HeatherAsh's Blog o' Beauty

Death and Beauty

2011-08-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I checked my voice mail to discover that a beautiful being, Milissa Ann, had died a couple of days earlier. I met Milissa in Wimberley not too long after we moved to Texas, and she was part of our community for several years. After she moved to Santa Fe we lost touch, though I would see her occasionally when she came through town.

When I heard the news of Milissa's passing I realized that I had been thinking about her a few days earlier, wondering how she was doing. Apparently many people who knew Milissa had the same experience; none of us knew she was in the hospital, but despite the distance we felt her through the web of our connection.

And now I find myself thinking a lot about a woman that touched many lives, but that I hadn't seen in over a year and had no physical connection with. In her death I feel her strongly. While her family and friends grieve, she feels like pure light, a twinkle moving freely, released of her body's struggle.

Saturday night was her memorial service in San Antonio. Her close friends Kim, Arielle, and Trisha attended, while a group of us danced barefoot at Toci. Milissa loved to dance, so it seemed fitting to bring her into our evening. I went to her Facebook account and we kept her photos up on my computer screen, next to a picture of Rachel, another young, vibrant woman in our community who also died suddenly (in January in a car accident.) We lit a candle for them both, and I giggled at one point to look up from my dancing to see Milissa and Rachel's photos hanging out together with a mango margarita in front of them. Perfect.

At the memorial service someone read this poem:

I'd like the memory of me

to be a happy one,

I'd like to leave an afterglow

of smiles when day is gone.

I'd like to leave an echo

whispering softly down the ways,

Of happy times, and laughing times,

and bright and sunny days.

I'd like the tears of those who grieve

to dry before the sun,

Of happy memories that I

leave when life is done.

Milissa, you have left many bright memories in our hearts, and a reminder to choose to love love love as fully as we can, knowing that our time here is precious.

Here is a Facebook post from Kevin Anthony Flores, that again shows how we are all connected in this web of life and death, and that while the physical form is fleeting, love is eternal.

... In my minds eye I saw the beautiful face of a good friend, beautiful smile of an angel, shining black hair cropped short to frame her face like the petals of a rose… And her eyes! Big deep brown glistening eyes that seemed to caress my entire being. She seemed to be saying hello and goodbye all at once — all at once. My mind slipped back in time as memories superimposed themselves over her face; our first meeting and the beautiful feeling of knowing that we had always 'known' each other, the camaraderie of a sister found, siblings of Spirit wrought in infinity, such a beautiful feeling. That day that we met we shared intimate stories about ourselves, dear ideas and thoughts about life and death, and the things that dreams are made of. I gave her a ring; a silver ring with a mexican fire opal set in a swirling base and told her that if she ever needed me or just wanted to feel known, and loved, that all she had to do was hold it and think of me.

The memory dissipated and all that I was left with was the beautiful face, smiling, the eyes radiating hope and gentle passion for life in all its expressions, even the expression of pain, sadness and yes, even death. I'll never forget those eyes. And in those few moments of connection I felt good, I felt happy. I felt as though she had said hello and goodbye all at once but also to say: '"never stop, keep on loving, and keep on dreaming.'"

And I opened my eyes and realized yet again, in a very definitive and decisive way, that I was dreaming awake.

I came home that evening to find a message waiting for me to inform me that a very good friend of mine had died. Her journey in life was challenging, yet she was always smiling for me, she never complained about her journey, only recounted the facts and the things she was thinking about them, I do not doubt that she was sometimes sad, or angry or in pain, I do not dishonor her humanity, yet she always rose above it, usually with a gentle hug and a smile. And even though it saddens my heart that I may never again be able to receive a hug from her, or hear her sweet voice, I smile. I smile in the memory of the knowledge she shared with me, to smile, always to smile even in the face of humanity's greatest challenge; physical death. I know that she is dancing with stars at this very moment!

Her name was Milissa Ann and it was her face that I experienced on the rocks at the Giant's Causeway that afternoon.

Blessings to you, Milissa.

I just realized: the last photo below I took in Taos on the day Milissa died. It was the most beautiful, clear, vibrant rainbow I've ever seen.... Now I know why!

Finding Balance with Technology; Choice vs Addiction

2011-08-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Early morning, Austin airport. I popped open my computer to send a couple of emails before I boarded my plane to Santa Fe.

"Oh, you are on the computer!" she said. I looked up to into the smiling face of a woman sweeping under my table. "My husband lives in Dubai, and whenever you comes home he is always on the computer. It drives me crazy!"

Sometimes a comment from a stranger is just that. Sometimes a comment from a stranger is actually the voice of spirit tapping you on the shoulder to pay attention.

I paid attention. I stopped mid-email and gave her my full presence.

She shared how her husband spent all of his time shopping on the computer. How she once deliberately pulled his computer out of the car and left it at home when they went on a vacation to Galveston, and how when he found out his computer was not with him he borrowed his daughter's computer. How even if he had been gone for months, when he came home his focus was completely hooked.

As she spoke I watched her body language and energy. She was frustrated, and open-hearted and loving. I felt laughter under her words, a sense of feeling incredulous that anyone would prefer a machine to a personal interaction. I realized I would much rather play with her than with my computer.

And the second she left, I went back to my email, but this time with a little more awareness.

I love technology. And I also am very aware of its siren-like lure that causes many to drown out everything else and immerse in its flow, to the detriment of conscious relationships and vital health. Our societal focus used to be on the television; now it is shifting to little computers we can carry with us everywhere. My goddaughter, Rowan, recently told me about how much fun she had at a slumber party with her girlfriends, where they stayed up until past midnight texting their one friend who wasn't with them.

When I hear these stories, I feel alarmed. Is the next generation going to be able to function in relationships? Are we creating a society that has no idea what personal intimacy is? And I recognize that my generation grew up with television as the focal point, and I imagine my grandparents worried that we were spending too much time sitting in front of it.

The answer is in finding balance. When I first got my iphone, I found myself playing with it all the time: checking emails, looking at Facebook, searching the internet, playing scrabble with far-flung Toltec friends. It started out fun. And then it started to feel compulsive. I HAD to check my email. I HAD to see what was going on with my friends and family on Facebook. What started out as a convenient tool for me to create more ease in my life started to shift into a handful of distraction and "should."

Most addictions, whether to alcohol or an iphone, start off like a fun friend but over time turn into a controlling dictator that we are compelled to obey. We put the veneer of "this helps me relax/focus/stay-in-touch/sleep/function" over the top, but the truth is we are no longer making a choice based in the biggest picture of our lives, but in the fixated, fear-based beliefs of the mind.

I now find balance in keeping the ringer off my phone, and only answering when I actually have the space to talk to someone. When I feel the urge to check email or Facebook, I first stop, take a breath, and notice my surroundings. I come more present, and get clear on is this the choice I really want to make?

So now I will upload this blog, close my computer, and go enjoy the beauty of nature outside. Balance!

Taming Wild Pony Projects

2011-08-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Summer brings heat, long days, vacations, and for me, project wrangling.

Each summer Raven escapes the high temperatures and humidity of Texas by heading out of town. I delight in these long stretches of time alone to round up and tame my current herd of run-away ponies.

Many years ago I lived in a tiny cabin on the edge of the Sierra mountains. My horse, Chiona, lived at a stable many miles from me. One morning I woke up with a brilliant idea: To move Chiona to my land. I converted an old shed to a stall, bought some hay, and moved her in. But I had forgotten one major thing in my dreamy vision of being able to visit and ride my horse whenever I wanted to: Chiona was a high-spun, nervous thoroughbred who was an expert at getting herself into trouble.

Chiona waited exactly one day before she metamorphosed into destructo-pony. Then she turned her full powers on. On Day Two I awoke to the sound of hoofbeats outside my window. Chiona had broken out of her stall and was running in panic up and down the road. On Day Three she broke out again, but this time she headed for my garden where she made her mark by galloping repeatedly through my vegetables plants. Day Four we went for a quiet ride where I spent most of my time gripping the saddle so I wouldn't fly off when she stopped abruptly at every tiny noise or movement. On Day Five she broke out again and danced her hooves throughout my garden. One Day Six I realized my folly and moved her to a stable with a real door, fence, and arena.

My current herd of out-of-control pony projects all start out as a dreamy vision of “won't this be wonderful and easy!,” but unattended they bust out of their confinements and create chaos. One is an overflowing heap of papers that attempt to escape each time I open the back closet door; originally I thought “What a perfect place to put the papers I still need to file so I won't have to look at them.” Another is our garage. Yikes. Definitely time for some serious corralling there. The third is Raven's side of our home office, which I received permission to tame after the piles of audio equipment and un-harnessed papers began to stomp over everything else.

Trying to coax a 1,000 pound, galloping animal into her stall at 5 am was great practice for figuring out how to approach the piles of paper that are stacked precariously on my closet shelves and put them into neat containers. And when I open my pantry and see rows of neatly organized goods I feel the same relief I felt the first day I visited Chiona at her new secure stall : all is right with the world and everything is in its proper place.

Lammas Intent: Write, write, write!

2011-08-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

August 2 marked the mid-point between summer solstice and fall equinox, a holy day called Lammas, or Lughnasad. Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals that celebrate the ripening of grain, fruit, and vegetables that sustain life. Even though we are blessed to have constant bountiful harvests every time we hunt and gather at the grocery store, I like connecting to the earth's rhythms and remembering that there are seasons for everything.

For me summer is a season to up my play quota and to harvest ripening projects. This weekend I went to the beach and spent hours floating in the warm salty water (I love the Gulf), making sand castles, and learning to boogie board. Part of my intent was to clear the space to make a big shift in my life around my writing.

I tend to go in cycles with my writing; I am an expert in the procrastinate-adrenaline method of creation. Over the years I've discovered the beauty in the slow and steady method, but it only wins out periodically; mostly I use looming deadline monsters as my incentive to write.

