The Path

“The moment that he Begins to walk along it, the Warrior of the Light recognizes the Path. 

Each stone, each bend cries welcome to him.  He identifies with the mountains and the streams, he sees something of his own soul in the plants and the animals and birds of the field.”  ~ Paulo Coelho

Redwoods 2009

Every time I read this, I am struck by how incredibly beautiful these words are.  It is in moments such as these described by Coelho, that I feel such a deep gratitude for the complexity of nature, of ourselves, and the unexplainable connection that exists between us all.  That is all I will say, as I do not want to add any more analysis.  Words as beautiful as these resonate best when deeply felt, not over-thought.  Enjoy.

A Touch of Madness

“The Warrior knows that he is free to choose his desires, and he makes these decisions with courage, detachment, and – sometimes- with just a touch of madness.” ~ Paulo Coelho

So powerful, so true.  I absolutely love this quote, and remind myself of it often.  There have certainly been times in my life when I questioned my own sanity while decision-making.  Or at least I know others were seriously questioning what on earth I could possibly be thinking.  But those decisions always turned out for the best.  Releasing all fear, letting go of the outcome, and moving forward, even when your head says this is crazy.  This is something, although I am fairly practiced at, I need to do more often. 

Namesake

Inside & Out.  I did not choose the name at random.  I did not close my eyes, flip through a book and pick whatever phrase was written on the page before me. (Although that sounds like a fun way to name a blog.  Why not?)  I chose my blog’s name for several reasons.  Initially, I got the idea, as I get many ideas, while listening to some music.  On that particular evening, I was listening to Feist’s song, “Inside and Out”.  (Originally sang by the Bee Gees- just a little tidbit for you.)  I love Feist, love the song.  The moment I heard it, I knew it was perfect.

In addition to it being a great song, the name represented what I wanted my blog to focus on.  Everything I love inside me and outside of me.  I wanted it to incorporate both fun and seriousness.  Stories of my physical travels in the world, as well as my own inner journey.

Going even deeper, the phrase also encompasses so many cultures’ ancient philosophies, religions, teachings and Universal truths.  Inside and out coincides with Yin and Yang, the Alpha and the Omega, “as above, so below”, the Tree of Life, and so much more.  All of these underline that there are the seen and the unseen parts of ourselves and of the world.  It is mystery and it is certainty.  One cannot exist without the other.  And a balance of the two is where we all aspire to be. 

In my blog and in my life, this is what I want to explore in the world, the inner and the outer.  And this is what I want to encourage others to see as well.  Because one without the other just doesn’t make sense.  And it simply cannot be.  As the lyrics say, “I love you inside and out.  Backwards and forwards with my heart hanging out.”  That is exactly what I am doing with this blog thus far.  I am seriously letting my heart hang out.  And I am so pleased. 

Reminders of Me

Whenever I am feeling disconnected and far away from myself, all I need to do is play a song or pick up a book that inspires me.  At least that temporarily jolts me back to myself.  It fills me with a peace and knowing.  A spark of my own Spirit returns and reminds me of who I am.

I have many choices that I turn to when I am in need of inspiration, but there are a few go-to items that I always have handy.  Since I live with minimal possessions due to my constantly traveling job, I can only have perhaps 4 books with me at a time (which is tough, because I love my books!).  Currently I am so grateful to have with me, “Warrior of the Light: A Manual” by Paulo Coelho.  I always have a Coelho book near, and this particular one has been my closest travel companion for quite a while now.  Another book I refer to often is by, perhaps a less known author, but no less impactful, John O’Donohue, and his book, “Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom”.  Incredible really.  Also usually in the mix is any book by Sanaya Roman (often co-authored with Duane Packer).   I have so much more to share about these books and authors, but I think I need to devote a post per book, as lumping them all together in one entry just wouldn’t do them proper justice.

A few of my favorites

My other must-have is music.  I absolutely cherish my music and need to have it handy at all times.  My iPod is my saving grace, for nearly any mood I am in.  I love my music so much, and I am so baffled by people who either do not have a musical opinion, or who simply listen to and are satisfied with whatever is played for them (i.e. commercial radio stations, and yes, I am mainly referring to POP).  I have an ever-rotating playlist, going in and out of phases of love with many artists, but I always seem to have a specific theme song during a certain time period.  Also another topic that deserves its own entry.  But for now, I’ll just conclude my music love by saying that sometimes all I need to do to feel like me again, is turn on a favorite song, listen closely to every word, feel the beat, harmony, and life of the song course through me.

What do you turn to when you need a boost?  What is your reminder of “you” when you are getting lost in the hustle and bustle of the everyday?  Whatever it is, find it, cherish it, and share it with others, if you so dare.

Cultivating Fun :)

What do you really want?  Isn’t that the question so many of us ask ourselves?  What do we want?   When I answer this question, I want days filled with happiness, love, and fulfillment.  I want to be healthy and balanced in every way; body, mind, and spirit.  Now, the question is, how do I acquire this?

