Giving Thanks

Thanks giving. Giving thanks.

What follows was written by a teacher of the Toltec tradition, the same school of wisdom that Don Miguel Ruiz draws on in his books, including The Four Agreements. It begins:

When we no longer take Life for granted, we become grateful for everything that we have. Assuming that we are entitled to anything in life robs us of our awe at the opportunity to be grateful.

I recall a friend of mine calling up one day, struggling with the notion of death. A friend of the family was in the final stages of cancer and was going to be passing on soon. She asked me, “Why Death?”

We talked for sometime and after she had made some peace with the specific issues that were troubling her I asked her, “Why Life?” Why do we get to have this experience at all? We weren’t promised any deal. We aren’t owed this opportunity to create experiences. No one was under any obligation to deliver us any particular deal in this realm. And yet we are here. A wide open opportunity to wake up and do something completely different every day. Every day, every moment even, an opportunity to create something in our life. We might just use the gift of every day to recreate it like every other day. Or, one day, we might not. One day we might look at it a little differently and do something completely differently. What is so different for me these days than the days of old is a profound sense of gratitude for the simplest things in my life. Why have I been blessed with so many gifts and so many moments of opportunity to experience them? My logical mind has no idea. But I will not waste my opportunity today struggling with that question. There may not be many days left so I will savor the ones I have with gratitude. When you are aware that death will someday come, you no longer take life for granted.

Thank you, Life. Thank you for this breath. 
Thank you for this inhale. 
Thank you for this exhale.

Thank you, Heart.
 Thank you for this pounding.
 Thank you for this pulsing.
 Thank you for this Love.

Thank you, Feet.
 Thank you for this walk. 
Thank you for this run. 
Thank you for this Dance.

Thank you, Eyes. 
Thank you for the Sunrise.
 Thank you for the Sunset. 
Thank you for all the Colors.

Thank you, Ears. 
Thank you for the Music. 
Thank you for the Rhythm. 
And thank you for the Stillness.

Thank you, Hands. 
Thank you for the Caressing. 
Thank you for the Clapping. 
And thank you for the Holding.

Thank you, Mouth. 
Thank you for the nourishment. 
Thank you for the flavors. 
Thank you for the Kisses.

Thank you, Nose. 
Thank you for the Flowers. 
Thank you for the Pines. 
Thank you for the Sniffles.

Thank you, Arms and Shoulders. 
Thank you for the Carrying. 
Thank you for the Burdening.
 And thank you for the Hugging.

Thank you, Voice. 
Thank you for Expression. 
Thank you for the Words. 
Thank you for the Song.

Thank you, Emotions. 
Thank you for the Joys. 
Thank you for the Tears and Sorrows.
 Thank you for the Richness.

Thank you, Mind. 
Thank you for the Focus. 
Thank you for the Knowledge.
 Thank you for the Memories.

Thank you, Spirit. 
Thank you for the Connection. 
Thank you for the Wisdom.
 Thank you for the Depth.

Thank you, Self. 
Thank you for the Laughter. 
Thank you for the Play.
 Thank you for You.

Thank you, Life, for the Abundance that is.
 Thank you for the Abundance that is given.


Thank you for this Day.
 Thank you for the Light. 
Thank you for the Stars. 
Thank you for the Night.

Thank you, Life.

Written by Jenny Lumb, Nia instructor, www.norishflourishnow.com, 828-255-2770

This piece was inspired by www.toltecspirit.com

Body like a machine, or Body like a temple?

There are two ways of being with your body;
● Use your body like a machine
● Inhabit your body like a temple

Use Your Body Like a

Machine
When you look after your body with the intention to make it look good, toned and slim, and beat it into submission through arduous exercise instead of creative and sensual exploration, you are using it like a machine. There is little listening, little consideration of the body’s wisdom and most if not all of your focus is on the aesthetic of the body.
In this way of being with your body, you may find yourself judging, berating, blaming and abusing this human organism, if it does not conform to your ideals (and the images of feminine perfection that are promoted tirelessly in the media). You determine what is true for you based on what the outside world tells you and ignore your own thoughts, opinions, preferences and the crucial element, your intuitive wisdom.
Though you may enjoy sexual intimacy with your partner, you find you are hyper focused on the physical release, instead of the building and sustaining of arousal. You may notice yourself with a wandering mind, feeling obligated instead of inspired to accommodate your partner’s needs, thinking “oh well,” when your own needs aren’t met, and disregarding the sacredness of your own sensuality.

