Dear Love,
I have a feeling that this blog is evolving into something else…
Enjoy the Neo Card of the Week: Sleep Healing on Zen and Sand’s website.
Simply click SPARKLE BLAST ME! WOO-HOO!!!
Aloha ~
Cansu
Meditation turned into art, art turned into meditation
© Cansu Bulgu
Aloha Love!
I started posting an inspired sand drawing on Zen and Sand™, my art company website…Click here and enjoy!
Zen and Sand™ = Meditation turned into art, art turned into meditation…
A bridge between imagination and realization…something familiar and mysterious!!!
Each creation is called a “NEO CARD“.
When a neo card is created for a specific person, we call them their “POWER PIECE“!
Meditation turned into art, art turned into meditation
© Cansu Bulgu
Click here to journey!
Namaste ~
Cansu
“Aren’t you worried?” The elderly woman asked, standing behind me in line at the security check point… “You have two laptops you are putting through…”
It was a stark question at 6am in the morning. I was heading to Los Angeles after incredible ten days in New York City where I had participated in Artexpo NY, one of the world’s largest fine art shows.
I answered “No, I am not worried. Laptops are simply tools…And I removed the word “worry” from my vocabulary a while back.”
“Good for you!” The lady exclaimed, she might have been in her mid seventies… “I wish I could do that. I worry about every-thing!…How did you do it?”
“I realized that all is one in my experience. Since there is no separation, there is no conflict. Since there is no opposition, there is no threat.”
As the words poured out of my mouth with clarity and non-attachment, I felt a great sense of why I was in New York and the path unfolding before me.
I began to sense that everyone at the security check point was witnessing the opening…My eyes briefly met the gentle smile of a mother of a new born baby standing behind us. She was nodding with the confidence and peacefulness that only one’s inner knowing can offer…I accepted the gift.
“That is so very true and wise!” The elderly lady exclaimed. “I thought it would come with age, but it didn’t.”
“Age gives us opportunities to make more choices. Simply by the accumulation of experiences and practices over time, our choices manifests in the wisdom we live. It is always our choice…” The words continued to pour out of me as I witnessed myself having the conversation and also conversing at the same time.
“I notice the patterns though…I can see them now.” The lady was referring to her thought patterns that were creating her reality.
“That is wonderful! That is how we become aware and awaken.” In that moment, the elderly lady and I became one, we met in a bubble of insight, of our choosing that was being witnessed by all (and all there is beyond who was present at the airport at that time). Once we packed up our bags, we humbly looked at each other in the eye and we both bowed before each other in loving kindness… “Namaste…The inner light in me, greets the inner light in you.”
Artexpo NY offered so much more than meeting wonderful people, networking and selling art. It was, just as any situation – any thing – anyone can be when viewed with openness, a pure playground. It was an amazing container to learn, to see and to open into more Love.
The series that I presented at the show was titled Rising Awareness Series…Each piece was a powerful reflection of our true Nature, the Essence and potently named after the intention they served: Being, Transformation, Divine Calling, Dream Making, Yin Rising, Kundalini Rising, Rise Above and Music to My Ears….
Intention spoken in words is as powerful as it gets…So guess what happened?
You guessed it! 
The lessons, as summarized by the very last moments of my trip at La Guardia International Airport, were simply these:
A person who takes pride in their success may believe they are the center of the world and the world revolves around them. Their reality may consist of them and the other.
A person who experiences pain and is attached to the experience may believe that they are the center of the world and the world revolves around them. Their reality may consist of them and the other.
A person who lives and embodies Love, sees no center or border. They simply beam. There is no them or the other. There is only oneness experienced in infinite ways!
Which do you choose to be?
Stay tuned for the upcoming series titled “Rose Diaries”, a perfect metaphor of the journey of opening….An intimate inter-view with the Rose. I am inspired!
Namaste ~
Love,
Cansu
“Rose Diaries”, An intimate inter-view of the Rose by Cansu Bulgu. Coming Soon ~
Rise Above, one of my fine art pieces displayed on the NY ART EXPO Homepage
Aloha ~
Where do I begin?…What a wonderful journey life is!
A very special selection of my fine art creations with the Elements will be at the NY Art Expo this year!
I will be sharing selected pieces from the CANSUPhotography™ and Zen and Sand™ collections in booth #1209 in the SOLO Pavilion at the world’s largest art show!
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE NEW YORK ART EXPO 2013!
I would love love love it if you would join me in person or in spirit!
If you are going, please send me an email or register through the “Featured Events” on CANSUPhotography™ and let’s stay connected. This website also showcases some of the transformative art in a slideshow format.
