tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49383928690346771252024-03-13T07:55:18.569-07:00The She-Tribe ProjectUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-18586767909981778032014-03-25T16:47:00.001-07:002014-03-25T16:47:35.456-07:00Moving....Hello friends!!<br />
<br />
Lots has happened in the last few months...ranging from job transitions, to speaking at the World Muse Women's Conference in Bend on body image and art, to emergency surgery last week and I"m in desperate need of a fresh start...a change...so I'm moving my blog to: <a href="http://love-write-be.blogspot.com/">http://love-write-be.blogspot.com/</a>.<br />
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Please stop over and visit. I'll be hanging out there often in the weeks to come. :)<br />
<br />
-SarahUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-27075629034737702014-01-21T21:12:00.001-08:002014-01-21T21:12:38.310-08:00Pause because You Care by Charyn Gant
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">During November
and December of 2013 I felt as if my life had drifted into a place between the egos
need to do this and that, and the inner need to go within and tend to myself. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I had arrived at a
place where I was being given the message to pause and breathe; except I didn’t
know it. I resented this unfamiliar space because I really had too much to do…
for everyone else. This pausing energy was in conflict to plowing ahead and
pushing forward. I’ve never really been the pausing kind of person and the Holiday
season had arrived in full swing. I was running out of time for making and
buying gifts and participating in seasonal activities. And like many other
people at this time of the year, I was running out of energy. But running out
of energy didn’t make me pause; it made me move faster.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then it happened:
I hit the wall, crashed and burned. I was forced to step back from almost
everything on my massive and seemingly endless "to do" list. The way
I was operating was no longer working for me. I couldn’t continue to just do,
do, do and go, go, go; it had worn me down and out. Next came the realization that
I had totally neglected myself in the process.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>Self-neglect is a
condition that I believe goes highly unrecognized: an all-too common state of
being that drains and sickens when left unacknowledged and unchecked. The best
action is, of course, to be proactive and recognize early on when we need to
hit the pause button to rest, recover and restore. </b></span></span>However, when we fail to hit
that pause button, it gets pushed for us, when our bodies and our spirit basically
say, “enough is enough; we're going to take a break NOW”.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You know what I mean. When simple tasks become too much,
enough is enough. When normal thought processes become challenging and
creativity is limited, enough is enough. When nails go unmanicured, dull skin
& shadowed eyes become constant companions, and sadness weaves its way
through our emotions, enough is enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We are the ONLY assigned caretakers of our whole self. So
many self-care actions I knew I needed kept finding their way to the backburner:
my feet, which have been waiting weeks for a pedicure; the quiet herbal teas
that were being pushed aside for blood pumping caffeine; received guidance waiting
to be used; the stack of books waiting to be read. There were other telltale
signs of my self-neglect like the half-finished craft projects; tight muscles, clenched
teeth and a body that was unable to relax at night; forgetfulness, interrupted
sleep and body rashes that indicated irritation at my personal desertion. It
really was a slap in the face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Slowly I am adapting to a new mode of being. Very slowly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are some deeply grooved programs and habits to
overcome; impatience with myself comes easily. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Seriously, sometimes it just sucks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In spite of this, I invite you to seriously take a look at
how you have been treating yourself and note where you may have participated in
some personal desertion or “done a bunk”, as those crafty Brits like to say.
Where you have run away from yourself? No judgment; most of us have done it. Check
how you’ve been sleeping: are you feeling rested in the morning or exhausted?
Really look at your face in the mirror and admit if you like what you see. Look
at your skin, nails and feet: what condition are they in? Pay attention to your
thoughts and how you feel. Notice any twinging, tight muscles screaming for
some stretching. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Healing and transformation come when we can finally see it.
‘Cause when you know, you know and there’s no getting away from that. So, in
the next few weeks, when writing out your bucket list for 2014, make “increase
my level of self-care” #2. Make “slow down, pause and breathe”#1. Pause because
you care… and want a happier New Year!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5gjgfn2K7SrxMVA8dtxzOE3jhpD2g_pdKirYqsjVZYNENYekolYVQx3DfOIyYkM7oMUIfV14NPObdcQ0HrXEHdg2gqT9noszK_8O3rqMmfrhX8qFnysonXojZrcdj5kjFe1XgL9wtxL8/s1600/Charyn.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5gjgfn2K7SrxMVA8dtxzOE3jhpD2g_pdKirYqsjVZYNENYekolYVQx3DfOIyYkM7oMUIfV14NPObdcQ0HrXEHdg2gqT9noszK_8O3rqMmfrhX8qFnysonXojZrcdj5kjFe1XgL9wtxL8/s1600/Charyn.png" height="320" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Charyn Gant is the founder of the
blog/site <a href="http://www.whenwelistentotrees.com/" target="_blank">When We Listen to Trees</a>: a platform to share information, stories
and tolls of how we can improve our quality of life, especially our emotional
health as it relates to our physical health. Charyn has been in the alternative
healing arena for more than a decade. You can also find her on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/charyng" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/charyngant" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.</span></span></span></i> </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-89872187419188332672014-01-13T18:50:00.001-08:002014-01-13T18:50:44.278-08:00Inspiration for Nesting...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-CNYW4D2c6HcT8CfcyBwvOFhbzVRsWGZFbbn2KenYC8tsrlNrlgrsHH__ra63C8mdLKVBBAoZi9JhjvlHeOk92BttLGcm8fpnIb04kxUK3RkcAVYvA5scRGyTmhtUpO-pY70gRNvGER0/s1600/Livingroom+inspiration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-CNYW4D2c6HcT8CfcyBwvOFhbzVRsWGZFbbn2KenYC8tsrlNrlgrsHH__ra63C8mdLKVBBAoZi9JhjvlHeOk92BttLGcm8fpnIb04kxUK3RkcAVYvA5scRGyTmhtUpO-pY70gRNvGER0/s640/Livingroom+inspiration.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Inspiration for my new home! I move this weekend and I can hardly wait to nest/ decorate/ define my own little space. Give me a few weeks and see if I'm making steps toward something similar in my new apartment. :)<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41jsU3mE3l8XiaVTgCFAP0Xsuji4_3_1Kh-_qhiKL6sTG3ekHlBwkNvZSGv1BCo3xEsuXUJaqCPA-E8p0_rUHD3jUCEbQz0lenRkqpokuMjvcb9-RRsmkAQ4cKirVhjWPBRcwhgw4Ylh7/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-12+at+8.50.36+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41jsU3mE3l8XiaVTgCFAP0Xsuji4_3_1Kh-_qhiKL6sTG3ekHlBwkNvZSGv1BCo3xEsuXUJaqCPA-E8p0_rUHD3jUCEbQz0lenRkqpokuMjvcb9-RRsmkAQ4cKirVhjWPBRcwhgw4Ylh7/s640/Screen+Shot+2014-01-12+at+8.50.36+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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More to come!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-48928635536128447322014-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:002014-01-10T09:00:05.157-08:00Why Hello 2014...(And an invitation to write)Yikes!!<br />
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How has it been so long since I've blogged???!!<br />
<br />
I jumped head first into a brand new full time job the first part of December in complex care management (essentially health care case work) and I freaking love it! Since then I also signed a lease on my own place (first time in over a year that I've been living solo) and I'm preparing to move in a week! I'm so excited...but because in my last move I sold most of my belongings and massively downsized, that has meant lots of shopping (there will be some DIY and budget decorating posts coming up)!<br />
<br />
But in all of this transition, I realized something...The She-Tribe Project is no longer a project, but a way of life, a gathering place for discussion, self-love and acceptance, creativity and community rallies that inspire! It has been a fabulous collaboration of women's stories for over a year now both in ebooks, workshops and poetry events, photo shoots and this blog...as you might have noticed, for 2014, I've adopted a new tag line: <i>gather, create & be.</i><br />
<br />
My hope in the months ahead, is that community will gather, women will create beauty, relationships, networks and art and we will, more than anythings, be our beautiful, authentic selves - full of wounds, light, depth, kindness and brokenness, and yet completely and fully human. Sigh, relax into that, loves. I thank you for going on this journey with me, for sharing your stories, teaching me new things and inspiring me to become a better woman daily - you are the best tribe I could ask for!<br />
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In 2014, I'm gearing up for a writing workshop in a few weeks that will kick off the "Bodies Stories: Skin, Boundaries & Beauty" project I received a grant from World Muse to do. It will be one part writing, one part photography and one part art exhibit in collaboration with this year's World Muse Conference in March in Bend, Oregon - and I'm over the moon about it!!<br />
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So in gearing up for this I'm looking for bloggers to share a 500-600 word post around the theme: <i>my body is a love story</i>.<br />
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Think about what journeys your body has taken in your lifetime, how it has changed, morphed, strengthen and transformed. What has your experience of your body become? Explore the love story that is your body, and if it's not a love story yet, write a love letter to your body and invite that love affair to begin... you know you want to... :)<br />
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Write. Create. Be. 2014 is going to be grand!<br />
xo,<br />
Sarah Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-76715112351902612422014-01-09T22:03:00.002-08:002014-01-10T20:29:06.520-08:00Is it time to change your MOO? by Charyn Gant<style>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">** please excuse the dust...my computer won't let me upload pictures to Blogger right now, but this post from Charyn is too good to wait on! - Sarah **</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Everyone has a different
M.O.O. I believe it’s a combination of how we survived our childhoods and what
we learned growing up. There usually comes a time when we are presented with
the opportunity to realize that our current M.O.O. is no longer working for us
and something has to change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">What am I talking about?
M.O.O.: Mode of Operation. Maybe it has never occurred to you that you have a
M.O.O. It’s how you choose to move through life everyday, accomplish goals and
tasks, and approach your challenges. It defines how you show up in the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Burnout is a debilitating
condition and is a reflection of your current M.O.O. Anyone who has experienced
burnout knows how sidelining it can be, especially if they ignored the signs
and didn’t catch it early. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Burnout is about a
half-second behind breakdown; so if you don’t catch burnout early, guess what’s
next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if you do catch it early,
you can use the opportunity to hit the pause button, take a much-needed break
and reflect on how your M.O.O. is affecting your life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Burnout out first visited me
in September and I missed the message even though I wrote about it! I found a
sheet of paper where I had written, “Why does it feel like I have too many
balls in the air? Should I let a few of them drop down until I’m ready for
them?” Yeah, it does seem like a “well duh” moment, but because I was doing a
brain dump, I didn’t redirect my attention back to what I had written; I simply
moved on to other thoughts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">And I really did have too
many balls in the air. By mid-October, I was becoming physically run down. My
energy would abruptly run out at odd times of the day, leaving me exhausted and
depleted. My thoughts were fuzzy and lacked clarity. My creativity became severely
limited. I was oversensitive, emotional and was experiencing an increased sense
of overwhelm. Simple decisions became monumental. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">After attending a business
boot camp the first weekend of November, my body finally gave me the finger and
began to breakdown starting with a headache, sore throat and achy body. This
time I listened. I called in sick to work and went back to bed for another 5
hours. I did nothing for the rest of the day. And believe me; it wasn’t easy; I
could list at least 20 things that I knew needed to be done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">I decided my health was far
more valuable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">So, for the next two weeks,
everything just sat… and waited. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">And during that pause, it hit
me: there was something wrong with my M.O.O. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">The M.O.O. I’ve used over the
years was neither healthy nor supportive. Listening to my own inner wisdom, I
discovered that my M.O.O. very energetically masculine and reinforced by13
years of military training. It was very imbalanced. My M.O.O. had been the
antithesis to the feminine and with the re-emergence of the Feminine on the
plant, will no longer be an acceptable way of me being in the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Burnout, when its message is
heard, deciphered and understood, can reveal a great deal of information about
the structures we are operating in: our M.O.O. When we are unwilling to listen
and miss the message of burnout, rest assured it will visit us again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">One of the most self-loving
acts you can perform for your health and wellness (and to benefit everyone
around you) is to reflect on what your M.O.O. might be and whether or not it’s
serving you in fulfilling your goals, visions and keeping you healthy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">If you’re finding that you’re
exhausted, uncreative and getting sick way too often, trust and love yourself
enough to check your M.O.O. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Choose to begin the New Year
by reflecting on and changing your M.O.O. if needed, so that you can avoid
burnout, conquer the impossible, shine your brightest, be bad ass &
bodacious, and stay healthy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">And when someone asks you
what your secret is, smile mysteriously and say, “I changed my M.O.O.” </span><br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1991280462"></span><span id="goog_1991280463"></span><br />
<span id="goog_68686433"></span><span id="goog_68686434"></span><br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-25183665257584716572013-12-01T12:36:00.001-08:002013-12-01T12:36:22.887-08:00Self-Care is Not Selfish by Ana Campos
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEw2tOQTKKfMIo8Dicq7BcY2ouuI2AqrfqvFaxrkmr5YpL9SeSzd4FMwN4f37XsS2nFuQluOlrpJ7qqS2hPV1MNl5YHOoTxX1DqMwM_HXeo6VNaOC7_Av5UotQtN75cn4PTdpTCaB4Y0R/s1600/Free+Spirit+polaroid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEw2tOQTKKfMIo8Dicq7BcY2ouuI2AqrfqvFaxrkmr5YpL9SeSzd4FMwN4f37XsS2nFuQluOlrpJ7qqS2hPV1MNl5YHOoTxX1DqMwM_HXeo6VNaOC7_Av5UotQtN75cn4PTdpTCaB4Y0R/s640/Free+Spirit+polaroid.png" width="552" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometimes things crumble.
