Things Happen FOR You...

Today in yoga class, the instructor said something that I really want to meditate on.

In India, the God "Ganesha" is pretty well known as "The Remover of Obstacles". 
But he is also known to put obstacles *in* your way, to sort of "cause you to bobble a bit" on your path; to help you stop going in the wrong direction & begin moving toward the "better" path for you.

She said that nothing really happens TO you. 
Rather, things happen FOR you.

The Universe is conspiring FOR you; to help you learn what you need to learn, and to help you accomplish what you came here to accomplish.

I thought that was pretty profound.
It's been on my mind all day now.

It's something to really think about.  To ponder over for a few days.
For me, anyway...


Here's to a Beautiful Day!
Cheers!
=-)

My Epiphany through Crow Pose

So, you know what Crow Pose is?
If not, this (images, crow pose yoga) should help you out.

Well, a year or so ago, I *had* it!
I could do Crow Pose like I can do Mountain (basically just standing erect).

...but then...

Then I lost it.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I couldn't get into Crow anymore.

I decided I thought I was gonna face-plant... or something.

I just... sort of... had a little freak-out-moment and decided I was now scared to do Crow.

So for about a year, I've attempted Crow pose when my instructors offered it, but decided I didn't want to fall, so I didn't "fully" try doing it.

Well!
Last week, I had a REVELATION!
An Epiphany, if you will.

The instructor, Tammy, was being very gentle with us in her attempt to get us to try Crow.  She was teaching to the beginners in the room, and saying, "Maybe just *try* it.  If you don't get it, that's alright.  If you only get one big toe off the floor, then you can congratulate yourself!"  
So I went into it with an open mind.  
Then I began thinking about how and why I'd been having "trouble" with Crow for the past year or so...

Just as I was attempting to "attempt Crow" (yet again), I began to realize that I wasn't really scared of doing a face-plant...

And suddenly I drew in a gasp of breath because I realized
"I'm not scared!  I've just been comparing myself to others!"

About a year ago, I started looking at pictures of others in Crow pose, and realized that the majority of them kept their butts down a lot more than I did...
So I started trying to do Crow with my butt down more...
And this is about the time I "lost" my Crow!

I realized the other day with Tammy that I'd been comparing my Crow to others' Crow, and decided that my Crow was "inferior" or "wrong".

But I had been doing Crow!
How can MY pose be "inferior" to someone else's pose?!?!
My knees were on my upper arms, and my feet were off the floor.  Isn't THAT what Crow is supposed to be about?!?!  Balancing on your hands IS Crow!

So now, with this revelation, I have found a new Peace.
A Peace where I STOP comparing my pose to the poses on the covers of magazines.
A Peace where I stay out of my head and fully in my body.
A Peace where I stop worrying about what I look like, and continue to realize how I feel.

...
I didn't get Crow pose last week, but I did get it for a fraction of a second.  
So that's progress!  =-)

I'll continue to try it, 
and I'll continue to be soft with myself, 
and I'll continue to remember to FEEL how Crow pose feels in MY body as I attempt "flying" in it.  
Because as Tammy said, "Just because you can get into Crow, doesn't make you a better person."

So I'd better go get my yoga clothes on and head to class.   =-)

I hope you're having a Beautiful day, and remember:
Stop comparing yourself to others!  
Because there is no one like you!!!
=-)

<>< <>< <><   ><> ><> ><>

My Year In Review (Sorry, but it's really long)

Let me tell you, it's been QUITE a year!!

BOTH of my daughters got married! 
Did I happen to mention that?!
BOTH of them!
And only ONE MONTH APART!!! 

But wait.  I'm getting ahead of myself...
I should start at the beginning of the year...

We knew ahead of time that 2013 would be a big and busy year, but it started off with an unexpected death that nobody foresaw...  Boyfriend and I attended two funerals within the first 5 weeks of 2013.  That was really difficult for him.  
The first was a friend and mentor of his from work.  It really, really affected him.  So much.  It's almost time for the 1-year "anniversary", and he's still not over it.  (And I don't mean for that to sound insensitive.  I just honestly don't know how else to word it...)
The second funeral was for his ex-father-in-law.  The man who lived next door to his parents.  (Yes, he married "the girl next door" the first time.)  The man who taught him all about carpentry work.  The man who gave him his first job.  The man who introduced him to triple-x movies.  =-)
Also in January, I was still teaching Yoga once a week, on Wednesday evenings.