For your complimentary pass, click here and enter “AENYcomp”. Art show hours are listed here. Enjoy!
See you in New York March 21 – 24, or whenever it is time
Many Blessings & Aloha ~
Cansu
Hello Love,
Valentine’s day gifted me a series of inspirational dates with many Masters! My first date with a master was at the Annenberg Center for Photography in Los Angeles. How did I get so lucky?
Wade Davis, a world-known anthropologist, ethnobotanist, national geographic photographer and clearly a modern-day wayfinder, gave a lecture on “Why the ancient wayfinder’s knowledge is important to our modern world”. The room was packed with a diverse group of people from all walks of life. Producers, actors, photographers, researchers and seekers such as myself who gathered to soak in the world of knowledge Davis so generously offered. We traveled through the Andes, Borneo, Haiti, Tibet, the Amazon, the Arctic, as Davis our guide, through his profoundly moving photography and mind opening questions, gently woven into his eloquent witty delivery.
The primary message was that the ancient wisdom of the wayfinder coalesced on being in tune with the environment and maintaining strong connections with all. Davis, with his decades of research and first hand experience of being in the presence of many such cultures, demonstrated that all indigenous cultures consistently practiced this oneness and reverence for the environment and for each other, both for their well-being and survival and the well-being of all who inhabit this Earth. Did you know that someone in Tibet has being praying for your well-being as their sole life’s purpose living in a space that is no longer than the size of your dining room table? Would you be able to intuit your way to your car in the vastness of a parking lot where masses gather for work, food, supplies or pleasure? (A very practical skill in our modern-day living I know I could use!)
Think about it…Or perhaps, close your eyes and meditate on it for a while.
Davis said (paraphrasing here) that “indigenous cultures see the mountain as a deity, a living being, who provides for the village and protects it, the modern cultures (a term we choose to associate with) see it as a place to mine”, while pointing to a breath-taking view of a sunrise on untouched land rich with mountains, trees and water. “The important question is not which one of these beliefs is true”, Davis continued. The important question is that we share this world with many cultures and we are making choices that affect the face of the world we share. Do we consider the effects of our choices in the light of oneness?
What kind of world do we imagine for ourselves?
Davis’s lecture was a meditation…Just as we can talk about meditation for hours and probably write or read about it in various media, until we experience it ourselves we are missing out on the full potential of the expansion it offers. Good news is that the lecture will be available shortly on the Annenberg’s website. Phew!
In the mean time, here is the one question that summed it all up. Ponder at your leisure. It will take you to places.
What kind of world do we, as people of the Earth, imagine for ourselves?
Aloha ~
(Dates with the Masters to be continued…)
Aloha There ~
Spontaneity is our gateway to pure genius…
I met Merari yesterday and within less than 24 hours of our “chance” meeting at a bookstore in Santa Monica, we were dancing and filming for One Billion Rising, a world wide movement to stop violence against women (in our hearts for anyone and anything, really). Did I mention that Merari is an attorney from the Philippines who is on her vacation in the States? Whimsical Universe!
The thought was (at least this is the mind’s story) to shoot different parts of the dance at various places in Santa Monica, possibly with other people and weave in clips from our friends and perhaps even shots of some nature images to get additional boost from Mama Earth. Mama Earth would surely support the cause. Perhaps we could do a few takes for each part…Who knows…Inspiring people is serious business, you see…One must be prepare!
Well, clearly that is not what happened and thank you, Universe for it! What actually happened was simple and perfect because it was bigger than both of us. (And it saved me a very long night of editing!)…It was humbling.
We practiced the moves briefly and decided to video our first take, just to see how things looked. And there it was…The uncontrollable belly laugh that only got louder with each frame that passed as we watched the replay. The kind of laugh where you feel muscles in your tummy that you didn’t know existed. In that moment, we both knew, we had our movie! We went to the bookstore we met, sat on the floor and finished the production of our video.
The gift was a deep practice to simply be and en-joy! A deep practice to completely let go of any thought, any identity, any technical details of colors saturating right or not, in short, any expectation…It was humbling.
It is a fact that we have not performed on Broadway (yet?) We did give up ourselves to be the dance though and we had so much fun doing it!
Merari – Thank you for the Sparkle Blast! You are a gem!
Here is to our showing up for life today and creating a totally raw, totally unedited and awkwardly joyful movie to honor humanity!
Pure Bliss awaits you now. What are you waiting for? Click on
Aloha ~
Aloha Lovers!