Other times, they completely shatter in an instant. Last month, I missed my
deadline for the She Tribe Project - I was so caught up in a series of personal
tragedies that I lost track of time and forgot responsibilities. I had poured
my heart and soul into a big project, and it was pulled out from under my feet,
suddenly and brutally. I felt exposed, betrayed, and discarded. It seemed
insult was repeatedly added to injury as other things kept going wrong. But at
the bottom of all the anger and hurt, there was the inkling of <i>relief</i>. I was
relieved because the loss of this project, even though it meant the world to
me, meant that I got to sever a relationship with an extremely toxic and
abusive person. I got to walk away from the responsibility of constantly having
to shield a group of people from this abuse. Ultimately, I found myself freed
from a situation where I constantly had to place the needs of others above my
own needs. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A couple of years ago, I came across a post on
the Etsy blog that really changed how I evaluate priorities: <b>The Oxygen Mask
Principle</b> (</span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/the-oxygen-mask-principle/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/the-oxygen-mask-principle/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">). This original post speaks in terms of parenting, and of
making sure that you take care of yourself first so you can be a better parent.
But this idea easily extends to all interpersonal relationships, whether
family, romantic, professional, etc. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>We are taught from a young age that it is
not okay to think of yourself first. We are programmed to always be
self-deprecating. Our needs are to come last, lest we be thought of as selfish.</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our accomplishments are to be downplayed, lest we be seen as egotistical and
boasting. As adults, we then often find ourselves exhausted, resentful, and
confused about these negative feelings. After repeatedly finding myself
struggling with these feelings, finding that original article helped me find
clarity. I was always taking care of others before taking care of myself, to a
fault. I would let both my physical and emotional health deteriorate rather
than say no to those around me. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since then, <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>I’ve made an effort to prioritize
my well-being.</b></span></span> This has been an ongoing journey, because it’s been accompanied
with a constant struggle with guilt. The notion of taking care of others is so
ingrained that my first reaction to putting myself first was a rush of guilt.
It has taken constant reminders and logical arguments with myself to help shift
my mindset. After several months, I started to see the benefits of applying the
Oxygen Mask Principle to my life. Being better rested, healthier, and allowing
myself time for the things I enjoy, I found myself also being a better partner,
friend, teacher. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Earlier this year, I lost track of this
personal journey. I got involved in a situation I was very passionate about,
and suddenly found myself responsible for the best interest of a group of
people. All of a sudden I was working hard to shield these people from the
abuse of another, and putting myself in harm’s way in the process. In the
moments when I was truly honest with myself, I knew that the best thing for my
own well-being was to walk away. But I was so preoccupied with everyone else
that I felt unable to put myself first. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The universe ultimately took the choice out of
my hands. The situation crumbled, and rather than fight to stay in it, I walked
away. While I am speaking in vague terms here, the specifics of the situation
don’t matter; <span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">the important lesson was the undeniable reminder that I am
primarily responsible for my own well-being. </span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></b></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you put the needs of others before your
own? Are you doing so to your own detriment? I leave you with the challenge to
pay closer attention to your needs and making sure that you have room in your
life to nurture yourself. Sometimes it’s okay to be selfish. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-13902220524955585912013-11-25T09:12:00.001-08:002013-11-25T09:12:47.629-08:00The Dark Months By Charyn Gant
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjV5DdHOFTAnnicVgM1Xq2UDMnzYfepcAAxHB82fZnvtGwZb74lH4KWMOiAHq8g-gcvrcNm8pq1Hb7753gD2mI8ZkwyeTyh7cPfBIYsCyI9aOHEyH10Whv0rbTreDRHV0tLid1ASPEfny/s1600/1390768_852780055200_129118743_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjV5DdHOFTAnnicVgM1Xq2UDMnzYfepcAAxHB82fZnvtGwZb74lH4KWMOiAHq8g-gcvrcNm8pq1Hb7753gD2mI8ZkwyeTyh7cPfBIYsCyI9aOHEyH10Whv0rbTreDRHV0tLid1ASPEfny/s640/1390768_852780055200_129118743_n.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> During the holiday season, which started with Halloween for
many of us, it’s going to be real easy to ignore the needs of our spirit and
neglect answering inner messages and prompts. Needless to say, this would be no
bueno. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I believe we are more emotionally fragile during the dark
months of Fall and Winter than at any other time of the year. We have less
light and many people get Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). Less light may
also mean less motivation. Because the veil is thin, people are leaving and we
are remembering those who have already departed (i.e.: Dia de los Muertos). Unresolved
issues bubble up for us to acknowledge, address and transform. <span style="color: orange;"><b>The dark months
ask us to go within, harvest what we have sown for the year and then visualize
next year into creation. Transformation is a must if we want to step into
bigger, more bodacious shoes for the coming year.</b></span> Then there are all the other
daily choices, decisions and occasional dramas we have to deal with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So with all those possibilities swirling around, we’re bound
to feel ignored and depleted. Everyone has their own indicators as to when their
spirit is low, fragile and in need of care. It is vital for us to pay attention
to those indicators so that we tend to our spirits in a timely matter otherwise
we may end up sick and dispirited before the holiday season gets into full
tilt. It doesn’t take much to listen to your body and what it’s telling you; you
just have to stop and listen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Just recently at work, I started feeling that feeling. I
know, so vague. Unfortunately, words are a poor substitute for our emotions and
often misrepresent what we really feel. Sometimes descriptive statements are
better. My description: I felt like I had been tossed one too many times in a
tiny boat and was getting bruised and battered. My body and spirit felt gray
and heavy. I was also sensitive and a bit weepy. It would take me another week
for me to sort things out. I was bunched and had too much on my plate. I was spinning
and discouraged from the feeling of running in place. I had old issues bubbling
up to be acknowledged. I could go on but you get the idea.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">An “inspired suggestion” came to me that would apparently
provide a balm to my overstretched spirit: give myself a foot bath. Eh. Okay.
But just thinking of that soothing hot water and lavender had me salivating.
And oh yes, it absolutely did the trick. It would have been very easy for me to
ignore what my spirit was telling me a just keep plugging along; but I bet you
dollars to donuts, I would have paid for it later on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So it’s time to ask: <span style="color: orange;"><b>what care has your spirit been urging
you to do that you have yet to pay attention? What are the indicators you
receive when your spirit is low and in need of tending? Do you answer or ignore
them? There is no such phrase as “I can’t” or “I don’t have time”; the real
reason is: “I don’t want to”. </b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If I had not listened to the call of my own spirit, I would
have in fact been telling myself that I’m not important, not worth my own time,
not worth my own love. The sad fact is that I do it far too often and I know
I’m not alone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If you have been pulling the same stuff with yourself, it’s
really time to change. You are important, worth treating yourself kindly and lovingly.
Answering the call of your spirit when you get those indicators IS an act of
self-love. It’s time to realize that when we listen and honor the call to care
for our spirit FIRST, everything else can fall into place… and we feel good.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-49001309032513494282013-11-23T11:31:00.000-08:002013-11-23T11:31:07.939-08:00At Home in the World by Erina Patrick
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9yjlof1PcDP3ND2Px0yssFcV-k1eGjZ_kMt8Qq473GvBm4p8SohQwfuqqCeZJXOtapEQdgQO16hsu_2F3px7-7FdlYywNMa_WlU6Nc9mdIy3YJbN5JC-m-59Usx25tpmZ_suw8e73B6-/s1600/Boho-Gypsy-House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9yjlof1PcDP3ND2Px0yssFcV-k1eGjZ_kMt8Qq473GvBm4p8SohQwfuqqCeZJXOtapEQdgQO16hsu_2F3px7-7FdlYywNMa_WlU6Nc9mdIy3YJbN5JC-m-59Usx25tpmZ_suw8e73B6-/s640/Boho-Gypsy-House.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Digital art by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Home is more than a residence.
For me, it represents not only hearth but heart as well.
The idea of home has a certain emotional comfort ingrained within the
concept. Hence the phrase, "feel at home" is used to
express feeling relaxed and comfortable. I believe that there is also
a sense of security and sanctuary associated with "being
home."</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I keep the physical space in my home free
of clutter in order to maintain a Zen-like feeling within. I have
added personal and spiritual touches throughout my home: there are
pictures of nature, mythic creatures and depictions of
several deities grace my walls. I also have three vision boards that I
have made. A vision board is a collage with careful intention behind each image
word or phrase contained therein. It is designed to help inspire your vision of
what you would like to manifest in your life; think law of attraction powered
poster.<i> </i>My refrigerator door also doubles as clip board
for inspirational quotes, prayers, poetry and a variety of
magnets. I like to consider it organized chaos hinting at mild O.C.D.
with random bits compiled in an orderly puzzle like
configuration.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a psychological sense home and family
are closely linked in my mind. There is the home I was born into comprised
of the members of my family, and the central Oregon County and community I
was raised in. The actual house I was raised in is gone now. There is a Welsh
word that conveys this bitter sweet loss of a one time home: Hiraeth.
There is no direct English translation, but it loosely means,
“homesickness for a home to which you cannot return.” Instead of looking
back at loss I look forward to what the present has to offer.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It has been almost three years since I set
sail for Maui but still feel a close connection to my roots.
