Six degrees of seperation

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is an average of six "steps" away from each person on Earth.

This has never been more apparent in my life as it seems to be....right now.....it would seem to appear to me that those whom you know, know so and so, who would seem to know so and so that you may have never even have thought you knew until, you find out that so and so, knows so and so and so on and so on and so on........and it keeps going until you are six "steps" away from each person on Earth.

So here's to the six degrees of seperation and to those of you that I am only six "steps" away from on this Earth..........................................Peace be unto you..................Namaste

40 days and 40 nights...........

We have all heard the biblical stories of 40 days and 40 nights, haven't we? Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert while tempted by the devil.........Moses fasted during his 40 day, 40 night stay on Mt. Sinai and Noah was to save the whole world in a 'boat' during his 40 days and 40 nights in the rain...........40? what is it's significance? as a number? as an age?

It appears that the number 40 'is' of great significance and has been found to have had significance in the ancient calender........ in the early tracking of 40 days  it was found to be a very effective method of measuring and metering out each passing solar year. Ancient writings and artifacts (including certain monuments) make it clear that a cycle of 40 days was once carefully time tracked. Early astronomers appear to have once time tracked a cycle of 40 days for calendric purposes and also appear to have revered and celebrated this cycle in the practice of religion.

40 as an number
Forty denotes that time is on your side. It is a period of cleansing, preparation and growth.

Can I just reiterate that......cleansing, preparation and growth.....

Wow......well that explains my 40th year, amazing......and if I hadn't of lived through all that I had in the past 39 years I would have never been prepared......the growth factor seems to be beyond scalable and now coming into the last stretch.....after all the trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows, ups and downs I am truly able to say that all that came before this 40th year is behind me....I have come to beleive that a woman is no longer the same 'being' after turning 40 (or is that just me), everything from the age of 0-40 is just the 'preparation', her 40th year is her 'cleansing' and from there on in it is all an opportunity at 'growth'.
Real growth.....everything I thought I believed, perceived, needed and wanted has changed because I have changed.....I no longer see life, love and happiness through the eyes of a child.....who cannot let go...I see them through the eyes of this woman, who 'let it all go'....she let go of demands, expectations and limitations....existing only in the realm of the 'moment'.....this 'moment'....the here and now, in which she has been blessed to cross over to another side of her existence.....as I move forward into a period of life I have never experienced before....with a little less uncertainty about who and what I am....I find myself feeling more and more grateful for this year......this year that taught me more about me than I thought I would figure out in one lifetime, let alone one year....as I prepare to step into that 41st year.....that's what 40 as a number and
as an age represents to me...........Namaste

Homework the ProsVsCons

Little did I realize as the inspiration for this blog was swirling through my subconscious mind, I would find myself relaxing, releasing, letting go of it all and sleeping in? LATE! great for me not so great for the kids who needed to be at school at 9:05am and it was 8:40............so with that said I'm sure that my tardiness would not fit in with the required curriculum......and my stand on homework may not either..........

I have 3 children in elementary school and all of them have more homework than I feel should be required....reading, writing, arithmetic....here I find myself again at those 3 R's. Now, don't get me wrong as I stated before I understand that learning the basic concept of these 3 subjects is pretty much the basis of all learning and as such is the basis of life growth itself...for without the ability to learn in all capacities...we are stunted.

But, is all this homework necessary???????? kids are at school a minimum of 61/2 hours a day for a minimum of 340 days a year.......that's a lot of time, alot of life, alot of learning.....so why? then the need to impose additional homework on them during what used to be free time.....their life. Not only does it impose on the children by demanding more of their precious, valuable and personal time, it is also an imposition on the parent's. I work evening's and am unable to give them the required attention and assistance they need, leaving me feeling unproductive and guilty.....is that necessary.......considering the amount of time spent in a system that is set up to teach our children the exact studies which they are bringing home? This homework also interferes with outside interests and has been implicated as creating stress for many children.

Now I am not saying that the occasional assignment or special project does not encourage and teach children discipline, Independence and good studying habits and I also believe that if a child does not or is not able to finish their school work at school that it should be sent home. I also must state that if a child is falling behind in any subject or requires additional studying to keep them on track then as a parent we should be willing to play our part in helping our children to be competent and able in their studies. My concern is for the everyday child who is being overwhelmed by study and is losing interest and may even drop in their grades due to the overwhelming burden to always be learning.

On the flip side of learning my kids attended Italian summer school 2 years in a row at their own request. They attended classes for 2 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week for 1 month and everyday they fit in recess and a snack. They learned the Italian national anthem, all their numbers, the ABC's and even learned 2 major productions that they presented at the end of the summer session. How is that possible? no homework there?........because it was new, it was fun....they played Bingo in Italian...they learned through the arts by learning a play.....need I say more....

Children don't need more homework....we need a new system and a new curriculum......in this day in age it must be apparent that not everyone learns the same way and although there has been a slow shift in the schooling system it is not enough.....we need to speed things up and bring things into the 21st century......we need to begin teaching our children through mentorship, inspiring and motivating them to take that which they learn and use it to become mentors and teachers themselves in the future....everyone has at least one special talent that they can share.....why let anyone fall through the cracks......who knows what insight, knowledge, inspiration we may be missing.......we need to teach the children as they learn, some children learn through hearing, some through the written word, some through action.......but all need to be inspired.

Writers, Dancers, Artists, Scientists, Athletes, Motivational speakers all these and many more are the teachers we should be exposing our children to, not only occasionally but as part of the curriculum.....see how fast they learn....then they will not need additional homework for they will be putting their lessons to action.......that is learning.

My belief is that unbenounced to all of us the system is setting our children up not only to work 9 to 5 but to become accustomed to the fact their time is not their own and that in the future they will be more and more intertwined in the industrial world....as we supposedly go GREEN......is this what we want for our children?

I remember a Christmas holiday a few years back when one of my little one's was only in grade 1, she brought home her reading schedule and informed me that her teacher required her to read everyday during the break.........I immediately informed her that if she wanted to read then by all means read as many books a day as she liked, as for the required reading curriculum I informed her that this was our holiday, our family time together to relax and enjoy and that she was not required to do any reading at all if she did not want to. I told her I would speak to the teacher as soon as the break was over......she stuck to the curriculum as her fear of disappointing her teacher and feeling as if she had not done what was required of her was more impacting on her than her mother's words. Her choice and it is everyone's choice to decide whether homework builds more productive children? Unfortunately for those of us who are not happy with homework, we would seem to have no choice in the present moment.

I am not alone in this dilemma, not by a long shot, I distinctly remember several parent's discussing with me how when they went on their family holiday to Hawaii and Aruba, their children were required to take homework...........WAIT, STOP......DID YOU HEAR THE SKID MARKS.....now I would never say never because you know what happens as soon as you say never........NEVER happens.......but I see it to be highly unlikely that my family would be taking school work along with us to Hawaii........come on? am I crazy? Now that doesn't mean that their would be no reading or learning......I could see myself lying on the beach reading one of my many books on Yoga, Buddhism, Life..........and learning all the while.....I can see my children taking in the culture of another country.....their traditions, teachings..........all while enjoying the beauty and relaxation of much needed rest from school, work...and the everyday schedule....isn't that why people take vacations???????? to relax, unwind, let go and remember that their is life outside the everyday, their life........

