Videographer kirene and Alay'nya Celebrate Successful Digital Video Shoot

Digital Video Book Trailer for Unveiling Forthcoming Soon!

Videographer kirene (not a mis-type; she prefers to be all small letters)from Aurora Vision Journey and Alay'nya toast each other following a recent successful video shoot - Alay'nya in four costumes, four "stage settings" - credit goes to Costume Designer & Stage ManagerKatherine H., Still Photographer Melissa B., and Key Grip Alice P.

.!

Learning to Trust Source

Four weeks since last blog - and while getting ready this AM, I thought, "Should I do some blogging this morning?" This was followed by, "No, not today, not being moved to say anything." And within 60 seconds, another thought, "I'm different from where I was at the start of this inner journey." The big difference? I've learned to trust and follow Source.

Since my last blog, just a bit before Thanksgiving, my life has been a lot like yours. Clean the house. ("Deep cleaning." All women intuitively understand this. We need to clean before we can do anything, like decorate for Christmas.) Decorate for Christmas. (I decided that it was time to go all out and put on a bit of a show. "Acting prosperity" creates "having prosperity." And naturally, this entails multiple trips with co-residents to hardware and crafts stores.

Christmas cards. (I'm really making an effort this year, and seeking to be more organized about my people-connects than before - but this is a very slow process right now!)

And - wouldn't you know it? An uptick in client work. (Doesn't it always happen at this time of year?)

But finally - I've turned in grades for the single college-level class I've been teaching, and sent each an email thanking them for their excellent work. (Personalization - that's so important. And it does take much more time! And the truth is - we really can't automate real personal relationships!)

So there I was yesterday, in the midst of several hours of out-of-the-house errands; bank, Post Office (through a small miracle, a very short line!), grocery store, library (thank God, those dear people are taking a few good days off starting Thursday - it means getting all my stuff done now.) You all know what it's like. And there, in the grocery store check-out lane, I got one of those little internal "knowings."

Over the past two years, I've rebuilt my life based on these "knowings." The little internal "nudges" that say, "Do this," or "Don't do that." These can be minor. ("Go to the Post Office now!") They can be major. ("It's time to write a book." And there goes the next year-and-a-half.)

This was a nudging that said, "It's time to stand down, now!"

This nudging came after I had gotten up and (with growing trepidition) filled out my Day-Planner with task after task, all of which seemed very important. I had been reading and absorbing all sorts of wonderful business and marketing books. (Thank God, once again, for the fabulous Fairfax County Public Library system, and all the wonderful people who work there.) And based on this reading and absorbing, over the past more-than-month, I had both realized and decided that the coming year was going to be all about sales and marketing.

For a classic introvert, this is somewhat daunting. It helps to know that my MBTI Type (and I haven't forgotten the closure to the last post, simply postponed it a bit) is INFP - the "P" comes when I'm being really honest with myself, and if I'm filling in the questionnaire when feeling life-stressed, I come out as a "J." Meaning - for those of us who've temporarilly forgotten our MBTI lingo - that I'm great at building close, intimate, one-to-one relationships. But I'm awful at "broad-market" blasts, and very awful at things which require lots of people-density. Much more one-to-one.

But sales it is. And with that somewhat challenging thought, my "to-do" list has lots and LOTS of tasks on it.

In the midst of all of this (and while internally whuffling and whining, and feeling rather sad for myself), I got the internal order to "stand down." Stop working, stop "filling out the form." Stop creating and fulfilling endless rounds of tasks. Just stop, be quiet, settle down.

So I did my last tasks and went home. Didn't stop with the tasks, of course - there were still a few hours of things that "had" to be done before I could cease and desist. But I completed those that were truly necessary, made dinner, went to bed, got up in the middle of the night for a long meditation, and am slowly working my way into the "quiet zone."

Which is really what our Solstice season is all about, anyway. While we do desire connection - along with calorie-rich food and fireside warmth - what we do not want is a lot of running around and "doing."

Biologically, we are programmed. Not necessarily to hibernate, but to ease back a bit. We'll start feeling - all of us in the Northern hemisphere - a bit more "juice" come Imholc (Feb 2nd). We'll be feeling a lot more of it come Spring Equinox. But now is the time for being inward; for gathering our thoughts and dreams, and for quiet reflection.

And just like you, even though I know this, it's been hard to do. We all succumb to the pressure to do more, just as our biological programming tells us to "slow down."

But when I got the "nudging" (from Source, or Divine Inspiration, or Higher Power -- take your pick), I was able to follow it and go home and just start the transition to quiet zone. I told myself that those gifts that had been mailed out were fine. Those that were not yet purchased, wrapped, and posted would have to wait - and various relatives would be told that they had a somewhat eccentric auntie who got things done when she got them done, but not necessarily on schedule. Opening gifts under the Christmas tree be damned; sometimes a gift or card is more welcome in January or even February, when it's cold out and we want a little emotional cheer-up.

A few years ago, I couldn't have done this. Of course, I was still locked into corporate culture at the time; a system where we have to play "Captain, may I?" every time our inner knowing contradicts a corporate calendar. But even more, I was earlier locked into a mindset that told me that I "had" to do things in a certain way in order to "survive."

That's where most of us are.

