What a Novel idea… Learning how to sit!

Have you ever met a person and decided you have to know more about them even before they say anything? Well, that was my experience when I first met Daniel Schmidt at Sylvia Nibley’s Community Connections lunch in.

After speaking with him briefly and getting glimpses into the pool of knowledge that his mind is immersed in, I decided to see him in action.

I showed up at his office with no idea about what to expect. It was a very quite, calm, peaceful place and I was welcomed with a smile from Dan.

About the pool of knowledge that I glimpsed before, I was just seeing the tip of the ice berg! With in minutes Dan was working at relieving the pain I have in my left, middle, back and was explaining the whole picture of why it was in pain.

I am no stranger to back pain and those that attempt to relieve it. This back pain was the result of a biking accident where I crashed going 45 + miles an hour in Moab Utah. I have had this part of my back worked on many times, for years.

So, what was different this time? How was Dan different from others that have attempted to un knot my back? Here is what I noticed; he didn’t dive right into the spot on my back that hurt. He actually started with the rest of my body and got me really comfortable first.

Then he loosened up my ribs… Who knew that ribs can be loosened? I sure didn’t, but I felt it! His approach was soft and fluid like he was moving my muscles, arms, neck, etc around as he listened to what they were telling him.

He explained that the pain is being protected and if he opens up the wound indirectly then when he works on it, it will let him in. Not only did it make sense, it worked and was less painful then the, dive right into the sore spot, approach that I have experienced before.

When I asked him what the work he was doing was called he went through his list… and it is a long list! This guy is certified in all sorts of things! He then went on to tell me about the histories of the things he was practicing and why he was using them.

I felt as though I had walked into a workshop on how the body works while my body was getting worked.

Now if you have read any of my other blogs, you will know that I am kind of a geek, very left brain, and I love knowledge. This experience with Dan was like meeting a sage who has spent his life as a student of the body and then the sage, not only expressed his journey, but showed me how his journey felt.

Dan not only explained why he was doing what he was doing, he also explained how I can do it for myself. I found this to be truly refreshing!

Here Dan was filling my mind with as much information as I could hold and I found myself wanting to go back so that I could learn and experience what was next.

One of the things that Dan explained to me was about the spine and how to relieve pressure on it. I am not an expert so I won’t go into details but he showed me how to adjust (in a soft simple way) the different areas of my spine. He taught me something that I think should be taught in kindergarten; how to sit.

I have always thought that good posture was hard work and the reason why people don’t have good posture is because they are lazy with the way they hold their bodies. After experiencing what Dan showed me, I actually believe that good poster can be easier then poor posture, if we know what good posture is.

After my experience with Dan, which I thought was only an hour but to my surprise was 2 ½ hours, I went to get into my car. As I sat down I noticed that I was so tall that my Hair touched the ceiling. This had never happened before!

All day today I have been conscious of my poster and I have used what Dan has taught me. I am using it before bed and in the morning and every time I sit at my desk I adjust to take care of my spine.

If you have pain in your body and you would like to know how it got there, why it got there, why it is still there and what to do to make it go away… I know a sage that will take that journey with you.

Do you believe you can have it all?

I John Rogers, am a Father, a husband, a musician, a lyricists, a business consultant, a fisherman, a skater, a snowboarder, a life coach, an eccentric, a practitioner of SyncCreation, a leader, a follower, and a friend.

While I define myself as these things I am also me with out them. However, right now in this moment I acknowledge all of these things as parts of my life that I choose to nurture, give energy and create with.

Each of these things takes time and energy. Some of these things create time and energy.  All of these things I choose to do… All of them!

I have a belief that I would like to share with you. I believe that I can have it all!

I believe that I can have two kids and still go on vacations. I believe that I can work for someone else and still have my own business. I believe that I can have a 5 year child from a different woman then my wife and still have a peaceful family were all members come together to create love for that child. I believe I can make a difference and be spiritually connected and still party like it is 1999. I believe I can be left brain and right brained at the same time, physical and spiritual, expansive and centered.

Many times this belief has been challenged. Many times, this belief has even caused me stress, lack of sleep and even war with those who do not believe this.

In a world with premade, mass produced, belief boxes for those of us who want to use them. I understand that this believe is contradictory to many. I understand that many believe one can not drink and be responsible, even spiritual. I understand that many believe one can not travel with little kids.

I acknowledge those beliefs. I appreciate the people who choose those beliefs. When I have chosen those beliefs in the past it has seemed easier and simpler.  I how ever choose not to give up something for something else.

Here are some evidence/beliefs that I subscribe to that support my belief that I can have it all. That the universe is abundant and ever expanding, that I am the co-creator of my universe, that where there is a will there is a way, that I attract what I put out and that there are others who belief they can have it all and are willing to support that belief.

Once again, I appreciate the people who choose to believe that they only have so many options and choices due to time, money, family, social status, etc. and if you are one of those people, bravo! You probably sleep better at night!