I regularly converse with family over the phone and walk the steps of my
old stomping grounds in my dreams. And from time to time, visions of
snow swirl in my head as I sleep without so much as a sheet in the Maui heat. I
remember my past, but don't dwell on it; as I take steps towards creating the
future I desire. Each step makes my dream clearer and closer at hand as I
work to find my niche in the world.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I find that I feel at home whenever my heart is
open and I allow myself to let go of trying to control things. </span></b></span> I simply
go with the flow of life and immerse myself its endless river. As a
single woman, I have yet to form a family of my own. However, I find
that I am far from alone as I have fostered friendships with many wonderful
women and a few great men; one of whom is particularly special to me. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believe that love is the truth unveiled and
the greatest human achievement. I believe family includes more than just
my family of origin. It’s also the family I find as I make my way through
the world; the kindred spirits that I have shared interests and close
connections with, my local community and the global community. If
indeed "home is where the heart is," how large of a range is
your home? Does it span multiple time zones? Could you extend the
borders to encompass the globe? Life evolves as should we and love is the
way we grow beyond our limitations, love is the motivating effort behind
extending ourselves towards others and expanding our understanding of
ourselves, the world and our role in it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-405598613280596312013-11-21T09:05:00.001-08:002013-11-21T09:05:11.111-08:005 Elements of Chinese Medicine By Heather Lindsay
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOA6N2mgo2U-xFiocJE0OBnUijRje4cxunVOdPusfrYmfW6f_59HFJ7OBDBK4RdEiLZdwqkVuto82fJ2kn-avltvZnHN52OT3KyuuSmsm9iuDtS5UQp3XZwGf4laCKPqPXznGCQjJ7yxp/s1600/e.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOA6N2mgo2U-xFiocJE0OBnUijRje4cxunVOdPusfrYmfW6f_59HFJ7OBDBK4RdEiLZdwqkVuto82fJ2kn-avltvZnHN52OT3KyuuSmsm9iuDtS5UQp3XZwGf4laCKPqPXznGCQjJ7yxp/s640/e.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Chinese
Medicine is based very much in the natural elements of our World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way of looking at life can cross the
boundaries into any culture, religion, and way of life because it is what we
physically live in - nature.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The five elements illustrate the
movement of life, all of which we are a part of. These elements - Wood, Fire,
Earth, Metal, and Water - are represented in each of us. However, one element
tends to guide us most. Examples of what each element embodies are seen through
color, seasons, movement, aroma, and emotions. Which one resonates most with
you?</span>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Wood</span></u><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Imagine the springtime - everything
is suddenly alive! What stands out to you after a long winter over the barren
land? Is it the sudden vibrant burst of blossoming trees and flowers of every
color imaginable accented by the emerald green background and sharp smell of
new growth? Do new ideas come to mind in how to accomplish your desires and
needs? The gifts of this element; clarity, vision, and creativity; give rise to
how to move onward and upward with life. How will you frame and design your
life’s path?</span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Fire</span></u><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ahhh Summer... A time for friends
gathering together. Or the offerings of summer may be cuddling in the arms of a
loved one and giggling about shared memories on the porch as fireflies light up
the sultry evening sky. Both scenes bring up the gifts of this element -
partnership, passion, and love. Are you aware of how everything is connected?
This element reminds us of the relationship of everything that passes through
our lives. Do you know this interconnectedness with yourself to the one sitting
beside you - and to the world?</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Earth</span></u><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are five seasons in Chinese
Medicine. Late summer is the additional one. Yet, this season is still quite
known to us. Outside it is humid and dense. It is the time of the first
harvest. When all that you have been working for bares fruit. The gifts of both
Earth and mother are synonymous in that they bring forth and nurture all we
have sown to move forward through life. What do your thoughts turn to when you
seek sustenance? How can you ripen and then harvest your greatest needs?</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Metal</span></u><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The crisp, pureness of autumn... A
brown leaf crinkling in the wind... Grief in letting go. The breath outward ~
inward to the vast space of self’s’ residence. A time of recognition. The gifts
of this element are found in the space created through surrender and release.
As you fall into the temple of self ask - “Is there anything I can let go of?
Can I learn from the gems that remain?”</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Water</span></u><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Winter... ssshhhhh... Snow falls
silently. The barren landscape conceals the depths below where much waits to
happen. Winter’s truth is in not rushing around as we often do but in being
still, quiet, and restful. This is the time within. Perhaps much seems unknown
and fearful as we wait. The gifts of this element lay in the depths of darkness
where knowledge can become known. Here is where we can explore, reflect, and
find our true self. This time of peace can you rest in your deep self
courageously and find your own inner light to guide you onward - and soon
upward into spring?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is a way of looking at life
through cycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very healing as
you begin to identify with yourself in this deep way. Sometimes just getting
outside and taking a walk is the BEST thing you can do, or try turning the t.v.
or music off while you wash dishes or do housework so you can listen to the
quiet for a few minutes, or maybe call your best friend and have a real heart
to heart with them, or maybe just maybe write your story of who you are and
where you hope to go would help bring healing answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything you do differently then you usually
do will open a new door to exploring your elements of who you truly are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never know what may come tumbling out. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-80218777803802957202013-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:002013-10-25T09:00:05.869-07:00The Gratitude Project 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-B-5zK6hYM2JAc8Fs14-EvD2UtZpq6L9am3kdk0ZbkUSnP5o0dnb0KdCB4Ei_YGpa-ahhEWb-4c1mkREM95jh3kAQClfOllHe0FLE4bjozsO9x0Dy-WJeWdPSvg8JWuCphACUzekDQLV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-24+at+1.21.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-B-5zK6hYM2JAc8Fs14-EvD2UtZpq6L9am3kdk0ZbkUSnP5o0dnb0KdCB4Ei_YGpa-ahhEWb-4c1mkREM95jh3kAQClfOllHe0FLE4bjozsO9x0Dy-WJeWdPSvg8JWuCphACUzekDQLV/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-10-24+at+1.21.59+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div id="r1PostCPBlock" style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; left: -99999px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="bqQuoteLink"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/melodybeat177949.html" title="view quote">Gratitude
unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and
more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to
clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a
stranger into a friend.</a></span><br />
<span class="bodybold"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/melody_beattie.html" title="view author">Melody Beattie</a></span>
<br /><span>Read more at <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gratitude.html#QYeI6RixTj3o20dW.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gratitude.html#QYeI6RixTj3o20dW.99</a></span></div>
<div id="r1PostCPBlock" style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; left: -99999px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="bqQuoteLink"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/melodybeat177949.html" title="view quote">Gratitude
unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and
more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to
clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a
stranger into a friend.</a></span><br />
<span class="bodybold"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/melody_beattie.html" title="view author">Melody Beattie</a></span>
<br /><span>Read more at <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gratitude.html#QYeI6RixTj3o20dW.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gratitude.html#QYeI6RixTj3o20dW.99</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Gratitude
unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and
more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to
clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a
stranger into a friend."</i> <span style="font-size: small;">- Melody Beattie</span></span></div>
<br />
Fall is one of my favorite times of year - the colors, the change in weather, the abundance of gatherings with family and friends; what could be better?<br />
<br />
With the seemingly overwhelming struggles and sadness we see everyday on the news, and in the lives around us, sometimes it's easy to take things for granted and forget just how beautiful life still is.<br />
<br />
The Gratitude Project launches November 1st and invites us to notice, celebrate and honor the little things in life...we'll take photos of what we are grateful for for 30 days and share them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SarahMcMurrayStudios?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and label them "#thegratitudeproject2013."<br />
<br />
I can't wait to see your pictures! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-49844382738291645372013-10-24T13:11:00.003-07:002013-10-24T13:11:55.099-07:00October Updates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VbbnyqIXlCgBwN7M_FLcVCN_XC71jpI0M5QxWzULepfvmUn80Twatxm6TDWoF962UBeLIUYQCEKLXFWtDI7v24YBY-1CyEv9qpqAZQA7sZkNatIgLoyOKyqZuxxzS0flakQ-xfQ8lcPB/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-20+at+11.56.50+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VbbnyqIXlCgBwN7M_FLcVCN_XC71jpI0M5QxWzULepfvmUn80Twatxm6TDWoF962UBeLIUYQCEKLXFWtDI7v24YBY-1CyEv9qpqAZQA7sZkNatIgLoyOKyqZuxxzS0flakQ-xfQ8lcPB/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-10-20+at+11.56.50+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://instagram.com/p/fgVDSANidV/" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Sarah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are having one of the most beautiful autumns in Central Oregon this year! Warm 60 degree weather, blue skies and gorgeous colors! October feels like a blur - I got strep throat the end of September that lasted a good 10 days into the month, followed by a week of trying to catch up on things, before getting sick again for about 4 days. Needless to say, October kicked me on my butt which was a great reminder for self-care. There was lots of quiet reading and daydreaming this month...<br />
<br />
Even with it being a month of only a few really "productive days" I hung a whimsical art show at Barnes & Noble for the month.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguP0qmd5r9YW5rlQMM1aiT1E4vqEn9iMQwBbA48VU5gaK78eAVPJi3NLKraWykkfYUQmBaXjpaNc_BL7P0JxY0kPdDsQiMsSd2-cizaVaUoZcOr2ewb0ssWzAQ0SCMMpPtd9sMxZds54sY/s1600/994628_662501377117999_12150545_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguP0qmd5r9YW5rlQMM1aiT1E4vqEn9iMQwBbA48VU5gaK78eAVPJi3NLKraWykkfYUQmBaXjpaNc_BL7P0JxY0kPdDsQiMsSd2-cizaVaUoZcOr2ewb0ssWzAQ0SCMMpPtd9sMxZds54sY/s640/994628_662501377117999_12150545_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOzcxhmtfW6uLd8vAAzOrx3XzKASi-nYkLPhZeqZiDFEAw6lr6S9lcxTiz9OWvfRBFh5qxxkhl2uD0Olyt9qVeWhMOlaQeYaGtNUFJ9sHTyaPsT2HCaajPF_dp1Ks2ln6BVfSC08E2ELL/s1600/1381953_843156116650_1806581104_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOzcxhmtfW6uLd8vAAzOrx3XzKASi-nYkLPhZeqZiDFEAw6lr6S9lcxTiz9OWvfRBFh5qxxkhl2uD0Olyt9qVeWhMOlaQeYaGtNUFJ9sHTyaPsT2HCaajPF_dp1Ks2ln6BVfSC08E2ELL/s640/1381953_843156116650_1806581104_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I made it to <a href="http://worldpulse.com/" target="_blank">World Pulse</a>'s 10 year anniversary in Portland with my dear friend Padma.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2EeOugM9jJi76hszAOEtvc-NWxGtnkom-V2vpRtVug34cuE6hfcSLGDeG9EVkaGh7HM7U19ojVtojHnYDMHiSvMT2srBPzZs2oBUMFoPGs4PPFZ7JNNbFnwnKA4SvE4ddfK56FMIybrg/s1600/1393822_845015196040_2082018179_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2EeOugM9jJi76hszAOEtvc-NWxGtnkom-V2vpRtVug34cuE6hfcSLGDeG9EVkaGh7HM7U19ojVtojHnYDMHiSvMT2srBPzZs2oBUMFoPGs4PPFZ7JNNbFnwnKA4SvE4ddfK56FMIybrg/s640/1393822_845015196040_2082018179_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I got to play in the leaves with Christina.<br />
<br />
I taught a digital story portraits workshop at The Oregon Art Educators Conference in Sisters which was really fun!<br />
<br />
And I was awarded a grant through <a href="http://theworldmuse.org/" target="_blank">World MUSE</a> for a photography project I'm launching in 2014!<br />
<br />
I just sent off the photos for my next photo exhibit that opens November 1st. <br />
<br />
So for the 15 productive days of October around being sick, I'm realized that I actually got quite a bit of great stuff done! Whew! <br />
<br />
Sometimes, just realizing that you got the big things done is enough to remind you that you don't have to push yourself to extremes to make some magic. :)<br />
<br />
I hope October has been refreshing, creative and filled with soul-care for you too!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-8861706005323514082013-10-17T09:00:00.000-07:002013-10-20T10:55:04.701-07:00A Gift of Life by Ana Campos<style>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Life is sometimes amusingly
serendipitous. As the season's started to change, with summer fading into fall,
my life went through massive shifts. A lot happened in the last month: I turned
30, went apple picking for the first time, started drawing and painting again,
and left my job. In my husband's words, <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I gifted myself a new life</b></span></span>. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I walked away from a traditional office job to
become a full-time creative entrepreneur.<span style="background: white;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Phrased like this, it sounds
like an easy, wonderful transition, but it was sincerely a very long, very
difficult process, filled with tears and excruciating decisions. While it may
seem like my entire life changed in the span of a month, this is something I
first thought of a few years ago, and then spent a year and a half working hard