This brings me back to the moment of inspiration of this story as my subconscious was imagining all of us on the beach, reading or just resting, lying in Savasana (flat out on our backs), on a beautiful beach, letting it all go.....I must of actually have gone there.........hence my early morning tardiness........Do you think it is because I never did enough homework?????

I think it's called required rest..........which everyone needs and I am sure that our children need it? What do you think?

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was not traditional for me at all........it still got me to thinking, though...about thanks and gratitude..........I try to live every day, every moment in thanks (it is not always easy, even when we think we are living in thanks it is very easy for the mind, the body, the spirit to be lifted out of that state and into another.......with stress, daily life issues and the speed of light, which would all seem to be working against our ability to create balance within our existence.

It has been a long time since I have written down the things I am grateful for, so here it is my Thankful list for the moment............

I am thankful for God........He has taught me forgiveness, grace and surrender.
I am thankful for my kids....they have taught me patience, compassion and surrender.
I am thankful for my husband....he has taught me Independence, strength and surrender.
I am thankful for Yoga.....it has taught me balance, wisdom and surrender.
I am thankful for Dance....it has taught me freedom, flexibility and surrender.
I am thankful for my family...they have taught me perseverance, hope and surrender.
I am thankful for God.........He has taught me forgiveness, grace and surrender.

I thank God first and last as without him there would be nothing else to be grateful for.

God, Jesus, Brahma, Yahweh, OM, it is not so important exactly who or what, for the entity exists omnipresent. I believe God takes the shape of many forms in our life through, nature, people, material abundance, even getting as close enough as touching, talking and teaching us in very close proximity through family, friends (Angels) with messages and support.

The 3 T's? Touching, Talking, Teaching............when I was in school it was the 3 R's

Reading (which I get and love to do)
Writing (that doesn't even start with R?)
Arithmetic (again, where's the logic in that?)
I didn't know how to spell it, so, so much for learning writing. It is my understanding that I am not the first nor will I be the last to not understanding how these 3 things came together to be the 3R's but, I do understand their concept in the basis of learning.

There was a time when it was said that girls didn't do as well in Math as boys. This may have been true, and if so, once again it would have been the order of the universe that made it so.

There may have been a time when women didn't need to know math, we were not in charge of things that required such thought processes to be utilized. We were the caregivers; taking care of babies, children, the food, the house and the community. Those responsibilities requiring such knowledge fell upon another.

Now, this doesn't mean that just because I have written this, that it is fact at all, this is just my perception of a certain moment in time. I realize this theory or my assumption may be incomplete in any given moment within that time. A woman who lost her husband, a woman who was what would have been called a Spinster (an independent woman), these women surely must have been able to understand math to have been involved in their day to day finances and to have understood the complexities of such goings on? No?

So.....where is all this going? I had to ask myself.........?

'our' perception is defined by our personal life experiences and does not necessarily make them......... a definate....... thus everything then becomes infinate possibility, allowing us to step outside real numbers and math theory........to open and expand our perceptions, concepts and visions of what we believe Thankfulness, God, this life and the universe to be............

I have been truly blessed (through pleasant and not so pleasant experiences) many times over........learning once again that I have more things to be thankful for......

The 3 T's......touch, talking and teaching......they have given me life, love and laughter
and in this moment, 3 more things I am grateful for.

'What the eyes see is knowledge.

What the heart knows is Certainty.'

Dhun'nun, 9th century Egyptian mystic.

Namaste

Link: 'Don't give up' yogajournal daily insight October 10/2008

www.yogajournal.com/dailyinsight/yjnl_20081008.html

Footprints

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Scenes from his life flashed across the skyand he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life had flashed before him, he recalled that at the lowest and saddest times of his life there was only one set of footprints.
Dismayed, he asked, "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,you'd walk with me all the way.I don't understand why, when I needed you most,you would leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious child.I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and sufferingwhen you saw only one set of footprints...
That was when I carried you."

Carolyn Joyce Carty ©

Blogging as a Fetish

Is blogging my fetish? Find your FETISH!!!!and run with it....that was the advice.

Is Yoga my fetish? God, these are questions I've never asked before............

Today I was privy to a radio program talking on the subject of blogging. The host was given advice on how to best represent herself through her blog (this goes for anyone, for that matter)

The advice was, if you are going to have a blog make sure that the subject of your blog is your fetish and then blog on.......always on the same subject.......and with passion.

Well, now that I have your attention the first thing I needed to do was acquire the definition of FETISH.....

so here it goes;

1. An object that is believed to have magical or spiritual power.......
2. An object of unreasonably excessive attention or reverence.......
3. An abnormally obsessive preoccupation or attachment.......
4. Something such as a material object or part of the body which arouses.......well.......you know....which arouses......

Yes....Yes.......Yes.....Yes.....Sorry..........,but my fetish, it appears is ME and my journey......
shhhh, don't tell anyone.....

Now if I do say so myself, I'm assuming at this point, that not only is the subject of my blog but my journey itself which has become my fetish.......so glad I got it out............

Now it is up to you to decide; Do you believe in anything strongly enough to say it has magical or spiritual powers, do you believe in anything strongly enough to pay unreasonably excessive attention and reverence to it, do you have an abnormally obsessive preoccupation or attachment to it, does it arouse you....WELL I DO..........and here it is a part of my blogging experience.........

To all you Yogis out there, please be patient with me, I'm working on my preoccupations and attachments, as I speak.........God, I love how he teaches us........right before my own eyes,
Oh ya and everyone else's................Namaste


You have to become your own teacher and your own disciple.

Jiddu Krishnamurti, 20th century spiritual leader

Shopping 101

Okay, so I am thinking, if I need to look for full time employment...I am going to add Personal Shopper to my resume.......now that is not to say I haven't had my brush with credit and debt..... 3 kids and one income (I'll let that speak for itself).....but even prior to that.... I have always been....what others would call a frugal shopper........just now, I have learned my lesson and even though I now have my own income, I would dare to say I am even more frugal than before........my motto is nothing over $10, $20 if it is unique or if you just can't find anything else as cute and cheaper and more than $20.......more than $20.......only if it is the only one on the planet and no one else will ever have it.......okay this may seem overboard, but with all the malls, big retail giants and yes, even second hand stores, why spend what you don't need to? The people in the mall know me as the sale rack lady.....I have no shame.....okay, some, but it definitely has nothing to do with shopping well, it may lead me to shop............. so, every day there is a need for a need........and every once in a while a need for a want..........but lets face it, material fancies usually only last a moment and even if the item lasts longer we usually grow out of it either physically or emotionally or both, pretty fast...... plus.....and there is a plus....when we don't spend the whole bag of loot on one item we are left with the opportunity to pass this item on when we are done with it to someone who will love it just as much as we did and then we can feel good about replacing it with a new love.....(if only.....oh forget it)..........now this to me is what I would consider along the lines of Yogic shopping.......of course when we get onto that subject it does make it a bit harder....we then must start thinking green, about what the product is made from....where the product came from, whom it was made by, is it fair trade, was there child labour involved and usually things of this nature tend to be of more expense, but I see that trend also evolving to come on line with what the consumer is looking for and my hope would be that soon we will be able to acquire all items at a reasonable and fair market value.........my days of (and believe me they were few and far between and go back to the days when I was only responsible (or not) for myself) my days of $150 jeans, $700 leather jackets and the like were over long ago....and the truth is I don't miss them...........today I spent the day at the mall, I got 5 items, 3 dresses, one evening dress for myself and 2 little girls dresses and not 1 item out of the 5 I bought was over $10, I would love to know if you could pick us out from the crowd as the low budget group.......and beyond that I was happier than a pig in ...........well you know..........so here are some tips for shopping on a budget....
always head straight to the sale racks first......... buy out of season...........don't buy what you don't need based solely on low price....... and first and foremost don't buy it, if you don't love it.....

