New Book out today!
Our new book "Five Gateways" provides a powerful 'route map' through the 5 key expansions of consciousness on the road to Enlightenment and ultimately our Ascension into the new consciousness paradigm - the 5th Dimensional Realm. From direct first hand experience, it is packed with personal sharings, experiential tools and advice on how to catalyse and facilitate our personal unfolding.

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Reconnection with our divine birthright
We are truly blessed to be here in this amazing time of human and planetary transition. The Soul of the Earth has moved to a higher vibrational reality based on unconditional love, joy and respect for all life and we're being invited to join her. Many books are beginning to talk about this; "Five Gateways" describes the journey of unfolding both from a spiritual perspective but also with grounded scientific understanding that debunks and demystifies. "Quantum science is helping us strip away the boundaries of limited thinking. Ascension is real and possible for all of us; the new paradigm exists here and now" - this is the central message of "Five Gateways".

In the book, we postulate that our society has been purposefully configured by an "Opposing Consciousness" to disconnect us from our divine birthright - union with "God consciousness". For many thousands of years it has been at work within the field closing down our chakras and de-energising our natural bodily vehicles of expression in order to addict us to the external "drama" - the "Matrix" of mass human subconsciousness in which we live.

Well now we have come to a major turning point in our history. We are being helped by a Higher Benevolent Consciousness to steer a pathway through the density of our current predicament, to strip away the limitation and internal constriction that binds us and to pass through the 5 internal expansions leading to the full blown experience of multi-dimensional experience; "Can we possibly imagine the extent of our inherent beauty? Are we open enough to grasp the magnitude and magnificence of this planetary and human rebirth? Our reconnection is a profound transition back to the majesty of who we really are.

From direct first hand experience Chris describes this transition and shares his own personal journey "it feels to me that I was purposely taken through the 5 key expansions in quite a dramatic way so that I may share the experiences with others. I've observed in our work here at Openhand how invaluable it can be for people to have a 'bench mark' as to where they are on their journey because it helps make sense of how and why we are being influenced in the way we are and how we might move forwards." He continues; "using this Gateways approach, time and again I have witnessed people making breath-taking transitions by being able to identify the nature of their limitations and thereby stripping them away. I'm often reduced to tears by the transformations we observe."

Another wonderful feature about the book and the advice contained within, is that it provides an approach that can work with ALL spiritual practices, disciplines and religions (provided they are allied to open-hearted, self exploration of the truth!). It is not designed to replace other practices and approaches but to embrace and magnify their effect "the approach is purposefully designed to meet people on their own ground and to help grow their own inner light in the way that best serves THEM".

You can get the book by clicking on this link...
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We do hope you enjoy it!

Much love

The Openhand Team

I'm really interested in this. I keep hearing about these five key expansions of consciousness (or transitions). Could you please tell me more about what that means?

Thank you for your time.
Melody

Hi Melody - thanks for your question.

The Five Gateways are transitions through internal layers of consciousness. We've observed through our work countless times how people's lives and the issues they're facing seem to relate directly to this framework. They are as follows...

• Gateway 1: "Awakening" - upon incarnation and through the early years of our lives, our personality is shaped and distorted by our upbringing. We build conditioned neural pathways in the brain which shape and colour our every choice in life. Our Soul Consciousness becomes fragmented and dissipates throughout the bodymind. The more we give into the distortions, the less we can feel the soul until we end up living the life of the false self. Then magically one particular day for some reason we give up chasing through the external world of effects and instead surrender into the inner world of causality. It is then that enough of our Soul Consciousness may reconnect in order that we can truly feel it again - perhaps as an amazing sense of joy, liberation, expansiveness or timelessness - this is the initial awakening.
• Gateway 2: "Realignment" - following the Awakening, at some point enough of the soul will reconnect such that we can hear its unmistakable but quiet inner voice guiding us forwards. Each moment presents a choice: either we give in to the conditioned behaviours of our old lives; or we express instead a higher truth - our inherrant gifts of beingness. During this transition we learn how to attune to our inner guidance mechanism. At some point we'll reach a turning point where we surrender our lives completely to the inner guidance of the soul - we follow those higher choices at whatever apparent personal cost to the personality. We have aligned ourselves with the Divine Will.
• Gateway 3: "Transfiguration" - the soul takes us on a journey to cleanse our lower bodily vehicles of expression - specifically the physical body, emotional body and our energy body. We are beginning to break apart the conditioned neural pathways until finally the inner child and inner teenager personalities filters are literally 'blown apart'. A kundalini awakening occurs where enough of our Soul Consciousness has reconnected in order to rise up the spine and join with "Unity Consciousness" flowing 'downwards' from the source (its really an internal shift). What follows is a dramatic shift of perception from identification with the personality to being non identified awareness - the Seer - expressed as the soul through the bodymind.
• Gateway 4: "Enlightenment" - at Transfiguration (Gateway 3) we have become non-identified awareness - the Seer. However the soul is not yet fully reconnected and fragments of it will still identify with the personality. Specifically fragments may get 'stuck' within the causal body due to past life trauma - our "karma". Consequently "shadow identities" form which mirror the authenticity of the soul. The shadow acts kind of like an echo of the soul and dims our authentic light. During this transition we are guided on a pathway to confront these shadow identities and dissolve them in the crucible of life. In so doing we are reaquainted with our past life karma which is recreated through the current circumstances of our lives that we may relive it and let go of attachment. These final 'fragments' of the soul are released and 'reconnected'. The soul becomes fully integral within our being. We become fully enlightened.
• Gateway 5: "Resurrection" - in our initial closing down as we came into incarnation, our seven bodily vehicles of expression have been deactivated through the closing of the chakras. Now that the soul is fully reconnected, we are able to finally purify, reactivate and re-energise all seven bodily vehicles of expression - in other words the bodymind is Resurrected. In particular we fully activate the spirit light body (merkaba) such that we unfold into multi dimensional experience. Both this world and the new one (the 5th Dimensional Realm) to which we are ascending become a daily part of our experience. The bridge between the two worlds - the 4th Dimensional Realm - also comes clearly into view and specifically the presence of Opposing Consciousness which has been controlling and limiting our existence in the 3rd Dimensions. We learn how to deal with Opposing Consciousness and act as a bridge between the dimensions to assist in the evolutionary process of others.

Hope this clarifies things a bit!

Chris

Hi Chris,

In your book you talk about the importance of living in and connecting with the full beauty of the moment. It seems to be truly in the moment is a blessing, but striving to achieve that actually means moving further away from it! To find a way to achieve that (without trying to achieve) in our society seems difficult, society inisists that people make plans, have schedules, jobs, bills, timetables etc. Do you think that at present its possible to live within society and fully in the moment? I agree with what you say about following the soul/heart's path, but perhaps at this stage it still involves making some concessions in order to exist in 'the world'? What do you think? Can living in the moment also involve an awareness of what we call past and future? I like the idea of just going with what arises.

