Finding Your Inner Traveler

Do you see yourself as a traveler or a tourist in life? G.K. Chesterton once wrote that “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.”

In Zen, you could say that the traveler embodies the idea of Beginner’s Mind. A beginner’s mind is like an empty cup. It has no expectation for the future or baggage from the past. It is alive only in the Now.

Just like a child at play, the traveler sees limitless opportunities for adventure at every turn. According to Suzuki Roshi, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.”

On the other hand, tourists have lots of baggage. They alternate between the past and the future, rarely if ever setting foot in the present.

Tourists never deviate from a pre-planned routine. They avoid stepping outside their comfort zone at all costs. They think everything looks the same so they tend to grow bored quickly.

Tourists can change the scenery, but they can’t change the eyes through which they see and experience it. Most people live like tourists every day – at home or on vacation!

So how do you find the traveler within? It starts by emptying your cup or unpacking your bags. When you let go of the past as well as your expectations for the future, you begin to lighten your load. You allow yourself to open up to new experiences. You see the world with new eyes. You realize that the traveler is not out there, but is available right here, right now, wherever you are.

A daily mind ~ body fitness practice like Yoga, Martial Arts, Tai Chi and Meditation is a powerful way to help you find your inner traveler. These practices are designed to emphasize process over results. They encourage mindfulness over mindlessness. They also help slow you down!

Imagine going through your daily routine as if you were a traveler in a foreign land. Think about walking down a street in your neighborhood - a street you've walked hundreds of times - and seeing it as though for the first time!

Choose to be a traveler not a tourist in life and you will see everything in a completely new light!

The Weight of a Snowflake

"Tell me the weight of a snowflake", a coal-mouse asked a wild dove.

"Nothing more than nothing", came the answer.

"In that case, I must tell you a marvelous story," the coal-mouse said.

"I sat on the branch of a fir, close to its trunk, when it began to snow -- not heavily, not in a raging blizzard -- no, just like in a dream, without a wound and without any violence. Since I did not have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,741,952. When the 3,741,953rd dropped onto the branch -- nothing more than nothing, as you say -- the branch broke off."

Having said that, the coal-mouse flew away.

The dove, an authority on this since the time of Noah, thought about the story for awhile, and finally said to herself, "Perhaps there is only one person's voice lacking for peace to come to the world."

Kurt Kauter from New Fables: Thus Spake the Carribou

The Great Lesson movie trailer

Enjoy the latest "Great Lesson" movie trailer. The movie is almost ready! Be sure and check back for more details!

Martial art masters, tai chi and dance visionaries, a cell biologist, executive business coach, holistic psychotherapist, sports psychologist, Harvard professor and an inspiring self-healer join forces in one film to explain the great lesson. See what's possible!

The Good Fight

"In 1986, I went for the first and only time on the pilgrimage known as the Way to Santiago, an experience I described in my first book. We had just finished walking up a small hill, a village appeared on the horizon, and it was then that my guide, whom I shall call Petrus (although that was not his name), said to me:

'We must never stop dreaming. Dreams provide nourishment for the soul, just as a meal does for the body. Many times in our lives we see our dreams shattered and our desires frustrated, but we have to continue dreaming. If we don’t, our soul dies

'The Good Fight is the one we Fight because our heart asks it of us.The Good Fight is the one that’s fought in the name of our dreams. When we are young our dreams first explode inside us with all of their force, we are very courageous, but we haven’t yet learned how to Fight. With great effort, we learn how to Fight, but by then we no longer have the courage to go into combat. So we turn against ourselves and do battle within. We become our own worst enemy. We say that our dreams were childish, or too difficult to realize, or the result or our not having known enough about life. We kill our dreams because we are afraid to Fight the Good Fight.'" - Paulo Coelho in “The Pilgrimage”

The Mexican Fisherman story

The American investment banker was at the pier of a
small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with
just one fisherman docked.

Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality
of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer
and catch more fish?"

The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the
processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

Follow Your Bliss

“I feel like starting to live again, Eduard. I feel like making the mistakes I always wanted to make, but never had the courage to, facing up to the feelings of panic that might well come back, but whose presence will merely weary me, since I know I’m not going to die or faint because of them. I can make new friends and teach them how to be crazy too in order to be wise. I’ll tell them not to follow the manual of good behavior but to discover their own lives, desires, adventures, and to live. I’ll quote from Ecclesiastes to the Catholics, from the Koran to the Muslims, from the Torah to the Jews, from Aristotle to the atheists. I never want to be a lawyer again, but I can use my experience to give lectures about men and women who knew the truth about this existence of ours and whose writings can be summed up in one word: Live. If you live, God will live with you. If you refuse to run his risks, he’ll retreat to that distant heaven and be merely a subject for philosophical speculation. Everyone knows this, but no one takes the first step, perhaps for fear of being called insane. At least, we haven’t got that fear, Eduard. We’ve already been inmates of Villete.” Paulo Coelho from his novel Veronika Decides to Die

Following Your Flow

“Your body needs to do more thinking, and your mind needs to dance more.” - Chungliang Al Huang

Have you ever done any thinking with your body? How about dancing with your mind? These questions might seem silly at first – straight out of Alice in Wonderland - but they are actually very significant.

One of the most powerful lessons from the new film The Great Lesson is the importance of having a daily fitness practice that incorporates both mind and body.

What is a Mind ~ Body fitness practice?

A Mind ~ Body fitness practice is the best of both worlds. Whether we choose yoga, martial arts, dance, tai chi or running, the common thread is that mind and body are working together in harmony. We learn that they are not separate entities, but they are deeply connected and part of the same whole. The mind moves the body and vice versa.

Think about a time when you performed an activity at your absolute best. Some call this following your flow or being in the zone. You probably noticed that every action was completely focused yet totally effortless.

When you enter this flowing space or zone state, mind and body are one. They are no longer fighting against each other. That’s why the activity is so effortless and so easy. It’s as though you were a child playing in the sandbox again.

What are the benefits of Mind ~ Body fitness?

1. Quieting The Mind
Think about how many thoughts run through the mind every second. How do we slow this avalanche of thoughts, particularly when they are negative and counter productive to our health and happiness? The quickest way to still the mind is to move the body. A daily fitness practice helps to restore the balance between mind and body. Instead of being so centered in our heads and worrying about the past or future, we become more rooted and grounded in the here and now.

2. Self Discipline
When you’re involved in a daily fitness practice, there are no days off, and there are no excuses. If you’re sick or your kids are acting out, it doesn’t matter – you make the time because it’s that important. When you commit to your practice, you build up this self-discipline muscle a little every day.

3. The Inner Game
While the physical side of fitness gets most of the attention, it should be remembered that the postures, techniques and body movements are a mirror of the inner work being done. Sure it’s cool to stand on your head in yoga. Or bound through the air in dance. Or even smash a wooden board in karate. That outer stuff certainly has its place, but most important are the inner rewards that you reap from your practice. You will see the proof in how you grow and develop as a whole person, and others will see it in you as well.

4. Process Over Results
Many people become obsessed with the tangible results of their fitness practice. What was my time, how many points did I get, what was the score etc. When we do this, we get caught up in judging ourselves. But in a true Mind ~ Body fitness practice, it’s more important that we focus on process. Process is all about flow! We allow ourselves to engage fully in the activity without judging it or worrying about results. Paradoxically, when we let go of the need for measurable results, we usually perform at our best!

So take the advice from the amazing speakers in The Great Lesson movie and give yourself one of the greatest gifts possible – a daily Mind and Body fitness practice. And then enjoy the fruits of your flow: a healthier, happier and more whole You!