2012 as the end of a cosmic cycle   Daily

©By: Ernesto Ortiz It seems like lately there has been a lot of talk about the Mayan prophecy which concerns 2012 as an end of the cycle. This prophecy is based on the Maya Long Count calendar and will end on December 21, 2012 AD. It seems that similar information about the end of a great cycle can be found in many other native traditions like the Hindu’s, the Hopi, the Navajo, ancient Egyptians the Essenes, the Quero Elders of Peru and the Australian aboriginals.

None of these traditions tells us how this time will end, and none of them talk about the end of the world, they talk about the end of a cycle. Many people are using the term “the Apocalypse” to described this event making a reference to the Apocalypse as the end of the world and destruction, the real meaning of the term apocalypse is not destruction but “lifting of the veil or revelation”, I hope this article serves to bring an awareness to the community and that with that awareness the veil is lifted and we have the inner revelation as to what is really going on.

The Mayan prophesy that we all know about is based on the Mayan calendar, and it tells us that it will end on December 21, 2012 and this is also the end of a bigger cycle that started 5125 years ago, this is an event that happens every 25,920 years, which is the period required for the equinox to move through all the zodiac signs.

I would like to explore the power of the human heart and how it influences the magnetic fields of the earth, and how it will influence the outcome for 2012. We have scientific proof of these and we will explore this scientific proof later on in this article. The key for us to influence this cycle in a positive way is to work together with an open heart to do it.

The world is in crisis and the world and its people are desperately asking for healing. We are facing a tough economy, wars, an unstable political environment, the way we fuel our planet, the way we care for one another. So we are in crisis, and the meaning of crisis for me is action, opportunity to change the systems before they completely break down and collapse, if this does happen it will be a struggle to rebuild for a long, long time.

2012 is what this is all about, but we don't have to wait for 2012 to feel the impact of this energy and all of the planetary alignments, we are already in that energy. December 21st is the deadline and right now we are getting pulled or sucked into that date, after December 21st we are going to be pushed away and that will mark the beginning of another planetary cycle of 5125 years, and another bigger cycle of 25,920 years.

So we have to ask ourselves a question: why is it that I am alive at this time and what is going to be my contribution to the upliftment of the overall energy of the planet and its people?

In September 2005 there was a world symposium held at Columbia University, where scientist, engineers, religious, spiritual leaders, philosophers and economists from all over the world got together and they were asked one question, and that question was; what is going on with the planet?

The results were outstanding; the magazine Scientific America had a special edition to bring the results to the awareness of the world with the conclusion of the symposium from all of these experts from around the world. The title of the magazine was crossroads for the planet Earth and the subtitle was the human race is at a unique turning point. At the end of the symposium all of the scientists ask us, the people of world a question, and that question was; will we choose to create the best of all possible worlds?

What we have to realize is that we are part of the crisis, and we are determining the outcome, our actions at a personal level as well as a planetary level are part of the solution. If we do nothing then disaster can be the final outcome. The scientists talked about the planet, the weather changing, storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, the polar caps melting and more.

We see diseases in the planet that don't have medical care, over 25 new diseases have surfaced in the planet in the past 30 years with no medical cure or way to deal with them. Most of these have surfaced outside of the US but they are affecting our families as well as our world family.

Grain production is way down and it is in crisis here in our own soil in the US, we are importing grain from other countries because we have depleted our soil. The scientists also talked about military conflicts and the fact that they are less about borders and more about ideas not only philosophical ideas but religious ideas as well. How can you win a military conflict that is based on philosophical or religious ideas? All of these conflicts are merging into the potential of a global collapse.

I have questioned and thought about what has happened in the past, there have been many ancient civilizations that had to deal with similar situations, some survived and some did not. For us the difference is that never in recorded history 6 billion people have to deal with challenges of this magnitude. Each of them can change the face of the earth as we know it and they are all happening at the same time and they have to be solved in the next 5 to 10 years.

Talk about an exciting time to be alive! Think about it and it will Wow you, the end of two gigantic cosmic cycles. In a way we are the architects of the future and we are creating that foundation now!

So my question is why is it all happening right now? It's as if we are passing through the thin part of a funnel at this time, we are being squeezed. If we look back into history and at the cycles of time, we’ll realize it's all about the earth and the solar system moving together as a family on a journey. We are here at the end of times, and we should ask ourselves what is our personal role and contribution towards the whole and how do we come together as a family to impact the world to change in a positive way.

We were born knowing how to speak the language of the heart, the language of emotions, let's put them in action. We must allow our hearts to remain open, free from fears and limitations open to listen to the wisdom of the heart and communicate with the world using the language of love, kindness, compassion, tolerance and acceptance.

Let’s talk about the cycle that we are living, the cycle that is present in our lives at this time.

The earth goes through a cycle around the solar system of 25,626 years, in astrology this cycle is known as the pre-session of the equinoxes. The Mayas divided this 25,626 year cycle in five sub cycles each of 5125 years, so 5 x 5125 equals 25,626 and that is the cycle that we are dealing with at this time. So not only on December 21, 2012 is the end of a 5125 year cycle but the end of the bigger cycle of 25,626 years, so this is big it is really big.

Many texts and ancient traditions point at this time in history; however the Mayas are the only ones that link precise dates with astronomical configurations. At this present time there is no Mayan calendar, it has been lost or destroyed, the closest thing we have is the Aztec calendar that came much later but adopted part of the Mayan calendar. On this calendar we can see the four cycles of time that ended with a catastrophic event, at the time that we are now. It doesn't mean that we are going to have a catastrophic event, this calendar simply points to what has happened in the past. The face in the middle of the Aztec calendar then notes the fifth cycle, “the New World” so we are about to enter a new series of cycles.

Not only we are ending a 5125 year cycle but we are ending a 25,626 year cycle. The words that describe the cycles are known as “the shift of the ages” or “the end of times“this is the Mayan term and it doesn't say anything about the end of the world, but the end of time. The end of days is a biblical term.

The Mayan told us that the fifth great cycle began in 3114 BC and will end on the winter solstice on December 21st 2012. So when the winter solstice raises on December 21, 2012 a rare alignment of the planets will take place. The Hindu Kali Yuga calendar began on 18 February 3102 B.C. There is only a difference of 12 years between the Hindu's beginning of the Kali Yuga and the Mayan's beginning of the Fifth Great Cycle.

So why is this alignment so important? It is so important because the plane of the solar system lines up with the plane of the Milky Way; it is an alignment of the Galactic equator and the source of energy at the center of the Milky Way. It is a straight shot, like a cylinder that is perfectly aligned between our solar system and the Milky Way in a way that has not happened in 25,626 years.

So the question is what type of energy will be coming through this cylinder? The action is both ways, an opportunity for us if we are conscious of the energy and we align our chakra system to ride this wave. What tools do you have that can help you and give you understanding as to what is your part. For me the “Akashic Records and meditation” are the greatest tools to exercise the wisdom of the heart.

These are huge systems that involve planets that move very slowly around the orbit of the earth, so that means that we are already on the energy of 2012 and we will continue for a while after that date. The tail end of this energy is going to be around the winter solstice of 2016.

We are so much on that energy that we see it around the world, some of the recent earthquakes in places like Haiti, Chile, China/Tibet, the Indian Ocean, we see tsunamis and floods wiping out entire cities and populations, we are seeing huge fires out of control, floods due to heavy rain, diseases that are affecting millions of people, the volcanic ash from Iceland, grain and food shortages in Mexico, China, Argentina, Somalia, Egypt, India, Thailand, Vietnam and on and on.

But we are also seeing a lot of beautiful things happening, just look at the spiritual awakening that is taking place all over the world, the way we come together as a global community to help those countries that have been affected by natural disaster; The levels of love and compassion that we show as a world community in times of need, the spiritual revolution that I see as I travel and teach around the world is outstanding. The world community is hungry for more understanding and we are in many ways returning to basics and one of the basics is our Spiritual life.

The Mayas equated the cycle that we are leaving with the gestation of an embryo in the womb of a living woman, and they said that at the end of the gestation we are born into a new world that we won't be able to recognize, they don't say it will be the end of the world, they say it is the end of the world age.

So by definition if we are at the end of one cycle, we are about to begin a new one. Most people focus on the end and not the potential of a new beginning. Some people and groups believe that this is truly the end of the world, people are already stockpiling food, ammunition, cash and they are preparing their underground shelters.

So the question is what is really happening right now? We are definitely living the end of a 5125 year cycle and we are definitely living the end of a 25,626 cycle. The earth is definitely aligning with the Milky Way in this Galactic fashion and these alignments have definitely happened in the past. We have enough scientific data and evidence of what has happened in the past we just have to know where to look. If we do that we can get a good idea of what may happen.

Global changes are cycles and cycles like these have always brought global changes to the planet, when we experience global changes; we are changed as people as well. We must change in response to what the world gives us, and we have a choice as to how to respond, we can respond in fear identifying with the mass consciousness or choose a more enlightened way to become more, so we can give more back to the world.

Think about your chakra system as all of the planets in our solar system and think about your consciousness as the Milky Way, right now you have the opportunity to begin this alignment so when 2012 rolls around, you will be perfectly aligned within and without.

We do resonate with the external influences of the universe and like it or not you are being pulled into alignment or out of alignment if you identify with the external chaos that is in the world at this time.

Let's talk about the global changes and what they are:

The drop of the magnetic fields of the earth and this by the way is “the key to the whole thing”. There is a field around the planet like a membrane that protects us and the thicker it is the more protection we have from external influences, especially the rays of the sun, solar energy, plasma and radiation.

The weaker the shield is the more influence we have from the sun and when we get close to the end of a 5125 year cycle the field gets thinner, the planet gets warmer because we get more rays from the sun. The atmosphere warms up and then what happens to the ice and the polar caps? They melt, and what happens to the water? It goes into the oceans and the sea levels goes up, cold water goes into the ocean and changes its temperature and that produces climatic changes and severe weather patterns.

Industry has contributed to climate changes and global warming but this happens at the end of cycles even without industry, but what has happened is that we have accelerated the natural process that was already on the way by about a century. We have accelerated this process because of the Carbone base way of life that we have. We need to get off oil; we need to fuel our planet in a different way.

This accelerated global warming produces weather changes, and what we see is the decrease in food production and that affects us and makes us change as humans. More chemicals are added to our food and our genetics are changing. But at the same time at the close of these cycles is when we see tremendous spiritual growth, new religions, the deep inner desire to connect and discover our true nature, the desire of people to find deeper meaning in their lives and we are all witnessing this right now, look at what is happening all over the world with the “green movement” and all that is tied or connected to it.

All life is linked to the magnetic fields of the earth, if a few degrees of the tilt of the earth of 23.45° changes, that will end life on the earth as we know it. You will see how science shows us that we can have a positive impact on these magnetic fields, as long as we increase our vibration and we emanate positive energy, if we live from the heart and with a spiritual practice or discipline. This is what I call a heart centered living, a true journey to and from the heart.

So what can we expect for 2012? Let me quote Arnold Glasgow the famous philosopher, he said “the future is just the past returning through another gate” the key is, if you know how to read the signs from the past then you can more or less know what to expect for the future. This is precisely the way we can learn how to change the patterns and cycles that we repeat again and again.

Nature is a great place for us to look, because nature records the history of the past and nature builds itself with repeated patterns like holograms or fractals.

A hologram is often described as a three-dimensional picture. A hologram contains information about the size, shape, brightness and contrast of the object being recorded. This information is stored in a very microscopic and complex pattern of interference. The interference pattern is made possible by the properties of light. If a hologram breaks every little peace contains an image of the whole.

A fractal is "a fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts”, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole, a property called self-similarity. This follows what is known as the Fibonacci principle or the Golden Ratio. The Fibonacci principle follows a very specific pattern of duplication that nature and the universe use again and again to build itself, we see this in flowers, cactus, our bones, the seeds of the sunflower plant and the most beautiful to me the nautilus shell. The sequence is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, and it continues like this to infinity…. (Each number is the sum of the previous two).

