Bear's Blog

We feel confined right now, but don’t let your body suffer! Movement supports all aspects of our physical health – circulatory and respiratory, muscular and skeletal, endocrine, nervous and especially immunity. The lymph fluid cleans up cellular debris from antibodies fighting invaders, and takes it out of our system. The problem is, it doesn’t have a functional “pump” to move it like the heart does for the blood. You have to physically MOVE your body to move the lymph fluid. It’s...

This pressure-cooker pandemic environment, where so much is happening, yet everything feels stalled, is testing our limits – and perhaps exposing some personal patterns that are not helpful.

Maybe these are behaviors you’ve noticed before, but chalked it up to personality, ingrained habits, and even childhood experiences. While these things do affect our behavior, the main reason we RESPOND the way we do to life is directly related to our Energy Signature. These responses become more extreme in times of...

This year’s “harvest” is quite different from what it has been in the past. We can – and should – always find things to be grateful for. Yet on a material level our incomes, priorities and routines have changed (for better and for worse). We have been limited in some activities, while other areas of attention and concern have been expanded. We aren’t socializing in the same way; we’re spending more time in our closest relationships. If you have school-age children, or a...

Blessing your food is an ancient ritual, a spiritual and religious practice of gratitude. Saying a prayer before we eat actually drops us into Being – the “rest and digest” mode of the parasympathetic nervous system (versus the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight”.) A moment of mindfulness actually prepares our bodies to receive and digest our food.

I’d like to add an intentional energy component to explore. It’s the ultimate gratitude practice! Here’s...

Whew! The election was a nail-biter. Looking forward to a return of competence, decency and honesty in the White House (not to mention presidential pets – and another groundbreaking first, a rescue dog). Exhausted from living in Trumpworld for 4 years, I am ecstatic to finally be liberated!
 
So let’s take a break. I invite you to dive into some entertaining movies that give historical context to some of our recent cultural and political currents. All are fictional movies of actual events, and they...

What’s next?

I am writing this the day before election day. It is clear that everyone is fearful. My best advice for getting through these next few weeks with patience and persistence is to take a deep breath. Again. And again.

Make that slow, 3- part breathing – abdomen, diaphragm, chest. Actually, those are the 3 places where we align our Hara – a technique that immediately drops you into the Being State! We could all use a little of that right now. You can learn how; it’s simple and is in the...

Let’s get personal…

What is an altar? It brings a connection to spirit into everyday life. Whatever the context - whether it’s an altar in a specific religious location, or one in our homes, people have always naturally been drawn to create these reminders.

In fact, you may have an “altar” without labeling it as such. Whether it’s small or large, placed on a bedside table, fireplace mantle, windowsill or kitchen counter, it’s a collection of items that are meaningful to you....

Sacred sites drew people to pray, bury the dead and honor their transition to the afterlife, and ask for blessings from the gods. We have marked these places recognized as spiritually significant. From a pile of rocks, to standing stones, to altars, outdoor cathedrals and eventually buildings, these edifices allowed people to worship in a more formal way, and in groups.

Many ancient sites have layers of historical, political, and religious importance, built over centuries to create a large complex. An example of this...

Natural features in the landscape that were recognized as having special energies or qualities attracted people; they became focal points of mythological and religious significance. These sites are found in most every culture and time, across the world.

Many of these sites have water as the predominant element.  The town of Calistoga, California grew up around effervescent hot springs that were known for healing by many Native American tribes. The Virgin Mary was sighted at a water grotto in Lourdes France, which...

I like this format of writing a series of articles on one subject – it keeps me focused and allows me to go deeper. So, through the end of this month, we will be exploring altars – such a rich arena! - and hopefully providing inspiration to keep your head above the political fray. It’s important to participate, and at the same time keep the big-picture perspective lively.

Starting with the history of altars, I was initially going to write about those grand religious monuments and eventually come...

Somehow, by happy accident? – medicine wheels have been a part of every School Retreat we’ve held since 2008. Several have been at the WD Ranch north of Big Timber, Montana. It’s a special place where Paul and Ellie Hawks, students of mine, built a very large wheel – a single circle – with a VERY large crystal planted in its center. We would begin with the silent “walk of intention” – like the Buddhist kinhin walking meditation – up the hill, with a few rattles and...

Even more fun than visiting a medicine wheel, is building one! Chris Snell helped me build my first one in 2003. He had built many as large as 40’ wide on his family’s ranch (the Lazy EL) in Roscoe, Montana - but Chris has built medicine wheels in many environments, even a city backyard.

The McKay Method energy healing community has built three wheels over the years on a hill just east of Bozeman, Montana. They are smaller (approximately 10’ in diameter) but have a powerful energetic effect on the...