A Message From the Tao

A message from the Tao: 

it's funny how the certain books have always seemed to find my at just the right time, synchronistic, as if guided to my hands. I recall everyone of these magical events, where I was when their message became clear, the immediacy of their impact, and how my life so completely changed after reading. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall was such a book, an impulse buy while in line to make a completely different purchase and simply opening it to pass the time. It was the opening epigraph quoted from the Tao Te Ching that caught my eye and caused to read further, how the best runners leave no trace behind, and being in the midst of studying and writing of the Tao it captured my imagination. So I bought the book and after a few pages in I became an ultra runner. 

just like that.

I had always loved to run, but for fitness, condition for other sports that I competed in, but I was never what I would have considered an actual runner, at least not to that extreme. Until a message from the Tao and an extremely talented, passionate author showed me otherwise. So for a decade I ran almost every race available, over 100 ultra events, a love affair that consumed my life and training.

all from a reading a chance few words while waiting in line at a bookstore.

a message from the Tao.

in the early 2000's I bought Wayne Dyer's book Change Your Thought, Change Your Life, a reflex purchases as I've always enjoyed his books. Yet for whatever reason I couldn't bring myself to ready, it was the authors interpretation of the Tao and at the time I felt more called to immerse myself in the actual words of Lao Tzu, experiencing it through what felt like someone else's mind didn't appeal to me. So the book set on a shelf for almost two decades, occasionally a halfhearted attempt was made to read it, but it never seemed to capture my imagination for very long.  

until it did.

just like that.

a message from the Tao. 

and now I find that I love reading this expression of the Tao, an interpretation with suggestions on how to open myself to this magical way of living. I have no idea why, it's a mystery this way, and I absolutely love when it happens. 

for whatever reason...

I'm ready.

another subtle message from the Tao.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: With Gentleness and Ease

Also, please visit to buy: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life 

Thank you. 

Gentleness and Ease

Gentleness and ease:

with gentleness and ease, this seems to be ever more my approach through life now, that I'm growing in the grace of my surrender, letting go of all that has caused me to cling to previous convictions, and holding every belief and opinion so lightly.

with gentleness and ease.

my life unfolds.

and every day a new wonder.

of course the paradox is that life is very much the same, certainly with no small amount of conflict present, still disturbing information given daily from the news. The world itself hasn't changed, and perhaps it never will, warfare and political discord, unnecessary hunger and those without shelter, all very much prevalent. Yet I also feel more hopeful now, optimistic that as my own heart breaks open for the world that this spaciousness will provide a bit more room for others to take some comfort here. Maybe not, more likely this probably won't occur. 

but even this is part of my surrender.

and so life continues on with gentleness and ease...

and every day a new wonder.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Defenselessness

Also, please visit to buy: Power of Gentleness

Thank you. 

Defenselessness

Defenselessness: 

lately, my thoughts keep turning towards defenselessness, not as an answer to a world in turmoil, but as my own personal solution to dealing with a chaotic landscape that I increasingly find myself walking through. The obvious answer might be to remove myself, to walk another path, or make better choices - all of which make sense on a certain level. But deeper, that's not really peace at all, it's simply a means of avoidance to that which can never be ignored for very long. 

my own peace of mind.

I love how A Course in Miracles deals with defenselessness, that it's the very means of our strength and safety, as well as being the foundation for true peace of mind. Both the Tao Te Ching and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras offer their wisdom on this too, urging the reader to let go of their default stance that immediately seeks to make others wrong and highlight our own view as always being certain and true. And of course this makes us defense, always having to guard our rightness against a world that so often shows us that we might indeed be wrong. 

or at the very least be uncertain. 

another idea from A Course in Miracles...

safety is the complete relinquishment of attack.

so there it is, an answer to walking through my chaotic world, defenselessness, just letting go of the concept of attack, giving up the need or being right or even certain.

just letting go,

and letting go,

and letting go.

until there's nothing more to hold unto, a free fall, 

without any sense of fear or worry,

as I learn that I can fly.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: An Artist

Also, please visit to buy: A Course in Miracles

Thank you. 

An Artist

An artist: 

we all have some unique beauty to share, something deep within us that yearns to surface to the world through some inspired way. We're artist, all of us, although many have stifled this creative urge, or its voice has lost it's urgency over the course of some many years. Perhaps the issue has become one of self -judgement, that our own inner critic has been so harsh that we can't bear to express ourselves in a way that leaves us vulnerable, we're afraid of ourselves and the opinion that we'll offer, and sadly, we never allow a true moment of of inspiration to take hold. 

unless we gather the courage to let go...

and simply be expressive.

exactly as we are. 

to be an artist takes courage, openness, and makes us vulnerable indeed. It's those tentative moments of first expressing ourselves that matter so deeply. This is our innate beauty seeping through, hard surface cracked open and now we're showing inspiration to the world. If even, only, just a little. It's our start and a tremendous act of courage. We should never take it lightly. 

so it only takes a little here,  leaving a small sketch across a legal pad, dancing in the privacy of a closed room, learning to fold a piece of paper as to resemble an animal - it doesn't mater. It's ours. It's art. And doesn't need to be explained to anyone at all. 

listen to that inspired voice that urges you to be creative.

have courage.

and be exactly what you are...

an artist.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Least Disturbance

Also, please visit to buy: The War of Art

Thank you. 

