A very special Meditation Intensive This Sunday ~

THIS Sunday, December 4th ~ 10am – 1pm
$91 minimum donation

Embrace of the Beloved: Leading You Deeper Into the Heart of Love
A Meditation Intensive to Remember

 What is the HEART of Love?
How could three hours immersed in the experience of it open you deeper to freedom, love, and happiness that aren’t dependent on circumstances or other people?  What would it be like to be able to experience unconditional love inside yourself, for yourself, even when circumstances seem to be going awry?

There is a vast reservoir of strength, stillness, peace, love, and causeless joy within you.  Learning to access it is our task.  Meditation will be our means.  Anyone can learn to enter the profound space of meditation, it's a simple matter of learning your way in.  Each participant will be initiated more deeply into this inner space.

With a combination of sitting meditations, breathing techniques, ancient tools, and culminating in Ecstatic Breathwork, this will be an event to remember!

Don’t worry if you’ve never meditated or don’t feel "good at it".  You’ll be fully supported and guided to finding the doorways that lead you into the places which deep true meditation opens.  This is for all levels of experience.

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear.

Join Us.

When:   Sunday, December 4th, 2011
Time:       10:00am –1:00pm

Minimum Donation:  $91

Where:  140 North Swall Dr, Beverly Hills, 90211.  Park on the street.

RSVP:      Send a paypal to "soulmatrix@earthlink.net" to hold your place.  Please select "personal" and "gift" when doing your paypal.

BRING:      A folded blanket and/or yoga mat to lay on for the breathing meditation, eye pillow if you have one, Journal & Pen, any cushions for sitting on, water, and a smile!

Side Note:  When selecting what to sit on for meditation, the guideline is to have your cusions/folded blankets high enough such that the top of your hip bones are above your knees.  If your knees are above the top of your hip bones, your lower back will likely ache from trying to support you.

LOVE,
Scott

http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk
Follow on Twitter:  Scott_Schwenk

Gaining More Power & Leverage In Your Life

One of the preeminent social networking mavens, Brian Solis, put up this quote recently, "The distance between who I am and who I want to be is separated only by my actions and my words."

What are you saying?  What are you doing?  Who or what do you want to be?

A lot of my work with clients looks at structures and systems.  You are in essence, your own ecosystem, dependent, and interdependent with more elements, people, and aspects than you can possibly imagine.  Every aspect of your life is supported and maintained by a system of one sort or another, both those aspects that you cherish and the ones that you just can't seem to be rid of.

Clarity is key.  Clarity in seeing what's what and who's who, here and now.

Pick an area of your life to focus on right now, to carry through this article.  Choose an area that you'd like to make some change to.  Got it?  Good.

What do you want to change about it?  Be specific.

How is it right now?  What's actually happening in that area of your life here, now, in this moment?

You are saying and doing things both consciously and unconsciously to and with yourself and others that maintain this "reality".  90% of how it's going is coming from you, from your thoughts, feelings, and actions over time.  That's good news.  You can make a change.  Now.

Many years ago when I was in sales, I remember being told that my actions today were creating my results ninety days from now.  If I wanted to eat in ninety days, I'd better be on the phone, building relationships and putting projects in the pipeline now.  This applies to every area of life, though my experience shows that the timelines aren't all as concrete as ninety days, some are longer, some are more instant.  The variances are based on what we're dealing with.  The more you pay attention, the more see the timelines.

Two of the main challenges that prevent growth beyond the known over time are placement of attention and broken agreements.   See yesterday's article, The Superhighway To Happiness, where I deal with a first deep cut at how you place attention.

Before we move any further, what do you want?  Yes, YOU!  Really.  What do you want?  And are you willing to let it be important enough that your words and your actions move squarely in the direction of bringing it fully to life?

Today the bow is strung with arrow pointed squarely at broken agreements.

We all have a certain finite amount of personal energy that gets used in a number of ways, and unconsciously leaked in even more ways.  If I give you a thousand dollars right now, tax-free, cash, to do whatever you like, how will it really and actually get spent?  In 90% of people, there will be unconscious spending that does absolutely nothing at all to forward your stated and most precious intentions.  The spending will be dictated predominantly by the five senses and how they want to be pleased temporarily, with nothing to show for it later.  This is the the human condition.  Until some form of conscious presence gains a foothold in the life and the game changes from habit to choice.

Where are your broken agreements?  With yourself?  With your family?  With your co-workers?  With your lover?  Spouse?  What have you said or implied to another and never followed through on?  What intentions and resolutions have you so eloquently and emphatically stood on the bandwagon at New Year's with, only to forget thirty days later?

All these resolutions and intentions hang around like driftwood jamming and clogging the flow of a  formerly pristine river.  If you want to cool off from the heat and humidity of high Summer in this sweet river, you've got to clean out the driftwood and make room.