Mark

Hi Mark,

In answer to your question - Absolutely Yes!!!
It is most certainly possible to live entirely in the moment just from the pull of the soul even in a society as misfigured as ours. It does however require absolute trust arising from the realisation that the only thing that really makes sense is to come from the soul. It also requires one to have spent quite some time in stillness in order to feel the flows of energy - I include in this being in stillness whilst doing things.

When I was unfolding around Gateway 2, I asked exactly the question you are asking. I experienced being taken through a transition period where sometimes I followed the pull and other times I noticed myself getting stuck and reverting to conditioned behaviours. However quite early on I made a resolution - if everything in this world is but an illusion (and a distorted one at that), I would rather risk all and follow the pull even if that meant I sometimes got it wrong - and at whatever apparent personal cost. I made this choice and then never looked back. It feels like jumping off a cliff but instead of crashing into the rocks at the bottom, suddenly you learn how to fly!

From what I know of you, I sense you're approaching this point in the immediate future...

"Come to the edge" he said,
"We can't, we are afraid" they said.
"Come to the edge"
"We can't, we will fall"
"Come to the edge"
and they came
and he pushed them
and they flew."
Guillaume Appollinaire

Happy flying!

Chris

After thinking about what you said I came to the realisation that actually we can, because a) society and the world that we see about us are an illusion (as you said) or at most only a very small part of the bigger picture, and b) we always have a choice, even if it sometimes seems that we don't! We can actually choose whether we pay a bill or go to work or whatever and we can't predict what those choices might bring about. As we can't predict the outcomes and the world's an illusion anyway, living in any way other than in the moment or following the soul's path, just seems silly! We can leave the consequences of our choices to Spirit and trust that we made the right ones, presumably by following the soul's pull. A recent example for me was after the unity gathering when I began to realise that my job wasn't reallly serving me anymore. I began to realise that I'd be leaving it soon, and was trying to work out how to go about it. I was a bit worried about getting another job or not or what I'd do, and how to tell my manager etc. Anyway I decided it felt right to leave but that I'd tell my manager after christmas as it was very busy. Then about 10 days before christmas I was offered another job! It was something I'd applied for months ago and pretty much forgotten about. They wanted to know almost immediately if I could start in the new year. Having made the decision to leave my job I was suddenly offered the means to go about it! I then had to make the choice as to whether to go for it or not, and decided to give it a try! So the next day in the midst of the christmas rush I told my manager and she was fine with it. So having commited to what I believed to be the right decision I was then given the opportunity to bring it about!

I still seem to struggle at times with putting this into practice and feeling the way - the pull of the soul as you call it. I definitely am more aware of it now than I have been in the past and suppose that it will become easier over time, and in the meantime just trust I'm headed in the right direction.

Cheers

Mark

I know it may seem really difficult to always follow the inner pull and to keep attuning to it no matter what is going on around us but it is possible. I remember when I awoke. I had a family, a large executive house with all the trimmings, my own company with 12 employees and a mountain of debt financing it all. My monthly private outgoings were in excess of £4000 per month!!! That's not to mention our business costs such as the monthly wage bill.

I knew this lifestyle was not me. It didn't serve who I now was and therefore neither did it serve anyone relating to my false identity. All the while I was being shown the new me. Clients kept turning up for web design contracts and I'd end up consulting them on their personal issues - somehow I always seemed to have the right key to help unlock their problems. It was clear what the Universe was asking me to do but how would I get from A to B? It seemed a complete impossibility to restructure my life in a way that would seem appropriate. How on earth would I be able to pay all the bills when my new existence would be quite low paid?

For a while a struggled with this conundrum until I noticed it was taking me back into the darkness of fear, worry and limitation. In the end, I just let go of trying to shape or control anything and decided just to be me - whatever the apparent personal cost. At that moment I suddenly found myself at the centre of a Tornado - it seemed everything in my life was being torn to shreds before my eyes. Relationships fell apart as people struggled to come to terms with the fact that I had changed. My business began to fall apart - friends and family questioned my sanity but all the while I could feel the inner light of the soul guiding me. It was the only thing that made any sense in a seemingly crazy world of deceit and hypocrasy.

Finally everything began to settle and quieten down and a new way of being dawned. I found that if I followed my Heart (if the small "I" surrendered to the soul), then somehow things always miraculously turned out right. I would get exactly what resources I needed to be me. I wouldn't get what I thought I wanted, or what I desired and hoped for, instead I got whatever was needed to express the beauty of my soul as fully as possible - it became undeniably clear to me that this is the one and only purpose of any incarnation.

So I settled into that and life has become completely harmonious. It is far from easy but then if it was, would it be worth it?

This is why we have established the course program that we have. They are purposefully configured to guide people through these transitions. It seems to me that you are ready for this. I do feel a strong compulsion to invite you to do the first three level courses - if you check the website you'll see we've got dates planned for the three levels during the next six months. I strongly believe they'll answer many of your questions. Might be worth giving it some consideration!

Best wishes

Chris

Hi, Chris,
In the end of your book you're talking about The Bible, assuming that it's a story about a spiritual evolution of Christ.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know that in Kabbalah The Tanakh, "parallel" to The Bible, is description of one man's spiritual evolution, when all the characters in it are different states of the same man.

And crossing Red sea, which in hebrew is called the Suf (sof) sea or the "end" sea, is actually the end of the ego dominion on a man when he's crossing to the hashpaa (giving, love) property of the creation, and gets similar to the creator, the source.

So everything described in the text are methafors for different transitions from state to state, so one can uderstand what is slavery in Egypt, walking in the dessert, etc after understanding what this book is about.

Another thing relevant to this topic: According to kabbala, there was a high state of the creation before, like you said you saw - pure state in Eden, and Opposing consciousness did intervene.

Their explanation is the next:

First of all, everything the creation is undergoing are part of the ongoing creation process, which is simply not finished yet, that's why we are still not perfect.

it all was part of the plan, everything is set ahead and the only way to get involved in this process is by time-cutting.

When one participates voluntarily in all the processes he undergoes, by removing the resistance to them he accelerates his path, which is already there, and also saves energy and suffering, which would go to the resistance and things that are not in the path.

Not everybody will evolve with awareness, voluntarily, but will be influenced by the created field by those who do. Like transfering kinetic energy in the physical systems by collisions between the particles, heat transfer from hot to cold, etc.

Everybody, those who are ascending voluntarily and those who are draged by them will come to the same place - back to the source, to harmony, union and love. Each fragment of creation will have it's own function to fulfill in a "finished" creation. After everybody "is there", a new process will begin, with the ready, finished creation.

But they say, they can't "see" past it, or don't have any assosiative description to it in our tools of expression.

-> The falling was initiated by the creation after the creator triggered it - there are 4 steps in the creation building that brought all of it to the place we are now, I can describe it more in details if it's interesting for you.

Also in their sources the structure of the creation is depicted - which consists of 7 sefirot (counts, spheres, levels) + 3 higher sfirot (total 10), it all is described - the bones, the flesh, the skin, etc and interestingly - "bait, sade" - "house, field", which would mean that all of our "equipment" and the environment are part of us, i,e, inside of us and not outside....
.....

Of course, for those that are "not there" yet, it's just a theory, but for those who begin to feel, to know, it is very interesting to see those things described in different formes before.

