Take Refuge in True North

Refuge in the North Star is one of the foundations for my life. Identifying that which means the most to me and internalizing it, living it, orients me in a healthy direction, every time. I’m reminded of beautiful passage from the book of Wisdom, a scripture in the Hebrew tradition, which not only provides inspiration for individual North Stars but in my husband’s words—outlines an entire Milky Way:

Wisdom 7: 22-30

For in her is a spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
and pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.

For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity….
For she is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror….
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets….

For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but nothing prevails over Wisdom.

What are your North Stars, those highest attributes you wish to envisage? These are your refuge points--seeds you can plant with intention and water every day. Pick one quality of Wisdom from the above and take refuge in her spirit, breath it in, breath it out, rest there….

Internalize what you value, bring it to remembrance every day, become that.

Take Refuge in the Body

This week we're diving ever deeper into the June Inner Constellation theme--Refuge. Last week we practiced Taking Refuge in Spiritual Ancestors, now we're exploring Taking Refuge in the Body as our anchor, a solid place to rest in the midst of any storm.

I wish to flesh out what I mean by "body." In my Inner Constellation work, body encompasses three components:

1) Heart
2) Mind
3) Nervous System

If you're interested in Heart and Mind as ways of Taking Refuge in the Body, you may wish to click on the highlighted links for each above. For today, we'll be resourcing number 3--our kick @$$ nervous systems.

When things get rough and tumbly, our nervous systems shoot into high gear as survival mechanisms to mobilize against perceived threats. If we need to fight, adrenaline will shoot through our bodies at lightening speeds, if we need to flee, blood pulls from our extremities to our cores so we can move fast and unencumbered. We are pristine survival machines, however, most times when things get rough and tumbly, it's not a matter of life and death. Taking Refuge in the Body, literally means using one's powers of observation and concentration to self-regulate the nervous system. How to do this? Ah, we possess a miraculous elixir...a supreme regulator--the breath.

Studies show that breathing evenly immediately balances body systems and begins to regulate its myriad of functions. Whenever you wish to change your body--first, change your breath. The technique of breathing evenly immediately balances racing thoughts, transporting blood from the limbic (fight-flight-freeze) portion of the brain into the frontal lobes where we do our most skillful thinking. Breathing evenly turns on the light bulbs for insight and clear seeing. Notice, I'm purposely italicizing breathing evenly, not necessarily deeply, which can be harder than Hades to do when we're in fight-flight-freeze; however, breathing evenly begins initiating a state of flow.

When life gets rough and tumbly and clouds move in, obscuring your North Star, take refuge in the body--your breath--as an anchor. Begin regulating and moving into a flow state where insight and skillful thinking are resourced and initiated. We are powerful beings. Like the outer space with its bazillion of galaxies, the inner space is just as vast and deep in its capacity. Through the lens of even breathing (and my personal favorite, self-compassion) explore, explore, explore. 

Take Refuge in Spiritual Ancestors

Christiane Vleugels "Aphrodite"

We've answered the question—what do you take refuge in—what gives you comfort, based on the last blog article, Take Refuge. I've heard a variety of responses; one of my favorites from a lovely woman, who in trying times will ask, “What’s perfect about this moment?” She then will switch her focus to all the things for which she’s grateful. Gratitude is one of her North Stars, it’s a refuge and guiding light.

Next up is an exploration of generating and taking refuge in one’s spiritual ancestors—the people who show you the way on your path; they can be alive or dead (IC Truth #2—Energy never dies it just changes  form). For me the list of inspiring spiritual ancestors is lengthy: Thich Nhat Hahn, Joan of Arc, Mother Mary, Rumi, Hildegard von Bingen, Martin Luther King, Jr, Abe Lincoln, Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Buddha, Kuan Yin/Tara….

• Who are your spiritual ancestors?
• What are the attributes they possess that you value?

