Easter Morning Sleeping on the Porch

Great ceremonial fire at the Cabin last evening.  Then, woke at 4:00 this morning and moved out from my bedroom to the screened porch to sleep till the sun rose.  At somewhere around 5:00 the rain came, but not for long.  Wonderful sleeping to the tree frogs, birds chirping, like a beautiful glee club.  I was a member of a glee club in grammar school.  Wonder why they called them glee clubs?  Anyone know?  Perhaps because the singing of a group of kids is truly gleeful!  The frogs and birds sang a loud, noisy, soothing sound that was truly beautiful. Wish I knew what they were saying to each other.  Well, it's now after eight o'clock and the sun still has not appeared.  I have for several years dreamed of sleeping on the porch - finally had a perfect time to do it - Easter Sunday morning - and the sun stayed hidden.  Is there a message here?  I'll ponder that today.  Will spend the day primarily in meditation sessions in the Yogatorium.  It will be a pleasure if the rain returns and I can hear its music on the metal roof.

Birds

Birds are everywhere now.  I'm refilling one feeder (wild bird seed) daily!  What a joy.  When I think of it, they are really my pets - Bluebirds are playing around with the bluebird box - unfortunately I never think of cleaning it out until Isee that - and now I don't want to disturb them - so they probably won't nest - too much old stuff there.  I may get crazy and go ahead and clean it out anyway and see if they will come back. 

Shaman's Tree

Here is my Shaman's Tree - Todd found it yesterday - on my own property!!!  Can't imagine a more perfect entrance into the Lower World!

Just Being Day

This will be short.  Today I'm free till Yogatorium class tonight - a great way to end a lovely day.  So, I'm off to the Yogatorium with my tea to spend the day meditating, studying, and JUST BEING.  Have a lovely day!

Intentions vs. Goals

I am beginning to feel guilty - life is simply perfect for me these days. I'm taking lots of meditation time, studying all my old notes on spiritual searchings, walking the woods trail to check on the sitting mourning dove, having new students show up for yoga classes - and old ones, too - and getting the agenda and materials together for the upcoming "Finding Spirit Here Now."  Actually, I am doing that - finding Spirit Here Now.  It's not as hard as it sounds.  It's a matter of setting an intention.  That word is beginning to take precedence in my life.  Think about it - intention.  It's a powerful word.  Far more so than goal.  Yes, I have goals, but my intentions get me there.  Without them, actions would not take place.  What are your intentions for the day - just for today?

This gal's intention was to get through the crack - She did!  Turned on her side and worked her way through!  It was totally inspirational - she didn't need any help at all - did it all by herself!!!  And, she didn't back off and go around the easy way - a much wider space to the left.

Making Space for Spirit to Speak

Raindrops Falling at the Cottage

Yesterday was a serious day of meditation and contemplation.  Spent most of the day in the Yogatorium to get away from distractions.  I began with Rosen's meditation lying on my back with my feet on the mat near my butt with toes pointed inward, knees bent and thighs strapped together, head supported with a blanket (so that my face is parallel to the floor, not tilted back), arms resting with palms facing upward, body covered with blanket and eye pillow.  Thirty minutes or so went by without a hitch.  I repeated this session twice more as the day went by.  It is amazing to me how still my mind becomes in this position.  All of my body seems to simply disappear - at least its individual parts - and my mind closes down. I don't float off into space or see strange visions (well occasionally I do see flashes) but I do go into a quiet state that is special.  I highly recommend you try this position. The key is to be so comfortable that no part of your body or mind speaks.  It's your time to "just be."  I ended the day burning photos representing my ego trips and slept like a baby.  You ask "What trips?"  Some taken during my modeling school days and some later during my pageant days.  The point is to attempt to deaden the obsession with "looking good."  Not that I won't continue dressing  comfortably for the occasion - BUT  I will spend less time THINKING about that.  Simplifying is the key word. Making more space for Spirit to speak. 