Yulia

Hi Yulia,

Thanks for sharing. Yes I think you can see and interpret a similar truth in many spiritual texts. As you point out, I think the most important thing is that we don't necessarily take such texts literally but instead see them in more metaphorical terms.

In that way, I find they can be of great help in really feeling our own truth between the lines.

Chris

Hi,
In the book there are some "maybe why's" the mind is resisting the BC..I had another maybe jumping to my mind and feeling like sharing: maybe the mind knows that his "dominion" will come to an end, and basicly it's the fear of loosing control (which it doesn't really have), the fear to leave the "comfortable zone", which might seem the most safe place at every moment, and this fear's especially intense when you "hit the tune", i.e. when you are aligned, even for the second, because that is when you're most free and "unprotected".

For example, one of the things I sometimes feel to do when the resistance is arising is to tell "myself" (the mind and the body) that there is nothing to be afraid of and recall the feeling of safety and trust in BC. It relaxes immediately and I reopen again (untill other than this distortion coming).

...

...

Hi someone...just read your post and i'm having a day where my mind is resisting so i thought i'd respond and hope that it helps me to tune in!

With me i feel that it's the annoyingness of not being able to let go that stops me from being in the moment. I start to try too hard and that defeats the object. But maybe it is the fear of letting go that is making it hard to let go? (something for me to think about).

So today i've tried a relaxing bath, yoga and ujay breathing meditation and still i feel this niggle that is stopping me from relaxing fully.

Hope you find the path of least resistance today.

Much love
Elle x

Have you ever tried to consciously relax a muscle? for example you feel an ache or tension in your shoulder and you're aware of it being there, and so try to let the tension go? What did you find? In my experience it can be quite hard to 'will' yourself to let go, or to 'tell' the muscle to release, and to fully relax in this way.

Your post reminded me of some of the principles we use in movement meditations we do - conscious bodywork. Initially we feel in truth what we're experiencing (tightness etc) and allow it to be as it is. As we start to move we surrender into that sensation without making it into something its not. We then bring more AWARENESS to the areas of tightness by APPLYING tension/pressure - actually tensing the muscles around it, then immediately physically releasing and letting go there. Also co-ordinating this with the breathing. This process acts somewhat similiar to applying accupressure to the area. The additional pressure then release, brings energy and attention to the area and facilitates the further release as we then let go of the pressure. and afterwards we come back to awareness of how the body feels now.

i wonder if you could employ this in approaching the mind resistances you mentioned? Instead of 'trying' to let go, perhaps there is another way you could approach it?...

with love

Ben

Ok, right, I think I can make myself a little clearer This is how I see it:

I was talking about mind resisting to some kind of experience that is happening. For example, expanded,open, and really happy wave is coming, but then comes the reaction of the body/mind to close down and not letting it in, because it's some kind of "alien experience" to it.

Another example might be the way to spend free time. The body is used to do so and so for pleasure, This is what it knows to be "fun", and it will take some time, I call it a "delay time", for it to get used to new ways. It won't understand that this is fun in the beginning. I mean the dissonance between mind, body and the new situations, feelings, etc. Anything new is a stress for a body.

The other kind of "resistance" are the distortions, which I actually find a bit hard to call resistance, since I call resistance to the distortion "a resistance". Distortion is only a particular state, like the weather, and the interpretation or the reaction to it is what matters. So if you don't resist it, but accept it and deal with it the "proper" for you, the moment and the distortion way, then it's not a resistance, right?

What I found really usefull is for the first case is to calm the body while flowing with what I really feel to do. Int he other case as soon as I spot the resistance, I ask "how should I deal with it?", "what should I do?", and usually it just happens right away, on its own. It somehow breaks the identification and then the right feeling and actions can take place.

Am I mixing up here something? Maybe I don't get that the first case is also the distortion or having some kind of it at its root? I mean, I feel a clear difference between the two...

About the muscles - I feel stretching is really helpful for me. Lately I began to give place to spontaneity in my morning practice, and it looks different from day to day.

For example, yesterday I was in a more "warrior" mood, so it was more sharp, powerful movements, and much of exhaling with sound.
At some point I found myself dancing in a weird manner, tapping with my heels with varying force rhythmically with closed eyes and different movements with arms. It proved to be very relaxing, while I think that anybody who would see me would think I'm on LSD

Today it was slow and quiet, more stretching, lying on the back, etc

Also with time I found that I'm able to relax groups of muscles without doing anything, I just relax them, sometimes by expanding in the corresponding chakra. Many times it is what makes the muscles tighten - the closed and tensed chakra, something is stuck there.

But I think that the most important thing here, and about it Openhand are absolutely correct, that trying to heal or relax is making it worse. The first thing I do is accept and feeling ok even if it stays the same or get worse. It doesn't always work. If it doesn't than I remind myself that I judge this state here, it is me who makes it bad, or wrong..usually it helps..(relevant to the distortions too)

It's all a big learning process for me but all your comments help thanks. I know what i didn't do today and that was accept the way that i was feeling. Had i accepted the distortion then my resistance would have dropped away, so yes i do see a distinction between the two. I usually do remember to accept but today i resisted probably because i was so keen to feel in the flow, as i finally had an hour to myself and wanted to enjoy it - my partner had taken my toddler out and the baby was asleep!

So my mind was resisting the agitation i was feeling without accepting what was going on. As soon as i'd posted i did ask myself, "what next", and i went upstairs to clean up all the strewn clothes from the floor - not normally what my little voice would have me do but that's what came to me.

What i felt to do was to sort through my whole wardrobe and give a lot (about 1/3 of it) to charity. Yesterday i'd taken my 2 year old daughter shopping and found that whereas i used to enjoy this i felt that i no longer identify with material fashion. It just seems so empty and ugly to me now. When i saw the pile of clothes i wanted to give away i cried, yes cried, because what i saw was unnecessary greed, capitalist values and that i was teaching my daughter to life in a way that was contrary to my better nature.

Immediately i felt that my resistance was no longer. I identified with the way i was feeling and my heart opened: Fantastic!

I guess this is an example of what you call "delayed time"! That's what i find great about Openhand. I can experience something and come here to find a more concrete way to understand my experiences.

I am experiencing this a lot at the moment. It's like (correct me if i am wrong) old neural patterns are still in operation, things i would have done a year ago, like drinking alcohol and shopping that i no longer have a need for but still continue to do. My soul creates resistance to this and lets me know that it's not serving me anymore, but old habits die hard, and even though 'i' don't want it my life continues to create situations that give rise to these behaviours.

I experience a lot of guilt because of this: i know i will work through it, but it means changing not just myself but the people i have associated with too, especially when you live with the people! This is hard.

With regard to all the exercises tips these are fantastic. Every morning I ask my body what it needs today? It lets me know what food it wants (something i learned from pregnancy) and what type of exercise, if any, it needs (usually in the form of yoga). Sometimes though this is just in the form of fresh air, sometimes stretching, balancing or core strength. Sometimes dancing - which i do with my girls, they love it, sometimes meditation, conversation, or just spending quality time with my babies.

