I was gazing at the clouds this morning.  There were solid light gray skies, cement gray cumulus puffs, and charcoal streaks stretching across the heavens.  As I stood rooted to the earth, the movement caught my eye and my mind began to wander.

Nature tells us how to live.  We have changing seasons, changing weather patterns, births and deaths of every living thing on this planet.  Nothing is static.  Not our bodies, not our breath.  Not even what seems to be a solid planet under our feet.

How many times do we cringe at the thought of change?  Changing jobs.  Changing life partners.  Moving from one home to another.  Change that occurs when a family grows or shrinks.

As we pause in the hustle and bustle of life, we begin to notice how even when we think our lives are the same from one day to the next, each day is different.  One day we can wake up happy and refreshed from a good night’s sleep and the next day we are crabby and nothing seems to go right.

So nature tells us that there is a natural rhythm to life.  Good and bad.  It ebbs and flows like the ocean tides.  And as humans, we need to learn to flow with change.  Accept it.  Embrace it.  If you are having a good day, enjoy it to the fullest.  If your day is dark and stormy, accept it for what it is and remember that tomorrow it will be different.

So what are you struggling with today?  Does it involve change?

Posted: April 8th, 2008 under Stained Glass, mindfulness, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 5

And now it’s time for more teabag wisdom:

“Kissing is like drinking salted water:  you drink and your thirst increases.” Chinese proverb

How many times do we do something that turns out to be bad for us?  I’d guess – A Lot. 

Here are just a few that I fall into:

Sitting on the sofa watching TV instead of getting up and exercising.

Eating one chocolate chip cookie when I know I can’t eat only one.

Rolling over in bed instead of getting up to practice yoga so I’m not stiff for the rest of the day.

Now, another teabag reminds me:

“The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment.”

Somehow these two teabags seem to be in conflict with one another.  If I’m enjoying myself as I watch TV, eat one cookie, or get a few more minutes of sleep is that bad?  No.  Is that a purpose in life though?  No – maybe just a little laziness.  Yawn.  It’s Saturday afternoon.  Time for a nap.

So, what is your day looking like? By the way, this Joyful Heart stained glass is being auctioned off at a concert to benefit the non-profit organization Resounding Joy next Saturday.  Check out their website.  They train volunteers to bring music to seniors and children in need. 

Posted: April 5th, 2008 under Stained Glass, present moment.
Comments: 2

OM is a mystic sound that refers to Isvara or God’s name.  It’s a seed sound from which all other words are formed.  I meditate and repeat the mantram OM, feeling the hum resonate deep inside my chest.  I like to think of it as a time I talk to my heart, focusing on the energy throughout my body.  Meditating helps me live in the present moment.

I also meditate as I create my stained glass.  Each of my designs comes from my heart.

Today I worked on this glass mosaic design for a 18” round cement stepping stone for my garden.  It’s the OM symbol.  Now whenever I step into my garden, it will be a reminder to breathe and focus on living in the present moment.

Posted: April 2nd, 2008 under Stained Glass, meditation, present moment.
Comments: 7

I was listening to the discussion between Oprah and Eckhart Tolle concerning Chapter 5 of “A New Earth.”  Several statements were mentioned that really resonated with me.

“Nothing in the past can ever prevent you from being in the present.”  How many times in our lives have we told ourselves we can’t do something because of the past.  For example: I can’t get a good job because I don’t have the proper education.  If we live in the present, we can take steps to get a good job.  We can take a class to improve our skills.  We can look in the classifieds for a better job than the one we now have.  There is always something we can do – in the present.

“Negativity feeds on negativity.”  How many times have we gotten into an argument with someone and couldn’t calm down for a long time afterwards?  One harsh word leads to another, then another until someone consciously walks away or tries to dissolve the conflict.

“What you resist – persists.”  How many times have we struggled with a problem?  The more we struggle, the longer the problem exists.  This is especially true for me when I come across a computer problem.  If I can’t fix it, I get frustrated.  The more frustrated I get, the less likely I am to solve the problem.  But once I’m aware of my frustration, I walk away and come back several hours later when I’m more relaxed.  Then, it’s as if a light bulb is lit and I can solve the problem easily.

If any of you are listening to “A New Earth” discussions – what messages resonate with you?  If you are interested in listening, go to the archives of “A New Earth” on Oprah’s website.

Posted: April 1st, 2008 under mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 5

I love to wake up in the predawn hours of a new day.  The sky is dark.  The stars twinkle in the moonlight.  Silence permeates the air.

I come downstairs, brew a cup of tea and listen.  I can hear the tick of the clock, the hum of the refrigerator, and the aliveness in my body.  I can feel my heart beat, pumping blood through my body.  I can sense my nerve impulses as I press my thumb to forefinger. 

I close my eyes and see my inner universe.  That darkness that moves into different shapes.  Sometimes the shapes are distinct circles, triangles, squares.  Sometimes blurred shades of light.

It’s at this time that I savor the warm liquid of my tea and contemplate my teabag wisdom.  I’ve accumulated sayings from the past few days.  Each one a profound statement of life.

“The taller the bamboo grows, the lower it bends.” Chinese proverb

These saying have so much meaning.  A modern version of the tall bamboo proverb is the saying, “The higher you climb, the farther you fall.”

“The longest journey is the journey inward.” Dag Hammarskjold

When we think about journeys, we always seem to be moving from one place to another.  How many of us stop to take a breath and contemplate the sacredness and miracle of our own lives.

“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” Chinese proverb

Have you ever taken a long hike in the woods?  When I’m hiking, especially uphill, my mind is always drifting to, “Where’s the top?  When will I be there?”  Then I see someone on the path and they tell me the end is right around the next corner and suddenly I breathe a sigh of relief and move on.

