Child Guide

In Gratitude

2011-04-04T14:51:00.007-04:00

I am simplifying my life. For some time now I have been regularly hauling out of my house various boxes and bags of things that no longer serve me. As I have been recently finishing up preparing the house to sell this spring, I've been getting rid of even more stuff because I only want to take with me that which brings me joy or makes my life better in some important way. Everything else I am either donating to others or recycling if possible. .

I've sometimes found it difficult to decide what to keep and what to give away, but one thing that has made it easier is remembering that things are simply things. If I'm not able to take advantage of something fully right now, then I can simply be grateful for it and pass it on. Someone else may be looking for that exact item and would cherish it and use it all the time. When I think of it like that, it makes it much easier to let stuff go so it can find its way to where it will be best loved and fully utilized. By giving things away, I'm allowing appropriate redistribution to occur.

My house qualifies as a thing. In my many years of investing labor, time, and money in my current house, I have learned that a house is not necessarily a home. You carry home with you. When a house no longer meets your needs, it can be released to someone else that it suits perfectly.

In the same vein, this blog space also qualifies as a thing. What inspired me to create this blog and the spirit with which I have written here for the last year and a half are part of me and cannot be left behind. But the virtual space I take up here is something that I am choosing to let go of right now in the interest of moving forward with new endeavors in a fresh way. This blog has brought me great joy, and I am choosing to look at it as a mosaic. It is made of bits and pieces of me, and those bits and pieces which truly reflect me (which is pretty darn near the whole thing) I take with me, and put together into a stronger me in new ways. Anything else I leave behind.

I take the words I have written with me, but I also leave them here in this blog space because I believe in them and I still wish to share them with anyone who finds and connects with them. That part of me will continue to reside here.

It is in gratitude that I release so many of my belongings. It is in gratitude that I release my house. And it is in gratitude that I move on from this blog space. Each of these things that I release has contributed in a special way to who I know myself to be. And I am forever grateful for that.

If you have felt any of the words written here, I feel blessed to have shared a special connection with you. That connection will be carried with me always, for it is truly timeless. Thank you. I wish you great joy, peace, and fun.

Love,

Jennifer

Best Place to Shop Ever:

2011-03-25T08:31:00.009-04:00

.(T-shirt available at fromkidstoworld.com)

Hello, Crocuses!

2011-03-21T09:46:00.002-04:00

.
.
.
.

.
.
.

Welcome, Spring.

La vida es un carnaval

2011-03-09T13:12:00.030-05:00

Earlier this year I was perusing the program guide to a local community center, planning to sign up for my favorite yoga class, when something new to me caught my eye -- a class called Zumba. The description read:

"Inspired by Latin dance and music, Zumba uses a variety of styles in its routines, including cumbia, merengue, salsa, reggaetón, hip-hop, mambo, rumba, flamenco, calypso, and salsatón. Music selections include both fast and slow rhythms to help tone and sculpt the body with easy to follow dance moves!"

I had been looking forward to signing up for my yoga class and had a window in my schedule that was just perfect for it. I love so many things about yoga and I had decided I wanted to have some more formal instruction again. I had really missed it. So when I saw the description for the Zumba class, I said...

"SIGN ME UP!... I can sign up for yoga some other time."

I have a thing for Latin music. I have a thing for all music, really, but Latin music has a prominent place in my heart. Maybe it's because I grew up with the Latin-inflected horns of Herb Alpert and Chuck Mangione blowing out of the speakers in our living room. Or maybe it's because of the happy memories I have of being a sixteen-year old living in Mexico, hoofing it in the discotecas without having any idea what I was doing. Maybe it's because of all the time I spent listening to the mix-tapes of popular and folk music from Mexico that my first boyfriend (whom I met when I was that sixteen-year old in Mexico) used to make for me. Or maybe it's because I fell in love with the beauty of flamenco when I later lived in Spain.

Or it could be because of the teenage baseball players from Puerto Rico who stayed in our home several years ago on an exchange program. They were responsible for introducing me to reggaetón. Even though I wasn't old enough to be their mother at the time, they called me "Mom," which cracked me up, and I'd drive them around the streets of our midwestern city with the windows rolled down and Daddy Yankee pouring out at full volume. They all knew and sang every word. The three of them and I had a lot of fun together. I would take my camera and zoom lens to their games to capture them in action and later they'd go with me to print out the pictures. We would share with each other in English and Spanish and learn new things all around. We laughed and encouraged each other. Every time I hear reggaetón music now, I remember those boys and wonder what adventures they are having now. They wove their way fully into my heart. And Latin music has woven itself over and over again into the fabric of my life.

So when I read about the Zumba class, I thought it sounded like it was right up my alley. I was excited about it and I did sign up right away. However... on the day that the class was to begin, I happened to be having a very unusual day of world smiteliness (that would be the opposite of world smileyness). I was feeling out of sorts. I don't even remember now what triggered it, but it was probably just several little things compounded by lack of sleep or something. For whatever reason, I felt draggy. I couldn't get excited about going to a new class and the thought even crossed my mind not to go.

But fortunately, my mental override was functioning and it didn't pay any attention to that little thought. Instead, it reminded me of the excellent advice that my aunt had previously given me during a very difficult time: "This too shall pass." I knew if I went to class I would feel better.

So I did. I went to class and I had an absolute blast.

Zumba was new to me because it is fairly new to my current geographic area, but it's been around a while. You may have experienced it already, and if you haven't it is probably available at a fitness center near you. If you want to see if there's a class near you, click here. It has been a steadily growing phenomenon because IT'S FUN! Their tag line is "Ditch the workout, join the party." (Okay!)

There are actually many different kinds of world music used in the class, not just Latin. African, Middle Eastern, and other styles are also prominently featured. You don't have to have any dance experience either. Many of the moves are simple and some are more complex, but you learn as you go. Instructors just do their thing and you follow along. There are 10-12 songs or so used during each class, each with different choreography, but it gets easier each time as your body remembers.

I have a lot of favorite music right now that is used in Zumba, but one style that I especially have fun with is the cumbia. There is something about its gallopy rhythm that is just happy. Beto Perez, the founder of Zumba, has this to say about Cumbia:

"Most people don't know that Cumbia (one of Colombia's national dances) originated in the African slave quarters. Despite being chained, slaves loved to dance, and so they would drag the foot that was chained to the wall. That's why today Cumbia dancers drag one foot."

That is the spirit of the music that speaks to me. It says, "I am here, I am going to dance, and nothing can stop me. Let's go!" And in that spirit, I've shared below some of my favorite Latin and other world songs (from Zumba and elsewhere) for you to enjoy if you like. If you've ever had any impulse to spin your heel out on the floor in front of you and then step it back (or move in any other way that feels good to you), these songs are for you... beginning with the Celia Cruz salsa classic "La vida es un carnaval," which really says it all.

Out of all the newer songs I've been introduced to through Zumba, "Cumbia pa' la nena" by Bachaco is my favorite at the moment. Bachaco is a talented, fun ensemble of young world musicians based in Miami. They have this one song on itunes, but there's no video out yet, and their first album hasn't been released yet, so if you want to check out the full song (which I recommend), you'll have to listen via the music player on their Myspace page.

The song below is by Ozomatli, who describe their particular brand of musical fusion as a conglomeration of all the different types of music you hear coming out of car windows when you drive around their city of Los Angeles. This song, "La Gallina," is about having a chicken stolen. The chorus advises "suelta la gallina y libérate," which means "let go of the chicken and free yourself." :-) I love these guys. If you like this one, you might also like dancing to their song "Can't Stop" or jamming to my personal favorite "Cumbia de los muertos."

This next song, "Sazón" by Oro Sólido, is a zippy little merengue for those who want to see if they can keep up. Whew!

"Sacúdelo" (which loosely translates as "Shake it") by Willy Chirino & Los Tres Gatos is one of my favorites because it's mixed up just right. You get to do your gangsta walk, shimmy to the horns, and do turns with your arms all in a flourish overhead. Plus lots of other fun stuff.

This song, "Waka Waka" by Shakira, has been played all over the place, but that's because it's so awesome and inspiring. "The pressure's on, you feel it. But you've got it all, believe it..."

This last one, "Hella Décalé" by DJ Mam's feat. Doukali & Soldat Jahman is a mixture of French and Arabic that is all feel-good. Pretty much all I understand is what sounds like "c'est pas compliqué" (it's not complicated) and something about going to the left and to the right. Simple enough. I don't know what "Hella décalé" means, but the song is definitely hella fun and I love it.

The Zumba web site states, "Our goal is to spread the philosophy of dispelling sacrifice and of loving everything you do, even your workout."

I totally support that philosophy, which is why I'm writing about Zumba here today. Even if you don't go sign up for a Zumba class, I hope that you have found something here that helps make today fun for you. Whatever you do today, I hope you love doing it. And if any little thoughts creep across the landscape of your mind that make you feel otherwise, just remember the most important pieces of musical wisdom from this post:

Everything passes.

Let go of the chicken.

You've got it all.

It's not complicated.

Life is a party.

Dale Mambo!

I Can Read... and More

2011-03-02T08:06:00.001-05:00

.

.

.
.

.

.
.

.

.

From On Beyond Zebra by Dr. Seuss:

In the places I go, there are things that I see
That I never could spell if I stopped with the Z.
I'm telling you this 'cause you're one of my friends.
My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends!

My alphabet starts with this letter called YUZZ.
It's the letter I use to spell YUZZ-a-ma-TUZZ.
You'll be sort of surprised what there is to be found
Once you go beyond Z and start poking around!

So, on beyond Z!
Explore!
Like Columbus!
Discover new letters!
Like WUM is for Wumbus,
My high-spouting whale who lives high on a hill
And who never comes down till it's time to refill.

So on beyond Z! It's high time you were shown
That you really don't know all there is to be known...

Today I say Happy Birthday (and thank you!) to Theodor Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss -- author, teacher, rhymer, fun timer, Sneetch drawer, nonsense endorser, you enthusiast, imagination celebrationist... and much, much, more.

This cat tips her hat.

Follow the Child

2011-02-24T08:02:00.018-05:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...

Image via giddygiddy, reposted from sarendipities, with gratitude to both

Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.
~ Maria Montessori

When I was between the ages of four and five, my grandmother's little turquoise Chevy Nova would pull into our driveway every morning to take me to preschool while my mom got my older brothers and sister off to their school. I would slide across the bumpy sewn ridges of black vinyl in the back seat of Mom-Mom's car, and we would be off to start our day. She was an assistant teacher at a Montessori school owned by a friend of hers, so she didn't just drop me off at school. We got to experience school together.

If you're not familiar with the Montessori method of education, it is named after Italy's first female physician, Maria Montessori, who became interested in education after careful observation of the children in her medical care. What she learned is best stated in her own words:

"Scientific observation has established that education is not what the teacher gives; education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment. The task of the teacher becomes that of preparing a series of motives of cultural activity, spread over a specially prepared environment, and then refraining from obtrusive interference. Human teachers can only help the great work that is being done, as servants help the master. Doing so, they will be witnesses to the unfolding of the human soul and to the rising of a New Man who will not be a victim of events, but will have the clarity of vision to direct and shape the future of human society."

Maria Montessori had observed that children are self-directed. They naturally and easily learn when they experience the world around them, and no one but the child can know what he or she wishes to further experience. Another of Dr. Montessori's quotes illustrates this concept beautifully:

"The roots of every plant seek out, from among the many substances which the soil contains, only those which they need."

The child's individual curiosity and satisfaction direct his or her learning. Therefore, under Montessori philosophy, a child's ability to develop to his or her full individual potential depends upon the richness of the surrounding environment as well as the amount of freedom the child is given to explore it to his or her heart's content. Just as rich soil and room for roots to grow help a plant to flourish, so do a rich environment and room to explore help a child to flourish.

Because of this, in Maria Montessori's view, a true educator does not lead the child, but instead follows the child's lead through careful observation of the child's growing interests and abilities. In this way, the teacher can ensure that appropriate materials are available to support those needs and abilities. Once the child knows how to adequately and safely find and use what he or she needs, the teacher assists when necessary, but otherwise pretty much gets out of the way.

In order to allow the greatest degree of freedom as well as to foster self-esteem, children are encouraged to be as independent as possible in a Montessori school. Supplies, tools, and learning materials are kept at a child's level and are open and accessible. Children are given guidance as well as assistance when necessary, but are expected to be able to serve themselves a snack when they are hungry, wash their own dishes, go to the bathroom when they need to, put away materials when they are finished with them, select new materials as they so desire, and clean up their own messes or spills.

Adults who are unfamiliar with this approach often expect that chaos might ensue with such an "unstructured" environment. However, structure does exist -- the teachers help provide a basic outline to the environment and trust the children to fill it out with themselves. And they do.

Children are excited to be able to do things for themselves. They naturally want to be responsible for themselves, grow in confidence, and master skills. They enjoy having their own space to help take care of if they are shown how and given the opportunity to do so freely. In fact, learning how to do these things independently becomes a huge part of the child's work and play. In this way, a teacher only intervenes when it is truly necessary, and the child's work/play is largely uninterrupted. Teachers teach by being and doing, not so much by talking. They share who they are and the skills they have. And they allow the child to experience life for herself.

I found the video below on the same lovely and creative web site that was the source of the photo at the beginning of this blog post. I have no idea what kind of schooling, if any, this child has had. She may have been solely influenced by her parents. I don't know. But the principles used are the important part. If you watch any part of four-year old Hana's work here, you'll see that she has definitely been given a rich environment along with oodles of freedom with guidance. If you're in a hurry, watch the beginning few minutes and then be sure to catch the very end. Also, one special moment is at around 4:50, when you can see Hana's face reflect the adult guide (probably a parent) who is with her.

Hana is a child who has mastered very advanced skills for her age because she has been given the opportunity to observe and work with a skilled person and then actually do the work herself -- probably many times in different ways. Also, it's clear that this is work that she enjoys and wishes to do. As a result, not only has she absorbed and mastered the task (including wielding a sharp knife totally responsibly), she can even call upon herself to address unexpected variations -- like the sauce packet falling in the bowl and later squirting everywhere -- with complete confidence and charm. She has observed someone else handling variations and has also been allowed to handle her own.

Last spring after my own daughter had been in Montessori preschool for a couple of years, I came into the bathroom at home one day to find her playing in the sink. She had filled a container with water, which happened to slip out of her hand and spill all over the floor at the moment I walked in. I gasped in surprise because it startled me. She looked at me, turned both hands up and shrugged and said, "I've made plenty of messes in my day!" I had to laugh at that one. I had never used that phrase with her, although it was a good one. I knew it had come from her teachers at school. She got out a towel, wiped up the floor, and went back to playing in the sink.

To enjoy freedom among other people requires a well-functioning community of individuals, so peace and respect are cornerstones of the Montessori philosophy. Teachers model respectful behavior with each other and with each and every child. Children are encouraged to use their own voices to talk out any disagreements with their friends, and teachers help them understand their impact on others and choose kind words. The world community is also brought into the classroom as much as possible, and cultural diversity is always a part of the curriculum, whether through specific materials, decorations, music, or special presentations.

When I attended my Montessori school with my grandmother so many years ago, we had native speakers of Spanish come in occasionally to teach us a bit of Spanish language. No one in my family spoke another language, and I had never heard anyone speak anything but English at that point in my life. But as soon as I heard someone speaking Spanish for the first time and realized that stream of trilly stuff actually meant something, I was totally hooked. I wanted to do that. I can still recall my astonishment at realizing that words are variable. I felt with every fiber of my little being that I wanted to learn everything I could about that. At four years old I had discovered my passion for language and communication, which has continued throughout my life to this day. Feeling that fire ignited in me at that early age was possible in my case because of the diverse and supportive environment I experienced in my Montessori classroom.

There are many other aspects of the Montessori approach that I feel are essential for a child's learning environment. For example, time is regularly spent outdoors in nature, nature is a part of the indoor classroom as well, multiple sensory experiences are available, materials encourage use of the imagination, etc. And there are other types of schools all over the world that I have discovered that follow many of the principles mentioned here plus other important ones. Montessori is just the example I'm most familiar with. There are also Waldorf schools and Krishnamurti schools, as well as individual schools like Tara Redwood School in California and Summerhill in England (check these out if you have time, because they're all very inspiring in their own ways). And of course there are others, along with many parents who teach their children using these principles in their own homes.

Although approaches may vary somewhat, the most important element that all these schools and teachers share, in my opinion, is that they give the child the opportunity and the freedom to hear his or her own inner creative voice and express it. And it is no coincidence that the schools mentioned above also all share a common interest in serving the planet and society as a whole. They recognize, because it is their experience, that when the true inner voice comes forth, it hears echoes of itself in all that is. The child becomes herself/himself, experiences herself/himself as the world, and is therefore motivated to help care for it.

However, even if that weren't the case, the world still becomes that much better simply because a child is authentically expressed. And that is always a beautiful experience.

There Is So Much To Do Today

2011-02-16T09:10:00.004-05:00

Performed by the happiness that is the band The Little Ones.

We Learned How to Mambo

2011-02-11T11:06:00.007-05:00

A portable record player housed in a box that buckled with a handle on top...

A collection of 45's and a few little swirly stabilizer-thingies for the center holes (did they have a name?)...

Trying to place the record's center hole perfectly evenly over the post of the record player so we could still listen even when all the swirly thingies were lost...

Dancing around the room over and over and over with my brothers and sister to a certain red plastic 45 that played this song...

(For the full version, click here.)

At's nice-a.

PSA For Today

2011-02-10T22:35:00.001-05:00

For anyone in an ironical sort of mood, here is my favorite hypothetical bumper sticker:

Don't judge. It's wrong.

Haha.

Za Deeda Bop Bop Bada

2011-02-08T00:15:00.005-05:00

Just because you can never have too many scatting animals in your day:

Ring of Power

2011-02-04T01:12:00.022-05:00

.

.
.

The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was... is lost, for none now live who remember it.

In 1954, these words were published by J.R.R. Tolkien in his masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. Although I watched a cartoon version of The Hobbit umpteen times as a child, somehow I never ended up reading or seeing the remainder of the saga. A couple of weeks ago on a day when the earth around me was frozen and snow-covered, I finally (partially) caught up with the rest of society by watching the first installment of the film trilogy as I pedaled away inside my warm house on an elliptical trainer.

I was completely engaged by the timeless nature of the story about the journey each of us takes in life. And as I watched various characters in the movie grab for the 'One Ring of Power' -- a ring designed solely to control others -- I was reminded of something my sister had described to me a few years ago. Even though what she told me is a common scenario, it has stuck with me.

She said she had observed a lady in a store trying to fill out a form with a young child in tow. The little boy, being a naturally curious and impulsive toddler, was interested in the pen his mom was using and kept trying to take it out of her hands. The mother, frustrated and not knowing how else to handle the situation, repeatedly said, "No... Mine!" in an angry tone and kept grabbing the pen back.

There are ways of handling a situation like this that allow the parent to do what he or she needs to do while acknowledging and meeting the child's needs at the same time. No anger, control or possessiveness is involved, both parties win, and the bond between the two is maintained. However, parents don't know every strategy and we do the best we can given what we have. And if what we have is feelings of powerlessness and lack, then that is the place we react from. Although it often happens in much more blatant ways, if repeated frequently, it is in the small interactions like grabbing something away from a curious child that the 'one ring of power' is insidiously passed down from generation to generation.

Each one of us has our own 'one ring of power' that has been passed on to us by people in our life experiences, be they parents, teachers, bosses, peers, or others who hadn't fully explored themselves at the time. When at some point we decide to begin to question others, look within for answers, and become aware that we even have a 'ring of power' in our possession, our true journey in life begins. This journey is all about looking deeper and deeper inside, facing any demons or dragons we may find there, and becoming intimate with our genuine nature. Then we can observe the ring we carry and realize we have the option to destroy it completely for ourselves... and not pass it on. Through this process we regain our true power.

I like how the movie emphasizes the fact that the inner journey is one that is both completely individual as well as shared. You are the only person who can go within, become you, and fulfill your unique potential. Yet in doing so, you influence others on their own journeys. And others will influence you on yours. And of course we are all bound together by the fact that we inhabit the same round planet. Our shared destiny lies in our awareness of both our utter individuality AND our connectedness to others. Thinking about that still makes my brain hurt sometimes, but luckily, my brain isn't required to feel and know it.

I was charmed and inspired by the band of stout-hearted mates in the movie who understood this sort of thing. They were each determined to utilize their own unique talents to accomplish their common goal. And, at least in part one, they held their own. Of course, it's hard to go wrong with a powerful multilingual wizard, a street-wise ranger who knows the lay of the land, a sharp-shooting archer with an endless supply of arrows, and a couple of earnest, loyal, and brave Hobbits on the team. It's also invaluable to have a Merry and a Pippin along to not take things too seriously and to remind you that your life purpose is simply a "quest-thingy."