But yes as soon as i feel a distortion i do find it good to calm the body, which is what i tried today but it didn't work until i remembered to identify with what i was feeling. I think that's what you mean Ben by consciously letting go and yes that's exactly what i tried first. In fact i have just learned Yoga Nidra which is rotating your awareness through the body and consciously letting go of any tension you may find. I have also used the technique of tightening the muscles first and this does allow a deeper relaxation but i find now that if i do my yoga first the deep relaxation comes anyway.

I find Yoga Nidra amazing and i find that i release every single layer of tension in every part of my body. There is a warm, tingling and dissolving feeling. Just a wonderful letting go. The relaxation is profound and i enter a meditative state. I do this almost on a daily basis as i find i've been so tense in the past i need to make relaxation a permanent neural pathway!

I have currently invested in some cds by a guy names Swami Shankardev Saraswati that you might find interesting. I got the cds from www.pukkaherbs.com but he runs his own website: www.bigshakti.com. A very knowledgeable Yogi who is an eminant medical doctor, trained Yoga Charya (authority), yoga therapist and internationally acclaimed author and teacher.

Thank you all so much for your conversation today i really appreciate being able to talk with like minded people.

With love
Elle xxx

hi Yulia
I think my previous post basically supports a lot of what you just said about what works for you. It feels like from a place of awareness you're accepting the moments of tightness, and then going into them, rather than trying to ignore them, or force them away, or 'trying' to let go. I get a sense of flow. That's kind of what I was getting at with the movement/muscle analogy. How does it feel to bring awareness to the feeling of tightness or resistance, and then go deeper into it? and what are you then being invited to do from that place?
From your post it sounds like you've got some good strategies for confronting what's arising for you... and your sense of humour seems a valuable tool too!

thanks for sharing and flowing...

Ben

Hi Ben,

I forgot to ask but i'd be really interested to know if you do your conscious bodywork in a class? I've not heard of it before but would love to find a group that did that kind of thing.

And p.s. the question you ask Yulia about "what are you then being invited to do from that place". It is a really good question for me because when i reach that place (of total deep relaxation and entering a deep meditative state) there is just something so immense it scares me to death and i haven't been passed it yet! I've no idea what it is but when i totally let go in a meditation i get all sorts of things going on which maybe some kind of communication which i'm not ready for. This is why i try to keep my mind on my breath or a guided meditation. Have you been passed this point before? I'd love to know xxx

hi Elle

I can resonate with what you said about old 'neural patterns'. It feels like you've interpreted what's going on just right. Its as if its almost easy to give up the 'attachment' on some level when you're aware of it (i.e. you can acknowledge it doesn't serve you). But because neural pathways in the brain formed around it over time, which turned it into a conditioned response (presumably as a coping or defense mechanism), it also takes time to break them apart, and release it fully.
So it feels like the situations will keep arising, giving you the opportunity to confront them, until those patterns completely fall apart though 'lack of stimulation' as it were.
If you're not investing energy in those old patterns or pathways then they separate of their own accord over time, at least that's my interpretation.

So like with the movement exercises I mentioned I think a good place to start is bringing awareness into it when you find yourself in those situations - like you are already doing. So you can notice what's going on for you, and identify the old pattern. Being okay with it, and with your actions around it. If you do 'indulge' does guilt arise, and can you be okay with that too?
Then it may sometimes be appropriate to take this further, to apply 'pressure', in order to release - perhaps starting to look deeper at what's really going on, go into it, applying the 'pressure' of self honesty and true feeling. Then as you activate energy/feelings around it consciously and start to see what its really all about, energy can be released from it and you can start to release the conditioning and tightness around it. From the place of observer you can ask how you might deal with it at that time or in the future as it arises.

You also spoke about 'identifying' with what you're feeling as being a useful tool. Am I right in thinking that you mean that you are 'observing' or watching what you're feeling? I find the word 'identify' can sometimes be confusing in this context because witnessing or being aware is in some ways like you're actually far less 'identified' with what you're feeling because you don't tighten so much around it. To me to 'identify with' can imply being constrained or closing around a feeling, rather than an expanded awareness of how you feel. So I feel non-attached awareness or observing can be a really powerful tool. By really observing a situation in truth and watching how it makes you feel (response, emotions, motivations) there's generally less attachment, less identification, you're more conscious of what's going on and so are feeling it more, yet investing in it less. I have a feeling that's what you meant too, but just thought I'd ask!

I liked your sharing on yoga - tingling, dissolving... I'm also amazed by how powerful movement can be. Bodywork and free-movement can be amazing ways of releasing.

with love

Ben

I get the feeling you already know what's past that point...
The question is 'who is it that's scared?'

I also feel you don't need to force things if it doesn't feel right, you don't need to identify or 'invest' in mystical experiences or profound visions. Just keep watching and feeling in truth. No matter what others may say, does it feel right inside for you? What are your motivations? Things can unfold naturally, and also there are times when we're invited to attune more deeply to that natural flow, to consciously look deeper. I find self honesty and being discerning about what we're experiencing very helpful tools. but see what resonates for you...

with love

Ben

Hello again

Thanks for you reply, you have helped me with an obstacle that has been a big barrier for me lately: namely, alcohol. I guess i have been drinking too much from a young age without due consideration. It was only when i had my awakening about 8 months ago that i realised that drinking actually numbs my senses and my ability to be in the moment. You are right i should see the situations arising from un-serving neural pathways as an "opportunity to confront them", and on a certain level i do but i also fear them.

When i indulge (shopping but worse with drinking) i do feel guilty but also consciously explore my feelings around the subjects and try to create more helpful neural pathways that will give me a reason to avoid the behaviour in the future. I do think that i need to be ok with the guilt though. My lesson for today is to be more accepting of my feelings. Once i accept them then honesty about the situation will be easier.

Ha ha this is making me think lots tonight...i should sleep well, but when i say identify with what i'm feeling i think i mean to accept what i'm feeling, and not to resist. Yes most of the time i do feel that i'm observing what's going on and i'm trying to be mindful, but it's easy to slip back into just experiencing without thinking, and that's when i forget to accept the emotions as they arise. It's hard when you first awaken because I seem to slip in and out of the old and new ways being. I guess that makes me gateway 2/3? It's hard to say. What about you? xxx

Hi Elle,

Thought I'd join in the great dialogue happening on this thread!

You said

" When i indulge (shopping but worse with drinking) i do feel guilty but also consciously explore my feelings around the subjects and try to create more helpful neural pathways that will give me a reason to avoid the behaviour in the future."