And here is my line in the sand to myself: To make writing my primary job, rather than something I squeeze in between emails and laundry. This has always been my heart's desire, but I always seems to find at least one million other things that urgently need to get done first before I can settle in to write.

Which brings me to Stephen King.

Most people know Stephen King as an author of well-written downright creepy or upright thought-provoking books. I know Stephen King as a guiding light for me as an author.

In his book, On Writing, Stephen kicks writer butt. He describes the muse not as some little twinkling fairy who flies over and sprinkles magic dust on your computer, but a surly, cigar smoking fellow who lives in the basement. Our job as writers, Stephen explains, is not to wait like a longing lover for the muse to bless us with an abundance of profound words. Our job as writers is to move into the basement, furnish an apartment for the muse, and get to work.

Stephen goes on to describe what actions support muse relations: A place to write that has a door one can close on the world. A desk, not facing a window, but facing a blank wall. Specific writing hours. No phones or emails or distractions. Writing at least 20,000 words a day, or about ten pages.

I imagine Stephen King sitting down at his desk, day in and day out, writing, and I am inspired (he admits that he writes on holidays and his birthday.) Last night I took this inspiration into action. I set up a tiny table in our back bedroom, facing the wall. I made a weekly schedule. I even created a new user profile for my computer. Now I can log out of noise of my emails and to do lists and log into a new screen that has a picture of still water and gives me access to what I need to write, nothing more.

For the month of August I plan to harvest heaps of words, and to craft those words into a book. I now have an agent and an editor who are guiding me to share my core gifts to a mainstream audience. But more importantly than any one book or writing project, I aim to grow into a steady, dedicated writer who writes no matter what. Aho!

The Power of Food

2011-07-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

HeatherAsh and Nerissa

Every once in a while I meet someone who so inspires me that all I can think of is "How can I share this person's wisdom and heart with our community?"

A couple of years ago I met Nerissa. She was shaken up by a bad pap test and a doctor telling her she needed to have a hysterectomy immediately. She decided she wanted to first see if she could heal herself. Six months later the doctor was astonished that she had a completely normal pap test, and Nerissa was amazed to find that many of the health issues she was having disappeared.

What Nerissa did was simple: through a blood test she found out what foods she was sensitive to, and shifted her diet.

While that sounds simple, we all know that changing our diet, even when we know what is good for our body, is not always easy. It takes a lot of will, dedication, and what I've found truly helpful is community support. It is much easier to stick to a plan when you are accountable to other people, and with the energy of the group behind you.

So I did my Pixie thing: I gathered people together. For this summer I'm part of a group of ten people that are working with Nerissa to discover what our food sensitivities are, and to then support each other in making changes to our diet. We met for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and after taking our blood tests and sending the food sensitivity kit to the lab, we are all not-so-patiently waiting for our results to come in.

I am massively curious to see what food sensitivities I might have. Food sensitivities are different from food allergies, and are much more difficult to track because while a food allergy shows up almost immediately, a reaction to a food you are sensitive to might now appear for three days after you eat the culprit. As Nerissa said: Eliminating food sensitivities is the fastest way to get relief from common health complaints, most ailments disappear by the fourth day and don't return unless an offending food is eaten. Also, removing offending foods is a great way to boost your immune system naturally resulting in the body's ability to handle environmental based irritants (pollen for example) far more easily resulting in less obvious symptoms and often times no symptoms.

I'll keep you updated on my progress! A few days ago I started a cleanse, and I'm working my way up to cutting out the eight main food allergy/sensitivity culprits: eggs, nuts, dairy, soy, wheat, shellfish, peanuts, and fish. Well, actually I am slowly working my way up to only eating fruits and vegetables for a bit. I've found that when I cleanse in this way (I use Arise and Shine), cutting out anything but fruit and veggies I can feel my system saying "Thank you!" for giving it a break so it can clear out accumulated toxins. Already my body feels less lighter internally and my intestines are very happy with me.

To read a ton of articles, case studies, and more, visit Nerissa's website at http://www.foodpowers.com. She has a great FAQ page...

If you are interested in getting tested for food sensitivities Nerissa offers info about two different tests: the Alcat and the Elisa. Most of us are doing the Elisa test, which costs $10 for the kit. You then take the kit to a doctor to get your blood drawn and sent to the lab. Cost is about $100 to test for sensitivities to 100 foods or $200 for 200 foods. Here is the link to the Alcat and Elisa test information:
http://www.foodpowers.com/tests.html

Now to go in and take my morning herbs!

Blessings and happy conscious eating....

My Teacher Today: A Thirteen Year Old Girl Named Claire

2011-07-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, on one of my rare surfs through the mysterious and sometimes treacherous waters of Facebook, I came across a video that made me love the human race even more.

The video was of thirteen-year old Claire Wineland sharing about her journey with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Those big doctor words don't mean much until you meet someone that is carrying the label around, usually weighted down by the heaviness of the diagnosis.

And with CF the diagnosis is difficult: cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes heavy mucus buildup in the lungs and digestive organs, causing infections, digestive issues, and often early death.

For most of her life Claire has traveled in and out of hospitals, and she spends literally hours everyday clearing her lungs and taking special medications. Last year she spent 17 days in a coma.

But her illness is not a weight to this little girl. She is not resigned, she is on fire to educate and help others with CF, and to enjoy her life to the fullest. The girl has more spunk and heart and vision than most healthy adults I know, and her capacity to make things happen on a huge scale catches me on fire about the immense potential each of us has to make change.

This morning I found a new video Claire did on You Tube, sharing her five steps to following through on goals. She recorded the video right before going into ICU for a lung infection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKY_owo4PO4&feature=channel_video_title

In her words: "Why are we here? I don't know the answer to that. But what I think is that we are here to affect other people's lives."

And this is one thing that Claire does daily with her blog posts, video, and by sharing her story.

Today I'm going to print out a picture of Claire and put on my altar, both to use as an anchor to pray for her and all children who have chronic illness, and as a reminder of the power of faith and the power of setting and completing goals. I'm going to bring Claire into my heart in the places where I get stuck, or scared, or pull back from my goals because of fear.

May she inspire you, too with her wisdom, courage, and faith.

Here is the original video I watched about Claire's story, which I posted in a newsletter a few months back:

http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/lessons-from-claire-20101124

Bright blessings

Why Toci? On Dreaming And Being Dreamed

2011-06-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

The Toltec Center was born for the first time in Berkeley with the help of many midwives. When this sacred creation turned ten years old in February I had a sense that big change was imminent. Ten is the number of the wheel of fortune card in the tarot and a symbol of big transformation in the works.

The first seeds of change were planted many many moons ago, when a friend shared with me an idea that opened up the sky: She told me, “Why don’t you cultivate a relationship with the Toltec Center as a living, growing being, rather than a structure you are responsible for?”

It was as if I looked up at a ten-year old daughter for the first time and realized that she was no longer a hungry baby, but a young woman who had her own dreams and purpose and relationships, separate from her mama. Woah.

Young people in tribal cultures are often initiated into adulthood only after they are sent into the wilderness to discover their vision and purpose. Separated from friends and family, they turn inward to find their unique gifts and wisdom and to forge their own connection to the physical and spiritual worlds.

And so I let everything I knew go and created a blank slate, a canvas for a new vision to emerge. We had just signed a lease for the perfect home for our community in Austin, and while the physical space was getting new walls, paint, and flooring I felt expectant, belly-full with possibilities. I listened and followed my instincts, like a pregnant mother following her body’s messages of what to eat and when.

And then a rare window opened. Raven was out of town, I had no classes to teach, and three days of space to myself at home. My being knew it was time to dream.

So I went into my garden and spent two days pulling weeds, talking to plants, squishing bugs, and digging in compost to soil by hand. From the outside, I was gardening. From the inside, I was creating space for the mother earth to speak through me of how I could best be in service to her.

On the third morning the waters broke and I sat down and birthed the entire structure of our organization wrote out the pathway of new classes and workshops and programs through February 2013, created a new logo and mission statement, and renamed the organization. There was no thought, only following a larger knowing. My favorite story of this time was when I opened to the question, “What is our new name?” The feeling I was looking for was something short, easy to remember, that was somehow connected to our organization but also new.

“Toci!” Popped into my head. “But that is not a direct acronym for the Toltec Center of Creative Intent….” “Toci!” I heard. “Okay, I’ll think about it,” I said outloud. “Go look it up,” came the answer back.

“Hmmm,” I thought. “I wonder what toci means.” When I googled what I thought was a made-up word my jaw dropped towards the floor and then laughed out loud. I wasn’t directing anything; I was being guided.

And so I am pleased to announce the re-birth of a new-ancient being, Toci. May Toci help all she touches to re-connect with our hearts, to re-ignite the flame of our inner healing wisdom, and to reclaim our wholeness.

Toci ("Our grandmother" in Nahuatl ) is a deity figuring prominently in the religion and mythology of pre-Columbian Mexico. She is attributed as the "Mother of the Gods" and associated as a Mother goddess (also called Tlalli Iyollo, "Heart of the Earth”)

Thanks, grandma for the new logo, new curriculum, and new space. We are listening….

New Toltec Center update and pics; Eleven days to go!

2011-05-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Last night I spend the night at our current Toltec Center in Austin, which is tucked into the back of a fabulous Indian clothing and furnishing store, Marigold. I felt so much gratitude for this space, for the community that has gathered in Austin, and for the new adventure to come as we get ready to move into a space that is our very own.

Eleven more days!

Last week the floors were put into our new space; carpets in the healing rooms, a beautiful wood-patterned surface that feels great on the feet in the large teaching space. The kitchen cabinets are now being built and a large storage box for chairs along the back wall. Next week is all about finishing touches, and then we plan to make the move on Sunday, May 30th.

