Here be Dragons, the Uncharted Waters of Spiritual Discovery

In our land of freedom to worship as we choose, there are almost unlimited paths available to explore our quest for spiritual meaning (even if there are those who would like to change that).  We also live in the land of opportunity, i.e. free market profit motivated capitalism, and inevitably the path to enlightenment will sometimes intersect with the road to riches. Of course this only happens because those who construct the roads design them this way. This particular brand of urban planning is one of the most heinous and damaging cross sections of ideals I can imagine. Sadly it seems to be everywhere these days; challenging times create conditions which awaken a hunger and longing for both spiritual guidance and economic security.
I was raised well enough to have been taught the lesson that some things simply do not belong in the same lunch basket; religion and politics...and spirituality and profit. Yet the more we hunger the less we discernment we apply when attempting to fill the void. Every so often a new practice comes into vogue, usually one that is not originally part and parcel of the white middle class culture that attempts to embrace it. We are drawn to the promise and allure of spiritual fulfillment, a greater sense of meaning, and bored or unfulfilled by the traditions of our youth we look outside of the existing culture hoping to discover some novel approach that will hold the key to happiness. And lucky for us in this land of opportunity there is no shortage of willing teachers, guides and gurus to help us along our journey. And since we are accustomed to pay for service in our culture we practically expect to pay for the gift. Unfortunately many of us are unaware, as we reach out to spiritual guides and into our pockets, that not only money but our own life force or energy may be the price we pay for 'enlightenment and awakening'. If we jump into a path without proper investigation and research we are vulnerable and defenseless, possibly prone to injury or psychic damage.
Many of these programs or movements borrow (and I use that term loosely) from ancient traditions that have been cultivated, preserved, perfected and carried on through generations of indigenous culture. Many of the practices now being packaged and sold in easy step by step westernized instructions are watered down versions of intensely intimate and spiritual relationships formed between devoted practitioners and mentors. These practices require years of dedication to study, sacrifice (self sacrifice not the other kind) and consistent adherence to patterns of living. There is good reason for the time, effort and responsibility that is demanded of the seeker and that is that dealing with the unseen worlds is frankly not what you would call a walk in the park. These worlds are unseen for a reason...we humans are only beginning to be able to grasp the magnificence of the infinite dimensional realities and the beings who inhabit them. Of course there have always been those who have either been gifted from birth or who have acquired the ability to relate to the unseen but they are unique and represent a very small section of the general population. It is an insult to those who have spent their entire lives aligned in dedication and daily practice to attempt to replicate their experience in a week long seminar within the comfort and luxury of a multimillion dollar resort or hotel.
In regard to 'borrowing' the practices of other cultures, I think there are ways to do this respectfully. Many teachers have offered their knowledge, regardless of race or cultural background. There are after all probably more similarities than differences among most spiritual practice and belief and there have been cross cultural merging of tradition for centuries. There is nothing wrong with sampling teachings of many different paths, in fact I think it's probably the best way (along with meditation and honest self examination) to discover what teachings resonate most harmoniously with our unique character, values and personality. But for those who go off to a weekend workshop and return home as a proclaimed shaman or Wise one I have serious concerns. I can only hope that they will, in one way or another, come to discover that wisdom cannot be bought and it cannot be hurried.
Now we are hearing that based on ancient prophecies, astrological alignments and the teachings of the Wise, that we as Human Beings are entering a stage in our development in which we are ready to begin opening to many of the great Mysteries. I do believe this, but I also think that we need to remember that development is a process and like any other process it happens on natures time, not on Ego time. Think about the parents who try to force their children into walking, talking or toilet training before the baby is developmentally able. The results are usually disastrous. Either the entire family becomes frustrated and angry, the child often develops feelings of inferiority and a sense of not being good enough and ultimately the kid is not going to learn until they are able. The conscientious and respectful parent, the child centered parent, offers guidance and support along the way, giving the child the confidence and tools she needs to be able to take those steps, or pee on the pot, when she is ready. And so it must be with us, as we develop our spiritual understanding, that we do so with loving support and careful attention to our process.  In order to become fully enlightened and evolved we must clear out old energies and patterns that are no longer productive...this process can be painful. Old issues resurface in order to get our attention, to remind us of what is no longer healthy (or maybe never was). Some of us have more difficult lessons than others.
If you are finding this time is not all peaches and cream, don't fear...it's all part of the big messy wondrous process that is life. Mundane life is messy and we carry a lot of that stuff with us into our inner journey. If you are struggling please know you do not have to go it alone. If your chosen teacher is worth their salt, they will offer support and understanding. They will allow you to progress at a rate that is safe for you. If not it may be time to start shopping for a new guide. There are online resources for people experiencing spiritual crisis and although you may have to search through a good many "snake oil salesmen" as they used to say in the old days, there are plenty of ethical and compassionate mentors and guides out there.
A good place to start is The Spiritual Emergence Network, they have been around for decades and I personally know individuals who have worked and studied with some of the original founders. If you can't find what you are needing here you will be given appropriate referrals.
http://www.spiritualemergence.info/
I am also available for consultation or even just as a compassionate ear if need be. My own spiritual travels have led me along many paths and there is nothing that will shock or alarm me. Please don't hesitate to message me if you need an ear or some advice. And of course, all correspondence will be confidential and free of charge. If there is interest, I am considering starting a new feature highlighting spiritual awakening as a regular blog, so I do welcome and appreciate your honest feedback.
May your journey be blessed, adventurous and true to your soul and may you discover the beauty and wisdom that dwells within!
Peace
© 2010-2012 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