A fractal is a pattern that nature uses to build the planet and the universe, our blood and DNA are built with this pattern, every flower, blade of grass, molecules of water all of them are built in the same way. Lightning bolts and neurons have the same identical pattern, atoms and the solar system have the same identical pattern but at a different scale. If we understand this relationship then we can see how by tuning into our cellular self we can tune into the atoms of the universe, and how we can tune into our own molecular structure for a deep magnetic resonance with the planet, the universe, and the self. The solar system is a fractal of an atom; an atom is a fractal of the solar system or the Milky Way but at different scales, and we are a fractal of all of them.

2012 is the end of the cycle and if we understand this concept we can use this time infused with heart and consciousness to change the patterns of what has not worked in the past.

This falls into a duplicating pattern, or sleep pattern that I call a cookie-cutter. What this cookie-cutter is; is a pattern of dysfunction that duplicates itself again and again from the time the original seed was planted. This works in two ways, the positive and negative if you let yourself go back as far back as you can to the first time in your life when you experience joy, that episode planted the seed that has duplicated again and again in your life, just as much and when you first experience pain, and when similar conditions or circumstances appear then the seed pattern will come up.

So if you know when the seed was planted, when the cycle began, then you have the opportunity to change it and heal it, you can bring it to the light. This is true for our personal lives as well as the planet. Let's make sure that you understand that the seed carries the condition in which the patterns will duplicate itself when similar conditions are present, and when they are, the pattern will come up again. So as each cycle begins it carries the conditions of the past, and as each cycle comes to an end it marks the space in between the beginning, and the end, and this space is a space where neither of them exists.

This is the space between thoughts, the goal of meditation or the space between breaths. When we inhale right before we excel, there is a space where neither one of them is present, just as much as the space between thoughts, were we find emptiness, silence and peace. This space is magical is the space up your potential, a space of creation of choice. So with these ideas in mind 2012 is a huge choice point for us. And the question is how will you use this time? Are you going to go in the right direction? Are you going to be in your heart and what will be your contribution towards a positive shift and change for the next cycle?

As I see it the opportunity is here and now, 2010 is a crucial year. By the time 2012 rolls around it's all over, so between 2010 and 2011 and up to December 2012 is the time for action, the time to focus internally so we can manifest externally and enter the new cycle free from all the karma that we have accumulated individually and as a planet over the past 5125 years.

How can we really make this happen? We can make it happen if we learn the language of the heart, the language of love, if we turn to compassion and understanding, of tolerance, a return to non-violence, to accepting one another to deeply want peace and love.

So we have to pay attention and listen to what the experts say that we are at this unique turning point and they're asking us; will we choose the best of all possible worlds as we go through the challenges of the end of cycles?

Let us go back to the magnetic fields of the earth because that is what this whole thing is about. These fields affect everything in our planet from us as humans to animals, oceans, atmosphere, everything. Imagine that you were born knowing how to communicate how to interact with these fields. Imagine that you can impact these magnetic fields and with that create positive change…. the truth is “you can”!!

Extensive research has been conducted by the Heart Math Institute in northern California. The whole purpose of the Heart Math Institute is the research of the human heart in ways that far exceed the physical functions of the heart. There scientists and researchers have found out that the layers of the Earth's atmosphere generate a field of energy that they call “ A Symphony of Frequencies “and some of these frequencies are on the same range of the human heart and the human brain. What that means is that when we create an experience that it has an emotional component we are at the same time linking with these fields. The beauty of this is that these influences can be measured.

So this is the way they find this out, we have some satellites orbiting around the earth, this satellites give us information every 30 minutes. There are in fact two of them one above the northern hemisphere and the one at the opposite end of the southern hemisphere. The name of these satellites is GCMS Global Coherence Monitoring System and their function is to measure the magnetic fields of the earth. Each of these measure independently and their charted frequencies is never identical; however back in September 2001 both satellites started giving the same reading on their charts. The specific date that I am talking about is September 11, 2001 and 15 minutes after the first plane hit the twin towers in New York, scientists were able to overlay the data to find out that the human emotion experienced by the attack impacted the magnetic Fields of the earth. If September 11 was not sufficient proof of this impact a few years later the same thing happened in quite a different way. On September 11 the measurement of the charts skyrocketed, on the second event the charts went all the way down to still point, I wonder if you're guessing you what the second event was? If you guessed the inauguration of President Obama, you are right the whole world was glued to their televisions holding their breath as this man took the oath of office to the presidency of the United States.

Two very opposite incidents, one filled with violence that shocked the world and the other with the hope of peace, the end the conflicts and off a better world. The scientists connected to the Heart Math Institute came with a hypothesis and it is “stronger collective emotion has some measurable impact on the magnetic fields of the earth”.

This is something that many shamanic and the spiritual cultures from around the world have known for a long time. What they say is that when you create a certain experience inside your body, that experience has the potential to impact the world around you.

So think about this potential, think about the fact that your heart and your brain are communicating constantly, your heart generates an emotion and sends a signal to your brain, and your brain produces the chemicals to qualify that information. So if your heart is feeling ill, negative, if it feels afraid or scared your brain produces a fight or flight chemistry, but if your heart produces feelings of love, kindness, compassion, gratitude, your brain is flooding your body with ant- aging hormones, so your heart is capable of producing divine impulses, your brain is then capable of producing the chemistry to engage the whole body and with that the totality of the experience of what I call beautiful emotions.

If you think about it this is truly how we experience the world, this is how we learn our lessons; we live our lives in this planet of emotions and now we know that we can qualify our hearts to produce something wonderful.

If we come together, the Lightworkers, the millions of people that care, if we unite our hearts and minds we can have a powerful impact on the planet, we can change any negative outcome concerning 2012. We can shift the consciousness of chaos to the consciousness of harmony and peace as long as we learn the language of the heart.

So 2012 is not the end of the world, but the end of the world age, and what follows an end is a new beginning. We are two years away from the beginning of the 6th world age another 5125-year-old cycle, so we are creating the foundation of another cosmic cycle, our thoughts and actions will determine the quality of this new beginning. So if that is not exciting I don't know what is!!

Time is moving on all of the players are in place, it is as if the planet is prepared to receive, is waiting for our contribution. Join me on this continued journey, the Journey of the Heart.

Ernesto Ortiz LMT, CST, noted artist, author and healer, Ernesto Ortiz has devoted his life to exploring and communicating the language of the heart, primal movement and deep inner spaces. Over the past 25 years, Ernesto has taken thousands of people on a journey from physical and emotional inertia to the freedom of ecstasy, from the chaos of the chattering ego-mind to the blessed emptiness of stillness and inner silence.

His Workshops and Retreats have an electric intensity that unifies the spiritual with the mundane, from the poetic discovery of the soul to the modern approach of ancient shamanic practices.

Ernesto is the primary facilitator for Journey to the Heart, he has been in the healing field for more than 20 years, has facilitated workshops and seminars in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Egypt, Bali, and France. Ernesto has been licensed as a massage therapist in Florida for 19 years, and has certifications in Neuromuscular therapy, Cranio Sacral therapy, Integrative/Holotropic Breathwork, GIM (Guided Imagery and Music), Hypnotherapy, Hot Stone Therapy and Trance Dance. Ernesto is an ordained minister.

Ernesto has spent many years studying and facilitating Indigenous Shamanic practices, and has studied with many teachers. From his early childhood he was exposed to shamanism and shamanic practices in Mexico, he continued his studies with indigenous teacher throughout South America. He has had the good fortune to study with some gifted teachers such as Michael Harner, Frank Natale, Robert Ghost Wolf, Starr Fuentes, Berret Eagle Bear, Mary Parker, Hellen Bony, Jackie Small, Marcel Vogel, Randall Bear, Dan Winter, Don Miguel Almena and more.

For more information, professional training and speaking engagements call Ernesto Ortiz at (305) 632-5603 or email your inquiries to Kiva101@aol.com. Visit his website at www.Journey2theheart.com © 2010 Ernesto Ortiz, & Journey to the Heart.