The photos don't do the space justice, but you can get a sense of the progression. We are so blessed to be surrounded by grass, huge oak trees, and have a seven acre forest area just behind us. And I know I'll be eating many breakfast tacos at Rudy's BBQ right next door.

First many walls were torn down and then rebuilt


The little space the person is standing in will become our meditation room!

View from our porch

in progress...

new floors and colors

River's new office and view

Arielle, Laura, Christine, Arielle


Thumbs Up!

Tsunami Song of Love and Hope

2011-03-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

The email below was forwarded to me from a friend in California; it is a letter from a friend of a friend, a reminder that even in the most challenging, difficult situations there can be grace, beauty, and healing.

I also just found a beautiful letter from Thich Nat Hahn, I'm sharing that below as well.

**********

This is a letter sent to a friend of mine from a friend of hers in Japan. It is an incredible story of courage, gratitude and insight.

Date: 3/15/2011 9:40:51 AM

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.
Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another."

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on.

But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not.
No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.
There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun.

People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled.

The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

**********

People have been asking me what do I do in the face of this disaster? And my response is to hold compassion, love, and energy for healing. When we go into fear or anger or hopelessness or guilt that only adds to the suffering. This is an opportunity, a challenge for us to stay centered, deeply rooted and present. If you find that you are going into fear, create more space for yourself by not watching the news and focusing on being with what is happening in YOUR life right now. Pray. Celebrate the beauty around you. Pray some more. Ask for guidance of how you can support yourself in a new way of being with transformation. Notice how the media generates drama, and where you get hooked by it. This is not about ignoring or pretending nothing is happening; it is about not adding to the chaos and suffering, but being a resource of stability and possibility. And as the letter above shows, knowing that even in dark times, there are miracles. I hold steady for more miracles and love, and less fear and blame.

My dear friend, Will Taegel of Wisdom University, and I created a short video last week with our thoughts on the recent tsunami. You can watch the video on the front page of Wisdom University, which I recommend you visit to watch the video and also see all the teachings Wisdom U has to offer. We are very grateful to be allied with such an amazing organization.

We also have this video and many others posted on our Toltec Center's youtube channel.

May all beings be happy, may all beings be free.

Blessings,

HeatherAsh

*****

Dear friends in Japan,

As we contemplate the great number of people who have died in this tragedy, we may feel very strongly that we ourselves, in some part or manner, also have died.

The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humankind. And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one part of the body happens to the whole body.

An event such as this reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives. It helps us remember that what's most important is to love each other, to be there for each other, and to treasure each moment we have that we are alive. This is the best that we can do for those who have died: we can live in such a way that they continue, beautifully, in us.

Here in France and at our practice centers all over the world, our brothers and sisters will continue to chant for you, sending you the energy of peace, healing and protection. Our prayers are with you.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Slowing Down to Get More Done

2011-03-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

I had the funny experience yesterday of being stressed out about getting in a proposal to an agent about my Sacred Time Management book.

Hmm, maybe it is time for me to re-read my own book.

Eventually, I did take my own advice; I got up from my computer and went to meditate.

Today I'm taking my own advice again. I'm going to spend most of the day in the garden.
And while I weed and plant I'm going to celebrate my the successes from the past week.

You see, last week was an incredibly full week for me. Then I taught Friday night, all day Saturday, and most of Sunday. Usually I would take some time on Monday to regroup. But I HAVE THINGS TO DO! Yelled an inner voice. And so I woke up and went directly to the computer, and throughout the day that little voice got more and more frantic.

And that is no way to work!

What I've learned from writing and working with the principles in Sacred Time Management is that when we are in stress, overwhelmed, overloaded, and generally frazzled, it is almost impossible to get anything done in a good way. The remedy is NOT to keep going. Ignore the voice of the critic, which would probably have us all working twenty hour days with no breaks for food or to pee. All the critic can see is what is not done, where you are lacking, and all the disasters that are to come because of unfinished business. This critical time manager is compelling, but it is also WRONG!

The remedy is to slow down and create more space. Yesterday a four minute tea break gave me enough breathing room that I went back to my work inspired and excited. When I hit a bump and I started to constrict again, I stopped and worked on another project.

Then I made sure I got a good night's sleep.

This morning I feel more clear-headed; the critic is no longer driving my bus of perception. I am loving the sunlight coming through the oak tree branches outside, and the soft glow of spring green on the ground. Things don't feel like life or death, success or failure. I feel grateful for the growth of the Toltec Center, the emails in my inbox, and my capacity to explain how Sacred Time Management differs from similar books. I feel empowered rather than smushed.

And I feel the critic waiting in the wings for an opening to grab back the reins and list all the things that are not complete. And so I will consciously connect to my heart, to my faith, to spirit as I nourish my garden and myself today. I'll list all the amazing accomplishments from last week, and link those to flow and ease of the coming week. I'll stop looking at what is wrong or what I have to do in the future, and focus on the beauty of spacious unfolding.There is plenty of time when we connect to the sacred.

Creating Space:  A Spiritual Community Cleanse

2011-02-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

All of the emotional, physical, and mental unweaving and clearing we  do can be boiled down to one focus: by clearing out what we are not,  we create space for the Divine to enter us and remind us who we are.  The more space we have internally the easier it is to listen and tap  into Spirit's wisdom and clarity.

When I worked with don Miguel our Toltec community did a physical  cleanse once a year for Lent (about a month and 1/2 between Ash  Wednesday and Easter). This was always a sacred time for me, and a  time of huge growth.

A few years ago we started a new tradition by setting intent for a  community cleansing time from Candlemas (also known as Imbolc) on  February 2nd to the Spring Equinox (also known as Eostar) on March  20th. We affectionally call this period "Lense" a combo of the words Lent  and cleanse.
Candlemas is a cross-quarter day that marks the mid-point  between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, and is a time of taking  stock. For our ancestors who lived by the cycles of the land Candlemas  was a time to feel into how much longer the winter was going to be,  and how much grain and provisions needed to be saved to get through  the final stretch. The light is returning, but we are still in winter,  waiting for the shoots and buds of spring to appear. We can use this  time of year to gently release what no longer serves us and gather our  energy and focus as we prepare for a rebirth at Spring Equinox.

There are many ways to work with the energy of this time of year to  create space and healing. The focus is to lovingly break up old  routines and remove distractions that keep you separated from Spirit.  Make sure as you form your own individual focus that the container is  one of heart and desire for more space for Spirit, rather than a  subtle punishment or creation out of frustration, judgment, or  self-punishment. This commitment is to yourself and is a prayer and  offering, a sacred gift to clean your temple to receive more of the  gracious presence of the Divine in your being.

Here are some ideas for your cleanse. Make sure to work with your  coach to come up with a solid focus that takes into account where you  are on your path. You want to make sure to not overload yourself. And  also step up! What I have experienced is that the strong energy of the  community carried me along in beautiful ways, beyond what I thought  was possible.

MENTAL CLEANSE
• Opinion fast  Refrain from sharing any opinion you have with others. This is  especially useful for controllers. Start by defining what is an  opinion, and have a focus for what you are going to do instead of  sharing your opinion. Where you are moving towards is not even having  the opinion arise in your mind.

• Silence  Partial or Full Silence: Pick one day a week to be in silence, or go  into silence for the entire time period. It is possible to continue to  work and interact in silence, it just takes creativity. Read more  about my 40 days of silence at:  http://www.spiritualintegrity.com/content/the-power-of-silence

• Mindfulness practice  Pick a place where you tend to go unconscious and create a mindfulness  practice, such as saying a prayer before eating and giving your food  your full attention, staying conscious of your breath throughout the  day, sitting quietly instead of reading or watching TV.

EMOTIONAL CLEANSE
• Repression fast  If you tend to bottle up your emotions this is a good cleanse to take  on. The fast is from any type of repression of your emotions, which  means you consciously express any emotions that arise in the moment.

• Expression fast  If you tend to cycle emotions or stories an expression fast invites  you to pick one emotion/state (anger, victim, fear) and consciously  choose not to express. You will need to give yourself a focus for what  you will do instead of expressing that emotion or story.

• Distraction fast  Pick your favorite distraction (TV, video games, alcohol, looking in  the mirror) and stop doing it! What will you replace it with….

PHYSICAL CLEANSE
• Refraining  Pick one food and stop eating it. Practice staying open-hearted and  soft around the item, not closing to it. Example: if you pick  chocolate after a week or so put yourself around chocolate or people  eating chocolate and watch what arises when you refrain. Be curious  about its purpose and effects in your life.

• Partial Cleanse  Choose a category of food to refrain from: sugar, bread, coffee, etc.  See notes above for staying open-hearted.

• Full Cleanse  Commit to a thorough cleansing program and stick to it. We recommend  Arise and Shine www.ariseandshine.com, which is the best cleansing  program we have found. For this cleanse you will probably need to  start now to get your body alkalized. For any full cleanse make sure  you start slow so the detox process is gentle. Educate yourself first!

All of these cleanses, from mental to emotional to physical, are  interwoven. When you do a mental cleanse you will also have the  opportunity to cleanse your emotional body. When you do a physical  cleanse you will get to find loving discipline with your mind.

Whichever cleanse you choose, from the most simple to the most  challenging, be conscious about how you set it into motion. Plan a  ceremony to initiate yourself into your commitment sometime in early February.

Talk your commitment over with a friend  and then write it up to share what  you will be cleansing. Feel free to add you intent as a comment, or on our Toltec Center Facebook Page. This way we will all share in each other's  commitments. And watch how you think and talk about your cleanse;  remember it is a joy to make more space, not a chore! Enjoy!

Resolution Realized

2011-01-27T06:17:00.000-08:00

I did it.

After years of thinking about, wanting to, and planning to, I took action.

I joined a gym.

And not only did I join the gym, I am loving the gym.

