Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts
Monday, May 27, 2013
Take An Appreciation Break :-)
Right now, give yourself a few moments of your time. Take a couple of long slow luxurious breaths. After you have relished that sweet release, ponder and appreciate at least one thing that went right today... and if that feels good, keep going! ♥
I found this image on the Facebook page Sun Gazing.
Friday, April 4, 2008
I've Been Drinking from the Cup of Hafiz!

Photo from Roozbeh Taassob @ Wikimedia Commons
There is no sweeter nectar for the heart and soul than the poetry of the great Sufi master Hafiz. I have taken to opening up my copy of "The Gift" in the morning to begin my day with some pure unadulterated joy. I have fallen, and fallen hard, for Daniel Ladinsky's translations of my beloved Hafiz. Pick up a copy, you will most certainly will not regret it. Here is my favorite poem of all time:
If The Falling of a Hoof
If the falling of a hoof
Ever rings the temple bells,
If a lonely man's final scream
before he hangs himself
And the nightingale's perfect lyric
Of happiness
All become an equal cause to dance,
The Sun has at last parted
It's curtain before you-
God has stopped playing child's games
With your mind
And dragged you backstage
By the hair,
Shown to you the only possible
Reason
For this bizarre and spectacular
Existence.
Go running through the streets
Creating divine chaos,
Make everyone and yourself ecstatically mad
For the Friend's beautiful open arms.
Go running through this world
Giving love, giving love,
If the falling of a hoof upon this earth
Ever rings the
Temple
Bell.
If the falling of a hoof
Ever rings the temple bells,
If a lonely man's final scream
before he hangs himself
And the nightingale's perfect lyric
Of happiness
All become an equal cause to dance,
The Sun has at last parted
It's curtain before you-
God has stopped playing child's games
With your mind
And dragged you backstage
By the hair,
Shown to you the only possible
Reason
For this bizarre and spectacular
Existence.
Go running through the streets
Creating divine chaos,
Make everyone and yourself ecstatically mad
For the Friend's beautiful open arms.
Go running through this world
Giving love, giving love,
If the falling of a hoof upon this earth
Ever rings the
Temple
Bell.
Oh My God! I love that poem soooooooooo much. I feel such unimaginable bliss and awe every single time I read it. I can almost see Hafiz sitting on the steps of a temple, giggling away as a passing camel's footfall rings the temple bells... Oh what a beautiful and wondrous world it is that we live in!
Labels:
consciousness,
Hafez,
Hafiz,
happiness,
heart,
inspiration,
joy,
poetry
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
God is my Skeleton

I use the word God... a lot. God means different things to different people and it came to me that perhaps I should clarify. I was born Episcopalian and then I met my spiritual teacher, who is Hindu, when I was about eleven. I am neither and I am both. I believe that nothing exists that is not "God". It could be called Atman, consciousness, Shiva, Zeus, Thor or by any word designated to the being that is all pervasive. I believe in unity and acceptance. I also assume that since we have different words in different languages for almost everything that it makes sense that we would have different names for that which is formless. A rose is a rose is a rose... Alrighty then!
So the other day I was japa walking through the snow when the poem "Footprints in the Sand" came into my head. I've always been rather fond of that poem. I suddenly felt a rush of gratitude for my life. I realized that, though my life has not always been easy, I have never really gone without. I've always had a roof over my head and food, usually very good food, to eat. I don't feel like God was carrying me or even walking beside me, I feel that God has always been my skeleton, holding me up when I couldn't do it for myself. The wave of gratitude became so strong that I actually had tears in my eyes. I am a big old sap, and that's just the way I like it!
Labels:
awareness,
consciousness,
deity,
Footprints in the Sand,
God,
gratitude,
happiness,
inspiration,
japa,
joy,
lifestyle,
unity,
wellness
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
Spread love and joy and it will come back to you tenfold.
It works with everything that we do.
Whatever we put out, we will always get back.
So... I'm giving you all love, light and joy!
Check out GlamSpirit's Valentine's Day post, I loved it!
It works with everything that we do.
Whatever we put out, we will always get back.
So... I'm giving you all love, light and joy!
Check out GlamSpirit's Valentine's Day post, I loved it!
Labels:
awareness,
blessings,
flower,
happiness,
inspiration,
intention,
joy,
karma,
law of attraction,
light,
love,
Valentine's Day,
wellness
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Yikes! Just Say No To Embarrassment.