In February, Boyfriend had to go to Knoxville for 2 days for work, so I went with him.
Then He had to go to Sylva and Asheville (NC) for 3 days, so I went with him then too.   =-)
And on February 15th, Boyfriend had surgery to have his Gallbladder taken out.
A week and a half later, he needed to go to Chattanooga, TN for 2 days, so I went with him there, too.
And, just for good measure, since I was turning 50, I had to have an Upper and Lower G.I./colonoscopy done. Oh boy.  Thrilled...

In the first full week of March, Boyfriend had to go to Gainesville, FL for the week for work, so I went with him.
On the way back, we stopped in Beaufort SC to visit my Mom for the weekend.
On the 30th, we went to the wedding of one of Bunny's best friends, Sarah.  Bunny's been friends with her since the 5th grade.  It was a beautiful wedding, and Sarah did EVERYTHING for it all by herself.  Beautiful!  And she cried the entire time.   =-)
Then the next day, Boyfriend hit the milestone of turning the "Big Double Nickel".

In April, I stopped teaching Yoga and started working the front desk at the studio.  It wasn't my idea to stop teaching.  The owner decided to stop having the Basics class, so I was sort of "forced" to quit.
Also in April, Boyfriend needed to go to Nashville for work for a week, so I went with him there, too.  We traveled a lot last year, but really mostly for his job, so we didn't have to pay for these trips.  Win-win.   =-)

Then on April 23rd, Daddy had another motorcycle wreck.  Boyfriend was in Bristol, TN, and for "some reason", I hadn't gone with him.  It was a good thing because Daddy had broken his thumb, toe, face, etc, and wasn't allowed to drive, so I had to take him to multiple doctors' appointments.

April is also when I started realizing that I'm being led to do Energy Healing.  I'm not really comfortable yet calling it "healing", but I'm growing into that...

In May, the Yoga studio had our annual Open House.  I always enjoy myself at those events.  So many people show up, despite the fact that the owner is always afraid that nobody will.  She even has dreams about it.   =-)
In the middle of May, Boyfriend & I went to see my Mom again.  My brother and sister showed too, and we had cake on the 18th for my Mom's upcoming b'day & Mother's Day combined.  My mother's birthday is the 23rd, and Kitty (my "baby girl") has hers the very next day!  

Next came June, and I started planting sunflowers on a weekly basis...
Bunny, my oldest, wanted some to decorate with for her wedding in September, so I started planting a dozen or so each week, hoping that at least *some* of them would be blooming then.  
Then Boyfriend & I went to Myrtle Beach for our (what *used* to be annual) family beach trip.  Boyfriend's sister & brother-in-law, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew & his boyfriend, Boyfriend's other sister, & Boyfriend & I were the "only" ones who went this year.  And Bunny & her fiance' came for the weekend.  ...I say "only" because usually it's a huge group of at least 13 of us, if not more, for an entire week.  But at least we went this year.  The same can't be said for *last* year...
Anyway, toward the end of June, we kept having rain, rain, and more rain, and almost *all* of my sunflower seeds got washed away!  I was sooo sad!  All my hard work, plus the fact that Bunny's wish for sunflowers at her wedding might not come true after all.  It just broke my heart!  I tried not to tell myself that it was a bad omen.  That shit happens, but it doesn't have to affect everything else.  But I was still heart-broken about it anyway.

Then in July, Boyfriend & I, along with our neighbors, W & C, our friend Eric, our nephew & his boyfriend, and a female friend of theirs, and Boyfriend's 2nd sister went on a cruise!  It was a 4-night cruise, and we drank and gambled and danced and laughed and slept in late and hung around the pools, and just had a very good time together.  Very relaxing and fun.  It was a spur-of-the-moment trip that W talked us into going on, and we were glad we did.   =-)

And I did my very first official Energy Session on July 22nd, the day of the full moon.   =-)  It went very well.  It was with my cousin, and we had a very nice time.  She told me I'm very talented and have a wonderful Gift.  That made me feel good.   =-)

Also in July, I hit the milestone of turning the "Big Five O".
No big deal, really.  I felt exactly the same on my Birthday as I did the day before.  (Which means I'm *still* just a kid inside.)