Maybe some extra hints on the technique of being the observer would help you here. :

Imagine forming a separate set of thought processes that can happen at the same time as you are going about your business for the day. We'll call that "being the Observer", those thought processes kind of watch and notice everything thats going on both inside you, your actions and interactions and everything that's happening around you. A really key thing is that these thought processes are completely none judgmental and completely OK with whatever you are doing but they are kind of reporting or acknowledging in truth everything that's going on. they might report something like, "I'm buying things, I'm feeling like I don't need these things and getting butterflies in my tummy, I'm a bit flustered now, I've finished paying for the things, I'm feeling guilty. I'm walking to the car and my stomach feels like it's in knots and I almost want to cry." At this point you might drive home feeling sick or something, unable to interrupt a prominent behaviour pattern of fixed neural pathways. The observer is completely OK with all of it and just keeps reporting what's happening like an unconcerned bystander. However next time in the shop, you might repeat almost the exact same routine, with your Observer reporting it all in unbiased fashion. Then (drum roll) you recognise it as one of your patterns that you have made a commitment to break. Then you have the opportunity for a choice to change your behaviour, so maybe you get to the car park, sit in the car, breathe deeply until you are calm and can see your options, (go home and keep the stuff, bring the stuff back tomorrow, take it back now) You decide to "grasp the bull by the horns" then go straight back in the shop and get a refund. Then the next time you spot the routine quicker, this time you are still in the check out and feeling the "I don't need these" butterflies starting and the Observer is reporting this in a non judgmental way. You know that having some breathing space worked last time, so you leave the check out, stand in an aisle and breathe until calm, then go and put it all back, because you recognise the pattern and you have made a commitment to breaking it, and now you are getting more practiced at it, you noticed it quicker and were able to change your behaviour before the usual outcome happened. Now the thing is, this is obviously just an example, with an entrenched pattern, it might take longer than three goes to change your behaviour, or you might change something one time and miss it the next, because it takes dedication and practice, but the thing is the Observer never judges your actions it just keeps reporting the information, and you keep getting to make a choice to interrupt the pattern. The more you do it, the better you get at it and the more neural pathways shatter.

Another thing to be clear on, is the way we see things at Openhand, we don't then create new neural pathways or "better" ones.To do that would just be replacing one set of programs with another, even if you "chose"the new set they would be mind led judgments that chose them, not soul led authentic spontaneous action that just happened, and which could do several different things when presented with similar situations, not just perform a new program.

The Five Gateways of expansion happen as a result of breaking apart ALL conditioned behaviour, so you gradually dissolve your learnt behaviour which was running the show, and let your soul be the pilot. The Soul only initiates authentic action, but the thing is until we are through Gateway 3 its very much tangled up or hampered by the automated neural responses that cause whatever one's personal patterns are, whether its shopping; drinking; saying "yes" when you'd like to say "no" etc,etc so you frequently cannot feel the Soul's natural response, and its got almost no chance of happening. Even after Gateway 3 there will still be some finer and finer patterns to be dissolved on the way to true authenticity and the bodymind becoming a non interfering vehicle for the Soul.

Hope that helps!

I wouldn't worry too much about what Gateway you are in. If you concentrate on applying yourself to your journey of unfolding, using techniques like "the observer" one day you might find yourself looking back and seeing with great clarity where various gateways were on your path and having a real understanding of them through experience, far beyond anything you could read about or speculate on before they happen to you.

Personally I found it all too much brain ache to take in any kind of wider concepts, all I could manage was utilising the ideas of being the observer and releasing attachments, so that's what I did and that served to get me through Gateways 2 and 3. (Much to my surprise in a way). I guess you could say the KISS technique worked for me.

Love and Best Wishes,
Lesley xx

great sharing lesley. I think you summed it up beautifully.

I think you're right too about the gateways - to me it feels like it doesn't matter so much where we're at or where we think we're at, but rather how we're BEING in that place. Are we continually watching our motivations, watching what unfolds, living in truth or at least intending to, and so forth. To me it feels that the gateways model can provide really excellent pointers to help us walk the path - showing us stuff we might be dealing with and why, and how to approach it from where we're at. I find it really valuable. However its a tool to use rather than something to be too invested in. When using such a model I feel its worth being aware of a possibility of 'DOING spirituality'; trying to act a certain way, intellectualise or conform our life around what stage we'd like to be at for example, rather than just BEING with where we're at. Its something I've experienced doing.

with love

Ben

Hi Ben,

"How does it feel to bring awareness to the feeling of tightness or resistance, and then go deeper into it?"

It's not the same every time..It depends what distortion or resistance I'm dealing with.. There are things that I'm still not able to let go of...It also depends in what state I'm a moment before the tightness..

Assuming I'm not in the blind spot...

If I was in some pleasant to my body and mind state,then at first I feel sometimes an impulse to "erase" the problem, to go back to "pleasant". This is when I spot already two distortions - the distortion that brought me the tightness and then my resistance to the tightness - the judgement of it, running away from suffering, identifying with it.
So usually I have these two..

Sometimes the distortion is pleasant, but I still can see it's a distortion, then my first reaction is to block the pleasure, as if I'm ashamed, but then I again go back to "non-judgmental" regime, watch it and then proceed as in the first case.

After I spot whatever it is, it already becomes "another story"..

Then I can become more open and to feel what to do with it -sometimes it's just watching and not doing anything else, sometimes it's keeping connecting and opening with it together, sometimes it's diving inside and revealing something, and sometimes it's gone at the moment I spoted it.

There are times that I feel helpless and then I ask IT, often then I get some kind of realization about something I didn't even think about and maybe was afraid to see - like recently I found out that I did have some issues with my father leaving us when I was little...While all these years I felt like I didn't have any problems with that.. Or that I was terribly closed and shielded against my husband emotionally, as a protection..

And sometimes I can do nothing, so I let the stuff consume my body and then usually it breaks out itself in some form -tears or laughter..But I still watch the process, keeping this thin line between "me" and "not me", and also I'm now not suppressing anything, I'm letting it out in whatever form it might be (as long as it doesn't harm anybody).

In general, I think I maybe can divide it to steps:

1. When the tightness arises, usually it brings the overall tension, judgment and an urge to fight, get rid of

2. Then the awareness brings the "watching eye", so the "problem" becomes not a problem,

3. Then I feel much more relaxed and open and it feels that my senses become more on alert - like I'm listening to something really quiet and in parallel stopping to protect myself against the tightness, like giving in to it, but not consumed by it

4. Then I usually feel as if I'm connected to something within myself

5. And after that I often feel some kind of flux, as if something is opening, getting wider..

6. And sometimes freedom and happiness to "conclude with"

But it's different every time, like I said.

...

Going deeper - sometimes it takes the form of totally accepting, and then I immediately feel a tightness relief. But! it works only if I'm not cheating, I mean if I don't accept in order to get rid of something...And sometimes I suddenly see some kind of cause to the specific reaction/tightness/behavior/resistance...Then I don't do anything, but only spot it..

Recently I found that one of the most not helping to anything habits is to shrink and close down when something unpleasant or "wrong" happening, it just blocks it inside, and makes it accumulating inside. I now intentionally open wherever I feel the shrinking or blockage (head or chest for example) and then I feel it flowing out, literally, like fluxing through me..

"what are you then being invited to do from that place?"

it's different - I answered it partially above, sometimes it involves some kind of physical activity - like taking a slow walk can be of great assistance for me, or anything else - like writing in diary.. reading something from Chris's book or my notes (I have small pages with notes, highlighted sentences, etc), maybe lighting a candle..

