.....life lessons from a garden

Yogis,

My garden is my continual teacher. Like any good teacher she surprises me with new ideas and demonstrates concepts in a multitude of different ways, but she also reminds me over and over of some of the most basic principles to make sure they take root.

This week she reminded me once again about the energy of empty space.

I was down on my knees removing the weeds (remember the definition of a weed is – a plant located in a place you don’t want it) from my circle. There is one particular plant that showed up a few years ago and now would love if I allowed it to spread and be the only plant in my wheel. So, one by one I was digging them out of this area........

I noticed that the red bergamot I planted two years ago is now spreading beautifully, creating a carpet in the south quadrant of the garden. The black eyed susans too have filled in their area quite nicely. Yet the area where I was doing my removal was now left bare as I removed these plants. Clear space. Empty. Somewhat satisfying to see this place of nothing that I had created. A void.

But then the garden whispered in my ear. Remember. A void is empty, containing nothing…….yet it contains the potential of absolutely everything. What is it that you want?

I know I don’t want that particular plant in this area, but if I leave the earth bare, without question something will grow there. May be a pleasant surprise or could be something even less appealing or stubborn. Instead, I should choose what I want and plant it there!

Once something is removed, and space is created energy will organize to fill it once again. Just look at your closet if you want a good example! It is a law of the universe and you can choose to work with it or against it. You can insist on a ‘weed free’ bed covered only with mulch and do battle all summer or plant a sea of lavender and mint in which to lie.  Which will it be?

No different in life. When something in our life isn’t serving us we often focus on its removal. If, however we aren’t clear on what we want in its place the new that sweeps in could hold the exact same energy. Negative relationships repeated one after another. A string of unsatisfying jobs. One addiction replacing another.  

This is why intentions are always stated in the positive. Don’t tell the Universe what you don’t want. Let it know clearly what you do want and then go to work co-creating it. The Universe loves clarity and has unlimited organizing power to draw things toward you. But you must plant the seed.

Zinnias. That is what I want in the space. I can visualize them now. A spray of vivid flowers covered with monarchs and hummingbirds.  Yes, that is what I want!

Time to buy the seeds……

What is it that you want?
SARAH

We love Bluebell season!

.......please take the reins

Yogis,

Spring has sprung! The cherry blossoms are in peak bloom and daffodils line the street all looking up and waving. And yesterday I saw the first dandelion bloom in my yard. Yes, spring has sprung, and the landscape trucks are rolling into town to get the lawns ready.

This brings up the topic of…….. (the back ground music now hits those low piano notes of fear and suspense) ……WEEDS!!!!  Aaaahhhhhh!

The energy of spring is one of life, joy, birth, expansion and growth. But for some reason in humans it brings out the warrior in us.

I drove past our local nursery and their sign announced that it is time to prepare the lawn and of course, ‘eliminate the weeds.’ A truck sitting in a neighborhood driveway was painted with scary looking weeds and bugs with a clear warning that you certainly don’t want them in your yard.

I went to Home Depot this weekend in search of basic, plain, uncoated grass seed – which is getting hard to find – but the row of weed killers goes on as far as the eye can see. One promised to eradicate all dandelions and clover with its ‘weed gripper’ while the one lying next to it guaranteed to not only kill the weeds you see, but also the ones you don’t.  Hmmmm…….

The next aisle showcased a fertilizer that will ‘kill insects above and below the ground’. Why exactly do we need to kill the bugs in the dirt? Wouldn’t that kind of take the life out of dirt? All of these stating that after drying your kids and pets can be on them, but not sure I would want my grandchildren rolling on these lawns.

Last week my sister heard a commercial for fertilizers whose message was – Show your lawn who’s boss! How silly.

Suddenly I had an aha moment. This is all about control. Life as a human on this planet has gotten complicated. Right when we feel like we are getting it, we are sideswiped by some new news. There is very little we can control so our poor lawns are taking the brunt. Maybe if I can have a lawn with no dandelions, I will feel that I am driving my life.