In August, Boyfriend & I went to Beaufort again to see my Mom.
Not a very good visit.  I made some smart-alec, flippant remark to her husband, and BOY! did he go OFF on me!!!  While I was sitting there listening to him yell at me, I decided then-and-there that I was NOT coming back anymore...  At least, not for a very long time.
At the same time, Boyfriend was sitting 5 feet away telling himself that he wouldn't "force" me to come down there again, either.
Funny, how we were thinking the same thing.
And funny, too, how we didn't really mean it.
Oh, we DID at the time!   =-)
Anyway.
When we got back home, my brother & his wife, Bunny & her fiance', & Kitty all came over to talk about the wedding.
Not my favorite subject.
I was already getting butterflies (or something!) in my stomach about the whole thing.
Both girls had already moved out, but somehow, this was different!
I wasn't ready!
I didn't want them to get married!
But I kept all my turmoil inside and didn't let them know that I was having a difficult time with "all of this stuff".

When September came around, I began to get "moody".
Boyfriend wasn't sure what was "wrong" with me.
I already don't talk a lot on a "normal" day (whatever that is!), but I just "couldn't" talk about what was going on in my head and my heart with this wedding stuff coming up...

And next thing I knew, it was here.
The rehearsal day was full of hustle and bustle, and people everywhere, and decorating and fixing up, and all sorts of stuff.
And then The Big Day arrived.
My first Baby was getting married.
And she was Beautiful!
I almost LOST IT when I helped her into her dress!!!  I had visions in my head of the day we brought her home from the hospital; her first bath; her first stitches; lots of little things we used to do when she was a baby.  (All while I was trying to help her into her dress and NOT cry!)
And here she was, "all grown up", and about to get married.
Nothing would ever be the same again...

She had us both walk her down the aisle, Boyfriend and I. 
I thought that was the Sweetest Thing!
I don't know how I kept from crying my eyes out the entire time!

But after the ceremony, the toasting and cheers, the pictures, I went into my bathroom, sat down to pee and talk to myself...
"See?  It's alright!  She still loves you!  Everything's gonna be okay."
And even though it was a solid WEEK before my period was supposed to start, I had a gush of blood, and then everything was "normal" again.
Wow!  I knew I was stressed out, but I didn't know I was that stressed out!
(There were sunflowers there.  My wonderful brother & his spectacular wife brought them!  Just in case you were wondering.)   =-)

The next morning when we woke up, Boyfriend and I just sighed and realized that we were gonna be alright.  He said he didn't realize just how much stress he was feeling until that morning.  I was like, "YA THINK?!?!"  
Sometimes men are so clueless!
(But I don't mean that in a bad way.)

Sigh...

Next came October, and Boyfriend had to go to Chattanooga again, so I went with him for a 3-night stay.
Then on that Saturday, I did the Komen Race with Bunny in honor of one of the doctors she worked for.  We walked it, 'cause I don't run!  But that was a good time.   =-)
The next weekend, I went to my sister's in Seven Springs, NC.  Wonderful visit!

And then on October 24th, my other Baby got married!!!
I honestly wondered for a time if they were trying to kill me!

Hers was a beautiful wedding too.
She made the decorations herself, and the 3 wedding bouquets.
She's very talented like that.
Gets it from her Mom.   =-)  jk

Also in October, I quit working the front desk at the Yoga studio.
I was just ready to move on.
Actually, I almost gave up on the studio all-together.  I had almost quit going entirely.  I was ready to do something else somewhere else.

But then November came, and I went back to it.
I also sent out an email to my Yoga friends and started doing Energy Sessions out of my house.  I wanted to get 25 "Practicums" (that's what they call it in the Medical field) before I started giving out my business card to "just anybody".
I'm almost at my 25.   =-)
I had 3 sessions the first week, and 5 the second week!
And then the Holiday Season began, and people weren't really able to work me into their schedules very easily, so things began to slow down.
But that's okay, 'cause this is a new year now, Baby!   =-)

Anyway.  The girls and their boys spent Thanksgiving with us.
That doesn't exactly explain it...
We all went to my brother's in Greensboro on T'giving Day, and then we went to Boyfriend's Mom's the day after T'giving.
Then Bunny had her birthday the next day, and we went out for Sushi at her favorite Sushi place!  It was a very good time.   =-)

And the next day was December.
I went to my sister's for a 3-night stay.  Came home in time to go to a gallery opening for Bunny that evening and took Daddy with us.
Had a movie night at Kitty's the next night.  Boyfriend didn't go.  He doesn't really like it there 'cause she has 2 cats...