The courage and sincerity of the characters, the universal personal themes, and the breathtaking, majestic landscapes make this film a definite re-watch for me. Although, I have to say that after viewing this version, which is kind of fun, I'll probably never be able to watch the original in the same way ever again. [Editor's Note: For the record, Jewel, Kirstie Alley and Nine Inch Nails all rock.]

On a serious note, here are some of my favorite quotes from the film... helpful reminders for anyone in the midst of their own journey:

Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you.

Ride hard. Don't look back.

It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing... such a little thing [the ring].

Speak friend and enter.

...the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose.

Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

Fly, you fools.

This task was appointed to you. And if you do not find a way, no one will.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

... hope remains while the company is true.

Leave all that can be spared behind.

Next up I shall be watching parts 2 and 3 to find out what happens (although I suspect that the king returns).

You know, with the right sort of entertainment, time really flies on the elliptical trainer. If my pedaling actually took me anywhere, I would have been to the land of Mordor and back again by now. For these icy winter months when outdoor exercise is not always a viable option, I am seriously looking into a bike or other machine that I can power that also powers something else... like the DVD player. Or the furnace. I am an abundant energy source.

Maybe, if we are successful at remembering our own internal source of power and our connectedness with everything else, the day will soon come when there is no longer anyone who lives who remembers relying so much on external energy sources, feeling lack, or experiencing any desire to control another. The world will be changed yet again...

...And we'll all have full, warm hearts and killer glutes and quads.

Weapon of Choice

2011-01-27T10:16:00.006-05:00

What is misfortune, or a quarrel, or a complaint? All these things are opinions; opinions founded on the delusion that what is not subject to our own choice can be either good or evil, which it cannot. By rejecting these opinions, and seeking good and evil in the power of choice alone, we may confidently achieve peace of mind in every condition of life. ~ Epictetus, Greek Philosopher (55 - 135 AD)

If you choose to click on it, this modern classic take on the above might add a little kick to your day today. :)

A Fish's Lament

2011-01-24T10:12:00.016-05:00

.
.
.

.
.

. .

With thanks to Revilo

What I've Got

2011-01-20T00:10:00.016-05:00

This past holiday season was the first one in my life so far without my dad around (physically anyway) -- and it was the fourth Christmas in a row that involved a newly missing beloved family member or pet. It was also the first holiday I had ever experienced with a sick child who ended up with Pedialyte and a new thermometer as unplanned gifts. It was ALSO the most amazingly gorgeous, perfect White Christmas I have ever seen, with huge soft clumps of snowflakes quietly falling and mounding up on the tree branches outside as carols played inside on Christmas morning.

As I looked around me during this time, I felt extremely blessed. I have a child who glows even when she has the flu. I have a truly amazing family. I have kind and generous people all around me. I have Nature's limitless beauty everywhere I go. I have health, plenty of food, and fresh clean water. I have a home. I have an education. I have depth of feeling. I have the ability to communicate and share with others. I have two hands. I have unlimited potential and a world of possibilities before me. I have fullness of experience. I have choices and freedom. I have everything.

I was filled with awe, gratitude and joy... as well as a simultaneous bit of remaining grief from the last few years that wished to be released. My body was overwhelmed by it all. The ocean of expansiveness that feels like it has been pouring itself into me lately rose up until it reached my eyes and came flowing out into puddles. I was in the indescribable place where happy and sad tears are the same. My right brain seemed to take over and left me with vast feeling and no words at all. I felt like I simply needed to steep a bit in the richness of that experience, so I surrendered to it and decided to just be for a while.

I spent the first week of the new year on vacation in Florida, relaxing, soaking up sunshine, gathering my energies, playing, and being. Oh - and apparently taking pictures. As soon as I get through all the half million pictures I took and download them, I'll probably be sharing more about that trip because I found it all very inspiring.

Since returning, I've been getting organized and have been working toward the goals I have for me and my family. I'm excited. I am stepping even more into the shoes that only I can fill and venturing farther out with them on. This year will be full of transition and unknowns for me, but one thing I know for certain -- it will be full of love. 'Cause love is what I got. And I'm giving it away.

Love is going out to you today from me!

In 2011 and Always

2011-01-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

May you laugh.

May you cry.

May you laugh until you cry.

May you be silly.

May you lose yourself in play.

May your eyes shine with wonder.

May you make many mistakes.

May you feel completely free.

May you feel peace within.

May you feel joy.

May you be fully you.

May you become your dreams.

May you be aware that you are supported by all that is.

The Golden Thread

2010-12-21T13:21:00.009-05:00

Recently shared with my family by my cousin, the prayer below comes from the files of my maternal Grandmother. I saw it for the first time this morning just before I left for an appointment. As I drove home later, it came to mind again and I considered posting it here. I thought about it as I waited at a stoplight... and realized I was staring straight at a nameplate on the back of the semi truck in front of me that said WILSON (and in smaller letters underneath it said "trailer company"). Wilson was my grandmother's last name. Ha. Thanks, Mom-Mom.

Here it is:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
.
"God has given me this day to use as I will."

"I want it to be..."

:-)

Happy Winter Solstice and a Blessed Christmas to all.

The Miracle (a.k.a. The One Eating Mangoes Naked)

2010-12-15T15:17:00.003-05:00

My Chocolate Kingdom

2010-12-08T11:35:00.025-05:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Image courtesy Edward Monkton

This is not a dream or a fantasy for me. It is totally my reality!

I do adore chocolate. However, I don't actually want to eat it ALL the time. That's my reality too. But I do believe that if I genuinely and completely delight in eating something, it can be miraculously good for my body.

I have several of these sorts of beliefs that I've adopted or developed over the years that simply make me happier than believing anything else. Here are a few examples:

Germs and other little creatures I can't see are completely kept in balance with a little reasonable use of soap and water. There's no reason for me to think about them otherwise ever. They stick to their kingdom, I stick to mine.

There are two main goals of a shower. The first one is to make pointy shampoo hairdos. The second is to use that bit of soap and water mentioned above to balance out the micro and macro kingdoms.

Every time I smile at someone, I actually shift the whole course of human destiny.

A little clutter adds to the character and creativity of my home.

Laughter really is the best medicine.

Flies do NOT throw up six times when they land on my watermelon. They're just there to visit.

Every single person I encounter is amazing and beautiful.

I am amazing and beautiful. And no matter how much I may accidentally muck things up, I more than make up for it with my looks and overall charm:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Self-portrait by Me

I am an artist.

There's truly no argument that can survive my butt-shaking-arm-waving Silly Dance. Political leaders really ought to learn about this secret weapon.

Snow pants for adults are attractive.

There's not really any such thing as a wrong turn. All roads ultimately lead back to me.

The universe is a friendly and delectable place.

I wish you joy as you explore your own kingdom today. (By the way, I love what you've done with the place -- it's a beauty!)

P.S. Do I spy marshmallow?? :)

(Thank you, Sarah! I swear I wrote almost this whole thing except the P.S. before I took a break and saw your post. How fun is that?!)

O Tannenbaum

2010-12-01T00:01:00.037-05:00

If you're interested in a planet-friendly holiday experience this year, go get a cup of something hot and steamy, enjoy listening to the song below, and peruse the following earth-minded ideas as you prepare to celebrate with all those in your family tree this holiday season.

Christmas Trees
If you plan to have an indoor Christmas tree, real trees from local tree farms are the most environmentally friendly option, according to this article by The Nature Conservancy. Trees on Christmas tree farms are grown specifically to be used as such and 1 -3 new trees are typically planted to replace each one sold.

If you already have an artificial tree, the eco-friendly thing to do is to continue to enjoy it for a long time! Or donate it to someone who will.

I just learned about something that is being done in a few areas that presents an ideal scenario, in my opinion. A nursery or other organization brings you a live potted tree and places it in your home exactly where you want it. After Christmas they pick it up and replant it elsewhere. You get to celebrate the life of the evergreen in your home without having to cut one down to do it. Unfortunately this service is not available in many places yet (search on "rent a potted Christmas tree" plus your city or state name to see if it's available in your area), but by talking about it and asking around about it in our own local areas, maybe it will become more widespread!

Switching to LED light strands to decorate Christmas trees and other areas in the home uses significantly less energy than decorating with strands of traditional incandescent bulbs. LED lights also last longer and reduce fire risks. They are the only ones recommended for live potted trees because their heat output is so much lower that they are less likely to harm the tree.

Holiday Greeting Cards
If you send paper holiday cards, try to find ones that are printed on recycled paper if possible. If you can't find any locally, here are some options available online:

Sweet Organics and Naturals
Cards made using 100% "sweetpaper": 50% recycled fiber plus 50% sugar cane bagasse (a waste product of the sugar refining industry). Made with soy-based inks and eco-friendly packaging.

Sierra Club
Soy-based inks on recycled paper. A portion of the proceeds supports Sierra Club's efforts to preserve and protect the planet.

Greenfield Paper
Two versions of cards:

1) "Hemp Heritage" - 25% hemp fiber and 75% post-consumer pulp.

2) "Grow-A-Note" - 100% post-consumer pulp with seeds embedded -- the recipient can plant the card in the spring and watch wildflowers grow as the paper composts into the soil.

Made with soy-based inks and include recycled envelopes.

Gift Wrap

Consider wrapping your gifts in a reusable bag and create a crafty little package of two gifts in one!

Watch here:

(Bags in video are available at reuseit.com)

OR, if you would just like to use a beautiful fabric gift bag that can be used over and over again, check out wrapsacks.com. Each gift recipient can even log in online to record where the bag was received so that its journey can be tracked as it gets passed along. Very cool. Beautiful and fun designs... like this and this!

If you purchase new gift wrap, choose the 100% recycled kind if possible. I can't find any at the stores in my area, but you can order it from amazon.com, Greenfield Paper, and Sweet Organics and Naturals. Also, if you buy non-reycled wrapping paper, choose the non-metallic variety because shiny foil-type papers are often not recyclable. Look for paper that says it is printed with water- or soy-based inks.

If you have kids, buy plain recycled kraft paper and let the kids lend their own special touch by drawing and coloring their own holiday designs and messages on it. (Or even if you don't have kids, you can let your own doodle monster out and be creative yourself with this option).

For gift tags: Save some of the holiday greeting cards you receive and cut out any pictures on them that you love (or just cut them down into colorful squares) to use as tags.

Take three bags with you to your family's Christmas celebration (if they don't do this already). Designate one bag as "re-usable," one as "recyclable," and one as "trash." Have them at the ready when the paper goes flying. Paper and cardboard gift packaging that can't be re-used can be recycled with junk mail. Cardboard can also be composted.

Of course, there's always the option of giving gifts that need no giftwrap at all.

"It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags." ~The Grinch

Stocking Stuffers
I have a few reusable shopping bags that zip up into a small wallet size that I keep in my purse. I use them ALL THE TIME ('cause I'm forgetful and I tend to leave my bigger reusable bags in the car). These make perfect stocking stuffers.

Try these. Or these.

And awww, look at these. They clip to a purse or backpack. Kids would love their own fun bags too (my own child has lots of stuffed animals to haul around... And she LOVES to make her own purchases at the store -- with her own reusable bag she can practice the concept of reuse early).

Reusable produce bags are perfect stocking stuffers too. I really prefer not to bag my veggies in plastic if possible. The ones made by 3BBags are my favorites so far -- they're sturdy, see-through, and machine washable. They're available online and in many health food stores.

Gifts
These items could be presents for others, but they also make great things to put on your own Christmas list, which, if you're like me, you owe to your family members right about now.

* Notebooks and journals (made from recycled or tree-free paper) to help you organize all your fabulous plans and receive your creative expression. The Banana Paper Company is one organization that uses post-consumer waste and banana fibers to make their fun and beautiful paper products. I just bought a fun notebook made by them at Target to help me keep track of all the things I want to do each day.

* Reusable water bottle or thermos (so many options everywhere -- yay!)

* Volt-Star EcoCharger - a charger for phones, iPads and other electronic devices that stops pulling current once the item is charged. You don't have to unplug to save energy usage.

* Clothing items made from sustainable organic materials -- cotton, hemp, bamboo, etc.

* Donation to a favorite charity on your (or someone else's) behalf. In addition to local charities, here are some of my favorites:

American Forests: Just $1 plants one tree.

The Nature Conservancy: Help plant a billion trees in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, adopt an acre of rainforest in Costa Rica, or support protection of hummingbird habitats (my mom is going to LOVE that last one!)

Restore Coastal Alabama -- Help restore oyster reefs and coastal marshlands in the Gulf Coast impacted by various damaging factors, including the recent oil spill.

World Wildlife Fund - "Protecting the Future of Nature" including saving tigers and other endangered species.

Unicef: Help children all over the world survive, develop, and be healthy.

Operation Smile: Restore the smile on a child. That's always good for the environment.

* Music (also always good for the environment). For the kids you may have or know in the 2-8 age range, here are a few of my favorite recommendations in no particular order (if they don't have these already):

1) Jack Johnson and Friends -- Sing-Alongs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George ...Which includes the very relevant song The 3 R's and one of my most favorite songs ever, Talk of the Town.

2) They Might Be Giants -- Here Comes Science ...Although this might actually be even more entertaining/educational for the adults in the family. Tell me you don't learn something from this song. This would probably also be liked by kids who are a bit older (like me).

3) The Mosaic Project: Children's Songs for Peace and a Better World Featuring Brett Dennen. Thank you to my sister for sending me a CD with a couple of these songs on it the year my daughter was born. Buy this CD. Read about the Mosaic Project here and consider donating here.

4) Milkshake - all great CD's for kids... Play! is one of our favorites. These guys can make any kid discover their own superhero powers.

5) Laurie Berkner - all are great for young children, but the Best of... collection is a good one to start with. Here's a sample.

6) Kira Willey - Dance for the Sun ...beautiful songs written for young children that can be accompanied by yoga. The second half of the CD includes verbal yoga instruction along with the songs. My daughter will even do yoga in her car seat to this if we're on the road. Here's the title track.

7) Elizabeth Mitchell - Beautiful and simple. We have and love the album You Are My Little Bird.

8) Ziggy Marley - Family Time **

9) Bob Marley - B Is for Bob **

** Written about previously here and here.

I hope you have found something helpful here that only helps to increase the beauty, fun, and joy of the season for you. Your smile is the most environmentally friendly thing around. Enjoy yourself as you kick off the holidays!

Travel Light

2010-11-27T15:16:00.002-05:00

Photo by Flickr User wastedtalent

Carry with you only the song of your heart and open arms.

Thankful

2010-11-25T03:29:00.001-05:00

.
Today, I am thankful for...

YOU!

Thank you for all you are.

And have a wonderful day, you.

(Yes... you!)

Live Baby Live

2010-11-22T09:03:00.022-05:00

Life is funny and music is powerful. After I wrote my last post about life being beautiful and mystifying, this song entered my mind, which I otherwise hadn't heard or thought about in many years:

I love the description of life as "some silken moment, goes on forever..." and remembering "the power to make every moment come alive." No wonder this song came up for me after writing my last post. It's all about the power and beauty inherent in every moment of life, and that's how I was feeling when I was writing. It's funny, though, because I'm sure the title is what brought this song up for me, although the lyrics also happened to be in line with what I was feeling too. I just hadn't remembered the lyrics -- at least consciously.

I always loved INXS when I was a teenager. They were saxy, soulful, and moved me in all kinds of wonderful ways. Plus I just liked saying "Shabooh Shoobah" when that particular album came out. After revisiting the song above, I realized how much I missed these guys and went back to listen to more tunes and put 'em on the iPod. The passionate spirit of Michael Hutchence and the funky music of the band ended up flowing through and living in me throughout this whole past weekend.

In fact, I danced so much and felt so connected to the words and music that yesterday I felt compelled to look up more about INXS to refresh my memory and see what they were up to now. I was surprised to learn that it was exactly thirteen years ago today that Michael Hutchence passed on. The timing of this combined with the fun I've had listening this weekend made me want to remember him here today.

In honor of Michael Hutchence -- poet, singer, musician, and passionate experiencer of life -- here's a little review of some songs you might remember, with some of my favorite lines that I have enjoyed rediscovering, written by him:

Live baby live
Now that the day is over
I got a new sensation
In perfect moments
Impossible to refuse
"New Sensation"

I'm standing here on the ground
The sky above won't fall down
See no evil in all directions
Resolution of happiness
"Don't Change"

Hey you, won't you listen
This is not the end of it all
Don't you see there is a rhythm
It'll take you where you
Really need to be
"What You Need"

You are all you need
So don't hesitate
There's no time to waste
You just do it for yourself
"Listen Like Thieves"

Turns back to front
Turns hate to love
The simple things that mean a lot
Turns rock to sand
Turns ice to snow
It's you and me about to grow
"Face the Change"

Mediate
Clear the slate
Activate
Now radiate
A perfect state
Food on plate
Gravitate
The Earth's own weight
Designate your love as fate
At ninety-eight we all rotate
"Mediate"

I see a girl
She's roller skating
I don't know her
But she makes me feel
Like roller skating
"Roller Skating"

:)

Thank you for expressing the music of your life, Michael. Along with many others, I am dancing on to it.

And one day, the stars all fell...

2010-11-17T21:17:00.012-05:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I love all the seasons (although I'll admit there's still a part of me that wishes winter were a little shorter). But there is something about Autumn that I can't get enough of. I think it's the smell of the earth that permeates the air as I crunch through the fallen leaves and sink into the soft grass that is going dormant. Ironically, as the green fades from the landscape, all I have to do is inhale deeply, and I feel full of life.

The last seven or eight weeks of Fall here in my neck of the woods have been absolutely gorgeous. The clear crisp air in the mornings has required a light jacket that I always end up stripping off on my walks as the sun streams down in beams of warm honey. The wind becomes visible as it swirls around creating multi-colored leaf vortices here and there. Above me the edges of clouds shimmer silver in the liquid blue sky as if I were swimming deep in the ocean looking up at the silhouettes of giant sea mammals frolicking at the sunlit surface.

I've posted a link to this song before, but I post it again now because it has been playing in my head all season and I think it's always worth a listen:

A couple of weeks ago we had a big thunderstorm -- probably the last of the season-- which is another natural phenomenon that I cherish. For me, there's nothing better than waking up to the sound of rumbling thunder and raindrops rapping on the window panes. The storm produced some high winds, and after it was over the trees had dropped a lot more of their leaves. Branches and twigs were everywhere.

As I went for a walk the next day, I stepped over and around all the debris that the trees had let go of. I thought about how if there were never any forceful winds, the dying parts of trees would take much longer to fall to the ground where they could turn back into the earth and continue their cycle of growth. Then I mused about how maybe the trees actually summon the wind to prune themselves because they want to keep the whole life process moving along. They choose the wind.

Hmm.

Maybe the reason why I love Fall and thunderstorms so much is because they highlight the beauty in what we might otherwise call decay and upheaval. If we can see it, they remind us that the nature of Nature is to live. Life exists in all states at all times. No matter what our situation may seem like to us, life is always here operating in the background, waiting for us to simply recognize it and reclaim it. It's nice that way.

Life is an incredibly beautiful, mystifying, awe-inspiring experience because we are life and we have designed it that way.

Life rocks.

And speaking of rocks, if you happen to read this tonight and have the opportunity to look outside, keep your eye out for the Leonid meteor shower. You might just catch a falling star to carry around in your pocket.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

Photo by Bill Swails, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Colorado

1111

2010-11-11T17:47:00.009-05:00

I'm always here for you

You're always here for me

That's just the way it is

With a neighboring tree.

Speak to Me

2010-11-08T01:33:00.021-05:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about. ~ Oscar Wilde

Last week I got a text from one of my oldest friends. We don't see each other often since she lives far from me, but we manage to keep in touch a few times a year. In her text she sent me a total of about fifteen words that told me she was in New York City and had just heard a song that flashed her back to when she and I were little. Back when we were about ten years old, that particular song had been playing while we were at church together, and for reasons that would take too long to describe here, it sent us into hysterical, uncontrollable (and loud) fits of laughter. We weren't bounced out of church on our ears, but I'm pretty sure the ladies in the pews in front of us were figuring out which of our ears they were each going to grab just as the song finally ended and we half-way composed ourselves again.

That brief text caused a flood of other memories to come back to me, like the time this same friend and I were walking down the sidewalk together and we both just happened to break out into the same David Bowie song at the exact same moment. She and I shared a love of music and in our preteen years we seriously bonded over our infatuation with the bass player from Duran Duran. We also started listening to one of that particular bass player's idols, Bryan Ferry, along with anything else new to us that we could get our hands on. Getting that short message from this friend made me laugh out loud, brought all kinds of happy feelings and musical memories back to me and made my day. I texted a few words back to her and told her so.

That's the nice thing about old friends. You don't have to say much, and when you do, you both usually know just what the other person means. And even if it has been a long time between chats, when you finally do talk it's like no time has passed at all.

