I am discovering transformation in a whole new way since coming back from Costa Rica. I had such a brilliant experience of it this morning that I just have to share: normally in the morning I wake up early to handle some emails, bills, or business before I get ready and go to work. I leave my self an extra half hour but I am still usually rushed or late getting out the door. This morning, I woke up early and easily, but realized that I had completed so many of the things on my list, in the moment they came up, that there was hardly anything to do! I had such an enjoyable morning getting ready at an easy pace and then heading out the door right on time. I have heard Ariel & Shya talk about how when you don’t have incompletions pulling on you, you have more time and more ease and I had always gotten this as a concept, but had never truly *experienced* it until this weekend/morning! Wow- transformation is amazing and such a blessing! And not just because it frees up your own time & self-expression but also because the more you do it, the more you step into your brilliance, the more it creates a very real possibility for others to experience this too. I saw this in action last night:

My husband Andy and I are both actors and we gathered together with some other actors last night to read a play. There was one actor who was very serious, intellectual and quite judgmental- both Andy and I felt these judgments directed at us, but didn’t shrink or get serious. We also didn’t hold it against him, or resist him for being the way he was. I got such enjoyment watching Andy not only give a brilliant performance but also continue engaging with people and being his fun wonderful self. By the end of the night, everyone had come alive and this serious actor fellow had totally dropped his ‘armor’ and was laughing and being silly and engaging with everyone. I could see how much Andy’s way of being gave him permission to express a part of himself he doesn’t let out very often. It was inspiring to see; I felt such a huge love and admiration for my husband and also was (still am) very touched by how being yourself allows others the freedom to discover themselves too. Transformation is such a gift!

So let’s share it! If you are in the New York area, come to the Meet Up “Transformation: Life is Fun!” at Whole Foods on Houston and 2^nd Ave at 7pm this coming Monday 2/6.  It is a fun opportunity to get together and share this possibility with people who are looking for it! For details or to RSVP check out:
http://www.meetup.com/Transformation-Life-is-Fun/events/46421742/

Big thanks to Ariel & Shya and love to you all! Have a brilliant day.
Xo

Leah

Today is the Christmas Eve. For my husband Christian and I, this is a very important day in a sense that we love to make it special for our children (3 and 5 years old). Christian and I have the most beautiful memories from our childhood of Christmas Eves; we would like the same for our children and try our best to make it happen.

We have protected all the “big lies” about Santa Claus, the carriage, the reindeers… etc. In the area I grew up in it is the Christkind (Christ child), not Santa Claus, therefore we sometimes have to make up stories to put them together (“well, Santa Claus prepares the gifts and the Christkind helps him deliver them”…etc). Santa Claus also brings presents to adults; he passes by the grandparents’ house, decorates the tree therefore the living room is locked till Christmas mornings. We place milk and cookies in the entrance of the house so that he can eat and once the things are gone (my father in law takes care of that while we are in church), we know that Santa Claus was there. It’s probably more familiar to the Americans than to the Germans, but now you’ve got the idea.

Today, we went to church around 3.30 pm. I had been in a very bad mood this morning, picking on “me”” and telling myself that I wasn’t good enough, I should be in a better mood… etc. It got worse and worse. Then I thought about the video that Ariel and Shya made for Christmas and I remembered them saying that it would be good to just be there and listen to people around us. Something inside me immediately shifted! Suddenly I had attention off myself, my feelings and it went to others. That was just so sweet! From that moment on the day turned into a wonderful day. I lightened up so much, took care of everyone around me and felt soooooooooo much better myself and it lasts!
When we drove back home from church that day, it was already dark and we were surrounded by that special atmosphere of Christmas Eve, in silence. Our children couldn’t be more excited when I told them that I was watching for the carriage in the sky and we were all looking. I got excited myself although it’s been a long time since I believed in Santa Claus. We got off the car in front of the house, looked up into the sky and I saw something I had never seen before. Something bright and white, with a long tail was crossing the sky from one side to the other very quickly but in a steady speed. Christian and I were stunned. It was really close, really low in the sky. My first reaction was this had to be a shooting star, but are shooting stars so long, so close, so clear to see? Then I thought it must be an aircraft because we live 20km from the airport and we are used to seeing planes. However this was moving much quicker than a landing aircraft. Then I thought it had to be a comet. Christian and I were standing still, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, my 5 year old daughter Luise started screaming with excitement, “Santa Claus, there he is, I can see the carriage, the reindeers, everything, there he is, he’s been to our house already!!!!” She was more than excited, and our sun Arne joined in. Had they ever had any doubts about the existence of Santa Claus, they were removed… I swear, in that special moment I was tempted, for an instant, to also recognize the carriage and everything in this phenomenon. It was really extraordinary (particularly as we didn’t know what it was). The kids ran up to the house, saw that milk and cookies had disappeared and got even more excited. We had the most wonderful, wonderful, wonderful Christmas Eve!!!

