I felt defeated when the only people to show up at the beginning of this workshop were people who lived in my hometown, and I thought, "Why did we waste all the gas and cause driving pollution to come all the way here? We could have done this in my backyard." Then, quickly, I told those thoughts to go away because they're useless. Something had felt Right all up until that moment. I paused- symbolically enough on the stairs, a Between space- to mentally sweep away the doubt. In doing so, feelings of love and support wooshed in to take the place of How Things Were Supposed To Go (and with the love and support came memories of gardening and feasting the last few days with a long-time friend, a most beautiful and strong soul). And so, overall, I was left filled with the word that was on the angel card I picked while the tea brewed: gratitude. Gratitude from the deepest parts of my heart and soul.
So we began the workshop. It turned out more as a conversation between people who have known each other many, many years, and who have a lot of love for each other. We talked about getting really present in our bodies, and did some exercises that facilitate being present. We did a body pendulum, where you stand comfortably and think true/false thoughts while your body sways one way for true and the opposite for false (the swaying directions forward/backward or side/side vary between people). Body pendulums are useful if you're trying to lie to yourself. You'll feel the tension.
A woman wandered in near the end of the workshop at a moment we were discussing that the Universe (or whatever you want to call it) speaks to us all the time, and we just have to listen. We were talking about how you can sometimes feel someone enter the room silently, and that we have senses that maybe we don't always realize we have. That's one reason being present in our bodies is powerful, we can focus on those senses. It's the difference between listening and hearing (ok I often use those words interchangeably, but I mean the difference between letting words slip by your ears or picking them from the air and holding them in your mind). So, the woman who had an air of curiosity and wistfulness joined our conversation. A while later we moved to the guided meditation on page 145, which moved the woman who walked in to a point where it influenced me to figure out how to record that meditation (coming soon!). Different things happen when we read vs listen to a guided meditation.
I feel the right book comes to us when we need it. So often I have been on the receiving end of books, or quotes, and I am grateful for those moments. I feel gratitude in a different way from being on the giving side, such as with Puddle. I went through a healing and empowering journey as I wrote this book. I wanted to write (and then read as needed) something to succor a soul in pain. Healing isn't a one stop shop. The wisdom in my mother's garden observation- that the group of marigolds holds up the tall sunflower, and that we all get to take turns being the sunflower- holds such beautiful truth. Puddle is a marigold.
One more note, concerning the picture with fire. A ceremony I love (and call a ceremony because it works best when you put a lot of intention into it) is the Burn and Ignite, where you write on paper (and either read aloud or silently) something you want to burn from your life, and something you want to ignite into your life. It's powerful communication, physical and metaphysical, mind over matter, all-over useful.
So we began the workshop. It turned out more as a conversation between people who have known each other many, many years, and who have a lot of love for each other. We talked about getting really present in our bodies, and did some exercises that facilitate being present. We did a body pendulum, where you stand comfortably and think true/false thoughts while your body sways one way for true and the opposite for false (the swaying directions forward/backward or side/side vary between people). Body pendulums are useful if you're trying to lie to yourself. You'll feel the tension.
A woman wandered in near the end of the workshop at a moment we were discussing that the Universe (or whatever you want to call it) speaks to us all the time, and we just have to listen. We were talking about how you can sometimes feel someone enter the room silently, and that we have senses that maybe we don't always realize we have. That's one reason being present in our bodies is powerful, we can focus on those senses. It's the difference between listening and hearing (ok I often use those words interchangeably, but I mean the difference between letting words slip by your ears or picking them from the air and holding them in your mind). So, the woman who had an air of curiosity and wistfulness joined our conversation. A while later we moved to the guided meditation on page 145, which moved the woman who walked in to a point where it influenced me to figure out how to record that meditation (coming soon!). Different things happen when we read vs listen to a guided meditation.
I feel the right book comes to us when we need it. So often I have been on the receiving end of books, or quotes, and I am grateful for those moments. I feel gratitude in a different way from being on the giving side, such as with Puddle. I went through a healing and empowering journey as I wrote this book. I wanted to write (and then read as needed) something to succor a soul in pain. Healing isn't a one stop shop. The wisdom in my mother's garden observation- that the group of marigolds holds up the tall sunflower, and that we all get to take turns being the sunflower- holds such beautiful truth. Puddle is a marigold.
One more note, concerning the picture with fire. A ceremony I love (and call a ceremony because it works best when you put a lot of intention into it) is the Burn and Ignite, where you write on paper (and either read aloud or silently) something you want to burn from your life, and something you want to ignite into your life. It's powerful communication, physical and metaphysical, mind over matter, all-over useful.