When you honor your body like the temple that it is, and seek to notice and respond to its subtle communications to you about its physical, emotional and psychological state, you are inhabiting your body, living from inside, intuitively, rather than from outside, gazing in from the periphery of the sensory experience.
Still choosing to engage in the activities that keep it healthy like exercise and eating wisely is important, however when you are honoring your physical temple you are more motivated by what you feel and sense, versus what you see in the mirror, and how it measures up to others and to the airbrushed images in the media. In honoring your female temple you also value the emotional and psychological benefits of the level of integrity you experience in being true to yourself, versus internalizing the opinions and standards of others around you.
To inhabit your body is to covet sensual and sexual pleasure and know the value of sustaining versus discharging arousal. You experience your body’s sensual expression as the divine dancing through you and your union with someone you care for or love deeply.
The two ways of being with your body I’ve described above are extremes. It’s unlikely that anyone will be just one or the other. The reality is that most of us dance somewhere between the two, body as machine, body as temple. Unfortunately it would be fair to say that most women tend to lean toward the first extreme, using your body like a machine. I believe that this tendency is a factor in the proliferation of depression, discontent and supreme isolation that many women experience in our world today. Despite the great strides that we as women have made through the decades, it is this disassociation that is hindering further and swifter evolution of the consciousness paradigm shift where peace and prosperity are experienced globally. Rather than just looking at our own blessed lives to measure the evolution of consciousness, we need to also remember the vast number of women who still suffer worldwide. This reality reminds us that we still have far to go before our work as a fully embraced, accepting and inhabiting female community is done. And if you believe in the transpersonal power that we each wield, you will certainly understand that your awakening to this embodiment is an awakening for all women.

Psychology studies show that young girls by the age of 11 have almost entirely stopped referring inward for their own truths, opinions, preferences and values,and almost exclusively refer to the outside world be it family, society or media influences to determine for themselves how they interpret who they are. Educating these young goddesses to move towards extreme number two serves to guide them and all women to look inside ourselves for the answers of our nature and our well being.

The practice of referencing inward, is a body centered way of being that I call Embodied Power.
When we practice looking inside for our personal power, our truth, our innate wisdom, we are practicing embodiment. When we take it a step further and dance that wisdom, we are using our embodied awareness as our creative source and inspiration. I use dance here to refer to any authentic expression be it movement of the body, writing, coaching, mothering or the managing of a company. Once embodied and danced, you are living that very wisdom and power, and can claim the role of embodied leader because of the high level of truth and integrity that you radiate and inspire.

As the founder of Vividly Woman, I actualized for my community the Vividly Woman Embodied Leader training; this program guides women back home to this quality of leadership I’ve shared. We begin with the initiation weekend retreat, Dance Your Power, where participants are intimately reintroduced to their three vital centers of embodied power; sensual, emotional and intuitive. The women who continue to further their learning through the three remaining modules that make up the leadership training program, will 1. radically excavate the authentic and unique truth living in these three centers within, 2. profoundly nourish these three long ignored places and 3. lovingly heal the personal wounds that have debilitated and frozen them most of their lives. Through this work I have had the honor and privilege of facilitating and witnessing tremendous courage and devotion of so many women who’s lives have been forever changed.

The journey of embodied awakening is a lush and winding path, a fertile adventure of birthing and re-birthing yourself, and one I am blessed to travel with brave and beautiful women I call sisters. It is a dance of remembering YOUR vital woman aliveness; spiraling, diving and reaching from deep inside the blessed temple that is your body.

Written by Leela Francis Leelafrancis.com

Finding the real ME in the mix

Will the real Self please stand up????

I look back at my life and marvel at the many faces of me. Often times I can't even connect to the woman who said this or did that. Like amnesia, I read through old journals and wonder.

What are the heart opening memories I connect most to? The times I put mySelf out there and I am proud of me?

I fondly recall spearheading a rally in my small town years ago. I caught wind of a skin head gathering, and without any knowledge of "event organizing" or even a plan. My heart catapulted me into activism. I put up flyers for a town meeting, contacted radio and TV stations, colleges and plastered local business store fronts with "Hate Free Zone" posters. The ACLU found lil ole me, and joined in the effort. People came from near and far to support us.

It was only after the fact that I thought to be self conscious, second guessing my fearlessness. Later that I lay in bed listening to the mind chatter and undermining my yesterday's inspired action. After the mind freak the real me stated a matter of fact that now lives in not only my mind but also in my body, "Wow, one person can make a difference."