The Universe, Life, speaks to us in many forms all the time…Some of us remember this Truth and live in the Stillness that comes with the knowing. This ongoing sacred communication may be a song, a feeling, a billboard, a friend’s smile… It all weaves into many “u-huh” moments for us as we (hopefully) gently navigate the waters of our lives…Depending on how much elaboration we enjoy, The Universe gets infinitely creative with the forms of communication. My sacred communication came today in the form of dolphins, rainbows, freeway billboards, a very angry person in much pain, a loving budding teammate and laughter…Here is how…
The day starts with an incredibly humbling display of Oneness and gratitude. The first show is presented by two dolphins who appeared only seven feet away from where I am standing on the beach before I start my daily Stillness-Oneness practice. They hover on the surface of water for a while (significantly longer for animals with fins rather than with wings) as if to greet me kindly and then with awe-inspiring agility and playfulness catch a seven-foot wave and swim through it at a blazingly fast speed. Master surfers! What a sight!!! It is a feeling I remember from when a humming bird put his beak in my hand that was stretched out into a punch for a Tai Chi pose, after having danced on my head for a good 30 seconds that is! Just imagine the feeling of Oneness…Aaaaahhh…
The second gift is a rainbow which appears in my green smoothie. Yes, a rainbow…and yes, in my homemade green smoothie!!! (disclaimer: the second one I made in my life…so far 
It is as if the plant kingdom decides to parade their incredible light into one powerful ancient symbol of healing for me to enjoy along with the nourishment. And of course to share with the Team online which keeps smiles spreading all over the web through whoever comes upon it. So far, great, yes? Yes!
At this point, I am off to an appointment while vibrating high on my en-dolphins and in en-greenment :)
Before I start driving, I intuitively ask to get clarity on how I may be of service…I see a billboard that says “Smile Big” (probably an ad for a dentist), then something that says “We Service All” (probably an ad for a car mechanic)… I chuckle because I know exactly what that is for…In the last few days, I have been feeling into whether to participate in the world’s largest art expo in New York in March. Many suggest that the artist pick a single line of work and presents just that…Each time I tune into the Universe trying to make myself choose one style I have been co-creating with it, I feel a strong weight in my stomach. Rather than every cell in my body scream in joy “Yes!” I hear that the purpose of the art and photography is to show Oneness and Interconnectedness in the Universe…Choosing one, right now, feels like taking a single chemo type out of a plant (such as menthol out of eucalyptus) and forcing it into a single drug…While the drug may be effective for that use, it is no comparison to receiving the plant medicine holistically…In short, something feels off so I choose to keep tuning in deeper rather than moving an inch further in the registration process. If it is inspired, jump…If it isn’t, drop it. The inspired action will reveal itself…Simple.
My focus shifts as I pull up to the place where I have my appointment. I need to passport size photos. I trust that there will be a place where I can get them nearby and so there is. This is where I wish the Universe sends me a post it note rather than immersing me fully in the highly elaborate experience…Later in the day, I find out why…
The photo place appears chaotic. Papers everywhere. It looks very out of sorts, more importantly, it feels that way , too. I am curious as to why this picture is presented to me (no pun intended), but I need to photos so I choose to go along with it…for now.
The person taking the photo appears out of sorts as well…First thing he tells me is to “stop smiling”….(What???…Remember the billboard that read “Smile BIG”?)
Naturally, I want to smile more as my being finds the statement a bit absurd (For those of you who may not yet have met me…asking me to stop smiling is the same as trying to put a lid on a waterfall…Got it? Good Smile…just comes out. He tells me not to show teeth with a very tense agitated voice and I close my eyes and drop into stillness (like the dolphins)….I know I am faced with something, all I need to do is to see underneath what is really happening here and only take the gift that is mine, leave what is not….
I open my eyes and kindly obey his instructions. He is still not happy with the outcome. He raises his voice higher, his body language changes while telling me that I have too much expression on my face (I thought he said show no teeth…Wipe that smile off your face, kid! This is a passport photo we are talking about! Get serious!). Then the energy in the room shifts into something darker…I immediately bow away thanking him for his services and kindly tell him that I won’t be needing them any more…I let go off the appointment as my inner compass says “GET OUT OF HERE NOW!!!!”….
