Flow From Fear

                                         Flow From Fear    

                      

2 weeks to the day, India vibe is settling in quite nicely.

Stepping back into life's flow seems to be key to my happiness, but often challenging given society's indoctrination to behave and think in restricted ways, particularly in The West.  Walking a path that goes against what society has taught me to believe is the "right" path takes great power.  Strength of character, community, determination, connection to my inner self are necessary at all times to remain steady in society's downstream rush.

The most incomprehensible part of flowing with life, I find, is the inability to create flow.  Quite the opposite; when I let go of expectations, meditate, practice yoga, follow my heart, listen to intuition, life begins to flow.  It is when I stop trying, when I let go, when I step into the deep void, that life flows.  Flow just is.  What is this mysterious flow?  When life isn't flowing for me I often ask this question.  

Making the choice to go to India this December was the moment I found the way back to flow.  I chose to face fear, trust, and follow my heart and intuition.  In my mind, stepping out of "security" (aka a somewhat steadily paying job doing something that once fed my soul, but now in an environment that sucked my soul) looks like this: complete darkness, unknown, black.  I see a vast expanse of rolling dark cloud-like formations filled with what I experience as the emotion fear.   My truth is that staying where I was would have been worse than moving forward and stepping into a seemingly unsupported unknown.

Since arriving in India, every aspect of my experience has opened and expanded.  Family who just so happens to be open-minded, openhearted and simply incredible surrounds me.  My sister is an incredible cook and I am blessed on a daily basis by her creations.  A couple of days ago she made the Northern Indian version of America's cornbread: dokla.  It had mustard seeds, curry leaves, and was served with a side of date tamarind chutney, as well as mint chutney.  All of her food is sattvic and healing, helping my body find balance.  Food is medicine and the fuel and foundation that allows us to live.  My body is healing on a physical level, as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual levels here in India.    

At the moment, however, my experience is quite the contrary; it is one of peace, calm, happiness, beauty, connection, and community.  Landing this year, my sister and her husband had an apartment arranged for us.  Not quite the scene from last year rolling up in Mysore:  an overnight plane ride, an early morning train ride, followed by eight hours of chilling at the central coconut stand and different cafes until my now dear friend Shanti took me in for a week while a proper apartment search commenced.  I am a traveller down to the core; float into town without a specific plan about where to stay.  First year out traveling I clung to The Lonely Planet.  Nowadays, rarely do I carry a map or have any knowledge of where I am going.  My current way of being is 180 degrees opposite from how I went about life for 27 years; planned out down to the hour.  The past 5 years living more or less a gypsy lifestyle have helped me live a life with less fear, less attachment, less need to plan, less need to know what is next, more trust.  Roaming the world in this way has taught me how to live in the flow. 

Many reading this know a huge mission of mine the past month was a global Kickstarter project, Wear, P.R.A.Y., Empower.  Let me tell you, planning is a must when contemplating Kickstarter.  I did not come close to hitting my pledge goal and I will share in a future post what I learned, hopefully help any of you wanting to do Kickstarter.  Flowing in life is great, except in business.  Kickstarter definitely requires a great deal of pre-launch research, publicity, and hype.  My Kickstarter project was phenomenal and tremendously successful bringing P.R.A.Y. global publicity, ramping up social media, making connections, beginning the vision.  I am making plans to re-launch in 6 months with a different twist.  

We are all arriving in 2013 with greater consciousness and have the ability to flow with life.  Stay present, conscious, in-tune and connected to your deepest desires.  When fear arises, greet it like an old friend, then move forth from your heart.