Let Your Life Bloom

"It's tough leading a holistic life"

Going through my filing cabinet the other day, I stumbled upon my funny file. Yes, I have a file folder labeled "Funny." We all should! I found a funny (of course) article called, "It's tough leading a holistic life." The author is unknown, though I swear, I could have written half of it! Those in the holistic field will especially appreciate this. If you're of the coke drinkin', cigarette smokin', fast food eatin', mall shoppin' species, you might not get it. That's ok! Perhaps a psychic reading will help you integrate the information. Ha ha!

It's tough leading a holistic life

I was having an out of body experience one day so I grounded myself and got centered with the help of my spirit guides and almost astral traveled anyway, but the phone rang. I sensed the negative vibrations so threw the I-Ching and checked my numerology chart and nearly had a primal scream, but my energy was too blocked, so I did some bioenergetics and self parenting, took some flower essence and ate an organic oat bran ginseng muffin, but my inner child wasn't feeling nurtured yet

so I had a Rice Dream Frozen Pie too, but that made me hyper so I did the relaxation response while listening to my subliminal tapes, but I was feeling depersonalized so I did some polarity work, foot reflexology and past life regression, then rebirthed myself and called Moon Beam, the bodyworker, to make an appointment for Shiatsu, Reiki, Rolfing, Feldenkreis, Swedish, Japanese deep tissue massage, but she flaked and never returned my call,

so I decided to energize my crystals and do some positive imagery because all of my visualization techniques and affirmations made my space feel invaded, so to get empowered, I got a psychic reading from Mother Heart Love around the issue of my assertiveness so I could feel my radiance and have some energy for my psycho-calisthenics and inversion swing before my harmonic brain-wave synergy session, which made me more focused for my actualization seminar, holistic healing class and dreamworkshop,

so I'd be more clear for my Gestalt behavioral cognitive transpersonal Reikian Jungian Freudian Ericksonian session at the hot springs but my aura was weak for my trance-channeling group so I fasted until non to recharge my chakras and I sensed my intuition was high and my cycle focused, so I turned on the ion generator to open up for my neural-linguistic programming session, but I needed to have my pyramid recharged before my guided synchronicity meditation,

so I got some cranial sacral therapy, which aligned me for the fire walk, which was between my tarot card reading and my sensory deprivation tank appointment, but after all that I felt what I truly needed was a meaningful relationship to mirror myself so I went to my personal shaman, and then to my guru, but they were no help, so instead I went to the Intensive Whole Life Earth Rebirth Cosmic Expo Symposium Workshop to find someone who really knew what was going on, but that didn't work either, so I locked myself in a calcium coated Orgone Box and went to sleep so I could "get it" in the dream state.

Activities for being present

As you know from yesterday, I had the opportunity to lead a group on being present. When in this role, I like to make it experiential. Not just talk about being present, but to actually do activities that bring us back to the present moment (rather than focusing on the past or the future). I'm sharing two here so you can have a go at them yourself. They work!

1) Do a 360
Stand up. Slowly turn in a circle. As you do, notice what is in front of you, scan from under your feet all the way up to above your head. See the flooring, the color of the wall, the framed art, the storefront, the trees, the lighting. Notice the colors, sounds, shapes, smells. Drink it in. Really paying attention to your physical surroundings is one of the easiest ways to get grounded and be present. If you have a moment, now move into another area of where you are, do a 360, see how your perspective changes. It may seem simple. That's because it is! That new perspective of noticing your environment, then shifting to another place and doing the same, will also give you a new perspective on "problems" you face and how to solve them.

2) Listing your appreciation for others
In a group, give each person a piece of paper. Have them write their name on it. Mix the papers up & pass them out. Have each person take an anonymous turn at writing a 1-2 sentence of appreciation about the person who's name is on the page. Pass it around until everyone has been able to make a comment. At the end, each person receives a page full of appreciation. It's a wonderful experience to pay attention to others in this way, fun to see what is appreciated about you, and even nicer if you share it out loud. That's what we did at the end of the group and it was such a great way to end the meeting. This is a fun one to do for yourself too!

Here's what was written about me:
"I appreciate the way you trust the group even when you are feeling vulnerable" (I do prefer writing my vulnerabilities than speaking them.)

"You have gorgeous eyes to match your personality" (I'm batting them now)

"Your eyes are open to the world" (It's true. Even when my eyes are closed, my third eye is scanning the scene.)