towards. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkb8CjATh3jtB0aiWxf1GA2nMvOA_Q2IhHyRtT8LO6dkYnr3at7Q7Mv1tQqNJkfGChUYJZnpYueU6vHAVW1AQYGfCI5LJUImt9_FEildU9UZvHA0pn1lJeVIUrPSI1lqQLaFXAxr2VAS8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-20+at+10.45.02+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkb8CjATh3jtB0aiWxf1GA2nMvOA_Q2IhHyRtT8LO6dkYnr3at7Q7Mv1tQqNJkfGChUYJZnpYueU6vHAVW1AQYGfCI5LJUImt9_FEildU9UZvHA0pn1lJeVIUrPSI1lqQLaFXAxr2VAS8/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-10-20+at+10.45.02+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toiltroublemade/10047729813/" target="_blank">Photo </a>by Ana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We often hear people telling stories of
leaving their day jobs to pursue a passion, of throwing caution to the wind and
embracing the risk. They do sometimes speak of the struggles and difficulties
of relying on a creative business for an income, but in this online world of
Pinterest and carefully filtered blogs, I found myself wondering if some
transparency was lacking. There are so many stories of women deciding to
leave the workforce to happily sell their crafts while staying home with their
children, but I feel like these stories paint an incomplete picture. They often
don’t address the financial reality of making this transition. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The truth is I am absolutely broke, counting
every dollar I spend, and I couldn't be happier. </b></span></span>I left a job with a mediocre but
stable paycheck, because it made me absolutely miserable. I did not make the
decision to do so lightly, and I did not do it thinking I would make more money
(or even match was I making). I chose to pursue my creative business because I
reached a point where I could not be happy if I didn't - and that is when the
risk became absolutely worth it. But running a full-time handmade business is
full of challenges. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XJTiit73xPUM-MIVZ1_hrCj0pg9MvYjgW4pLhIxAoPAAHk6AHvkvth4LlAVLwcVHgUDbaTcqQsY_ZY_wnewbMsYpKSDa_OVj2lRO7oUezn59S5DAjIwe1Rg9sUCGA6BPuxMBJHLXl7i3/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-20+at+10.49.37+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XJTiit73xPUM-MIVZ1_hrCj0pg9MvYjgW4pLhIxAoPAAHk6AHvkvth4LlAVLwcVHgUDbaTcqQsY_ZY_wnewbMsYpKSDa_OVj2lRO7oUezn59S5DAjIwe1Rg9sUCGA6BPuxMBJHLXl7i3/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-10-20+at+10.49.37+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toiltroublemade/10047729423" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Ana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a world with Walmart prices, it is
difficult to compete with handmade goods. This is a fundamental truth of making
a living from a creative enterprise. I went from knowing that I was getting
paid for each day I went to work, to anxious wondering if I will make any sales
in the coming day. I carefully watch all my expenses, and have made
considerable adjustments to my budget. It is undeniably stressful to rely on an
income that fluctuates so drastically. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For those of you considering taking a similar
step, I offer a few suggestions. <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Write a business plan.</b></span></span> Really, write a
business plan. It’s intense and complicated and often feels at odds with the
creative flow of what you want to do, but it’s so important to set goals and
metrics for yourself. Really get to know your business and set up realistic
expectations. If you need help, find the support you need. I signed up for Tara
Swiger’s <a href="http://taraswiger.com/help/starship-adventure/" target="_blank">Starship</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">, a support system for
creative businesses, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to get myself on
track. <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Be honest with yourself through the whole process</b></span></span>: about whether you
really want to turn your passion into a business, about whether you can be
disciplined enough to work for yourself, and about whether you’re willing to
take the risk. And most importantly: <span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">believe in what you are doing</span></b></span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8VWiiWbUhNGLdfgp80ZI0e-xGW5t1vNscsKzQWGsSDYO9n8b5m647MJ_qIRvChI2hzxcqGtdgm9pjvG6OakoB7X11_mTWefL2Q36rKnx2niE35fi6ScgBklJYx_7rCiIze8Bg_fHcxbn/s1600/Ana.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8VWiiWbUhNGLdfgp80ZI0e-xGW5t1vNscsKzQWGsSDYO9n8b5m647MJ_qIRvChI2hzxcqGtdgm9pjvG6OakoB7X11_mTWefL2Q36rKnx2niE35fi6ScgBklJYx_7rCiIze8Bg_fHcxbn/s400/Ana.png" width="325" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ana
is a pie-loving dream chaser. She owns a small creative business, <a href="http://www.toil-and-trouble.com/" target="_blank">Toil & Trouble</a>, where she hand-dyes yarn and designs knitwear.
Currently, Ana is embarking on a new journey as a Studio Manager, working
to develop a creative hub and empower artists to pursue their craft. She
was born in Brazil and traveled the world before settling in New England with
her husband and two cats.' Read more about her on her blog: <a href="http://toiltroublemade.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="MsoHyperlink">toiltroublemade.blogspot.com</span></a></span></span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-57395776017467174452013-10-03T12:40:00.003-07:002013-10-03T12:40:47.829-07:00Home by Charyn Gant
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm88x8NwJf-2xXOW04U-HO9qRSYElye4bnvx5r1g4HY38VkMg7xOKyIol__B7Ecw5NYfGtsIH8bvvjzVp_BYQPMMJZiojBKpB-dnFvQq93BeeRwJxbVlqq6QW8qiUdnZ00ABJdHxF1KRpt/s1600/BohoGypsyHOuse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm88x8NwJf-2xXOW04U-HO9qRSYElye4bnvx5r1g4HY38VkMg7xOKyIol__B7Ecw5NYfGtsIH8bvvjzVp_BYQPMMJZiojBKpB-dnFvQq93BeeRwJxbVlqq6QW8qiUdnZ00ABJdHxF1KRpt/s640/BohoGypsyHOuse.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>These four simple letters can
convey so many emotions. Home, seen in the most ideal light, is the center and
the heart of our life. It represents OUR space, OUR sanctuary, the place we
(hopefully) feel safe and secure. It is where we entertain, birth and raise
families, comfort each other, tend to illness, and dream the future into now.
Home is our connection to past, present and future.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>However, when we lose the
home we knew, there can be a great hole in our heart and spirit. Seven years
ago and 2 years before my mom passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s, my
sisters and I had to sell the house we had called home for 22 years. When mom
was diagnosed, I didn’t realize at the time that it was the beginning of the
end since I was the one still there with her, not wanting to leave her alone.
Only when I had to move out did the reality hit me in a horribly hard way: the
home I had known and the woman who had anchored it was no longer available to
me. As with many others who experience this loss in varying ways, the outcome
is the same: You can never again go home. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The place we called home, the aura, the scents, the
objects, the people, holds a plethora of memories and experiences. <span style="color: orange;"><b>Yet there
comes the time when we must search, find and make our own homes.</b></span> <span style="color: orange;"><b>Where we
consciously create sacred space for our selves and the life we envision in that
place; where home becomes the very foundation to gather in celebration, in
heartfelt community.</b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You are the center of your world and when you do not have
a home to claim as your own, a deep sadness or depression may exist. Maybe you
have a place where you reside but you don’t call it home. Maybe you have a new
home but have not yet released the old one. Maybe you live alone and don’t
always feel safe.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There is a Goddess I invite you to meet to help you seek
and ensure that the place you eventually call home attracts good times, good
love, good food and a good life. She came to me to introduce her so here she
is!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span></b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6dJXIhmaNyDTLizwuWpTZOUR1HwQxx94iZ7ESmEvNyMF7Jx07Q6advyquEIKyPgTcvOxv5tXmFKo0yXSWREtL7TShx5bDYls2fW5SWCR0BhLErlXhaqH9Wcvh7U5R27Nkjv1JG1h9WdW/s1600/IMAG2098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6dJXIhmaNyDTLizwuWpTZOUR1HwQxx94iZ7ESmEvNyMF7Jx07Q6advyquEIKyPgTcvOxv5tXmFKo0yXSWREtL7TShx5bDYls2fW5SWCR0BhLErlXhaqH9Wcvh7U5R27Nkjv1JG1h9WdW/s400/IMAG2098.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span><b><span style="color: orange;">Hestia is the Greek Goddess
of Home & Hearth.</span></b> A quiet feminine figure, she tended to stay out of the
drama of all the other Greek gods/goddesses, which is why we generally don’t
hear about her so much. So if you’re the type of woman who wants a drama-free
home, and I hope this goes for all of you, this is definitely the Goddess for
you! </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>By invoking Hestia, she can
help you find a home or to set the energy in place for one as it is she who
presides over all domestics. She is the essence of community, family, food,
cooking, feasts and fire of the hearth. She is a lovely protective Mother
Goddess, which is especially helpful if you are a single woman living alone or
in a questionable area of safety.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span><b><span style="color: orange;">Hestia is a Goddess who
chooses honors her heart and happiness by only doing those things that make her
happy, a quality that could stand to be embodied deeply by every woman on the
planet. </span></b>If we all did this, we would probably have world peace by the end of
the week! Hestia is the embodiment of peace, groundedness and centeredness. All
of these qualities will anchor your home in light so that when you walk in the
door at the end of the day, you gratefully leave the outside world and its
dramas behind!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>Ultimately, you are the
creatrix and the gatekeeper of the aura in your home, including the energy and
people you allow inside! </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>You have the freedom and
right to limit or refuse entry to those whom you deem negative or unsupportive;
those people can leave a residue behind that may compromise the loving energy
of your home, including family and friends. </span></span></span></div>
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your home with love, gratitude, joy and honesty and only those qualities and those
who embody them, will enter.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZP6Hg1g0QbnzUNa16QOC1XmTeyYghlYfZmMtyWjNzTJjWTbQwdk_rEzaQ97Yt5d3QMeYpW9p0ec2cUgrF_QxlvbaM5VzvAuQJqs-IqAZV3uVoC4q4MC-O5TH2H2AszsAFgcqimJWERI4P/s1600/Charyn.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZP6Hg1g0QbnzUNa16QOC1XmTeyYghlYfZmMtyWjNzTJjWTbQwdk_rEzaQ97Yt5d3QMeYpW9p0ec2cUgrF_QxlvbaM5VzvAuQJqs-IqAZV3uVoC4q4MC-O5TH2H2AszsAFgcqimJWERI4P/s320/Charyn.png" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Charyn Gant is the founder of the
blog/site <a href="http://www.whenwelistentotrees.com/" target="_blank">When We Listen to Trees</a>: a platform to share information, stories
and tolls of how we can improve our quality of life, especially our emotional
health as it relates to our physical health. Charyn has been in the alternative
healing arena for more than a decade. You can also find her on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/charyng" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/charyngant" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.</span> </span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-83118011347889889162013-10-02T18:39:00.001-07:002013-10-02T19:03:13.996-07:00Like Walking on the Beach by Ana Campos<style>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I sat down to write this post many times, and kept drawing a blank. My life is rushing by at warp speed right now. I'm in a huge moment of transition and change, and I'm juggling a LOT of things. This means that my always over-active mind is in over-drive right now and I had a very hard time getting it to quiet down enough to write something cohesive. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After many false starts, I found myself thinking about my father. He is the slowest walker I know, which used to drive me nuts. No matter where he is walking, no matter how pressed for time he might be, he always walks at a glacial pace. This is where I should note that he doesn't do it because of any physical condition, he does it by choice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am very accustomed to always being in a rush, and I find myself having to revisit my routines when my father visits. The ten minutes I factor in to walk to the train station have to double. The sight-seeing trip I know will take me about an hour will take at least twice as long with him. One day while walking in his neighborhood, I asked him: "<i>Why do you always walk so slowly?</i>" I was feeling irritated at having to slow down my usual pace.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toiltroublemade/9673036190/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Ana</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He smiled and said, "<i>I always walk as if I'm walking on a beach</i>." He told me that life is always moving too quickly. We are always in a hurry to get where we are going, and don't take the time to enjoy the journey. So he makes a point of making every walk an event of its own. He pretends he is walking long the beaches of his childhood.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toiltroublemade/9673036302/" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Ana</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While I appreciated his perspective, I never internalized it until a few days ago. I was running an errand, and caught myself slowing down to enjoy the sunshine on my face. "<i>Like walking on the beach</i>," I found myself thinking. The lesson I learned is that living in the moment means trying to experience every moment, no matter how seemingly trivial. My goal had been to get to the hardware store, but the shift in perspective allowed the process of getting there to become something enjoyable. I had always thought of the time I spend getting to places as time lost, but now I know it doesn't have to be. Rather than agonizing over that time, I'm going to take more "walks on the beach."</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toiltroublemade/9669808883/" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Ana</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Photos from a trip to Antigua by the author.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8VWiiWbUhNGLdfgp80ZI0e-xGW5t1vNscsKzQWGsSDYO9n8b5m647MJ_qIRvChI2hzxcqGtdgm9pjvG6OakoB7X11_mTWefL2Q36rKnx2niE35fi6ScgBklJYx_7rCiIze8Bg_fHcxbn/s1600/Ana.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8VWiiWbUhNGLdfgp80ZI0e-xGW5t1vNscsKzQWGsSDYO9n8b5m647MJ_qIRvChI2hzxcqGtdgm9pjvG6OakoB7X11_mTWefL2Q36rKnx2niE35fi6ScgBklJYx_7rCiIze8Bg_fHcxbn/s320/Ana.png" width="260" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ana
is a pie-loving dream chaser. She owns a small creative business, <i><a href="http://www.toil-and-trouble.com/" target="_blank">Toil & Trouble</a></i>, where she hand-dyes yarn and designs knitwear.