When I talk with colleagues and friends, I realize that most of them are making survival-based decisions. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but they have (just as I had) internalized a set of "rules" about survival that say, "If you want to survive, you have to live your life this certain way." Often, that means doing work that they don't love. Often, that means sacrificing that which really calls to them, and continuing to force themselves to fit into a mold that increasingly doesn't work - but they continue to contort their psyches anyways.

Over the past two years, as I've found my way towards working on Unveiling, and then done the actual work itself, I've lived primarily in what I've started to call the "Miracle Zone." That is, life without so-called security or guarantees. Just trust. A huge amount of reliance on Guardian Angels. And really, on Source. Trusting that as I do as I am led to do, God (Source, Higher Power, whomever or whatever) will ensure that the little details - like survival - are cared for.

This doesn't mean that we neglect practicalities completely. In my case, I've done an enormous amount (and surprisingly wide range) of various "jobs." All part-time (although sometimes very time-consuming.) All of them ultimately allowing me to commit myself fully to Unveiling, as none of them required the kind of long-term, whole-life commitment that most "professional" jobs require these days.

This has yielded certain consequences. I'm not going to call it trade-offs, and I'm not calling it anything of a negative or unfulfilling nature. But let me say that when there is no money (on the apparent or superficial level) for going "shopping," then my time has been spent writing, editing, connecting with people whom I'm quoting. In short, the decision to go with the main "nudging" entails lots of other, smaller decisions or commitments - and life circumstances work together to make it easier to align myself with these other, smaller commitments.

What I will say is: This works.

Here I am, a year and a half later. Two years, really. And I'm still (somewhat to my own surprise) alive. And I have a book. (Shortly, you'll have this book also.) And somehow, by aligning myself with my inner guidance or "nudgings," I've gotten to this point.

The work has taken much more time, energy, focus, and commitment than I ever imagined. Hugely so. And yet, it's been worth it. Every ounce of effort along the way.

So now, I'm counseling my friends. (They're "practice trials." Shortly, I'll be mentoring others on a professional basis.) I'm encouraging them to first, identify their dream or vision, and second, start to align their lives with this vision, and third, to disengage with the survival-based, fear-based, panic-based thinking that says that they must indeed continue to contort themselves (or overly emphasize one part of their psyche) in order to "fit in" and "get a job." (Or to "keep their job.") The "job" may not be the path for survival and social status, but rather, a means of so contorting their psyches that they become disassociated from their true selves.

This takes courage. Fortunately, we don't have to look at the whole long path in advance. We simply need to make microscopic little decisions about our priorities and our time.

One final word - to those who are curious about Unveiling. I've been writing lots of "teaser" material. (And I'll continue to do so - why not? It's fun!)

But Unveiling, when it comes out, will whop out at about 500 pages (and this is after we've increased page size and decreased font size and line spacings.) It will have over 300 references. It will still be readable. It will still be a "girlfriend" book - the kind that you curl up with when you need nurturance and comfort, and insight into who you are and how you can approach things.

But really, Unveiling is five different books in one. That's because there are at least three major discoveries, two minor discoveries, and several "inventions" in the book. Major discoveries, such as: The ancient, original archetypal system that applies to all humans - but is especially pertinent to women. This is the one that helps us understand the "What next?" and "Where next?" questions that we have as are on the cusp of a life transition.

There is another "discovery" - this is one that I regard as minor, although whole books and dissertations could be written about this - on what constitutes a Heroine's Quest. We already have the Hero's Quest. (Think Star Wars. Think Joseph Campbell, and The Man with a Thousand Faces. Think all the well-known, and greatly loved "young man comes of age" life sagas.)

What we've not had is the concise, thumbnail-level, high-level-overview understanding of what constitutes a Heroine's Quest. But I found it - through nearly chance-comments from friends, and some reading where this just "popped up" - in the final editing stages of Unveiling, late last summer. This alone - which is not just huge, it's profound - is actually a minor piece of Unveiling. It is in the tail end of Chapter 6. (The really good stuff starts in Chapter 7, and continues in Chapter 11, and picks up again in the last five chapters.)

So enough with the tease - you'll hear more. But today is devoted, more-or-less, to "standing down." To being in "quiet time." And at the same time, I will still be doing much as you're doing - a little shopping, a little card-writing, a little client-care. But from a more introspective, centered, internally-quiet state. Less trying to accomplish all that can be done, and checking things off the list. (Although lists are still important; they free up our minds from having to mentally track things.)

And in this spirit of Solstice-quiet, I wish you - truly - the "peace and joy" of the Season.

yours - Alay'nya

Major Breakthrough to be Revealed in Unveiling!

Unveiling: An Inner Journey Links Major Archetypes with Myers-Briggs Types

If you followed the course of Robert Langdon, Dan Brown's heroic "Professor of Symbology" in his most recent adventures, you'd have seen him tracking down the most revered and esoteric secret hidden within a Freemason pyramid's special "magic square" code. Cracking this code gave insight into one of the major hidden "inner truths," known only to an elect few within the highest ranks of Freemasonry.

The truth is, we don't need to do Dan Brown-style continent-crossing adventures in order to "crack the code." What we DO need is some painstaking research, piecing together the insights that we obtain when we find the lost (or perhaps deliberately mislaid) real meanings of one of our well-known esoteric teachings. These teachings themselves have been available for all to study, over the past several hundreds of years.