It's funny for me to think about how some conversations are so simple yet full, and then contrast them with others that are so complex yet seemingly empty in some ways. A couple of months ago I wrote here about a conversation I had earlier this year with a close relative where we talked with each other in person for three hours and I don't think we actually communicated a single thing to each other. I remember actually looking down at myself and around the room at one point as we were talking to see if there was someone else there my relative was actually speaking to instead of me (but no, it was just the two of us).

As I thought about that conversation later, though, I realized that my relative actually was talking to someone else. He was having a conversation with the person he thought I was -- not me. He was interacting with a projection from his own mind. He was interpreting things I said from his own perspective and then sending the translated versions back to me, and when I would regroup and try to address the new direction of thought, what I heard back was again unrelated to what I had intended to say. It was like we were playing tennis, but no balls were ever making it back to each other. There were no rallies. My relative didn't know he wasn't actually talking to me, though, because I couldn't explain it to him because I wasn't really part of his conversation. That sounds bizarre, and it is, but it's what goes on to some degree in conversations everywhere all the time.

Thinking about this type of interaction has led me to draw a couple of conclusions:

1) People need to know who they are on the inside before they can tell what is real or unreal for them on the outside.

And,

2) True communication only occurs when it comes from the heart, not the mind.

If a message originates in the mind, which is simply the processor/memory bank/translator, it stands little chance of truly being received by another person. That's because the mind is only capable of limited output. It says what it knows. It labels. And people are not limited. They're not really able to be pigeon-holed. So what the mind communicates by itself is never the whole story.

However, if a message originates in the heart, there's a much greater chance that it will reach the intended recipient. The heart is infinite. It knows the whole story, if there is one. If someone acts or speaks from their heart, it creates a space for the other person to step into as they wish. True communication can then take place. Of course, if you have one person communicating from the heart and the other communicating only from the mind, then the messages still can't be transmitted accurately between the two people. For real communication to take place, both people have to be communicating from the heart. And when that happens, it is often the case that words are hardly even necessary.

During a Reiki training workshop I was in about a year and a half ago, we listened to a guided meditation where we were supposed to meet our Reiki "guides." I don't know what I think about the concept of guides or what they are exactly, but I do know I definitely feel guided much of the time and sense supportive energy around me, so whatever or whoever that is, whether it is classified as a separate energy from my own or a broader part of my own self, I suppose "guide" is a good term for it. During this meditation we were to visualize ourselves walking in some pleasant place of our choice, and then if we wished/asked them to, our guide(s) were supposed to appear and share with us their names and any other information they might have for us.

I pictured myself walking through a peaceful meadow with a bench to one side. I was curious about what I was going to experience, but had no preconceived notion at all of what was going to occur. I was okay if nothing at all happened. I just walked along in my imagination, visualized beautiful stuff and kept my senses open. At some point I began to sense another energy, and a form began to emerge. It was person-like and beautiful somehow, but fairly undefined. It wasn't an image I could fully crystallize, but it gave me something to work with visually. This form sat down on the nearby bench and I did too. I tried to open up to whatever I was going to be told by this "guide."

What happened next is the reason I am sharing all this here, because I didn't expect it and it was extraordinarily powerful. The guide took my hand and held it. And held it. We faced each other, held hands and neither one of us said a word. For a long time. And it didn't occur to me for one second to need or even want a word. What was being communicated was understood completely.
When I came out of the meditation I was overwhelmed with emotion and I felt like my heart had expanded to somewhere I couldn't describe. I knew that one of the gifts of that experience was realizing the powerful communication and positive energy flow that can exist even in silence when two hearts are connected. One of the other gifts that came from that experience was understanding the timelessness of that connection. Even though I have only had that one visual experience with this guiding energy, and even as the visual fades, at any moment I can recall the feeling of the interaction with all the intensity it had at the time. That sort of thing stays with you.

I recognized that feeling as the same one I had when my daughter was born and I decided that the legacy I wanted to leave for her was exactly that. I wanted there to be a connection between us that would allow her to experience her own beauty, strength, and perfection by seeing it mirrored back to her by me. That's one of the wonderful things about kids. They are so completely open when they are born. They are all heart. If you show them their beauty, they accept it. It is my belief that they can stay that way if they are surrounded by people who are also all heart. It's only when the people in children's lives are ruled by their minds that children begin to lose the connection to their own hearts. And then they turn into adults who don't know their own hearts and let their minds do all the talking for them.

Knowing this is one of the things that propelled me to start this blog as a way to get some of my work flowing for me. It fuels me as I shape projects that, in their own unique way, are ultimately intended to help people get to know themselves better and authentically communicate with their children and each other. I focus on children because they already have an abundance of what many adults need to open their own hearts back up. However, the adults are the ones who are responsible for raising the children, so it's a bit of a catch-22. Many adults have a lot of mental layers to peel back before they find their hearts, and the ones with the most layers have the most difficulty seeing the beauty in their children.

But I strongly believe that if the adults with the fewest layers (ones raised by open-hearted parents or those who have worked to peel back their own layers) are given some help with the daunting task of parenting in our present culture, then it will be easier for those parents and children to remain fully open. Those parents and children will in turn influence other parents and children, and so on and so on, and of course future generations will be affected, until eventually all the layers of mind are gone for those who have the desire to live from their hearts. If they want, people will finally be able to see each other and treat each other as the beautiful individuals they really are.

Then maybe words, when necessary, would be affirming, supportive, and constructive. Conversations would be more fun, productive, and meaningful for all parties involved. People would carry the love of others around in their hearts and allow it to inspire them to be their individual best. And they, in turn, would be in the hearts of others, inspiring them to meet their fullest potential. People would allow their own hearts to speak loud and clear, with purpose. Lives would flow where they're meant to flow. Laughter would prevail. Fun would be had. Feelings would be felt. Life would be experienced and enjoyed to the fullest.

All because we finally learn to be ourselves, allow others to be themselves, and offer each other our hand as we go along.

I do believe I'll begin right now. Because as my old friend Bryan Ferry reminds me, what could be more than this?

I Voted Green Today

2010-11-02T16:04:00.002-04:00

Image thanks to Flickr User MiniMonos

Whooo Are You?

2010-10-31T19:56:00.029-04:00

Image via Photobucket user ashleighlu

It's Halloween! The day when people dress up as people they're not -- or maybe as who they wish to be! Or maybe just as something that makes them laugh. You can be anybody or anything. And the more frightening the better for many. It's a special day to celebrate the spooky, the dark, the intriguing, the fun, the mysterious, and the unknown.

Of course, it's really mostly about the candy.

As I've decorated for Halloween and helped my daughter get her costume ready (she finally settled on being a fairy), I have been thinking about all the Halloween symbols we are surrounded by this time of year -- witches, monsters, full moons, owls, bats, etc. -- and the feelings and concepts they evoke.

Early this past summer, I went to a yoga studio that I love that is a little treasure in the middle of my city. It is operated by a beautiful, intuitive owner and it attracts lovely, warm, intuitive clients. It's a place where I relish connecting with people who are very open-minded, positive, and focused on doing nice things for themselves and others. On this particular occasion I was doing something new because I found it intriguing. I was attending a shamanic drumming workshop, intended to introduce the participants to the process of the shamanic journey and give us the opportunity to take a journey ourselves and connect with our "spirit animals."

I had never done anything like that before, but having had various animals show up in my dreams in the last year (at least that's when I started noticing them more), I had started reading more about animal symbolism and had been learning a great deal about the wisdom of animals and the roles that they can play in our lives. So I was interested in what the workshop had to offer.

During the session we were instructed to close our eyes and relax, and when the drumming started we were to imagine an opening or a "tunnel" of some sort. We were to imagine ourselves entering whatever opening felt right to us and to be open to the impressions we would receive from that point on. We were told that if a special animal guide were to appear to us, it would show up at least three times during our journey.

I cleared my mind, felt and pictured myself going through my tunnel, and then I just let things come to mind as they wanted to. All kinds of animal images started showing up, as if they were flashed up on the side of an earthen tunnel I was walking through. Sometimes I just perceived the sound of an animal's name. One animal that I have always had an affinity for ironically never showed up. And none of the ones I had dreamed about came up. But many that I don't usually think of did come up, to my surprise. Only one animal appeared more than once in different ways, though. It was an owl.

This didn't surprise me at all, since my favorite question is "Who am I?" and I suspected that owls symbolized something like introspection. And they also say Whoo. It was perfect! Of course it came from my own subconsciousness, so I guess of course it would be perfect for me.

After I came home, I looked up owl symbolism and found that it varies according to culture, but just as one would think, they are typically associated with the night, darkness, the moon, mystery, vision, and wisdom. According to Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, "The yellow coloring of the [owl's] eyes is very symbolic... it hints of the light of the sun, alive in the dark of the night. The sun lives through the owl at night."

I love that. I love that animals can represent so purely something that is complex and esoteric for most humans. The owl's characteristics describe what introspection is all about for me. It's about shining a light on the darkest parts of ourselves and learning that every single part of ourselves is loveable. It doesn't matter what we've thought, what we've done, or what we haven't done. When we ask ourselves who we are right now and we actually open the doors within ourselves to find out, we find out that the light naturally follows us in. And we realize that ultimately there is nothing to be afraid of. It's like being in the haunted house when all the lights have been turned on and the masks have been taken off. Despite what things may appear to be in the dark of the night, the truth is that we are perfect and the world is a safe place.

Around Halloween, images of owls are abundant. If we remember the wise message that owl brings to us, we'll be more likely to delight in the scary, be fearless in the face of fear, and find fun in the confrontational. In our daily lives this wisdom can make us more effective and inspired in everything that we do. We can be simultaneously more grounded and more light-hearted. We can become doctors who connect with and calm their patients, parents who keep their cool during their children's tantrums, and school teachers who use humor to help their students seriously learn... about owls, for example (this video was made by a fifth grade teacher to get the students in his science class interested in owls):

Happy Halloween!

Now go eat some candy. Or give some away. Or have some tea. Or smile. Or do something else that celebrates who you really are. Even if it's not Halloween anymore by the time you read this.

Enjoy yourself.

Mumford & Sons Sing and Play...

2010-10-28T10:35:00.006-04:00

...Because hearts and souls are meant to be shared, not given away.

I'm glad that Mumford & Sons and so many others share theirs.

Thank you, Sarah, for sharing yours and for sharing these songs.

Mumford and Sons - Awake My Soul from Thomas Henley on Vimeo.

Connecting With Myself

2010-10-22T14:26:00.014-04:00

In this blog and elsewhere, I write about connection. In my very first post here, I wrote that I hoped that anyone reading this blog would be able to recognize himself or herself in it. Because in self-recognition lies connection, and through connection comes love.

So self-recognition, in my opinion, is the key to loving another. And therefore, loving another is always a reflection of how much we love ourselves.

My understanding of this has grown over the years, and when I started this blog, expressing this concept was one of my primary motivations. However, the very act of expressing myself has led me to consider multiple reflections that have come back to me. And that has led me to understand one additional thing about self-recognition. You can be responsible for how much you recognize yourself in another... but you cannot be responsible for how much they recognize themselves in you. We may all be one on the spiritual level, but the physical realm is where we still choose to have individual identities. And physical individuals have varying levels of spiritual awareness. Just because I am able to see myself in someone else doesn't mean that they are able to see themselves in me. And the reverse also applies.

So what does that mean to me? It means that I am responsible for finding the love in every situation with another if I am aware enough to do so. If someone is criticizing me, I can see that they are concerned for my welfare. If someone is angry with me, I can see that they are offering me an opportunity to acknowledge their pain with empathy. If someone doesn't hear me, I can see it as an opportunity to listen to them. I choose to do what feels fulfilling and loving to me. And I grant the other person the freedom to choose to do whatever is personally fulfilling for them.

I can choose to find and feel love in any situation. But I can never choose for someone else to feel or do anything. And the only influence I can ever truly have in any situation with another is to be wholeheartedly myself. That means that no matter what, I can be me and it's okay. Another person in my life can choose whatever they feel is right for them and it doesn't influence how I feel about them. My love for them is my choice. And I choose to love them. By the same token, I have the freedom to choose what I feel is truly right for me and love myself just the same. If what I choose leads me down the same path in a new light, or down a new path, it doesn't really matter as long as I am making the choice from a place of love for myself and others. If I don't consider others, I'm not really considering myself, and if I don't consider myself, then I'm not really considering others.

I personally have only fairly recently detached myself from some other people's feelings -- not completely from those people, just from their feelings and any responsibility I felt for them. And that has made it possible for me to truly love them unconditionally. And with a great amount of love and guidance from within and without, I'm enjoying being able to do that and be wholeheartedly me at the same time. That means that I am now in the midst of the process of beginning to see what changes that brings about in my physical environment. Coming from a place of greater self-love and empowerment has already made a difference around me. Right now the only thing I know to do is to continue to nurture myself to truly understand how best to fulfill my own purpose and how to balance it with the purposes and true best interests of those around me and sort out what those actually are with their help. That feels right to me in this moment.

That means I don't know everything about this world we walk around in. I don't know where my personal development will lead specifically. I'm only open to the highest good for everybody, but I don't know exactly what that means. And that's okay. If we knew every hand we were going to be dealt, this game would have no appeal. And if we worried about every move we made even when we're playing with every skill we currently have, it would be no fun at all. And if we think we aren't love and aren't going to be loved for what we do when we are just trying our best, then that's just plain silly, in my opinion.

I've had a bit of a dilemma since I started writing here. I wanted to write from my heart. I wanted to express myself authentically. And I wanted to take a first step into putting my thoughts, feelings, and experiences out into the world. However, much of what I wanted to write about related to my child, who is not old enough yet to have a say about anything I may write about her. I've also wished to write genuine things about my family relationships, but did not wish to compromise their privacy. Therefore, I decided to keep certain details about my physical life out of this blog. I realized at the time that a lack of full disclosure could have a certain appearance of inauthenticity to some, but my real goal was inner expression anyway, and I am the only one who really has to know that I live both my inner and outer life in a way that is authentic, regardless of the opinions of anyone else who may read my words and interpret them. Appearances can be deceiving, and I know that, so I focus only on what I know to be true about myself. Only then can I respond from my core and with my truth.

Knowing myself and learning how to express who I truly am regardless of external circumstances is a challenge that I am grateful for. If my goal truly is to be authentic, it starts right here, in what I am doing and what I am expressing. My outer experience may not yet be completely in harmony with my true inner experience, because I'm still working on synchronizing the two. I personally don't know anyone yet who has accomplished that task entirely, but the individuals I most admire are the ones who work toward exactly that. And that is my goal as well. I get closer and closer every day because that is my focus and that is what I want. My truth is that I want this to be an enjoyable process. I make mistakes. I'm not perfect. But I never do harm intentionally. I do the best I know how to do. And that's all I can hope for anyone else to ever do.

Recently I started reading Byron Katie's book Loving What Is, which I had picked up somewhere along the line but had never gotten around to reading. I have found it tremendously helpful in keeping me focused on what is real and true in my life. One reason is that she uses the technique of self-inquiry, which has become the most valuable tool in my own repertoire for keeping myself sane. She simply formalizes self-inquiry into a set of four questions that you can ask yourself any time you are feeling discomfort of any kind.

According to Byron Katie (who goes by "Katie"), any suffering is the result of attachment to a thought. Like several other spiritual teachers, she states that it's not our situations that cause us distress, it's our thinking about the situations that causes the distress. Here are the four questions she has come up with to ask oneself about any uncomfortable thought:

1) Is it true?

2) Can you absolutely know that it's true?

3) How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?

4) Who would you be without that thought?

Then, after these questions have been answered honestly within yourself, Katie then suggests turning the thought around to enable you to feel how the thought actually reflects a situation you were not aware of within your own self.

The two videos below of Katie in action take several minutes each, but they are very worthwhile to watch if you wish to learn more about her process. The participant shown has brought up a specific example of her own thinking, but the process is the same regardless of whatever thought is being examined.

So... I love me = I love you = free to be me & free to be you.

We are our own teachers. And love is the answer.

Easy Peasy.

Now I'm going to go enjoy the rest of my day. And I hope you enjoy yours!

Big Living

2010-10-18T21:56:00.002-04:00

Journal 10/14/10

2010-10-14T14:23:00.008-04:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
This week my internal cleanse continues. This morning I started off with two heads of romaine, two apples and four large carrots that I ran through the juicer. I decided a long time ago that if we are what we eat, I wanted to be made of things like strawberries and asparagus, not Red #3. My normal diet is pretty simple and consists mainly of fresh, whole foods, but I'm not able to eat that way all the time or everywhere I go yet, so I like to periodically go pure when I have the time at home. I'm still always amazed at how much energy I have for hours after sipping on a glass of fresh juice. Ideally the juice would come from vegetables all grown in my own full garden, which I haven't yet physically created, but it's in the plan.

For some reason it still surprises me a little just how much cleansing the body also helps cleanse the rest of our internal experience. When my body feels good, it always opens me up on other levels, makes me feel lighter, and infuses me with energy. At first there can be some cloudy moments as the heavier stuff is released, but if I remain open, any feelings of lack or sadness are quickly replaced by gratitude. And what is left... is me.

And that is what my goal is these days. I wish to be the very best me I can be. I'm not content any longer to settle for less than me. Everything else I experience in the world is a result of knowing (or not knowing) and being (or not being) who I am. And I love who I am. So I choose to be me.

In order to stay focused on who I am, I've started waking up every morning asking myself the question "Who am I?" and then I feel the answer. But if I had to attempt to put the answer into words, which I think is a worthwhile exercise, it would sound something like this:

I am generous.
I am kind.
I am respectful.
I am strong.
I am open.
I am free.
I am accepting.
I am powerful.
I am brave.
I am joyful.
I am fun.
I am beautiful.
I am whole.
I am abundance.
I am me.
I am you.
I am life.
I am love.
I am.

After taking this internal inventory, it makes it a lot easier to get out of bed and go create things that reflect the real me - to make the contributions that can only come from me.

For me, those contributions take many forms:

I am present for those around me.
I listen.
I speak my truth.
I encourage.
I sing.
I dance.
I nourish.
I hug.
I give.
I receive.
I love.
I share.
I learn.
I laugh.
And I write.

Outside of this blog space, I currently write about a topic that I've been trying to write about for years but had become blocked on. Earlier this year, as a result of writing this blog and the connections it has helped me make internally and externally, my block disappeared and creativity opened up once again. So now I continue the process of creating. I create what I wish to see and experience in the world by being fully me. I continue organizing my environment in a way that supports me, including my work on this project. I write here and I write there. I am joyful and I am grateful.

Clear and clean on the inside and the outside is my goal. Me through and through.

I am.

And I create.

Creativity Alert

2010-10-06T23:45:00.015-04:00

.
.
.

I think this little girl's shirt says "100% LOVE." Or else it says "100% ME." Same difference. I saw this card in a store earlier this year. When you open it up, on the inside it says, "...Lots and lots of room." It gave me a good laugh, because it echoed what had happened not long before in my own home.

My daughter has never been a big napper, and now she is old enough that if she does take a nap she's awake until midnight. But I still encourage "quiet time" occasionally during the day. It's a way of helping her learn to simply be without outside stimulation, to discover what good company she can be for herself, and to give creativity an opportunity to find its own expression. Usually, during "quiet time," I hear lots of music and crashing around as she stages shows for her stuffed animals and performs daring gymnastic feats off the bed.

But one day I walked into her room after a particularly quiet "quiet time" to find she had redecorated her bedroom doors and walls to her own four-and-a-half-year old liking.

Using a big stuffed horse as her step ladder, she had created this scene at the top of her door:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
This is what was at the bottom of the door (the design in the lower left is where she traced her foot):

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
On the wall next to her bed were these two replicas of pictures that hang in her room -- a ladybug and a butterfly:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
This was on the wall next to her door. She told me it's a growth chart:

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.

.
I'm sure when I walked into her room my mouth hung open for at least half a minute, although I interjected the occasional "Wow" as I surveyed all the surfaces. This had been one room I wasn't going to have to paint as I finished fixing up the house. She beamed at me. I tried to put the question of whether the marker would scrub off out of my head and I smiled. I told her I loved how creative she had been. I looked at all the pictures with her as she told me about them. I remarked about how lovely the colors were and how many different designs she had made and how she must have worked very hard on all of this.

After all this had sunk in, I did suggest that maybe next time I could give her some big sheets of paper to color and hang on the wall instead of coloring on the wall itself so that we could always change what was on the wall. I told her that I would take pictures of what she drew so she would always have them, but if she wanted something different we would have to wash off the drawings or paint over them. She seemed okay with that.

But she hasn't wanted to change the pictures yet. And I haven't had the heart to change a thing.

As a parent, a lot of times you have to handle things on the fly without much, or any, outside guidance. Only you can decide whether it's okay to let your child write on the walls, for example, and you have to decide in a situation that is always unique to your child at that time. I try to read as much as I can from parenting sources that I feel are in sync with me and my priorities. But other than that, I've been letting my heart guide the way when things come up. Figuring out how to do this in parenting situations where external advice and traditions don't suit me has become one of my own creative passions.

