Passion and Purpose 101

In network care, a phase of tension we work with is a particular pattern of spinal tension involving the second vertebrae in the neck and the pelvis hooked together (they sort of bend sideways with each other). Look in your mirror...head bending sideways, shoulder low, pelvis up. Anyways, the consciousness with this pattern is associated with living your life that is NOT on your terms (what we call passionless plus purposeless (frowny face : (). When we are choosing a life that was designed by others (mother/father/grandparent/culture etc.) for instance, you should be an artist, you'd be good as an athlete, a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, and when this life is not authentic to your true nature and highest values, we lock our bodies up this way so we don't have to feel our "un-authenticity" and the sadness/anger/frustration associated with making choices based on others values, and not ours.

Let me simplify. When you are choosing a life, that was influenced and designed by other people's values, and not yours, you are forced to lock your body so you don't have to feel your own incongruence. Does that make any more sense?

Simplified again. Live your own life, choose a life of your highest values, and you will be most free. There that seems to be simple.

Although....most people don't pay close enough attention because I see this pattern very...very...very often. They stay with a job because it has pension, security, good hours, nice people, good pay etc. Except, no passion. Except, no purpose. And so they settle, settling in for a life of "okayness" and "good enoughness", all while living okayness till the death. Living without passion and purpose is death while living.

There are few things more exciting than watching a fellow human being on fire, lit up on life, excited to be alive, and following their dreams. We often sense this awe and wonder and excitement for others following their highest purpose and passion, and talk about them over coffee, and pack up our lunch and head back to our so-so positions we are think we have chosen to be in.

Am I saying this is wrong? Not quite, except for the fact that most of us spend over one third of our lifetime at work (approximately 30 full years of our 90 year life, the other 30 sleeping, and the other third doing other things.)

So here is my challenge. Start living with intentional passion and purpose outside of work as much as you can and light up your life that way. Make sure it's REALLY lighting up. Second, re-evaluate your position or job and make sure it is lighting you up, or if it is not, at least find a way to see how it is meeting your highest values and needs so you can have more gratitude for your current situation. With this approach, you are not on autopilot, just "showing up" for a paycheck. (maybe it puts food on your table or helps your child's education, or allows you spending money for your trips you love to take) Once you have full gratitude and love for how it is serving you in your life, then you have a clearer head and a more open heart to choose to stay or choose to follow another path, passion and purpose. You are making choices on your terms with full gratitude and love, and not making choices based on others' values and ideas of what your life should look like. This way you are fully engaged and fully present with an open heart and mind moving forward.

Exceptionally yours,

Dr. Steve

Big Girls Don't Cry

Originally recorded by the Four Seasons, the song, "Big girls don't cry" hit number 1 in 1962 and stayed there for almost 5 weeks. There are so many people that have heard this song, and sang that same chorus over and over and over again,....Why do I mention this? I'll get right to the point.

In working with hundreds of women and men with physical and emotional distress and feeling the bodies of human beings that have limited their emotional range, I see the ramifications of a culture that does not support expressing emotions and feelings. I literally can feel in the body, the effects of embodying the idea of "Big girls not crying." We have associated crying, from a very early age, with weakness. And who wants to be weak? In fact, when you see someone crying, we instantly say, "what's wrong?" as if in this "weakened state" something has to be wrong. Is weakness and wrongness at the centre of crying?

We may feel weak because when we are having a cry, we begin to explore the depths of our vulnerability. We suspend our ego, our sense of self, of who we think we are or who we should be. And for many, being vulnerable is being weak. And on the flip side, being vulnerable/surrendering is a stage 7 experience of healing which is the stage of healing that allows you to begin tap into a potential energy of CREATION!
So being vulnerable and surrendering are also code words for letting go. And all the gurus talk about letting go. And women consistently talk about letting things go.  Hmmm... a catch 22.