However, I invite you to; never make the thing you choose, feel like it is the reason you didn’t have all of what you want!!! Never let your kids feel like the reason you didn’t travel and gave up your hobbies, was because you had to be a dad. Never let your work feel like the reason you never started your own business was because you were stuck at your job.  Never let time feel like the reason you didn’t become a musician, actor or artist was because there wasn’t enough time to do both.

If you CHOOSE to spend your focus on the 3 most important things out of the 10 things you want to do, do it with pride. Let them know that you did it because you wanted to immerse yourself into the things you choose to care about most!

For those of you, who like me, choose to believe that we can have it all. Remember to be patient with yourself. You aren’t reaching for a star, your reaching for the stars. Remember to be resilient and that failures are steps to success. Remember to enjoy the journey. Remember to take care of yourself, physically, spiritually and mentally. In this journey you must learn and become refined in both body and soul so that you are able to hold “it all”.

And most of all, remember that there are others out there like you. People who are willing, who are enjoying the journey, attaining their dreams and having it all!

A Peace of the world

Have you ever found yourself wanting world peace? Have you ever imagined what that would look like? What would be different? What would have to change to have world Peace?

It has been said that if you put the wisest minds together in a room with the intention to have them come out with a list of how to create world peace. They would never come out, because they would fight over how it should be done.

I like the idea of world peace. Sure there is a part of me that says with out war we would not appreciate peace. But to that part I say, “you can still have chaos and destruction without war.” Pain and anger are natural, hate is man made.

That being said, in the past as I pondered what I can do to create world peace I have become overwhelmed with how small I am compared to the amount of war and violence and hate that is out there.

At times I have found solace in knowing that there are other people on this planet that are standing for peace but all to often I find that they are actually creating war by trying to project their view of what peace is and how it can be attained… and again I feel small.

A week ago I attended the SyncCreation Advanced Workshop and had the opportunity to look at my beliefs about peace and what it would take to create it in this world, in my life time.

I again had my beliefs about my ability to make a difference on such a huge challenge show up. At first I was a little disturbed that I was going to be using my energy on something so distant and possibly unattainable. Why not put it on something smaller, more local, etc?

As we prepared to focus our intention and send energy to world peace Dr. Joe Gallenberger invited us to increase our energy so that it is bigger then the challenge at hand and even bigger then this world. From a left brain interpretation that made sense on quantum physics, size is all relative, way. There is a universe in me (my atoms, cells, etc) and we are a universe in another universe, in another and so on (more on this, another day).

So I decided to give it a try. We sat in a circle and sent energy to the center with the focus and intention of moving world peace one step closer. As I began, I let my energy climb combing from the sky, meeting with the earth mixing with my heart and moving towards the middle of the circle through my hands.

I watched/felt the energy move out me going to the middle of the circle. I began to feel my energy expand until I/it filled up the room, until it filled up the city, the state, the U.S. Then as it span across oceans I found stepping back, as if to exit the earths atmosphere. I rapped my arms around the earth and felt it size shrinking in my embrace until I found myself holding it in my hands.

No longer was I sending my energy to the middle of the circle, I was sending my energy to the earth as I stood among the stars. At that moment I had the thought to send the world peace by creating a REBAL (an energy balloon) of peace around the earth.  As I went to do this it became clear that there was already a REBAL around the earth.

When I realized this, something clicked in my conscious; that the earth itself is already peace. That it has a REBAL of protection and that each piece of the earth, of Mother Nature, with all of her many facets, is peace, harmony, creation, passion… As this realization flooded over me I experienced an overwhelming feeling of support; that I was not alone in creating and maintaining peace on this planet.

With that thought I leaned in to look at the dance of peace that I held and found myself falling into the world as if it opened up to embrace me with its peace. Next thing I new I was in a meadow with one singular tree. It was a very modest tree, nothing spectacular about it.

But even though the meadow was barren for miles I could feel a glow of peace radiating from the tree as if the size of the tree was an illusion. The glow from the tree was that of a thousand forests and as I gazed at its beauty I heard as clear as day “as long as there is one tree there will always be a being standing for peace” .

Overwhelmed with the power of this message and with my attention on the tree, I did not notice that the meadow had turned from a barren meadow to one rich with life, trees, bushes, birds, animals… I could feel the peace exuding from each of them as it surrounded me.

I took a deep breath to breathe in the moment and as I did, I became aware that I too was radiating with peace. I could feel it as the harmonious symphony of my cells and organs worked to sustain life. I could feel it vibrate through my nervous system as it transmitted this experience across the network that is me.

Tears formed in my eyes as if they were being pushed out to make room for the immense gratitude I was feeling. Gratitude for truly feeling the peace that is me, gratitude that I now knew I was never alone and would never be alone, grateful for this surreal moment that would forever change my belief; about peace, the size of my soul, this beautiful earth and much more.

Through my gratitude I found myself back in the circle, in the room, in SLC Utah. I could hear the breaths of those in the circle with me and a smile came across my lips as I knew they too were a stand for peace…

…I am a peace of the world…