Someone else's shoes.

The morning poem. (Should be read as a song. similar to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2F_hGwD26g )

Nothing in this life's for free
Except for eternity. 
Just turn the key
And u will be
Happy

Love u gotta let it in
And let it flow out
And without a doubt
You will be happy 
And u will find your already wealthy 

Once u open up to the world of you
Once u walk in only your shoes 
Then u will find a piece of life that is so sweet, 
sweeter than the best vegan cake

I . .. I walked alone in someone else's shoes for so long I lost my place
I ... I walked alone in someone else's smile until I broke and cracked into pieces
And my hole is now filled with light of sunshine 

I woke this morning to the rays of heaven
I woke this morning until I fell into oblivion
Am I wrong to fall into u? 
Am i wrong to fall into heaven? 
Heaven only knows the hell that lies beneath the walls of sorrow
Heaven only knows the fire that burned so deep into the well of emotion

Nothing in this life's for free
Except for eternity. 
Just turn the key
And u will be
Happy

Love u gotta let it in
And let it flow out
And without a doubt
You will be happy 
And u will find your already wealthy 
inside

The Boring Blog About Being Bored

According to Wikipedia:  
Boredom is an emotional state experienced when an individual is left without anything in particular to do, and not interested in their surroundings. 
To Bore is to pierce (a solid substance) with some rotary cutting instrument or to force (an opening), as through a crowd, by persistent forward thrusting.

In any case, I’m bored. Not in the forcing an opening way, just plain old bored. And what happens when I’m bored? I watch the colors shift inside tiny droplets of rain as they fall gentle on the window pane and slide down the glass. One after another sometimes barely missing each other, sometimes colliding, sometimes gentling merging into one bigger prism of their temporary life. The reality fuzzes away and the soft and subtle texture of a single rain drop gracefully dances on the glass surface. It takes the world around it and capsulates it in one little droplet of time until it reaches it’s grounding point and releases the light into the ever changing surface of it’s new home. 

… And when I’m bored I sit in coffee shops and watch new lovers awkwardly flirt over tea and foamy coffees. Their eyes bashfully look away from each other. Their hands accidentally touch. Her eye lashes flutter.  His voice cracks a bit as he tries to stay calm. The energy of pink blushes up from their skin.  Illusions of future realities dance in their imagination.

 
 … And I watch old lovers share space together so comfortably, growing closer every second in silence allowing their heart love to sink deeper into their soul. They relish in the comfort of home within love. Just sitting side by side knowing everything will be just fine.  I watch  the old lovers as they silently sit looking at rain drops on the window pane coloring their world with prisms of love and entertainment. 

… And when I’m bored I act out. I rustle things up and bore holes in my reality. I cry and scream, kick and paint and fuck. I tear away any chance of reality and fall into psychosis just to feel this thing called humanity! To be in this capable body with nothing to do! To be in this complex mind with nothing to solve! To be bored with reality is sinful ,so I must sin and I sin good! I bore those holes into all I know is real until every moment of this fucking boredom is gone.  

… And when I’m bored I dance. I make up lyrical songs in my head more beautiful than any song my ears have ever heard and my body dances in the most fluid way I’ve ever experienced. It just moves without any mental energy at all. Arms fly into perfect lines and legs kick higher than I’ve ever been capable. I summersault on my bed. I leap on the couch and pirouette off the arm cushion. I roll on the floor and spring up onto my toes. My hair flies and my body twirls effortless into ecstasy. Rainbows lift from my extensions and rain evaporates from my spirit. 

… And when I am bored, I call to the spirits … and they speak back. I ask them questions of why the world is the way it is and why we are the way we are. They say things like … well one particular spirit, Akasha, answered: “In you is placed imagination. In you is creative thought. In you is the unknown knowledge of all time that grows wiser with each incarnation.” 
And when I asked: How do I gather more love? Another spirit answered: “By being more love.”   They also say things like: “The key to life is gratitude.” 
… Those bored moments actually went on for a while and bore a hole in all I knew that was reality so much so that I felt insanity kicking in. But that was just another moment in my boring life that flew away with fleeting time….

… My father always said “Only boring people get bored”.  I see know what he meant. Bored people are BORE-ING! They do pierce an opening within them selves.  Each boring moment creates an opening for a new outlook on life. It can give you a moment to breathe before the next opportunity arrises to grow. It allows the colors to rest for a moment within a raindrop. It allows the lovers to fall deeper in love. It allows the psychosis to untangle it self. It allows the dance to be awoken. It allows the spirits to share their message. 

Without that moment with “nothing particular to do” we might never… well …. get BOREd into and grow. 

