Marilyn Rands, Spirit of Ma’at Magazine, Sept. 2013
Article Originally Published In June, 2003
http://spiritofmaat.com/magazine/august-2013-heart-of-creation/reaching-the-stillpoint-an-interview-with-jim-ewin/
Shaman and Reiki Master
Jim Ewing is an insightful teacher and healer who is also extremely
articulate about the ways and means of traveling this Path we are on.
As he states on his website: "We were born to be here now. It is our souls' purpose to see past delusion and diversion and live truly, honestly, with love and compassion, without pain. The path toward healing, toward making our dreams realities, is within each of us."
Jim's experience tells him that hearing the messages of Higher Power means in some way lifting ourselves into the "real reality," the vibration at the top of our breathing and between each beating of our hearts — the place where our guidance resides: the Stillpoint.
Marylyn: Jim, to begin, would you please define the Stillpoint for us, the place we seek to achieve in speaking with Higher Power?
Jim: Your heart is a liquid oscillator. At every beat, there is one moment when it is neither expanding nor contracting, when your being is infinite for one micro-millisecond, when every thought, every intention — your very being — are broadcast to the universe in all dimensions. This is the Stillpoint, the all-time-no-time point of power.[1]
Marylyn: And what happens for us when we reach this point?
Jim: Let me answer that with an example.
Last week there was a Total Full Moon Eclipse. I had been asked to give a talk on shamanism at a local church, and after the talk, I went with my partner to a very special place, an overlook of a local lake, and watched the Lunar Eclipse. It was incredibly powerful. We placed a blanket on the ground and watched, mostly in silence, as the Moon went from blinding whiteness to blood red to total disappearance, and then through the stages back again to blinding whiteness. It was a journey in both ordinary and non-ordinary reality, and I was definitely in my Mer-Ka-Ba, experiencing it all. And although it lasted for several hours of ordinary reality, it was a "sacred moment" in the Stillpoint of consciousness.
The next night, Bob Dylan performed locally at an outdoor concert here, and my partner and I attended, again sitting on the Earthly Mother, grounded. The Moon was above us, in brightness, in her glory. During the songs, as with the Eclipse, I could feel the Earth energy coursing up through my body and meeting with the energy of my heart. I did Reiki for the Earth and for all beings, connecting with the Christ Consciousness Grid, touching all physical and non-physical objects in this and other realities at once with my Higher Power, with my Mer-Ka-Ba.
And it took me on a journey.
I was in all-time-no-time — and I was back again at that hill during the Eclipse, overlooking the water, with all the birds, fish, two-leggeds, four-leggeds, plants, creepy-crawlies, stone people, Sun and Moon, Earthly Mother, all my brothers and sisters — Mitakuye Oyasin[2]. I was back again at every place I have drummed and done sacred ceremony, by myself and with others, all times in 3D, yet still connected with the Christ Consciousness Grid and at Stillpoint.
Again I could "see" the Moon in all her phases, the Eclipse from start to finish, as one event, one "moment." I was "there" in all those places and "here" at the concert, all at the same time. And my mind was working, too, like a computer processing information, just humming along, listening to the music and integrating what was going on, jumping from past to present to future, being its usual monkey mind.
Dylan finished with an encore of "Like a Rolling Stone." It was so powerful; but all the inflexions were different, not like the recordings burned into the consciousness of our generation. Although his voice was hoarse from singing, the verses were softer; they had a lilt to them that was less demanding or exhorting and more feeling — not a ranting indictment, but a questioning conversation.
The song seemed to speak to where we are today, those of my generation who, with gestures of defiance, began the independence of their youth by challenging authority and now are that authority, caught up from a different perspective in the same questions that once transfixed them — the answers still not found.
So there I was, feeling the Earth energy in my body, barely in normal reality, connected with Higher Power, listening to the icon of my generation, with the sight of a blinding white Moon turning to invisibility and then returning to searing whiteness, the full cycle of the Lunar Eclipse still burning in my brain.
