Each moment the attention looks to the outer world - for safety, security, comfort, love, affection, stability, peace - we lose an opportunity to rely upon our own essence.

All of these things are within us.

Breathe deeply.

Look inside.

Connect with yourself.

There is no difference between this leap of uncertainty and all the previous leaps into the unknown you have made.

With feet on firm ground and no true idea of what comes next, you jump.

Anxiety.

Panic Attacks.

Waves of paranoid thinking.

Fear obliterating my ability to think clearly.

My heart is beating out of my chest.

All happiness feels far away.

My palms begin to sweat.

Instead, the breath allows me to approach the parts of myself that are the most hurt, and need the most care with an open heart.

When there is no trust, fear is present.

While fear dominates, love can feel out of reach.

By connecting to the breath and communicating with the body to nudge one's posture towards an upright, loose, and gentle seated position, all of the negative emotions trapped within the body can flow.

When we curl up due to sadness, it is like leaning over to catch our breath after a hard run.

While it may feel good and natural to place the hands on the knees and bend at the hips as you gasp for breath after a particularly hard run, this hurts the ability to breath.

Standing up straight may not feel as good, but the oxygen which the body needs will be able to enter more easily and the carbon dioxide can be expelled more easily.

The natural and comfortable approach to handle challenges is often not what is best for us.

Trust your intuition.

Listen to your body.

Follow your breath.

See you on the other side of this retreat.

Namaste,

Evan

To Face Myself In Ceremony

Two weeks from today I will be in the jungle.

For three days straight.

Why?

To sit in

* a tobacco purge

* a nighttime Ayahuasca ceremony

* a daytime Ayahuasca ceremony

I am nervous.

I am excited.

I am grateful.

May all beings have the opportunity to face themselves and grow.

Namaste

Evan