Who I am. . .

My photo
Santa Rosa/Chacala, California/Nayarit/Mexico, United States
I live and teach the Toltec Path of Personal Transformation through the articles, audios, and online apprentice program on my website at www.joydancer.com, phone consultations, workshops, Journeys of the Spirit to Teotihuacán in Mexico, and teleclasses. I am the author of The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, and co-author of two books with Deepak Chopra, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dean Ornish, Bernie Siegel, Prince Charles, and others. I own a home in the sweet little beach village of Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico, and spend the winters there. I invite students to do intensive study with me there, and host a Valentine's Week workshop on Love, Romance, and Relationship each year.

Friday, December 23, 2011

The Divine Child Within ~ Another Look at Christmas

The Divine Child Within
~~Another Look at Christmas~~

I would like to start this sharing with wishing you a Merry Christmas. And then I want to direct your attention to a way we can use this season of merriment and confusion to honor an important part of ourselves...one that often gets left behind in the busy shuffle of life.

The story of this season is about the birth of a divine child, and I would like to suggest the story is also a lovely reminder of the divine child each of us came here to be. When you came into this life, you had no judgments, no opinions, no fears, no self-consciousness -- you were completely free to be who and what you were. Without judgment there is perfection, and in that perfection is the divine.

So you came to this life as that divine perfection. We all did, of course. We lived in and through that perfection for the first several months of our lives-- we accepted our bodies, our emotions, and all the people and events around us without question. Everyone recognized our divine nature, and wanted to pick us up and bathe in our non-judgmental acceptance. We all want to make eye contact with an infant for as long as the child will tolerate it. We feel their love/acceptance, and we begin to mirror it and send it back. What's to judge about an infant? Bad hair day? Crooked diaper? Wrong attitude? There is nothing there but to fall INTO love.

Because of the dynamics of culture and social domestication, our caregivers began to feed us parts of how they were dreaming life-- much of it based in fears, rules, expectations, judgments, manners, and more fears. They taught us we were not perfect, not divine, and that we had to be good, better, more, in order to earn that value-- while at the same time letting us know the goal of perfection was unattainable. We learned to agree, although most of us vigorously resisted the loss of our own personal way of dreaming life. They call it the "terrible two's." It is terrible for a young child!

That divine child we came into this life as is still right here with us. He or she hasn't gone anywhere, except to be lost in the rubble of someone else's dream. To reclaim that divine perfection -- not as an innocent child now, but with the wisdom of an adult -- just might be a powerful and healing backdrop to the other events of this holiday season.

How do we reclaim that divine child within? First comes the desire, then the intention, then our attention to the task, then deliberate action. This intention and action is how I live my life and what I share with my clients and apprentices. We can do it!

First, recognize the universe as one perfect whole. If there is only one universe, there cannot be anything outside of it to judge it. If there is nothing to judge the universe, I claim it has to be called "perfect." If this universe is a perfect whole, then there cannot be any imperfect part in that perfect whole. YOU cannot be an imperfect part of the whole. The trees and squirrels and clouds and galaxies and microbes are all perfect parts of the whole. And YOU.

If you accept my logic, then the rest is easy: Retrain your mind to stop judging you as imperfect, as bad or wrong or not enough. Insist the judge in your mind leave you alone. Your job is to protect that divine child within from the lies of imperfection, the lies of "not _______ enough." Your job is to reclaim and bring back into your life the divine child within.

This then, is the second coming of the divine child within.
The reclaiming of your perfection in the eyes of Life.

If you want help, I am here. That's what I do. Please contact me. 

In the meantime, Merry Christmas, 
and a Very Happy New Year

God Bless us one and all.

Love.

        Allan


Or (707) 206-7623 (rings through to Chacala from northern California toll free).

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Some Personal Thoughts, and the Solstice

Some Personal Thoughts, and the Solstice


This is a special day of the year for those of us in the north. I am writing and sending this almost exactly at the same time of the winter solstice, 2011. I am at my winter home at the beach in Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico. It is very special here, and I still want you to join me here! 

At this darkest longest night of the year, even here in paradise the night is cool... it must be winter! Walking back from eating tacos (the real deal) at the beach tonight, the dark sky was filled with starts. It is so very beautiful here. I feel very blessed. The village is filled with the sounds of people, kids, dogs, and roosters living their lives -- and visitors here to celebrate the holidays.

Thank you to all of you who wrote and offered your condolences for the death of my mother I shared about here at Thanksgiving time. Every time I think of her gentle passing at 95, I am grateful for this moment of life I am offered. If I am offered another moment or day tomorrow, my intention is to be grateful for each experience that comes.

I surprised myself last week when someone I was with in Puerto Vallarta reflected my patience when something she had to do took much longer than expected. My response was, "Every moment is the same." I had never heard myself say that before, and I've been noticing it since then. It seems to be true. Every moment is the same. We add our different emotional reactions and stories to those moments and think some are better than others, and others more irritating. Do we change the moments into something they are not? Or are we changing ourselves into something we are not?

Something about my mother's passing shifted me into this gratitude for each moment, and seeing so clearly that I have a choice about the stories I tell about each of those moments. I'm telling good stories. If my happiness is my choice, then I'm choosing gratitude, love, and acceptance in this moment. This is actually the only moment I have. I'm not going to make up stories that deny the truth of who and what I am, or cause me to suffer.

Tonight is the winter solstice. The light is returning to the north. I would like to invite you to use that light to shine brightly into the dark places within yourself, those places where you've pushed the divine truth of who you are with stories about your moments that cause emotional reactions of fear, hurt, jealously, envy, anger, blame, or judgement. Let's bring the light of truth back into our awareness, our actions, and our relationships -- and free ourselves from those lies.

The Truth? I would suggest a new story that says we are perfect expressions of the divine force of Life that created us. No more, no less. We are whole and complete. We are created by the light, as Life, exactly like every other living being and object in this universe. This universe is one perfect whole and we are perfect parts of it. No more lies!

Perhaps we can use this night and the days to come to reaffirm for ourselves the truth of our divine wholeness. Let's find within ourselves the faith and forgiveness that allows us to surrender to life itself, with gratitude for each precious moment of Life we are granted. Let's know ourselves as the light as it returns to give us Life.

This day I live in gratitude, and in gratitude there is only love.

             Allan

allanh@sonic.net -- Or (707) 206-7623 (rings through to Chacala from northern California toll free.)

________________________________________________

I'm so grateful to be able to share with you here. My life and work and Joydancer and TACO (my online Toltec spiritual and networking community) are all dedicated to helping us learn and remember the truth of our oneness as the Divine essence that creates and animates this universe... and each part of it in each moment. Including you and me!

I am available by phone, Skype, and e-mail if you would like support for your life journey. I look forward to hearing from you.

Phone: (707) 528-1271
Skype: (707) 206-7623
Email: allanh@sonic.net

Details about consultations and apprenticeship are here.

