Think Different

"Think Different." Beautiful video is worth the viewing.

I think of courage when I think "different"...and beauty, and reverence, and the joy of exploration.

Who does not know that we are all unique - we are each different - yet trying...wanting...desiring to fit in and find our place.

For some of us, the "fitting" can signify ease...for others, it is the area of greatest struggle. Humans do all sorts of convoluted things for the sake of being accepted...

Over time the balance that is struck between the individual and the tribe offers a path to success in the journey.

May you find yours.

"Here’s to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.


They’re not fond of rules.

And they have no respect for the status quo.


You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them....
Because they change things.

They push the human race forward.

And while some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think
that they can change the world… are the ones who do."

The ‘Think Different’ campaign featured many people whose lives and thoughts are inspiring – Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Mohammed Ali and Richard Branson.

Originally written for Apple Computer.

Repeated today for you.

oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm

Food and The Power of Choice

I'm usually attracted to writing about optimistic issues - at least from the perspective of empowerment.

Change what you can and have the wisdom to know what you can't.

So on the subject of nourishment - the basic foundation of fueling ourselves with energy-producing food that will add to our lifeforce - we have all sorts of empowering choices.

Don't we??

The documentary movie Food Inc takes a deep look at the subject of choice and offers us lots to think about - much of it clearly upsetting. We are in the dark kids, when it comes to food processing, contents, management and control. If you think you know what's going on, or that it doesn't affect you and your family, then watch this movie and see if you really know.

The picture is grim, and the results of our current actions (or non-actions) are felt by all. Yet I do believe we CAN change the way our systems work - and that the way we are likely to do that is to be effective at the individual level.

If you wish to exercise your own power of choice at this most basic level of your own health and wellbeing, then -

First: Knowledge is power. Get educated. Go see the movie and/or go to the website to get filled in.

Second: Don't give up or give in! It is likely that you will see, as I did, that individual action counts. Vote with your choices. Vote with your habits. Vote at the checkout.

Third: Recognize what the best result for all concerned actually means.

"What Would a Mystic Do?" Why act for the benefit of the greatest number while inflicting the least harm, of course!

If you browse the website you will see highlights on the following issues:

"In Food, Inc. we meet Barbara Kowalcyk, whose 2 year old son, Kevin, died from E.coli poisoning after eating a hamburger. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million Americans are sickened, 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die each year from foodborne illnesses. Although Kevin's law is not pending in Congress right now, there are other important national food safety legislation pending now for you to support.Some of our most important staple foods have been fundamentally altered, and genetically engineered meat and produce have already invaded our grocery stores and our kitchen pantries."

"Cancers, autism and neurological disorders are associated with the use of pesticides especially amongst farm workers and their communities. Learn about what pesticides are in your food and their effects."

"Approximately 10 billion animals (chickens, cattle, hogs, ducks, turkeys, lambs and sheep) are raised and killed in the US annually. Nearly all of them are raised on factory farms under inhumane conditions. These industrial farms are also dangerous for their workers, pollute surrounding communities, are unsafe to our food system and contribute significantly to global warming."

"High calorie, sugar laden processed foods coupled with our sedentary lifestyles is growing our waistlines and contributing to serious health issues like diabetes, heart ailments and cancers. One-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese."

So what can you do??

* Know what's happening.

* Care enough for yourself and others to choose wisely.

* Act.

See for yourself. The movie Food Inc is on DVD now.

Namaste

oooooohhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Dare I Be Me?

Photo credit: Bob Alba.

I went to see the movie Julie and Julia the other night with three women friends. The four of us are an interesting blend of ages (early 20s through late 50's) with lots of differing life experience in between, but one thing is for sure - we ALL love good food. The smell - the feel - the taste...unanimous yum!

Julie and Julia is the 2009 comedy film, written and directed by Nora Ephron, which depicts events in the life of chef Julia Child, contrasting her life with Julie Powell, a woman who aspires to cook all 524 recipes from Child's cookbook.

I'm no movie critic, so I'll leave that alone, but the lessons I learned from Julia Child herself struck my heart a long time ago.

I remember seeing her on TV when I was very young. Her authority - her humor - her voice!...and I thought she was certifiably weird - but attractive in that genuine weirdness sort of way. Little did I know she was becoming the beloved icon she is.

The memory that lingers for me now is the feeling that she was different, and my emotional response to it.

As a youth I was uncomfortable watching her in some undefinable way, but attracted nonetheless. Attracted to what exactly? Not the ducks and chickens she would parade around the kitchen. It was something about HER, and I know now that when we witness what is truly authentic in the human spirit, and it is displayed so openly, it causes both attraction and a sort of fear.

We are "different" from others - somehow "outside" the tribe.

If it scares us too much, we will disparage it.

Look closely at this. If it scares us too much, we will disparage it.

Could it be then... if others have seen "it" in us... we have been disparaged?

A quandary exists, and it's a biggie.

Less than three years ago, when my husband told my Dad he wanted to marry me, my father stood up to shake his hand and said "she's a little bit loud you know."

A disclaimer! I come with a family disclaimer!

ahhhh...let me understand here that I've been "a little bit" of a discomfort for my parents all along. Explains a lot.

Now I watch my beloved friends and respected colleagues - my students and my neighbors, and I've got to tell you - hardly anyone is really really happy. What's up with that?

Perhaps it's the quandary.

