Making Sense Of Sensitivity

Making sense of sensitivity.

A topic worth discussing.

Sensitive experiences lead to sensitive living.Gentle awareness also can lead and could guide us to choices that are sensed therefore; feel good, and guide us to productive choices, which allow us to live fully, in the moment, being present with that which we are feeling when we feel it.

When we allow ourselves to palpate rather than push a decision you can feel good.

Taking our time, being aware of what we are feeling and thinking as we are doing it; it being the feeling or the thought.Allows structure to be an experiential rather than a prolonged issue or a prolonged process.The process itself is gentle, and can be quite spontaneous in its structuring.As we discover and experience this kind of a process, easily and without any effort, we begin to trust ourselves when ideas come to us, and actively imagine productive results by merely feeling what the idea suggests us to feel.In other words; we feel good, and the imagination therefore acts accordingly and eventually if focused enough; by the feeling good vibrations we feel, results happen in the physical without strain or stress.

The art of sensitivity and making sense of what we are sensing to me; truly is an art.As one understands self, one understands all, because in the realm of sensitivity, we are all connected, because we begin to sense or feel our connection to life.

Lack of sensitivity could be a reason that violence is so dominant in the physical during these times.

As we become sensitive, one begins to channel sensitivity in a focused direction.Not necessarily one pointed, but a broader focus with intent for loving rather than fearing.Love creates and is creative, expresses itself as success.Whereas fear has friction, pushes, doesn’t feel good, and disturbs or disrupts the natural process of success, which is love in my humble opinion.

Feel what happens when we as a human race begin to palpate our feelings rather than to push them.The kind and gentle way of palpating could become a new way of experiencing life.This could allow us as a race to be kinder to each other, gentler with each other in our dialogues, our travels, our everything for that matter.Try it, and feel what happens.

http://www.stashskate.com/

Real Life Only Better;

Real Life, Only Better;

Real Life, Only Better is a conversation about ideas that work to make real life-

better! Topics include body, mind and spirit wellness. Co-hosts are:

author and Wellness Coach Michele Gentile, teacher Alyson Parilla,

and intuitive and blind from birth ice skater Stash Serafin.

Posts

UPCOMING SHOW: 9/29/2008 12:30 PM

Real Life, Only Better: Work/Life Balance

Date / Time: 9/29/2008 12:30 PM

Category: Family

Call-in Number: (347) 996-3110

Join Michele Gentile and friends as they interview Jerry Lopper, Life Purpose Coach

and author of "Jump for Joy, Clearing the hurdles to an easy life" and "Personal

Development: 40 Best Articles on Cheering Up, Positive Attitude, Goal Setting,

and much, much, more" Jerry is a Member of the International Coach Federation and

the International Positive Psychology Association, and is a Feature Writer at Suite101.

For more information about Jerry and what he has to offer, visit his websites:

www.YourCoachtoSuccess.com

,

www.Balanced-Life.biz

, and

www.PurposefulGrowth.com

Feel Your Faith

Feeling faith isn’t too off the wall and too abstract.Faith is a frequency we can cultivate, collaborate with, and sense the deeper dimensions of faith by sensing and feeling it softly and gently.Faith to me is a state of awareness we already have, but do not tune into it nearly enough, and we can learn to rise up the vibration ladder to higher vibrations of love, joy, peace, and limitless energy which creates rather than makes.

Lower vibrations; like fear, lack, or limitation make rather than create.

Make is like friction, and creating flows as love does if allowed to flow without restrictions.

It feels to me when I try to make something happen, there is a force Just like when I skate on the ice when my blades are forced to move rather than flow to move with less or little friction.

The flow is a gentle gliding, and the friction of forcing or making feels like push rather than a palpate kind of energy or a vibration.

I suppose this is why, at one level life still remains somewhat of a mystery for me which feels ok for me these days.

I use to feel quite uncomfortable about not knowing all the answers yesterday, but as I grow older in years, and I feel that I am developing some wisdom, I am slowly and gently starting to feel ok with not knowing all the answers now in this moment.

I am also sensitive and aware enough that I do know what I need to know in this very moment right here and right in the now.This feels more comforting and actually comfortable as I somehow feel as if I’m always on the edge of something.On the edge of something either on or off of the ice whether doing skating moves or talking with clients, crossing a busy street with my white cane etc.

