.....cheetos

Yogis,

I returned from a week at the beach with friends (…about 50 of them) only hours ago. Car is unloaded and suitcases have been carried upstairs. Cold food out of the coolers and the pile of mail collected from the neighbor. Garden checked and laundry started. I’m home.

Now it’s back to my schedule and my diet……..

By diet I don’t mean the ones with a name or found on the cover of magazines at the checkout counter.  I’m not referring to counting calories, limiting my options or depriving myself. I simply mean getting back to the way I like to eat. Eating the fresh foods that make me feel healthy, full of energy and vibrant. I always look forward to the switch back when I return!

Whenever I am about to travel I tell myself that I am going to stay close to my regular diet while I’m gone. Allowing for some treats of course, but sticking close to my typical fare…..but it never seems to happen.  

As soon as I start on a long highway trip my mouth immediately begins to water for an egg and cheese biscuit from McDonalds. No, I tell myself. You have your nuts, banana and dried mango in the bag right next to you.  But somehow the biscuit whispers enough times in my ear that  before I know it, it is sitting in my lap. And I have only been gone for 2 hours!

It goes downhill from there. A healthy tomato and lettuce wrap for lunch, followed up by a pack of Nutter Butters – every day.  A mid afternoon bag of Cheetos. It’s noon? Ok, time for the first beer. A helping of egg noodles at dinner, followed by another. White potatoes, bread with butter, pasta.  A few Twizzlers each day and of course Caramel Creams. While the herbs for infusions I brought to drink sit lonely and untouched in the cabinet. 

Each evening as I fall asleep I tell myself that tomorrow will be a day to detox and get back on track.  The next morning I find myself raising my hand when asked ‘who wants eggs on top of cornbread with avocado and hollandaise sauce?”  Oh well. 

But I don’t regret any of it. Not while it is happening and not after. I allow myself to thoroughly enjoy every last sip and bite confident that once I walk back into my home what I crave will adjust itself right back. Trusting my body enough to allow it its ‘wild times’, knowing it will soon want to clear itself out once again. 

So I’m back. Back to fruits, nuts, greens, hummus, yogurt……..Until the next time.

Did I mention the rum soaked pineapple chunks passed around at the beach?
SARAH

....a new day

Yogis,

Thursday morning.  5:30 am. Early dawn. Sun beginning its rise. Phoebe and I reach the bottom of the street and make the turn. The tree cover over us parts to reveal a pale blue sky streaked with coral colored clouds. The sliver moon in the eastern sky.

Good morning Universe!   

No one but us. No bikers or cars. The world still asleep. Only a few robins and rabbits sharing this experience with us. The quiet first moments of a brand new day. On this day I felt its potential.

When we wake up each morning our minds often jump to what is on the agenda before our feet even hit the floor.  The to-dos, meetings, deadlines and chores all neatly written on the visual calendar of the mind, creating the appearance that our day is already set. Known. Planned.  here is a name for staying here too long…….a rut.

But it isn’t set!  In fact each morning as we rise the hundreds of moments stretching out in front of us are completely clear.  Nothing is written there. A blank slate. Each and every day is a fresh beginning and each moment contained within it holds unlimited potential.

Now you may choose at 10:00 to head to the dentist, or to eat your lunch at 12.  But who’s to say that an old dear friend may not call from out of the blue at 9 saying she is in town and would love to spend a few hours together. You may have planned to work in the evening only to have a late afternoon storm knock out the electricity and you suddenly find yourself going out to dinner.  Flat tires, letters in the mail, text messages, bumping into someone. Each moment is created fresh. When we open ourselves to this energy, wonder walks through the door.

This can be slightly uncomfortable when we are feeling the need to be in control.  In charge of our days.  Or…… totally thrilling when we open our eyes each morning and look to the sky to see how limitless it is. What will today bring! I can’t wait to find out!

Try it tomorrow. When your eyes first open see not a cramped note pad of reminders, but instead an empty space waiting to bring toward you that which you want.  Surprises, treats, new ideas. Even the obstacles which create space and opportunity for change. And as you lie down at night and look back over your day notice how many moments ended up being not at all what you had planned!

Today you are You

That is truer than true

There is no one alive

Who is Youer than You.

                ~Dr. Seuss

Tomorrow is yet another chance!
SARAH

......rainbows

Yogis,
I love rainbows. As the sun shines its first rays after a summer storm I always run outside to ‘rainbow hunt’. If you pay attention to rainbows you begin to have an inner sense of when they will form and where they will be in the sky. To me they have always had a dreamlike quality.  A visual sign that anything is possible.

I created this rainbow as I watered the garden the other day. I do this often but felt this time that I wanted to capture it. Make it real. Form something from the formless.

A rainbow carries the same colors of the chakras, our energetic centers. Our internal ability to form something from the formless.  So this week the rainbow acted as a reminder for me of the incredible power that I hold.

When we are energetically aligned with the Universe we are able to use the exact same principles that nature uses to create.  Anything that we want!  It all begins with noticing where we are and what is – earth (red).  Uncovering what it is that we want – water (orange).  Putting it into a vision and taking small steps toward it every day even through the uncomfortable – fire (yellow).  Having complete faith and trust that it will manifest as we radiate gratitude – air/heart (green).  Making a choice and speaking ‘as if’ it is already here – sound/ether (blue).  Watching for directional signs on the path – light/ether (indigo).  Finally allowing in the grace……that small piece of magic from the forces beyond that sprout seeds into 100 foot towering oaks and eggs the size of a pin head into something as complex as a human being - the space that holds it all (white).

This process works for anything! So then why aren’t we all living the life of our dreams?