I know, the same advice over and over again.......like they say if it ain't broke, don't fix it....... and if we ain't broke.........hopefully we won't need a fixing..........here's to abundance and happiness in every one's life as well as a little life's savings for the future....you know when all that shopping will be for you........or according to my sister (she's gonna kill me, or maybe just not invite me to dinner for a while), who just had her first grandchild and shops in Buffalo like she is just going up the street to Wall Mart.....this one is from Nana and Grandpa....this one from Auntie ......this one from.....you get the picture...baby's, who can help it........by the way that was one of my five items.......and I don't even have a little one of my own....I know look out if I become a grandmother.....I may never see retirement........anyway the point for those who care.......
a penny saved is a penny to spend another day........and that day will come, tomorrow........
don't let all your pennies go to the tax man......I'm just not sure if they know what to do with them......or if they are as frugal......

Namaste

The long and winding road

Are we all on a spiritual journey? Whether I came to do Yoga or not would I still be on the same journey? There 'are' answers to my questions, aren't there? What I have just recently realized is that no matter whether Yoga has quickened or haltered or maybe a bit of both of my understanding of self on this journey, I guess I would have been here all the same just with a bit of a different perspective. What we perceive and expect  from others and ourselves can leave us unopen to a full experience of life...through the projection of  those desires and beliefs to be met...unable to grow, expand, understand and live freely in a 'moment'......if it is not what we had desired or perceived it 'would' or 'should' be...one thing Yoga has taught me, a concept that is not always easy to adhere to...the saying "no one said it would be easy, just that it would be worth it" comes to mind......that is why I continue with my Yogic journey and a quest for personal understanding, truth and enlightenment. There are many paths that can be taken which lead to the same place but what I have found in Yoga is a greater balance of physical and mental strength...Yoga is helping to keep me strong, centered, balanced and GROUNDED and like many others there are times when I truly need that on this journey.......these days there are 'moments' for me which are a bit ethereal, lifting me higher and then the feeling of having fallen...it is imperative for me that I bring my feet back to the ground so I do Yoga.....then I dance.........lightening my heart and my spirit, lifting me to a space of no limits or boundaries, free falling, flying and then I do Yoga, grounding my feet back into the Earth, bringing my awareness of body and breath back into the moment, the here and now, reshaping both the physical and mental aspects of my 'Self'...finally  meditation.....emptying out all that was and  is.......leaving me open to becoming.....renewed....back to 'a' beginning...a 'divine' inner spark...an essence of being.

I have experienced many experiences since my Yogic journey began, not all of which I thought I would have wanted to experience, but yet another aspect of Yoga is that we learn that everything happens for a reason, an un-defined definition of what is either good or bad, just action and reaction...assisting in learning the art of truly 'letting go'...all that is shall fade away....just as we cannot hold a star within our hand, we  learn that every 'moment' is a gift to be breathed in...then the breath must be let go...it is the way of life...the nature of being...Namaste

Yoga Journal Pose of the Day 8

Back to School

Well the countdown has begun, 13 days to go...........I am usually anticipating the beginning of the school year, it takes a lot of planning and work to keep the kids busy for the summer and keep your sanity............but this year is different........this year my little one starts school full time and I will be completely alone for the first time in 10 years...........10 years.........although I have taken steps to make sure I am busy once they are in school (I've subconsciously been preparing since last year).........I will miss the mom and tot skating.......dragging them around shopping and our little lunch dates, that at this moment leaves me with a sinking feeling that I may not have taken full advantage of the time I had to spend with them? They have been lucky and I only hope one day they realize that the sacrifices made to be able to stay home with them, keep them safe and not drag them around too much in this life should be something they come to appreciate in the future.....right now they believe that that's what Mommies are made for.....well we are, aren't we?......I guess now it's time to teach them about skipping school(yah, yah!!!I know I may regret it in the future...) but.........taking a couple of days off to spend individual time with each of them.....which they haven't received since they were tiny.......is my new plan........I have to.....I think it's called dependency. Well call it what you will, all I know is this year September is looming and as much as I am looking forward to seeing them all find their place in the new school year........my life as I have known it is about to change...........change is good......change is inevitable...........change is the only thing we can count on.........too all you parent's who can't wait to see those little rug rats get back to a regular routine...........may your time be filled with new adventures, open doors and the mystery of the great unknown.....Namaste

Wasting time or taking a break from the stress and overload.......

Wasting time online? You might be mentally ill
By Chris Null
"It's always there. Waiting and calling to you. Fark. Reddit. Facebook. Dolphin Olympics. It may take only a couple minutes out of your day, but you know you're wasting time on this stuff whether you should be working on that spreadsheet or washing the dishes.
Time-wasting, or rather "chronic procrastination," is hardly a laughing matter, according to Professor Joseph Ferrari of Chicago's DePaul University. According to an insightful story in UK's Observer, it's a profound "social and economic" problem and, thanks to technology, it's far worse than you could ever imagine."

Okay I may be biast in this situation considering I spend a tremendous amount of time online on my email, my blog and yes......even Facebook......but I also manage a home, 3 children and a business, run classes 4 nights a week, as well slipping in a couple of free classes to give back for all that I am blessed with .......should I be doing more? I guess it depends on who's perspective you look at it from.....some think my job is hard, while others feel it is sooooo........laid back...........
I just finished telling one of my ladies that my new, take it slow and easy attitude could be seen by some as laziness.......for me I see it as living in active meditation....enjoying the moment....slowing down to smell the roses.....

I used to work for a large government employer and I can imagine what it would be like to try and garner a moment online to reconnect with a relative or long lost friend, catch a smile from a quick witted joke a friend sent or even be inspired by an email, just letting you know you are not alone out there..............come on let's face it, this report is not about mental illness.....this is about money.....time is money in the "real world" and employers don't want you or I wasting any of theirs, but their lack of respect for the camel's broken back that garnished them their business success is bad business. People need a moment to sit back and take a breath....now I am not saying online chatter is the best way to achieve that, but too insinuate that people who do are mentally ill and social outcasts is a bold statement..........on that note if I am mentally ill..............and believe me there are times I worry about the state of not only mine but others metal health everyday.............working online is not going to be what pushes me over the edge.........it will be lack of understanding....lack of social contact..........drugs...... and being written off by the system that will be my demise.......so don't let others dictate to you as to your sense of commitment and drive.....decide for yourself, you know when too much is too much.........and if you are in need of some assistance in maintaining both your physical and mental health issues...as we all are.......why not shut off that computer and try some Yoga in between.........maybe you should pitch your employer to start provinding free classes during lunch hour....................see I got my job done.........Namaste

Dolce Vita

Okay so here I go again with eat, pray, love.

