The selfcentered Tour - A meditation inspired revolution for authenticity seekers

Day Four of my 30 Day Vow of Silence - Independence Day!

Darshana Atman — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:19:00 GMT

Wow, what an amazing day to be Free!

I opened my eyes this morning, to such a beautiful morning light coming through the high windows and filling the vaulted ceilings of the place I am now staying at for a few nights. This place is amazingly serence, alive, and beautiful. There are plants, fruit trees and life everywhere. After waking up, I enjoyed a private dip in the ozone filtered pool. Not only was it great to float around in a pool that needs no chlorine to remain clean, but the surroundings were the icing on the cake. The pool is inside a large greenhouse filled with even more plants, and the water is heated. Oh, it was heaven.

Eventually, I brought myself away from the arduous meditation of floating around on a pool raft, took a shower and began my day. As I stepped outside to my car to rearrange some things, the neighbor (and landlord of the property I'm staying at) approached me with a friendly smile and said hello. We hadn't met yet, and I responded to his hello by bringing my hands together in prayer position and bowing to him. He asked if I was visiting and stood waiting for an introduction. I looked at him blankly for a moment, then signaled that I couldn't speak and impulsively step forward, taking him into a warm embrace.

When we separated, he looked at me kindly, said thank you, and proceeded to go into the house to talk with the actual tenants. When I returned they were deep in discussion about my practice. My friends had filled him in on what I was doing. It was a cool way to meet a new person - no false words of introduction, or titles to get in the way.

I completed some design work and online marketing, and then loaded up my backpack, grabbed my bicycle, and started to ride down toward the beach. I am so happy to have a working bicycle again. The difference of being able to travel somewhere, free from the confines of a large metal box, fueled by my own exertion and not the oily agenda of a abusive industry, is so liberating. I love feeling the wind in my face, burn of my muscles working, and the occasional bug that smacks you in the forehead as you ride. Ok, maybe that last part, I don't like so much.

I arrived down at Swami's Beach in Encinitas to a wonderful scene of Acro-yogis, slack liners (like tight roping), hula hoopers, and musicians. I have such awesome friends. This was the first annual Fly and Pie 4th of July Acro-Yoga Kula. I was greeted with such love and warmth, everyone so supportive of my vow and attentive to my communications without speech. I did yoga, hula hooped, danced, a little sword fighting, played the drums, took a swim in the water, surfed a little, and gave many hugs throughout the day and evening.

While climbing a tree (I get very monkey-like at these gatherings), I twisted my right wrist and strained it. Suddenly, my ability to write things down became very painful. My practice was forced to go deeper. No speaking, and very little writing. The rest of the night continued very nicely. I even got to make a group announcement via pantomime, a few words written, and my friend Meeshi reading and interpreting. Several people did energy work on my wrist and warmed my heart with their dedicated love. My friend Andrew gave me and my bicycle a ride home to end the night. The final comment from Andrew, as I got out of the car, was an expression of his gratitude for the inspiration my silence gave him to move into his own silent place...deep within the love of his heart.

Namaste.

Day Three of my 30 Day Vow of Silence - Teriyaki Tofu

Darshana Atman — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:13:00 GMT

Today was another productive day. I spent most of it preparing new marketing material and coordinating events I will be hosting later this month. I also moved out of one home, to spend a little time in another friends, and soon settle into my own home, up here in Encinitas. After yesterday's car fiasco, I decided to get my bicycle fixed so that I could begin riding it around.

When I entered the bicycle shop to ask for help, I presented the owner with my little "Silent Practice" card, and his first reaction was to kindly let me know, "I don't have time for this today," as he handed me back my card. I could tell he thought I was a pan handler, like many of the "deaf" people I see go around with their little mini sign language cards while asking for donations. I quickly showed him my journal in which I'd already written the reason I came into the bike shop, and his attitude shifted immediatly. He was very helpful from that point on, and it dawned on me that many people assume that because you cannot speak, things must be spoken to you more softly or slower; as though lack of speech was a sign of intelligence. This is something I've often noticed with foreign languages as well. How many of you have been guilty of treating a foreigner as though they had less intelligence because they did not have a full grasp on the local language? How many of you have been a foreigner in another country and played the part of being less intelligent because you couldn't speak the language? Just something to take notice of.

My day continued, and as I'm new to the area, I'm having fun exploring different eating venues. I walked into this Hawaiian place and after informing the young girl at the register of my vow of silence, made an order for Teriyaki Tofu. The girl was super excited about the whole thing which made me quite happy. I sat outside, excited about my meal, as I was quite hungry. When the food came out, I've got to admit I was disappointed. I realize now, that Tofu is not an often ordered dish at this establishment. It was pretty much Tofu straight out of the package, cut in squares, fried up, and then soaked with Teriyaki sauce. Very plain. The dish was accompanied with two large mounds of white rice and some macaroni salad. The salad was the best part of the meal. I found myself really wanting to comment to them about the meal. If this is the regular preparation, it's not really worth being on the menu...there other items looked delicious as I watched other patrons happily eating. Given my vow of silence, I would have had to write down the comments, but I realized they may not come across with the compassion I wanted...and I was feeling lazy...so nothing was shared.

I ended the day at a beautiful sound healing with Cosmic Gongs, and time spent with wonderful friends, one of which made the comment, that although I was being silent, I seemed to be the loudest one in the room.

Namaste.

Day Two of my 30 Day Vow of Silence -

Darshana Atman — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:04:00 GMT

Wow, I had some crazy dreams last night! I believe that much of our chatter during the day contributes to our dreams at night. When you aren't chatting, the mind has to dig deep and get creative for dream material...and it did. I'm not going to recount my dream, but suffice it to say, some repressed emotions of fear and challenge were surfacing.