I was recently given some advice on this matter from a very wise and intuitive individual.  I was told to do whatever sounded most fun to me.  Really??  Yes, really.  I was advised to be like a child again, to play, and allow myself to go wherever my heart wants me to go, and to be creative about it.  Doesn’t that sound blissful?  I am going to try this method, but I do imagine I will bump into a few challenges along the way.

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First and foremost, my challenge will be simply to overcome my own thinking.  The limitations I have placed upon myself.  The limitations my friends, my family, and society have placed upon me.  Upon all of us.  But they are only limitations of the mind, not of what is or what can be.  Limitless thinking is where I need to be, which in itself can be a bit intimidating.  But indulging in the idea of doing whatever makes me happy and brings me joy far outweighs my fear. 

So, from this point forward, my objective is to make my life decisions based upon what sounds most fun.  The options are endless; I just have to discover what they all are!  And I am talking about everything from small daily activities to big life-changing choices (career, living space, etc.), and everything in between.  Does anyone reading have any suggestions for me?? 

Here’s to cultivating more child-like fun in my life!

Labyrinth

A few years ago, I remember writing a list of things I’d like to do by 2012.  The list was made up of  items both large and small.  A few things I had hoped to do ranged from looking through a telescope at the night sky to learning Spanish.  Unfortunately, neither of those have been crossed off yet.  (I can learn Spanish in 3 months, right?)

Tonight, I feel accomplished, as I can cross one item off of my list.  Walking a labyrinth.  I walked my first labyrinth tonight under the light of a beautiful nearly full moon hung in a crisp, clear sky.  And the experience was amazing. 

Commonly mistaken for a maze, a labyrinth only has one path.  There are no dead-ends, no tricks, and no wrong ways as mazes have.  Rather, a labyrinth is a circular winding path with one entrance, and one path that leads you into the center, where you then must turn around and come back out the way you came in.  


Labyrinths are walked as a type of meditation, dating back to the times of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians.  They serve as a spiritual symbol of our lives, among other things, filled with twists and turns, often heading us back in the same direction in from which we just came.   Sometimes, the path we are on is so close to the center you can touch it, only to encounter yet again another turn that takes you even further away from the center than you were before.  This is a gentle reminder that we cannot predict what is ahead, but as long as we continue on and stay true to the path that is laid before us,  we will eventualy reach our goal.   And perhaps most humbling, after the entire journey is done, we end up in the same place where we first began.  Well traveled, and perhaps a bit wiser.

Nurture

What a lovely word.  Nurture.  Who doesn’t want to be nurtured?  Just think of everything in life that we take the time to nurture.  All the things and people and places we love, hopefully, we nurture. 

Surprisingly, Merriam-Webster defines nurture as this:

1) to supply with nourishment

2) Educate

3) To further the development of

I say surprisingly, because for such a warm word, it has such a dry definition (sorry M-W).  To me Nurture is to want the best for someone or thing and to encourage growth through love.  It has a beautiful feminine, motherly quality to it, as it implies taking care of another in a way, or at least providing the resources needed to get to the state where the person or object can take care of itself.

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There is so much you can Nurture.  You can nurture a plant, a person, an idea, your body, your spirit, or a physical place.  Nurture is taking loving care.  Nurture is wishing only goodness for someone or thing.  Nurture is what we hopefully all are doing for ourselves and for each other.  Nurturing the parts within us and those around us that need some love, encouragement, and growth.

Nurture.  What a beautiful word.

Bliss

My "group" painting

Oh finding bliss is so amazing, but figuring out how to maintain it & make it a daily occurrence is another story.  Two days ago I flew a few states over from my busy boat to a spiritual and wellness retreat.  This experience, only two days in, mind you, has served as concrete evidence that in order to maintain balance in my life, I need a healthy physical and spiritual practice present in my everyday.

I have been in bliss ever since I arrived here.  My first full day consisted of meditation in a gorgeous sanctuary, belly dancing (complete with jingly sarong wrapped around my hips and a crystal adornment on my 3rd eye), a lovely yoga class, browsing the library, puddle jumping (non-stop rain here!), a nap (yes a nap), and participated in a "group" painting.  Lucky for me, I was the only student, so the instructor and I were the  “group”, and we painted a painting together (see our picture to the right).  The experience was simply amazing.  In addition, I am eating delicious vegetarian meals, and am meeting beautiful people from all over.

Today, day two, I have decided to take it a bit easier.  Two yoga classes, a qigong class, and some quiet time writing in my journal (and surprise surprise, writing on my blog!), and I will be attending a tarot reading later tonight. 

Universe, how can I live this way everyday?  How can I cultivate this bliss I feel on a regular basis?  That is my challenge to fulfill.