The Earth realm gives us access to insights that have been buried deep in our psyche, that come to us in our sleep through our dreams. Unlike the visionary clarity and imaginative guidance that characterize information from the Heaven realm, our deepest fears and unremembered influences reside in the Earth realm. —The Way of Joy
I have been feeling off-and-on again stuck these days as I grapple with some fundamental questions about my business. When I’m actually doing what I do for a living— performing theater, presenting or teaching classes in qigong, improvisation, expressive arts and communication—I’m fine. I feel like I’m soaring and, at the same time, grounded in my confidence.
It is when I try to articulate what it is I do—i.e. inspiring people to better health so they have more energy to do what they want to do in their lives—that I feel uncertain, incomplete, mute.
Ironically I have (literally) hundreds of testimonials from students about the profound impact my work has had in their lives, yet still I find myself churning with the how-tos of translation. I think I get stuck in an old familial Pavlovian response—that to talk about what I do is to Boast, Be Unattractive, Turn People Off.
In an earlier vlog (and in my book) I spoke about the “Three Realms of Consciousness”—Heaven, Human and Earth. These old messages I’ve been grappling with are an aspect of the Earth realm (jing) which consists of whatever has formed you, made you the person you are including your unconscious expressed through your dream world.
The good news is that the Earth realm is where “composting” happens, where pain, difficulties and trauma, as well as outdated conditioning from the past, have the potential to become food for strength instead of a weakness that siphons off our life force.
Can you remember a time when you weren’t getting to the heart of what you want in your relationships, work or personal life, then stopped struggling and your answer emerged?
Vicki Dello Joio, founder of The Way of Joy: A Spiritual Fitness Program, is a teacher, speaker and performing artist. Integrating over 40 years of Chi Kung practice with other martial arts as well as her work in Yoga, Feldenkreis, physical fitness and theater, Vicki has developed a dynamic set of tools to increase awareness, transform obstacles into opportunities and enhance creative potential. Book: The Way of Joy, CD: Short Meditations for a Busy Life.