As a motivational teacher and coach, I love helping others create change in their world. I'm a fabulous guide, cheerleader, support person. And yet this one little area of my life kept being neglected: exercising my own body.

I could rationalize that I wasn't in too bad a shape: I walk regularly. I eat well most of the time. But I could feel my body wanting to move, to stretch, to exercise regularly.

So I found the perfect motivation.

I made a bet with my sister.

My sister, Christy, and I are only fifteen months apart. We spent our childhood competing against each other in equestrian events. That deep-seated sister-rivalry was the perfect kick in the pants to get me to the gym.

Around New Year's Eve I asked Christy if she wanted to play a game with me.

She agreed, and we started creating the game: To see who could join a gym faster. Or who could work out the most times a week.

Then our mom, who knows us both well and is wise in her ways, said, Nope, the game is to see who sustains going to the gym over time.

Note that she was the only one in the family who goes to the gym regularly, and also rides horses twice a week. So she got to make up the main rule of the game.

I joined a gym first, but Christy, who lives outside of Atlanta, is not far behind.

What I didn't expect about this friendly contest was how much I would love it.

I joined with my friend, T, who knows all about the various machines animals that populate a gym. She showed me the care and feeding of each different machine so I could use them properly.

Being on the elliptical is like flying (an elliptical is a cross between a treadmill and a stair master.) I like seeing how my strength grows. Lifting weights and running have motivated me to do yoga, too.

And I love that the machines in the gym I joined are purple.

Yesterday I worked out by myself for the first time, and that was a milestone. It is exciting to go someplace and feel the motivation and commitment of others, and to feel my own inner athlete emerging, ready to run longer, lift more, and stretch farther.

Thanks to T and Christy and mom for your most perfect butt-kicking support!

A New Year's Eve Revelation

2011-01-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Last night God winked at me.

Literally.

It was New Year's eve and I was wandering around the zocalo (main square) in Oaxaca, Mexico with my mom, sister, and Raven. The plaza was a beehive of over-sugared children, dancing clowns, delighted, wide-eyed tourists, teenaged kissing locals, and ubiquitous vendors selling cotton candy, balloons, and flashy light plastic swords.

Standing in the center of all of this happy chaos stood God.

Well, God posing as a very inebriated man.

Two stories before I get to the sacred, drunken wink:

I knew it was God because of Joan of Arcadia, a television show Arielle turned me on to a couple of years ago.

In each episode Joan (of Arcadia, CA) is given tasks by God to complete. Joan is a teenage girl, so she is less than thrilled by God's attention and requests, as they 1. often get in the way of her social schedule and 2. have her doing nonsensical or not-so-popular things like joining the chess club. Sometimes Joan gets to see the greater Divine wisdom behind her appointed tasks, sometimes she doesn't.

The other cool thing about the show is that God likes to surprise Joan by wearing different clothes during revelatory visits. Sometimes God is the janitor at Joan's school, sometimes God is the homeless woman on the side of the street, sometimes the kid at the playground.

You just never know where the Creator will turn up next.

The second story (greatly shortened and slightly Pixie-ized) is about a man in India who loses everything and winds up sitting in a drunken stupor by the Ganges River. Someone mistakes him for a sadhu (a wandering mystic), someone else points him out as a wise person, and like a game of telephone there are soon crowds of people around this man, who becomes known for his amazing capacity to hold liquor and deliver wise, pithy statements. Some of his followers become enlightened.

Question of the story: Does it matter how one becomes enlightened?

Okay, back to my wink from God on New Year's Eve in Oaxaca.

Baggy, stained pants. Einstein wild hair. Planted with flat feet in the middle of the path, teetering slightly.

My brain said, "Avoid." My heart said, "Engage."

So as I passed this out-of-place stranger I turned and offered him a smile and an open heart.

That's when he sunbeamed me with a thousand-watt smile, and a knowing wink.

And thus God snuck up and reminded me that we are all connected, nothing is separate, and to look for the light in the most unexpected of places.

May we all learn to trust our hearts in 2011….

A new home, homemade wine, and no more armadillos in my garden!

2010-09-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I had a vision of having a larger kitchen. And some storage space (oh, my kingdom for a closet.) And a bigger garden. And being more in community. These thoughts flashed through my mind, and then I let them go. I love where I lived, so there was really no reason to move.

Not much later I came home to find my friend Stephen, who was visiting Raven and I from Vashon Island in Washington, jumping up and down excitedly and telling me about an amazing house for sale down the hill from us.

You guessed it. Huge kitchen. Lots of storage. Enormous, fenced garden, already filled with waist-high plants.

Raven, Stephen and I spent an hour with the owner wandering the property with our months either widely smiling or dropped open at the house, the land, the springs, the feel of this place. It was perfect.

But after a few weeks of talking about numbers and feasibility we all realized that it was not time to buy anything. I was a bit sad, but I surrendered to reality. It was not time to move, not yet. Maybe next year Raven and I agreed.

Last week I received a call from one of our students who is researching the feasibility of moving to Texas to be near our community. As i was on the phone with her I turned off the main road into our subdivision (a middle of nowhere Texas country sub-division that is, which means that most houses are on fourteen acres and there are no building codes…) and I saw a tiny cardboard sign stuck up on a pole by the metal white rabbit that is the namesake for Hill Country Ranches.

In rough black felt pen the sign said HOUSE FOR LEASE $500/ROOM WILL RENT WHOLE HOUSE.

"Hey, a sign of power! I'll call them and check it out for you," I told Marilyn.

Little did I know the sign of power (or sacred nudge from the Universe) was for me.

I called the number, left a message, and in a few minutes received a call back from a cheerful man who started telling me about what he was offering.

And what he was offering was the same house Stephen, Raven, and I had fallen in love with but couldn't afford to buy. But now he was offering it for rent.

I immediately called Stephen. "Okay honey, I don't know why but our house is back…" This was on Friday. On Wednesday I gave our new landlord a deposit. Raven and I move October 1st; Stephen will have a bedroom for when he is in Texas.

And so I let go of a much loved house for one that I dreamed of months ago, and has now manifested in spades. It has everything I've wanted in a house, and things I couldn't even have named. Like a landlord who called me a few days ago and said, "Okay, what would you like me to plant in the garden for you this week so it will be ready when you move in?" and who gives us bottles of sweet wine that he makes from the muscadine grapes that grow everywhere on the property. And a treehouse in an old oak at the edge of the property. And water from the enormous rainwater tanks outside that are now full after the rains. And space for horses. And a garden that is fenced from the nibbles of deer and snouts of armadillos. And many things yet to be discovered…..

Summer Sabbatical 2010; City Lights, Temples, and Flower, Flowers, Flowers

2010-08-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

To listen to the song Raven wrote in Bali (sung by the fabulous StormMiguel) click here

Raven wrote a poem one night, then the next day his poem blossomed into a full song in his head. He sang it into his ipad, and in a brilliant trans-oceanic partnership emailed it to our dear friend StormMiguel Florez. StormMiguel put it to music, sang and recorded it, and sent it back to Raven. All of this happened in the span of two days.... The recording is rough, and yet both Raven's inspiration and StormMiguel's talent shine through. We have both been singing it in our heads now for days, and it encapsulates our journey perfectly. Enjoy! Thanks, StormMiguel... and to Raven and his new song-writing muse! Check out StormMiguel's website for his newest CD, long lost sun. http://www.stormflorez.com/

HONG KONG

On our first day in Hong Kong (where I took my first breath almost 44 years ago) Raven and I sat in the lobby of the Peninsula, an ancient British queen of a hotel that was built long before I was born, and had high tea. I remembered the thrill I felt as a little girl having tea with my parents and sister here. Raven and I talked about consciousness, truth, the impossibility of sharing the truth, and I cried at the beauty of the silver cream pot.

It has been a whirlwind, full, marvelous journey to Asia. I'm trying to take in every morsel of it, sight sounds smells tastes touch. I have always loved Hong Kong, and experiencing its energy and vibrancy once again is magical. One morning on one of our many wanderings we spotted incense billowing out of a tiny stone doorway. The many street vendors surrounding it selling candles, flowers, statues, fruit, and incense by the handfuls made it clear we had discovered a temple. We bought three roman candle-sized, red and gold incense sticks and headed in. It was a small space, about 40 feet wide by 60 feet long, crammed full of Buddha statues, offerings piled high, massive incense coils dangling like thin snakes from the ceiling, and at least twice as many people as would have been legal in the United States. As I lit my offering with the flame of an oil lamp, pressed body to body with strangers and inhaling sweet smoke, I smiled to myself and thought, "Welcome back to Hong Kong."

One we traveled via subway, ferry, and bus to the Tian Tan Buddha; a HUGE statue of Buddha high in the rolling hills of Lantau, and island adjacent to Hong Kong. Part of my intent was to release some emotion and pray for my dad, who has been in my thoughts a lot as I travel in the countries where he raised me. So many memories. I stood inside the building that is the lotus that the Buddha sits on and wept, surrounded by hundreds of tiles of people's ancestors that lined the walls. Some just had names, black Chinese calligraphy on white tile, some also hd black and white photographs, mostly of older moms and dads. Lining the walls were offerings to the dead: neat arrangements of real and plastic flowers and incense, porcelain kuan yin and buddha statues.

I cried for the loss of my dad. I cried for all the people who have lost beloveds and mourned them. I cried for the incredible beauty of this world, and the overwhelming knowing that it is all temporary. In the edges of my consciousness I can taste the freedom of letting it all pour through me, the wisdom of drowning in the sea of life and death and rebirth.

And as we took the impressively long cable car ride back down the mountain to the subway station and the Buddha slowly receded in the background, I felt like a bird flying free over the green hills and calm water below.

