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.

Ten Guidelines for Glorious Living

Blessings and love to you!
I intend your Summer is flowing with joy. It has been weeks since my last post. I have been riding the current of grace, enjoying unplugged, radical playtime and lots of travel.

As I reflect on the past few weeks, I notice some basics that have enriched my living beyond measure. In the spirit of good sound advice, here are ten guidelines for uplifting, fine tuning and regenerating your glorious life.

• Be Love. Expand and deepen the ways in which you embody, receive, sustain and transmit the frequency of divine love.
• Create more. Consume less. Be creative and resourceful in your ability to enjoy more with less consumption. Examples? Buy bulk foods instead of massive packaging, eat locally grown, organic produce, make art or music instead of buying expensive entertainment. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in all ways possible. It just feels wholesome and sane.
• Take a Media Fast. Get your consciousness deeper into the Dreaming and Mystical realms and out of the entrancing frequency control of the mass media machine. Dare I say it?...UNPLUG!
  
• Get your feet out on the Earth...In the sand, in the mud, in the water. Kick off your shoes, merge into the ground and be replenished. (Read Earthing, The Most Important Health discovery Ever?)
  
• Practice Satyagraha (Truth-force). Satyagraha is a relentless search for truth. Gandhi said, "It is an attribute of the spirit within....It is a process of educating public opinion, such that it covers all the elements of the society and makes itself irresistible....it teaches us the art of living. Satyagraha, is to me the universal law of life."
  
• Nap.
• Travel. See new places, meet new people, expand your world.
  
• Be still and Quiet. Savor even a little silence everyday.
• Laugh, Play, Sing, Dance.
  
• Serve-Touch and Be Touched by Life.

Now, it is your turn...Share some of your fave latest guidelines for glorious living...
Rock on! ZENJOY your every moment!

Heart Driven-Oil Spill Clean Up

This weeks One Love Nuggets come to you in response to a fellow One Love Alliance reader question and from a letter written by Paul Kelway, a member of the Shambhala Buddhist community, in regards to the oil spill in the Gulf.

Dear One Love Alliance,
I sure could use a nugget of wisdom to support my practice of staying present with what is real, rather than tripping out on my mentally generated yaya. What have ya got?
Monkey Mind

Dear Monkey Mind,
Thanks for your very universal question, as usual, one to which we can all relate. I feel ya, and your yaya. You are already aware enough to know that the mentally generated noise is NOT real, so, when you hear it, give thanks and take it as a cue to drop from the head to the heart. The heart allows access to the goodies of wisdom, intuition, truth force and love. No amount of thinking can get us there. Lovingly invite the monkey mind into the magic moment (the present). Take a deep breath, wiggle your toes, shift your attention to your heart presence and direct the mind to become a servant to the heart. Rest there. Breathe, sense and be guided into whatever empowered action, doing or non doing is inspired. No more mind calling the shots. Heart drives. Mind copilots. Period. I promise you this simple practice will shift your experience and reality. You already have all the tools you need. Drink of the love.
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On another note, the last many days I have felt so psychically aware of the oil spill in the Gulf. My heart has been engaged in prayer and living my way into the question...how do I hold space for this? What can I do to contribute to the resolution, to the transformation of this specific environmental mess, and the broader mess as a humanity, that we are creating on Earth?

Today, I read the passage below, written by Paul Kelway, a regional manager of the International Bird Rescue Research Center, which has teams in the Gulf of Mexico. His words seemed a direct response to my inner prayer. Perhaps they will speak to your heart as well.

"...As a Shambhalian I have been trying to reconcile all of this with my relationship and allegiance to basic goodness. More than ever before I realize that this journey is not for the faint hearted. I also realize that it is what the world needs more than anything else. It needs people who can hold this incredible amount of pain but who know that the energy of this suffering and sadness must be held with fearlessness and gentleness so that it does not become the fuel for further wars on whomever we decide is 'the other' to be blamed for this event. In this particular situation, as I think about my fellow Shambhala warriors, I would suggest that of all the help we as a community could provide, the most valuable gift right now truly is our practice, for all those directly affected and for the world at large. I am reminded of the words of the Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, in his Earth Day message in 2009, when he said: "In the Shambhala tradition it is said that it is precisely in dark times like these that the inherent wisdom of the universe makes itself felt. Now is the time to draw on the inspiration of humanity's wisdom traditions. All remind us of the sacred oneness of life, the interdependence of all beings, and the inexorable laws of cause and effect. These teachings could not be more relevant to our collective imperative: the creation of enlightened and sustainable societies." Our aspiration to walk this path of basic goodness and to work tirelessly for enlightened society, no matter how great the obstacles may appear, is what the world needs. Only by holding true to these principles, beyond hope and hopelessness, can we have any chance of navigating these turbulent times. "

I will continue to practice and navigate as best as I can. I trust in the basic goodness of humanity. I trust in Mother Nature's relentless ability to regenerate. I trust in the Sacred Law of transmuting poison into medicine. And I trust in the Universal Law of Love. I will work tirelessly for an enlightened society, with all my heart. Join me. So be it.

Generous-Gratitude Give Aways!

I am feeling Grateful! I am feeling Generous! I turned 40 over the weekend and I have never felt more happy, vital, at peace and in service of the One. I am IN LOVE with Life and to continue celebrating, I am offering some awesome giveaways, right here, right now!

