And Then the Silence

"And Then the Silence"

No one knows why the power of Teotihuacán was silenced around A.D. 700. People simply stopped living in the city. Perhaps the residents reached a spiritual state that allowed them to transcend their physical bodies and go home to their beloved sun. There is evidence of a great fire that burned most of the main buildings; however, there is no way to know who burned them, or why. Maybe the residents torched their city when they left, or it was conquered and plundered by a marauding tribe. 

Archeologists have not solved these mysteries, and probably never will. Whatever the cause, the great city of Teotihuacán, along with its mystique and magnificence, came to an end. Small village groups continued to live in the area, but the city itself was left alone and silent. The origins and destiny of Teotihuacán remain a secret today. Were these people the first Toltecs, who moved to Tula and began again? Or were they a forgotten group of Toltec masters who came together to manifest a magnificent vision of stone and spirit, and then disappeared into the annals of history?

Although the origins and purpose of Teotihuacán have been lost in history, the site remains alive as a tourist destination, and as a place of great spiritual power. Toltec and other teachers and groups from around the world visit to access the energy there for powerful personal and planetary healing.

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

___________________________________________________

Join me! Sign up now for a powerful journey to Teotihuacán, Mexico this October! 

Get your copy of the Everything Toltec Wisdom Book!

Sign up for my Joydancer newsletter!

Active Self-Acceptance

"Active Self-Acceptance"

Many of us grew up in less than ideal situations. We were domesticated. We were taught what ways were good to be and what ways were bad, we were rewarded for doing right and punished for doing wrong. The worst punishments was rejection -- being ignored, sent to the corner or to our rooms, threatened with being left out, left behind, or exiled.

In time, we learned to internalize the rejection and reject ourselves. It actually seemed like a good defense against outside rejection -- if we beat them to it, we knew it would be less painful than if they rejected us. After all, we depended on them for all of the basics that supported our survival. 

So, we became the masters of self-rejection. We created a judging voice in our minds, reminding us to do it right, perform properly, be good, and follow the rules the best we could. I'm often surprised when people aren't aware of their inner judge voice, or accept it as a normal part of their mind.

It's painful to be made wrong all the time. Nobody likes it from the outside, but many people unconsciously tolerate it in their own minds. What about you? If someone was following you around talking to you critically like your inner judge, what would you do? How would you handle it?

We don't need to tolerate all that rejection. We came into this world totally IN love with all of creation, and we learned to judge and reject ourselves. There is no reason we can't go back to that default state and live our lives in that same acceptance we lived in at the beginning.

We need to become masters of self-acceptance. It was natural for us until we learned self-rejection. Let's make it natural again. An adult life lived in acceptance of ourselves extends naturally to an acceptance of all creation. This could be a description of "Enlightenment." I can tell you this: It will make you very happy. Perhaps that is a good description of Enlightenment.

For more about Active Self Acceptance, 

join the conversation on my radio show or check the archives, here.

So, since we actively learned to reject ourselves, I suggest we turn it around by actively learning to accept ourselves. Here are three simple (yet not necessarily easy) principles I use. They are borrowed from Nathaniel Brandon's book, The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, with gratitude:

* Value Yourself: Be on your side! Be for yourself. You are a child of the universe and have a right to belong here, as you are. Repeat as needed: "I choose to value myself, to treat myself with respect, to stand up for my right to exist, as I am!"

* Tell Yourself the Truth: Make it real to yourself what is true about you, without denial or evasion. Refuse to have an adversarial relationship with any part of your physical, emotional, or spiritual bodies. "I choose to tell myself the truth about myself and to accept and love everything I am... and everything I am not."

* Be Your Own Best Friend: Have compassion for yourself. You are a perfect human being, doing your best. Be a good friend to yourself. Listen to your truth, your fears, loves, and needs, with compassion and acceptance. "I choose to be a gentle and loving friend to myself, and to accept my feelings and actions without judgment or blame."

There is absolutely no reason to allow the judge in our minds to continue the abuse of self-rejection. But we must take action to stop it, and to learn a new way of speaking to ourselves. 

With all my love,

Allan

___________________________________________________

My Weekly Radio Show Continues! Please join me every Sunday evening 7:00 pm Pacific time for: 

"Living in Conscious Relationship ~ A Conversation in the Truth." This is a write-in and call-in internet radio show - I invite you to join the conversation.

Archives are here: HUMAN SPIRIT RADIO NETWORK

Exciting programs are starting once again in Sonoma County, CA, this spring. Please join me!

Every Wednesday evening we resume the amazing "Conscious Relationship Circle" ~ May 2 -September 26, 2012.

And on Tuesday evenings, something new: "Four Agreements Wisdom Circle" ~ May 1 - September 25, 2012

_____________________________________________________

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.

