...A spontaneous opening on the Santa Monica boardwalk many many moons ago....on a truly auspicious day!
The Sun is parting its luminous rays through the misty clouds on the Santa Monica Boardwalk. I am on my way back to Ashland Street following my morning walkabout when I am approached by an enthusiastic & spirited man calling out towards me. I glance back behind me towards the oceans break.
"Excuse me, but don't I know you from somewhere, he asks? Aren't you the woman I met at the party last weekend...You're the woman from Brazil, right?"
"No, sorry, you must be thinking of someone else. Have a nice day, though."
Highly enthusiastic, the man comes a bit closer. "Are you sure we haven't met before? I feel like I know you."
I tell him quite confidently. "No. I think it's pretty unlikely, as I haven't lived here for several years. I’m just visiting for the week. However, I did live here quite a few years ago for a long time.
"No, that's not it, he responds. hmmm. I swear I feel like we have met before." He then says..."Well, I'd like to know you. Will you join me for a cup of coffee?”
"No, Thank You, I'm on my way to a very important gathering this morning and I am starting to run a little late. Nice to meet you, though.”
"How about later, he asks?" Gently, I turn to him and say, "No, thank you. and plus...My boyfriend would not take too kindly to that.” Thank You, I must be on my way, now.”
"But, I really want to get to know you. Can I at least have your phone number?"
My god. Ok. Yikes. Wow. Really???…This guy is not giving up…I’m thinking to myself.
But..something inside me, prompts me to listen. To be open. That I am safe on the boardwalk with groups of people walking by. So, I pay close attention to what he really is asking for and respond.
So, I turn to him and ask...."Why? Why do you want to meet with me so very much? What is so important about meeting with me?"
"I don't know, he says...You just have something....You have something I don't." "Really, what is that? I ask. "I don't know, he says. It's just something about you. Are you sure we can't meet?"
I take a moment to drop in and listen deeply to what is being asked of me. I recognize that this experience is here to teach me something. Otherwise I would have already gotten the signal to be on my way by now. What is keeping me engaged with this person, I wondered? We are in a super public and open space so I feel safe with exploring further. I allowed my thoughts to slow down and tune into what is really being asked of me.
AHA! That's it! Today is graduation day for "Art of God" of which is a 3 year program which is all about being who and what I am in reality. Realizing that this is an incredible opportunity for me to put it all into practice in a gentle and practical way I invite him to join me!
So, with enthusiasm, I turn towards him and say, "OK. I will meet with you. "Really," he asks. Completely stunned by the sudden turning of events. Yes." Great!" When will we meet? Where?
I reply. "Right here. Right now. For five minutes. Completely stunned he asks, Now?... Hearing the hesitation in his voice...I confirm. "Yes, Now. I have five minutes before I need to go so I will not be late.
Five minutes. Ok with you, I ask?” He flusters with excitement..."Here? Really? Right now?" Jumping and down with excitement. "Yes, right here, right now and for five minutes. Ok? Ok, he agrees.
Ok. Let's get started. Are you ready? Remember...I only have five minutes.
I start to feel his resistance grow as he withdraws a bit in my presence. This must be completely blowing his mind! Not sure what he had expected, but here we are!
I turn towards him.
"So, you claim that I have something that you don't. This makes me curious. Did I hear you correctly?" Do you know what "that something" is and do you think that is really true? I ask.
Looking a bit stunned & perplexed the man stammers. "I don't know, he says. It's just something about you. You're different.”
I respond in a calm and confident tone. "Would if I told you that what I have, you have too. "No way! Absolutely not, waving his hands in the air in utter disbelief."
"Trust me, you do. I offer him encouragement. We all do. Some of us are just more aware of it.”
"Would you like to see and experience it for yourself?" I graciously ask. Ok, he says. "Here, take hold of my hands. Now, remember that what you are about to feel is WHAT YOU ARE. I am simply holding a space for you to to experience your capacity to experience it for yourself.”
We stand in silence, naturally grounding and preparing to go further. I ask him for his permission to continue. He responds with a resounding YES! I feel his gratitude and his warmth. He begins to relax deeper into the space. I can feel that he trusts me and that I trust him. A few moments pass. The energy continues to move...A warm glow begins to appear on his face. He responds well to the energy flowing between us. "WOW! What is happening to me? What is this? Who are you?" "This is YOU...I say. This is you, experiencing you.”
"What is happening, I further explain, is that your chakras are opening and all your energy centers are aligning. Your connection with God/Source is open. This is happening naturally, because you are choosing to be open here. It's totally natural. This is YOU.”
Animated and excited, he proclaims, "No way, this is you, not me. This is you!" It has to be.
"Trust me. This is YOU. Yes, true, you can feel me here as I hold space for you to open, but yes, this is YOU." We are opening here together. He continues to open. I witness before me a beautiful and radiant man emerging.
A bewildered look appears upon his face. “Who are You?"Are you like Jesus or something? He seems elated, happy and still quite surprised by it all. I continue to hold space for him to relax and integrate all that he has just opened to.
He comes down from his expanded state into full awareness of our surroundings in the present moment. The cloud cover has moved in in that time and there is a little chill in the air. He notices my hands are cold…”Did I do this to you?” Your hands are cold…No, don't worry about that. I get cold easily! Did I hurt you? he asks. No, You didn't hurt me...Thank you for asking.
Now smiling and giddy, with a bright new glow, everything relaxes. Feeling energized and with a sense of kinship for one another, we stand there for a moment longer grateful for the exchange. Feeling complete, we let go of each other's hands at the same time.
Five minutes has now passed and I am to be on my way. Our time together feels complete. He thanks me. I thank him. We say our farewells. No further inquiry of phone numbers, coffee dates or anything of the sort. He goes his way and I go mine. It's amazing what can happen in five minutes…
ALISUN TREES – “AUNTIE OWL” weaves transformational healing stories for all life on Planet Earth as a catalyst for growth and change, integration and expansion in celebration of these incredibly potent times.