Today, went well. As was the case yesterday, I found myself being far more productive in silence than when I'm distracted with speech. I have been looking for a place to live for the last couple of weeks, and now that I am silent and one would think it harder to "speak" with prospective landlords, I've manifested an amazing place. My friends and I will fully decide if we want the space in the next few days.

I'm catching myself wanting to make comments, or idle jokes. Sometimes, I'll take the time to write something down so I can share it, but by the time I'm done writing the window of opportunity has passed. At first this was frustrating, and then I realized how many things I say are really just to fill the spaces between thoughts, and yet do not have any real contribution. I'm happy for this observation.

The day ended with an interesting challenge. So, I am currently driving my sister's car around and the registration has been out since March. I've had many cops tailgate me recently, but none pulled me over….until tonight. I think they thought I was drunk because I was hesitant on moving through a crosswalk, as I couldn’t quite see if there was a stop sign there or not (the patrol car headlights blinding me was not helping the situation). Anyhow, the officer pulled me over and asked for license, registration, and insurance. I silently handed him what information I had for my sister's car and my license. He asked me some questions and I looked at him blankly….per my vow of silence. Luckily, I had three friends in the car with me, and they informed him of my vow. He wasn't very eager to participate in my practice and said I would have to speak. I conceded to his request and simply chose my words sparsely. In the end I got a correctable violation, no charge. Phew!

One of my friends turned to me, and asked if I felt I needed to start my 30 days over from that point on. I shook my head no, already having returned to silence. It is interesting to me, how, many people believe a practice (such as 30 days of silence) must be perfect. I believe the saying goes practice makes perfect, not practice is perfect. I realize that there will be times during this month that I will be forced to speak, or even times where I'll just slip up. The point is to recognize my awareness of those moments, and to continue observing the effects of being silent.

I've had some serious thoughts about creating a "Silent Retreat" program, which would consist of you, not going away on retreat, but simply taking on a similar challenge as myself, beginning with a single day of silence maybe. I can make printable cards that explain the practice you are taking, so you can inform family and friends as they try to engage you. What a different world this might be, if we all just shut up for a day!

Day One of my 30 Day Vow of Silence - Hello Silence my Old Friend

Darshana Atman — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:38:00 GMT

I was still awake when midnight struck on June 30th, and I entered into 30 Days of silence for the month of July. The funny thing is that 5 minutes before midnight, my mind was clear and I had nothing to say, then suddenly once my ability to speak was gone, my mind came up with all sorts of stories, questions, and comments I wished I could express in speech. Alas, that is the torment of the mind, it is always seeking to be that which it is not.

I decided to take on this vow, to give myself a moment of breath. For a couple of weeks now, I've been really wanting to move inward and cultivate my senses, ability to observe....and my body language skills. :) Thus, for 30 days I shall remain silent. This will be interesting as I have training in Utah and two events I am hosting this month. Wonderful challenges I am looking forward to.

So, my first day of silence went quite well. I amazed how much work can be done when you aren't distracted by your own ramblings. At the same time, as I am silent and share with others this practice I am doing, they seem to get quiet themselves. I carry a notepad around with me to jot down questions and comments for simple communication. Oddly, enough I had at least two people use the notepad to respond to me...when they were under no vow to remain silent. Ha.

The other thing I've noted is that people want to help out the mute. I had more noticeable acts of kindness yesterday than I have in quite a while. This may be for two reasons: First, people really do want to help out when they realize you've disabled yourself, and two, while in my silence, I get to notice more the things that are happening everyday, only I am too distracted to see and appreciate.

I am looking forward to the next 29 days. I can already see the power of my intentions has increased, and I believe this month will manifest many great things.

We're almost there

Max Simon — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:56:00 GMT

Hi friends,

Lately, I've been doing a lot of press interviews. It seems as though the cat's out of the bag and the media is intrigued by our meditation inspired revolution for authenticity seekers. It's all very exciting.

But something has been troubling me that I wanted to share. Many of the press in the "new-age" community keep talking about how there's a massive shift happening in the world and that we're "almost there".

Where are we going?

How will we know when we get there?

I find this approach to be a major turn-off to the mainstream. And I keep feeling like people are setting themselves up for disappointment by believing that there will be a moment when there is a collective "shift". Furthermore, I continue to ask myself what that even means in the context of our society. Will all wars stop at once? Will everyone switch to organic? What are the indicators that change has occurred?

To me, a much healthier approach is to look at what we want to accomplish as individuals and as teams. If you want to be a part of the change, set a measurable goal such as "teach 50 people to meditate" and then celebrate the accomplishment. If we want the mainstream to shift, we should meet them where they're at with systems and language that make sense. Saying a collective shift will occur seems so esoteric to me. Saying we want to teach 2 million people to meditate sounds cool and real....to me.

I bring this up because I have my finger on the mainstream pulse. While significant advancements are being made to clean up the environment, ie the green movement, spirituality is still hidden and scary to the masses. In my eyes, it's our responsibility as new school leaders of consciousness to look at how we communicate and what we stand for to make sure that we're turning people on, and not off to the power of these tools.

For some, it's easier and safer to play with the people who are already "in it." For The SCT, we we're constantly looking at how we teach, what image we portray, and how we can do a better job of "meeting people where they're at." As a result, more and more people are willing to come play with us. As a result, we are teaching more and more of the world how to get selfcentered.

It's not easy to merge both worlds. As you become more and more connected, the negative conversations became less and less relevant. But what about the billions of people who don't know any different? The one's who wake up feeling stuck every day. They are the people who need the tools the most and yet are the most resistant to anything that sounds "new-agey." They are the one's who need to hear the wisdom the most, and yet the way in which the wisdom is being delivered is the very same reason for why they won't hear it.

