Gratitude: An Explosion of Joy ~ ECSTATIC BREATHWORK This Friday~ 7/16, 8-9:30pm @The Hub

Friday, July 16th ~ 8:00pm-9:30pm ~ The Hub (West LA) 

Gratitude ~ An Explosion of Joy

One of the points we’ve been working with for some time is this understanding of becoming one with the object of your focus, (ie; you merge with whatever you meditate on and give your attention to).  If you track your attention throughout any given day, and take note of where it goes, what do you see?  The Gratitude I’m pointing to is a radically powerful pathway for focusing your attention on the Truth of what you, and all of us actually Are.  Joy is a quality and an expression of your True Nature.  Gratitude is a form of active meditation on Joy.  Through the consistent practice of Gratitude, you will naturally become more Joyful...and this Joy will give rise to more Gratitude.  As you become more Grateful and Joyful, you will naturally attract more reasons to be Grateful and Joyful.   

Practices are active demonstrations of your intentions.  This Friday night, with the support of ECSTATIC BREATHWORK, we’ll dive deeper into the core of Gratitude and Joy and more deeply anchor your commitment to the practices that reveal this Gratitude and Joy within.   

When:       FRIDAY night 7/16/10  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   

(HuffPost) Returning Home In A New Place

For countless hours of innumerable days of many months over nearly ten years I had a sanctuary, a home-away-from home In Los Angeles. It went by the name of Elixir, and it lived on a quiet section of Melrose Avenue near the soon-to-be extinct Bodhi Tree Bookstore.

The lush bamboo garden at Elixir witnessed more turning points in my life than many of the people who know me best. Just about the only thing I haven't done at Elixir was have sex (although I have it first hand that more than a few relationships were consecrated there under a full Moon in the late night hours after the doors were shuttered for the day).

Everything seems to have a time and a season, and apparently the space that hosted Elixir may have traveled its lifespan as a gracious tea garden, creative crucible, writer's haven, and go-to spot for a proliferation of first dates.

The garden is still flourishing to this day, albeit unappreciated by anyone who'd be uplifted by it. The property sits empty, likely awaiting a wrecking ball for some high-end retail outfit that can afford the $35,000 a month in rent (note: Rent was at around $16,000 a month before a former sports agent went around Elixir offering the landlords double rent if he could use the spot to establish his own turnkey empire. His business barely lasted there two years.)

And now I sit on a plush red chair amidst bamboo tables in a light airy space flooded with the intoxication of California Sunshine at nearly any point of the day. While caffeine abounds, there's no rush to get in and get out here.

I'm in a very different neighborhood on a busier section of Melrose savoring Miriam Novalle's latest ouvre, T Salon LA (the original flourishes in New York City's hip Chelsea Market). Feng Shui'd without sacrificing design, T Salon brings a cool elegance with a flair for the lost art of welcoming. Novalle is the consummate host, shuttling between the tables of both coasts to ensure her commitment to service and style is fully delivered.

Healing is one branch on the burgeoning tree that is my life. I am intrinsically and irrevocably an artist; an artist who's creativity is injected with rocket fuel through inspired environment (music, light, scent, and design).

Once again, I am at home. I feel the rush of excitement urging me to make no plans this afternoon other than choosing a tea, a table, and letting the surge of energy bubble into creation. I foresee many hours of writing in my new perch.

Without fail I'll spread the word of this haven everywhere I go. You see, I've learned that I must fertilize and nurture anything and everything that gives to me.

In my new economy, it's not enough to merely pay my money at the register and let that be the end of a transaction. Straightening a chair, tidying a restroom when I'm finished, and promoting a conscious business are simple ways for me to give back and ensure all my favorite things not only survive but also thrive.

Celebrating Plenty! Breathwork ~ Sunday, Dec 13, Noon-1:30pm

This Sunday, we’ll CELEBRATE (a close cousin to Gratitude)!

At a time of year when there can be too many moments of feeling “not enough” (not enough time, money, sleep, sunshine, etc), it’s no wonder people get depleted and sick. So we’ll gather to CELEBRATE ABUNDANCE, to recognize, mark, and breathe into all the areas where there’s plenty, where there is FLOW, and we’ll watch them EXPAND through awareness, impacting every other area of life.


~ Sunday, December 13th, 2009 Noon-1:30pm ~

We’re calling this event THE PRACTICE, and it’s for ALL levels of experience with the Breath. It happens for now in the sanctity of my healing space in West Hollywood. Reserve your space as soon as you know you’ll be coming, as it fills up quickly...