• First, I am giving away an Inner Wealth Deck to the first 4 people who write a comment to this post. You must include "I am savoring my Inner Wealth" in your comment, as well as your address so that I can mail it to you! Yes, I am even paying the shipping costs! The Inner Wealth™ Deck is an interactive, expressive tool kit of 22 beautiful activity cards. Each card offers an insightful reading accompanied by compelling and engaging expressive art activities, journaling topics and experiential mind-body practices. The cards integrate appreciative inquiry questions, practical meditations, and simple universal wisdom. They rock. I love them.

• Next, I am gifting 50% off Inner Wealth Intuitive Consultations for the month of June. Take your pick of a one hour Intuitive Reading, Dream Leaping or Expressive Action Consultation at half price! This awesome opportunity is a priceless investment in the life that most wants to live through you! These sessions are done in person or by phone. They make great gifts and are designed to reveal valuable insight and quantum leaping joy on your path of heart. Don't believe me, read the testimonials! 10% of all proceeds will be donated to my fave foundation, Amala, offering heart centered services that unify the world and create sustainable peace.
  

• And Finally, the most radical giveaway of all, an invitation to ignite and expand your whole being awakening. Participate in a weekend of Paradigm Shifting that will rock your world and deliver you to your most empowered, authentic, essential being. My long time mentors, beloveds, Diamond and River Jameson of the Total Integration Institute have an event, this weekend, and you should be there! Listen to this audio intro lecture. If this amazing information resonates with you, contact them, mention this blog post and receive $50 off your registration fee. The event is taking place in Tucson and promises to be life changing. I have been journeying with Diamond and River for over 15 years. They are among my greatest inspirations and models of life lived in total freedom, abundance, love and awakening. Whether you are in breakdown and need breakthrough or simply are ready to pop open onto the next level of your leading edge and multidimensional life, this is for you.

I offer you all this and more from a buoyant, happy heart. Say yes to your life! Drink it in and enjoy!~ And let me know how I may be of service on your Earth walk.

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).
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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.

Practice Being Present-Over and Over Again

The other day I spent about 30 minutes recoiling a hose in a new direction. It was like wrestling an anaconda. It was worn in a specific direction, molded to the pattern of its coil. This task practically had me cursing...which I only do when I am really mad and provoked. The hose was stubborn and resistant. It required all of my strength, all of my focus and all of my weight (literally, standing on top of it) to get it to change course. I kept at it, knowing that as I redirected the flow, it would get easier and easier over time for the hose to follow its new pathway. I thought... "this is just like life!" Sometimes there are stubborn habits to change, and it takes action to shift the pattern and create a new functional way of literally "rolling" with life. And, with practice, the rerouting gets easier and easier. Whether shifting an attitude or a neurological pathway, no matter how challenging the internal or external change may seem, the willingness to practice presence makes all the difference.

Waking up to the moment, in a tangle of hose, I saw that I was being resistant and stubborn. Further, I was not present or connected. I wanted to get through my chores quickly so that I could get on with the other "more important", less mundane items on my to do list. I laughed at myself. I wondered...Why am I hurrying, making this a "chore", and getting angry at a hose because it will not cooperate with my agenda? And what is more important than being present to whatever is before me? Life as it is, appearing moment to moment is always the obvious and ideal opportunity to open to, rather than contract to life. It is what is most important. And, when I eliminate mental gyrations, past rumination and futurization, all that is real is now, and now, and now.

In an instant of humble self reflection, I took a deep breath and noticed I had been gripping internally with shallow breathing. I dropped the hose that I'd kept tugging, forcing and reshaping, and went to the base of the coil, directly to the kink that needed attention, and focused there. I stopped and looked up, breathed the floral scent in the air, marveled at the crisp blue sky, and became more attuned to my surroundings. I felt the current of life take me, instead of struggling against it. From that moment on, getting present allowed for a more seamless, enjoyable flow to my day...even while recoiling the hose.

Sometimes these shifts are easy, other times, not so much. Dealing with a relentless internal critic, a whining child (or adult, including myself), or an argument with my beloved can be more heart and gut wrenching. It is one thing to blast my frustration at a hose...it is another to be reckless with the heart of another. I watch myself snap, lash and bite...and I pray for presence, patience and forgiveness. Being in reactivity, resistance and control serves nothing.

I am in the process of rerouting pathways that jump to react without pausing to respond. While I still hit tangles and kinks, I stumble less and practice presence more. Coming home to what is essential becomes more natural...the breath of life, real connection, seeing and feeling what and whom is before me, honoring the miracle of existence is always accessible.

This morning I woke up with a stomach full of butterflies and excited anticipation for the ZaBoomBa premiere. I so much want to give my best. I could feel the potential of spinning out on worries and fears and mentally generated strategies. Yet staying present to the moment IS giving my best (and far more effective, actually, than any other options). As I allowed deep breath and a humble wash of tears, I recognized how far I have come in just "being with" and practicing presence. In the past I might have tried to "fix" that anxiety away, to inflate or push my way through this uncomfortable tangle of feelings inside, to resist and struggle, just like I did with that hose last week. Instead, I did as my dance/life mentor, Rosangela Silvestre encourages us to do, "be naked. Get out of the way and let the Universal Energy flow through you."

In staying present and shedding layers of all that I think I know, and want to control, all that I think I am or should be, I allow space for The Universe to shine through. This is a present moment experience and cannot be forced or calculated. Surrender. This is becoming the Universal Body and dancing the dance of Light! I humbly pray to practice being present, over and over again. How about you? How do you embody the Universal flow and call yourself to the present moment?