Elizabeth is truly getting into my psyche.....maybe there was a reason one of my ladies gave me this book to read.......pg.47 and already she is giving me fantasies of running off to Italy.

Here's the thing, considering my children are half Italian and are just today finishing Italian Summer school for the second year in a row, finishing off the sessions speaking a 2nd language in a production that could be taken on the road....I might add, (it's amazing what children are able to pick up in 2 hours a day for a month with recess and a snack snuck in), leaves me ashamed to say the only words I know in this beautiful language are well.......you know.....I'm sure someone could appreciate them....when taken into consideration that they would be said with great passion......that is the Italian way.....No? On that note I would like to share (thanks to Elizabeth's study and passion for the language), a little bit about the language of love and how it came to be as I learned through her words;

Here is why Italian is the most seductive language in the world:

While France, Portugal and Spain took their languages from their most prominent cities, Italy was different.....Italy did not become unified until 1861 and was still susceptible to being overpowered by local princes and other European powers. Parts of Italy were owned by France, parts by Spain, parts by the Church and some parts where even up for grabs to whomever could nab a fortress or palace. Elizabeth writes that "The Italian people, although mildly humiliated chose to be more cavalier to this domination," (kinda like a woman......, sorry)

The italian motto of the day was "Franzo o Spagna, purche se magna," translated
"France or Spain, as long as we eat."

Elizabeth continues to elegantly inform us that for centuries Italians spoke their own local dialect (as I am aware, a lot still do today). So here's what happened........ some Italian intellectuals decided that they must come up with a pure Italian language, especially in the written form that everyone could agree upon. Unprecendentedly they proceeded to do something that had never before been done in the history of Europe; they chose what they determined to be the most beautiful of all the local dialects and dubbed it Italian.......going back over 200 years to 14th century Florence to what has been dubbed the most beautiful dialect ever spoken in Italian, Dantean.....a language created by the great Florentine poet Dante Alighieri, who published a work callled Divine Comedy in 1321 which detailed the visionary progression through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven shocking the literate world when he did not write the work in Latin. Elizabeth continues to elegantly inform us that Dante felt that writing the work in Latin would have made the work corrupt by leaving it unaccesable to anyone other than the elite. So instead, Dante turned to the street (a man ahead of his time?), Dante picked up the real Florentine language as spoken by the residents. Residents such as Boccaccio the italian poet who's works included "On Famous Women" a collection of one hundred and six biographies(which I noted) was one of the first examples of literature devoted solely to women as well as Petrach an Italian scholar and poet who on April 6, 1327 (Good Friday) gave up his vocation as a priest after taking sight of a woman named Laura in the Church of Sainte-Claire d'avignon awakening in him a lasting passion for the already betrothed woman (we all know how that story goes......or do we?) Dante used this language to complete his work.

Now I know I can make a connnection; DIVINE comedies, works devoted solely to women and priests who turn from their vocation for a women named Laura, I mean come on........is Elizabeth or someone else......trying to teach me something........?

Getting back to it....Elizabeth teaches me more by informing me that Dante wrote his work in what he termed "il dolce stil nuovo", the "sweet new style", his writing was personally affected just like Shakespeare affected Elizabethan English. It is phenomenal to think that a small group of Italian intellectuals was able at that point in history to decide that Dante's Italian would be it's official language, as Elizabeth likens it, it was very much like a group of Oxford dons deciding everybody in England would take on the language of Shakespeare and speak pure Shakespearian from that day forward, somehow they actually did it!!! and hence, this is why the Italian, even of today is essentially Dantean.

Elizabeth continues to point out that no other European language was born from such artistic pedigree and no other language more perfectly expresses human emotions than Dantean's 14th century Florentine Italian (Oh, the things we learn....).

It was also interesting to realize that Dante's Divine Comedy was written in terza rima
(triple rhyme), a chain of rhymes which repeat themself three times every five lines
(I will need to look into the significance of the five line meaning, but I am fully aware of the
Divine number 3), giving the language what was termed "a cascading rhythm", which is still heard in Italy to this day.

In the last line of Dante's Divine comedy, in which he is faced with the vision of God, Dante writes that God is merely a blinding vision of glorious light, but that HE is, most of all,
l'amor che move il sole e l'atre stelle........."The love that moves the sun and the other stars." and so I have just figured out why Dante, his work and his lovely language have stirred such emotion and intrigue in me.....must find myself a copy of Dante's work and delve deep within.......

I am ending this rather long writing with thanks to Elizabeth and with the dream that one day
"il mio amore ed io" (my love and I) see.....already learning.......one day will wine and dine and take in the bountiful atmosphere of a country so willing to be cavalier enough to allow everyone to love and share in it's beauty, while asking so little in return except that we savour and enjoy in all life's pleasures....Here's to looking forward to dolce vita (the sweet life).....and I'm thinking since Elizabeth's passion for the language brought so much inspiration, maybe I should start taking Italian lessons and maybe that penchant I have for those words (Italian or otherwise) will be tamed by the sweet, flowing language of love......

Footnote: all this writing took place prior to the freezie incident which got those oh not so pretty words flowing from my lips, No...... these words did not come out in Italian but they were said with a mixture of passion and fury......just as the Europeans would have it......ahh........the fine balance of the moment........dolce vita to la vida loca (the crazy life).

To those of you whom I love and share my passion, in you God showed me

"l'amor che move il sole e l'atre stelle"

Namaste

Footnote-Sex In The City

This blog is in response to an email from a friend after she read my (as she put it - long email).

Here was her take; thanks to her and some other lovely ladies not afraid to speak their mind......

Feminism is the freedom to choose anything we want; sex, motherhood - kids, career, wife, friends, fashion, men, whatever!

Famous Quotes

Barbara Jordan:All my growth and development led me to believe that if you really do the right thing, and if you play by the rules, and if you've got good enough, solid judgment and common sense, that you're going to be able to do whatever you want to do with your life.

Bernadette Devlin:Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.

Elaine Heffner:Women do not have to sacrifice personhood if they are mothers. They do not have to sacrifice motherhood in order to be persons. Liberation was meant to expand women's opportunities, not to limit them. The self-esteem that has been found in new pursuits can also be found in mothering.

George Carlin:Here's all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid.


Mohandas K. Gandhi: Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity

Mohandas K. Gandhi:There is no occasion for women to consider themselves subordinate or inferior to men.