THAILAND

Even though I lived in Bangkok for several years, it was VERY helpful to have a guide when I arrived in the form of a friend of a friend. Jim Morris connected with me with his long-term friend, Jim Coyne, who lives in Bangkok. I was grateful to have him show me around my old neighborhood, which was pretty much completely unrecognizable after 28 years of growth. I did finally find two things I recognized (the hotel we lived in and the Erawan Shrine, see below), which made my heart happy and my head relieved that there was SOMETHING that linked me to Bangkok! And Jim showed me how to use the SkyTrain and subway so Raven and I could get around. Plus he filled me in on the politics and quirks of living in Thailand. I loved it.

The next morning I took Raven to a shrine that was next door to the hotel my family lived in for six months when we first moved to Bangkok in 1981; it is called the Erawan. We way overpaid for supplies: four rose wreaths, twelve sticks of incense, four packets of leaf gold, four little orange candles. There are always people praying at the Erawan Shrine, and it was so grounding for me to pray there. I'd always been drawn to it as a teenager, so what a gift to go back as an adult and be able to engage fully with the energies there. You pray at each of the four sides of the shrine, which is a white temple open on four sides with a golden statue of the god Brahma (who has four faces that look each direction) in the middle. The first side I sent my blessings to Thailand and her people and all I learned while I lived here; the second side I said prayers for my father. At each side you light incense and a candle, leave flowers, and also rub the gold leaf onto the pillars.

The Thai's main religion is Buddhism, so I was surprised to see that the statue in the middle of the Erawan Shrine is the Hindu God Brahma. There are Hindu influences everywhere, which I learned was brought in from India by Brahman priests. Each Thai house has at least one, and sometimes two, spirit houses, that guard the land and house. Many spirit houses are empty, others have statues of the elephant-god Ganesh or the Goddess of abundance, Lakshmi.

My main reason for visiting Thailand was to visit my first two horse-back riding instructors, Mrs. Rhodes and her daughter Puki. They live west of Bangkok in Kanchanaburi, the home of the well-known bridge over the River Kwae. (The River Kwae is where I learned to canoe and water ski! And swim with horses....) What a step back into time to see the stables and the dining room and these two dear women after almost 30 years.

It was really a trip to visit the camp; Mrs. Rhodes is now 94 years old and still perfectly sharp and present. She shared lots of amazing stories of riding her horse around Bangkok before WWII, then starting her horse riding school after she returned to Thailand from her native land of Germany after the war. Her daughter Puki is 70 years old and very active; she raised two granddaughters, who are now 14 and 16; and all total there are 8 grandkids from Puki's two sons, Peck and Piet. They are currently starting a riding program for autistic and disabled children, which I'll write more about soon.

We took one side trip to the Erawan waterfalls.... cool blue water, incredible curly vine trees, and fierce monkeys...

Our last day we visited a huge temple called Wat Pho; it is still in use and is the main center for teaching Thai massage. Many many buddhas; including a reclining gold buddha that is about 100 feet long. I found a statue of Buddha that at the base of it had a little statue of the Thai mother earth goddess, so it was by rubbing gold leaf on her and saying prayers that I said goodbye to Thailand.

It was perfect to leave Thailand and travel to Bali; someplace I had always wanted to visit, and that has the same energy as Thailand. Singapore, where we moved in 1982, was so sterile it was really hard on me to live there. So going to Bali was great, and my body is happy. I feel like I got to leave Thailand in a proper way, very consciously saying goodbye and sharing my love and appreciation. I do feel like I've reclaimed something I had left behind.

BALI

The first two weeks of our journey I was focused on experiencing; going to some of my favorite places, or places I'd never been but wanted to visit.

Bali is about integration and slowing down.

The Balinese are wonderful people; I've been amazed to find they are even sweeter and more loving than the Thais, more like the Thais when I first moved to Bangkok so many years ago. When I pass someone and smile I am greeted by huge grins and open hearts. So beautiful; Pixie is happy!

The whole island is based in ritual and ceremony and making offerings to the gods. As we walked the streets of Kuta when we first arrived there were small, square banana leaf plates filled with flowers and moss scattered all over the ground; Raven told me they put out offerings this way three times a day. The Balinese place them on altars that are everywhere, or on the street in front of their house or business. The altars range from bamboo woven, open-ended little boxes that hang from the eaves to tall, elaborate moss-covered stone pillars, topped by what can best be described as a throne. The one to my right is surrounded by a short wall, has two pillars on either side of the doorway, and is about ten feet tall. There is a delicately carved Buddha statue to the left of the altar; when I woke up this morning someone has already been by to put an offering in front of it. I added a flower.

The Balinese are Hindu, a very interesting thing since of all the many islands of Indonesia, only Bali is Hindu, everyplace else is Muslim. They have obviously combined the original shamanic, earth-based practices creatively with Hinduism. Yesterday at one hotel we were looking at staying at there was an altar by the pool that was a large stone slab with rocks on it, being blessed by incense and flowers. The statues that are everywhere are often fierce animal crosses from Indonesian mythology; dragons and demons and guardian garudas.

Hindus worship many forms of gods and goddesses; but they know that all the different forms are all representatives of One unnameable force. To show this most of the thrones on top of the altars in Bali are empty.

We spent long, wonderful hours sitting on the porch watching the wind lightly blow the rice, listening to the water rushing by in the canals on its way to the fields, going for long walks, and eating at our favorite hangout, the Yellow Flower cafe (Raven: lattes and banana berry pancakes, HeatherAsh: tumeric and ginger drinks and spicy veggies and eggs on toast).

One day we followed a tiny paragraph in our pocket-sized guidebook to a nearby river. Luckily we were found by Wayan, a river raft guide who had the day off and spotted us trying to figure out how to get down to the water. He cheerfully led the way, walking us across the river and across his rice fields. We traveled on tiny, muddy paths, snaking our way through jungle to cultivated areas and back again. Along the way he showed us bright red clusters of coffee beans growing in the shade of tall banana and banyan trees, tehe chubby green pods of cacoa (the mama of all chocolate), date palm where they tap the flowers for the dark, rich date palm sugar that Raven now loves, and a hidden sanctuary of temples surrounded by enormous, many-limbed banyan trees. Later we drank coca-cola at his home, which looks more temple than house. It was a delight to have a local to ask questions about Bali, religion, schooling, and more.

Our last day in Bali we walked along the looong beach at Legian and Kuta, swam in the ocean and got tumbled by a huge breaking wave, and drank neon orange mai tais as the sun set.

I feel content and blessed, and somewhat wordless around the impact of the journey. Suffice to say I feel a new level of stillness and peace in my being, and though I miss the flowers and smiles, I'm happy to be heading into Austin tomorrow to see my Thirteen Moons circle and share this energy with my sisters.

Here is a video Raven and I made from our porch:

Or watch it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpsbZlhKvhk

To see more photos, visit my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2072436&id=1298096210&l=bc9768b192

You don't have to be on facebook to view them.

Blessings!

2010-06-11T08:20:00.001-07:00

I was so moved to see the many different creative writings about the oil spill that I'm including them for you here. Your task this week; spend an hour or more sending energy and praying for the gulf in the way that works best for you. I invite you to read through each of the ideas below and pick one or more that speaks to you the most.

FROM CHIEF ARVOL LOOKING HORSE

My Relatives,

Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from the Spirit of your Nations in Prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World; we are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color, which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened, those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations, eventually all will be affected from the oil disaster in the Gulf.

The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we cannot afford to continue to make.

I ask, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of in their Prophecies.

I know in my heart that there are millions of people that feel our united prayers for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue. I believe we as Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and prayers to allow the healing of the many wounds that have been infilicted on the Earth.

As we Honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our Unc'I Maka). We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.

As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that what we crate can have lasting effect on all life.

So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our children's future and well-being, and the generations to come.

Onipikte (that we shall live),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse
19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe

FROM JOE VITALE

It's hard to miss the news about the oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico.

What can we do about it?

I'm taking a big risk in telling you about this,
but I believe it's worth it.

See http://clearthegulf.com

Here's the story...

A few people wrote me, recalling that years ago
I sent out an email inviting everyone to envision
Hurricane Rita dissolving before it hit land.

Rita did in fact lessen in power as it hit.

A few others know about the Attract Miracles
community I created with Craig Perrine to
help people support each other to achieve
their intentions.

Hundreds have been going there since we
began it, and the results are a-maz-ing.

What you may not realize is that 23 scientific
studies prove that when people focus on a
common goal, using meditation to achieve
inner peace, that goal tends to come about.

With all of that in mind, Pat O'Bryan and I
created a special clearing audio designed
to help Clear the Oil Spill.

And we're giving it away.

The Clearing Oil Spill audio uses the same
formula we've been using in all of our other
clearing audios - my strategic statements and
Pat's original music - woven together using
hi-tech equipment and breakthrough processes
to speak right to your unconscious mind.

When you work with the unconscious, you
also tap into the collective unconscious.

And that's where we can impact the oil spill
and anything else we perceive as bad.

Scoff if you like but we feel it's at least worth
a few minutes a day to listen to our special
audio and let it help you clean the world from
the inside out.

If nothing else, consider it a relaxing few
moments for yourself.

And maybe, just maybe, it may heal the
Gulf, and the Earth, as well.

It's worth a try, isn't it?

Get the audio at --

http://clearthegulf.com

And please tell others about it.

If you can forward this email to family and
friends, Twitter it, Facebook it, blog it and
anything else you can think of, it will help
us all.

Again, it's freeee.

Let's make a difference.

It begins with you and me.

Will you help?

Love,

Joe

FROM THE THIRTEEN GRANDMOTHERS

"You Are Desperately Needed"
"We ask you to cast, anchor, and hold the Net of Light steady for the Gulf of Mexico," the Grandmothers said. "This crisis is affecting the entire world, and humanity is asleep. Wake up!" they cried. "Animals are dying, plants are dying, and your Mother is writhing in agony.

If you hold the Net of Light steady at this time you will help stave off further catastrophe."You have been lulled into a false sleep," they said, "told that others (B.P.) will take care of this problem. This is not so," they said. "And this is not the time for you to fall into oblivion.