We regularly visit the places in ourselves that say "I can" or "I can't" DO that, or BE that, and I guarantee you some part of you measures it against that trickle of fear that accesses the response of the tribe, and this will include your own inner judge that you too might be seen as weird in that uncomfortable sort of way.

Somebody won't like this - and you might suffer.

And yet...is it not this exact difference that we must be and do and have in order to demonstrate the abundance of joy in a life well lived?

OK - so I'll put my own disclaimer here that I'm not talking to psycho-killers or mean streaked folk, but to YOU - the well-meaning person who is intending to live their truth:

If you are living from your heart, and you have the Golden Rule as your guide, GO for it!

Live!

Move!!

Stop waiting for permission!

And you don't need more therapy. You need more authenticity.

Have faith!

Go find your inner Julia and do what needs to be done.

Happiness will be waiting for you on the other side.

"Bon appetit!"

Till next time
oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm

Don't Quit

I have had a touch of food poisoning these past two days - well more than a touch - and being sick always reminds me of the fortitude and grace we humans need to handle the very personal journey of living - and dying - well.

We just celebrated my Dad's 84th birthday, a huge milestone in itself given his physical condition. He quotes the famous Bette Davis frequently: "growing old ain't for sissies" and to me he exemplifies the quiet determination needed to just get on with it with few complaints.

In meandering through YouTubes this morning (an endeavor that can fill hours and hours of time as I'm sure you are aware) I came across a short and simple version of the famous poem "Don't Quit." Much as I wanted to know something of the author, anonymous was what surfaced from my search.

How amazing that we have such ability to transcend our identity and make our mark on the human heart!

One thing led to another and I found videos, blogs, short stories and quotes - all inspirational and supportive for hanging on (even if, as in my case, it's to the rim of the bowl and the knowledge that "this too shall pass...")

When you're looking for a moment of inspiration...when you feel let down or laid low...I invite you to indulge in your own search. Start by keying Bette's quote into your search engine, or begin with a YouTube link to the poem below.

Here is the original poem in it's entirety:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown



Don't Quit

You are sure to find that you are not alone in your challenge, no matter the content, and that there is something wonderful in witnessing the inspiring words that have laid a path before you.

Sharing...ummmm...that's always a good thing.

Namaste
ooooooohhhmmmmmmmmmm

The Imposssible Dream

"The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it."

Oh how I love this!! One of my favorite quotes!

I can't tell you how many times I've deflected the naysayers and the can't doers in my own life. Comes with the territory when you think big.

Are you one who has big dreams and a strong will to succeed? Then this post is for you.

If you are wondering where to begin to actualize your dream, how to get started, or simply want to read someone with a good head for advise, check out Chris Guillebeau and the free download he has provided in his manifesto called 279 Days To Overnite Success: An Unconventional Journey To Full Time Writing. .

I find his ideas helpful and easy to follow, and he's a giver.

You know I like that.

No matter what your goal, if you think you can do it, you can. Remember The Little Engine That Could? May we all succeed in our dreams...their expression is what you were born to accomplish.

Chris gives good practical advise on how he attained his goal, and offers support for the journey.

You can visit Chris here and get a copy of his manifesto for yourself.

Till next time -
Enjoy!!

ooooohhhhhmmmmm...

Time for Fireworks!

As we near the 4th of July, what new thing can possibly be said that isn't already being said by great (and sometimes not so great) minds tuned in to celebrating meaningful occasions?

So then - I'll spare you that - but in addition to being aware of the responsibilities and privileges that come with the price of societal freedom, I invite you to celebrate with me, giving all your heart to the freedom that you personally have in what ever way you have it.

In addition to joining with family and friends to have fun this weekend and be expressive (I've been to many a barbecue following the parade myself),

and with an attitude of gratitude for another year...another day...another moment of living...

may you also be poignantly aware of your own inner fire, and open this day to the glory of the spark that resides authentically within your own true self.

Live it up.
Laugh out loud!
Be authentic.
Smell the roses.
Speak up!
Dance.
Enjoy.
Be joy.
Be the freedom you wish to see.
Be peaceful.
Be grateful.
Be wise.
Be strong.

This is the season to grab the brass ring, dear one.

The world needs you to shine.

The world needs you to shine.

The world NEEDS you to shine.

Namaste to you...

and Happy 4th!!

;)

I'm Changing and You're Holding Me Back! Part 2

Ever notice that life can be sailing right along but as soon as you begin to get the itch for a change that says "somethings gotta give" - something does? Oh yes...and that 'something' is not always in the direction you wanted.

So you think.

This is the paradox in desiring happiness and fulfillment in life.

All that is NOT that will show up to be healed.

And don't you know, the higher you reach, the more "not thatness" you are going to have to handle.

Yes sirreee.

No worries though - eventually all will settle down and soon you'll be living the life that was waiting for you - the one you were attracting all along.

Having said that...

The last thing I mean is that the process itself will be all light and breezy, though it does get easier with practice ;)

The journey itself reminds me of something I once read on the process of change that I copied and tucked away during my own time of travail.

In alchemy, there is a stage called ‘the negredo’, the darkening.
There is a point in this process of turning base metal into gold when the earth shakes, the sky rains fire and the air fills with the smell of rotting flesh.

There is a point where all seems lost.

If the alchemist drops the cooking vessel, allowing chaos and smoke to make him afraid, the whole process must begin again.

The alchemist must believe in the process of change.
He must, in effect, reach outside himself for something larger, greater, and broader
than his own experience.

As he does this, "the shaking slows to a stop, the smoke clears, and the smell of death dissolves.