So instead of expressing and letting go, we stuff our feelings. And what we stuff, we lock up in our body. And as we lock up our body, we begin the process, or continue the process of disconnecting from our essence. We decrease our health, suppress our immune system, and fragment our mind.  Some of you will say that you speak your mind or talk it out, I am telling you that I have felt the bodies of people who claim to use this strategy, and in most, not all, but most cases, they are still talking about the same issue weeks and months later still having their buttons pushed. If talking worked, than you would say it once, and not have one urge to ever speak of it again. Maybe time to re-evaluate that strategy.

What does crying do? And why is it potentially important to cry when we really need to?
Crying helps to liberate stored energy, there is a sound generated that help you connect to yourself, it is a way for us to release neuological tension, and clears the mind, as well as connecting ourselves more to our core essence. Reflect how good it feels to have a good, deep cry. It is an act that clears out baggage, resets your breathing patterns, and initiates healing. I am not talking about a weepy, red eyed, one crocodile tear job. I am talking about a full boar, deep internal cleansing cry. The type of cry that would put howling wolves to shame. The type you used to do when you were just a little toddler. Not the type that gets you attention or gets others to feel sorry for you, no I am talking about the internal cry of reconnecting you to you! These may not happen often, but when they do, you will feel the effects of the release and resolution.

Take some time to discover if some of the pain, tension, or chronic patterns has a little swell of emotion behind it that needs to be connected to, expressed and released. Maybe just making a sound is enough. Maybe starting to make a sound will help you connect to a deeper sound and maybe into a deeper healing process. Maybe it will lead to a laugh or a cry.

BIG GIRLS DO CRY!

A Tip For Presence Right Now!

Take a look around you. Where are you giving half attentions? It's really easy to do, especially with those people that we take for granted. Our mind endlessly wanders our attention into "no-mans land" dreaming or thinking about abstract thoughts that have nothing to do with what is front of us. I know this has happened to me once or twice : ) over the years. What snaps us back into presence? It could be something physical like bumping your knee or twisting your ankle, it could be someone calling for your attention, it could be a phone ringing or a firetruck going by. Something brings us back into PTC or Present Time Consciousness. 

A key question is, where was I? Where was my mind wandering and why is that getting more attention than the very thing that is right in front of me? My actual reality is taking a back seat to some fantasy or illusion that is being created by my mind. Does my spouse, partner, cousin, friend, grandmother, or kids not deserve my up most attention, my PTC and why would I not want to be fully present with them?

Find novelty in situations to hold your presence.
It's easy to hold your attention with a novel interaction with someone who you haven't seen in years. But it's not so easy when you see them day in and day out. We need to be looking for novelty. Maybe it's a way they smile, or a giggle, or the way they move, or their sweetness, or something you haven't quite immersed yourself in lately.
Presence takes training. It takes a keen desire to bring greater awareness to your present situation. It takes a desire to want to change, blended with a gratitude and love to be present with who or what is right in front of your nose. Our brains are not wired for presence as our attention is being pulled in a thousand and one directions throughout the day. So this daily training often spills over to our relationship life, with challenges to maintain a focus and presence, as the mind wanders to wonder what else needs my attention. Again, especially with those who we take for granted. This is the work of PTC so good luck optimizing your relationships, presence and love for what is in front of you.

-Dr. Steve

Shooting for the Exceptional Life

May 8th 2014

Have you ever thought that there may be more to life? It's amazing; the appeal of the perfect scenario. The desire for something more, or better, or more exceptional. So often our perception leads us astray to think that life is supposed to be grander and greater, more peaceful or harmonious, more healthy or stronger or more fit, more abundant in relationships or finances, as we continue to strive, strive, strive for that which we don't have. This game that we play with ourselves is a bottomless pit of more wants and more desires. It's a never ending trap of chasing the perceived void of things missing in our life. Why do I say this?... What I find so often in my practice, as we start balancing and opening up the constricted brain and nervous system, is that there becomes this deep awareness, that everything is beautiful just as it is. That we find everything we want within a bodymind that we are looking to the outside for. More energy? Access that within you. More peace? It's there! More harmony? Look in the mirror. You see, so often what we are looking for on the outside, is already right there within us, waiting to be accessed at any moment. 