Friday, September 28, 2007
Power Animals! Who'd A Thunk It?
I have been a creature lover since... the beginning of time! I love all creatures except for mosquitoes (sorry mosquitoes!). Once, when I was very young, I was strolling down the street with my family in Provincetown, MA when suddenly they realized I was no longer walking with them. (In those days this was not quite as alarming as it would be today.) My family backtracked and found me in a biker-y bar hugging a Great Dane. I saw him and just walked right in and latched on without so much as backwards glance! Also, I have always talked to creatures. Not like an animal communicator, I just talk to them. I like to think they get the drift but, if nothing more, I suppose that they feel my respect and love. It is my wish that every creature feel these things. Anyway, as usual, I digress and digress and...
If you've followed either of my blogs you will note that eagles come up quite often. I have a whole mess of em living near me and flyin' around above me. I see them pretty much every day now. I find that I actually feel incredibly strong feelings of love, gratitude, peace and joy when I see them. I also feel power surging through my being. Not wild raw power but what I can only describe as graceful liquid power. Often times I will see them when I am doing my yoga practice on the grass and it's like drinking a power drink. Seriously. I am not certain if my words do the experience justice. Alas! I only have my words to convey my feelings!
So, the other day several eagles came flying across the lake and I stopped to gaze upon their glory. I was pondering my infatuation with these majestic creatures and it occurred to me that eagles really and truly are my power animal! My mom had a boutique for many years that sold Native American art and 'stuff' and I've read plenty of books that include references to and stories about such things, so power animals are not a new concept for me. However, until I had this experience I honestly never really understood how real they actually are. I do indeed get power from seeing them. Whether they are 30 feet away or a mile I get the same intense jolt every single time I see them. It's very difficult to take my eyes away from them. Now, as much as I love creatures, I've never had this reaction before. I mentioned my revelation to my dad and he said that this had occurred to him as well.
Lately I see eagles almost everywhere I go, so far, in about a sixty mile radius. I see them pretty much every time I drive. Two or three times I've had one pause

I decided to write a little something about my experience so I jumped online and googled power animals and found a lot of interesting info. My favorite site is Shamanism ~ Working With Animal Spirits Core. They have a list of animals and their particular wisdom. It's a beautiful site and quite informative as well. Here is what the site says about Bald Eagle;
Bald Eagle's Wisdom Includes:
Through my further research on the subject I found out that we may have several power animals looking out for us and they can change over time. When we disconnect from one we may form a new bond with a new friend! I remembered having feelings similar to my eagle 'infatuation' with Pelicans, oddly enough! And at that time a Pelican landed about a foot away from me and just sat there for about ten minutes. I felt so incredibly privileged but I did not consider the possibility that he was a messenger or helper. Duh! So, today, I clicked on Pelican and here's what it said;
Pelican's Wisdom Includes:
- Proper use of abundance
- Control of ego
- Recovery from loss
- Ability to float through emotions
- Ability to return from the edge of extinction
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Need A Boost?
I was feelin' a tiny tad blue
this morning... no big thang, it happens. Anyway, I turned on my computer and opened a photo that my brother had sent me yesterday. The photo is of me and my nephew, Sundar. It boosted me right up! I am incredibly blessed with a wonderful family and superfantastic friends. When I think about it I feel such beautiful gratitude and joy naturally ensues. So... No more blues! Gratitude works everytime, without exception.
Another favo
rite mood booster of mine is Coldplay mixed with nature. I put on my iPod, cue up Speed of Sound from Coldplay, go outside, sit down on the grass and look up. Luckily for me I have about seven eagles nesting near my house. If I sit tight for a wee bit o' time I usually get the awe inspiring experience of an eagle or three soaring above me. Once I had the good fortune of having one land in a tree next to me. I adore eagles. I never knew this until I saw them in 'person'. So go outside and look up! Who knows what you might see?

