Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One
Becca at On Dragonfly Wings with Buttercup Tea
hosts Nurturing Thursday to join in click here
It’s been a year since I had my back surgery. It went well but healing has taken all this time. When your back isn’t aligned other joints are affected. Because of that, my knees weren’t behaving. My dancing career helped with those joint issues too. Everything is back to the way it should be for a senior. But, it’s only been 2 weeks. My mind was remembering the peaceful tai chi class I used to take. I went into my e-mails so I could contact my teacher. There in my inbox was her smiling face. I was elated. My first class will be tomorrow. I thought this type of exercise might be of interest to you. I reposted the Tai Chi nurturing I had written in 2014.
Hope you enjoy …. Isadora 🙏
The mind is everything … what you think you become … Buddah
Ni Hao – Hello ( Chinese )
Tai Chi is an ancient type of exercise similar to martial arts that has been practiced in China for centuries. The fluid slow movements make it safe and effective. If you simply incorporate this practice into your lifestyle it will be of great benefit to both mental and physical health.
Tai Chi is popular among senior citizens and those suffering from limitations that prevent them from doing other types of exercises. Some people find it to be easier than meditation for quieting their mind.
How does this ancient type of exercise prevent putting any strain on your body?
Tai Chi is a combination of elegant movements that are performed in a slow and flexible manner. They flow into each other. It looks like a well-choreographed slow motion dance. The movements are soft and fluid without jerking the body from one position to another.
A professional can give you lessons and advise on the movements and their pattern. The techniques are free flowing but there are a few guidelines that are important to keep in mind. Always keep your posture straight but your arms loose. It’s important to never apply force in any movement and to stay totally relaxed in order to refrain from putting any strain on the joints.
Many people are acquainted with the hand movements seen when Tai Chi is being performed in parks, at the beach or in gyms. The flowing movements help strengthen muscles. The quiet thoughtful concentration creates a calming effect that helps the body decrease tension, anxiety and stress. It can be performed alone or in a group. Apart from these benefits, Tai Chi works on your psychological level by improving concentration and focus to strengthen your mind.
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My Tai Chi Dance teacher – Sui
Each movement or posture carries defensive or offensive applications. In order to understand these applications it’s vital to grasp the awareness of the concept of Yin and Yang. Yin is the soft female principle and Yang is the masculine principle.
Tai Chi movements:
• releases tension and relaxes body
• it tones and strengthens muscles
• it improve respiration
• it helps increase emotional balance
• it improves balance
• it improves circulation
• Harmonize body and mind
What precautions ought I take before practicing?
Tai chi is mild enough for pretty much everybody. However, it is a sensible plan to talk with your doctor before making an attempt tai chi.
This is a professional video for those who wish to see the technique.
Tai Chi for Beginners, 8 Lessons with Dr Paul Lam – first lesson
I hope you’ll take time to find an exercise that helps you to become healthier both mentally and physically while creating a calming lifestyle in the process. Our bodies are our temples gifted to us from a greater creator who has gifted us with its care.
Zai Jiau – Good-Bye (Chinese ) Namaste … Isadora 🙏
Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
When we reflect on our lives we can’t help but include in our thoughts the one person who’s had the most influence on us:
‘Our Mother.’
She forms the person we’ll be from the beginning of conception. We’re who we are because of her. Despite the way we may feel about her, she is the major player in the formation of our lives.
There are lessons a mother teaches us but it’s always up to us to put them into effect.
It’s always up to us to be in charge of our decisions.
Sometimes, we ruminate and get stuck on what we weren’t given.
This shouldn’t matter.
For in the end, if we fail or if we succeed, we should never forget that the final choices are always up to us.
The poem below reflects a Mother’s words eloquently … enjoy the Secret Garden as you read.
Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
Secret Garden – Reflection
~~~~~
Reflections of a Mother…
I gave you life, but cannot live it for you.
I can teach you things, but I cannot make you learn.
I can give you directions, but I cannot be there to lead you.
I can allow you freedom, but I cannot account for it.
I can take you to church, but I cannot make you believe.
I can teach you right from wrong, but I cannot always decide for you.
I can buy you beautiful clothes, but I cannot make you beautiful inside.
I can offer you advice, but I cannot accept it for you.
I can give you love, but I cannot force it upon you.
I can teach you to share, but I cannot make you unselfish.
I can teach you respect, but I cannot force you to show honor.
I can advise you about friends, but cannot choose them for you.