What about the other times, when I recoil to remember the knee jerk reactions, that triggered me to close down, the moments I rendered my self inept.

Hearing a woman screaming horrible things to a child and my heart breaking, my mind spinning, feelings of intense rage and violence rising up against the woman. I was paralyzed, the emotional tornado inside me blocking love, clarity, and possibility. Walking away as helpless as the child. Sick to my stomach years later, and even today shell shocked at the replay.

Hearing her voice inside me as I have lost my temper with my own son. Hearing that ugliness spill out onto myself, when I beat myself up in those quiet toxic moments...

The faces and roles I've played consciously and otherwise. Some shine with the motivation of love, grounded wisdom, forgiveness. Others, well I'd rather not say. And yet these are all parts of me!

I am becoming more aware all the time of where I'm coming from. What does that feel like when I am in my Essential Self?

~Like I have all the time in the world.

~It feels gentle.

~I feel compassionate.

~I am calm, centered, and most of all CURIOUS!

Recognizing body sensations of being in Essential Self, I notice:

~A warm contentment flooding my body.

~My breath is free and open.

~I enjoy my heart beating, or the air on my skin, a rumble in my tummy, the tiny subtle body signals that otherwise go undetected.

I am gratefully spending more time here, in this expansive realm, while accepting those other parts that creep in to defend, to distract, to hide me from the "scary truth"...

body issues, inspiration, and a brownie

"Every guy thinks every girl's dream is to find the perfect guy... pshh, every girl's dream is to eat without getting fat!"

I wouldn't have laughed so hard if it wasn't true.

Still after all these years I can feel the tension in my upper chest and back of the neck. This is where I carry that lack of trust. The scared part of me that threatens to tell on me if I don't work out, if I have a brownie while I type this. This has been my shame, my dirty little secret... that even now after years of training, numerous therapies, certifications, and coaching other women with their body issues, I struggle. There I said it. Aawwhhhhh! relief. However, Wow, has it ever gotten easier!!!

That is why I do this work. To remind myself, to forgive myself, to rediscover the tools, to be inspired. This is the reason I do the work I do and aspire to live this way. I don't understand it all, I know when I take care of all 4 aspects of me, the tension decreases. I feel sane, grounded, I trust me.

My default is to run in autopilot. My mind in it's most unconscious state is regurgitating old data. It's rigid, rusty, musty, and mean. she gets really mean! She tends to believe she's the all of me.

Ever ask yourself "Is this all there is?" There's no juice, no tenderness, no felt sensation. Instead it's an existence of rules to follow, or rules to break.

Meanwhile under the mind's radar is a stifled down trodden little girl, who is tired of being told she's ugly, fat, not good enough, not smart enough, not rich enough. Sometimes I find her whimpering in a corner afraid to make eye contact. When I give her a voice, I can grow her up. She is wildly creative, and sooo funny. She wants to play, dance, and color outside of lines. The more time I am aware of her, the less time I am in judgement of myself or others, the more time I spend laughing, sometimes crying, always expressing my authenticity. I also remember life can be game.

Another discovery I've made is this eerie and fantastic Intelligence that isn't coming from my Mind. This lively vibrating, electric effervescence, that reminds me of who I have I always been. She gives me hints and hunches. In the quiet of mediation or the cries of lovemaking I find her. Unexpectedly sometimes, but always when I take the time and care to seek Her, She is there. The more time I am in awareness and alignment with Her, the more at peace, and in the flow I Am. Synchronicities abound, divine kisses and nods acknowledge my path illuminated. I have purpose, I have courage.

When these other 2 aspects of me are engaged, my Mind opens to full possibility. She realizes her role is far greater then to boss me and everyone else around. She craves higher learning, listening, and becomes the guide. Gently waiting to move to her next as led by my Spirit body and my Emotional Body. The 3 bodies of Mind, Emotion, and Spirit manifest in my Physical body. Suddenly my body is sacred, it is wise and precious. The loathing I had earlier is dissipated, the stress is released, I am embodied. Everything is alive and everything is okay!

I have been on this journey, practicing, learning, discovering, and intuiting. There is always more, another layer revealing itself to me. This is magical, it's freeing me, and letting me fall in love with me. Once upon a time I thought I hated my body. Actually, I just never knew my body.

Come discover what's been there all along. Contact me for a Discovery Session today! Stop struggling to change it, first why not get to know it? I guarantee you will be very surprised at what you find!

4 faces of the I AM Body

All 4 aspects of being (on most days) as perceived by yours truly...