It's a really interesting challenge.....yes? What are your thoughts on the matter?

breath from the one

mateo@getselfcentered.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:15:00 GMT

the cool california breeze

tickles the hairs on this skin

dive deep within

w/the deep breath

out in

As I look to the sun

There's work to be done

on these beaches

and farthest reaches

Stretchin strong to release

Breathe deep in and then out

in the stillness she shouts

Son you are the one

buck up, another bout

stoutly stating

participating

no hesitation

palpating

& PULSING wit da rhyddm

don't stop but don't hit 'em

too hard with your song sing loud and along

sing peace love and healin

God willin we got time

to rhyme of the sublime

mom's a quarter, she's a dime

linger longer let it sink

blink twice and breathe

deep & steady now

nevermind all the noise

step up and show how

to show up, it's needed now

So sit back and unravel the stresses of the past

fast comes the path

and the fallout aftermath

of this

this this?

BLISS

take this

deep in the chest, now

heart open and hopin

faithful are the words spoken

by the sages and mystics

Brothers and sisters

The time has come,

Have some fun

We ARE the one's we've been waiting on.

bless this day

mateo@getselfcentered.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:04:00 GMT

I bless this j and this day

with the spirit of creation

manifestation

great affiliation

every man woman boy and girl

will benefit from my blazin

as I slip to the side

and hold up this station

see I was born a king

not of things

but this land

the most high has blessed this mind

this spirit

these hands

and it's up to just me

to carry out these plans

that have been laid forth

at the age of my man hood

so saddle up soul jahs

time to ride through the night

in early morn we'll take flight

to the highest dreamed heights

the beast screams from inside

bringing focus and insight

to this piece of the puzzle

perhaps no more struggle

take off that muzzle

settle into the abyss

with just this:

I AM

I AM the chosen one

the son of many sons

a lineage long and strong

and blessed with the song

to rally the masses,

up off your asses,

peel back them peepers

there's work to be done.

intense transformation

mateo@getselfcentered.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:47:00 GMT

lately i've been feeling a little distracted, blasted by masses and missin my mission.

it's a strange situation i find myself facin', embracing my power while pullin from past influences to enjoy life on lower levels...so of course i wrote a poem.

i often use the analogy of suicide by gunshot to symbolize breaking out of current patterns. worry not, mis amigos, i write it out so it doesn't fester and pop, taking me with it. embrace the darkness that everything may lie in the light...lovin that. :)

you've been warned, now read on:

Goddamm*t I just wanna put a f*ckin gun to my head

End it all now, lay my blood on the bed

But if I'm dead then who will hear the words that I've said

I've forced too many situations now I'm f*cked in the head

Don't feel special no more

Just a bore in a hat

Thought I was the smoothest cat

Now I just feel lazy and fat

Gone hazy with the confusion that too often comes

From drinking myself numb

This sh*t is dumb

But it's real so I succumb

To the feeling of failure

Another trailer for a film that has yet to be written

'Cause I'm too busy, smitten

With kittens who care less

If I'm under strain or duress

Just care for caresses that I provide at my best

But these kisses are mine now

No sense in tryin, how

Can I spend so much time lyin'

On a bed of beliefs that

Bring misery

Mayhem struggle and grief

Gotta keep this sh*t brief

Cause my bed's callin me

No one sees me bleed

At one in the mornin

With the .38 warm.

The PDM in Beverly Hills

Max Simon — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:51:00 GMT

The PDM (Public Display of Meditation) was AWESOME!

Here's a recap written by our SCT sound sculptor Noa Winter Lazerus:

"We met at Lululemon and Max Simon briefed everyone on the "strategy" for the PDM. And then it was on to our first "sit" on the sidewalk in front of Louis Vuitton at about 7:30 pm. amazing experience and remarkable opportunity to get centered in the chaos.. had some beautiful engagement with passersby who were, like us, "fielding the whole thing and drinking it in", this large row of folks sitting on the sidewalk meditating.

Then it was on to our last destination, the corner of Wilshire and Rodeo Drive...in front of a very fashionable restaurant/Caffe. Magic things happened here for me and most, I went very deep into the "zone" and what was going on around me, the cafe crowd and comments, the passersby, the traffic all disappeared and I was left with a tangible deep sense of connection to The One, The True and The Beautiful..

So valuable to know this is possible anywhere under any circumstance. This sit on the sidewalk on Wilshire Blvd also had quite a beautiful effect on the folks around us with remarkable comments when we all got up to walk back to Lululemon..

The peace we shine in this Public Display of Meditation is so real and it's being parachuted into the middle of "life" so profound, many tales of the second sit. Louis Vuitton was the warm up for certain. Fun, yep, Joy Full Fun. Much smiling ensued.. thereafter.. folks coming up to us as we're standing up and leaving and asking "What were you doing"? "Meditating". "Oh, Meditating, that was amazing, never seen THAT before".

Yep, in this world, having a group of young people simply sit and meditate for ten minutes is, alas, pretty rad..The sits are usually ten mins to fifteen and time truly goes away...it's impossible to tell how long we're in it.. everything safely coordinated by the SCT team.

We returned to Lululemon and "unpacked" the experience and then had an improv music jam in the store which they allowed us to inhabit after closing for about an hour... beautiful vibe, it's a bit like a yoga studio as clothing store at Lululemon.

We had a great turn out.. consider coming sometime, in the future if you couldn't make this one.. the film will be up sometime on this i'm sure.. soon.Who knows where our team will go next? It's the "extreme sports" of meditation.. to be continued.."