That moment of connecting to your inner rhythms, your breath, your body, your movements, is a moment of absolute presence with yourself, where the noise of the mind can cease, and where you can access new sources of available energy and resources. There is nothing else to chase, but watching, feeling and observing the dance of your bodymind. That is often more than enough to feel the satisfaction of what wholeness feels like in that moment. Wholeness insinuates that there is no void to be filled, no chasing, no further needs or wants. Everything is exceptional just as it is; a state of fullness. The more you connect with yourself, the more you are creating the neurological hardware and software that allows you to utilize the parts of your brain for presence, peace, inner harmony and wholeness. You don't have to create those things in your life, because they are already existing. You need to find them where they already exist, which is within you, not outside of you. They are not missing, they are just hidden.

This level of connection most often requires practice, as most of us have lived lives of busy bees, doing lots of stuff, and lacking this essential inner awareness and connection. Network Spinal Analysis is a tool we use to assist you rapidly to begin to upgrade the nervous system, so you can access more energy efficient states, and connect within 10-20 minutes, what would take some a weekend vacation away to achieve. Another strategy to access inner presence is a regular practice of giving thanks for what is already there in front of you. Practicing gratitude is essential, as we are consciously placing ourselves in a temporary state of fullness, wholeness, and in a state of abundance. There is no chasing the dangling carrot, instead, there is a divine presence around giving thanks and praise for that which we are already full with. Therefore, instead of chasing the exceptional life, what I am proposing is that we already acknowledge that life is exceptional in so many ways. So can you find within your daily life to be grateful for?

 Can you say thank you to yourself for being so exceptional?

Can you find the divine peace within?

Why I Won't Get Diagnosed....For Now

March 17th 2014 

A conversation with a colleague of mine, spurred on some interest and curiosity around the idea of a diagnosis from a doctor.So I though, "What if a diagnosis wasn't an option?"

"What if all labs, all diagnostic capabilities, all "diagnosticians", were wiped off the face of the earth? What if there was not one drug available to us? What if the slate was wiped clean? What would happen then?" These questions run through my head regularly...but I got to thinking, there would be some very interesting transformations that would take place.  My inquiry developed into a few answers I wanted to share. (Remember the Latin translation of diagnosis is di-"two"
agnosis-"to not know"  which translates into "two that don't know" ...hmmm
If we were solely responsible for our own health and well-being, with replying on zero outside influences, here are the upsides...

Well, when our bodies or minds became ill, we would have to become more resourceful.  We would need to voice our concerns, face fear, face the thought of fear of our own mortality, stop our way of being, clean up our bodies, connect with our emotions, evaluate our actions, look inside for answers, pay attention, touch our body, gain a new level of trust, develop patience, listen for whispers of insights, solve our own challenges, get in touch with reality, nurture ourselves, take time to rest, work through pain, stop life as we know it, connect with worry, psychoanalyze ourselves, express emotions like sound, laughter or crying, connect with the feeling of helplessness, hydrate ourselves, start fasting, access natural or mother nature's resources etc...

Those were some things I thought of, maybe you can think of more.  With these listed, it is a tremendous upside to being forced into a totally uncertain, scary world of "not knowing something", it can lead us into a world of transformation.
The downside is, maybe we die early.  But that goes into a totally different topic of being afraid to die.  The reason I mention this, is that the majority of diagnosed conditions are not life threatening.

The bottom line, is we would be forced to become more resourceful.  We would be forced to tap into ourselves regularly without giving our power away to others.  We would be forced to face our demons, our minds and bodies, and really travel inward to transform our situation.  And if we knew no one was there to bail us out, we would probably take better care of ourselves when we were feeling well.  We might take actions to maximize our health and well-being, and stay focused on building health and meeting essential needs.

We need to raise awareness as to what going for a "diagnosis" really does for us as humans. Most people will totally miss all the gifts I have talked about in the first paragraph, because a diagnosis makes them feel safe, and once they feel safe, they can keep on living the same, potentially unconscious and toxic life.