Why this timeframe?

Actually, the "secrets" themselves go back much, much farther in time. They very likely were developed at a time when the Hebrew people were living in Egypt, and there was not only prosperity (for both Hebrews and Egyptians), but likely significant cross-cultural intellectual fertilization. The best minds, of both cultures, were - for a brief period of time - living amicably and in close quarters.

It is likely that from this timeframe, when there was both prosperity and intellectual stimulation, that the greatest "esoteric secrets" of our Judeo-Christian world were discerned and codified. They were also very likely taught in what we have now come to think of as the "Mystery Schools."

What happened to these secrets?

In short order: The Hebrew people were cast into slavery, and then thrust out of Egypt. They claimed a new land, and solidified their culture. The "esoteric secrets" continued to be developed, and taught in an oral tradition. Over the next several hundred years, various elements were put down in writing, although the primary interpretation was still done in the time-honored oral tradition; master to disciple.

But at a certain point, the continuity was broken. The Grand Masters feared - with good reason - that their "secrets" could be lost for all time.

Why?

Plain and simple: The Inquisition.

The Crusades began just before 1100 AD, and lasted until the latter part of the 1200's.

The Inquisistion began in the early 1200's, and continued through the 1600's. Most importantly, significant Papal Bulls, giving authority and direction for the Inquisition, were drafted in the 1200's - while the leading nobility were away from their lands, the European power centers, and access to the Vatican. ("While the cat's away, ...")

The Inquisition was a power and money grab on behalf of the Catholic Church, which was then (and possibly still is) the most powerful and wealthy organization in the world. In fact, the Inquisition was largely what made "Holy Mother Church" so powerful, wealthy, and influential.

In Europe, the practice of primogeniture - handing down a lord's full estate, and his title, to his eldest son - made for some very unhappy second-eldest sons. The "typical assignments" of duties for a lord's sons were: The eldest received the title and the lands. The second eldest, regardless of "vocation," was destined for the priesthood. The third (and any remaining) sons became warrior-knights; they performed military service in the land of either their eldest brother or the king.

The eldest son could - and would - marry and have children. The second eldest son, becoming a priest, was not allowed to marry. (Of course, he had mistresses. The church history is replete with the various offices and honors given to the "nephews" of various high-ranking churchmen.) Even though a nobly-born priest could use his influence to improve the lot of his "nephews," he did not personally own property. He could not bequeath property. This would make for some serious envy!

The solution?

Send the eldest sons, and many of the younger ones, off to fight a war in a foreign land. This left a power vacuum.

The lands themselves, of course, were being managed by the lord's wife and his stewards. The solution to that little conundrum? Find heresy.

Thus, the Inquisition. A useful tool, which is why it was continued for four hundred very active years. In the course of this time, many, many women (and a few good men - most notably scientists, "heretics," and other free thinkers) were burned at the stake. Also, of course, a good many Jews.

The Church, of course, laid claim to the estates of all these "heretics." Over four hundred years, Church coffers swelled considerably, as estates, gold, valuable artworks, and jewels were all consumed by the overarching maw of the Inquisition's venerable activities.

During this time, the last vestiges of a "woman's pathway" disappeared - as did the women who possessed healing knowledge. (Is it any surprise that the Black Plague broke out in the mid-1300's, and consumed approximately 50% of Europe's population?)

Likewise, the population of Jewish peoples living in Europe was hugely diminished, as a combination of both the order of expulsion from Catholic Spain (mid-1400's), the attempts (by many) to convert to Catholicism, and then the following pursuit by members of the Inquisition, which then had authority over the converted Jews (since they had turned Catholic, and thus were under the rule of the Church).

Clearly, during this time, it was unsafe to be a Jewish person, living in Europe. The masters of the great esoteric traditions had to find a way to communicate their knowledge.

In fact, they had to do so - with the thought in mind that not only they, but all their living disciples - their entire lineage - would be destroyed. They had to find a way to safeguard their knowledge, so that wise and discerning people of future generations would find it, and re-discover their esoteric teachings.

The great masters did precisely this - by hiding their "secret knowledge" in plain sight!

What these great thought-leaders knew honored women as much as men. Their "secrets" - once properly deciphered - show an even-handed balance of masculine and feminine perspectives.

However, as their "secret knowledge" began to be copied, morphed, and disseminated by those who did not know the inner meanings, the "symbolism" used to encode the original "secrets" was distorted over time. And without the Grand Masters to correct the course, and bring the insights back, the true meanings were lost.

To be continued.

Unveiling: A Guide-Book for Your "Life Make-Over"

Unveiling: The Inner Journey: Transforming Your Life, From the Inside Out!

Dear Ones --

Yesterday, I shared that our first official Unveiling "layout" maxed out at over a whopping 600-plus pages!

Too much.

So Travis Craine, my CreateSpace Publishing Consultant, and I had a little chat. And we decided to reduce the font size (just a smidge), reduce the between-line spacing (just a smidge), and increase the actual trim size (the physical book dimensions, again, by just smidge).

The result? Unveiling will be easier to carry, and to hold in your lap.