The reason I am telling you all this is because it was such a wonderful, special moment and although it is not directly a transformational story, tonight I became fully aware again how extraordinarily blessed I am in my life, how wonderful my life is, how much I love my husband and my children, and I am pretty sure that I owe very much of that to the great impact Ariel and Shya have had on my life ever since I met them a few years ago.

I wish you all the most joyful holidays and look forward to seeing many of you in Costa Rica.

Uli Schu
ps Later tonight we watched the news and they reported that the phenomenon, according to the experts, was a rocket launched by Russians a couple of days ago to dock on to a space station that had fallen back to planet Earth.

My girlfriend Sandy & I came home from Hamburg two days ago, where we attended two absolutely amazing workshops, “The Freedom To Breathe” and “The License To Live” with the Kanes.

Since the start of the first workshop I have felt really empowered, fresh, complete, clear and very calm at the same time – and this feeling lingers on, in all aspects of my live. I get things done and handled without any effort or stress, I just finish what has to be done and move on to the next thing without any complaint or thought that usually came up in my mind that told me I’d like to do something different or better.

And also my relationship with Sandy feels so fresh and close and precious again – it’s like falling in love with her for the first time, again and again, from moment to moment anew! I really love what has happened and is still happening for us two and all the others who took part in the “Hamburg Adventure” with the Kanes.

It is like Ariel & Shya told us from time to time and what they called “Happiness Amnesia”: I keep forgetting how absolutely wonderful the workshops are. That doesn’t mean that I don’t know and realize that they are great, it’s just a huge difference of “knowing” that something is wonderful and of “experiencing” it!

For me it was the first time (besides Costa Rica) that I took part in a “the Freedom to Breathe” workshop – and I was absolutely amazed again what a gentle, easy and effortless way it is to get connected to yourself and your breathing partner – it felt like beeing catapulted very smoothly right into the moment (which sounds a bit like a paradoxon, I know, but it is none, when you actually experience it . I also realized that I had a story in my mind, that the breathing in Costa Rica felt so smooth and easy because there I have already been super-relaxed and effected by the beautiful surrounding – and it would be a whole different experience in Hamburg. It really turned out to be a whole different experience, but only in terms of being a completly new, absolutely amazing experience. I realized that it really doesn’t matter at all “where” you participate in a breathing workshop with Ariel & Shya – it pulls you immediately and effortlessly into your body and into the current moment, no matter if you are in Costa Rica, in Hamburg or in New York.

So I want to invite you all to give yourself the gift and to join us for the next two workshops in Hamburg in Spring (no matter if you live in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the UK, France, the USA, Canada or even Hong Kong!); starting with a brilliant “Freedom To Breathe” workshop on the 29th of March 2012, followed by the “Secret Of Wonderful Relationships” workshop from the 30th of March till the 1st of April.

If you think about coming to either of the workshops or both of them, make sure to register now, because as you all know, the workshops already start when you register – and who wouldn’t want to have the “Freedom To Breathe” or the “Secret Of Wonderful Realationships” right now for the next 5 months in advance?