Make a list.  Get excited about all the space you're making for yourself.  Get lit up about having more energy available.

Take the list and deal with it, item by item.  That might look like real honest conversations where you take responsibility for what you said and make it clear that you're either going to do what you said, or not do what you said.  Just be clear.  Communicate.  Be real.  Give up the people pleasing and be honest with yourself and the world around you.

Saying "Let's do lunch," when you've got no desire or intention to actually show up is a waste of precious life force.

What are you committed to?  What matters most to you?  Where are you actually spending your time?  If there's a gap here, you have broken agreements with yourself.  And if you're going into some sinking feeling of guilt or shame, drop it.  Remind yourself of your intentions and simply get to work on cleaning out the driftwood, branch-by-branch.

Along the way, keep track of what your saying to people.  If you're giving the sense you're going to do something, write it down, put it in your calendar and do it.  Otherwise, don't give the idea that you're available for that lunch, project, meeting, or whatever.

Superhighway to Happiness

MEDITATION

Whatever you're focusing on, you're experiencing.  Simple.  What's not so simple, until you've got the inner musculature stronger, is moving your attention at will.  If you want to be able to do 100 pushups (yes there's an app for that too...), you've got to start with 1 pushup, well performed.  Then you can move to two and 20, and according to the app, within six weeks you'll be doing 100 pushups if you follow the program.  There's some work involved, and if you don't know why you're setting out to be someone who can effectively do 100 pushups (at one time), then when you hit challenges, it's easy to get distracted which leads to diminished results which leads to quitting.  If you're human like me, you've done this in your life, at least once, if not more.

So what are you focusing on?  What are you giving attention to?  Do you like it?  Does it make you feel all warm and fuzzy?  Or does it make you a bit prickly, a bit difficult to be around when you're obsessing internally about your insecurities? 

If you're suffering, you're focused on an illusion and relating to it like it's real, true, and likely permanent.  Nothing is permanent.  That's basic Tao 101, Change is constant.  Yet when that feeling comes up, yes, you know the one....the one that takes you out of commission when you believe it....the one that your mind starts gathering all variety of "evidence" to support....when that feeling comes up, and your ego is building the case, there's an addiction at play.  There is literally a secretion of hormones in the body, a particular order of neurons firing and the system gets habituated, or addicted to that feeling, however lousy it may feel. 

Then there's the accompanying feelings of powerlessness to change that can come along for the ride.  The next thing you know, the mind is chiming in with all the "to do" items that are more urgent and time-sensitive than actually stopping all action and getting back into your right mind, into the felt presence of contentment, or even authentic happiness.

At this point in my life it's clear, the only thing I have a say over consistently is my own inner state.  The stronger my inner state, the more leverage I have in the outer world.  The weaker my inner state, the more the prevailing challenges in the world have ongoing impact on every aspect of my life. 

You can either become an organizing principle, or be organized and shuffled around by the chaos of the world.  An organizing principle in the way I'm working with it here is a power point, deeply grounded into inner strength that is grown through attention and practice.  Like an electro-magnet that turns neighboring iron filings into mini-magnets, you become this force that life organizes itself around.

So to begin this reversal of the power back to you, back to your choice to be happy independent of circumstances, we start with what you're focusing on, what you're paying attention to, what you're animating and perpetuating with your own life force.

At some point, this kind of self-reflection becomes an ongoing habit.  Along the way, it's not only an enormous support, it's CRITICAL to set aside daily time for formal practice.  What do I mean by 'formal'?  Suit and tie?  Cocktail dress and Jimmy Choo's?  Not so much. 

I mean specific scheduled times each day with set beginning and ending times that you don't let get preempted by anything. 

What do I do during this time?  Since the focus of this note is meditation, I'm going to suggest actually meditating.  It can be easy, it can be enjoyable (which is a key to depth in meditation), and there's a tremendous amount of support for learning how.

I use the EOC Institute's "Balance" mp3 (http://EOCinstitute.org) nearly every time I meditate.  It uses tonal frequencies through your headphones, masked in the sound of gentle rainfall to literally train your brain and nervous system to live in meditative states.

Working with a seasoned teacher shortens the learning curve tremendously and helps troubleshoot places where your attention is getting caught or stuck, and restoring you into the awe-inspiring free-fall of deep meditation.

Just start. 

The Power of FREEDOM ~ Ecstatic Breathwork ~ Fri, Sept 16th 8-9pm at The Hub

The Power of FREEDOM ~ Diving into Source of Life

This Friday night, I’ll be leading Ecstatic Breathwork at The Hub


Friday, September 16 ~ 8-9 pm ~ The Hub (West LA)

 

These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within.  Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear and Present.

Join Us.