I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay. ~Madonna Ciccone

You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman. ~Jane Galvin Lewis

The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ~Roseanne Barr

Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, a good mother, good-looking, good-tempered, well-dressed,
well-groomed, and unaggressive. ~Marya Mannes

I ask no favors for my sex.... All I ask of our brethren is that they will take their feet from off our necks. ~Sarah Moore Grimké

There are very few jobs that actually require a penis or vagina. All other jobs should be open to everybody. ~Florynce Kennedy

Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison. ~Mary Wollstonecraft


There you go, everyone has their take on the subject. Feminism can be misconstrued when we speak our mind. I don't think I ever considered myself a feminist, except for that fact that I am feminine...I grew up in a time when they told us you can be whatever you want to be and yet at the same time raised on the story of Cinderella (you are no one until a man comes to take you away, make you his bride and give you a wonderful life) are these two sides of the story not conflicting, and yet...somehow, subtly I believe in a little of both, maybe that's why as a modern day women I struggle with both sides of the fence....it would be nice if gender no longer played such a role in my existence.....as much as the fact that we are all human beings with the right to give, receive and just be......So I don't want to burn my bra....mostly I need it.....nor do I wish to spend all my life scrubbing floors behind the scene.... I want to garner as much respect and equality for the fact of being a stay at home mom of 10 years, who made her children, her home and her family the most important aspect of her being as I do for moving forward and working to build a life as a dynamic entrepreneur, who wants the best of both worlds. I remember once saying it was not easy but also not impossible, so I dare to dream.....just like Cinderella with a little dash of Captain Cook floating around in my veins........

As for where I stand at this moment on issues feminist or otherwise; I just want to know why there is no such word as Manist?

Thank you Jo.......as a successful illustrator and work at home mother of 2 you alas, are one of the women who continue to inspire me to believe in the best of both worlds....even on those days when conflict of interests arise.........Namaste

eat pray love

eat..pray...love by Elizabeth Gilbert is a #1 New York Times Bestseller........For those of you staying away from the book due to it's commercialism, as myself I tend to do...I was totally surprised when only 10 pages in I had smiled....laughed out loud......held back tears...and yes.....then as my children would say looking on....waiting....mommies going to cry again....this is their favorite thing to watch......especially when we watch animated movies that always seem to get me right were it counts........and there you go.....only 10 pages in and just the thought of sharing such an intimate journey with another soul who has also been on her knees leaves me comforted, afraid and a little overwhelmed with where will I be at at the end of this book?.......
Liz went looking for her answers........and found some of them in Italy, India and Indonesia...........
I am still looking, listening, learning.....thank you Liz, in a world where it is so hard to find personal meaning and balance...it is not totally crazy to me that I should find a connection with another unknown to me soul who was unafraid to tell her story....Namaste

Sex In The City

So what does being in a car for 2 hours alone with a fashion magazine inspire in a woman's mind.....well here it goes.......In the dawn of time when Eve was shamed into sewing leaves to cover her assets, fashion came to be......so what is it's role in the ongoing journey of women's existence? Well one things for sure as divine, godly and beautiful as I am sure Eve was I am positive she did not step out in a potato sack.....so on that note, here is my take on fashion, Sex In The City and the ongoing evolution of women and the universe.

I have not seen the Sex in the City movie nor was I an original and avid fan of the show. I did catch the occasional re-run after my little ones started sleeping through the night and as my hormones kept me up late into the evening........my life did not resemble Carrie's or any of the other ladies characters, in that moment......but it did bring me back to the day's when I was only responsible for myself..........I found it encouraging and inspiring to see sexy, feminine, charismatic characters allowing themselves to delve into and flirt with their personal freedom and allowing themselves the same rights as men (we all know what I'm talking about) whether those choices turned out to be right or wrong.

Why is this of importance to me.......... equality = balance.

It appears that many men have children with a woman and their life is enriched and mainly(and I say mainly) it stays the same, in alot of cases (and I stress again) in alot of cases the woman takes on the majority of the daily responsibility for caring for dependants and in alot of cases this is even if she is also a contributor on the financial front. Women's lives are also enriched with the addition of children, although in alot of cases she is forced to put off or even sacrifice her career which can lead to her feeling a loss of freedom. As the children grow many of these women are then expected to become Wonderwoman, finding a job with a suitable enough income to justify going to work in the first place, finding an employer who is even willing to hire her over some younger counterpart, who just finished being fully educated and is willing to work for much less than she and who has no family issues that interfere with their on the job performance. This is when and where, I am happy to say women shine through, necessity is the mother of all invention and women become imaginiative, inventive and even bold enough to strike out on their own, not leaving their fate to chance, but take the bull by the horn and overcome against all odds. Having said that, there are those who then project that these women are taking away from their motherhood (selfishness) or from their feminine(turning feminine wisdom, strength and intuition into, well let's just not use it the Big "B" word.)

Having lived both sides of the spectrum, I know that having it all is hard (not completely impossible) but hard. My feeling though is that there are alot of misconceptions regarding what the SITC women and maybe even ourselves are trying to achieve......we are not trying overpower the masculine or become so free and independant as to change the rules of nature or for our own selfishness for that matter....we are actually trying to do our job to maintain the balance.....assist in helping in the growth, nourishment and enablement of society in furthering it's acceptance in the value of everyone's right to selfreliance. Women are working daily to balance the scales by maintaining our right to be the equal, opposing, feminine energy.

The universal law of Yin (female/dark/passive) and Yang (male/light/strong) is working constantly to maintain harmony and balance in the world, so.....what I am trying to say is........... if what is considered fashionable or even cheesy to some, helps us to move that much closer to the feminine goal, along with reminding us that taking things too seriously can lead to ........ inbalance, why not allow for slipping on a frilly dress for softness and a pair of gladiator heels and allowing ourselves to be free, bold and true to our own inner divine feminine spark. Let the trends blend with the tides and who knows maybe equality will be the trend we will push forward, bringing about radical changes in the universe, bringing a greater existance of peace, harmony and balance to all.

Maybe Carrie and the girls are making much more of a statement than we see on the surface. Women have long fought for, struggled for, used patience and yes even flirted in order to achieve equality.

As we expand our own boundaries and push forward working to acquire respect and equality of the feminine no matter what stage of life we are in....We find, we may not be represented by the gals from SITC, but what we are is a mix, a blend of all their and all our own most beautiful adornments, both externally and internally.

Women is what we are.......feminine beings ...so take out that drop dead gorgeous dress, slip that heel into a sexy slingback shoe, dab a spot of color on those already sparkling eyes and go out and save the world.....okay, nab that job, rock that date.. mostly be true to and never lose site of your feminine entity, for it is her purpose to maintain equality and balance in every way....it is the way of nature and the natural evolution of life...for us to strive to bring and maintain harmony and peace for all and we should celebrate and enjoy it.

Here's just a little tidbit for all you Mister Big's out there in the "Man's world"....the next time you see a beautiful, confident woman walk by and you are taken by the outside...look deeper, that women is a loving mother, compassionate lover, cherished friend and beneath the clothing, she is projecting her beauty, love and commitment in continuing to make the world go round.......and think of how it would be to live in this world without the other side, without the "the dark side of the moon", always light, no dark; No rest, no peace, no harmony, no balance...need I go on.......

And ladies, my hope is we will continue to strive for and partake in this beautiful quest for harmony, peace and balance, all the while continuing to cherish the "light", the spark that keeps the flame aglow for generations to come and if we get a sexy new dress or sparkly shoe along the way wear them with the universe in mind............