The impurities have been burned away.
The process begins its ascent from the dissolving, putrefying depths;

what was once disaster is now potential gold.

We never know what comes out of darkness while the whole world shakes.

When our vision is choked and all seems lost,
our task is to reach outside ourselves,
to connect to that which is larger, deeper, and wider than our own fear.

Chaos and outrage fuel movement, movement fuels transformation.

The mystic feels, then observes, and rising above
births life from the fire of his own creation."

This is the stuff of alchemy.

Heavy stuff...but then again so are the issues that we are all handling these days, and we will continue to handle as we Lighten Up!

What are you birthing during these times of change??

The ultimate realization is that noone else must change to make it easier for you to get there. The gift of the alchemist...is inside of you.

Blessings always!

ooooooooohhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmm

I'm Changing and You're Holding Me Back! Part 1

I'm working with a client whose particular challenge is in the area of wanting approval from her family for the healthy change she is starting to make in her work, her lifestyle and with her living arrangements. She is improving her foundation across the board and literally feeling driven to oust the old suppressive values and open her arms to embrace the wildness of her true passion and the talents she possesses in that direction (which are plentiful by the way.)

She'd love it if someone in her family would just recognize who she actually IS and all that she is going through to improve her conditions. She sighs and moans and fights and crashes into walls of grief demanding - demanding! - their understanding and approval. "Just care dammit!! Can't any single ONE of you see what I'm doing here? Is it too much to ask for your support??" But noooooooo...she is not getting support OR approval. Not at all. She is getting resistance instead! Yes folks - resistance. Selfish and self serving she is. THEIR need that she just stays put is not being met! How dare she rock the boat?

Indeedy then. Sound familiar?? Anyplace in your own life where you've wanted to have something better and needed to buck the tide?

I bet, though there are degrees. Right now my client is facing it in spades.

There are a ton of psychological resource out there for this kind of dynamic, and I encourage you to seek for it. You will find. I especially recommend the books Dance of Intimacy and Dance of Anger, both by Harriet Lerner. Oldies but goodies.

There are many insights on how you can handle the work of growing spiritually as well. I have adopted this model from a complex and ancient body of knowledge, but the simplicity is clear. Do this and you're well on your way to making sense of the territory.

Imagine yourself inside a circle of your own creation. Make the territory sacred. It is yours and yours alone.

Facing the East: Determine what you need to do to be clear.
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don't be mean. Give as much advance warning of your schedule as is possible. This allows others to plan accordingly. Be clear and concise about what you can and cannot do. Lots of explanation is not the point - nor is anyones agreement. Just your own clarity.


South: have courage and compassion.
Keep the love. Have courage to live your truth. You don't need to buy your way in. Do your work. Have courage with your own scale of success, budget and availability for others. Work within your own constraints and do not betray yourself in order to "look good" by anothers' measure. No need to get angry that "they won't let you" when you are on top of your own game.


West: Grow yourself.
No excuses necessary. Share your victories with those who do support your goals and give to those who can learn from you! Be the change you wish to see. Succeed in your own journey and those around you can only benefit. Use your light to be an asset in a world of fear.


North: Rest and Relax.
Appreciate your accomplishment. Your work in this area is done for now. Meditate, pray, sing, write in your journal - keep your toes in the water of life with a gentle breath in Self reliance and communion with The One.

This is your ultimate goal.

Part 2 is coming soon. Meanwhile practice being inside your circle, always moving clockwise through the Four Directions. Here you will find the light of ease.

Namaste

ooooooooohhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm

Unexpected Help at BEA

As anyone who has spoken to me recently knows, I just returned from a couple of weeks in New York (my home state before moving to PA) and was able to attend Book Expo America 2009 while I was there. I expected to meet tons of valuable contacts in the publishing world and learn copious amounts of information about an industry that is changing right before our eyes.

Most of what I needed to accomplish in order to take the next steps in my business was indeed there at BEA. Like one-stop shopping, it was glorious to be flooded with hope, help and contacts to make the business end of my production company soar. We came away with every single one of our intentions checked off even to the last when we met a publisher who was ready for little more than a margarita as the show was closing, who enthusiastically invited our proposal as we stood among the ruins of his display.

For writers, authors and publishers these are exciting times! The powers we once relied upon to get published are changing - and sometimes vanishing - while new possibilities are opening that were just a dream less than a generation ago.

Self-initiation is a tremendous asset to those of us in this field, and spaces and places are opening for individuals to have a clearer voice. The opportunities that both the internet and social networking provide play no small role in changing the opportunities for anyone who truly wants to be heard - and this alone enables any of us with the will to find the way effectively.

While I was able to create a punch list of what I needed to accomplish while at the event, what I couldn't foresee was the nature of the interactions among the participants. This is territory where the Mystic enters through the front gate of your experience. and asks the question "who do you want to BE while you are here?" rather than settling for the simplicity of "what do you wish to accomplish."

These two dynamics are not mutually exclusive to those with eyes to see. Rather the observation of them both allows every moment to be a sacred moment and every opportunity to be one in which you can serve to help the world while you're getting things done.

To that end, part of our search at BEA was to find people who exemplified kindness, openness and helpful service. We did indeed succeed there too. I credit my husband Bob for teaching me a term called "fair exchange" where each party involved achieves a win-win. Fair exchange eclipses the simplicity of exchange of goods and services, although it certainly includes it. Fair exchange takes all the aspects of any exchange between people into account. No more climbing to the top by squashing the person beneath you. Can that possibly serve to elevate the world?

