Meditation#14 The Shedding of Selves

Meditation#14 The Shedding of Selves

I have always been fascinated by exoskeletons, whether those of the cicadas or the shriveled snake skins I found so often in the Amazon and Louisiana wilderness, or by the ones I have found on beaches, my treasured seashells.  Often, I have contemplated how even as the time passes and our children leave behind clothes, shoes and toys, these too are like armor that has been outgrown and discarded, requiring newer wardrobes to accommodate the growing bodies of manifold creatures. Nature seems to adapt and easily transform whether it be the growth of a bigger body or a completely new self in order to allow development and growth to continue unfolding. What then signals the need for a new soul, a bigger heart or a higher state of being when life seems to reach a new stage of existence?

In this particular meditation we are invited to reflect on the many times in life in which we have so longed to belong to a group, to be lost in the collective and feel like a cherished crucial part of a jigsaw puzzle. In early childhood, this becomes a particularly powerful desire as the transition from home into school allows us to observe how the others around us dress, play, talk and behave. Our immature selves were particularly eager to please and be accepted no matter what the cost or sacrifice we had to make. How many times we agonized about being the last to be chosen for a team or the one not invited to a party or to participate in a simple game and perhaps even about not having the right kind of clothes? How many times a kind gesture or a word saved the day, and opened a fold where we could be part of the group and feel included. The longing to fit in and be valued was very strong and if never understood and rationalized, it might make us obsess about fitting in and feel that we need to possess all kinds of things in order to feel worthy or accepted.

How often have we realized that when we dare follow our own hearts and make choices based upon our own individual tastes and preferences, this simple act reveals fascinating details about who we are? Have we developed enough certainties about who we are that our exoskeletons do not need to match the collective for us to feel comfortable? Can we defy the powerful pull of uniformity to dare to be different and shed the masks that hide our real selves? Can we remember with a grateful heart the people who welcomed us and helped us to learn to trust who we were in order to belong?

So often, our own attitude can be a catalyst or a blockage as to how the people who surround us decide to act, depending on whether we encourage them to feel free to reveal who they are in all sincerity, or if we carry the sword of our judgement and the shield of our criticism. Can we depose our fears and act with such spontaneity and genuine authenticity that we encourage others to be confident to be who they are, plain and simple, and excel at what the only assignment we are all expected to excel at: merely being our true selves, selves that are free to be shed and to evolve as the never-ending surprises of our lives unfold.

With love,

Lina.

Meditation #4 "Inside The Golden Cocoon"

Meditation #4 "Inside The Golden Cocoon"

I am sitting by the ocean, the waves crash against the shore and the sound is so hypnotic, soothing, repetitive, and yet, always new. I imagine that's how life felt inside the warm, all-encompassing liquid medium that held me inside my mother's womb. Today I was pondering how Life is such a liquid medium too. Just a week ago, tears of grief were flowing from my eyes, as I let go of a butterfly and saw her soar on strong wings, far, far away. Today, my heart soars like she did, with gratitude and joy. I simmer in the pure, simple joy of being alive, letting the sun kiss my body and the wind tousle my hair every which way...

Today I want to take your hand and lead you back to that magical time when your life was entwined and completely dependant on the Mother that offered her body as your Home. I wonder what if felt like to BE devoted simply to being, surrendering wholly to the slow unfolding of my existence. To change from a tiny embryo that resembled more a seahorse than a human being unfolding and then feel the structures of my tiny body being perfected, cultivated for specialization, prepared for their unique, specific purpose.

Oh, if we could continue to surrender to life in such a way even when we leave the Golden Cocoon. Today, as I lay by the Mother of all Waters, I let go of the need to be busy, to know what my day will achieve and what I will do and I let my mind take me back to that state of expectation, of being held, without anchor or hoist, just floating, letting processes unfold on their own accord, at their own schedule, maturing into realization of the plan written within my own genetic material. When I was just a tiny baby, was I willing to let physiology melt me,like a caterpillar does before it can be housed inside a Golden Cocoon?