Bedtime is another example. When I was little, my mom used to tuck me in every night after saying prayers together, which usually included blessing our family and other people and reciting a little poem about being guided and guarded by a guardian angel. I always loved this little tucking in process, mostly because it was special time with my mom and because I liked thinking about the people I loved before falling asleep. I am immensely grateful that my mom took time to do this with me. She did it with an understanding of the love-filled meanings of the words we used. But now that I'm an adult, thinking back to when I was a small child, I'm not sure I really understood the word "blessing" for a long time. And to be honest, I remember being kept awake many times wondering who this guardian angel was and what sorts of things he or she was supposed to be protecting me from.

So although I continue the tradition of tucking in, I've made some of my own changes to the process. I feel that it's important for my daughter to be able to feel things in her own heart and to recognize the feeling of love. From my perspective, that is what a blessing is, and that is what the concept of a guardian angel is all about. It is the love that is always within you and around you, that never leaves. It is always there, because it is who you are. It is who you are when you don't even remember who you are -- it still ultimately guides you because it is always there, even if you don't recognize it. I think it is critical to allow children to recognize all the love within themselves, because if they can't recognize it there, it makes it much more difficult, or impossible, to recognize it outside of themselves.

So I've chosen to use different words at bedtime with my daughter. I want her to be able to focus on how things make her feel and to learn how to choose to focus on things that she loves within herself and outside of herself. For the last couple of years, it has made sense to me to accomplish this in the form of expressing gratitude at bedtime. I've explained to her that being grateful is a way of saying that you love someone or something, and that you feel happy or glad about it being part of your life.

Every night that I put her to bed, I lie on the pillow next to hers and read to her, and then we turn off the light and talk about what we're grateful for. She usually has a few things she always lists (family, special stuffed animals, etc.) and comes up with some new things here and there, but a lot of times she just asks me to tell her what I'm grateful for and she listens. But a week or two ago, she really got on a roll. She listed about twenty things -- friends, her cozy bed, our house, stars, squirrels, etc., etc. As she started to slow down toward the end, she turned over on her stomach and was looking around her room. She surveyed the drawings on her walls and then focused on two papers that she had taped to her (cherry stained wood) headboard with long strips of scotch tape. One was a picture of a pony that she had colored in her own special multi-colored patchwork way. The other was a picture of a bunch of different bunny faces that she had drawn.

What she said then sounds like it was something I might have told her, but was something I had never said to her in this way. She said, "I'm grateful for my art. Because I like it and because I did it the way I wanted to."

Now it was my turn to beam at her. I told her I was grateful for her art too.

And then I kissed her goodnight and felt grateful for doing things the way I want to too.

Thankful I Am

2010-09-27T23:26:00.021-04:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
These last several days for me have involved lying down a lot. Experiencing a weird kind of dizziness, inner ear pain, detox effects from an internal cleanse, and lingering all-over soreness from working out to a Jillian Michaels DVD where she literally has you kick your own butt, I'm listening to my body and taking some time to heal.

Heavily influenced by the above factors, I've been feeling a range of emotions bubble up inside of me. And I've been letting myself feel each emotion as it comes up. Although some of these feelings have been intense, I've been able to perceive them as what's knocking around inside of me, which I'm pretty sure means that I'm not being knocked around with them.

By allowing the feelings to rise and meeting them to say hello when they finally make it to the surface, I've been able to witness many of them dissipate completely. Some of them go away briefly and come back. But I've noticed that the ones that keep consistently returning are the ones that I enjoy the most. They're the joyful ones, the ones that feel like home. They're the ones that I know have been a part of me all along, even if I haven't always felt them at the surface.

Just as the volcanic eruption process brings up diamonds from deep within the Earth for us to see, so can giving our feelings an outlet and sifting through them bring our own sparkly aspects more fully to our awareness.

So today, I am thankful for my feelings.

I am also thankful for...

... Kids' Star Wars birthday parties and Yoda thank you notes.

... Walking in the woods hand in hand with my daughter and just listening.

... Sitting with friends around a fire pit, wrapped in blankets, learning to use the Google Sky app.

... Serendipities and the power of the heart.

... Sarendipities and the power of her heart(s).

... Finding Sun

... All my friends and family.

... Music of all sorts, and new music (at least for me) that touches my heart and soul, shared by friends with huge hearts. Thank you, Sarah, for sharing this one:

... Laughing for two hours straight this past weekend, sitting eight feet away from Bill Cosby as he looked me in the eye telling stories of parenthood and his own childhood adventures. I was at a show with nearly five thousand other people, but it felt like he was sitting in my family room reminiscing with me. He reminded me that life walks along holding hands with an open heart on one side and a sense of humor on the other.

In honor of the man Himself, one of my favorite Cosby Show scenes:

... Singing to my heart's content.

... Delighting in all my senses.

... Walking my own path, yet knowing I never truly walk alone.

... Opening wide, undefended.

... Allowing.

... Releasing.

... The power of imagination.

... Expressing.

... Sharing.

... Creating.

... Freedom.

... Knowing myself.

... This moment.

... Being alive.

Stop... And Have a Beautiful Day!

2010-09-20T13:08:00.008-04:00

With gratitude to the person in my neighborhood who planted this sunflower.

The Happy Planet Index

2010-09-09T15:16:00.001-04:00

With thanks to my sister for bringing this to my attention.

September!!!

2010-09-01T13:55:00.007-04:00

Took a long walk outside today -- the leaves were falling, the rain was falling, and I got soaked! Wheeeee!!!

And...

I Am Grateful For...

2010-08-27T02:02:00.017-04:00

... Summer Road Trips and Vacations! And all the awesomeness along the way, including...

Seeing fields and fields and fields of new wind farms:

.
.
.
.

.
.

.
.

.
The enormity of tranquil blue that is Lake Michigan:

.

.
.

.
.

.
.

.
First hearing, and then seeing pilots ZOOM overhead in a surprise air show at Navy Pier in Chicago:

.
.

.
.

Ferris wheels!:

.
.

Catching Happy Feet in 4-D (and Stevie too, yow!):

.
.

Airlines that have fun with their planes ("Sheldon" was our wingman-- er, turtle):

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

Being offered carbon offsets for air travel right on the same web page as tickets. (Yes, please!)

Hotel housekeeping staff who carefully line up special friends when making the bed:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

.
Summer celebrations of love and the dancing of toddlers:

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

Twirling flower girls in twirly flower girl dresses:

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

.
My youngest brother and my new sister-in-law, who are both as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.

This:
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Sunshine and Rain:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

Splashing in ALL the puddles!:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.

.
Trees:

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.

.
.
.
.

Being reminded of my grandmother, who used to send me postcards of the local wildflowers from wherever she traveled:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.

Apropos bumper stickers:

.
.
.

.
.
.
.

.
..
Going up to pay in a gemstone shop for five stones my daughter had picked out for her collection and having the dealer bring out a big fossil and four other gemstones from behind the counter (including one that has been a favorite of mine since I was little), put them in a bag with our others, and tell me "No charge" for any of it with no explanation. It made me smile all day.

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Spending valuable car travel time taking care of important tasks like giving Wooly Willy new hairdos:

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

.
.
.

.
.

.
.
.

KBCO radio out of Boulder. Thanks, Terrie!

Encountering a very friendly bear in the mountains:
.

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

.
.
.

.
.

.
And enjoying every remaining moment of summer back home...

Feelin' Groovy

2010-08-16T01:55:00.038-04:00

.
I've been blessed with mostly self-managing hair. I like to play glamorous from time to time and blow it out and straighten it and yadda yadda, but most of the time I just let it be itself. I wash it, dry it, brush it and go.

Since I've usually worn it pretty long, I've never had it cut frequently -- just a trim when necessary. And for most of my life I didn't much care where I went to get it cut...

... Until May 12, 2002.

That was the fateful day I went to a little place down the street from my house simply because it was close and convenient. As a walk-in, I had to wait for a stylist to become available. Eventually, an older woman (not elderly, but a lot older than me) finished up with her customer, came over to me and had me take a seat in her chair. I told her I just wanted a trim, a few long layers, and maybe a bit of a long bang.

I had never had a haircut I didn't like, and I was trusting, so I read my magazine unconcerned as she worked away with her scissors. I noticed that more hair was falling around me than should have been coming off my head, but then again, I trusted it would be fine -- it had always been fine before. And I wasn't afraid of something a little different.

This is what I kind of had in mind when I entered the salon that day:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

But when the scissors stopped flying and the chair was spun around so I could see the final result in the mirror, this is what I saw:

.
.
.
.
.
.

....

Joe Dirt.

I had Joe Dirt's hair.

Now, I truly don't care how other people wear their hair and I have nothing against Joe Dirt or his hairstyle. I think his choice of coiffure is wonderful for him, if that's what he likes. It's just not what I had in mind for me.

Not only was that the first time I was displeased with my hair, it was the only time I have ever actually cried after leaving a salon. I realized I had made the fatal mistake of using the word "layers" with someone who had an understanding of the term that was clearly radically different from the meaning I had intended. The next day I had my 'do corrected to something sort of short and flippy and (mostly) non-mullet-like. And I vowed to always bring a picture of my desired cut with me.

So now, hair all grown back, I have upgraded my hair care. I go to a place where the stylists are all wonderfully creatively chic. The decor includes lots of bamboo and natural stone and they soak and massage my feet if I have to wait for any reason. The shampoo basins are in a room filled with soothing music and soft lighting that filters down from overhead fixtures shaped like giant zinnia blossoms. I think the stylists keep notes on what you talk about with them so they can pick up right where they last left off with you, no matter how long it's been between visits.

Upon reflection, I may have gone a bit overboard with my dramatic switch to the other extreme of the hair salon spectrum. But again,

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I feel justified.

And now I'm hooked. Besides being the most environmentally friendly salon in town -- which I love -- the absolute BEST thing about the whole experience (besides getting non-mullet results) is the fact that I get complimentary massages with each haircut.

Before my hair gets shampooed, I am directed to a massage chair where I sit with my face peeking through the little terry cloth covered hole (this always makes me feel a bit like an astronaut looking out of the tiny window of my space capsule). My eyes don't stay open for long, though, because the stylist quickly works essential oil of peppermint into the roots of my hair and proceeds to gently knead my scalp to my indescribable delight. These haircuts cost me two to three times what my haircuts used to cost, but I don't care. Only three words enter my consciousness as the stylist's hands start to swirl up and down my back:

Worth. Every. Penny.

If I had to choose between a massage and, say, food, on any given day, the massage would definitely win hands down. I'm seriously confused as to how we ever evolved into a society where we don't do this sort of thing to each other all the time. Every day. I think we could. It would be quite easy, really. We would just have to retrain our minds to include it as an option:

Watch "The Bachelorette" or have a massage? Massage!

Carry out texting/e-mailing/phoning responsibilities multiple times per day or consolidate and get a massage? Massage!

Clean the tub or leave it for another day and have a massage? Uh, hello... Massage!

It wouldn't have to cost anything either. I think suitable friends, family, and partners would usually be happy to trade massages. I think those who have agreeable people around them should totally do this! I know I'm going to try to make it more of a conscious option for myself. But alas, I don't think society in general is quite ready for it. There are too many people who haven't had enough experience with loving, appropriate human touch to make this lovely plan go off without a hitch. I foresee lots of hitches. But I also think that being a civilization of people who could connect positively in this way is definitely a worthwhile goal.

And although I've had fun reminiscing about and relating my disturbing-at-the-time-but-funny-now hair fiasco, human touch and relaxation are really the main topics of this post. (Speaking of reminiscing, though, the expression "human touch" caused my brain to rummage around for this. It has humorous hair too!).

Did you know that infants in neonatal care units who are massaged regularly gain more weight, are more alert, and leave the hospital sooner than those who are not massaged? I learned this when I took an infant massage class after my daughter was born. It was one of the best things I ever did when she was a baby -- it was a hugely bonding experience for both of us. I've since learned that babies who are massaged have improved growth, sleep, digestion, neurological development and self-organization.

Of course, massage for adults has multiple physical and mental benefits as well. The body is both stimulated and relaxed, toxins are released, and healing is promoted. The body takes the lead and the mind follows, opting out of its stream of thought for a while. The person who takes full advantage of the process and sinks into the relaxation ends up refreshed and re-energized on multiple levels.

Massage isn't the only means of achieving relaxation that is assisted by human contact. My interest in human touch, healing and relaxation is partly why I decided to take a Reiki workshop a few years ago and have expanded my training since then. If you don't already know, Reiki is a holistic therapeutic treatment in which a practitioner places hands on a person's body in various positions to induce a state of profound relaxation and promote healing.

The word "Reiki" is a Japanese word interpreted by many to mean "universal life force energy," and it is this energy that is said to flow through the practitioner, who serves as a channel for it, to the person receiving the treatment. Many people see it as a spiritual practice, and I suppose I do too, although I tend to think of everything as falling into that category. I don't like to label things much, though, and I'm not attached to any particular spiritual meaning given to me by anyone else about Reiki. I mostly do it for a couple of reasons:

1) I think that loving, appropriate human touch is beneficial to anyone who is receptive to it.
2) It feels good.

Even though the above two reasons are the only things I feel I really need to know about Reiki, I do have some thoughts about some aspects of how it works (which I'm going to share here for my own -- and possibly your -- information/amusement). I think a lot of it has to do with the relaxed state that the practitioner enters into and that is induced in the recipient (which is a state also frequently achieved during massage, yoga, or other relaxing activities).

There is something called the Schumann Resonance, which is the fundamental resonant frequency of the electromagnetic energy that exists between the Earth's surface and its ionosphere (the zone where all surface life resides). Some people refer to this fundamental frequency as the "heartbeat" of the Earth. It is actually a standing wave produced by the geomagnetic waves radiating upwards from the earth and the solar energy projected downward in the form of lightning strikes that occur all over the earth at any given moment. (However, as I listen to the cicadas that are rhythmically buzzing in the trees outside my windows and getting louder and louder as I write this, I think they might potentially be a backup generator).

Some people connect this fundamental frequency of the Earth with the generally good feeling we get when we spend time outdoors enjoying nature. However, even when we're inside, although the signal is weaker, it can still waft through the windows ...in the form of cicada sounds, for example. Actually, we're immersed in this frequency all the time as long as we're on Earth. It can, however, be weaker or stronger, depending on how natural our immediate environment is, and whether other frequencies (i.e., electromagnetic pollution) are interfering with our clear reception of it.

Seeing as how humans evolved in the electromagnetic environment of the Earth's surface, it is really not all that surprising that the fundamental Schumann resonant frequency happens to correspond exactly to the frequency of human brain waves -- when they are in a relaxed state.

Human brain waves, as measured in EEG studies, have four main frequency ranges:

...beta - alert, active concentration, busy or anxious thinking
..............(beta is the normal mode for most people)
...alpha - relaxed, light meditation, daydreaming
...theta - deeply relaxed or deeply meditative, light sleep, dreaming
...delta - deep restorative sleep

The average value of the Schumann resonance is at the low end of the alpha range or high end of the theta range. It is roughly where alpha and theta intersect -- the threshold between wakefulness and sleep. It is a deeply relaxed state in which we are most receptive to creativity and inspiration. It is also a state that promotes healing and feelings of general well-being. It's a sweet spot of consciousness.

I think most people have at least had glimpses of this sweet spot, although I don't think it's regularly experienced by the majority. I've gotten better at consciously putting myself in this state, although my clearest experience of it ever came from anesthesia. I had some minor surgery once, and I don't have any idea what they gave me to put me out. But afterwards, I came to so gradually that I was aware of having just barely crossed the border into consciousness, and all I know is that I loved EVERYTHING. From my hospital bed in the recovery area I could see a child's area where a big stuffed giraffe stood on an exam table. I LOVED that giraffe. I don't mean that I thought it was sweet or cute. I loved it with all my heart. I loved the exam table with all my heart. I loved the hospital and everyone in it with all my heart. At that moment, Jabba the Hutt could have sidled up to me and I would have given him a big bear hug and a playful noogie. Everything was perfect and I loved everything.

While reading about the Schumann resonance, I read the writings of some sensitive soul somewhere who said that the fundamental frequency of the Earth is Love. During my hospital sweet spot experience, due to my state of consciousness being just at the cusp of unconsciousness, my brain waves were probably precisely in sync with the Earth's fundamental frequency at that time. And based on this experience alone, I would agree that this frequency is most certainly Love.

When I practice Reiki, I prepare by putting myself in this brain wave state as much as possible. Deep breathing and clearing my mind help me get there. EEG studies have shown that during a Reiki treatment, the brain waves of practitioners have approximately the same frequency as the Schumann Resonance, and the brain waves of the recipient become synchronized with this frequency as well. These studies have also shown that the biomagnetic field of the practitioner's hands is at least one thousand times greater than normal during a treatment session.

I think that this is one benefit of Reiki (or any hands-on methods of relaxation/healing) over other activities that also promote deep relaxation, like yoga, individual meditation, taking a bath, or listening to calming music. Reiki involves resonance and amplification of healing energies due to the presence of another person -- it is human touch at its finest and most beneficial. I think massage has this characteristic too, although the intent and process are a little different.

Of course any activity that puts us in a deeply relaxed brain wave state is going to be beneficial. And another person is not required, it can just be helpful. The key, in my opinion, is for this brain wave state to become our norm. Reiki, for example, usually works most effectively when engaged in repeatedly over a period of time. I think this is partly because the more often we enter into a deeply relaxed state, the more easily we can remember how it feels. Then we can begin to recognize when we are not in that state and can put ourselves back in that state at will.

Can you imagine if everyone did this and our default mode was a deeply relaxed but conscious state? We would all have the kind of feeling where nothing could get us down. We would all walk around with goofy smiles on our faces and hug strangers just because they're there. We would stop every now and then to do a little jig. We might even feel inclined to say hello to random lamp posts. There would be all kinds of new ideas and solutions to problems, and by each of us following our own sense of bliss, we would put them all into action. We would truly be grooving with the Earth and all life upon it.

We would all feel good.

No matter what our hair looks like.

Let's do it.

I'm starting today -- with a massage followed by a Reiki treatment. Then my brain waves will begin to resonate with someone else's, and their waves will resonate with someone elses's, and so on... and so on... and so on... and before you know it, even the most hard-hearted of big gooey slug-like monsters will be overcome with feelings of peace and brotherly love.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Reiki energy (like any energy) can also be sent long distance -- the Earth resonates with us all of course -- so I'm sending some positive, loving vibes along the wave to you from me. :-)

P.S. Can you feel it?

Perfectly Imperfect

2010-08-06T00:53:00.020-04:00

Photos by Flickr User All Dolled Up

Sometimes I speak and forget to listen.
Sometimes I listen but don't know what to say.
Sometimes I think I use too many smiley faces when I write.
Other times I REALLY wish I HAD used a smiley face.
(And sometimes I wish I had more occasion to use these emoticons.)
Sometimes I get frustrated.
And then I get frustrated about being frustrated.
Sometimes I'm confused.
Occasionally I think I have all the answers.
I often have no idea what I'm doing.
And sometimes I forget that's okay.

I'm not perfect.

But if I were perfect I would have nowhere to grow.

So I'm learning to accept all my imperfections. I'm even beginning to celebrate them. They don't just make my day - they make my life!

I think Laurie Berkner, one of my favorite children's musicians, sings it... well... perfectly:

I'm not perfect
No I'm not
I'm not perfect
But I've got what I've got
I do my very best
Do my very best
Do my very best each day.
But I'm not perfect
And I hope you like me that way.

You're not perfect
No you're not
You're not perfect
But you've got what you've got
You do your very best
Do your very best
Do your very best each day
But you're not perfect
And you know I love you that way.

Have a fabulously imperfect day today!
<:)

The You Tree

2010-07-29T00:20:00.025-04:00

Ancient Yew Tree

Estimated to be 2,000 - 5,000 years old

Photo by Flickr User John B G

You don't know nothin'

But you don't need to know

The wisdom's in the trees

Not the glass windows.

-- Jack Johnson

Ever since I can remember, I've been an award-winning sleeper (assuming anyone would give me an award for this "talent"). I can sleep anywhere, anytime, and in any position. And nothing bothers me when I sleep -- lights, thunderstorms, freight trains (if they were to happen to pass through the bedroom), not to mention alarm clocks -- I don't even notice. I truly seem to be in another world when I sleep.

Another characteristic of mine is that (when I'm awake) I am also highly sensory-oriented. I have an overwhelming need to reach out and feel anything that has an inviting texture or surface. I'm one of those people who has to feel your shirt sleeve if it appears to be the least bit silky or fuzzy or interesting in any other tangible way. I'm also very visual. In school, I could learn anything if I pictured it, and if I couldn't remember the answer to a question on an exam, all I had to do was picture my notes. I could virtually look up anything in my head this way. My other senses are equally as vivid -- I'm delighted and intrigued by all kinds of scents, sounds and tastes, and each stimulus has its own vibrant network of associations in my brain. I love to sense. If that makes any sense.

