This past Tuesday about an hour and a half after lunch I went outside to give something to a client of mine - I got into a longer than expected conversation and due to the fact that I was only in a t-shirt the 35 degree weather gave me a quick chill - by the time I got back inside I was unusually cold -  actually freezing and literally shivering with chattering teeth and all - At that moment it didn’t make sense - I have been in much colder conditions with no problem handling it - something wasn’t right - I put on a sweatshirt which didn’t help - then I realized that my client that just left had just gotten out of the sauna, so I jumped in and cranked it back up - 20 minutes later I had warmed up but not a bead of sweat had formed on my body - I’m typically sweating profusely after 10 minutes - I got out of the sauna and decided I needed to lay down - at that point something very strange happened - I started to feel nauseous and thought that maybe I had eaten something that wasn’t agreeing with me and my body wanted it out so I started a visualization called ‘The Generous River’ which is designed to bring into your life whatever you need - at that point I wanted to purge whatever it was that was causing me to feel the way I was feeling - I began by thinking about the food but my mind quickly changed course and my imagination started running wild - memories started flooding my mind and I have to admit that they weren’t fond memories - in fact they were memories that I had pushed way down into the dark caverns of my subconscious that very well could have remained there undisturbed for eternity - but my body and my mind had other plans for me on this random afternoon - for the next several minutes I was brutally reminded of my misdeeds and mistreatment of the people from my past and present - most notable were my Mom, my sister, my brother, and my wife - Once the memories started to slow down I began to visualize these memories forming into one huge black cloud - once the the plume of black smoke had gathered all of these unpleasant reminders of my past I envisioned a beautiful white light that washed over me along with the rushing water from the river taking it with it the black cloud and all of my guilt, shame, regret, embarrassment, and disappointment - I felt like I had gone down and excavated a toxic dump of misery that I no longer had any need to hold onto - Within seconds of the white light doing what it did - my lunch decided to depart as well - as I laid there contemplating what just happened I was suddenly overcome with emotion - now, admittedly I am a softy and you’ll often see me tear up during movies or sentimental moments but when it comes to full blown crying with the exception of a few funerals and one or two other profound events in my life I’m usually sporting a somewhat stoic demeanor - well the big tough guy that I pretend to be sobbed like a baby - the emotion came and went like the ocean’s tides - I just laid there wondering what the heck was going on but I got to tell you it felt awesome - like a boulder had been lifted from my spirit - I was free - I let go of something that was holding me back - from what I’m not sure - but I can’t wait to find out - As soon as I know I’ll let you know. Try to excavate for yourself this week, and see what you can let go of.

Live the Seven,

John Nies

Without one you very well could be inviting a world of trouble into your life - About seven years ago I was sitting in on conversation between a friend of mine and my mentor - I flew out to San Jose, California with three friends that were interested in meeting the man that taught me how to live a spiritual life - The four of us sat and listened closely as he was explaining the importance of acknowledging our spirit and the unfortunate repercussions when the spirit is ignored - he went on to explain how easy it is for people to get caught up with the pleasures of the physical - temptation, cravings, desires and addictions are lurking like shadows wherever we go and if we aren’t strong and in balance then we are very susceptible - he advised us not to let vanity and pride influence our decisions and interests-be sure to pay close attention to the ego and its need to be king — Strong and balanced is what he said we needed to be - but what exactly does that mean? How does one acquire balance and strength? It starts by understanding that we are much, much more than a body - in fact our physical body is merely the temporary vessel that we use to house the eternal spiritual body of light and intelligence that we are - without a spiritual practice it is virtually impossible to recognize this to be true - The mind, the body, and the spirit all need equal and adequate attention - Challenging ourselves physically with different types of strenuous activity and exercise - treating our body as well as our mind with respect and love by eating fresh and nutritious foods, drinking clean and oxygen rich water, engaging in intelligent, thought provoking conversations and studies - discovering ways to elevate the spirit - charitable service - caring for others - expressing and receiving love and affection - laughing, smiling and having fun - living life with passion and purpose - waking up and trying to make the very best of each day despite the adversity or obstacles that might stand in our way - Having a daily spiritual practice is like having a solid foundation to build on - its our connection to the divine wisdom that inspires us - fuels our creativity and is always there to remind us of who we are and what were made of - pure love.