Sweet is the fruit that is planted in love, watered with kindness, warmed by a smiling sun and picked by a grateful hand. Endless shades and possibilities exist for each blossom to grow into. Treat yourself and your life as if it is the most bountiful tree in the orchard.

This to me is a most beautiful sentiment, and I believe it to be 100% true.

If we all could think of ourselves as the most beautiful tree in the orchard we wouldn't fall into the trap of comparison and labels. Comparison to others is a sure way to reduce yourself to the lowest common denominator, and then you create a label (I am...) to really reduce yourself.
I know it can be difficult to remember how special we each are, especially when commercials and advertising are letting us know how good we could be if we only purchased (x,y,z)... Do we really need things or do we want things. Can we survive on less? Will we be viewed as "less" if we HAVE less? I say the less I have the less I need. If I only have to pay $1500 a month to live (mortgage, food, car, etc.) then I only have to work for 40 hours a week... That gives me LOTS of play time, and when I play I create the vibration of joy, and when I am joyful I see myself as the most beautiful tree in the orchard, and when I create that vibration, I call to myself more resources to do what I want to do!

So my question to you today is: How can you live on less so that you can have (internally, in your relationships, in your community, etc.) more?

The acorn that we all are

This weekend I was in the presence of like minded loving individuals, playing and learning and experiencing Chi!!
While experiencing the question was raised about an acorn and what do you see when you look at the acorn... I see a seed, and potential, and the beginnings of beautiful strong oak tree! Then we were asked to see all those we come in contact with as the acorn and I thought to myself, what a concept, if all of us could do this more than not.

I do it in my practice of bodywork and energy therapy, but once in a great while I get stuck in seeing someone for where they have been and what they have done (to me sometimes, and sometimes to others) and I sit in judgement. So, my pledge to myself is this... to become more aware of when the non-acorn thinking is happening and to pause, take a moment to redirect my thoughts, and to see them as the beautiful strong oak that they are ~ no matter where they are on their path...

Thanks to all those who spent the time talking, working, and pondering about the possibilities of life! Be well!

Under the sea she lives

This past week has been interesting to say the least... I have learned many many lessons about following my own rules, being okay with letting go of a group of lovely individuals who are not in sync with my vibration, and being non-judgemental about them vs. me, or vice versa... All IS well! We are all free! This was the line of thought that was running through most of my interactions, thoughts and feelings as I sat down to write this morning with two amazing women poets!
Here's one of the poems that came through ~ Enjoy!

Her own rules

Under the sea she lives
diving, swimming, coming up for air
through the thick thoughts of others
whose minds are fertile with the
imagined story of her life.

Under the sea she lives
Sacred dance unseen powers
experienced waters attune to
the internal rhythm of the self.

Under the sea she lives
Upstream the witness revels in the
timely severance of the current
release expected response
bathe, purify and forgive
the unserving patterns of the pack.

Under the sea she lives
Under the sea she lives
Under the sea

~Janet, 6/12/2010

spiritual parenting group

So dear blog friends, topic today is parenting... This has been in the forefront of my life ~ really in a big way ~ for the past few weeks. I am being given the opportunity to parent again and it is amazing how much energy this takes out of a human being when done in a good and loving way...

As you know, I believe we all do the best we can with what we know, so I wonder if we know better and there is a place to go to learn more, would we be able to collectively shift the energy of our school aged children? I have been processing this thought... Mulling it over you might say... Dreaming about it, reading about, asking for guidance about it, etc. I have also had a number of friends and clients bringing the topic of parenting out into the open for honest conversation.

So many of us have such full lives ~ overflowing at times ~ and it is our parenting, our connection with those young ones in our lives that tends to frustrate and put us "over the edge"... "I've tried everything and nothing works", "I just can't take it anymore", "Wish I could just take a break and breathe" are a few of the sentences other parents have used to describe their frustration and tolerance for teenage behavior. I have had those moments myself recently and I remember feeling that when my kids were teens and tweens.

One of the things that helped me stay grounded and keep me from taking my frustration out on my children as they were teens "trying on different faces" to see which one's fit best was this: A Mom's group. There were a group of us Mom's who got together once a month, did a dish to pass, and openly chatted about our parenting oooppsses and triumphs and then helped each other see another way of handling situations based upon our own experiences. Sometimes the information shared was not helpful for me personally but it was always helpful for someone in the group. We supported each other. We knew each other. We were there as back up daycare, as emergency transports to school events, as people in the community that our children felt safe going to with questions or when they needed help and just couldn't talk to their own parents. It was a safe haven this wonderful group of Mom's. It gave me a connection to other parents and helped me not feel crazy... So many times things seemed so BIG and yet when taken and aired out they were put into perspective and felt manageable.

I would like to take this Mom's group a step further. I would like it to be a parenting group that no one person runs, that all are committed to, and that is based on creating sacred space for parents and positive influence for kids. Sooo, if you or someone you know is interesting in co-creating a space for spiritual (not religious) parenting, please let me know. Would love to hear your thoughts and feelings on the subject. Until next time, may you be filled with love and all your dreams manifest into physical reality!! xo

Reflexology Certification Begins

Been a few months since I have delved into the books, so I have been guided to begin the process of reflexology certification. The practice of reflexology sheds a fascinating focus to the practitioner on the understanding of human health. The condition of the human foot is a reflection of the status of all the major body systems: skin, musculoskelatal, secretory, nervous, and circulatory. It can offer another way of pain control and stress releif that has been tried throughout centuries. Our health care "system" is re-discovering methods which were applied hundreds of years ago (reflexology) and are now coming "back to life" so to speak...

