this alliance of lovers of life.

Last weekend, The One Love Alliance spirit of Ubuntu manifested in the orchestration of community members that came together for the successful launch of ZaBoomBa. I am still overflowing with gratitude, grocking the amazing talent, skill, loving hearts, and creativity that co-created this project. After dozens of rehearsals, hours of sweat, millions of behind the scenes logistics and many moons in the making, ZaBoomBa was birthed, delivering two off the hook, standing ovation, premier interactive performances. The uncorked joy and unity consciousness sent a jolt of love into the world. The Tucson community was so generous and willing, and our team was in full synergy. I'd like to acknowledge some of these artists of life! I *LOVE* them all and I am honored to have partnered with them.

I cannot say enough about the irresistible, talented, humble, handsome, Kenya Masala (yes, I am biased). His buoyant charm, high energy and pure love commanded sacred space. He is the visionary, director, producer and facilitator behind this project, as well as a slammin percussionist! Hat's off to you, Kenya! You went BIG bro, and we went with you!

Cliff Berrien, Mike Zechinno and Alfie Villegas, all musicians with super groovin' Afro-Brazilian Group, Batucaxe, local musician, Jeff Simpson and percussionist, Swami Piezer, all rock beyond the beyond! Together they create a mastery of rhythm and an embodiment of love that is pure magic. Their smiles are etched on my heart forever.

Bold and beautiful dancers, Kimi Eisele (of New Articulations, and Movement Salon), Bete Pfister, Kenya Johnson, both dancers with Batucaxe, (Kenya also served as PR Pro that succeeded in getting the Buzz of ZaboomBa everywhere at once), Jade Beale (local African dance instructor and photographer for our super-cool bio website pix), and Yarrow King (Batucaxe dance director and instructor)...I bow to you! These courageous, amazing women showed up week after week with willing bodies, hearts and spirits! Their athleticism, energy, love and passion leapt to new levels of excellence. I was honored to direct and dance amongst them. They brought our vision to life, both as unique, authentic movers, and as a fine tuned ensemble that emanated wholeness and unity.

Nadia and Paul, of Flam Chen - These cutting edge visionaries create breath taking, stunning performances and public actions in their Pyrotechnic Theater/Circus Arts Company. They served on our production team, with stage and costume design as well as righteous development consultation. We fell in love with these two. They are wise, hilarious and infinitely creative souls. Special thanks to Athena, Nadia's daughter, our make up artist.

Michael Longstaff, MiLo- This prolific, ultra gifted artist and Yogi-(instructor and practitioner), helped design our logo, website and branding from inception. He also created and ran the film graphics for our stage show. His devotion to creativity and his out of the box vision, come through all he touches. All the while, his humble, centered, vibe permeates the space with unpretentious love.

Director of Instrument Runners, Danielle Berrien, of Batucaxe (who also plays on the Maracatu percussion piece) and her team of 20 peeps, were alert, engaged, and wonderful. With their priceless support, we were able to bridge the worlds of stage and audience and break through the veil of performer and spectator, to create one village.

Sean Stuchen, served as our open hearted, smiling photographer. His presence was deeply relaxed and non invasive. He captured the love, power and beauty of ZaBoomBa with awe and professional artistry.

And last though not least, thanks to you, the beautiful Tucson community, including family and friends who traveled from afar and locals whose support was palpable. Playful folks of all ages, close to 1000 over the course of two shows, came together in an unforgettable expression of community joy! My cup runneth over!

Together our contributions to humanity create a more beautiful world. May we all continue to birth inspired projects of passion, universal love, and unity consciousness. May we show up for the intimate dance of merging our greatest gifts with the dreams of other visionaries, while channeling the dream of the Universe. This is the One Love Alliance. This is Ubuntu. This is the call to live on your leading edge, in service to all life. All are invited. All are welcome.
How do you experience living on your leading edge in service to life?

"Long life, honey in the heart"
Martin Pretchtel.

Moving On As Love

We are moving into our new home on Wednesday. I have been packing for days. As usual I am with the multidimensional shifts happening in my heart and life as well as in our world. Change is in the air.

Here are some eternal life lessons that are up for me today.