Determine now to stay awake, and once you have made that commitment, think of, cast, and hold the Net of Light. Hold it deep and hold it wide. Amplify its reach to penetrate the waters of the Gulf and dive deep beneath the crust of Mother Earth. Anchor it at the earth's core and as you hold it there, ask it to unify with the mineral kingdom of this planet.

It will do this and will harmonize with all the solid and liquid mineral states on earth-including oil and gas. The Net of Light will call these minerals back into harmony."Whatever human beings have damaged, human beings must correct," the Grandmothers said. "This is the law. We repeat: This is the law.You cannot sit back and ask God to fix the mess humanity has created. Each of you must throw your shoulders to the wheel and work.

We are asking for your help. Several years ago we gave you the Net of Light so you would be able to help the earth at times like this. Step forward now. This is the Net of Light that will hold the earth during the times of change that are upon you," they said."First move into your heart and call on us. We will meet you there. The Net of Light is lit by the jewel of your heart," they said, "so move into this lighted place within you and open to the Net of which you are a part. Bask in its calming presence. It holds you at the same time that you hold it."

Now think of magnifying your union with us. We, the Great Council of the Grandmothers, are with you now, and all those who work with the Net of Light are also with you. There are thousands, even millions now connected in light," they said. "Along with this union, call forth the power of the sacred places on earth. These will amplify the potency of our joint effort. Then call on the sacred beings that have come to prevent the catastrophe that threatens to overwhelm your planet. We will work together," they said, nodding slowly."Think of, cast and magnify the presence of the Net of Light in the Gulf of Mexico. See, imagine or think of it holding the waters, holding the land, the plants, the sea life, and the people. Holding them all!" they said.

"The Net of Light is holding them steady; it is returning them to balance. Let the love within your lighted heart keep pouring into the Net of Light and hold, hold, hold. Calmly and reverently watch as the light from your heart flows along the strands of the Net. It will follow your command and continuously move forth. As soon as you think of it, it will happen. We ask you to practice this for only a few minutes at a time, but to repeat it throughout the day and night."We promise that this work with the Net of Light will do untold good," the Grandmothers said. "We are calling you to service now. You are needed. Do not miss this opportunity. We thank you and bless you."

FROM MICHELE BOCCIA

I imagine you are all watching in horror as tons of oil spills into the ocean each day. We can do something. I know how powerful positive energy and prayer can be when many people are focused on one thing. Change happens.

I ask you for the next three Thursdays to offer the prayer below or use your own words. We need to send as much positive energy and light to the engineers at BP so that they can figure out a way to stop the poison.

Please do this. Please send this email to your entire email list. The more energy we send to them, the more powerful. We can make a difference. It’s happened before and it can happen again.

For the next three Thursdays, whenever you think about it, send positive energy to the engineers at BP.

In peace,
Michele

Prayer:
I ask you, God of Nature, to give the engineers at BP the knowledge and support they need to cap the rig that is flowing oil into your sacred waters. Let them be open to your divine grace. I send my love and positive energy to them as well.

Think this thought for the next three Thursdays: God, give BP engineers wisdom and insight.

FROM VICKI NOBLE

So many of you have responded to my post from last week about doing “menstrual magic” in relation to the Gulf catastrophe. And many of you have asked me for particular “instructions” on what to do―what kind of visualization or healing work might we share together, even what time of day would be best, etc. I can do that to some extent; I can create some shared meditations that we all do for a few days or a week at a time, and then I can send a new one periodically. But as I listen to the terrible news of more and more oil gushing from deep in the ocean, and all the unfathomable devastation to people, plants, animals, and whole ecosystems, all I feel is sorrow. I think our main meditation should be one of empathy or joining with those who are suffering, with the main thrust of the meditation being what Jennifer Berezan called “Praises for the World.”

The BAM syllable of Vajrayogini is sufficient for calling in or invoking the female divine energies of life, creativity, empowerment, and awareness. You just think of red Vajrayogini; she’s the quintessential sacred woman, embodied and empowered to act spontaneously for the benefit of all beings. You hold her BAM syllable in your heart and imagine it glowing with red fiery energy (shakti). It’s enough (in my mind) to invoke these sacred female energies and pray for the world. Any way we can think of to do that is great. Be creative! Just wanting to help and heal is fabulous―and I think it doesn’t hurt to say “sorry.” I am certainly sorry for what we are doing to the planet in our consumer-driven, technological global society. Express your sorrow. Let the Earth know that YOU know you are part of her ecosystem, that you feel her pain, and that you love and feel anguish for all the beings who are suffering directly from this catastrophe.

If you are a bleeding woman, then offer your blood to any moving body of water with your prayers. All these waters end up at the ocean, so you can help with this offering no matter where you live. Make it count, give your precious red substance as an offering of compassion and oneness. Offer your tears and your pain, your helplessness as well as your powerful wishes for the miracle of regeneration.

If you are no longer a bleeding woman, hold space for all the young women you know to become aware of the power they hold in their monthly flow. Spread the word, join with them, make your own offerings of blood wisdom and life experience―let the Mother Earth know you are with her, actively sharing and praying.

And all you beautiful men who feel aligned, imagine making a protective hoop or circle around all these powerfully expressive bleeding women and girls, holding space for them and for Mother Earth (whom the Andean indigenous people call “Pachamama”) and all of nature. The important thing is that we are not isolated, not separate from this or any other tragic manifestation of global catastrophe. We are part and parcel of what is happening, whether in Haiti, Chile, or Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, or―eventually, inevitably―in our own neighborhoods.

I will attach a photo of the lovely altar we made at the Vajrayogini retreat I recently facilitated in Italy. I look forward to continuous energetic connection with each and all of you, as we make our love offerings and sing our “Praises for the World.” ( http://www.edgeofwonder.com/gallery)

FROM NICKI SKULLY

Dear Friends,
The debacle in the Gulf is generating a tremendous amount of news, and for the most part we fret and express our disgust and sorrow, and complain about BP and all that is not being done. We need to do more, yet not many of us can contribute physically, and few of us have the experience or skill to provide workable solutions to expedite the clean-up of the waters, beaches, wildlife, toxic chemical/oil mix, or economic situation that is and will continue to plague the region for an indeterminate amount of time.

What we can do is work energetically and spiritually to affect the situation. What we can do is recognize our power as co-creators and access our high selves and our greater wisdom. What we can do is put out a call for help and see who shows up. And what we can do is learn our lessons in such a way as to create a beautiful, healthy and safe world for our children and our children's children…

Our ceremony for healing the Gulf will be designed to connect to whatever aspect of this disaster touches you most deeply and personally. With the exponential power of our numbers, we will put out a call for help in a way that will allow you to experience directly, through your vision in the journey we will take together, solutions that you may not have imagined.

Also join us in an online discussion on my Facebook page.
www.shamanicjourneys.com

MATTER OF TRUST
http://www.matteroftrust.org/

Gathering donated hair to soak up the oil...

Why I Cut Off A Foot of Hair and Donated it to a Stranger

2010-05-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

It started off with a conversation with my sister, who said, "Hey, I heard you could cut off seven or eight inches of hair and donate it to have a wig made for kids…"

I chewed on this information for months. I'd wanted to trim my very long hair for a while, but eight inches of it?

So I went into research mode. Perhaps I could still be generous by only donating, say, 4 inches of hair.

What I found out about the process of making a wig for a child inspired me to happily get a foot of hair lopped off. That and one evening that tipped the scales and sent me running into the arms of my hairdresser.

First the wig research:

• Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

• It takes as many as 30 ten-inch donations of hair to make one wig (!), which are made by hand, strand by strand.

• The custom fit wigs are then cut in whatever style the child prefers. The wigs are designed to stay put while the child sleeps, swims, showers, and roughhouses with pals. Amazing!

• The minimum donation for the program "Locks of Love," which makes wigs for kids for free, is ten inches.

Gulp.

When I was in college I shaved my head and sported short hair for a couple of years. What I learned is that while it is fabulous to have people pet your fuzzy head when you have no hair, taking care of short hair is a pain. I much prefer long hairthat you can put up in a bun, braid, pull back, or leave long.

The turning point came when I spent a week ignoring my hair through multiple trips in and out of the hot tub, choosing to the twist the entire pile into a messy but functional bun. Each day my hair approached the distinctive status of resembling one massive dreadlocked bird's nest.

It took two of us armed with a comb each over and hour to detangle the result of my hair abandonment. My friend is a professional dog groomer who regularly demattes long-haired dog fur. She spent the hour quietly cursing my stubbornness for not brushing my hair for a week.

Nothing like a little motivation to spur me to action. Something had to change. And I had the perfect person to sever my problem hair.

Enter Bob, my hair savior.

Bob had been my hair savior and color deity for years when I lived in Santa Fe. My friend Gini and I spent hours every few months being pampered and primped and prettified by the brilliance of Bob's touch and his eye for just the right hue of brown or red. Or often purple, in my case.

Then I moved, and my hair has not been the same.

To my incredible delight, I discovered that Bob had moved back to his hometown of Marble Falls, TX last year and opened his own salon, Mojo. Marble Falls is a mere 45 minutes from my front door.

Road trip! My friend and Toltec Center teacher and minister Diana piled into her car one Friday afternoon and headed for the land of hair mojo. After much hugging, with glasses of wine in hand, Bob turned his sharp eye on my mop. He circled. He pondered. He asked "And what are you thinking about doing with your hair?"

I took a deep breath and surrendered myself into his hands. "I want to cut most of it off, and donate it to Locks of Love."

Soon Bob was skillfully creating one long braid down my back, and with three snips I was less years of growth, and a child I'll never meet was closer to a new head of hair.

To celebrate we dyed my hair purple, and added a sassy blonde streak.

I love it.

