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Ripples and the Mind Stuff

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The world is in a constant state of flux or change.   The ripples of time and life affect us on many levels.    We learn in yoga the “mind stuff” flows in these ripples.   The stuff of the mind is our awareness, our thoughts that reverberate to and fro.   Imagine dropping a stone into still waters.   Watch how small it begins and as it expands and lifts, you can visualize the initial circle becoming many, working it’s way to the shore.   Once there, you can see that it builds with force and maybe so much that it crashes only to reverse and begin moving fro again and again.   So many ripples equal a larger wave and before long you can have many ripples and waves moving in so many directions.   Confusion ensues. This is when the mind is full of clutter or what some refer to as the “chattering monkey”. The meditative mind practices of observing an individual ripple without attachment are the trick.   Just to watch, imagining you are a tiny boat caught in the wave is a scary feeling,

Transitioning the Universal Wave of Manifestation

It's been a little bit since I published anything so lets recap and catch up. ;) Transitioning Can Be Fun or Hard to Do   Transitioning is a constant in my life.   Either I am idling, which is usually only a brief moment or I am moving towards a particular goal.   Once the goal is achieved there is a feeling of accomplishment, I delight in the satisfaction that achievement brings…for a while, thus the short bit of idleness.   Then something happens and the excitement begins to stir within for something new.    Most of us have this pulling; maybe it is a degree or certification, a trip, a move, a new job, a new look, a new home, a puppy, or even a new love.   I believe this is part of the human condition.   So how do we find contentment in an ordinary life or is there only happiness in a life less ordinary? In my experience, I find contentment in both, I consider myself a creature of habit and comfort, a typical Taurus trait.   I love my comfortable home and my solid gro

7 Things I Learned From a Turkey Free Thanksgiving

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Today was the first time we chose to have a turkey free Thanksgiving.  By this I mean that there was no turkey prepared, I've personally been turkey free for years.  It was also the first Thanksgiving without our extended family who we missed dearly. We made the decision to be in St. Croix for the holiday this year to accommodate our youngest son who unequivocally wanted to be home for Halloween and Christmas.  However, to his dismay he only fully realized once we arrived that he would be missing Thanksgiving football with his pal Avery, of which he habitually reminds us. We were invited to have dinner with our friends who primarily eat vegetarian.  As we corresponded about the plans for the meal she asked if I was planning on cooking a turkey to which, much to her relief I responded "No!"   After dinner, I asked my husband and boys, "What did you learn from having a turkey free Thanksgiving?" Here are their answers: 1.  WE SAVED A TURKEY'S LIFE I

The Divine Pendulum

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There is a eclectic little book store here on St. Croix called The Love and Light Books & Inspirations.  I always make it a point to stop in when I am on the island.  The last time I visited I stocked up on reiki charged candles that besides smelling great hopefully help create a positive vibe.  I also got some oil and a book called The Great Pendulum by Petra Sonnenberg. The book teaches how to use pendulums, how to pick the right one for you, along with how to use it properly, and how to discern answers with a "individual code".  For example when it swings left to right it may represent NO to you or it may represent YES.   The book is full of a variety of circle pie charts that have preset questions and each section represents an answer, making it really easy and informative. Many of us don't experiment with pendulums maybe because somewhere our religious upbringing instituted an association with things we can't explain with witchcraft or evil, especiall

A Little Paradise in VA: Yogaville

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 Namaste! I had a bout of writers block but am feeling much better now.  It started out as wanting to just have more experiences to share then there was a moment over summer where I felt as though my life went through a lull and there wasn't a whole lot of interesting things happening.  Netflix may be partly to blame.  I actually researched it a little and found that I'm not the only one who has watched the entirety of an 8 year running show over a couple of months. A couple weeks after my marathon of Grey's Anatomy,  I decided that a trip to Yogaville might be the cure all.  I was in need of some spiritual atmosphere, nature, vegan food, and exercise.  So along with my husband,  my two youngest boys and the two dogs we agreed an adventure was in order.   We rented a quaint 700 sq. ft. cabin and ventured out towards the quiet, yogic community nessled along the James River in Buckingham County, Virginia. On our way! I visited Yogaville a handful of times in the pas

No Bag, No Rum. No Problem Man.

This is a continuation from the previous blog... After being redirected from our connecting flight in St. Thomas to San Juan, Kim and I decided we had politely been hoodwinked into giving up our seats. "It's because we booked on Expedia." Kim said earlier. I joked with her that it was that very comment that manifested the whole thing. She told me she thought it was because I asked for seats together and thus drawing unwanted attention. We laughed as we retold the story from our own vantage point. The flight went without incident for the most part. A young mother sat across from us with her three small boys. They cried quite a bit, ate snacks, drank Coke, then went spastic. We accurately predicted the latter after the food and beverage service.  They were cute even while driving their mom crazy (her own words). "I have three boys myself, I've been there."  I  reassured her.  We exchanged pleasantries and she told me my boys were all grown up. I'll