Iowan (Indonesian word for Opposites)

Where light breaks through the darkness.

Where pain is mixed with feelings of pleasure.

Where softness is layered upon a hard edge.

This is life.

Where mind has conversations with heart.

Where truth is riddled with secrets to be held.

Where absence births creation.

This is life.

Where laughter's tears blend with sorrow's water.

Where angels dance with the flames.

Where speed breathes into the lengthy strands of eternity.

This is life.

Giving thanks

Every morning, upon waking, walk to your window and give thanks for the beautiful life you have  - even if you are still half-asleep and you dread the work day ahead.  Say the words "hych'ka" if you choose.  This is thank you in Cowichan.  "Hi -ch - kah".  May your day be filled with blessings.

Unanswered wishes

Faith is tough.  It is hard to place our trust in something outside of our own control. We may want so badly for our resume to be accepted at that new company or to have our lover greet us at the door with a kiss when they are far away. There are so many things we pray for that never happen.  But maybe that was the plan.  Trust.  The answers will present themselves if you show patience and have a little faith.

The universe is here

You know those days when you're just walking around minding your own business and the flowers look a little more colourful and the birds sing a little more sweetly? On these days, there is a presence that can be felt.  The presence of something more powerful than ourselves.  The presence of LOVE.

When is the last time you have felt love's presence? What do you call this universal essence? We all have many names for it….

Worth repeating

Not sure if I have posed this before or not but on a day like today it is sure worth sharing…

"It always seems impossible, until it is done".
                                             Nelson Mandela

Breaking down

We are all faced with challenges that overwhelm us at first glance. But as Nelson Mandela tells us "Everything seems impossible, until it is done".  So how do we transition from a mountain sized task to a pebble size task?  We write the tasks down into microsteps.  If the request for an 80 page report is sitting on our desk and we have a month to complete it, we could write four pages every day for 20 days.  After each day we give ourselves a rewards such as a fancy tea or a walk around the neighbourhood to reflect on our accomplishment.

How do you get though tough projects?

Peeling back the layers

Pet peeves.  Fears.  We all have them, but each of us are unique to the other. Let's try an exercise in understanding our sensitive spots. Bring to mind an irritation or fear. Breathe into your body.  Where does this feeling lie?  In your shoulders, your heart, your gut? Breathe again to be sure.  Ask yourself about where this fear takes you?  What are the emotions associated with the feeling? Look back into your memory bank and question the birth of this irritation?  Delve deeper.  Why does this feeling hold so much power?  Delve deeper?  What is the probability that this itch really needs to be scratched, will it help us? Most likely not. What is the benefit of shedding this fear layer? Take some time to ponder your thoughts, journalling if this helps you.

You don't need to share, but thank you for participating.

Dance with the past

Unlike many of other Mother Nature's animals, we have evolved to create time for ourselves in which to contemplate the past and think about our future. In meditation we often try to focus in on the present, but as a change of pace, try meditating on the past.  Take an old record or CD that you used to play on repeat in your younger years.  Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes.  Let the music take you on a journey to your past.  What do you see?  What are the smells that tickle your nose?  What are the feelings associated with the music?

I would love to hear how it goes!

Watch the world go by

Meditating on the morning commute is not as difficult as it may seem.  A trick I enjoy is repeating the phrase "I am amazing" each time a black truck crosses my peripheral vision. Which, in the Province of Alberta, happens very often.  This practice forces me to pause and send loving kindness to myself while performing a fairly mundane task. 

You can do this on the train, on your bike or walking.  What is a phrase you could repeat to yourself and what items will you identify this phrase with?

View the whole painting

One look in the mirror and there they are.  Our flaws.  Our minor imperfections that seem so large through the distorted lense of our mind's ego.  We all have them.  But we can choose to adjust our vision so that we view the entire vessel, in and out, for all its radiant beauty and strength.  We must do this, if we are to fully love and accept ourselves and others on this planet.

Do you love the whole? Or do you see the imperfections (character)? Do you accept yourself as you are?

Scared at night

Sleep is an interesting time for many people. Some have difficulty falling asleep and require the aid of pharmaceuticals to make the journey into slumber a more effective process. Some have restless sleeps, waking every hour or so because of an imaginary fear, and finding it hard to return to the sandman's cozy presence. In rare cases, some people sleepwalk or sleeptalk, half in the realm of dreams, half in the real world, often disturbing others with their actions.  How can we ensure a solid night of slumber? Do we get a pet to snuggle with us, do we exercise vigorously during the day, do we avoid certain foods before bed?  Please share your tips with the world.

How do you ensure a restful night?

Re-think

Meditation is a tricky practice.  A lot of people run away from meditation because they feel uncomfortable sitting alone with the mind spinning freely.  But meditation is not so much about being alone with a picture show of random images floating by.  It is about focus. At first, our mind may seem like a thunderstorm with thoughts crashing to the ground like random beams of lightning and this storm may overwhelm us. But the trick is to narrow the beam of light to one single stream at a time.