I have been practicing reflexology since 2004, but have only been incorporating it into sessions. Now, with this new advanced knowledge I will be able to do a whole hour of reflexology. In this program that begins June 13th and ends the end of October, I will form a totally new relationship with feet.

Preparing for this upcoming training has brought lots of attention to my own feet. I recognize how much they do for me ~ and I don't say thank you enough! Soooo, thank you feet, thank you for carrying me through this world, thank you for allowing me to stand upright, thank you for taking a beating with shoes that make you sweat, and shoes that are too tight and shoes that are too high and shoes that are too...

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Shaman Journey to the upper world

This weekend I was fortunate enough to participate in an introduction to Shamanism with Shaman and teacher Cecile Carson, M.D. In this workshop we got to "dive into" the world of Spirit (also known as non-physical reality or non-ordinary reality). What fun! What joy! Yes, another tool in my carpet bag (as mary poppins says). We were introduced to different ways to journey, different reasons why you would journey, and then got to journey for another in the class... In Journey work there are three "worlds", the upper world, the lower world and the middle world (which is very much like our physical reality world).

With that "tip of the iceberg" information I thought I would share one of my journeys from the weekend... here goes:

This is a journey to the upper world to ask for a spirit helper ~ an entity that will accompany me on my journeys and who I can call upon for help with divine guidance!

I started out expecting to travel to the upper world on smoke from a fire, but as the drum began beating Mucca (my dog) appeared and she had wings (like the dog from the never ending story) and I climbed on her back and we flew into the clouds... When we reached the upper world I had the sensation of being cold in my body and as I opened my eyes there was nothing, empty space, and we continued to fly in the empty space. Then Mucca "spotted" something and landed (in the empty space that seemed to be empty but solid ground). When I climbed off her back Richard Dawson from family feud appeared and he smiled and pointed into the haze which seemed to draw to us a large wheel that turned out to be "the wheel of fortune". Under each "peg" that would be hit to make the "flap flap flap" sound was a seed. And as he turned the wheel and the marker hit the peg a seed would pop off and in very fast motion implant into the nothingness, grow very fast and out of the top of each plant would open and a little person would jump out. So as the little people were being planted and jumping out I was asking "are you my spirit guide" and they would not respond just fade into the haze. After a few turns of the wheel a white seed was planted and as it grew the stem was like morticia's dress (from the Adam's family) only it was white and a beautiful woman was appearing at the top and she was trying to wiggle out of her dress/plant and she finally stopped and looked at me and winked. She was a white lily (I could actually smell lily). She opened her mouth and beautiful music began to stream forth. She was singing but it sounded like the song of a whale and as I was feeling it in my body the drum beat changed and it was time to "come home" to physical reality. So I climbed back onto Mucca's back and descended very quickly and she "deposited me" at my front door and the journey was over...

So much information, lots more than I expected... I connected with a helping spirit (lily), and also was reminded that reality is moving very quickly, and the pegs represented thoughts and as the thoughts are touched they grow and become and some stay planted and others grow and move on. Mucca coming solidified our relationship and when I got home I thanked her for her service and she seemed to know exactly what I was talking about!!

Ahh, what a great weekend it was indeed!

As I Try

I have a lovely client who is a most amazing poet and writer who shared a poem with me that was written after our first session together. It is a reminder that we all hold "things" within us that we hang onto until we are ready to release. Bodywork / energywork are wonderful tools that can help us human beings let go of that which no longer serves us so that we can become the person we came here to be ~ our authentic self!

Because this touched my heart so that I asked if I could share it. Now a few years later I am sharing it. This is not my story, but I am honored to be holding space with/ for/ and around this beautiful human being who is a light to many! ~~~

As I try to find my higher power
I hear the masseuse ask if I was
ever hit in the head.

"you mean was I beaten as a child?"

No, no (visibly disconcerted) I mean, were you ever in an accident, did you ever have a head injury?

I want to tell her that I just left my wife
of 29 years, or explain the chronic, odd
dyslexic challenges I have recently
discovered, thinking these seemingly once
precious facts about me might answer her
question, but all of it seems to ruin
the aromatic lavender vapor that is deep
in my sinus-even my question about beatings
seems flightless and threatens the inner calm
she has just helped me reach.

I notice that her face is angelic-it is a face you
could swim in on a warm day in Belize-all fresh
and unused just like the pictures in National Geographic.

and your throat and the area around the heart seems constricted, like you want to say something and can’t get it out.

I think about my stifled inner child and my constant need
to express myself with words
and wonder how on earth
my body, in such a relaxed state
could betray me this way.

I want to tell her that I am trying to find my Higher
Power and then she gives the final report; the middle meridian (the pelvis area) and everything below doesn’t have much energy flowing through it.

you seem to be disconnected from your source power which flows from your feet up into the body, (she gestures generously and with love) and adds; but that is probably a factor of all that lower back pain

and I think, no,
that’s not the only reason.