• Let go: What a gift to reinvent ourselves in the moment and lovingly, ruthlessly stay current with what and who it is we really are. What is necessary to take on the journey? This includes objects and possessions as well as ideas, concepts and beliefs. What IS reality? And what do I really need? How can I best serve today, now? Letting go of whatever no longer fits or supports our life direction is essential, on all levels. Letting go is a gift.
  

• Keep it light...Sometimes less IS really more...less stuff, less words, less emotional charge. There is enough density and heaviness already in the world. Can I keep a light heart, a lightness in my step, even with the weight of stress, packed agendas and life intensities? All the while staying grounded and engaged in cultivating the very core rhythms that truly nurture life?
  

• Feel Into the Space.This morning I packed Talia's beloved stuffed animal collection. She has been creating elaborate plays, concerts and gatherings with her 30 some odd friends. She calls them "friends". Before she left for school I told her I would be doing more packing. I am sensitive to how it feels for her to have her life packed up into boxes. I keep feeling into the space to sense what will serve her to stay secure and at ease, even while her familiar home is turned inside out and recreated. "May I pack your stuffed animals", I asked? "And is there a favorite one you would like me to leave out?" She took a deep breath and said, " Well, yes Mama, you may pack whatever you want. Please leave out Kitty and Clara Beara, because they need to be with me." Her tenderness and request was so kind. It brought tears to my eyes now as it did then.

• Gratitude as Guide: After doing a silly departure dance in the driveway, as Kenya and Talia drove away, I got to work, like a focused whirlwind of energy. Yet with everything I packed there was a palpable sensation of gratitude. I felt gratitude for every niche of our home and how this sacred space has supported us to thrive. I took down the string of lights around the mantel, leaving the sun and moon candle holders, a Buddha and prayer flags. Those will be the last items to go. They are essential space keepers. This home, even with it's sluggish plumbing, cavernous hallways and brick oven bedrooms (in the searing hot months) has been a haven. It has contained timeless moments of laughter, love, tears, affection, dance, play, rest, creative juice and celebration with family and friends. It held us through big transitions; weaning, birthdays, potty training, deaths, new beginnings, leaps of development and leaps of faith. I am grateful for every single one.
  

• Move on As Love: I am equally grateful for the beautiful new house we will inhabit. I am excited to build a new nest and delight in the sanctuary that home can be. One of the simplest pieces of inner guidance that comes to me these days over and over again is to "Move on as Love." Whether we need to move on to new places, new faces, new phases, or complete relationships, agreements, projects...whether we are moving on from challenges, grudges or hiccups along the way, we can move on AS LOVE...
  We can trust the Winds of Change when we move on as love.
  I guess that comes back to today's lesson #1.
  Let go!
  
  Have a glorious week y'all!
  

20 Quick Ways to Jumpstart Your Love of Life

Dear G,
Sometimes I feel bogged down and deadened by the mundane details of daily life doings. Any nuggets of wisdom to jump start my aliveness, inspiration and remembrance of what makes it all worth while? Fast?
Thanks,
Need a Boost.

Dear Need a Boost,
Thanks for your honesty. I have many a moment where I feel the ordinary, consensus reality world harshening my mellow, and dampening my inner fire. What to do? Good Question. Honoring your request for a speedy shift, I will offer you some of my faves and most effective enliveners, that are most always accessible...even with a breath and perspective alteration. First, STOP, BREATHE AND PAUSE. Always start here.
Then, choose from your sumptuous menu of delicious possibilities:

• Marvel. Be Awe struck.
  
• Grock the Mystery of life and the radical Unknown of it ALL.
• Rejoice, Savor, Celebrate...the ways in which and reasons why are boundless. Get to it.
• Commune with the Natural World-Merge with the frequency of the wilderness. Whether gazing at the sky in a crowded city or solo on a mountain top, the Elemental energies are everywhere. Call on them.
  
• Meditate. Pray. Listen. Be.
  
• Practice seeing the world through the eyes of your heart.
• Lose yourself in beauty-nature, art, music, love. Drink it in.
  
• Touch and be touched. Affection rocks. Be a love bug.
• Hang out with a dog.
  
• Run a fast mile (think wild horses).
• Shake your Booty-Dance IS Medicine.
• Sing. Yell. Vocalize.
• Laugh. Goof. Play. Spend time with a child.
  
• Let go of the inner grip! Yup, good ole vulnerable surrender. Always a winner.
• Be Grateful. Make a list if you must. Generate the attitude of gratitude.
  