I would say that no matter what else the invitation to do might be, but the common invitation is to keep open under any circumstances, no matter what the feelings or thoughts might be.. not closing, getting stuck and stagnated, but to let ANYTHING in and out

Also since yesterday I started using this technique of asking "how would you like me be now?"

By the way, one of the greatest and most helpful tricks for me to stop judging anything is to ask "what would be the higher version of me? or of my response? etc". It works like magic So instead of being focused and sad about how wrong I am now, asking this I find myself more curious, joyous, uplifted and open..

Another thing that might be interesting is that I more and more feel like a child - open, curious, unafraid and "playish", like everything is a game, a fun game... So all the "terrible" "evil" distortions change their form to something much more friendly and much less scary

And like you mentioned, humour and ability to laugh at yourself is also very relaxing, you know, not taking things too serious, even if it's very important... Like this saying that "the most ridiculous dids in the world are made with the most serious faces"

Well, this is more or less it..

...the sky above her cleared, and from out of the blue a great penny dropped. As it fell it caught the light of the sun and great streams of light refracted like beams across the sky, until it fell - with perfect synchronicity - squarely at her feet.

Thanks Lesley what you said did help. It helped in the way that coming on Openhand always helps, by providing a much needed road map of the things i experience and don't fully understand, and usually at exactly at the right moment.

Today was a special day for me as I was able to put all the things i have learned lately into action...my day was made all the better by knowing that i could share the story with people who would share in my enthusiasm. My day went a bit like this:

After a stressful and rushed morning getting the girls ready to leave earlier than normal we finally get in the car and drive up into the hills and across the valley. A beautiful song ("I've got a life" by the Eurythmics) is playing on the radio and I am feeling great. I find i really resonate with the words of the song and this brings goosebumps all over my body and beautiful feeling of internal expansion happens in my heart and sacral chakra. It brought with it a feeling of profound joy and peace, so much so my eyes welled up and i couldn't help but smile with all my being. To my surprise the expansion continued until i felt that my consciousness was filling the space around me as far as my eyes could see, and as far as my mind could imagine. It was if there was no boundary between myself and the landscape: a most wonderful emptiness (absence of personality maybe) and oneness with my environment. As my consciousness expanded i felt a space within me open up (as during meditation) and inside that space was just peace and a sense of inner strength. My mind became crystal clear and all thoughts just dropped away as did any tension in my body. It was the most beautiful thing. What was great is that this mind-set has stayed with me all day.

What i found in this state relating to what you say is that there was just "authentic spontaneous action" and nothing else. This was the first time i'd been able to understand what this meant. A big realisation for me. I acted in the moment second by second and my day was just super smooth, everything just fell into place...no tantrums, no wanting for anything, car park spaces appeared when i needed them and when i went to get my phone from my bag to call my partner he was calling me at that moment!

More profoundly i found that there were no thoughts arising at all. Just unbiased observation. I'd look at someone walking down the street and wonder why i was not judging! (I have been feeling this for a while). What this meant is that there was no need felt to have a drink, no thoughts to battle against, or need arising for anything. Everything i needed was inside me. I love it when i get this feeling!

All this i realised whilst reading your post this afternoon whilst parked up somewhere with the girls sleeping in the back of the car. I have experienced this state before but it's not until someone states it that the subtleties of the situation become clear.

So today i guess i just WAS compared with yesterday when i was trying to DO spirituality!

Beautiful. yulia and elle thankyou both for your sharings. I feel we are blessed that you felt to share them with us. It seems an excellent demonstration of how to attune to and live in the flow and then what can happen when you truly are. great stuff

Hi Guys,

I've been checking into the website whilst on my sunny/rainy/windy holidays here in Cornwall.

I've felt it vital to add a couple of observations about the whole Gateways approach. I've now conducted hundreds of one-on-one sessions with people and countless workshops/retreats/courses and seminars. I have found, without exception, that Five Gateways can be of priceless value to evolving people.

When properly understood and realised, it can help a facilitator quickly 'diagnose' where someone is at on their journey and why they are experiencing what they are. It provides appropriate and invaluable tools for dealing with those particular blockages and limitations which tend to arise consistently in each particular gateway.

So yes, the Gateways should not be viewed as dogmatic gospel and yes, they are only guidelines to our evolution, however, I've found them absolutely invaluable guidelines. I know in my heart Five Gateways is set to become a global standard for evolution that many spiritual approaches could align with. Over time, there will be a greater understanding and assimilation of the approach - I think the important thing for 'early pioneers' right now, is not to undervalue the message before it has been properly understood and internally realised.

Chris

Hi Elle and all,

I felt given to provide an example of just how powerful the Five Gateways route map can be.

Elle, you said...

"Yes most of the time i do feel that i'm observing what's going on and i'm trying to be mindful, but it's easy to slip back into just experiencing without thinking, and that's when i forget to accept the emotions as they arise. It's hard when you first awaken because I seem to slip in and out of the old and new ways being. I guess that makes me gateway 2/3? It's hard to say."

I've termed Gateway 2 "The Realignment" - aligning to what is real. It's the transition from personality led choices to soul led choices. When we are drawn into this Gateway, it's as if every single moment presents us a choice... either give in to the old conditioning (to keep sleepwalking through life), or to make a constant conscious choice about our highest truth and the importance of expressing that the whole time.

When the Realignment happens to us, it is not an intellectual occurance - it is not something we simply hold in the mind as an idea. Yes we might get it first intellectually and we might conceptualise and understand what it is before it happens. But when it does happen, it's like a deep upwelling from the core of our being realising at the deepest level... "it simply does not serve me anymore to live in anything other than my highest truth, ALL THE TIME, no matter what the consequences to my personality, even if that should lead to my death". So strong is that experience.

Now let me be clear, that does not mean we ALWAYS get it right. It does not mean that we don't SOMETIMES sleep walk a little. It does not mean that we ALWAYS choose the highest truth, even when we know we're wrong. It's the deep guiding pull and knowing, that ultimately, only our highest truth will serve. Even as we fail, there is an unswerving commitment to keep aligning with our path. These characteristics are indicative of someone who is actually realigned.

My sense from what you're saying, is that you've not experienced that yet (please do correct me if you feel I'm wrong). I sense you're being drawn into the Gateway 2 corridor where this occurance (the Realignment) could soon present itself to you.

In knowing this, it can be of profound benefit to you (and anyone else who knows where they are within the Gateways framework). Firstly, you'll be continually presented with black and white choices - in everything that you do. You may find it difficult to make choices. You may find yourself listless and unsure of direction. That's because the real journey beckoning is complete surrender to the internal one. Realising it's fruitless to keep trying to shape the external drama when external occurances in your life are merely the effects of an internal transition and choice.

So when these choices present themselves, the solution is always to go inwards and find your highest aspect of beingness, allowing the choice to arise from what you're honestly feeling to be, not what you think you must do.

There are many tools that I've described in the book that can be of service to you. Things like frequently attuning to your joy - in order that you may 'turn up the volume' of your soul. Also for example finding that key which helps you keep accessing the Observer when you start sleep-walking again. For me, it was just the word "openness". For Trin it was "let go" which she positioned all around her flat on post-it notes.