At the same time, though, I am enormously grateful of this time as a full-book editing moment. I'm reading Unveiling through - from the Dedication and the Acknowledgements to the very last reference - yet once again.

Usually, by this time, authors have grown very tired of reading their own words. But last night, while editing Chapter 10, on "Shifting State," something inside myself was nodding agreement.

Because it's been a few weeks since I first uploaded the manuscript, Unveiling was coming through in a new and fresh way. Reading it right now, I'm still in "edit" mode - still looking for those tiny little glitches, or those miniscule changes in wording that will make it "flow" a little better.

But as I read and edited in the wee hours of the morning, something else started to "kick in."

Sixteen years ago, I realized that if I really wanted to read the kind of life-guide that I really wanted to read (yes, this sounds convoluted, I know you'll understand), then I would have to write the book myself. And now, Unveiling is the result.

Now that I've "written the book," I can settle down and read it. And I can actually do the exercises, or Personal Pathworking steps, at the end of each chapter.

Unveiling is really a personal guide-book, meant to help each of us bring about the "life transformation" that many of us desire.

We are always interestd in make-overs, ranging from a short article in one of our favorite magazines, to the subject of a full-fledged "reality TV" show. We like making over everything from our wardrobes, to our kitchens, to ourselves.

In particular, we are interested - at certain times in our lives - in "making over" ourselves.

But since this is a psychological, or internal process, we know that it is more than just throwing out the old appliances (or wardrobe), and ordering in the new. The "cleaning out" stage is HUGE, because it's various beliefs about ourselves, and habits (both thought-habits and lifestyle-habits) that we need to reassess and sometimes toss.

For an internal "make-over," we need to go through our own lives.

This is where having a guidebook comes in handy.

On the TV shows, and even in the magazines, the person never does it all by herself. Instead, she has a team of experts coaching her for every step. These people are "facilitators." They are each experts in a very specific and useful area.

Also, each "make-over" has a plan. The interior designer sits down and does a sketch, and goes over it with the prospective client. The wardrobe or lifestyle coach presents a "vignette" or a small "showcase collection" of what the new look will be like. They make their plan, and THEN, with consensus from their client, everyone goes into action!

Unveiling is designed to similarly bring a team of experts into our own lives.

The people that I write about in Unveiling are those who have helped me in my own journey. The stories that I write about them (with their review and consent) are the "pivotal moments" - those where I had some sort of "aha!" realization. Those are moments that changed my life forever, in very specific and useful ways.

If it took me sizteen years to write this book (and it did; my first drafts are from 1996), it was because it took me sixteen years - every single one of them - to get the "life lessons" and the "pivot points" that I share with you in Unveiling. Indirectly, these people now become your teachers. And if you want to, you can study with them directly - they are all still very much alive, well, and professionally active - they run schools or studios, hold regular workshops, and are very accessible. They have websites, and when my Unveiling website goes up, I'll link to each of them directly.

There was "theoretical" study as well; I've read a great number of books and research articles as part of gaining the requisite background. I cite them in the endnotes. And once the Unveiling website is up, I'll link directly to the books in their Amazon pages, and to the articles whenever they are published online. These books became my another group of my teachers and guides, and you'll be able to access these as well.

But also (and this is the most important thing), I had to put all of what I was learning into order, and devise a set of "steps" that a person could undertake, in simple and successive order, in order to create her own, unique-unto-herself, personal unveiling.

Reading and editing my way through Chapter 10: "Shifting State" this morning around 3AM, my thought was, "Yes! I want to do these steps myself!" (That was even though I had done them, in one sense or another, over the years.)

So it will be a few more weeks until Unveiling is fully under way to you. You should be able to have your own copy in time for that very precious little "downtime" that we all get, post-Christmas, and post-New Year's parties. That time in late January and early February where we clean out our files, our closets, and our lives.

I'll be doing the Unveiling Pathworking steps then, myself.

May I invite you to join me?

Yours in dance - Alay'nya

P.S. - While reducing the "physical weight" of Unveiling so that it takes fewer pages, I'm also increasing its weight in another dimension -- the knowledge that is being embedded within its pages. I've found some valuable new books and references that I'm adding in. Their worth is significant. This feels as though I'm broadening the "circle of friendship" that I'm introducing to you via Unveiling; it is like adding in one or two more "special experts" to the "on-call life makeover team" that Unveiling presents to you. I am so excited about this! This is actually worth the delay in getting the book to you - ALL of our lives are benefitting!

Unveiling: The Final Journey of Completion

Unveiling: An Inner Journey in Final Edit Stages

After discussion with Travis Craine, my Publishing Consultant with CreateSpace, we've decided on some reformatting to reduce page count, and still maintain readability. We're also going to go with a slightly larger standard trim size.

In the meantime, I have my full galleys in front of me. Earlier, when I was working with CreateSpace on the "Interior Design Layout" - the first stage of getting the book actually published - the material that they used to illustrate the "layout" was up through the first page of Chapter 2. Exciting to see it all "look" like a "real book" - but I could only proof that material as far as it went.

CreateSpace got the full book laid out Thursday, which was when I realized that (Oi!) the page count was more than 600 - with an Index still to be developed and included. That caused me to rethink my "readability" priorities. Now it's balancing "readability" with "page count." All these things that we authors get to think about nowadays, in this realm of small-press and do-it-yourself publishing!