Sign up for my newsletter here!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Some Thoughts About Gratitude and Thanks Giving


"Some Thoughts About Gratitude and Thanks Giving"

Happy Thanksgiving, a time of gratitude. It is always magical and mysterious for me how life can combine different experiences, emotions, and outcomes to offer us the opportunity to grow and become stronger in our love and acceptance of What IS.

A case in point: I am in Southern California at the home my parents built and I grew up in. My mother died of old age (95) comfortably here in her bed on Sunday. My brother is here. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a big family day for many. This family is reduced to two.

The potential for emotional reactions and suffering is great in these situations. I accept them as sweet reminders of the value of living our lives fully as they unfold, and letting go of our silly ideas that we can predicts or control the outcomes. 

In that surrender, I find great peace. In that peace I find love. In that love I find the perfection of the Divine. In the Divine I find the Oneness of life. In that experience of Oneness I am back once again to great peace. 

This day I live in gratitude, for the life of my parents, and the life they gave me. I am grateful for Life. I hope that no matter what your situation or experience you will find a way to your gratitude, giving thanks for Life and all it offers you. Let's open our hearts and receive the multitude of gifts, without resistance or fear.

In gratitude there is only love.

Happy Thanks Giving, 
no matter where in the world this finds you!

         Allan

allanh@sonic.net -- Or  (707) 528-1271

___________________________________________________

I'm so grateful to be able to share with you here. My life and work and Joydancer and TACO (my online Toltec spiritual and networking community) are all dedicated to helping us learn and remember the truth of our oneness as the Divine essence that creates and animates this universe... and each part of it in each moment. Including you and me!

I am available by phone, Skype, and e-mail if you would like support for your life journey. I look forward to hearing from you.


Allan Head shot with Chacala door heart

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The Coolest Hat

"The Coolest Hat"

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This hat story is taken from an e-mail conversation between members of Allan Hardman's online community "TACO" who participated in his October journey to the pyramids at Teotihuacán, Mexico, and the extension to Tepoztlán. The group jokes that nobody is allowed to have a cooler hat than Allan.]

"Can someone tell us the complete story of the coolest hat?"

Allan: "Hello all....

I guess if no one else will tell the story, it must be up to me. We were hiking down from the pyramid of Tepozteco in Tepoztlán, and at one of the rest stops I left my hat behind. I didn't miss it until we stopped at a little stall near the bottom of the trail where they were making the quesadillas we had fallen in love with at the market place the day before. Four of us sat down and ordered and enjoyed our treats immensely (corn fungus, grasshoppers, farmer's cheese, and squash blossoms, cactus leaf, and more -- yummmm.) Perhaps someone has photos to share of the adventure. Ah yes, here they are!

Allan wearing "The Coolest Hat"

The bottom of the trail to the Pyramid of Tepozteco

Our Favorite Quesadillas

Corn Fungus, Grasshoppers, Farmer's Cheese, Squash Blossoms, Cactus Leaf & more!

I surrendered my hat to the Angel of Death (scroll down to watch a video about the Angel of Death if you are unfamiliar with the Angel in Toltec mythology) shortly after I realized it was missing, because I've heard that part of the lecture many times (from myself, of course), and have come to believe it. The Angel had taken back the hat she loaned me many years ago -- the Coolest Hat in Teotihuacán and Peru. It was okay.

However, while we were sitting eating, I was casually watching to see if anyone coming down the trail past us was wearing it, just in case the Angel was just testing or kidding me, or wanted to return it for some reason. I was more concerned with the eagle feather on the hat that a shaman in Peru had given me. There was a minor attachment there, partly, as I write this I realize, because I believed it was a sacred duty to use and protect that feather.

About the time we were finishing up our quesadillas I glanced over at a family that had been stopped by a vendor on the other side of the trail and were looking at her wares. As I looked again, I saw my eagle feather dangling below the arm of one of the women. 

I went over and bowed in gratitude to her, and told her it was "my" hat and thanked her for finding it (Creative Assumption). She said her son had actually found it -- so I offered it to him. He smiled and declined, and so once again the Coolest Hat was mine, along with the eagle feather and Peruvian hat band. 

We finished our meal and returned to the hotel.

And that's my story of The Coolest Hat and The Angel of Death."

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To learn more about the Toltec concept of The Angel of Death, watch this video of Allan teaching about the Angel of Death in Teotihuacán, Mexico:




Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Survival Strategies Become Gifts

"Survival Strategies Become Gifts"

The Toltec master guides his apprentices to recognize how resourceful they were as children. They survived childhoods that were perhaps neglectful, hurtful, humiliating, or even violent. The strategies they adopted and the masks they learned to wear were the clever adaptations of children under stress. No one was standing by when the children left home to remind them they would not need those strategies in their adult world -- so they took their strategies with them.

The strategies are held in place by fear -- the fear of being discovered as inadequate, not enough, defective, and unworthy of love. The fear gradually diminishes as the spiritual warrior (within) consistently demonstrates the message of unconditional love and acceptance to the victim child (within). When you have less fear of being seen and more love for your perfection, the strategies will not be held so tightly, and your gifts can emerge.

Many childhood survival strategies have adult gifts hidden in them. For the pleaser to give freely, without expectation of appreciation or reciprocation, is a gift to all. The rebel is a valuable resource when a person needs to deny the social pressures of parents or peers. The clown can be wonderfully entertaining when the fun is offered as a gift of love, and not to avoid being seen.

The world needs mystics and teachers, dreamers and thinkers, perfectionists and procrastinators, lawyers, lovers, and romantics. When the lie of "not enough" is broken, and these gifts are offered from open, loving hearts, they nourish the souls of both givers and receivers.

____________________________________________________

~ The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman


To own a copy of this book, visit this page of the Joydancer Store:
http://store.joydancer.com/products/the-everything-toltec-wisdom-book

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Origin of the Inner Judge

"The Origin of the Inner Judge"

When we're little, there are two parts of us. There's a masculine part and a feminine part. We could say just in general that the feminine part is the feelings, the intuition, and the emotional body. The masculine is more the connected, sun/spirit, logic part of being. (That's not meant to be a description of women and men but just two ways of taking us apart and looking at parts of us.)

One of the aspects of the masculine is "protector." If we think about the old days, way, way back, people lived in caves and there was a door at the cave. The man, undoubtedly "the masculine," was the one at the door of the cave with a club, protecting, going into the world, getting food, and bringing it back to the feminine who was at the fire with the food and the kids. In that model, which probably still exists in our DNA, "holding a container" is an important part of that masculine aspect. In working with couples I've often found women, deep down inside saying, "I wish you could hold a safe space for me and not judge me." When he doesn't do that he's in the cave attacking her when he's supposed to be at the door of the cave protecting her. 

What happened to that little protector masculine when we were little?