In this workshop, there won’t be much talking. We’ll set some intention very quickly in the beginning, and then get right down to the business of the Breathwork; an ancient 3-part breathing meditation that takes you beyond the dream of the limited ego experience....into the space of GRACE, the space of KNOWING, the space of deep REJUVENATION.

This is designed to be a place to work deeply with the breath and build /strengthen the muscles for your home practice.

ARRIVE on-time or better yet, early. No one will be admitted after the breathwork begins to honor and support the safe space created for The Work.

When: Sunday, December 13th, 2009
Time: Noon-1:30pm

Exchange: $40

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

Parking: It’s best to park at a meter on Santa Monica Blvd or in 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. Other meters in the area are free after 6pm.

RSVP: Due to size of the space, please RSVP to hold your place. If need be, we’ll start a waiting list. 24hrs cancellation by phone. (310) 922-4890

BRING: A folded blanket and/or yoga mat to lay on for the breathing meditation, water, and a smile!

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com

Letting The Sun In

"I think I'm solar-powered."

If I had a dollar for every time I've said that in the last few months...

And I'm pretty sure it's closer to the truth than even I know. Every morning I go up to the roof to water my garden, and spend anywhere from half an hour to an hour in the Sun, consciously. Each day I thank it, and aim to connect past some of it's more obvious attributes, like light and heat, into what it is that makes the Sun such a central force through all of Life, through my life.

Along the way, I've gathered some intel -- like this little tidbit: apparently skipping sunglasses, while a fashion faux-pas in Los Angeles, is a crucial component for how the body deals with exposure to the Sun. The eyes have a role in working with the Sun that the body is exposed to in a good way.

And I've also gathered some Yankee Inginuity from the sweat of my own brow, literally. On the days when I spend time in the Sun, I need less sleep, have more energy, and find my mood more balanced and leaning in the direction of more general happiness and ease.

Recently when I was down with some version of the Flu, who knows if it was Flu 1.0 or 2.0, sick was sick...I needed more life-force, and getting it from my morning Yerba Mate brew wasn't cutting muster. My intution told me to get out in the Sun, and get out there with nothing between me and the Sun, for days in a row. I opened my imagination, and invited the Sun to fill every part of my body, mind, and Being. And fill it up it did! After each session I felt a dramatic spike in my energy levels. Turns out this is an ancient Taoist longevity practice for men. The one for women involves Moon bathing.

The moral to the story? Get out in the Sun....fall in Love with the Sun and all it offers, all it nurtures, all it supports, namely You :)

Exchange

There is only Love.
This I know.
And yet the
thousand and one
things shiny or bright
can still
cast their glamour,
steal drops of attention
until I return.

And returning is a
precarious teeter-totter
of a walk
at times,
coyotes chasing rabbits
across the sandy desert road
winding through Joshua Trees
and chapparal,
captivated by my senses
until a large rock
knocks against the steely wheels of my mind.

Infinite Grace
always extending
not one hand
but two,
nothing held back,
for Grace doesn't wait for
guaranteed returns before
opening the coffers wide.
So why should I?

Scott Patrick Schwenk 9/24/09

The Homeopathy of Watermelons

How is it
My Dear One,
That I continue to forget
This feeling
This feeling of
Your Heart
In Mine,
Your Breath
Gliding through my spine,
A xylophone of sound
and vibration.

This anesthesia
has got to wear off sometime,
and sometime soon.

Life is bursting with
the juice of a ripe red cool watermelon
running down my chin
without the forgetfulness
coursing through my mind...
It's a breeze carrying the nectar of
Your scent from every direction,
A belly full of fresh-baked
Apple Pie goodness from
The many orchards of Your Smiles.

Please let me never forget
You.

Scott Patrick Schwenk 7/5/09

Only Now

Only Now
You reveal Your face
has only
ever
and Always
been
His face...
The Love with which
You love me,
His love...
A thousand 'thank you's'
will never be enough
To paint the picture of
my gratitude...
And so I go onward
Spreading these seeds.

Scott Patrick Schwenk 6/24/09

Newly Built and Planted Garden Box

These are pictures of my newly planted Garden Box. It's 4'x4'x8"! Big thank you to my Dad and David Elliott for all the guidance on building materials and detailed teaching around setting it up!!! With each screw going in to the box, with each offering of sage, with each breath through the construction, soil-blending, planting of the first 3 plants, watering, and meditating on the garden I get more and more excited....feeling strong energy flows moving through my Awareness and body.....circulating through my heart and out through my hands. A couple of times last night the garden woke me up from sleep....I can feel it as a living relationship. I can tell that it has much to teach me about all of my relationships and cultivating the highest while engaging with patience, consistency, and LOVE. I'll post more pictures as the garden and I evolve together.