I got the crucial Chapter 7 reworked yesterday, along with the much easier (on you, and on me) Chapter 8. Chapter 7 is one of the big "theory" chapters in the book; it lays out our core archetypes. I wanted to rework the references a bit, so it took extra time. This morning, up since about 2:30 AM, I've finally finished editing the chapters up through Chapter 7.

We won't have this book physically available before Christmas. I keep working with a "best case" scenario - and right now, even "best case" - the current proofing/editing round will extend the timeframe.

But - "worst case" scenario - the book is complete. My edits are of a largely superficial nature; minor reference tweaking, word-smithing, and the (still finding a few) grammatical checks. If something were to happen to me, the book would still go forward. Crucial people are in the loop, and are empowered to make this happen, no matter what. So - Unveiling is on its way!

Stay tuned for further developments.

yours in dance - Alay'nya

P.S. - I didn't blog at all while in the final book rewrite/edit stages; before submitting the manuscript to CreateSpace. Now, I'm sharing the "what it's like" story to produce a book. One of the strongest recommendations that I'm making, to all of my friends and colleagues who are seeking to "recreate" their lives, is to leverage their knowledge and expertise by putting out some sort of a "product." It might be a book; it might be a program, a DVD, or a music CD. (All of these, of course, can be online versions.) The point is that I'm urging all of them towards the goal of mixing in a little "product" together with their "service" offerings (which may be teaching, consulting, or working at a full-time job - or even a series of part-time gigs).

That said - and I'll stick with my advice to become a "product company" (even if this means being a "company of one") - I'll have to tell everyone to never, EVER underestimate the time involved for product launch. It is significantly more time-consuming than can EVER be imagined. This is a time-commitment that is NOT producing an active income, and yet requires huge amounts of the highest-quality time that a person can give.

Moving on from that point, my goal right now is to share the "details" of the product production process; to let people "look over my shoulder" (so to speak) as we go from finished (or nearly-finished) product (the completed manuscript) to actually making it available to you.

I haven't talked openly about CreateSpace, or my relationship with them, up until yesterday's blog, mostly because I was very new to working with them. Now, we've gone through a few rounds together. The Coordination/Production Team that I've been working with has been sweet, and as time-responsive as they could possibly be. My Publishing Consultant, Travis Craine, has both given me consistently good advice, and has stepped in for me when I've needed help bringing some matters to the Team's attention. (Largely, this has been a matter of "artistic fuss" at my end, and I'm thankful that they're used to working with temperamental writers -- and I try to get over my "stuff" as fast as possible so we can all get on with getting the job done.)

We are, all things considered, moving ahead fast.

You should be able to get your copy of Unveiling soon. Maybe not for Christmas, but certainly early in the new year.

And for those of you who are thinking about perhaps doing a book or some other creative product of your own someday -- well, it's always interesting to see someone else get the project through to completion!

"Unveiling" is Big! (Really, It's HUGE!)

Unveiling: An Inner Journey Exceeds Expectations

What I expected, dear one, was that Unveiling: An Inner Journey - as a 315 page manuscript (sans index) would turn into a 310 page book.

I was shocked to find, yesterday, when I downloaded the full interior text layout, that it ran to more than 600 pages. 600 6x9 inch (standard "trim" size for a trade book) pages. Yes, I asked for (and got) a fairly big font size - 13 pitch Garamond 3 (normal is 12), and generous between-line and between-paragraph spacings.

We - the likely corps of Unveiling readers - are often women "of a certain age." We're most likely going to read this book as a private little "treat" for ourselves. We'll dip into this when we want to be nurturing - for ourselves, rather than for others. And when we're in this state, the last thing we need is a book printed in micro-font. We're likely enough to be reaching for reading glasses as it is; there's no need to make it more difficult.

So Unveiling is formatted for easy readability. The result is that we'll be toting a BIG book!

The plus side of all of this is that Travis Craine, my Publishing Consultant from CreateSpace (who is doing the actual book layout and production set-up), assures me that we can have a Kindle version right on the heels of the print one. That will be a boon to all of us who want to read on a long plane flight, or on the train to and from work. Thank God that increasing filesize does not add physical weight!

Ch'i Circulation and the "Fountain of Youth"

Learning Ch'i Circulation Patterns

One question that my students always ask about learning and doing ch'i circulation patterns - especially in the early stages - is, "What if I'm not feeling my ch'i (internal energy) just yet? Does it still make sense to practice these patterns?"

The answer, of course, is yes. Do the "patterns," even if you don't consciously "feel" the energy flow just yet. You can use the dance patterns that I teach in my Level 3 and Advanced Level 2 training, or use ch'i kung, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, or "circulating the body of light" - whatever patterns you have been been taught or discovered in your own studies.

When I took Elena Lentini's October workshop in NYC last month, she opened the class with ch'i kung patterns, and used those (exclusively!) as a warm-up.

There are times that we "feel" our internal energy, or ch'i, and times that we don't. Both are okay. When we don't "feel" the energy quite so much, we can use the energy patterns to both help develop and bring our energy up a bit, and also to practice both our energy-sensitivity and our visualization abilities. We always need practice in these areas, so this is good.

