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Mental Health & Trauma Release

2/24/2020

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Trauma Healing and Mental Health are hot topics these days with suicide rates, depression, violence and symptoms like Bipolarism, Autism, ADHD, Schizophrenia on the rise. On a psychiatric conference in Geneva last year I spoke with therapist and psychiatrists and they were all concerned that current mainstream methods such as medication and therapy programs are not addressing the root causes and are not providing long lasting results without side effects. Many patients are in mental health care for years – and their health doesn’t improve much. Medical treatments are mostly short-term aides to help people cope with an acute situation. They are not efficient in the long-run as they are not dealing with the underlying issues of mental health issues and trauma.
Looking at all the initiatives and concepts regarding trauma healing, I sometimes wonder. How can dysfunctional, deeply traumatized systems create healthy sustainable solutions to stabilize the systems? Every person with mental health issues I worked with over the years had one thing in common: a disconnection to natural (innate) self-regulative mechanisms to release suppressed energies and to balance themselves and, as a consequence, an overloaded, stressed nervous system. This led to all sorts of symptoms and “malfunctions”.
 
What is trauma?
Trauma as I define it is created when energies that arise in connection with an intense highly emotional experience (e.g. emotional/physical/mental/spiritual pain, fear, overstimulation of the senses) are suppressed and not released out of the body-mind-soul complex.
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Trauma can be intergenerational, meaning it originates in previous generations, and/or personal, meaning it originates in our personal lifetime. It can also be collective, meaning a whole community/culture/religion/country/nation suppresses intense energies and thus generates trauma.
Here are some examples: A mother looses a child and doesn’t deal with the pain of the loss, but suppresses the corresponding energies – this can lead to personal trauma of the mother. If the energies aren’t released the personal trauma of the mother might be passed on to the next generation (= other siblings and their offspring) and might cause intergenerational trauma. An example for a collective trauma is the colonization of indigenous people in various areas of the world. Colonization (often a result of colonizers carrying intergenerational trauma) affects a whole collective of people who are often suppressing energies corresponding to colonization (e.g. fear, anger), thus creating the collective trauma of colonization, usually passing it on to next generations (intergenerational collective trauma).
These examples show how most people de facto grow up and live in a traumatized social environment. I will write about this more below.
 
Why do people suppress energies?
The answer to this is easy to understand: if an experience is very painful, horrific, scary, intense, our nervous system is overwhelmed. To protect ourselves from a complete nervous break down, we suppress energies by distracting our minds away from the experience. WW1 and 2, and if we go further down in history, the Middle Ages, long-lasting conflicts like the Israel-Palestine war, and countless other painful experiences left deep wounds in the human psyche and body. As a consequence, all of us who are not born into a functioning indigenous/natural setting live in a traumatized environment with traumatized systems as the energies that have been set into motion by past events haven’t been fully released yet. We carry the trauma (suppressed energies) in our DNA, and we reiterate and accumulate trauma by not acknowledging the intensity of previous and current experiences (“that was in the past; that affected previous generations, not me; we have to look ahead, not dwell in the past”). This means that our actions and decisions are currently influenced by collective and individual trauma.
A traumatized nervous system doesn’t function properly! Colonization, wars, mental, physical and spiritual dis-orders are all consequences of severe trauma that affected and still affects the ability of whole generations to relate to each other in a healthy and balanced way. When our nervous system is traumatized, we cannot be present with each other, we cannot relate to and connect with each other in a balanced way as our vision is blurred and our senses are distorted by the trauma. This leads to “trauma-controlled” (= dysfunctional, disruptive, unbalanced) actions that cause more trauma and a dis-ability to build functioning relationships and connections.
 
How can we release trauma?
All (wild) animals have the innate ability to re-balance themselves. Often the rebalancing is also supported by other individuals in the community/tribe/pack/pod/flock/herd. It is important that disruptive energies are released out of the system – otherwise they will cause dysfunctions (trauma) further down the track. Disruptive energies are set in motion by experiences that trigger fear: ultimately the fear of death.
All living beings, including the human species, have innate release or self-regulative responses that help them to re-balance their nervous system after such intense experiences.
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However, as I illustrated above, humans have created another mental response as an emergency coping mechanism: denial. Denial of or distraction from the energy response to an intense (“traumatic”) experience interrupts the natural release response. By telling ourselves that “it wasn’t that bad”; that “we need to keep our act together”; that “big girls and boys don’t cry”; that we have to “get over it”, that we “need to get on with life” etc without acknowledging the effect the experience had/has on our nervous system we suppress the energies that have been set into motion by the experience. We are not releasing the energies out of our nervous system!
If there is a natural release response there is no trauma. Trauma only arises if energies are suppressed and are not released out of the nervous system.
 