The one we've been calling the Inner Child is really the feminine side of the child - the feelings, the emotions, the part that gets hurt. The masculine side of the child, when we're little, shouldn't have to protect. It's the parents' job to protect the child. Imagine being born into a family where the parents say, or the dad says as the masculine, "I'm so delighted and excited that you're here, and I'm here to provide a container - a safe container - to find out what magic God sent you to do in our lives. I'm going to hold a safe physical space, a safe psychological space, for you to become who you came here to be and we are just delighted to be the stewards of that, and we're excited to find out what that is." Imagine who you would be if that had been the welcome you'd gotten.

The feminine side - the feeling side - would grow up knowing that she was safe and that she could express her feelings without having them abused or made wrong. The masculine side would have no job. The protector part of the masculine in a boy or girl could simply coast along and mature in the container provided by the parents, and in the process learn what it means to be protected, and learn the job of the protector from that experience.

An apprentice told me about a girlfriend of his when he was a young man. She was from Sweden, and her parents were very liberal about what she did, but they liked her to do it at home. So the young lovers spent a lot of time at her home. Her parents would go to bed early. If Dad needed to get up and go into the kitchen, he'd make his presence known, and my apprentice knew that if he did anything that freaked his girlfriend out or upset her and she made the slightest noise about it, Dad would be right through that door and my apprentice would be in trouble. She knew she was safe, she knew she was protected, and that's how most of us didn't grow up.

In that model, the little protector masculine can grow up just learning what it's like so when, for example, a female human with that experience goes into the world or maybe she's sitting on the couch, and a new guy comes to the door and Dad opens the door - the container - and looks the guy over - tattoos, cigarette hanging out of his mouth - says, "Nope!" and slams the door shut. But say he gives the guy a chance and lets him in, and goes into the other room and closes the door. If the guy reaches over and puts his hand on her leg and it's not comfortable, she has full permission because of that container she grew up in, to go, "Aaaah, I don't like that. Get your hand off me." 

So by the time she's in a bar at 25 and some guy comes over and touches her inappropriately, there's no question about her response. The masculine is right there. The feminine says, "I didn't like that" to the masculine and the masculine says, "That's not right," to the guy.

When, however, the masculine side tries to protect us when we're four, and says, "Stop it, I hate you, you're mean! I'm not going to my room! It's not fair!" That's the masculine trying to protect the feminine side whose feelings are hurt by the outside judge. And what happens to a 4 year old child - could be a boy or a girl - when they say, "I hate you, you're mean, leave me alone, I'm not gonna do what you say?"

Dad says, "Dont' you talk to me like that! Don't you ever think of doing that again!" or maybe we got punished, or whatever the family dream called for to stop that kind of talk.

I've had people tell me, "Oh, when I was four and my dad was beating up my mom I jumped on his back and tried to pull him off and Dad threw me against the wall, and said, "Don't you ever interfere again, this is not your business."

What's the message for the protector? The message is, "I can't protect." "I can't protect her feelings." But he still wants to be a protector, so what he does is instead of looking at the outside world to protect, he turns around to the inner world, and tells the feminine to shut up. 

That is the origin of the inner judge. The wounded masculine side, unable to protect outwardly, turns inside to protect by saying, "shut up, don't cry, don't do that, don't ask for that, don't need that, don't take the last cookie, you know they don't like that, you better do what you're told, why are you blowing this? You should have thought of that, you shouldn't have broken that, you shouldn't have spilled that, I can't believe you don't pay attention." It's a preemptive strike inside to avoid being punished and judged from the outside. That's how the masculine protective part tries to protect us when we're little from Them.

That voice stays with us as we grow, and becomes the inner judge when the outer judges are gone. It then projects the judgments out onto everybody on the outside world saying, "They don't like you" or "They're not going to like you if you keep doing that so you'd better stop doing that." This was for me the biggest "ah-hah" part of the puzzle. The answer to, "How do we get rid of the judge?" is, we don't get rid of it. We heal it!

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This article was transcribed from a talk I gave to a group that was in hypnotherapy training at The Alchemy Institute in Santa Rosa, CA. They were learning about all the characters in our inner world, and the Inner Judge is one that we are all familiar with. If you'd like to heal YOUR judge, we have some great resources to do just that in my Online Toltec Community.

You can also get in touch with me. I offer counseling via phone, Skype, or in person. (707) 528-1271

IN Love,
Allan

Friday, October 7, 2011

My Chacala Nightmare

"My Chacala Nightmare"

I awoke trembling from a terrible dream this morning. I was dreaming I returned to my winter home in Chacala (Nayarit, Mexico) and it was totally modernized. 

It was awful!!

The streets were all paved, the restaurants had hardwood floors and redwood decks over the beach. There were SUV's everywhere, waiting to park to get their lattes, and T-shirts for sale with stuff written on them about getting drunk and going fishing. There was elevator music piped into every building and into the streets. Talk about an awful dream!!

The reason I was dreaming about Chacala is that when I return from Teotihuacán and our extension to Tepoztlán, I'll be organizing my business and home and preparing to drive to Chacala in early November -- a four day marathon from northern California.

I was very relieved to wake up and realize I was only dreaming about the redwood decks and elevator music, but also know "progress" is marching north from Puerto Vallarta toward Chacala, and the inevitable will happen -- we just don't know when. The coast of the state of Nayarit has been named, "The Riviera Nayarit" and is a new promoted tourist destination. This is one of the last unspoiled beach towns like this, easy to get to (via Puerto Vallarta) from most of the US and world, and yet like a forgotten paradise. It won't last forever.

So, please keep this a secret: Chacala is a lovely little fishing village of a few hundred Mexican families, and some very smart and low-key tourists and winter residents like myself. The beach is lined with thatched restaurants on the sand serving fresh seafood and frosty cold ones, and the sunsets are spectacular. There is no parasailing, no expensive pirate boat ride -- just the peace and quiet of a beautiful half mile of beach, the semi-tropical jungle, and some whales fooling around out there, and sweet people to meet and share with.

A view of the Chacala Beach

Like I said, please keep this a secret! When I return from Teotihuacán I'll be sharing more about Chacala, and inviting you to visit on vacation, experience the power of a personal intensive with me there at my "House of the Eagles," or join me for my Valentine's week retreat on Love, Romance, and Relationship.

Chacala, Mexico, three fish on the fire

In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful fall -- and remind you to start thinking about what you are going to do this winter to get away from the cold and relax... I know where I'll be all winter: Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico!! Join me!

PS: This coastal tourist part of Mexico is very safe, so don't believe everything you read or see on the news. In fact, Puerto Vallarta has been rated one of the five safest cities in the world. It is a big country, and what happens in one part doesn't happen everywhere!

Much love!!

Allan

allanh@sonic.net  -- Or (707) 528-1271

____________________________________________________

I'm so grateful to be able to share with you here. My life and work and Joydancer and TACO (my online Toltec spiritual networking community) are all dedicated to helping us learn and remember the truth of our oneness as the Divine essence that creates and animates this universe... and each part of it in each moment. Including you and me!

