Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Unleash the feminine divine through dance

The following is meant to be read like a poetic prose.



When I dance, I allow all I thought should be, could be, will be, has been, go. I allow all time to slip away. My only clock is the heart beat within the drum. My only fuel is the wind of the strings. My only attachment to this earth is the physical body I dance within.  

When I dance, all emotion flows through me and the crystalline body dissolves into water crystals of love.  The music helps carry the gunk from my bones and flows it into the ether where all is neutral, leaving me an open source for healing. 

When I dance, I set boundaries of protection around my stage with eyes of fire and breathe of wisdom. I create liquid chi fields of energy that absorb goo and transform it to peace. 

When I dance, I caress the meridians of the audience and smooth out blocked passages of light. With mudras and form, I spring tendons of negativity out of their aura  leaving room for joy. 

When I dance, vibrations of sacred geometry resonate in my body, intensifying my projection of gratitude to the music.  

When I dance I unleash the goddess of me. When I dance I release the authentic me. When I dance I simply am me..... So what's the difference between the dancing me and the everyday me?  Where did the separateness settle in and when did I put "me" in a staged box of performing? 

On stage I found a perfect way to be present inside the moment. But it isn't just me, it's the musicians as well, we are all present in that performance moment together and we create it together. In that moment of performance all chakras are spinning, kundalini is rising and our bodies are in tune with it self and each other.  By choosing to be in that moment together, we have chosen to be tethered to time by the drum, to be fueled by the strings and be attached to the earth only by our physical form. 

On stage I found the perfect way to bring the audience on the journey with us by creating emotional awareness of movements that hypnotize the viewer in empathy. From stage I feel their excitement, their jealousy, their love, their sexuality, their insecurity. When I dance I am able to guide that emotion  into the ether of neutral acceptance of humanity.  .... So why just on stage? 

Because on stage we have all set up a sacred space for performance. We have all ( the musicians, the audience, and myself) set permitters for creation. We have set the allotted time, the allotted energy, the allotted attention span. We have all committed to be in that moment together with the parameters of the reality we are in. Unknowingly we have created a sacred space for connection. (Whether we choose to keep that space sacred is a different story.)

In every day life could we create that same space for authenticity or are their too many walls of resentment for the self within?  Is it possible for humanity, as a whole,  to look deep enough within to find acceptance for the Human within. The Human is ugly, shy, silly, beautiful, messy, greedy, jealous, lazy, smelly, hungry, childish, lovely, sacred, sweet, sensual, sexual, flirty, crazy, mean, kind, gentle, hurtful, wounded, broken. The human is covered in societal norms and filled with tar. The mind runs in mazes trying to make sense of it all, building walls and rivers just to ease the broken heart. That broken heart:  broken by it's own self. Broken by the neglect of self. Broken by the violence of fear.  That broken heart cries at night for the simple love of universal oneness. The broken heart craves addiction so that no truth can seep in and unravel the distant self hidden deep within. 

In everyday life I could love you. YOU. I could love YOU. I could fall deeply in love with anyone of you and forever be in bliss. And you could love me. We could all be deeply in love with all, even with our hatred. In everyday life I would always be connected .... if you were connected....... You go first...... no wait me.... no wait.... damn I'll see you on stage. and in that moment we will feel the power of chi{life force energy}.

REVISED ENDING 2/7/12:  On second thought : I will go first. I LOVE YOU in all your humanity. I love it when you are sad, depressed, angry, emotional, happy, full of life, crazy, silly, down, up, picky, strong, divine, weak, simple, sultry, wild, mundane, silent, authentic. I LOVE YOU always because I know we are all doing our best in every moment to find that solace of life that makes us feel alive.  I love you because I love me and I know we are all one.   Not only do I love you, but I hear you in every tear, in every laugh , in each breath. I hear your soul awaken and it sparks chi within my core and I feel alive a bit more.

I open my eyes and see that life is not only for performing. Life is for being present in the moment for being raw and wild: Wild as a flower is wild. Wild as a stream is wild. Wild in love with the moment: Growing. Expanding. Nourishing.  And just plain being in the element of the moment.  Life is about being still and fluid in the moment.

So yes I will go first. I have stepped off stage and into the real of Human. I will still see you on stage and yes that will be grand. And I will see you on the street and that shall be just as grand....if you open your eyes with mine and take the time to notice. I'll see you when  you see we are all one in the breathe of stillness.  And in that moment we will feel the power of chi{life force energy}.