"Quietly, you have become our leader" (Didn't they know I was plotting a take over?)

"Gentleness and concern for others and obligations" (Most people think I'm shy when they first meet me, if they only saw me at home causing a ruckus and challenging my husband to a dance off.)

"Your smile. Your heart. Your generosity. Your ability to read my handwriting. And me." (That was my husband. He's right. His handwriting is pretty unreadable.)

"Would you consider facilitating next fall? You are the best!" (Remember the take over plot above?)

"You are an old soul and a gifted perspective person." (Why, thank you!)

Who wouldn't feel like a million bucks after that? Your turn, go find a group of people to appreciate and then turn in circles!

Tips for being present

Last night, I had the chance to lead a group on being present. So I've got some tips to share with you today! Here they are:

What stops us from being present?

• Worry, fear
• Complaining
• Imbalanced health
• Repetitive story telling
• Judgment of others, positive or negative
• Our personal agendas of what we think should happen
• Comparing our experience to our past or the expected future
• Thinking something is “wrong” and wanting to fix it, resisting it

What helps us to be present?

• Love
• Breathing
• Appreciating
• Abstaining from complaining
• Being with animals and children
• Helping, serving, supporting others
• Being playful & creative (singing, art, dance)
• Rainbows, puppies, unicorns, & gourmet foods
• Thinking something is “right” and being grateful for it
• See life as series of synchronicities, being in the right place at the right time
• Paying attention to the details around you, do a 360 degrees of your environment and drink it in, use all your senses

Questions to consider

• What do I value about what’s happening right now?
• How is life supporting me right now? (list people, food, home, etc.)
• What am I learning from this experience? How has it helped me grow?
• In what new ways do I know myself after having the strength to go through this?

Anything you'd like to add to the list? Do share

Potlucks, supperclubs, and fine dining at the farm, oh my!

Always on the lookout for opportunities to share food with people. What better place to do so than a potluck! You get to sample a wide variety of dishes, meet new friends over the ice breaker of food, and get to be an active participant without having to do it all.

Last Thursday was the first potluck of the season for Bluebird Farm aka The Living Lands Agrarian Network. They farm on four parcels of land that has been granted to them by the land owners in exchange for the food that is grown there and the upkeep of the land itself. What a lovely idea - you've got land but you're not into farming, you find farmers who are or they find you, in return you get produce and comfort knowing that your property will feed many people.

This potluck was held on the farm, under a huge oak tree, on bales of hay. I love the outdoors, people, and food, so it was the perfect combo for me. I'm super excited that this is a weekly event and am already planning what I'm bringing for the next one.

You don't have to love farms or the outdoors to love sharing meals. If you're in the city, many ways to do so. There are lots of new twists on the potluck concept. Check out this underground gourmet in Pittsburgh. Or there's the guerilla gourmet. Then, of course, there's the ghetto gourmet for those who want the wandering supperclub which even has a social network attached to help spread the word. How about some fine dinning in the outdoors? Try Outstanding in the Field.

What else is out there? Share your resources here and I'll imagine eating with you!

Great conversations about movement

As you might know, I've been hosting the Let Your Life Bloom teleseries since March and will continue to through November. This is a free series of interviews with wonderful people who are experts in their field. Each month the focus is on a different aspect of health as it relates to the four keys to letting your life bloom, which are:

• Energy & Intuition
• Holistic Health & Sustainability
• Leadership & Legacy
• Integrative Coaching

May is all about Movement. I've had three very inspiring guests so far that I've all worked with personally. You'll love what they have to share and will hunger for more. I know I do! To learn more about the series, go here. The monthly health themes, go here. And to sign up for the free series, sign up to your right!

Playing for change

Another gem found via Twitter. Enjoy!

Find your voice - singing in sisterhood!

No more scary 7th grade teacher memories for me! I have joined a choir, on my own free will. With my mom. My mom has always been an inspiration for me when it comes to singing. She has a lovely voice and will sing and dance when the moment moves her too. In fact, she went dancing with my dad the night before I was born! I had heard about this choir and thought it would be a nice way to spend time with my mom and let go of any old stuff I have around my voice.

Choirs are for people who sound good when they sing, right? The one we are in is more about intention. It's called the Threshold Choir. It was founded by Kate Monger in 2000 who felt moved to sing at the bedside of a dying friend. There are now 50 threshold groups worldwide.