Love,
Benedict

My husband Rainer and I attended  the workshops “The Freedom to Breathe” and, over the weekend  ”The License to Live”, as well as the “Tuesday Night Alive” here here in Hamburg.

It was so beautiful, sweet, soft, light and easy. I’m in awe of how beautiful and easy Transformation is. Life felt pretty good before the workshops. Things were going well; our businesses had been growing and I could find nothing to complain about. However, since the workshops I have felt like being in a room that someone cleaned the windows. The trees are greener, the flowers are brighter… Life feels so sweet and soft to me, I had no idea that’s possible. It shows up everywhere. Prior to the workshops, things that have been edgy between Rainer and I became softer and we became more loving towards each other. Not only that I am more efficient at work, it’s as if my clients turned to be easier and sweeter  to be with even with a tight schedule and a pressing deadline. I just took care of things when they came without stressing myself out. It makes everything so rich and sweet!

One of the things that I discovered from the workshops, how sometimes things felt edgy between Rainer and I was that I wasn’t really listening to him. I wanted to be the one leading, so I’m in charge. I said how we do things and what he had to say was not so important, and  it’s not only with Rainer, it’s with my sister, my friends, clients… I want to be “the good kid”, the one with the better story, the better…anything! Along the way over the workshops I gave up wanting to be different, to be over with something, to get rid of or hide things and  behaviors I didn’t approve of myself. All of a sudden life was softer, easier and fun to see all the ways the things I didn’t like about myself showed up! I really love the way Ariel and Shya talk about the third principle in the current Article of the month. “Anything you allow to be allows you to be”.

It’s really amazing how much I sometimes forgot or took for granted what a difference Transformation makes in my life, how much my sense of well being deepens and my ability to be in the moment strengthens after the workshops. Things just got smoother and brighter! Just as Benedict mentioned in his recent email that it’s just a huge difference of “knowing” that something is wonderful and of “experiencing” it! I’m really happy and thankful to Ariel and Shya, who made the long trip so we could have them here in Europe to! It was a treat to be with you!

I also want to invite you to share Transformation with your friends. It was such a gift to be with everybody in the courses and saw the difference Transformation makes to everybody who was there. You just never know who will say yes. I met my neighbor Monday night on the street and spontaneously invited her for the Tuesday Night Alive. She couldn’t make it but said she would love to come for the next call. She came on Wednesday to ask how it was and see if I have the date for the next call she can attend. I was so surprised. I mentioned the workshops to her before, but only in a way that we’re chatting about what we’re up to. In my idea of who she is, she wasn’t “the type” to come to a workshop. You never know!

So looking forward to see many of you in Costa Rica or hear you on the next international call.

Love to you all from beautiful, rainy morning,

xoxo

Stefanie

Last week I came back from a 10 day vacation with a dear friend of mine at the Ligurian Coast in Italy. We had stayed with relatives of hers and had the best time: sun and rain, sea and countryside, beautiful encounters and conversations with people, lovely food (and ice cream!!) and a lot of fun. In the midst of all beautiful things something truly magical happened to me.

I have my own business as a PR consultant & an interpreter. In the last three years English became the predominant language that I have been called on to interpret. Recently I considered concentrating on English, and stopped working with the Italian language completely.

I was sitting by the water on the shore, reading an Italian book, looking at the children jumping into the water, enjoying the breeze, the sun and the water on my skin when I suddenly felt some sort of hate towards Italian people. I noticed it, quite surprised… I saw it and it was gone. Something really interesting happened next. It felt as if somebody took a lid off of me and all my passion, love and admiration for Italian people and Italian culture came bubbling up…

I could see, that this passion had been left behind somewhere down the road at the end of a relationship with an Italian guy two years ago that simply didn’t work. No one to blame. And yet, unbeknownst to me I had contracted after we broke up and somehow had begun to shy away from all things Italian as if “Italy” was somehow to blame.