Monday, January 23, 2012

Nine Seasons: Beyond 2012 : A Manual of Ancient Aztec and Mayan Wisdom

Nine Seasons: Beyond 2012 : A Manual of Ancient Aztec and Mayan Wisdom 
by Carlos Aceves; published by:  paso al sol 2011

Book Review, Recipes and Story by Leilainia Penix

  Video: Hal Marcus - Tezcatlipoca Codex Videography by: Akira Chan  AkiraChanArts.com

 "This is a wonderful time to be alive and aware," writes Carlos Aceves in Nine Seasons: Beyond 2012 : A Manual of Ancient Aztec and Mayan Wisdom.  "Our ancestors throughout the world spoke of this age over 5,000 years ago.  This is a moment of celebration primarily because we are aware of the infinite possibilities." Aceves is a teacher and author. His Nahuatl name is Yolohuitzcalotl, which means crow with a hummingbird for a heart. He believes each day is a moment for celebration because we "have an opportunity to change the vibration of human existence and redirect our connection to Mother Earth and the Great Spirit." He teaches that "being grateful is the beginning of celebration."

 The book is an amazing manual for this human existence. I was blown away at how simple yet meaningful and to the point this ancient wisdom is. It hit to the core of the human form discussing the energetic process within the womb, our journey to death and everything in between. It starts out full of  numerology, which was a bit overwhelming, but as Aceves continues to explain the knowledge carried down from the ancient ones the numerology made more sense and the wisdom within the numbers was made clear.

 There is a full chapter dedicated to the Seven Warrior Foods. At the top of the Seven Warrior Foods pyramid are Maiz (corn), Ayotli (squash), and Etl (beans). Then there is Metl (maguey or agave), Nopal (cactus), Chilli (chile), and Huactli (amaranth).

"Over five thousand years ago, the people of central Mexico decided the birth date of corn," Aceves writes. "They made a covenant with a thistle-like plant called teocentli so that she would transform in a way that would feed the people and that they would always plant her seeds. In this way both species would survive." The ancients  had a special heart-felt relationship with all the plants in their lives. "Our ancients asked permission from a plant when cutting any part of it." They even called the Nopal ( cactus)  plant "Tree of Life".

 In honor of the ancient ones, on 11-11-11 my husband, Gabriel Penix and I catered a ceremony in Escondido, California, for 47 people. The ceremony was led under the stars around a fire pit by a shaman (Dr. John) and was adorned with fire dancers (The Shimmy Sisters and Riff). The next part of the evening was held in a yurt where a casual explanation of the importance of 2012 by Dr. Duncan Earl and Artist Hal Marcus was given.  On cue as we entered the yurt, the clouds began to roll over the mountains and rain began to purify the land. Everyone settled into the cushions, carpets and comforters and allowed the knowledge to settle in as I danced the transformation into 2012. I danced the removing of the mask that needs to happen in order for us to step into this new paradigm where we are able to see the clear path of light. Through dance I tuned the meridians of the community with mudras and movements and left the room lifted with a beautiful healing aroma. And when the morning sun peaked through the curtains it woke the bodies and we all gave thanks to the land with a walk in the orchards where we picked fruits, avocados, and nuts and created a plant powered breakfast potluck.
*** check out photos from the 11-11-11 event on facebook.

The emergence into 2012 has been filled with blessings of knowledge coming from listening to the inner light within and stepping outside into nature. As Aceves says "In nature [Mesoamericans] found lessons that taught them a healthy path for living. The basic duties and functions of humankind, such as breathing, drinking, eating, sleeping,or love making are integral to our relationship with Mother Creation."

  Learn more about the Seven Warrior Foods  in Nine Seasons: Beyond 2012 : A Manual of Ancient Aztec and Mayan Wisdom " Buy the Book It is a great guide to interpreting our journey as humankind.  http://www.halmarcus.com/artbook.html 

 "Long ago people practiced the Tao. They maintained balance of the body and mind. It is not surprising that they were able to live over one hundred years." ~ The Neijin Suwen



 For recipes I created for the 11-11-11 ceremony check out our food Blog at http://www.plantpoweredliving.com

Maiz Salada (Corn Salad)                                          Nopalitos (Cactus) 
          


"The Doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition." -Thomas Edison