How can we step out of this cycle?
Imagine that you live in a beautiful house. Whenever someone brings something into the house that you don’t like, that upsets or scares you, you throw it into one room and lock the door. You don’t look at the things in the room, and just add “unwanted items” as you go. Over time the room fills up more and more. Things are rotting, start smelling badly, some things might wither and fall apart… You might hear funny noises and other odd “occurences” coming from the room. Over time this ominous locked room affects the atmosphere of the whole house. In order to keep things in a healthy balance, you would need to clean out and/or cleanse this room every now and then – ideally, you wouldn’t even store things in there, but instead deal with any unwanted items (energies) at the time or close to the time when they come into your life.
In our individualistic societies people often carry the expectation that they have to deal with personal “stuff” themselves. We think we need to clean our house ourselves. We might get a cleaner in, but we have to pay for him or her – so if we don’t have the money, we will have to do it on our own – or leave things messy. However, to deal with an intense experience or trauma on our own is not easy! Especially if we have to deal with intergenerational and/or collective trauma. Most people will be overwhelmed by this – and, as a consequence, not address the issue and suppress the corresponding energies. Our nervous system is not designed to deal with intense experiences on our own! We are social animals, and this means we need the stabilizing influence of a functional social network around us (family/community/nation/nature) to balance intense experiences. In a functional social system there are always individuals who won’t be triggered as much by the same experience and are able to keep a calm composed state of being. These individuals can then support others who are thrown out of balance. You can observe this phenomenon beautifully in a herd of horses. Imagine a horse that is scared by a bird flying out of a bush. The horse shies and starts galloping (flight response). Other members of the herd raise their heads, some might be triggered and follow in panic. However, there is a wise old lead mare. She assesses the situation, realizes that there is nothing to worry about, lowers her head and starts grazing again – a clear sign for the panicking herd members that there is nothing to run away from, that they can stop galloping. They slowly calm down, breathing heavily, and gradually go back to grazing. The galloping, breathing and grazing are physical release mechanisms that release the triggered energies (fear, panic) out of the body.
As a lot of humans live in a traumatized society and as most of our mainstream systems (health system, educational system, economic system, justice system) are based on trauma (suppressed energies), we no longer release traumatic energies out of our systems in an appropriate way. The majority of the human population is no longer living in healthy indigenous settings and there is a lack of self-regulative mechanisms as well as a lack of healthy individuals who can support others to balance themselves. I meet a lot of therapists, doctors, educators who carry severe trauma without being aware of it. Their path attracted them to be of service to their fellow humans – but they aren’t aware of the “wounded healer” syndrome. We need more conscious support people in our communities: people who are aware of the personal and collective trauma within themselves and within others; people who know self-regulative tools to release suppressed energies, calm the nervous system and balance themselves – so that eventually “the balanced” has a regulative effect on “the unbalanced”.
Other species and intact natural environments can inspire and support us on this journey. By spending time in wild nature, with wild animals (domesticated animals often carry trauma, mostly caused by their close contact with traumatized humans) our nervous system seems to re-balance and recalibrate naturally. Depending on the severity of the trauma and the ability of the nervous system to relax this release process can take a while.
Other methods and therapy programs to calm a triggered, overwhelmed and/or stressed nervous system such as breathing techniques, mindfulness, meditation etc are often not enough to hold a safe space for trauma energies to be released, especially if
  • the suppressed energies are intergenerational,
  • the living situation of the individual is still overwhelming, unsafe and stressful (= doesn’t allow the person to relax),
  • the person doesn’t have ongoing support and social connection with at least one uplifting (balanced) support person,
  • the person lives in an unnatural environment and is exposed to or surrounded by traumatized systems and people.
In order to calm our nervous system and to release suppressed energies, we need
  • a safe space,
  • conscious and self-aware support people who are able to be present with what is and to tune into individual needs and requirements,
  • time and ongoing loving support,
  • connection to intact natural systems (wilderness, indigenousness that hasn’t been domesticated, colonized or otherwise affected by traumatized human actions) to re-integrate ourselves into a bigger picture and to remember our innate ability to release (suppressed) energies out of our body-mind-soul system,
  • connection to the “beyond-physical” and the “beyond-mental” realms = connection to spiritual realms/Spirit World.
 
Mental Health symptoms are an indication of our need and readiness to address all these issues and to release suppressed energies out of our systems. Instead of measures which suppress or distract from highly intense energies even more (e.g. medication, affirmations) we need safe spaces where we can open locked doors and clear out some “stuff” acknowledging what has been and is. This is the key to not only mental health, but also to our emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing and balance.
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New generations

2/11/2018

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Children bring balance.
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When we are born, one of our “jobs” is to balance the imbalances of previous generations, to take things a step further, to the next level. Sometimes this can be by re-iterating the non-sustainable stuff to the point until it falls over, dies, self-destructs. It can also be done by combining new gifts, abilities & energies with existing ones that are life-supportive. Since about 20 years, we can observe an influx of children who are bringing amazing gifts to help balance the current focus on intellectual and physical realms. Instead of acknowledging and nurturing their gifts, most current educational and health systems in Western societies deny, dismiss or actively suppress them.

Labeling...

autism – focus on spirit & pure energy realms,
dyslexia – going beyond the written word,
hyperactivity – pointing out the effects of over-stimulating & non-natural environments,
depression – raising awareness of suppressed energies & gifts that aren’t seen or nurtured,
hypersensitivity – showing the effects of dis-connection on many levels, i.e. in relations, from natural environments, etc.
 
These are only some of the many labels given to young ones. Labeling mostly fails to understand and acknowledge the messages and gifts our children hold. Instead of listening and supporting them, we label them as “dysfunctional” and try to make them fit into current systems – thus blocking the path to balance and further life-supportive development by negating their input and contribution.
 