When:       FRIDAY night 9/16  8-9pm (1 hour) 
                    ((Arrive early to avoid being late))
Exchange:       $20 drop-in rate/or purchase a series
Where:      The Hub (http://thehub-la.com <http://thehub-la.com/> )
                    2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363 US
                    { S Barrington Ave between LaGrange and Mississippi }
                    Entrance for the Hub is located on street level at the ground floor of the
                    parking structure located on South Barrington Avenue.
Bring:          Yoga mat and/or blanket-we'll be sitting on the floor at first then lying down
                     for the breathwork.
RSVP:        You can reserve your spot through The Hub  310-575-4200


LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com <http://trustthebreath.com/>
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com <http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com/>
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk
Follow on Twitter:  Breathworks 

"Entering the Heart of Wholeness" Chelsea Workshop, Sun Sept 4 ~ Private Union Sq Sessions Sept 3-6

Dear Friends ~ I’ll be back in NYC offering a brand-new intensive workshop on Sunday afternoon, Sept 4th from 11:45am-3pm, “Entering the Heart of Wholeness” (scroll down for details), as well as private sessions by appointment (see below Workshop).  I look forward to being with you!   LOVE, Scott

Entering the Heart of Wholeness:  Practices for Catalyzing & Deepening Embodied Freedom


SUNDAY, September 4th
11:45am-3pm
$91 minimum donation


In this intensive workshop we will work deeply with specific empowered mantras, breathing techniques, meditation, and contemplation to initiate and catalyze deeper embodiment of Wholeness, Freedom, and Causeless Joy across all areas of life.

Under the Guidance and direction of Sri Sri Sri Svami Purna Ji Maharaj (http://adfoundation.org), I am now bringing the teachings and practices that have and continue to powerfully expedite and unfold my own Path through every aspect of my work with you.

All levels of experience are welcome at this workshop!

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear and Present.

Join Us.

When:   Sunday, September 4th
Time:    11:45am-3pm  (arrive early to avoid being late)

Where: Moving Body Resources
            112 West 27th Stree, 4th Fl
            (Between 6th and 7th Aves.)

Minimum Donation:  $91

Registration:  Send $91 via paypal (select donation) to soulmatrix@earthlink.net

Bring:  A notebook and pen, water bottle, a cushion or folded blanket for meditation and eye-pillow if you have one.  We'll be sitting on the floor for several of the meditations, and laying out flat for the breath meditation.  There are a few chairs if you’re unable to sit on the floor.  If you tend to get chilly, bring a warmer layer to put on.



------------------  

I’ll once again offer PRIVATE HEALING SESSIONS by appointment Saturday, Sept 2 through Tuesday, Sept 6th.

Private sessions are approximately 1hr 15min and minimum donation of $200.  48hrs cancellation policy by phone call for all sessions.  Schedule a session by calling me at 310-922-4890.

Private sessions (unless otherwise indicated) will happen at:

Well Space
32 Union Square East, Suite 411
New York, NY 10003
212-539-1690

------

Love,
Scott
(310) 922-4890
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk

Ecstatic Breathwork & Gong Bath ~ Fri, Aug 19th 8-9pm at The Hub

This Friday night, I’ll be leading Ecstatic Breathwork to the accompaniment of Italian Gong Master, Nicola Renita


Friday, August 19 ~ 8-9 pm ~ The Hub (West LA)

 

The sound of the gongs is wordless mantra, drawing you deep into the cave of the Self, the home of Wholeness, the Source of the One within.

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear and Present.

Join Us.
 

When:       FRIDAY night 8/19  8-9pm (1 hour) 
                    ((Arrive early to avoid being late))
Exchange:       $20 drop-in rate/or purchase a series
Where:      The Hub (http://thehub-la.com <http://thehub-la.com/> )
                    2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363 US
                    { S Barrington Ave between LaGrange and Mississippi }
                    Entrance for the Hub is located on street level at the ground floor of the
                    parking structure located on South Barrington Avenue.
Bring:          Yoga mat and/or blanket-we'll be sitting on the floor at first then lying down
                     for the breathwork.
RSVP:        You can reserve your spot through The Hub  310-575-4200


These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within.  Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com <http://trustthebreath.com/>
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com <http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com/>
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk 

Gaia's Overdose

 
Track marks up and down
Arms and legs
Trailed with our
Cast away past
The wrappers telling time
Strata of unmet needs
Straddling broken pipe dreams.


You and I aren't that
different Mama,
we're really just the same
in the bright fast car
gaining speed
in no one's name.
I can't take this pace
this drive for speed
I'm crashing over and over
doing it again
calling it a creed.


Your blood is so
translucent Mama
phosphorescent glow
winter morning pills popped
oozing through rivers
surging spring melt flow.


