....stormy weather

Yogis,
About ten days before a vacation I start checking the weather forecast. Knowing full well it will change a few times over the next week, I want to at least get a sense of the general trend in temperatures and moisture. As we get close to departure, I am always happy to see a row of bright sun icons on the days ahead, yet if we spent a week in the Outer Banks of NC without at least one good storm, I would feel gipped.

This past week we had three.

Here is what typically happens. All 60 of us will be enjoying the day on the beach. Full camp set up with umbrellas, beach bags, coolers, chairs and bocci games in progress. Someone will notice the sky beginning to darken behind the dune but since we can’t really see what’s coming we continue on. Eventually the breeze picks up and a thick black cloud crests the dune and we have about eight minutes to take everything down and make a run for it.

A line forms at the base of the single set of about thirty steep steps that take you up and over the dunes. Everyone loaded like pack mules while the first drops begin to fall. A race against time as we finally reach the house, dropping the beach equipment and running in.

I’m not sure if it’s the combination of the high heat and humidity, the lack of tall trees, the ocean on one side with the sound on the other or all of the above, but the storms are fierce.

Because the sky is unobstructed, the views are amazing. Both the front and back edges of the storm are visible with tremendous cloud formations in multiple layers. The skies open up to sheets of rain which immediately create pools on the street. Then the wind arrives with all her might. You can feel the whole house sway. Heavy wood deck furniture which I certainly can’t lift, she has no problem moving about.

Next is the lightning and thunder. Vivid streaks of lightning light the sky as they draw zigzags from clouds to ocean. Flashes in the sky coming from every direction. Cracks of thunder which make you leap even when you know they are coming. Or those long deep rumblings that I feel in my belly. I remember being told when I was young that was God bowling.

Bring it on! I love it all! Mother Nature reminding us who is really in control lest we begin to take ourselves too seriously.

We watch the show from the screen porch or even from the hot tub tucked between two decks. And where storms at home are quick, there they linger. Appearing to be coming to a close, only to shoot an unexpected lightning bolt your way. My heart pounds.

When the calm arrives and the skies finally begin to clear, colors spill in to fill the gaps between the clouds. It takes my breath away. How can there be so much beauty?

Still wet and sandy from the day at the beach, it’s finally time to take a shower,
SARAH

.....beach personalities

Yogis,
Do you think places in nature have personalities? An energy that is all their own? I spend time on many different beaches and notice that each one is unique. Even two sitting right next to each other have different vibrations. Different sounds, smells, and ways of being.

I was in Cape May NJ last weekend for a couple of days and got to know a bit about her personality.

For the past 38 years I have been going to Stone Harbor which is only two beaches north of Cape May. As a veteran I know the rules, the culture and where to get a good pizza. In Cape May, I was a newbie.

First, the architecture is completely different. Old Victorians in a rainbow of pastels and jewel tones, each with exquisite lattice work, line the streets near downtown. Grand hotels from bygone years smelling of old wood take you back in time. Hydrangeas in full bloom circle the homes while stately trees create a canopy on the side streets. But the differences go deeper than how it looks.

The house we stayed in, like almost all the homes there, had a spacious wood front porch with sturdy green and white awnings which reached beyond the railings, creating an inviting private space to pass some time. I couldn’t wait for coffee time on the porch after my run and for cocktails after dinner out there watching the world go by…….which goes by mostly on bikes.

Everyone rents a bike! When a cousin would ride by, they would check to see if anyone was on the porch, and if so, park the bike and come up for a chat. A few minutes leads to an hour. The kids join in. Another chair is pulled up. A fresh bottle of wine. I am reminded of why people had front porches. They create connections….. causing people to pause. In today’s world, social life has moved to the back deck. Also nice, but no one is going to happen by.

Back to the bikes! They are the preferred mode of transportation. At home I don’t really ride a bike. I am nervous with the traffic. But my love for biking as a child was rekindled. Cool air on my face and hair blown back by the wind. The side streets almost car-less so we were free to weave and make wide turns. Riding back late at night under the stars I almost got the nerve to let go of the handlebars. Maybe next time.

