How You Value Yourself Will Determine How Others Will Value You

You don't need anyone's approval or opinion to tell you how special you are. You know yourself more than anyone else. You know your worth so hold yourself with utmost respect and love and confidence and never let yourself go. It doesn't start with others. It starts with you. How you value yourself will soon determine how others will value you.

Art by Karen Noles

SOULSPEAK WITH DANIELE PISERCHIA (Teacher, Photographer, World Traveler)

 "Do not feel ashamed of your beauty, do not hide it, do not cover your light , show your real self, do not feel the need to imitate others. Be your true self, bring your message to the world, illuminate it and experience once again this amazing Life on Earth."

I am a huge fan of his photography. So much soul, they tell a story. He was born in Central Italy, a teacher for children, a world traveler  Daniele shares his life journey and learning from his travels to his near death experience and gives us a glimpse of this moment of rebirth. I am honored to share this interview with you today. 

Who is Daniel Piserchia ? Where is he now on his journey? 

Daniele was born in the countryside of central Italy, lovely place he had chosen. With the challenges and growing process through adolescence he left home eventually in his early twenties to discover more about the world. He lived in England for several years, where he studied and then lived and worked. There he discovered how great it was to be a teacher for children as he felt he understood them. Communication was easier, problems were solved without much struggle. After several years, once near to his 30s, Daniele headed back home, in the beautiful Italian countryside. Time seemed to have stopped, nothing was moving to his eyes, however things were getting ready for a sudden turn… after a couple of years dealing and understanding difficult relationships with people in general, and noticing changes in him, adjusting to events, Daniele got fed up. He gave up fighting and he entered that dark long tunnel of sadness and self destructing behavior, not the usual self destructing, I believe it was more about giving up the will to live, he couldn’t see any reasons for living, even though deep inside he knew that there were many, he asked the sky to show him a sign…

There were many signs, but he didn’t want to acknowledge them, he just became a blind observer of the many signs happening around him.

But one day, the much awaited moment arrived (not that he knew), he lost consciousness whilst working and then later back home he experienced death, or as many say he had a near-death experience. 

I was in a lot of pain, a pain I could not take anymore, and fell in my bathroom, I couldn’t make a sound and fell… It all went dark, the pain disappeared, I couldn’t feel anything, there was nothing, and I was nothing and everything at the same time. After a non definite time I realized I could see, but not through my eyes, I was in the bathroom, and felt “Oh I’m ok” but there was more..

Passing from sadness and  pain to joy and perfection was strange, not that I could interpret it, the mind was not there, but it did later. 

The feeling of being weightless was amazing, but overlooking from above at the body on the floor reminded me of the pain Daniele encountered in this life… The vision of 360 degrees didn’t leave much to the imagination, it was I , my soul, the spark of light,  I was conscious, I was living but was not in that weak body lying on the floor.

After a while, information arrived , not as a voice, but as a sort of feeling, a choice was given to me: “ You’ve been waiting for this, everything is perfect as it is, you can choose either to stay or to go”, I kind of wanted to peak and see what was beyond this life, but the answer was “If you peak you leave but if you want to stay… there’s so much more that you can do”

I don’t recall choosing but  later it all went dark again, and suddenly all that pain came back, my body was cold and small, shaking and trembling, I went through many different emotions that day, fear of dying again and all sorts, I guess the ego and my mind were having a great time painting several scenarios for me to be scared of, I just went to sleep and spent the next months absorbing the experience and it took 4 years to appreciate it, interpret it correctly without fear and now I’m so grateful for the experience. The next day after that experience I felt I was more present and more keen to get back on the right path, clean up my body, my mind and grow, I became extremely thirsty for knowledge and truths.

I realized I’m a spark of golden light in a human body, with all of its emotions thoughts and typical things you would experience in a human body. However neither my mind with its thoughts nor my body with its pains are ME, they’re mine but they’re not really my real self.

Now, whilst working and travelling, I’m learning and taking each experience or  encounter as a gift, a chance that is given to me so that I can grow and bring more light to this body, to this soul, to the wold. Teaching is still part of my service, I deeply enjoy working with children and teenagers but I also enjoy working with adults very much. These past years I also started to work on my personal health as I believed strictly linked to our peacefulness, I found out a discipline called Sundao, which I regularly practice each day, it balances our parts, heals the body and lets the breath flow so that we can live in balance. Furthermore I found out that my strange guided movements and talks are part of something which many call channeling, therefore I deepened myself in this new experience…  but that’s another long story. The important thing is this: if we just get rid of thought patterns, limitations we imposed on ourselves, trust the Universe, give up control on our lives and walk with courage and humbleness towards the light we’ll discover we’re infinite beings, with no boundaries and with infinite power of manifestation. 

I absolutely love your photos there is depth, and magic in each. What inspires you to capture such amazing moments?