Needles stacked
Pickup sticks
Art without a show.
Strewn down stretching shores
Confetti for post-modern stage


Are you throwing me off your back
Mama
was it something that I've said?
Seismic fits and coughs
rattling the cage
the matrix with its deep red tear
ripping through carotid arteries of trade
a whole new signal to the brain.


You and I aren't that
different Mama,
we're really just the same
in the bright fast car
gaining speed
in no one's name.
I can't take this pace
this drive for speed
I'm crashing over and over
doing it again
calling it a creed.


You're clearly on a bender Mama
wracking in the pain
We're in the same fast car
Dying in no one's name.







All rights reserved 2011 ~ Scott Patrick Schwenk

Deep Bang, Less Bucks ~ New Format for Breathwork at The Hub

This week marks the beginning of a new format for Breathwork classes at The Hub.  We're endeavoring to bring the actual experience that the Breathwork opens up to as many people as are ready to Soar!  Rather than full-on workshops, these sessions will now be 1 hour dives focused primarily on the experience of the Breathwork at the drop-in rate of $20 (or less if you're using a series pass that includes access to yoga, meditation, and breathwork classes)

 

Friday, July 17 ~ 8-9pm ~ The Hub (West LA)

Going Further

What is further for you?  In a safe, strong, loving container, this Friday night, you’re invited to Go Further.  Further into love, Further into self-acceptance, Further into the Unknown, Further into the Truth of You.

I’m also feeling called to bring in more work with Sound.  The Hub has a number of profoundly resonant quartz crystal singing bowls.  The vibration from these quartz bowls moves through the physical and subtle bodies, melting through old structures, old beliefs, melting them back into simple vibrant energy that can be used as fuel for Anything.

Using simple tools of PERSPECTIVE, Awareness, and Breath, you’ll strengthen your tools for deepening your own process of Freedom...

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear and Present.

Join Us.

When:       FRIDAY night 6/17  8-9pm (1 hour) 
                    ((Arrive early to avoid being late))
Exchange:       $20 drop-in rate/or purchase a series
Where:      The Hub (http://thehub-la.com)
                    2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363 US
                    { S Barrington Ave between LaGrange and Mississippi }
                    Entrance for the Hub is located on street level at the ground floor of the
                    parking structure located on South Barrington Avenue.
Bring:          Yoga mat and/or blanket-we'll be sitting on the floor at first then lying down
                     for the breathwork.
RSVP:        You can reserve your spot through The Hub  310-575-4200


These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within.  Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk 

Enjoying Meditation, Tasting Freedom || Wednesday Nights 7:45-9pm @ The Hub

 

ENJOYING MEDITATION, TASTING FREEDOM  ~  Wednesday Nights at The Hub  ~ 7:45-9pm

Every week I’m more excited than the last for these Wednesday night gatherings.  There’s a building momentum, and a gathering depth, that’s creating a strong, safe, and vibrant container/space to go deep into the world of Freedom that meditation can open.  Each week we’re standing on the shoulders of the previous week’s growth.  Each week, we’re diving deeper into the direct experience of Silence, Love, Stillness, Renewal, and in the presence of others.  Doing this work in a group setting is silently encouraging an unraveling of what it is to be deeply yourSelf in the midst of others. 

Meditation can be FUN, and enjoying is a skill you can learn at any point, a skill that scales out to infinite depth and breadth and will impact every single area of your life. 

Come!

We've made it super-affordable for you...priced like a yoga class so you can experience the cumulative effect of sitting with a group, the exponential expansion over time...

In a recent newsletter, friend, mentor, and the teacher who trained me to teach meditation, Sally Kempton, writes ~

"As a teacher, I've learned that the way something is said can literally shift consciousness. This is especially true of meditation instructions. When your inner field is open and receptive, a few words of guidance or a pointing-out instruction will open up pathways that can take you into the heart of being itself. That's one reason why meditating with a teacher and a group can be so instrumental in awakening your deepest experience in meditation. Because the words that point to stillness carry the energy of stillness, you can often go deeper inside with the right words than you do on your own. Then, when you're meditating on your own again, the pathway that the instructions have kindled is there to guide you."

ENJOYING MEDITATION, TASTING FREEDOM  ~  Wednesdays at The Hub  ~ 7:45-9pm


The Hub (http://thehub-la.com) 2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363

Click Here for Details ~ http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com/2011/05/enjoying-meditation-tasting-freedom.html


LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk   

Who Do You Think You Are? ECSTATIC BREATHWORK this FRIDAY 6/17, 8-9:30pm at The Hub

Friday, June 17 ~ 8-9:30pm ~ The Hub (West LA)

Who Do You Think You Are?