Nine of us in Yoga class this morning

Yep, that's me and Sam parasailing a couple years ago at Hilton Head.  Somehow on this rainy day this beautiful sky sailing appealed to me as I browsed through photos.  This has been a spectacular day so far.  Woke at 5 and did some journaling and meditating and such.  Then an energy healing session and  after that, a yoga class with 9 of us in the room.  (Wish I'd had my camera!  Oh well, here's Diana, me and Sheryl on another happy yoga day at the Ninety Six Library)  What a joyous occasion today is!  The relaxation in savasana was especially nice with the rain singing its song on the metal roof.  Fortunately I had overheated the room so we left the windows and a door open to the lovely music of rain on the roof.  What a way to go!  Now a bit of do-nothing time.  Hope your day is as good as mine!  Perhaps you can at least in your mind's eye take a sail or perhaps remember one?

Signs of Spring

Daffodil at the Labyrinth Entrance (Photo by Todd)

It's a lovely Friday morning on the Pond.  It's not full, but much higher than it has been in a very long while.. I'm happy more rain is in the forecast.  What a joy it would  be to see it actually filled again.  Only a few years ago I remember worrying when during a very heavy rain I saw some water running over the dam in a low spot!  Not much chance of that now.  We're in for more cold weather but the bright sunshine fools me into thinking I don't even need a jacket when I go from Cottage to Yogatorium.  BUT I do!  The daffodils are almost all through blooming now but the two or three that are holding onto their blooms promise spring will come - not only on the calendar - but on the Earth!  I did see thrift blossoms lavendering a yard border yesterday and Bradford pears are full of beautiful snow white blooms.  My star magnolia blossoms are fading fast so green will be showing there soon.  And, the red maples are showing their red.  At the Yogatorium there are tiny lavender flowers on the ground - can't name it - but can smile with them.  And, I just noticed the pasture grasses are greening up.  What's waking at your place?

Woods Classrom at The Yogatorium



Yogatorium Woods Classroom (Photo by Todd)

"Finding Spirit Here Now' is filled.  If you are interested in a future spiritual workshop, please let me know.  If there is enough interest, we'll continue perhaps in June.  Sorry I haven't been in touch lately.  Life is sooooo full!  How fortunate I am to be enjoying it!  I'm sending along a photo of our Woods Classroom to tempt you to consider attending the next workshop - whenever it is.  Todd has done a great job marking trees for a walk through the woods - you can't get lost unless you try really hard to do so.  First, it's only about 10 acres, maybe less.  Pink flagging marks the way.  Come try it if you lke.  While you're here, walk the labyrinth on the other side of the Pond at the end of the trail.  (It begins behind the Yogatorium.)

"Finding Spirit Here Now"

"Finding Spirit Here Now" has two spaces left.  I decided to limit participants to 6 to allow for more intense work.  A flyer recently went to all on my Yogatorium mailing list.  Here's a shortened version:  A program designed to open our eyes to God in nature. We are surrounded by the spiritual but rarely take notice.  During these three three-hour April Sunday afternoon sessions, we will spend time out of doors walking the labyrinth, a trail through the woods, and sitting on boulders in the forest oberving and sharing thoughts.  Together, we will discover wisdom teachings from many disciplines including Yoga and Shamanism.  $100, 2:30 to 5:30 April 7, 14, and 21. 

"Finding Spirit Here Now " Update

I'm flying high as the clouds!  What a spectacular 6 days of learning at The Four Winds Society North Module of the Light Body School  program.  If you're interested, go to www.thefourwinds.com for info.  I'm up early this morning developing the April "Finding Spirit Here Now" workshop using some of the most recent learnings from that program.  If you're truly interested in expanding your spiritual learnings, come join the group.  I'm still not quite sure but now plan to offer the course on three Sunday afternoons from 2:30 to 5:30 - April 7, 14, and 21.  And, if it seems useful, we can do more in May and June.  I know three hours is a long time, but this material needs meditation time, sharing time, and walking about outside time - so the three hours will be diverse--definitely not long, drawn out lecturing! Spiritual learnings are most clearly received by individual exploration - so we will spend much time doing that both during our gatherings and between them.  Let me know if you're interested - and, as usual, no more than 10 participants.   $100 fee.