Everyday Yogini

While lazing pool-side this summer,
I vow with all beings,
To enjoy the cool water completely,
Let my inner kid be in charge for a while.  

Perhaps this Gatha will reveal to you all the reason for my absence from blogging over the last few weeks.  My new work with the Embassy, coupled with lots of time at the pool with Clara, added to the regular machinations of keeping a family happy, means little (no) time to blog.   Pool season is quickly coming to a close, so be patient with me, please!  I promise to return with fresh, Yogic insights…  

My dear, sweet Father sent this video to me. You know, I don’t know why people do the things they do. I really don’t. But this? This just filled me with such joy. Honestly, I was brought to tears by the end. Why? I have no idea. But I am grateful that people do these sort of crazy things and share them with the world.

Check it out. Is it not sort of “It’s a small world” for the modern era?

“The world, our lives, our daily bread, our loved ones, our opportunities, our challenges and difficulties—all are gifts. Even the innate capacity to receive is a gift.        

What a joyous task then lies before us each day. Showered with blessings, it will take our entire lifetime to learn to be nothing but a living thankfulness.” 

From the new book by Gunilla Norris, SIMPLE WAYS: Towards the Sacred (BlueBridge, 2008).

May your heart be an altar, from which the bright flame of unending thanksgiving ascends to heaven.

Happy (late) 4th of July, Yoginis! Independence Day for my beloved country. Last night, we attended a reception at the ambassador’s residence. Over 3,000 people came to celebrate the Independence of the United States. Many people, from many countries, expressed sincere congratulations. One gentleman even insisted that, “This day is the most important day for the whole world.” Wow.

I have a tendency to focus on the policies, people, and lifestyle choices that really annoy me in the United States (all in the name of “critical analysis”- how about calling it what it is- griping- instead of taking action). Yesterday, I was given a really powerful opportunity to reflect on the wonderful things about our country. As my husband said, “Despite who is in power, the principles that our country are founded on remain the same.”

Honest to God, I think that we are at an incredible crossroads in our history. A place to make the future a place that our grandchildren will want to (be able to) live. One of the things I love about America is the ability to rise to the occasion, do what it takes, and do it all with a distinctly American twist. I suspect that many others are tired of the infighting and seeming inaction in DC, which is why so many grassroots organizations are springing up like wildfires… I believe that Americans just like you and just like me are ready to build a new nation- reinvent ourselves and set the standard for the new world economy.

I am grateful to be in this time and this place in history. Sometimes it is scary to look ahead and not know if there is a happy ending waiting or to wonder if things are going to have to get significantly worse before they get better. But in my heart I believe that America is equal to the task at hand.

I am proud of my country and I am proud of my husband for serving in the role he does- creating ties and connections with other nations, building relationships in a climate where the US may not be viewed in the best light. He is brilliant and I know he does what he does because he deeply believes in our country. As a first generation American, he really appreciates all that the United States offers and is also an amazing example of who we are as a nation…

So, on this Independence Day weekend, what are you grateful for? What way does your community, your State, or your Nation shine for you? Remember to leave a comment if you link so I can go see what everyone is feeling grateful for! Happy 4th of July, Yoginis!

Once again, my friend Monica Silvestro, integrative health counselor is hosting a fabulous tele-class. This time the class is all about dealing with cravings! Who DOESN’T need this class?

Deconstructing Cravings

“I can’t keep peanut butter in the house. If I hit that jar with a spoon at the end of the day, it’s all over.”
“I have a sweet tooth. My husband is a salt addict. Which is worse?”
“A meal just isn’t over until I have something sweet for dessert.”
“I eat popcorn after dinner every night, even if I’m not hungry–I just can’t “not have it”!”

Do any of these sound familiar to you? If so, you have cravings. Everyone does! Cravings don’t mean that you are weak. Or that you lack will power.

Food cravings are simply your body trying to tell you that it needs something–but what comes to mind isn’t always what you really need.

Want to learn how to interpret your cravings to find out what it is your body’s asking for? Want to learn the healthy options that satisfy specific cravings so that you can feel better about “giving in?” Want to ask about a particular craving you have?

Join the teleclass! See below on how to register.

The Nitty Gritty:
Date: Tuesday, July 15th

Time: 8:00pm - 9:15pm (Eastern Standard Time)

Place: The comfort of your own home. This is a teleclass, so you call in from wherever you are.

Cost: $10 (summer special!)

Too bad for me it’s at 2 in the morning, otherwise, I would be on the call!

No joke. I do this ALL THE TIME. And every time, I have this vague feeling that saying, “What happened, sweetie?” is just not the right response. I read this today and I had an “aha!” moment about this very typical response, and I am looking forward to changing my response from this moment forward!

THE DAILY GROOVE ~ by Scott Noelle
www.enjoyparenting.com/dailygroove

:: “What Happened?!” ::

A crying child runs into the house from outside,
seeking comfort. The well-meaning parent’s first
words: “What happened?!”

This common reaction is one of many subtle ways we
teach our children values that we ourselves never
consciously chose…

* What happened (the past) is more important than
what’s happening now (the present).

* Reason is more important than emotions. You can’t
simply have a feeling; you have to explain *why*.

* Things happen TO you. You don’t create your own
experience.

A few decades later, this child will be reading Daily
Groove messages reminding her to stay *present*, that
feelings *are* important, and that we *do* create our
own experiences!