My ability to sleep and my awakened senses may seem unrelated, but they actually work together to have an interesting effect. My full immersion in the world of sleep and my corresponding full immersion in the sensations of the awake world meet somewhere in a world in the middle and result in my having incredibly amazing and vivid dreams.

I always feel like people who say they don't dream or who don't remember their dreams are missing out. I love to dream. I'm fascinated and awed by the process. In my experience, dreams are truly a bridge between the unmaterialized and the materialized, the spirit and the physical, the inner and the outer, or whatever other names you want to use to designate the two realms. I feel that dreams are a good indication of how in touch we are -- and how well we communicate with -- our deeper Self.

There are, of course, many different types of dreams. Most basically, there are the ones that are thinly veiled versions of some situation we're dealing with in our daily life. Those are pretty easy to figure out.

Then there are the ones where some former third grade classmate of yours (whom you haven't seen or thought about since the third grade) shows up at your current house (which doesn't look at all like your house, but somehow you know it's supposed to be your house), plays you a song on his tuba (which turns out to be quite touching actually), then turns into Cookie Monster and says, "Me want cookie!" Then your mom comes out of your kitchen and tells him she's sorry, but you're all out of cookies. (Okay, maybe I'm the only one who has had dreams like this one.) These dreams take a little more work to figure out. Or, they might just confirm that you ate an entire batch of cookies right before you went to bed.

But the most powerful dreams of all, for me, are the ones where the depths and potential of the inner/spirit/unmaterialized world are truly accessed. These are the ones where you experience things that are completely new and surprising to the awake version of yourself. Solutions to problems are presented; complex and meaningful symbols appear; situations that you never would have consciously imagined play themselves out in your head. And sometimes, we can perceive things in dreams that are beyond ordinary conscious perception as we know it.

I was in the eighth grade when I had the first dream I can remember that woke me up to a slightly different version of reality. I dreamed one morning that I was talking with a friend at school and noticed that she had a little white bandage on the tip of her finger. After I woke up and went to school for real, I ended up sitting next to this friend in Social Studies class. She had the same little white bandage on the same finger as in my dream. It turned out she had hurt her finger the night before, but we hadn't seen or spoken to each other since before that.

I had no explanation for how I could have dreamed something exactly the way I would later see it without having any ordinary means of accessing that information. The only conclusion I could draw was that the the states of sleep and wakefulness were really not all that separate, and that people, things and events were more connected than I had ever realized. During my sleep I had accessed a level where things are more unified.

That first dream brought with it a wave of similar dreams, and then there was a long period where I don't remember any significant dreams. Then, I experienced another wave of extraordinary dreams, and I got a little better at recognizing ones that carried information straight from the "pool" as I like to call it versus ones that were just a result of the daily chatter of my mind. Many of these "pool" dreams were minor and seemed to be simply training me to pay attention. Others have impacted my life in a tangible way somehow. One especially powerful dream I had seven years ago has transformed the way I see reality so much that it has turned into a creative writing project that I am working on and plan to publish.

About a year ago, sometime at the end of June or in early July, I had one of my more powerful dreams to date. In this dream, I was making soup for a little boy who was eating at a table in what I think was supposed to be my dining room. I went into the kitchen to prepare more soup, and opened a cabinet to look for herbs and spices to add. A voice from somewhere in the kitchen suggested that I try something that sounded like it might be an herb (I had never heard the word this person used before). I woke up at that moment with the word still ringing in my ears and felt strongly that it was for some reason very important.

Before I had even changed into my clothes that morning, I went to my computer, turned it on, and searched for the word I had heard in my dream. The very first website that came up had that word as the address. It was a website managed in the Netherlands but dedicated to the ancient forests of England and the small group of people today whose aboriginal ancestors had passed down to them intimate understandings about nature and the healing qualities of ancient trees. The site extensively discussed the connection of humans to the natural world -- especially how we can benefit and learn from trees.

Having my dream point me to this particular website was astounding to me because in the few years prior to this dream I had been learning a great deal about energy and natural healing, as well as feeling much more connected to nature and its wisdom. This site just happened to be in line with all that I had been learning, and gave me new information to consider as well. Another element of surprise for me was that the little boy in my dream, who was not someone I knew, but someone I knew of, happened to actually be in or near England at the time I had the dream. The ridiculous coincidence of it all seemed so unrandom. How was it possible that a word I had never heard before in a dream led me to something I could not have otherwise known about that was possibly linked to someone else's experience and was directly related to my own private path of study?

Well, I think that's exactly what dreams are intended to do. They are the relay station between worlds that we may unconsciously perceive as completely separate. Our most inner and expansive self (which is of course connected to all) is trying to communicate to us what we aim to bring forth in the outer world. The inner wants to express itself authentically in the outer. But when the outer loses touch with the inner, the expression becomes distorted. Dreams are one important way of re-establishing the connection and re-authenticating the signal. But we have to pay attention to them and understand their messages for them to be effective.

The more I have contemplated this particular dream and the information it led me to, the more I have realized that trees are a perfect metaphor for human spiritual/physical experience. Or, you could say they are a metaphor for our sleep/awake state. Although there are many aspects to this metaphor, one has to do with the root system. To human eyes, trees are invisibly rooted underground. We usually only see their above-ground expression of trunk and limbs. This is exactly the same as how we humans are rooted in a world that we don't physically see. We only see the physical manifestation in the outer world. One lesson trees teach us is the importance of grounding ourselves solidly in the unseen for a healthy above-ground expression. If a root system is shallow, not firmly established, or diseased, you end up with an unhealthy tree.

If we don't dismiss our dreams but instead pay attention to them and learn their language (which really only requires us to be in touch with how dreams make us feel), we strengthen our root system. And that correspondingly strengthens our expression in the world. When we apply what we learn from our dreams to our daily lives, then the inner becomes expressed more authentically in the outer. And that, in my opinion, is the realization of the most precious dream of our deepest Self. We return to our true nature. And eventually our dreams become indistinguishable from reality.

And with that, I'm calling it a night. Sweet dreams.

Moon Over Indiana

2010-07-20T23:16:00.018-04:00

Here is my lame-o attempt to take a picture of an amazing moon in a bright clear sky a couple of nights ago:
.

. Using a shoebox on the patio table as my tripod, I still had to steady the camera with my hand, so I just tried really hard not to breathe or have a heartbeat when I pushed the button. At least the general shape of the moon is pretty much identifiable, which is really the most important thing for this post.

My daughter always likes to find the moon whenever she's up late enough to see it, and she loves being able to tell me if it's waxing or waning (in her words of course it's either getting bigger or getting smaller). She knows what the moon's up to because of a little saying I taught her that I picked up somewhere along the line. In case you don't know it, it goes like this:

Dog comes in, cat goes out.

If the moon is curved outward on the right side, like the letter "D" (as in "Dog"), as in the photo above, then it is coming in -- heading toward a full moon.

If the moon is curved outward on the left side, like the letter "C" (as in "Cat"), as in the photo below, then it is going out -- heading toward no visible moon.
.
.
.

.
.

Photo by Flickr User E_Journeys

Apparently, in the Southern hemisphere, the situation is reversed (a "C" shape indicates waxing and a "D" shape means waning). The spatial part of my brain responsible for flipping my perspective upside down is too sleepy at the moment to fully picture exactly how this works.

Also, I don't know how I didn't ever realize this before, but I just learned from NASA's moon page that we only ever see one side of the moon. I suppose that's where the whole "dark side of the moon" thing comes from, although it isn't actually always dark on the side we don't see. The moon rotates just like the Earth, so each side of it faces the sun at some point. However, if I understand correctly, the time it takes for the moon to rotate once is the same as the time it takes for it to revolve once around the Earth - about 27.3 days (thank you, NASA). That means that, just like someone walking around you in a circle, if they always faced you, they would still rotate, but you would never see their back side. My sleepy brain did figure that one out finally.

But I'm not too sleepy to appreciate the astounding orchestration of this whole arrangement. Not only do we here on Earth have a constant light for our days, but we get a counterpart at night that gives us varying degrees of light. We get to revolve around the sun and be granted full view of its shining glory from all sides, while its counterpart revolves around us in such a precise way that we are given the opportunity to contemplate a side that is unseen. The timing of it all blows me away.

I ALSO just now learned, thanks to the NASA page, that I happen to be writing this post on the exact anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, when Neil Armstrong took his one small step for man, one giant leap for Mankind as the first human being to set foot on the moon. That happened on July 20, 1969.

Huh. I truly was not aware of that. Talk about timing. I just happened to be inspired to take a picture and write about the moon.

Well, that's all the fun moon info I have at the moment. Since you will probably be reading this during the daytime, I wish you sunshine today and clear skies for moongazing tonight, as the moon dog ventures a little farther in.

The Imagine Project

2010-07-15T08:00:00.009-04:00

.
While searching for one of my favorite India.Arie videos, I came across the videos below documenting Herbie Hancock's collaborations with numerous world musicians (including India.Arie) on his recently released The Imagine Project. Check it out:

And, back to my original goal, I leave you with some other lovely India.Arie songs:

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

2010-07-12T09:59:00.002-04:00

.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, consistently one of the top three wealthiest people in the world, has this to say about the greatest gift he ever received:

Buffett intends to give 99% of his roughly $46 billion fortune to charity (and has already started the process). He and friend Bill Gates are currently recruiting others who are among the world's richest individuals to consider sharing at least half of their wealth with society as well:

And, it's nice to know that even Warren likes to lose himself in the gift that is YouTube:

Harold and the Purple Crayon

2010-07-09T10:37:00.010-04:00

.
Today's featured children's book is Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson (who was also the illustrator and husband to the author of the previously featured children's book, The Carrot Seed).

The message of Harold is equally simple and profound:

Have fun with your crayon and always remember where your window is so you can come home and rest.

(And draw some pie. Lots of pie.)

The Carrot Seed

2010-07-07T15:06:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I took a break from working, rested my head on the table, and the story below flashed up on my mental blackboard. I realized that it's time to highlight a couple more beloved children's books on this blog.

Today, it is The Carrot Seed, written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Crockett Johnson.

Connected

2010-06-30T01:07:00.012-04:00

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.
Last summer during my walks outside I began noticing medallions like the one above implanted in the pavement next to the storm sewers in my neighborhood. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the water droplet and fish in the center join together to form a heart. Aside from reminding me of the obvious impact of dumping hazardous wastes, these medallions have definitely made me more aware of how everything that runs off our lawns or is tossed into the streets doesn't just disappear after being washed away. I want to meet and thank the person or people who designed these medallions and made sure they were placed by every storm sewer, because it is the awareness of our connection to the water supply and the rest of nature that will help more people understand that the earth must be taken care of, and that by doing so we take care of ourselves as well.

It was in the interest of reinforcing this awareness that I took my daughter to a "Water and Climate" presentation at our local library last week where she got to pretend she was a water molecule. She went to different stations around the room that represented all the places you find water (glaciers, oceans, rivers, ground water, clouds, etc.) and rolled a die to go to another station where the water might end up next. There was even a station for plants and one for animals/people, of course, since we are made primarily of water. At each station she got a different color bead to put on a string before going on to the next spot. After her globe-trotting experience as water, she ended up with a colorful bracelet as a visual reminder of how all water is connected, and how she is an integral part of the whole system.

I think that many adults would benefit from an activity like this. Our human connection to water and the connection of all water around the world is just one example of the inter-connectedness of life that people often forget about. This forgetting, or lack of awareness, happens not only environmentally, but in all areas of human experience.

I'm reminded of a doctor who once told me that a problem I had in one internal organ had nothing to do with a problem I was experiencing in another area of the body at the same time. He told me they were separated physically and therefore could not affect each other. I knew that they were related, because I already understood that my body operates as a whole. If something happens in one area of the body, it influences the rest of the body. (Not to mention the fact that all kinds of exchanges happen through skin, cell walls, etc. -- nothing is really completely physically separated in the body). I was trying to tell him that one problem was aggravating the other. But that particular doctor had no idea what I was talking about.

A reminder of the connection of all things is part of what this blog is all about. But I freely admit that I personally don't remember inter-connectedness all the time. In fact, I forget in many cases. But I write here partly to practice awareness and to remind myself to be conscious of connectedness in all ways. And I'm remembering more and more.

For example, this past Friday morning I went for a long walk outside. It had been a busy morning already, and shortly after I left the house, I realized that I had forgotten to check the calendar for the day. I didn't think I had any appointments, though, so I continued on. Toward the end of my journey, I turned down an alley that I don't normally venture into and discovered it gave me a view of some beautiful back yards and gardens of houses I normally only see from the front. I was taking in the images of one property, not thinking anything in particular, when my gaze was drawn to the roof. It was similar to the roof on our own house.

An expletive flew out of my mouth as I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to be meeting someone from the roofing company. I looked at my watch. They hadn't given me an exact time, but they were supposed to come during the morning, and the morning was almost over. I panicked. For the last two weeks we'd had buckets and towels on our living room floor to catch the water that had come bursting through the ceiling. There had been several heavy rainstorms lately and we were expecting more rain.

Our home is so old as to be historic, and despite having had a new roof put on a while back, we've still had intermittent leaks that tend to reappear in a slightly different spot right after we have repaired the ceiling (after having the roof repaired again). This has been going on for at least six years, and has been one of the things that has caused me to spend way more time on home maintenance than on my creative projects. I am working to completely reverse this situation, but even in order to sell the house, the roof problem must be solved. And roofers must be involved.

Being kind of far from home still, I started to feel like it was too late to make it back in time to catch the roofers. But then I remembered that I had just been in a meditative state when I "coincidentally" recalled they were scheduled to come by. In my experience, flashes of anything during those states are not coincidental at all, and I figured I was actually probably remembering just in the nick of time. However, I didn't want to push it and I started running back to the house.

I stopped running after I got close to my block, but still walked briskly. I spotted a plastic soda bottle in the grass near the sidewalk, and since it was within my reach I scooped it up. After a few more steps my eye caught a crumpled cigarette box in the street near the storm sewer opening. It was only a few inches away from the wide-toothed grin of the grate, and ordinarily I would have retrieved it. But since I was in a hurry, I thought to myself, I can't stop or I might miss the roofers and this water leak will never get fixed.

Suddenly, my body, mind, and spirit all cried out in unison:

No.

That's NOT how it works. It can't be. I am connected to the Earth. I take care of Mother Earth and she takes care of me. By taking care of the Earth, I take care of myself.

My body continued to walk, but inside I had become still. I know it might sound silly, but having this realization about this seemingly insignificant piece of trash was transforming. It dawned on me that I had just told myself that taking five extra seconds to keep trash out of the river was going to result in undesirable consequences in my life. I had effectively told myself I was disconnected.
.
My clarity restored, instead of believing I would suffer negative consequences for stopping to help keep the river clean, I knew that without a doubt I would ultimately only be helping myself by doing so. No matter what happened with the roofers that day, I knew that my roof problem would be solved. One way or another everything would turn out okay. And it would be because at that moment I was choosing to live from my core and not from my fear of what might happen if I did.

I deliberately wheeled around, walked back to the cigarette carton in its filmy plastic wrapper, snatched it up and continued walking. Along the way down the rest of the block I stopped to pick up another plastic bottle, another cigarette package, and a plastic fountain drink lid. Tiny, tiny acts. But full of the power of the universe.

When I rounded the corner I could see our house, and the roofers' truck was parked in the street out front. I walked up to the truck, waved, and the driver's door opened. Although the truck was from the same company that had put the new roof on and had been trying to repair it ever since, a man I had never seen before got out.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long." I said.

"No, I just got here," he said as I internally acknowledged that I already knew that would be the case. His gaze shifted from my face to my handful of bottles and litter. I introduced myself and explained the roof issues to him. Then I told him I'd show him the location of the leak inside after making a stop by the recycling bin.

Once the guy saw the damage inside and heard the rest of the story, he shook his head and said he understood what had happened. He told me that the job had not been done properly to begin with and that the people who had been involved with it previously were no longer with the company because of situations like this.

"This is what I'm going to do," he said in an unequivocal voice. "I'm going to tear off your entire lower roof and put a new one on the way it should have been done in the first place. My roof will not leak. My name is Patrick* and you can count on me."

Patrick might as well have ridden up on a white horse. I almost threw my arms around him and hugged him. Instead I shook his hand with both of mine and thanked him profusely. I pay a lot more attention to my intuition these days, and I could tell that he meant what he said.

* His name was not Patrick, but the rest is all true.

So. Is it simply a coincidence that I re-awakened to my true connection to the Earth and reclaimed my internal power accordingly and then experienced a shift in external circumstances that helps support my progress toward my conscious creative goals, which in turn support the Earth?

Coincidence?? No such thing.

I am Nature. We all are. I am connected to everything. I give and I receive. I flow - like a (clean) river. THAT is how I work.

I remember now.

Image via Photobucket

Sarazino - Funky World Fusion

2010-06-23T21:12:00.017-04:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sarazino's CD Ya Foy! is a purchase I made last Fall based on vibe alone. I was at a book store picking up some Ziggy Marley music to give as a gift, and in the same endcap rack was a CD with this guy flashing me the peace sign. Maybe that's what got me. Maybe it was the earth-friendly packaging that sealed the deal. I don't know. I had never heard of Sarazino before, but I bought the CD. Something just told me I'd dig the guy or the group or whoever they were and their music. And guess what? I do.

I listened to it in the car right after I bought it, and liked it, but for some reason it got lost at the bottom of the stack of CD's in the cubbyhole in the car (probably because certain favorite kids' CD's tend to dominate the top of the stack because of a certain favorite little passenger). While organizing our travel tunes a few months ago I rediscovered the Sarazino disc. Since then, it's been a steady companion in the car, allowing me to get my Latin-Reggae-African-Arabic funk on during my journeys. And my other little companion happens to enjoy it too. It hasn't made it to the bottom of the stack again yet.

Sarazino's web page describes the artist's diverse cultural and musical background:
Sarazino is the brainchild of Lamine Fellah, a musician, songwriter and producer whose nomadic life is reflected in the multicultural influences in his songs. Fellah is a true child of a globalized world and Sarazino's music draws on reggae, Latin and African grooves, Arabic music, and catchy, international pop to create an upbeat celebration of the diverse world we all share.

Fellah was born in Constantine, Algeria, on March 3, 1970. His father was a career diplomat whose postings brought the family to live in Spain and Switzerland, as well as the African countries of Burundi and Burkina Faso. While living in Africa, the young Fellah was exposed to many different varieties of West African music styles as well as reggae, which was very popular in Africa at the time. At an early age, Fellah was introduced to Arab-Andalusian music and Spanish flamenco by his mother, and grew up listening to popular French music.

In 1984, when he was 14 years old, Fellah bought his first drum set and soon became interested in writing his own music. Fellah was living in Burkina Faso at the time, and the fertile musical environment inspired him to form a band with some local friends. In 1988, Fellah moved to Canada to get his degree in political science and economics at the University of Montréal. His true passion, however, remained with music. Montréal's active nightclub and festival scene gave him plenty of opportunities to explore new sounds.

In 1993, tragedy befell Fellah's family when Islamic radicals in Algeria assassinated his father and forced the rest of his family into a life of exile from their homeland. This intensely personal confrontation with fundamentalism and violence had a great impact on Fellah's music, which emphasizes the need for personal and political freedom while encouraging people to love their neighbors and celebrate our commonalities as well as our differences.
Lamine Fellah currently resides in Quito Ecuador, where he moved after falling in love with Latin America on a vacation trip in 1996. African singer Revelino Aguidissou, who also happens to reside in Quito now, contributes vocals to several songs on the album.

Ya Foy! is an expression from West Africa that either means "Here We Are" in the Baoulé language (according to the CD package), or else it means "No Problem" in the Dioula language (according to the web site). I'm not sure which it is, but either way, I like it.

Below is a video for a song from the album called "People" featuring Toots Hibbert. According to the CD explanation, the song is "an invitation to value love more than anything in this world, despite all the challenges that we are confronted with in our daily lives."

If you go to the Sarazino link and click on the "albums/downloads" menu option, you can listen to extended samples of the songs from Ya Foy! to see if you would enjoy any of them. The album is also available on iTunes and Amazon.com.

Some of my favorites:

"Nadia" (track 7) - probably my overall favorite track, just because its Middle Eastern flavor turns me into a belly dancing fool (well, as much as one can belly dance while driving her child safely around).

"Cochabamba" (track 6) - a zippy fusion of French-Spanish-English with a catchy beat that makes me feel good. From the CD: "A song about the social and political dynamics of Latin America, where the desire to make the world a better place leads to the fresh air of revolutionary transformation."

"Fuera de Babilonia" (track 13) - From the CD: "You don't need to be rich to be happy. This song is for the people who don't let the system kill their spirits."

"One Big World" (track 12) - From the CD: "A global party in which people of all backgrounds and races dance together. For a magical moment, the whole world is one, grooving to the rhythm of millions of ancient drums."