IMAGINAL CELLS AND THE AKASHIC RECORDS   Daily

IMAGINAL CELLS AND THE AKASHIC RECORDS By: Ernesto Ortiz LMT, CST I was in deep meditation when a flash-back from an incident that happened when I was 40 years old came up, the feelings and emotions surfaced, and I was faced with almost the same amount of pain that I had experienced then. This took me much by surprise, since I have taken 10 years to work on this by utilizing all kinds of wonderful techniques to erase and clear cellular memory. Some of the deep processes that I went through did not last just a year or 2 but almost the entire 10 year span that I am talking about, and during that time I could clearly see the implications or the threads to deeper issues and how many of them where connected to childhood, Mom, Dad and ancestral history. I have been in therapy, I have done Integrative/Holographic Breathwork, Somato Emotional Release, Past Life Regressions, Shamanic Journeys to recover fragmented pieces of the soul - you name it, I have worked on this issue for quite some time. Finally, I was able to reach the point that, when going back to revisit the issue, happily I could say that the emotional charge was gone! For a couple of years in meditation this issue would come up to my mind’s eye and I truly felt that it was just a memory without the emotion of pain behind it. A few months ago I was facing an emotional crisis. “So what is new?!” I said to myself, as old material feelings and emotional memories from the past do seem to come up every now and then, especially when I am facing difficulties based on my personal relationships. In order to gain grater understanding of the issue, I opened my Akashic Records, and there I entered into a very deep conversation with my Masters, Teachers, and the Lords of Akasha. The revelations and information that I received I found incredible, outstanding, and quite helpful. I have learned over the past 10 to 12 years to fully trust the information that I receive from the Akashic Records, as this information and energy has changed my life and has given me direction from a source of incredible love and wisdom. So the question for some of you is what are the Akashic Records? Where are they? How do we access them, and what kind of information is available to us? The Akashic Records are the recordings of one’s Soul’s experiences since inception. It is its past, present, and the possibility of its unfoldment in the future events. In Sanskrit Akasha is translated as primordial substance, that out of which everything is formed. There are numerous ways to access the Records, just as there are many ways to get from one city or country to another. One can travel by bike, bus, or train, or take an airplane. It is just a question of how fast or how directly you want to get there. We use a “Sacred Prayer” that gives us access to this realm instantly. This Holy prayer was given by Spirit and gives us the attunement or the key to enter this realm. Once in the Records, Spirit directs the course, and we are guided to retrieve the information that is most valuable for others or ourselves. The beauty of being able to access the Akashic Records in this way is that we don’t have to be a psychic or to have special abilities that may require years of training to develop this special talent. The Sacred Prayer contains the encoding that opens a portal for us to go to what I call the “library of congress” of the soul, where we are greeted by Masters that are eagerly waiting to answer any question that we may have about our soul’s growth and development. After we learn how to open the Records and we get fined tuned to this energy, we simply have to learn how to translate this information. Some of us receive information in images or by hearing or by sensing our feelings and emotions; the fact is that one way or another we will get information. It is as if we have the pass code to enter a special web site and once there, depending on the kind of equipment we have we can hear, see, and adjust the settings to view the page best. Going back to my experience and the information that I received from the Masters and Teachers, as I mentioned before, I was engaged in a deep conversation about this issue that I thought I had cleared, and now here it was almost as big as it was before after years of doing deep personal work! What my Masters and Teachers told me is that I was ready to receive information that could change the way we do personal healing and most likely would change our understanding of deeply rooted emotional issues. They told me that we have “Imaginal cells” in hiding, that these cells hide within our DNA, and that they awaken as a group at each year of our lives. What it means is that around our Birthday a new set of Imaginal cells awaken from their dormant stage, and only a small group awaken that have the matrix or memory from that year of our lives. These cells stack up with a program from past lives related to genealogy and karmic imprints, they stack up as if they where building blocks one on top of another within the DNA. The effect of these cells is felt at all levels mental, emotional and physical. They also affect the Chakra system and of course that in turn our emotions and actions. These Imaginal cells keep us from truly healing the issues and traumas that surface during our life. I was blown away to hear what I was hearing, as quite frankly I have never heard anything like this before. After receiving this initial information, I went and started asking my colleges, friends, healers, Buddhist monks, psychology friends… you get the picture, just about anyone that I could ask… if they have ever heard of Imaginal cells. And the answer was the same in all cases, “No”. Most people said that they sounded intriguing and just the sound of it made them want to know more about them. Needless to say, I have returned to the Akashic Records numerous times to ask for more information about these Imaginal cells, and here I present to you some of that information. Imaginal cells are cells that hide in between the strands of our DNA, and are more like energy bundles or quanta, it seams that they simple are energetic imprints and not visible at all. These Imaginal cells are milky white and shiny Pearlescent in color, and therefore they become almost invisible. These are cells that manifest at an energetic level, and since I am not a surgeon I cannot tell if they are visible under a microscope, though I would imagine they are not. Imaginal cells come from dysfunctional patterns that have been self-imposed, as well as from ancestral and genealogical patterns. These cells are carried forward from one lifetime to the next, and they hold the memory of the dysfunctional pattern from each previous life. Imaginal cells have an encoding program, and when is time for them to awaken they proliferate until they begin to resonate en mass. It is my sense that most of us possess an awareness of these Imaginal cells at the subliminal level of consciousness and that if we are doing deep inner work then the evolved self can be ready to awaken within us to their presence if we ask for the decoding of these cells. As we become aware of Imaginal cells we actually learn, grow, become stronger, and evolve. I am sure that for many as for me the question may come up, what has caused Imaginal cells to perpetuate as we continue to evolve? To this I don’t have a clear answer yet but my intuition tells me that they are deeply rooted and connected to our reptilian brain. These previously programmed cells have a deep influence as to how we behave and carry out our life at certain points during our growth process, and growth is not just during childhood but until we pass away. The program of Imaginal cells is to awaken from hiding at each year of our life, so from year one to the present we accumulate these Imaginal cells, as we grow old. Every year they awaken with one function, and that function is to confuse and disorganize the production of positive momentum as we move though life These cells stack up as if they where building blocks of life but they stack up creating blocks and obstruction. The structure of Imaginal cells includes a central cell body, from which there are eight tentacles or arms creating a star-like pattern. Underneath the arms or tentacles they have dozens of little arm-like hooks by which they attach themselves to the strands of DNA. These little hooks are very much like the hooks of Velcro. Imaginal cell Many people have been doing intense inner work for many years, and in the process of doing so they have been able to eliminate Imaginal cells from the time period of their life that they have done the work in. However as we move though life we may find that destructive patterns keep coming up or material from the time period of our life that we have worked with intensely is not totally erased. If so, then we can be certain that Imaginal cells are active. Once we have the awareness of Imaginal cells, then we are better equipped to erase them or remove them from our DNA. We work to delete the coding of the Imaginal cell and create a new program or activation for new cell reconstruction. The old coding has deep implications to reptilian involvement. As we move to eradicate these cells, any linkage to reptilian activity is permanently erased or deleted, and we move more in the direction of a genuinely transformed being, one that is becoming truly a universal enlightened being. Different techniques have been shown to me - from deep shotgun breathing techniques targeting each and every year of our life, to the use of the Akashic Records and “Grace Points” that manifest in the hands - to eliminate the Imaginal cells. Grace Points have been given to us from the Akashic Records to help us in the process of getting information, clarifying and integrating it, as well as clearing it as necessary once received. Grace Points surface in the soft tissue of either the left or right hand, and in most cases they surface in both hands to help us in balancing the masculine and feminine aspects of the issue we are working with, whether it is present history or past life material. What is important is that no matter what we must maintain a balance and equilibrium between the masculine and feminine polarities of the self. Grace Points and the information we receive from the Akashic Records can help us to do that. Grace Points can help us to: (1) Gain Clarity: Using “intention” and gentle touch of the grace points to re-direct the conscious mind to access the information you are seeking. Asking for clarity allows movement within the consciousness to open you to a new awareness or truth. (2) Release that which no longer serves you: Using “intention” and gentle touch of the grace points to release limiting conditions, patterns, false beliefs, past judgments, etc. to allow movement and transformation of stationary energy. Releasing limitations allows a shift in consciousness to replace a contracted memory with an uplifting memory. Releasing these old patterns helps to expand your comfort zones by bringing more balance to your inner state of being. (3) Integrate that which serves you: Using “intention” and gentle touch of the grace points to integrate new information and insights, to imprint positive experiences and awareness into your being. This includes all information that brings you into a place of love and Divine awareness. Grace Points are an escape valve for energy that has been stuck or stagnant to flow out of the body. Grace Points are a way to give physical manifestation to information received, a way to move energy they is like the escape valve from a pressure cooker so the steam can be released. In conclusion, we have in the Akashic Records a place where we can retreat and encounter absolutely no judgment or criticism, where we can feel embraced by the essence of the most pure love, the essence of the Divine and primordial substance. The Akashic Records, and the use of Grace Points, provide very powerful tools for our guidance and Self-transformation. They are a simple way of communicating with the Masters, Teachers, and the Lords of Akasha in order to receive useful information about issues that concern our soul’s growth and evolution, issues that we now know can persist and reside in the very deep and only recently revealed realm of Imaginal cells, and that we are then able to clarify, heal, and release forever. Ernesto Ortiz is recognized as an inspiring facilitator, teacher, and therapist. His training started at an early age with Shamans and Curanderos in Mexico and South America. Ernesto has been in the healing field for more than 25 years. As a practitioner, he incorporates numerous healing techniques such as Bodywork, CranioSacral Therapy, Karmapa Reiki, Integrative Breathwork, the Akashic Records, Shamanic Healing, and more. Ernesto is the president of "Journey to The Heart", a company dedicated to the upliftment of consciousness and the Well-Being of people. Our aim is to integrate with practical tools the Physical with the Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual bodies. We are a school with no walls. We offer classes and workshops worldwide including: Akashic Records classes and workshops (all levels), Hot Stone Massage classes and therapist certification programs (three levels), Karmapa Reiki Classes Level I, II and Master, CEU’s offered for all classes. Psychospiritual Integration Workshops are also offered, including: Integrative Breathwork, Transformational Breathwork, SERT (Somato emotional Repatterning Therapy), Shamanic workshops, Trance Dance, and more. Ernesto has been in private practice and teaching in Miami, Florida for 14 years. He has facilitated numerous workshops and seminars in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, and the Caribbean, and he has been featured in magazines like Allure, Cosmopolitan, and Selecta as one of the best massage therapists from coast to coast. To schedule a class in your area email at Kiva101@aol.com or visit our website at www.Journey2theheart.com

PUT YOURSELF IN THE FUN ZONE   Daily

"What we as a whole are seeking is not an adrenalin rush, but it is EMOTIONAL ENERGY. It is an aliveness of mind and spirit that connects us to vitality and the joy of life." "So many of the clients in my therapy practice tell me that their lives used to have meaning, but that somewhere along the line things went stale, the joy is gone. The foundation is there, but the urgency is missing." "The first step in solving this meaning shortage is to ..."

Ten Qualities to Cultivate in Life   Daily

Ten Qualities to Cultivate in Life By: Ernesto Ortiz We benefit immensely when we see elders, roll models and spiritual guides (gurus), as guides that can teach thoughtfully with specific goals in mind. In fact the first example that we have of these, our first gurus are our father and mother, no matter if we like it or not that was the first influence we had, our first roll models. Must parents want the best for their child and they teach by example, explanation and giving advice and direction. They can only teach as far as they have been able to learn and experience themselves, and many of us as we grow up look outside of the values we where given by these first gurus for something bigger, higher, something we know we can use to uplift our lives to the next level of our own personal potential. When we think of gurus, we automatically think of teaching. When we look at ourselves as gurus, we realize the importance of our roll as teachers with our children (if we have them), friends, co-workers, and the community at large. Have you ever found yourself giving advice to someone? Where is that advice come from? It comes from your personal experience and in doing that you are acting like a guru. What that means if we are becoming conscious is that we must be personal responsible for the advice that we give to others and how we take and give to life itself. Here are ten key qualities we want to possess in order to be happy, spiritual and successful, to live our lives to the fullness of our personal potential. Live them and teach them to your children, and share them with others. 1. Positive Self-Concept: The confidence that one is a radiant, magnificent, immortal soul worthy of a wonderful life. Giving constructive encouragement and refraining from denigrating remarks or actions, even when correcting misbehavior, creating habits in our lives that nurture this image, learning how to control our previous programming and change our relationship with life. Feeling the radiant Self worth that is within us all. 2. Perceptive Self-Correction: The ability to quickly draw the lesson from each experience and resolve how not to repeat one’s mistakes. Teaching that mistakes are not bad develops this quality; they are opportunities to learn and refine our behavior. Mistakes are the stepping-stones of learning experiences they build character and wisdom. 3. Powerful Self-Control: The restraint of destructive emotions, such as anger, jealousy, greed, altered ego, when tempted to express them. This is cultivated by example and by referring often to the ten restrains taught in Hinduism known as the Yamas, finding illustrations of them in daily life. a) Ahimsa: Non-violence. Abstinence from injury, harmlessness, the not causing of pain to any living creature in thought, word, or deed at any time. This is the "main" Yama. The other nine are there in support of its accomplishment. b) Satya: truthfulness, word and thought in conformity with the facts. c) Achaurya: non-stealing, non-coveting, non-entering into debt. d) Brahmaacharya: Divine conduct, restrain, faithful in relationship. e) Kshama: patience, releasing time, functioning in the now, ability to be present. f) Dhriti: steadfastness, overcoming non-perseverance, fear, and indecision; seeing each task through to completion. g) Daya: compassion; conquering the hardening of the self, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings. h) Arjava: honesty, straightforwardness, renouncing deception and wrongdoing. i) Mitahara: moderate appetite, neither eating too much nor too little; mantaining a healthy diet. Avoid the consumtion of heavy meats. j) Shaucha: purity, avoidance of impurity in body, mind and speech. 4. Profound Self-Confidence: The dignity that endows an individual confronted with a difficult task the certainty that he or she can accomplish it. This is cultivated by helping a child from the early stages of life to gradually accomplish more and more difficult tasks. 5. Playful Self-Contentment: A disposition that is fun loving, happy, satisfied. This is developed by living and verbalizing the adventure that life is meant to be. To learn to live life joyously, spending fun time together, satisfied with what we have, not dissatisfied over what we lack. 6. Sacred or Devotional Character: Abidance in the higher nature, treating others with kindness and appreciation, and seeking the blessings of God, Gods and guru. It is cultivated by worship regularly, meditating and prayer. 7. Proficiency in Conflict Resolution: The knack of resolving disagreements using intelligence and seeking a win-win situation. It is cultivated by example and situation teaching demonstrating how intelligence is superior to violence in dealing with conflict. 8. Parental and Love Relationship Closeness: An eagerness to spend time with loved ones because of an enduring bond of love and understanding. This propensity is developed by sharing quality time together, expressing love—hugging and saying often the three magic words “I love you,” and by positive, methods of reinforcement. 9. Prejudice-Free Consciousness: An open-mindedness that readily embraces differences in ethnic background and religion. It is cultivated by living and teaching that the whole world is our family and all beings are divine, by discussing prejudices, mixing with those of other backgrounds and eliminating bigoted remarks or ethnic generalizations. 10. Gratitude: To be able to look at what life brings us as a wonderful way of learning, with that the opportunity to grow and be better to share with our loved ones and the world with appreciation. To demonstrate our gratitude to everyone for what we have and for what we don’t have. To be grateful for life itself. I hope that this 10 qualities are re enforced in your life and that the New Year brings you love, happiness and you develop the Mind of Enlightenment. Om Shanti Ernesto

