The Mystical Masculine

Today I celebrate a true Mystic in my world.  He turns 70 on this very day.  Seventy years of Life and one of the greatest Old Souls I have ever met.

When I think about Mysticism and the miracle of Masculine energy in the world I think with great gratitude about my father, Peter and my brother in-law Brian.  They are all extraordinary in their own way and for today I have the great honor of focusing on one of them – my father who turns 70.

For me the Mystical Masculine has the power to speak volumes in this world – often without even using words.   I view it as a deep, honoring and faithful presence.  Alive with strength and a core of truth from which to live by,  the Mystical Masculine “holds the space” for tremendous flourishing in the world.  Around this Masculine Mystic the feminine expands and can be seen more deeply.  This Mystic has such an awareness of his true Self that he can show vulnerability, as well as his surrendered and consenting will, while still feeling the confidence of the Ultimate Presence that he knows holds him in Life.   A Grace that sustains him.  His true strength.

The Mystical Masculine is not exclusive to male or female.  We all have our own touches of the Mystical Masculine within.  That’s what makes polarity such a sacred thing.

But I have had the great honor of knowing this kind of Mystical Masculine in my father.  His presence and the way it has grown over time touches my heart deeply.  In large part because he has done so with humility, courage and authenticity.  I have seen the space of love and joy he has held for all the lovely ladies in his family.  There were many years when he could have easily, and probably did, feel like he was being “invaded” by the feminine when I was growing up (smile), and instead of running for the hills he did the Work.  Authentic Work.  He transformed himself into love, compassion and a faith that is always pulling for your highest and greatest possible good.

Today at his birthday party I will give him this piece of writing and say “Dad, you are the Mystical Moment today!”  He will read it … speechless I’m sure … tears in his eyes because he is touched so deeply.

Like I said, A True Mystic.

Why Wait for Mystical Love? Choose Now.

by Shannon Cohen

I return to one of my favorite Mystic prayers.  The prayer “Ho’oponopono,” comprised of four simple phrases:

“I’m sorry.

Please forgive me.

I love you.

Thank you.”

I love how Dr. Hew Len, the originator of that prayer and its practice, calls it a petition to the Divine.

I have found this to be highly useful in those moments when the False Self, and its experience of separateness, wants to lead.  For me, silently saying this prayer within  immediately brings peace, self-responsibility versus externalized responsibility, and surrender.  All of which leaves a vast amount of inner space for transformation in the NOW, primarily because there is a softening that occurs, and the need to “know” or “be right” releases.

Similarly, one of Dr. Hew Len’s partners in the Law of Attraction, Joe Vitale, often says “just practice saying I love you internally as you engage life.”  It doesn’t matter whether your natural predisposition to that person or situation would be “I love you” – just saying it quietly within will alter your energetic output and potentially open up new awareness and possibilities.  If saying “I love you” over and over in the every day moments of life doesn’t work perhaps “Thank You” will.  Either one alter resistance.  Both promote openness.  Either one will soften you where you have hard edges.  Both will connect you to the Mystery and Grace of this now  Mystical Moment.

I think we are well aware of what a world looks like when the internal voice (and sometimes external) says “I hate you or you are wrong.”  We see it all over the news, in our own communities and homes.

We have nothing to lose and the Whole World to gain by shifting our own inner disposition from fear to “I love you” – even if only for the purpose of shifting our own inner suffering, and for being reminded of our need to rest in a deeper core truth about life.  A truth of Love that we all long for.

Mystic Love.  Often unexplainable.  Always available.

© 2015 The Mystical Moment.com

Mystical Suffering

This week I picked up Adyiashanti’s new book Falling into Grace and as always it is food for awakening and awareness.  In his most recent book he speaks of the three ways we suffer.  I love how he captures it so clearly and succinctly.

He shares that we suffer because we often respond to Life in the following ways:

• Through the illusion of control – Perhaps out of fear and our need for security, approval, and survival we attempt to control ourselves, those around us and our circumstances.

• Demanding that things be different – Another way we suffer is by making “demands” on others and life itself. The “you should …” “I want this!” “I shouldn’t feel that way!” “You were supposed to …” or any version of, “This should be more like …”

• Arguing with what is – We suffer when we argue with what is or what was. Argue with what is in this NOW moment and you will suffer.

I’m sure most of us could relate to one or more of these on any given day.  The need to control, the need to demand it be different, the need to argue against what is.  In fact, it happens all the time in big and small ways!

Work, relationship, children, health, time, and finances – How often do we want it to be different than it is and argue with the facts as they are and continue to suffer?