Why do we have this need to control? I, for one often beg the Universe to take the reins! PLEASE, let me be guided! Allow me to lie back every now and then and surrender.

As for poor Ms Dandelion…..she is the first flower that almost every child gives so innocently to their mother with abundant joy. Dandelion is one of us and she is beautiful.  Please don’t kill her.

I bought a dozen range free eggs this week and there was a card inside that said ‘Nature is Boss….Follow her lead’.  Yes!!!!

Om,
SARAH

......watch what you say

Yogis,

The Carolina wrens have returned! Each morning one will be sitting on the deck railing under my bedroom window, singing her heart out. One of the first sounds to greet me on the new day. A gift as I absorb her vibration to set my own tone.

Everything has a vibration, and each is unique. The toad’s much different than the owl. The quiet of a spring shower much gentler than the summer storm. The bass lower the violin. A sunflower versus a holly bush. Your own vibration easily distinguished from mine.

We feel them all, whether consciously or unconsciously. And they each have an effect.

As you know, I pay a lot of attention to words. They intrigue me. Lying beneath the spelling, definition and pronunciation each and every word too has its own vibration. 

Say the word ‘soft’ to yourself a few times. Now repeat the word ‘hard’. Get very still so you can notice the sensations in the body. Can you feel a difference? Where do you feel them? Which does your body prefer?

Words are powerful. They can soothe, comfort, uplift, energize and empower. Yet they can also stab, deflate, hurt and cause anxiety. And it matters not whether you speak them out loud or mentally to yourself. Even reading them will produce the same effects if you watch carefully.

Words must be chosen carefully…….

Now there aren’t necessarily good words or bad words. They just are what they are. Yet some will resonate with your vibration and support you on your chosen path, while others will clash and cause discord. Each one will, however, have some impact as it enters you and often we don’t notice for quite some time. Suddenly we feel low and aren’t quite sure why. The more times they pass through, the deeper the grooves they create.

Be aware. If you find yourself gossiping or speaking ill of another, choose silence. If you find your mental chatter is filled with self-criticism, go look at yourself in the mirror and see how beautiful you are.  If the words you run to read each morning are of what is wrong in the world, consider instead writing out some words of what you can personally do to uplift another.

I am reminded of when I first joined Xerox fresh out of school. It was so easy to see the issues and what processes were broken. We would all sit around the bullpen and complain. I quickly learned though, no problem was to be brought to the table in a meeting unless you were also offering to work on the solution. That cut way down on the negative talk!

Words are a choice! Be as picky with the words you read, hear and speak as you are with the food you eat. Words too must be digested, and you don’t want to get heartburn.

I love the word blossom,
SARAH

......a spark

Yogis,
Transition is defined as – ‘the process or period of changing from one state or condition to another.’ Movement. Conversion. Passage. Change.

Taking something and transforming it into something new. What better way to describe the season of spring. The metamorphosis that unfolds for us each year from a cold, barren, colorless landscape to a moist, vibrant tapestry of colors, smells and sounds in mere weeks. All arising from what appears to be nothing.

A season most of us eagerly anticipate in those final frigid weeks of winter, yet suddenly find on her arrival that she can also challenge us…..as most transitions do.

During the dry cold season of winter (referred to as Vata in Ayurveda) we crave warm, heavy and sweet foods. Soups, stews, bread and of course those holiday cookies and cakes. They help to warm and nourish us, providing more weight and steadiness, less the winter winds blow us away. A season which draws us inside. Quieter. Dark. Listening.

Now suddenly the sun feels blinding as we, not unlike the bear, rub our eyes and begin to rouse from our slumber. Sluggish. Feeling the pull to do more, only to find ourselves dropping back down on the couch. Spring (referred to as the Kapha season) is only a little warmer, damp, dense and heavy. Think mud. Easy to feel stuck.

A change in season requires a conscious change in us! But like spring, it should be gradual. A step forward, rest, two steps, a step back, rest. Without some adjustments however, the sticky, denseness of Kapha in our own bodies will accumulate and what results is mucus which loves to lodge in the respiratory system. Notice how everyone around you is coughing? Tissues abound and spring allergies and asthma wait in the wings.