"It was an incredible experience! The sounds were an amazing tool to tap into the field, especially when traffic was at it's busiest. It really puts you in the feeling!" - Jennifer

"This PDM was a beautifully fulfilling experience of how the supports you. What is in us and what we believe is one and the same." - Rachel

"I didn't know what to expect, but I was able to into a deep meditation and I really enjoyed it!" - Javier

"An out of body experience!! I was able to drift from reality. So Awesome!!" - Becky

"This sh*t was dope!" - Mateo

Allowing nature to take it's course

Max Simon — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:52:00 GMT

I've had an interesting few days that's worth sharing with you; partly to process and partly to share the lessons I've learned.

I've come to realize that The selfcentered Tour is a collection of energy composed of all the people around the world who connect and contribute to the vision of inspiring the world to meditate.

What it isn't, is a business.

What that means is that I haven't figured out how to create a model that honors the law of giving and receiving. Despite all the output of energy (including resources), very little has come back in. What this means to me is that I'm "forcing it" rather then allowing nature to take it's course. Natural laws, such as the law of giving and receiving, only exist when they're that - natural. You can't force the sun to rise or flowers to bloom. Yet when you create an environment that supports organic development, nature steps in to deliver results.

Fortunately or unfortunately, it took me running out of money to realize this. So as I came to the conclusion that the current model wasn't working, I decided to make some changes. This involved me letting go of my staff, unwinding my relationship with my business partner, respectfully stepping away from investors, and committing to re-think the entire strategy. As you could imagine, this has been a difficult week.

Before I got together with each of these people, I kept thinking about how difficult and heart-wrenching these conversations would be. I felt ashamed, guilty, sad, and disappointed that I wasn't able to lead the team to success. In essence, I felt like I failed.

But instead of going into these meetings with a sense of blame or negativity, I assumed responsibility for what had happened, talked about where we were at, shared my openness to discovering the next steps, and honored their contribution. And much to my surprise, each person was totally understanding, full of support, and quick to offer some very helpful feedback for me / selfcentered. Hmmm....that wasn't so bad.

As I sit back and reflect from a clean slate, here's what I've learned from this process:

1. When somethings not working, acknowledge it, own it, and then change it. Don't keep going down a path if it's clearly leading to troubled waters. People will appreciate your honesty and courage, even if that honesty and courage comes from realizing that you f*cked up.

2. Being a leader doesn't mean having all the answers. It means showing up with integrity, honesty, and a willingness to look at what you're doing wrong in order to start doing things right.

3. Fulfilling a big vision is difficult and it will take many twists and turns. Remain attached to how it will unfold and it's destined to fail. Allow it to develop organically and you've got nature on your side. Never loose sight of your vision, even when it seems impossible to know how it will manifest.

A friend offered this quote that is perfect for this blog: "It's actually tough to totally believe in the thing you want to manifest so it's better to believe in the process." At this moment, that wisdom feels so true.

So I'm in full blown exploration mode, looking to discover the best approach to bring our meditation inspired revolution for authenticity seekers to the world. I don't know how it's going to happen but I know it is. I'm thinking about starting a creative mastermind group that would connect once or twice a month over the phone to brainstorm....anyone interested in participating in that?

Cool.....thanks for being a part of this ride. Let's see where it takes us.

Much love,

Max

It's Not What You Think...

Kyle — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:55:00 GMT

Inhale…the thoughts begin to slow…Exhale…the breath beings to flow…Inhale…the thoughts come racing in…Exhale…using breath to bring stillness back again…Inhale…here they come again it’s just not fair…Exhale…now you’re enjoying lunch in an F15 with a lemon scented polar bear…Inhale…bringing awareness back…Exhale…spending this time in silence seems like more of an attack…Inhale…noticing the thoughts that arise…Exhale…without judgment or the need to surmise…Inhale…taking this time for yourself is a gift in the present…Exhale…with nothing but your breath feeling happy and content…Inhale…shifting inside to discover your self…Exhale…who knew all this with breath itself…Inhale…the inner dialogue seems faster than ever…Exhale…consciously observing the mind, it’s so f’n clever…Inhale…stress and tension release and dissolve…Exhale…without force or effort problems begin to solve…Inhale…calm, connected, creative but how can I get these feelings to stay…Exhale…spend a few minutes in silence every single day…Inhale…Happiness…Exhale…is…Inhale…only…Exhale…a…Inhale…breath…..Exhale…away.

True leadership

Max Simon — Fri, 30 May 2008 23:43:00 GMT

I just arrived in Austin Texas after a whirlwind adventure in NY where I hosted four experiences in two days. While I will have more to comment on that later, I wanted to share one experience that was particularly powerful that happened at the last event on the last night.

After the workshop at The Chopra Center NY was over, a beautiful woman named Ivy came up to ask if I was planning to come back to NY anytime soon because she was interested in hearing me talk about money. I shared with her that my philosophy around teaching was to only speak about subjects that I could authentically comment on and at this current time, making money wasn't one of them (I'm working on it though). She responded with the statement:

"I feel like true leadership isn't about knowing all of the answers. It's about being strong enough to honestly say that you don't know all the answers and that you're willing to dive into the conversation together to figure it out. That's the type of teacher I want to study with!"

As I sat with her words, I've come to appreciate how profound this statement really is. As a teacher, there's a self imposed pressure to feel like you have to "know" everything. But the truth is that it is totally self-imposed and those that judge your lack of knowledge probably aren't the people you'll vibe with in the first place. Rather then putting on a show like you know it all, it feels like such a relief to admit that you don't.

So here's my revised quote based upon sweet Ivy's remarks. To me, it's a beautiful way of expressing the true qualities of leadership:

"True leadership isn't about knowing all the answers. It's about feeling secure enough to know when you don't know and ask the right questions to figure it out." Max Simon

A private response to my last blog....made public!