Really, all the songs are good in their own ways. If you like to throw on some Putumayo music occasionally while you dance around making dinner (or if you like to belly dance in the car), you will probably enjoy this.

Check it out and feel some groovy world party-ness. Not that it's the only means of achieving a more unified global co-existence, but supporting artists who promote peace and cross-cultural integration and feeling the happy music of the world contributes in its own critically important and very special way.

Paz, Paix, Salaam, and Peace

Presente!

2010-06-16T10:47:00.000-04:00

.
This makes a fantabulous morning anthem (hairbrush microphone optional; dancing required). Awesome day guaranteed.

Honk Honk

2010-06-09T10:45:00.024-04:00

Photo by Flickr User NaPix -- Hmong Soul

When I did a Flickr search for a photo for my last post, the one I liked the most and settled on was by NaPix -- Hmong Soul. When I clicked on the photo to save it to my blog and saw the photostream, I realized that I had used a photo from the same photographer for a different post back in November. Considering all the people and photos on Flickr, I thought it was interesting that I ended up with two from the same person when each time I was looking for more of a feeling and not particularly a specific image. So, I checked out some of the other photos on the account, and was truly touched by the beauty, feelings, and soul that they exude (click one of the links above to enjoy).

While browsing through the photos, I found the above photo of flying Canada geese along with the information below. Turns out geese have a lot of stuff figured out.

LESSONS FROM GEESE
(by Milton Olson, adapted by Angeles Arrien)

FACT 1
As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson:
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

.
FACT 2
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
..
Lesson:
If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

.
FACT 3
When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson:
It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

FACT 4
The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson:
We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.
.

.
FACT 5
When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson:
If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

.
Go to this link to learn more about Canada Geese and how they live and communicate.
.

.
The next time I'm at the park and a goose waddles up to me honking, I'm going to thank him/her from the bottom of my heart and honk right back.

I'm going to go honk at NaPix right now for sharing his art.

And a big honk to you!

Photo by Flickr User NaPix -- Hmong Soul

Shake It!

2010-05-21T10:39:00.009-04:00

.
Because you're perfect just the way you are...

(The person with the camera was shakin' it, baby!)

Celebrating Life

2010-05-14T06:42:00.034-04:00

.
"The sacred is in the ordinary... it is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's own backyard..."
— Abraham Maslow

My parents' house is a special place. I think even when I was growing up I realized this on some level. We essentially had a revolving door. Six kids, extended family, friends, neighbors, and other community members supplied a constant stream of people in and out of the house. To this day, as I turn into my parents' driveway, there is usually either a visitor's car there or one is pulling out just as I arrive. And as I leave, a new car is usually pulling in. My mom welcomes everyone. As busy as she is, she will stop whatever she is doing to have a cup of tea and a conversation with you when you come in, expected or not.

Even the squirrels want to be let in.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Seriously. My parents fed them a few times on the back deck a couple of years ago and now those squirrels and all their relatives still come to the back door to see if anyone's home and if we have any cashews burning a hole in our pocket.

While we were growing up, our household was busy and had its share of the challenges that come with having a lot of people under one roof to take care of. But there was also a great deal of love and wonderfulness that were everpresent in more ways than I ever realized at the time.

Mom was interested in nutrition and made sure she cooked us balanced meals, and somehow we ate dinner all together almost every night - all eight of us crammed around our little kitchen table. We grew vegetables and berries in the back yard garden (which I remember hating to weed!). Dad was intensely curious about the world and passed on to us his love of reading and learning. Mom did crafts with us and found beauty and wonder in the little things. Dad would take things apart and put them back together and explain to us how stuff worked. Mom focused on the positive in everyone and everything and liked to sing as she worked around the house. When Dad wasn't playing a musical instrument, he was playing music on the stereo. Loud music usually. We regularly fell asleep up in our rooms to the distant melody and pulse of the music vibrating through the floorboards from the living room below. Jazz and big band were Dad's favorites, but we grew up hearing a variety of mellow sounds floating through the house. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Dave Brubeck, George Benson, Herb Alpert, and all the great folk artists of the seventies (like this, this, this, etc., etc...) provided the soundtrack to my early years.

My visits to my parents' home have become more frequent lately because for the last few years my dad has been dealing with a rare degenerative disease, and he and my mom have needed some additional family support. I have hesitated to write about this because I think it could be perceived as a sad topic, but I write about it precisely because the situation is exactly the opposite. The way my dad (and my mom) have handled this illness has been an incredible inspiration to me and everyone else their lives have touched.

A good portion of Dad's spare time throughout his life has been dedicated to Things That Go. He loves to build models of planes, trains, and automobiles (and boats too). He built a canoe when I was little and used to take us canoeing and fishing in it. He has restored several real-life classic automobiles and loves to go cruising around in them with the top down. He has flown his radio control model airplanes in local fields and has regularly attended air shows to see real planes dipping and looping and performing other amazing feats in the sky. One of the few videotapes we had when I was little was the story of the Wright Brothers, and I'm guessing I was probably one of the few girls around who had watched that story at least twenty times by the time I was ten.

Unfortunately for someone with such a passion for motion, Dad's illness has left him almost fully immobilized. Up until recently, he still had some movement in his hands and arms, and he could move his eyes, but that has been about the extent of it for the last several months. He requires full care around the clock, which my mom provides with love and affection and the strength of at least a dozen ordinary people.

The thing is, aside from expressing some anxiety and concern over the well-being of my mom, my dad has not expressed a single moment of negativity or self-pity about his situation that I have observed. On the contrary, it has been as if the energy that has been leaving his body has gone to make his spirit glow even brighter. My parents' home has become a place where the only time is the present moment, love and gratitude flow constantly and freely, and joy is the order of every day.

Dad is surrounded by the things that make him happy: his family, his things that go, his books, and his music.

.
.
.

.

.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(This Santa plays a jazzy little version of "Noel" that the grandkids like to hear, so he stays out year-round).

Additionally, the best has been brought out in everybody who has been involved with Mom and Dad during this time. My family and extended family have all taken turns coming over and happily helping out in whatever way is needed. People from out of town come to stay. One of my several MacGyver-like brothers comes over regularly to design/build/fix anything my parents need. One of my other brothers comes over at least a couple of times a week with the specific intention of making my dad laugh the whole time. When Dad tries to tell me about these visits, he belly laughs just thinking about them and can hardly get the words out.

I live farther away, so I don't visit daily, but I've been going to see them at least once a week for several months now. Sometimes I help my mom with whatever she needs done around the house. She usually asks me to do something I probably wouldn't even be thinking of in her situation, like taking the recycling to the drop-off or watering or planting flowers outside. Other times I help care for my dad to give my mom a break and spend some time with him.

Sometimes, if all the physical care has already been done, I just visit with my dad. I'll read to him. Or if he is watching one of the educational DVD's that he's fond of I'll watch it with him (if you have any questions about the cosmos, the origins of Man, the ancient history of England, or the differences between the latest models of BMW and Audi, I'm the girl to ask). A few weeks ago we watched a PBS special on Chet Atkins that I thoroughly enjoyed. My horizons are expanding. Often I give him a Reiki healing treatment while I'm there, which is something that was new to him a year ago but is old hat for him now. His horizons are expanding too.

Speaking has just recently become almost impossible for Dad, but up until a short time ago, we could usually figure out what he was trying to tell us if we could get him to give us one word at a time and try to enunciate as much as he could. His sense of humor has been intact this whole time, thank goodness. Some of my guesses at what he's trying to say leave us both hysterical. More often than not, though, I'll have him repeat something five or six times only to find out that he's been trying to say, "I'm glad that you're here." Or "Thank you for being you." During the years of busy child-rearing, these kinds of sentiments weren't typically heard. But they flow freely now.

There are a few wonderful volunteers who have also come in to help my mom and dad. A kind woman originally from Ireland used to come in to help them out for a while until she had some surgery and couldn't help out anymore. My dad loved getting to talk to her about the ancient people of Ireland, which is one of his historical interests. Before she left she made my dad a CD of Celtic music and made a beautiful scarf for my mom. She comes back just to visit them periodically.

Another angel volunteer happens to be from Turkey originally, and she comes in to help my mom with whatever she needs done. She also gives my dad Reiki treatments. She has brought my parents traditional Turkish meals, Turkish delight candy, and CD's and videos that she thinks they would enjoy. She even takes time to give my mom Reiki treatments too. Talking about this volunteer one day with my parents led to a conversation about what city in Turkey she was from, and I was treated to seeing my mom bust into a version of this song. My dad seriously tested my speech decoding abilities by telling me that the capital of Turkey way back before Constantinople was Byzantium.

Another volunteer, a harp player, came to their house a few months ago because she had heard from the volunteer manager that my dad liked music. My mom invited me and my daughter to come that afternoon to listen, so we did.

She played for a long time, and I listened and enjoyed the beauty of the music, took pictures, and helped entertain the little ones that were in the room listening that day. Toward the end, though, I stopped playing with the baby next to me and started to listen more intently because the music had changed. Although the previous songs had been beautiful, the last songs had grabbed me by the heart. I was disappointed when I realized that the last song was over and she was finished playing. We all applauded enthusiastically and she told us that the last two songs had been her own compositions.

I told her that those last songs had been my favorites. My mom said she had been about to say the same thing. The harpist said that those songs were love songs that related to the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. She said she had applied the process of numerology to the names in the story she was inspired by in order to derive the numbers and then the notes that corresponded to the letters. Then she said she had played the notes and listened to what the music was trying to tell her.

I told her she had definitely heard it.

Later, thinking about the hauntingly beautiful love songs on the harp, I thought of a conversation I had had with my parents earlier. My dad had been telling me how grateful he was for everything that my mom did for him, and that the only thing he was able to give her in return at this point was his love. He turned to her then and said, "I love you more than the Crab Nebula."

"Okay, what is the Crab Nebula?" I asked, thinking that no matter what it was, it was going to be somehow romantic and so very not romantic at the same time. Dad explained that it is the beautiful and intriguing result of a supernova that was observed in 1054 AD and is one of the most studied phenomena in our scientific observations of the cosmos (if you go to the link, it is all interesting, but page eight is especially relevant to the topic of this post.) Dad continued to explain that without the "death" of stars, we would only have hydrogen and helium in the universe. Supernovas create all the other elements that form the building blocks of life as we know it.

Mom told Dad that she was glad she ranked higher than the Crab Nebula, "because what has the crab nebula done for you lately?" I think she was only half joking.

Honestly, I don't think Mom or anyone else in my family really has anything pressing to say to my dad that hasn't been said, and my dad doesn't have anything pressing to say to us. We've all said how much we love each other and we've meant it. We are free to just be with each other and enjoy it. And that won't change, no matter what.

My parents' amazing attitudes and the love that has been shining forth in their home under the most difficult of physical circumstances has made me think a lot about the concepts of love and life. Are love and life inextricably connected? Is what we normally think of as life really only one side of the picture? Is love what brings forth true life? And therefore are death and the perceived physical limitations of our bodies an illusion of sorts? Can the essence of the love of ancient Egypt be channeled and reach through the fabric of time and space and touch a heart in the middle of Indiana thousands of years later? Can it just as easily be felt by letting go of any resistance we have to situations in the lives we are living right now? Does love have anything to do with time or space? Are there different kinds of love? Or is there really only one love at the heart of it all?

I feel grateful that I've been very privileged to witness and feel some of the answers to these questions. I've gotten some long looks at true love and true life through the windows opened to me by my family.
.
I have to say that several of the features of this post remind me a bit of the story told in the movie Secondhand Lions. If you've seen it, you'll understand why. If you haven't, it is definitely worth a watch. My sister brought this movie to me a few years ago, and I thank her for that. The scene below features the young boy's Uncle Hub giving a speech about what every boy needs to know about being a man. It's really just what everyone needs to know about being truly alive.

I've been blessed to have several "Uncle Hubs" in my family. Partly because of their influence, I know what I believe in and I know what I know. And when I remember what I know, I feel truly alive.

I only share this story here because after visiting with my family this week I felt the need to express it and hope maybe it touches something in someone. Maybe it can help someone feel or believe in love a little bit more in some way. I sincerely hope that anyone who happens to stumble across this blog post celebrates their own life today.

Believe and know that true love/true life is at the heart of everything everywhere and it has no end and no limits. See it, feel it, taste it, hear it, and be it. Enjoy being truly alive today.

How To Turn the Whale Around

2010-05-10T01:56:00.007-04:00

If you haven't seen the movie Whale Rider before and you don't wish to view a spoiler, then don't view the clip below right now. Instead, go rent the movie and then come back and view this clip.

Connection. Love. Courage. Action.

These are the ingredients of positive change.

It's a simple recipe.

I think we can handle it.

Each of us as individuals.

Working Together.

Already Gone...

2010-05-04T10:07:00.012-04:00

My journey into introspection during this last month has put me behind in my reading, among other things. How ironic (or not) that just after I made my decision to steadfastly pursue my own creative projects with my whole heart I caught up on some of my blog reading and watched this video.

Lynne Twist Presents FOUR YEARS. GO. from FOUR YEARS. GO. on Vimeo.

Your creativity and who you are MATTER. Whether you're taking giant leaps or baby steps toward your goals, whether you're already in full swing or you're holding strong and making the happy visions in your head more clear, you are helping to make your creative dream a reality.

If everyone shared the love and creativity inside them with those immediately surrounding them, the planet would transform in an instant. But since there are those who are not yet aware enough to open up and do that, those who are aware help show them the way. You affect the experience of the entire planet. And only you can make the unique contributions that are to come from you. No matter what those contributions happen to be, no matter how big or small they may seem to you at any given moment, they make all the difference. Feel the happy. Know it. Trust it. Own it. Be yourself. Share yourself.

Go.

Feeling Loved and Loving

2010-05-01T23:37:00.050-04:00

I confess that I'm in love... with Michelle Obama.

I admire her strength, smarts, confidence, and most of all, her ability to cut through the unimportant stuff and know what her children most need. In a recent article in USA Weekend, she made the following statement about raising her daughters:

“I pray that they are happy with themselves so they are confident and secure in who they are. That’s the basis of everything — that they feel loved, and they have an internal peace. Then everything else will fall into place.”

Bravo! In my opinion, she just stated the most essential parenting principle that all other parenting strategies should support.
.
One of the major realizations that I have had in the last several years is that everyone's behavior comes down to how loved they feel - how much love they feel within themselves for themselves. Our hearts need to be full of love before any extra love can overflow to anyone else. If we're running on empty, we react to the world accordingly, treating others as if they don't - or can't - love us as we are. But if our hearts are full, it doesn't matter how anyone else treats us -- we accept ourselves and can love others despite whatever their behavior may be toward us.
.
The way we treat another person has nothing to do with the other person. It has everything to do with how we feel about ourselves.
.
Ergo, we need to feel good about ourselves -- not the kind of feeling good about ourselves that comes from an inflated ego, rather the kind that comes from a healthy ego that is in harmony with our essential nature. And we develop that healthy ego in childhood by being truly loved by those closest to us.
.
That's not to say that our future success in love and life is completely determined in childhood. We certainly can undo any lack of love expressed during that time by examining our lives and understanding the circumstances of the people around us and how loved they felt themselves. That is the key to filling up our own hearts again. But it is true that those who experience an abundance of love in childhood definitely have a big headstart in living joyful, successful, harmonious, love-filled, authentic lives.

So I applaud Mrs. Obama for being such a powerful positive role model for parents and people in general everywhere. She is one connected woman in the most meaningful sense. Click here to read how Mrs. Obama's tours of the White House for children include making a healthy snack with the pastry chef and visiting the athletic center (both in support of encouraging healthy lifestyles), and spending time in her garden, where she teaches kids about beekeeping and composting.

Sigh.

And learn more about her views on love, education, and personal empowerment in this inspiring TED Talk:

Thank you, Mrs. Obama, for all you do to create the world as you wish it to be. You help to inspire me to continue to pursue my own passions, feed my soul, and follow my dreams. I practice love and connection and write about it every moment I can because it's who I am and because it creates the change I too wish to see in the world. I don't know how to do every technical thing I want to yet, but I am learning what I need to as I go. I am empowered and resolute. My heart is full.

And I'm grateful for all the inspiration and support on this fabulous journey, which comes from many loving sources, including you reading this. Please know that I support you as well.

Here's to Michelle Obama, me, you, and all of us.

And to love, dreams, the journey, and sweet, sweet life.

I'm Alive

2010-04-26T23:14:00.006-04:00

.

"More" by Tyrone Wells. With gratitude to Terrie.

On Magic Carpets

2010-04-21T13:49:00.022-04:00

This is one of my favorite photographs. It's of a section of floor in our family room. It was taken by my daughter one day as she went walking around the house with my bulky camera strapped around her neck. I like it because it reminds me of the warmth I feel in this particular room of our home. And we spend a lot of time playing on the floor, so it evokes happy feelings in me. But I never would have thought to take this sort of picture myself.

I'm thinking of creating a photo collection that shows what you get when you give a four-year old a camera. Here's another shot of hers from that day:

The world through her eyes is colorful, warm, interesting, and (best of all) full of wonder. The people pictures she takes are amazing -- people tend to lose their inhibitions when a four-year old is behind the lens, so she captures a lot of fun, goofiness, natural moments, and genuine smiles. Beauty is seen and felt where it ordinarily would have been passed right over. She brings out the magic.

I've been thinking about magic a lot lately, partly because it has been steadily increasing in my life in recent years. And partly because I've been inundated with the topic as of late since my daughter's dance class is performing their upcoming spring recital routine to the theme from Aladdin. The recital costumes are little turquoise genie outfits. Due to the practice at class and the impromptu practices at home, I am hearing about magic carpet rides several times a week. Each time I see the routine I contemplate magic a little bit more, and I've come to one main conclusion:

Magic - that inexplicable beauty, wonder and mystery of life - exists at all times but is experienced only when you are open to it.

I think it would be easy for most people to perceive the magic and be touched in some way when seeing a troupe of preschool-aged girls twirling and tumbling in genie costumes. But in other scenarios, if people aren't open to the magic being there, they might miss it. Not everyone would see any magic in the above photos, for example.

As another example, I've easily taken over a hundred walks in my neighborhood. And although for some the same old scenery might get boring, I have to say that I am grateful that for me it keeps getting more and more magical and alive. This week, the flowering trees and bushes happen to be in full bloom, and my attention is constantly captured by exquisite sights and scents. Lilacs turn my head with their intoxicating fragrance. Tree branches bursting out in new buds or covered in evergreen arch protectively over my head. One little tree limb even waved to me as I was about to walk under it on a recent windless day. I sent it energy of acknowledgment and gratitude. I'm open to the magic being there, so I look for it and I find it.

With the right sensibility, my neighborhood is transformed into my very own magical forest, Neverland, Alhambra gardens, or Avatarian paradise. And right now the landscape is full of green fronds and blooms.

..
.

The other day as I came home from a long walk I even noticed that the tulips I had planted in my own flowerbed had suddenly blossomed.

.
I think the flowers that have inspired me the most on my walks, though, have been the violets and dandelions that dot the as-yet uncut greening grass everywhere. No one has intentionally planted them in the landscape. They just grow. What would happen if we left all these lovely little wildflowers where they decided to grow instead of opting for grass-only lawns? Methinks that we'd have more bees and more honey.

It's usually the little things that are magical for me. And ironically, as these things go, when I pay attention to the little things, the magic in my life gets bigger and bigger. For a while now, I've been feeling like an ocean of wondrous energy is trying to pour itself into the little drinking glass that is my human body. It's actually requiring quite a physical adjustment for me. When I pay attention to how I feel, I can sense the discomfort where I'm holding onto something and I can work on letting it go. And then the more I open, the more energy flows in and I have to expand and open even more.

In the words of my wise sister, this process has felt great and sucked all at the same time. But it's been a miraculous and invaluable process. I've had to step back and observe myself from a distance so that I can see that this is a stage and a process that is serving me exactly as it is supposed to. Stretching leads to greater flexibility, and flexibility combined with groundedness is the key to maneuvering around successfully in this world. And it's also the key to keeping the magic alive. I am extremely grateful to have been so supported in this. The ocean of magical energy that has been pouring into my life has been chock full of love and support.

Also, fortunately, I have become much better at listening to myself and the messages my body sends me. By tuning into myself I can tell where I am constricted and figure out the source of the bottleneck to the flow. I suppose if I had no challenges anywhere, I wouldn't have a reason to still be here, so I am embracing the fact that there are areas I sense within me that need to open up some more. I work on opening them as part of the process that is my life, and my goal is to do it actively but also peacefully and joyfully.

So today, as I take a break from the other tasks of co-creating my life, I lie upon the magic carpet that is my yoga mat and I listen to the wise words of Erich Schiffmann as he guides me into savasana:

The technique is simple.

Keep it simple.

All you do is relax - everywhere.

And be aware of how you feel.

Eyes closed.

Eyes soft.