So I have experienced countless times in working with people, that when they can diagnose where they are within the gateways, it can make awesome sense of why our lives are shaping the way they are, how we might remove blockages and then catalyse that next step. It can remove untold amount of unnecessary pain and suffering.

To me, that would seem invaluable!

Much love

Chris

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Hi Chris
It feels to me as well that the gateways approach is really powerful. I've certainly found it extremely powerful and beneficial in giving me some direction and clarity in terms of where I might be at, what I might be experiencing at a certain time and why,... and also how to proceed from that place! It feels that there's something so valuable/priceless about having that model as a guide that can really help people move forward; rather than stay in one place dealing (or not dealing!) with the same old patterns etc, but find a deeper meaning there, a greater letting go, and move onwards.

In my view there's a great clarity and a simplicity within the Five Gateways approach that really seems to just 'make sense', and makes it widely applicable. and I also sense that the potential for people in utilising this model is quite profound - invaluable as you say.
Thankyou for bringing it to the light!

Ben

Hi Elle and Chris,

Chris you said

" Firstly, you'll be continually presented with black and white choices - in everything that you do.'

this so reminded me of when I was making a car journey to London, which (although I didn't know it) was leading me to where I would experience my Gateway 2 "ceremony" gifted from Higher Consciousness and I just kept seeing "black and white" everywhere from houses to magpies.

At the time I don't recall having a concept of five gateways and didn't actually know that what I was doing was embarking on a Gateway 2 transition, I just knew I was gearing up for some huge personal commitment that my highest truth was the only way.

Gaining a deeper understanding of things in the longer term, (i.e. when looking back, having by then assimilated the five gateways model), made a big impression on me but this series of postings has emphasised to me how much some clarification in advance could really illuminate and facilitate the way for people.

Chris, your explanation flows so well from your exceptional understanding and experience with the work.

Thanks to all.
Lesley

Hey Chris,

I really appreciated the Realignment post!

It encouraged me to question how the Five Gateways influences my life. I have found the Five Gateways information extremely powerful and received many key insights and understandings, but wondered how much it was playing a part in my daily life. Then the Universe provided a wonderful affirmation. For the past few days, I have had “stuff” come up, I have been watching and recognising how unreasonable my thoughts/feelings… etc are. I could see ways of being that no longer served me, yet they continued to be initiated. I recognised that my responses were part of a pattern that I had developed, a way of reacting which began when I was a little girl, evolved during my teenage years and continued into my adult life. One of the many things I’ve learned with you guys is to be with the feelings, watch them and go deep into them, so that’s what I did.

Last night, (inspired by the realignment post) I took out the Five Gateways book. And there it is - your explanation of attachments and how not only do we need to release the attachments, but also that “over the years the attachments will have built fixed neural pathways of conditioned behaviours in the brain. Just like computer software these are programs, which once initiated, have almost irresistible cycles of action and reaction which want to be fully played out. They can be sparked by the most trivial of things…”

This was exactly what had been happening, it was really great to read your words and deepen my understanding while in the midst of it all, a wonderful reminder at that particular point in time. I recognise that I had previously absorbed and integrated much of this and other powerful information from the Five Gateways and that it continuously influences my life, otherwise I doubt I would have recognised and observed the pattern in the first place My initial question regarding how the Five Gateways influences my life now seems somewhat absurd, so much of it has been integrated into my way of being, it appears impossible to tease apart. I am delighted to accept and acknowledge that it has a hugely positive impact. I also find the tools you recommend very useful. The Five Gateways is definitely a book that I will be keeping near at hand to dip into whenever I need it.

I also acknowledge the risk of becoming identified or attached to where one is at in relation to the gateways. Initially when I realised where I was on the path, I was disappointed and experienced feelings of inadequacy. Thankfully, with the support of you all I was able to quickly work through that and recognise that we are all on our own beautiful, unique journey The Five Gateways is a powerful route-map to support us on our way…

With much love, gratitude and appreciation, Fiona

Twisting my ankle on my way to the summer retreat seems to have been the last piece in a pattern which makes me feel as if my body had been split into two halves. Although the feeling is not entirely new – because of a scoliosis I could never stand straight and FEEL straight at the same time – it is definitely worse than ever. There was a lot of trauma around my birth and there are some things wrong with my body anatomically – a hip dysplasia which remained untreated at the time and has caused a bit of wear and tear, especially on the left side; an impingement syndrome in my shoulders which I have had for a year now and which is partly due to anatomy as well (worse in my left shoulder) – and now the ankle as well. My left eye is also much more short-sighted than the right one although my eyesight has improved a lot with therapy and I only use glasses for driving.

What fits into the whole thing is that I am a retrained left-handed person and apart from writing, I do most things with my left hand. However, I am not even sure that my left-handedness was genetic in the first place – there are no known cases of left-handedness in my family. I read that a shift in hemisphere dominance can also be caused by trauma if the originally dominant hemisphere cannot cope any more and I believe this is probably true for me. Also, in 1/3 of left-handed people the hemispheres (feminine and masculine) are reversed anyway. No wonder I have problems with left and right and a pretty bad sense of orientation.

Anyway, since I am in a big transformational process, my feeling is that the split has to do with the challenge of integrating the feminine (surrender) with the masculine (the spiritual warrior). However, I would still appreciate advice or comments on this issue.

Love, Tasneem

Hi Tasneem
nice to hear from you. Well I believe the left brain is generally associated with the intellect or rational mind and right brain the subtle or intuitive. My understanding is that this is played out in 'reverse' in the body, as left side representing the more subtle, feminine, intuitive, receiving and right side representing more the attributes of action, rational, physicality. But I guess this could be different for different people. It'd be interesting if your being essentially left handed would mean that the two sides are the other way round?

i guess you could also look at the left side as more associated with 'Being' and the subtle, and right side with creative action or 'Doing' and the physical. Essentially yin and yang (masculine and feminine) energies in expression, as you suggest. So why do you think there is a predominance of issues on your left side? Perhaps it isn't just about integrating the two, but bringing more balance to the two first, by focussing and working more with that side and what it represents. What does it mean to you? Does it represent awareness and spirituality, femininity and intuition? or does it mean something entirely different to you? and why might it be out of balance?

It sounds like you've come to similar conclusions yourself in what its inviting you to do, in regards integration and balancing. It seems to me it could be an invitation to further balance and integrate the spiritual into the physical, as well as working with the male/female dynamic - being more aware in and of the body, and bringing spiritual awareness into everyday life too.

Does any of that resonate?

with love

Ben

Hi Ben,
great to hear from you, too!

Balancing sounds good - BEING and DOING /male and female, yes. As far as which side is which, I am very confused. The only things I know for sure (from regression work) is that in the womb I have been lying on my left side and that I usually can't have people walking on my right side because it feels too vulnerable - which has made me suspect that the polarities could indeed be reversed in my case. However, I just feel the imbalance and the split on the physical level but have no awareness of what each side means for me on a psychological/spiritual level.

