Here we are! Rising up into Spring’s fresh pulse of life – signaling the dawn of a new beginnings within Earth’s lifecycle. This year, Spring’s arrival has brought about a potent realization about the true nature of beauty in our lives that I had never fully grasped before. The realization that beauty isn’t in the stasis, or what remains the same. Beauty is in transient, that which always changes. Simply put, what makes something truly precious and beautiful, is that it doesn’t last forever. Let’s explore how this applies to life orientation.
Our children grow up right before our eyes. Our physical fitness and form fades with time. The flower blossoms and fades back into the earth. A gathering of friends comes to a close. A conversation strikes a momentary heart chord. A tender kiss and embrace, a spark of passion and honest expression, can never be captured in that way again. The perfect chord on a guitar sends the soul soaring until the song ends. A final goodbye of a loved one or pet now lives only in memory. All of these beautiful, sacred and precious moments hold such potency and gravity in our lives, because of their fleeting nature.
As a guide and mentor, so much of the suffering that I support and have personally experienced is due to refusing to let go. Wanting partners to remain the same fearing change and evolution. Children transitioning from infants, to toddlers, to young ones, to teen agers – every step signaling a shift in need, care and relationship dynamics. A job has long gone sour, yet fear of stepping into the unknown is holding the necessary shift back. Spiritual practices no longer generate the same spark, long time relationships no longer resonate, a call to adventure is kicked down the road, a change in lifestyle is stunted due to other’s perceptions… Evolution is calling, change is beckoning, transformation is ripe, growth is the only way – Yet the egoic mind, a mind utterly fixated on consistency, comfort, predicability, and “guaranteed” security – refuses to allow a natural path to unfold. And so, life goes stale, fear takes over freedom, and beauty is sacrificed for the illusion of control.
How do we then make the transition from fear to freedom is the real question? No matter what perennial philosophy or spiritual tradition one encounters – the answer always remains the same. Presence. To be truly present with the gift of the moment. Embrace the precious reality that right here, right now – will never happen again. This moments embrace, this mornings sunrise, this breath of fresh air, this beautiful melody, even this painful loss… Is all precious, powerful and meaningful, because it is temporary. If we’re busy ruminating over what was or projecting into what could be – then it is not possible to truly embrace the eternity in this moment. Welcoming beauty, gratitude and joy into the door. The medicine helps us to let go of what no longer serves and to have a visceral experience of the true power of BEING. As there is nothing to “Do” in a journey. There is only this moment to receive and be with what is… and choose whether or not to accept it. The mystery, the loss, the gain, the pain, the happiness… all of it. To say Yes. And by saying yes, you say yes to beauty itself.
As Spring begins to unfold and the fire horse moves from canter to gallop – may we each learn to welcome the beauty of change in our own way with open hearts, minds and steadfast presence. Greeting the mystery of change with curiosity as our compass and creative wonder as our guide. Like sand through the hour glass or water in open palms, the more we try to hold onto what was – the more it slips away. Yet if we find the courage to meet change with a willing heart and embrace the grace of a given moment for the miracle it truly is, then we are able to return to our natural place as stewards of consciousness in harmony and in flow of life. Intentional use of medicine with mentorship and a guide can help anchor in this restoration of being – as can a high integrity ally and teacher devoted to the path of self-actualization. I am here to serve and support you if you hear this call to embrace the beauty of change with support. As in the end, to be able to say yes to life anchored in one’s truth no matter what challenges the world (and we individually) face is the definition of true sovereignty. Freedom isn’t about doing whatever we desire. It’s about choosing how we engage with all of life – free of the bondage of past conditioning, liberated from the expectations of others, and open to the endless possibilities the universe offers with a willing and courageous heart. To then choose to engage with life through honest expression, integrity and gratitude from within that place of grace.
With Love,
Ehren Cruz
I recently had the honor of guiding Michelle through a powerful immersive experience. The healing that transpired is beyond my words to convey. Below is Michelle’s poetic reflections on the impact of her journey and our work together. I am so grateful to have had a role in supporting her heroic odyssey of the soul.
I stand here –
not at the edge,
not reaching for proof at that I exist –
but rooted in the ground
I once thought once would give way beneath me.
but a life transformed
choosing itself
again,
and again,
and again.
Soul Path Mentorship is a 12-phase program designed to reconnect you with your essential being, your innate SELF that is boundless in potential and impact. Our first step together, is to build a powerful new foundation — your Client Internal Operating System — based in extraordinary self-care, clear personal boundaries and a disciplined adherence to wellness habits and mindfulness practices that support daily renewal, presence and growth.
With that groundwork set, we will then clarify and invigorate the “North Star” of your soul path. Through identifying and anchoring in your core values that define your vision and mission, we will determine with unshakable clarity not only that which you want to create in your life, but more importantly, how to become a living expression of it.
Finally, you will learn to alchemize a lifestyle that embodies your awareness into a continual psycho-spiritual flow. Through the adherence to a path forged in personal accountability, discernment and the art of authentic resonance, you will gradually make the transition from a life of mental management to that of genuine heart coherence. The result – awaking into lasting presence that emanates vitality, resilience and freedom.
Despite decades of neuroscience research and significant investment in addiction neuroimaging, clinical outcomes for individuals with substance use and behavioural addictions remain poor. Only 1.8% of people with substance use disorders receive effective treatment, highlighting a major disconnect between mechanistic understanding and clinical utility. This paper calls for a reorientation of addiction neuroscience, from a predominantly diagnostic focus toward a theragnostic framework, in which biomarkers are used to stratify patients, guide treatment decisions, and predict outcomes. We argue that the integration of translational neuroimaging biomarkers, particularly fMRI, EEG, and PET, within psychedelic addiction research offers a unique and timely opportunity to catalyse this shift. Psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin represent a new class of therapeutics capable of engaging neuroplasticity, reward and emotional processing, and cognitive control networks central to addiction pathophysiology. Drawing on ongoing studies at the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, we outline how multimodal biomarkers are being co-developed alongside clinical trials in gambling and opioid use disorders to identify biotype-specific responses and build a deeply phenotyped treatment population…
For three full weeks, I have been waking up every morning with the rising sun to drop into this 30 minute Qi Gong meditation offered by Thich Man Tue. It is beautiful practice including the complete set of 8 Qi Gong practices called Baduanjin, self massage, and a relaxing visualization. It has been a beautiful addition to my morning and day.Binaural and solfeggio frequencies can be incredibly rejuvinating to the body and supportive to healthy brain function. Inner Lotus is a youtube channel I have personally be using for a few years for meditation, contemplation and sleep. They have a vast library of specific frequencies that target certain forms of healing. I highly recommend checking them out and hope you enjoy!
Ehren Cruz is an Anthropologist, CTA & ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Third Wave Psychedelic Certified Coach, Master Ceremonialist, certified Harm Reductionist, Loving Husband & Proud Father of 3 Little Ladies. He is devoted to the healing & actualization in all facets of his life.