In talking with a dear friend, we spoke of our own heightened awareness around just being able to “be with” the moment.  This experience of “being with” is beyond the world of control, fixing, altering, manipulating and shaping according to expectations, demands and “shoulds.”  We both described situations where it was tough to “be with” something.  We talked about our practice of just being with the facts, the reality of it, without needing to ever so gently (or sometimes not so gently) insert our agenda or our story.  Initially there may have been an inner rebellion that said “no, just make this suggestion.  He needs it.”

However, in just acknowledging the ego’s attempts without acting upon them we both admitted to feeling a deeper sense of peace in our individual experiences.  With further practice we found appreciation for the person and situation.  We found creative responses that weren’t available from the position of constriction.  We found a deepened presence.  We found humility.  We found compassion and love.  We found connection.  We found authentic self-empowerment and clarity.

“Being with” is not inaction or passivity, it is in fact the most incredible portal to the Infinite.  It’s that Mystical Moment when controlling or arguing with what is has been given a back seat, which ultimately allows for a Higher Source of Energy to come through.  Being with for me helps me tap into Infinite Consciousness and all of its connectedness, guidance and grace.

Some of my most incredible coaching sessions had nothing to do with theory, goals, objectives, powerful questions, intentions, even intuition (all of which are incredibly useful) but rather the disposition of “being with” attentively, lovingly, consciously, with curiosity and sometimes silence.  This has allowed for a flow of insight, freedom and energy that is profoundly beautiful to witness in session.  It leaves room for another to express what’s real and vulnerable for them.  For true authenticity to emerge.

Where in your own life do you see a situation that could possibly benefit from you simply “being with” it?

At first it might feel strange, scary, objectionable or even odd.  But beyond the unfamiliarity of it you might discover something quite profound.  Perhaps it starts with just being with the idea of “being with.” That takes great courage in and of itself.

© 2015 The Mystical Moment.com

 

 

Mystical Intimacy Here and Now

By Shannon Cohen

It appears to be quite easy for us all, at one time or another, to get caught in the notion that connection and intimacy is something that can happen “when_____ occurs.”

“When he connects in this way.”

“When I feel better.”

“When there is more time.”

“When the kids are asleep.”

“When it’s the weekend.”

“When I’m less tired.”

Intimacy has been one of my greatest teachers and the lessons didn’t come in the form I thought they would.

It is so easy for intimacy to be set up as expectation, diminished through judgment, assessed through criteria, compared, measured, distanced from and insecure with or controlled.

I’m sure we have all experienced one of those responses to intimacy at some point or another in our life. I’ve seen this pattern in my work as a counselor too. Many of my clients have struggled with similar “someday” ideas around intimacy.

But what I have observed and loved about intimacy lately is this:

It is both Here and Now all the time just waiting for us to SEE it, appreciate it and savor it.

And it is also a container of love, openness and safety that is held for another which allows them to share consciously what is in their heart.

In my meditation time recently, it was revealed to me that Intimacy is all around us all the time.  I was urged to pay attention, Shannon!

So I did. And here is what I observed:

Intimacy was the way Peter and I looked at each other over a lunch gathering we attended.

Intimacy was sharing from the heart with dear friends.

Intimacy is the way my mother prepared my father’s dinner with such love when he was not well.

Intimacy is the way an instrument speaks and moves hearts.

Intimacy is the way a man holds his lovers hand when he senses she could use the support.

Intimacy is always here and now in little and big ways.  It is up to me to savor it, appreciate it, say YES to it, be broken open by it.  Be fertile grounds for it to grow.

Intimacy is also in the honesty, the sharing and revealing of the heart.

I have often observed in my work, that when a deeper experience of intimacy is wanted by another it can come out in some less than flattering ways that tend to ignite defensiveness or some version of shutting down in us.  The intention of our partner was pure, but it was a “back door” approach.

In my own life I’ve started a practice.  I want to be a sacred space in my everyday life where intimacy can grow, be nurtured and thrive.  I want to do this consciously and while maintaining connection with another.

I know, perhaps a lofty goal!  But one worth taking on.

In just two weeks, this practice has made a big difference in my life. For example, yesterday I experienced a slightly “back door” approach to deepening intimacy (smile), and instead of reacting, I placed my hand on his arm and calmly and kindly said,  “I can hear your request.  Please share it with me and can you be specific?  I will hear you.”

The response?  “I want to pray and read more together.”  And there it was.  Mystical Intimacy.  His heart expression just melted me open.  But had I not been solid in my intention of holding a sacred space for intimacy to grow I would have missed out on OUR Mystical Moment together.

Instead, I took a breath, got still within, and with and in a spirit of love, I used the least number of words possible to let him know I was available to listen.

Often times Mysticism is simple, real and raw.

Then we prayed our gratitude together.

A simple request.

Made whole by the vulnerability of one and the consenting of another.

Savored in the Here and Now.

Intimacy deepened.

________________________________________________

© 2015 The Mystical Moment.com