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About Alan |
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Living by Heart is about seeking
depth, meaning and purpose in life. |
Alan Bollen is the
founder of Living by Heart. |
It is about finding the passion in life,
whatever "lights" you up. |
It is about realizing your potential. |
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Alan has been doing spiritual work for over thirty years.
He is a Lightworker as well as an accomplished
computer technician and webmaster. |
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My Spiritual Journey and
The Story Behind Living by Heart |
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 The Shaman |
| Although my spiritual path began over forty years ago, I think that it first came into focus for me in 1980 when a Chippewa Indian (Native American) named Sun Bear came to Seattle to teach a workshop about the Medicine Wheel. In his workshop I began to learn about totem animals and the significance they can play in one's life. I have had totem animals in my life since childhood, but it was from Sun Bear's teachings that I first began to understand their true significance and the role that they play in the Medicine Wheel. This was also my introduction to shamanism and the shamanic path. |
| It was also during Sun Bear's workshop that my future wife-to-be, Colleen, had a vision that told her to move to an island and start a family (I didn't learn about her vision until years later). Later that year Colleen and I did, in fact, move to Orcas Island in the San Juan islands in Washington state where we were married the following year at the summit of Mt Constitution. |
| The Medicine Wheel and totem animals have continued to play an important role in both of our lives ever since. |
| The Mountain |
| In 1996 I went on a shamanic retreat and vision quest at Mount Shasta in northern California. During the retreat our group hiked into a lava tube to offer our prayers to the spirit of the mountain. While I was praying, I experienced an epiphany. I lost all track of physical reality and my spirit journeyed into the earth where I was met by a member of the Rock Tribe. This entity led me to a sacramental place where I was adopted into the Tribe. Becoming a member of the Rock Tribe changed my life forever. |
| I returned home with a heart felt desire to be of service to my community. The time had come to give back to the world some of the richness I had experienced during my life. And thus I began teaching "Living by Heart" workshops. |
| My early workshops focused primarily on the Native American medicine wheel. Using the information described by Sun Bear in his book The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology, I led the participants through guided meditations that introduced them to their spirit guides and totem animals. Over the years I have held these workshops for various groups that span all ages, from grade school children to grandparents. |
| The Web |
| One of the other things that changed as a result of my trip to Mount Shasta was my employment. Before the retreat I had been working as a project manager in computing operations. I felt burnt out and dissatisfied with this job. As a result of my vision quest, I returned home with a new resolve to change jobs. |
| A few days after I returned to work I realized that people were getting paid to design and build web sites. I enjoyed surfing the web and was beginning to see its almost limitless potential. I had previously built a personal web site that was primarily designed to help my friends and family get started using the Internet. Designing and building the site was so much fun that I decided that doing web work professionally would be an ideal direction for me to pursue. Much to my amazement, a few days later I was offered a job as my organization's webmaster, a role I continued in until my retirement in early 2008. |
| The web has opened me to many new possibilities. During the last few years I have discovered a number of sites that serve as part of the inspiration underlying my continued spiritual growth. I have also discovered a variety of sites in the environmental, political and world peace realms. Taking action via these sites has become a regular part of my day. I encourage you to explore some of these sites via the associated links on the other pages on this site. |
| The Lightworker |
Another thing that changed after my vision quest at Mount Shasta was that I began to take better care of my body. One of the things that I did was enroll in a yoga class. It was during this class that I ran across the idea that humanity is the essential "bridge" between heaven and earth. In his book Healing Society: A Prescription for Global Enlightenment, Dr. Seung Heun Lee talks about using the "Ki" energy to strengthen our spirituality and by doing so
"... illuminate the world and liberate our children's future." I began to understand that the integration of body, mind and spirit is central to personal growth. This is also when I began to understand my role as a Lightworker. |
| A Lightworker is someone who helps other people achieve a state of higher consciousness or get in touch with their higher self. A Lightworker can be an artist, a counselor, healer, musician, teacher, or in any profession as long as he or she is working for the advancement of humankind and the evolution of Mother Earth. To be a Lightworker is to walk a spiritual path. My goal as a Lightworker is to create peace, harmony, balance and love in the Universe. |
| My role as a Lightworker and member of the Rock Tribe came into sharp focus one day when some friends were visiting me and my wife. We began "playing" with some of the crystals and stones in our house. As we moved the rocks around on our dining room table they formed a pattern resembling a large mandala. When we were done arranging the rocks, we gathered around the mandala where I led the group in prayer. Then we began to chant. Using the sound of our voices we activated the mandala. We brought the light of the heavens down through the rocks and directed the energy into the earth, thus building a bridge between heaven and earth. This was the birth of our metaphysical "bridge parties". These gatherings have become an important part of my spiritual practices. |