The Akashic Records, One Sure Constant Thing…   Daily

The Akashic Records, One Sure Constant Thing… By: Ernesto Ortiz The fact that we are living in the age of technological advancement and achievement is no mystery, we just have to look back ten to fifteen years. It is quite amazing what we can do now from our homes with computer technology. Scott Gardner, knowledge management expert explained at the annual meeting for the SMART Toronto Technology Association in early 2003: The world’s collective library of recorded information is expected to double every 11 hours by the year 2010 So what? We may ask; It took a millennium and a half (from the year 1 A.D. to the year 1500 A.D.) for humankind's knowledge base to double. It is now doubling about every 15 months. Eight years from now, it will be doubling every half-day. Will you be able to keep up when everything you thought you knew at breakfast becomes obsolete before dinner? So the question is, what will remain constant and true in our lives? The one thing that does are the laws of Nature. The laws of cause and effect, law of gravity, law of abundance, law of growth, law of love and more. Our ancestors studied these laws and where able to get to the point of understanding and master the art of living with nature. Living in balance and harmony is an art; it is the art of co-creation. As long as we identify and understand the role of nature in our lives, and how these laws of nature mirror us humans from within, we can then have a greater understanding about ourselves. The amount of technology out there is mind boggling, so much information built into some of the items we use in our daily lives. Like our cell phones, have many features built in that we don’t need or use. How much time we spend in trying to learn these instruments? PDA’s, cell phones, computers etc. and by the time we do the new one is already out. All of this is external stuff, and all of it comes with a manual. If we really want to understand it and use it properly, we have to take the time to read and apply what we have learned to the machine. All of this takes precious time, and even then most of the features we will not need or use. At times I have thought the most complicated and beautiful creation is the human being. It is too bad we don’t come with an instruction manual so our parents, friends and most of all ourselves can read and understand the intricacies of the self. There is a blue print, a matrix that is built in or encoded within the self. Our DNA plays a big role in this, also ancestral genealogy influences this blue print; we can label it many different things, past lives, Karma, or encoded DNA. The bottom line is, there are patterns sitting in our sub conscious that get activated at different times in our lives that make us do, and act and re-act to situations in many strange ways. That reaction sometimes is very surprising to us. When this happens we can then question, how is it that I reacted like that? Or where that did come from? Often when our curiosity or desire to know is activated, what many of us do is to go “without” instead of “within” to look for answers to our inner most questions. We may feel something brewing deep within, a desire, or longing. Sometimes we feel uncomfortable because of the way we are handling situations, especially with people we love. So what do we do…? We go outside the self. We have made some psychics very rich and famous by taking to them many important questions about our inner process. If we don’t we retreat to other worldly distractions, like video games, TV, rock music, gossiping with friends, tarot card readers, palm readers, fortune tellers, etc. We humans are constantly looking for several things, we make them a life long quest; these things are Love, knowledge, acceptance and validation. We move through life searching for someone to come and validate our process, someone to share his or her wisdom and knowledge. But life goes on and we continue facing our complications and dealing with the stress of life. Why do we go outside the self if we have heard and possibly know that “we contain within all the knowledge and wisdom we need”? No one knows more about ourselves that we do! About 10 years ago I was introduced to the Akashic Records. I remembered reading in different sacred scriptures about the Book of Life or the Book of Knowledge, and also about Akasha. That word “Akasha” captivated me. It had an energy that took me deep within. It has been my understanding that on this realm, in the Hall of Records there is a volume, a Book of Life that contains our souls progress since inception. “Wow, cool, very cool if that is the case, where do I go to read it? How do I access this magnificent document”? The Akashic Records are primordial substance it is the realm where all souls information is contained. It is past, present and the possibility of the unfoldment of future events. I was taught to open my Akashic Records and it has been the most valuable spiritual tool that I have had in the past ten years. Going back to Scott Gardner’s information, tells me that all accumulated knowledge will be old or obsolete with the planetary acceleration we are experiencing; though my need for validation and personal knowledge will continue. One thing I do know “universal laws are constant”. The Akashic Records are constant. My spirituality is constant, and that I will continue seeking for Truth and personal knowledge. Opening the Akashic Records is simple, and every time I “go there” I get a greeting, an outpour of love and compassion from the Lords of Akasha, from the Masters and Teachers. The Akashic Records are the manual, the guidebook for my life. No, I don’t use the Records as a crutch to validate my every day moves, I certainly exercise my free will, but for deep guidance and direction about my life, for inspiration about classes that I teach, lectures, art projects and more, the Akashic Records and the guidance from Masters and Teachers are there. Opening the Akashic Records is simple. Most of my students are blown away at the simplicity of entering the Akashic realm. Spirit wants to make things simple for us; it is we humans that complicate things. The Akashic Records are part of an ancient tradition and the way is taught and passed is via the oral tradition. There is so much more to learn about the Records other than a simple “Sacred Prayer” to open them. We have to learn how to communicate with the Lords of Akasha and how to translate the information we receive, with this we become confident of our connection and communication, and we open ourselves up to the most caring and sincere guidance and Love. The Akashic Records are encoded Light language, which is Sacred geometry or words encoded in fire, so learning how to interpret the information is crucial. We start learning to use our inner senses to give words and interpretation to what we receive; we also start getting fine-tuned to this new energy. One of the most important things to know in this communication is the “art of questioning”, in doing this we can get deep, very deep in our conversations with the Masters and Teachers. From these depths of the self is where most significant healing occurs, patterns of addiction, codependency and more surface so we can gain clarity and understanding. Then we can exercise one of the most beautiful gifts we posses, the gift of free will and choice to make the necessary changes in our lives. Working with my Akashic Records almost daily is wonderful but having the opportunity to open the Records for someone else is an incredible experience, one that I honor and treasure as sacred. The personal transformation that people go through as the result of the energy from the Records is incredible. People can receive information and validation about issues in their lives, while receiving an energy that is most delicious and healing. We can say that the information is coming to satisfy our need to know, and validate. The energy is coming to heal, as we feel accepted and loved. As the times change and information change, retreat to the knowledge and wisdom of the Akashic Records for your growth and guidance. This I assure you will be a most beautiful and profound guiding light in your life. Ernesto Ortiz is recognized as an inspiring facilitator, teacher and therapist. His training started at an early age with Shamans and Curanderos in Mexico and South America. As a Certified practitioner he incorporates numerous healing techniques such as Bodywork, CranioSacral Therapy, Karmapa Reiki, Integrative Breathwork, the Akashic Records, Shamanic Healing, and more. Ernesto is the president of "Journey to The Heart" a company dedicated to the upliftment of consciousness and the Well-Being of people. It’s aim is to integrate with practical tools the Physical with the Mental, Emotional and Spiritual bodies. We are a school with no walls, and offer a variety of classes and workshops like: Hot Stone Massage classes and therapist certification programs (three levels), Karmapa Reiki Classes Level I, II and Master, CEU’s offered for all classes. Akashic Records classes and workshops (all levels), Psychospiritual Integration Workshops like: Integrative Breathwork, Transformational Breathwork, Holographic Repatterning, Emotional Release, Shamanic workshops, Trance Dance, Relationship Workshops and more. Ernesto is the creator of D.R.E.A.M. Chamber a structure used for Healing that applies the principles of Sacred Geometry and Vibroacustics. Ernesto has been in private practice and teaching in Miami Florida for 18 years. He has facilitated numerous workshops and seminars in the US, Canada, Australia, the Caribbean, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala and has been featured in magazines like Allure and Cosmopolitan as one of the best massage therapists from coast to coast. To schedule a class in your area email at Kiva101@aol.com or visit his website at www.journey2theheart.com

The Akashic Records……. Are Primordial Substance   Daily

The Akashic Records……. Are Primordial Substance By: Ernesto Ortiz In our times and with the levels of stress that we experience in our lives, we are constantly looking for answers to the situations that happen to us every day. Some of us go outside of ourselves to get those answers; we go to Psychics, Tarot card readers, looking for a word of confirmation that can validate some of what we are seeking in our lives. Whether that is an answer to a question about a relationship, dissatisfaction with our job or how to handle and best serve a family member etc. I have always been full of questions like that, and every time I went outside of myself looking for the answers, like when I went to a Psychic, I felt that there was something missing in the answers I received. That the person was giving me an interpretation of what he or she was reading from my energy field from my vibration, and not so much from deep within my soul. I wanted to understand what my soul journey is about and what keeps the record of my actions and the accumulation of my lives experiences. Yes, I could go and have gone to past life regressions but these again are the interpretation of the reader. True revelation occurs when I have had a De ja Vu about being someplace, an experience that leaves me with goose bumps, with a solid validation of who I am. Seeing or feeling this Deja Vue experience is confirmed by me. No doubt some people have the ability to tune into Higher Realms of Consciousness, just as no doubt a lot of people tune into the Lower Realms. The astral plane I think is not a very desirable place to obtain Higher Guidance information, because that is the plane where lower entities and discarnates abide. Reading Edgar Casey and finding out that he received most if not all of his information from the Akashic Records was fascinating to me. So the question was how do I tune into the frequency that bypasses the astral plane and get to the Realm where Masters and Teacher abide? When I was a young boy, I read in the Bible about the Book of Life. I was always so intrigued, what is the Book of Life? Then I started reading spiritual books and I heard about the Recording Angels, and I started questioning, who are they and what do these Recording Angels record? I discovered that the Recording Angels have a fascinating job, which is to record the life events of individuals and then take that information to the Hall of Records, which is the place where all of our soul’s history is recorded. There the information is given to the Record Keepers and is filed in our own Book of Life. As I see it, the Hall of the Akashic Records is like the library of Congress of the Soul, and to have access to that Hall is the most incredible thing because we can retrieve information that lies deep in our own Soul’s History. So what is Akasha, what is and how do we access the Akashic Records? The Akashic Records are the recordings of one’s Souls experiences since inception. It is past, present and the possibility of unfoldment in the future events. In Sanskrit Akasha is translated as primordial substance; That out of which everything is formed. So the question is how to access the Akashic Records? There are numerous ways to access the Records, just as there are many ways to get from one City or Country to the other. One can travel by bike, bus, train or to take an airplane. Is just how fast or how directly you want to get there. We use a “Sacred Prayer” that gives us access to this realm instantly. This Holy prayer was given by Spirit and gives us the attunement or the key to enter this realm. Once in the Records Spirit directs the course and we are guided to retrieve the information that is most valuable for others or ourselves. The first time I opened my records, I felt like a great love emanating from this realm and a wonderful warm welcome, accompanied by voices welcoming home. I knew I was touching upon something very Sacred and of a very highly refined energetic force. I could sense the love of Masters and Teachers as I was guided in answers to my questions. I was full of visuals and words that where resonating within me, I was feeling the essence of Spirit at work, and I was in the middle of it being the witness. What I was feeling is that I was being aligned to a very High and Sacred energy, one that I was feeling physically as well as emotionally. I felt my capacity to open more from the heart, as all of my energy was being centered there. The consultation comes from a detached point, but from great love and wisdom. We don’t get judge, as this information is unfolded before us. The information may come to us in many forms; words, pictures, sensations and perceptions as our inner sensory receptors are awakened and fine-tuned. We open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we allow the illumination to come to us. Learning to open your own Akashic Records can be one of the most useful tools of the new Millennium there is no need to go outside the self to Tarot cards and psychics when we have Masters and Teachers and the Lords of the Akashic Records ready to provide that information for us. Self-inquiry is one of the most potent tools available to us that is why Satsang (spiritual inquiry) is such an invaluable tool. We can use the Akashic Records as our own Satsang tool. Learn it and see the amazing reward of having Your Masters and Teachers and the essence of pure love present in your life by accessing this magnificent realm with a simple Sacred prayer. For additional information, go to www.Journey2theheart.com For classes and private consultations please contact Ernesto at: Kiva101@aol.com or (305)595-1668 Ernesto Ortiz is recognized as an inspiring facilitator, teacher and therapist. His training started at an early age with Shamans and Curanderos in Mexico and South America. As a Certified practitioner he incorporates numerous healing techniques such as Bodywork, CranioSacral Therapy, Karmapa Reiki, Integrative Breathwork, the Akashic Records, Shamanic Healing, and more. Ernesto is the president of "Journey to The Heart" a company dedicated to the upliftment of consciousness and the Well-Being of people. It’s aim is to integrate with practical tools the Physical with the Mental, Emotional and Spiritual bodies. We are a school with no walls, and offer a variety of classes and workshops like: Hot Stone Massage classes and therapist certification programs (three levels), Karmapa Reiki Classes Level I, II and Master, CEU’s offered for all classes. Akashic Records classes and workshops (all levels), Psychospiritual Integration Workshops like: Integrative Breathwork, Transformational Breathwork, Holographic Repatterning, Emotional Release, Shamanic workshops, Trance Dance, Relationship Workshops and more. He has facilitated numerous workshops and seminars in the US, Canada, Australia and the Caribbean, and has been featured in magazines like Allure and Cosmopolitan as one of the best massage therapists from coast to coast. To schedule a class in your area email at Kiva101@aol.com or visit his website at www.Journey2theheart.com