Then there is "exchange in abundance!" when you know that what you gave - or got - was more than you expected and maybe even more than you dared hope for.

Exchange in abundance? Well ain't that grand!!

The self-initiated Mystic moves their game piece to this square on the board of life, and in so doing will find any and every way to accomplish their abundant goals.

How to? Here are some simple and possibly "out of the ordinary" ideas from me...but you can go find your own and add to the list immeasurably.

Take the extra step to be helpful to whoever, whenever, wherever.

Give what you no longer use to someone who needs it.

If someone compliments something you have, consider giving it to them or sending them something similar as a gift.

If someone "wishes they could go" but can't afford to, consider supporting them.

If someone could go but needs someone to watch the kids/the store/the front, consider taking the time to spot them.

Teach the secrets of success in your field to the new generation following you.

Share your contacts.

Recommend liberally.

When you think of that good thing you could do for someone, don't stop there. DO IT!
It can make a world of difference just because you tried.

With this recognition in mind, we do hereby bestow our

Most Helpful Person Award

to author Iain Martin who, from our chance meeting at BEA, just keeps coming at us with an interest to help backed by great advise.




You can find out more about Iain by clicking here.

Thanks Iain! May you live long and prosper ;)

oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmm
Namaste

What Can We Leave to Those Who Follow?

I have entered the stage in life where a clear, persistent awareness has arrived: I am the future. I hold the answers. I am looked to - and for - by the young ones of our human tribe, and I am responsible as best I can be for the insights I offer.

Perhaps you too are at this stage with me - perhaps you are only now seeing the glimmer of truth that one day you will be. Always we have needed the voice of insight and experience to guide us. Forever into the future we will continue to grow through the contributions of those that came before us.

The Elder - The Statesman - The Wise One.

It has been about a year now since I noticed the gentle turn in the road to this new territory in my own life journey. No longer the Seeker myself, the questioner who opens infinite arms to new teachings and experiences, I have been pressed into service to honor the wisdom that I already hold.

The young ones among you have done it.

A phone call here, a "remember me?" there...the ones I taught when they were perhaps too young to really understand are letting me in on the oh-so-holy moments they have had as a result, and now somehow affected, are returning to reach out, to ask deeper questions, to connect. They are in their 20's and 30's, and filled with earnest longing to understand life and improve their conditions. Piling up around me I see that they, not I, are the Seekers with open arms to new teachings and experiences and that the Elders must take their place.

I must take my place.

I accept the honor, and I invite you to do the same. The World needs you.

Observing the role, there are landmark choices that light the path:

Admit your age.
Be proud of it.
Speak of the joys, not the sorrows - the accomplishments not the aches.
Be a renegade and try something new everyday.
Get friendly with technology and use it wisely.
Appreciate the laugh lines.
Be sensual.
Be sexy.
Stop being so "nice" and if you're being mean, stop that too.
Be willing to share what you know.
Be willing to know something different.
Look people in the eye - especially the really young ones who might automatically think you are judging them. (and if you are judging them - don't)

There is so much more than meets the eye that lives in the heart of man.

Be trustworthy.
Extend your helping hand.
Be optimistic.
Be the change you wish to see.

Forget about "when I was your age" and get real with "now that I am wise..."

Talk about them, not about you.
Listen.

Lastly, if you want to leave a lasting testament to the generations that will follow, you can do it now by living a life that will earn the right to be admired.

BE PEACE NOW.

Whatever it is and wherever you can, create peace today right where you stand. In your family. With your neighbor. Through your green purchases and recycling efforts. Make peace with your body image, your IQ and your age. Live peace inside your own heart.

This is the possibility of wisdom made manifest. This is the possibility of truth we leave for our young ones.

May you have many smiles along the road!

oooooohhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm
Namaste

God Holds You in the Palm of His - Her? - Hand

I have had the privilege of hearing the deep and true stories of peoples' lives in my coaching practice. Lately, for many of you the challenge is growing. Divorce, loss of love, fear of the current economic picture, feelings that life is leaving you alone and abandoned, stories of what "should be," what was "supposed" to be, what isn't and what wasn't...

In my journey through the ecstasy of living I have found that my most revered teachers often shared something so profound, so vastly embracing, and so enriching to my soul as to take only one sentence to impart the deepest of truths. Consider this...

"Once one is committed to Wholeness, all that is not that will step forward to be healed."

(Mind says "and I thought it was going to be easy, you know, like once I decided to have it all and reach for my bliss things would get better...")

No?


Bummer.


When your soul needs to grow beyond it's present limiting circumstance that's when it's time to bring out the fan and watch the slinging begin.

Your own, that is.

Everything that stands in the way of your greatness will appear out of thin air, rising to the surface like some bad joke. Only here's the thing..."all that is not that" simply needs to go. The one who needs to let go...is you.

"BE the change you want to see" is not a new idea, yet it can seem so hard to apply when we are hurt, angry or scared.

The great meditation teacher Thick Nhat Hanh advises this simple mind body spirit routine:

Breathing in, I calm
Breathing out, I smile.
Present moment.
Wonderful moment.

Simply put, he is giving us permission to be in charge of the moment - every moment.

If you can't change your life, change your mind.
If you can't change your mind, change your breath.
If you can't change your breath, smile...

You are a gentle soul, says the Mystic, waiting to be reborn.

Know that when we address life difficulties, all of our decisions involve bodymindspirit as one - each time - every time. We cannot create change on one level and expect that it will not affect the other levels significantly.