“As a man thinketh in his Heart, so is he.” ~Proverbs 23:7

What’s occupying you?  Where is your Attention (thoughts, feelings, and awareness) pulled consciously AND unconsciously?  Is it the Truth of what you truly are as unfettered Freedom?  And if you have glimpsed the Truth of what you and I are, where is there room for it to be more fully EMBODIED?

Using simple tools of PERSPECTIVE, Awareness, and Breath, you’ll strengthen your tools for deepening your own process of Freedom...

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear and Present.

Join Us.

When:       FRIDAY night 6/17  8-9:30pm  
                    ((Arrive early to avoid being late))
Exchange:       $35
Where:      The Hub (http://thehub-la.com)
                    2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363 US
                    { S Barrington Ave between LaGrange and Mississippi }
                    Entrance for the Hub is located on street level at the ground floor of the
                    parking structure located on South Barrington Avenue.
Bring:          Yoga mat and/or blanket-we'll be sitting on the floor at first then lying down
                     for the breathwork.
RSVP:        You can reserve your spot through The Hub  310-575-4200


These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within.  Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk   

Awakening Power through Tenderness and Strength this SUNDAY 5/8, 6:30-8pm at The Hub

TENDERNESS AND STRENGTH = POWER

In the process of growing up and waking up, and building Strength, a vast number of us have lost touch with Tenderness....or have gone the other direction and built a sort of Tenderness that is missing Strength.

Tenderness without Strength can create relationships of massive codependence, carrying pain for other people as way to get love, blurred boundaries, and a painful sort of ultra-sensitivity.

Strength without Tenderness can produce human "islands", lone wolves, and an absence of real Communion with other people and groups.

I've been studying this in myself, sanding off the crust of old battle scars from my Heart, stretching its edges wider than is comfortable, and finding this incredible Power.

Which side are you more anchored into?  Where is there room for more freedom?  More Communion that includes your strength, that's grounded, present, and able to really Feel this world in a way that's not only empowering to You, it becomes a gift to every Community you're a part of, to the World as a whole.

This is an Exploration.  We don't have answers.  We're curious about what's truly Possible in Happiness, in Love, and in Freedom.  With Awareness, Breath, and Trust, we're exploring.  Join Us!


When:       SUNDAY night 6/5/11  6:30-8pm  
                    ((Arrive early to avoid being late))
Exchange:       $35
Where:      The Hub (http://thehub-la.com)
                    2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363 US
                    { S Barrington Ave between LaGrange and Mississippi }
                    Entrance for the Hub is located on street level at the ground floor of the
                    parking structure located on South Barrington Avenue.
Bring:          Yoga mat and/or blanket-we'll be sitting on the floor at first then lying down
                     for the breathwork.
RSVP:        You can reserve your spot through The Hub  310-575-4200


These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within.  Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk

TENDERNESS AND STRENGTH = POWER, Sunday, JUNE 5 ~ 6:30-8pm ~ The Hub (West LA)

Sunday, JUNE 5 ~ 6:30-8pm ~ The Hub (West LA)

  TENDERNESS AND STRENGTH = POWER      

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear and Present.

Join Us.

When:       SUNDAY night 6/5/11  6:30-8pm   
                    ((Arrive early to avoid being late))
Exchange:       $35
Where:      The Hub (http://thehub-la.com)
                    2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363 US
                    { S Barrington Ave between LaGrange and Mississippi }
                    Entrance for the Hub is located on street level at the ground floor of the
                    parking structure located on South Barrington Avenue.
Bring:          Yoga mat and/or blanket-we'll be sitting on the floor at first then lying down
                     for the breathwork.
RSVP:        You can reserve your spot through The Hub  310-575-4200


These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within.  Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk   

ENJOYING MEDITATION, TASTING FREEDOM ~ Wednesdays at The Hub ~ 7:45-9pm

 

I am over the moon about this new class.  Having fallen so deeply in love with my own practice over time, I'm compelled to infect as many people as possible with what the Poet-Saint Hafiz calls "The Happy Virus".  Meditation can be FUN, and enjoying is a skill you can learn at any point, a skill that scales out to infinite depth and breadth and will impact every single area of your life.  Come! And we've made it super-affordable for you...priced like a yoga class so you can experience the cumulative effect of sitting with a group, the exponential expansion over time...

In her latest newsletter, friend, mentor, and the teacher who trained me to teach meditation, Sally Kempton, writes ~ 

"As a teacher, I've learned that the way something is said can literally shift consciousness. This is especially true of meditation instructions. When your inner field is open and receptive, a few words of guidance or a pointing-out instruction will open up pathways that can take you into the heart of being itself. That's one reason why meditating with a teacher and a group can be so instrumental in awakening your deepest experience in meditation. Because the words that point to stillness carry the energy of stillness, you can often go deeper inside with the right words than you do on your own. Then, when you're meditating on your own again, the pathway that the instructions have kindled is there to guide you."