I'm still trying to integrate the message. But these moments of all-time-no-time are giving me a message I must fathom if I'm to live in the Stillpoint. That's my guidance, my question. That's how we must live, being one with all-time-no-time in this time here, now, on this Earth — in total being and consciousness — if we are to fully ascend.
Four Doorways to Inner Guidance
Marylyn: Jim, as a shaman and healer, what can you tell us that
will help us to contact and follow our own Inner Guidance? Exactly how
can we access Higher Power?Jim: We each have different doorways that are easiest for us. For example, I find my daily guidance through meditation, prayer, dreaming, and drumming. Let me go through these from easiest to most difficult.
The Meditation Doorway
The goal in any meditation for guidance is to get close enough energetically to the Source — the Stillpoint — to allow yourself to be guided — that is, to be receptive enough to perceive the messages of your Higher Power, be they visual, audible, or simply feelings or knowing our direction. Position yourself to go with the Flow of Creation as your individual lights allow.
The simplest, easiest way to get in touch with your Higher Power at any moment, anywhere, is to simply "put your butt on a rock." That is, during the day — at work or wherever — go out and put your base Chakra on the Earth. Lean against a wall, or sit on a planter — something, anything, that connects to the Earth — and then simply breathe.
Prana breathing (see below) is good for this. Another method is the Gassho Meditation taught by William Lee Rand of the International Center for Reiki Training. To do this meditation:
- Clasp your hands in the prayer position and focus on the middle fingers.
- As a thought arises, gently brush it aside until the mind is free, clear, and empty.
In other words, just practice breathing, centering, grounding — and put the intention out that you will be guided by your Higher Power in all you do. You will be surprised at how effective this is.
And it can be done anywhere. I do it a lot at work, just go outside and ground, center, breathe. Any passersby just think I'm taking a break.
If you do this, you will find yourself refreshed and calm, center-directed — acting and not just reacting. You can then proceed with full mind, body, and Spirit to address any question.
Marylyn: Can you give us an example of how you do this in daily practice? Is there any special way you ask your questions?
Jim: For me, I find that arising before dawn gives me the clearest direction and ability to be open to the whispers of my Higher Power.
I start by looking at the Mayan Codex, a chart prepared by Ian Lungold, translated from the Mayan calendar, that tells which way the Divine wind is blowing for that day.[3] I meditate on the meaning for the day.
I also meditate on the Native American Medicine Wheel, to see which direction I am facing that day, and which challenges I am most likely to encounter, as well as how to meet them.[4]
These practices take a bit of studying. More simply, I have several meditation cards and books that I may choose from at random — impulsively, because they seem to "feel right."
Scanning through the meditations in the cards or books, I notice what "pops out" at me. Sometimes it's something that is comforting, sometimes it's troubling, but the message usually finds a place in my day — often with a big "I told you so!"
Whichever way I look for my message, I write down whatever I discovered during my meditation and carry it with me through the day for reference.
Marylyn: Does this work?
Jim: You bet! I wouldn't get up before dawn every day and do it if it didn't. I'd just sleep in or watch cartoons.
Marylyn: Can you give us an example of an insight you received in meditation and how it showed up in your life?
Jim: Sure. This example happened when I was traveling.
When I'm away giving workshops or lectures or whatnot, I modify my daily routine a bit. First, I "drum up the sun" wherever I am, to get a feel of the Earth energies of the place and to shamanically tell the local spirits that I am there and mean no harm — that I come in peace and am grateful for any way they might help me.
The messages I then receive may be as gentle as a bird flying overhead, or a wave upon the water. Our inherent wisdom or Higher Power can translate these kinds of signs into inner "knowing." Afterward, I write down what I perceived as my guidance for the day.
So one time when I was on the Gulf Coast, I went out to "drum up the sun" and noticed a pipe sticking up out of the water. I ignored it. A moment later, a big wave came and hit the pipe, which — incredibly — splashed only me, slapping me right in the face. I had a friend sitting beside me who was untouched. So I took notice.
Later, I looked in the Mayan Codex and the energy for the day was Six Reed, which means, "Be flexible. Let spiritual guidance flow through you like a garden hose, not a steel pipe." I laughed and laughed. And, yes, the workshop I was teaching that day did require me to be exceedingly flexible!