Their website sums it up nicely:

"The all-women Threshold Choirs honor the ancient tradition of singing at the bedsides of people who are struggling: some with living, some with dying. The voice, as the original human instrument, is a true and gracious vehicle for compassion and comfort. The choirs provide opportunities for women to share the sacred gifts of their voices at life's thresholds."

When we joined the group, there was a handout given that also spoke to my heart about why this group is important to participate in.

"It is important to understand that the primary intention of this choir is to come together to build a community of sisterhood through song. We come to sing for ourselves, as caregivers, nurturers, and healers. We come for the camaraderie and the singing of prayers. A member may choose not to sing at a bedside for many years, or never... However, this choir does provide opportunities for women to share the gifts of their voices in compassion and truth and life's thresholds."

What openness! There's even a cozy chair to relax, be silent, and be sung to in the circle. If you want to start a threshold choir in your area, go here to find out how. In harmony.

Culinary Angel Wisdom - Abundance

Last week, you were graced with a prayer about acceptance from the book Angel Foods by Cherie Soria. Acceptance helps you to find peace with whatever has happened, is happening, or might happen. When you do, you are truly free. It's in this freedom where abundance lies.

For me, experiencing abundance is like the 3 bears part of the story when you get to the porridge dish of "Just right." It's resting in this place of being enough, having enough, doing enough in a way that the current of life easily flows through you. Usually, we all have moments of this. It is possible to have a life like this. Invite it in with this prayer. Thank you Angels.

A Talk with Spirit about Abundance

Dear one, please help me accept that The Universe supports me in creating a life of joy and abundance. I ask that the fruits of life surround me in all their forms, providing me with health, right livelihood, financial security, unconditional love, and peace of mind. I need assurance that I will be rewarded for following my heart and trusting Divine Guidance to light my path. I ask all energies of Light and Love to assist me in holding positive thoughts concerning my ability to create a life of health, prosperity, and fulfillment.

I am divinely grateful for these gifts of Light, which have been lovingly provided for my nourishment and which I recognize as a symbol of abundance. I respect and give thanks to these foods for their energy and generosity. I love you, I bless you, I am one with you and All That Is.

The bounty among us

I've been perusing the 2009 Farm Guide made by Nevada County Grown and have found it so helpful! It's like a more useful version of the yellow pages in regard to farms, farmer's markets, and other agricultural related places. I would really love everyone to have a guide like this in their own community. In case you want to start one, nudge nudge, here's what I like about it:

It provides the name of the farm (or service), the contact info (phone, email, web, city), and a description of what they offer. Underneath that is a list of "need to know" info including,

• Where and when the farm stand is
• If CSA subscriptions are available
• What farmers markets you can find them in
• Which local restaurants use their food
• Which local stores stock their food
• If direct sales are available
• If their is an opportunity for you to pick the food yourself (called U-Pick)

There's also a list at the back of products by category. Check these out:

• Alpacas
• Beef
• Lamb
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Pork
• Raise your own
• Wool and fleece
• Christmas trees and wreaths
• Compost
• Flowers
• Fruit & Vegetables
• Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Nuts
• Hay
• Herbs/Herbal Products
• Honey, Bees, Beeswax Candles
• Olive Oil
• Pumpkin Patches
• Nurseries/Plant starts
• Red Worms
• Sawmills
• Wheatberries/Wheatgrass
• Wines

What more do you need? Ok, toilet paper! Beyond that, though, this amazing bounty is right in front of us, surrounding us, providing clean and healthy nourishment. Better than any big box grocery store! Start looking for all the food resources in your community, share them here...

Strut your stuff

Now that you know how to stand tall and strong, it's time to strut your stuff.

It's easy to take walking for granted, isn't it? We do it all the time, like eating, or sitting. Just like the strength of your core and the groundedness of your feet, the way you walk has a direct impact on your physical health (or lack of). Like standing, this is a whole foot activity.

Often, in yoga, there is talk about articulating the movement of the spine. Coming down or coming up vertebrae by vertebrae. As you learn to isolate different parts of your body and animate them with energy, you gain freedom in other areas of your body that you didn't know were related.

It's just as important to articulate the movement in your feet as it is in your spine. This is an easier with shoes off activity. As you place your foot down, starting with your heel, roll down through the middle of your foot as much as you can. Feel the sides of your foot make contact with the ground. Let the pad of your foot and your toes gently grip the floor. Repeat. This not only will help create health in other areas of your body, it can become a meditation.

Try it, let me know how it goes...