Think of the energy circulation patterns as creating - with intention - a rivercourse. The more that the water flows through the rivercourse, the more well-defined it becomes. Sometimes there's a lot of water, sometimes not. Either way, our first task is to help define the direction of its flow. That's why we have the various "practice patterns."

The "Fountain of Youth" - It Really Is Real!

The Fountain of Youth

Is it simply a myth, or a fairytale? Or is there something fairly real and realistic behind this notion? Moreover, if it really IS real, then how does a normal, ordinary, working woman (like you and like me) get access to this wonderful Fountain?

The Fountain of Youth - in Unveiling: An Inner Journey

What I personally believe to be the fabled (and very beneficial) Fountain of Youth really does exist - at least according to both my research and personal experience.

The Fountain of Youth is not some external thing. It is not something you can buy in a bottle, or get as a "treatment" in a salon or a doctor's office. What it is, however, is a process. It's also something that each of us can learn to do.

Here's a working definition: The Fountain of Youth is the process by which a person accesses and gathers up her (or his) "internal energy" or ch'i, draws it into their central core (called tan tien in Chinese martial arts), brings it up her spine (the first part of the Macrocosmic Orbit described by Mantak Chia), and then "circulates" or "flows" the energy down her front. (You can "flow" it down around your entire body, or do other directional patterns.) This "flowing" aspect is what gives it the sense of being a Fountain.

Ch'i circulation is well-known in esoteric Taoist teachings. Mantak Chia has been writing about this for decades, and there are similar (and much older) writings within this Taoist tradition. There are similar energy-pattern teachings that are within both martial arts and yogic traditions. There are also similar teachings - or portions thereof - throughout the Western esoteric schools. Throughout history, and across multiple disparate cultures, those persons who have paid attention to "energy work" have discovered and used pretty much the same thing.

The reason that this Fountain can be interpreted and understood the Fountain of Youth is that ch'i circulation both feels good (very good), and has (traditionally, and in my personal experience as well) beneficial qualities for our overall health and well-being.

And no, I can't cite scientific evidence to support this. And I'm not about to go into the "scientific" aspects; we don't have either sufficient measurement ability or an adequate quantifiable theory to support work in this area. (I might be wrong here, I've heard of some research being done in China on these themes, simply have not sought it out so far.) Thus, most of us who are willing to take on this investigation have to work in a much more subjective realm, and trust our growing abilities to "sense" this kind of energy, as well as corrolate it with written and verbally communicated experiences from those who are students and even masters of this art. (And yes, thie really is - right now - more of an "art" than a "science," if we want to make the definition of a "scientific" approach to be based on objectively quantifiable results.)

All that said, this has been studied and practiced for millenia, by those who have extraordinary self-discipline and keen, well-balanced powers of observation.

This Fountain of Youth has become one of the major themes of Unveiling, which will be available (through Amazon.com) by the end of the end of the year. The reason that I'm writing about it this morning, though, is that the first question that women would have about this is: What's it like? And very early this morning, I was playing with this energy, and it's always best to answer a question such as "What's it like?" by sharing a recent experience.

Besides, this recent experience had something different about it.

I woke up (as often happens) ultra-early, and decided to stay in bed and do some energy work rather than get up and putter about. After going through my usual preliminaries to "gather" and "bring in" the energy, and to start the circulation (more about that in another blog, and of course, in Unveiling), I was well into it when I noticed my body responding in a different way; something that I had never observed before.

"Langour in the Lips"

In this morning's energy practice, I had already used a combination of energy work and visualization to enter into a very relaxed state. This is not at all unusual; it is actually par for the course. What happened next was a bit unusual, however.

As background and context, I have been hugely in Amazon mode for months now - really, for almost two years. Writing Unveiling, although it has been about the topic of accessing our "other" modes (intuitive and contemplative High Priestess, warm and nurturing Isis, and playful and pleasure-seeking Hathor), has very much kept me in my inner Amazon - task-focused and priorities-driven. (Most women find themselves in this state, far, far too often! That's why we've all needed a book like Unveiling - myself included!)

In this ultra-relaxed state, one that I'd been trying to reach all weekend (and had not really succeeded in so doing), all of a sudden - spontaneously - the muscles across my forehead relaxed. I hadn't known that my forehead was tight - but the muscles that pull us into a "furrowed brow" suddenly let go, and I could feel the tension in that area seep away. Then, the muscles around my lips started to relax. Once again, I hadn't even known that they were tight! But one by one, they let go.

I lay there, just letting this happen, and recalled the famous (or infamous) incident when Diane Vreeland, then Editor-in-Chief of Vogue magazine, rejected a very expensive, exotically-located photo shoot because there was no "langour in the lips" of the models. They were all stressed and tight from the strain of their travels, and it showed - of all places - in their lips!

Think about it. How often does the phrase "tight-lipped" describe someone who is either angry or emotionally restrained? And aren't full lips much more kissable? After this morning's experience, I'm willing to bet that we humans - with our exquisite sensitivity to nuance in facial expression and gesture - are very attuned to how tight the muscles are around someone's lips, whether we consciously attend to it or not.

Over recent years, some of us have even had collagen injections into our lips to give ourselves that "full, pouty" look. All this to make ourselves more kissable!