I am available by phone, Skype, and e-mail if you would like support for your life journey. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Allan Head shot with Chacala door heart

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Angel of Death/ The Angel of Life


"The Angel of Death/
The Angel of Life"

Three times a week, I meet in a chat room with members of my Toltec Apprentice Community Online ("TACO") to teach, share, play, grow, and ponder. Recently a member asked a question that led to a discussion of "The Angel of Death," a powerful guide on the Toltec path to personal freedom.

Here is a brief excerpt edited from that chat (names changed, etc.):

TACOMember1: Allan I have a question. I am not sure, but I would like to live like my death is near. I would like to keep that view, or vision in me. What to do?

TACOAllan: It's a powerful idea. Surrender your attachments to being alive. Surrender your attachments to all of your material possessions--they belong to the Angel of Death, not you. She will take them when she wants them back, including your body and life.

TACOAllan: When you surrender your attachments you release your fear. When you release your fear, your mind isn't zooming off into the past or future, and can be in the present. The only place Life really exists is in the present. When you surrender to the Angel of Death and enter each present moment with gratitude, she becomes the Angel of Life, the best guide to a life well-lived on the Toltec Path and beyond.

TACOMember2: How do you release the fear?

TACOAllan: The fear comes from attachments, which come from the illusion you can control the outcome. The need to control gives rise to the fear you will fail. So you have to try harder, and get more attached to the outcome -- which creates more fear you will fail.

TACOMember3: In other words we are releasing control that we never had in the first place...

TACOAllan: You've got it, TACOMember3.

TACOMember4: How do you let go of attachments?

TACOAllan: You let go of attachments by realizing that you cannot control much of anything in your life. Look back at your life, study it, and you will find that when you got into relationships and then they ended, when you bought a car and it broke down and you replaced it, when your lovely young skin gets wrinkled -- you weren't really orchestrating any of it. The Angel of Death owns all those things. She is in charge, she takes them back when she wants to.

TACOAllan: So surrender to reality, let go of the illusion of control, embrace the Angel of Death with deep gratitude for everything she loans you. When you do, you will wake up in the present moment -- in the arms of the Angel of Life! She is your guide to the joy, celebration, and wonder of each evolving moment of Life. And you are Free.

If you would like to be part of this online Toltec Community and participate in these chats ($1 for the first month) go here to learn more. 

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Each year at Teotihuacán, participants face the Angel of Death, and are invited to surrender the illusion of control in their lives. I invite you to join us this year, September 29-October 4, and make this powerful guide your guide to LIFE. Watch the ceremony in this video:


Allan Hardman teaches about "The Angel of Death" in Teotihuacán, Mexico

Life is happening right now.
Make the Angel of Death/ Angel of Life your guide to this present moment!


I enjoy your feedback.

              Allan

allanh@sonic.net -- Or (707) 528-1271

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Storyteller as a Terrorist in Our Minds

"The Storyteller as a Terrorist in Our Minds" 
(Written after 9/11/2001)

Every human's mind has a Storyteller... a small being who sits in the mind and tells stories to the human. That Storyteller is not there when the human is born. As soon as the new human is able to understand stories-- in tones of voice, facial expressions, and later with words -- the Storytellers living around that new human put the seeds of their stories into the mind of the new human. And they grow there, and become strong, and bear much fruit.

You were once a new human. When you popped into this world, the Storytellers knew it was their job to teach you their stories. Many of those stories were based on fear... fear that you will be rejected if you are not good enough, not smart enough, not rich enough, not beautiful enough, not handsome enough, not thin enough, just Not Enough. The Storytellers taught you that you had to be perfect in order to be accepted. The Storytellers taught you that nobody is perfect. Only God is perfect. They taught you that you could never be God, and yet you had to be perfect. 

The Storyteller's stories were often confusing, contradictory -- yet as a new human, you had no choice but to accept them as true. A fish living in water has no way of knowing air. A new human, living in that ocean of stories, has no way to know anything beyond those stories.

The nature of stories is that they are only true for the Storyteller who owns them. They are not true for anyone else. There cannot be a True story, or a Right story, or everyone would agree on everything. Even if everyone, everywhere, did agree, it would still be a story. It would be a description of beliefs and agreements that were once learned and held in the mind. Only that, nothing more.

The recent events of terrorism in our country present us with a story from other Storytellers that is, in the context of our story, incomprehensible. The terrorists' Storytellers say that their goal is to create terror in us, to create terror in our lives, to teach us that we will never be safe again. Even the news media says America will never be the same -- they also teach us the terrorists' new story: "We will now live in fear and not be safe."

The images of planes hitting buildings are now implanted in our minds, and the Storyteller tells stories about them over and over and over. The media compounds our fear, telling us stories of Anthrax and poisoning water supplies.

Every time the Storyteller tells a story about fear, every time your storyteller reads or listens to or watches a story about fear, it creates fear in the human mind. It creates terror in the human mind. Every time your Storyteller tells you a story that creates fear and terror in your mind, your Storyteller has become a terrorist. Every time you are the terrorist, every time you allow your Storyteller to tell you a story that creates fear, the foreign terrorists have succeeded.

Of course there are terrorists in the world, because there is a terrorist in your mind: your Storyteller. Now your Storyteller has learned new stories with which to terrorize you even more than it used to. It used to terrorize you by telling you stories that said that you would not be loved unless you made more money or were slimmer or younger or had fewer wrinkles. But now your Storyteller is learning new stories about violent acts that you cannot predict or control, and you are probably feeling more fear.

It seems to me that the way to end terrorism is to end terrorism in our minds, to quit believing the stories we tell ourselves that create fear and terror in our own minds. The fear that we feel is real, but the stories that we tell ourselves the create the fear are simply stories. You have a choice about what stories you allow your Storyteller to tell you. You have a choice about what stories to believe.

What stories are you choosing to believe? Are they stories that create fear and terror in your mind and body? Or are they stories that create love, peace and harmony inside of you? You can choose. Maybe we can't eliminate terrorism in the world, maybe we can't find all the right people to kill so we can feel safe again. But perhaps we can, and do, have a choice not to be our own terrorists.

Perhaps, when we are no longer terrorizing ourselves-- whether in fear about how much we weigh or in fear from imagining a story of an agonizing death caused by some foreign agent -- we can live in peace within ourselves. If we all live in peace with ourselves, surely we will live in peace with each other.

It's worth a try!

_____________________________________________________

I'm so grateful to be able to share with you here. My life and work and Joydancer and TACO (my online spiritual and networking community) are all dedicated to helping us learn and remember the truth of our oneness as the Divine essence that creates and animates this universe... and each part of it in each moment. Including you and me!

I am available by phone, Skype, and e-mail if you would like support for your life journey. I look forward to hearing from you.


Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The Myth of Multi-Tasking

I read the results of a big survey, asking people about how they multi-task, and why they do it. As you might guess, the main reason people said they do more than one thing at the same time is because of the pressures of time-- there is SO much to do, and SO little time! They spoke of "time speeding up" and life "flying by." I confess I have used that language in the past myself, although I am not sure what it means.