Then, on Dec 11th, Kitty had a wreck and totalled her car!  She's okay!  But her car...?  Not so much.  So the next day I had to take her and her husband to work and wherever.  Then they got a rental the following day.

Then that Saturday I did an Energy Session on a total stranger.
It was a VERY good session!  I saw things, I felt things, and she even felt some tinglings and saw colors.  Very Good Session.   =-)  At the end of it, she said, "I don't know why people poo-poo this stuff.  They should try it before they put it down.  That was really awesome!"   And I felt good.  

And she's absolutely right.  You should try something before you put it down.

The next Saturday, the Girls, my (female) cousin, & I went to see The Nutcracker.  Cousin said she thinks that'll have to become a tradition:  Girls-only going to the Nutcracker before Christmas.   =-)
Boyfriend & I spent Xmas Eve & Xmas at his Mom's.

And that was my year in a (VERY BIG) nutshell!

How was your year?!



I hope you can wake up in the morning, breathe deeply and say aloud, "It's gonna be a Beautiful Day!"

=-)

Energy Healing

So...
With the new slant to my blog for the (few) people who read it, I've had some questions:

"What do you mean by 'Energy Healing'?"
"What is 'Energy Work', anyway?"
"How does this 'Energy thing' work?"
"What are you peddlin', woman?!"
"Are you talking about electricity when you say 'Energy'?"
and "What are you into now..."

Okay.
So allow me to try to explain a bit...

I began taking Yoga classes in 2008.  I immediately fell in love with it because it's "precise-ness" reminded me of Ballet, which I began taking at the age of 11, and steadily took classes until I was 18 or 19.

I *loved* Ballet.  The gracefulness.  The beauty.  The precision.  
Every body part was supposed to be in a certain position, with each part being paid physical & mental attention to, all at the same time.  Plus, all of that was put to music; co-ordinated, graceful, precise.
A "Discipline", if you will.

I LOVED it.

I could be in the worst mood on my way to Ballet class, but by the time class was over, I felt Wonderful again!  
True Love.

Well, after 25 years of *not* having Ballet in my life (but always having it at the back of my mind, as much a part of me as knowing how to ride a bike, or how to swim), I went into a Yoga class at the Y, not expecting much.  
Not really knowing what to expect AT ALL... when...

B-A-M!!!

Precision.  Beauty.  Discipline.

Much like Ballet, Yoga requires each body part to be "active", all parts at the same time.

I loved it right away!
I started doing Yoga every weekday.  I quickly learned the English names of the poses.  It took me a while to learn about the breath...
With Yoga, it helps to inhale into poses and exhale out of poses.  It took me a *while* (and a very good teacher) to realize that when she said, "Exhale into Down Dog", she really meant to EXHALE as you go into Down Dog!  Once I started moving WITH the breath, it really became a "Dance of Magic" for me.   =-)
Once again, I could be in a horrible mood (or going into my Depression), but by the time I left Yoga class, I would be feeling Good again.   =-)  So...

I Fell In Love!

I stopped going to the Y and started taking Yoga at a studio, and got "deeper" into Yoga.  The inhaling and exhaling.  The movement and stillness.  The "Reaching up and rooting down".  The "Opposites coming together to create Balance".  I loved it all.  

At the Studio, I found that each posture had *another* name, and it was in another language called Sanskrit.  I learned that the breath should be more "at the back of the throat, and rolling" (called "Ujayyi", or "Conqueror's" or "Victor's" breath).  I learned that there are many, many breathing exercises that have different effects on the body and the mind.  I learned a little bit about Meditation.
I learned that there is so much to learn in Yoga that I took the Yoga Teacher Training in 2011/2012.