Details about consultations and apprenticeships in The Four Agreements and Toltec tradition are here.

The Super Bowl of Love!

"The Super Bowl of Love!"

In the USA and beyond, the Super Bowl is a very special event -- and a time that people eat more guacamole than the trees can provide! I hope your team wins, even in they're not included.

In the meantime, let's talk about the Super Bowl of Love. We don't need guacamole for the discussion, but if you want to, please go right ahead. I had some on a recent afternoon at the beach here in Chacala (Nayarít, Mexico) and it was superb.

We are in a time of changing and expanding consciousness now, and many people are searching for ways to participate and become more aware, conscious, loving, and/or enlightened. It is as though there is a championship at stake, people are competing for honors, going to workshops, reading books, finding teachers, traveling to foreign lands-- all in search of a very illusive commodity.

In fact, the commodity of "more conscious, more loving, more enlightened" really doesn't exist. If you are pursuing those goals in order to be "more," you are doomed. It means you are listening to that judge voice within who says you must be more something in order to be good enough for...? For what!? Aren't we good enough now? Must we be more to be enough? It's crazy! Like a dog throwing his own bone. Stop believing that voice, it's clearly insane!

For more on the voice of the inner judge, listen to the archive of my Conscious Relationship radio show, #27, "Here Come da' Judge," here, or read my newsletter on the subject here.

In the Super Bowl of Love there are no scores, no winning and no losing. There is no succeeding and no failing. There is only the perfect and beautiful What IS. And we are What IS. The inner or outer judge that says you should be more than you are is lying-- how is it possible? This is a trick that most people fall for, and spend their lives denying who and what they are while they pretend to be what they should be while they're trying to figure out how to actually become what they think they should be.

You can't. You cannot be other than you are.

In the Super Bowl of Love we stop trying to gain yardage, we stop counting penalties, and we play from the truth of our hearts, from the truth of who we are. We play without fear, because we know we are perfect just the way we are, and just the way we are not. We relax, and let the game play around us. We are at peace in the game, with ourselves, and with the world around us.

There is nothing to get right. We are already right. We are already winners. Every one of us, winners. You win the Super Bowl of Love the minute you quit trying to be what you are not, and accept yourself as you are. Every one of us is a unique expression of the love and divine energy of the creator of this universe, this planet, and as this wonderful human you already are.

Relax, eat some guacamole, and taste a little gratitude for being a unique expression of the love of the divine-- perfect as you are, right here, right now.

Touchdown!!

____________________________________________

You can also find freedom from the inner judge as a member of our online community "TACO."

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.  allanh@sonic.net

Details about consultations and apprenticeships in The Four Agreements and Toltec tradition are here.

Giving Meaning to Life (Chacala Style)

"Giving Meaning to Life (Chacala Style)"

What Gives Meaning to Your Life? 

A Chacala Story...

After the summer rains, the dirt street in front of my home in Chacala, Mexico, was in bad shape. The neighbors got together and brought in loads of rock and dirt and graded it nice and straight and smooth. AND dusty! With the new surface, people could drive faster on the road and the resulting clouds of dust swarmed around my house and snuck through windows and doors and settled on everything.

Some people here water the streets in front of their homes and business to keep down the dust. I tried it, but it took too much time and there often isn't much water pressure here. I was lamenting to a neighbor that I needed a helpful teen to do the job for me, but there aren't any right around here.

My neighbor suggested I ask my next door neighbor Señor B to do it. He is 80+ years old, and no longer very stable on his feet. I wasn't sure about the idea, partly because I often need a translator to help me understand Sr. B's Spanish!

The next day when I was watering the street again, Sr. B approached me about doing it for me. It turned out my neighbor had already shared her idea with him, so we agreed on a "salary,"and I gladly turned over my duty to him. As I watched him the next couple of days I realized we needed to turn up the energy and scope of his job description.

I added a length of hose so he could reach farther in both directions, took off the feeble spray nozzle, suggested he take more time to really soak the dirt, and I doubled his salary. "Mas mangera, mas tiempo, mas calle, y mas dinero." (More hose, more time, more street, and more money!).

Sr. B lives very simply on a very small pension. He lives in a cement block space of about 300 square feet with no windows and one steel door -- as many older people here do. After the first few days of the "job," my neighbor reported that Sr. B had shared a new sense of value and purpose to his life. His responsibility has given him new structure and meaning. I had no idea this would happen, I only wanted to get rid of the dust!

I'm delighted. Sr. B meticulously waters the street from edge to edge every day now. The dust problem is virtually eliminated. But even more important has been my realization that such a simple idea could change his life the way it has. Today he told me another neighbor asked him to keep going past my house to theirs! He has a new career!

I smile as I share this with you.