Max Simon — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:40:00 GMT

Friends,

I am safe and sound in NY and about to head into the city to lead a few different experiences today and tomorrow (check the events calendar for details). But before I do, I wanted to share something with you.

As you know from one of my last posts, I was in Utah for the Zrii convention last week where I taught two yoga classes and four Ayurvedic breakout sessions. This event was freaking amazing!! 4500 people showed up to experience, learn, and grow from a suite of different wonderful speakers. Going into the event, I had the thought that Zrii was going to be like every other network marketing company full of ra-ra and hype. But the truth is that there is a tremendous amount of integrity flowing through that organization and the people involved which was all clearly exhibited during this massive event. It was so refreshing.

All that said, I had a mini-break down on one of the days. The energy of the event was so strong that I got overwhelmed. In that moment, I needed to get that block out of my awareness so I wrote the post "I'm pissed off!". I felt so much better once I posted it and the responses I got were genuinely comforting (so thank you for that!!). But I also got an email from a woman who had this to say:

"I read your blog entry, and wonder how you can be jealous of the Center where you cut your spiritual teeth: Must you feel / be separate? Yes, I spend the big bucks to here your dad and godfather speak, and yes, I know you're reaching a younger, hipper, poorer audience... But can't you keep a connection with the founders and approach enlightenment in your own creative, unique, young, hip, poor way?! Why be separate and jealous? Aren't you the prodigal son if you want their blessings? Who left whom, anyway?"

Interesting. Here's my take:

1. All emotions are real. It's the unwillingness to look at them honestly and embrace them as part of you that perpetuates the shadow.
2. Am I allowed to feel separate sometimes? Does my communication of that feeling take me closer or farther away?
3. What do you suppose was the reason for the jabs at the end? Ouch......feels like a slap down for following my heart.

Here's my truth. One of the reasons that I started this movement was so that I had a portal to express myself openly and honestly. To be real as a young spiritual being living in a modern world. I saw this as not only a good thing but something that was necessary for my own evolution.

Whenever I have the desire to share an experience with you via a post, I am always aware of conscious communication: 1) is it kind and 2) is it real? As long as I check in a realize that my words aren't hurting anyone and I acknowledge that the energy within me is something valid, then I open up and share. Sometimes my direct honesty can be judged or critiqued. Excellent! That's the point, to fuel a conversation.

So instead of emailing me personally to share your opinions in private like a parent would to a child, open up to the community and post your responses as a comment so that everyone can engage. Sometimes what you say will be mind blowing and powerful, and other times it will be received as just complaining. Regardless of how others look at it, take the opportunity to be real; to embrace your truth.

Try it sometime: it's liberating, gratifying, and humbling all in the same breath.

funny funny

Max Simon — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:57:00 GMT

Want to hear a joke someone told me yesterday? It came at the perfect time for me.....

The Dali Lama is walking around in NY when he stops for a hot dog. He rolls up to the street vendor and says:

"Make me one with everything."

Get it?

So the guy makes his hot dog and says "$4 dollars please". The Dali hands him a 5 dollar bill. After about a minute, the Dali starts to get impatient and says: "excuse me sir, where is my change?" The guy looks him in the eye and says:

"Change happens from within."

hehehehe.....funny funny.

BTW - I feel better. Taught yoga this morning and now I'm off to do some Ayurvedic breakout sessions. Thanks for listening to my rant yesterday. It's surprising how much better it makes you feel to let that energy out.

Have a good day.

I'm pissed off!

Max Simon — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:50:00 GMT

Friends,

When I sit down to write these blogs, I'm usually in a pretty positive space and the energy of the message reflects that same state of being.

This will not be one of those posts. Frankly, I'm feeling a whole bunch of crappy, dark, twisted emotions right now and instead of processing them in my mind, I've decided to process them with you (because your comments always add a lot of value to my world).

So here's what's up. I'm in Utah right now with The Chopra Center for the Zrii convention where 4500 people have come from around the world for a three day convention extravaganza. I'm teaching yoga both mornings to about 250 people and four Ayurvedic breakout classes for about 650 people (each class). From the outer world, I should be leaping with joy that I'm getting to lead such large groups. But inside, I'm feeling resentful (yes, that's probably the best word). From what I can gather, here's why:

1. I'm jealous of the Chopra Center's success.
2. I'm frustrated that 4500 people have showed up to learn how to sell a liquid nutritional and we can't seem to fill up our events.

My dear friend Sierra has an amazing magazine called The Rey who's tag line is "comparison is the thief of joy". That saying keeps echoing in my mind even as I write this blog. But at this very moment in time, I'm having a difficult time not looking at what other's are accomplishing and comparing it to what's happening with selfcentered....and that just makes me angry.

Yes, this energy will pass.
Yes, I will regain my confidence.
Yes, I will embrace that everything unfolds when it's supposed to.
Yes, I will fashion my vantage.

But right at this moment, I don't feel good. In fact, I'm flat out pissed off. So the reason I made this post is because I want your feedback AND I want to make it clear that everyone (no matter how much you meditate) has days that flat out suck. Being a new school leader of consciousness means being real....so I'm taking the opportunity to do just that.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

ok, I feel a little better.

The body is saying "f*ck me!"

Max Simon — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:46:00 GMT

Now that I'm finally feeling settled in LA, I've opened myself up to dating again. Yet because I've been so focused on building selfcentered, I kind of feel like I've lost touch with what to do. It's funny how that works....right?

So I've gone on a couple of dates and they've all been sweet but not quite right. As I was sharing this with my mom this morning, we got into a very interesting conversation that I would like to share with you. But before I do, I just want to say that I'm feeling very vulnerable for letting you into such a personal part of my life. Not only was this a private conversation with my mom but it's about my sex life.....geez, what have I got myself into?