ENJOYING MEDITATION, TASTING FREEDOM  ~  Wednesdays at The Hub  ~ 7:45-9pm

·       What if you could meditate easily and deeply enjoy it? 

·       What if meditation could open you to expanding your ability to consciously live from Joy, Love, and Freedom independent of your circumstances?

·       What if meditation could give you potent and infinite access to the very Source of creative energy fueling the greatest expressions and innovations in Art, Music, Business, Science, and Awakening?

It can, and you’re ready, exactly as you are.  Whether you’re new to the practice of meditation, a seasoned meditator, or somewhere in-between, these evenings are for you.  Drawing on a timeless lineage of Living Wisdom, we’ll dive into this deep well of Inspiration, Rejuvenation, and Revelation, using these Wednesday nights to expand your ability to access deep meditative states and bring more ease, grace, and Freedom to every area of your life.

Meditation is so much more than a daily event, it’s a place to live from.

“Meditation is also a skill.  It takes time to develop your inner ‘muscles’ of focus and to learn how to let go into the inner world.  It takes practice to discover how to let yourself move along the pathways of the inner shakti, to stay aware without thinking, and to hold an inner state when it arises.” –Sally Kempton

“Many people have difficulty when they begin to meditate.  They attempt to ‘conquer’ meditation, as if it were the enemy.  That will never work.  One must drift naturally into the meditative state.” – Dr. Svami Purna

Each week we’ll work with different entry points to deep meditation through several guided meditations and Q & A.  You will leave these evenings armed with tools to continually deepen and enjoy your own experience of mediation, yourself, and life!

Chair and floor seating are both available.

 $20 – Drop In /  $75 – 5 Class Series  /  $140 – 10 Class Series

Suggested Reading ~ Meditation For The Love Of It, Enjoying Your Own Deepest Expereince  by Sally Kempton available for purchase at The Hub.

The Truth Will Set You Free by Dr. Svami Purna available at Amazon.com

Scott Schwenk is a healer, teacher, writer, and lover of life known for his humor, appetite for Truth, and commitment to practice.  Through the Grace of great Teachers and Living Grace, he has learned to be happy, have more fun, and find freedom in the moment.  

Diving Into The 3 Faces of God ~ Fri 5/20-ECSTATIC BREATHWORK @ The Hub ~ 8-9:30pm

Friday, May 20 ~ 8-9:30pm ~ The Hub (West LA)

Diving Into Perspective ~ The 3 Faces of God

1st Person = Ecstasy,   2nd Person = Communion,   and 3rd Person = Oneness

This Friday night we’ll dive into experiencing these 3 perspectives, as the 3 faces of God.

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear and Present.

Join Us.

When:       FRIDAY night 5/20  8-9:30pm   
                    ((Arrive early to avoid being late))
Exchange:       $35
Where:      The Hub (http://thehub-la.com)
                    2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363 US
                    { S Barrington Ave between LaGrange and Mississippi }
                    Entrance for the Hub is located on street level at the ground floor of the
                    parking structure located on South Barrington Avenue.
Bring:          Yoga mat and/or blanket-we'll be sitting on the floor at first then lying down
                     for the breathwork.
RSVP:        You can reserve your spot through The Hub  310-575-4200


These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within.  Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk   

Initiation Part 1&2 ~ Fri 4/29 & Sun 5/1-ECSTATIC BREATHWORK @ The Hub

 

Friday, April 29 ~ 8-9:30pm & Sunday, May 1 ~ 6:30-8pm ~ The Hub (West LA)

Initiation 1 & 2:  Opening To Grace, Receiving Support, & Doing Your Part

What are you longing for in your life?  What are you ready to awaken to and embody on your Path?  At the beginning of every leg of a True journey, there is an Initiation within through Grace.  The more clear your intent, the more aligned your life, the deeper the Initiation.

We’ll work with Awareness, and the Power that moves through the Breath to invite Initiation.  Between now and the weekend contemplate a bit on what you can let go of in your life, and what you’re being nudged to go deeper with.

Friday night, we’ll clarify and focus the intentions and plant the seeds.  Sunday night, we’ll look at what actions your seeds/intentions need for you to move forward with and how.  Come to either night or both!     

Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear and Present.

Join Us.

When:       FRIDAY night 4/29/11  8-9:30pm AND  SUNDAY night 5/1/11 6:30-8pm
                    ((Arrive early to avoid being late))
Exchange:       $35 each night
Where:      The Hub (http://thehub-la.com)
                    2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363 US
                    { S Barrington Ave between LaGrange and Mississippi }
                    Entrance for the Hub is located on street level at the ground floor of the
                    parking structure located on South Barrington Avenue.
Bring:          Yoga mat and/or blanket-we'll be sitting on the floor at first then lying down
                     for the breathwork.
RSVP:        You can reserve your spot through The Hub  310-575-4200


These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within.  Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk   

The Golden Vessel, an ancient story of Awakening

An excerpt from an article I'm working on, this is my rendering of one of my all-time favorite of the Indian teaching stories I've heard over the years.  Enjoy!!!