It is time now to become aware of this dilemma and to support our young ones. Again: These new seers, energy feelers, empaths, healers, etc. are here to help us bring back balance. They bring outstanding gifts in communication that surpasses our technological possibilities. They bring a heightened awareness of relationships and the interconnectedness of all life. They point out through behavioural “issues” where our systems aren’t in balance. And they do so much more.

An adult's job...
I see a lot of adults being overwhelmed and feeling helpless in view of these children. They don’t know what to do and how to deal with them. And there is hardly any support for them. If you happen to be the parent of one or more of these children, please tune in, open up, look beyond the existing “mainstream” framework. It won’t fit, it won’t help your child. It can be not easy to be a pioneer. Pioneers have to find and pave a way, often in unknown and uneven terrain. And often there aren’t many others around to help.
Look for people in similar situations to connect. Speak to others – and you will be surprised how many share your questions and concerns. Collaborate with your children, find out what their gifts are, acknowledge them and hold a space for them to be nurtured. Keep distractions away as much as possible: processed, mass-produced food (= provide healthy, natural and non-processed nutrition as much as possible); technology (electronic devices, e-smog, artificial = entirely human-created environments seem to interfere with our natural balance and have an adverse effect on health and balance); artificial environments (keep nature connection alive as much as possible); virtual relationships (provide direct contact with friends & family instead of social media relationships).
It might not always be easy – but suppressing your children’s energies and not honouring their messages isn’t easy either :) 
And: There are more and more people around who are faced with these exciting opportunities to deeply transform and balance (human) life, to enter the next cycle. Together we can support our young ones and hold a space for them to share their gifts – for the benefit of all life.
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Why do Whales strand?

2/14/2017

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​I am asked this question a lot: why do whales strand? 
There are so many reasons, and people spend a lot of time and energy on discussing possible answers at lengths.

Some reasons we humans came up with, just to name a few:
  • topographic reasons - there are studies made at a gently sloping beach in Australia/Tasmania similar to the Farewell Spit region (NZ) that show how the echolocation of whales doesn’t function properly = it is easy for animals to loose orientation and get confused & strand as a consequence. Farewell Spit in NZ has always been a tricky location for whales.
  • solar storms & changes of the earth’s magnetic field – NASA is currently investigating this
  • tidal currents that cause inexperienced or sick animals to strand
  • extreme weather conditions (climate change)
  • geomagnetic anomalies
  • noise pollution – causes stress, blocks communication, makes whales loose orientation
  • social bonds - if one individual strands the pod follows the distress calls and beach themselves, too
  • warming of the oceans – rising water temperatures affect sound transmission and food supply
  • hunger/mal-nutrition - following fish and other food sources into shallow waters, inexperienced animals strand as a consequence, overfishing plays a role, mal-nutrition causes mal-functioning of  echolocation & other body functions
  • plastic pollution – whales have been found with their bellies full of plastic or other rubbish = affects their health and balance
  • earthquakes
  • seismic testing & military LFS activity
 
All the above reasons are more or less well scientifically researched and “likely”. Some can be influenced by humans, some are created by humans - and others not.
 
Animal communicators, including myself, also receive messages in correlation with strandings.
For the last 6 years, I continuously get messages from the whales that are quite disturbing (I described one here). The images and feelings I receive are intense and show how the whales (might) feel. As on land, life in the oceans becomes more and more affected by the current shifts and transitions that we can observe everywhere on this planet. The imbalances, of course, affect not only creatures living on land, but have an increasingly devastating effect on ocean habitat, too. The whales bring important messages about this effect if we choose to listen.
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My personal opinion: instead of, or better: in addition to spending a lot of time, money and other energy forms to try & find out possible reasons and to develop pre-warn and emergency systems to deal with symptoms, why aren’t more people focusing on finding out what we can do to PREVENT regular (!) mass strandings. Why not focus on looking at possible options and approaches to reduce or take away human-created factors (see above)?
We play around a lot with researching, analysing and discussing potential reasons while treating the symptoms (strandings) and intensifying emergency care (rescue efforts, Project Jonah, DOC). I am not saying this is all in vain. However, I feel deeply concerned about the lack of complimentary and/or alternative approaches – and often the active resistance against “outside-the-box” solutions and new ways of doing and being, like involving animal communicators, shamans and other intuitive and wise humans to directly communicate and connect with the whales and exploring preventive measures (e.g. divert whales with underwater sound recordings), for instance. This would mean that we promote change and take action – and deal with the potential consequences of human-created effects proactively. Sometimes, it seems that we choose “same old same old” because it seems easier (cheaper, faster, more predictable and familiar, etc) than exploring new terrain…
 
Research
There are hundreds of scientific papers, research studies, articles – here a very few selected links for a first overview. Also check out www.oceancare.org, www.oceanmammalinst.com and www.terramarresearch.org.
 
Solar Storms
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-scientist-studies-whether-solar-storms-cause-animal-beachings
 
Noise pollution
google research by Linda Weilgart & Marsha Green
 
http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson13/l13la2.html
 
Geographic reasons
Research study
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Listen, please...

11/4/2016

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Story and storyteller are one.

Everything is interwoven. 

We are not separate entities.
Most of the spectacular discoveries, inventions and insights of humanity have been made when people just “played” and explored outside of the box – trial and error, ignoring people who were saying: it’s impossible, we have never done it like this, it wont work, etc. And then, one day: they made an amazing discovery, had a genius idea, dreamed up a truly fantastic plan, product, whatever... 
Talk to scientists, researchers, businessmen, they will confirm this.