Ok, this is how it went down:

"Maybe my standards are too high and I'm not giving people a chance. I meet some really great women but often find some reason to rationalize why they won't work. Then I feel like I'm not giving them a chance so I stick with it for longer then I should and that doesn't work out either. Are my standards too high?" I said.

"It's not that your standards are high, it's that your voice is clear. Your standard is to be happy, at home, and at peace in someone's presence. If you don't get that feeling, then you shouldn't explore it any further. That's the bottom line!" My mom said.

"But there isn't any reason for why I shouldn't be in to some of these girls." I said.

"That's your head trying to rationalize the situation. Your heart will know if it's right. Nobody's perfect. But your inner knowing will give you the green light if it's supposed to be." Mom replied.

"But these girls are pretty smokin' hot momma." I said.

"When you're with someone attractive, the body is saying f*ck me! But that's the body, and there is something else inside that feels a twinge if you go down that path and it's not right. If you ignore that voice, it will come back to bite you. This is the way god commnicates to you. It's these subtle, quiet impulses. The more you are able to listen to those signals, the faster you are able to make the right choice." Mom said.

"Fine. I guess no sex for me." I said, and hung up shortly after that.

So that's where I stand and that's that. My mom makes some EXTREMELY valuable points....and I totally don't want to hear them. But I'm going to listen because breaking patterns is never easy but always evolutionary. If I want my relationships to unfold differently then they have in the past, it's time to make different choices.

But to be blunt, I hope the universe puts me in touch with a woman that I can vibe with soon because this conscious choice thing is killing my sex life!!

I've got a secret

braden@getselfcentered.com — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:32:00 GMT

Today I was enlivened and enlightened by a friend who told me I had a secret... yet she didn't know what it was, nor do I.

She’s a gifted tarot reader, among other talents. She often reads me, and others, like a well-worn book. She calmly noted to me that the positive aspect of my personal Pandora's box were yet to be unleashed. Now, this was quite fascinating, very intriguing and genuinely flattering, but also very frustrating. The fact that I’ve felt from a young age a “calling” is true. However, to be stepping into near middle age without the darn thing poking its perky head about yet drive me wild with anticipation and, sometimes, anxiety. Have I missed the boat on opportunity? Was it my personal life, my professional life, or where was it to be shown? What’s taking so long? Why are others lives around me seemingly launching forward with great strides, yet mine appears in slow motion in comparison?

Ahh- comparison, that nasty little bugger of a thought. As my dear friend Sierra refers to in her RAY women’s empowerment magazine’s motto: “Comparison in the thief of joy.”

The greatest secret I learned from the reminder of my personal story I’m writing (literally as I type and figuratively in every motion of every instant I breathe) is that the essence of becoming unfolds with greatest rewards when you simply are being. “Doingness will follow Beingness, as surely as night follows day.”

The moment we surrender to our existence, the sooner we are fulfilled by the very act of existing. Miraculous how logical mathematical thinking may be compared to the chaos versus order of our own analytical lives, huh? If I lose worry and control myself less (subtract these stresses from daily practice) I will be happier (adding peace, calm, contentment, detachment from judgment, etc creates happiness).

Now doesn’t this all fit nicely with meditation. I can hear Max now: “Breathe, calm, connect, chill….”

I encourage you to delve into your inner sanctuary of untapped secrets. You may ponder what’s in store to be unveiled in your own future. May we all be brilliant in releasing great things on this world!

The Luminary Blogs

Max Simon — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:47:00 GMT

Alas, another blog from your friendly founder. Why the leave of absence, you might ask? Because I was beginning to wonder if anyone is actually reading these things.

When I started this movement, the clear intention was to create a new school community where fresh minds could get together to meditate, connect, and explore consciousness in a new way. Through our Pleasure Loves Company Gatherings, Conscious Indulgence Parties, and Awareness Architect Teacher Trainings, it's clear that we are heading in the right direction as our tribe is expanding by the day.

But, for some reason, I was expecting (maybe my downfall in the first place), more of a response from our community to the Luminary Blogs. Other sites that have blogs that are far less interesting (in my opinion), get hundreds of comments to their posts. So why do only a few share their thoughts on ours? Are we boring?

I like to kick cats.

There!! Now I've said something that should have really pissed you off and you're going to leave a million comments about what an A-HOLE I am....right?

I don't really kick cats....damn it, I can't even stick to my controversy in a blog. Maybe I am boring.

The intention of the Luminary Blogs section is to start a conversation. So if you're reading this, please let me know what you want to talk about so I/we can share our thoughts around the things that most interest you.

In fact, I challenge you to respond to this post!! HA-HA....it's a duel!!!

love ya,

Max

Happy Mother's Day!

Kyle — Sun, 11 May 2008 22:56:00 GMT

I love you mom. Thank you to my mom, and all the moms around the world for their loving support. Take a moment to KNOW that you are appreciated!

love k

mic check...

jlove — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:11:00 GMT

Hello All! My last blog was kinda jam-packed... I'll keep this short and sweet. I like to rap ;), yes, it's true.

Check it...

the Truth is not always easy to hear,
especially with these young cats kickin it in your ear... drum
come, come let's all get together now,
speak the truth, we can change all bad weather now
in time, the Truth, it will always be revealed
no matter how the system tries to keep it concealed
and you can't run away from that which you are, and...

in my mind, we're all superStars

Going out in LA makes for good material

Max Simon — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:34:00 GMT

I found out earlier this week that one of my favorite musicians, Eric Hutchinson, was in town opening for Blind Melon at a venue called El Rey. I'm a big fan of his and really didn't want to miss the opportunity to see him live but I am also heading into teach a two day Out of Your Mind Immersion this weekend. It's going to be wonderfuly intense so I was a little conflicted about whether or not to go.