The Prayer Doorway
Marylyn: What about prayer? Can we receive answers from our Higher Power by praying? And if so, how does this work?
Jim: Prayer works! There probably is no greater power than prayer. But you also must remember that every moment of your life is a prayer — every thought, every deed. It all goes out on the lines of your Mer-Ka-Ba into the universe, in this and other dimensions all the time.
The great power of prayer is within our hearts; it is an eternal cup that is never empty.
Our mind can play tricks. It can dazzle us with straight lines that create intricate webs. But it is our heart — that spherical power of all-encompassing, womb-like love and compassion — that solves any and all problems.
We are each and all part of the universal hologram, creating our world energetically. That energy is our constant prayer, the real prayer of our existence and our world, collectively and energetically. No matter how powerful your intent or sacred your ceremony, that "prayer" can be diluted or negated if your thoughts and actions, the "constant prayer" of your being, is contradictory.
The Stillpoint is the place of power. You contact your Higher Power by approaching the Stillpoint, in meditation or prayer, using conscious intent. The challenge is to make yourself wakan (meaning "sacred" in Lakota), to be consciously "in" the Stillpoint so that you can manipulate yourself and your world to be in the Flow of Creation.
The Power Dreaming Doorway
Marylyn: I understand that you also use dreaming as a way to contact your inner guidance. Can you say more about this?
Jim: Dreaming, which everyone does, is the easiest way to access Higher Power. However, to make use of it, you must learn what I call "power dreaming," which is similar to what has been called lucid dreaming. The difference is that in lucid dreaming you are seen as being in, but not a part of, the dreams. In power dreaming, you are in total control and can obtain knowledge and power. Shamans have done this for thousands of years.
You don't need drugs or plant medicines to "see" non-ordinary reality, although you can naturally enhance your ability by taking a melatonin tablet — an over-the-counter supplement — before you go to bed, until you get the hang of it. Oh, and eat bananas. All energy work burns up potassium, so you can eat a banana or drink Gatorade™ before you journey or do energy work, to ensure you're not depleting your body.
The chemicals are already there in your brain to "see" in non-ordinary reality. It's just a matter of learning the techniques and having enough will, discipline, and intent, to carry them through.
The first lesson is to keep a notepad by your bed. Set the intent before you go to sleep to remember your dreams and start writing them down the moment you awaken. Over time, you will start to remember them and actually have opportunities to participate in them. When those opportunities arise, remember to look for your hands. If you can see your hands, you can control the dream. From there, you can go anywhere or do anything.[5]
The Drum Doorway
Marylyn: Jim, you said each of us will have some ways that work better than others. What is the most effective way you connect with your Higher Power?
Jim: The best way for me is through drumming — a full drumming ceremony — though it's not something you can do at work or with time constraints. It requires setting time aside for that activity and that alone, without distraction and with all the time in the world to do it.
That's because, once you start drumming and take off (that is, into spiritual ecstasy), you enter all-time-no-time. You could be drumming for what seems like 15 minutes and two hours have passed; or vice versa. Time doesn't really matter.
In fact, in what we call reality, time is important, but in the world of Spirit, time doesn't matter at all. Time is nothing, nor is distance. Those are foreign concepts in non-ordinary reality where Spirit resides — what's "really real."
The secret to riding the drum into non-ordinary reality is to measure your beats to coincide with a multiple of the base-resonant frequency of the Earth: to literally let the heartbeat of the Earthly Mother carry you into what's "really real." There, in non-ordinary reality, you can go wherever you want to go: journey through dimensions, talk with your spirit guides and teachers face to face, get your questions answered, or just view events in any time — past or present, or right here, now, on Earth (the Middle World) — from the vantage of non-ordinary reality.
To me, that's the mother lode of Higher Power, entering the realm of the Stillpoint, riding your Mer-Ka-Ba through dimensions. But it does require a teacher to learn how. And you also should learn first what your Power Animal (or Guide) is, and how to use this Guide to protect you on your journey.