In Teacher Training, they talked about a LOT of "new" (to me) things:
Yoga history.
Yoga philosophy.
Thai Yoga (intro).
Chair Yoga (intro).
Prenatal Yoga (intro).
More about Meditation.
Ayurveda (the "sister science" to Yoga).
Energy.
Pranayama (the "Breath of Life").

Some things, I "took to" right away.
Other things took me time to "assimilate" in my brain.

...like "that Energy stuff"...   


(As a "side note"... One of my Teacher Training "sisters" told me last month that as soon as we started touching each other in the Teacher Training classes, she knew "right away" that I would get into "this Energy stuff".  She said that my Touch was "just different".  She's intuitive like that.  I wondered why she never told me about that...)

...

So... What *do* I mean by "Energy Work"?

Well, not to tease you or anything, but now that I've written so much about Yoga, I think it best to wait until my next post to really tell you about Energy Work and how I got here.
Sorry.

I'll be back soon (-ish!).

Have a Beautiful Day!

<>< <>< <><   ><> ><> ><>   

.

June 5th, 2012

So... Yesterday.


I am now OFFICIALLY a Registered Yoga Teacher!!!  =-)


I took the 200-hour course at Gotta Yoga in Charlotte.  It was Quite a Ride, too.  =-)  Lots of Yoga; lots of emotions; lots of "stuff".  


And i learned some very valuable lessons.
I think the most valuable lesson i learned is that "Girls are Okay!"
I've never had a "group of girlfriends" that i hung out with.  I've never had a special "best friend", other than Boyfriend, but i'm talking about Girls!
Oh, don't get me totally wrong; my daughters are my Best Friends,
and my Sister has ALWAYS been my Best Friend.
But they kinda "hafta" love me.  =-)


I'm talking about someone who started out as a stranger, but ended up as a "Girlfriend" or a "Bestie".
So imagine my delight and surprise when i discovered this group of ladies of all ages who didn't whine about everything,  didn't bitch about little things, didn't talk about each other behind each others' backs, and didn't get moody!  I LOVED IT!!  =-)  It gave me a renewed faith in "Female-kind".  =-)


Anyway...
I had the privilege of auditioning for my Yoga Studio this past Thursday.  =-)
And i did just fine.  =-)
I've been offered a position there!!!
Right now, i'm "merely" on the Sub list, 
but come the Fall, they'll probably offer me a Regular class!  And i'm SO tickled!  =-)




On the HomeFront:
The Landscape Dude is in the back yard right now, hammering and making all kinds of noises as he and his lone helper bust up all the concrete back there.  It's an area of about 14'x26'!  And they're just using one sledge hammer!  I offered them mine so they could each bust the concrete, but he told me it's okay...  Whatever, Dude!  It's gonna be slooow going for ya, but whatever.  =-)




I hope you're having a WONDERFUL Day today!  
(You'd better be; this is the only June 5th, 2012 that you're gonna get!) 

Here's a little "Relaxation Inspiration" for ya!

photo by Boyfriend @ Long Key, FL

June 2011

=-)

What A Journey!

I apologize for not posting in such a long time, but...
Well?  Honestly?

I've discovered that FaceBook is a Vortex-Black Hole!

I'll get on my computer to write a post, 

or to look at some blogs,

or to write something on Word,

or whatever...

And next thing i know,

it's TWO HOURS LATER!

And i've accomplished NOTHING!

Except i've been "entertained" on FaceBook!

I haven't done the laundry;

i haven't done the ironing;

i haven't done the dishes;

i haven't even made the bed yet!

But i've "caught up" with all my friends on FB, buddy!

So i may try to do an "Intervention" on myself.  

I'm gonna try a little "rehab" for awhile.  =-)

Ha ha.

...

Anyway!

I came on here today to give you an update!

I'm SO EXCITED!!!

On Sunday, May 20th, 2012, 

I GRADUATED FROM 

YOGA TEACHER TRAINING!!!

I graduated with a certificate for 200-hour Vinyasa Flow Yoga.

Now i've sent in my certificate (a copy) and money to Register with Yoga Alliance, so soon (2 - 3 weeks?) i'll be a

Registered Yoga Teacher!

and i can put the initials RYT behind my name (for at least 3 years).  =-)

Not really sure if i should post this picture, but...