A poetic way of exploring refuge in spiritual ancestors is to say—know to whom and what you belong. These people and attributes are concrete safety points that hold, sustain and regenerate us in times of need.  The other day I had a reflection of this concept while driving on a busy road.  I was driving through a school safety zone, decelerating in a line of cars going 25 mph. A father and young daughter were walking together beside this busy road. Dad was shielding daughter from the cars, his body providing an alert and attentive barrier, yet he smiled while she held his hand and chatted animatedly while skipping along, oblivious to her dad’s watchful concentration. I was reminded of the ancestors, whose protective attention is ours to engage. I've felt this attentiveness all my life, it’s been something I can’t rightly explain or articulate, but I feel it every day, and I take refuge in their love and care. I generate a connection consciously and frequently.

This week, I look forward to exploring spiritual ancestors. Who are your spiritual ancestors? What are the attributes they possess that you value? Contact me, slip me a line or an email so we can discuss one of my favorite practices—generating and taking refuge in spiritual ancestors. 

Take Refuge

Inner Constellation theme for the month of June is Refuge.* I’m looking forward to a series of blog articles around the theme and this first one kicking us off is inspired by returning from a weekend tennis tournament. There was packing, driving, match deadlines, competing, loudness and ruckus, more driving, more competing, more loudness and ruckus, then arrive home to a house in shambles and the work week starting. Arrrghhhh, how do I find refuge?!!

In my most recent readings, I’ve learned that the Buddha, a few months before he passed away, instructed his followers to take refuge in themselves, “…be an island unto yourself. Don’t take refuge in anything else.” He encouraged them to use the teachings as their lamp and as their island to return to when they had strayed. I relate to this and it aligns very closely with my metaphor of “Inner Constellation,” the idea that within us is everything we need for our well-being. The search for stability, comfort and happiness is not found outside us—the capacity to generate all of these and more is within.  You know I love self-inquiry, so let’s go!

• What do you take refuge in, what gives you comfort?

A few years ago, I would have answered this in the following way: my husband, fat cat on my lap (she nestles in as I’m typing :), close friends, music, a hard bike ride, you get the point. But, over the last year, I’ve narrowed down my refuges to warmth and goodness. What the heck am I talking about? Warmth: I put on a layer, grab a blanket, sit in the warm sunshine or grab a cup of tea and Goodness: internally generate whatever it is I need. If my husband, fat cat, friends, music or mountain bike are at my beck and call, great, more power to me, but if not, then I still have refuge, an Inner Constellation—unto myself.  Also, people, critters, objects, even places are not lasting and true, they will not always be around, but the internal world is available as long as we are alive and breathing! Buddha knew this and as he was passing away, he wished to strengthen the foundations of his comrades. We’re touching on the idea of North Star, another one of my metaphors which represents that which is unchanging or serves as a guiding light.

I’ve got more questions stewing, but before moving on, I really want to spend time on the first question to develop the practice of Taking Refuge. Before one takes refuge, the above question is most helpful to answer—what do you take refuge in, what gives you comfort? Contact me, I’d love to hear, or leave a post below.

* If you would like to receive a Monday-Friday Inner Constellation blessing as my gift to you, please contact me. 

Maya Angelou North Star of Courage

Good morning, Dear IC bloggers. I've had a most interesting morning so far, woke very early in a magical mood and pondered a realization for me--Dreamtime is a portal to "Heaven," a place I rest in consciously at night, pay visits to my loved ones and spiritual ancestors, rejuvenate and often wake with clear insight. I journaled a bit, writing the following IC blessing* for today:

Gossamer
©2014 Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com
Part night’s translucent veil, float on gauzy wings,

received by land of metaphor

as silkworms spin silver ropes

pulling you ashore.