There are some "bad guys" out there you possibly could encounter, mostly fourth-dimensional beings. The only power they really have is that of your own fears, but you can damage yourself if you don't know how to deal with them.
Marylyn: Are there techniques for using the drum that don't require a teacher?
Jim: Yes. These fall within the "meditation doorway" to finding your Higher Power.
Find a nice, small drum, say 13-inches, and lie down, beating softly as you roll it up and down your body. You will notice that the tone is different at each Chakra. Continue a steady beat, pulling slightly away from your body, and listen as the drum begins to bring the tones of your chakras into harmony.
The drum is balancing your chakras. It's a great way to relax after a hard day and take you to the doorstep of the Stillpoint.
Once you are in a meditative state — balanced, calm, with clear, open mind — you can perceive your Still, Small Voice.
How to User Our Higher Guidance
Marylyn: How can we use this connection with Higher Power to help solve our problems?Jim: First, we must realize that our Higher Power is not going to solve all of our problems. It can give us guidance, but we have to do some work. Each problem we face, in a spiral of increasing difficulty, is a test of what we have learned. We confront the same problems again and again until we master them.
The key is to place ourselves in an energetic position to act, not react, using all our powers. We can use the Four Doorways. We can create our own reality. The solutions may come through miracles, or they may simply come through the reality we choose to create when confronted with a problem.
We are not powerless. We, as a co-creator with God, have all the power of the universe. We don't need a "guru" or someone else to solve our problems for us; we have everything we need at any moment. That is the power of Now — the eternal gift of power, where all solutions are available if you know how to look. But we must find the tools and learn to use them.
Marylyn: I know we need to learn to look at our problems as Godsends? But they are often quite painful and distracting. How can we do this?
Jim: Gratitude plays a part. Each problem that knocks on our door is not totally an unwelcome visitor, as it always brings a gift. Let us say, for example, that your partner wants "more space." This can be a problem, raising fears of loss and separation. But it also gives you more space — space to be you, to do what makes you happy.
Suppose you have an argument with your partner. That can be a problem. But remember, dissention only occurs when the ego is involved. When you discern how the ego is involved, the problem can be solved.
If you repeatedly crash against your limits, you can see that as a message for what it is — a need to create and live within boundaries.
You may have to search for the "gift" in each problem, and it may require work, but it's there. As we have all heard, God never shuts a door without opening a window, and our problems, uniquely crafted for us by ourselves, are never bigger than we can handle, though they may test our abilities and force us to grow and change.
The best we can do is learn to use personal tools for healing, growth, and development, finding our best, most natural, personal doorway for inner guidance. And we need to use those tools and not rely totally on other people.
But of course God often does speak through other people. And when we need help, we need to be humble enough to ask for it without shame. A doctor doesn't remove his own gallbladder!
Marylyn: What happens if we don't use the tools of spiritual practice to assist us in our lives?
Jim: If we don't take the tap on the shoulder from Spirit to address our problems and use our tools, then the spiral of Ascension will keep sending stronger and stronger messages until the Mack truck arrives that will smack us down.
We have ultimate control over our problems and their solutions. We created them; they are unique to us, they belong to us. If we ignore them we can be swallowed up by them. One way or another, we must confront them.
Reaching the Stillpoint
Marylyn: Other than helping us to receive insight about our problems, what is our overall purpose in learning to contact Higher Power?Jim: I think the purpose of all this — of using the doorways (and the modalities of alternative or energy medicine) — is what we spoke of earlier: to find the Stillpoint.
Understanding the Stillpoint involves the nature of time and reality. Spirit doesn't operate in our system of time, but operates in all-time-no-time. Our conception of time is sequential . . . one, two, three. But real time, what's "really real," is all at once, all the time. The past, present, and future are one. We sort events to make them fit our physical understanding of time, and thus we create the misconceptions upon which we base our actions. And we call these misconceptions "reality."
This all-time-no-time, or "really real" time, is where you go when you connect with your Higher Power. That is the Stillpoint, where all healing comes from, the energy of connecting with Ascended Masters, of touching your authentic self. It's the single point from which all healing, spiritual, and energy modalities — Shamanism, Reiki, Flower of Life, and so on — find their power, their Source of Being. All religions are based on the mechanics of reaching this Stillpoint.