Peace, love, hope, and trust are just a few emotions that feel good, and can help us climb the ladder of vibration to higher frequencies of energy.

These higher frequencies do allow me to really feel that life is good, and I am fine right here and right now.

I ask myself the question. If I am ok and feel fine now, then is that my future?

Honestly; when I feel good I get a resounding yes.

Could faith be a vibration?A frequency we can learn to cultivate and actually sense?

Stash Serafin

Transcending Differences

I want to thank Michele and Alyson for being such wonderful co-hosts and thank Dotti and Roby for being on our show yesterday afternoon.

Thanks Michele for writing such beautiful words describing the show.We love you very much.

Real Life, Only Better:

Transcending Differences with Two Women and a Poodle
What an inspiring call yesterday with Dotti Berry and Robynne Sapp! In telling their
"neighborhood story" and tales from the encounters they had across America, their
idea of "you can’t hate someone who’s story you know" and that diversity can strengthen
our society was illustrated and felt on many levels.
Some of their key points included:
*defensiveness causes you to step back. Dotti & Robynne choose not to step back and
create further division. They choose to open their hearts and lean in (hear about
how they did it on the show).
*how the energy of judgment, fear and hatred causes a more depressed state of being
* how your feelings are an internal GPS system to help you find and reconnect to
your source.
* how being authentic is a gift you give to yourself and others.
To learn more about Dotti and Robynne’s journey visit
www.gayintostraightamerica.com
and
http://www.standupspeakout.com/index.php?page_id=294

Also, check out yesterdays show

Real Life, Only Better: Transcending Differences with Two Women and a Poodle

Happiness Without Borders

I want to thank my friend, Rachael, Scheinman for writing such a beautiful description about happiness.

Since yesterday was my birthday, I decided to post what Rachael sent me about happiness.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed reading it.

Happiness without Borders

This year I have been asking myself "Who do I want to be?" In other words, how do

I feel and how do I present myself when I’m doing my best? Then I ask, "So what’s

Stopping me from those feelings right now?" And my answer brings me into awareness

Almost immediately. "Ah, because I feel I need this, that or the other (a commonly

acceptable reason) in order to experience or justify those great emotions." In a

Nutshell, I guess that would be creating by default. It also has helped me draw the

conclusion that I don’t need any reason at all to feel good; I can just BE the happy

person I am, no explanation needed; because in the explanation, there is an assumption

that ’given the circumstances,’ I should or shouldn’t be happy. I call this ’standards

of happiness’ (SOH)

that I picked up throughout my life experience; just a paradigm that I unknowingly

subscribed to that I now know I can alter according to me. Yippee!

So instead of asking myself what’s supposed to make me happy, I’ve been asking myself

why I shouldn’t be happy and in doing that, I’ve become more clear on the paradigm

I’ve been been using to evaluate my happiness. Have you ever confided in a good friend

about a drama that’s eating away at you, only to be met with laughter and a new perspective

that leaves you with a feeling of so much relief? Have you ever been the person that

provides relief for someone else? There are so many different ways to look at the

same thing. This has helped me a lot on the topics of goals and success. What are

they anyway? What if I’m not goal oriented? Does that mean I’m obviously selling

myself short and I obviously have beliefs that don’t support success? Does this list

define or prove my self-worth? Do I really need to experience what is commonly considered

a ’success?’ Isn’t that just another way of jumping through hoops? How about the

good old response ’I just want to be happy.’ I remember using that response, once,

and quickly learned that ’just being happy’ didn’t go over very well; I had to have

some goal and desire to DO something in order to be happy because I would otherwise

be considered flaky. So I started to make things up that sounded pretty good and

even went so far as doing things that could rationalize feeling good; all this in

an effort to fit into a paradigm that justifies being happy. So I’m back to my original

paradigm, the one I was born with, of ’I just want to be happy,’ only now I say it

with pride. And if I’m asked to elaborate on what it is that makes me happy, I say,

"Being ME in everything I do

or

for that matter, don’t do." Because it’s not what I DO that defines ME. Alas, I’m

off the hook and now I can stop struggling to find what defines me. And if this means

that I will be called a flake, EXCELLENT, because now I have a goal; to be the BEST

flake I can be!