Each day when I effortlessly brush my hair, I send my blessings to the child who has or will receive what used to be hang almost to my waist. May it bring them self-confidence and enhance their connection to their inner beauty.

I wonder what color Bob and I will go for next.

If you are blessed enough to live in the Austin area, join Bob's facebook page and call him for a new look… His passion is "helping women (and men) to stop hiding behind their hair." (830) 265-6811

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marble-Falls-TX/Mojo-salon/69478564084

If you have an extra eight inches or more of hair, check out:

http://www.locksoflove.org/

http://www.pantene.com/en-US/beautiful-lengths-cause/Pages/default.aspx

http://hair.lovetoknow.com/Donating_Hair_for_Cancer_Victims

Coming Full Circle; Jerry Garcia and Krishna Das in San Francisco

2010-03-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

You know those times when your life comes full circle, and you get to see the panoramic view of who you were and who you have become?

I had one of those nights last night.

What an experience to see not only the differences, but the similarities of this being who is now called HeatherAsh Amara, and was then called Heather MacKenzie-Gaudet. (If you want to know more about my name change, click here for the blog post.)

I flew into Oakland yesterday to attend a concert of two of my favorite kirtan "bands," Krishna Das and Deva Premal & Miten. Five minutes after sitting in my faded red velvet balcony seat in San Francisco's Warfield historic theatre I was immersed in chanting Sita Ram with hundreds of other people.

As Krisha Das and the audience passed the chant back and forth, I felt my heart get as big as the room. To my right and just below me, a man threw up his arms in devotion and swayed to the music. I followed the happy gaze of the woman sitting next to me, and saw that dozens of people were dancing and chanting in the upper aisles.

That's when past and present merged, and I felt the overlay of being in this same place a double-handful of years ago, immersed in the energy of devotion in this same place as we sang to Jerry Garcia and his band.

What a long, strange, trip it's been.

For years I pilgrimaged to see Jerry and the Grateful Dead as often as I could. I was one of the long-haired, long-skirted girls dancing and spinning in the hallways, arms wide to the universe as I celebrated the divine marriage of the music and my soul.

At the Warfield once again, immersed in a peaceful sea of sacred song, I floated free of time and separation. Who I was, who I am, Jerry, Krishna Das, and all the beings around me, past and future, physical and spirit, all coalesced into one.

I spent the rest of the evening at the apex of the balcony section, alternatively sitting cross-legged on the top red-carpeted stair and singing mantras with my thousands of new friends, dancing to gospel music "Jesus on the main line, tell him what you want...." or swaying barefoot in my long skirt to rocked-up ancient indian chants.

Krishna Das shared stories between songs, and one image in particular made me laugh out loud at the gloriousness of being human with all of our resistance and struggle.

There is a train that has left the station, and it is speeding towards its destination. Inside the train you may be running as fast as you can in the opposite direction, but when the train gets to the station, so do you.

Later in the evening, as Deva and Miten led us in singing "living in the light of love, we are home," I understood. Home has no past, no present, no future. And the train has already arrived AND it is still en route, and we are all going home, one way or another.

Here is a you tube clip from the gospel part of the show... Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFyprviFejE

You Can Help Peruvian Flood Victims Directly!

2010-02-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

A week or so before we headed to Peru we started hearing the news: That intense rains were causing unprecedented flooding and landslides, mainly in the Cusco and Puno regions, the two areas on our tour.

It was difficult to get news on what was happening, but I finally found a Peruvian blog site that showed incredible photos and videos of the disaster.

http://enperublog.com/2010/01/26/emergency-declared-in-cusco-heavy-rains-flood-the-region/

As we flew to Lima on February 2, Raven and I talked about how we might be able to help. I was really hoping to do some hands-on support, and a sweet miracle allowed that to happen.

I wrote on facebook that I was in Cusco, and a college friend, Annika wrote back: Hey, are you going to see Pilar while you are there? So I emailed Pilar, and yes indeed she was in Cusco! We talked via skype and I found out she was leaving in an hour to deliver blankets to people affected by the flood.

And so I was soon snuggly packed into a jeep with four women and Pilar's 6-year old niece, Asraya. Pilar's sister, Sunday, lives in Cusco with her three children and husband. They are building a yoga retreat near Pisac (which was somehow miraculously not affected by the flooding..) So Sunday knows what was most needed and the areas most affected.

Our first stop was to buy blankets at a local store; we bought 100 but were only able to load 60 into our two cars. The remaining 40 will be brought in another run.

The government has set up blue tents for everyone who lost a home; one area was filled with blue tents curved into the hillside; another village was completely devastated: all the houses and crops remain underwater. This community is now wall to wall tents in a stadium in the closest town; over 300 families. They are in need of fresh food; the government and other organizations have donated rice and beans. In a few months they will also need seed for a new crop. No one knows where they will rebuild their homes, since the area they were living was a dry lake that is now not dry at all.

Thank you so much to all the people that donated money to help these people; as of today we have raised over $1,300! We are very grateful to have the opportunity to help in such a direct way. Sunday will continue to bring supplies out to the villages in the coming months. Pilar heads home tomorrow; we are leaving for Puno tomorrow, but will come back to Cusco in a week and be able to bring more money to Sunday.

For more photos, click here

To read Pilar's blog, which has extensive photos and video, click here
It takes a while to download the photos, so be patient

To donate via paypal go to tolteccenter.org and scroll down to the donation button.... Blessings!

And here is the original letter Raven wrote, in case you have not seen it...

Greetings!

We are in Peru and it is truly magnificent. As usual the people are lovely and the land here is rich and nourishing. We are very excited to being doing a big ceremony with about 260 people and large number of Incan and North American native elders at Late Titicaca next week. Tune in, the energy is already Rockin!

Perhaps you have heard that Peru has had major flooding over the last few weeks. In the two areas we are visiting over 8000 people are now homeless from mudslides and flooding wiping out their houses and their crops. We are on the ground with people who are heading up relief efforts for these folks. Our dear friend Jorge Delgado is acquiring blankets and food for the people in the Lake Tittcaca region and HeatherAsh's college friend Pilar is doing the same for the people in the Pisac region close to Cusco and Macchu Picchu areas.

The Toltec Center has already donated $1000 to Jorge's effort and today we bought 75 blankets and HeatherAsh went with Pilar to deliver them to the folks by Pisac.

We would like to do even more, the people by Pisac need fresh vegatables, water and meat to feed all the folks whose homes were flooded, and we would like to get them and the Lake Titicaca folks more help over the next two weeks we are here.

It is hard to work toward personal freedom when you don't have food and shelter. Help us help these folks feel a little more spaciousness, a little more gratitude to Spirit, a little more like they are held by the Divine, by sending the money they need to aquire that food, shelter, and warmth that is a bit scarce here at the moment! Just click on the "donate" image below.

All donations are tax deductible, we will happily send you a donation letter with our EIN number for your tax records.

You do not need a paypal account to donate, simply click on the "continue" button at the bottom left of the donation screen to pay with any major credit card without having a paypal account.

Thanks for your time

In Love

HeatherAsh, Raven and the staff of the Toltec Center

Immune Pushups for the Winter

2009-10-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

Immune Pushups for the Winter

After being sick for six weeks with the flu and then bronchitis and then a sinus infection, I've been gathering lots of information about healing and prevention that I wanted to share. Especially since when I went to the doctor he said that the flu season has not yet officially begun; its cycle is December/January, and this is only the first wave!

The best thing we can do to avoid the flu is simple prevention measures, as outlined below. And I also added good support for if you do get a virus this winter.

One thing I loved about being sick is that is helped me slow down, and I got to see that illness no longer makes me suffer (okay, just a bit of whining here and there!) My body was tired and icky, but I stayed happy most of the way through.

And I got to connect with so many people sending me healing wishes, their stories, and remedies... What a great web we are all weaving on the internet.

ELDEBERRY

From a friend of a friend:

I'm not sure how much flu concern is in your world, but there's plenty happening here in Austin. I just received this information today, so i thought I'd pass it along in case any of you are immersed in germs or the public or exposed to flu. Apparently elderberry is an excellent natural flu preventative and if used for flu treatment, can reduce the intensity and length of the related symptoms significantly...and its not hard to find.

...from the last sentence of the study: "The H1N1 inhibition activities of the elderberry flavonoids compare favorably to the known anti-influenza activities of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu; 0.32 microM) and Amantadine (27 microM)."

A former classmate of mine now studying at bastyr passed this along today (please) - http://bastyrcenter.org/content/view/1146/

Here is a link to diff brands: http://www.iherb.com/Elderberry-Sambucus -

Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 inf...[Phytochemistry. 2009] - PubMed Result

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

H1N1 AND ALL FLU PREVENTION

From Gini Gentry:

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc..

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications). Carry hand sanitizer with you when you go out into the world and use after all interactions.

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (except to eat or bathe).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected o ne. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot to clean nasal cavities, but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5.. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

ESSENTIAL OILS

From Robin Karlstedt via facebook

"i am way into aromatic botanical medicine and peppermint oil clove oil cinnamon oil tea tree are all great to inhale mix in a little lemon or rosemary to protect your liver .mix a few drops of each and rub them on the soles of your feet and palms then inhale / every three hours blessings"

And from Celena Kuhlman

Rub together juniper and lavender? and inhale deeply. I think Celena said lavender, I'll check and get back to you! Rhonda recommended rosemary oil as well...

MASTER CLEANSE

A great way to clear out your system.... lots of information on the internet, just google "master cleanse:

To make a gallon (recommend amount to drink per day while fasting...)

1 make 10 oz of lemon juice and pour that into a empty 1 gallon jug.

then i measure out 10 oz of maple syrup and pour that in..

far as cayenne pepper goes i mix it in per glass as i find it i put it directly into the 1 gallon jug it just all settles to the bottom anyway.

Feel free to send in more ideas!