All the muscles around each eye very relaxed.

And as your eyes relax, let the relaxation spread.

So there's no holding anywhere.

Let go so much that you feel wide open, like the sky.

Get very quiet.

Very still.

Undefended.

And see what happens.

Feel the energy you're made of.

For love is what's left when you let go of everything you don't need.

Feel it now.

Let this become the new normal.

Enjoy this part.

Oh, I am.

My feet are grounded in the loving essence of who I am and in the wonder of the moment, and the rest of me is buckled in for the ride.

Photo by Flickr User TatTvamAsi

A Gift For Her

2010-04-15T14:54:00.013-04:00

Photo by Photobucket user bluesemotion

Based on this article published today, I now know where I am going to do my Christmas shopping this year for everyone I know. And Christmas may come early.

Glad You Are Your You-iest

2010-04-12T12:27:00.003-04:00

.
For my friends who are the friendiest.

What Do You See?

2010-04-03T02:37:00.053-04:00

The children's section at my local library has a sculpture consisting of some large pointy shapes suspended from the ceiling.

Every so often, a motor on a timer kicks in to move the wooden shapes up and down to catch the attention of the children below. When a group of kids comes in for a tour, the librarian asks them to lie down on their backs under the sculpture and tell what they see.

"A grasshopper!"
"A canoe."
"A spoon."
"Tropical fish!"

The librarian then says, "You are all correct."

What a great creative exercise for kids to engage in. Being encouraged to share a perspective and receiving affirmation that it is valid helps kids develop their right-brain abilities, which unfortunately do not currently get a lot of focus in typical education settings and society at large.

I studied a lot about the brain several years ago as I completed a graduate program in communication disorders. My lifelong passion for language led me to that field of study, and I was fascinated learning about how humans acquire language and what happens in the brain when we communicate with each other. One of the things that most impressed me was the division of duties between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

You probably already know this, but the right hemisphere of the brain controls the actions of the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body. That is such a poetic construction of nature that it leaves me in awe every time I think about it. But for the purposes of this post, when I say "right side" or "left side," I'm referring to the sides of the brain itself.

You probably already know this too, but besides controlling the movements of the body, the two hemispheres also divvy up other cerebral functions in a similar fashion. I wish I had a more scientific source to quote than ehow.com, but since I will probably never post this if I go dig up textbooks or do a lot more searching at the moment, and since I'm not writing this for a scientific journal, I'm going with it:

"Generally speaking, the left brain controls arithmetic and writing skills, comprehension and speech. Logic is also a function of the left brain, which is more linear in thinking patterns, rational and analytic. It manages step-by-step problem solving. This is where sequencing is managed as well as keeping track of time...

The right brain is responsible for controlling artistic and musical skills, spatial ability and creativity. This hemisphere is more intuitive, forming conclusions based on patterns that may not be complete and making decisions based on feeling, hunches and visual perceptions. It allows for seeing things as a whole and identifying overall patterns. It is not dependent upon facts or reason as a basis for drawing conclusions."

(By the way, when it says "writing skills" are a function of the left brain, that means the analysis of ideas and knowing how to translate words into written form. Any creative ideas themselves initially come from the right side).

I should note that I'm making some gross generalizations here. Everyone has unique brain structure, and not everyone has the functions split as described above. Not everyone processes language on the left side, for example. But the vast majority of people do. And there are aspects of each type of brain function that occur in both hemispheres. For example, vocabulary (labels) and grammar (rules) are usually processed on the left side. But things like inflection, plays on words, and metaphorical understanding of language are usually processed on the right side.

But I'm going to be simplistic here to make a general point. Using simple labels for complex concepts is ironically very left-brained in nature, but I'm a fan of paradox, so here is my broadest generalization yet: the right side creates and the left side puts the creative idea into form. I guess these are both technically forms of creation, but the right side generally deals with the as-yet unknown, while the left side generally deals with the already known. Without our right side, nothing new can be considered as a possibility for the physical world. Without our left side, nothing at all gets concretely put into the physical world (analyzed, planned/sequenced, put into words, etc.). So they are both essential for creations to physically come into being. But since this post is about developing right side abilities in order to increase the balance of right and left in our world, I'm going to focus on what the right side brings to the table.

Without a right side, we have no new perspectives. No new visions. No new ideas. Anything new would get shot down because it hadn't been done before. There wouldn't be a left-side reference for it. And forget about awe, or wonder, or beauty. Nothing would be called beautiful if it didn't fit the pre-existing definition. Without new possibilities, we would go around and around with the same information, the same problems, and no new solutions. Eventually, with no new growth or change, things would begin to self-destruct.

So why would we not want to develop our right brain skills to their fullest potential? We can't have a world without the left side either of course, but what a world it would be if the right side were given equal playing time on the field! I know the situation is coming around, though. And why do I know that? Because my right brain is engaged, thankfully. And it is able to keep the perspective that things will change, which will help bring that change about.

Being able to create new visions and look at things from new perspectives not only helps solve challenges in the world at large, but is also important for us to be able to find the possibilities that exist in the twists and turns of our lives. Is a particular event in our lives tragic, sad, or disappointing? Or is that same event a beautiful opportunity for learning and growth? Is a wild new idea impossible to achieve? Or does it create an opening for new thought and an expanded reality? Does the universe place obstacles in our path and cause suffering? Or does it lovingly conspire to expand us in the most meaningful ways possible?

It all depends on one's perspective. Sometimes when riding this mysterious current of life, being the human that I am, I feel like either the universe knows precisely how to torture me or else it is conspiring to help me realize my most precious dreams. And after some deep breaths and right brain consultation, I choose to have the perspective that the latter is true. I may not know many facts, but I do know who I am, and I know that the universe is the most expansive version of my being. And since I know that even in my limited awareness I am capable of feeling extraordinary love, I have no doubt that the universe -- the greatest version of Me -- is that love multiplied by a gajillion. And that means that the universe is guiding me with loving hands. I know that every situation presents me with the opportunity to expand myself to be the Me that I am -- which means taking advantage of the chance to learn to conduct this human life accordingly, with loving concern for all, excluding none.

My left side is interested in how's and wants to put a form to everything I experience. My right side is interested in wholeness and possibilities. Knowing that new life flows from my right side, I choose the perspective of wholeness and possibilities. I remain open and act from my center, going with the flow, and observing everything else flow as it is supposed to. Form will come about as a natural result and will then be its best form possible. But right here and right now, everything is already perfect.

I really like it when I remember to listen to my right side.

My life has been enhanced immeasurably by opening up to my creative side, and I want my daughter to be able to enjoy the same benefits. So I try to find activities that help develop our right brains together. We spend time in nature, sing, dance, draw, and find shapes in the clouds. I try to give her different ways of looking at things and expose her to different ways of doing things. And once in a while I stumble upon a children's book that exercises perspective skills in a fun way.

The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book by Lisa Campbell Ernst is a good example. We got it from the library a couple of weeks ago. On each page is a letter of the alphabet, and you turn the book sideways and upside down to see what else the letter can look like. Your left brain tells you it's still a letter turned around. But your right brain can see alternatives. In the book, suggestions are listed below each picture, but the reader is encouraged to use his or her own imagination to see something new.

For instance, take the letter D:

Change its position and it becomes:

A laughing mouth...

A teacup handle...

A frog's eye...

Or how about P?:

It turns into:

A gumdrop being popped into a mouth...

A seed being planted in a hole...

A teddy bear's ear.

Here's one for a sideways letter C:

An angel with a halo...

And here's my favorite. On its side, the letter N becomes...

Two tortilla chips headed for guacamole.

Wishing you a day of fun and amazing perspectives...

The Gift of a Voice

2010-03-23T15:02:00.003-04:00

.
I just learned that March is Music In Our Schools month. And since we have a week or so left of March, I'm going to honor the occasion by posting these videos of the fifth graders of PS 22 Elementary School in Staten Island, New York. I can't even describe what my heart goes through when I see and hear these kids sing.

Keeping and encouraging music in the schools is an endeavor that requires millions of parents, musicians, educators, and lawmakers to reach a common understanding about its criticality to the individual and to society as a whole. But if there were any one person who could bring about this understanding almost single-handedly, I think it could be these kids' music teacher, Gregg Breinberg:

This inspiring teacher, known to his students as "Mr. B.," has the kids' performances recorded live, posts them to You Tube, and maintains a blog that documents the chorus's activities and media attention. As an update to the above video, as of February, 2010, the PS22 You Tube performances have had more than 15 million views. Regarding the importance of music education to these children, Mr. B. pretty much sums it all up with the following statement:

“For some of them, [the program] means everything. It really does. Some of these kids, I truly believe this program will save their lives, ’cause they will go on and they will know they have something they’re good at… The chorus is an avenue to success and an opportunity to be recognized. It boosts their confidence in everything else they do. This experience is intrinsic to their education and their humanity.”

Thank you, Mr. B. and all you beautiful singers at PS22, and please keep it up. The music of your hearts is being heard and felt. And it's catching.

And thank you to everyone who supports arts education in the schools in any way, large or small. Every child should be given the opportunity to find their voice and use it, in whichever form that takes.

Individual Voices Expressing Their True Selves = Global Harmony

NOTE: I must send a big thank you through the ether to Jason Mraz and his awesome blog, which not only first introduced me to the PS22 Chorus a few months ago, but also first introduced me to the awesome blog of SuperForest.org, which in turn reminded me of PS22 a few days ago via this post (thank you, SuperForest).

Goodbye, Hello

2010-03-21T14:08:00.030-04:00

drawing happy faces on foggy window panes...
the first wobbly moments on the ice skating rink...
incredible snowflakes of perfection...
hot cocoa to warm cold hands...
icicles...
holiday carols...
the gentle silence of a world newly covered in white...
the opportunity to explore inner treasures...

Thank you, dear Winter, for all the moments of beauty, fun, and contemplation. I look forward to meeting you again around the bend.

And now, Hello Spring! Welcome!

Voyage To a New World

2010-03-16T13:29:00.004-04:00

.
Last week I watched the first installment of the Who Do You Think You Are? television series mentioned in my previous post. At the very beginning of the show, actress Sarah Jessica Parker met with her brother to chat about whether they thought they would have any interesting family history to pass down to their children, like having ancestors who came over on the Mayflower or something like that.

As soon as she mentioned the Mayflower, my memory was triggered. My Great Aunt Louise has a passion for genealogy, and way back before the internet was around, she pored over documents and traveled to various parts of the country in search of records that would shed some light on her ancestors. And at some point in my youth, she gave my parents some paperwork that showed a genetic line on my dad's side of the family that traced back to one of the passengers on the Mayflower.

Now, the Mayflower descendants are not a small group these days. There are millions of them. And if you consider the families they left behind in England and their ancestors and other descendants, chances are really good that you have a family link to the Mayflower passengers too. And if you watched the clip of the Genographic Project in my last post, you know that we're all related anyway, so it's really just a matter of whether you and I are relatively close cousins or relatively distant ones.

So knowing that I'm actually related to everyone else in history, at first the Mayflower connection didn't seem to be a big deal to me. But then I realized that of course every connection is a big deal. And since I had never really found out much about my ancestor that had been so painstakingly tracked down by my great aunt, I decided to honor his memory, find out more about him, and do some self-discovery in the process. My search was a lot easier than Great Aunt Lou's was though. She had done all the hard work. I just went online, typed in "Mayflower" and clicked on some links that came up.

Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall (1882)

The Mayflower set sail from England in September, 1620 and spent 66 days crossing the Atlantic. She dropped anchor in the New World on November 21st.

There were 102 passengers aboard. Roughly half of them were Puritans seeking religious freedom. The other half consisted of people who had signed up to help establish and govern the new settlement at its destination. My ancestor, Stephen Hopkins, belonged to this latter group. He was accompanied by his oldest daughter, Constance, and son, Giles, both born by his first wife who had died some time before in England. Also with him was his second wife, Elizabeth, their three-year old daughter, and a newborn son, who was actually born mid-voyage. He was the only baby born during the Mayflower's ocean journey. He was named Oceanus.

I have to take a moment to say that even though I'm not directly descended from Stephen's second wife (our line is through his oldest daughter Constance, whose mother had died), as a fellow woman and mother I feel incredible empathy and admiration for her. She got on a boat to go to a mysterious new land with two stepchildren and a three-year old child when she also happened to be SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT!! And, as if being on a boat when you're pregnant isn't bad enough, this boat was crowded and smelly, and you couldn't go up to get fresh air very often because there were so many STORMS blowing the boat around on high seas. After enduring probably the most nauseous and uncomfortable final two months of pregnancy in recorded history, she then had to give birth in the lower chamber of the boat without any proper supplies and only some fellow passengers who were also mothers to help her through the process. Her story ought to be known by women (and men) everywhere so that it can inspire gratitude for their own situation, whatever it may be.

By the way, I found an interesting Q&A session with Elizabeth Hopkins that was designed for elementary students that gives her imagined perspective on the voyage. Although it is an invented conversation, it is pretty consistent with the historical accounts I've encountered elsewhere, so although some opinions and details are conjecture, much of it is probably fairly accurate.

In reading of the voyage, I also feel great compassion and respect for the oldest daughter Constance, who is one of my great, great, great, great, great, great... ... ... ... grandmothers. She was a teenager at the time, and had just left behind everyone and everything else that she knew. She had to help take care of her younger brother and sister as well as help her pregnant stepmother on the long, cramped journey. The only entertainment available was in her imagination, and she couldn't even text her friends.

And that was just the trip over. Even after reaching the New World, the passengers had to stay aboard the ship during the winter months until weather permitted settlement to begin. During these winter months, roughly half the passengers died of illness. Fortunately for me and my family, the entire Hopkins family survived.

Coming back to Stephen Hopkins now, here is what I've learned so far:

He is most likely the same Stephen Hopkins who first sailed to the New World in 1609 (prior to the sailing of the Mayflower). On that trip, he was shipwrecked in Bermuda, mounted a mutiny there, was sentenced to death for said mutiny, and was later set free. Some scholars think that the news of all these events reaching Europe may have been part of the inspiration for Shakespeare's The Tempest.
After eventually getting off the island, he settled for a time in Jamestown, Virginia.
One source states that he possibly participated in the wedding of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, a fellow shipwreck companion.
He subsequently returned to England.
He arrived in the New World on the Mayflower in 1620.
He was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact.
He helped to facilitate native relations and worked extensively with Squanto.
He participated in the first "Thanksgiving."
He was the earliest member of the Illuminati.
He was the inventor of the hula hoop.

Okay, I made up the last two. I couldn't help adding to the fantastic nature of the story. These adventures and their place in history are just amazing to me. I know the people in this story were ordinary people, and I know they were a mix of all kinds of human characteristics like the rest of us. But there is no question that they had strength and spirit that led them on extraordinary adventures that helped to shape human history on our Earth.

Of course for every human ancestor that there is recorded history for, there are countless others who have lived extraordinary lives that have gone unrecorded or have been forgotten. I think the most important people in history have been the gentlest, most peaceful and loving souls who have lived otherwise ordinary lives and have not made it into the history books. Their incredible legacy is the love they have passed on that is still alive in the world today.

And that is what I am taking away from this little exploration into part of my family history. I am feeling the enormous power of the spirit of my ancestors within me. I think that when you deal with or learn about any person, known relative or not, you recognize qualities that resonate within you too. There are surface behaviors, ideas, and attitudes that may or may not resonate, but the qualities of spirit can be felt. If you intellectualize history and see it simply as a sequence of events and the agents who carried out the actions to make those events happen, I'm not sure any level of known kinship will help make the ancestors come to life. But if you are able to feel the spirit of those you learn about, it doesn't matter how far back your DNA connection is, you keep that connection alive within you and within the world.

In this way, time disappears and our ancestors truly do live on. And if we're able to feel the spirits of those we learn about who are in the history books, we can learn to feel the spirits of those even greater in number who are not in the history books and reside only in our hearts. Through this process, and by knowing ourselves, we get to choose what we connect with. Only we can identify what resonates with us. If we take the time to connect, listen to ourselves, and listen to all those ancestors that resonate within us, we realize that it is their shoulders upon which we stand when we spiral to new heights.

I would like to know more about the Mayflower history, but my interest in other times and historical figures has also been ignited. The combination of internet access and knowing we're all related makes the whole genealogical search a whole lot faster, less cumbersome, and definitely intriguing. I think I'll just pick someone interesting and go to it. What historical figure would you look up and connect with??

Before I leave the topic of the Mayflower completely though, I have to mention that as I was researching its history, I clicked on one of the various links and wound up on a website that lists well-known people who have traced their ancestry back to the Mayflower. I curiously scrolled through the list, which included:

Eight U.S. Presidents... Astronaut Alan Shepard... Marilyn Monroe... Clint Eastwood... Henry Wadsworth Longfellow... Ralph Waldo Emerson.. Bing Crosby...

All of the above traced back to someone on the Mayflower, but none of them traced back to Stephen Hopkins.

However, as I neared the end of the list, it turns out there was ONE well-known person listed who has traced her history back to my ancestor:

Well... hello, cousin!

Yes, Sarah Palin. Former Governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate is descended from my great, great, great, great, great, great, great... ... ... ... grandfather through his son Giles. We are, indeed, something like fourteenth cousins. Of course I must have thousands upon thousands of cousins at that level. But still, it's kind of funny to know a name and a face.

So... Okay, then! Welcome to the family, Sarah! We'd love to try out your potato salad at the family reunion this year.

But the REAL shocker for me happened after I found out about the Palin connection. I followed another link in the ancestral chain, landed on a genealogical website I hadn't explored before, and discovered that I am also related to this very elusive man:

Now this exlains a LOT. Welcome to the family, Willy! The reunion's in July. You know what to bring.

All in all, digging into my family history has been a very eye-opening experience. Am I glad I have done it?

As my new-found 14th cousin might say...

You betcha.

Go Ahead, Contemplate Your Navel

2010-03-01T01:45:00.022-05:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Photo by Flickr User Kelly_Diffily

Ah, the belly button! I have one. You have one. Everybody we know has one. Our parents each have one. And their parents did, and so on and so on. Located in the center of our body, it serves as a reminder of the intimate physical connection to another human being that made it possible for us to come into this world.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I began to think a lot about genealogy the other day because I received a promotional e-mail about a new television show (premiering this Friday, March 5th) called Who Do You Think You Are? Each episode follows a different celebrity through the process of exploring his or her own family history and highlights the feelings of connection and self-understanding gained during the experience. Lisa Kudrow presents this preview of the show.

I like the idea of this new show, and I especially like the title. I like anything that helps me reflect on who I am. In ancient Greece, Gnothi Seauton, or "Know Thyself," was inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, home to the famous Oracle. I love that. People would come from far and wide to see the Oracle. Rulers and military commanders sought her advice. And if they were among those keen enough to realize it, they would have known that simply knowing themselves deeply was the key to understanding their future and accurately interpreting anything that anyone else, including the Oracle, had to tell them.

Accompanying the Oracle at Delphi sat the omphalos (Greek for "navel"), a large hollow stone that was carved to look as if it were covered with either a knotted net or a network of bees, depending on your perspective.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The Omphalos in museum of Delphi (from Wikipedia)

I love the symbolism of the omphalos. I love the representation of interconnectedness on the outer surface. I love the fact that it represents the navel, the connecting point of the cord that threads itself through each and every person since the beginning of humanity. And if it also reflects imagery of a beehive, which in my mind's eye it clearly does, I love the fact that golden honey is the sweet nectar that would be found inside.

So, in the effort to get to know ourselves better and arrive at that sweet spot at our core, can exploring our ancestry help? I believe it can. First of all, it broadens our perspective of who we are. It helps us become more aware of connections that we may not have been aware that we had.

Secondly, the people who raised us and the people who raised them have undeniably helped to shape our sense of self in many important ways. And in order to figure out who we really are, we have to be aware of those influences on our sense of self and do some validity checks. If someone we are related to treats us as if we are a certain way, does that make it true? If someone we are related to behaves (or behaved) in a certain way, does that mean that we will behave that way as well? For that matter, if WE treat ourselves as if we are a certain way, does that make it true? If we have behaved in a certain way, does that mean that is who we are?

Getting to really know ourselves boils down to recognizing those qualities that we feel belong to who we truly are deep inside and recognizing those that don't. In any family, as with the public at large, we see both around us. But the feeling of family lends a strong sense of connection. Hopefully, we recognize our own greatness within when we recognize it in our relations. And hopefully, with a great deal of self-knowledge, the familial bond also brings acceptance and compassion more easily when we recognize that a family member didn't realize, or hasn't realized, his or her own internal greatness. And through all this recognition and its effects we get to be who we really are.

In short, getting to know our family history is a great exercise in self-discovery. And in my opinion, there is no more important task. Besides, it's fun. You might find out you actually are related to Kevin Bacon.

Speaking of Kevin Bacon, he narrates an amazing National Geographic documentary on the Genographic ("Human Family Tree") Project. Here is a clip (if you're in a hurry, watch the first and last minutes especially):

So. Who are you?

