nature

Attitude of Gratitude: day 23-30

Where I often spend Thanksgiving is pretty rustic with no internet. The smart phone I got a little over a year ago has changed that for me and I'm no longer quiet as 'disconnected'... but it's still lovely to have an excuse to not check email or post to my website. These things are possible, but slightly annoying on a phone, so I practice my connection in other, more solitary ways. I take my camera with me and record for myself. It also means I can later update you on what I saw and was grateful for:

  1. Waking up on a lazy morning with nowhere to be and nothing to do.
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2. Feeling the sun and quiet while meditating without any of the pressure to 'get started with the rest of my day.'

3. A cozy fire in the fireplace and a relaxed study buddy.

4. Abundance in food and family with lots of love and laughter and nourishment and an awareness and gratitude for where this food comes from and everything that went into growing it and preparing it for me to eat.

5. Sun coming out after several days of rain, providing warmth and a different light in which to see things.

6. A walk in the woods and my grandma's stories of elves and gnomes and magic echoing through my head.

7. Messages left for us by nature... if we're listening in.

8. Familiar spaces and all the memories that go with them. A sense of history and connection without obligation or attachment.

9. Cozy shelter, surrounded by plenty of fresh air and wide-open spaces. Home and wild, all rolled into one - just the way I like it. And gratitude for the love of others that keeps it maintained and enjoyable.

10. Trees that teach us to root down, stand tall, grow upwards, bend with the wind, die to be reborn. There is something beautiful in how they stand and yet flow.

Coming out of this holiday and this month of gratitude, I know I have much to be thankful for everyday. I hope you had a wonderful celebration and as the focus now turns to gifts and giving, I hope you find it in you to give to those who challenge you, to love those you're not always sure you're able to (especially yourself), and to receive all that the Universe wants you to be open to. This is a time of unrest in our country. May we all be a listening ear, even when we think we 'know' and may we stand like a tree or a mountain, in the name of Love, when it comes to what is right.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 19 and 20

A balmy, Saturday morning that turned suddenly cold and windy. A cold and windy Sunday with dramatic clouds and brightly lit trees.

I am grateful for:

  1. The beauty of nature that always brings me into a sacred pause and helps me hit the reset button.
  2. The honor of witnessing someone in complete vulnerability and the deep connection that can result. And how much more beautiful we all become when it happens.
  3. That so many people are beginning to respond to times of stress by carving out time for themselves.
  4. The freedom of tears and allowing myself to fully feel my experience. And the deep compassion and love that always already exist, just below the tears.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 18

Today turned into a busier day than I anticipated. It's funny how time can do that... feel like you have all the time in the world and then, all of a sudden, disappear and leave you wondering how on earth you'll accomplish everything you need to. And yet, there is still room for gratitude.

  1. This morning, I passed an accident and while there was a very small, mean part of my mind - the part that believes we are all separate - that was moaning about the extra time that added into my drive, this practice of gratitude shifted it pretty much immediately to being grateful for all the times I get in my car and get where I am going safely and without incident.
  2. The warmth of the sun and the lightness of the breeze on my face. I was outside this morning, hands dirty, harvesting food and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.
  3. Butternut Curry Coconut soup... because, yum.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 15

Today has had moments of deep presence, and moments of agitation. Some of today flowed, and some of it felt like work. And always, there's a little voice in the back of my head telling me I could have done more... But I sit here with mantra music playing and candles lit (we had lost electricity for a little while) and I am grateful for:

  1. Electricity - it is so easy to take it for granted, and while it is not impossible to do without, it certainly requires a lot more effort.
  2. A life that asks that to do what I believe in, I must step outside of my comfort zone and surrender up everything I thought I knew - whether energy medicine or political activism, I am here and I am not allowing myself to hide anymore.
  3. The silence and space to be alone with myself. And the fact that I like it. Even when I'm afraid. Even in moments when it feels lonely or bittersweet.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 5

Today was a day with a lot of yoga in it. First, a personal practice. Then, teaching an hour long group class, followed by a two hour workshop. At the end of it, my body was definitely tired. But I am grateful:

  1. For a body that is strong and flexible enough to be able do what I ask of it. And for the strength, openness, and balance it continually surprises me by growing into.
  2. Community - students and teachers who come together in love, trust, and silliness. Seeking growth and peace and to better their own little corner of the world.
  3. A quiet kitchen to come home to with food projects that leave my hands smelling like herbs, spices, and all kinds of wonderful wild.