It was an amazing experience. I dived into Italian culture again. Chatting for hours with the ladies at the beach next to us, connecting with people I met from the gelato man to the lady in the espresso bar… I enjoyed each moment. I rediscovered so many things I knew and loved (including how good my Italian is : ) and learned so many new things about these amazing people.

Coming home last Tuesday evening I found myself reloaded with passion in ALL areas of my life, from undoing my luggage to work, from minutia to dating. The lady that had covered for me did (as always) an excellent job. I found a lot of work, interesting jobs & requests for offers; a technical company I’m working with offered me a higher commission rate; things took care of themselves; I discovered exciting new perspectives for my second business (gift products)… and so on and so on. The list is long. I got an incredible amount of work done in a very short time, realizing that I’m focused and precise in my communications. Things went smoothly, one after the other. I participated in a amazing singing workshop last weekend which was great fun and had a lovely date on Sunday night. Things that I would have said before I can’t do within five days. YES I CAN…

Thank you, Ariel & Shya for the gift of transformation, and thank YOU ALL for being part of my life.

Transformation is incredible and a gift to share!

Let’s keep inviting people: To Monday Night Alives, to the International calls – September 20th is the next one.

And if you feel the impulse to participate in the upcoming workshop in NYC “Transformation in the Workplace,” give yourself the gift… and the workshop in October in Hamburg and Costa Rica 2012.

Ariel & Shya offer so many wonderful “tools” to have a truly magnificent life…. and the world is waiting for it.

Much love,
Karin

Rod’s video is fantastic! I just came home from a tough day rehearsing at the theater. I was feeling tired and exhausted. I turned my computer on and found Rod’s lovely email that is very inspiring itself.

Congratulations  Rod, to your new project!

I watched the Costa Rica video and I could feel how my tiredness started to melt away. I feel light and empowered now just by looking at the pictures, people and the beautiful environment. Costa Rican Workshop is such an amazing place where the Kanes produce magic, and it’s also not too late to sign up for Costa Rica 2012 : )

Wish you all a wonderful day and evening!

Love,

Ralf

Hey Everyone,

I just saw an email from Ariel & Shya about how it’s not too late to sign up for “Step Into Your Brilliance” this August 12th, 13th, & 14th, and I wanted to say Yes!  It’s not too late.

As many of you know, I create and edit the videos that Ariel and Shya send out for the Premium Excellence Club and the videos for the monthly newsletters.  I’m very proud of the newest video we did for the Kanes’ Costa Rican Adventure 2012.  It was a pleasure to watch so many of the amazing people from the Transformational communities around the world describe their experience of Transformation in such clear and effective ways.  The most difficult task I had was how to fit so much brilliance into 3 minutes!  If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, you can watch it above.

Creating these videos has truly allowed me to step into my own brilliance, and has opened up my career in ways I didn’t know were possible.

My wife Caitlin and I will be sharing a link at the end of the month where you will be able to view a music video that we made for some amazingly gifted classical musicians.

Also, in the past couple weeks, after both making the Costa Rica video and signing up for the “Step Into Your Brilliance” course with the Kanes, I stepped into my brilliance so much that I got the lead in a new film called “King Kelly,” a guest star on a new TV show for MTV, the lead role in a short film, and a role in another film called “Nous York”!  And, I’ll still be able to come to the course this weekend!

I’m very excited about the upcoming film projects as it’s an area that I’ve wanted to work in for a long time.  I realize while writing this email that auditioning is like sharing Transformation.  I audition for many, many projects that I give my heart to and often get no response back.  It can be discouraging.  But what’s been amazing for me in recent months is my ability to let myself feel the disappointment and just keep auditioning.  It’s the same with inviting people to attend courses with the Kanes.  While some people may not be interested, I have to keep “auditioning” or sharing, because I know that I have something that the world needs.

I start filming this new movie at the end of the month and I’m very excited.

And again…it’s not too late to attend the “Step Into Your Brilliance” course this weekend!

Love,
Rod

It has been the most incredible day for me.