The reasons are different for each of us. Most of us don’t even know we have this ability. Some don’t feel worthy, others try to do it all alone believing there is no room for grace. Some choose to  live comfortably numb lives going 90 mph so the very first step of noticing never happens. And others may not have the discipline to keep stepping toward once the unforeseen obstacles arrive.  We all have different energetic blocks and limiting beliefs which hold us back and they can shift over time.

As the rainbow watched over me I saw that my challenges right now lie in making choices and then the utter trust it takes to lie back into the arms of the Universe with no doubt that I will be carried through. Doubt, disguising itself as the ever watchful rational mind, keeping me stuck in place.  Moving forward only to second guess myself and stepping back. We never get very far when doubt is our copilot. My trust in the unseen being tested. Do I let go? Do I stay within my comfort zone? Do I trust or be careful?

I finished writing this blog and went upstairs an hour ago to brush my teeth, and what did I find lying across the center of my white sink? A beautiful rainbow created by the skylight above. My rational mind has no answer for that one. Thank goodness....

Anything is possible,
SARAH

.....forgiveness

Yogis,

I had an ‘a-ha’ moment recently. One of those times when the clouds of the mind suddenly part and everything becomes crystal clear. 

All day long I had known that my husband was going to end up doing something that upsets me. It was the perfect storm. The way our schedule was for the weekend, the time we had arrived home, the way he was speaking. I felt it coming. With this backdrop, you would think that when he stuck his head in the bathroom to casually tell me that he was going to do ‘what I knew he was going to do’ I would be ok inside.  But no…..

When he did…..boom!  My jaw clenched, my body temperature rose and I muttered under my breath.  My mental chatter now ramped up to full speed ahead.    

‘I knew he was going to do this (duh)’…. ‘He knows this makes me angry’…..’He doesn’t care what I want’…..’It’s always the same’…….’He doesn’t understand me’…..and so on as my body clenched and steam rose from my ears.  Meanwhile my husband is now snuggled in bed drifting off into his little dream world without a care in the world. 

Typically in this type of situation I hold on to the sensation of anger, because letting it go feels like letting the other ‘off the hook’. I cling to my hurt and self-pity like long lost friends, knowing I will most certainly keep them around all evening, and perhaps even invite them to breakfast. But something woke me up this time.

Here I was lying in a beautiful sunken tub, surround by floating rose petals and lavender buds. Lit candles watched over me and my playlist sang to me softly in the background. It was right then that I realized I had a choice. I could lie there in discomfort or I could listen to the hot water which was pleading for me to allow my tense muscles to melt……and so I did. I let go. 

I let go of the anger. I let go of the clenching. I let go of the thoughts. And I floated……and it hit me. This is what forgiveness ‘feels’ like. 

I always read how forgiveness is about you and not the other person.  How it isn’t giving away your power, caving in, or allowing others to harm you, but instead is a gift you give yourself.  Yeah, yeah, yeah......I always thought.  Maybe that works for other people.  But this time I got it. Suffering is not from what is done to us but how we react and then hold on to it for dear life hours, days or even years later.  Forgive and set yourself free. Float.

Which is what I did. Completely at peace. 

So do I have this ‘forgiveness’ thing down? Ha, ha, ha…… now that’s funny. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But the Universe granted me this fleeting glimpse of its potential.  And for that I am grateful…..

Noticing,
SARAH

.....plantain

Yogis……

Do you recognize this gal?

This is Plantago Major.  Her sister with longer narrow leaves and tall stems with seeds on top is Plantago Ianceolata.  Both go by their nickname, plantain, and you can find them everywhere!

When I was young I loved to sit out in the grass this time of year when they were producing their seed stalks and run my hand down them to see how many seeds I could pull off in one stroke. When I became an adult I thought of them as a lawn nuisance. Now that I am becoming wiser I welcome them with open arms.

Plantain is one of nature’s super healers. She is used around the world for her medicinal qualities and is a staple in the Native American healing bag. Her leaves contain substances which promote skin rejuvenation making her indispensable in the treatment of skin abrasions, cuts, bites and other skin conditions.  When taken internally she can also treat colds, flu, mouth ulcers and diarrhea. She helps improve liver and kidney function and calms throat pain or infections. And all you need to do is look down……

Phoebe, my dog, had scraped the tender area inside of her hip before we left on vacation. It started looking bad a few days in. I began using some Bactine and Neosporin.  Each day it would appear to be healing, only to look bad again the next morning. When I got home Friday I was out back with her when the plantain in my garden caught my eye. Of course! Once yet again……..not practicing what I preach. 

The easiest and quickest way to use plantain is as a poultice (be sure the yard hasn’t been chemically treated). You simply pick a leaf, put it in your mouth and chew it up well to get the juices flowing.  Once chewed, create it into a ball in your mouth and place the ball of wet herb on the area which needs healing. Perfect remedy for bee stings, scrapes, cuts, skin eruptions etc. Her leaves also contain an agent which stops bleeding. I did this twice with Phoebe yesterday and her cut is looking so much better already! The over the counter products have gone back into the cabinet.

You can also make a tea from her by seeping one cup of ripped up leaves in two cups of boiling water in a bowl or mason jar covered with a lid until cold to the touch. Then strain and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks. Drinking 1 – 2 cups a day, plain or with honey, can control diarrhea and calm respiratory colds or fever. Plantain tea can be an aid to those with IBS, heartburn or other gastrointestinal tract concerns as well.  he tea also is used on the skin to wash wounds and calm sunburn. Or plantain can even be sautéed or thrown in salads. 

Tomorrow when you walk about see where you can find her. When you see her, wave and please tell her Sarah says hi!

When we are hurt or ill, a plant is always nearby waiting to help.  All we have to do is look down…..
SARAH