• Serve another and get beyond yourself.
• Root yourself in a fertile space where your environment will nurture you to grow.
• Be Present. Go agendaless-even if just for a few moments.
  
• Take an action toward fulfilling a dream.
  
• Be the One Love you want to see in the world.

That's just a few of an endless list of possibilities. May they spark your own inner knowing of what makes your heart sing and your life worth living. Today's picture and video clip feature offspring, Talia, 3 1/2 and Hubs, Kenya. These two, my favorite people in the Universe, are playful ambassadors of love, enlivening every life they touch.
Carpe Diem! LeHiam! Viva!
Now and now and now.
Love Unending, G
Anyone else? How do you enliven your days? Tell me-I want to know!

Living The Love of Your Life

Greetings Lovers of Life!
One Love Nugget of Wisdom. Apply liberally to your life of love.

Dear G,
I am working on a goal-setting process for the new year. I'm pretty good at actualizing concrete goals in which the steps for action are clear, doable, and in my control. I have a harder time figuring out action plans for goals that seem invisible. Like my goal to meet my mate and have a baby together. I can do all the wishing and believing I want, but what are some actual actions I can take to make this "out there" thing come into being? Do you have any suggestions for daily and monthly actions that can help me achieve this one?
With love,
Making it real

Dear Making It Real,
I love your goal and I bow to your willingness to bring the vision of your heart into fruition. My sense is that this vision stems from the root of deep knowing and divine inspiration, rather than from the epic egoic "I, Me and Mine"-want-want-want mumbo jumbo. Your trinity is Me-Mate-Baby, and magnetizing/receiving this reality as well as sustaining conscious, life giving relationship within it will require surrender and a whole lotta selflessness. In light of this, here are a few action items to add to your quiver of alchemical manifestation.

• Become a devoted disciple of love. Follow the Dreaming wherever love leads you. Love your life, love your peeps, love your opportunity to live fully, love the heart and core of the mystery that appears as you. This will MAGNETIZE real love into your life.
• Become a devotee of Love for its own sake (not as a 'deal' get the loot). Be willing to let go of the whole picture of "me, mate, babe" for the fulfillment of divine love, trusting that if the form of that trinity IS in your highest good, it will in fact come to pass.
• Create a daily, weekly or bi monthly ritual (for full moon & new moon), where you consciously reach out and connect with your mate and baby energetically. Talk to them. Call them to you. Better yet, sing them to you. Use your creativity, spontaneity and playfulness to make this real for yourself. Invite the elements, mother nature and any god/goddess/guide divine ally to join you.
  
• Tell all your trusted, most aligned friends about your heart's desire and receive their support in networking, and supporting you.
  
• Clear all conflicts and ambivalence you may have that would otherwise sabotage your manifestation/receiving. Sometimes even a tiny glitch of unattended fear/conflict will be like a thorn in your side. As Peter Gabriel says, "I have my fears, so they don't have me." This means loving examination of all the beliefs, conflicts, agreement fields and fears in the space surrounding committed relationships, mate-hood and even parenthood. I suggest right brained activities to support you; such as mandalas, non-dominant hand journaling dialogues, role playing with internal voices and loving conversations with trusted friends. The key here is curiosity and presence rather than diagnostic productivity. Rather than a linear practice, simply jump in - dive in (to yourself) and explore any time you experience a conflict trigger.
  
• Write a wanted add or personal profile with the bare truth and let it seed out into the world in print and through the mega possibilities on the web. Along the lines of: "I am the love of your life. Amazing, loving, creative....etc, person, ready to connect with my soul mate, live deeply in love and meet you for conscious, equal partnership, creating an incredible life together, including a baby! You are my match. You resonate deeply with my heart and are called to meet your soul mate (me) and start a family as well. You are fearless and willing in all things love - vulnerable, undefended, deep. No nonsense. Playful, but no games. I know you are out there. Earnest possibilities need only inquire."
  

Remember, what you seek is seeking you! Develop trust in your heart's knowing and give yourself fearlessly to love and life, just as you want your mate to show up for you, and his life. Then, if by chance it is not in the stars...you will have already given yourself with full devotion to the divine trinity of You, the Earth and the Universe. And that is as holy a trinity as it gets, everything else just springs from that bounty.
Energizing your vision.
One Love,
G