Another favo

Thursday, September 20, 2007
Finding My Inner Yogini
I had my first Hatha Yoga experience somewhere around the age of eleven or twelve. I was visiting my father at the ashram where he was living. My cousin had introduced him to her Guru and he never looked back. From that time on he lived primarily in ashrams, in the United States as well as in India. Slowly family members began following his lead and soon my entire family were living at the ashram. The clothing in the ashram was extremely modest in those days, the Hatha Yoga teacher would wear a floor length skirt and a long sleeved blouse and the demonstrator usually wore a punjabi. I remember most clearly the guided savasana and the powerful effect that her words had on my body. I actually still use several of that teacher's phrases in my own relaxation. I can still hear her soft reassuring voice in my head as I guide myself into Savasana.
I have spent most of my life traveling and moving around, first with my family and then on my own. The longest time that I've spent living in an ashram was a little over two and a half years, I am the exception in my family. Anyway, it was during that particular time that I trained to be a Hatha Yoga teacher. For a brief period I taught my own classes but I preferred giving private lessons and adjusting for other teachers' classes. I do not really enjoy public speaking and simply feel more comfortable working one on one with people. At that time I was living in India and the rooms the teachers were given to practice in were in a beautiful small house surrounded by Plumeria trees. If you are unfamiliar with Plumeria trees they are flowering trees and the blooms are gorgeous and fragrant! It was a heavenly experience to be sure!
At that time I had a truly fantastic and wonderfully motivating teacher. His depth of understanding the body and the postures as well as his conveyance of that knowledge into his students' bodies is truly phenomenal. He has his own school now and I could not be happier or more grateful to have worked with him. Digressing! Since then I have moved numerous times and arisen from many an ash pile as the Phoenix reborn! Hatha Yoga pops in and out of my life like a good old friend that doesn't need constant attention to stay close to my heart. Also my old teacher's voice has never left my head. His words and his principles were so firmly planted in my body that every time I practice, if I focus, my body practically self adjusts!
About a year and a half ago I began to recreate myself yet again! I started keeping a gratitude journal, taking better care of my body and mind and meditating regularly again. I also started playing with my dog as a form of exercise which I highly recommend. After awhile playing with my dog opened out into really just spontaneous playing. I started skipping around and doing cartwheels and somersaults, like a young girl! In the winter, my precious pup and I would tumble and roll around in the snow. I learned that I could actually enjoy cold weather, which I never had before. It was amazing and inspiring and it helped me to open up my heart to my own self! Wah!
Finally this Spring I was playing with the dogs outside when suddenly I just felt like breakin' into Surya Namaskar... so I did. Now I do my yoga practice outside, right on the grass, nearly every day and I have never enjoyed Hatha Yoga more. At 39 I feel more connected to my body, the postures and the shakti than I have ever felt before. I am also stronger and more flexible than I've ever been and people tell me I look fantastic, which isn't neccessary but it certainly feels good. Through the ebb and flow of my ever-changing life, I will always have Hatha Yoga to come home to. I've found my inner yogini this summer and though it's likely that she will disappear again I know she'll always be there when I truly need her. Sadgurunath Maharaj Ki Jai!
I have spent most of my life traveling and moving around, first with my family and then on my own. The longest time that I've spent living in an ashram was a little over two and a half years, I am the exception in my family. Anyway, it was during that particular time that I trained to be a Hatha Yoga teacher. For a brief period I taught my own classes but I preferred giving private lessons and adjusting for other teachers' classes. I do not really enjoy public speaking and simply feel more comfortable working one on one with people. At that time I was living in India and the rooms the teachers were given to practice in were in a beautiful small house surrounded by Plumeria trees. If you are unfamiliar with Plumeria trees they are flowering trees and the blooms are gorgeous and fragrant! It was a heavenly experience to be sure!
At that time I had a truly fantastic and wonderfully motivating teacher. His depth of understanding the body and the postures as well as his conveyance of that knowledge into his students' bodies is truly phenomenal. He has his own school now and I could not be happier or more grateful to have worked with him. Digressing! Since then I have moved numerous times and arisen from many an ash pile as the Phoenix reborn! Hatha Yoga pops in and out of my life like a good old friend that doesn't need constant attention to stay close to my heart. Also my old teacher's voice has never left my head. His words and his principles were so firmly planted in my body that every time I practice, if I focus, my body practically self adjusts!
About a year and a half ago I began to recreate myself yet again! I started keeping a gratitude journal, taking better care of my body and mind and meditating regularly again. I also started playing with my dog as a form of exercise which I highly recommend. After awhile playing with my dog opened out into really just spontaneous playing. I started skipping around and doing cartwheels and somersaults, like a young girl! In the winter, my precious pup and I would tumble and roll around in the snow. I learned that I could actually enjoy cold weather, which I never had before. It was amazing and inspiring and it helped me to open up my heart to my own self! Wah!
Finally this Spring I was playing with the dogs outside when suddenly I just felt like breakin' into Surya Namaskar... so I did. Now I do my yoga practice outside, right on the grass, nearly every day and I have never enjoyed Hatha Yoga more. At 39 I feel more connected to my body, the postures and the shakti than I have ever felt before. I am also stronger and more flexible than I've ever been and people tell me I look fantastic, which isn't neccessary but it certainly feels good. Through the ebb and flow of my ever-changing life, I will always have Hatha Yoga to come home to. I've found my inner yogini this summer and though it's likely that she will disappear again I know she'll always be there when I truly need her. Sadgurunath Maharaj Ki Jai!
Labels:
ashram,
exercise,
gratitude,
happiness,
hatha yoga,
inspiration,
joy,
love,
meditation,
play,
spiritual growth,
spirituality,
surya namaskar,
yoga,
yogini
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