You are ever and always in charge of something you can do to create a positive outcome in any situation.

Where to begin?? The way we feel, think and act naturally follows a sequence of energetic motions that travel through the system of our energetic body - the system of energy anatomy we call chakras.

If you follow the awareness that each chakra invokes, your road map will be clear and the work you need to do on yourself for yourself will become evident.

• 1st chakra - facing the challenge when the structure of our beliefs about what "should be" are getting tested. Facing our own limiting beliefs as well as the limiting beliefs of others in our environment and in our tribe. Going it alone and accepting the necessity of aligning our personal belief with the choice to take a stand. Growing up.

• 2nd chakra - moving from apathy and argument to caring action. Finding the ways to care properly rather than shutting down. There are tools to help us through this area of creation that are related to the care and nourishment of our body. Eat well, exercise, rest, visit nature. These are not options if you want to stay healthy and spiritually awake.

• 3rd chakra - grief and the subsequent arrival of ease. We need to address our feelings of self-esteem and self-realization. Where are we responsible for our own experience, like it or not? We address the VICTIM and acknowledge the gifts of the true Self who actually does know what to do and how to do it. How does grief feel? Why is it necessary to grieve if you are to ever truly let go? Why feel at all? What's the upside? Letting go is the work of a healthy 3rd chakra.

• 4th chara - fear. How do we convert the energy of fear into faith? We are renegotiating "that to which we were wedded" at this level of interaction. This is emotional and spiritual as well as physical.

• 5th chakra - anger transformed into healthy boundaries. The necessity of finding your voice resides here. Make it real. Keep it true. Release blame. Transform aggression. Maintain protection. Say what you mean and mean what you say - and don't be mean.

• 6th chakra - insight comes when the pain subsides. We practice meditation to help us recognize the difference between insight and the chattering of the monkey mind. Peace is the answer. Listening is the skill. Develop ways to listen. A 10-minute daily meditation practice is invaluable.

• 7th chakra - love is all there is. Keep the best for all concerned in sight. God holds you in the palm of hir hand...

This is the barest of outlines on how the incredible energetic information system you were born with operates. There are many ways to fill in the blanks of the outline so find your teachers. Attract support. Make your stand. Look at yourself and improve, improve, improve what you see. Stop being a victim. Start taking responsibility for the life you created and if you need to change it, then change it.

Whatever it is you must begin, begin it now. There is greatness in that.

Expecting someone else to change so that you'll have it easier is a blame game that is a waste of your spiritual energy and a false reason for living. Don't give up on yourself...the best is yet to come.

Stay strong dear ones, and breathe deep...

Namaste

ooooohhhhmmmmmmm

Tweet the Good News!

I've been looking at the surge? upsurge? tsunami wave of interest in social networking lately. The numbers are growing exponentially every single day.

At a previous stage of life I might have said - well I would have said "hooey!" to such vast amounts of time spent sending inane messages to friends far and wide every time I took a sip of coffee.

On the other hand, is that what you or I are actually doing it for these days? Of course not. I'm actually wowed at the loving kindness I receive every day from my facebook and newly emerging twitter groups. I can't tell you how many times I've posted something and watched just the right person step forward with just the right kind of support. Sometimes it's as simple as a thumbs up.

You matter. I matter. We all matter to each other.

Whether we are giving shout outs, smiley faces, comments or "follows", we are giving...and I do believe we can never give too much.

Like the breath, there is always more. Like the exhale, we can go long and deep, and in the giving we enlarge the circle of return.

Now who doesn't need that?

If you twitter I invite you to an experiment using a new application that creates tribes, or "twibes" as they are called. (Twitter w's everything if you haven't seen that before. Kinda cute - kinda silly - but always recognizable.) I just created a new one at http://twibes.com/PracticalSpirituality.

I wanted to create something else out of my presence there - another out breath - that can make a difference to someone, somewhere who can use some of that cumulative knowledge we all carry within. Tweet your favorite authors, titles, practices, thoughts, prayers, and everyday keys to successful living in 140 characters or less. Another wonderful way to give what you've got and spread the good word.

Thank you for your support.

Big hugs to you,
oooooooohhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm

;)

Isn't Self Care Selfish??

I remember one of my teachers saying "so you think you're going to fight the good fight now, eh? Go heal the world and make all the difference you came here for? How do you think you're going to do that if you don't think highly enough of your self in the first place?"

Well then. There's some heavy pondering going on there.


I don't believe I thought badly about myself exactly...just that I was being lots of things to please others. I was a good wife, a good daughter, a good student, a good friend. Isn't that what you're supposed to be?

When I had thoughts of doing for myself, especially when it collided with what others wanted or needed, it seemed selfish. Not only that, I got satisfaction from the results of my successful "other care!" Most healers do. And most women. And most good men.

I gave it my best shot I suppose, but didn't really understand the true implications until I studied Energy Anatomy...and recognized the desire to find Self as the software of the soul.

How then does caring for self rise above ego gratification to land at the top of the heap of positive Mystical traits?

The Mystic embraces the quality of self that resides within, and in his gentle support and listening care hears the truth of his own beating heart and the rat-a-tat-tatting of Self-awareness, Self-worth and Self-esteem. He stops denying and starts expressing Self as a vehicle in service to the Divine genius within.

Now he is strong enough - finally she is ready - at last we are honed through the realization of our power to take up the journey and carry our weight, not based upon other's approval, but on the strength of our own higher truth.