Tian Di Bamboo Massage.   Daily

Tian Di Bamboo Massage. The Art of Massage with Bamboo By: Ernesto Ortiz LMT, CST I have been teaching my own modality of Hot Stone massage for 10 years. This popular type of massage is offered in different kind of spas as well as by many self employed therapists. But what I am feeling is that we are turning from the age of stone to the gentler, more flexible medium of bamboo. So we can say we are turning from the age of stone to the age of bamboo. In this era of advance technology, we live our lives surrounded by computers, cell phones, and fast foods. People have been carried away from the primal experience. We are in need of something simpler and more authentic. Just look around and see what has been taking place. Eastern philosophies have arrived in the West. Yoga studios and meditation classes abound in every city. With that, there is a new awareness of mindfulness. People are learning that the fast pace we keep only produces stress, and we are looking for ways to eliminate it. Worldwide we are seeking for organic diets, natural medicine, essential oils, and more teas and less caffeine. With that awareness comes responsibility. When thinking about the world of massage therapy, what came to me is the use of the more gentile medium of bamboo. Bamboo is one of the must multifaceted plants in our planet. It has earned its reputation from its noble and soft appearance as well as its perseverance under harsh conditions. In the Orient, bamboo symbolizes strength, fertility, youth, prosperity and peace. I have had the great opportunity to travel around the world. In China, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan I have seen incredible structures made with bamboo. Festivals and rituals have, in many cases, used bamboo as the must essential element in the creation of sacred spaces. Many families grow a bamboo forest around their temples as a secure barrier against evil spirits. People know that bamboo sings with the wind bringing an atmosphere of peace and serenity. Bamboo is certainly one of the most versatile plants. It has spiritual, mythological and many practical applications. We can eat it (bamboo shoots). We can build aqueducts, furniture, homes, mats and floors. We can create musical instruments, tools and utensils. Flutes, marimbas, baskets, needles, fishing nets and hooks are just a few examples. We can also use its fiber for the production of paper and textiles. Bamboo has been used for thousand of years as an herbal remedy in Chinese Medicine. In Hawaii and South Pacific islands, a traditional knife for cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn was fashioned of bamboo since they believe that metal can cause harm to the new born. Bamboo has a unique energy all of its own, one that has a special magnetism; this plant emerges from the earth and grows straight and tall, as if it wants to reach the heavens. From this plant and energy, we make our bamboo tools. When I was in Bali about two years ago, I was walking one early morning in Monkey Forest in the town of Ubud. Monkey Forest is a park, a temple and the habitat for hundreds of monkeys that roam free and wild. It was around 6:30 am and was no one there, just me and lots of monkeys. I noticed one of them rubbing a piece of bamboo against a stone. He was filing the rough edges and then… He started massaging his body with the stalk of bamboo!!! My eyes opened so wide. But that is not all; another monkey came over, asking the one with the bamboo stick to work on him. He turned his back to him and bugged and bugged until the monkey with the stick started massaging him. I said to myself, there is nothing more primal and natural that this! That vision stayed within me. And that was the original idea for the creation of the new style of massage. Tian Di Bamboo Massage, is a modality that I have been successfully practicing and instructing for more than a year. Tian Di Bamboo Massage Tian Di in Chinese means heaven and earth; this gives the meaning and primary objective to this therapy. A human being is part of the universe and a universe unto itself. Our intention is to help our clients to maintain harmony between their bodies, earthly component and their heavenly aspects, their minds and souls. To attain our gold we utilize the transformational power of heaven sustained by the nourishing and comforting strength of earth. To develop this therapy, I have taken many concepts and basic principles from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). As I was working on expanding this technique, I realized that it would be incomplete, if just bamboo is used for the session. What bamboo will bring to the surface needs to be removed from the body. This is why other techniques were added. Tian Di bamboo Massage as a completed therapy is divided in three major segments: Massage with bamboo, Cupping, and Gua Sha techniques. With the bamboo massage we also work at three levels of experience. They are the potential for impacting and changing our client’s responses. Those levels will overlap throughout the treatment and can be described as the Physical, Mental-Emotional, and Spiritual. The Segments • Massage with Bamboo: I call the bamboo sticks Cho sticks. Cho is bamboo in Chinese. We view the Cho sticks as conducts to all levels of experience. They are the first instruments we use in the Tian Di session. A set of Cho sticks is arranged by numerous sizes and cuts of bamboo, varying in lengths and diameters. We have 6”, 10” and 16” sticks, cut in specific ways for tapotement, digging and gliding. Bamboo is essential and unique because its walls are covered with silica. This creates an outer cover of tiny quartz like crystal matrixes that are activated when they encounter the right conditions of mechanical stress. The two main properties of quartz are Piezo and Pyro electricity. This is what produces an energetic charge, so unique that science and industry, as well as the metaphysical world, have been interested and using it for many years. Piezoelectricity is activated with pressure, and Pyroelectricity with heat. As we work, we apply pressure to the body with the bamboo stick and the friction that is created will activate the molecular structure in the silica… and bang!! We have a powerful tool that is charged and will create dramatic and permanent changes. For your clients, it is a new way of feeling. As they get worked on with the Cho sticks the energy that is contained within the walls of the bamboo is transferred to them, creating a series of unique and new sensations. Most people describe these as: tingling all over, feeling connected to the earth, feeling like the bamboo is bending and conforming to the body. It is amazing how hot the bamboo gets as you where working on me. I feel alive and energized. These are just a few of the many comments that you will her from your clients. There are many benefits for the practitioner as well. Using the Cho sticks minimizes stressing and straining the hands and fingers, while still allowing for deeply penetrating maneuvers. At the same time, as we hold the Cho sticks, that energy is transmitted to us as well, which will help us to maintain strong and healthy hands and wrists. This is particularly important for all therapists, since those parts are the most susceptible to injury in our profession. Once you start working with the tools and learning how to feel through the bamboo, they become an extension of your hands and fingers. But the bamboo is also a channel for us, taking our massage to a more meaningful level, giving our work a new depth and dimension. The levels of work: • The Physical When we apply the piezoelectric principles to the body, the electrical and thermal energy activates peripheral circulation. Enhanced circulation will remove stagnant toxins and move blood throughout the body, heart and lungs, improving internal respiration. Oxygenated blood will return nutrition and healing aid to the cells and tissues of the affected areas. This enables your work to be deeper, to relax and realign muscle fibers without causing micro tears. Working with the Cho sticks is like creating a Ying-Yang, cause and effect. It is giving your client’s body space for healing. • Mental-Emotional Emotionally, this therapy provides a total sense of relaxation. While the client’s body is feeling the warmth and the flexibility of the bamboo, an earth dance will take place around the table with the musical sound of the Cho sticks. Stagnant emotions will surface once the client feels relaxed, nourished, and has reached a point of trust. The love that we, as therapists, bring to the session will encourage them to freely release and process all their “negative stuff.” With a clear mind and resolved emotions there will be balance and connection. The client will experience a healthy relation between the heaven above and the earth below. • The Spiritual Tian Di Bamboo massage will reach whatever level of spirituality you’re at. If you don’t connect with the Cho sticks on a spiritual level, if you don’t bring that body/mind/spirit awareness to your session, two people are loosing, you and your client. While on the table, it is not unusual for clients to express their experience in profound terms. “You just changed my life,” “I had resolution about…. that I have been dealing or working on,” “I saw and dialoged with my mother/father and found a space of love and resolution,“ “I had a past life experience that is bringing me vitality and hope…” Even for those that are not able to connect as deep or as high, there will be an experience. They will be able to feel and understand that something profound has taken place. It is not unusual that the effects of Tian Di therapy continue for days after the session. It is as if you have opened a portal and allowed the newness of the experience to enter and linger there. Cupping and Gua Sha: These techniques work more at a physical level. They come as an aid to finish the work done with the Cho sticks. They suction and sweep away what has surfaced from the treatment. • Cupping Cupping involves placing suction cups on the skin with a vacuum-like device to deeply work on acupressure points along the channels and meridians. The original cups were made of bamboo but today there are cups made of glass and plastic as well. The technique is very effective to relieve stagnation. Stagnation refers to congestion or accumulation of fluids, lymph, Qi or blood due to lack of movement of any kind. Cupping is the opposite of massage. In massage therapy, for the must part, we do compressions. We do skin rolling, we lift some, but it is superficial. With cupping, however, we suction and lift. As we glide slowly with the cups, the suction is able to penetrate far deeper than with any other tool we may have. Cupping therapy can aid numerous conditions, ranging from chronic pain, stiff muscles or joints, fatigue, emotional and psychological states, and even problems with organs. Cupping has been found to penetrate the tissue four inches into the body, stimulating blood flow, helping tissues release toxins, and supporting the lymphatic system. • Gua Sha This technique dates back over 2,000 years. It uses round-edged instruments made of horn, stone, bone or pieces of jade, to work along the surface of the skin to promote vitality and flow. In Tian Di Bamboo Massage, we use jade and horn as Gua Sha tools. In Chinese, Gua (gwa) means to scrape or extract and Sha (shaw), means sand or toxins. So we literally scrape or sand off toxins from the body as they surface from the bamboo and cupping treatment. This ancient method is used to promote Qi or bioelectric vital life energy, blood circulation and removal of toxic heat, stagnant blood and lymph fluid from the body. Any patient that suffers from stiff joints, chronic pain, poor circulation, stiff muscles, lymphatic congestion, fatigue, and more will benefit from this treatment. These three techniques together, Bamboo massage, Cupping and Gua Sha, make a complete and powerful Tian Di session. The beauty of it is that you as the therapist can choose to use one, two, or all three methods during the session depending on the needs of the client. As the world expands in knowledge, we expand and we learn more. We receive inspiration and guidance to use tools made out of natural resources. We slowly move back to basics and we impart the benefits of nature to our friends, clients, family and the world. Ernesto Ortiz LMT, CST Noted artist, photographer, author and healer, Ernesto has devoted his life to exploring and communicating the language of the heart, primal movement and deep inner spaces. Ernesto has a school with no walls, and has facilitated workshops in the US, Canada, Egypt, Bali, Australia, the Caribbean, South America and Puerto Rico. Ernesto is recognized in the holistic, health and metaphysical field as an inspiring facilitator, teacher and therapist. His training began at an early age in Mexico with Curanderos and Shamans and has continued for many years with world-renowned teachers in Transpersonal Psychology, Shamanism, Music Therapy, Bodywork and more. Ernesto is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as an Approved Provider, as well as the Florida Board of Massage For more information and to schedule training please contact Ernesto @ Kiva101@aol.com and visit his website @ www.journey2theheart.com

