Coming to you soon – IN THE REALM OF SKY

Posted on August 1, 2014 by AlianaAlani

Stories can be funny things. Sometimes you struggle to hear them. Sometimes they will call at you until you answer. IN THE REALM OF SKY was one of those. Its first words came like a waterfall. I had no idea what the story was going to be about, nor its primary form, only that it desired to be shared and would not leave me be.

Until last year, I didn’t write children’s stories. So I didn’t know this would be one. It is a sweet small poignant tale that any of us, young or older, can appreciate. Its message is universal. And it wants to be shared. Recently it seemed important to do just that.

So I am making this little book available to you all, at the moment free-of-charge, in pdf format. You are welcome to read it and to download it (changing it in any way is not an option). I am hopeful that sometime soon there will be money to make it available in print form as well. For now, this will do.

It will be available soon here on my web blog – http://www.22shangrila.com (look for the page marked IN THE REALM OF SKY) – and from me personally via email – aliana@22shangrila.com.

IN THE REALM OF SKY is meant to be shared with the world, so please let others know about it.

If this story touches your heart, I’d love to hear from you, and if you would like to contribute to it or future stories of mine coming to you this way, please feel free to click on the PayPal Donate button on my blog at http://www.22shangrila.com. All donations are gratefully received.

Blessings and Aloha to you all!

Aliana

Exploring The Possible … Through the Power of Story

Posted on June 21, 2014 by AlianaAlani

I recently created a Group Page on Facebook called – Exploring the Possible … Through the Power of Story. It has been created to provide a place for people to share their stories and visions of a world of harmony & love, with the idea that in doing so, we and our world can blossom. The article that explains it all is below. You do have to ask to be a member but otherwise it’s an open site, so when you have time, go to the Group Page, take a look and see if it’s for you.

THIS GROUP IS FOR ANYONE TRULY INTERESTED IN ENVISIONING & LIVING IN A WORLD OF HARMONY & LOVE – HERE & NOW

…The group has been started by ALIANA ALANI

THROUGH THE POWER OF STORY…

EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS A STORY. The stories we tell ourselves. The ones we tell each other. The ones we tell our world. Story is how we define the inner and outer of our lives, and it is how we choose to change – from an old story that no longer serves us into a new story of who we want to become.

COLLECTIVELY THESE STORIES become our histories, myths and legends. They waft through the annals of time to a later date where you or I read about them, ponder, and are often enlightened. They are the jewels in the treasure chest of life. They can also be those pesky chains that bind us to the past.

STORY COMES IN MANY FORMS – through the power of imagination and intent, it can take shape via word, sound, and visual – think book, blog, film, video, YouTube, theatre, photography, painting, illustration, speaking, singing, rapping, slam poetry, and of course music.

This is where you and I come in.

THE STORY OF A WORLD OF HARMONY & LOVE:

FOR CENTURIES PEOPLE have spoken of a land of milk and honey; a place resplendent with harmony, love, and abundance. Whether envisioned through the eyes of a poet or storyteller, philosopher, mystic or messiah, it is ever etched within the fabric of the collective mind and heart of we, the people of planet earth.

THIS LAND OF POSSIBILITY has over time been gifted many names. Some call it Shangri-La or Shamballa, some The Land of The Blessed, some Paradise, and many, The Garden of Eden. And though the dynamics within may vary, the essence of all these stories remains the same. In it, we are in tune with our inner spirit, at one with our hearts, in balance with mind and body, and at peace with all in the world which we inhabit. In it, we effortlessly flourish in a magnificent manifestation of the celebration of life. I call this place, The Garden. And in my heart, I know it already exists.

So here’s the opportunity – and I’m hoping you’ll want to come onboard.

WHAT IF WE EACH TAKE THE TIME to envision what The Garden looks like to us? How we feel in it and how we act in it? What if we tell a story about that in whatever form feels right? What if we share that story – here, now?

BY DOING IT, we shine a light on it in our hearts. By sharing it, we shine a light on it in our world.

IMAGINE – your story calling out a song to someone else’s – maybe you’re in North America, maybe they are in India, maybe Bali or Hawaii, Australia or New Zealand, Europe or Asia, Africa or the Middle East – maybe the story sounds similar, maybe even the same. IMAGINE – the power of love in that.

SO WHETHER YOU WRITE a poem, a short story, a song; whether you put something on YouTube and link it here; whether you do a painting or a series of photographs; whether you do an improv session at your school or local theatre and film it for us to see; whether you do it as a group or by yourself – whatever wonderful form you choose to take – take the time to tell us your story, your vision, your dream of a world of harmony and balance, love and prosperity – here and now.