This is more than twice as much work as I’ve ever gotten done in a day. I’ve finally started to construct some of the sculpture ideas I’ve been wanting to make moves on. I also finished a large painting, cleaned the studio, and did about 7 smaller works on paper using real birds feathers, and some old photographs. nice stuff.

We three were very harmonious, and I could tell that they both were very inspired to take this energy home to their own art work.

There is a feeling in the studio right now that anything is possible. And with my new team, there is a dynamic we have that is big and bold. I like that.

Ariel & Shya, love you both and thanks very much,

Gio

John

As some of you know, I attended my first Costa Rican Adventure in January of this year. It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it immensely. It was great to spend time with such an inspirational group and I loved meeting so many wonderful new friends from the European community. I had just decided in December to attend and was so glad I did.

I have written before to talk about Transformational moments in the last year as I discovered Transformation. I attended three weekend workshops after reading the Kanes and listening to the radio show. My life was transformed by the experiences I had, by the inspiration of Ariel and Shya and by all of you.

After Costa Rica, I felt Transformation even more. My Transformation had been sort of building momentum in the last 16 months and Costa Rica helped it along that much more.

So in the past 16 months I have undergone moments of real Transformation and as we all know, those are magical gifts. Ariel and Shya are geniuses of enlightenment. I cannot imagine or really fully remember my previous life before Transformation. In these past 16 months I felt like an airplane that often found itself up in the air. With Transformation I often felt like I was flying rather than bumping along the runway wishing to be in the air. I would come back to earth and then I would soon return to the air, where my craft and my spirit belonged, thanks to Ariel, Shya and Transformation.

I do think about Transformation quite a bit, as is my nature. It is one of the more amazing phenomena I have ever come across, so it can occupy my mind. I was struck in Costa Rica that Transformation is a wonderful description for this amazing thing. But I believe Ariel in particular will also refer to it as a shift and I really felt that in Costa Rica and beyond. Shifts can be more subtle, but very profound. As simple as shifting your weight forward leading you to start to walk.

So a shift is what I felt. I feel like I am now leaning forward in the moment. A yes to life, which is movement.

Apart from this email to all of you, I have not been thinking about Transformation so much lately. I have been living it. My life in the last two months has been Transformed by the shift I experienced in Costa Rica. It has been nothing short of amazing. In the last year, my airplane would bounce from the runway back into the air, and then back down again. This was fine with me – those Transformational flying moments were magic – bumping along the runway was simply part of the journey.

In the last two months, I have been soaring, completely unconscious of the process. I have perhaps been more in the moment these past few months, than in the last ten years. Transformation is not so much a phenomenon any longer. It is simply a major part of the fabric of my universe – it has simply been woven into my life – it is part of me and I am part of it. This has occurred spontaneously by the shift I experienced in Costa Rica.

It blows my mind. The possibilities for the future are mind boggling and I have never had so much fun in my life and I have never felt so connected to other people and to life in general. The fabric of my universe is becoming a richer tapestry and the loom has never been busier.

So I have signed up for Costa Rica 2012 – I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. When the registration forms were passed out at the end of the 2011 course, the first thing that struck me was that the deadline for early registration was April 18, my birthday – cosmic coincidence perhaps? I will never know, but what the heck, don’t mess with the cosmos. So I registered on my birthday – best present I could have given myself.

So that’s it. Transformations happen, shifts happen and moments happen and they are all great things to experience.

I will leave you with a bit of fun – a screen saver. It can be found at:

http://electricsheep.org/

It works on both PC and Mac. I have all my personal computers as well as two patient education computers loaded with it at my office – all PC’s It is based on fractal geometry and is a global phenomenon. I have never had a problem with the program.

The program produces the most beautiful and unique patterns I have ever seen. Your screen will become an ever changing, jaw dropping, inspirational work of art – just like all of you. Enjoy.

Thank you so much Ariel and Shya, and this wonderful community they inspire.

Cheers from Canada!

Much love,

John

Menna and Artur describe their journey from nearly divorcing to being in love and best of friends.