Mental or Intellectual body: This "Moe" is used to running the show! She's the supah star, the hostess with the mostest, Your mad mama, your very own Judge Judy, our Lady Linear, da BOSS, and although She is vital, full of knowledge and has archives of experience, She's not ALL that and a bag of chips, HOWEVER she is capable of consciousness. Her favorite line is "I know." Are you the master of your mind, or the slave?
Emotional body: Hi five to your inner surfer, wave rider, wild child. She is unpredictable to say the least, the original shape shifter, age drifter, her symbol is the lava lamp, her totem? Every face of the totem pole! She is a rebel with a cause.... to be deeply felt! She will not be silenced, ignored, or bored! "wanna play?" When is the last time you embraced her?
Spiritual body: Pure unrivaled sacred Self! The bees knees, the first gasp of ecstasy, Ms Matrix, the Creatrix! Femme Vitale, (on the first day she created chocolate), Spiral Sister, Essential Potential, Authentic You, Truth, force and flow of life, your very own Magdalene, She who flirts with God. She whispers, "Listen". How do you stay connected to Her?
Physical body: Every body love your body! After all she is constantly created (from the inside out) by the Spiritual seamstress, while hosting the Diva of data and her moody side kick. An amazing masterpiece in the flesh. More than a bag o' bones or blood 'n' guts, a pleasure dome, macrocosm, microcosm, a museum of movement, temple of the Temptress, a living wonder, an ongoing sensual experiment, complete package, the REAL DEAL! She begs you, "don't hate me...*sigh* because I am beautiful, no really I AM." What are you manifesting in your Body?
Each unique aspect of our being responds to different tools, techniques, and tickles. I have been exploring, stealing, and divining these for years now! As we work and play together you will acquire these tools and begin to create your own collection. (nope no patten on them yet, if it works- USE IT!)

Freedom and Form

"You're not the boss of me!" That was my default defense mantra. "Life is precious, I want to live an extraordinary life not a dull one filled with schedules and rules!"

Time was especially a sore spot. I refused to be shackled to this manmade prison of time and calendar. I experienced a perverse sort of high at making others wait on me, or not showing up at all. A triumphant "So there!" Looking back I shudder at this unconscious lack of respect for my friends and family.

It was my husband, boyfriend at the time, who illustrated the point in a way that dropped to me my knees. After waiting for me AGAIN.... he gently and sternly explained his frustration.

"You say life is precious, you don't want to waste it, yet every time I am waiting for you and you do not show up or are late.... you are wasting my life!"

OMG! He was right.

I look back on the enormous amount of free time and freedom I allotted myself, and the whole lot of nothing I completed. Since accepting timelines, scheduling, and structure I have achieved amazing results! Who knew??? (Apparently successful people everywhere). When I am scheduling and creating form I actually have more time for art, dance, and play. Freedom thrives on form!

I now see the yin yang balance of it. The structure of time, boundaries, form and discipline is a loom. My freedom, creativity, and passion are the colorful threads that I weave upon this loom, I love this tapestry I am creating!

Show me the truth of Love

Here is a brief excerpt from this incredible book called "A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE"- by Alan Cohen


HONESTY AND TRUTH

Do you know the difference between honesty and truth? Honesty means that your words and deeds are consistent with your experience. Truth means and your expressions are consistent with reality.

EST founder Warner Erhard did an experiment in which he gathered together various groups of people who knew each other and asked one person to sit in the center of each group. The people in the circle were asked to express their feelings and reactions to the person in the center. The group members spoke in turn. over and over until they had each communicated all of their deepest and most personal feelings.

Werner discovered a consistent pattern-the initial responses were usually negative communications. "I am upset about this, " and " I don't like when you do that." At a certain point after each person had exhausted expressing their appreciation for the subject. Finally, nearly every person, without any coaching, spontaneously communicated, " I Love You."

This experiment tells me that at the core of our being we really love each other and we seek to express that love. Our fears and upsets cover the love at the center. When we honestly bring our upsets into the light, we unveil the love that was hidden. When these group members told of their angers and irritations, they were honest. When they declared their love, they were telling the truth.

We must be honest before we can be truthful. You cannot express the truth of love if you are harboring major areas of unspoken pain or upset. Be unafraid to speak of your upsets. If you hold your communications with the intention of healing and awakening, they will bring you the love that is the truth.

Special thanks to my sweet sexy sister and fellow coach Kerri Affronti, for sending me this beautiful piece this morning! xo