Enough said;...Thank you to the rain.....In Style magazine and SITC for inspiring me to maintain the quest for balance........Man..........if 2 hours in a car with a magazine can inspire all this rhetoric, imagine what can be achieved in a day, a week, a lifetime...........now I have to put on my track pants and do the laundry and the dishes.........Namaste

My date with Batman

Okay so this was a first, which I don't get many of these days.

Sharing space with a bat during meditation............we were nearing the the end of the evening's first class and looking to hit the mat for some relaxation, to focus in on the body, mind and spirit connection, when from out of nowhere (just like the comic books) along came Batman. Although I was told to stay low, I rose to get some assistance from the local Arena staff and the bat let me know in no uncertain terms that I still had issues with my fear of the creatures big and small......to my dismay the only way to try and get rid of the bat was to swat at him with a broom, this was distressing to all involved and was confusing to the yogis who were filing in to attend the next class........ as I continued to duck and run for cover I was inclined to let the broom dweller know that one of the laws of Yoga is non-harm to either the bat (or to humans -I was hoping this creature would take that into consideration and he did). After being tuckered out from being accosted he landed on the ceiling, we all decided it was better to pull the curtains and let him remain on the other side of the room while we began our evening practice. I quickly forgot his presence (not sure about the other yogis, but my aim is to help relax, release and let go....and that was what I set out to do.) Starting with some deep breathing, before we knew it we were immersed in our practice, by the time it came to relaxation/meditation I had all but forgotten the incident. It was a deeply moving meditation (for myself) I sank deeper and deeper into the process, letting go and finding myself not only giving the guided meditation but partaking in the whole process deeper than I had in my classes for a long time, this was not only about guiding others through the process this was about sharing in the process. As the session came to an end, I was surprised when the ladies informed me that our friend batman had been in our presence the entire time, weaving in and out and through and over all of us. I had not heard or noticed a thing, I can't say as much for the others. What I truly found astonishing was every one's calm and acceptance of the whole ordeal, I mean let's face it this is not Muskoka... I am thinking I should ask them to keep the bat and I can start billing the sessions as the Great Rural Retreat.

Now all this would seem just an unusual incident, except as we all know I am on my journey to enlightenment and just the day before had visited a place of knowledge to find clarity, direction, focus.... what I was shown was that I needed to deepen into listening to my own inner intuition, go on my own vibes, listen to my soul and let go off old ideas and perceptions that are holding me back from further growth. Letting go of long held beliefs or familiar behaviour patterns is never and easy task.......and on my drive to the class I specifically looked up and surrendered, admitting I needed help, some assistance, a sign...........Batman......

On my drive home I realized that this was somehow significant......I was compelled to look up the significance of Animal symbolism....here it goes.........

Bats symbolise: Death and Rebirth on a personal, spiritual level.
They are the guardians of the night, the cleaners, messengers, they represent happiness, longevity and good luck.
Shaman initiates undergo a ritual death in which they face their fears (did I say I was initially freaked) and are reborn without their old identities. Bat medicine teaches us to release fear and any patterns which no longer fit in with our pattern of growth. A new beginning, trusting one's instinct, the bat is powerful medicine.

He flew through and over all of us during meditation, who knew he was there to serve his purpose............Coincidence?.............for me it was just the sign that I had asked for and was looking for to keep me going.....to help me to believe that all the hard work, all the effort, all my questioning and delving, releasing and opening up, sacrificing is not in vain......and that I am on my right path.....allowing me to open up to letting go of fear and doubt and truly listen to my own inner voice..........the one that is telling me to express gratitude for small, seemingly insignificant events that can change everything in a moment......

I seek only to reveal my true self, which may or may not be the same tomorrow should I learn something new which changes me......

I feel honored by the presence of the bat and as always by the openess, compassion and wisdom of those whom with I share all my practices.

Namaste

Remaining impermanent by aitaining the permanent - Tattoos and Piercings

I haven't taken the plunge yet, but I am, Oh so close. I have admired many a people's tattoos and piercings. The farthest I took it was adding a second ear piercing back about, oh.... hang on...do I really have to say it, 26 years ago. First I did it the hard way, a friend, ice, a potato and a needle, let's just say infection. Then, after my parents calmed down I begged to get the second holes in my ears , again......
(which I only used once or twice, but still have the holes, in rememberance).
All my father could ask was when was I going to dye my hair pink? Imagine what he will have to say after my latest commemoration on this life's journey? I never did do the pink thing, maybe I should give him a real shock and do it now? A tattoo, belly piercing and pink hair......too far?
I have never gotten a tattoo before for several reasons ; 1) I am totally afraid of needles and
Oh Yah....pain ; although I gave birth to 3 babies au-natural 2) I have never felt that any tattoo I had envisioned depicted the whole story for me..... ; 3) others have made their opinion fully known - do not do anything to your body that cannot be erased. Birthing cannot be erased, nor would I want it too be and when I think of it, both the physical and emotional imprints left on my body, mind and soul from those experiences are not unlike permanent tattoos. A tattoo for me at this point represents my life in full; who I was, who I am and who I am becoming and all that I have lived and loved through.........In buddhist tradition the body is impermanent, where as the flame of existance continues.....we transition from body to body, endlessly. Once our body is no longer of use to us physically and spiritually we move on..... this process of rebirth is called 'samsara' (endless wandering) all connected to Karma, we come back in another body or move up the spiritual ladder and come back in a more enlightened form........till eventually the flame is extinguished and we are released from the rebirthing cycle when we attain Nirvana......I am not sure how many times I may have been around, but from the way I lived this life I have started to believe this is my first time around, may be my last and I still have much to learn.......hence, this is why I feel so intent on adding a permanent commemoration to this body which one day will become impermanent.......I have learned to love this Body, this Mind and this Spirit...she has kept me strong, blessed me with offspring, keeps me grounded, compassionate and has healed me beyond my own ability, but one day she will no longer be. While I am still here in this body I feel the need to make sacred all that which I have learned, lived and loved in this lifetime and by doing so I set myself free to continue to grow, move forward and release my clinging to the attachment of the physical body, elevating me to the inner connection of that which is my true self.

"I seek only to reveal my true self, which may or may not be the same tomorrow should I learn something new which changes me"

The next step or should I say leap in my journey towards acceptance and to non-attachment.

Namaste

Becoming

A journal entry from June 12, 2005 - all things shall be in time.........


