Going deeper, feeling lighter, living kinder
The summer light hits my chair just so with a cooling breeze off the Atlantic. Some days the little things are so easy to appreciate and I'm really grateful for that ~ contentment settling over me like a comfy blanket.
This (still young) year I've been quite rigorous about my daily meditation practice, I haven't quite got the twice daily right yet and I'm not sitting for long enough, but rather than beat myself up about how I'm falling short, I'm trying a whole new approach of acknowledging and celebrating what I am accomplishing. This is groundbreaking for me. The puritanical way I've lived my life has become a straitjacket in mid-life that I never expected. In my early years I worked myself to the bone and set my goals and achieved them without fail. Though at what cost?
Here's an outstanding article on going deep into the profound loneliness of meditation. It resonated strongly and reiterated hard-won lessons learned on the 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat I did a few months ago.
As a mom I see how beautifully my love and acceptance of my children opens them up to greater blossoming. The minute I get pinched and critical in my parenting, they become anxious, resistant and unhappy. It's quite obvious. Loving-kindness is the key that unlocks potential and joy in living.
I took myself dancing twice last week - I'm delighted to have found a Dance Awake group led by the angelic Jolene in my neighbourhood and it's in the morning when my energy is way more in tune with a good deep dance than at night when I'm tired and then after dancing a bit too revved up to settle down for a good night's rest. So I'm really happy about that.
I've also signed up for a Writer's Workshop which takes place over two months (it's a bday pressie to myself) and I hope that it will get me focussed and brave enough to publish under my own name -- one of this year's major goals. Last year I got over a significant amount of fear attached to living my dream of being A Writer. But I hid behind a pen name and wrote genre fiction which I don't entirely respect. I'd like to take the next leap of faith into writing what I really want to write, come what may.
I've been feeling more connected to my loved ones and really enjoying my Flow tribe (come join us on Fridays 8:30-10am & Tuesdays 6:30-7:30pm) and my italki students (I'm about to reach the 500 lessons mark -- yippeee!!!). That whole "your vibe attracts your tribe" adage is absolutely true. Thanks to you supporters in cyber space and in the flesh who keep on keepin it real.
The journey has been profoundly challenging for some time (heartfelt thanks to my incredibly wise and generous Flow student Ilona for giving me insight into this passage) but I have these moments when I'm glad that I've learned some extraordinarily hard lessons. I feel my compassion starting to take root and yes, the way is always spiral and I am not so complacent as to think it'll be smooth sailing ever after, but I do feel a little less bitter, a little more humble and even, dare I say it, somewhat hopeful.
Thank you kind reader and if you haven't yet heard, I'm holding a FABULOUS Love Retreat with the magical healing Zelda at beautiful Blue Butterfly February 22-24th at a very low cost but of oh so much value.
Come play!
In memory of the poet of my heart Mary Oliver who passed away yesterday and as a reminder to us all:
Subscribe to Foot Sore & Fancy Free by Email
And please verify your email address (check your junkmail!)
Thanks :)
This (still young) year I've been quite rigorous about my daily meditation practice, I haven't quite got the twice daily right yet and I'm not sitting for long enough, but rather than beat myself up about how I'm falling short, I'm trying a whole new approach of acknowledging and celebrating what I am accomplishing. This is groundbreaking for me. The puritanical way I've lived my life has become a straitjacket in mid-life that I never expected. In my early years I worked myself to the bone and set my goals and achieved them without fail. Though at what cost?
Here's an outstanding article on going deep into the profound loneliness of meditation. It resonated strongly and reiterated hard-won lessons learned on the 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat I did a few months ago.
As a mom I see how beautifully my love and acceptance of my children opens them up to greater blossoming. The minute I get pinched and critical in my parenting, they become anxious, resistant and unhappy. It's quite obvious. Loving-kindness is the key that unlocks potential and joy in living.
I took myself dancing twice last week - I'm delighted to have found a Dance Awake group led by the angelic Jolene in my neighbourhood and it's in the morning when my energy is way more in tune with a good deep dance than at night when I'm tired and then after dancing a bit too revved up to settle down for a good night's rest. So I'm really happy about that.
I've also signed up for a Writer's Workshop which takes place over two months (it's a bday pressie to myself) and I hope that it will get me focussed and brave enough to publish under my own name -- one of this year's major goals. Last year I got over a significant amount of fear attached to living my dream of being A Writer. But I hid behind a pen name and wrote genre fiction which I don't entirely respect. I'd like to take the next leap of faith into writing what I really want to write, come what may.
I've been feeling more connected to my loved ones and really enjoying my Flow tribe (come join us on Fridays 8:30-10am & Tuesdays 6:30-7:30pm) and my italki students (I'm about to reach the 500 lessons mark -- yippeee!!!). That whole "your vibe attracts your tribe" adage is absolutely true. Thanks to you supporters in cyber space and in the flesh who keep on keepin it real.
The journey has been profoundly challenging for some time (heartfelt thanks to my incredibly wise and generous Flow student Ilona for giving me insight into this passage) but I have these moments when I'm glad that I've learned some extraordinarily hard lessons. I feel my compassion starting to take root and yes, the way is always spiral and I am not so complacent as to think it'll be smooth sailing ever after, but I do feel a little less bitter, a little more humble and even, dare I say it, somewhat hopeful.
Thank you kind reader and if you haven't yet heard, I'm holding a FABULOUS Love Retreat with the magical healing Zelda at beautiful Blue Butterfly February 22-24th at a very low cost but of oh so much value.
Come play!
In memory of the poet of my heart Mary Oliver who passed away yesterday and as a reminder to us all:
Subscribe to Foot Sore & Fancy Free by Email
And please verify your email address (check your junkmail!)
Thanks :)
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