The next time you’re about to ask your child what
happened, decide instead to be still — to be fully
present with your child, appreciate his or her
emotional journey, and enjoy the feeling of
connection.

** Additional insights about this Groove are posted
at http://dailygroove.net/what-happened

Feel free to forward this message to your friends!
(Please include this paragraph and everything above.)
Copyright (c) 2008 by Scott Noelle

The magic number.

Check it out and join in. From craftivism to arts designed to raise awareness of climate change, this organization is well worth supporting and joining.

There is nothing better than hope to inspire action.

Although we’ve been having some internet connectivity problems, I was committed to showing up tonight to get my fill for the week. Fill of what?? Well, gratitude, of course!

As I mentioned last week, I would like to take Fridays to focus on the fullness of life- Italians have a lovely way of asking this in everyday conversation, which is loosely translated as “tell me something beautiful”. I invite you to share some of the richness of your own life on your own blog, or here, in the comments. Mr. Linky is available below for you to share your posts of gratitude with everyone, should you choose to blog it!

So without further ado…

I am intensely aware of how grateful I am to feel my days fill up with productivity. It occured to me at some point this week that as soon as Clara entered school in DC, I probably should have started looking for work outside the home. But of course, that wasn’t possible at the time. And really, the work I will be doing here just feels like a good fit for my skills. This seems to be a great place for me to offer up the best of who I am and, with any luck, help the people around me do their jobs a little better.

Having had a few weeks off from my Yoga classes, I am excited to be beginning a new month of classes next week. I enjoy developing classes around a theme, and this month we will be focusing on compassion, or, more aptly perhaps, befriending our bodies. I love to develop class plans, because it is always a great opportunity for me to think about my own practice and reflect on how a particular idea has shaped my life. Learning to honor, respect, and listen to my body with a compassionate heart and an open mind is one of my biggest life lessons, and is certainly a great benefit of engaging in a physical practice like Yoga. You can expect to hear more on this throughout the month, but for now, I am grateful for the chance to reflect on my own practice and think of ways to bring this concept to life for my students….

Tomorrow is Erick’s birthday and we will be taking a day trip to the beach. This beach to be precise. I have heard from many people that Sperlonga is a hidden treasure of beachy love on the Mediterranean. I feel a deep and abiding adoration for water, sand, sea shells, and rocks and hope to infuse Clara with this passion. Of course, my fair skin is ill-suited to long, hot, days baking on the sand, but thank goodness for beach umbrellas! You can rent them on practically any beach here and it makes for a fabulous, relaxing, burn-free day!

Lastly, I am grateful for all the wonderful bloggers that make me smile day in and day out with their fabulous, insightful, funny posts. Like her, and her, and, of course, I can’t forget her! I feel so fortunate to have collected such a wide variety of blogging friends…

Mr. Linky is waiting for your gratitude blog, Yoginis! And, as the Italians say, “Buon Weekend!”

Figs. I “discovered” figs in Colorado. Yummy, black mission figs, cut in half, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with goat cheese. (Ahh, those were the days of cheese) Here in Italy, the figs are a different variety. Big, juicy, sweet, and green, they have a milder taste than the black mission variety, but they are absolutely delicious!

When they arrive in the markets, they are ready to be eaten- right this second- so what’s a girl to do when she loves to buy more than one day worth of precious figs? Well, freeze them, of course! My friend Wendyshared this little recipe with me and so, dear Yoginis, I thought I would pass on the fig-liciousness to you.

Frozen Fig Delight
1-2 figs, frozen whole
your milk of choice (I used plain rice milk), to consistency

Put figs and a bit of milk into your blender. Blend it up until creamy and smooth. Ours resembled ice cream consistency (and was a bit chunky, which I like), and it was truly delightful!

“My private measure of success is daily. If this were to be the last day of my life would I be content with it? To live in a harmonious balance of commitments and pleasures is what I strive for.” -Jane Rule 

Here I am. Whew. It’s Saturday afternoon of the Solstice. Its been a busy week here and summer has officially arrived here in Rome. It’s hot and sticky and decidedly un-airconditioned in many, many places. The result? That heavy, tired, hot feeling that just sort of lands on skin like a blanket that needs to be washed off. The kind of heat that slows everything to a crawl…

Not that I’m complaining. I am happy. I am delighted to be working again. Delighted and filled with gratitude for the opportunity to feel productive and useful in an adult sort of way. I feel like a kid in a candy store- so many projects, so little time!! I haven’t felt this energized in I can’t remember how long!

All of that being said, I am feeling challenged (in a peaceful, pleased sort of way) to strike the proper balance. You know how it is. You add something new to your life (a new pet, a new baby, a new job, a new commitment) and there is a natural rearranging that must take place to achieve balance. I am seeking that. Honestly, I feel like I went from having almost nothing to do to having a lot of commitments in a very short period of time.

It occurs to me that searching out balance is, in many ways, like surfing. There is no stasis- we are always adjusting our stance to the circumstances when we are riding a wave, or we are riding our board out, resting, or (hopefully not too much) wiping out! Life, just like surfing, is never about standing still or achieving a perfect place of stillness. I find that comforting. There is never a perfect end point. Every day brings different circumstances, everything is always changing and fluxing and shifting.  Our job is to respond, gracefully, and stay up on the board, so to speak.

As you celebrate the long, warm days of summer, take a moment to reflect on your own measures of success, the balance of commitments and pleasures in your life- how they shift and change, how you respond day by day… appreciate what you do well, adjust as necessary. Happy Solstice!