"I'm young. I've got stamina. I'm going to push through my hesitation and head out!" I thought to myself.

"But wait a second, I don't have anyone to go with" my mind thought. "Are you really going to go out in big bad LA all by yourself?"

Yes I am.

So I cruised over to the spot (solo) just before Eric hit the stage. Nice. Perfect timing.

As I danced and sang to my favorite songs, I suddenly became uncomfortable as I realized that the entire place was standing dead still. Was I the only shaking it?

Ummm....yes I was.

I did catch the occasional head bob, but it was usually quickly followed by an uncomfortable "did anyone see that" look in their eye.

Hmmmmm....ok, maybe this just isn't their type of music. Fair enough. So I made the shift and went back to enjoying myself, singing and dancing to my own beat.

Once Eric finished, I decided to stick around for a bit and check out Blind Melon. As I stood there observing the crowd, I noticed a couple of interesting things.

1) people in LA can drink...a lot and very quickly.
2) people in LA don't like to talk to other people in LA.
3) people in LA have good clothes and bad posture.

Interesting....right?

From the time I parked in my spot on the floor, I caught the eye of this cute brunette. After exchanging a few smiles, she came over to say hi. We chatted for a bit and as expected (in LA), she asked me what I do. I told her that I teach meditation and am in LA to make it cool. It was after that sentence that she paused, stepped back, and said:

"What are you on?"

"Excuse me?" I said as I chuckled.

"What are you on?" she repeated in a dead serious tone. "Are you trippin', high, what?"

I looked her square in the eye and with a smile on my face, said "life."

That was too much for her. I could tell from the look in her eye that me being sober and that naturally comfortable was making her downright uncomfortable. So she decided to head back to her friends to take a shot of Jager, soon followed by her dropping her drink on the floor.

Blind Melon came on a few moments later and because angry music isn't really my thing, I took off. But I'm glad I went out. I got to hear some great music, I got a good hit of where a part of the world is still at, and I came home with some excellent material for a blog. All good.

Disclaimer: I totally recognize that my observations about the people in LA don't apply to everyone in LA. It only applies to the people in Hollywood. HAHA!! Lighten up people.....

Allow me to re-introduce myself...

jlove — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:48:00 GMT

The feeling and theme of my life over the last while has been about Pure Potentiality, trusting myself, and staying in the Flow. I have a fabulous life (probably more on that part another time :)!! I'm gonna break it down... I knew that when it was time to blog it out, I would feel it - so here I am... going with the flow...

Like many of the brilliant bloggers who have posted here (thank you all!), and most likely many of you reading, I, too, have felt my own spiritual evolution on fast-track lately... Specifically over the past year, and most recently, it feels like it's been 'kicked up' about a thousand notches - since the illuminating Awarness Architect training, where I just so happened (heehee) to meet my divine, loving (and divine-loving :) spiritual partner. I have been feeling the intense heat from the brightest light of Truth, if you will :-). Soooo, here's a bit of what I'm about right Now:

Committing to unconditional Love with my partner - perceived, at first, to be outwardly directed - ultimately realizing, I am committing to myself. Committed to unconditional Love for myself, accepting what IS, no matter what, is the only way to for me to have true unconditional love for anyone else. Can it be that Easy? YES! Has it felt that easy? NOOO!!! The ego and all of it's deeply (or not so deeply) buried negative self-talk, conditioning, stories, and beliefs is out to WIN - Win at all costs, as it has been programmed and re-inforced to do all along - the cost, however, is inner peace and true happiness! Hell no, E.G.O. Hell? no.

Consistent daily mediation practice - Essential - creating the clear, calm space between thoughts for the Truth to be heard/felt. The Ego is loud and incessant, the Truth just IS. If I do not give myself this time for silence and, instead, buy into the mindchatter, the stories, I can miss the choice that exists - I don't have to continue to unconsciously choose the same thing based on past experience. I do not have to contribute to and re-inforce the stories. I Have a choice, in every moment. If I miss the opportunity for that choice because the thoughts are running so fast all the time, all the time, without ever a spec of space - It gets to seem real, like there is no choice. Truth? Nope. How to stop? Accessing the inner silence and stillness, the awareness, who I really Am. The space and my opportunity for that choice becomes more and more apparent.

Setting intentions. For me, they are clear when authenticity and Self-trust are in place, and the 'ear' is tuned to the inner awareness rather than the chatterchatter of egoic wants, which are fear-based. It's not always so simple, however, I have realized that, in this state, the intentions are coming through me (or to me). When I am attuning myself to unconditional love and higher purpose, aware of making conscious choices in the present moment- anything and everything I could ever ask for, want, or 'need' is already DONE - already there waiting, or here now - however you'd like to put it. Then, it feels like I am just picking up on the vibration of what IS- like a preview so that I am open to receiving - and giving - when those situations, people, or things appear. Letting go of my ego story around howwhatwhenwherewhywho (pretty much sounds all crammed in like that) - what it has to look like. Essentially, helping me to get out of my own way.

Taking the "them" out of it. Bringing every challenging situation, or judgement, I have with with, or about, anyone back to ME - being honest, without guilt or blame - What are they (is this) showing me? What is the story that I am defending and/or projecting? Is it TRUE? Pretty much NONE of my B.S. (as Max would say, ummm, Belief System) will hold up in the light of Truth. It is a thought or thoughts that I have made up, decided to believe in, and keep re-inforcing with more B.S. My Truth really comes from the space of awareness when I am able to hear or feel what my unique purpose is, in the present moment. Everything that I am seeking from others is really something that I am seeking from myself. The best part is that I don't even have to seek... it's already there! When I am able to truly BE, not just intellectually know, what it is that I am seeking, it is, Ta-Da!, reflected back to me. Wow.