Bypassing the Flu to talk about Food and Gardening....

2009-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

I was going to write about having the flu for the past month:

For the past month I've been the reluctant host to an influenza
virus that moved in and metaphorically cleaned out my refrigerator
and then invited another unwelcome guest, bronchitis, to move in
and start rearranging the furniture.

The good news is that while influenza and bronchitis where
partying it up, I got to rest.

But I just realized I'm tired of giving the flu attention. I'd rather
write about my garden and food : )

The greens I planted last month are already three times the
size and ready to be harvested. I planted more greens after
clearing out six large bushes of basil; and now we have jars
of pesto lining the freezer, along with canned tomatoes from
the local farm.

Raven and I have shifted our diet, and we are mainly eating
vegetables and organic, grass-finished meats (which means
the animals are either wild or spend their entire lives out to
pasture and are not fed grain). There is interesting research
around eating a diet that is free of grains, dairy, and legumes....
For more info check out: http://www.paleodiet.com/

This weekend we had fresh venison, shot with a bow and
arrow by my friend T's cousin. Blessings to that beautiful
critter that nourished us on Saturday night.

I'm also experimenting with raw food recipes from a Gabriel
Cousins book. Latest creation: cashew cream with cinnamon
and agave nectar, yum! Today I am soaking oat groats to
make Raven raw cookies.

I was also inspired by reading Barbara Kingsolver's book
Animal Vegetable Miracle, which describes the adventures
of Barbara, her husband and two daughters living only on
food grown within a 100 mile radius from their home. So
I'm also focusing on buying as much local, organic produce
as possible. I've loved talking to the farmer's who grow the
food (we have a wonderful farm just down the road from us.)
We are also part of a cooperative that buys produce and
meats from local farmers; we get an order from them every
two weeks. It is a joy to go online (www.bountifulsprout.com)
and order what is fresh from the local farmers, then pick it up
in a large bushel basket on Wednesdays.

Raven still drinks milk in his tea, and I still love rice, we are
still eating bananas from Puerto Rico, and it has been fun to
incorporate more mindfulness and new habits into our world.

One other thing I just did that is making me very happy is to buy
a bunch of glass canning jars to store food in, rather than using
plastic. I can then also fill these directly at the store from the bulk
bins, saving on plastic bags (if you do this make sure to weigh
themfirst and write down the tare, so it can be subtracted from the
totalweight.) I also just bought a $12 bottle of cheap wine just for
theglass bottle! So now I can keep this bottle in my car, refill it
easilyat Whole Foods, and use it to top off my smaller glass
water bottlesthat I'm carrying around. Less plastic makes me
VERY happy!

Here are some photos of the growing garden and of T and my
canningproject this weekend. Regular canned tomatoes, italian
stewed tomatoes(garlic, onions, tomatoes and basil basil basil!)
mexican stewed tomatoes(with HOT jalapenos), and four types of
pesto: regular, jalapeno, magic (jalapenos and homemade
sundried tomatoes) and vegan pesto.

The garden photos are taken near dusk.... my favorite time to garden!

Stay healthy this flu season! Probiotics, Wellness Formula or AirBorne, Colloidial Silver, and eating healthy will help keep your immune system strong. And respect the flu virus. It has the capacity to travel by air (when someone near you coughs or sneezes) and can also live from 2 to 8 hours on surfaces. So wash those hands, give coughing and sneezing people a wide berth (and your love!) and be mindful.

Blessings!

Gardening in the Dark

2009-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Blessed Fall Equinox!

I have a new passion: Gardening at night.

My batch of baby mustard greens, collards, chard, and cabbage starts that needed nestled into the earth before the forecasted rain. It was too hot during the day, so after class Tuesday night I put on my my camping headlamp, slipped on my gardening clogs, and planted under the stars.

Under the still covering of darkness, the world is wonderfully alien and new. The eyes of teeny tiny spiders glow in bright pairs, reflecting blue-green as I pass the beam of my flashlight over the ground. I can only focus on one thing at a time, peering through a window of illumination from the light on my forehead.

I laid out all the plants on their new beds where I thought they should live, and then dug them into the freshly turned soil, rich with compost and blood meal and cottonseed meal.

There is very, very little soil where we live, since we are up on the top of a ridge that was once under a vast sea. So two years ago we trucked soil in, and an apprentice build me beautiful stone beds. Now under the beam of my light they make a soft, smooth contrast to the dark soil.

Once the plants were tucked in I watered them deeply and sent them love for their first night of freedom. Raven slept, an owl called in the distance. Peace.

At four a.m. I woke up to the joyful sound of rain and snuck downstairs, past the sleeping dog. I put on my raincoat so I could go out and giggle with the plants and relish the rain washing everything clean, bringing life. Roots spreading down, leaves drinking in each drop.

Here are before and after pictures.... I had let the garden go completely this summer, since it was sooo hot and dry. It was surprising to see what survived: one eggplant, a few zinnias, the thai basil. When I was turning the soil I was gifted with quite a few potatoes that popped out of the depths. I made corn and potato chowder with them; so sweet! I look forward to many fresh greens in the not too distant future.

The Little Red Heart Car

2009-09-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

About seven months ago Joe Vitale asked me in an email, "Are you ready to use your mind to attract any car you want?"

I clicked on the link http://www.attractanewcar.com/ and scrolled through the pages and pages of writings and testimonials. It felt a bit hyped up, but I recognized the solid principles behind Joe's words.

And the truth was, I really did need a car. Raven and I had been sharing our green 2000 Honda CRV for years, and it was time for us to have our own individual wheels.

As read the last I-attracted-the-car-of-my-dreams-in-one-day testimonial, I thought, "Well, I'm good at manifesting. I'll just intend to call in a new car." Manifestation is all about getting clear with the feeling state you want, so I kept building in detail about what it would feel like to have my new car. My anchor was of a driving a convertible with the wind streaming through my hair and a smile on my face. My neighbor, BillieLee, has a little rabbit convertible that I have coveted ever since I first rode in it, and I used it as my inspiration.

Another part of my intent was that it had to be no money down and very low payments. "Definitely not too likely, but why not?" I thought.

Then I let it go.

A week later my mom called and said, "I've decided I am going to give you my car." Boom. Not a convertible, but suddenly I was gifted a beautiful, reliable, silver "adult" car. Ah, with a sun roof. Perfect.

I still held my vision of a convertible, without attachment, which is one of the main secrets of the law of attraction.

About three months ago my neighbor, Zaneta, asked me, "Do you know anyone who could use a car? I really want to get that out of here." She pointed out the window to a neglected, dusty car in her yard, overgrown with weeds.

Since my mom's car was overheating and acting up a bit, and I figured I could always pass Zaneta's car on to someone else in need, I said "Yes, I would be happy to take it."

At that time I didn't realize that, you guessed it, the car was a convertible. A red convertible. She was a twenty-two year old mare who had been "ridden hard and put up wet," as they say, but she sported a white rag top.

Brian, our neighborhood's car guru, worked on her and managed to get her running after lots of lubricants and replacing the alternator. Trisha picked up the car and drove it up to my house, so when I got home from Mexico my new car was parked in front.

After unpacking and settling into my house a bit I was ready to take the red mare for a ride.

First things first; top down. After a bit of creaking, manouvering, and pushing the top nestled flat against the trunk. Good.

Key in ignition. Clutch in. Turn key counterclockwise. But I was not rewarded with any engine revving sound, only silence. Not even a click or a hum.

Dang. I took a breath, tried again. Then closed my eyes and felt into "What is wrong?"

Dead battery was the answer that arose in my brain. I looked and noticed that the lights had been left on.

Okay, that I can fix! After a few phone calls I located some jumper cables, and neighbor Laura walked them over. After searching a bit for the Lincoln's battery (it is actually in the trunk!) and calling a friend to verify which cable to put on first, I had everything hooked up.

Except I couldn't find the keys. Twenty minutes and much searching later, I retracked my steps to our RV, where I had gone initially to look for jumper cables.

Key in ignition. Clutch in. Turn key counterclockwise. And still the little red car wouldn't start.

I took a deep breath, and decided to leave everything running for a bit.

And then I did the most logical next step: I went inside and washed dishes.

For me, washing dishes is one of the ultimate mind-cleaning activities. Sudsy water and intent bubble into the crevices of the mind and dissolve crust and goo. And the dishes get clean, too! What a deal.

As I soaped and rinsed plates, I asked "What is going on here?" and shut down my internal dialogue so I could listen into the silence for an answer.

The reply: There was heavy energy around the car because Zaneta had bought it from her ex-husband. Their relationship was as tumultuously messy as a muddy, debris-filled river that overflows its banks and deposits dirt and sticks on all the nearby first-story floors.

"Ah, I can work with that," I said outloud.

So I waited. I prayed. I did ho'oponopono (a Hawaiian clearing system) http://www.zerolimits.com. And when I felt clear I rinsed the last dish, dried my hands, and went and started the car.

As I drove the little red car up and down our areas' curvaceous hills, I made a vow to help Zaneta clear her relationship "karma" whenever I drove her car. And to help all women to not compromise their strength and vision by getting into relationships that do not support their beauty and power.

Zaneta gave me the little red car because she was cleaning out her past. She died last month after a long fight against the cancer that had spread throughout her body. She never had the opportunity to clear out her stuck places and attract a mate that matched her fierce love of spirit and her bright shine.

But I have. So my final gift to Zaneta is to drive her little red car with love and use my intent, love, and prayers to clean out any unprocessed, heavy energy Zaneta, and all women, are carrying around relationships.

I know she would have done the same for me.

So this little red car is not only a manifestation of an intent I set last year. It is now a power object, a heart car, an anchor for equal, supportive, magical relationships. I love multi-tasking.

Blessings and love to Zaneta B. Matkowska. Sister, may you travel lightly. Thank you for your gifts.

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