| The Four Agreements |
| Another piece of my personal puzzle fell into place during a concert I attended in 2002. While listening to a vocalist perform, I was transported to the Hall of Akashic Records where my purpose in life was revealed to me. I was told that I am here "... to help other people realize their potential." Shortly thereafter I read a book called The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. The lessons of this book have become my guiding principles. The four agreements are: |
| 1. Be impeccable with your word. |
| 2. Don't take anything personally. |
| 3. Don't make assumptions. |
| 4. Always do your best. |
| Living up to these agreements isn't easy. However, they do set a good benchmark and give me something to strive for as I move forward in life. |
| The Blessing |
| During a trip to Mt. Shasta in June 2004 I got more deeply in touch with my role as a member of the Rock Tribe. While we were there my wife Colleen and I received a blessing from a Tibetan lama, His Eminence Kharnang Yangtul Rinpoche. As a result of this blessing I received a new mantra. It is very simple - peace, harmony, balance, and love. As I have meditated on these four words I see a pattern emerging. First, you have to find your own inner peace. In finding inner peace, you will find it easier to be in harmony with your environment no matter what that environment might be. In achieving harmony with your environment, both inner and outer, you will begin to discover the balance in life. And in finding the balance in life, love can manifest in all of its fullness. |
| The Guru |
| A few years ago I read the book Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. People have been encouraging me to read this book ever since my college days, but I guess I just wasn't ready for it until recently. |
| After reading the book I looked around to find out more about Yogananda. Eventually I connected with the Ananda Church of Self Realization where I took a series of meditation and yoga classes, culminating with my initiation into Kriya yoga in January 2005. This path has been very helpful to me, particularly during some difficult times that I experienced a couple of years ago. |
| The Journey Into Love |
| In the fall of 2006 a friend of mine who knew of my work with crystals and stones recommend a book to me called Talking with Nature by Michael J. Roads, an Australian author and speaker. I read Michael's first two books Talking with Nature and Journey into Nature (which come in a single volume) and was amazed to find that here was a man who could "... commune intelligently and articulately with the souls of plants, animals, and even rocks and rivers." Given my work with crystals and stones and the messages that I often receive from them, it was very gratifying to read about someone who had taken this kind of ability to an even deeper level. |
| I continued to read Michael's books. The next book in the series, Journey Into Oneness: A Spiritual Odyssey, began to show me how deeply Michael had gone with the metaphysical and spiritual path he is on. The final book in the series, Into a Timeless Realm: A Metaphysical Adventure, convinced me that Michael was someone I had to meet. |
| When I visited Michael's web site I found to my amazement that not only was he coming to the United States, but that his one and only appearance in the U.S. during 2007 was to be in Gig Harbor, Washington, a mere 90 minute drive from our home near Seattle! |
| Michael's workshop, A New Beginning, was a celebration of love and light. The 30+ people who attended the five day "intensive" generated an atmosphere of love and joy that was truly heart warming. I came away from the workshop refreshed and renewed. |
| The Butterfly |
| During 2007 and into the early part of 2008 I was challenged by serious medical problems. During this time I was unable to drive and was dependant upon others for most of my transportation. I also had to take a medical leave of absence from my job which ultimately led me into an early retirement. |
| In February of 2008 I participated in a Native American ritual that perpetuates the "... healing and renewal of Mother Earth and all her people. The dance is about each of us taking personal responsibility to make this mission of healing and renewal a part of our daily lives. Through the vessel of the dance, we focus our hearts, minds, and prayers on the transformation of our inner beings; based on the premise that we must become in our inner lives what we choose to create in our outer world." (please see the Naraya: A Dance for All People on the Naraya Cultural Preservation Council's web site) |
| During the dance I experienced a renewal that is still in process. I feel as if I was a caterpillar who had spun itself a cocoon and am now in the pupa stage of development. I can hardly wait for the butterfly to emerge |
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| Obviously, there is a lot more to my story than I can convey here. These are just a few of the highlights and influences that have shaped my journey. As we move into the time that is generally described as The Ascension (see An Ascension Handbook by Tony Stubbs for a "practical 'how to' manual for ascending Lifghtworkers"), I believe that it is important that we do all that we can to bring love and light to Mother Earth and into the lives of all of those around us. Living by Heart is one of the ways that I attempt to accomplish this. |
| Living by Heart is a "celebration" of my spirituality. I hope that you enjoy this site, and that the resources you find on the site are of value to you. |
| If you have any comments or questions about this site, please feel free to send me email at alan@livingbyheart.org. |