Currently, Ana is embarking on a new journey as a Studio Manager, working
to develop a creative hub and empower artists to pursue their craft. She
was born in Brazil and traveled the world before settling in New England with
her husband and two cats.' Read more about her on her blog: <a href="http://toiltroublemade.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="MsoHyperlink">toiltroublemade.blogspot.com</span></a></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-17483516918589894722013-10-02T10:36:00.001-07:002013-10-02T19:02:44.177-07:00Letter from the Editor & A Giveaway<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hello loves!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This month has been a crazy one of deep thoughts, transitions and learning. I've been reading about business, entrepreneurship, money and thinking through how I want to show up in the world. Change is on the horizon. As you'll notice, this blog is under transition...I'm playing with new branding for the blog, for my website.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Things are changing. This month in <a href="http://pixiecampbell.com/" target="_blank">Pixie Campbell</a>'s class I was taking, I realized entrepreneurship isn't about working more necessarily, but working smarter - getting clear on what you really want. After coming down with strep throat and spending far too much money on a doctor's appointment for antibiotics after 3 days of toughing it out, I'm finally willing to admit some other things are changing...it's amazing how being in extreme pain can help you get <i>really</i> clear on what you want.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This has been a big decision...I'm letting "The Wild She-Tribe Project" quarterly e-books slide to the back burner until further notice because it's more work than I have time to give right now - but I'm going to revamp this blog into a space women's voices are heard, where community is built and where we become a family. I'm excited about it! The blog is already a great start to that with the six incredible guest writers we have through January! They are truly a gift!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm getting really clear about what I want - community, creativity and a life that lets me do what I love...it's coming! Be a part of it - there will be more opportunities for connection, for you to share your story and to be part of this adventure. Thank you for being a part of it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLOVZdqyZoLUw7ftc4xw3XjikQPS-8usJy5uDQONTEmB1kCAvY7A91kny3mSnsOHQUqalCEkj5sU3_fuvqF5YACXLLf3Y-QgN-gwovf2QFuWTRfxtho7vU4mef_hsvCIJ8mkPe-UsHsBF/s1600/October+Giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLOVZdqyZoLUw7ftc4xw3XjikQPS-8usJy5uDQONTEmB1kCAvY7A91kny3mSnsOHQUqalCEkj5sU3_fuvqF5YACXLLf3Y-QgN-gwovf2QFuWTRfxtho7vU4mef_hsvCIJ8mkPe-UsHsBF/s400/October+Giveaway.jpg" width="393" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As part of building more connections with readers, <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>I'm giving away 6 spots for women to share</b> </span></span>their website, their blog, their Etsy shop right here on the blog! Winners will get a square spot (see the orange box example on the right side of the page) - a $25 value!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">To enter, jump on over to my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SarahMcMurrayStudios" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, "like" the page if you haven't already, then share it and tag me! (Example: "Be sure to check our @<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SarahMcMurrayStudios" target="_blank">Sarah McMurray Studios</a> where creativity, pleasure and wanderlust meet!")</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Winners will be selected based on sharing my page AND linking it to me so I see it and will enter you in the drawing on <b>October 10th</b>. Your promotion on the blog will last for one month starting October 15th! YAY! Who doesn't love supporting the She-Tribe?! :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><u><b>Get Involved:</b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm also looking for guest posts for the blog on abundance and community for the month of October. Learn more about submitting a guest post <a href="http://sarahmcmurray.weebly.com/write-for-the-she-tribe.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thank you so much for being part of this adventure, and I'm excited to share it with you as it unfolds and we create continue to create something truly beautiful together!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">XoXo,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sarah</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-21339166395809924172013-09-30T16:33:00.002-07:002013-10-02T19:02:30.776-07:00Yoga: My Roadmap Home by Rosalyn Fay<style>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwMycTo_j166Rm-bjWw6OYKiv8jrGE80IoTKNOhb3z4kzpK0SYtNRwTJhQr56xJTCGFG7Yl-218BhyphenhyphenX30NnucurGybPJPSpmJl68JVA2K-7jPG0LhZwR3WIFvLMukINa7ROI5GDVuKiXz/s1600/IMG_7958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwMycTo_j166Rm-bjWw6OYKiv8jrGE80IoTKNOhb3z4kzpK0SYtNRwTJhQr56xJTCGFG7Yl-218BhyphenhyphenX30NnucurGybPJPSpmJl68JVA2K-7jPG0LhZwR3WIFvLMukINa7ROI5GDVuKiXz/s640/IMG_7958.JPG" width="425" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">There
I was, standing in a forward bend watching tears drop on my yoga mat below my
head and glad they were indistinguishable from the drops of sweat around them.
It seemed like I couldn't get through a yoga class without crying. I wasn't
sure why but the simple act of doing yoga would bring up waves of pent up
emotion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #181818; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“Crying is one of the highest devotional songs. One
who knows crying, knows spiritual practice. If you can cry with a pure heart,
nothing else compares to such a prayer. Crying includes all the principles of
Yoga.” ― </span></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/649918.Kripalvanandji"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #666600; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Kripalvanandji</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">My
decade long marriage was ending and marriage counseling wasn't working. My
recent discovery of yoga was a godsend. Yoga became my therapy; a safe place to
go inside and feel what was true for me. The truth was I didn't know who I was
anymore. I felt I'd passively handed over a decade of my life to a man I had
little in common with because I was young and scared and he was older and
wiser. I was turning 30 and I wanted my life back. I'd allowed the safety net
of our marriage to close around me. All I could think about was getting free.
That freedom came in the form of my daily yoga practice. My body and spirit craved
it. On days my mind felt lazy, my body picked me up, grabbed my mat and drove
me to class.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Just
like the cliché, I told my husband that I was leaving to "find
myself." I had no idea what that meant or where I was going. All I knew
was that my marriage felt dependent on me staying the same woman and wife I'd
been, and that was no longer possible.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Yoga
is a Sanskrit word that means "union with the divine." During my
marriage I had lost touch with my spirit, my divinity. Yoga reunited my body
and mind with my spirit and has guided me back home to my soul countless times
since the end of my marriage 10 years ago. What on the outside appears like a
simple sequence of stretches can become a profound spiritual experience and
metaphor for life. Every time I practice yoga I’m reminded of the
truth of who I am. I’m also shown what I'm resisting, trying to muscle and
control, and where I can relax, allow more space or surrender to in my body,
and in my life. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #181818; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“Yoga is not a religion. It is a science, science
of well-being, science of youthfulness, science of integrating body, mind and
soul.” ― </span></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/492884.Amit_Ray"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #666600; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Amit Ray</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> In
a society of shiny objects, instant gratification and comfort seeking, I find
it paradoxical that yoga studios are popping up in every town and people are
flocking to them, eager to be with their discomfort-- hungry for a reminder of
what's real and true.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #181818; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“Every soul innately yearns for stillness, for a
space, a garden where we can till, sow, reap, and rest, and by doing so come to
a deeper sense of self and our place in the universe. Silence is not an absence
but a presence. Not an emptiness but repletion. A filling up.” ― </span></i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/130236.Anne_D_LeClaire"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #666600; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Anne D.
LeClaire</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> Although
I’ve always been drawn to yoga for the spiritual aspects, there are numerous
health benefits worth mentioning. Yoga improves your posture, increases your
flexibility, strength, and balance, and lowers your blood pressure, I’ve
recently been using it to manage stress, and calm my nervous system and
adrenals. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Simply
stepping inside a yoga studio feels luxurious and nourishing-- the warm,
beautiful open space, the music, the encouraging and inspiring words from the
teacher, the time you’ve allocated just for you, away from work and home. There
is also a feeling of fellowship knowing everyone else is there for similar
reasons-- to go inside, find some inner peace from the outer world and their
monkey minds, to give themselves undivided attention, to heal their bodies and
find their center again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #181818; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“Yoga will always be transformational, even when it
stops being cool.” </span></i><span style="color: #181818; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white;">― </span></i></span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/79557.Victoria_Moran"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #666600; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Victoria
Moran</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">As
I embark on this quest for holistic health, yoga is a constant companion, a
dear old friend and integral part of my physical and spiritual well-being.</span><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Yoga
has gifted me with an aligned body and these questions that serve me daily:
Where am I feeling resistance? What outcome am I trying to control or force?
What would happen if, rather than avoiding the pain or resisting it, I created
more space, surrendered the outcome and accepted the truth of the moment? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The
answers are where you’ll find yourself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWb16GC-v33oOwlrFgg90bc-JhxggY0_UieTSTuM9KE532wxGLTfJ1jdxKs7c4WtvJPsxUTFqmPfYLIEwLcguot18u-cdeHJ2slKK2liWMi4wL-KSBd5AiUHz-Cq7BqIn_hnAf-cyl7IPZ/s1600/Rosalyn.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWb16GC-v33oOwlrFgg90bc-JhxggY0_UieTSTuM9KE532wxGLTfJ1jdxKs7c4WtvJPsxUTFqmPfYLIEwLcguot18u-cdeHJ2slKK2liWMi4wL-KSBd5AiUHz-Cq7BqIn_hnAf-cyl7IPZ/s320/Rosalyn.png" width="260" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rosalyn Fay is founder and Producer of True Colors TV,
an online inspirational video network for women. For the past four years she
has been interviewing women with extraordinary stories of healing themselves
and transforming their lives. She brings diverse women together for raw, bold,
juicy conversations on her talk show True Talk and hosts
powerful live events. Rosalyn grew up on farm in Opportunity, Montana but found
her home in the San Francisco Bay Area where she has worked as an alternative
radio host and video producer. Visit her <a href="http://www.truecolorstv.com/" target="_blank">website</a>,and <a href="http://twitter.com/TrueColorsTV,facebook.com/rosalynfay" target="_blank">twitter</a>. </span></i></span>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-72544421008349718952013-09-21T15:42:00.002-07:002013-10-02T19:02:06.787-07:00Home and Change by Heather Lindsay<style>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBv4yeaWueW9tPKM8g1OPiPATFKGq-RxfOp274hxzXlddasc3ATFrLiXqz8BVni1SGPlTFxTp9Knsdqo6S45o35yGup5Xcyyr-ltSOsT_b4CBmm1bDFY8L2X9ddF4Rpe0y7qQ36NfelKy/s1600/IMG_5088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBv4yeaWueW9tPKM8g1OPiPATFKGq-RxfOp274hxzXlddasc3ATFrLiXqz8BVni1SGPlTFxTp9Knsdqo6S45o35yGup5Xcyyr-ltSOsT_b4CBmm1bDFY8L2X9ddF4Rpe0y7qQ36NfelKy/s400/IMG_5088.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hello
everyone! Here in the Mid Atlantic we
are enjoying the most lovely last month of Summer... chillier then usual evenings are leading to
lovely cool mornings. Autumn is slipping
ever so lightly in on the breezes suggesting the time of seasonal transition
will soon be with us. Sitting outside I
see leaves already showing the slightest sign of yellowing on our cherry tree’s
green canopy and the massive family of “beneath our house siding” grackles have
already changed their warm weather plumage to their spotted, feathery,
puffiness of the cool seasons ahead.
Crazy early!
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Change is
inevitable... always occurring, never
ceasing, and often a surprise that can seem terrifying or ever so
welcomed. Who doesn’t know that?! I know I do!
</span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So how do you
handle change? Many of us dread this “C”
word, or stand still to let it pass by.
