Drifting

My mind is floating. One moment I'm present, and the next drifting far away. It's going to take some time to comprehend what I saw, felt and experienced. I keep reflecting back and then my mind drifts off into sweet oblivion. Eventually the dust will settle and I will land on this side of the Atlantic, but in the meantime I'm a little lost in time and space. Partly due to a whopping, giant, terrible case of jet lag. Jet lag is a condition resulting when travel across time zones leaves a person feeling “out of sync” with local time. Never an early riser, I'm now up promptly at 4:45 am and sound asleep by 7:45 pm. Mid morning I'm really hungry, quite ready for lunch and by the end of the afternoon blurry eyed, teary and irritated. My remedy is lots Sun Salutations. A little downward dog is definitely a wise choice. Inversions stimulate and balance all the systems of the body including the endocrine, circulatory, reproductive and digestive system. Patience and time are required as well ,eventually the internal clock syncs but in the meantime I suppose it's all about enjoying the sunrise and quiet beauty of the early morning.

Namaste

I've been Everywhere, Man I've been Everywhere

I'm back home in the U.S but the body, and mind are totally clueless, lost in a sea of time changes. This was an amazing trip, transformative actually. I'm going to need some time to digest all of it and have my internal clock return to eastern standard time. I saw desserts. oceans, mountains, prehistoric structures, tall modern skyscrapers with sophisticated views from the top, people living in the 21st century others a few hundred years behind. I'm home now to the cold and snow and even that is hard to digest. It's certainly time to get on the mat and let the rest transpire.

Shine on and let it all unfold.

Peace and Love always.

Miss. S.

Happy Travels

On Valentines Day I leave for a big trip. I travel a long way, to a place I’ve never been before. I’m excited and find myself breaking out in an occasional smile, but I also have a huge case of travel jitters. I called to confirm my flight reservations and had so many questions the customer service representative finally interrupted me and said, “Everything is set, you are all set, everything is going to be fine!” I paused, took a breath and said, “Yeah? OK then, thank you, thank you very much, ok then, bye bye and thank you.” I heard the click on the other end long before the last thank you. I'm sure all will be well and I will return with many happy memories but right now I'm a bag of nerves.

I have learned a few things along the way and enough cannot be said about the following wise travel tips. #1 Travel lightly, keep your important paperwork in one place and keep it in your bag, not on the seat next to you. You will look and feel like the biggest idiot EVER while your begging an airline official to allow you back on the plane to get your passport and ticket. You will not be allowed back on the plane, you will not make your international connection you will pay a fat fine for missing your flight, you will feel like an ass. #2 Travel lightly, but always carry two bags unless you only have a carry on. In your second bag, which should be a carry on, pack extra underwear, pair of pants a shirt, toothbrush, and toothpaste. The delight of having fresh underwear and the ability to brush your teeth is beyond measure. The fact that all personal hygiene products are in Cambodia while your on the third day of a romantic six day holiday in Spain, is not seductive or romantic. #3 The teachers who invented Airborne are saints and should be canonized immediately. Arriving for a Summer Holiday in the French countryside sick as a dog, and spending the entire vacation in bed recuperating just in time to catch a flight home, does not rate as a vacation in my mind #4 Before you get to the airport weigh your suitcase or have your credit card handy. The fees for an overweight bag are astronomical. You will be angry, you will be upset, you will yell. Trust me, this will not help you. Weighing your suitcase before you get to the airport, that will help you. #5 " Ridiculous! That adult woman has a pink and purple Hello Kitty suitcase." Yes folks everyone can see that suitcase and that happy lady left 35 minutes ago. In the meantime you and everyone else on the plane are watching 135 identical black suitcases sweep past one by one. An hour in a half later you still have no idea which one is yours. She's not so ridiculous any more, is she? Last but not least, #6 if told not to drink the water or eat from the local stands and you do and find your new best friend is a porcelain bowl…. I'll I can say is that's a fast learning curve, unless you have serious cognitive disability, no matter how good it smells or how thirsty you are you will never be so bold again.

Travels are meant to be joyful. Have fun, be a beacon of peace and let your love light shine!

Jai Bhagwan Baby.