More Thoughts on Community

Happy Wednesday Warriors, Wild Ones and Wanderers,

I've had a thing for alliteration lately..
Anyway, I've been thinking about the Concept of Community these days. It may be partially in response to the collective sense of fear and uncertainty that is evident in our nation, and in many other parts of the world. Our government seems out of control,the wealthy are getting wealthier and the rest of us are losing resources on a daily basis. Many of feel that we are no longer being represented by those we elected; we are feeling like children, abandoned unsure of where to go for help.
And then there are the doomsday folks, the conspiracy theorists, the 2012ers who speak of immanent change, but offer little suggestion of what that change may look like. The only thing that seems certain is that those of us without money or substantial political influence (one in the same really) stand to be in for some difficult times at best. At worst we stand to lose many rights and freedoms that we have taken for granted for most of our lives.
I once quipped to a friend of mine that if our economy totally takes a dive and chaos ensues, poor folks, survivors and "disenfranchised" will be in a pretty good spot. We know how to navigate tough times, we know how to survive on very little money and we form tight friendships. Common suffering breeds unity in the best of us. Look at support groups. although all support groups have their problems and as any group work textbook will tell you, evolve through stages of difficulty, the beauty is that in the most circumstances there develops a mutual respect and accountability. If the group can remain focused on their common cause while honoring the uniqueness of the individual there emerges a unity that is rich with possibility
That kind of comraderie and acceptance is exactly what is needed right now. I've seen it happen; when our governor attempted to bust the Unions he exempted the Police and Firefighters, hoping to keep them "on his side" I'm certain he was somewhat taken aback when not only did they refuse to hop on his bandwagon, but actually joined the protests is large numbers and, I must say, in quite a grand presentation. One of the most "spin my world, never thought I'd live to see the day" moments came when a police officer announced loud and clear to the protesters in the state capitol that he was standing with the protesters; that he was upholding his vow to protect the citizens. As someone who grew up in the 60's seeing police and National Guardsmen tear gassing, beating and even shooting protesters I was flabbergasted, and overjoyed.
We can no longer afford to be divided by class, labels, social status...we need each other. We need Community.
Next: ideas on building and sustaining community support. Stay tuned...
Peace,
Jenny

© 2010-2011 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

New Feature...Guest Posts!!!

 

Hello All,

I am very excited to announce that after a year of blogging and networking I have arrived at the point that I will begin to share stories, bios and interviews from other survivors, advocates and allies.

This feature will give voice to survivors and will also help promote other bloggers and advocates who are doing the same. We have growing Community of bloggers, writers, artists and advocates who are dedicated to dismantling the walls of denial and misinformation that surround Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, Addiction, Mental Health issues and Poverty. I am honored to be a part of this Community, to have the space to share my stories through them and to have the opportunity to offer the same in return.

I will continue to share my own posts and experiences as well as having a featured Heroine at least once a month. In the interest of staying true to my mission and maintaining focus my political ramblings will be posted on my facebook group and page as notes. You will find the badge in the right column if you wish to follow my tirades!

Thank you all for being loyal readers for an entire year!

Today’s featured guest is Sherry Clyburn who I met in a discussion group on Linkedin.  It is a closed group by anyone interested in joining can follow this link http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2131700&trk=anet_ug_hm

Here is Sherry’s story; I hope you will join me in sharing her mission.

Peace,

Jenny

Sherry's Story

I am a survivor of childhood abuse which spiraled into a long term relationship with a man who introduced me to a life filled with domestic violence, and unfortunately I also became a non-offending mother of a sexually abused child. I am developing two books.


“Shadows of Silence: Book 1” gives readers a front row seat to what transpired in my life.


“Shadows of Silence: Book 2” This is an anthology e-book, with entries from professionals as well as both male and female survivors from most age brackets, from many walks of life and from many parts of the world.