Least Disturbance

Least Disturbance: 

more so than ever now it seems my thoughts turn towards leaving least disturbance in the world, allowing my footsteps to be light and easily placed, my breath soft and subtle in its passing -  and perhaps most importantly that beliefs and opinions not be forced upon myself.

 or my own onto others. 

allowing the world to simply be...

exactly as it is right now. 

of course the paradox is in my present thoughts of change, my wishes and desires for a better world. But that too belongs within the moment, a perfect expression of compassion and if the moment itself calls for action - then I will fully commit myself to every worthy cause. 

with least disturbance kept in mind. 

by this I really mean my ego investment, to not build a monument to myself through everything I do or conversation held. My best moments are when ego is less involved and everything flows so easily and naturally and when the moment ends a sense of peace lingers for just a bit after. What I'm talking about here is force, that at this point in my life I'm tired of false battles offered by my opinions, defending what I once held to be so sacred, and now seeing how every word rings hollow if they're forced upon another. I find myself in a more allowing place. 

and wishing least disturbance. 

again this doesn't mean the absence of change, nor denial of action.

but simply, only, 

my own ego least invested in the world. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: A little Extra Magic

Also, please visit to buy: Power V. Force

Thank you. 

A Little Extra Magic

A little extra magic: 

about a year ago I wrote a little on foxes and owls, of how they were the sacred sights I always wished to see on my early morning walks. It's not that I don't truly love my every encounter with all of nature, but that these two seemed most elusive to me , sensing their presence yet seldom gifted with a sighting. It's been through patience and the consistency of walking, plus no small amount of the grace of good fortune, that I've occasionally been able to sight these magical creatures, even discovering where an owl been nesting and getting some clear filming in through the day. Mostly though it's just a rare glimpse of one or the other, a quick flash of red darting into the bushes, or owls hooting from a dark tree above me. And that's always enough for me, to know they're nearby, watching me as I search the edges of landscape and sky for them. 

it's enough to know they're here.

and sometimes...

a little extra magic happens.

like yesterday, a June morning with that hint of extra sunlight, my steps guided by some intuitive sense of locating something truly special - and a family of three foxes appear on a nearby hillside, close enough to amaze me even without my camera zooming in, playful, and lingering to watch me as I studied them. A true gift indeed, and they literally seemed to grant my wish of a moments filming. Definitely a little extra magic here. 

it's hard to walk away from such a rare encounter, but as the Tao Te Ching offers - retire when the work is done, knowing that this is the way to heaven. So not even reluctantly, yet fully content with the gift received, I turn my steps towards my home, my heart completely happy. Then, maybe half a mile from this magical encounter, an owl swoops by, only inches from my head, pursued by a much smaller bird who was obviously protecting her nesting young, and it landed on a nearby branch, clearly perplexed by these events yet willing to sit with me awhile, giving me the same advantage as the foxes. 

a little extra magic.

once again I filmed to just the point where it felt enough, no more, patient, and trusting in this magic. I don't need to press for extra time, having been given plenty already and knowing that mystery loves contentment, that it's the true value of its gift having been received. With this, and nothing more to do, my walk continued towards home, mostly uneventful - except for a flash of red amidst the bushes not from my front door. A cardinal, brilliantly framed by deep summer green and willing to sit for a moment, posing for my camera. 

a little extra magic. 

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: As If a Mountain

Also, please visit to buy: Tao Te Ching

Thank you

As If a Mountain

As if a mountain: 

most often now, it seems the asanas that call to me are the more basics ones, solid, leaving me grounded and feeling strongly connected to the world. Through the years of my yoga practice I have come to listen to the inner urge that guides me to a certain pose at just the right time, never failing to help me reach a sense of deep healing and connection. These past few sessions it has been tadasana, mountain pose, one of the least challenging  posture, at least in appearance, but it's definitely a beautiful alignment of the body, satisfying in it's complete display of poise and balance. 

as well as being healing. 

tadasana puts my spine in order, straightening vertebrae, lengthening, and leading me to feel connected to the earth as my arms reach upwards to the air. The name itself evokes the sense of enduring through time, that I'm eternal in my stance of pure awareness, indeed, essential to the very landscape of existence. I think this is why it now appeals so strongly to me, that I needed to heal from recent loss, to feel as if I belonged to something lasting beyond my personal world. 

tadasana lead me to my connection. 

a stance of awareness.

as if a mountain. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Gone

Also, please visit to buy: Emotional Yoga 

Thank you.