Even the seagulls have their own way of being. In Stone Harbor we train our children from a young age on seagull etiquette. Nothing is to be opened and eaten until you are safely seated under the beach umbrella. No umbrella? A big beach towel over the head will suffice. But Cape May seagulls do not view the umbrella as an obstacle and think nothing of flying under to snatch that piece of left-over pizza from your hand.

Your paid beach tag pinned to your shorts each time you walk onto the beach entrance. Sounds of bicycle bells in the evening air. Horse drawn carriages passing by, adorned with flowers and ribbons, reminiscent of Cinderella. Old swing style cds playing on the stereo in the house as we prepare dinner.

I was introduced to Cape May and I like her style. What is your beach town's personality?

Off now to visit another old friend…..the outer banks,
SARAH

....a day in the life

Yogis,
Much of my experience in summer is done through my feet!

During vacation I watched the fascination that my six month old grandson had with his feet. One of life’s early rites of passage. As soon as he lies down for a changing, the feet fly toward the ceiling, the hands grab hold, and into the mouth they go. Chewing and slobber ensue. A sensory delight. Our feet are one of the first body parts we become aware of and they then take us on every step of this magical journey of life.

Summer is the time to set them free! Have you been outside with bare feet yet this summer? Have you given them new experiences? Our feet tell us much about the world around us. I’ve been noticing a day in the life of my feet.

In the mornings after my shower, I don’t put on shoes. As I move through my morning routine they feel the cool smoothness of the wood floors and softness of the area rugs. They notice if something is sticky. Or wet. At times when I walk through the foyer I feel sand and an image appears of Phoebe romping at the river’s edge. Out comes the dust broom or mop.

My feet head outside, loving to walk through the morning dew on the grass. No matter how hot or heavy the air is, my feet are cool as a cucumber. The clover tickles my toes. Walking in grass quickly brings back memories of summer childhoods. Soft. Lush.

Next on the agenda is a stroll through the vegetable garden for some weeding and harvesting. My feet land on the bare earth which seems so dense compared to the grass. Solid. Grounding. Home.

I walk the flagstone path of my wheel which runs north to south and notice how completely different it feels from the mulch path that leads from east to west. I stand on one of the rocks that create the outline of the garden so I can reach in to cut a flower. Noticing how my toes leap into action to keep me steady.

To get back to the downstairs door I walk across the gravel driveway. At the beginning of the summer I do a considerable amount of ‘ooh-ah- ing’ as I walk gingerly on my pale winter softened feet. But by July they are tan and tough and I am walking the entire length of the driveway. I know it sounds silly but there is something about being able to do that which makes me feel powerful!

Mud, puddles, hot sidewalk, the sand, my yoga mat……..my feet tell me exactly where I am. And when dirt gets stuck between my toes, I head for the hose for an exhilarating foot shower.

Finally, as the sun is setting on Phoebe’s last walk of the day, the still warmed blacktop of the street feels heavenly.

Happy feet,
SARAH

....ficus

Yogis,
Is it possible to have a relationship with a plant?

It’s hard to believe she and I have been together for over twenty years. I still remember her arrival. My sister-in-law was moving and didn’t have a good place to put her in the new home and asked if I would take her in. I had the perfect spot for her in the corner of our newly built family room against a wall of windows.

When she came, she was already established and I was a bit nervous. Memories flashed of the ficus my mom had when I was young. I had learned quickly that she was a temperamental type of tree. Lush green one day, yellowing the next and soon proceeding to drop every single leaf. When she is unhappy, she lets you know. She isn’t big on change and here I was giving her nothing but that.

She settled in nicely, however. Before long I began working from home and that family room became my office, so we spent much of the day together. I hung a tiny birdhouse on one of her branches. Each Christmas I strung her with twinkle lights and small silver balls. She shined.

Fourteen years ago we made the move together to the house next door and she took a prime spot in my new sun filled office. She heard every one of my conference calls and watched my daily yoga practice. Before long a reiki table made its way in front of her and she presided over us during sessions with her calming presence.