For me, this is freedom.

http://www.stashskate.com/

Sense Your Stuff

Palpating sensitivity and being able to palpate our stuff is incredible, and can be very rewarding as one begins to softly sense his or her stuff.

I would rather use the word stuff than dysfunction or disorder. Everyone has stuff, and I’m not sure during these times of self discovery or self remembering we need to speak of ourselves as dysfunctional.

We could; however, if decide to begin to sense our stuff gently by palpating it, we are able to ease ourselves through our stuff with effortless energy, dignity, and grace.

Grace; as course in miracles says “Spirit is in a state of grace forever.”

The creator; the big thought creates or thinks into itself only that which is like itself. Perfect, complete perfection.

As we choose to enter a physical world, our choices can become confusing as we buy into fear.

Fear; as course in miracles states is lack of love. Lack of love of ourselves, and other.

As we become aware we can choose to love more and fear less we actually start to vibrate at higher frequencys of energy, because love feels good.

If love feels good; then it could be natural as we return to more loving thoughts towards ourselves and others we will feel good. Not just good, but really, really, really good. So good that our lives could change in an instant as we vibrate ourselves out of fear and vibrate ourselves into love.

You can begin sensing your stuff by feeling parts of your body.

A finger, hip, knee, ankle, thigh, ,different parts of spine, ears, eyes, forehead. Whatever feels soft, comfortable and easy to work with is how palpating and sensing our stuff starts.

The only real trick to palpating and sensing our stuff gently is to stay with what feels good, what works rather than what doesn’t’ work.

So; if a finger feels particularly appealing to play with; then feel the finger. Hip, knee, whatever is all right too!

Remember; as we feel something that feels good, it will increase as we give attention to it with little or no real effort. Merely observing what we are experiencing is enough to change something that doesn’t feel good into something that can feel really, really, really good.

I use really three times to make a point. As something begins to feel good, it does increase by merely observing it as I already mentioned.

It takes some patience and getting use to being with something that feels good rather than something that doesn’t feel good. It can be frustrating at first, because it can take a bit of time to begin to feel a finger feel good when most of it doesn’t feel good.

Again; the trick is to palpate what feels good, and only feel it when it feels good. If one starts to get board or it’s too much work trying to feel; then take a break, and come back to the joint or part of the body that started to feel good later. This causes an actual critical mass in the part of the body that is just beginning to sense its feeling good energy.

When enough energy reaches a certain critical mass, the entire finger, hip, knee, ankle, spine can actually change into something with little or no friction. This means the knee; finger etc can begin to feel extremely good; not just really good.

This also allows one to get a feel or a sense of critical mass in a real energy form that actually feels like something is really happening.

This is quantum physics, and takes patience and a gentle determination or imagination to pursue this kind of an endeavor. Do not give up, because usually, before something good happens in a joint or in life, there is a point when a deep ache, sadness, depression, low energy surges up; only to be gently loved into something that can serve rather than be a disservice to ourselves.

We give up too quick, and too soon to really sense the full critical mass of a body part or some aspect of life we are being with.

Gentleness is a way to move through our stuff without emotionally drowning in our stuff. We can actually learn by palpating or sensing our stuff so gently and easily. This enables us rather than disables us, and we can recycle, transmute or transform anything into something that will serve us and connect us with our naturalness. Naturalness being something that feels good rather than not good. Flow rather than friction. This energy soars rather than gets stuck or squashed.

Friction can stick or be stuck, squash and rubs against itself and makes much effort where no effort is needed.

We can learn to palpate friction so much that friction becomes a friend rather than a foe to energy-sensitive folks.

http://www.stashskate.com/

Desire More, And Doubt Less

I woke up this morning with an awful headache, legs hurt, and pain in my shoulders, and for a few minutes I was ready to call it a day and go back to bed and sleep until whenever.

I don’t know what reason other than wanting to feel better or good, but decided to try using my thoughts to think of when I felt good, and as I was feeling so awful, my thoughts were not so productive.

I was doubting all my accomplishments, good skating, good coaching, and anything I accomplished in the past was subject to be doubted. This did drain my energy so; five or ten minutes of this nonsense lead me to know the absolute difference between what felt not good as to what felt good.

I started sensing my tight neck, sore shoulder, achy legs as yesterday did plenty of skating and over did stretching I’m sure, but no reason for headache, tight shoulders and just pain throughout my body.