What if, instead of relying on surgery, we did a little energy work, and a little deep relaxation, and let the muscles on our face relax and release? We'd then much more look like a Buddha - calm and serene - with our lips naturally in that very slightest of smiles that comes with calm repose. Think about how much more comfortably we could handle all sorts of stresses, if we could start out with and (at least to some extent) maintain this relaxed state! Besides, it would cost less, and be renewable at will.

Ch'i circulation, my darlings! It's the Fountain of Youth, and it makes us much more kissable!

Credits for the Unveiling "Facebook Logo" go to Shelli Todd

I selected Shelli Todd's beautiful interpretation of the ancient Tibetan mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum!, to be the "Google Profile" and "Facebook" logo for Unveiling: An Inner Journey. Thank you, Shelli! I'm inspired by your work!

Unveiling: An Inner Journey now has its own Facebook page - come visit us and "Like" us!

Cover Art for "Unveiling: An Inner Journey"

"Unveiling: An Inner Journey" getting fabulous cover art by Katerina Merezhinsky!

Katerina Merezhinsky, whose graphic arts and web design abilities I've loved for years, and I had our first meeting yesterday to rough out the cover art for Unveiling: An Inner Journey. I'm so excited! We roughed out the design concept; I have a list of to-do's, she has design work to do, we'll meet again next week - and shortly after that, we'll be able to share the cover art with you!

Hmmm - thought just occured to me - signed posters? We might have a limited run - available only for those who are invited to our Book Release Party, or to those who order the first hundred or so ... that's a thought for the future.

Kat's artwork already captures the core Unveiling concept - that every woman is indeed the jewel in the heart of the lotus - she is the jewel, and her life is the lotus. It's exciting to see an artistic interpretation of this come into being!

New Video Book Trailer for "Unveiling: An Inner Journey"!

I'm so excited - kirene - our videographer - will be here in a few short hours to show us the "raw footage" that we'll use to build our new digital Video Book Trailer for Unveiling: An Inner Journey. I'd love to get a still image from her shoot so we can share something with you right away!

Our new Facebook page is: Unveiling: An Inner Journey. Please visit us, and "like" our page!

Unveiling: An Inner Journey: Success Breeds Success

Unveiling Already Emerging as a "Success Story"

Success Has Leading Indicators

After yesterday's absolutely magnificent digital video shoot for Unveiling: An Inner Journey(beautifully done by videographer kirene from Aurora Vision Quest), I've been basking the warm, soft afterglow of success -- a feeling that might last another few hours. It will last until the next big challenge pulls me from the warm, soft post-glorious production of yesterday in to the compelling "to-do's" and "must-do's" of today and this coming week.

Yet I have to say - and absolutely must share - that yesterday's experience was a high point.

What I realized this morning is not only the old saying, "Success breeds success," but also something even more germane: "Success has leading indicators." Those of us who know what a successful venture is like - whether it's a company or a product - know to look for certain "early warning signs" that the new venture or product will be successful.

There are certain "key early success indicators":

• A clear guiding and unifying vision.
• A clear "go-forward" plan, with well-defined target outcomes and well-defined process steps.
• A great team, where everyone knows both their roles and their strengths, knows the objective of any given task, and stays mission-focused througout.

We have this on tbe overall for Unveiling: An Inner Journey, the book itself. We also had these same factors in play yesterday, as we pulled off an excellent video shoot of four different scenes (different stage set, lighting and costumes) within four hours. We knew our vision: We were going to create the raw video footage that would express the four core Unveiling "archetypes."

Fabulous Video Shoot Last Night!

Unveiling: The Inner Journey Online Video Book Trailer!

Digital Video Shoot with Aurora Vision Journey

We had a fabulous digital video shoot last night involving all four "archetypal themes" that comprise a woman's unique identity: Isis (goddess of nurturance and fertility), Hathor (the love and pleasure goddess), Amazon, and High Priestess. Shoot and lighting coordination done by kirene of Aurora Vision Journey. Costumes (including an all-nighter to make the headdress for the High Priestess role) by Katherine Hanna, who was both Stage Manager and Costume Mistress. Melissa Brooker did a fabulous job as Still Photographer, and helped during pre-production as First Assistant Costume Creation and during production as Make-up. Alice P. coordinated stage logistics.

"Passage Through Light and Shadow"

"The Children of Ararat"

Produced and Directed by Anahid Sofian

Sublime! Powerful! Evocative!

Anahid Sofian's latest creative offering is Passage Through Light and Shadow: Children of Ararat dance-documentary masterwork, running through October 31st, 2010, is an opportunity to see a master choreographer, dancer, and now producer and director at the height of her creative genius. This little gem, nestled in St. Clement's Theatre, will run through October 31st, 2010, with shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, as well as a final matinee on the 31st. This is a "must-see" performance for not only those specializing in Oriental and upper Near East dance, but also historians, cultural anthropologists, and students of the complex Near East region. Not only does this thoughtful and richly layered production have much to say in a historical and cultural context, it provides an excellent study piece for anyone who is interested in producing and/or performing in a complex, richly layered multimedia work. As is always the case with Mdm. Sofian's works, her current offering must be seen from and appreciated at many perspectives.