When I walk and I’m fully present, when I feel love & gratitude for what’s around me there’s like a call from nature “Hey… Take a photo now” Whilst I enjoy the scene and feel gratitude for the gift of such beauty I take photographs…

I always wanted , even in the past, to bring people to explore beautiful places of this wonderful planet but in the past I ended up quite often on my own in such amazing places, surrounded by magic and nurturing energy, and I thought I needed to share what I was feeling and experiencing capturing those moments with my camera. 

Who are your mentors, your greatest teachers?

My mentors, my greatest teachers are all the people I have met in this life as well as the experiences I swam through, some of which very hard but so rewarding. Each person gave me a gift, a teaching, a challenge to get through, and I thank them all. 

Did you ever see yourself doing what you’re doing now, back when you were still a child?

If I did I would have been so much happier,  I always wanted to believe in magic and always felt there was so much more in this life, I could always feel it even though everybody around felt the opposite way.

You're a world traveler. What other places do you dream of visiting?

So many places called me, but I do feel a strong connection with South and Central America as well as for many eastern countries, but I’d like to go to Egypt, Mexico-Yucatan, Chile, Argentina, Tibet, Norway… too many perhaps?

What have you learned from yourself lately?

I am learning to let go the control on my life, there is a dream I keep having, I’m driving up a mountain, and I’m looking from the windows at the stunning landscape suddenly I realize that I’m sitting at the back seat, there’s no driver and I’m scared the car will go somewhere unsafe, I try to drive the car from the back seat but.. it’s hard… I have to give up, it’s not up to me to drive this car, I only have to enjoy the ride, this wonderful journey.

What have you unlearned?

Once I learned it then I had to unlearn to be strict and disciplined with myself. I have unlearned to depend on what other people think of me . I have unlearned to see things from a single perspective. I have unlearned to always say yes. I have unlearned to make plans. I have unlearned everything which didn’t support my growth.

What are you most grateful for?

I am most grateful for the darkest moments that I lived through,  for they have changed my life, they showed me the way. I am most grateful for the connection with my guides and the love and support they show me. 

What for you is Love? 

Love is accepting anybody or anything just as it is, without judgment or polarization.

Love is when we trust the Universe when we let go the need to control things.

Love is the source which gives us the breath of life.

Love is our Higher self, our guides, our light. Love is the Sun shining and brightening our days. Love is our galaxy full of life and of amazing colours and lights. Love is the energy we spread on our world when we are in peace with ourselves. Love is the smile our children use to brighten our days. Love is a hug we give to comfort others. Love is the light that shines inside each one of us.

What's next? Dreams and aspirations.

Teaching is part of my life, and I believe there’s a lot more teaching ahead.  I live & learn, experience and then I teach. I practice and teach an Eastern discipline call Sundao here in Italy, it teaches us to listen to our body and it brings our focus back on our breath, we are writing down a program also for children and I would like to bring this into the schools. My dream is to live in the mountains and travel a lot. 

Your one message to the children of the world.

Do not feel ashamed of your beauty, do not hide it, do not cover your light, show your real self, do not feel the need to imitate others. Be your true self, bring your message to the world, illuminate it and experience once again this amazing Life on Earth.

All photos by Daniele Piserchia 

READ MORE STORIES  

Who's On and Who's Next?

http://junocristi.blogspot.com/2011/10/soulspeak-cup-of-warmth-wonder-from.html

Soulspeak Gallery 

 http://junocristi.blogspot.com/p/interviews.html

All articles written within the period of Oct 2011 through present.  ©  2013, All Rights Reserved 

WHEN LIFE TAKES A SUDDEN DETOUR, LOOK AT LIFE WITH THE EYES OF A CHILD

Image Source

Sometimes when we think we got it all figured out, and everything is just the way we wanted it to be life will take a sudden turn and erase every trace of the familiar and secure to us, and we realize we're lost once again. When this happens it's best to look at life with the eyes of a child. To be filled with wonder and amazement for what's new and what's there to come, because only our inner child can find joy in fleeting moments, create one new world after another, and be fearless of the change.

WHATEVER WE FOCUS ON GROWS

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Whatever we focus on grows because we give it energy, we give it life. So if we want our fears to grow, we focus on that and it is done. If we want joy and peace to grow, we focus on that and it is done too. It's a choice we all make everyday. Make the choice that matters, and heals you. Because when you heal the world heals with you. It's not Rocket Science. Drops become ripples become waves become oceans... We are all part of the Grand Design.  

The Hard Truth : No One Else Is Responsible For Our Misery But Us

The hard truth is that no one else is responsible for our misery but us, no matter who may have triggered our feelings of discontent or notion of lack. 

We are creators, innovators and the moment we forget this, and begin to think we are incapable of doing anything else but find someone or something to blame for our wrong choices and seek enablers and rescuers we create our very own mind traps. We build our own walls and suffocate our souls. We make victims of ourselves. That illusion can give us a false sense of comfort. Sooner or later we will have to face the truth we tried to bury and ignore like a ball we push underwater it will one day find no more depth to drown into and strike back and hit us right smack in the face. 

Remember who you are and what you can do. You are your own problem but you are your own solution too. 

The ball is in your hands, it will always be there, if it drops you can always pick it up. Can't hide it. Just stay centered. Don't be intimidated with the shakes and blows it's all part of existence. But we are natural born healers. Natural born heroes. We can fix ourselves. We really can.

Paulo Coelho once spoke these words "We do not drown by falling into a river, we drown when we remain submerged in it" ... couldn't have said it better.

When You Heal, The World Heals With You

No matter how good or noble your intentions are , there will always be that one chance that what you do will be criticized and judged unfairly. This is a great opportunity to learn and practice true compassion. To silently wish that other person peace, instead of fighting back or explaining yourself because our judgement say more about us, than who we judge.

You cannot control what people say or do to you, but you can control how you react. If you ignited certain emotions in someone and they have strong opinions about you then they will eventually need to face the reason or reasons why they are projecting those emotions on you.

Chopra says this : "Whenever we criticize others we are ignorning some truth about ourselves"

Have faith in your art and trust your passion to lead you. Live in integrity and respect the path of others at all times. Be happy for the happiness of others.

"Be the change you wish to see in this world" says Gandhi.

Live in grace and gratitude. Radiate your God given blessings to the world and share that abundance, and love in the best way you can, and the best way you know how. Don't ever allow anyone to take your spirit, because they will try.

Keep your chin up.

Focus on your healing for when you heal the world heals with you.

TO JOURNEY WITH NATURE IS TO TAKE RISKS

It's not that I don't trust people who have never shed a tear, or never had one lousy day in their lives. I just resonate with those who are wounded and scarred and yet they manage to still keep their head up high. Those who can celebrate both their toils and triumphs. 

If we let nature take its course we'll learn that the sun rises and sets, the rain falls, sun shines. If everyday was perfect, that wouldn't be natural. 

To journey with nature is to take risks, and live the adventure.

ART SAVED MY LIFE (A Film by Damon Lee Patterson)

ART SAVED MY LIFE 

A film by DAMON LEE PATTERSON

"Art is therapy." ~ Damon Lee Patterson

About the project?

Art Saved My Life is a documentary film telling the stories of creative individuals and the power that ripples through their journey and through their art. The film demonstrates the importance of art in people’s lives, especially art in the inner city and at risk youth. The documentary will feature interviews with visual artists, dancers, musicians, circus performers, poets, producers, art professors, holistic healers, comedians, and everyday people that art has had a positive impact on.

During the conception and development of this project, it has become clear that our mission is in line with the passions of people from all over the world. More than ever our ability to create and think critical is needed. I've witnessed creativity change peoples lives countless times, including my own life. I've seen art bring a diversity of families together, create the space for children to grow, help human development to thrive, it builds confidence, people become better communicators, it promotes self discovery, it helps with depression, it can change a community and so much more.

We had the honor of connecting with some the top artists in their field who will be interviewed for this documentary. Art Saved My Life will be used to demonstrate the importance of creativity in our lives and in education. We believe that the more people understand that they have the power to create, the more we can change the world for the better. We want to capture the power of art on camera and share it with as many people as possible!



"The world that we live in now is a world that’s already been created but tomorrow is still being created today."  Damon Lee Patterson



Who is making it?

Chameleon is partnering with long-time friend and Chameleon artist and educator Damon Lee Patterson to help produce his film project Art Saved My Life, a potent testimony to the power of art to change, enrich, and redirect the lives of people, especially people in the inner city and at-risk youth.

The role of our organization is three fold:


Chameleon brings the managerial skills to insure the success of the project. We will act as a financial agent, helping with grant writing, fundraising, bookkeeping, and distribution of funds for the project.
We are in the process of developing a workshop curriculum, including a workbook and a breakdown of successful evaluation procedures. This will serve to augment the distribution of the film to local schools, arts groups, holistic healing centers, libraries, churches, school boards, community colleges, universities, and to YOU.
Chameleon will help with the marketing and distribution of the film, making it available on DVD, and offering it to national and international film festivals as well as select showings in the Kansas City Area.


Community art is a process, not a product. This process has long lasting effects, providing the community with methods for evolving personal, political and social changes. Criterion for community art - Hugh Merrill

 Learn more about Chameleon http://chameleon-ayd.org./




Our Film Crew

Director: Damon Lee Patterson

Assistant Director: Jacob Thomas

Lighting: Natasha Harris

Motion Graphics: Joe Fuller

Photography: Mickel Garrett

Editor: Stinson McClendon & Damon Lee Patterson

Audio Engineer: Ashley Turner





What will the funds be used for?

Creating a QUALITY documentary takes passion, knowledge, vision, a little money and resources. We want to present this movie in the best way possible to as many people as possible.

Below is what’s needed to make it all happen and exactly what the funds will be used for.

DVD Duplication
Venue
Lighting
Marketing & Promotion
Audio
Camera Equipment
Film Festival Submission Fees


+5% indiegogo fee when our goal is met



Our Total Campaign Goal is $4956



How YOU can help make this film a reality?

By sharing the indiegogo project with friends and family.----->indiegogo.com/Art-Saved-My-Life

By liking the Art Saved My Life Facebook page---> facebook.com/artsavedmylife

Follow the documentary on twitter--->twitter.com/1artsavedmylife.com and sharing it with YOUR network

Check out all the perks to the right to find out how you can participate in the campaign and help make this beautiful film a reality.

There is a huge neglect for innovation and invention and a lack of respect for design and creativity that will be the undoing of our civilization as we know it - Pharrell Williams


Help increase the GoGoFactor!

The GoGoFactor is automatically measured by the number of times a campaign gets shared, how often a campaign is updated, how many comments a campaign has, the funding, and page views. Campaigns with a high GoGoFactor are featured on the indiegogo home page, in their social media outreach, and at conferences or in the press.

If you can’t contribute to the film financially, there are plenty of other ways that you can help us:

You can join and share our Facebook page and Tweet/Blog about the movie! Let your family, friends, and co-workers know about the project. Maybe your boss or someone you know would like to contribute.

The best most effective way you can help is by sharing the campaign on Facebook, Twitter, Email, Blogs and other accounts. Share Share Share! Just by sharing this Indiegogo page with your network of friends you can help make this a successful campaign! Keep the love going strong and let people know about Art Saved My Life. We can't do it without you. Even a positive thought sent our way is great!



Anything and everything helps!

Yours Sincerely,

Director, Damon Lee Patterson

http://www.indiegogo.com/Art-Saved-My-Life/

SOULSPEAK WITH DEVA PREMAL & MITEN

 Photo Source

I was first introduced to their music in 2011. My best friend and love Dylan shared this song to me, it was called All is Welcome Here. I fell in love with it. It was so inviting, it spoke to me. It became my inspiration for naming my other Facebook page "A Love Gathering". I explored their other songs, In The Light of Love and So Much Magnificence to name some, they are truly enchanting to say the least. Their songs take you somewhere, and makes you want to stay there, in that center.

It is no surprise to find out that they are loved and sought out by so many around the world, to whom they dedicate their music and travels. It is an honor and a dream alike to have been given the chance to share space with two absolutely amazing souls, and to have this opportunity to share the interviews I did with both, with you all. 

D  E  V  A

"Just sing your own song. Whatever that is, because if its from you, it's unique and it's perfect. Often, we think when it's something that comes easily to us we think its not worth anything, because we think its easy, but often that's where the magic lies... in those things that are easy for us. We have a gift in there that can be expanded and shared." 

WHO IS DEVA?

I'm still finding out who Deva is. I don't have so much luck with labels. I don't know what I would call myself. What I feel most comfortable is the role of being a facilitator for people to come together and sing and chant. To be an inspiration for people to have the power that goes beyond the spoken word infuse their lives and help them to awaken. Through the singing and chanting we go beyond the talking and the figuring things out, and we go straight to the expression of joy, gratitude, bliss, and communion. Yes communion, that's  a big part. The power of being one with everyone and expressing that through singing and breathing together, which we do when we sing together. That's my joy in life.

IS THIS SOMETHING YOU'VE DREAMED UP AS A CHILD?

Not at all. I had a strong experience growing up of coming to the realization that I wanted to do something that I would always enjoy doing and not something that I would be waiting to be over like a work day... Waiting  until you can go home and have a time off. I wanted to do something where I always felt good every moment about doing it. I had no vision what that would be.

I also knew I wanted to travel and those were very basic kind of visions. I'd never ever thought I'd be doing something with music or singing. It's really beyond my wildest dreams. It's really something I feel is like a gift or a blessing. Like something that's been given to me rather than something that I have to take any credit for.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING?

Everything. I really like all the different parts of it. Even the packing and the traveling, and all that. The highlight is obviously when we sit down for the concert and we really go into that deep space together. The peak of that is the ecstatic singing and the silence that follows. With so many people who come to a concert we can sit in silence, and nobody moves, nobody coughs, nobody shuffles. Everybody's just there in oneness and in silence,  in an effortless way. We haven't told them to be silent. It just happens. It just wants to be there. It's there without any distraction and that's really the peak.

HOW HAS LIFE CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED CREATING MUSIC WITH MITEN?

That's 21 years now. It's half my life. It's the only life I know, really, because until the age of 20 I went to school pretty much. I spent a year in an Ashram, and ever since I was out of school and creating with Miten, so I don't know any difference. I have just been blissed out ever since, for the last 21 years. It's been an unfolding. I just feel so blessed. Just to come out and work together... it would be enough. And that's really rewarding and nourishing. I feel  very humbled by it. It's challenging too, because music is a strong teacher and I actually don't see myself as a musician. I don't compose much myself. Miten is really the composer and songwriter, director and the the musical inspiration and I see myself as a singer or a vehicle for the mantras to come out. There are some challenges for me to see that and to be faced by music, by the God of music. It's my mirror in life. It's my challenge.

MUSIC IS A CHALLENGE SOMETIMES. WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING?
It's everything I love doing so I would not fall out of the center. I'm just in my groove... It's right for me.

WHAT HAVE YOU UNLEARNED ?

I've let go of the idea that I need to be perfect and be enlightened or become enlightened. My guru Osho was physically extremely beautiful and intellectually advanced and bright and intelligent. He was very eloquent. He gave discourses on all subjects relevant to the spiritual path. I came to him when I was a eleven years old so he was my guiding light ever since I was eleven. Through him, first I had the idea "Wow I have to be that amazing to even have the possibility to be enlightened, liberated, or awakened." And now I realized over the last years that was a bit of a barrier. You will never be perfect. Perfection is being exactly the way you are. That's perfect. And all those quirky things in my nature and character, they won't necessarily leave me I would just be at peace with them. That's a big relaxation. I don't have to wait anymore for this one moment when everything is good ... I just become more and more one with myself and integrated with all the different parts of myself.

WHAT OTHER PASSIONS DO YOU ENJOY?

This lifestyle fills up so much of my physical time and space.  I don't have much time for anything else. Just traveling is very time consuming. I love being in nature. I love moving and doing yoga and Qi Gong and my 15 minute morning shaking but even for that on the road I don't have much space. I don't have another big kind of passion or hobby.

WHAT IS LOVE FOR YOU?

Sighs. I don't really like to put that in words personally. Just an ohm will express it and the silence that follows. I called one of my albums "Love is Space" because I had this realization of love being like the space that includes everything in it.  It's really beyond words.

So it's really about the uniqueness  of everyone of us and find ways to keep the uniqueness going.

IF YOU HAD ONE MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?

The message is to just keep the spark and the fire alive. To follow their own inner voice. I remember when I was growing up as a kid, actually more of a teenager already, there was a difficulty that I felt. I wasn't like everyone else. First I thought I wanted to be like everyone else and then I thought I should be like everyone else, and then I realized wow, that's going to kill my spirit. So it's really about the uniqueness  of everyone of us and find watts to keep the uniqueness going. Enhance it. Maybe that's a little kind of intellectual.

Just sing your own song. Whatever that is, because if its from you, it's unique and it's perfect. Often, we think when it's something that comes easily to us we think its not worth anything, because we think its easy, but often that's where the magic lies... in those things that are easy for us. We have a gift in there that can be expanded and shared.

M   I   T   E   N

"The more you love yourself the more you have to share and by loving myself I can accept what I used to call faults , my faults . I don't give myself a hard time. I understand that I'm not perfect and I don't strive to be perfect. In that, I'm a perfect imperfection. Deva helps me to live that. We live that together in a very simple way."

WHO IS MITEN?

I'm in a very good space. I'm 64 years old. I've had an amazing life. My journey has taken me some incredible places and I've met some incredible people. I'm very grateful for life right now. For the last twenty years since Deva and I met I've been more focused on music than I was previously. I was a professional musician before I came to Osho in the late 70's and early 80's . I decided I didn't want to play music anymore. It felt too much of a painful experience in my years as a rock musician in the business and everything. So when I came to Osho I sold all my guitars and concentrated on my spiritual and communal aspect where I could just disappear into the community and participate and support and learn and grow. That's how I lived most of my life as an Osho devotee. Until the music began to return in a very innocent and in a way that was just there to express my gratitude to my spiritual master. 

When the music started to return it manifested in many different ways. Mainly in writing and singing songs in meditations in Pune, India. Later on I met Deva and I started to help her with the music. She wasn't singing at the time so I could help her with expressing herself and to feel the difference between music that was played for money and ambition and music that was played for spiritual connection. Its very different. Fortunately Deva had never played in any other environment other than in meditation. She'd never sung in any kind of rock club. She was not a musician in that way. 

As we began to share in the Ashram, our music just grew organically to the place it is now where we're traveling the world and sharing our connection with Osho through the music with many many people. I find myself in a very beautiful space.

"ALL IS WELCOME HERE". TALK ABOUT THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS SONG.

I wanted to sing something about living in the here and now, and when you find yourself in this situation of living in the moment, then you can bring everything into it. What I learned from Osho also is that mistakes are okay. Everything is welcome because that's how we grow. If you're in a spiritual community, that's understood. So rather than feel bad about making mistakes, you actually take the risk so that if you do make a mistake you can learn from it. You don't wanna make the same mistake twice, that's stupid. But to make a mistake and to be allowed and for it to be ok is very healing. That was the basic thing. And the verse about the father and the son was basically me and my own son. He didn't grow up with me because I'd left home. It was very painful for both of us but now were really good friends. We're reunited as the song says, and were dancing to the sacred drum together. It's been a beautiful connection. That's the basis of that song.

DID YOU EVER SEE YOURSELF DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW, AS A CHILD?  

You know what? my parents used to run pubs in England. I grew up as a kid in bar rooms listening to my mother play the piano in the evening. I guess I had a kind of inkling that something musical would happen. There was always music around.

My father was football crazy, and soccer crazy, and so me and my brother grew up to be really good soccer players and at one point it looked like I might become a pro soccer player. Fortunately for me it didn't happen. My eyesight started to get bad in my teenage years and at the same time the Beatles showed up. That saved my life.

AWESOME. I LOVE THE BEATLES.

The Beatles were incredible. Their whole era was something , it's very difficult to explain to somebody who wasn't there but it was so transformative. It was an era where the music changed and it felt like the sun came out or something. It was an amazing time. And with the sun came the dark shadows too. So you had music like the Rolling Stones and the dark part ...it was amazing to be there and experience such great music. And then when the Beatles got into meditation that was a big key for my generation.

The drug experience that we were all partaking in was connected to the spiritual teachers of as connected to the spiritual teachers of India and the gurus of India. When we heard them talking about meditation we realized that's the kind of experiences we were having with the drugs, it's just an exodus into India and again, the Beatles helped us there with the instruments. That's how I ended up in India.

 Photo Source

DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS.

I don't really go there anymore you know? This feeling of being creative-- it doesn't require any dreaming in the way of what's happening for the future. I used to worry about the future and think about things but I don't anymore. I've come to trust the moment that I'm in and then let the rest take care of itself. As Deva and I have traveled and as more and more people come to be with us and sing and participate with us. We have a small team of people now that take care of our scheduling and business side of things which was never really my interest but still a part of the whole thing. We never began to play this music with any sense of ambition. It wasn't about making a career. It was just simply a way that we share our experiences with Osho with each other and with the people around him. That's how we started to play. They related music. Of course it came from the Ashram.

When we play there's an instant reconnection to the space that we'd all experience together in the ashram. That's all this music is really, and the love that we felt for Osho, of course it was a universal love it wasn't directed to one person. Although it looked like it was directed to one person the person in fact was not there as a person or a personality. The guru is just the door. It's a universal love. What we didn't really expect is that it translated to people who have never met Osho but it has and it just continues to touch people all over the world. Then we have people who take care of the practical side of things so Deva and I can just hang out and do what we do and stay connected and play music.

The only time I look into the future is when they ask us "Where do you want to tour next year?" Or "Do you want to go to America in the Fall or Spring?" So I say lets go to Australia now and then go to America there and go to Europe, and they respond to that and create the touring schedule. Deva and me and our little band of road warriors, we got our managers and light technicians, sound technicians and two extra musicians, we are a happy family and we support each other and travel around

It's an incredible place to find yourself at my age. Now I get inspiration from Blues singers. People like BB King in his age still traveling and playing music. So it's very beautiful.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM DEVA?

I've learned to love myself. Through Osho really it's the love for yourself that you share basically. The more you love yourself the more you have to share and by loving myself I can accept what I used to call faults , my faults . I don't give myself a hard time. I understand that I'm not perfect and I don't strive to be perfect. In that, I'm a perfect imperfection. Deva helps me to live that. We live that together in a very simple way, really. We're not particularly esoteric. Our relationship is simple and down to earth and loving and accepting to each other.

IF YOU HAVE ONE MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN  OF THE WORLD.
It's very difficult , I feel that they (the children) teach us more than we teach them. (Laughs)

I used to be a teacher and I was a teacher in the Osho school when their parents were in the ashram. Looking after them. I learned from the kids more than they learned from me. I can't really find a message for the children. I'm struggling to find one.

I remember, in the school when they used to have these meetings. The teachers and the adults would be trying very hard to share our feelings. It's not easy to share that as adults yet outside in the playground where the kids were they were just sharing their feelings absolutely freely and without any self consciousness at all. Things like that. How anger could be there and then the next minute gone.

WHAT IS LOVE FOR YOU?

What is love? It's everything. It's this moment. It's that song again, "All is welcome here" ... Love is God. I feel like we exist in this reality and everything that happens, everything we judge as bad and good is for all in a way that we just cannot grasp in our small minds in this planet. But somehow I trust that this is for a purpose and everything is for the purpose of good in some way that is unfashionable to us. In that way I like to see myself living in love, breathing love in and out and just hanging out in what we call LOVE. 

That's how I see it. I don't see it as a relationship thing. Of course it is that. But I don't see it as exclusive to Deva. I think that's what happened when I met Osho. I met something in a body that was unfashionable. I didn't have a physical relationship with the person. It wasn't like my father or my family or a lover or my son... Somewhere where you have a physical connection. It was beyond the physical . It was a different kind of love. A love I never experienced before. That gave me the understanding of love being much vaster than I originally thought it was.

 Photo Source

(Interviewed via Skype on May 2011)

For more on Deva Premal & Miten visit their 

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All articles written within the period of Oct 2011 through present.  © Juno Cristi 2011-2012, All Rights Reserved 

A LESSON FROM THE TREE

Stand tall but be firmly grounded. 

Take the sunshine and the rainfall, one breath at a time. 

Breathe out love. 

Hydrate. 

Have patience. 

Dance in the storm. 

Grow in time and bear good fruit to share. 

Nourish your world with your gift. 

(A lesson I've learned from the tree.)

SOULSPEAK WITH ALEXIS SHAMANAH RHIGAS (Healing Arts Practitioner, DJ and Musician)

"Life is my guru. Guru meaning 'from dark to light'. In how many places in your life, whether it is the past or now do you see the light that at some point in your life you could not see? How many places in yourself , in the deepest darkest crevices of yourself, can you really shine that light? Places that you oftentimes don't really want to explore. It's about taking the flashlight there."

ALEXIS SHAMANAH RHIGAS

(Delray Beach Florida)

A healing arts practitioner, a yoga facilitator , musician and DJ for Frisky Radio Alexis is all about breaking down barriers - to who we truly are - and exploring the many ways we can be one with our BEING whether it be through movement, music, he is constantly creating and merging energies with the collective  - serving the world in consciousness, in gratitude, in deep respect for nature, in passion, in authenticity, in LOVE.  

WHO IS ALEXIS?

Who is Alexis today? It's someone who is in service of this thing that is much bigger than anyone of us and that we are all a part of. Through my expressive medium this is what I do. I've been living life like this for 12 years now and that's it... I wake up and I share. I keep sharing the message of love and uncovering anything that veils that love from you, believing that you are something separate. 

WHAT KEEPS YOU BUSY?

My day is pretty much split in half. I work with private clients and that is also in conjunction with healing. Del Ray Beach, where I live, is a tremendous community for people who are in rehabilitation for many kinds of addictions. I work with rehabs throughout the week and I also share all tools that I've learned through yoga and the healing arts over the past twelve years myself. The other half of my day is writing and composing music. I've been doing that for about 6 years now. I spend time in the studio and I go around and teach yoga or anything I've learned from myself that's help me and just pass it on and work with private clients that way.

IS THIS SOMETHING YOU'VE SEEN YOURSELF DOING AS A CHILD?

My parents grew up in Africa but I was born in France, but then shortly after I was born we went to live in the jungle. There I saw how everyone was one with nature, they're one with their God their one with it all - and I got a taste of that as a little kid. They're one with nature, they're one with their God, I've got a taste of that as a little kid. 

I saw different creatures, bugs... think about a bug that's much larger. Almost like you're dealing with a prehistoric bug. It has great meaning as a kid to encounter such bugs because you immediately recognize your power. I really am looking to remind people and myself everyday how powerful we are. This is what I learned in the jungle.  How powerful we are, what we are from, what we have been, and we will be. We are powerful.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
Every way we express this thing called LOVE, and finding no purpose in suppressing any of it. I can say music and pinpoint certain things but it's really all of it. Everything -- When there's a conversation in the bus, whether its talking to a loved one, or a family member, it's really extracting the grace and the blessing as much as I can remind myself to do so. I would say everything, and nothing at the same time.

YOUR GREATEST MENTORS.
I would say apart from growing up in the jungle and being in that environment, my mom and dad. Just for my little sister and I. Just coming to our authentic selves without really fearing, suppressing, trying to command or dictate what they taught. Obviously there's always a little of that its hard for a parent to completely surrender themselves to the idea that the child is God's child and not their child, and that they are here to guide us, and they are not here to do anything else but that... To love us. To see show us love instead of fear. That's it as far as being a little kid.

When I came to the States later on I went to a boarding school in Pennsylvania for four years. It was a military boarding school. In that environment I was inspired by myself. To be there and really show myself that anything that's being presented to me in the form of a medal, a school grade, I could achieve, and I did. I inspired myself along with all my peers. Everything inspired me... This has been a common thread in my life to really look to see this inspiration.  I could consider myself as an artist , but I think we all are. The artist within myself feels more than it sees the sense of inspiration through many things.

I'm in a coffee shop now prior to plugging in and I'm having two, three beautiful conversations. It's really embracing the now and the moment. It's about being inspired.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOURSELF LATELY?
Life is my guru. Guru meaning "from dark to light". In how many places in your life, whether it is the past or now do you see the light that at some point in your life you could not see? How many places in yourself , in the deepest darkest crevices of yourself, can you really shine that light? Places that you oftentimes don't really want to explore. It's about taking the flashlight there. So what have I learned? I've learned that absolutely everything and realizing that at the same time I don't know anything.

WHAT HAVE YOU UNLEARNED?
Everything that really doesn't resonate with the aspect of feeling. I am not entertained anymore by the rights and the wrongs, the goods and the bads, I'm truly embracing and loving the non dualistic aspect of things. If you and I are in a conversation and we have our own opinions, my job today is to see the similarity in your opinion. You might have a "different" opinion but its to see the oneness in it. Not the two. I want to recognize your being, not who Juno is , that's what I'm looking to do today. It's always a growing and ongoing process to see more And more similarities. To dissolve in that, I find great bliss in it. I really do.

For me to be right about something, it's really short lived. It's just like buying a pair of shoes, I'm not consumed by materialism... What's the "matter" in it all? I'd like to change that into what's the "spirit" about it. Because matter I can see in front of me in this realm of existence, but the subtle energy we cannot see with the sight. You can feel it, and be in touch with it, and that's that.

IF YOU COULD TRANSPORT YOURSELF ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU BE RIGHT NOW?
To the God's honest truth, not even mine,  it's talking to you right he, right now. Nowhere else and I am not wanting or wishing to be anywhere right now. I am full in this moment, feeling tremendous love for connecting with you and just being here, being present. I'm not thinking about what I have to do next or where I was five minutes ago. And it's not really my answer, it's the one I am in servitude of.

YOU'RE FACE TO FACE WITH YOU AS A LITTLE CHILD, WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF?
I would tell that little boy this "Your job here on earth is not to love, because you are love. The only job you have is to unveil anything that obstructs that love."

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Some of the great teachers out there they talk about not changing anything but yourself. Keep working on realizing this and you will see it on your perceptive world, on the outside. I used to be more consumed with politics and economics and how the world was. I still hold the same passion, I've just shifted the energy of passion towards other things that aren't involving me so much into what I think is wrong or what's happening in the world. I think that the universe is taking care if itself. I think that everything that's crumbling down, old paradigms, old beliefs, they're happening so fast that we can see it in our own lifetime. I think its all for the light and love in it and not for the sake of it being better or good, I think we're moving to a unifying world. So what do I wanna change? I wanna change the ability for others including myself to just be , on a daily basis, reminded of what this whole thing is about, not being so caught up in the evil, which is an illusion. It's a fearful thing that is part of our consciousness but is by no means the governing agent of our consciousness. It's very hard for people to see that they are part of this.

But honestly I don't really want to change anything because I trust the universe, if I can see it happen for my own pleasure and satisfaction I would say I'd like to see it happen faster.

A friend of mine this weekend said to me "do you think we're gonna see these changes now, and how fast do you think it's gonna happen?" And I said to him I think it's pretty good right now. Really good. And that's out of pleasure and wanting. Otherwise I don't want anything to change.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE WITH SOMEONE YOUR HELPING?
I would say thousands. Thousands memorable experiences of not just mentoring but being mentored to by just means of remembering. I never really considered myself a teacher more so than just a good listener. Someone who just allows the healing. Just really allow it, because you might get the affirmation from me but the true healing is happening for you and in you. You're just maybe learning my trust and confined in that for the time being. Trusting another ultimately leads to trust in oneself. The healing is being created and continuously happening. You want me to trust in that and be in the flow of the universe or you want me to trust in something I could created that you think could fix you? No, I trust the universe. I flow with it. I'm also gonna allow you to do that for yourself. I'm just going to point and not judge towards things that aren't ever the truth. I might ask you to see where that's coming from.

Those memorable moments happen all the time. I would say oftentimes, many times during the day.

WHAT IS LOVE?
Exactly what you are right now. The awareness of oneself and the ability to feel. They say love is not activated until it is shared or given away. If you really think about it this feeling that you have when you say that you're loving, we don't recognize that feeling until you give it away. This is exactly why we say we get it from our moms. I can firmly say I learned love in my mother's womb because she was emitting that feeling to me and I felt it. I knew what this feeling was. Knowing that you are love. It's nothing but that. You're perfect, full, and complete right from the beginning. The before looks like I'm holding this light outside of me but in living now I know its been with me all along, it never has to be seen outside of oneself.

YOUR DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS
I think it's just continuing on what we're doing now, I live in a beautiful community a lot of people sharing a very similar message. A lot of healing arts. A lot of artists. So I'm in a good place, vibrationally amazing. I've made tremendous connections since I've moved here three months ago. Just really continuing on...  And to keep illuminating myself so I can illuminate the world. I'm allowing the soul to take me where it takes me.  I have a vision of  and clarity and continuation but in front of that I'm just riding it out.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH MUSIC.
The music I write is deep dance electronic music, non commercial. I'm a part of  friskyradio.com which is a huge online community. The biggest Internet radio for this specific kind of music, which is progressive music. It's been a fantastic ride for the last 8 years. I really listen to this music, I'm writing and composing, also DJ and the whole point of this is particular music is the cohesion of many songs together in a synchronized flow that takes you on a journey.

I chose this medium years back in my college days because I was deeply involved into the electronic music rave culture and still to this day, my most yogic music (yoga meaning 'union' , 'of one') they happened on the dance floor. It happened as numerating souls we dance deep into the night , early into the morning to this music. Part of the music is to give it back and share  with people.

YOUR ONE MESSAGE TO THE WORLD.
My one message is to love. Actually, it's not to love, but to unveil anything that covers up love. They say that anything that's real stays, and anything that's unreal goes. Anything that obstructs it, that is non peace or non atonement or not in harmony with you, remove that. Have the courage and the will to look through that and go there. Remove that fear, because once that fear is seen and acknowledged it goes away.

Reveal anything that covers up who you are, you are love.

(Interviewed via Skype on May 2012)

CONNECT WITH ALEXIS

WEBSITE: http://www.friskyradio.com

FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/shamanah88

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/shamanah