In summer she moves to the deck right outside my office door so we can still see each other. She, like I, looks best when the days are long, the air moist and the moon shines brightly. Birds land on her, occasionally a storm knocks her over and when the gutters overflow she is bent by the deluge.

A few years back, summer was extremely wet. We were having daily rains and the air was heavy. One afternoon I walked out and she had grown long stringy roots from the bottom of all of her branches! She was trying to create a banyan…… How funny!

Her health fluctuates. At least once a year she gets some sort of bug infestation and the telltale yellowing and dropping of leaves ensues. I leap into action. Spraying her with neem oil. Talking to experts at the local nursery. Wiping her leaves. Putting a crystal in the pot with her. Last year even going so far as to finally transplant her into a larger pot which I was incredibly nervous to do. She and I survived.

She has a lean to her. In her early life, one side of her trunk had softened and I was certain that at some point it would give and that would be her demise. Much to my amazement, one summer she quickly grew a strong kickstand from her trunk to the dirt, creating a new found stability. Amazing.

Somehow she always pushes through.

Friday night we had dinner on the deck before yet another rain. I glanced over and saw something yellow in her pot. On closer inspection it was an adorable mushroom. I looked it up and it is called Flowerpot Parasol. By morning I could see why.  How perfect is that!

My ficus and I have a relationship. Ups and downs and all around……. She has brought me much joy and I believe she feels the same way.

Do you have a plant relationship?
SARAH

......manifesting

Yogis,
I spent this past week in Stone Harbor NJ, one of the most beautiful beaches on the east coast, and had the joy of hosting all three of my sons, my two daughter in laws, and all three grandchildren. What could be better than that!

This annual event began the year my first born was turning one. Next week he turns 38.

Already the years with my three early rising, bursting with energy boys are blurry. I can best remember snippets. Those things that we did each year like clockwork. Digging the big hole on the beach. Standing in the long line at Springers for ice cream cones, which one of them would inevitably drop on the sidewalk. Watching the fireworks from beach chairs. The rituals.

Fast forward many years and now it is the grandchildren rising at dawn, eagerly asking me what I want to do the moment I walk out of my bedroom rubbing sleep from my eyes. I know that in the future these years too will be hazy without some markers. Being the nature lover that I am, I started the ‘nature walk’ a few years back.

One morning I announce that I am taking them to walk the trails in the bird sanctuary which sits at the end of our street. I ask if they remember doing it the year before and what we saw. I watch the wheels turning in their head and see sparks of recognition. Shoes on and off we go.

‘Maybe a turtle will be laying her eggs again’ my grandson says. ‘I hope we see bunnies!’ exclaims my bunny loving granddaughter.

We come to the entrance and there she is, smack in the middle of the path. Mom turtle digging vigorously with her back legs. Leg goes down. Claws grab dirt. She lifts her leg out of the hole and deposits the dirt. Over and over. Not fazed by our closeness, she has a job to do and is doing it well.

After a while we enter the sanctuary. A few steps in we hear something and see movement in the brush. A bunny hops out of course. She looks over. We ooh and aah and continue along.

‘We haven’t seen any frogs’ says my grandson as we turn the corner. As if on cue, I lift my foot to plant it for the next step and a frog leaps out from underneath. We visualize, we speak……we manifest.

They are now excited and start running. ‘We aren’t seeing anything!’ they announce. I call them back. I explain that the eyes required to see nature only turn on when we move very slowly. Nature is always there…..we just have to slow down to see it. Not a minute later we ‘see’ another turtle. A spider web. A mouse.

My manifesting skills have been a bit rusty lately. Being around the free spirit that sits unencumbered in children provided a much needed tune up. They believe. They fantasize. They expect. Therefore, they create. A turtle, a bunny or the dream job. It all works the same way.

My hope is that 38 years from now when they are asked about their childhood trips to Stone Harbor, the ‘nature walk’ will make it to the list, and they will still be effortlessly producing what it is that they want.

I create,
SARAH