WRITTEN BY LAURA MACHADO, Team Leader for 10.10.10 – Tenerife.

Today, 10th of October 2010, a group of 23 people met at  Mount Teide to take part in a meditation organised by the SHIFT movement, a meditation which was also taking place today  in the Grand Canyon (Colorado, E.E.U.U) and other places worldwide.

We met at the parador at 10 am The air was cool and the skies were clear. The group was composed by youngsters and adults, some of them yoga practitioners, and mostly friends and friends of friends, all sleepy but keen to begin the shift walk.

Jose Cao, in representation of Amyn Dahya and the Empowered Living Foundation, would guide us throughout the experience, explaining the meaning and aims of the SHIFT movement. He first described this meditation as part of a global event that had been taking place for years to restore the physical and emotional balance of the planet, using the powerful tool of positive thinking. SHIFT members consider that the act of thinking is a creative act, that an idea which is focused upon by a group, projected strongly and clearly, can resonate and produce subtle but powerful changes. The main meditation in the Grand Canyon was the sixth of seven meditations (the previous ones took place in Venezuela, Barcelona, Africa, Teide and Cook Islands-and the next one will be in Nepal). Various groups all over the world would synchronize their meditations to emit a clear message of reconciliation and oneness, and help bring communication between the different dimensions of existence.

Most of the people who participated in this “reflective walk” had no previous experience of any form of meditation or visualization exercises, so Jose approached the subject gradually, explaining each step in a simple and clear manner. The walk, that lasted approximately two hours and a half, was made in silence, with various stops along the way. In each one, we had to perform a simple task. First, we made a mental list of conflicts, that is, unsolved problems we found in ourselves and problems we had with others. On the next stage of the walk, we had to distinguish which ones were profound and complex from those that were superficial, separating in our minds the ones that were too painful and complicated to be solved easily from the ones that had already been solved or that had a solution easy at hand. Then we had to remember the people involved in these conflicts, the people who had caused us pain and the people who had been hurt by us and our actions. This part of the walk was tough, because it implied being honest with ourselves, and stirred up past and current painful emotions which generated discomfort and emotional agitation.

In each stop Jose spoke about the mechanisms used by the mind to block painful memories, to avoid confronting problematic realities by creating rejection and fragmentation. He spoke of the difficulty to resolve conflicts when we deny our responsibilities and react by inertia fleeing from the situation.

Finally, we found a peaceful spot and sat in a circle. We were guided through a process which, in my case, reached to a stage where I was invaded by a feeling of love and reconciliation with all human beings, as well as all other beings in nature. The process began with a mental action, imagining my loved ones, remembering their faces one by one. I then added to the image of my family members and closest friends more and more people until I even recalled the people who had hurt me and that were in the lists I had elaborated during the walk. I wished that all these people could improve as human beings, could grow wiser and advance in their spiritual journeys. My imagination took me underground, amongst the roots of trees and plants and I became the roots, similar to neuronal synaptic connections in the brain, transmitting my peaceful message to all kind of living creatures. In my imaginary trip underground I reached fresh water springs that transmitted my message to rivers, reaching the seas and oceans, spreading the hope of balance and cleanliness all around the globe. It felt like I was cleaning contaminated waters. I then remembered that we all are, to a great extent, made of water so it was the water in my own cells which was being cleansed. When I felt the breeze on my face I immediately became the wind and travelled all around the planet, caressing its structure and embracing it, beyond the clouds. The sun shining warming my skin, the gentle breeze, the touch of the volcanic ground below my serene body… all these elements united to create a profound feeling of well being and gratitude. The kindness of this moment manifested itself as a broad smile on my face, a smile that grew and grew as does a seed which has been planted in rich soil, has been well watered and develops in the light. From a will to change and an initial idea, a feeling of gratitude had grown and it spread throughout the entire biosphere.

With this impression strongly established in my heart (big, vibrant, full of life), I woke up. I was glad to discover that everyone in the group had experienced a similar satisfaction, each one in their own way, related to the special joy that we feel when we do as we know we should, a loving duty performed in private, followed by silent success.

I also remember that when I thought of Amyn Dahya, I hugged him like a daughter hugs a father, and felt that we belong to a large family, united by something beyond genetics.

With this brief description I hope I have at least outlined with words what was a vital learning experience, full of positive evolution. What now remains, hours after the shift walk, is an action plan: I will locate people with whom I have conflicts and will face the situation to offer the possibility of reconciliation and peaceful solution to the problem. Since the last Shift, I have already resolved problems with three people. This result is the proof that if you have the will power and the positive thought, healing becomes possible, and from this possibility, it becomes probable, and from this probability, it becomes real.

I want to thank the Dahya family and the Shift members, and all those who have guided me to this day, their contribution to this heart of mine that one day will jump out of its chest. Thank you all and let us stay in touch forever.

Laura Machado, Team Leader, a 10 de Octubre 2010, Tenerife.