HELP THE VISION GROW. The crazy thing is, if you tell it often enough, you’ll end up living it. Think where we’ll all be then.

JOIN THE VISION – CREATE THE MAGIC – SHINE A LIGHT

…and remember, this is a place for sharing positive loving stories … nothing less will do

ALOHA … and thank you, ALIANA

Posted on June 15, 2014 by AlianaAlani

Every garden, whether it’s the garden of your heart, your life, or your world requires nourishment to grow. For it to flourish and to truly blossom, it requires love.

Love the best of you and your garden into being now.

You deserve the very best and so does your world.

We are connected

Posted on June 6, 2014 by AlianaAlani

In the distance a friend cries, mourning the passing of another

A senseless passing

In the distance, as though on cue a bird listens, then shutters

Wings flap, a caw is heard, and an honouring begins

In the distance

Here, a wind blows and swirls. There, a wave builds within the deep

Reaching the shores of another’s heart on the opposite side of distance

Who turns in wonder, for nothing happens without knowing

We are all connected

We move like butterflies fluttering to the tune of another’s song

Angels gracefully flying the skies of each other’s spirit

Dancing along moments of joy and sorrow, yours and mine

We are connected

In that distance, a man’s heart opens, daring to love again, further

Feeling it we turn his way, and remember – the magic and wonder

That is possible, here in our beautiful sometimes fragile Garden

Where we are all connected

…for Naren & his family

Listen…

Posted on April 29, 2014 by AlianaAlani

©Aliana Alani 2014

Listen to the winds

Everywhere there is poetry

Everywhere, a story

Your life and mine

The man in the street with a cup and a sign

The story it says of him

The story he has yet to tell

Listen to the winds

Whispers and prayers

Whispers and blessings

Listen

The Gucci bag and the bling tell a tale

But what’s inside tells more

The country, the clan, the lone wolf

All dancing on song lines from yesterday to tomorrow

Beating a drum, a heartbeat, a rhythm

Of passion and promise, sorrow and longing

Desires and dreams

Everywhere there is poetry

Everywhere, a story

Listen to the winds

Listen

There is a bridge …

Posted on April 25, 2014 by AlianaAlani

There is a bridge that exists between two worlds – fragile, translucent, almost ethereal.

It hovers, beckoning. Its glow, shimmering.

But do we see?

It is temporary, this bridge, and will not last.

Do we know? Do we care?

It travels between the world of love & plenty, and the world that soon will know no air.

When it vanishes, we will be but in one world or the other.

Does this matter?

If you find yourself on its path, do not hesitate, do not linger.

Dash over to the world of your heart’s desire.

And always remember,

At any moment the bridge could disappear, like magic, into the eternal air.

Blessings to you, Paco de Lucia

Posted on February 26, 2014 by AlianaAlani

I first came to hear the amazing sounds that poured from the heart and guitar of Paco de Lucia a few years ago while sitting in a modest house on a hilltop in the foothills of the Sierras in the ever moody and majestic Alpujarra of Andalucia.

I was house sitting, it was winter, it was my first time in Spain, and I was alone – alone with an exuberant mountain wind flicking through olive branches, the sound of distant tinkling bells as goats were herded through the fields below, and the whispering whispers of the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca mingling with the air (this was the region where many felt he had been murdered long ago).

It was a place ripe for the music of Paco de Lucia. And so was I.

One day as I sat sipping red wine, eating Spanish cheese, and pondering the mysteries of my life, I came across two DVDs sitting on the shelf; one of Paco’s life and music, another of the music and dance of Blood Wedding, a play written by Lorca. I became entranced by the power and passion, the sense of perfection and haunting beauty of both. From that moment on I was fascinated – with the music of Paco de Lucia, and the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca.

I speak no Spanish, yes sadly still, so everything I know of it is from translation, and perhaps most important, from the heart –of the poet, of the artist/musician, of the music of flamenco and of an incredible Spanish classical guitar – to my heart. For me it is a music whose touchstone is pure heart. What an amazing place to emit from. What an amazing place to be brought to.

It is of course possible that in order to travel to such a place, it will demand from us an inner quest for nothing less than excellence. Such a journey can be arduous. It certainly asks the best of us. From everything I have read, that is what it did for Paco de Lucia.

When I listen to his music I know that we, you and I. are blessed because of it.

Paco de Lucia left us today. He slipped away from our arms somewhere on a beach in Mexico.

He leaves behind a wealth of music. Like Andalucia, it is a musical landscape rich and vibrant, one that can colour the very fabric of our lives, if we open to it.