Some of the things the people said they did to multi-task were a bit scary: They read the paper, watched a DVD, ate breakfast, applied make-up, and/or changed their baby's diapers while they were driving. Other choices were a bit more benign, such as always reading and watching TV while they were eating, or listening to instructional audios while walking in nature.

If time is speeding up, and we have more to do than ever before, it seems to make sense to double up and try to do more things in less time. We drive faster, talk faster, eat faster, and sleep less. And we multi-task. Maybe.

I would like to suggest that the idea of multi-tasking is a myth, and is the antithesis of enjoying a well-lived life. Have you ever actually tried to direct your attention to two or more places at once? It is impossible. "You can only serve one master." Your attention can only be directed to one person, event, object, or task at a time. In so-called multi-tasking, what you are doing is directing your attention back and forth from one place to another, sometimes so rapidly that you are not aware there is a disconnect in the process.

Let's say you are a mother, and you are out for a walk. You are getting exercise plus perhaps pushing your baby in a stroller, and talking on your cell phone. You are not doing three things at once; you are moving your attention back and forth between each of the three things very rapidly. Your attention is actually being fragmented by the experience.

An American swami used to tell his students: "If you are going to eat, eat. If you are going to read, read. But don't eat and read!" One day a group of students found him sitting eating and reading. They said, "But Swami, you told us to eat or read!" He looked up from his breakfast and said: "If you are going to eat and read, eat and read!"

Most of us do not have that ability, and perhaps the Swami didn't either. Next time you think you are doing two or more things at once, stop and check. Are you actually doing two or three things back and forth, back and forth, back and forth? And if that is the true nature of multi-tasking, where is your attention NOT? I would suggest that your attention is not in the moment, in the Now of the Eternal Present.

I would also like to suggest that a life well lived is a life lived in constant communion with the Present Moment. the only way to live that life is to train your attention to be focused on the feelings, sensations, and surroundings or your human body in the moment. How does the air feel? How does your relationship with that baby feel? What does your body feel like, walking? Do you see the clouds, and the hundreds of green colors in those trees? Are you aware of the phase of the moon tonight? Does the intense awe of creation wash through your feeling body with such intensity you can hardly contain it? That is the joy of Life. That is Dancing in Joy With Life. The Joydancer.

Perhaps time is not speeding up. Perhaps it is us, speeding through life, running to reach some elusive goal of completion and success. We have to get it all done, we have to do more, be more, better, faster, more, more, more. There is no end to that race, and when you get tired of running it, you may discover you missed the scenery, awe, and juice of Life along the way. I encourage you to not let that happen.

Life is happening right now. Where is your attention?

I enjoy your feedback.

        Allan

allanh@sonic.net -- Or (707) 528-1271    

Sign up for my "Joydancer Weekly Word and News" newsletter, and receive inspirational articles in your inbox -- http://joydancer.com/Newsletter
____________________________________________________

I'm so grateful to be able to share with you here. My life and work and Joydancer and TACO (my online Toltec spiritual and networking community) are all dedicated to helping us learn and remember the truth of our oneness as the Divine essence that creates and animates this universe... and each part of it in each moment. Including me and you!

I am available by phone, Skype, and e-mail if you would like support for your life journey. I look forward to hearing from you.

Details about consultations and apprenticeship are here:
http://joydancer.com/study_wallan/index.html



Tuesday, August 16, 2011

What is a Despacho?

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Thanks for your questions and comments! Please keep them coming. Many people who read my newsletter about our Celebration of Life Garden Party on August 20 wrote and asked, "What is a despacho?" I thought it would be fun to answer that here.

Creating a despacho is one of the most potent experiences I and other people get to have. Every August at our Summer Celebration of Life weekend here in northern California, Francis Rico and I, and the group, create the despacho as the grand finale of the weekend. This year, for the Garden Party, it will be on Saturday afternoon (August 20).

Francis and I learned to create despachos from the shamans in Peru, separately and independently, and love to bring that energy to our groups. In Peru and the Andes, participants use their breath to put intentions into three coca leaves, which are then placed in the despacho. In our ceremonies each participant uses three petals from a red rose.

When the building of the despacho is complete, it and the intentions are "dispatched" into Spirit, often by burning the bundle.

Rather than try to describe with words the look and experience of the despacho, here is a photo from Peru, and a wonderful video of one of our Summer Celebration despachos. James Nihan, a singer/song writer and Toltec colleague from Tennessee wrote the song in the video, "Three Petals," about this ceremony. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Shamans in Peru creating a despacho

The Joydancer Summer Celebration of Life, and Despacho ceremony

Join us at the Joydancer Summer Celebration of Life
Garden Party, Santa Rosa, CA
Saturday, August 20, 2011


Potluck • BBQ • Sunshine • Friends and Family • Despacho ceremony of celebration and gratitude (4 pm) with Francis Rico • Homemade music (you) • Sharing love and wisdom in the Joydancer Toltec tradition on the garden lawn.

There is no charge for this event. We are accepting donations to cover some expenses.

RSVP
707•528•1271

Everyone is invited -- except dogs and cats. Space will be limited, so make sure to RSVP for directions by Friday, August 19.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Honoring the Deepest Truth of You

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In the old dream, feelings and emotions are problems to be solved, or embarrassing intrusions into daily life. In children, feelings are repressed, punished, or shamed, and in adults the habit of denial continues. How many men have experienced emotions in a movie theater, and when questioned by a surprised or pleased woman, blamed their tears on the bad air or their (occasional) allergy to popcorn?

The spiritual warrior, alive in the new dream, recognizes and honors feelings as the truth of the moment. The warrior is no longer ashamed of what he feels. He honors his feelings the same way he loves a small child who comes running to him hurt, angry, afraid, or overflowing with joy. He honors and respects the feelings of everyone he relates to, whether a child, a mate, a friend, or a stranger.

~ An excerpt from The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman

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It is my passion in life to help you accept every part of yourself so that you can live a truly happy life. We will do this work of accepting and falling into love with ourselves in Teotihuacán, Mexico - September 29 - October 4, 2001. Details here: http://joydancer.com/events/teotihuacanAndtep.html#teo

If you like what you read, you can:

1. Sign up for my newsletter, the Joydancer Weekly Word and News:

2. Get your copy of The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book in the Joydancer Store: 

3. Join my Toltec Community Online and be supported by a loving community of people learning how to become free of childhood domestication and claim their power as happy and free adults. 

4. Get in touch with me! I offer counseling via phone, Skype, or in person. Call or write for a free 30-minute phone consultation. (707) 528-1271. allanh@sonic.net

IN Love,

Allan


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Every Day is Independence Day

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This 4th of July weekend, we celebrated the beginning of the independence of the United States of America... along with some bombs bursting in air, and the flag is still there. In much of the modern USA, this weekend was a time to take the boat up to the lake, drink a bunch of beer, get really sunburned, and watch some big fireworks. Now, I'm not saying that isn't a good idea... however....