There's a beautiful poetic book called There's a Hole In My Sidewalk by Portia Nelson in which she describes the moment of recognizing the difference between loving the man she has lost and realizing the truth that they were both hiding inside the relationship.

"If I just pay enough attention to you, I won't have to look so hard at myself..."

In this territory we often experience grief - an ill-at-easeness that signals the emotion of letting go. If we are to be authentic and powerful then let go we must.

Marianne Williamson quotes from A Course in Miracles "It is not our darkness we fear most, it is our light...you are a child of God and your playing small does not serve the world."

In this way our Self care becomes Other care of the highest degree.

May you have ease releasing all that is no longer needed in your life and move gracefully into the life that is waiting for you to embrace...

...and may your choices always reflect the best possible result for all concerned.

Carry-on now!

Till next time,

ooooohhhhhhmmmmmmmmm

BEST Remedy for Allergy Season

I used to live with allergies. A lot. Sometimes they defined me.

I had the sort of reactions that went from a little itchy-eyed nose run with discomfort to a full blown version of Niagra Falls for days on end. Dust, pollen, perfume, candles, mold, mildew, even the cats I love would send me into a frenzy.

Wouldn't you know, being the holistic health care goddess I am, research into natural remedies became my holy grail and the day I wound up canceling patients because I couldn't stop blowing my nose was the final straw. Wanting neither a life sentence on Claritin nor any replication of the boy in the bubble, living without a cure was simply unfathomable.

That's when I ran into Gary, my former yoga student who said "you know I thank you every day for turning me onto the Neti Pot. I haven't had any allergy symptoms since I started using it daily!!"

WHAT?! Me?? The Neti Pot?? I said that??

And here, my friends, is a perfect example of someone (well, me in this case) having knowledge enough to teach this stuff but skidding right past it in my own life. I just didn't connect the dots.

Anyway, it's been several years since seeing Gary again and I've Netied every day. I still get triggered if I visit with cats for too long, but allergy season is no more and the difference is profound in my quality of life.

I learned a couple of things here that I'll share - the first is sometimes you already know what you know...you just need to remember, and the second is don't give up and don't give in. You have the ability to attract what you need to know and it may come in the most unlikely of packages.

Now I feel to be fair in my total assessment of complementary healthcare that not mentioning changing your diet, getting enough rest, moving yourself AWAY from the cause of irritants, and going green in your household are significant factors in improving the life of an allergy sufferer, I'm keeping it simple for the moment and passing along the good news.

Go get yourself a Neti Pot.

Click here for a video of what to do.


Have fun!!
oooohhhhhmmmmmmm

Mindbody Fitness is My Saving Grace

A client recently asked me to share something of my journey in Mindbody Fitness. Like many of you reading this right now, I have had somewhat of a close relationship with pain. For me it was an ordinary but unrelenting form of back pain…the lower back sort of thing that makes you hold on when you try to get up from a chair, and squiggle around a lot when you’re forced to sit still. Doctors said "surgery" as I winced and rallied to find any other option. I had heard that yoga could open a person up to some life altering experiences. I also knew that there was a mental component to the practice… I just didn’t think I’d get to the pain-free zone by standing on my head or drinking herbal tea.

Skeptically, I began my journey with a weekend workshop. The first of my teachers was from India and he – was – masterful! As he invited the class to breathe, he said to me (off handedly, mind you) that the breath I was taking was called survival breathing. Yup, just enough to keep me from dropping dead when I took my mind off it!

Now, there’s an interesting thought…it felt reassuring on some level to have the awareness that I had a choice in the matter. It dawned on me that the practice of conscious breathing, ”pranayama” as I later learned, was actually the relationship we have with life energy, and that I had the possibility, indeed the invitation, to become a conscious, awake and aware partner with LIFE itself! At the time, the very idea of such a point of reference was a completely unique experience.

Over time I began to stretch out and breathe in, and as I released resistance, the most amazing thing happened. The pain began to shift, to pulse, to dim, and then fade. It was a quiet transition, a light, gentle breeze, but I recognized it when it happened. I was hooked! That moment of realization changed my life direction. I found the study of infinite possibilities to be inside of…ME! I switched my area of study from mind, to bodymind and set out on a journey learning how to live.

My life work has changed dramatically since that first introduction. I took bold steps into the unknown and created the career of my dreams. I had to let go of people and beliefs that stood in the way. I had to look crazy to some, unrealistic to others. I certainly had to withstand the tests that were planted firmly on the path, but my pain is gone, my children are safe, and in 30 years of practice, I’ve come up with some interesting insights from a life that continues to be well lived.

1. Wherever you go, there you are (you’ve heard this before) and there is nothing more important in life than getting to know yourself.
2. Breath IS life! Take in as much as you can, and let go with ease.
3. Your thoughts are a choice. So is what you do with them.
4. Make time for miracles. It’s always easier to just open the door than to have it beaten down.
5. Listen to your body. Feelings of peace and well-being will show up as health. Negative or conflicted feelings will manifest in “symptoms.”
6. You each have your own unique genius. You can best access its’ wisdom in the quiet moments, so learn to meditate, and listen up!
7. There is no better than Here - just different.
8. Being is different than Having. You can BE whatever you desire when you simply choose to be.
9. Release your need to understand. You can use technology before you understand how the circuits are wired. It’s the same with yoga. Just do it.
10. Yoga is a practice. Practice makes perfect. Without practice, it’s just a thought, so get in gear and begin your practice now.