I started feeling my dots and spots like little tiny dots of the Braille. I felt a finger-tip, something in my left hip, a dot on my nose, ear, and something in my big toe. It got me interested enough to want to feel more of these dots, and believe it or not; a few minutes later I felt quite a bit better.

I started realizing once again as I’ve done so many times that feeling for what works rather than feel what doesn’t work is productive for me.

I started thinking of my day and how I can skate well with or without the headache which by this time was somewhat manageable.

By the time I made it to the rink, my head was hurting but I felt good enough that my skating wasn’t affected. The rest of my body felt good, and when I got home, the headache was gone.

This was one more example that when I feel better, my thoughts do naturally gravitate towards my dreams, and my desires feel like they are again possible.

To me; this is another reason why feeling good matters and it doesn’t have to take hours to feel a bit better or a little gentler with myself.

My thought for today is desire more and doubt less as desire dares

Our energy to soar, dreams have wings, and doubt drains our dreams.

Emotional Evolution

Emotions can be felt through gentleness, sensitivity, and love.

Feeling what we feel, when we feel it leads us to dealing with what we feel as we feel it.

Our stuff can come up more gentle, and, with less resistance. This is why when we practice this sensing enough, we truly can be calm and objective with our emotions and use our emotional guidance system to not resist, and feel for what we want instead of fighting for what we want.

It is a new way of seeing, and it is a new way of sensing emotions as not being enemies that fight against each other, but signs to use as guides like guideposts which allow everything and every emotion to be acknowledged which to me is education in sensitivity terms.

I sometimes say to my clients "Say what you mean, and mean what you say." I also talk about feel what you say, and say what you feel.

Honoring whatever comes up in sensitive and gentle ways allows me to deal with whatever comes up with less stress or strain.

To me; this is truly emotional evolution.

If we are on the edge or on the brink of some kind of a major evolution in our awareness then we can dialogue with our emotions with dignity and diplomacy.

I wonder if this idea of being able to dialogue gently with our emotions is another way of stating that we are slowly and gently starting to not oppose or polarize emotions.

We do not have to take sides or pit one emotion against another.

Palpate The Present

I wrote this article in March of 2003, and for some reason feel it is time to post it.

Palpate The Present

My separation happened when I went off to a school for the blind.I was five when I started kindergarten.Within two years, all of my energy began to change.I could no longer catch fireflies by myself.I started bumping into trees and other objects, and tripping over things in the yard like fallen tree branches.And uneven ground would make my feet tremble for fear I would fall down and get hurt.Several years later, I was using a white cane and thought I had adjusted without too much trouble.However, something was missing.Something big was gone from my life — But what was it?

In 1968, I put on my first pair of ice skates and I felt a sensation that thrilled me inside out.By 1975, I was invited to skate in the Jimmy Fund Show, which is a very prestigious show that raises money for children suffering with cancer.Many more shows followed.I skated with the likes of Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamell, the late John Curry, and all the figure skaters that are currently on tour.My parents were always supportive about my skating though they felt uncomfortable that I was the only blind skater in the world with little support from any organizations. They were always proud of me. I passed figure tests, dance, and free style tests — All with flying colors and high marks.

Everyone who would come to see my performances, and witnessed my skating moves; jumping, spinning, stretching and spiraling, performing spread eagles, would marvel at the smoothness and fluidity that I demonstrated.I interpreted music well and I skated from my heart.

My skating teachers were terrific.Many of them are past world champions and Olympic medal winners.But the teacher-student relationship was challenged in every way.No one had ever taught a blind skater before.I was the first of a kind.

In 1983, I started taking massage courses, studied Therapeutic Touch, got my second degree in Reiki, was certified in Hypnosis, Reflexology, and began studying A Course in Miracles.

The Course states quite clearly that none of us are victims and there are no accidents.This began making sense. For so many years, I tried to learn skating the way sighted people learned.Also, I began to apply ‘Course’ lessons to my skating now.And I became acutely aware that somehow everything is connected.
So now, how can I improve my skating, my jumps, and my massages?Could I ever be as sensitive as some of my teachers who taught me such treasured lessons as touching with sensitivity, intuition, trusting what I felt.Back to Braille, I thought.Braille, to me, is the most sensitive of all touches.It is just like palpating an organ or muscle.I began to apply this sense of light touch to my blades as I skated.The depth of touch one needs to differentiate the dots within a cell of Braille is overwhelming.The same applied for me when I first began my courses in bodywork.