I'm thinking we could also use this time to remember our own personal independence. My life and work are devoted to Personal Freedom, which I would define like this: Our independence from the social conditioning, childhood programming, and the beliefs and agreements that control much of our lives.

The Big Enforcer of the rules we agreed to long ago ("don't take the last cookie, don't be selfish, be polite, other's people's needs are more important than yours, don't hurt people's feelings, if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all, etc etc etc") is the Inner Judge.

Do you know that character in your mind? He's the one who reminds us to be good, get it right, say the right thing, wear the right outfit, make sure we don't blow it, and generally keeps us in fear of what other people think of us. He believes we have to meet other people's expectations and needs so they will like us, make us happy, love us, not abandon us, and generally make us safe. We learned it all when we were little.

The Inner Judge creates fear in us so we will stay small. He believes the bigger we get the bigger target we are for judgment and rejection. The Judge thinks small is safer. Here is an illustration of the Inner Judge rom TACO, my Online Toltec Community at www.ToltecOnline.com. He has the book of rules for your life, the angelic standard you are supposed to meet, and he is here to tell you where you are failing!

"Hey, I'm talking to YOU!" ©

The Inner Judge is talking to your Wounded Child within, telling him or her what must be done to be acceptable and accepted; to be worthy of the valuable commodity of Love. That precious little being we once were is broken hearted, crying in hurt and cringing in fear, believing all the lies the Judge is telling. Here is the Wounded Victim Child from TACO.

The Child Within is Very Hurt by the Judge ©

If you haven't done so, I invite you to explore TACO at ToltecOnline.com -- the community there is an international gathering of people like you, in search of meaning, peace, and unconditional love in their lives. AND finding it!! TACO is a teaching, learning, and networking website and spiritual community, dedicated to the declaration of our independence and becoming thriving adult Spiritual Warriors. 

First month of TACO membership is $1.00 USD.

A TACO member from the Czech Republic writes:
Thanks to Allan for his teaching in TACO. The concept of the Judge and Victim Child on one side and the Toltec Spiritual Warrior on the other... is a most profound tool for me. It gives me hope. I see immense possibilities... how to understand myself, stop abusing myself, and get in charge of my life.   JW. Prague.
If you feel stuck in your life, if your dreams are sitting on a shelf waiting for you, if your relationships stall out, if you are afraid of being truly intimate in your life, this dynamic between the Judge and Victim Child is probably the cause. Much of what I teach and do is dedicated to freeing human minds from the tyranny of the Inner Judge-- let's not wait!

So please join me in making every day Independence Day! And you don't have to have a ski boat, drink beer, or get sunburned-- simply say "Enough!" to the Inner Judge, and protect that Little Child Within from his lies and hurt. I call that protective and nurturing part of us The Spiritual Warrior, because he is in a battle with the Judge for the attention of the Child Within. It is a battle between fear and rejection... and love and acceptance. Go for it!

In addition to TACO, another resource for exploring this dynamic is my book, The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, available at Joydancer.com and in many bookstores (hurry, it's getting scarce!).

A book fan from England posted on Facebook:
I've consumed, contemplated, read, practiced a lot of what has been written and taught by don Miguel Ruiz and journeyed with some of his senior students, now teachers in their own right. It took me a while to pick up Allan's book, but once I did, it became a constant companion, read and referred back to... for solace... and challenge. RF, Ryton.
Other resources for support: If you live close enough to Sonoma County or Sacramento, California, join me for these upcoming lectures and workshops:

Sunday, July 10: My birthday, and Keynote talk at the Healing Arts Festival, Sacramento, CA, 1:00 pm. I'll be there all day.

Monday, July 11: "Here Come da Judge" -- two hours, 7:30 - 9:30 pm, Santa Rosa, CA. $25.

Thursday/Friday, July 28-29, two full days! "The Ultimate Therapy: Healing the Drama of the Inner Judge and Victim Child."

So let's make this and every day our Independence Day! Become the loving, accepting, nurturing, protecting, powerful inner Spiritual Warrior -- and say "enough" to the tyranny, abuse, and sabotage of the Inner Judge! 

Declare Independence, light a fire (works)!

More on the subject at www.joydancer.com

And so it is.

     Allan 





Wednesday, June 22, 2011

A Judge for Every Occasion

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Every family has its own dream, and all parents have unique standards they expect their children to meet. Often, even parents in a family disagree about the rules, and each enforces different judgments and punishments. They believe (from their domestication) that they need to make their children wrong and punish them for breaking the family rules--and thus make them good citizens of the world. Punishment is the basic standard for child rearing in the dream of the planet. This is not a conscious, deliberate or mean act by parents--they are fish in the water, knowing only the water, doing what they think is best.

The family also enforces the rules and expectations of all the groups, institutions, religions, occupations, social hierarchies, and political beliefs with which they identify themselves. It is vitally important to parents that everyone around them accept their children. It is even more important to many parents that they themselves are accepted as good parents by the judges around them.

When a child hears enough of those judgments, she learns to agree she is not good enough, smart enough, or careful enough the way she is. She knows she must get it right, or she will not be tolerated as a member of her family unit. To protect herself from being banished, she learns all the expectations of her family, and all the judgments that enforce them. She internalizes the voices into a recording that can play in her mind twenty-four hours a day, even when she is alone.

As one Toltec apprentice told his teacher, "I always make myself wrong for everything I do! I thought since my mother taught me that way, I should do it that way, too. I have a judge for every occasion!"

Many of the judgments were not spoken directly, nor were they necessarily abusive or overtly hurtful. If no one came when you called them to change your diaper or see a dead worm on the patio, you thought it was your fault. If your parent didn't put the newspaper down when you wanted to show them some school art, or any of the other small ways that even loving parents did not respond to your childhood needs, you were hurt. And the message you told yourself was, "I am not important enough (good enough, interesting enough, and so on) for them to want to pay attention to me and love me. I have to be better." That belief was quietly added to the litany of your inner judge.

Remember that everything the judge says is a lie. Listen with detachment and curiosity to these voices. They are not you, and they are not your fault. The voices and their beliefs were programmed into your mind by others. The Toltec Warrior does not take them personally, because he knows they are not personal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-An excerpt from The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman

It is my passion in life to help us break free from the tyranny of the inner judge so that we can be happy. If you like what you read here, you can:

1. Sign up for my newsletter, the Joydancer Weekly Word and News: http://joydancer.com/Newsletter

2. Get your copy of The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book in the Joydancer Store: http://store.joydancer.com/products/the-everything-toltec-wisdom-book

3. Join my Toltec Community Online and be supported by a loving community of people learning how to become free of childhood domestication and claim their power as happy and free adults. http://tolteconline.com

4. Get in touch with me! I offer counseling via phone, Skype, or in person. Call or write for a free 30-minute phone consultation. (707) 528-1271. allanh@sonic.net

IN Love,

Allan

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Conscious Relationship: A Conversation with Allan Hardman

All life is based on relationships, and the most important relationship is the one we have with ourselves. Most people have learned to believe lies denying their value and worth in the world. I am passionate about helping us all change how we "dream" ourselves - and learn to love and accept ourselves just as we are (and just as we are not!).