It's mine, and i'm in it, and i'm SO PROUD of it!!!  

My Graduating Class (& my 2 Teachers!)

(I'm the 3rd from the left in the back)

It was *quite* a Journey!

I learned so much about Myself.

I learned so much about People.

I learned so much about Yoga.

I learned SO MUCH!

It was an AWESOME Experience!  =-)

...and now i'd best go make the bed.

AND fix supper!

Namaste, ya'll!!!   =-)

...Awful...

So i've been awful...
An awful Blogger, anyway.


It's not my intention!  Honest.  
But if there isn't much going on in my life, other than the typical "same ol', same ol'"...
Well...
Then i just can't force myself to blog anything.


I always feel like i can't make a blog post if i don't have any news...
or some new project i'm working on...
or something going on that "bears telling".


I'm slowly working on some embroidery on a bluejean jacket...  Still.  =-)
I'm also slowly doodling and what-not on an "altered" book.  I've been doing "something" with this book for, what, like 3 years now? 
Not 3 years steadily, though!  Like 10 minutes one day here, and then 12 minutes one day like 6 months from now.  It sits around a lot.


But that's how i "work".


But i AM working on getting my Yoga Teacher Training!  =-)
And it's KICKIN' MY ASS!!!
The first weekend, i was on my period, so i came home absolutely *exhausted* each day (it's fri, sat & sun).
But then, the second weekend, i wasn't on, so it went better.
Then this past weekend, i was on it again, so i'm *still* tired/not right.
But i'm hoping tomorrow is better... motivation-wise, anyway.  =-)




...oh.  Oh yeah.
I have some sad news to share...
Kitty will be moving out soon.
She wants to move out soon with her boyfriend.  Like, maybe next month.


I
Am 
Totally
NOT
Ready
For
This!
!
!


But i know it's just the natural progression of things as they should be.
She's growing up.
I'm happy that she has the confidence to move out.
I'm happy that she has the courage.


But now...?
Now i'll be...


Alone.


I know Boyfriend is still here!  I'm not saying that!
But he's usually at work, and i'm usually here...
By myself.
Just me and the dog.
And she's usually 


asleep.






But i'll be fine.
I know i will.


I just need some time to digest this.




I'll be back.
I don't know when!
But i'll BE BACK!!!


=-)

...I'm Terrible, I Know. Sorry.

I apologize for it being such a looong time since i last posted.
It's not that i don't think about posting.  I do!
It's just that i don't always have much of anything to post about.
I just go about my days, doing my "usual" things, and i don't think you want to read the same things, week after week...


Or maybe i'm wrong.
You know, all of those "reality" shows are so popular now, and most of them are about all the day-to-day and stupid things that folk do.
So maybe i have the wrong attitude about it all.  =-)


Anyway, my Dad is still coming over every weekday for his Yoga class from me. =-)  I'm so thrilled that he's doing Yoga!  


And he's noticing improvements!!!
That's the really important and wonderful thing!  (in case you couldn't figure that one out for yourself)  =-)


Anyway, he comes over every weekday.  We used to do his "class" after my  own morning Yoga class, but we decided to change it.
It was kinda an out-of-sorts time when we were doing his Yoga at lunchtime.  So yesterday (Monday), we started doing his Yoga at 7:45am.
It's working out much better.  =-)




...and speaking of Yoga...
My Yoga Teacher Training starts THIS Friday!!!
I'm excited, but i'm also nervous.  When i told my teacher that i was also nervous, she just didn't understand *why* i would be nervous...
Seriously?!
I worry about so many things.
Of course i would be worried about this too.


But i'm gonna do it, regardless of my worries or fears.
I *am* looking forward to it.


I'll try to keep you posted.
(... but hopefully it w


Wish me luck!


=-)

No New Painting

Sorry.  No picture today.
I guess i could use one of Bunny's photos, but...  
I dunno.  We'll see.  =-)


Anyway, i mentioned in a post the other day something about getting an idea while i was in Yoga class.
Actually, that has happened a number of times for me.
I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but sometimes i'll have a problem or some situation will be buggin' me, and while i'm in Yoga, 
suddenly 
that problem will become clear; 
a solution for the situation will suddenly appear in my head.


And that's really nice.  
And comforting.