Now, as I meditate about that stage of becoming a completely new creature, whether my time in the womb was short, or tinged with uncertainty, can I renew my surrender to Life in order to grow in Patience and allow time and the wisdom of nature to fully ignite the being I was meant to be; a lovingly created creature growing my wings before flying off into a new life.

With love, 

Lina.

Meditation#1 A Meditation on Cosmic Dust

The Beginning and the End- A Meditation on Cosmic Dust
We are all made of cosmic dust, and cosmic dust we will become again. I had heard this over and over again, but the few times it has really made sense and I have thoroughly felt the lack of division and an intense sense of connection with all of creation, this realization has always been achieved by the sublime amazement Nature inspires in me.

I still remember the first time I saw the ocean. I couldn't get enough of it, I tasted it, I swallowed it, I swam in it, I did not want to leave, even though I looked as red as a lobster, but I just did not see the point of leaving if my heart had seemed to find its perfect playground. But I had to leave, and always, when I find my way back to the majesty of the sea, enveloping me with its salty taste and its constant motion, I feel right at home. I longed to go deep into the forest in this same passionate way too, and when I first flew over the majestic canopy of thick green tones, from emerald to lime, it beckoned like a living carpet, inviting me to dive in. Seduced by its wild mysteries, I felt an even stronger sense of belonging. The rhythms of life and death seem to be so spontaneous in all of nature's scenarios; decay and rebirth seem to fuse into each other seamlessly, with or without interference of man-made creation or distraction, and creatures large and small follow their instincts, live fully, die and contribute to the web of life.
And so shall I. I was part of this exchange of cells and matter before death, I was already contained in this universe before I assumed this human form, and as dust, once again, I will never really disappear, never cease to exist, just change shape, and perhaps glitter in the sunlight when a child of tomorrow opens the window to reveal a brand new day.

To be lost and Found, Eye to Eye

I want to invite every one of you to look into an animal's eyes and realize: the survival of nature and every endangered habitat truly is at the mercy of our daily consumption choices.

My purpose is not to speak as a scientist or an expert. What I want to share with you are personal stories. I was lucky enough to live among native communities, interact with them as an equal and actively participate in their daily lives. My husband worked as a physician, I was a teacher and my every morsel of experience was deemed valuable. Crafts, cooking, dancing, English, they all were skills that were cherished and eagerly learned. I have never since or ever before felt so useful! I was just 20 years old, and yet, I had so much to offer to these grateful people.  I, in turn, fell in love with this magical, intensely demanding place, and learned so much from the natives. They might appear lacking in material possessions, but they were the happiest people I have ever met.

I am headed back to the Amazon with my teenagers and my husband this year, eager to report the changes we will observe and to learn more and share our experiences through my books, my stories and my art. What I cherished most about what I learned in my first adventure in the Amazon was an intensity of presence in the way the people I met there inhabited every single day, solving one problem at a time, enjoying one delight at a time. Part of my heart stayed behind, in the Amazon, and this is why I want to share my tales and show you the deceivingly simple way of life I witnessed, hoping to inspire you to share some of my passion and realize we all have a role to play in this unfolding challenge. I know that among you, many will be stirred to action so that together, we can save this place of wild creatures and limitless possibilities, still to be explored. If that exploration is coupled with care and compassion, I am convinced that the Rainforest can be saved, and the lessons learned in this effort will prove crucial when aiming to restore and save other sacred habitats.

The question that has been formulated as the topic for the 2012 World Environment day is: The Green Economy, how can you be part of it? To me, the real answer is: how on earth can we NOT feel summoned to be active parts of it, in every choice we make. I have chosen to be part of the solution by sharing my stories about the habitat I know and love best, the Amazon Rainforest. Stories are powerful tools that inspire and invite action, so listen and then use the resources that abound to seek ways to Green your life. Every little action we decide to develop into a habit has a direct impact on the well-being of our environment and contributes towards the odds of survival of humanity and our Mother Earth, especially if we share our passion with the young ones in our lives, since they hold the real keys to an evolution in our relationship to Nature.

Keep coming back to my blog to read more stories and meet more beautiful creatures, and I promise you will never be the same once we have creeped into your heart.

With love, 

Lina Cuartas.