In order to be “successful”, we also need to look at the resources we have - and learn how to make the most of them.

It's a process of opening up, loosening up in order to be able to receive. It's a process of listening deeply - not to reply and to compare to already existing templates, but to understand and to expand consciousness. 


​In education – why don’t we ask children what they need? How they want to learn? What they are interested in and feel drawn to? In order to ensure that we tap into their full potential for the benefit of all.

In conservation, horticulture, agriculture, etc.: why don’t we communicate directly with animals, plants, the land?
"But we cannot speak with animals, plants,…", some say. "We don’t speak their language."
Well, I have met a lot of researcher/scientists who study animals and they all had a story of “interspecies communication” to tell. I haven’t met a pet owner yet who didn’t have to tell a story about “magic communication” with his/her pet. More and more stories are published about “animal communication” these days. And: shamans and indigenous people have been communicating with the land and its many life forms since ancient times.

We are all indigenous to this planet. We all have the potential to do this. Some more than others, but still.

Why don’t we tune into what the whales have to tell us?! Why don’t we listen to the stories of the birds? Why don't we listen to the voices of the Water? Why don’t we hear the many voices of the Earth?
They ARE here, all around us, loud and clear for some, quieter for others. There are so many opportunities to tune in and to listen…
So many stories to be shared...

I find it not easy to bear, when I see that we don’t even listen to our own species (children/youth, indigenous people, elders...).
It’s early stages (still) in modern human consciousness, and I keep my hopes up.

Please listen!

​
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Forest therapy

9/9/2016

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Who doesn't know the good feeling after a walk in the woods? Especially after the rain, when mist fills the air, we come back refreshed and energised. Some have genius insights, ideas and epiphanies. Others simply de-stress and enjoy the calm that arises within after a while in forest-company. The young ones love climbing trees or playing under their branches, building huts and having all sorts of adventures in the bush... 

So when I was recently asked to write an article about "Forest Therapy" I wondered what this meant. "It's a new thing", my editor said. "Now science can prove that forests have a beneficial effect on humans." I have to admit that his statement made me smirk a bit. Here we go again, my arrogant side snorted: our mind-dominated Western culture needs scientific prove... for something that is an integral fundamental fact of life, and thus of us as a human species... interconnectedness...

Animal communicators like Anna Breytenbach, shamans and indigenous traditions all around the globe and individuals like Rupert Sheldrake, Jim Nollman, Joan Ocean and many many more have been exploring and sharing their experiences in this field for a long time - often without getting much attention. Is now the time that Western cultures re-connect with this fundamental truth of life? Is now the time that we move towards balance, from a mind-dominated life experience towards (re-) integrating emotional, intuitive, spiritual aspects?

Through my research for the article I found out that there are certified Forest Therapy Guides offering therapeutic Forest Walks and Forest Therapy Programs. In Japan, professor Qing Li from the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo started a scientific research program in the early nineteen eighties studying the effects of forest environments e.g. on the immune function. His research initiated a worldwide interest in "Forest Medicine". The Japanese tradition of Shinrin-yoku, "forest bathing", is a method to prevent illnesses, officially recognised and promoted by the Japanese health system.
Interesting how much scientific data has been gathered over the last decades. Studies show that spending one day in the forest increases the natural killer cells in our blood by almost 40 % - and that this effect last for up to seven days. Or that the forest community has elaborate ways of communication and information exchange - and that the forest system directly interacts and communicates with our human body-mind-soul system - and with any other natural systems for that matter. Some call it the Biophilia effect, others have other labels for it. 

Quite frankly, when I see all these great "new" initiatives and findings, I am surprised why we create such a hype around them. And it makes me cringe sometimes to see how many people make a business out of it: wilderness pedagogy, forest schools, electronic devices to communicate with plants and forest therapy programs... Seems to be part of human nature, too, this business-thing ;)
However, if it supports the process of re-membering, of re-connecting and feeling the interconnectedness of all life again and of learning how to communicate with other life forms, then why not?!

Long story short: if you are not doing it already, spend time in the woods, daily, regularly, to boost your immune system and your mental health. And while you are at it, enhance your creativity and your overall wellbeing. It is now scientifically justified and recommended. So you can tell that your boss or teacher or parent. 
You can do this on your own, or, if you find it easier, you can book yourself in for some "nature assisted remembering programs" - there are more and more sprouting everywhere.

My hope is, that people don't just go for forest walks because they learn that the forest, as a healthy balanced and sustainable natural system, has a recalibrating, strengthening effect on humans. I hope that these regular forest-visits will help you/me/us all to re-establish and re-activate a respectful and loving relationship based on open communication and mutual understanding. That they will help you to feel again that we are a part of a bigger system - that we are not a separate entity, but that our health and balance is intimately linked to the forest and all its beings, and vice versa. 
This goes way beyond what the scientific mind or our head brain can grasp. We need our intuition, our extrasensory perception skills in order to gain a whole new awareness of life. We need to engage not only our head brain, but also our heart and gut brain - and much more that we haven't labelled yet. 
​

The Ocean-community, the Forest-community, the Mountain-community, the River-community, the Stone-community and all the other communities on this amazing planet have taught me more than I can ever share. And the connection to them makes me who I am. This is why I sometimes find it hard to understand how we can treat each other/nature the way we do... not feeling each other... not listening to each other... completely ignoring the bond that simply is, no matter if we are aware of it or not. 