When we heal our relationship with ourselves the entire world we live in changes. Want to change your world? Let's do it!

Join me for a radio interview with Sarah McCroskey on HumanSpirit Radio, Friday, June 17 at 2:00 PM (Pacific Time). To register to listen and participate with questions, click here.

For more information about HumanSpirit Radio, click here.

To work with me personally to change your world, call (707) 528-1271. I offer personal coaching and counseling. To find out more about me and what I do, visit http://www.joydancer.com

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Non-Judgment Day (The Un-Rapture)

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Are you disappointed or relieved that the rapture didn't happen on May 21? Well, it is actually postponed, but here are some more thoughts on how to go to Heaven on Earth (the rapture for the rest of us)... and more.

(If you would like to read any of my previous newsletters, they are archived here.)

Now that May 21 has passed, and the Rapture has been postponed until October 21, life is good. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, I assure you, it really doesn't matter! However, I've been fascinated by the Rapture predictions, and learned so much reading about how people's faith is invested through emotions and not logic. When a major biblical prediction doesn't happen, people don't re-think their logic, they wait for some emotional experience to actually strengthen their faith. Very interesting.

I wonder how many of us have our faith invested in our ability to control the outcome of life, death, love, relationships, religions, parenting, and other things we believe we can control and manage...? If someone (like me) comes along and suggests that we have never controlled the outcome of one single thing in our lives... well, would you open your logic to listen, or let the emotional reaction to the idea close you to it?

Most humans live with a Judging voice in their minds that is always questioning them, criticizing them, second guessing them, and reminding them they aren't good enough the way they are. Being eternally judged sounds like Hell to me! And it is. Hell On Earth. Most humans are living in Hell On Earth, and billions of them are dreaming of going to some heaven, somewhere, some day.

All the gods created in the image of humans constantly judge us. Their rules are always about us being better than we are, doing more, behaving better, meeting some lofty standards, before we can be lifted up to a place of love and acceptance-- IF we meet the standards. It's a lot like bargaining for love in childhood, and a lot like Santa Claus: "Be good, get reward; be bad, get punished."

An apprentice in the chat room of our Online Toltec Community ($1) asked, "What's keeping me out of Heaven?" He was referring to Heaven on Earth offered by teachers throughout the ages. Here is what I answered:

What's keeping you out of heaven is you asking, "What's keeping me out of heaven?" Asking the question affirms your belief you should be different than you are, that you haven't achieved the goal yet. You scoff at the "heaven" of religions, and then invest your faith in some idea of spiritual perfection that will be rewarded when you reach it. So your attention is hooked on the question, which shows your faith is invested in controlling the outcome, and the doors to heaven are closed.


You will only be free when you have de-invested your faith in the illusion you can control the outcomes, and invest it in your trust of life itself. More on the subject in a future newsletter, and in my newsletter archives here.

Want to go to Heaven on Earth? Do your own rapture:

Definition of "RAPTURE:"

1 -- an expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion
2 -- a state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
3 -- a mystical experience in which the spirit is exalted to a knowledge of divine things

Let the "overwhelming emotion" be a love of the divine AS YOU. Enter into a blissful romance with YOU. Be carried away by that love. Feel the ecstasy and passion of that romance. Enter a mystical experience with the knowledge of your beautiful perfection as a unique manifestation of the divine, right here and right now, perfect in every way. The divine/consciousness/god/love/life is not asking you to change or improve-- know you are perfect right here, right now. And you will, indeed, be transported to Heaven on Earth-- every moment you remember this truth of who you are!

Make today and every day,
Non-Judgment Day!!

Many blessings on us all this Memorial Day and always. No matter what your beliefs, may you have a wonderful day each and every day, happy in Heaven because you are choosing love over judgment, and celebrating the joy of the divine Life that animates you.

Be a JOYdancer, dancing in Joy with Life!

And so it is.


        Allan 

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Step into the Dream of Heaven on Earth right here in our Online Toltec Community. This is a place to study, learn, let go of the Hell in your Mind, and meet others on the same journey! I look forward to supporting you as you claim your freedom, and answering your questions in the chat room!

___________________________________________________

The above article was one of Allan's "Joydancer Weekly Word and News" newsletters. If you would like to receive inspirational newsletters like this, sign up here


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Wisdom of the Human Body

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The human body is a walking, talking miracle. Most of what is happening in your body as you read this has nothing to do with your conscious mind. Your heart is sending blood and nutrients to the trillions of cells in your body, air is moving in and out of your lungs, your liver is regulating blood sugar, your wounds are being healed, you are reading and comprehending the symbols on this page, and countless other processes are being directed by your body itself.

If your conscious mind were in charge of the processes of your body, it would stop working in just a few moments. You would not be able to keep up with all the details. There is a life force present in your body that knows what it needs to do, and it does it well. It has matured your body from the first moment of conception, maturing through puberty, right up until this moment. You, as the awareness reading this, are here, able to do what you do, because of the body you created and maintain.

The Toltec Warrior develops a loving communication with his body, and listens to its wisdom. He respects his body, and is mindful of his body's needs for good-quality food, exercise, and rest-- and does his best to keep it free from toxic substances and thoughts. He listens to his body, and refrains from overriding its messages with medications or denial. The warrior loves, accepts, and respects his body, in recognition of the important partnership between himself as both Spirit and Matter.

Write and repeat an affirmation like this: "My body is a gift from Life. I express my gratitude to life by caring for this body the best way I know how. It is the instrument through which I enjoy the abundance of food, sunshine, air, love, and everything that I do. Thank you, Life."

~ An excerpt from The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman
__________________________________________________________________

To purchase this book in the Joydancer Store, click here. 

Discover how ancient and modern Toltec wisdom can change your life! Visit Joydancer's thriving spiritual community of men and women all over the world enjoying the Toltec path to personal freedom - http://ToltecOnline.com

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

A Note About Surrender

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An apprentice wrote to me recently with the following:

         "I lie in bed all the time, frustrated and angry because I am not changing. I know you say to "Surrender," but I have yet to figure out what this means."


My answer:

When I say, "surrender," I mean let go of trying to be any different than you are. The biggest obstacle to your changing is your desire (and Judge's insistence) to change. Nobody ever improved or was more loving to themselves because of being judged. And nobody ever will.

Your only hope is to accept yourself just as you are: laying in bed, discouraged, beaten, defeated, hopeless, not participating in life, venting, wishing for the bottom, and listening to your Judge telling you that you should have changed by now and get up and get going!