This is harmful to our soul’s true expression, which becomes bound to a
monotonous, stuck life that can lead to supreme unhappiness and fear that we
may never truly live our desires. <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And
then the worse thing happens.. we FORGET our desires in the effort of fighting
or ignoring change. This is death to the
Soul. </b></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, all of us
surely have experienced some element of this in our own lives or even know
people completely bound and gagged within their misery of stagnation. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But there is
always a “gift” in the mud. A gem so to
speak... glistening within all depths.
See.. allowing change to move through your life will give you the gift
of Home. </span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Home can be a physical
place. But it will never be anywhere
unless Home first resides in you. Home
is where your heart is. You only have to be aware that your heart is your Home
because in it’s expression (whether happy, sad, stricken, or at peace) is the
ever shifting you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">So you see, riding
with the flow of life allows you to embody change.</span></b></span><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span> Changing with life’s opportunities gives you
the key to your Home within yourself.
Wouldn’t it be grand to feel at Home in any situation life throws your
way? It’s a practice. This doesn’t mean life will always be easy,
but it will be your true expression (which makes it easier!). With more practice in allowing change into
your life you will learn whether this key will unlock challenge and strife or
whether you will glide up the staircase of transformation to your happiest of
Homes’ within yourself.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can’t help but
think of Dorothy’s ruby slippers carrying her along the yellow brick road on an
ever altering, grand adventure after being uprooted and dumped amidst, what at
times, was absurdity, fear, and beauty.
It was only in recognizing intelligence, heart, and courage all lied
within that she was able to return Home again.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> “There’s no
place like Home”</i>. Each of us are here on
our own adventures. Some awake, some
asleep, some offering a hand, yet, all here awaiting the next change to come
knocking on the door. Is your door
bolted shut with padlocks? Is it
unlocked? Or are you slipping on your
ruby slippers and swinging the door wide open singing.. “<i>Hello change! Where are we going today?</i>”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfcg3ZfyBvnir9NyvOK9yz-swfxSazAGlvaHft6dOcgCMi37DZdug3ph43KkMoZSW1q8ppiYM-JhP1d6lUsPklOboEQkhyVtqF_VCoc4MHV6iKMcxEQ00zdsGk3CqOQ3scqBicNKWzPzK/s1600/Heather.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfcg3ZfyBvnir9NyvOK9yz-swfxSazAGlvaHft6dOcgCMi37DZdug3ph43KkMoZSW1q8ppiYM-JhP1d6lUsPklOboEQkhyVtqF_VCoc4MHV6iKMcxEQ00zdsGk3CqOQ3scqBicNKWzPzK/s320/Heather.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Heather
lives in a cozy bay side town in Maryland with her boyfriend, Ryan, and their
three fur baby kitties - Tigger, Ophelia, & Willow. Heather's private
practice, <a href="http://www.naturesoflight.com/" target="_blank">Natures Of Light Acupuncture</a>, is the fulfillment of her dream to
create a healing place for all in need. She lovingly practices
Acupuncture, is an Integrated Energy Therapy® practitioner and teacher, and
incorporates the power of flowers into her sessions through the use of Flower
Essence Therapy. You can also find her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Natures-Of-Light-Acupuncture/123222504429215?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-13580238119313365252013-09-11T15:56:00.002-07:002013-10-02T19:01:46.517-07:00Contributing & Balancing Our Self<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Photo by Sarah McMurray</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's 12:10 am and I'm awake. Words are spilling from my fingers tonight onto the keys and it's the first day I feel like a writer. I've always been a painter, except for the little 6th grader armed with a yellow legal pad that I wrote my first "novel" on. I wish I still had it. I remember the gist of it - about a heroine (there should always be a heroine) creating a magical life for herself and finding ways to contribute to the world around her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This month I got the itch - the one that slowly creeps in after awhile of trying to go for a dream and whispered so quietly into your ear, <i>"Who do you think you are? You're not like them...go back to ordinary. You are better off safe and protected by a regular job...,"</i> it hisses. <i>"You could get your own place, travel, and be protected."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today I turned in an article for E.J. and in thinking about it now, recognize my own shedding happened in that work. I wrote about how ordinary lives are actually a gift and that we must learn to embrace, honor and celebrate for the extraordinary gift that it is - a moment to learn, to grow, to be a part of something...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>That's what we all want after all - to be a part of something, to contribute to someone or to the masses, isn't it?</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The women's circle I'm part of is spending September looking at shedding, exploring <i>"She who is awakening."</i> I love that phrase (from <a href="http://pixiecampbell.com/" target="_blank">Pixie Campbell</a>) and it reminded me that the things we become fearful of are often projections of things we actually would like to change about ourselves. It's like when you suddenly notice a trait or habit in your lover, or friend that rubs you the wrong way - or you start to notice that you play small in someones presence; you are not fully yourself and you catch yourself in that smallness. You recognize that you have shrunk not necessarily, although sometimes it is the case, from someone else's perspective, but more often it's actually our own fear about a trait within our self that we dislike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've caught myself thinking how others must perceive my life as boring - when the root fear is not actually what others think, but that I, myself, find my life boring in someway. I'm not the same vivacious, outgoing woman I used to be - I'm in a season of deep reflection and introspection which is great and all, but I miss the sassy girl. I want her back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So how does one regain sass? One of the words used to explain "boring" is "unimaginative" and I would hate to be one of the unimaginative ones - because I think that it means a lack of courage more than anything else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So here's my big, wild dose of courage and imagination for today: <span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">we don't have to push ourselves to the extremes.</span></b></span> Rather we need to pulsate and undulate in the middle, creating room for retreat, rest, and deep community connections too. It's so simple and yet so bold. I'm a woman who has fought to produce perfect things, not to rest in the feminine place to gathering. In the past two months as I've journeyed hard with autoimmune disorders and adrenal fatigue I began to feel small for not having the energy currently to produce an epic final project. But the truth is, I let myself get small - out of fear of falling short as a productive, successful woman.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fuck it. Being a workaholic isn't worth it. Burning the candle at both ends isn't worth it. Finding a beautiful feminine way to be and experience life and create something meaningful in relationship is worth it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;">How can we create/give to many without burning out? How do we honor our selves and protect our time for the things that truly matter without feeling small?</span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Being small simply isn't worth it anymore. Play into your bigness, your greatness and uncover the beauty that is who you truly are and share it. When we are fully, wholly and wildly ourselves there is nothing boring or unproductive about that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Where are you playing small and will you allow yourself to grow bigger?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-3330815033843233732013-09-10T15:58:00.000-07:002013-10-02T19:01:34.198-07:00Challenging Beliefs by Elinor Predota<style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjetZ9303wkJM1D5GEtAeI5TvLQfL5R5nkF0twVzEHqCa9HyZS5q-C69xDXKk5odvBpfLPWNrakm36b1MPglysRGXGKS2qnkmvmLnEWJUmM_-KdvXQF66ulz4kUTDLtpYYJvc-VDr01fq/s1600/sweet+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjetZ9303wkJM1D5GEtAeI5TvLQfL5R5nkF0twVzEHqCa9HyZS5q-C69xDXKk5odvBpfLPWNrakm36b1MPglysRGXGKS2qnkmvmLnEWJUmM_-KdvXQF66ulz4kUTDLtpYYJvc-VDr01fq/s640/sweet+life.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collage by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> I've been coming up against a lot of my 'stuff' lately.
Well, isn't that always the way? I had a blissful week at the beginning of
August. Every day, I did half an hour of voice and movement practice. Every day I did an hour of meditations and spiritual practices.
</span></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">For the last four days of that week, I attended Dragon Rise
Witchcamp, seeing old friends, making new ones, and immersed in a
journey of inner discovery with my fellow campers. I was so fully present, I
shone. I opened my heart and my voice and shared my song. I wove my shining
thread into the shared magic of our temporary community.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Since then, I’ve been in a slump. I think I might have overdone
it. Right now, I'm in bed, fighting off a cold/cough thing, and struggling with
whether or not I'm allowed to rest. </span></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Well, of course I am, but parts of me really don't believe
it. Because it's completely possible to believe two contradictory things
at the same time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Sometimes, it's the fore-brain and the hind-brain that are
telling the self two different things. For example, when there’s a big
presentation to deliver, we simultaneously believe that it's a good thing to
give this presentation - it will stretch us and show us off - and that the best
thing to do is to run away and hide under the bed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Sometimes, it's our core desires and the culture that surrounds
us that are pulling us in two different directions. <span style="color: orange;"><b>We simultaneously believe
that we have the right to be our whole self and set off on our own adventures,
and have absorbed the idea from the over-culture that if we set off on our own
path we'll be rejected, lose our partner, our friends, our job, and all our
possibilities for 'success'.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">To discern which belief to go with in any moment takes a great
deal of clarity and courage. As women we constantly underestimate and
undervalue the work and the bravery it takes us to live as conscious souls
every day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I've been brought up against my own confusion and fear since a
friend of mine received a message from the Divine for me: that I needed to
enter a competition, and that I needed to enter to win. Following that message,
I’ve been taking part in Maggie Ostara's <i>Next Great Visionary Business</i> competition.
It's bringing up all kinds of issues. Who am I to think I'm a visionary? Am I
really cut out to be a business woman? Can I really win the competition?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">That last one is a big deal for me - a really big deal. I've
never thought of myself as a competitive person. It goes against my self-image
of being ‘nice’ and ‘kind’ and ‘spiritual’ to think of myself that way. And
too,<span style="color: orange;"><b> the idea that I have something so worthwhile to share that I would be
willing to risk failure, to risk losing, to risk being seen and rejected, sends
my hind-brain into a tail-spin of panic. </b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">But I also believe that the message from the Divine for me was
true. It's time to change my self-image. I do have something important to
share, something so worthwhile that it's time to stop shrinking back and start
singing out my vision, to start weaving my shining thread into the wider world,
as well as into my spiritual community.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s going to take clarity and courage. It’s going to take
discernment to follow the path of love between my contradictory beliefs,
between pushing forward and giving myself rest, between my inner “Yes” and my
inner “No”. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I’m not sure I’m ready, but I’m doing it anyway.</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">How about you? What are the contradictory beliefs that keep you
stuck, or second guessing yourself? How do you navigate your way through them?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-X-A2U9V2fynHTg2ICHxnJJJSRnuHfa9nN53W0jIEdb7qoOTU8uN6xiAV6obsDg6q2XyPmlGLQ3i4_ro0FwJkE9A8Yoa_ISrCPiVTVianlZCWMnT_Uw5HQhxHWht5vYGhARDbEeDsJTfl/s1600/Elinor.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-X-A2U9V2fynHTg2ICHxnJJJSRnuHfa9nN53W0jIEdb7qoOTU8uN6xiAV6obsDg6q2XyPmlGLQ3i4_ro0FwJkE9A8Yoa_ISrCPiVTVianlZCWMnT_Uw5HQhxHWht5vYGhARDbEeDsJTfl/s320/Elinor.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Elinor Predota is a heart-centred rebel who teaches
people to find the sparkle in ordinary life and to embark on <a href="http://www.anewadventureeveryday.co.uk/" target="_blank">a new adventure every</a> day. She's intuitive, nurturing, incisive, and lots of fun
:-) She loves animals, chocolate, hugging, dancing, singing,
laughing, <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/asenseofplace/" target="_blank">nature</a>, music, making stuff, vibrant food, breathing, magic(k),
science fiction and fantasy, and awesome people." You can also connect with her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-New-Adventure-Every-Day/425943590837798" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/elinoradventure" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</i></span></span>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-14042027777788673452013-09-09T11:49:00.002-07:002013-10-02T19:01:19.776-07:00Creating Your Life<style>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> We carry
our bags into tipis near the lake in breathless silence. We’ve been here
before, stood on the dock and gazed across the small expanse of deep waters the
color of emeralds. Eventually, we gather in the lodge, a circle of 100 women
eagerly anticipating a weekend of yoga, creativity and activism.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: orange;"><b> We ache to hear stories of women world-changers, inspirers and brave women who let the world break them open in
authenticity.</b></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The days are filled with conversations about writing, art,
self-acceptance and finding your purpose. I’ve been waiting for this weekend
since last summer when we gathered at camp before – 3 days of lakeside
depth and heart conversations built dear friendships that I’ve carried with me
all year. I’m sure it will happen again.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Naseem Rakha, Author speaking at Muse</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Muse Camp
exists for women to find their inner muse, to be inspired by stories shared in
community and to passionately leap into the unknown – the places we know in our
gut are where we must work – through the ego, our selfish places and our fears,
in order to come out the other side into the unknown. It’s scary. I’ve come to
camp knowing some big thing will take place – but I’m not totally sure what it
is.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The last
night of camp we gather in the library, seated on floor pillows like an ancient
rent tent surrounded with books on the arts and the gentle hum of the wind in
the trees outside. Three minute muse begins. Women bravely stand before the
room and share three minutes of their story – a snippet of courage, joy,
struggle or sadness and we cheer and clap, because we relate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eventually
a stream of young teen muses stands before us sharing stories we hope young
women would not have faced so early in life. These brave girls bare their soul
with such courage, such knowing and such authenticity about how the mistakes
they made in life and what they learned and what they found in community with
other “troubled teens” at boarding school.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wonder
if this depth of authenticity could happen outside of camp? Would we
recognize the power of our stories in small conversations with a co-worker or
an acquaintance on the street? Perhaps that depth isn’t appropriate in all
circumstances, but when someone breaks open before you and lays out their grit,
their story – what a privilege it is to witness!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The closing ceremony - friendships forged, releasing things into the fire</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Muse Camp
once again reminded me the power of breaking open, of the power of community
and the beautiful reason we must share our stories. Our stories and our lives
are meant to be shared. It’s in our communities
that we find ourselves, renew our courage and discover that our voice matters.