​I am hugely grateful to see that more and more humans long to become "real", connected to life, and to be alive again. Strengthening the life force, chi, wairua, no matter what we call it, the energy that binds us all together, the very essence that brings life - becoming alive, once again, reconnecting...

What a great journey.
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Relationships – connecting on a whole new level

8/5/2016

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​The short version:
Relationships are the most important ingredient for a well-balanced, healthy, happy and long life.
 
Close relationships nourish us with deep connection based on an open and voluntary exchange of energies on many levels.
 
If we learn to open ourselves up and to expand our consciousness beyond the framework of our “normal perspectives” and expectations, we enter the magic of true relationship.
On our way there we need to overcome two big influential factors that sometimes can block or hinder an open and pure connection and a free unconditional exchange of energies: the negative aspects of dependency and our “user-mindset”.
 
We are all interconnected and depend on each other in various ways. There are supportive and nourishing aspects of this interdependence – and there are non-supportive aspects that limit the free exchange of energy. The ability to perceive the world through the eyes of other human individuals or other life forms can be an amazing experience of modern shape shifting: We merge with “the other”, gaining a deeper and broader understanding and vision of “the bigger picture”.  As a business owner we see the world through the eyes of our clients. As a parent we learn how to look at the world through the eyes of a child. As a teacher we receive the gifts that our students hold for us. And as humans we are able to access a “whole new world” by merging with trees and other plants, other animals, the mineral kingdom, and the “unseen realms of the spirit world”. When becoming the river we can feel the flow and the alignment of energies… When shape shifting into a mountain we can feel the powerful, stable and calm presence of thousands of years.
 
If you want to know more, keep on reading ;)

The long version:
I LOVE animals.
When I was a child, I always wanted an animal companion, so I welcomed rabbits, hamsters, canaries, dogs and later “foster horses” into our family. I cared for them with all my heart and tried to make their lives as comfortable as possible. As I strongly disliked cages and fences, I let them run or fly freely in or around the house – much to the displeasure of my parents at times…
Two birds took their chance and disappeared one day through an open window in our living room. And one of the hamsters died one morning after indulging in an opulent night-time meal of leaves from a potted rubber tree in our lounge. One rabbit was attacked by a cat in our huge garden area, but his female partner saved him and chased the cat away. Apart from these incidences, all my animal friends stayed with us and had pretty cruisy life-style. I took the horses for long walks, without lead rope or anything, together with the dogs. They were free to roam, and as far as I was concerned, we simply enjoyed each other’s company and (mostly) stayed close together.
Still… there was something “missing”. There was something deep inside of me, a tiny little voice in my heart, that didn’t “feel good about it”. There was this slight dissonance that I only became consciously aware of much later in my life, when I swam with dolphins in the wild for the first time: I was swimming in a bay off La Palma, a couple of hundred meters away from shore, all by myself, when suddenly a group of wild bottle-nose dolphins appeared. At first, only one individual came really close, within my arms reach. She swam beside me and then kept going back and forth for a short time, while I paddled gently with my flippers to keep my body on the surface. Then, she swam back to the group who had circled me at a little distance. Now they all came closer, swam around me, below me, and some even gently touched my body while passing. I could feel their clicks vibrating in my body and hear their high-pitched sounds… It was magic. They took me into their world and I completely forgot my Self…
 
There is a huge difference whether you meet somebody on an equal level, based on free will, open and without expectations. 
It changes the whole relationship experience to something that is different to what we are used to.

 
When I was about 11 years old, I had a raven friend. I first met him when he showed up at my window while I was doing homework for school. He sat on the wooden railing of my balcony and watched me intently. His shiny blue-black feathers fascinated me. I had never seen a raven from this close. After a while he flew away and I didn’t think more of it – until he came back the next day. And the next, and the next… I started opening my window and talked to him. We had long conversations about all sorts of things. He came most days, and if I was not in my room, he would track me down and knock on the windows of our kitchen or living room or wherever I was with his strong beak. My family teased me and called me “Kleine Hexe” (little witch).
He often took on the role of a mentor. I would bounce ideas off him and share my dreams and sorrows… And: I learned to see the world through his eyes as well. A very different perspective compared to mine!
 
I used to bike to school, and one day, when I opened the gate to the land where we were living, I saw Raven flying down from a big tree. He accompanied me the rest of the way to our house. From then on, he either visited me on the balcony in front of my window or he picked me up at the gate and we walked/flew home together. Somehow he always knew exactly, when I would come home. Even when I was held off at school or finished early: he was always “in time” to meet me.
Our relationship held many treasures for me (and I assume for him, too – why else would he have kept coming?). It provided the “missing bit” and stilled, for the first time, my longing for a relationship based on free will and equality.
Today, I think it was because of two main factors:
 
1. At any one point in our relationship we were both free to be wherever we chose to be.

2. Neither of us depended on the other for food, drink or anything else to meet our basic needs.
 

From my observation, these two elements hugely affect the way we relate to each other.
 