Tian Di Bamboo Massage.   Daily

Tian Di Bamboo Massage. The Art of Massage with Bamboo By: Ernesto Ortiz LMT, CST I have been teaching my own modality of Hot Stone massage for 10 years. This popular type of massage is offered in different kind of spas as well as by many self employed therapists. But what I am feeling is that we are turning from the age of stone to the gentler, more flexible medium of bamboo. So we can say we are turning from the age of stone to the age of bamboo. In this era of advance technology, we live our lives surrounded by computers, cell phones, and fast foods. People have been carried away from the primal experience. We are in need of something simpler and more authentic. Just look around and see what has been taking place. Eastern philosophies have arrived in the West. Yoga studios and meditation classes abound in every city. With that, there is a new awareness of mindfulness. People are learning that the fast pace we keep only produces stress, and we are looking for ways to eliminate it. Worldwide we are seeking for organic diets, natural medicine, essential oils, and more teas and less caffeine. With that awareness comes responsibility. When thinking about the world of massage therapy, what came to me is the use of the more gentile medium of bamboo. Bamboo is one of the must multifaceted plants in our planet. It has earned its reputation from its noble and soft appearance as well as its perseverance under harsh conditions. In the Orient, bamboo symbolizes strength, fertility, youth, prosperity and peace. I have had the great opportunity to travel around the world. In China, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan I have seen incredible structures made with bamboo. Festivals and rituals have, in many cases, used bamboo as the must essential element in the creation of sacred spaces. Many families grow a bamboo forest around their temples as a secure barrier against evil spirits. People know that bamboo sings with the wind bringing an atmosphere of peace and serenity. Bamboo is certainly one of the most versatile plants. It has spiritual, mythological and many practical applications. We can eat it (bamboo shoots). We can build aqueducts, furniture, homes, mats and floors. We can create musical instruments, tools and utensils. Flutes, marimbas, baskets, needles, fishing nets and hooks are just a few examples. We can also use its fiber for the production of paper and textiles. Bamboo has been used for thousand of years as an herbal remedy in Chinese Medicine. In Hawaii and South Pacific islands, a traditional knife for cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn was fashioned of bamboo since they believe that metal can cause harm to the new born. Bamboo has a unique energy all of its own, one that has a special magnetism; this plant emerges from the earth and grows straight and tall, as if it wants to reach the heavens. From this plant and energy, we make our bamboo tools. When I was in Bali about two years ago, I was walking one early morning in Monkey Forest in the town of Ubud. Monkey Forest is a park, a temple and the habitat for hundreds of monkeys that roam free and wild. It was around 6:30 am and was no one there, just me and lots of monkeys. I noticed one of them rubbing a piece of bamboo against a stone. He was filing the rough edges and then… He started massaging his body with the stalk of bamboo!!! My eyes opened so wide. But that is not all; another monkey came over, asking the one with the bamboo stick to work on him. He turned his back to him and bugged and bugged until the monkey with the stick started massaging him. I said to myself, there is nothing more primal and natural that this! That vision stayed within me. And that was the original idea for the creation of the new style of massage. Tian Di Bamboo Massage, is a modality that I have been successfully practicing and instructing for more than a year. Tian Di Bamboo Massage Tian Di in Chinese means heaven and earth; this gives the meaning and primary objective to this therapy. A human being is part of the universe and a universe unto itself. Our intention is to help our clients to maintain harmony between their bodies, earthly component and their heavenly aspects, their minds and souls. To attain our gold we utilize the transformational power of heaven sustained by the nourishing and comforting strength of earth. To develop this therapy, I have taken many concepts and basic principles from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). As I was working on expanding this technique, I realized that it would be incomplete, if just bamboo is used for the session. What bamboo will bring to the surface needs to be removed from the body. This is why other techniques were added. Tian Di bamboo Massage as a completed therapy is divided in three major segments: Massage with bamboo, Cupping, and Gua Sha techniques. With the bamboo massage we also work at three levels of experience. They are the potential for impacting and changing our client’s responses. Those levels will overlap throughout the treatment and can be described as the Physical, Mental-Emotional, and Spiritual. The Segments • Massage with Bamboo: I call the bamboo sticks Cho sticks. Cho is bamboo in Chinese. We view the Cho sticks as conducts to all levels of experience. They are the first instruments we use in the Tian Di session. A set of Cho sticks is arranged by numerous sizes and cuts of bamboo, varying in lengths and diameters. We have 6”, 10” and 16” sticks, cut in specific ways for tapotement, digging and gliding. Bamboo is essential and unique because its walls are covered with silica. This creates an outer cover of tiny quartz like crystal matrixes that are activated when they encounter the right conditions of mechanical stress. The two main properties of quartz are Piezo and Pyro electricity. This is what produces an energetic charge, so unique that science and industry, as well as the metaphysical world, have been interested and using it for many years. Piezoelectricity is activated with pressure, and Pyroelectricity with heat. As we work, we apply pressure to the body with the bamboo stick and the friction that is created will activate the molecular structure in the silica… and bang!! We have a powerful tool that is charged and will create dramatic and permanent changes. For your clients, it is a new way of feeling. As they get worked on with the Cho sticks the energy that is contained within the walls of the bamboo is transferred to them, creating a series of unique and new sensations. Most people describe these as: tingling all over, feeling connected to the earth, feeling like the bamboo is bending and conforming to the body. It is amazing how hot the bamboo gets as you where working on me. I feel alive and energized. These are just a few of the many comments that you will her from your clients. There are many benefits for the practitioner as well. Using the Cho sticks minimizes stressing and straining the hands and fingers, while still allowing for deeply penetrating maneuvers. At the same time, as we hold the Cho sticks, that energy is transmitted to us as well, which will help us to maintain strong and healthy hands and wrists. This is particularly important for all therapists, since those parts are the most susceptible to injury in our profession. Once you start working with the tools and learning how to feel through the bamboo, they become an extension of your hands and fingers. But the bamboo is also a channel for us, taking our massage to a more meaningful level, giving our work a new depth and dimension. The levels of work: • The Physical When we apply the piezoelectric principles to the body, the electrical and thermal energy activates peripheral circulation. Enhanced circulation will remove stagnant toxins and move blood throughout the body, heart and lungs, improving internal respiration. Oxygenated blood will return nutrition and healing aid to the cells and tissues of the affected areas. This enables your work to be deeper, to relax and realign muscle fibers without causing micro tears. Working with the Cho sticks is like creating a Ying-Yang, cause and effect. It is giving your client’s body space for healing. • Mental-Emotional Emotionally, this therapy provides a total sense of relaxation. While the client’s body is feeling the warmth and the flexibility of the bamboo, an earth dance will take place around the table with the musical sound of the Cho sticks. Stagnant emotions will surface once the client feels relaxed, nourished, and has reached a point of trust. The love that we, as therapists, bring to the session will encourage them to freely release and process all their “negative stuff.” With a clear mind and resolved emotions there will be balance and connection. The client will experience a healthy relation between the heaven above and the earth below. • The Spiritual Tian Di Bamboo massage will reach whatever level of spirituality you’re at. If you don’t connect with the Cho sticks on a spiritual level, if you don’t bring that body/mind/spirit awareness to your session, two people are loosing, you and your client. While on the table, it is not unusual for clients to express their experience in profound terms. “You just changed my life,” “I had resolution about…. that I have been dealing or working on,” “I saw and dialoged with my mother/father and found a space of love and resolution,“ “I had a past life experience that is bringing me vitality and hope…” Even for those that are not able to connect as deep or as high, there will be an experience. They will be able to feel and understand that something profound has taken place. It is not unusual that the effects of Tian Di therapy continue for days after the session. It is as if you have opened a portal and allowed the newness of the experience to enter and linger there. Cupping and Gua Sha: These techniques work more at a physical level. They come as an aid to finish the work done with the Cho sticks. They suction and sweep away what has surfaced from the treatment. • Cupping Cupping involves placing suction cups on the skin with a vacuum-like device to deeply work on acupressure points along the channels and meridians. The original cups were made of bamboo but today there are cups made of glass and plastic as well. The technique is very effective to relieve stagnation. Stagnation refers to congestion or accumulation of fluids, lymph, Qi or blood due to lack of movement of any kind. Cupping is the opposite of massage. In massage therapy, for the must part, we do compressions. We do skin rolling, we lift some, but it is superficial. With cupping, however, we suction and lift. As we glide slowly with the cups, the suction is able to penetrate far deeper than with any other tool we may have. Cupping therapy can aid numerous conditions, ranging from chronic pain, stiff muscles or joints, fatigue, emotional and psychological states, and even problems with organs. Cupping has been found to penetrate the tissue four inches into the body, stimulating blood flow, helping tissues release toxins, and supporting the lymphatic system. • Gua Sha This technique dates back over 2,000 years. It uses round-edged instruments made of horn, stone, bone or pieces of jade, to work along the surface of the skin to promote vitality and flow. In Tian Di Bamboo Massage, we use jade and horn as Gua Sha tools. In Chinese, Gua (gwa) means to scrape or extract and Sha (shaw), means sand or toxins. So we literally scrape or sand off toxins from the body as they surface from the bamboo and cupping treatment. This ancient method is used to promote Qi or bioelectric vital life energy, blood circulation and removal of toxic heat, stagnant blood and lymph fluid from the body. Any patient that suffers from stiff joints, chronic pain, poor circulation, stiff muscles, lymphatic congestion, fatigue, and more will benefit from this treatment. These three techniques together, Bamboo massage, Cupping and Gua Sha, make a complete and powerful Tian Di session. The beauty of it is that you as the therapist can choose to use one, two, or all three methods during the session depending on the needs of the client. As the world expands in knowledge, we expand and we learn more. We receive inspiration and guidance to use tools made out of natural resources. We slowly move back to basics and we impart the benefits of nature to our friends, clients, family and the world. Ernesto Ortiz LMT, CST Noted artist, photographer, author and healer, Ernesto has devoted his life to exploring and communicating the language of the heart, primal movement and deep inner spaces. Ernesto has a school with no walls, and has facilitated workshops in the US, Canada, Egypt, Bali, Australia, the Caribbean, South America and Puerto Rico. Ernesto is recognized in the holistic, health and metaphysical field as an inspiring facilitator, teacher and therapist. His training began at an early age in Mexico with Curanderos and Shamans and has continued for many years with world-renowned teachers in Transpersonal Psychology, Shamanism, Music Therapy, Bodywork and more. Ernesto is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as an Approved Provider, as well as the Florida Board of Massage For more information and to schedule training please contact Ernesto @ Kiva101@aol.com and visit his website @ www.journey2theheart.com

TRANCE DANCE   Daily

"Imagine a darkness so intense that you get completely lost and inundated by it a darkness where sound and silence are the same this is the place the melting pot of all there is, out of these darkness comes inspirations, memories, ancient visions and healing. This is the place of creation the laboratory of the self."