I can advise you about sex, but I cannot keep you pure.
I can tell you the facts of life, but I can’t build your reputation.
I can tell you about drink, but I can’t say “no” for you.
I can warn you about drugs, but I can’t prevent you from using them.
I can tell you about lofty goals, but I can’t achieve them for you.
I can teach you about kindness, but I can’t force you to be gracious.
I can warn you about sins, but I cannot make you moral.
I can pray for you, but I cannot make you walk with God.
I can tell you how to live, but I cannot give you eternal life.
I can love you with unconditional love all of my life ….. and Iwill. ~~~ Author Unknown ~~~
Friendships make our lives meaningful because man is a social animal and cannot survive alone. There are numerous occasions when we’ve shared joy, sorrow, happiness, and many other feelings with our friends. They’ve offered support during our ups and downs. They form a chain within our personal society.
What Is Friendship?
“One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is invaluable.”
“One who understands our silence.”
“A volume of sympathy bound in cloth.”
“A watch which beats true for all time and never runs down.”
“A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”
The countless friendships in our lives help nurture us. They bring us a greater degree of exhilaration. Our friendships bring meaning to us by providing love, support and the encouragement we need to make it through difficult times. We can enjoy and celebrate these wonderful moments in life when there are special friendships making our lives complete.
Friendships are what pull us through the hard times, and make the good times meaningful. Take time to Nurture the connections that uplift you.
Are your friendships nurturing you???
Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
Drying roses or flowers remind us of the impermanence of life.
Our bodies and mind change over the years.
We become weaker. Our health declines despite our efforts.
But, there can be beauty at every stage of our lives.
Mother Nature provides great lessons about these stages
if we’re willing to see them.
Flowers wilt as they age. The petals become brittle. The colors fade.
When the time has come for precious flowers to leave us,
they play a symphony of shades of various colors for us to further enjoy.
Too often our fear of endings grasps our emotions.
We banish them to the disposable world
and, their beauty ends too soon.
Focus on the beauty of life’s changes.
Inevitably, we are all ephemeral.
Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
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Becca hosts Nurturing Thursday
to join in click here
Today, March 8th, has been designated as International Women’s Day. Violence against women and girls is continuing to happen everyday all over the world. We must continue to fight for all women to be treated with respect and equality. International Women’s Day focuses on ending violence against women and empowering them.
Over time and distance, the equal rights of women have progressed. We celebrate the achievements of women while remaining vigilant and tenacious for further sustainable change. The following article is from an interview given by Eve Ensler for the New Yorker magazine.
WARNING – Adult Language Follows
Eve Ensler – author
The Vagina Monologues playwright Eve Ensler believes in speaking up. She says when we name the things that make us uncomfortable or afraid, then demons are faced, silences are broken, and freedom is won.
I believe in the power and mystery of naming things. Language has the capacity to transform our cells, rearrange our learned patterns of behavior, and redirect our thinking. I believe in naming what’s right in front of us because that is often what is most invisible.
Think about the word vagina. I believe that by saying it 128 times each show, night after night, naming my shame, exorcising my secrets, revealing my longing was how I came back, into myself, into my body. By saying it often enough and loud enough in places where it was not supposed to be said, the saying of it became both political and mystical and gave birth to a worldwide movement to end violence against women. The public utterance of a banished word, which represented a buried, neglected, dishonored part of the body was a door opening, an energy exploding, a story unraveling.
When I was finally able as an adult to sit with my mother and name the specific sexual and physical violence my father had perpetrated on me as a child, it was an impossible moment. It was the naming, the saying of what had actually happened in her presence that lifted my twenty-year depression. By remaining silent, I had muted my experience, denied it, and pushed it down. This had flattened my entire life. I believe it was this moment of naming that allowed both my mother and I to eventually face our deepest demons and deceptions and become free.
I think of women naming the atrocities committed against them by the Taliban in Afghanistan or women telling of the systematic rapes during the Bosnian war or just recently in Sri Lanka after the tsunami women lining up in refugee camps to name their nightmares and losses and needs. I have traveled through this world and listened as woman after woman tells of being date raped, or acid burned, female genitally mutilated, beaten by her boyfriend, or molested by her stepfather.
Of course the stories are incredibly painful. But I believe as each woman tells her story for the first time, she breaks the silence, and by doing so breaks her isolation, begins to melt her shame and guilt, making her experience real, lifting her pain.
