Last week I went to see a talk (run by Positive Living), by the 'Barefoot Doctor', (Stephen Russell) who has just written his ‘New Manifesto’. He describes himself as a ‘Taoist alchemist’ and seeks to pass on his knowledge to help others manifest the bigger aspects of your self; to discern you natural path and align with it. He sees it as much more of an aligning with what is right for you  - manifesting the deep state of what is enjoyable for you, so that there is an illusion that you are controlling it, but without getting hung up about whether it is fate or free will.

I thought he was a bit of a rambling mad man - yet wise and charming. He has had a fascinating life so far -a lifelong study of eastern spirituality, philosophy, martial arts and trust in intuition. In this way I was impressed. He claims not to have ‘belief’ in the strictest sense of the word, but rather is a curious observer and practitioner of the tools in his own life, with some great stories.

A couple of things that stood out, to me, from his class were two ideas:

1. Ancestors - Imagine the the hugeness of your being as having an enormous following of people behind you - your mum and dad, and behind them, your grandparents, and behind them your ancestors, stretching back in a giant family tree, eventually forming into a diamond - leading back to whoever started this whole damn mess. I liked this visualisation and the idea that this is your history but also your present day support. This is the hugeness of you. You are simply the point of this, leading it. Try and imagine it and see how it feels, in your body. Powerful, isn't it?
2. Inhabiting the back of yourself: Lean back into the back of your body and head. See how it feels compared to the front - the face, chest and belly,where our attention sits in our day-to-day interaction with the world. When we sit in the back we find a whole new way of observing - with calm and balance. Try it. Imagine your outward looking attention coming from the back of your head and body, rather than the front. Since doing this I feel I can better observe myself as well as the rest of the world.
3. Imagine the feeling that goes with the image of having what you want. Taoists say: forget about the externals - first concentrate on creating the state in you that you want. By visualising things, putting ourselves there and ‘feeling’ how it is to ‘have already achieved it’ we can help ourselves to really understand what we want but also to ‘realise’ it and bring it forward into existence, more easily. I know this sounds a bit odd, but again, it’s something to try, feel and do, not talk about.
   
   

He released some videos in the run up to the talk which looked at the art of ‘mmmmm…’  - the feeling one gets when one is in a state of joy, enjoying the simplicity of life (like having a delicious experience), but also an acronym for the manifesting/aligning tool that he developed from his various studies in Qi gongo, Wu Wei, Aikido and Taoism. ‘Mmmmm’ is the state we are all after - and he uses imagination of the ‘feeling’ of that state along with a visualisation of what you want with some physical movements to move energy.  It goes like this:

Make - Making a state is simple and anyone can do that regardless of your situation. (One example exercise is to: Every third though, stick in this one: “I'm alive! I have the greatest gift there is” (3 times, with feeling.) “mmmmm…”) Doing this has stuck with me and gives me an appreciative perspective every now and then.
Marvellous - Allow yourself to marvel at the mystery of existence, as it is by allowing more flexibility in how you describe and perceive reality. (One example exercise is to: When you notice a new location or situation add this thought or speak this sentence: “This is just a description! Mmmmm… with feeling, and without inhibition). This is to remind yourself of the fluidness of reality.
Magical  - Magic is guiding destiny, benignly. Magic is recognising that humans have this super-natural ability (one example exercise is to:  Every third though, stick in this one: “This is a supernatural being! To build wonderful awareness.) This one may or may not work for you, depending on your language preferences. I suggest dropping what turns you off.
Manifesting - Thinking about something you want and bring it into your visual mind, your feeling body and play with it (one example exercise is to: Put what you want in a bubble. Between you and it imagine entity in the way (doubt/fear) and it is trying to distract you. Instead, put your gaze into the centre ground of that bubble and see yourself walking towards it and the entity is obliged to move out of the way. Then you are in the bubble with the thing you wanted and feel what you will feel when you get it. “Mmmmm...”)
Moves - Use body movments to ‘incubate’ your intention and make it come about - like waving a wand. This has it’s roots in Qigong. He provides a variety of moves, mixed with imagination of energy, visualising what you want, feelings associated. This is rooted in ‘Wu Wei’ means effortless manifesting what you need in life.
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Overall Stephen came across as a generous and lucky individual. He seems to want to genuinely help as many people as he can and pass on his skills and knowledge. So if your’e interested then look him up, cause I'm sure he will be eager to talk (as he couldn't shut up when I saw him!)
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Much love. x

It is important to not ‘trick yourself’ by saying without understanding or feeling. The first step towards REAL change is awareness, the second is acceptance and that’s a whole other topic. If you want to learn more about that, get in touch or come along to the Level 1 and Level 2 workshops in November, where these subjects get covered at an introductory and then a more in-depth level.  This wasn't the only thing that got me thinking about choice today...

FREE GUIDED MEDITATION - MUSINGS ON 'FEELING OF OBLIGATION'
...I gave my first of a regular free guided meditation and self-enquiry session. I’m doing this because it allows anyone to access the work or to come along and try out my particular way of teaching and guiding. I want to create a world where we can support each other into kind awareness, which doesn't always have an ‘obligation of reciprocation’ of money.

Why do I use this strange term,  ‘obligation of reciprocation’? Well, I’m reading a book by Robert Caldini, called Influence, which is all about the psychology of persuasion. The book’s first chapters indicate that the human brain has created many ‘automatic’ responses, otherwise life would be overly complex. These responses include the feeling of obligation when one is given ‘a gift’. That obligation usually encourages the receiver to give something back. This is often manipulated by salesmen or canvassers, such as the Krishnas did in the 60’s when they presented people with a rose or a book. Even though the gift was often unwanted the receiver usually then felt obliged to give something back (a donation). 

I’m reading more about influence as I go because I am seeking ways to inspire people into kind awareness, rather than passing out advice, judgement, or moralising. I encourage and inspire people to find their own path. I therefore teach effective communication techniques, including ‘positive means of influence’ in my Level 2 and 3 courses.  

So, even though this is a completely free session it is interesting to be mindful of the feeling of obligation that may naturally occur - that feeling isn't always negative as it can create a virtuous, energy-giving cycle, but it is always helpful to be aware of choice vs obligation otherwise obligation becomes an unconscious weight to carry. ​