Braden Kuhlman

Happiest Max Day!

2008-07-29T17:12:00Z

May the sun that rises keep you warm always
May the winds stay at your back
May your friends be full of great hugs & inspiration
May your family cherish the ground you walk upon
May your work be short
May your relaxation be long
May your gifts be full of life
May you look forward to the sage inside you growing stronger
May your steps be light & full of wanderlust
May your heart know that you are deeply loved
May your night roll in with music & laughter
May your women continue to rock your world in most wonderful ways
May your dreams be sweet!

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY SUGAR!

xoxox

I've got a secret

2008-05-14T03:32:00Z

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!

Intellectual Intercourse

2008-04-17T18:42:00Z

Last night I was given a roadmap for healthy relationships. Max & Julia Simon led a special event discussion about partnerships and love. My synapses were like giant pyrotechnics blasting the night sky on an Independence eve. I discovered a new way of using my being, harnessing my thinking and conducting myself when seeking any communion with another soul, especially in the realm of love. And, boy am I clear that I am inviting “him” into my world! So, this clarity struck a deep chord along the strings of my heartcore.

I was reminded I have the ability within me to gift this to you now- I unconditionally accept and support you exactly as you are… in all ways and always… with or without me in your world…. things should be easy and joyful if there is meant to be a connection for us… or there should be none, with only intended bliss for one another’s happiness regardless.

And the cherry, on the icing, on the cake (i.e. THE rule to allow more room for bliss in life- personal & professional) was a prescription for life: rest a lot! Your body requires it, needs it, repairs, rejuvenates and is enlivened because of it. This is serious medicine people. Sleep longer and well- allow your dreamy weekend comfy covers curled around you sleep in's on Saturday or Sunday (or whatever days you can). Ideally, be in bed by 10pm every single night. The masters believe that is the magic hour the body starts to dive into repair mode. If you ignore that, other things will eventually suffer over time. Test it- I swear it works!

***
This posting is dedicated to an Aquarian Legend. This writing is shared because I feel it towards you all. xo

Journey to Love

2008-04-15T16:50:00Z

"Love is the ability to laugh uncontrollably, cry publicly and have your heart broken consistently."

I have long considered myself a true being of love- one who gives it openly and well, serves with it and bathes in it every waking moment. However, nearly exactly 2 years ago, I experienced a tragic breakdown of that core love within me. My personal life at the time interrupted every second of my waking and dreaming life in a most horrific way. In hindsight, the good part is how the most difficult time in my life catapulted me into my present days, which are largely filled with joy and relearning what it really means to love authentically. Without the pain, I look back wondering would I ever have taken the necessary steps to heal. Without the level of darkness, I may never have achieved such breadth of wisdom I carry today.

My journey to love has not been perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Since that day's reckoning, I have peeled away layers of dishonesty within myself and where I was outwardly portraying myself. I have stumbled a lot, though exponentially I have come to see that by taking the necessary path to heal the lover in me I came to find my turn around time in the aspect of knowing where to place my love and for how long has become near lightening speed, compared to years where I remained in relationships of suffering due to a severe dependence on my partner for the love I was seeking. All the time, the love was simply inside me.

In the fall of 2006, guided by a gifted clairaudient, I attended a 5 day program called “The Freedom Course”, where I learned my unique mission in life: “To have love (of self) and to give love”. That realization reinforced me and changed my life.

Last night, I was reminded of my essence, and of the unhealthy patterns I default to in times of sorrow. The last 24 hours of my life I grappled with some past demons that pretend to know love and act well with it. They are affectionate little creatures of habit. Instead, I took the coaching offered me. I challenged myself once again to risk losing a new love, in honor of myself. I felt fear in my chest, vulnerable trembling in my voice, my head was reeling yet focused on communication; my heart was breaking in pieces.

I survived. I slumbered with crusty tears. I woke and, nestled alone under the covers, spent a lengthy conscious amount of time pondering my ability to see myself as courageous. Loss is the only guarantee we have in this life. I intend to be in touch with as many people in my lifetime as possible, no matter the consequences of my love being too intense for some. Gain is something that we may receive. I take to this new day with renewed love shining from my core. I am a heroine on this journey of love- willing to risk it all to find the treasure I seek.

The Eyes of Meditation

2008-04-07T22:34:00Z

They came from places near and far. A couple from California and the southern USofA, one from Canada, another from New York and still one from beyond all of these. They all came from the big Mother Earth- steeped with colorful histories and stories. You may never have picked them to end up here together, this April 2008 weekend, but the universe knew they were ready.

This tribe had gathered under one roof and one sky, with only one sole thread at the outset- the sincere belief in the power of meditation. Each, in his or her own way, was led a path that presently embraces this art form, this way of life. Each was so eager to know the benefits and structure behind meditation, having seen the magical effects it produced in their own lives. Each was choosing to architect the future of our planet- to learn to be a meditation guide to lead the future.

He was born with the grace of meditations practice. His parents provided a most charming alternative environment to be raised in. And so, with years of practice and productivity under his belt, he was now embarking beyond the education. In uncharted waters- seeking a new land for the modern meditation movement, he began to show them the way.

As they gathered the first day, they did what any of us do in new situations- they spent a little time internally analyzing the others, sizing one another up, drinking in the small group they would spend the next three days getting to know very deeply. They were quick and easy to present hugs at the outset, but remained just as quick to cling to the pairs they already knew too.

Because this unique posse of seven was carefully chosen, I must remind you this isn't your usual gathering of instruction for educational purposes. This dynamic "Justice League" had been building their entire lives to reach this destination. Each important life story harnessed countless aspects of evidence providing the exact reason they were here now.

So, as their fearless leader began to peel away the exterior looks, characterizations, actions, language and get to the emotional and psychological inner soul, you might imagine what occurred... breakdowns, plain and simple. Gems and earmarks of a successful learning process- the opportunities to become truly aware of oneself and the ways in which one reacts with others. It was beautiful! Yet, it was also painful, sometimes lonely, though often transformational.

Like lightning connecting with seashore sand, creating original works of glass art, this team of meditators sparked and created together a new wave of thinking and being. And as they journeyed through themselves, each began to witness the melting of original stories. They began to understand their common ground, the same way they had agreed to come together for the similar belief in the powers of meditation.

Some with bruised ego, or crumpled history, some with light hearts of love, and every phase between- they pushed forward as much as they were pulled. If they struggled, they still stayed. They returned each day because they knew this was revolutionary.

Where walls become windows, seven people became friends. Where meditation is enjoyed, meditation taught becomes evolutionary. Through the eyes of meditation, he led six more leaders out into the world to teach the rest to now see.