wildheart

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 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 17

Thursdays are my busy days. And usually by the end of them, I'm totally zapped. But there's still always something to be grateful for.

  1. I am grateful for the opportunity to be of service in this world. Watching people come home to themselves on their yoga mats and watching the full range of emotions that that brings never ceases to humble me. Deeply. To realize that there is always somewhere to deepen and grow into, and to pass that on to others takes my breath away.
  2. I am grateful to have a car and the freedom that allows me.
  3. I am grateful for the people out there who have different talents, skills, interests from me. They bring different parts of me out into the world and present me with new ways to show love and support in my life.

Attitude of Gratitude: day 6

"You could have been anything... and you are you."

"You could have been anything... and you are you."

It's so easy to want to fit in. It's easy to fall into the fear of rocking the boat, making waves, standing out, incurring disapproval. But we are not here to hide or be ordinary. We are not here to be just like anybody else. Today I am grateful for:

  1. People who see me as I am and love me for it. Who don't tell me who I am, but ask me into being.
  2. Breakfast bagel sandwiches, especially when enjoyed with a friend. I've been eating plenty of delicious comfort food recently, but it's all been geared towards cleansing since that's what my body was craving. Until today. Today my brunch had gluten, dairy, and meat... and it was amazing! Everything in moderation.
  3. The unconditional love and happiness that animals bring with them wherever they go.

Wild Sacred Journey: day 7

Today was sunny and blustery and a great day for soaring. At least, that's what the buzzards told me. Surely you've felt it to: that swooping feeling in the pit of your stomach when a big gust of wind blows past and around you. Did you know buzzards can actually see air currents? Although they have powerful wings, they prefer to soar, without flapping, and so they ride those currents around in the sky - demonstrating what it means to 'go with the flow' and achieve great results with a minimum of effort and a decided lack of struggle. What powerful reminders for me, as I teach and prepare for a forty-day program that starts Monday. Freedom through ease. Yes, please!

The leaves were crunchy, the air was frisky, the sun was strong, and it was a perfect day for rolling. At least, that's what the dog told me. Fully present and fully expressive of his inner joy - through his body. How do you express your joy? Do you allow yourself spontaneous, physical expressions of it? Or is it through words? Everything we feel, everything we think, everything we experience lands in our body in some way. If we do not give full expression to it and allow it to pass through (yes, even the good stuff) that energy gets stuck and we become less present and more likely to manifest dis-ease. So today, I was right there with that dog: rolling and doing yoga poses and expressing joy. But I express to let go because who knows what this next moment might bring and presence brings peace more than trying to hold on... even to what feels good.