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December, 2024
Thank You! Next
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Thank You! Next
For a dark joke to be funny, it should be as true as twisted. And, like with everything else in life, timing is crucial for a successful landing. "This year felt like being awake during surgery" - this glorious meme shared by Olivia Steele hits the spot to open this December holiday season newsletter.
Buddhist teachings often describe the mind as a mirror that reflects reality. When cleansed of impurities (delusions, ego, etc.), it can reveal truth and enlightenment. Another image I love to think of compares the troubled mind to boiling water, which prevents us from seeing the bottom of the pot. We can only see what is in it clearly if we allow the water to cool off and calm down.
As I look back and reflect on 2024 (and even further back), I can't help but see how many of my choices and actions were made from states of delusion and struggle while my mind was boiling. This led to many crazy adventures, some were very enjoyable at the moment but later led to undesirable outcomes that I will need to deal with - when the surface becomes still again.
I hope your soul and your mind find a sweet balance before you move ahead with your future actions. I wish for your spirit to take a well-deserved nourishing break so that the new year is fueled by its divine inspiration. May your health and strength rise to an all-time high level. May you find the drive and courage to step out of your comfort zone and take the first tiny step in the direction your heart mostly desires.
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Vibes on Repeat
DJ Madden - December 2024 - Happy, Free, Confused and Lonely
I recorded this very inspired new set barely a week before Christmas Eve. It is usually the case with art that the most beautiful and heartfelt creations come from places of despair and frustration. I'm going through a tough time of rest, reflection, and introspection after a wild year - Correction: a couple of wild years in a row. I still have a lot of emotions to process and many solutions to find. I'm so grateful to the music for allowing me to feel this "divine connection" while playing, which allows me to put aside my irrelevant human fears and doubts to melt into one with the all-encompassing love of the Universe. I hope you identify what I'm trying to describe while listening!
Anthony Middleton - Never Sleep Again BM24
Audiofly has always been one of my biggest musical influences, I'm a huge fan of both Anthony and Luca, playing together or independently. Anthony just shared this beautiful and groovy melodic set that I've been listening to on repeat. His little backstory: "The morning after the night I lost my USBs at Burning Man and played an amazing set at Camp Never Sleep Again on my emergency stick. It’s a terrible thing when you lose your music in the dust, but you just deal with it and move on. Later on that morning, I found my USBs right where I had lost them. The playa giveth and the playa taketh away…then giveth right back again!"
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The Book Nook
I recently finished listening to the audiobook version of "The Cosmic Game - Explorations of the Frontiers of Human Consciousness" by Stanislav Grof.
I've had more than my fair share of serendipitous and magical experiences. I recognize an immense value in acquiring a set of spiritual principles that help me go through the darker moments of life. One of my main mantras is: "We don't need to understand everything". I spend a lot of energy trying to let go of the strict programming that rules my self-sabotaging mind. My heart knows that we are all guided, protected, and supported by something beyond our limited perception and understanding, but my ego-driven "intelligence" always manages to take the wheel to make me act fueled by ignorance, fear, doubt, or anger, which always leads to an undesirable destination.
I enjoy studying well-researched materials about transpersonal psychology and anything that helps me demystify or "bring down to earth" topics that would alternatively fall into the territory of religious beliefs or leftfield woo-woo spirituality.
Book description: "In this, his culminating work, the leading international figure in consciousness research masterfully synthesizes his vast findings, drawing not only upon psychedelic therapy and Holotropic Breathwork, but also from literature, cross-cultural studies, ancient mystical sources, and psychological data, resulting in a profound consolidation and articulation of what is now known about unordinary states of consciousness.
The Cosmic Game discusses the broadest philosophical, metaphysical, and spiritual insights gleaned in Grof's research concerning human nature and reality, addressing the most fundamental questions human beings have asked about the nature of existence since time immemorial.
Insights from research into unordinary states of consciousness portray existence as an astonishing play of the cosmic creative principle that transcends time, space, linear causality, and polarities of every kind and suggests an identity of the individual psyche in its furthest reaches with the universal creative principle and the totality of existence. This identity of the human being with the Divine is the ultimate secret that lies at the core of all great spiritual traditions."
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The Wisdom Drop
I recently enjoyed this wonderful "Take Your Mind Back" podcast episode where spiritual maverick Michael Beckwith interviews New York Times best-selling author Marianne Williamson in a timely discussion for the Christmas season, about some of the main topics she covers in her latest book "The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love".
I love the down-to-earth approach of their spiritual insights. Their conversation adds rich texture to some relevant topics that I've been pondering lately, such as "the eternal now," and they provide actionable tools that can be used to navigate the inevitable storms of the unruly mind.
Enjoy!
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Fitspiration Hub
Exercising first thing in the morning is one of my biggest health hacks. Here is one of my current favorite coaches that I follow for dynamic workout flows that are great fun and extremely effective!
His name is Leandro Fornito (aka Leo Moves), from Switzerland. He defines himself as an athlete and movement coach, and his routines mix up primal move style, breakdancing, calisthenics, and classic bodyweight exercises in a fun way for a wide range of skill and fitness levels.
You can start with any of his free YouTube classes, ranging from 10 to 30 minutes, from basic mobility to challenging HIIT workouts, and they are mostly all bodyweight so everything you need is to find a small space to practice.
He also has a full-blown app with many more options that you can try for free for 7 days.
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Reflection Corner
Right after any situation that triggers us, there is a space in time when we have the opportunity to observe and reflect on our emotions before we decide how to respond. The more time we spend in that space, the more mindful of our own minds we will become. We will start recognizing certain programmed reactions that were installed there by past traumatic events and toxic dynamics without our awareness or permission. How we treat each other is the most important determinant of our value.
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou
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