Have you noticed how our bodies get as we indulge in the anger and feel the need to intimidate another being out of our own fear? It is quite a sight, not even close to the sight of the dolphins surfing through the waves or the rainbow in my smoothie though…
Luckily, I had learned this lesson of removing myself from an unwanted situation when my friend’s very excited and totally untrained pitbulls decided to greet me one day…Now, I know that it is perfectly fine and highly encouraged to bow away and close the door behind me whenever I choose to. So, I am out of there. Thank you, Universe…
When someone gives you a gift that is not yours who does the gift belong to? Knowing that, I clear up the pure energetic exchange and nothing is left clinging…(tip: a very important hygienic step for living awake…!! All is clear, check!…Except for the question “Why did I experience this now?”…
As I pull out my mobile device to check in with the Team, I see something about www.onebillionrising.org and one of my teammates is on “live tv” in support of this increasingly popular movement which peaks this very Valentine’s day. It is about dancing to stop violence against women (I imagine there will be many smiles…and possibly really BIG ones, too!) U-huh!!! So I got delivered the importance of this message (which extends to all living and non-living things as we define it as far as I am concerned) in a 3-D format prior to me reading about it on Facebook. Hilarious Universe!
Always with Love and Rainbows
I am inspired to write...Would you rather experience and have others experience with your presence fun loving Dolphin and green smoothie rainbow sightings or….
Simple, yes?
Later I meet up with another teammate who is a lawyer in Philippines through what most would call a “chance meeting” and we share about the magic of life, laugh (with many teeth showing and all…and probably my esophagus,too, yes!! and play! Oh, and she gives me the confirmation I had asked the Universe earlier in the morning. Communication exchanged, check!
What was your sacred communication today?
All day everyday, Life lives us…May we always choose only Love.
Aloha and Many Blessings to All Our Relations ~
Our mind evaluates…Our Essence just is ~
Aloha ~
© Cansu Bulgu
“One knows when they are onto something when their lessons are getting more interesting and emotions heightened. They must be expanding in a way that has officially got their ego’s attention.”
Yesterday, I walked on the beach. When my eyes first met the Ocean’s deep blue, my heart opened. If I were to use one word to express the magnitude of Love I felt, it would be the word Bliss. I felt the flood of love and complete peace at once. Ocean and I met in gratitude. We were more than a witness. In that moment, we were One.
With that monk like state of mind I continued to walk on the golden sand caressed by the morning sun. There was nothing on my mind. Absolutely, nothing. Just pure awareness.
I then came across a sand dollar in the sand. It was washed away to the shore as if it were a gift from the Ocean, from our merging a minute ago. “How blessed!” I thought and moved on again in a monk like state of mind…
A few more steps and I came across another sand dollar. Wow! What are the odds?
And that is exactly when my mind kicked in!
The repetition of an appearance of a sand dollar was enough to kick start my mind. There was a pattern which had to be solved! It had to be understood, labeled, categorized! It must have had a meaning! And on and on it went…
Until I caught myself “thinking” and no longer “being”. I was no longer merging with the deep blue, nor was I aware that the ocean was right in front of my nose. Instead, I was “searching”…searching for more….and more….and more!
The ego wakes up with insatiable hunger – every time! It is never enough. How many sand dollars does one need? I mean, really?? ;D
The good news is that the moment when we bring awareness to it, it holds no power. Presence is what disarms the illusion – instantly!
The moment I became aware of the fact that I was thinking and searching, I surrendered back into the present moment, into the deep blue of the ocean. I was One.
A few more steps later, there was the most beautiful pink seashell…waiting ;D
Aloha ~
“I Believe” by Cansu Bulgu
I believe in Love
I believe in Humanity
I believe in Grace
I believe in Kindness
I believe in Gratitude
I believe in Stillness
I believe in Sparkles
I believe in Abundance
I believe in Joy
I believe in Creativity
I believe in Collaboration
I believe in Being a Witness
I believe in Infinite Possibilities
I believe in Growth
I believe in Inspired Action and Completion
I believe in Listening to Inner Guidance
I believe in Discernment
I believe in the Wisdom of the Earth
I believe in the Wisdom of the Stars
I believe in the Wisdom of our Hearts
I believe in Play
I believe in Sharing
I believe in Healing
I believe in Miracles
I believe in Learning and Teaching
I believe in Giving and Receiving
I believe in Our Infinite Capacity to See Truth in Every Situation
I believe in Our Ability to Walk Our Talk with Confidence and Humility
I believe in Our Openness to Viewing Life In Ways We Have Yet to Explore
I believe in Flow
I believe in Surrender
I believe in Patience
I believe that Nothing Real Can Be Threatened
I believe that Nothing Unreal Exists and Therein Lies the Eternal Peace
I believe in Being, Beaming, Shiiiiiiining!
What do you believe?
Aloha & Sparkles ~