Love Rules

2010-02-25T10:17:00.006-05:00

That is all.

(Image courtesy Real Simple magazine, February, 2008)

I Got Rhythm: Part 2 (& Part 3)

2010-02-07T09:41:00.015-05:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, 1938

I have to admit that it has been a challenge to write this whole post, including Part 1. Not because it has been difficult to write about rhythm, but because there has been so much to write about. Every time I begin to research an aspect of rhythm, a whole new universe spills out in front of me. In addition to my own musings, which I'll share toward the end of this segment, I have been discovering a ton of interesting information about rhythm, and maybe because I'm focused on it, it seems to be finding its way to me as well.

Just the other day I sat down at the kitchen table to eat something and glanced at the newspaper, which I almost never see or read anymore. On the front page was a snippet about a drum circle presentation that had taken place the day before at a local elementary school. I turned to the full story and read about how the kids had fun and said how they especially liked combining in rhythm together.

The presentation was put on by an Indianapolis music school that, in addition to music lessons, offers rhythm workshops and drumming circles. Below is a spot for their free community drum circle:

In writing this post, I've learned that drum circles have been used to enhance the lives of many different kinds of people in a variety of settings. It helps that no prior drumming or musical training is necessary. In addition to being fun and helping people get in touch with their own rhythms and those of a group, drumming circles have been used for corporate teambuilding, to improve health and wellness, to promote peace abroad, and for many other purposes.

Mickey Hart, drummer for the Grateful Dead , author of several books about the power of drumming and sound, and creator of numerous CD's featuring that power, has this to say about using drum circles and rhythm work to promote peace and well-being:

"Humans are rhythm machines... That's what life is built on - rhythm. So when you share that with someone, you make a connection at a very deep level. When you're entrained [keeping the same rhythm], you get in sync. You have common ground. And you're reverting back to the essence of life. So you're sharing some kind of sacred space with these people. And that makes peace..."

Along the same lines as a drum circle, but perhaps with a bit greater focus on the inner aspects of rhythmic training, is an approach called TaKeTiNa. In this audio clip, an instructor describes the process as a direct and holistic means of learning about your own sense of rhythm and how it is found within the context of group rhythms. One extraordinary outcome that is discussed is that this method allows one to lose fear of making mistakes, because each time chaos (or a new rhythm) is introduced, participants find that they can always find their way back to the rhythm. This appears to be one way in which rhythm work promotes inner peace.

One percussionist who has explored the meditative/inner peace effect of drumming in depth is Layne Redmond, who is known for her expertise in the playing of the frame drum. The frame drum is a handheld drum consisting of a covering stretched over a frame, like a tambourine. In her work and passion for her instrument, she has done extensive research into the history of drumming, and frame drums in particular, resulting in her book When the Drummers Were Women. The book is so titled because up until about five thousand years ago, the main percussion instrument of the times - the frame drum - was mostly played by women. Layne Redmond explains that back then, until it was banned by conquering cultures, the drum was played primarily for purposes of meditation and spiritual connection.

This video excerpt is Layne Redmond describing some of the history and symbology of ancient cultures regarding the frame drum. She also explains that one reason drumming was used for meditation and spiritual purposes was because auditory rhythm helps synchronize the right and left sides of the brain. The content and delivery of the video may seem a bit ethereal at times, but if you are interested in this topic at all and haven't been exposed to this frame drum history/symbology before, I promise it will give you some food for thought.

Speaking of female percussionists, this is a good time to insert Sheila E. I'd say she is definitely in touch with both sides of herself. This is worth watching through to the end.

So why is it that rhythm, something we typically only associate with shaking our booty on the dance floor, was so fundamental in the ancient spiritual traditions of the world and is being found today to help many achieve inner peace? Is rhythm just an element of extracurricular activity? Or is it an integral part of our inner and outer life? How is it that, as Mickey Hart states, rhythm is "the essence of life?"

Editor's Note #1: Go get a drink and a snack because in lieu of a separate Part 3 I opted instead to go on to discuss these questions below.

Have you ever been holding hands with someone for a while and realized that you could no longer feel their hand in yours? Or maybe you have lain so still in bed that you could no longer sense where your body touched the bed? Maybe you weren't sure what position your arms or legs were in until you moved them a little. Without movement, there is no awareness of our body in space. There has to be movement (even if it is slight and unconscious) for a body to sense the boundaries between it and something else.

Our other senses function in a similar way. If a sound vibration enters our ears, the tiny little hair-like cells in our inner ears must vibrate in order to send impulses to the brain. If the vibration motion doesn't occur, no sound is perceived. Even our eyes have to make tiny oscillations (imperceptibly to us) in order to keep sending visual images to the brain. If our eyes actually stopped all their movement, we would no longer see.

Considering all this, I dare say that motion is required for us to perceive anything in this physical world we live in. But a squeeze of the hand, a wiggle of a toe, a tiny back-and-forth motion is all it takes. And out of the formless, a form is perceived. Maybe this is how the very first form was perceived. Maybe, just maybe, the impulse to perceive initiated the very first physical vibration - the very first squeeze of the hand. Then, one thing led to another, and before we knew it... Bang! A whole universe was born. And its building block was, and is, the vibration - a back and forth pattern of motion that repeats itself. A rhythm.

So why is it important to me in my daily life to know that the universe is built on rhythm? Because the very nature of rhythm means that everything in this universe is whole. For every back there is a forth. For every wave crest there is a trough. For every right side there is a left side. For every winter there is a summer. For every male aspect, there is a female aspect. For every low tide there is a high tide. For every breath in, there is a breath out. For every negative side, there is a positive side...

I remember when my daughter was about nine months old, I started to notice a pattern in her sleeping, eating, and mood shifts. For about two weeks at a time, she would sleep longer and more solidly, she would eat more, and she was generally content. And then for the next two weeks or so she wouldn't sleep quite as much or eat quite as much and would become fussy a little more easily. Those two weeks were not nearly as fun for me, and were frustrating at first.

But when I started noticing the pattern, I suddenly realized that there must be a reason for the difference. I figured some different aspects of development must be happening behind the scenes during these phases, and that was affecting her outward behavior a little. I was in charge of her everyday environment, and I knew what all the external variables were, so I was able to tease apart what was going on. I was tuning in to her rhythms. And that made all the difference. From then on I no longer felt frustrated by the slightly more "difficult" phases. I could concentrate on helping her and understood that good and necessary things were going on and knew that the other phase would cycle through. And it always did. Both phases became wonderful in their own ways.

I think that is a good example, on a small scale, of why an awareness of rhythm is important. I think our awareness, or lack of awareness, of the wholeness and rhythm of life colors our entire experience of life. If we see life as a one-way highway of uncertainty, we fear where we may end up. If we see the world as flat, we end up living as if we could fall off the edge of the earth at any moment. If we see ourselves as partial beings, as lacking in any way, we live in constant pursuit of that which will fulfill us. But the truth is, the highway goes both ways (and connects back to itself), the earth is round and we can't fall off, and we are already whole beings just the way we are. Once we realize that, we can begin to act that way. We can stop worrying about the outcomes of situations. We can stop looking to others to fulfill ourselves. We lose our fear. We begin to see the beauty in everyone, everything, and every situation. We become able to truly love.

That is what rhythm does for us. It gives us perspective. When we have true perspective and aren't stuck on one side of the equation, we can stand back, or in the center, and see ourselves and the earth as we are - tiny universes that move in our own special grooves as part of a grand symphony of unimaginable proportions. Symphonies have rhythm. We operate as rhythms within rhythms, wholes within wholes. And everything really is okay.

So how do we manage to keep this perspective? It can be difficult in our current world where many people have grown up not learning to identify or pay attention to subtle rhythms. Additionally, many of the grand rhythms can be hard or impossible to observe directly with our senses. That's why the smaller, observable ones are so important to tune into. I say let's pay attention. Let's make all of life's rhythms a big, loud, undeniable part of our daily awareness. Let's notice, enjoy, and celebrate every sunrise and sunset, every flock of birds flying north or south, every leaf that unfurls or falls to the ground. Let's spend our days singing, humming, whistling, shaking both sides of ourselves and generally getting our groove on. Let's be who we are and celebrate others for who they are. When we find our own rhythms and make them a daily part of our life, we get in sync with the other rhythms that surround us. And the beautiful music that is the symphony of life can be heard.

Maybe our journey to achieve this perspective is part of what the first vibration was all about. An attempt to perceive, to get to know our "Self" better. An attempt to gain some experience with perspective. Without intimate knowledge of a left and a right, maybe we wouldn't appreciate right or left, or the center, quite so much. But... if we have come here to experience right and left and gain perspective, once we find the center again, why would the vibration continue?

Well... maybe the beat goes on because we like to master this skill of perspective. Maybe we like to ensure that all aspects of our "Self" have experienced both the little picture and the big picture - and everything in between.

And/Or...

Maybe we just like to Move It. Maybe that's where the fun lies. I leave you with this short music video that I believe sums up the meaning of life quite eloquently...

Editor's Note #2: These last couple of posts would have been published much sooner except I kept taking breaks to dance around to the above video.

Well, okay... one more song for the road. Just because this one takes me back in time and makes me chair dance. And... because rhythm is a soul's companion.

I Got Rhythm: Part 1

2010-01-23T23:23:00.044-05:00

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
Fred Astaire with his son, Fred, Jr. in 1941

"Music creates order out of chaos: for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent, melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed, and harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongruous."
-- Yehudi Menuhin

I have a vivid memory of driving in the car a couple of years ago with my daughter, who was about two years old at that time. We were listening to music and I began exaggerating the beat for her by vigorously tapping on the seat next to me. As I became aware of what I was doing, I realized that I had always emphasized beat and rhythms for her to some extent when we listened to music or danced together. I remember thinking that something in me knew that rhythm was important for children, and I wondered why exactly.

Maybe it is a maternal instinct - after all, mothers naturally rock and sway with their babies to calm them. This makes sense, since before babies are born, they first develop in the very rhythmic world of the mother's womb. The first sound heard in the womb is the whooshing pulse of the mother's bloodflow driven by her heartbeat. Other rhythms layered upon that sound are experienced as the mother breathes and walks. After the baby is born, rocking and swaying help continue that comforting sense of rhythm. But after that, it seems to me that in our modern culture, the overt efforts at emphasizing rhythm for a child typically tend to diminish.

A couple of months ago I thought more about rhythm and especially its special significance to children, because I had the pleasure of attending a performance by Ella Jenkins, a pioneer in the teaching of rhythm and music to children.

Somehow, I had never been exposed to Ella Jenkins while growing up, even though she has been making records, touring, and teaching music to children since the 1950's. If you somehow missed out on her too, she is known for her use of various instruments (including a ukulele, guitar, harmonica, and many kinds of percussion instruments from all over the world) and her "call and response" style of singing. Call and response involves the song leader calling out a phrase, and the rest of the group responding with another phrase. In this way, the audience becomes half of the performance.

Before the show started, a woman in the audience went up to talk to Ella and took with her one of Ella's earliest vinyl LP's. She said she had been listening to Ella's music since she was a child. Then the woman mentioned that she had been afforded the opportunity to meet both Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama when they had come through town in the last few years, but now that she had met Ella Jenkins, her life was complete.

After the show I had an inkling of how this woman felt. Ella Jenkins had managed to engage the entire audience in various ways and made us all a part of the music that evening. Many kids and adults had participated up at the front and the rest had fully participated from their seats. A circle of grown men learned a playground-type hand clapping song where they had to sing and clap and "push" the hands of the men next to them in time to the music. My daughter and I had sung, swayed, and clapped together with each other and everyone else in the room and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The room was charged with bright energy. We had experienced a connection to something within ourselves, to each other, and to the others in the room. It had been joyful, sincere, fun, and powerful.

I purchased some Ella Jenkins CD's after the show and on the way home, we sang one of her oldest original songs called "You'll Sing a Song." I'd sing the first line, my daughter would sing the second line, and we'd sing the next line together:

You'll sing a song,
And I'll sing a song,
And we'll sing a song together.

You'll sing a song,
And I'll sing a song,
In warm or wintry weather.

Ever since we attended this performance, I've been contemplating the reasons why awareness of and participation in music, and most fundamentally rhythm, is so essential. In considering the experience with Ella Jenkins among various other things, I've concluded that one main reason is that rhythm is all about relationship. Its very nature is of the opposites of sound and silence recurring in a pattern of relationship to each other. In order to identify a rhythm, you must first recognize the opposites themselves and perceive their relationship to each other. Then, in order to engage in that rhythm, you must bring the various parts of yourself (breath, voice, various muscles) together into the same relationship. If you're playing an instrument, whether it be a bongo drum, piano, guitar, etc., the right and left sides of you must be able to do different things but work together to maintain the overall rhythm. Rhythm allows for, and requires, self-organization.

When another person is involved in the rhythm, they must become part of that relationship if the rhythm is to be maintained. When multiple or complex rhythms are introduced, it requires focus on which part of the rhythm you are participating in and how to maintain it. And it also brings about the understanding that individual rhythms live within the context of broader rhythms. Each person contributes his or her individual part (which is a whole in itself) to the broader whole. In this very simple way, rhythm is a way for us to relate in an essential way to ourselves as well as to those around us. Once these relationships are experienced, they become more available within a person to be applied to life situations outside the context of music.

Even though I think rhythm is innate for small children, I think it can also be forgotten if it is not emphasized in a child's environment. I say emphasized, because rhythm is always present in its various forms (cyclicality of day and night, seasons, tides, etc.) - it just may go unnoticed when so many other things compete for attention in the world we currently live in. And one easy way to bring rhythm to the forefront is through exposure to music.

Music is simple to introduce and its effects are vastly positive, but unfortunately I don't think there is great awareness about just how important it is yet. If there were, instead of discussing cutting music programs from school budgets, there would be talk about how to integrate music more fully into the curriculum to foster a peaceful, productive, cooperative learning environment and to promote learning in other subject areas. I could devote another entire blog entry to research that shows music's positive impact on learning itself. Maybe I will in the near future. In the meantime, I applaud and am extremely grateful for all the music and rhythm educators who give children the opportunity to organize their inner selves and experience a direct understanding of the interconnected relationships of this world. I hope that even more educators follow in their footsteps. And I am grateful to all the musicians who share their music, giving us opportunities to once again pay attention to and feel the rhythms of life.

In a little tribute to the music and rhythm of the world, I have included below an assortment of songs that I feel are in the spirit of this post for one reason or another. If you feel like perusing the selections, I hope they bring you happiness and help keep you in your own rhythm today. Enjoy!:

This first song is called "Mahk Jchi," which means "Heartbeat Drum Song," and is sung by the group Ulali on Robbie Robertson's CD Songs For the Native Americans (thank you, Sarah!!). When my daughter first heard this song, she said, "Again! Again!" She likes to hear it over and over and often falls asleep to it. The lyrics are in the Tutelo-Saponi language that was spoken by Native Americans in the North Carolina/Virginia area long ago, and according to Ulali, the translation is as follows:

Our hearts are full and our minds are good.
Our ancestors come and give us strength.
They tell us to stand tall, sing, dance, and never forget
Who you are or where you come from.

This next one is "Say Hey" by Michael Franti, partly because I love
it and never tire of it, but also because Michael has this to say about rhythm: “I’ve travelled around the world and I’ve seen the way that rhythm and melody are able to get deep beyond language... Whether it’s just me playing a guitar on the streets of Iraq, or it’s big heavy bass coming through the soundsystem, it’s the rhythm that people respond to first." Check out this one too, 'cause a little bit of rhythm makes the world go round.

I think it's hard to listen to this next one, "Diablo Rojo," without getting in touch with some fundamental essence of oneself. And it's also hard to not stomp a hole in the floor. Thank you to my sister for introducing me to the beautiful music of Rodrigo y Gabriela a couple of years ago and to my youngest brother for introducing it to her. Venga, venga!

This last one is by Angelique Kidjo, called "Wombo Lombo." I saw a charming kids' version of this song yesterday morning on Jack's Big Music Show, which is a completely awesome kids' television show that I will probably blog about at some point. This song gets me in touch with my inner tribal dancer and just makes me feel good.

I hope some of these touched something in you today. And I hope you got to shake something too.

In Peace, Love, and Rhythm,

Jennifer

A Jolly Happy Soul

2010-01-07T11:55:00.026-05:00

.
.

Albert Einstein: There are two ways to live:

You can live as if nothing is a miracle;

You can live as if everything is a miracle.

.
.

.
..
.

.
.
.

There's some magic in my old hat (and coat).

Thumpety thump thump, thumpety thump thump... over the hills of snow I go!

Peace Is

2010-01-01T12:11:00.065-05:00

While doing my holiday shopping in the last few weeks, I came across a children's book that contained the lyrics of a song about peace (written by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller) that I remember hearing and singing in church when I was little. Truth be told, I never much liked going to church when I was little (sorry Mom), but I liked that they had a noon service since I always did like to sleep in. And, the noon show featured a group of singers and guitar players that I liked to listen to and watch perform. This song about peace was usually the last song they would play as the service came to a close.

I bought the book to read with my daughter, because of the timeless message of the song, and especially because the book includes some alternate lines for part of the song that enables it to include people of different belief systems. And genders. Yay! I'm sure that openness was implicit in the original song, if you are able to interpret it that way, but it makes sense to me to make it as clear as possible for everyone, so no one feels left out. Oh, words. They can be so confusing. For me, anyway. And I think for children too. You're probably familiar with the original song, but here's how the version in the book goes:

Let there be peace on earth...
And let it begin with me.

Let there be peace on earth,
the peace that was meant to be.

With God as our Father
(alternate: With Earth as our Mother)

Brothers all are we
(alternate: Family all are we)

Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me --
Let this be the moment now.

With every step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow:
To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally.

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.

Since this book came with a CD, I tossed it in the car a couple weeks back to listen to as my daughter and I left on a long drive to visit relatives.

We had read the book together before and talked about peace before at other times, but she must have been still pondering the concept, because as this song was playing, I heard a question float up to my driver's seat: "Mom, what is peace?" I think I might have to rename this blog "Questions From the Back Seat." Or at least make it a regular segment since this seems to be a recurring scenario.

I don't recall my exact words, but I know I said something about peace being a feeling of calm. Not sure if the meaning of "calm" was clear either, I used the word "quiet." I wasn't happy with that either, since I know it is possible to feel peace in all kinds of non-quiet situations. And knowing that that point exactly was probably the most important part to convey to my daughter, I kept trying to explain the term.

"Not feeling upset no matter what happens" was my next attempt.

"But you get upset" she replied. Ha. This is true more than I'd like it to be.

"Yes, I do get upset sometimes. Because I forget about peace. Sometimes I forget that I don't have to get upset. A lot of people forget. But the more often you remember to feel peace, the less often you forget about it." (One reason I'm writing about this today - to help me remember).

As I tried to think of more ways to convey the meaning and the feeling of the word "peace" to her in this conversation, I found I was describing more what it isn't (not getting upset, not fighting, not feeling angry) than what it is. When I tried to express what it is, I found it was hard for me to distinguish it from how I would describe (or struggle to describe) the word "love." It seemed to be more a feeling and a way of being than anything I could adequately express in words.

Yet, even if it takes many words, communication can help point to the real meaning. So, in the interest of communicating more about it with my daughter, when I got home, I began a quest to find some better descriptions of what peace is. I found that we already had some fine resources on the topic and I found a couple more. I share with you now a collection of thoughts/images that I like which help more fully describe the notion of peace:

* From Christmas Cookies - Bite-Size Holiday Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal:

Peace means no one is worried about anyone else's cookie... in this moment we are all quietly content with the cookies we have.

* From What Does Peace Feel Like? by Vladimir Radunsky (with input from children around the world):

Peace smells like "fresh air that makes you want to go out and sleep in the sun" (smelled by Oliver, 10)

Peace looks like "a cat and a dog curled up together in a basket" (seen by Maxson, 10)

Peace sounds like "raindrops falling" (heard by Marco, 9)

Peace tastes like "vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, strawberry ice cream, banana ice cream..." (tasted by more than 100 boy and girl ice cream lovers)

Peace feels like "hugs your friends give you when you cry" (felt by Tatiana, 9 1/2)

* From The Peace Book by Todd Parr:

Peace is watching it snow.
Peace is offering a hug to a friend.
Peace is growing a garden.
Peace is keeping the water blue for all the fish.
Peace is being free.
Peace is thinking about someone you love.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Peace is being who you are.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
....
..(Pictures by Todd Parr)

* Peace begins with a smile. -- Mother Teresa

I'm very grateful for the little voice that asks me all these grand questions of life from the back of the car. Without it, I wouldn't be able to communicate my wish for peace in this new year so clearly. Please know that I wish the kind of peace for you that is described in all the many beautiful ways above.

And be sure to tune in for the next installment of "Questions From the Back Seat," when I am asked what wood is made out of.

Happy and Peaceful New Year!