As a sign of my appreciation for being a part of my e-book, you will receive a copy of the e-book "Shadows of Silence: Book 2" naturally free of charge (there is no selling price for this e-book)

Once I am published I will be presenting something that is rather unique gift. Most authors sell their book alone with nothing extra. I am giving the second e-book to those who purchase it. The second book will contain no less than 500 entries and no more than 1000. I am able to give it because I am paying a one -time fee for the temp plates.

Here's a link that will allow you to read some of my testimony and other articles that I have authored so that you can learn my writing style. http://sherry123456789.xanga.com/

I want to thank you in advance for caring enough to check out what I am doing. I really hope you will join me in my efforts to spread awareness about an issue that affects more than half of this world. If you are interested in adding your voice or if you have additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me at burt222@hotmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you.


Respectfully,
Sherry Clyburn

This is what I believe and why I work so hard to create awareness. Some people are under the impression that we can end abuse. I mean no disrespect, but honestly, these people who believe we will achieve the ending of abuse are looking at a different reality than I am. I might be wrong, but my belief is that we will never totally eliminate abuse. Nonetheless, I do believe we can lower the victim population through one simple equation: Education + Awareness = Prevention.

Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy 

© 2011 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

Ain't Life Full of Surprises; The Power of our Stories

I hope my readers have noticed the various badges and links I've posted on my page. There aren't a lot of them, I like to keep my page simple and uncluttered and I generally only recommend those with who I frequently interact and with who I think are especially relevant to my pages mission. One of the sites I regularly follow is Violence Unsilenced, a blog which allows survivors as safe, supportive space to share stories of abuse, healing and redemption. For many survivors telling our story is can be a pivotal point in our process of growth and healing. I frequently write about the impact of telling our stories in one way or another; writing, artwork, music etc. but frankly, I had forgotten just how much so, until my own story was featured this week.
I had taken a rather cavalier attitude about submitting my story, I'm old school, I'm used to doing this kind of thing, no biggie, just offering my contribution, you know "being there" for others, blah blah blah.
As so often happens when we adopt this Holly Go Lightly attitude, we end up skipping along right into a brick wall.
I had known my story was to be featured this week and was reminded yesterday when I received a message from Maggie, the sites Creator and Mother. Ok la la la here's my story, let's take a look....wait, what, holy shit! Let's look at what people are saying, wait, what, holy shit. What I realized was that having my story taken out of the safe confines of my own computer or even my own blog, my "space', was like seeing the world wearing a new pair of glasses. You know how you wait until you can barely see before renewing your prescription and suddenly the world is a very different place than you've been seeing (or not seeing) for the past several months.
Seeing my words "in public" was like having a CAT scan view, a 3 dimensional, multi layered look into my story.

I was moved by my own words, I was shocked by them; but most importantly I was deeply touched by the words of others who offered their support and feedback.
If a tough old Bird like me can be so touched, can feel so supported, respected and loved... it is a powerful reminder of the significance of telling our stories, our testaments to survival and of the Universal Love we are able to receive if we are courageous enough to reach out.
For all of this I want to express my deepest gratitude to Maggie for her dedication to Violence Unsilenced, to all those survivors, past, present and future, who share their stories, and to the readers who are so generous and nurturing with their support and encouragement.
Thank You and bless you all,
Peace,
Jenny

Visit Violence Unsilenced at
http://violenceunsilenced.com/
© 2010 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

News and Updates

In accordance with my original mission I have begun work on my sister site, www.whitewaveconsulting.org. The intention and goal of this project is to organize survivors who wish to be actively involved in public policy making, service delivery and public education. There are many ways to accomplish these goals. Writing our stories and sending them to politicians, service providers and funding sources can have a substantial impact. Forming Advisory committees, organizing survivor speak outs, using art and film to record our histories are all effective methods to make our message heard. We ARE the experts on Domestic Violence, we know what services are lacking and which ones are working. We know how we want, and deserve, to be treated by social service agencies, police officers, and the judicial system. Finally, as older women we can attest to the long term effects of abuse and the need for ongoing services. The key to change is Communication and Organization, let's Unite as Survivors and help create a future of Peace, Respect and Compassion.
In other business, I am continuing to work on my memoirs, blogging and making connections online. It's wonderful to find so many compassionate, creative and like minded individuals.

My latest project is my new Hepatitis C blog describing my experiences with the disease and, now, being on treatment. I had started including posts about my journey through treatment on my survivors blog, but because this experience has been so much a part of my life; because my day to day activities are dictated by my side effects, I decided this chapter of my life deserves it's own space. I am also discovering an urgent need for information and advocacy for individuals stricken with this often stigmatized disease. I will continue to share my personal story while also accumulating useful information about Hepatitis and treatment options.