First Sign of Spring

Today is St. Brigid's Day. This Sister really had it going on. A founding feminist, her resume could fill a book, so I'll just hit the highlights. Brigit was one of the great Triple Goddesses of the Celtic people. She is associated with the perpetual, sacred flames at the shrine at Kildare, Ireland, as well as holy wells and healing wells. She is the goddess of all things perceived to be of relatively high dimensions such as high-rising flames, highlands, hill-forts and upland areas; and of activities and states conceived as psychologically lofty and elevated, such as wisdom, excellence, perfection, high intelligence, poetic eloquence, craftsmanship (especially blacksmithing), healing ability, druidic knowledge and skill in warfare. In the living traditions, whether seen as goddess or saint, she is largely associated with the home and hearth.

Her festival is also called Brigit. Brigit (the Goddess and the Festival) represents the stirring of life again after the dead months of the winter, and her special blessings are called forth at this time.

To celebrate her day tidy up the home and hearth a bit in the morning, lay a fire without kindling, then make yourself a "Bed for Brigid" and place it near the hearth. The bed can be a small basket with covers and tiny pillow added as plain or fancy as you like. If you have no hearth, you can use the stove and put the bed behind or near it. Then at sundown light a candle rubbed with rosemary oil and invite Brigit into your home and into her bed. Make your own poem or find a nice one to read aloud. Let the candle burn in a safe place for as long as possible. Perhaps if you like, a few yoga poses to open up the fire within.

Brigit let's us know the'll be daffodills sooner rather than later but until then she'll keep us warm and snug and always has the home fires burning to welcome us back after a long cold day.

Silent Flow

White Calm 1936

Dali

Snowy winter Sunday. I really have no desire to leave the house today so I decided now would be a good time to try out Seane Corn's breath session. This is a silent flow, no words, no music, all breath. It's a relaxing 60 minute flow. This feels good, while giving a constant reminder to breath. In the beginning I had two dogs wanting lots of attention and laying on the yoga mat while I practiced around them. I think they caught the wave because both settled into a nice little snooze soon after. Near the end Cisco came over for a sacral stretch and hip roll then sauntered back to dream a little more. By the end I felt calm and stretched. My only complaint was that since I haven't tried this before I kept craning my neck around to see what I was suppose to be doing next. If one were to do this session repeatedly I don't think that would be an issue.

There was an interview which came with this. WOW! Seane Corn said quite a few things that really resonated with me. She spoke of staying present in the moment. In yoga you can unleash layers of tension. There are deep layers of tension in the body which hold memory, emotion and experience. They lay in the muscle and can be unleashed with breath. One of the reasons yoga is so powerful is its helps the student let go of emotional, spiritual and psychical junk their holding unto through the body. She also spoke about yoga off the mat into the spiritual practice of the everyday. " I'm in a challenging pose right now metaphorically and I'm going to make a different choice and respond with love. I'm not going to come from fear, but love." In closing she made a statement which rings true in my heart. Each and every one of use are all sons and daughters of God.

Peace be with you.

Life Comes Calling

Life Comes Calling

Life itself expands me

when I let it in. I point

to my known edge and

say, "That's it. I can't

go past there.

That's my limit!"

But of course life comes

calling as it always

does, not respecting

borders, asking me to

stretch again, and then

still more, until I can't

even recognize who

I am. You know

how it is- challenge,

tragedy, grief, or ecstasy;

where am I right now

just can't stay static-

the pull towards growth

and evolution is too

strong. When I let go,

when I allow life in,

I grow before I even

notice what is happening.

unknown

New Year

The New Year is here and with it an opportunity to walk down some roads never traveled. For me it's a time to take it slow and let life unfold. 2007 came to a close like the Concord flying into CDG airport. Now that we've landed in 2008 I find I have a little jet lag and I am in need of a rest. Time to reflect and move in a new direction. I realize I packed a little too much into the limited time I have and was unrealistic about what I could accomplish. The namaste experience came and went, home renovations took longer than expected and life plans needed to be revised and edited. Not long ago I ran into a colleague at my yoga studio. She spoke of the New Year in terms of intention rather than resolution. Resolutions reflect our negative attitudes. She is making intentions based on positive affirmations rather than resolutions. I like this, I'm going to take it with me throughout the year.

Happy travels all.