Another aspect that interferes with a deep, unconditional, open relationship is what I call the “user-perspective” or "user mindset". Instead of being interested in other perspectives and open to experience the world through “other eyes” (thus expanding our consciousness), we tend to see relationships a lot from a user-angle: what can I use “the other” for? What benefits does the relationship hold for me? How does the other being fit into “my normal world”? This is often a cause for trouble and exhaustion in a relationship, no matter if we look at innerspecies (between humans) or interspecies (between humans and other beings) relationships.
We see trees as timber or firewood suppliers; parents as taxi drivers, cooks, laundry staff, cleaners; our partners as emotional and overall personal support system; and our “pets” are often used to meet our needs for unconditional love, cuddles and as our therapists. Again: there is no “good” nor “bad”. It is about observing our Selves and learning to discern when we do what and why. 
 
There is a fine line between the nurturing aspects of “feeling useful” and “being of use” on one hand and the less supportive aspects of ab-use and exploitation on the other.
If we – consciously or unconsciously – choose to be and connect with another being, because we see a benefit for our Selves, it can lead us to expect that the other being gives something to us. Instead of seeing and receiving the gift they might have to share with us, we focus on our expectation – and completely miss the opportunity of an expansive relationship.
If there is a mutual agreement and understanding about exchanging certain gifts (e.g. between a healer and the person who wants to be healed), then there isn’t an issue. However, I often see that people seem to neither ask in the beginning nor check in along the way if all partners involved agree to take on certain roles. This is especially noticeable in interspecies relationships. Humans often seem to assume that other species are here to sustain us (e.g. as “food sources”) or to help us to keep our balance and that we can “use” them as we please.
 
Looking at relationships in regards to the two before mentioned factors – free choice/will and dependency levels –, I observed the following: No matter how much we love our animal companions or pets, our animal therapists, farm animals, etc.: They mostly aren’t 100% free to go where they want to go and we mostly provide their food and/or drinking water. They are used to depend on us for life essentials. Again: I mean no judgment here. It is simply about exploring the impact those two factors can have on our relationships.
 
I have seen humans using wild or domesticated animals as therapists and friends, with best intentions. I have been involved in dolphin assisted learning and healing programs in the early 1990’s and in equine assisted therapy for most of my life. I have seen amazing things happening – beautiful relationships, incredible healing. I met many animals who enjoyed their “job” or role as a therapist, teacher, healer – most of the time at least.  I also met many who “did the job” – but given a choice I know that they wouldn’t have chosen to do this job on a regular and ongoing basis.
In exchange they were fed, loved, cared for (most of them anyway). Most of their human relations seemed to have genuinely good intentions. However, all of these animals have been kept in captivity without them being asked J It seems to me that “captivity” almost became a norm in our human world – we don’t seem to think much of it anymore. Zoos and animal parks are seen as normal entertainment and education facilities for the whole family, and when have you seen the last wild cow, horse, dog running around freely and without any restrictions in your neighbourhood? Or the last wild child in the woods for that matter? What about your Self? Are you confined to four walls, in front of a small screen? Think about it: how many beings do you see on a regular basis that are mostly kept in check within paddocks, kennels, classrooms and fenced off school yards, offices, etc.? And how many actually choose to be there, or would, given a choice, run off and rather be somewhere else?
 
These aspects influence ALL our relationships. Parent-child, teacher-student, employer-employee, male-female partnerships all include aspects of dependency and a “user mindset” that is deeply ingrained in our collective psyche.
It can be a huge task and challenge to become aware of these aspects and how they affect our relationships. However, from my experience, it is very rewarding. You will be able to experience relationships on a whole new level!
 
Ask your Self in what areas of your life you are in a “power position”. This might not be that obvious sometimes. For example: we are in a power position compared to our young children – we provide their food, are in charge of their mobility (= we decide where they are allowed to go and when), etc.
 
Are you in a partnership?
It’s worthwhile to explore any “areas of neediness and dependencies” in your relationship J Are you or your partner financially, emotionally, socially depending on each other? Does this affect your relationship? If yes, how? Do you have certain expectations that you want to be met within the relationship?
 
Are you a parent or caregiver?
Your children, especially young ones, depend on you – by default. Normally, you provide all the basics (food, shelter, warmth) and, ideally, more than that (an emotionally and socially safe platform, a safe haven from which they can sail off into the world). Clearly, you are in a power position. How does this “play out” in your life and in your relationship with them?
 
How are your work relationships?
Are you an employer or an employee? Are you a self-employed entrepreneur? Where are the dependencies in your work relationships?
 
If you are an “animal lover” – like me – and/or work with animals, and if you want to deepen your connection and bring it to the next level, it is worth to look at your Self and your relationship to your animal friends under those aspects.
The “dependency factor” in our Western world is normally quite high: apart from bird friends, lizards, worms and, occasionally, cats and mice and rats and many insect friends you most likely won’t have many free roaming animal friends around you who care entirely for themselves and don’t depend on you at all.
Yes, we are all interconnected and depend on each other all the time – this is true. However, this is not what I am talking about here. I talk about the importance to become aware of the dependencies we created, about our “user mindset” and how both factors affect our relationships.
It is about awareness and getting a clear picture of how we relate to each other.
 
