take a vacation

my horoscope told me to.

already had an unplanned one scheduled.

it started with some of this...

there might have been a little of this:

oh right and this...

this, needless to say, continued...

thankfully, i moved on to this

and some of this:

the rest of my scheduled unplanned vacation will take place in a tent in the woods.

i hope your horoscope tells you to take a vacation.

i encourage you to do so even if it doesn't.

going inward

i've registered for my second yoga teacher training with the hope of completing this one.

i've started rereading stephen cope's yoga and the quest for true self.

i came across this krishnamurti quote in a recent adbusters:

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

right now i'm trying to figure out how to make a living and how to be self employed one day  

i do not work well for others.  

all suggestions are welcome.

i really love bagels.

one of these things doesn't belong

an apple a day

i'm considering dropping all together this scam called health insurance.  

to date, i have paid thousands and thousands of dollars to them.

deductibles.  copays.  premiums.  in network.  out of network.  out of pocket.

it's under consideration

i'm taking it under advisement

i recently went for my annual.

and i thought that it might be the closest thing to confession that i ever experience.

it was strangely cathartic and comforting.

good healthcare is often worth paying for.

in my life i've had a series of amazing female practitioners who have kicked all kinds of medical schwag my way

free vaccinations

free pharmaceutical samples 

free equipment

free pregnancy tests

 free phone consultations to avoid office visit fees

and one day i do hope to repay that.  

pay it forward

whatever.

but somehow, paying monthly fees to giant health insurance companies doesn't add up.

a day in the life

who can complain?

friday night

there was some tequila involved.

no purchases were made.

when the vacuum cleaner salesperson comes to your door, what will YOU do?

create space in life for that which truly matters

and if you're not sure about what truly matters, try moving from that which doesn't truly matter.

easier said than done.  i'm aware.

Ooops I did it again...

Aaah, the oh so familiar feeling of pulling the rug out from underneath me.

I quit another job.   

Too many to count and too much other stuff to focus on.

My apartment in Seattle is for sale, if you know anyone wanting a precious little one bedroom.  I give good price.

It was the urge to switch it up.

It was the recognition of lack of joy.

I felt like something in my life had to give and my job was what I was least committed to.

Back to near minimum wages at the grocery store.

Had beers with a friend the other afternoon, she said she was recently advised to "stop learning lessons" by a guru of some sort.

There's a lot to think about there.

And then, after all, it's only a job.

gardening at night

mercury went retrograde 

and I lost my voice.

how's that for communication breakdown?

I think the universe was protecting me from myself.

i dreamt of michael stipe the other night.

shigata ga nai

"it cannot be helped"

gambarimashaou

"we must keep up our fighting spirit"

oil is spilling in the Gulf again.

how long ago and far away the last spill feels.

kokoro

"heart and soul"

step one: show up

step two: 

do things for others.

step three:

do the things you love.

step four...

go ahead, fill in the blank

been thinking a lot about what is happening in Japan.

this post is days old because my internet is crap.

it's what I came up with in response to the large scale sadness I felt.

Infinite Intelligence

instead of reading this blog, you can just read elephant journal...

it just ends up on here later.

just read this blurb on taking guidance you've received and checking it against 

the fruit of the spirit:

love

joy

peace

 patience

kindness

goodness

faithfulness 

gentleness

self-control 

If the guidance we hear leads to these qualities, it is much more likely to be trustworthy.

don't take my word for it

Sometimes I can be a cry baby whiny cranky pants.

Sometimes I don't want to think about alignment in triangle pose.

Sometimes I don't want to work 40 hours a week.

There is something to be said for alignment and my work is not out of alignment with my values.

you'd prefer an astronaut

there's something to be said for the hard-working slacker.

i bogarted this image from elephant journal.

3rd Floor

I'm told there are

rainbows

unicorns

little green dudes with pots of gold

crazy dancing bananas

awaiting me when I turn 30.

I believe it.

BRING IT

forgiveness

When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, And his suffering is spilling over.  He does not need punishment; he needs help.  That is the message he is sending. 

~ Thich Nhat Hahn

I scooped this from the wise Molly Lannon Kenny's monthly wisdom.  

I received an unexpected apology today.  

Sometimes it's hard to find the gratitude for those gifts.

Forgiveness

is part of my continual process and journey.

is part of allowing others their process and to continue on their journey.

is part of keeping the energy in continual flow.

no witch

i bought it on itunes.

I recommend you do too.

http://thecavesingers.com/

the universe has quite the sense of humor

the world is no longer a romantic place.  some of its people are, however.  and therein lies the promise.  don’t let the world win, ally mcbeal.

-john cage.

if ally mcbeal were still on the air, she would be going to yoga.

waves

the wave does not need to die to become water.  she is already water.

thich naht hanh

a young gentleman died in the snow this last week.

my heart goes out to his family and community.

my gratitude goes out to all those who commit themselves tirelessly, again and again, to search and rescue.

alex, may you rest in peace.  i didn't know you, but hope the snow was epic.

this weekend's snow felt like what I imagine surfing to feel like.

riding a wave.

floating effortlessly.

Chromosomal Grab-Bag

"the observation of confusion is insight...the intelligence that binds us together is wisdom"


small town life is funny.

like, for example, when you spend the better part of your work day talking smack about one of a total of 3 local customers and then said customer walks into your evening yoga class. and you spend the better part of your yoga class feeling mildly guilty...


is that, what's it called?
karma?

i don't seem to tire of this band lately

fear

Do something you fear, NOT to conquer the fear, NOT to accomplish a task, but to familiarize yourself with the processes with which fear protects itself, to demystify it. 

-cheri huber

the year of the rabbit

It is said that this will be a temperate time with unhurried pace, suitable for introspection and respite. 

In continuing the theme of a new year 

(which I usually ponder until March when my new year happens), 

I came across this quote once said by a guy coaching a mountain bike rider.  

"Look where you want to go. If you look at the tree, you’ll hit the tree." 

it's often about choosing your line

high standards and low expectations

sometimes it feels a bit like an upstream swim.