metamorphosis

A Yellow Woolly Bear and (what I think is), a Painted Lady Butterfly (click to view larger… it is amazing) on a mint flower.

While working on cleaning up my hard drive, I came upon a folder full of photos from last summer. Can’t help but linger on summer…

These 2 selected favorites were not intentionally paired, but I realized how related they were, even if not directly.

Metamorphosis… a word to linger on…

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transmute

***

Transmute often; let go of energy

binding experiences from your past.

Transmuting liberates energy by

reviewing your experiences while

being in touch with your breath.

Transmuting always begins with

inner stillness and inner silence.

Breathe deep, yet relaxed, as you

review the experiences of your life;

this will liberate energy.

Open your heart and fully inmerse

yourself in your experiences, yet stay

in touch with your breath.

It is time to transmute when energy

becomes an issue.

Transmutation extends life.

***

I wanted to share this card, because I really got a lot from it it this week. I  was feeling overwhelmed the other night, with the amount of work I have before me right now. I usually have a lot of work to do, but I don’t usually feel overwhelmed. I really needed to shift (and since working was what I needed to be doing, taking a long break wasn’t an option). Before heading downstairs to get something to eat, I decided to shuffle through a deck of Insight Cards – with my situation in mind – and this is the card that came out.

These cards were created by my partner many years ago, and while I have looked at them countless times, they are always like new, with each new situation.

Letting go, being still and liberating energy is something I try to practice daily, but sometimes the demands of life seem to go against all of that completely, and then I find myself wound up or overly invested in the details. That’s the time to let go of what’s binding, but it would be even better not to get bound up in the first place.

What helps you shift or release, when you are overwhelmed or caught up on something? Or what helps you stay fluid and free?

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Have a great start to a new week everyone.

(And if you needed a new perspective today, go ahead and read that card again.)

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Relationship

Relationship

Gather around relationship like you

would gather around a fire, ready to

contribute to its fuel and safety.

Each relationship must allow the fluid motion of change and growth.

Let relationship take you

where you are both needing to go.

In relationship give

what you need from the heart.

Relate heart to heart

no matter what.

A relationship works best when we

accept the needs of our true self

and act on them.

Give freely.

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balance

My entry into the new year was fairly uneventful, in a way that seemed just right. We spent the whole of new year’s eve day rearranging our house and doing some needed deeper cleaning. It was fun and satisfying and really brought me back into being an active and present part of my home life again (as opposed to being a sewing robot). We had meant to go to a party, but by the time evening rolled around we were pretty enrolled in our project. It seemed totally perfect waking up on new year’s day to a fresh house and feeling freshly inspired.

This year I didn’t make a list of resolutions (although I don’t usually do this any year), but I did make one. I resolve to bring a balance back to my life; a balance between work and play (and rest), time and money, computing and real life… We have started setting some time aside every morning, to just ‘tune in’ – be still, clear out extra noise, set new intentions, clarify our direction, and just generally take some time outside of the demands of the day-to-day, to check in. We used to do this on a regular basis. It was just built in and part of things. There is a really awesome momentum that builds when you do this consistently, over a length of time. It’s awesome (yes, I said it again!). I highly recommend giving it a try.

I have a lot of ideas for infusion this year, which I’m feeling really excited about. I’ve been making lists and sketching designs, and I’ve already started putting a few of these ideas in motion. I look forward to sharing  in new, creative ways as well, so we’ll see what comes of that.

Even though in some ways, January 1st is just another day, it can be helpful to have a symbolic new beginning to set needed changes in motion. If anyone feels to share, I’d love to hear any of the things you resolve to do or change this year (or day, week, or even decade).

And speaking of new, those chocolate plaid house shoes should be appearing in the shop any day now and those baby tears, wow, they are in a new found state of vegetative bliss.

See you soon. xo

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freedom

In general, I tend to be at odds with most every holiday and the ways in which they are “celebrated.” July 4 is no exception and is, in some ways, the holiday which saddens me the most. Heavy metals and other pollutants are burned into the air we breathe; streets, lakes, oceans and rivers are littered with these spent fireworks; accidental fires are set and people get injured. When I ask people why they participate in this kind of behavior, they can not come up with an answer that has meaning and even though they may be able to fully relate to how senseless it is, they will choose to participate anyway. When it is suggested that we come up with a new way to celebrate, with an intention behind our celebration and to creatively choose activities that have meaning to us, the response is often silence, discomfort or justification of the old way.

To do something because it has always been done, and because everyone else is doing it, does not make it the wise thing to do. This kind of mindless behavior is dangerous in a way that spans far beyond the seeming innocent act of participating in a pretty show of lights.

Stripped down to it’s simplest, this day signifies freedom. We need to challenge ourselves to act out of freedom… we have the freedom to choose and think in new ways; the freedom to act of ourselves, and to go beyond old beliefs; the freedom to leave behind destructive and senseless traditions and create new ones that are a creative celebration of life.

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I would like to share something fresh, on Freedom…

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Freedom

By acting in freedom

we free those around us.

Freedom is always total,

and for this you must let go

of your attachment to everything.

Attachment equals pain.

Attachments to security, spiritual

and social ideas serve only

to drain one’s energy.

Truly great acts need no attachment.

The struggle to realize yourself

as energy while in the form world,

brings freedom through awareness.

Freedom is our greatest responsibility; love is our

greatest freedom.

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Change

First, I want to say hello and that I have not meant to be away from here for so long. There are many things I have been intending to do (including a fun giveaway!) but life has been so very full. I have been a little bit behind on everything, from returning emails to completing orders.

Some of you already know this if you have been following my flickr photos, but I have been waiting to make any big announcements until it felt like a more certain reality… My boyfriend and I are in the process of buying a house (woohoo!!), and are working our way through all that that entails – from meetings with our realtor to ordering house inspections to appliance shopping (it has not even a stove) to lengthy and important discussion about all these things. These things all have to happen at a time where I would otherwise be working for infusion – for my customers – as I am also currently still working nearly full time at the retreat center. We are almost finished completing all the necessary details and even though I still hold in reserve the possibility that something could fall through (though it would have to be something no one can even imagine, not even our realtor), we should be closing at the end of May.

In a time of such great change (which can sometimes also feel like a time of great uncertainty), this meditation I am about to share with you seems fitting… I am amazed how many people I know who are moving, getting married, having children, losing jobs, finding new jobs, or going through some other major life transformation at this time. So I like to take a deep breath, clear my thoughts, and remember that life is an amazing process, and change is welcome.

Change

The self that you see

may be less than you are;

love yourself.

Open yourself and be more present.

Experiment with having fewer

belief systems…

they may be holding you back.

Be bravely present

in each part of you that hurts;

let change begin.

Still yourself and allow

the silence to emerge;

spend time in inner silence.

Accept the change that is upon you.

Rally yourself with the energy you

have and act now.

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Wisdom

A meditation, drawn from the “Insight Cards,” created by my boyfriend Steven.

This card was chosen by Steven, with you, my readers, in mind.

I will also add, that there was a relativity in his choosing ~ The activity to help each of us shift into the right “place of intention,” to act with harmony within this journey through these times – whether it be today, this week or in our larger life challenge.

Wisdom

Wisdom is to the soul

what food is to the body.

If you act with wisdom

it will immediately present you

with a situation needing

you to act with wisdom again.

Following wisdom with wisdom

reveals your path.

Wisdom becomes accessible at the

moment the internal dialogue stops.

Wisdom is ever-present

and accessible right aback

of thought and reason.

Wisdom is not taught,

it is practiced.

Love is the message of Wisdom.

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