To surrender is to say, "Yup, I am living god's truth of this unique manifestation of God's love. I accept it as it is, I accept me as I am. I will no longer fight it, make it wrong, or complain to God that it isn't fair. I will stop being angry about it (unless that's how God needs me to be), I will be grateful for each moment of how God expresses itself through this bit of creation. And I'll lay right here in bed doing it, until God is done with that part of this story and gets me up."

To surrender is to acknowledge you -- human mind and body-- aren't actually in charge, or you would have a very different life than the one God is manifesting you as.

The battle is over, the fight is done. Wave the White Flag of Peace, and humbly and gratefully stay in bed until God's alarm rings.

At least you'll be happier while you're laying there.

Much Love.

     Allan 

________________________________________

 It is my passion in life to help people accept themselves just the way they are, and just the way they are not, so that they can live a happier life no matter what their circumstances. I want to help you fall in love with yourself, your life, and with this present moment. Get in touch - allanh@sonic.net  or (707) 528-1271. http://joydancer.com

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Blessings on Mother's Day

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I heard someone complain at the Mother's Day card rack the other day, about how "these holidays are just trumped up by the card companies to make me spend my money on cards!" Well, could be true, I suppose, but there we were, choosing cards for our mothers.

I wanted to send a special card to my mother. I shared in a newsletter last month that my mother (95) was ailing and hospitalized-- I'm happy to say she is back in her home, well cared for, and actually beginning to like it. It is very important for me that she knows I love her and am grateful for my life. Sure, I can complain about the deficiencies and cluelessness of my childhood-- yup, been there, done that, lots of good therapy.

What my mother needs to know is she did a great job. I tell her wonderful stories about my client successes, my gardens, and friends... and tell her none of it would have been possible without her. True? Yes, in it's own way. She fed me for years... now I am feeding her. She is going to leave this life, possibly soon, believing she was a successful mother. It doesn't cost me anything.

I sent Mom pictures in her card-- of me teaching at a workshop, sitting in my garden, hugging apprentices, and posing in various places. She'll be able to take responsibility for whatever she values in those photos.

So, I'm grateful to whoever thought of Mother's Day and made cards... and helped me feel guilty all those years my rebel self didn't send them! Now, there is no resistance to sharing my love in whatever form I can.

So on this special day of the mother, let us gather together in honor of The Mother. Let us honor our own mothers, present or passed, with gratitude for the lives they gave us. Let us honor the mother in those among us who have been mothers, those who are yet to be mothers, and those who choose not to be mothers.

On this day let us honor the mother within each of us-- the spiritual feminine within that loves, accepts, and nurtures all parts of us exactly as we are.

Let us also use this time to remember our love and gratitude for our Mother Earth, from whom we are created and who loves and supports us with every breath, every bite, and every gasp of delight at the sight of a perfect spring rose.

At this time of the mother, let us be grateful for Life.

And so it is

      Allan


I'm so grateful to be able to share with you here. My life and work at Joydancer and TACO (my online spiritual and networking community) are all dedicated to helping us learn and remember the truth of our oneness as the Divine essence that creates and animates this universe... and each part of it in each moment. Including me and you!

I am available by phone, Skype, and e-mail if you would like support for your life journey. I look forward to hearing from you.

Details about consultations and apprenticeship are here.


Allan Hardman
Santa Rosa, CA Office: 707-528-1271

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Warrior Becomes a Ghost ~ Dancing at the Edge of The Dream

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"There is a pausing point on this journey when the new warrior realizes she is passing through a portal that leads her beyond the dream of the planet. She knows she is sacrificing her connection to everything that she knows and brings her comfort. By the time she reaches this point on her journey, the warrior is well aware of what she is about to do when she passes through the portal.

There is no way the warrior can know the full extent of her sacrifice until she makes it. She steps through the portal, leaves the dream of the planet... and become a ghost. She walks in the same physical world, but is now separate from it. It is a moment she has been working toward, looking forward to, and fearing. She is free to live her life to the fullest degree possible, but the warrior also knows she now lives in a different world from almost every other human. She dreams differently, and her life will never be the same. This is the sacrifice the Eagle Warrior makes, in order to receive her gift: the dream of heaven on earth."

~ An excerpt from The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book, by Allan Hardman

Are you intrigued by this journey of the "new warrior?" This is the journey we undertake this October at the sacred pyramid complex of Teotihuacán, Mexico. Join us, break free of the world being dreamed into existence by most humans, and step into your own dream of Heaven on Earth!

For details about this journey, "Dancing at the Edge of The Dream, click here:

Taking Easter Within

This was written for Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Our story so far: On Palm Sunday we celebrated the arrival in our awareness of that Christ Consciousness that knows the truth of the perfection of each and every part of this universe-- including ourselves.

Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion and our movement to a higher state of consciousness, invited us to find that place of true forgiveness-- the one that says, "I know there is nothing to forgive, because we are all doing our best in a universe that is unfolding perfectly."

And now, three days after Jesus is crucified and laid in a tomb, he returns to his body and moves about his earthly world for forty days. This event is very important in the Christian tradition, and established the belief in Jesus as the true and powerful son of God. Without the resurrection, Jesus might have simply remained a respected teacher or prophet.

The tradition of resurrection and rebirth has been a human experience for many thousands of years-- and reflects the need to have faith in a story of death and rebirth. The name "Easter" even comes from the name of an early goddess of fertility, Eastre, who was celebrated at the spring equinox. Because of the spring orientation of these celebrations there has always been an emphasis on eggs, new chicks, rabbits, and other symbols of fertility.

(None of this seems fair to those living in the southern hemisphere where the seasons are reversed, but I will have to leave them to deal with that).

Perhaps we can use this time and this story to inform our own personal spiritual journey. The crucifixion is symbolic to us dying to an old way of being. In the tomb of our winter of sleep we begin our transformation, and when we have reached our new understanding we arise and are born into the spring of a new life. If our transformation is complete, we will claim our identity as the Christ Conscious, the Divinity that creates and animates our human experience. We will be re-born. We will have power over the dream of life and death.

The good news is we don't have to die, or even suffer, to be resurrected. Every moment we deny a lie or limitation in our minds, every time we choose love over fear, every step we take toward claiming the ultimate truth of who and what we are-- represents a rolling away of the stone of our imprisonment. We have the potential to awaken and return to the world knowing the Truth, and sharing it with those who can see.

            "...the Father is in me, and I am in the Father."

At this Easter time, and always, may we each use the power of Life and the Christ Consciousness within to deny the limiting beliefs and fears that roll the stone of darkness against our tomb.

May the light shine with us into those dark moments and help resurrect us into the constant truth of who and what we are:

We are all the sons and daughters of Life, belonging here, gifts to the universe from the Life that brought us.

Let us rejoice and Dance in Joy and Gratitude with Life.

We are, after all, Joydancers! (.com)

Happy Easter

I hope you find lots of eggs.

IN love.