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In the following excerpts from Urban Shaman by Serge Kahili King, a form of contemplation called Nalu is introduced, with 'how-to' instruction.
THE PREPARATION
'.... a shaman [is] a healer of relationships; between mind and body, between people, between people and circumstances, between humans and Nature, and between matter and spirit.' '... The outstanding quality of the shaman, regardless of culture, is the inclination toward engagement, or creative activity.... The shaman plunges into life with mind and senses, playing the role of a co-creator.' 'And finally, shamans recognize no hierarchy or authority in matters of the mind; if ever a group of people could be said to follow a system of spiritual democracy, it would be the shamans of the world.' '... the art of healing through spirit [is] the primary activity of the shamans. Ku, Lono, and Kane (pronounced 'kah-nay') were archetypes or personifications of Body, Mind and Spirit. The full name of Kane was originally Kanewahine, which may be translated as 'manwoman,' and refers to an understanding of polarities similar to the yin/yang concept of Taoist shamans....' - pages 14-23 THE NINTH ADVENTURE '[Nalu] means 'to form waves,' a metaphor for broadcasting thought patterns, as well as 'to meditate.' Through its roots, the word means 'peaceful union' or 'a state of unity,' with connotations of a cooperative relationship, rather than the oneness of kulike. 'The word Huna, the name of the philosophy being presented in this book, has the identical root translation as nalu, which is not a coincidence. I prefer to use the word contemplation instead of meditation for nalu, because the essence of the technique is a gentle, effortless resting of attention and awareness. In nalu you don't do anything forceful. You just look, listen, and/or feel. 'The beneficial effects happen all by themselves because the continuous attention links your pattern to the pattern you are focusing on. What makes nalu so fascinating is the variety of effects depending on your area of focus.' - pages 193-194 THE NALU OF SIGHT '.... When you create something beautiful in your mind, there is already a positive expectation built in. As you continue such a focus, your body relaxes, your energy flows, and your ku becomes more beautiful. 'In the technique of doing nalu with the sense of sight, whether inner or outer, you first establish an intentional framework, and then you observe the subject within that framework, keeping your awareness open to whatever happens without judgment while maintaining your focus for whatever period you've decided on. 'When you observe the beauty of something, for instance, beauty is the intentional framework. It acts like a filter to help sharpen your focus and define the effects you will experience. When you observe, pay attention to shape, size, color, design, and ambience (the setting or relationship of the subject to its surroundings.) Keeping your awareness open means allowing thoughts, ideas, and feelings related to the subject to become conscious and then flow on....' ' • Do visual nalu with something fairly small that you consider beautiful, like a piece of art [such as 8" x 8" wood art by Emanate Presence], some jewelry, a flower, or a crystal. Just look at it, but look at it in detail. Maintain your awareness of what is beautiful about it and be open to new discoveries. Move it, if you wish, to look at different parts of it, but don't hold it. 'Every once in a while, close your eyes and see the same object in your mind, in as much detail as possible. You are doing this to train your mind to focus at will, to increase your awareness of beauty, and to increase the beauty and harmony in you....' - pages 197-198
Golden shimmers and soft purples draw the eye into these designs, originally hand-drawn by the artist. They are available for wall art groupings and in art card collections by Emanate Presence. These designs make effective focal points for meditation, contemplation, and deep reflection – as well as elegant accents in a room.
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