<span style="color: orange;"><b> </b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>We are the ones we have been waiting for – until we allow ourselves to
recognize our worth, we stay small. We feel we have little to contribute and we
continue in our smallness until we finally break open and recognize story is
what brings us together.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, something big happened at Muse - I found a dream once buried - I want to create full time, get out of my own way and dive head first into the depth. I'm still figuring out what that means and how it will unfurl in the months ahead, but I know now, two months out of an "awakening" of sorts due to autoimmune disorders, that life is truly what you make it. It can be a beautiful mystery or a scarcity complex of fear. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What are you making your life, oh brave authentic women? </span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-69951603108762299642013-09-06T13:42:00.002-07:002013-10-02T19:01:06.984-07:00A Call for Joy by Erina Patrick<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sarah McMurray</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Every year, I come up with my own unique version of a New Year’s Resolution. For 2013, I’ve resolved to, “<i>play more and rediscover my joy</i>.” I am happy to report that it’s been a very successful so far and things keep getting better as we move along towards the end of 2013. In my opinion this is the wisest one I have come up with yet. And I must say, the universe has met me more than half way. It never ceases to amaze me that all I have to do is open the door to my imagination and invite life to join me in the fun and wondrous adventures abound in the most spectacular and serendipitous ways.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This year’s manifestation of my intentions took the form of a new job as an activities agent; a general step up from my previous day job. Plus, it also boasts many playful perks, to boot, such as free helicopter rides, snorkeling excursions, horseback riding, zip-lining, jet-skiing and parasailing to name a few. By the way, I have already engaged in all of these activities (plus a few more).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have also been blessed to be able to take some of my best friends along for these good times. After all, what is fun without friends? I have recently received an invitation from one of these friends to go sky diving; hey, why not roll with it? The sky's the limit is what I say! What my experience has shown me is the more I am open to the prospect of joy and let go of the old fears that inhibit and impede, the more I receive opportunities to set my heart free and let my spirit soar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A question I keep asking myself as of late is, <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>“how free do you want to be?”</b></span></span> And the only caution that wells up from the spring of my soul is, “don’t let your fear hold you back!” Both freedom and happiness, I believe, are choices we make within ourselves. And the less these states of being depend on outside circumstances, the more genuine they are. I recently had an epiphany that I am full of hope and faith that there is no room left for doubt and fear to linger. Looking back on my life, that is an astounding statement, as there once was a time when I wanted to hope, but honestly was afraid to as I was sure I was only setting myself up for future disappointment. Pessimism is simply an impenetrable form of fear marked by a profound lack of faith and utter absence of hope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I can see so clearly now how limited my perspective was then, and that my views guaranteed continued disappointment rather that deflecting or preventing it. I was constantly affirming that life is a let-down and then somehow surprised to find that I got what I thought. My former folly all seems so obvious and silly to me now. If luck itself were a coin on the one side would be pessimism associated with poor or bad luck, and on the flip side would be optimism the bearer of good fortune. Charisma is a form of joy, positive energy, personal magnetism, or in more modern terms that x-factor that enables us to influence our lives and the lives of those around us for the better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">To change my world I simply need to change my perspective.</span></b></span> For I find what I seek, and the more I radiate joy, the more vibrations of joy surrounds me and in turn emanates from those I encounter, both known and unknown. Life can either be a game or a chore, the choice is yours! I chose to be happy, joyous and free today and that doesn’t mean I shirk my responsibilities in life. It just means I meet them with a sense of equanimity, balance, and place it all in a spiritual perspective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0frm8xYZLSYAfur6_U3JQXf9PCUv6u866qn8cUuZND4hKY175LoaxZPTKAgmRNf7ScxId9_xLs4WNHh7DapPG-hSW5vUbnaphi77AGjrC65aSRSxfhUGp_NMGBeB0M6cVjYFm_4SI2YD9/s1600/Erina.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0frm8xYZLSYAfur6_U3JQXf9PCUv6u866qn8cUuZND4hKY175LoaxZPTKAgmRNf7ScxId9_xLs4WNHh7DapPG-hSW5vUbnaphi77AGjrC65aSRSxfhUGp_NMGBeB0M6cVjYFm_4SI2YD9/s320/Erina.png" width="260" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"I am a thirty
three year old woman, born and raised in Bend, Oregon and current resident of
Maui. I moved to Maui to pursue my yoga path and passion for teaching,
while helping people to practice self-care and guiding them on their personal
journey towards wholeness. I love the way yoga engages my creative and
spiritual nature, I am involved in other creative projects and interests as
well, such as writing and creating hand crafted jewelry."</span></i></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-9881120817037662632013-09-04T21:23:00.002-07:002013-10-02T19:00:46.929-07:00More than Words by Charyn Gant<style>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #181818;"> “Words mean more
than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice [and heart] to infuse
them with shades of deeper meaning.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">―<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3503.Maya_Angelou"><span style="background: white; color: #666600; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Maya
Angelou</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1413589"><span style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings</span></a>
(Goodreads.com)</i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I
stared at the 10 words I had chosen blankly, not sure how to begin. I had never
really done this before and was already judging myself as doing it wrong before
I even got started. I felt a bit ridiculous and silly. “Yep,” I thought to
myself, “I am totally out of my comfort zone here. I can feel it”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Not
sure how to begin, I started the only way I knew how: logically instead of intuitively.
I am proud to say, however, that I did resist the urge to look up my words up in
the online dictionary because that obviously defeats the purpose of the
exercise. I began with what I thought my first definition<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> should</i> be. However, rereading it, I felt odd. Everything sounded oh
so proper, canned and way too formal. It was ego-mind crap. I shook my head; this
was not going to work. As usual, I had to get out of my head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And
that’s about when I hit the edge of my comfort zone and stepped off into a
field of space that was outside my self-limiting personal picket fence. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The
10 words I’m speaking about are 10 Power Words or Values that resonated with me
out of more than 200 as a part of a business boot camp exercise (yes, I said
more than 200 words; so NOT an exercise to over think). And as part of that
exercise, I had to define what those words meant to ME. Self-definition is in no
way a new concept; you’ll find plenty of references and exercises out there on
the Internet and you may have done a few on your own. For me however, this was
uncharted territory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You
see, I really didn’t know, deep, deep, down, that I actually <span style="color: orange;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HAD PERMISSION</b></span> to write my OWN
definitions and in the process, define my own set of values for all areas of my
life. This means a long suppressed voice is eagerly waiting to emerge and speak
directly to challenge old limiting beliefs and programs that keep me hitting an
internal glass ceiling, swimming in a small fishbowl, unhappy, depressed and
resentful. So if this sounds like you, you’re not alone. :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If
you have not already claimed it, know you <span style="color: orange;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HAVE
PERMISSION</b></span> to self-define YOUR Power Words and thus what you value, which
can give you massive insight and clarity into how you tick in your inner most
being. Then you can begin to connect those definitions with your daily life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when you make those connections, those
words then carry more weight, have greater meaning and act as a built-in
guidance system for how you choose to show up in the world everyday in everyway.
And what’s more, everything you do and everyone around you can benefit. What a
cool ripple effect!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One
of my selected words is “Community”, which I defined as: “giving &
receiving; sharing; support; gathering & bearing witness to the fabric of
life; validation of experiences; releasing judgment; happiness; feeling good;
celebrations”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For right now, this is MY
definition; I can continue to build on it, or not. So if Community is something
you value, how would you define it? Or maybe one of your words is Gratitude,
Prosperity, Purpose or Passion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Whatever
your Power Words are, by choosing to define them from a heart-centered, In-powered
space, you can begin to shift the very fabric of what you see as your life. You
can gain confidence and have the courage to live fully and accomplish your
goals. And by focusing on how we show up as those Power Words or values on a
daily basis, those things will expand tremendously. And that is where the real magic
begins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZP6Hg1g0QbnzUNa16QOC1XmTeyYghlYfZmMtyWjNzTJjWTbQwdk_rEzaQ97Yt5d3QMeYpW9p0ec2cUgrF_QxlvbaM5VzvAuQJqs-IqAZV3uVoC4q4MC-O5TH2H2AszsAFgcqimJWERI4P/s1600/Charyn.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZP6Hg1g0QbnzUNa16QOC1XmTeyYghlYfZmMtyWjNzTJjWTbQwdk_rEzaQ97Yt5d3QMeYpW9p0ec2cUgrF_QxlvbaM5VzvAuQJqs-IqAZV3uVoC4q4MC-O5TH2H2AszsAFgcqimJWERI4P/s320/Charyn.png" width="260" /></a></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Charyn Gant is the founder of the
blog/site <a href="http://www.whenwelistentotrees.com/" target="_blank">When We Listen to Trees</a>: a platform to share information, stories
and tolls of how we can improve our quality of life, especially our emotional
health as it relates to our physical health. Charyn has been in the alternative
healing arena for more than a decade. You can also find her on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/charyng" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/charyngant" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.</span></i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-12656233371771881422013-08-28T17:08:00.000-07:002013-10-02T19:00:22.269-07:00Soul Care from Within by Erina Patrick<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKGP_q4iOVh1iSVhiaAZgb4QeHw2pqubK5NTbRKaw6_xfROj1Tk4WQQfsjQ-ZZ27UYX890z0G-d_zA41kHUYr91m68iatv86no6pga82h9xB4iTVLcTwgCg_6LMCIy6YQMYrqlYqgUqF2/s1600/IMG_7848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKGP_q4iOVh1iSVhiaAZgb4QeHw2pqubK5NTbRKaw6_xfROj1Tk4WQQfsjQ-ZZ27UYX890z0G-d_zA41kHUYr91m68iatv86no6pga82h9xB4iTVLcTwgCg_6LMCIy6YQMYrqlYqgUqF2/s640/IMG_7848.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sarah McMurray, from Muse Camp 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Soul Care is a subject
that seems to be growing in importance and popularity. For far
too long the spiritual aspect of existence has been absent from most
people's lives, but there seems to be a growing awareness and concern for
a balanced life that involves a deep spiritual dimension. A few of us
are awakening to the sad fact that possessions (like shiny new electronic devices)
don't bring us lasting happiness. Instead
of instilling a sense of peace or well being they only seem to further fracture
the minds ability to focus. If the latest and greatest can't bring
any sense of satisfaction, then all we are left with is that vague feeling
that something is missing. For some the
spiritual quest begins as we search for a deeper meaning to our experiences and
a larger frame to place global events and personal tragedies in perspective.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>The more deeply one peers into the
inner workings of their own heart and mind, the more clear it becomes that
contentment comes from within and that our reaction to people, places and
situations are simply a reflection or projection of our inner state of being.</b></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The point being that the external stimulus is secondary to contentment, so it
follows that soul care is mostly a solo endeavor in the sense
that it's "an inside job." That is not to say that you cannot have
people in your life to provide a support network, or even a trusted guide who
can share their experience, strength and hope.