The Golden Vessel

Once there was a young seeker.  From the moment he heard there was such a possibility as liberation, his heart ignited into a great blaze of mumukshutva, the burning desire for Enlightenment.  With unquenchable thirst for the expanse of limitless freedom as his active companion, he set out in search of a Being who could lead him across the seemingly interminable ocean of human drama into the realization of the peace that passes all understanding.

He wandered for three full years from one end of India to another, sometimes going a week or more with only so much as a handful of dry mung beans to nourish his body.  With a stone for his pillow, and a blanket of stars for his cover each night, the seeker began to get weary and depressed on his search.  Would he never find such a One as could awaken him to the Truth of his own Self?

One day in a small Indian town bordering Nepal, he overheard some women gathering water from the local well animatedly discussing meeting “a being like no other” whose “mere glance opens the door of the Heart.”

A lightning bolt of energy shot through his nervous system.

“Where is He? I must see Him!” shouted the boy.

Looking down at his torn rags for clothes and his cracked, swollen feet, the women could easily have mistaken the young seeker for a common beggar.  Yet the intensity of his focus, the trembling tears in his eyes, let them know this was no ordinary boy.  It was clear he was on a mission, and wasn’t going to relent until they gave him some clue to the great Guru’s whereabouts. 

Not only did they give him directions, these hidden angels of Grace helped clean him up with a bath, fresh clothes, and a steaming pile of chapattis for his journey.  Precisely following the directions of the sweet Mothers, the boy climbed and climbed through jungle, over boulders, and barely through one very nearly overflowing river, bursting from the recent monsoon rains.

After three days journey, he made it to the Guru’s encampment.  With folded hands and tears cascading down his flushed cheeks, the seeker found himself face-to-face with the great Master.  Every sinew in his body was trembling in the somehow deeply familiar Presence.

“Why are you here?” asked the Teacher.

“I have heard that you are a friend of the Great Friend,” said the boy, “all I wish is His Liberation through Your Grace.  Please Sir, would you initiate me as your disciple and show me the Path?”

“Yes,” said the Guru with a deep knowing smile, “But first, you must bring me the milk of a lioness, and only then I will initiate you.”

Thinking the area to be a jungle, and jungles as filled with tigers, he assumed such a task would be simple and set out immediately.

The task of gathering this milk is fodder for a whole other tale, for what he came to discover was that even more critical to the task is to have a vessel that can hold this rare substance.

At first he put it into a leather water skin whose membrane the milk promptly ate through and soaked into the dry earth.  His second try was a wooden bowl, which he carefully balanced, endeavoring to preserve every drop, until three kilometer’s walk later he looked inside to see it barren.

Dejected, the boy crumbled on the weaving roots of ancient banyan tree.  Already exhausted, the last little bit of energy he had left burst through his chest in a wild wail, melting through his eyes in a waterfall of tears of deep visceral longing.  When he could cry no more, he fell into a deep, deep sleep.  In this womb of silence the Devi of the forest appeared to him.

“My Son,” she said, “Your quest is not a loss.  Now that you have used up all that you know, you are ready to learn.  The milk of a lioness is the most acidic substance.  The only vessel that can possibly hold it is one of pure gold.  Between the roots where you are sleeping, about one meter below the earth, is such a bowl.  It has been purified in a great fire, such that nothing but gold and gold alone remains.  Dig it up and go to your Master, for you are now fit to be His student.  Remember this lesson as your sadhana progresses; know what to hold and what to discard in the fire of Grace.”

Mortal Coil (POEM)

Luminosity of cobalt

Weaving through the realm

My cells pulsing

With Your fragrance

Humming

Gravity

Instinctively drawn

Within

A breath releases

All and everything

From the grasp of separation

As a new door inaugurates

It’s first door-hinge creak

Swinging open to mark

An entrance and

An exit

From and to

What does not change.

The blessing of timeless wonder

The blaze of azure

Consuming change

Revealing

Voiceless voice

Infinite echo

A swirling dance of Your name.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  2011  Scott Patrick Schwenk 4/15/2011

Returning (POEM)

A spiral staircase,

A cozy nook,

Seeking happiness

In yet another book

Veils come down

A parting of the mists

The Avalon you seek

Always in your midst

The central channel throbs

Inviting you deep within

Humming

Pulsing

Dispersing all the din

Find your seat

Ride the breath

Sing the Name

Coursing through your veins

The nameless Name

Wordless Word

Felt

Unspeakable Silence

Full Summer Moon

At the trailhead

Of your weathered fingertips

Ganges

Galilee

Ride the breath

Find your seat

Sing the Name

Sink and be dissolved

In Her timeless mystery.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  2011  Scott Patrick Schwenk 3/31/11

A Thousand Beatiful Swords (POEM)

A thousand beautiful swords

Gleaming and graced,

How will you wield them

Will you deform your own face?