It's happened when i was working on a quilt and got "stuck" in a place of "i don't know what to do now" or "i don't know how to do this next step", 
and then,
in class,
when i wasn't even thinking about my quilt,
suddenly,
BAM!  There it is.  There's how to work out my sewing problem.


And while working on that Beaded Cuff that i still haven't finished (just sayin'!), i've had technical issues that have finally been resolved while in Yoga class.


And when i was feelin' sooo bad about Kitty, and not knowin' what to do for her, during one class a really good idea occurred to me that i will be able to do to help others in the future, since Kitty doesn't want to try it for herself.


And that time, a few months ago, when i was falling into an old deep, dark place...
I forced myself to get up out of bed anyway.
I forced myself to drive to class anyway.
I forced myself to get out of the truck and go into the Studio anyway.
But do't let me mislead you.  Yoga didn't miraculously make me feel Bright-Eyed & Bushy-Tailed, but it DID help me begin to feel better.  And one lady noticed how badly i was feeling, and she stood there and hugged me.  
Even though i told her i didn't want a hug.
But it helped.  =-)
(And i didn't break down crying like i thought i would.)  =-)



So Yoga class is good for me in many ways!  It's good physically, but it's also good mentally and spiritually.  It's just good all around!




I love it!!!

So...
What helps you figure out how to work out something?  Or what helps you feel better?


(I know you're showing up to look.  I have a Counter on here.  Why not leave a little comment?  Even if it's to tell me that this post is Lame.)  =-)




And, since this post seems to be about Sunshine breaking through the clouds:

photo by Bunny

I hope you have a SUPER Wonderful Day!!!

=-)

Sleepwalking In Habits

Photo by Boyfriend

Long Key

If you always do

what you always did,

you'll always get

what you always got.

- Anonymous

Patience

Photo by Boyfriend

Long Key

How poor they are that have not patience!

What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

- William Shakespeare

Ahimsa

Photo by Boyfriend

Key West

The only thing we can control is our attitude.

We have the choice of life or death,

love or fear, in each moment.

And we bear the responsibility

for that choice in each moment.

- Rolf Gates, "Meditations From the Mat"

New Quilt!

It's taken me a looong time, but i've finally finished Kelsey's Baby's quilt!
Yay!!!

The thing that took me so long was the label.
I struggled with how to do the label, and then, after i decided i'd just hand-embroider it myself... Well...  Then i had to sit around and think about that for a looong time too.

Anyway, i FINALLY got it all finished week-before-last, and then i had to wait around for the Sun to come back out so i could finally take pictures of it!  =-)

Without further ado, here's Sophia's quilt:

While she was pregnant, i asked Kelsey what colors the Baby "felt like", and she said

"Pink and Green",

so that's what i did...

plus some.  =-)

 Kinda close-up

(Bunny was NOT here to help me, so i just did

the best i could.)  =-)

The back of Sophia's quilt

The hand-embroidered label

(i'm so proud of it, can you tell?)

Folded up, almost ready for me to mail it...

(Now where's that box)?

The trip to my sister's was very nice indeed.  =-)

We talked.  A lot!

We did a little Yoga.

She tried to get me to do some Yoga with her husband, but i honestly don't know where to begin with him just yet...  He has Rheumatoid Arthritis really really bad, and i look at his back and just get stymied.

He walks like he hurts ALL OVER, and really?

He DOES hurt all over...

So i don't know where to begin.

But this just tells me that i need to go ahead and take a Yoga Teacher Training class and specialize in seniors and people with arthritis, and i really need to

GET GOING ON THAT!

I know, i know.  I've gotta be careful what i ask for, but...

I'm sincere in this! 

I read a book called "The New Yoga for People Over 50" by Suza Francina, and she just has me fired up!  =-)

Now i'm working my way through another excellent book called "Yoga for Arthritis", and it's SO informative and good.  I'm gonna start doing some of those poses with props with my Dad today.

Actually, i REALLY need to get busy 'cause i gotta make a Bolster (or TWO) for him, and a couple of eye "pillows" - one for Daddy and one for Boyfriend.

Wow!  I'd best get BUSY!

=-)

Road Trip!