Trance Dance – Dance Bold, Strong, Sensual, Mild and Wild   Daily

Trance Dance – Dance Bold, Strong, Sensual, Mild and Wild By: Ernesto Ortiz I stepped into the dance floor hesitant, not knowing what to expect. I have heard about Trance Dance before but have not experienced it made me a bit anxious; I love dancing and have been doing it for a very long time as well as perusing my spiritual development. We sat in a circle once everyone was there, the facilitator Ernesto Ortiz asked us to simply be present. An atmosphere of safety was created, I could not see it but I could definitely sense it, maybe it was the fragrances and scents that where lingering on the air or maybe it was the soft light or the hypnotic music that he was playing. I could feel just by being there a shift in my consciousness and I was ready to embark on a journey of dance, movement, spirituality and joy. I was feeling a bit fearful because I have never danced blindfolded; I guess Ernesto picked up on that because one of the first questions he asked was about fear, and what where the feelings and emotions present within ourselves? A good question to ask, then following that question was another, what are you afraid of? You will be blindfolded so you can get transported to your own inner darkness, the seclusion of the self, the place where magic and miracles happen, the place where alchemy takes place, if this inner darkness is the laboratory of the self, what are you afraid of? Fear is lack of love, and fear paralyzes you from taking action and action that in many cases is translated to an adventure, and you are here to love yourself to dance and go within to go within and look for what is holding you back. Trance Dance has all the elements to engage you to look at the fear and acknowledge that fear is “frozen fun” so go take this opportunity to dance and move to look at what is frozen inside and whirl, move, open your throat chakra give your feelings expression so you can warm up from within and create. Trance Dance has its origins as a type of ritual dance one that has been used by all cultures to connect to the Divine, to pray and move to ecstasy. Ritual dance has been used and it is used today by many indigenous cultures by the Shaman, the medicine men or woman to invoke to connect with the spirits of nature, the spirit of the earth or the spirits of the sky, the spirit guides. From this place they can access the realm that is normally not visible or visited by the many but as real as the reality that we know as our own. So much we can learn and use today in our every day life in our modern society from Shamanism. Trance Dance is one of the many aspects of Shamanism that we can explore even though we don’t live in an indigenous culture, in TD one of the aspects that is formed is the tribal community, and we come together to explore and celebrate. This is an opportunity to use and engage the body to access an altered state of consciousness the place where all healing occurs. Ernesto explained that TD is meditation in motion and sometimes that is active meditation and not the quiet silent one, that we where going to explore inner realms we where going to become the Shaman, shape shift our reality become the animal or the angel, or both. The most important part of the TD session is to allow it to happen. So the question is how do we create this inner darkness? In ancient times or when we have the opportunity to TD under the canopy of the stars the night provides the darkness that is necessary for the experience. The way we do it today is by the use of a blindfold or a bandanna this is a simple tool that cuts the external reality and gives us the opportunity to go deep within. If you meditate at all, then you know that the moment you close your eyes and take one deep breath you go… Go deep within, this is the same but it lasts a lot longer this way we can have the freedom of knowing we are cutting outside influences for our inner experience. The second element that is used in TD is the TD breath. Breath is the most powerful tool we have within the self to heal, we can live without water or food for a number of days but we can only last a few minutes without breath. Our breath is the giver of life and we don’t use it effectively during our days or during our life. Breath is the activator the trigger to push us into an altered state of consciousness and that is one of the goals of TD. Ernesto said that in the 18 + years of facilitating TD and Breath related workshops he has not lost a single person by hyperventilating or rapid breathing this made me feel better about breathing during the experience. The TD breath is two rapid and deep inhalations and one rapid exhalation, try this a few times and you will see how with just a few breaths you’ll feel a shift. You are of course not expected to breath like this for the two-hour music session, you breath when you feel you need to be push deeper within. The music is the magic carpet and the breath is the fuel that makes you fly. The music is at the core of the sessions it is the heart, what gives life, it is the music that will provide all of the elements that will trigger the feelings and emotions that we should be dancing to. No steps to follow, not dancing with anyone and no one dancing with us. The music started mild, soft, these allows for the body to start moving and exploring as the music progressed we where reminded to breath, the music changed and I started feeling the sensual and undulating rhythms that the music provided I was In my body but outside the body, or was it that I was so deep within the self that all of became one or the same? The music started creating images and from the images I started having emotions that took me into an inner exploration, I became the inner archeologist, the explorer and with this tremendous excitement to continue dancing, moving, allowing and experiencing. The music went from mild soft, sensual to wild and chaotic and I followed along and became just as wild, sweat was poring down my body, I was drenched and in total union with the self. My spirit and I where completely united in ecstasy and the beauty of it all is that I was aware of it. I could feel, feel everything around me even though we where all blindfolded I could feel the energy of other people around me, I felt like I was dancing with others at times mimicking their moves and at times I was completely along in my own dancing world. I did do what Ernesto had suggested; to use the floor as a blank canvas and to paint a picture of my creation based on my feelings, and what a beautiful picture I painted tonight. Ritual Trance Dance is definitely for me, it is not only a wonderful exercise but an incredible tool to explore my deep feelings and emotions and to use my body as I dance to let go of what no longer serves me and bring back the ecstasy, the feelings of joy and connection with my self, with spirit and the Divine. By the end of the session I was in a beautiful quiet space of deep tranquility and peace in a deep space of meditation that for me is very difficult to achieve as I get bombarded with the inner noise of my day-to-day life. The music at the end was angelic, hypnotic, and yes, I was in a space of ecstasy. Ernesto at the beginning of the session invited us to dance hard, to dance bold, to dance sensual, to dance wild or mild, to bring to the dance session what we had accumulated during the week and use this opportunity to let it go, to allow it to transform into something different, special beautiful and useful. What a tremendous experience one that I will not forget, one that I will repeat again and again. Ernesto Ortiz is recognized as an inspiring facilitator, teacher, and therapist. His training started at an early age with Shamans and Curanderos in Mexico and South America. Ernesto has been in the healing field for more than 35 years. As a practitioner, he incorporates numerous healing techniques such as Trance Dance, Bodywork, CranioSacral Therapy, Karmapa Reiki, Integrative Breathwork, the Akashic Records, Shamanic Healing, and more. Ernesto is the president of "Journey to The Heart", a company dedicated to the upliftment of consciousness and the Well-Being of people. Journey to the Heart is a school with no walls, offering classes and workshops worldwide including: Akashic Records classes and workshops (all levels), Hot Stone Massage classes and therapist certification programs, Tian Di Bamboo Massage, Karmapa Reiki Classes Level I, II and Master, CEU’s offered for all classes. Psychospiritual Integration Workshops are also offered, including: Integrative Breathwork, Shamanic workshops, Trance Dance, Tantric Shamanism and more. Ernesto has been in private practice and teaching in Miami, Florida for 19 years. He has facilitated numerous workshops and seminars in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, Indonesia, Egypt, Latin America and the Caribbean. To schedule a class in your area email at Kiva101@aol.com or visit our websites at www.Journey2theheart.com

TRIBAL TRANCE DANCE   Daily

TRIBAL TRANCE DANCE By: Ernesto Ortiz LMT, CST I was surrounded by darkness, a darkness produced by wearing a bandanna blindfold. It created a sensation similar to having my fingers in my ears, but this time it was a visual “silence” with my eyes closed, instead of a silence produced by plugging my ears. The music was loud and tribal, with passionate rhythms that I could feel all over my body. It was as if all of the cells and neurons in my body were responding spontaneously to the music. The darkness was so beautiful, supportive, and complete, and I wasn’t dancing with anyone and no one was dancing with me. I could not control my body. It was simply responding spontaneously to the music. Sweat was pouring down my whole body and at times I could not even feel my body…I was alone dancing in this darkness. I was Trance Dancing! As I expanded my awareness, I could feel the others dancing around me. I could not see them, but I could feel them and could feel well beyond my normal perception of reality. I started to hear sounds coming from the other dancers, sounds of ecstasy, and an occasional gentle touch of someone. If I wanted, I could feel as if my dancing was mimicking the movements of another. Wow, what a rush! The music changed, turning wild and I… found myself in the forest, running along beside a black panther. She was guiding me, taking me for a ride as the music disappeared into a background of explosive sounds, primitive sounds…I was feeling my primal self. I kept on going with the panther. We went over a river to a water hole where we stopped and I jumped in to swim. My body was all wet, and I was in total communion with nature and the elements of my experience. The music changed again and again, going from wild to mild, and after an hour and forty-five minutes of dancing the music turned to be sublime. It elevated me to a space, a sacred space that I have felt before: a delicious space of completeness and reverence, of ecstasy and total elevation of the self. What an experience! And to think that some people have to use drugs or substances to alter their consciousness to feel this way! We accomplish this with powerful evocative music, movement, and the Trance Dance breath. What is Tribal Trance Dance? Trance Dance, as we know it today, is a blend of ancient rituals with a modern techno-twist. Ultimately, it is a way of recognizing our ancient heritage and applying it to our modern lifestyle. We can go as far back as we can in time and we find evidence of it in the history of dance and movement. If we look at Shamanic practices from all over the world, we can clearly see that our original relationship to dancing and movement was for the purpose of connecting with a Higher Self, to worship, and to heal. Our ancestors viewed nature -- the earth and all of its elements -- as sacred, as an expression of God and the Divine. The goal, then, became to duplicate nature, to mimic what we saw as a part of creation of life and death. To duplicate nature through movement and sound was the first and most powerful way to connect with God and Spirit. We learned to use our bodies as the instrument that could carry the energy and the vibration to make this possible. We learned how to dance to ecstasy, to celebrate with our bodies that we were alive. Spiritual dancing is a cross-cultural phenomenon. It is something that we witness in all cultures from every continent on this planet, each simultaneously embracing unique dance forms based on that particular culture’s environment, their perception of reality, and the animals and elements of nature present within their domain. Their purpose in dancing has universally been to enter the consciousness of, or become the spirit of, the sun, moon, and various animals and forms of plant life. It was to call in the spirits or to drive them away. Indigenous people -- and we all come from indigenous people -- have been called the guardians of the Earth. It is an apt description and goes beyond a mere acknowledgment that indigenous people are respectful of nature and it’s resources. Indigenous people are descendants of the original inhabitants of the planet that have been colonized or overrun by others. But even then they have not lost their passion for dancing and expressing their connection with the Earth and with Spirit through Ritual Dancing. We have some beautiful examples from around the world, including many Native American nations from the US and Canada, the aborigines of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand, the Saami of Northern Scandinavia, people from innumerable oceanic islands throughout the globe, and more. We have examples of their ritual music in the Balinese Keckak, the Hawaiian Hula, the Kayapo from Brazil. The beautiful Wodaabe from North Africa chant, clap, drum, and dance for seven days in ritual and pleasure. The instruments that are used also play an important part of the Ritual Dance and the induction to an altered state of consciousness. We have instruments like the drum that mimics the heart beat, the didjeridoo, rattles, the human voice as is used by Tibetan Tantric singing…all are used to drive us deeper within the self. Through these dance rituals, participants believed that the spirits within nature could empower them with abilities such as courage and compassion, as well as reveal insights into the future. After my experience with Tribal Trance Dance I can say that this is indeed true. The sense of empowerment I felt as the result of running with my black panther friend and animal guide, and the way my body felt: this is very likely quite similar to what native people feel like after one of their rituals. Anyone can Trance Dance because there are no steps to follow and no external expectations. The Higher Self knows the steps, and once awakened, Spirit takes over. It is a journey out of your head and into your heart and body, something that we modern humans seem to need so much. Dance is synonymous with Prayer, a demonstration of reverence. Dance is a doorway to the soul or spirit within and if you dance into the state of ecstatic trance you will connect completely to the healing powers of Spirit. Trance Dance is pure ecstatic energy. Trance Dance is the vehicle by which you become that energy and that's what makes it remarkable. At the level of Spirit, anything is possible. Trance Dance is meditation in motion, the vehicle that takes you from outward to go deep within to explore and be an active participant in that exploration. We use the body as an instrument of the Divine, and we engage in the exploration of our feelings and emotions, aided by music and the breath. So where do end up after a Trance Dance experience? Well, to me we end up in a state of very deep meditative and ecstatic bliss, a state of unlimited potential, and a sacred space where spontaneous healing occurs. Ernesto Ortiz is recognized as an inspiring facilitator, teacher, and therapist. His training started at an early age with Shamans and Curanderos in Mexico and South America. Ernesto has been in the healing field for more than 25 years. As a practitioner, he incorporates numerous healing techniques such as Bodywork, CranioSacral Therapy, Karmapa Reiki, Integrative Breathwork, the Akashic Records, Shamanic Healing, and more. Ernesto is the president of "Journey to The Heart", a company dedicated to the upliftment of consciousness and the Well-Being of people. Our aim is to integrate with practical tools the Physical with the Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual bodies. We are a school with no walls. We offer classes and workshops worldwide including: Akashic Records classes and workshops (all levels), Hot Stone Massage classes and therapist certification programs (three levels), Karmapa Reiki Classes Level I, II and Master, CEU’s offered for all classes. Psychospiritual Integration Workshops are also offered, including: Integrative Breathwork, Transformational Breathwork, SERT (Somato emotional Repatterning Therapy), Shamanic workshops, Trance Dance, and more. Ernesto has been in private practice and teaching in Miami, Florida for 14 years. He has facilitated numerous workshops and seminars in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, and the Caribbean, and he has been featured in magazines like Allure, Cosmopolitan, and Selecta as one of the best massage therapists from coast to coast. To schedule a class in your area email at Kiva101@aol.com or visit our websites at www.Journey2theheart.com