Now is the time to begin lightening things up, as the sun knows so well! Develop a routine – a rhythm to your day. Look closely and use this time to leave behind old patterns. Step into a new journey with a focused intention of what you will bloom this spring.

Begin each day with warm lemon water to clear the system. In the cycle of the day, Kapha is the morning, so shift to a lighter breakfast, and save the heavier meal for lunchtime.  Spring is sweet already, so switch your diet to include less sweet food and bring in pungent, bitter and astringent tastes to lighten and break through the muck. Ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper. Cooked dark leafy greens. Dandelion and cilantro to flush the liver.

Neti pot or Nasya oil for the sinuses, tongue scraper for the mouth and raw local honey for the system. Lightening the load.

No need to run the marathon yet. Introduce moderate daily activity to produce a light sweat and get things moving. Put on your music and dance. Consistent gentle movement forward will begin to strike the spark.

Follow nature’s cues. Watch the sun and rise with her each morning. Gradually less sleep as the days lengthen. Take time to notice spring with the eyes of a child. Stop at the bush and tree outside your home and examine for buds. Pick an area of ground in your yard or the park and watch it daily to witness the changes. Be in the transition.

Soon enough that spark with be strong enough to start the fire of summer.

 It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.     William Bridges

Be kind to yourself….you are perfect,
SARAH

......age spots

Yogis,

Last week I went to the dermatologist. Every two years I go and strip bare to have every inch of my skin inspected, including any new spots or bumps that seem at times to appear overnight, making sure nothing looks suspect.

He announced that all looked good and I should continue doing what I am doing and come back to see him in two years. Then there was a pause. “You know,” he said “if you would like, I can freeze off those two brown spots on your face. Only takes a couple of minutes.”

My mind leapt into action. What spots was he referring to? Ok, I think it is those sun/age spots. Should I say yes? Is that what I am supposed to do? Why is he asking? To give myself a minute to think, I asked a few questions. Then my brain finally settled, and I said no, they didn’t bother me (which they haven’t except when I stare at them in a mirror). He said I could always come back.

This all got me thinking……….

I am aging, as we all are. Some of you perhaps not as far along the path as I, while others guiding me forward. These spots and others, wrinkles and gray hairs will all eventually reside in this body I call home. How do I feel about that? Do they make me less perfect?

My theme over these past few weeks has been on the ‘you’ inside, which goes by the name soul and is inherently perfect. Not the body, not the mind but a unique spark of the Universe which is unchanging and unbounded. Not affected by age, illness, the outer world or even death.

Yet we often don’t believe this. Perfection becomes something we strive for on the outside with our bodies, our accomplishments, our relationships. How can I be perfect if I don’t look a certain way? If I don’t look young when the world seems to favor that?

All of this inner processing sparked by a question from a doctor.

When I look in the mirror, I at times tear myself apart. My eyes lock in on the beginning signs of wrinkles. Bags under the eyes. Laugh lines deeply imbedded. Ugh. But then I walk away and completely forget! Feeling good. Young. Happy and light. So, which is it?

How unbelievably freeing it would be if I could truly feel perfect with no concern for the outside! Stop and think about that. What would that feel like? What if it absolutely didn’t matter what you looked like. Where all that mattered was how ‘you’ feel. All the time and wasted mental energy that would free up!

Now I am not implying that you ignore your body. Self-love involves deeply caring for your body with wonderful healthy food, exercise, self-massage and time for you….not because it makes you more perfect, but because this body is the only vehicle you are getting for this existence and you want it in tip top shape for all the adventures you have in front of you.

I’m also not suggesting that having sun spots frozen off, using cosmetics, or having procedures are in any way right or wrong, but what are your reasons for doing them? I still color my hair as an example. But six years ago, I stopped wearing all makeup including mascara and you know what? I still have the same number of friends. The deeper question becomes where does your sense of being enough come from. What makes the final determination?

Friday night I innocently laid my hand on my belly. Oh no! Like clockwork, my March muffin top is appearing. Deep exhale……..

