Changing The Topic Front-Porch Style

Front porches have their ways. They lull us into la-la land. Their laid-back attitudes sink our otherwise uptight asses into rocking-chair chill before we can sing “rock-a-bye-baby”. They speak to us of simpler times. Of a world when everything was slower. And quieter. When we weren’t attached at the hip to our phones and FitBits. When we weren’t jonesing if we were unplugged for a while from the collective consciousness and its endless, noisy chatter.

For the collective consciousness is always chatting it up with us. Through Facebook and Fox News. Tabloids and television. Texts and Twitter. Movies and media of all kinds, in fact.

What does it say? More importantly, what do we hear? And perhaps most important of all . . . are we even listening?

The conversation I hear most is how we’re gorging on information yet starving for wisdom. Where our reality is filled with bullies and random shootings and senseless acts of unkindness of every caliber. Where by default we are abuser or victim because we no longer honor or even recognize self-worth and an individual’s own power.

As an acupuncturist and Oriental Medicine practitioner, I understand how Eastern mysticism can tune us back in to our inner knowings. How this age-old wisdom can break through all that bizarre behavior. Taking us beyond indulging and distracting to a place of nourishing and empowering. A place not unlike a good ol’ front porch.

I understand how these concepts can change the conversation. And I very much wish to shake things up.

I want wisdom to have a voice in popular culture. I want self-worth to become worthwhile. I want tantric self-empowerment to replace “50 Shades” sadism as “the new sexy” by telling the story of Alaric and Elysia. By showing what love looks like between self-empowered souls.

Typically in our culture, we aren’t used to examples of people being in their power. We tend to associate power with over-the-top, out-of-balance displays. Think overbearing executives. Pompous politicians. Playground bullies. Those exuberant parents at their kids’ sporting events. Or whoever can yell the loudest or flip the finger the most aggressively.

But that’s power out of balance.

True power isn’t loud. Or aggressive.

It doesn’t have to be.

True power wells up from within. From a spot just below the belly button. Taoists call it the Lower Dan Tien. Equestrians and dancers and martial artists all know it as the centered place inside that must be engaged for balance and strength.

If we breathe into this power center, we call upon it. And if we ground ourselves here, we align with our power.

Becoming it. Owning it.

People who own their power experience a deeper level of wholeness. And from that more complete space, they need not shout. A whispered wholeness can overcome the loudest voice.

What if more of us moved through life from a place of whispered wholeness?

That’s the quiet conversation I wish to have. Right here front and center, in this first blog posting. In the metaphorical equivalent of this website’s front porch.

So please. Be my guest. Pull up a chair and pour some tea. Shall we chat?