I would just love for you to evaluate how often you give your power away.  How often you engage in an activity, a doctor's visit, discuss a topic with someone for advice on a situation, or any tests in an attempt to diffuse the energy of discomfort and uncertainty.  Are there times when you do this so you don't have to "step up" to a challenge or focus on you; to essentially pay attention to what you need to focus on.

And what can you do to empower yourself when times are uncertain, scary or painful?  How could you stay within yourself and add more focus or ask better questions of yourself, or take different actions?

 To your Greater Awareness,

Dr. Steve 

What do you do to Disconnect?

In our efforts to become more congruent, authentic, and live inspired lives, we often still have little habits within our personalities that we do to disconnect from ourselves. I would encourage you to explore this with me. This is important to bring to your awareness, because when we are feeling like we are not enough, when we are feeling scared, or even angry, there are behaviours that we have formed that seemingly help us in the moment, but yet are disconnecting us from what we need to truly pay attention to.

Take eating for example. I find I will pick at food when I am disconnecting, or sometimes I will go and 'pretend' to myself that I am being productive at work, only to answer a few emails, and jot down a few ideas that really won't mean much in the long run. As I bring my unconscious to conscious awareness, I am then able to make more of an aware, conscious choice as to my actions so they become more congruent and authentic, instead of mindless and on autopilot.

Some people exercise like crazy in an effort to avoid not feeling worthless or fat or not enough. Some people don't eat any sugar, coffee, or "other nasties" because they are scared of what they might do, and become obsessive in that. How about Facebook, T.V., phone, emails....

Obviously there is a time to 'do' things, but most people are not taking enough time to just "be" with themselves and connect inward. I am mentioning this, because if we did spend more time inward, we continue to cultivate trust for our body, emotions, thoughts and feelings. When we cultivate trust, we become more resilient to people and circumstances around us.

Spending time inward is the time of self mastery...and since you only get one kick at the can, it may be valuable to further get to know yourself. So what is your hook up? What is the way you disconnect? At those little moments throughout the day, what actions are taking your attention away from the real you, and into some fantasy land. And why might we find these places more interesting than focusing on ourselves and finding the true joy in being an embodied spirit and feeling alive?

Hope this allows for new emerging awareness, and hopefully you can find new actions that are more congruent with what really is valuable and meaningful in your life.

Embracing a life of exceptional,

Dr. Steve

So now what?

"Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again."  Alex Tan

I have to share with you, that I have a very keen interest in where are heading for the new year. What is your focus? What is your theme? What are you working on? What are your interests? So often the entrainment is such a powerful process, that we don't necessarily take the time to discuss what some of your other needs or concerns are. We often stick to health or your inner well-being and the transformation of that, but I am also gaining curiosity into your other goals, dreams, and ambitions to see how Veressent Life can hold a space to have you achieve what you are looking for.

Instead of your ego picking the goals or dreams, let me ask you a different question. What have your rhythms been telling you? What has the energy around you been telling you that you need to refine or transform? Any areas of life that keep showing up that beckon your attention? What have you been meeting against, that needs further inquiry or strategies to make change? So often we pick things or goals that we think we want, yet life is leading us, right under our noses, to pay attention to something else.

So let's bypass the "lose 10-20 lbs, or start a regular fitness program or start eating better" resolution, and look deeper. We are Veressent Lifer's and we look deeper into our core nature and what life is trying to tell us. Look deeper into what is life presenting to you right now, that you need to dive in to.
What is it? What has your soul been calling you to wake up to? What clues is life leaving you that you must face now, with courage? Stop kidding yourself with the superficial goals that you think will make you happy, and extend yourself into what you KNOW needs to be looked after.

Please email me back over the next couple of days and share with me, what your life is showing you, that you need to be paying attention to. I can hardly wait!!

Thank you for an amazing year, so much gratitude and love to you all,

In deep well-being,


Dr. Steve