These age spots indicate I am aging.  Yes, I am.

I am perfect,
SARAH

And I said to my body, softly, "I want to be your friend."
It took a long breath and replied, "I have been waiting my whole life for this."
               ~Nayyirah Waheed

......the perfect diamond

Yogis,

I have a little practice for you to do this week (I first typed ‘try to do’ but caught myself).  If you are reading this in a public place, go ahead and read through, but then come back again later when you are alone.

Take your right hand and place it in the center of the chest, down at the level of the heart. Then lay your left hand on top. Bow your chin down slightly, close your eyes and shift your inner gaze down to that spot. Feel the breath passing through there. Soften. Oh, there you are.

This sacred space is home to Anahata chakra and is where ‘you’ live. Say hello to ‘you’ and stay for a few minutes. Reconnect. No rush……

You know the you that I am referring to. The one that hasn’t changed since you were a young child. The you that is quiet, calm and doesn’t judge. The you that longs to be seen but is rarely fully exposed for fear of being hurt or not being enough.

When you point to yourself, this is naturally where the hand goes. You don’t point to your head, because you are not your mind (as hard as the mind tries to market that idea to you). No…..you are found much deeper. A perfect diamond buried beneath life’s layers.

Like the diamond in the ground, it takes desire, digging, unearthing and polishing to bring it back to its natural radiance, day after day, week after week, year after year. The consistent housekeeping within that only you can do to sweep away the self-doubt, the worry and the pain to allow 'you' to shine. To light your way, with the mind begrudgingly taking the back seat.

Do this practice every day this week for 2 to 3 minutes. Feel what’s there. Listen. Get reacquainted. I would love to hear anything you notice.

You are a unique spark of the divine. You are perfect. You are enough……  

Feeling my heartbeat,
SARAH

PS. Please allow March to be March. Don't ask her to behave like April. She is perfect. She is enough....

.....A Time for Me

Yogis,

Their bags packed, cars loaded, big hugs shared, and they have driven off down the road. Each heading back to their own world of work, family and home. Re-entry for them, while my house is left quiet once again.

The meaningful personal items brought by each have now left an empty space on the alter. The body oils so thoughtfully prepared no longer grace the counter top, the mingling of their aromas absent as I walk through the kitchen.

Yet I can still feel each of them here. The energy they left behind. The web we weaved.

My first women’s retreat has happened! ’A Time for Me’…… has ended. A success. A weekend that I have visualized in detail for the past two years became real. What began as a feeling has manifested, and I loved every moment of it…….

The word retreat means to withdraw from or move away. Getting away from it all, and we all know there is plenty in our world to need a time away from.  I have wanted to offer that to others and knew I have the perfect space to do it. I saw it and I stepped forward. More than a little scary.

A spiritual retreat offers an opportunity to leave daily life behind, with all its distractions, so you can focus solely on yourself. A time long enough to allow for deep relaxation, inner reflection and the potential for inner change. The possibility to re-establish your life in a new way.

As a circle of women, we meditated in the early morning light, practiced yoga, hiked through the woods (mud and all) and worked with essential oils. We sat on the floor pouring through magazines to find the perfect images and words to reflect our intentions and turned them into vision boards. We laughed.

The fire we built at night drew us close to share stories and ideas, many topics often considered taboo for discussion. A safe place to bare our souls. The fire also welcoming the strips of paper which held those things we were ready to let go of, turning them to smoke.

Most of us did not know each other before Friday, yet we weaved new friendships and worked together seamlessly to bring several delicious meals to the table. The assembly line which formed without even a word made clean ups a breeze. Teas and infusions were the beverages of choice and the chocolate covered orange slices topped off the evenings as everyone headed to their rooms.

Rising to the ringing of the singing bowl……instead of the alarm. Discussions on self-care….not politics. Reading books on healing herbs……instead of the newspaper. Listening to music….in place of the tv. And checking on each other……not our texts.

This was my first. I am grateful. It will not be my last…….  

I will sleep well tonight,
SARAH

Mushrooms from our hike
Beauty is everywhere!