Till next time, you can visit me and see my creations at www.yokibics.com. All of the Yoga CDs can help you learn to relax, and my Yokibics Mindbody Fitness Video which takes you from simple movements through a complex series is now available on DVD.

May the road rise to meet you, and the wind be always at your back!
Namaste

Dance Me to the End of Love

I recently fell in love (again) with the voice and presence of Leonard Cohen. Singer/songwriter extraordinaire, he is now in his mid-70's and going back out on tour. New generations of listeners will be introduced to the gritty sound of his kindness. Old memories will return for many. For me, his voice draws me to listen over and over again.

I've been called of late to think, to muse, and to write on the meaning of love. It seemed only fair to add Leonard Cohen to the list of my admirations.

I have come to know some things for certain, and one is that sharing the things we love is worth the effort. I watch as we go about our day somehow thinking that our vote - our say - and our revelations don't matter to others - but they do. How is it that something so longed for can be so difficult for so many to achieve? I decided, like Leo Buscaglia (famed for his "Love 101" college course) and the many mystics before me, that love is a practice.

Like most practices, the doing itself leads to greater ease and expression. You know, the old "practice makes perfect" is also true for love.

Not always as easy as it sounds though, eh?

Perhaps we can increase the scope of our practice by finding ways to share in fleeting moments that might normally seem too small or insignificant to matter.

I guarantee that you will see over time, it is not the moment that is insignificant...it is the assessment you have made of your own value in it.

The world doesn't need to agree with the things you love, but we sure can benefit from the demonstration itself. Nudge the person you're with next time you see a sunset. Become an ambassador for love.

Today my share with you is Leonard Cohen, rising like the Phoenix to be heard again and again. His concert tickets are a little pricy, but for the cost of a click you can hear his Live from The Beacon Theater concert on NPR right now.

Hope you love it!
http://www.npr.org

oooooohhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm
"The Spirit in Me Salutes the Spirit in You."
Namaste

Are our Prayers our Promptings?

I was reading a blog recently and the writer mentioned interviewing someone who used the word "promptings" as a noun. He spoke of having promptings, like things to be cared for and responded to - or not - but things nonetheless. He said that the speaker also used the word to communicate within his group.

There was some talk of the value of creating a language of ones own for ones group - in order to bond in understanding through the use and meaning of these terms. This is something groups routinely do (even down to passwords and secret handshakes.)

Given today's world, I've been learning the ins and outs of Twitter, and boy is that a great example of new language that bonds a group. We tweet messages to each other, our tweeps receive them on their PC or cell phone, and we organize it all on our tweetdecks. It's great fun! It's also a meaningful shift in the way we humans communicate.

I've been through this before. As I watch the world slowly becoming more aware, more in tune and more in sync with the language of the "club of new age nuts" that I've long been a part of, my heart feels light and my smile broadens! Who knew that yoga would be all the buzz at the local Y, and that health food and whole grains would be so chic that even garlic-loving Chef Emeril Lagassi would eventually go green with his "bam!".

I began to think about the "promptings" conversation, and in the world of meditators, healers and intuitives, it would immediately be understood that "a prompting" is "an action called for stemming from an insight or intuition."

I once went to see a great yogi, spending quite a bit of time and effort to finally sit in his presence. He looked very young (although he wasn't,) and energetically vital with sweet rosy cheeks and a terrific smile. Speaking of the powerful value of prayer, he was asked if he could have only one prayer what would it be, and he answered immediately:

"let me not measure what I own, nor seek to hoard the riches of the earth,
but give to me instead the ability to create moment by moment
what is actually needed in any situation."

I love this answer!

But boy, talk about a trust walk...and how do you know you're doing OKwith it once you've been bestowed with this special gift?

I think this is the best reason I've seen for a valuable lesson on "promptings."

They come in the quiet.

They demonstrate in peaceful surrender to what is and what can be.

They show you the way - though it may not be your way.

They demand that you listen...to something besides yourself that is. Really.

That means learning to get over yourself already, and just follow the leader - the song of your soul - the promptings. Now you're on to something! Listen. And once you hear, really hear, you will know the truth...and then you must act.

No sissy-mary half-baked no-I-cant's allowed. You want to get good at this? Then take action.
Act in kindness. Act on faith. Act with courage, but do act.

Promptings. May we have them aplenty.

Blessings to you today and everyday!

I'd love to hear some of your stories...

oooooooohhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm...

Getting Closer to Fine

Listen...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY1Bl4nfpdA&feature=related


...to a great 4 minute video of the Indigo Girls ...a wonderful 'time out' for you no matter how busy you are talking - sharing - doing - performing - clearing you inbox- working - parenting - serving others. Great mystics always ask "how can you refresh yourself if all you do is give? Is there no time for listening?"

I have a coaching client who's been pretty sick these past few years. In her mid 30's with a couple of kids and a drat diagnosis that "isn't getting better" so she's been told.

So she brings me one of her favorite albums and says there must be some mistake with the lyrics in the song Closer to Fine.

"I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains.
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain.
There's more than one answer to these questions,
pointing me in a crooked line...

and the less I seek my source for some definitive,
the closer I am to fine.

yeahhhhh


The closer I am to fine..."

Wait a minute...the less I seek my source for some definitive the closer I am to fine??

How can that be when almost all we've been taught to know says we must find those answers to the questions of life - and we better 'get it right' too!

"A+ for you young lady." (Don't want to fail now, do ya?)

This is 6th chakra territory where insight and pain sit side by side - and only the trusting dare enter.