I believe one person’s declaration sparks another and then another. Helen Caldicott naming the consequences of an escalating nuclear arms race gave rise to an anti-nuclear movement. The brave soldier who came forward and named the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison was responsible for a sweeping investigation.
Naming things, breaking through taboos and denial is the most dangerous, terrifying, and crucial work. This has to happen in spite of political climates or coercions, in spite of careers being won or lost, in spite of the fear of being criticized, outcast, or disliked. I believe freedom begins with naming things. Humanity is preserved by it.
Eve Ensler is a writer and activist living in New York. Her play, “The Vagina Monologues,” has been translated into 35 languages and was performed more than 2,500 times in 2005 alone. Ensler is founder of V-Day, an organization supporting efforts to end violence against women and girls worldwide.***** One Woman – A Song for UN Women: https://ganxy.com/checkout
Your brain functions better when you do things outdoors.
Is there anything more invigorating than a walk in the park or a visually pleasing outdoor area?
Gardening, walking on the beach and exercising outdoors, all contribute to positive thinking and clarity.
Exercise in the open air with the warmth of the sun, the sound of birds singing in the trees and a light breeze blowing through your hair can raise your levels of happiness. It revives the soul. Looking at natures scenery while noticing its beauty all have an effect on our emotions and bring us peace of mind.
Negative ions which have been found in particles near waterfalls, river rapids and in breaking waves at the beach can act as a natural anti-depressants, according to a study conducted at Columbia University.
Today, take a little time to nurture yourself with some time outdoors. Find clarity with all the beauty before you. Unpleasant thoughts will fade away and you’ll feel energized enough to face anything before you.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Peace of Mind
One day Buddha was walking from town to town with his disciples. After a short walk they happened upon a lake.
Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Get me some water from that lake.”
The disciple walked up to the lake and noticed that some people were washing clothes in the water. He also saw a bullock cart crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, turbid.
The disciple returned and told Buddha “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.”
An hour passed.
Again, Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink.
The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time, he found that the lake had clear water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above looked fit to drink. He collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water; then, he looked up at the disciple and said, “Do you see what you did to make the water clear?”
“You let the lake be and the mud settled down on its own. You were able to get clear water.”
“Your mind is also like that. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen effortlessly.”
Buddha says having ‘peace of mind’ is an effortless process. When there is peace inside you, that peace permeates to the outside. It spreads around you and to your the environment.
Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
Five year old Jenny was a pretty blue eyed, blond, angelic looking child.
She was sweet, loving and caring to everyone she met. Her mother and father
were very proud of Jenny’s big heart and giving nature.
One day, Jenny was shopping with her mother. They were passing a glass case when Jenny noticed these beautiful plastic pearls.
“Can I get them Mother?” Jenny asked.
“It is a very pretty pearl necklace but it is expensive. The cost is $2.50.” she calmly told Jenny.
She could see the disappointment Jenny’s face.
Feeling her sadness she said, “If you would like to do chores to pay for the pearl necklace I will get them for you today”.
“Oh, yes,” Jenny said.
“Well, we can make a chore chart when we get home”, her mother told her.
Jenny agreed and her mother purchased the pearl necklace for her.
As soon as the chart was up on the refrigerator, Jenny started to do her chores. A week later was her birthday. Her grandmother gave her one dollar as her gift. Soon, she had paid for the beautiful pearl necklace.
Jenny adored her little pearl necklace. She wore it all the time; except when she showered. She wore it to the store where it had been purchased and everyone admired it. She was smiling each and every time someone commented on its beauty.
Jenny’s daddy loved her very much; as much as Jenny loved her pearl necklace. When it was bedtime he would read her one of her favorite bedtime stories.
One night when he finished the story, he said, “Jenny do you love me?”
“Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you.” She said hugging him tightly.
“Well, then, give me your pearls.”
“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls,” Jenny said. “But you can have Rosie, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too.” “Okay?”
“No, darling, that’s okay”. Her father said as he brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Good night, little one.”
A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, “Do you love me?”
“Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you.” She hugged him tighter than the night before.
“Well, then give me your pearls,” he said.
“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls, Jenny said. But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She’s my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it.
You can braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons, if you want, Daddy,” the little girl said to her father.
“No, that’s okay,” her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. “God bless you little one, sweet dreams.”
Several days later, when Jenny’s father came into her room to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was quivering.
When her father asked, “What’s wrong princess?”