“When ego is lost, limit is lost.”

We all have an ego, some bigger than others.  But when we can put aside our egos, we begin to stop striving.  When that happens, the possibilities in life open up.

“Joy is the essence of success.”

Ah.  This is my favorite.  Everyone defines success differently.  For some it’s reaching the top in your career.  For others it’s owning a home and an expensive care.  To me, success in life is happiness and joy.  

So what is your favorite saying?

Posted: March 28th, 2008 under Stained Glass, meditation, mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 6

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.  Right?

Did you ever feel disoriented?  Vacations tend to mix me up.  At home, I have a routine.  Wake up, watch the sun rise over the mountains, eat breakfast, read the comics, write my blog, exercise, work on my stained glass, and somewhere during the day I run errands, meet friends, practice yoga, and when I’m lucky, watch the sun set over the ocean.

For the past few days, I’ve been in Santa Barbara and while I did many of the tasks I normally do, I felt disoriented.  Why?  Because Santa Barbara is located along the California coast that runs east and west instead of north and south.  So, the sun rose over the mountains on my left and set over the mountains on my right.  It was very disconcerting.

So the quiz for the day is which picture is the sunrise and which is the sunset?  Is the moon rising or setting?    

Posted: March 25th, 2008 under present moment.
Comments: 3

I had the opportunity to visit Disneyland yesterday.  “The happiest place on earth,” or so the promotion goes.  As I walked through the entrance, the sign read: “Leave the present behind and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”

That statement caught me by surprise.  I thought to myself, “why would I want to leave the present behind me?”  I like the present.  I’m happy and alive in the present.  So as I walked into the park, I took the present with me to Frontierland, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland. 

I experienced Disneyland like I’d never been there before.  I paddled the canoe, feeling the wooden paddle in my hands as I stroked through the Rivers of America.  I opened my senses to the sights and sounds of Pirates of the Caribbean. “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me.”  I savored every bite of Ratatouille  at the New Orleans restaurant.  I sang with the birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room.  I got small in “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.”  I road around in a Segway and laughed with Roger Rabbit in his Car Toon Spin.

Yes, being present is so much more fun than leaving it behind.  I can’t wait to see what today brings.

What’s your favorite Disney experience?

Posted: March 21st, 2008 under present moment.
Comments: 4

Many of us have seen the movie “The Bucket List,” but how many of us have actually taken the time to sit down and write one out for ourselves?

I’ve thought about what I’d like to do in my life before I die and at this time in my life, I’m pretty content with what I have and what I’ve already done.  But does that mean I’m at the end of my bucket list?  Hardly.

• See a few countries before my body is incapable of traveling far distances: tour the countryside of New Zealand, take an African safari, stay at an ashram in India, visit Rome and Florence, Italy.
• Heighten the awareness of heart disease in women.
• Teach others the importance of being present as a way to promote health and well-being.
• Deepen my yoga practice.

I’m sure the list will grow as I continue to think about it.  What’s on your bucket list? 

Posted: March 17th, 2008 under Stained Glass, heart disease, mindfulness, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 3

One method used in meditation is imagery.  When you’re stressed or have a bad day, it’s good to sit quietly and think about something pleasant.  This morning I had the pleasure of taking a walk on the beach in La Jolla Shores, so I’d like to take you there with me.

The storm clouds are moving in, yet the sun peaks through the cracks spreading rays of yellow light on the ocean.  The drive takes me past multi-million dollar homes perched high on the hills.  Hawaiian slack key guitar music plays on the CD.  King palms stand tall in their splendor.

In the beach parking lot, dozens of people don wet suits and scuba gear, preparing for a dive in the La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve.  The gear is heavy as they make their way to the water.  The divers will see a giant kelp forest and an abundance of fish, anemones and crustaceans.

Surfers gather along the boardwalk discussing the two to four foot waves, watching others already in the ocean to determine the location of their morning runs.  The waves are choppy.  The regulars are all there.  Their faces familiar to me, but I don’t know their names.

I stretch and take my first deep breath of salty air.  The tide is high, the available beach is slanted and my gait is tilted as I walk to Scripps Pier and back.  There are other walkers and joggers following in my footsteps, out for their morning exercise.  A kayaker paddles toward a dozen or more sea caves.  In the distance, a person parasails over the ocean.

I close my eyes and I’m grateful for this new day. 

Posted: March 15th, 2008 under meditation, present moment.
Comments: 2

About seventeen years ago, a good friend of mine passed away from breast cancer.  Her death gave me pause.  We were just turning forty.  It wasn’t time for us to die.  Shortly afterward I announced to my husband, “I’m using the good dishes.”  It was a strange statement to make.  What does using the good dishes have to do with someone’s death?  Ah, but it does.

In my distorted perception, I was beginning to see that joy comes not from waiting for the next holiday so we can bring out the good dishes, but rather from living life to the fullest every minute of every day.

When I was young, I have high hopes for the future.  Plans to go off to college, build a career, get married and have children.  I was always striving for more in my life.  More money, a career advancement, better furniture, a new car, a bigger house.  I thought (or tried to convince myself ) that if I only had X I would be happy.

But life doesn’t work that way.  It took me many years after I started using the good dishes to grasp this concept more fully, but happiness doesn’t come from what we have around us.  Happiness comes from within.

Happiness means accepting your life and not wanting more.  Happiness means connecting with the core of who you are, not identifying yourself by your occupation. Happiness is enjoying a walk in the park  and admiring the flowers.  Happiness is sitting on the sofa with a good book.  Happiness is taking care of yourself and trusting that the universe and everything else around you will work out in its own good time.  Happiness is being present and experiencing the little things and loving yourself.

So, what does happiness mean to you?

Posted: March 13th, 2008 under Stained Glass, mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: none