NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2025

Hello Reader,

A phrase I often heard my teacher, Steve Flynn, use was “become a clearing.” He would say it with a deep, expansive resonance. I heard the words, but more importantly, I felt the words.
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This past week, my family and I spent the week at Ruby Retreats in Wimberley, TX, house-sitting for some dear friends.
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One of our daily tasks was to take their two pups on long morning walks around the 100-acre property, visiting the cow pasture and the grotto and through the enchanted forest.
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Our last morning there, we boldly decide to explore the LONG loop, the Sunset Tower Loop. I have Wilder in the baby-bjorn, and am starting to feel some crankiness creep in due to the June heat and lack of sleep.
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We cross over the dry creek bed and deeper into uncharted territory, with thick Hill Country scrub-land on all sides. The further into the woods we go, the more snarled my crankiness becomes.

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I recognize the familiar grumbling of my dad’s surliness tensing through my system, growing stronger with each step.
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And then, we reach the Clearing.
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All around, endless fields of honey-colored feathergrass, a cool sweet-smelling breeze and 360 degrees of blue Texas sky. In the distance Julie Andrews belts out the “the hills are alive…”.

My mood lifts as our bold endeavor pays off. But what strikes me most, and what inspired me to write this - was the internal FEELING of reaching that clearing. The contrast. The vastness. Unhurried, easy, at peace.
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Most of us spend our days in an ever-tangling swirl of mental chatter, sensory distraction, and general noisiness. It is often overwhelming. It often has a dimness to it.
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“Becoming a clearing” isn’t about being high-vibe or happy-go-lucky - so much as it is about a quality of inner spaciousness. ​
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(This idea applies to interpersonal dynamics as well. To be “in a clearing” with a spouse or friend - ahhh what a pleasant space that is.)

So, take a moment - close your eyes and breathe, and feel yourself circling in the woods. Then, open up your inner space. Feel the breeze on your face.

Become a clearing.

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Now Accepting New Clients

I love this work. I love sharing the tools I have learned; helping my clients navigate their inner world and then watching that ripple out into their external world in remarkable ways. And I also remember feeling SO NERVOUS to begin my inner exploration. It might not be time. But if you are feeling that call - what the Gurdjieff work calls "magnetic center" pulling you towards working on yourself - then I would love to explore with you.

I do Virtual Sessions as well as In-Person, and I also have packages available. Full details are on my website www.josephmach.com.

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Upcoming Workshops & Talks

July 30, 2025 - Tools for Psychedelic Integration | 7pm Kuya Wellness

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Joseph's Music

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​Listen to Mystic Revival on Spotify​ Joseph's indie-folk sound healing band

​Listen to White Buffalo on Spotify​ Joseph's americana-folk solo debut

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Joseph's Art

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For those of you that follow my coaching account, @InnerWorkATX, on Instagram - you may have noticed it has changed to @tenoxcoaching. I will be sharing more on this in next month's newsletter, but I am excited to start this new chapter and share more about the "Ten Ox" name with you.

As always, I'm so glad we get to stay connected in this way and I'm grateful that you are in my life. Feel free to share this with anyone in your world, and I would love to hear how you are doing.

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