Side note: Sr. B was hit by a car years ago, and has been very afraid of cars since then. I often see him nervously scampering to safety when he is walking down the street and a car approaches. Today I watched him at his work and noticed he had more authority about his street. He seemed less anxious and even directed one truck around his hose.

What about you? What gives meaning to your life?

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!

Your Very Own Personal Companion

"Your Very Own Personal Companion"

The Toltecs say that humans are sick because there is a parasite in their minds that eats their negative emotions. It not only eats the negative emotions, but it also does everything it can to get the human to dream in fear, so it will have lots to eat.

In most people, the parasite is in charge of perception. It tells lies in the mind, and the person believes them: "You have to look good for other people. There is a limited amount of love and attention available, and you need them to survive. You have to be good and get it right for other people, to deserve your share of the love." The parasite learned all its lies during childhood, and continues to repeat them in the adult mind. The lies create more fear for the parasite to eat.

The parasite is a living dream, dreamed in different ways and degrees by all humans. When you were born into the parasite dream of your family, they began to take little pieces of their parasite and put them in your mind. These were like seeds -- little beliefs and lies based in fear -- and they grew in your mind. In time, those seeds grew into your unique personal parasite, which has been with you ever since.

Dictionaries define parasite as a living being that lives on or in another organism, sucking its energy, and offering no advantage to the host. Often parasites weaken their hosts a little at a time. The parasite in the human mind creates and eats negative thoughts and emotions, drains the human's personal power, and robs his body of its vitality. The Toltecs know that the parasite is the cause of many diseases of both the mind and body.

The parasite's job is to keep you in line, following the rules that the judge knows society wants you to follow, so you will be loved and accepted. The parasite controls your behavior with fear. The minute you try to create new beliefs for yourself, especially based in love, the parasite is terrified. It knows that in the past, going against the outside dream meant rejection, punishment, or worse. The parasite will do everything it can to sabotage your efforts to change your personal dream. It fears for your safety, and ultimately your life. Who could blame it? The parasite learned well, in a very tough school.

If your personal parasite can't control you, there is always the big parasite, the living being that is the dream of the planet. It taught your parasite everything it knows, and colludes with your parasite to keep you asleep. Everyone knows the rules and how to remind you of what will happen if you break them.

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

___________________________________________________________

Learn to break the spell of the parasite -- order The Everything Toltec Wisdom Book here.

Sign up for my newsletter.

Check out TACO -- my Online Toltec Community of men and women supporting each other and themselves on the road to personal freedom: http://tolteconline.com

I am available for counseling: allanh@sonic.net or call (707) 528-1271

A Blessing Prayer for the New Year

"A Blessing Prayer for the New Year"

"I Fling My Heart Open to Thee"

Divine Presence, I fling my heart open to thee.

Show me the way to your perfect Grace.

I dance with thee in this New Year.

My heart is open wide,

and your love pours through me,

and I see your love in all that is.

I see your love in my Beloveds,

In the rain and sun and wind and heat and cold.

I see your love in all success and adversity,

I see your love in every aspect of your Creation.

I say YES to all that is, knowing it is all You.

In this New Year, may I let nothing obscure my vision of you,

And your Grace.

My eyes are open wide,

and my heart is ripped open

In my desire to be possessed by you.

Take Me, Take Me, Take Me.

I have nothing to surrender,

because all that I AM is You.

Divine Presence, I fling my heart open to thee.

Show me the way to your perfect Grace.

I dance with you in this New Year.

IN Love.

And so it is.

    

    Allan

___________________________________________________

I have been delighted and grateful to have shared part or all of 2011 with you here on my blog, in my newsletter, at Summer Celebration of Life, the pyramids, the Chacala beach, other events, and in our hearts. Thank you for traveling this journey with me.

I know 2012 will be a fascinating year, including the mixed predictions about the Mayan Calendar, changes in the consciousness of we humans, and so much more.

And 2012 also means a dream come true for me, as I begin a weekly radio show on Conscious Relationships -- starting Sunday January 8, 7:00-8:00 pm Pacific time. 

For radio show details, click here.

YOURS IN LOVE AND ANTICIPATION OF A GREAT YEAR!!

          Allan

I enjoy your feedback: allanh@sonic.net

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

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

allanh@sonic.net

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

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!

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.

Details about consultations and apprenticeship are here.

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."

___________________________________________________

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:

http://youtu.be/8ZEUDnpfcDI

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

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!

_____________________________________________________

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

allanh@sonic.net

IN Love,

Allan

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.

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.

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. 

Details about consultations and apprenticeship are here.

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. 

___________________________________________________

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

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.

Details about consultations and apprenticeship are here.

Sign up for my newsletter here.

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

What is a Despacho?

-
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

You can read more and RSVP here.

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

lynn@joydancer.com

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.

Honoring the Deepest Truth of You

-

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

____________________________________________________________________

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:

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

Every Day is Independence Day

-
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