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“Living in Radiance: The Passion Connection”
Have you gone into a bookstore lately and noticed how many of the books there are "for Dummies®?" You've seen them, the yellow and black guidebooks that set out to teach all us dummies the finer points of living. Amazon.com lists 1206 titles covering an amazing array of topics. Lots on computer programs, which I can understand, but what about Art for Dummies®? Or Chihuahuas ... Weather ... Bread Machines ... Philosophy
... and GRE's -- all for Dummies®. There's Baseball for Dummies® (well, duh!) and even Sex for Dummies® -- three versions with a fourth on order -- followed by, oh dear, Pregnancy for Dummies® (abridged and full length).
You know what? They bug me. Not so much what's in them -- their content is actually pretty good. Not so much the impulse of people who want to learn new things either. It's the word "Dummies"(®, of course). To me, it implies a lowest-common- denominator mentality that's far too chic these days in America. "Don't show off," it goes. "Hide anything you've got that sets you apart from the ordinary Joe on the street." The marketers who coined the term aren't dummies at all -- they're onto something. George W. Bush is onto the same thing -- and both have struck a chord in the public mentality that's yielding big bucks. What on Earth does that say about us, the public?
To me, dummification is a trend symptomatic of a society losing its vitality. Big business thrives on big, homogeneous markets, on having large groups of people whose thoughts and desires stay within very narrow confines. It makes for a system that's really uncomfortable with diversity, with the rough edges and shining peaks of individual difference. And so it encourages us to be Dummies -- people too hooked into the media-driven trance to think for themselves, too addicted to the bland approval of the mainstream or the lazy comfort of letting others make their decisions. "We'll keep you entertained," they tell us, "with bread and circuses, if that's what it takes. Just fit in and don't rock the boat!" Where's it lead? Sex for Zombies®? Life for Blobs®?
The whole deal is directly the opposite of what we were born for -- to live with
vitality, authenticity, passion. In fact, we're hard-wired to embody these qualities -- and to live with the radiance they engender. As surely as your home has wires to carry electricity, your body has its own bioelectrical circuitry. Western medicine tells us about the nerves, which transmit information chemically and electrically. Other, older systems of healing describe energetic anatomies that are more subtle and fundamental. Aryuvedic doctors describe energetic centers called chakras, or "spinning wheels of light," arranged along the body's vertical axis. Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine have spent thousands of years mapping and studying the flow of energy ("Chi") through "meridians" that cover the
whole body. Practitioners of these systems know that a person's health depends on the quality and strength of the vital energy. They've developed a variety of sophisticated techniques -- including acupuncture, physical manipulation, and herbal treatments -- to keep that flow strong and balanced.
To live in radiance, we have to start with the physical, the hardware. If the body's toxic, injured, or out of balance, its circuits get clogged. Energy can't flow. There's no way to experience the passion of life. So take care of basics first. Everyone knows that nutrition is important (especially if they've read Nutrition for Dummies®). When we eat clean, wholesome food, we feel better. Our circuits are clear and energy flows strongly. The same goes for moderate aerobic exercise, regular stretching, and adequate rest. These are the bottom line -- you can't go anywhere in a vehicle that's out of gas.
Yet the physical vehicle is only the beginning. Western medicine is beginning to acknowledge the effects of emotions on physical health. Traditional systems of healing have recognized the importance of focusing on the whole being for a long time. Physical treatment is just one part of the picture. Of equal or greater concern are the person's emotional and mental states, plus their spiritual relationship with self and the world.
Bringing all parts into alignment is the key to radiance.
Living in radiance is a choice that goes much farther than just taking care of your body. It's a commitment to bring every area of your life into it's highest expression. That's an ongoing process. It takes work. No silver bullet can take away your responsibility to get your own life in order. There's help available, yes, and taking advantage of it is great. Yet in the end, each one of us has to find what raises our own energy, not just physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Raising your energy and living high is satisfying spiritual work. You can start by doing an honest inventory of your life. Pay attention each day to which activities, habits, foods, or situations give your energy a boost -- and which bring you down. Which relationships make you feel affirmed and alive? Which beliefs truly support you in reaching your full, radiant potential? Where do old doubts or judgements hold you back? Do you have a spiritual practice to feed you each day, to provide a place where you can open to the full range of your own joy? Don't be hard on yourself here -- we all have ups and downs. But if any areas jump out as needing work, listen to the call.
There are lots of techniques to increase vital energy. Some work better than others. Drugs, from caffeine to steroids, kick up the flow artificially, yet though they work well enough in a pinch, in the long run they lead to burnout. Better to find methods that enhance the body's own mechanisms. Many of these you can do by yourself. Yoga works. And Chi Kung. Meditation. Tai Chi. Dance. Time in Nature. Creative expression.
Chanting. Singing. Massage. The list is long. See which you like. When they work, you'll know. You'll feel brighter. If not, try something else.
Beyond all the practices, living in radiance means claiming your Passion. Passion is the surest antidote for dummification. It lives in the parts of you that refuse to compromise or surrender to conformity. Passion is a universal expression of vital life force, yet what evokes it is very personal. For one man, it might come from exploring the joys of musical expression. For another, the deep intimacy of tantra. Or gardening, raising a child, or working to feed the hungry. Maybe it's designing fashions, or designing rituals. Maybe it's travel, or staring for hours into the eyes of a lover.
As gay men, we know better than many the dangers of too much conformity. Many of us learned very early to hide our true passions -- even from ourselves. We know the numbing pain of dimming our Light in the attempt to appease the societal gods of conformity. When we come out, there's an incredible burst of energy. And claiming our sexuality is only the start. It puts us at the threshold of a lifelong spiritual quest, one that asks us to apply what we've learned coming out toward finding Passion in every part of our lives.
The rewards are great. Each time you step out and claim another piece of your own special Passion, something wonderful happens. Somewhere inside, a switch turns on, and a burst of Light flows through all your circuits. Cells starts to glow until the Light inside them overflows. The world brightens, if just for a moment. Repeat the process, it happens again. Make it a habit and you'll never be the same. Like the Sun, you were born
to shine. Go on and claim every photon of your own greatness.
Take that, Dummies®!
-- John R. Stowe
Don and Sarah on his birthday
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