PEACE NOW

PEACE NOW: Shabbat Service at Temple Mt Sinai in El Paso, TX. 11/16/12
Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest. “Shabbat is the most important Jewish holiday,” said Hal Marcus, “and it happens 52 times a year [every Friday night]. It teaches you to chill out and reflect.” 

As the Shabbat Service began, I could tell the temple had shifted since I remembered it as a child. It was no longer the bland service I remember.  Rabbis Larry Bach and Sandra Bellush have filled the service with guitar, singing and passion. The prayers and stories they highlighted accentuated peace and oneness.

In tradition, as every Rabbi does in every Shabbat Service, he invited all the children up to the bimah (the elevated platform facing the congregation in a Jewish synagogue) toward the end of the service, for the Kiddish (a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat.) At that moment peace was restored in my heart. Two Jewish children ran up to the bimah along with two Muslim children.  And they all drank the grape juice together.

Just think about that for a moment: On the same exact day that the holy city Jerusalem was targeted for the first time ever by rockets fired by Gaza militants, on the other side of the world Muslims and Jews teach their children about oneness.

Since I can remember my father, Hal Marcus, has incorporated interfaith philosophies into his and his children’s lives. My mother, being raised Christian, always decorated an artistic Christmas tree which was usually a branch or a household plant decorated with silver tinsel. My father was raised Jewish and he celebrated the eight nights of Chanukah, as well as all the Jewish holidays, but it went further than that. My parents set up a Buddhist prayer area in our attic and frequently our house would ring with chanting “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” (The Nichiren Buddhism Lotus Sutra. This mantra that is chanted to attain perfect and complete awakening). On occasion, the whole family would join Native American Ceremonies. My father even woke us three children up one morning to go to Church. “But we are Jewish,” I said.  He agreed but still insisted we attend the church for the experience.   All three of his children were raised Jewish and had our Bar/Bat Mitzvah and our Confirmation (Jewish coming of age rituals), I was married by a Humanistic Rabbi, and we all hold our Judaism close to our hearts, as does my father.   

What this interfaith experience has given me is a world-view of love and community. It has created a world that is full of religious and spiritual beings working for ultimately the same thing: Oneness.  As my father says: “Religions are like fingers on my hands that lead to my heart. Religions are like rivers that lead to one big ocean and that ocean is God. “

It was no surprise to me that he organized “Peace Now” the Interfaith Shabbat Service & Meal at the Temple Mt. Sinai  on November 16, 2012.  For first time in the congregation’s history ten religions came together to share Shabbat. Muslims, Christians, Mormons, Buddhists, Unitarians, Baha'i, Native American Indians, Hindus, Agnostics, Jews and the non-affiliated came together under one roof to share sacred religious space.

In the past years it has been humbling and inspiring to watch my father build his spirituality and community in Temple Mt. Sinai. He has been on the board of directors for 4 years and recently became one of the vice presidents.  He has had the privilege of being a strong voice for social justice and interfaith dialogue. This year the congregation has been a major monetary donor for helping to feed the hungry on a continuing basis. The congregation is one of 20 who are part of Border Interfaith, a broad-based community organization that develops leadership through education and interfaith relationships for effective democratic practices and meaningful community service.  They support Las Americas, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the legal needs of low income immigrants, including refugees and battered women.

 “We Reform Jews like to challenge the status quo,” said my father. He explains that this is part of his job as a Jew. Tikkun olam (תיקון עולם‎) is a Hebrew phrase from the Torah that means repairing, healing and restoring the world.  Jews believe that humanity should follow Tikkun olam not only because it is required by Biblical law, but because it helps avoid  social disharmony.  “It’s what we are suppose to be doing,” said my father. “Love your enemy, clothe the naked, take care of your neighbor, and feed the hungry…. The more you do this, the better community you have.” My father’s eyes then grew with passion. “In El Paso we share the food, we break the bread and all that stuff.”

This Shabbat Service was a dream come true for my father and my step mother Patricia Medici . They planned on 30 people attending. As my father gave his speech from the bimah and looked out in the full room of over 130 people, you could see the tears well up in his eyes.

He read from his speech:

“Mahatma Gandhi taught that we must be the change
that we want to see in the   world.

If we change, if we share and cooperate, there is no reason
for hunger, poverty or violence.  We know there are enough
resources/enough food/ enough energy/land and water for
everyone.  We need to evolve together once and for all to fulfill
the prophecy of peace. 

I believe that first and foremost that we are all human beings
and we are all brothers and sisters.

I like what Mother Theresa said, that there are
three important things in life:

#1 be kind;     #2 be kind;     #3 be kind

I believe that God doesn't really care what religion you are. 
I think God cares about how we treat each other, how we respect
the planet, and how we live our lives.