Deep inside, most of us long for deep meaningful fulfilling relationships. In fact, such relationships are seen as the main ingredient for a well-balanced happy long life. 
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This photo has been taken by Nomi Baumgartl with dolphins in the wild.
(c) 2016 by Nomi Baumgartl
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My raven friend didn’t have any apparent benefits from our relationship like other animal companions. I didn’t feed him, I didn’t give him water, I didn’t provide shelter for him. I didn’t keep him safe from attackers or other dangers. And I didn’t have any obvious benefits from our human-bird relationship either: he didn’t bring me any food, I didn’t want to eat him, he didn’t give me cuddles, he didn’t even sing a beautiful song for me, even though I got to love his occasional cawing very much. When I swum with dolphins in the wild, there was no obvious “use” or purpose either. They could have stayed away and not approach me at all. They were, at any time in our relationship, free to go wherever they needed or wanted to go. They didn’t depend on me and I didn’t depend on them (well, they could have harmed me if they wanted, too, simply because of our difference in size). We didn’t meet with expectations of “using each other”. 
This is what made these and similar relationships in my life so special and different. This is what I was craving for as a child with my “domesticated” animal companions. This is what I wish will one day transform the relationships between humans and with other beings: so that we can enjoy each others company on a free-will basis. Offering and sharing our gifts freely without being pressured or feeling obliged. Learning and growing together. Opening our Selves up to expand our consciousness and to be able to perceive more and more aspects of "the bigger whole". 

 
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Why?

6/29/2016

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This is the time…
 
…when we ALL need to make time and space to STOP, to RELAX, to LISTEN DEEPLY.
No matter how busy, how happening, how needed, how important we, and the lives we have created for ourselves, are or seem to be.
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Why?
​Because the ways we have created, the systems we see in place around us*, our schedules, our expectations (from ourselves and from others), our everyday rat racing are exhausting our energies. And we are not only exhausting our energies. We are also not able to be creative in a fun and truly productive way. And if we are not creative in a fun way, we are not creating things & dreaming up stuff that make life “good”, supporting all life on this planet.
 
So many people I meet, so many young ones (!!!) I meet, are exhausted. 
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Why?
​Because they blindly, expectantly, hopefully, desperately, reluctantly, resignedly, whole-heartedly, half-heartedly, but rarely happily follow the given patterns, systems and constructs in their society and culture.
Why?
Because they believe the promises of their society and/or culture and that this will help them to create a happy and “good” life.

However, they are exhausting themselves…

We can’t go on like this.
Why?
Because we are depleting life-supporting energies. And the more we deplete life-supporting energies, the less enjoyable, liveable and alive our lives become. It’s a dead end road :) Even if it looks like the only road available sometimes.
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“But I have to…”, “I can’t afford to…”, “I need to…” – It might seem impossible, it might seem uncertain, it might seem difficult. But it certainly is essential for wellbeing and balance to turn around and explore other ways of living.
Why?
​See above :)
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STOP! Be still for a while and ask those inner voices to wait with their mantras. Let all “normal” things fall away. Hold a space for rest and reconnection, for nurturing and being without doing, for well-BE-ing. Create your own “time-out” times. Create some STOP signs for your Self – and follow them.

Why? 
1. Because you won’t be “efficient”, “successful”, “useful”, a “good mum/dad/husband/wife/friend/employee/employer” or anything else you want to be, if you are exhausted and overwhelmed and pushing your Self too hard. 2. Because we need humans on this planet who come up with sustainable, cooperative, life-supporting ways of living, in harmony and balance with life’s energies.
Why? Because otherwise, you will be… exhausted, depleted, not fun to be around and, in general, not getting anywhere. (Well, you will get somewhere, but most likely not where you want to be and where you will be well.)

So, please, consciously take some time to STOP. Step out of this old cycle.
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Enough is enough.
 
Let things, let your Self calm down.
 
Do this often :)
 
RELAX.
Do your Self good, let your Self be…
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And you will be surprised what you will come up with and be able to create, when you LISTEN to your Self and allow your Self to follow life’s vital energies.
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​*I am referring to most Western societies and cultures here.
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A new story...

5/18/2016

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I am a writer, a storyteller and a collector of stories… we all are in a way. We all write the stories of our life and collect the stories of others, listening to their experiences and insights. We write stories all the time, as individuals, as members of a family, a tribe, a workplace, a culture, a religion… Some stories stay with us over hundreds of years, others are short-lived and aren’t told for long. As we evolve, our stories evolve, too, and reflect our state of consciousness. That’s the beauty of storytelling and writing: you can change a story, rewrite it, take elements that work well and dismiss others that aren’t “serving the plot”.
 
