Journal Posts
One of my first experiences with yoga was a kundalini yoga class at a YMCA in Oregon. My friends and I would attend every week. Although, I had no idea why the woman leading the class wore a turban on her head, it was the highlight of my week. One of the poses we practiced was Urdhva Prasarita Padasana. As we lay down on our backs, our arms remained along the sides of our body while our feet extended up to the ceiling. Instead of stretching the palms, we created fists with our hands and beat the ground with our fists for about 60 seconds. Afterwards, we bent our knees and rested on our backs for a few moments before moving on to the next pose. (Which was always something like Virabhadrasana II while breathing Kapalabhati Pranayama.) Even at the very early stages of my yoga practice, I understood that this relatively simple practice was hugely effective for releasing anger and I have practiced it several times since. It was the first time that I truly comprehended the mind body connection; that I can do something...
posted: 4 years 11 months ago
posted: 11/21/10
Today was the full moon and I spent the entire day in ceremony. It was the final day of our herbal medicine class. The ceremony was one of my favorite aspects of this class. We brought it into every day by brewing herbal teas, lighting candles and gathering in circles over the course of nine months. The idea of coming together as a community, a tribe or a counsel harkens back to ceremonies of yore when everything was sacred. If you did not hold ceremony before planting this year's crop, you could not expect a good yield.
Yesterday, we passed a talking stick and each shared our journey over...
posted: 11/20/10
This past weekend was the last weekend of a 9 month course in herbal medicine. I felt tired on Saturday and on the tail end of a cold so I actually contemplated not attending! We spent the day giving each of the 15 women and men in our circle about 20 minutes to present what moved them over the past 9 months. And I was inspired by what this amazing group of people created: many made herbal medicine in the form of tinctures, salves and teas for ourselves and for the loved ones in our lives; some created classes to teach and informational brochures to share with the larger community on the...
posted: 11/19/10
I take a weekly walk with some girlfriends and each Friday we wonder if we will walk the next week. We have had several frosts here in the Blue Ridge Mountains and each Friday could be our last so I am thankful for these walks. Even though I could feel a cold coming on, I decided to walk anyway hoping that the fresh air might do some good. I think it did. I progressively felt a little bit worse by the end of the day, but the fresh fall air and gorgeous yellows, reds and orange colors were pleasant and peaceful for my mind's eye and gave me something to reflect upon as I lay in bed wishing I...
posted: 11/18/10
Last night we had dinner with our friend and musician, Alex Schein, who is currently recording in our studio. Alex uses his music to promote peace and raise awareness of international issues. He is a very uplifting individual. Inevitably, however, our dinner conversation turned toward current events and Alex introduced us to the increasingly common practice of fracking. Needless to say, we all became a little depressed. Alex, ever the orator, continued to be upbeat and encouraged us to get our stories out there. Even amidst all of the pain and suffering on the news every day, there are...
posted: 11/17/10
"I work at a job I truly love. I work with people I love and who love and respect me. I express myself creatively through my work and I earn a good income doing it." ~ Louise Hay
I came across these affirmations from Louise Hay a while back and I started to say them regularly. They were affirmations on health, self, relationships, wealth and work. And I realized that the easiest one for me to affirm was this one on work simply because I already believed it. Today I am thankful for the way that I have built my life and my life's work. This does not mean that everything is perfect, but I am...
posted: 11/16/10
I remember seeing Dr. Masaru Emoto's incredible images of water molecules several years ago. As the rain finally falls on our farm after several weeks of drought, I am so appreciative of the water. It is as if everything breathes a sigh of relief. One of my teachers, pauses during workshops to give thanks as she takes a sip of water as if it is the most precious thing in the world. And it is! Our access to clean air and clean water are basic human rights and yet millions of people live without access to clean drinking water. This video comes from the metaphysical phenomenon, What the Bleep Do...
posted: 11/15/10
"Good things come to those who wait, but often as a result of those who hustle."
~ A Taste of China Fortune Cookie
We finally indulged in take-out from the infamous Chinese Restaurant popularized by an eclectic Chef and a New Yorker Article. Chang has since abandoned Charlottesville in search of another victim, but the restaurant remains. Peter IV, my husband, was feeling nostalgic about his mother's family's tradition of ordering Chinese take-out EVERY Summer Sunday night from about 1950 to 1985! Peter's maternal family is a first family of Virginia ( like they came over on one of the first...
posted: 11/14/10
Two weeks of gratitude and how do I feel? In a word, Grateful. It has had a profound impact on my overall state of mind. It is like when you go to your mat on those weeks where it feels like going to your mat is the only thing going well. You are just so thankful for your practice or the respite from a busy day. My morning page commitment has been like this. It puts me in a good mood immediately because I know I am eventually going to be grateful. I have also been able to use this practice to help some of my friends who are having a difficult day. I recommend focusing on what is good and...
posted: 11/13/10
For the last nine months, I have taken an herbal medicine course with Sacred Plant Traditions under the tutelage of Kathleen Maier. Herbal Medicine combines so many of interests in health, healing, botany, language and beauty. This weekend I am finishing my final project for the course and I am thankful for the opportunity to share what I have learned. First and foremost, I have been introduced to the plants ( most of which grow in my backyard ) and the energetics of the plants. I have also learned how to preserve the plants through tinctures, teas, salves, oils, honeys and vinegars. My...
posted: 11/12/10
Today I am blessed with little ones. First by my black cat, Deva, who loves to snuggle with me every morning while I write my morning pages. I am so appreciative of her love that I take what I can get. On Fridays, I walk with my friend Erika and her blossoming 3 month old, Elsie. The leaves are still turning colors since we continue to have warm days. We walk a perfect one-hour loop on the Rockfish ValleyTrail. And it is fun to watch Elsie grow so quickly every week.
This afternoon my friend, Rahimah, and her eighteen month old, Raphael, are coming to spend some time outside and cook dinner....
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