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!
Yes, I have been gone. Erick, Clara, and I went on a much needed little vacation this last weekend to a little Etruscan town in Northern Lazio, Tuscania. Erick is amazing at finding the perfect little places for our family, and this long weekend was no exception. We stayed at a beautiful agriturismo, Casa Caponetti, an amazing old farmhouse that sits on 60 acres of lush Italian countryside.
The best part of our weekend was watching Clara play outside. That may seem silly and a bit odd, but she had the opportunity to explore bushes, long grass, a frog pond, feeding horses, pigs, cows, dogs… all in a setting where I felt comfortable letting her go off without me having an eagle eye on her every move. One of the precious gifts of country living is the ability to give your children space to roam and do nothing (and everything) without parental guidance every second.
As I watched Clara play, it was bittersweet. I felt deep gratitude for my own childhood living on a fairly large piece of property with woods, a large garden, animals… it was wonderful to see Clara enjoying that same sense of wonder and delight at being outside, exploring. I felt a little sad that Clara doesn’t get to live like that day to day.
My next thought (in large part due to my ongoing gratitude practice) was to focus on the positive. Clara will be comfortable in both a city setting and in the country. I remember the first time our family moved to a big city- I was terrified and didn’t know what to expect. Because Erick and I have a deep and abiding commitment to exposing Clara to nature as often as possible, she will hopefully be at ease, and respectful, of both life in a city and a life that is closer to nature.
A month of gratitude has come and gone, and I am tempted to continue, honestly. Knowing that I will be documenting my gratitude here heightens my awareness of the blessings hidden in every nook and cranny of life. Many years of my life have been spent as a complainer and a cynic - the practice of gratitude is slowly transforming these parts of my personality that I always thought of as “fixed”- focusing on it every day has really hastened the transformation!
That being said, I think once a week will have to suffice. I would love to see a community of grateful hearts come together in the blogosphere… if you are inspired to share your own gratitude practice, please tell me. Starting next week, on Friday, I will post a Mr. Linky for your gratitude-ease.
As I pulled the rolladens up this morning, Clara tore into the room and then stopped abruptly. With rapt eyes, as only a small child can have, she asked, “Mommy, is the sun rising?” I answered in the affirmative and she began to clap excitedly- I imagine to congratulate the sun for yet another stunning performance…
I love her curiosity, imagination, and energy. It is infectious. Having a child has been the hugest blessing in my life. Ever.
Later in the morning, before teaching my Yoga class, I had time for a “coffee meditation” (see? it can all be Yoga!) and a gatha (filled with gratitude) came to me:
As I sit quietly here with my coffee,
I vow with all Beings,
To appreciate my favorite beverage,
Sip by delicious sip.
As life has become busier here- and pain has gone on and on- the thing that has fallen by the wayside has been my workout time. And boy, I miss it. Now that I am getting into a routine and know what to expect, I am starting to strategize. Because I need my cardio and strength workouts (in addition to Yoga practice) for my peace of mind.
Today, I took 20 minutes before Clara’s bathtime to get on the treadmill and walk as fast I could on an 8% incline. 20 minutes isn’t that long, but I felt like a new woman when I got off that treadmill. I got Clara into the tub and practiced some Yoga and some abdominal exercises while Clara supervised from the bath…
I think I am particularly grateful for the energy to move my body- the ongoing nature of the pain I experience means that I am very aware of what I DO have (there are lots and LOTS of people who live with a lot more pain than I do, for sure). Today was a relatively pain-free day, and it feels good to take advantage of that… so while I was on the treadmill, I offered up that feeling of relative ease to all those who might be suffering ongoing pain- giving away the gift I wish most for, so to speak.
And I will leave you with another lovely quote on living a life of gratitude~
“Gratitude consists of being more aware of what you have, than what you don’t.”
–Unknown
“Gratefulness enables us to find peace in all circumstances by freeing us from resentment. As long as we are merelythankful, we give thanks for what we perceive to be beneficial, yet we retain the lurking fear that something harmful may come our way instead. To be grateful is more. It is our courageous trust that life itself – kind or harsh, happy or sad – is good, if only we receive it as gift. The gift is the opportunity either to fully accept or to change what the moment brings.”
Another fabulous quote from my new favorite website… I really like this because despite my happy, sunny posts, I am still dealing with ongoing pain- which was supposed to be fixed. Perhaps that is why I am adamant about focusing on what is beautiful and good in my life.
I think I am working toward a sense of faith that this, too, is a gift and a blessing for me to fully accept and embrace. Underneath my fear that this may never end, (or that it will continue getting worse and worse) I think I do believe that this is a gift. I have certainly become much gentler with myself and also listen a lot more closely to what my body needs- something I’ve never been very good at. I’m not ready to declare full-on gratitude for my health challenges, but I’m ready to nod my head in acknowledgement that this may, in fact, be a truly transformative time in my life.
And I am very, very grateful that I am beginning to see and feel things differently.
“We cannot be grateful unless we are grounded in the present moment, and we cannot be grounded in the present moment unless we are grounded in the body. Much of the time we live like disembodied minds, not even noticing what’s around us, but preoccupied with past and future. But when this mug of tea warms first our hands and then our stomach on a cold day, or the cat purrs contentedly in our lap, we are suddenly present and grateful.”
How delighted was I to come across this unbelievable website today? I could hardly pull myself away from reading through the articles and other features! I love it!
Boy am I behind. It’s not that I haven’t been grateful. It’s not that I haven’t thought about blogging my gratitude. I’ve been busy, away from the keyboard and screen. And that in and of itself is something to be grateful for.
A few tidbits of gratitude from the last four days…
Last night, Erick, Clara, and I went to dinner with some new friends. Have I mentioned their little boys, Peter and Blair? Well, if not, I have been remiss. It is just magical when Clara gets around those boys. She loves them. In fact, Clara and Peter hold hands and walk down the streets of Rome together and grouse at each other like an old married couple! They are so perfect! In any case, last night, while the adults finished up with dinner, the three kids went outside and were playing hide and seek on the sidewalks of Rome. The windows were open so we could here them play and it was just a beautiful time. (Please don’t be alarmed. Blair is 9, Peter is 5 and yes, Clara is 3 1/2, but Blair keeps a close eye on Clara. It’s quite sweet.)
Today, the family ventured out to Villa Doria Pamphili, in search of the Rome Yoga Festival. We never found the festival, but we did enjoy the gardens and the beautiful Villa. Afterwards, we had possibly the best lunch we’ve had in Rome to date. I’m always, always grateful for delicious food and relaxing family time. Especially since….
Tomorrow, I am starting my new job at the Embassy. I am excited to begin and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the mission and get out of the house and use my brain cells a bit! It will be a bit hectic, I’m sure, but it will be worth it. And, without our domestic, none of this would even be possible. He completely keeps our lives in order here- may I never take this gift for granted!!
Also, the first series of Yoga classes is coming to an end this week. The beginning class will continue on, due to high demand and a lovely, lovely group of ladies! I am also so pleased to have the opportunity to share the practice that I love so very much with other people. What a joy it is…
I have to say that I am also grateful for the practice of conscious gratitude. It is so powerful. I keep saying it, but it truly changes everything to focus on the things that we are blessed with in life. I hope you find time to make this practice part of your lives.
Changing lives, one Yogini at a time.
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