TRIBAL TRANCE DANCE   Daily

TRIBAL TRANCE DANCE By: Ernesto Ortiz LMT, CST I was surrounded by darkness, a darkness produced by wearing a bandanna blindfold. It created a sensation similar to having my fingers in my ears, but this time it was a visual “silence” with my eyes closed, instead of a silence produced by plugging my ears. The music was loud and tribal, with passionate rhythms that I could feel all over my body. It was as if all of the cells and neurons in my body were responding spontaneously to the music. The darkness was so beautiful, supportive, and complete, and I wasn’t dancing with anyone and no one was dancing with me. I could not control my body. It was simply responding spontaneously to the music. Sweat was pouring down my whole body and at times I could not even feel my body…I was alone dancing in this darkness. I was Trance Dancing! As I expanded my awareness, I could feel the others dancing around me. I could not see them, but I could feel them and could feel well beyond my normal perception of reality. I started to hear sounds coming from the other dancers, sounds of ecstasy, and an occasional gentle touch of someone. If I wanted, I could feel as if my dancing was mimicking the movements of another. Wow, what a rush! The music changed, turning wild and I… found myself in the forest, running along beside a black panther. She was guiding me, taking me for a ride as the music disappeared into a background of explosive sounds, primitive sounds…I was feeling my primal self. I kept on going with the panther. We went over a river to a water hole where we stopped and I jumped in to swim. My body was all wet, and I was in total communion with nature and the elements of my experience. The music changed again and again, going from wild to mild, and after an hour and forty-five minutes of dancing the music turned to be sublime. It elevated me to a space, a sacred space that I have felt before: a delicious space of completeness and reverence, of ecstasy and total elevation of the self. What an experience! And to think that some people have to use drugs or substances to alter their consciousness to feel this way! We accomplish this with powerful evocative music, movement, and the Trance Dance breath. What is Tribal Trance Dance? Trance Dance, as we know it today, is a blend of ancient rituals with a modern techno-twist. Ultimately, it is a way of recognizing our ancient heritage and applying it to our modern lifestyle. We can go as far back as we can in time and we find evidence of it in the history of dance and movement. If we look at Shamanic practices from all over the world, we can clearly see that our original relationship to dancing and movement was for the purpose of connecting with a Higher Self, to worship, and to heal. Our ancestors viewed nature -- the earth and all of its elements -- as sacred, as an expression of God and the Divine. The goal, then, became to duplicate nature, to mimic what we saw as a part of creation of life and death. To duplicate nature through movement and sound was the first and most powerful way to connect with God and Spirit. We learned to use our bodies as the instrument that could carry the energy and the vibration to make this possible. We learned how to dance to ecstasy, to celebrate with our bodies that we were alive. Spiritual dancing is a cross-cultural phenomenon. It is something that we witness in all cultures from every continent on this planet, each simultaneously embracing unique dance forms based on that particular culture’s environment, their perception of reality, and the animals and elements of nature present within their domain. Their purpose in dancing has universally been to enter the consciousness of, or become the spirit of, the sun, moon, and various animals and forms of plant life. It was to call in the spirits or to drive them away. Indigenous people -- and we all come from indigenous people -- have been called the guardians of the Earth. It is an apt description and goes beyond a mere acknowledgment that indigenous people are respectful of nature and it’s resources. Indigenous people are descendants of the original inhabitants of the planet that have been colonized or overrun by others. But even then they have not lost their passion for dancing and expressing their connection with the Earth and with Spirit through Ritual Dancing. We have some beautiful examples from around the world, including many Native American nations from the US and Canada, the aborigines of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand, the Saami of Northern Scandinavia, people from innumerable oceanic islands throughout the globe, and more. We have examples of their ritual music in the Balinese Keckak, the Hawaiian Hula, the Kayapo from Brazil. The beautiful Wodaabe from North Africa chant, clap, drum, and dance for seven days in ritual and pleasure. The instruments that are used also play an important part of the Ritual Dance and the induction to an altered state of consciousness. We have instruments like the drum that mimics the heart beat, the didjeridoo, rattles, the human voice as is used by Tibetan Tantric singing…all are used to drive us deeper within the self. Through these dance rituals, participants believed that the spirits within nature could empower them with abilities such as courage and compassion, as well as reveal insights into the future. After my experience with Tribal Trance Dance I can say that this is indeed true. The sense of empowerment I felt as the result of running with my black panther friend and animal guide, and the way my body felt: this is very likely quite similar to what native people feel like after one of their rituals. Anyone can Trance Dance because there are no steps to follow and no external expectations. The Higher Self knows the steps, and once awakened, Spirit takes over. It is a journey out of your head and into your heart and body, something that we modern humans seem to need so much. Dance is synonymous with Prayer, a demonstration of reverence. Dance is a doorway to the soul or spirit within and if you dance into the state of ecstatic trance you will connect completely to the healing powers of Spirit. Trance Dance is pure ecstatic energy. Trance Dance is the vehicle by which you become that energy and that's what makes it remarkable. At the level of Spirit, anything is possible. Trance Dance is meditation in motion, the vehicle that takes you from outward to go deep within to explore and be an active participant in that exploration. We use the body as an instrument of the Divine, and we engage in the exploration of our feelings and emotions, aided by music and the breath. So where do end up after a Trance Dance experience? Well, to me we end up in a state of very deep meditative and ecstatic bliss, a state of unlimited potential, and a sacred space where spontaneous healing occurs. Ernesto Ortiz is recognized as an inspiring facilitator, teacher, and therapist. His training started at an early age with Shamans and Curanderos in Mexico and South America. Ernesto has been in the healing field for more than 25 years. As a practitioner, he incorporates numerous healing techniques such as Bodywork, CranioSacral Therapy, Karmapa Reiki, Integrative Breathwork, the Akashic Records, Shamanic Healing, and more. Ernesto is the president of "Journey to The Heart", a company dedicated to the upliftment of consciousness and the Well-Being of people. Our aim is to integrate with practical tools the Physical with the Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual bodies. We are a school with no walls. We offer classes and workshops worldwide including: Akashic Records classes and workshops (all levels), Hot Stone Massage classes and therapist certification programs (three levels), Karmapa Reiki Classes Level I, II and Master, CEU’s offered for all classes. Psychospiritual Integration Workshops are also offered, including: Integrative Breathwork, Transformational Breathwork, SERT (Somato emotional Repatterning Therapy), Shamanic workshops, Trance Dance, and more. Ernesto has been in private practice and teaching in Miami, Florida for 14 years. He has facilitated numerous workshops and seminars in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, and the Caribbean, and he has been featured in magazines like Allure, Cosmopolitan, and Selecta as one of the best massage therapists from coast to coast. To schedule a class in your area email at Kiva101@aol.com or visit our websites at www.Journey2theheart.com

TWELVE SIGNS OF AWAKENING   Daily

"These are times of heightened awareness, tremendous input of information from the media and a deep inner desire to understand what is going on..." "But then there is something deeper than that going on..." "We are in the process of conscious awakening. No, you are not alone….And these are some of the signs..."

Why Sacred Travel?   Daily

Why Sacred Travel? By: Ernesto Ortiz At one time or another many people that follow a spiritual path feel that what they are not doing is enough. We practice, meditate, pray, go to classes, groups and with all of these it seams that we are not expanding to the level and or the capacity of our true potential. We know that we are far more and we struggle a bit, we wrestle with the How, not only if we are doing it right but how to keep and contain what we have learned or acquired. The moment we take a break from the session or the class the cell phone rings and there comes the distraction, it is no different from getting home and having something going on that will do the same thing, open the computer get into returning emails, driving the car and being attacked by the energy of other drivers and on and on… So what do we do in order to maintain and keep an experience anchored in our cellular memory? How do we keep an experience that will sustain us during crazy and difficult times? If we give ourselves the gift of having a powerful experience in an extraordinary place, if we remove ourselves from ordinary reality and go to extraordinary reality, to a place or places that are so foreign to us, places of power, places that are super charged with the energy of antiquity, beauty, spirituality, places where we can escape the cell phone, the computer, car, home and all other distractions in our lives and just sit, with the teaching and the teacher. We sit in the energy of the environment and we drink the energy of the place that we are visiting, we allow all of our senses to be immerse in this way of being. For the most part we are all visual, this is one of the ways we learn from the times we are babies we start associating visually the world and the sight allows us to remember and we have some imprints that will last for the rest of our lives. This is precisely what will happen during a Spiritual Travel experience, we take in visually the place a place that will move us to an extraordinary space in our lives, but wait that is not all… We do have other senses that will come to add to the experience, after all many of us use sight to navigate through life but we are not visual learners. So this place of magic and beauty has the ingredients that we incorporate with our hearing... Have you ever been to a place so magical that the sounds make you close your eyes and take in the place or event by hearing? What about if to that experience you could add scents and now you have the sound and the scents to add to your experience and you still have your eyes closed. You begin to feel intoxicated by it all, your body feels different and that is creating new sensations that now you are adding to your experience. Many of us are feeling people and we need to feel in order to learn and here we are sitting and feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing creating the totality of an experience that bursts with it all, colors and sights so different from our reality. Imagine sitting on a balcony or a Ghat, where you could be doing all of this without being disturbed where people are doing just the same and you are able to create the totality of this experience by simply sitting and taking it in. Imagine that you open your eyes and before you is an golden orange sunrise, the vibrant colors are being reflected in the calm waters of a river right before your eyes, the Ganga is right there giving life, providing for you and for thousands the sacredness of the experience. You look around and there are hundreds of people walking freely to the river to pray, to do ritual, bathe, and honor the mother, the giver of life and you… Taking it all in and allowing all of the cells of your body to drink of this experience, nothing else matters right now, this is your time, you have created this experience and it is so extraordinary that you are creating a cellular imprint that will last forever. Thousand of colorful saris, or sarongs, man and woman walking in front of you, looking into your eyes without the fear of being seen, smiling at you with an honest and open smile. You look different to them but they acknowledge the Sacred in you, they honor you and they give you this from the heart. With this you feel and become so open that you don’t experience the fear or the uncomfortable experience to enter someone else’s eyes, it is an invitation to be and partake of the beauty of the soul an invitation to see through the eyes as the windows to the soul. How do you expose your soul to others, others that are inviting you in and want nothing in return just to be there and to share sacred space with you? This kind of experience can happen to you in India Holy land for many and for many centuries, it can happen in many other places Like Bali where the people are sweet and well balanced in their male female energies, where they honor the female and they have true devotion and ritual, this can happen in the forest, in the desert in places where you bring into your life the extraordinary, places that take you away from the mundane and you imprint in your cellular memory by using all of your senses an experience that will last for a lifetime. Sacred travel for me has been this and more over the past many years as I have traveled the world, it has and continues to change me with each place, with each experience, with each interaction that I have with the rituals that I am able to create for me and the groups that come with me. We learn, we honor others and ourselves in the group, we grow and we have fun. Because after all we live in the prime piece of beautiful universal real state call the earth and it has been created for us, so we can enjoy it and share it with others humans, animals plants, so during this journeys we have fun. And this to me has been my primary method of learning with fun and joy with the child like attitude that all of us had before we where 12 and that little by little we left behind and became adults. An open heart, devotion, ritual, love for what we do and the gift of sharing it with others is what make it worth wile and an experience like that, will last for a lifetime, it will sustain you and in difficult moments and will bring a smile to your face. So take the time and give yourself the gift of embarking on a journey to a far and distant place remove yourself from your ordinary reality and step into the unknown create an adventure with a certain amount of risk, become the explorer, the adventurer and conquer from within, and you will see that after this you will be different the new you, that comes back with more to offer to your family, friends, community and the world. Ernesto has spent many years traveling, studying and facilitating Spiritual oriented classes, Indigenous Shamanic practices and Psychospiritual Integration workshops. From his early childhood he was exposed to shamanism and shamanic practices in Mexico, he continued his studies with indigenous teacher throughout South America. He has had the good fortune to study with some gifted teachers from all over the world. For more information, Sacred Travel Adventures, professional training and speaking engagements call Ernesto Ortiz at (305) 632-5603 or email your inquiries to Kiva101@aol.com. Visit his website at www.Journey2theheart.com © 2002 Ernesto Ortiz, & Journey to the Heart