I don't know how it was that who I really am washed over me, but it was as I was brushing my teeth on what would seem to be an ordinary Sunday morning in my life. Discord with my spouse, constant aruging with the kids about getting dressed, cleaning rooms, breakfast and me yearning to run off into the refuge of my bathroom for five minutes of peace and quiet and aloneness. AND.....that's when it happened, subtally, all my life experiences, mistakes, dreams, strengths and weaknessess washing over me in a 'moment...all the WORK, all the anticipation, preperation voula, there you have it...this is me, while I brush my teeth. After breathing through the 'moment' what came after was the 'need' to write. A huge insight into to who I am and what I need to do in order to grow, heal and look forward into the future. I felt in that 'moment that I  was looking forward to a whole new way of living life, I also knew, that 'letting go' would not be easy.  I likened it to taking candy from a baby, removing the security blanket, like my 31/2 year old (at the time) who dependance and security of always being prepared and ready in her pull up was being removed and she was having to put herself out there to an unexpected experience, maybe discomfort, as well as maybe embarrassment, but most importantly and ultimately to the achievement of  leaving perceived security to go it on her own. Wow, potty trained, all by herself. I felt a little like her in that 'moment, a feeling of having to let go of my own security, having had pulled out from underneath myself all that I thought I perceived and knew to be 'true'?, a feeling of needing to let go of what I thought I had known to take on a direction of discomfort,  as well as achievement? Can we really truly become who we are if we stay within the 'confines' of what our minds condition us to believe, if we do not take off the training pants and go it on our own? fear, apprehension and all. In that 'moment' I decided to take mine off, already I felt free'r, more comfortable and ready to move into a whole new development stage...like my daughter who realized once she reached her goal  I became a little more confident and secure of my 'self'.  Every stage of life is a stage of becoming... becoming more aware, more competent and more able... how similar to our childhood stages of growth are our spiritual stages of  growth...feeling a little like a child again as I stand and brush my teeth I am aware that  once again  I will be taking things one step at a time, like I did when I was a child and learned to ride my bike..I will 'cry' the tears should I fall and feel the fear of getting back on...but then as I did, once a long time ago I will 'let it go' get back on and  soar through the wind, allowing myself to be overcome by the intertwined flow of the abilities it takes to ride, feet moving in proper timing, eyes focused on where your going and spirit flowing in the rhythm of the movement...jumping back on my bike each time to face the challenge ahead while basking more in the rhythm of the ride as everything is in flow, the body, mind and spirit know where they must go, the hard part is learning to let go... and enjoy the ride.

Namaste

The Awful Pain of Survival

That was the headline on the front page of the Toronto Star but it was not the headline but the photo of an unknown to me Mother holding the lifeless, plastic wrapped body of her daughter after the tragic earthquake in China and reading on to learn the story of 34yr old Zhu Rong who in one brief moment lost both his parents and his 4yr old son when the school he attended kindergarden in collapsed, that brought the uncontrolable tears of grief and guilt streaming down my face in the public library.

"Being in the moment". I try to live in it every moment of every day so........

It is unimaginable to me to believe that in a moment you can lose all that you hold dear to an event that is beyond your control. Even more, it is unfathomable to me how you can go on bearing such pain and devastation of body, mind and spirit.

I cringe every time one of my children walks out the door, rides their bike or these days wants to assert their Independence and head out to the park or the library on their own. We don't like to live in fear but things do happen.

It seems so unfair to realize that in one fleeting moment so many innocent lives where cut short due to no negligence or undo diligence of their own. It is also hard to comprehend that some of these people lost their only child as China adheres to a one child policy. Why? Why? This is a question I believe can never be answered, but must be asked?

What can we do?
We can make a monetary donation and let it go...
We can offer our compassion and sympathy.....
We can pray on their behalf, that the death toll doesn't rise and that the support, kindness and effort of others helps them to rebuild their homes, their lives, their spirits....

What we must do is "LIVE".

No one knows what lies ahead of them moment to moment. It is in times like these that we should see we are obligated to live in gratitude for all we have, for all those we love, live and laugh with everyday! We must remember that love is eternally free and it is ours to give.

To those in China who have lost so deeply, I offer my deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences and am grateful that the lesson of learning to truly live, here , now, today has been shown to me once again.......

Namaste

Celebrating the light within

This weekend we celebrated my daughters first communion, a joyous moment in which she opened her heart to the lord and offered her belief, honor and faith to her connection and relationship to the Lord. Not that her understanding of that momentous moment has hit her yet, she was much more impressed with the princess dresses, the princess hair and the gifts. She's 8!

Having never been baptised and having lived a life with no religious denomination it brought me to thinking of my reason for finding my way to Yoga.

Generally people start to exercise to maintain their physique or more reasonably than not due to some risky health issues, obesity, heart health, mobility. People turn to the medical profession for mental health issues, depression, anxiety, fatigue. People turn to their church or religion for their spiritual health and growth.

The trinity of three; the Body, the Mind and the Spirit.
I came to Yoga for all three.

Physically out of shape after giving birth to and breastfeeding 3 babies for 6 years.
Going from being an independent, self-sufficient working women to being stay at home mom, 24/7, 365 days a year for 9 years, and having no church or religious faith to lean on I was flailing in the wind. A tree that was trying to stand tall, being violently thrashed about by everyday events and was afraid that the roots where not strong enough to keep me grounded.

Coming into Yoga was a slow process for me. I was physically, emotionally and spiritually out of shape, unconnected and my time frame for even a few moments of calm and introspection, let alone a workout for myself were few and far between. I was still breastfeeding and still had 3 little ones who required constant loving, attention and care for almost their every need. This is hard on even the best of days and I had those, but on those days when your energy is just about to give out, when you are feeling alone, overburdened and just plain empty it can be overwhelming. Anyone who is a parent or has been a caregiver for any other understands exactly what I mean.

At first the Yoga was a physical exercise I turned to to help regain core strength, regain the mobility of my back and hips and shed the excess pounds that I could not get rid of due to improper eating habits and lack of sleep. As I said it was a slow process, I passed up a $5 yoga book the first time around and then upon seeing it again I took it home, waited for everyone to go to sleep and then in the middle of the night, in the middle of my stairwell foyer I began to try to wrap myself into a pretzel, unsuccessfully I might add. But I was determined and just like my stubbornness (which would eventually be dealt with on my mat) once I set my mind to something, generally there is no turning back. I would practice for a couple of weeks then there would be a few weeks of nothing, then I would find myself back at it and it went on this way for a while, especially as my kids where still young and everyone else`s needs seemed to be of priority over my own.

Then my family experienced a move and along with that move many other changes and some stressful family dynamics. Soon after the move I became increasingly despondent, emotional and disconnected. I saw it happening, I realized I was on a downward spiral, but my hormones where freaking out, as after 6 years of birthing and breastfeeding my body was finally coming back to being my own and I thought it was just a phase. At the same time I experienced some challenging events that even the stablest of individuals would find overwhelming and here I was still responsible for saving the world (at least that was my vision of myself as I saw it through the eyes of my children, spouse and everyone else in the world). I could not admit that my ship was sinking, but even worse was that the whole time I wasn't sure if there was anyone or anything that could help. In my attempt to stay afloat, my decision making process became questionable. I continued to take care of my children, but the happiness of spirit with which I had brought them into the world was fading. I tried to put on a good face but they saw the cracks, they felt the hurt and they saw that I was barely staying afloat. A hard place for any child to be, I know I've been there.

I finally realized it was time I did something about it before it was too late. It came in the mail box, out of the blue and I contacted her right away, a timely opportunity presented just at the right time. She came into work with me in my home one and one and it was then and there, down on my Yoga mat where I did some of the hardest work, working to bring my physical, mental and spiritual well being back on board that I finally broke through. There were moments of bliss that healed my body, nourished my mind and soothed my soul as it had never experienced before. I experienced true connection of the trinity; union of body, mind and spirit and gained an understanding of their connection not only to each other and within but also externally to the universe around us and our connection to our higher purpose, the Divine.