Naturally these resources can be invaluable when it comes to healing
core issues. Compassion and self-acceptance are really the key to
unlocking your hidden potential and empowering the soul; by practicing
unconditional love and acceptance with yourself first you are then able to
do so for others. Since we project our inner state onto the world, how we feel
about ourselves is how we feel about the world at large. "Change
your attitude and your whole world changes."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This axiom of the inner reality
being reflected by the exterior also applies to the teachers who are only
there to remind you of what you already know to be true within yourself. This is why the Latin root of the word
<i>knowledge</i> essentially means <i>to remind, or remember</i>. An astute teacher knows
that they are simply a mirror reflecting your inner wisdom back at you, because
the truth lies within you. That inner knowing is often obscured by
erroneous assumptions, predispositions, predilections and ideologies. This is why many of us need an outside
source to help us sift through the illusions (Mya), the personal
history and wreckage of the past (Karma), and the ego (Ahamkara) that obscure
the clarity of the soul. <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>Once you see yourself as an intimate and intricate
part of the living universe that is the divine, caring for yourself, and in
turn others, seems like the only sane option.</b></span></span>
For any form of hatred or harm inflicted stems from unconsciousness or
delusion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Real
soul care involves rigorous honesty, humility and compassion, with regards to where
we are on our spiritual journey at any given moment. You cannot rightly say you
love someone (yourself included) unless you truly know them and accept
them exactly as they are. Humility is the realization that we are no
better, yet no worse than anybody else regardless of wealth, education, age,
gender, ethnicity, or religion. And this is the very core foundation of all
spiritual principles. For when we see ourselves as right sized (i.e. equal to
our fellow human beings), all of that self-imposed sense of importance,
disempowerment and competition vanishes into thin air. All of this was never based anything real to
begin with, since it’s the ego’s way to oscillate from one extreme to the other.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>The hero/heroine's quest always boils
down to self-discovery, and only when we learn to love ourselves first are
we capable of giving or receiving love from another.</b></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">By caring for your soul, you invariably come
to truly care for others, as the other is just a part of the wholeness that
includes you too. When we see ourselves as spiritual beings having a human
experience, then it only follows that the same is true for all those around us.
This is important because the world is no longer divided into friend/foe, even
those we would choose to see as standing in our way are simply teachers presenting
us with the opposite of what we seek, which in turn clarifies that which we are
after.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I believe that the "great way
has no gate and there are a thousand paths that lead to it." The spiritual
journey is the path that leads you back to your authentic self; stripped
of all illusions that separate and divide the self, the world, and the
universe and obscure the wonder and miracle of all that
is. I could create a list ad infinitum as to the various ways people seek
spirituality, but I believe far brighter spirits have already written countless
volumes on this subject. So instead I
decided to touch on the aim rather than the means and hint at the larger truth
behind the individual varied quest for it. Acceptance, awareness
and compassion is what soul care means to me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqge9MWBOEpYvUDeVBCXLAPFKgi_dMH7fjtNOuiZ7Vtv-Lsnl33qefMBshXQc4-yL-EG84cSXXOoknC2raQC41a9Po9FfkMh-cKHucG0YrPiK0GwCPBCqo_4PRxzMuyKPjDYcayxMpbLN/s1600/Erina.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqge9MWBOEpYvUDeVBCXLAPFKgi_dMH7fjtNOuiZ7Vtv-Lsnl33qefMBshXQc4-yL-EG84cSXXOoknC2raQC41a9Po9FfkMh-cKHucG0YrPiK0GwCPBCqo_4PRxzMuyKPjDYcayxMpbLN/s320/Erina.png" width="260" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I am a thirty two soon to be thirty
three year old woman, born and raised in Bend, Oregon and current resident of
Maui. I moved to Maui to pursue my yoga path and passion for teaching,
while helping people to practice self-care and guiding them on their personal
journey towards wholeness. I love the way yoga engages my creative and
spiritual nature, I am involved in other creative projects and interests as
well, such as writing and creating hand crafted jewelry.</span></i></span> </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-52140732367130520232013-08-26T11:16:00.000-07:002013-10-02T19:00:00.119-07:00Can a Story Change the World?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdOLG69om7zwhifadA6CtTOItPoYfmDdYkpgvTc7fDma4OtYeuoOsqpPAx2YGFWQ3KYncgzSZBYys9HrGhEFw9fPw4783hYjFy80y8gkyQmnkmq4JJ9oDGTgoHpIaSL31hR4VFSaKjJ0y/s1600/A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdOLG69om7zwhifadA6CtTOItPoYfmDdYkpgvTc7fDma4OtYeuoOsqpPAx2YGFWQ3KYncgzSZBYys9HrGhEFw9fPw4783hYjFy80y8gkyQmnkmq4JJ9oDGTgoHpIaSL31hR4VFSaKjJ0y/s640/A.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Can a story change the world? That was the question I wrestled with in the car on my way to Muse Camp, a women' retreat on activism, creativity and community where I was teaching a creative writing workshop for young muses. I began thinking about stories that had been highly significant in my own life - the film <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCkXnOGIhwQ" target="_blank">Hotel Rwanda</a>, young women's coming of age stories like <i>Christy</i>, <i>Anne of Green Gables</i>, Sue Monk Kidd's <i>The Dance of the Dissident Daughter</i>, and Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese" poem - stories that shaped my life in a big way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This past weekend 100 women gathered in the woods of the high Cascades for Muse Camp - a retreat on creativity, yoga, activism and community and like much of life should, it started with intentions. We wrote our intentions on our hearts and verbalized them out loud to the the community. And then we jumped in to a weekend of writing, yoga, creativity and community.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xi9rC4xpKSNAMpplyNeVI1Zqs3VaFv1U6jSuxxmFWnaw1MfJsAbTCnU-32Bwgs4x5psoMVMf3LAKbaLtu6B19Yo9ihZD-b2mxIFU5mzmLv4cfbg5dkeVktCVCKJwECjbYZmEF45By4RO/s1600/F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xi9rC4xpKSNAMpplyNeVI1Zqs3VaFv1U6jSuxxmFWnaw1MfJsAbTCnU-32Bwgs4x5psoMVMf3LAKbaLtu6B19Yo9ihZD-b2mxIFU5mzmLv4cfbg5dkeVktCVCKJwECjbYZmEF45By4RO/s640/F.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What amazed me most was the bravery of young muses from a local boarding school for troubled teens who shared their stories, who fought for healing in a big way. Each of us has profound moments of brokenness, joy, adventures and mystery. Our stories are can change the world. Yes. Absolutely. What makes us stand out is how we choose to move forward and learn from our stories. That is what changes the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UQyWb0WhcWa9MqLOqXOtOjJfvRdT_dyspDiqni1vBKDKrA3vaYtLrh1wK0qkJGSVaeeoTc2eKAVwMzfRYGUDp5AqXEwU61fZEjKPbOHVa9Kb1HIE7lvUXCxQNGf0Q6-i6DnHi7SQwcsc/s1600/H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UQyWb0WhcWa9MqLOqXOtOjJfvRdT_dyspDiqni1vBKDKrA3vaYtLrh1wK0qkJGSVaeeoTc2eKAVwMzfRYGUDp5AqXEwU61fZEjKPbOHVa9Kb1HIE7lvUXCxQNGf0Q6-i6DnHi7SQwcsc/s640/H.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What story do you need to hear? To release? To begin?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938392869034677125.post-81166405239760769782013-08-23T08:00:00.000-07:002013-10-02T18:59:48.237-07:00The August Slow Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYWzG3_haTZfFIP0jZr1OrBwtRCbEMssIckJVEhHpBKrK8DrGzmrm9Punhvfo2WoMfVuHhhoS3RFDTv48F_NNlLzuL25DU2v5uN12rQ6KWRItdKuomafXLvY9p6ZAVg5GqNtkXdmHy9z3/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYWzG3_haTZfFIP0jZr1OrBwtRCbEMssIckJVEhHpBKrK8DrGzmrm9Punhvfo2WoMfVuHhhoS3RFDTv48F_NNlLzuL25DU2v5uN12rQ6KWRItdKuomafXLvY9p6ZAVg5GqNtkXdmHy9z3/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Self-care is a challenge. I'm a woman who likes to be busy; I suppose I place too much of my self worth on what I accomplish. But when my doctor told me I had to chill just over a month ago, I finally took it seriously. I've almost made it a month in my quest to relax, heal my adrenal fatigue and adjust from my old job to freelancing part time for now. Telling a overly productive woman to slow down, rest and chill out is worth laughing at, but I'm learning. August has been a month of fun, play and rest. I went to antique markets with my mama, sat in coffee shops and read creative blogs and wrote, started working part time for creative venues as a content writer/photographer/teacher...let me tell you, it's hard to go from work 50/60 hour weeks to 20ish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I took myself on a solo-camping trip and discovered just how hard it was to just <i>be</i> and not feel like I should be working on a million writing projects I'm dreaming up. (I did have one published on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F2013%2F08%2Fa-manifesto-for-living-a-life-worth-writing-about-sarah-mcmurray%2F&h=iAQFHFZ2rAQFiUHU6jNWYkXWre2ACElAznS-ObS46ubqmpA&enc=AZO9RVK5ibFdxm8Jx4NdLz8uCAozFm4RqICrM-j6m2411ABTA9M6ZmdGyiG3ltIsNixcnensecbOsMKIqitNAUDK&s=1" target="_blank">Elephant Journal</a>.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0kyicKVr_TtL7rguuBB2q375UPa5H5P7KTVpz1F49nwjA-ySf_Qevo0MECvcCCuLuey_ePbGFCrxlw3W3e0iW6ZBZv_vMyuMd-zfojqwvLYLdtrodauh-deXixzhgJyiMA6ZZZ06-mgf/s1600/20130808_174430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0kyicKVr_TtL7rguuBB2q375UPa5H5P7KTVpz1F49nwjA-ySf_Qevo0MECvcCCuLuey_ePbGFCrxlw3W3e0iW6ZBZv_vMyuMd-zfojqwvLYLdtrodauh-deXixzhgJyiMA6ZZZ06-mgf/s640/20130808_174430.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It rained but I still enjoyed it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Then a week later my family went to the Oregon coast where we spent summers all of my childhood playing on the beach, exploring the small towns and window shopping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqu9BvelQ-8bsSQM17a81THqq2Z0WFGNjahyguTqHhwufjiHquJ0pFjWdLjltV9VRpfKmtVrB6ge1hh_PSnjmkcWKMD1OswaiQ8wzLxHmfMZkbRhhXogBL1yrEKq812lFC2jyqB9zrPEa/s1600/20130816_192216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqu9BvelQ-8bsSQM17a81THqq2Z0WFGNjahyguTqHhwufjiHquJ0pFjWdLjltV9VRpfKmtVrB6ge1hh_PSnjmkcWKMD1OswaiQ8wzLxHmfMZkbRhhXogBL1yrEKq812lFC2jyqB9zrPEa/s640/20130816_192216.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We strolled, laughed and spent time together, and although it was only a few days. I came home feeling refreshed despite a few mishaps with food allergy issues. I'm learning to admit my weaknesses, and that rest is okay and letting go is even better. But most importantly, I'm learning that life doesn't always look like the vision you had in your head - yes, absolutely I could work my butt off to have the job with the fancy title, the cute home, or the perfectly assembled outfit, but is it worth it for me? No. (My adrenals tell me no anyway...I'll get there too.) Joy, community, rest and play far outweigh a big paycheck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today I leave for one more self-care adventure for this month - a 3 day creative/yoga retreat in the mountains - and after that I'll have to think more seriously about how to maintain balance while adding in some more work hours. But for now, I'm enjoying rest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I hope you all practice great adventurous self-care this weekend.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0