I sent it off to my IC folks and proceeded to Facebook to post, where I discovered Maya Angelou, one of my favorite poets and memoirist had passed away early this morning. I paused, looked back on the words I had journaled about dreamtime being a portal to Heaven, reread "Gossamer," and just smiled and filled up with gratitude. Maya Angelou continues to speak, continues to influence me--Energy never dies, it just changes form (IC Truth #2). Maya was a lady who understood the concept of North Star and being committed to a personal guiding light. One of my favorite quotes from her is about the North Star of Courage, she said, "Courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." Maya lived her North Star growing up in the South during a time of tremendous racial tension and change. 

Maya, your life was sweet-water on a fire, you were the river flowing around the obstructions of injustice. Thank you for your bright light and the muse you have become, may your passing be gentle. 

"My Soul Magnifies...."

I woke with three words repeating like a mantra in my head this morning, as soon as my eyes opened and my feet hit the floor..."My soul magnifies...."

This month's IC theme is Dreamtime and although I do dream fairly actively, I wake with word snippets on many more occasions:

"My soul magnifies...."

Curious me, typed the line into a Google search and what popped up caused me to grin like a fool. These three words are part of Mother Mary's proclamation after she was told by the angel Gabriel, "Um, some news--you're pregnant." Mary's one of my spiritual ancestors so her being credited with the line distilled it even stronger. As I journaled, I thought of the metaphor of seeds (one of my favorite) and here's what I wrote:

"As with any seed, we are endowed with gifts entirely specific based on our entirely unique life experiences--recognize, clarify, magnify."

Wow, I had to take pause and really let such a proclamation sink deep. I thought of the little sunflower seed, how it has everything inside to initiate and coax its beautiful form. Aren't we the same? There are unique gifts within each of us, developed out of our life experiences--even the grueling parts. Recognize, clarify and magnify your gifts. Ponder these questions for they hold the potential to turn us toward True North (like that little Sunflower seed turns toward the sun):

1) What are your gifts?
2) How did these come to be?
3) How can these gifts be watered and then ultimately expressed?

Ah, good seeds for the springtime Memorial weekend. I would love to hear any insight and would be honored if you contacted me. I'm off to grab my watering can and begin watering. My soul magnifies....

The Dreaming

Inner Constellation theme for the month of May is Dreamtime--one of my favorite topics. I've studied the role of dreams in many ancient cultures and most recently, the Aboriginal people of Australia, whose perspective on dreaming interests me because it closely aligns with my Native American roots. Aboriginal people believe that the dreaming is a place where past, present and future come together as one reality and which houses all the knowledge of a person's spiritual and blood ancestors. Such a realm lines up perfectly with my dreamtime experiences. Imagine a place you can enter to align with every moment up until the present and then, go beyond, to access the wisdom of everyone who has ever lived. Mind-blowing, yes, and that's why for me the process of consciously dreaming is not a matter of mind alone. How can we enter the dreaming with open and fluid receptivity? Here are a few of my favorite ways to involve my senses in the process of dreaming. I would love to here your tips, please add a comment or contact me for conversation:

• sitting or lying down beneath the stars before bedtime
• spending the last waking hour in candlelight or low lighting
• resting all technology in the last waking hours
• reading some wildly fantastic story or book of poetry before turning out the light
• listening to: Loreena McKennit, Cocteau Twins, or Delerium   
• keeping a dream journal by the bed with a pencil for easy access 
• heightening my sense of smell with the use of herbs, essential oils and scented candles
• defining an intention prior to bed to ground my dreaming practice, while using my breath as an anchor, breathing in and out evenly
• mentally recognizing all the things I'm grateful for in the course of the last 24 hours (puts my mind at ease, and I'm usually asleep by the time I finish:) 
• cultivating a sleeping sanctuary with meaningful decor, feather down comforter, a dream altar and lanterns outside my bedroom windows

Dreams are the wisdom portal inside one's Inner Constellation--the comings and goings, ways to mend and heal, predictions and foretellings. A vast Eternal reality awaits, receives and wraps us in metaphor for eight luxurious hours a day.  May your dreaming be lucid and sweet, a chart on the course to your North Star.