© 2010 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

It's not just emotional healing that hurts

A while back, in May, I blogged about my next step in Healing; treating my Hepatitis C. So far it's been a bumpy ride, with plenty of ups and downs. How about I start with the good news. My viral load is now undetectable. This is a good sign and it means it's worth it to continue treatment. My doctor seems to think that I can beat this for good if I do maintain the treatment for the rest of the year. For those of you who don't know, undetectable doesn't mean cured, yet. The trick is to remain undetectable after treatment ends. For some people it works, some people stay "clear" for a while then the virus reappears, and for some people it seems to come back immediately after treatment is stopped. There are of course, many variables affecting treatment success, but maybe some of it is just good old luck of the draw. Given the uncertainty of success any shred of good news from the doctor is a beacon of hope, an incentive to carry on even if you feel like crap. Unfortunately one of the more common side effects of the treatment is depression. So for me it's kind of like a day at the beach when I've already got second degree burns. Add to this the loss of income the loss of a social role as a community advocate and sometimes I just wonder what the hell happened. Good thing I've had lots and lots of therapy to cope with depression because my old Buddy, Deena Depression has been hanging out quite a bit lately. And that, my friends, is one reason I'm telling my story, all aspects of it. Some of it is simply Ego validation, I admit that; but there is also the desire to reach out to others who have or are having similar experiences. It can feel like a lonely road sometimes and knowing someone (many people actually) are having the same experience does lighten the load. If you yourself or someone you care about is going through treatment for hepatitis C, or considering treatment I recommend seeking out information from others who have had the experience. An excellent online support group I have found is HepC Nomads-http://hepcnomads.co.uk/ I have found everyone there to be both informative and supportive. Another good resource is The National Hep C Advocacy Council at www.hepcnetwork.org. As always if you have questions or feedback I'm happy to respond. Peace and Blessings © 2010 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard

A stranger in a strange land...

"I had crossed the line, I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land." ~ Harriet Tubman. One of my reasons for creating this blog, and my website http://www.nanakoosasplace.com/ was my realization that as a survivor, and a survivor of multiple challenges, I never really felt "normal". Even after receiving degrees in Social Work and Counseling I chose to work in small grassroots nonprofit agencies rather than for profit or government agencies. I knew I'd never "pass" in that world; nor would I want to. I would feel like an alien, a misfit and I'd probably end up getting fired. I did in fact get fired from my last job and I know it was partially due to my inability to conform to corporate like standards and expectations. No one was right no one was wrong, it just wasn't a good fit with the changes the agency was making. When I saw this quote by Harriet Tubman, I was initially transformed to the memory of reading her biography as a child. I imagined how lonely and terrified she must feel even while feeling the joy and gratitude of freedom. While her struggles and accomplishments were monumental compared to one woman's struggle with addiction, abuse and depression, I think there is a common phenomenon that occurs whenever we find freedom, from whatever it is that has had us caged. fortunately for many women leaving a violent home, recovering from addiction or embarking on another healing process there is support ready and available. This is especially true in the early stages. But as I had mentioned in an earlier post, "Crashing the Party of Normal Society", many of the systems in place are focused on getting the individual through those initial early crisis stages. It is often when the dust settles and we have stabilized that we realize that we too are strangers in a strange land. at this point we are faced with a choice. Either we allow ourselves to revive our victim role and accept some sense of defeat, that we will never be "normal" or we cherish the experiences and wounds that make us unique resilient individuals and begin to celebrate our individuality. After all most of were somewhat non-conformist to begin with, right? That may have been part of what got some of us into trouble in the first place. I say let us learn to embrace those qualities of non-conformity, of clever survival tactics of resiliency as we create our new reality. there are enough of us "strangers' out there that we need not be alone. There are others who understand. There are other women on the same path, the same journey to freedom and healing. Let's learn to recognize each other, and to support one another throughout the entire process of healing and liberation. If you read this post and feel it applies to you, take from it what you will and I always welcome feedback. If you feel you know someone else who may benefit from reading this please pass it on. If you find a stranger on the road who has a common story to tell, take the time to listen and support her. We need not be alone. peace and blessings, Nanakoosa copyright 2010 Jennifer Hazard/ Nanakoosa's Place.

Welcome to Nanakoosa's Place

Nanakoosa's place is a space where mature women who have experienced abuse, drug addiction or other struggles can be welcome to share their stories, connect and heal. At this time of our lives we are free to rediscover ourselves as women, to create, to grow and to make peace with the past. I will contribute my own years of experience both as a professional counselor and as a survivor to help create a safe space for women as they connect with their inner power and wisdom. I look forward to sharing my insight, experience and wisdom with all of you. Blessings, Nanakoosa