So gracias Paco, thank you. May your music kiss the angels as you grace their skies with your heart.

It occurs to me that lately I am writing about profound talents who are leaving our world, some far too early. Talents, and yes, souls who will be truly missed, both for their journey into excellence, for the jewels they have bequeathed us, and for the beauty of their spirits and hearts.

I cannot help but wonder – what does that ask of us who are still here?

Raining Sapphires …

Posted on February 1, 2014 by AlianaAlani

I wrote most of this a couple of years ago. Suddenly woke up yesterday knowing I had to dust it off, edit & update it a bit, and share with you. I hope that in some small way it touches a positive chord in your heart. Blessings to you, Aliana

It was raining sapphires along the sands and beaches of my heart. The sky kissed the air with perfumed stardust and the earth trembled, shivering like a fragile expectant lover. It beckoned as lovers often do in a strange hypnotic fashion, its rhythm enticing and provocative, its inner smile illusive and tempting. Yet somehow I could not follow, not fully, not yet. Perhaps it was the dust that clouded my vision. Perhaps it was fear, of the known and the not. Perhaps it was the one thing I frequently chose to ignore, to dance around, to two-step, to tango, to fox-trot, from there to here and fro; the one thing I knew would eventually happen, and yet … Perhaps it was all of these, and more.

This was, after all, my story, hence my world.

The picture comes in fragments. It is unstable and will not hold. That is its illusion, and to some, its reality. It appears increasingly bleak and fond of monochromes, especially shades of grey and black, as though its creator had decided to cast it all in shards of steel and bones of white ash, with a dash of startling midnight blue. Its waters pound against timid shores. Its winds blow like hurricanes of ancient memory. It does not speak of tomorrows, only what was, what might have been, therefore by lineage and association what could be, today. It tantalizes through threads of adrenaline pumped with escalating chords of anxiety. Its song is of flight and fright, of dread and fear. Its clothes are many layered, yet its costume remains the same. If it has its way, soon wherever we turn, this will be all we see. It will be all we feel. It will be all we think we know. We will be wrong but…

For this is a road of dissolution and dismembering that ultimately can know no air.

Within the fragments reside people, lands, countries, and stories. Within the fragments are hearts capable of soaring yet feeling broken, their worlds crumbling around them – security, sustenance, love – all seem to vanish within one large long cosmic breath. The classic, Poof, and there is no more. The cause varies but the result appears the same. The world watches in horror, its compassion tinged with a hidden worry that any minute the breath will turn in their direction. What then? What happens after that? So we begin to speak in apocalyptic terms, with words and gestures both large and expressive. We speak, often forgetting the power of thought, the energy generated by sound and intent. Forgetting what many of our ancestors knew; that by doing so, we may indeed be calling our own little apocalypse into being. We may be helping to magnify its possibility.

For it too travels a road that ultimately can know no air.

Like the many sides of a fine diamond or those sapphires on the beaches of my heart, inside each facet of the stories that make up our lives, no matter what appears to be happening in the moment, no matter whether we love it or hate it, lives an inner jewel that hovers like a secret key waiting to be discovered, a key that can unlock untold mysteries and bring with it endless peace and happiness. A key that is ours to have and use; that has always been there and always will be. The key may appear unique, perhaps even exotic, yet one thing that it carries is a link to beauty for beauty is a corridor to the heart, and the heart is one giant door to love. Love, as many have waxed poetic, is all there really is. In case you have forgotten, as many of us do.

Beauty is often said to be in the eye of the beholder. Where one person sees devastation, another observes within its skeletal midst an awe-inspiring splendor. Where another perceives garbage, someone else sees a dance of wonder hovering midst an air-floating plastic bag. And where some envision approaching death with fear and horror, others see within the light of life waiting to be reborn.

If you track this thought with me, you will perhaps find that hidden key. That lingering midst despair and devastation, no matter how impossible or painful it may seem (and it often seems totally impossible and incredibly painful) is an opportunity to view hence feel the beauty of existence, even if it is only for a moment, a seed of possibility blowing in a wind of turmoil. That in so doing, you may find yourself bringing that solitary seed of beauty to the fore more and more each day until one day, amazingly, within you only it will exist, having now blossomed, as seeds are apt to do, into a magnificent abundant garden of life, your life, and death, whatever form it had been taking, will have vanished mysteriously into the endless unknown.

Every moment is an opportunity, especially for love.

With that those sapphires sparkle and glitter, tossing their brilliance into the centre, into the heart finally, sprinkling their ethereal wisdom like starlight upon the ocean of my soul. A door within blasts open.

And I am home.