Stories are usually born out of experiences. From the experience grows the impulse to share and tell the story. Writing a new story brings joy and excitement. It is often a plunge in the unknown, a process of exploring and experimenting, and as a writer you never quite know where it will take you. A new story also often evokes opposition and resistance, and might trigger suppressed feelings. Stories can be a great space to explore the shadow-side of things.
Stories can be entertaining, full of wisdom and knowledge, provoking, soothing, uplifting, horrifying, strange, quirky, spiritual, emotional, scientific… in short: they can illustrate many aspects of life and can create various atmospheres.
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Stories are very influential. They are at the base of human action: The stories we tell ourselves influence how we see and live our life.
Stories reflect the “Zeitgeist”, the culture, the “state of mind and heart” of the environment they are born in. Thus, naturally, stories change over time and there are a diversity of stories. As we change, so do our stories. However, there are people who resist change and want to hold onto old stories – because they are familiar, they are known, they create a safe place, because you know their dynamics and their ending. New stories scare them and make them feel uncomfortable. And there are others who are always looking for a “new plot”, trying to re-write and re-view old stories and write a new story with a new twist.
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As said before, strictly speaking there rarely are entirely new stories: they almost always link into previous experiences and stories. Yes, they bring new aspects, new storylines, new protagonists, new beginnings and endings into life, but the writers are usually inspired by the old ones. It makes sense to keep the parts of a story that are still working well, creating suspense, fun, excitement and transmitting wisdom and knowledge. Other parts might be dismissed, because they are simply outdated and not relevant anymore, not adding any value and meaning to the audience.
A storywriter and a cook have very similar creation processes: both have a handful of ingredients that they need to blend together in order to create a new story or a new tasty recipe. In the process, they both explore each ingredient to figure out new ways of combining them, as well as add some new "spices" and ingredients to the mix.
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The creation of a story, of myths and legends, follows a cycle, like everything else in life. Stories also have a natural life span or cycle. History shows that there are “critical moments” when stories change. First a few individual writers dream up new stories. Then, around those critical points in time, more and more follow, until new stories become widely accepted and told “in the mainstream”. And over time, the new stories weather and become “old stories” – and a new cycle begins. Some stories last for thousands of years, others are short-lived or don’t find a broad audience.
Writing a new story
As a species we are all co-writing the story of human existence. And, from what I can see, we are at one of those critical moments in time when the story changes. We are at an exciting and crucial point in the creation of a new story: there are a lot of new ideas and concepts swirling around, becoming increasingly perceivable and tangible over the last decade(s); the old stories are being reviewed and “tested” and some of them seem to have reached the end of their life cycle. Now is the time of collectively compiling the various ideas, protagonists and atmospheres, setting intentions, values and outlook before we can write a new storyline and create a new story.
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http://www.scotteagle.com/news/featured-in-direct-art-magazine/

​So, writers of the universe, exciting times! With our combined skills we can change the story and rewrite it from a new perspective, providing a template for others to follow and build on. Let another cycle begin!


                                                    ***

In 2014, there was a gathering at the Findhorn Community in Scotland, where people from all walks of life came together to dream up a new story - here is the link to an inspirational film that was made about the experience: http://newstoryhub.com/film/watch/
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Lifting the veil

4/3/2016

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​We are all born with an innate feeling of connection. When we are born, we know and feel the interconnectedness of all life. We can “travel between the worlds” and have access to all sorts of  “magical and supernatural” realms.
 
As we grow up, depending on our environment, we become more and more focused on (or restricted to) the “world view” of our parents, teachers, society, culture… You can observe this process in the face of newborn babies on their journey through childhood…
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Don’t throw a veil on children – well, at least try not to, please :)
The veil affects their clarity, their clear vision, their extrasensory perception. They become entangled in it, it blocks their senses and makes them tumble.
And then, as adults, they have to make an effort like so many of us, to “lift the veil” ;)

Instead, let them be our teachers…
​Like intact indigenous cultures and traditions, the land, the elements, trees, other species, stones and minerals they can be our allies to lift the veil…
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What’s driving you?

3/31/2016

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First a question: would something change in your life, if money/earning money wasn’t an “issue”?
 
Be honest to yourself, when you answer this question – and take some time to explore it.
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In our modern lives and psyche “money-making” is ingrained and role-modelled as an underlying core value. And many aren’t aware to what extend most people growing up in modern societies are influenced and coined by it. Money-making and money developed its own dynamic in our collective psyche. It became a motivator and anchor point in our societies – even for those who strive for other ideals and values.  
In a bigger context, money can be seen as a form of energy.
How much is “getting energy from others” steering what you do?
If you had enough energy available, would you arrange your life differently?
What would you do?
How would you feel?
 
It’s interesting to explore these questions and to become aware of how much money/the related mindset is steering your actions and decision-making. The “money-mindset” is often so deeply ingrained within us, that we hardly notice its influence. Some might think they are free of it, but their ongoing struggle with “money-issues” is just the other side of the coin ;)

The money-mindset is installed in our children (and has been installed in many of us) through modelling in their environment from a very young age: even if they grow up in a setting where people talk differently, they see how, deep inside, money is a big influential factor in people's lives and systems around them. We have allowed money to become much more than a bare means of exchanging goods and services. This is why it’s so important to explore the above question in depth and with an open heart and mind :)
 
Do you grow your own food and sell your surplus to others? Are you offering your knowledge, wisdom, art, healing, any other skills to others for money? How often do you think about how to sell this or that in order to… make a living?
 
We have built almost all systems in modern society around money-making – hence, it is not so easy to “step out of it” and all the related thinking patterns and belief systems. And maybe we do not need to. But I think it is high time to reflect on our acquired mindsets in relation to money, our relationship to money and to consciously re-assess the meaning and power we attribute to money-making and money in our everyday lives as a motivational factor.
A first step is to become aware when and how it affects us on a deeper level of our thinking.
Share-economy, gift-economy, universal income and similar concepts and ideas try to point in a different direction. However, only if we all explore the unconscious aspects and effects of money in our psyche, will we be able to sustainably transition into a new way of dealing with money and, more importantly, with all the related aspects of "energy flow" and open connection in life :)

P.S.: At first sight, you might wonder what this post has to do with "interconnectedness", feeling connected, and opening connection channels. If you explore the various aspects and effects of the "money-mindset", you'll see how it impacts on our ability to feel connected and often blocks our connection channels.
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