Stillpoint speaks to the heart and to the mind more often through symbols, not words. Words are left-brain, linear, rational. Whereas our total understanding, our greater dimensional awareness or consciousness, is right-brained, the place of dreams, intuition, and holistic conception. Here, symbols speak volumes.
In varying degrees, we complete the circuit of right-brained/left-brained consciousness (like dolphins and whales do naturally, using both sides of their brains as one) to bring this Stillpoint energy into 3D reality, to find insight and guidance or to effectuate healing in self and others.
So, how do we find the Stillpoint? The four Doorways are some of the ways. We can dance. Or we can just simply be still and totally present.
The challenge is trying to live in the Stillpoint. That is, seeing ordinary reality and having non-ordinary or extra-ordinary reality be perceived at the same time. But with the Earth changes under way, the veils are getting thinner, and it's becoming easier.
As Gregg Braden has described, and Drunvalo has explained through Sacred Geometry, as the base-resonance frequency of the Earth goes up and the magnetics of the planet go down, we are on the path toward a global Stillpoint in 2012. This will be the Shift of the Ages, as the Maya, Hopi, and others predict.
The challenge for us is to see and be with the changes as they take place. That is the path of Ascension. Being here now in this dimension, totally present, grounded, connected with the Earth, and with the Earth Mother in our hearts and bodies — and yet at the same time being connected with the all-dimensional guidance of Higher Power.
Marylyn: To sum all this up, what thoughts would you like to give our readers?
Jim: Our world's polarity — good, bad, short, tall — must be understood as Oneness. We must "be" there. The goal is Ascension, the method is Christ Consciousness. We chose the times we are living in — we chose this world, the bodies we inhabit, the parents who bore us. Everything around us is a spiritual lesson in material form. We have only to discern the meaning in our lives, our Soul's purpose in being here now.
In the universal hologram, Higher Power gives us individual and collective challenges. How we solve our individual challenges determines the collective consciousness. President Bush aside, the challenge for humanity, collectively and individually, is not war but peace, not protesting for peace (which is simply warring for peace) but being peace.
That peace is found in the Stillpoint, where there is no polarity. It's not about a war between good and evil, but the challenge of integrating good and evil, in compassion, so they are one. In that integration we become the Mind of God.
We must do the work to see this ourselves and help others to see and become this awareness — even if they are not conscious of doing the work. It's our role. Our duty. Our service. It's who we are. That is my challenge now: learning to live in the Stillpoint.
Connecting with our Higher Power, living in the Stillpoint, is the ultimate doorway to Ascension.
Prana Breathing
Prana breathing basically means using your imagination to breathe prana
into your entire body, usually through the crown chakra, rather than
simply breathing air into your lungs through nose and mouth. It is a way
of preparing mind and body to connect with higher realms.To do prana breathing:
According to Drunvalo, in ancient times it was normal to breathe in this way, and there was an entire science involving different ways of visualizing where the prana would meet and how it would circulate once it was gathered into the person's energy field. You can experiment with this! |
Jim Ewing is a registered Karuna Reiki© Master and Teacher, and a
Shamanic Healer with a specialty in soul retrieval. He does local and
long-distance energy work by appointment.
You can receive Jim's free newsletter, called "Keeping in Touch," by visiting his website at Healing the Earth/Ourselves. He can be reached by phone at 601-654-3301 or by email at BlueSkyWaters@att.net. |
Footnotes:
(1) The all-time-no-time point of power is expressed in the distance-healing Reiki symbol Hon-sha-ze-sho-nen.
(2) Mitakuye Oyasin is a Lakota phrase that means “All My Relations.”
(3) See MayanMajix.com.
(4) See, for example, EWebTribe.com/StarSpiderDancing/wheel.html.
(5) This suggestion, to look at our hands, originated with Carlos Castenada in the teachings of his nagual, Don Juan. See also Seth Dreams, Becoming a Dream-Art Scientist, and other articles in the May 2003 Spirit of Ma’at.
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