If your face be near

As well as far

Every stranger a looking glass

To see and heal

All your ancient scars.

A thousand beautiful swords

Full of strength and might

How will you wield them

To ravage another’s sight?

The brother’s eye you seek to

Pluck,

My dear one,

It is your own.

All this world’s

A hall of mirrors

No other faces,

Always your own.

Drink deep this elixir

Contained within my words

Let it reach every sinew

Every fiber

Every nerve,

Let it heal you of your afflictions

Your sorrow and your pain

Your oft regarded memories

So twisted, distorted, stained.

The fable writer lives amongst you

In your very house

Always crafting

Scheming

Have you feeling less than, scorned.

Drink deep this balm of Gilead

Let it lift your gaze

To the One who is eternal

Birthless, Deathless

Never on display.

These shops and stores

Catering to your tastes

Never quenching deep your seeking

Distractions for your pain.

Drink deep this clean elixir

Shake off your mortal coil

Come alive as Spirit

Amongst your brethren

And their toil.

You hold the light you seek

Dear One,

It’s never in another’s cave

It’s time to see the mirror clearly

Returning, free, unscathed.

There is no battle to be won

No flag that need be raised.

Your Holy Oaths

Serve only to protect you

While walking through illusion

Remembering This Grace.

Put down your weapons Dear One,

Sit tall

Breathe deep

And turn within

All answers of your seeking

Pulse bright along your veins

Be grateful I have told you

These words your soul lays bare.

Your faith is your protection

It’s drumbeat sings your Name.

The trust you hone

Will lead you home

Cleanse all the splinters

Beams and motes

From your downward gaze.

Join me on this journey

Dance o’er the quicksands

Lifted in your stage

You’re ready for this

Great emancipation

You never were a slave.

Freedom lives within you

Dear One,

And long before your grave,

If you choose it deeply

And walk it in my Name.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2011  Scott Patrick Schwenk  3/30/2011

Ecstatic Dance of Shiva & Shakti: Tantric Meditation Intensive, Saturday, April 2nd, 10am-6pm

Saturday, April 2nd ~ 10am – 6pm, a 1-day Tantric Meditation Intensive
$150 (*$125 if paid in full by Wed, March 30th)

The Ecstatic Dance of Shiva & Shakti ~ Immersing in the Creative Power of the Universe

Shiva and Shakti are names given to aspects of your own Awake Self, they are essential and primal forces that give rise to everything you perceive and everything you don’t perceive.  In the beginning there was One, the One became two...these two are Shiva and Shakti, form and formlessness, everything and nothing, emptiness and fullness, the Great Void and Supreme Love.

 In this 1-day Intensive Retreat, we’ll journey deeper into directly experiencing the space between these two through Tantric Meditation, Ecstatic Breathwork, and Contemplation.

We’ll also work with a specific process for releasing the pulls of the past and future, those unmet needs of the past and wants for a future that pull Awareness from the direct experience of complete, whole, perfection in the Present Moment.

This retreat is about experience over theory.  In the direct experiencing, the questions fall away.

Don’t worry if you’ve never meditated or don’t feel good at it.  You’ll be guided to find and experience your own doorways, doorways that work, to lead you into the places that deep true meditation opens.  This is for all levels of experience, an initiation into the next leg of your journey Home.


Breath Deep. Heart Awake. Body Soft. Attention Clear.

Join Us.

  

When:   Saturday, April 2nd, 2010
Time:       10:00am –6:00pm

Exchange:   $150.  (***$125 if paid in full by Wed, March 30th)

Where:  1226 Havenhurst Dr. #9
                (Havenhurst is 1 block West of Crescent Heights between Santa Monica Blvd and Fountain Ave)

Parking:    Since this is a daytime workshop on a Saturday, you may be able to find spots in the neighborhood.  No permits are needed until 7pm. There’s also the West Hollywood City Lot just South of Santa Monica Blvd behind Out Of The Closet between Havenhurst and La Jolla.  The City Lot is $1 per hour in quarters and you can park there for up to 10 hours.

RSVP:      48hrs cancellation by phone for this workshop. (310) 922-4890

BRING:      A folded blanket and/or yoga mat to lay on for the breathing meditation, eye pillow if you have one, Journal & Pen, any cushions for sitting on, water, and a smile!


LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk