new Beginnings

Photo courtesy of Scott Fadynich

​My entire life, I have been chasing down a profound experience that I call “creative inspiration.” That is what brought me to Tucson, Arizona, in the first place, to work with some of the leading consciousness researchers in the world, trying to understand what happens in moments of inspiration.

In the past few years, something extraordinary happened to me. I learned how to tap into that experience on a consistent basis. It’s not about creativity per se. Inspiration for me is what it feels like to embody the creative spirit at play.

Every major life decision I have made has been with the intention of bringing me closer to that sacred and sensuous feeling. It’s the reason why I started Global Chant and wrote The Chanter’s Guide. Chanting has always been a source of inspiration for me, from the time I was a little boy.

But I have discovered many other ways to tap into this experience, including various forms of play (as I described in The Way of Play), as well as Repose. I feel that Repose is the secret sauce in my practice and my life’s work. When I started lying in Repose three times a day, everything changed. My physical and mental receptivity increased exponentially, giving me the clarity to finish Deep Creativity, a book that had sat on the shelf for two decades because I lacked the understanding needed to complete it.

Now, I want to share what I know about inspiration, because I feel that anyone who wants to should have the opportunity to experience what I consider to be the greatest feeling in the world. When I am inspired, I am so empty of myself that only the creative spirit of the universe lives in me. Do you know what it feels like to awaken from the dream of reality, to know who you truly are, to be fully present in the moment, and to be a conduit through which the creative energy of the universe flows freely? If you do, I celebrate that! And if you have not yet gotten there, I would be honored and delighted to help you find your way.

This is my life’s calling, and I want to pursue it with total passion and devotion. It’s the reason why I took a year of my life to prepare my TEDx talk, “The Art of Creative Inspiration.” If you have not watched it yet, please do so by clicking on the link below. I gave that talk with you in min. And please share it with your loved ones, too. You will notice that I avoided the use of overtly spiritual language in my talk. That is because I want the experience of inspiration to be accessible to as many people as possible.

The path of inspiration led me to Maria (formerly Mendola, now Shamas), my wife whom I adore and my beloved partner on this journey. Maria has taught me so much about the central role the body plays in the experience of inspiration. As a yogini, therapist, and educator, she has an extraordinary level of attunement to what is happening in the body. When it comes to inspiration, we both realize how important it is to let the body lead and the mind follow.
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In the months to come, we hope to offer some events, both in Tucson and around the country, so that you can experience the bliss, ecstasy and delight of creative inspiration for yourself. This is an exciting new chapter in my life, and like every other major blessing that has come my way, including the great joy of chanting, I want to share the gift of inspiration with my community. 

​Wishing You a Very Happy Holiday Season!