I have always believed in a higher purpose, a beacon of light watching over us, that there are way too many beautiful, wondrous and uplifting experiences within our lives to not feel the presence and warmth of a loving, kind and gracious force that watches over us and pulls us through even our darkest of days. I am always brought back to the poem Footprint's in which a follower asks the Lord. "Lord why when I am at my lowest and loneliest point are there only one set of footprints?" feeling the Lord has left him to carry the burden on his own only to be told "My son, that was when I carried you."

It is hard for us to feel or believe in moments that are stressful, painful or in any way not pleasurable that we are being carried through, there is a wonderful poem by the essestial Rumhi called `The Guest House`;

``This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they`re a crowd of sorrows who violently sweep your house empty of it`s furniture still treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.``

The essential Rhumi

It seems hard to believe that in our worst moments of despair, pain, fear, anger when we most want to close our heart that there is a love so light, kind and full of grace that can keep us from fading away into the darkness and that in those moments we are not alone.

My work on my mat is not done, staying fully in union(Yoga) is a ongoing commitment to the body, mind and spirit, just as in anything we need to continue to exercise to stay fit and strong, we need to continue to bring moments of quiet and introspection to our lives to remain focused, centered and balanced and we need to honor and offer gratitude for the blessing of our life. `Practice makes perfect` and although the illusion of perfection is only and illusion, practice brings strength, clarity and peace to the body, mind and spirit!

So now my effort will be to make sure that my daughter is aware of the presence of the Lord, of the light within and my hope is that she will always know that. And if one day she should be in need, she will know that she is never alone and that all she needs to find herself, to carry herself through, to believe and live and love is within her, ever present in every moment, even those in which we believe we cannot make it through.

Love and Light
Namaste

Spring the eternal new beginning

Ahhh....Spring....warmth in the air, the gentle smells of the newly growing green grass and the bloom of nature abounds all around us. Since the dawn of time, after every long cold winter we are graced and blessed with this ever eternal season that brings our full awareness and senses back to this New Beginning..........

As we take stock of the season that is about to unfold around us, are we too not continually waking from dormant sleep, blooming anew and forging foward into the vast unknown with the potential for new growth? I for one believe we are. How blessed are we to be given a new opportunity with each season to delve within the body, mind and soul, to furage and continue with this process of life. No matter what kind of Summer, Fall, Winter nature has experienced she adjusts and moves forward to adapt to the new environment. Are we as adaptable? For most of us, spring is one of the seasons very easy for us all to fall into, the weather is warm, bright and lends the ability to start shedding weight both literally and figuratively speeking. We feel lighter, more agile and brimming with that feeling of freedom we all long to posses. Freedom is more than a state of mind, it is attained through the ability to relax, let go and allow the full force of our own nature to grow and be......just as nature itself moves with the ebb and flow of seasons coming and going we once again are being given this eternal opportunity to flow into spring open, free and filled with a sense of optimism that life itself will provide the answer to our growth, potential and ultimate freedom to be..............

Let this Spring be the time of renewal that your spirit yearns to bask in. With a renewed sense of commitment to the ongoing growth of your Body, Mind and Spirit connection, allow your self to bloom with nature and be inspired by the beauty that abounds within and all around you.

Namaste

Something that changes Me

"I seek only to reveal my true self, which may or may not be the same tomorrow, should I learn something new that changes me"

We all experience things that change us whether they are subtle or life changing sometimes depends on our willingness to accept the change or the scope of the event.

Learning to accept that change is inevitable isn't always easy, especially when those changes create a major shift in our lives. Our inability to flow with the change can make it hard to learn, grow and shift our understanding and meaning of our own life to a greater level. The above quote resonates so true within who I've been, who I am and who I will become......we are constantly learning new things about ourselves and our environment around us, adding and subtracting, expanding and contracting just as the universe would have it. We seem to forget that the natural flow is to concieve, grow, blossom and then..... completion and RENEWAL.

To help us to learn to accept and intigrate these ideas into our own reality it helps to slow down, relax and let go. Meditation can help us to achieve this. Why not give it a try?

Become comfortable, close your eyes, deepen into your own breath and then inhale and expand and open your awareness to all the things that are occuring that expand and renew your perception in Body, Mind and Spirit. Now exhale and release, letting go of all the things that no longer pertain to who you were, who you are and who you are becoming.

All it takes is some quiet, your own breath and your own openess to the shifts and changes that are ebbing through your life to realize that you are learning something new every moment of every day, that which helps us to reveal our true self.

Namaste

A letter to my loved ones and friends

For every time you shed a tear and felt alone,
I'm sorry I wasn`t there,
For everytime you asked for someone to help you through,
I`m sorry I wasn`t there,
For everytime you laughed in joy and wished you had someone to share it with,
I`m sorry I wasn`t there,
For every moment of happiness, sadness, lonliness and joy,
I`m sorry I wasn`t there,
If this is what all my tears and fears, sorrows and joys has taught me then they were all worth it,
In future when you are sad and feel alone, when you need someone by your side, when you wish for someone to share your joy and success, you know I am here, I have always been and will always be here with you.
Don`t ever believe you are alone, for I will always be here.

Namaste
Laura

Bliss for a Cause - World Yoga Day

February 3, 2008 11:00am - 1:00pm

Today is World Yoga Day, commencing 11:00am until 1:00pm Yogis will hit the mat for 2 hours of Yoga, Meditation and prayer. This year we will come together on behalf of Amnesty International. This 2 hour session will set off the 24 hours of sessions around the world.

This is the first time I participated in World Yoga Day and I did so on my own mat in my own special place, home. Each time we come to the Mat we come for a different reason, to build stength, become more flexible, relax, let go....and we try to do so with intent and purpose. This was the first time I hit the mat with a truly more global wide intention set in mind. Prior to starting the practice I was struck by the theme, Human rights, personal freedom. We may have all felt unheard, unable to express ourselves at times, but we still retain the ability and freedom to express ourselves in our spiritual and/or religious beliefs, artistic expression and personal liberties. It is hard then for us to comprehend the persecution and sacrifice of others for their spiritual and/or religious beliefs, for being born of the wrong gender, for self expression through art and/or many other smaller civil liberties we take for granted daily.

As a Yoga instructor it brought my understanding of Union, prayer, meditation and commitment to myself as well as the world around me to an enlightened level.

My practice became about the gratitude I feel for all that I am able to believe, achieve and give, it also brought me to quiet contemplation of the sufferings I have needlesly caused myself and others by not allowing for true freedom of self and to take with me into the future that new found inspiration.

"We have a duty as those who are of free will to ensure we use our freedom to strengthen, inspire and uplift and assist others"

If we take for granted that which we posses, but don't see, all those who are suffering for and working towards Human Rights will do so in vain.

Not everyone will get down on the mat today for the cause, but, if we take just one moment, this moment, to realize our own true personal freedom and our gratitude for it. We have made a difference.

Thank you to the global community for strengthening my practice, deepening my knowledge and helping me to follow my path.

Namaste

To find out more visit

World Yoga Day : Home
http://www.world-