I thank you for making this dream come true. I challenge you to
continue this dream and invite other tribes into your temples,
churches and sacred spaces to break bread and discuss our
similarities and differences.”

After the Service was over everyone headed to another room to break bread together and have dinner. Rabbi Bach explained that with all the different religious food restrictions the easiest way to feed everyone was through a vegan dinner. The caterer, One Inspired Chef , served quiche, Spanish rice, spinach salad, tomato soup and even chocolate brownies.

Participants from all ten religions commented on the “beautiful dialogue” and how this gathering is already inspiring them to open their sacred spaces for interfaith gatherings.

My father Hal leaned close into me. “You have to imagine peace. It only takes 3% of the world population to change a mind set."  He’s reminded of a saying. “One day man will not learn war anymore…. Well, why don’t we make that day now?! It’s really easy. It’s fun and it’s enlightening and it’s kind of our job.”

Inviting The Sacred

The plant is the teacher in inviting the sacred into the self. 

Your diet gives preparation and reverence to the experience you call in. When you pay attention to your diet you set the attention to the journey you are about to embark on.  It brings the mind and body energetically together and readies your spirit for an abundant journey. 

I choose to integrate ritual and ceremony into my daily practice of life and create a personal ritual of living. I choose to experience a journey of life filled with compassion, art, music, dance, movement, love, divinity, culture, strength, freedom, sacredness, happiness, surrender, abundance, motivation and light. 

Inspired by Eve of Soul Voice: http://soulvoicesacredart.com/

Photo by Mario Covic. 

What is a prophet?

What makes a prophet is a dedication to compassion,  honesty,  warrior knowledge of survival and instinct,  and humbleness. This came to me in a colorful dream. 

Lightning In A Bottle 2012

Last weekend at Lightning In A Bottle we shared the main stage with Govinda, LUCENT DOSSIER, Bassnectar, Random Rab, Tipper, The Glitch Mob, and so many other mind expanding artists.  It was one of those moments that reminds me why I love to do what I do.

To share the stage with the best artists in our generation humbled me and inspired me to continue sharing my life with others through art and performance. Art opens the soul of humanity and allows for a glimpse of the internal life to expand outward into tangible realism. 


Thank you Lightning In A Bottle for giving artists a space to create, for giving communities a place to grow, and for allowing lost souls to find a home in paint pallets.

http://www.TheShimmySisters.com

Beautiful Soul Awaken

We, as humans, have a beautiful soul. We have just forgotten how to a build a relationship with it.

When you get pass the chatter in the head, and filter through the media of the mind, you can visualize radiating green and follow the silence into the heart. 

Then visualize indigo spiraling up in triangular geometric shapes into and out of your third eye.

Once the third eye is activated, go back to your radiating green heart and sit under that growing tree of openness and relax. 

Just relax and watch the birds of thought fly by. 

Watch the clouds of society roll in and on. 

Watch the storms of emotion affect your being. 

Sit under that growing tree of your nervous system and allow it to morph into a divine machine. 

Just sit and relax. 

Then one day while reading the book of your life you will notice a peaceful dove of wisdom sitting on your perch. 

Look into it's eye and smile. "Thank you Dove for visiting me today."  And continue to enjoy the weather of the day. 

Another visitor of wisdom will join you eventually, maybe this time as a peacock. "Thank you Peacock for joining me today." And continue on your heart journey of knowledge. 

Yet another friend will come into your space, maybe this time as a lion. You may be timid by it's grace, strength and mighty presence, but sit with it and know it is there to simply share space with you.

Feel its calm strength energy and sense the mighty heaviness of its presence.  If you can calm yourself, you can even see the moment reflected in its eyes. 

Each day listen for that new visitor. Be humble when they arrive, not saddened when they don't.  

Each day cleaning the mush in the mind and body with colors and geometry. 

Each day simply being grateful for the opportunity to breathe. 

This is how we find our beautiful soul and eventually this is how we allow it to speak into our reality.

We can not silence the ignorant evil of humanity. 

We can not stop the violence humanity does to nature. 

We can mend the connection of life only within ourselves, one day at a time. 

Eventually the divine voice will emerge and guide us into the steps necessary to overcome the greed, war and anger.

But first we must overcome greed, war and anger within ourselves. 

First we must breathe the pure breath of heart love and face the wall of deception built by aggressiveness. 

Behind that wall you will find unruly weather. 

When that weather of emotion clears, you will find that peaceful dove waiting to perch on your shoulder. 

in the meantime….

Smile, it's good for your health. :)