so you have a Power Animal, eh?

but does s/he have you? Are you a Power Human yet?

I’m not judging, as I have certainly benefited from years of power animal support. What I’m asking is how you have (or will) flip the tables to support them. The animals. The plants too for sure, perhaps even more, because without the grasslands, the savannahs, the woodlands, the tundra and deserts even, the animals have no place to call home. So this is a call-out to all those humans of a more spiritual mindset who are benefiting from these (often indigenous-rooted) technologies of interconnectivity. Please. Take a moment (or more is better) to ask:

What will YOU do for the animals?

What will YOU do for the plants?

What will YOU do for the waters?

What will YOU do for the earth?

What will YOU do for the air?

If you already “do”, and daily, you’re a Power Human!

Our individual evolution is essential so, again, don’t get me wrong, I’m not discrediting what I myself have experienced and benefited from. I’m saying,

“Don’t get stuck at the gate!”

We can activate and balance all the chakras now, so be that luminescent rainbow and shine forth in support of all those beings that make life possible and beautiful. It may not be immediately evident what drop of water in the desert you might be - to carry on from Jane Goodall’s recent opening address - but it’s needed, wherever it lands. (That hyperlink on the water line is more on how I was asked what I could do for the water, or click here.)

I encourage you, in all your centredness and groundedness and gratitude and expansive interconnected “spiritualness” to expand beyond the mat, expand beyond the studio, expand beyond the comfort and ecstasy of the festival.

Awaken your Heart to Action

is the byline of The Amazon Academy that grew out of my own efforts to move the healing and love out into wider rings of relationship with all-that-is. I modelled the academy on the Ancient Amazons of the Eurasian Steppes, tribes that still exist in various forms, as inspiration for the power of femmes when we equalize the playing field. On a horse with a bow and arrows, a woman is just as deadly and just as capable of putting food on the table as a man.

While I enjoy martial arts and marksmanship, what I’m on about here is not fighting. This is about empowering women to share, and be, their inherent wisdom. We are one species, believe it or not, yet women carry life in their bodies and this engenders them with an inescapable care for creation. Regardless of whether they have a child.

Men joined us in our expeditions and explorations so they were not excluded, but they were also not centred upon either. They were there to learn from, and support, us in learning what we are no longer willing to stand for. And what we are willing to stand up for.

In the first lockdown of 2020 in New Zealand, I set myself this challenge that I had shared in shorter form with The Amazon Academy attendees. We did 11 minutes all together and they were surprised each time about how quickly it went. I suggest the reason is that we declared to one another ahead of time what we were no longer willing to stand for and what we were willing to stand up for.

Also, we did it together. I gave them the option to turn in any direction, but each time they organically chose to do this powerful posture facing inwards, in a circle. The power of the circle, of unity consciousness, is mighty enough to transcend our own self-limiting beliefs and fears about what is possible. Even through resistance and intense sensation, no one stood down. Every one made it to 11 minutes.

In that video above I did it for about 45 minutes and while I am the only human there, I had 2 faithful and inspiring canine companions, who are no longer living, so this is a tribute to their lives. I also had the Pahaoa Awa (River) looping around me and the earth tones underneath me and the mānuka trees behind me that I had helped to plant to repair the riparian zone from the harm done by unboundaried cattle.

I was not alone.

And neither are you.

As Jane concluded in her recent address: “Please don’t forget, you as an individual have a role to play. You’re on this planet for a reason, I believe. And every single day that you live you make some impact on the planet.

People say to me, "But Jane, I am just one person, the problem is huge, what can I do?" Think about the deserts; one drop of rainfall, that won’t make any difference. But when billions of billions of raindrops fall, that wakes up the life beneath the sand, and it comes and blooms and the desert comes to life. That’s what young people can do, that’s what all of you can do. Just remember, accumulatively we can change the world!”