It can seem like alot of 'work'... always re-introducing myself to myself. It's more work for me to stress or be unhappy over thoughts that aren't the Truth. Much more work. So, when I forget who I Am, all of these practices help me to hear a gentle, "hey, I know this is who you Think you are... allow me to re-introduce myself..."

my name is Love, jlove. :)

xo,

jodi

What I learned from the dog at Dr. Teas

Max Simon — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:09:00 GMT

This is a spontaneous blog written from a wicked cool little tea shop called Dr. Teas which is right down the street from my house.

One of the guys that frequents this shop has a 1/2 beagle, 1/2 Chihuahua that loves to roam the space while he's writing. She's a super sweet little thing with a zen-like vibe. In fact, the owner says that Bridgette (the dog) was the one responsible for leading him to Kundalini Yoga when she wandered down the street and stopped right in front of his local yoga studio, causing him to go in and explore. How's that for a good friend?

So this dog cruises around the grounds, scoping for people that will give her love and in the most sweet, non-intrusive way, she literally rolls up and crashes into people. Man or woman, she doesn't discriminate.

And everyone falls in love.

I watched this dog work the room for about 15 minutes. She would get what she wanted and then gently move along to the next un-suspecting tea drinker, only to conquer their hearts within a moments notice. There was no trying, no forcing, and no begging. She was her, nothing more, nothing less, and everyone dug it.

This sweet creature has a lot to teach us. What do you think?

Building THE COMMUNITY

Max Simon — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:29:00 GMT

Community has become the new buzz word in the consciousness scene. It seems like everywhere I look, someone is promoting a new community. Gaiam just bought up a chunk of companies (Zaadz, YogaMates, Lime, etc) and is building what seems to be a massive online community. MySpace and Facebook have millions of "community" members. Care2.com boasts over 8.5 million conscious friends (wow!). Yes, these are all very powerful social online networks.

But the key word there is ONLINE. Haven't you noticed that there is an abundance of on-line communities and not enough REAL communities? So I ask: what about the human connection?

Because technology has become so advanced, we've gotten really good at bringing people together via the web. Clearly, this is a great tool for connection and a wonderful way to reach the masses. But it definitely shouldn't replace the other. In fact, in my eyes, it should really just become the vehicle to promote them.

The in-person, face-to-face, I can touch and feel you connection will ALWAYS be more powerful, genuine, and real then the on-line thing. When you engage the senses - sight, sound, touch (my favorite), taste (equally as fun), and smell - in the interaction, the genuine nature of that connection is magnified. As they say, "this is where the magic happens."

The challenge is that it's hard to bring people together. Between scheduling, money, time, blah, blah, blah, there are lots of reasons for why people don't organize real communities. But the truth is that gathering the tribe is the only sustainable, feel good thing to do. The community provides support, joy, guidance, love, mirrors, and feedback. They are the people that bring up our sh*t, stir up the darkness, and push us into the light. Our communities are the one's that make it real.

I've come to realize that selfcentered is becoming THE COMMUNITY for fresh conscious people to connect live. In addition to providing the necessary educational tools and experiences through our trainings, we also provide the resources and support to be community leaders. We teach our Architects how to host weekly Pleasure Loves Company Gatherings, throw super-fun Conscious Indulgence parties, lead PDM (public display of meditations), and simply get together to kick it (most already know how to do this one).

I bring this to light because I often hear from people that they want to become an Awareness Architect but they are afraid to teach. I get it; public speaking can be scary. But the great thing about our platform is that you don't have to be a speaker if that doesn't fit your vibe. Once you get the training, you will have the right tools to be a connector, or a party-planner, or someone that inspires. All of these roles are invaluable to the movement.

Being a new school leader of consciousness is not about following somebody else's lead.....it's about being authentically you and inspiring people with your truth.

Things Fall Apart

mateo@getselfcentered.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:57:00 GMT

Dude, Brother Achebe SAID IT.

It never ceases to amaze and amuse me how quickly the ship sinks when we start to rock the boat. We decide to take on our lives in massively powerful ways, and all that stuff that we thought was stability starts to crumble and tumble, leaving us stumble-steppin our way to heaven on earth...Lawd is it a rocky road, yo.

I've decided to step up (as I have been for the last two years), and enter the next experiment in this thrilling game we call livin. I've taken on a new gig, been meditating twice a day, and speaking my intentions clearly and truthfully, as opposed to candy coating and hiding in the shadows...can only bring greatness, right?

Well if you see it all as great, then damn straight. But many of us judge "good" and "bad." (yes, even meditators :) I see *** fallin off, and I get to freak out for half a second about everything going "wrong." This week alone, I've had all but two clients cancel, two dates bail at the last minute, been hit by a car, and found myself staring at my computer screen for ridiculous amounts of time wondering what the hell I'm doing/supposed to be doing.

And ya know what? It's all good. But to take the polarity judgement out of the equation (good/bad, right/wrong, fixed/broken...), it's all God. Alpha and Omega...the simple, I Am.

I feel blessed to recognize that behind every breakdown is a breakthrough. All this stumble-steppin is right in line with my divine timing. It's such a gift to simply be aware of the process, so as not to get too caught up in it all. I feel it, for sure, but I also know that this feeling is transient in nature.

All I ask is that you don't give up on me. Believe. It's in these hours of illuminated shadow that we most need the strength of our community, and when we continue to hold one another to the highest light, we find that we all start living there.

And when everything feels super stable (and just a little stagnate), start rockin. The boat may sink, but we're buoyant beings.

Jayo.