Somehow I began to sense an energy inside of myself and all around.Yes, it was the familiar energy I felt as a child.Only now I have the understanding, in my body, my mind and soul.Now, I know what to do with it.And yet, with such a gentle touch as though palpating my muscles and reading Braille.Presently, I use this energy for my skating. My blades are extremely sensitive and I feel as if I can ‘see’ with my blades as well as with other parts of my body.This is more of a sensing kind of seeing, but still I am seeing.

Recently, I palpated my Honi’s last breath as she lay dying underneath our lilac bush in the side yard.And I knew she was lifting into the light.Our eight and a half year old Golden Retriever was leaving.I internally saw the flash of light, felt her start on her journey upward – And she began to be everywhere.The mockingbird sang, the sun shone brighter, there was an ever so gentle breeze and a hint of spring in the air.And she was gone…

I went through all the emotions of grieving quite quickly. Oh, I had moments of almost hysteria yet something interesting happened a day after Honi died.I was so upset that without realizing, I began to be still. Still, only for an instant.I Will Be Still an Instant and Go Home.Only for an instant, but that instant made all the difference in my world.My perception of what had just happened to Honi had changed — Or as they say, it shifted!

How could something so gentle change my sadness into something that I could live with?Into something I could actually move through and not stay stuck in.It is because of the gentleness.The palpating, the Braille now coming from within me, rather than my finger tips.My entire body had become aware of this gentleness, this palpating!

So now it is time for me to palpate the moment, the present, every feeling I experienced can be felt so gently that I get to the depth of it without stress or strain on anything.There is a way to feel all of our ‘stuff’ at the same time as if we are sensing our stuff —The sadness, the happiness, the joy, the pain, all simultaneously.For me, this takes the charge off of my emotions without denying them.Feeling everything so gently without drowning in my drama is very healing for me during this cycle.

With the war, the economy, and loss of pets, two-footed friends as well, I now have a remarkable tool I can use – If I pay attention and palpate the present…

Palpate The Present

Stanley (Stash) Serafin

Sensitive Energy Coach and A Course in Miraclesfacilitator since 1983.

Facilitated ACIM group at the Discovery Bookstore in Lansdale, PA.1989-1996

Special consultant to figure skaters needing or desiring assistance with

Center of Gravity Development and Sensitivity Training.

For more information

http://www.stashskate.com/

Palpate The Present

Trust

When I was little like two, three and four, my Mom would let me run along side of her.How could I run?I’ll tell you how I could run.I had trouble learning how to crawl.Finally mastered that, and began feeling like on all fours was boring.I wanted some more action.What to do next?What is standing like?So I decided to try and walk.Mom says it took me longer to walk, but when I started walking I just wouldn’t stop!She says I would hold the wall or whatever was around me with one finger.

One day Mom was baking cookies, and I heard my Dad walking in the door.

Mom was watching me sensing him arriving.She says without thinking; I ran to him and ever since that day, I never touched a wall with that finger again.She would also play lots of games with me.After dinner, we would go out on our front lawn and play catch me if you can.We had two large Pin Oak trees in the middle of the front lawn.I would manage somehow not to run in to them most of the time.I guess the times that I managed to run in to the trees hurt a lot.I guess I learned quickly, because I didn’t run into many trees after those early years.She would put acorns in her pockets and I would follow the sound of the acorns rattling.She sometimes would bring toys outside with her like bells, anything that made a sound.She treated me normal I suppose.

When I was about three years old; a woman from our county blind association visited the house.My brother and I were running and the woman couldn’t tell which one of us was blind.She told Mom that she was doing a great job with me.

Mom, in her own way is very intuitive.It comes natural to her as she for some unknown reason trusted herself to raise me and treat me as if I was normal.

She knew I couldn’t see with my eyes and she also sensed there was something else going on which she couldn’t explain, but trusted and loved, and allowed me to be me.

I am wondering if we all have the ability to develop trust like a muscle that gets stronger as we use it, feel it, and experience it which can lead us to using this inner muscle like natural breathing without any stress or strain.

I am also wondering if trust is the most difficult quality to develop as humans.

Animals seem to trust more than me which again makes me ponder why this is so for me.

Just Some thoughts about trust.