Jenny said, “Here, Daddy.” She held out her hand and when she opened it her beloved pearl necklace were inside. She let it slip into her father’s hand.
With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box was a strand of real pearls. They were glistening with shine. He had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the plastic ones so he could give her the real ones.
Instead of a story that night, Jenny’s father told her why he had asked her to give him the pretty pearl necklace:
He explained that in life there will be things that she will want to hold onto. These could be things that are harmful or will keep her from having a happy life. It could be a partner, a relationship, a friend, a habit or obsession. These things could bring her danger and could be impossible to let go of. He wanted her to believe that with her own inner strength of love of self she could let go of these things and still be whole.
When something is wounding – let go. Something more precious could and will come along. She needed to have faith that within her all things were possible. Because, the most important part of who she was could always be found deep inside.
Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
Sister Mary Annunciata handed out the list of things we had to bring to school by the end of the week. It was September 15, 1953. It was the first week of 1st grade. Although I had attended kindergarten at the same school, I was scared. The thought of filling a list of things to bring to school was intimidating. I wanted to make sure I got it right.
After school my mother sent me out with my older sister to get the supplies on the list:
a) a notebook
b) 2 – #2 pencils
c) a pencil sharpener
d) a pencil box
e) an eraser
f) a ruler
I was excited as I picked out each item. The pencil box was made of smooth pale wood with a flat surface that slid the box open when you pushed on the notch. Everything fit inside of it perfectly. The next day I was ready with all of my items. The students who brought all of the items to class received a gold star next to their name. I was proud. I smiled all the way back to my seat. You see, we got to put the gold star next to our own names.
During the first week we received our catechism book, prayer book, rosary beads and a laminated bookmark with an image of a saint on the front and a prayer on the back. We were supposed to mark where we were in our catechism book with it. We were to recite the pray to the saint on the back of the bookmark whenever we found ourselves in a moment of weakness or loss of faith. I often did as I always found myself in a state of fear of not meeting up to getting that gold star again.
Sister Mary Annunciata was angelic in her features. She was petite and had a pretty smile. A stiff white material surrounded her face showcasing her pink skin and white teeth. The black habit covered her all the way down to her ankles. Tiny black leather tips from her shoes stuck out. Long rosary beads hung from her waist and jingled as she walked. All of this meant nothing, since her harsh tone could let you know, instantly, if you were not in her favor.
The second week of school we were going to learn how to write the letters of the alphabet. Eventually, we would be learning to how write our names. I was thrilled. I wanted to learn how to write so much.
First there were rules we needed to know:
1) No pointing our pencil at anyone
2) We could not sharpen our pencils unless we raised our hand and asked
3) No erasing what we had written
4) No writing on our desks
Finally, after waiting and waiting, we were going to write. I took out my #2 yellow pencil and held it in my hand. It fit perfectly. Now, I was going to be a writer. My journey was about to begin.
No other instrument has had as much influence on my life as that pencil did. There was something powerful in that first encounter. When I read the short inspirational parable below I felt all of the same feelings I felt when I first held that # 2 yellow pencil.
I hope you can remember your feelings when you first became enamored with the art of writing.
The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.
“There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.”
1) “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.”
2) “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.”
3) “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.”
4) “The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.”
5) “On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.”
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with yourself. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
1) You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
2) You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.
3) You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
4) The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.
5) On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.
Allow this parable of the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.
Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.
Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
I’ve been having some computer issues but it looks like I’ve had a bit of writers block too. Rereading this post brought back my first writing memories. Although I’ve posted this one before, I thought it might help someone else who may be having a difficult time getting back in the saddle of writing.
****For those who haven’t seen it …. ENJOY !!! ****For those who have seen it …. ENJOY !!! ****Google Images
As I come to the end of another year of nurturing, I am aware of how blessed
I’ve been to have traveled this past year with so many who’ve been
walking beside me.
We must never stop writing our own story. It helps us to be present.
It’s a gift we give to our nurturing selves.
All of the painful layers we’ve carefully peeled away this year have helped us
become attuned with our emotional selves.
I’ve looked in the mirror.
I’ve seen myself.
My expectations have far exceeded what I ever thought.
I am pleased. But, there is always room to grow for a better story.
Have you met your expectations this year?
If not, do whatever you have to do to be YOU
~ You want to Be ~
Be in your own story.
~☜❤☞~
Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.
Your heart wants tranquilty from the love you hold inside.©Isadora DeLaVega
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