I'm going to my sister's today for the weekend!  (Well, 'til Monday.)
(She's probably shouting, "Finally!" right about now...)  =-)

She lives in Eastern NC with her husband and two dogs, out in the country.  I don't go to see her often enough, but i thought i'd go see before her busy-season at work begins.

It's difficult trying to "fit everybody in".
We try to get to my Mom's at least every 6 weeks.
We try to get to Boyfriend's Mom's every month.
I'm doing Yoga every day, and now i'm *also* teaching Yoga to my Dad FOUR days a week!  (Big Smile!)  He told me a few weeks ago that he needs to start stretching out or something, and asked me about whether he could do Yoga or not.  I sort of joked that, "I should come to your house and do it with you." and he JUMPED on that one!  He asked me about three times if i thought i'd be willing to do that some time...
Daddy is NOT the type of person to ask for help.  Like, EVER!  He told me a year or so ago that he'd rather live under an overpass somewhere than to inconvenience any of his (all grown) children! 
"WHAT?!?!"
I'm not kidding!

Anyway, since he asked, like at *least* three times, i figured i'd BEST get my butt up and go teach him some Yoga!
It's really challenging me! 
I took him to an "easy" class (called Ease and Flow), as my Yoga teacher recommended, and he couldn't even get into Child's Pose!
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/475

It made me so thankful that i can move as well as i can.

I was also a little taken aback that my Daddy *couldn't* move that well.
It's something i never really noticed on our Saturday-morning-breakfast-routine.  It's not like i ever asked him to kneel down and put his forhead to the floor or anything.  =-)

Anyway, i've been giving him "lessons" for two weeks now, and i think we're BOTH loving it!  =-)

He's wishing he had started Yoga years ago, and i'm wishing there was somewhere around here that teaches "Yoga for Seniors Teacher Training".  About all they really teach here for Seniors is "Chair Yoga", and that's honestly what i'm NOT looking for.
I ordered this book from Amazon, and my honest wish is to go to California and learn from the author in person!  Her book is so informative and good!  When she looks at a Senior, she doesn't see someone who is "old".  She doesn't see someone who is relegated to a life of deterioration and eventual dependence on others.  She tries to eventually get each Senior to end up doing Headstands, if that is AT ALL possible!

Her book is SO INSPIRING!

I gave it to Daddy to read, for him to glean helpful tips and pointers from it.  Also, all the pictures of all those white-haired "little old ladies" doing handstands and headstands and bragging that their grandchildren have taken them to Kindergarten to use them as Show-&-Tell!  I just LOVE IT!  I hope it inspires him too.  =-)

I have a lot to learn in order to continue to help Daddy.
And i think it's inspired me to "branch out" into the Yoga-for-Seniors part of teaching Yoga. 

I want to help people to "grow young"!


Hope you have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!
I'll be back on Monday.

=-)

A Finish From Yesterday

I completed another painting. 
This one took me over two weeks to do... 
I fell into a dark, deep depression in the middle of making it, and that seriously messed with my "Mojo".

But i finally finished it!  =-)

I'm not totally crazy about it, and i didn't get the "high" from doing this one that i did from the other one, "Inner Balance".  Boyfriend confided a secret to me, and i just sort of lost that good feeling in the middle of trying to paint this one, "Grounding Down & Spreading Up".

But i love the colors in this one!  They sort of bring me a sense of peace and confidence.

Once again, the "vision" in my head is not what came out of my paintbrush, but that's okay this time.  I like it anyway.  =-)

I had wanted for her hair to look like the branches of a tree spreading up into the sky, but it certainly didn't come out that way.  =-)

Oh!  I guess i should inform you that she is doing the Tree Pose from Yoga.
I've been doing Yoga for almost two years now, and i absolutely LOVE it!

Without further ado, i give you:

"Grounding Down & Spreading Up"

She has a "fire" in her belly.

(That's her creativity.)

The Lotus above her head suggests

the unfolding of the soul.

I originally wanted her hair to look like branches of the tree

spreading up into the sky...

But it didn't come out of the paintbrush like that, so instead

she has a crown, suggesting Freedom/Liberty.

I hope you like her.
She's "growing" on me.  =-)

p.s.  I hope you know that sharing my Art is a bit like
allowing you to see a piece of my Soul.

=-)