My question to you is can you go inside yourself and find your way, even when "they" say you can't, or you'll never make it, or worse??

I won't coach you here, but refer you instead to Rainer Maria Rilke when he says...

I beg you...to have patience with everything
unresolved in your heart

and try to love the questions themselves as if
they were locked rooms or books
written in a very foreign language.
Don't search for the answers, which could not be given you now,
because you would not be able to live them,
and the point is, to live everything.

Live the questions now.

Perhaps then, someday far in the future,
you will gradually, without even noticing it,
live your way into the answer...

May you find the spirit of adventure in your own journey today, no matter it's contents...

Smile-on!
oooooohhhhhhhmmmmm

Day of Love?

I'm sure if you're living anywhere outside the high Himalayas you're not blind to the fact that today is Valentines Day. Hallmark sentiments and Kodak moments abound. Tokens of love are necessary - yes necessary! - in order to feel complete.

So what happens if you are single today - or between relationships - or on a rocky road with your special loved one? Is this a day of failure?

When we look at the seven chakras lining up in the name of love (the energetic anatomy centers that runs our circuits) we recognize some very important items:

• Your first chakra of security will require a good look-see at your beliefs. Let's just take "am I lovable?" as the question of the day. Now that's a good one to review! If you're anything like the rest of us you'll probably bump into some of the places, people and memories that might have you believing otherwise. Time to check out your beliefs. My advise? Keep the ones that support your lovability and just can the rest. They were never true anyway, just someone else's idea that you weren't enough - and you bought it. Time to hit refresh.

• Your second chakra of intimacy will be ringing like a doorbell. "Does he really care?"... "Is she really the one?" ... and if you hang your hat on relating as your measure, some days you'll be up, and some days you'll surely be down, down, down.

• Now the third chakra view invites a different measure altogether. Who are you anyway? Are you your personality - your education - your job title - your stuff?

This is the question for Valentines Day!

Who am I?

...and as we look at the essence of Self underlying the personality, the education, the job title and the stuff, we hit pay dirt. Good digs here!

You are the possibility of all possible human expression.

You are infinite creativity and divine opportunity.

You are the observer and the observed...the lover and the beloved.

You are you in all your glory.

Can you love this person? Can you accept and heal and delight in who you find?

The Mystic finds the essence of love in the clear, complete and total expression of Self. Give this to the world and how can you go wrong? The wonderful poet David Whyte http://www.davidwhyte.com/ guides us regularly to know that we are each unique in what we have to offer life - as long as we do offer it. "Noone can fail exactly like you can fail!" he exclaims and chides us to "fail spectacularly!"

Music to my ears and Medicine for the soul I do say.

So carry on-loved ones! Go be you and give, give, give.

Your self-esteem will sky rocket and your sense of purpose will shine.

Let Valentines Day be the reminder of your 'meet and greet' with the value of your own true self.

Go share now! And enjoy your day.

till next time...

oooohhhhhmmmm

What a Wonderful World

Did you ever notice the synchronicity of some small thing regularly showing up in your life during important times, or trying times, or times when you were calling out with your soul "Hey! Are you UP there?? Send me a sign, and I'm talkin' NOW!"

I have. Bigtime. For me it's a song.

I asked that it be added to the ritual celebration we gave some years ago for my parents at their 50th wedding anniversary - that alone was a miracle of fits and starts. So I had an established relationship that this particular song was significant - sort of my own secret remembrance that life is good.

Like any of you who've lived long enough to have the juice of life spill over you, I've had my share of traumatic events too. The first time I noticed that the song was part of them, I was sending a heartfelt prayer for guidance out to the place where my heart might meet the cosmic genius - and the song came on the radio.

Months later, I'm near to shock in that awful moment standing next to the hospital bed...looking down, aching...wondering..."will life ever be the same..?" and the music therapist stops by -"just making my rounds!"- and begins to strum the song on her guitar.

Oh it feels like the heavens are alive.

It went like that several more times - enough for me to know the difference between coincidence and life showing up to meet me where I stood.

Now I'm looking for an expert medical advisor - I have a tricky question few can answer. I'm at a cocktail party and meet a new friend. He happens to be a Doc. I mention my quest. It winds up he's not just any Doc - he's an expert in the field.

WOW. All righty then...

...and as he opens his laptop to give me the longed for information - the song is part of his background start-up. It issues forth like a trumpet, and I know that all is well.

Keep you eyes open kids - and your ears!

The answer to your prayers might not need a golden chariot shooting lightning bolts to find you, but rather it could be the very thing you are looking at now, right in front of your nose.


A Hawaiian Story: THE STARFISH

Once upon a time, there was a wise elder (kupuna) who went to the sea to contemplate. One day, while walking along the shore, the elder looked down the beach, and saw a gracefully dancing human figure. He wondered out loud,"Who would so joyfully greet this day with hula?"and began to walk faster to catch up.

Getting closer, the kupuna saw that the dancer was a keiki (child), who was not dancing at all. The keiki was reaching down to the sand to pick up something, and was very gently throwing it into the sea.

The kupuna called out to the keiki, "Aloha! What are you doing? "The keiki paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish into the sea...the sun is up, the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they will die."

"But, don't you realize, " asked the kupuna, "that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You can't possibly make a difference!"

The keiki listened politely, then bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it gently just beyond the breaking waves, and exuberantly declared, "It made a difference for that one!"

"My" song, this rendition in the beautiful voice of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAl1JBruK4Y&feature=related