Since I experienced so much (pre-)birth trauma, I spent practically my whole childhood and a good part of my adult life 'out of body' and it was a good piece of work to inhabit my body to the degree that I am doing it now. What helped me cope with that situation was the fact that there was always some awareness of a part in me that was inviolable and unaffected by the outside world (which I found quite overwhelming). However, even though I am much more open about my spirituality on the outside now, I still find it difficult to be clearly aware of it all the time, especially when day-to-day issues seemingly take over.

At the moment, apart from the physical problems, I feel a lot of energy streaming down from above which not only needs to be integrated but also shines a light on and thus aggravates existing personality /body patterns. Well, I have said yes to this process and am grateful for it, but as always seems to be the case with me, there are several things happening at the same time (the hormonal shifts intermingling with the emotional/spiritual ones) so I often have no clear idea (or not even a clue) about what is really going on at the moment or what the next step is supposed to be. Guess I just have to trust that it will sort itself out at some point.
Love,
Tasneem

Hi Tasneem

Thanks for sharing. It sounds to me like you're going into things quite deeply and are basically approaching what you're experiencing in what feel to be appropriate ways in terms of watching it, observing what's going on, without necessarily knowing what or why, and trusting. What may then arise is the invitation to confront what is arising or to go deeper in some way. You may even find that working with a seemingly unrelated issue could be a powerful step in dealing with what's going on. You could ask - what might you be being invited to do? and how are you 'being' within that? and watch for the synchronisities around it.
Perhaps another invitation might be around feeling and watching the emotions and patterns arising around these issues, rather than the issues themselves - observing without getting 'lost' in it. Chris wrote about ways of doing this in the Five Gateways book.

In regards the sides of the body - I also feel that the spiritual aspect of a person can be represented on the right side of the body and the physical aspect on the left (so reflecting the brain hemispheres configuration). It probably depends what you're working with. It sounds some of it goes quite deep. I'm guessing that stuff arising on a more energetic level rather than physical/mental would probably be represented this way round. Though I'm still not completely clear on it myself. I guess you need to feel it out.

I feel that this balancing, integration and attuning is part of what the 'realignment' is about; being more and more open and surrendered to the flow of the universe, observing what's going on and what's REALLY being invited; and then aligning with that flow and commiting to right action even when its challenging, even when it means 'rocking the boat' or having no clue as to the outcome, confronting old patterns and limitations and doing it anyway - so attuning to the 'Ray 2' surrendered openness, and then aligning to and expressing the action that is authentically being invited to arise; and so expressing the 'Ray 1' energy arising from out of the 'Ray 2'. It feels like this balance is quite a big part of gateway 2 - feeling and attuning to the pull of the Soul and then following it in truth; flowing with what's TRULY being invited of you, and realising the authenticity in that.

with love

Ben

Hi Tasneem,

I believe I may be able to shed a bit more light on the left side/right side confusion.

As you know, the right side of the brain is generally regarded as the intuitive feminine side connecting to the left side of the body. And the left side is the male logical side connecting to the right side of the body.

However I do believe this is not a physical issue but an energetic one - relating to the energy body which you're confusing internally as a physical experience.

The causal - or energy body - is the bridge between higher and lower worlds - higher and lower selves. The energy body is found therefore within the fourth dimension.

Within the energy body, experiences separate as higher self spiritual experiences felt within the right side of the body and lower self physical experiences in the left side of the body.

What I believe has happened is that the work you've done with us recently has activated your higher self more strongly, the energy of which is now flowing into your lower self. The inflowing consciousness is shining the light on all of your lower self blockages (but felt in a physical way: right side clear, left side blocked).

There is absolutely nothing wrong and nothing to fear or worry about. You simply need to feel the feelings, let go of attachment and expand into them just as we did on the retreat. That way, over time, the energy will dissolve and your infuse more soul into your lower self.

Hope this helps a little!

Chris

Thank you, Ben & Chris,
I am not really worried about what's happening - it is more of an amplification of what has been there all along.

However, whereas my life used to go so smoothly that a friend said "nothing ever happens to you", now there seem to be challenges and frictions all the time (so far relatively small and manageable). I sometimes smile about this new unfoldment.

I've been looking almost desperately on my bookshelf for a book that I know explains the left-right split on a physical/psychological level - but have been unable to find it! The energetic explanation makes sense.

I try not to make 'rotten compromises' anymore even if the issue is seemingly not important, but I still catch myself being nice and accomodating out of habit without even previously considering whether saying NO would not have been a more appropriate choice. Risking conflict is not an easy thing for me but I am practicing it and getting stronger. Also taking my space where I'd much rather disappear and remain invisible. And of course, also yielding and surrendering when things don't work the way I had expected them to.

Plenty of opportunities to work with this and I am basically optimistic...

Tasneem

Hi Tasneem,

I felt to right a post in relation to your left and right side imbalance. I too have scoliosis and have a huge physical and energetic imbalance between the left and right side of my body. For me it feels as though my right side only works at 20%. This has caused me so much frustration in my life and has been the biggest challenge to live with on a daily basis as there has always been a want to change or fix it.
What I have discovered is that it is in fact a great teacher for me. I have learnt that is not about trying to overcome it(been stuck in that loop for a while) rather to embrace it, not struggle to change it, to get to know it almost like a person and ultimately accept it for what it is. What I am finding now is that I slip through the non acceptance of it and centre in in what feels like a very peaceful state, my true self. I can still feel the imbalance, but there is no desire to change it, I just feel it for what it is.
This is very much still ongoing for me and the more I work with it the less I am troubled by it.
I hope you too find the teaching with what you are experiencing, I can really relate to what you are going through and am glad I have been able to share with you.
With a big hug and best wishes.
David

Hi David,
yes, ultimately everything is a teacher even though it is hard to see it that way sometimes. Thank you for your 'helping hand'and your insights.
A big hug to you, too.
Tasneem

In talking about the Five Gateways, people often ask about the significance of the 11:11 symbology that is being seen everywhere at the moment. How does it relate to our Ascension?

I see many explanations but to me, the meaning of it has been much misunderstood. It is often considered as a time when "everyone should get together on a specific day and meditate for some kind of download", but to me, this is definitely not the case.

In my truth, 11:11 represents four consciousness centres: the centre of consciousness of our galaxy, that of solar system (the solar logos), that of our earth (Gaia) and that of yourself. A galaxy is an integral unit within the universe to which all sentient life are supposed to align. Mankind has in general moved out of alignment with Gaia, the solar logos and the galaxy, most people simple no longer feel any kind of alignment with those flows of consciousness.

Well now our entire Galaxy is undergoing a shift to a higher level of energetic harmony and we're all being invited to join that shift. We are being invited to let go of our alignment with an outdated social system based on fear, and instead, realign with Gaia and the other consciousness centres which represent our true destiny. We don't have to align with our destiny of course, it's just that there is no other destiny!

So human beings everywhere are being shown the vital 11/11 message inviting them to connect deep within their soul to the natural flow of the earth, solar system and galaxy. But it's not about a particular time: to me that is a delusion. We're supposed to connect with these centres the WHOLE TIME! This is the truth (from my perspective) about the whole 11/11 phenomenon.

Chris

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