Think of watching clouds go by.  We don't attempt to view the entire sky in one sitting, our mind gets too overwhelmed. Instead, we watch one, single cloud roll by and witness it change shape before our eyes. This practice is calming and focused and beneficial to our mind.

I have a trick when meditating. As thoughts pop into my viewing space I wrap them gently in a bubble and watch them float up into the universe. Thought by thought I do this. I don't own the thoughts running freely through my brain but I guide them where I want them to go. This takes practice and discipline.

Do you have any meditation tricks that you could share with my readers? Much gratitude in advance for your thoughts.

People watching

Laughter from a stranger tickles my soul.
Bright colours of a skirt flirt with my tired eyes.
A waft of perfume forces me to inhale…ahhhh.

I am connected.
I am plugged in to life.

A musician plays a haunting tune that gently kisses my earlobes.
Children misbehave, testing their parent's patience.  Cute.
Green grass breathes a sweet scent as picnic goers create a gathering spot.

I am connected.
I am one with the world.

Alleyways

"Fast or slow
Take the shortcuts and side roads
Pay no mind to the signs or highway lines
We'll get there our way".

Hey Ocean

Fill your well with water

We shift and change each and every day.  On some days we may evolve so quickly that a hole is left where old pain or suffering would reside.  If this has recently happened to you, imagine that empty, cleared out space being filled by a trickle of fresh, pure water.  We are water.  Water is life.  Heal yourself with its magic elixir.

Mellow yellow

There is nothing wrong with allowing yourself to experience some mellow time.  We often think that if we are not rushing around from place to place, activity to activity, we are somehow lazy. This is simply not true.  Often it is important to put your life on cruise control then sit back and feel the waves of the day wash gently over your body.

Cat naps

Ever wonder why cats have nine lives? Perhaps it is because they take cat naps.  A little snooze during our busy day can restore the mind and refresh the body. Twenty minutes is all you need, and we all have a spare twenty minutes in our day, do we not?

Take care of yourself, nap for goodness sake.

Goal!

Reaching goals is an art perfected by humans.  In nature, the wolf may have a goal to take down one doe per week or a polar bear may make a goal to travel on seven ice flows in a day.  But we humans base our lives around key goals such as happiness, love, affection, gratitude, beauty, financial wellbeing and intelligence.

What if you could have fun with your goals?  Think of a measurable for each target you wish to set.  If you want to lose weight, you say, I want to lose 15 bounds in four months.  Then you backcast to determine what milestones are needed to reach that end zone. Then you take the whole pieces and split them into micro steps, choose five to seven for each step.  I am going to eat five less potato chips, I am going to drink 1 more cup of water, I will walk five extra minutes a day.

Small, achievable micro steps are key.  Once you have written down your game plan, think of ways to celebrate along the way.  And remember, whatever you did today - you did enough.

Child's play

What if you could begin your morning by doing cartwheels, kicking high on a swing, or riding your bike?  Imagine the playfulness you might allow into your life.  Through play we can begin again and start our day behind the eyes of youth.

How do you celebrate childhood play time?

Everything is better with a friend

A swing sings softer when a friend is near.
Water is wetter when splashing with a friend.
The sun beams brightly when friend's eyes gaze upon the sky.

A conversation holds more comfort when a friend is near.
Tears trickle into a river of smiles with a friend.
The wind dies a little with a friend's protection.

Even when alone, my best friend is always by my side.

Sacred space

Waves lick the softened shore and rock me gently with their music.
The bright star beams its light upon my face sending me rays of love and warmth for my soul.
A lonely bench sits empty except for the faint outline of a grandfather's spirit.

I am home. I am loved. I am safe.

I go here in my mind's eye when times feel troubled and the darkness creeps in.

Trees whistle a happy tune through the beautiful dance of photosynthesis. A memory of young children bouncing together, holding innocent hands, on an old inner tube plays softly in my mind.

I am home.  I am loved.  I am safe.

Shed your skin…again

Every day, every moment we are blessed with the opportunity to alter the future of our existence.  We have many, many layers  - some grow old and may be no longer useful faster than others.  But we are always growing into something more beautiful, more magnificent.  We are growing closer to our true selves.

Take some time today and recall the last moment, or the last episode where you felt a shift in the pattern of life.  Twist your kaleidoscope and see what new image emerges from the self.

One love

Black or white. WE are one love.
Rich or poor.  WE are one love.
Sick or well.  WE are one love.
God or no.  WE are one love.

Today.  WE are one love.

Namaste - The light in me sees the light in you.

Another quote from another

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird.  How could it learn to fly while remaining an egg?  We are like eggs at present, and you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg.  We must be hatched or go bad.

C.S. Lewis

Quote from another...

"Everything in moderation.  Including moderation."  Julia Child.  Thanks to my friend Keith for that one.