"Passage Through Light and Shadow" is deeply moving, tapping into our innate sense of pathos as we respond to a heroic people’s experiences over many millennia. We are drawn into a “stream of consciousness” approach with well-worked vignettes. As an artistic experience, this is excellent. As a “study piece” – to provide insight and food for thought for other creative souls – this should be a “must-see”!

Mdm. Sofian's deep knowledge of both dance vocabulary and movement enrich the show with not only beautiful folkloric-based dances, but several acts in which the dancers walk in a processional manner. For such a seemingly simple thing, this is actually very subtle and complex. All of us who work in any form of stage presentation - or public processionals - can benefit by observing how Anahid has coached her dancers.

To develop the folkloric aspects, Mdm. Sofian brought in the renowned Gagik Kaapetian as Guest Choreographer and Jeffrey Lewonczyk as Associate Director. The dances combined authentic Armenian folkloric elements with Mdm. Sofian's elegant use of space.

For those of us who are interested in multimedia performances, the technical virtuosity of this show make it well worth attending. Multimedia is a complex art, and can succeed dramatically - or fail just as dramatically as well. Mdm. Sofian's expression is a technical tour de force, well worth being studied and emulated by other dancers and small-venue producers who want to take their art to the creative limits. This show includes over 100 cues for the complex light/sound/imagery. It is something that should be seen first as a performance, and then seen a second time to study how all the complex and delicately nuanced “layers” are brought together. The timing for such a work is crucial. In this case, it is extraordinarily well-done.

The logistics of reaching the performance are surprisingly straightforward. It is being held in the Theatre at St. Clement's, a perfectly appropriate and well-situated off-Broadway venue, on 46th Street between 9th & 10th Avenues, and within easy walking distance of Penn Station. It seats about 150 persons comfortably, and all seats provide an excellent view of the stage. Tickets are available online through Theatermania. I bought mine by calling them; they can be reached at 212-352-310 or 866-811-4111.

The running time for the show is an easy 1 hour and 45 min. Ticket prices are $35.00 for regular admission, and $25.00 for Student/Senior discounted seating.

The programs that go with the show are beautiful and informatiive in their own right. However, in addition to the basic programs, Mdm Sofian has produced an additional (limited run) of exquisite, full-color Special Programs that capture the imagery, poetry, and narrative excerpts from the show, together with essays and commentaries. These Special Programs themselves are an excellent resource for anyone doing research on current or historical Armenia, or who wishes to communicate a family heritage. This limited run will sell out fast, so the wise person would pick up several (at $20.00 each) to use as Christmas gifts for the family! (Ask Mdm. Sofian to autograph them at the end of the show! These should have collector's value as word of this dance-documentary permeates the community.)

The Journey has Begun

Last night, I saw Unveiling's "interior design" and cover art concepts for the first time. It doesn't matter that the "design" needs some slight changes, and the cover art needs to be substantively reworked. What does matter is that - for the first time since I began writing Unveiling in 1996, I saw an external rendering of it - an example of how it will look when it finally comes out from the publishers.

How absolutely amazing!

What an incredible journey!

Unveiling: An Inner Journey helps women of all ages to understand themselves and their life journeys, and to chart their way forward. At the same time, as one colleague suggested, there is always the "story behind the story." The "meta-story" if you would, which literally means "the story about the story."

And indeed, there really is a meta-story to go along with what is presented in Unveiling itself.

I'm working closely with my design team and my production team to get Unveiling out to you before Christmas. We'll have a launch party (here in McLean, VA), multiple book-signings (in the local area and the nearby region), and much, MUCH more! Lots and lots of press, publicity, promotion -- all the sort of thing that helps get the word out. Even this blog is part of the "promotion."

However, this particular blog is something special.

I typically do my blog-writing very early in the morning, right along with the first cup of tea or coffee. At this hour, it's still dark - both inside and outside of the house. The cats are active, the humans are still asleep. Being a morning person, my mind is fresh and clear - I'm full of energy for the coming day, but my attention has not yet been "dithered" by multiple little tasks and activities. Whatever it is that has come up as "most important" - whether from my subconscious during sleep, or brainstorming as I shower and put on cosmetics, or even from a conversation or email over the previous day - is all "grist for the mill" of the morning's blog.

I suspect this blog will be pretty active, at least for a while. I had done a bit of a "blog-push" back late last spring; starting to invite people in as Followers, and doing a lot of diligent people-connecting. Then, as I focused more and more on the last, final push to get Unveiling done, I withdrew my attention from everything except that which was absolutely necessary (and sometimes even failed to address even that).

But I submitted Unveiling to the design team two weeks ago yesterday. And though there is still Unveiling "work" to be done -- more reviews and edits, for both text and design, and a whole great, big index to create -- I can (and will) reconnect with humanity once again.

Pushing the "upload" button was both climatic and anti-climatic. As I went through the last few days of nearly round-the-clock work to get the final draft edited prior to submission, I felt strangely calm and clear. Yes, nervous during the actual upload process itself -- it was indeed the "big moment"; the one I'd envisioned for months. And yet, as that moment came and passed, it was more a step in the continuum rather than the mountain-top experience. Although, I must admit, it felt very, VERY good.

More to come -- I'll try to make this a daily one.

yours in dance - Alay'nya