the whisperings of a movement

Finally, I had a few hours to catch up on lots of blog reading...and I think I have stumbled upon the whisperings of a movement (and I bet you may have heard these whispers too). The movement to let it out. I came across it here, then here, and then here (where it all began - thank you for being the catalyst Pixie!). Then I read this post and this post that had similar themes. And I was reminded of Michelle's post about letting yourself ROAR.

And my mind began to turn. This balance of the "stuff" we may have stuck within us and the wild woman who is inside us. The idea that the only way we may be able to uncover this wild woman, to let her breathe, feel, and howl, is to dislodge some of this stuff.

How do we do this?

I am not sure that I have any answers, but this is what is dancing around in my mind tonight. As I teach yoga, I remind my students to breathe. To create space inside them. To open the heart through the breath. I believe this is one piece. We must move the energy inside us. Breathing is one way. Creating sound is another. Take a breath. On the exhale, create the sound "ooooooh" - let it vibrate within you. Feel how it shifts your focus, your awareness.

Maybe through this connection of the breath and sound we can begin to shift the energy. We can invite the vibrations to lighten the load that we carry. We can put names to the "stuff" we have inside us and take away its anonymity. We can sing, giggle, talk, cry, scream, laugh, shout, chant, whisper with intention until we feel the wild woman inside of us awaken.

Maybe if we do this together we can really start a movement. A movement to let it out. To breathe, feel, live, and let it out....Do you want to join me?

{SPT} tea time, salsa, and laughter

Every day I am taking a break from my life, for a few moments, and making a cup of tea. This month, I am capturing part of this moment in a photograph. I am still turning this idea of embracing all of me over and over in my mind. And decided to try to incorporate it into this month's theme as well. So I am using my polaroid camera. I use the timer and pose for a moment. Then as the picture develops I pause and drink my tea. And I try to watch my face appear without any judgement. Ahhh. This has been interesting. I am trying to take a few minutes a day to breathe through the judgement while I drink tea. Trying to be the watcher of my thoughts.

Though on day 6, I must admit that I was so hungry (having skipped lunch) and juggling phone calls with work while making lasagna, so I decided to forgo tea and snack on chips and salsa. And yes, that is an apron I am wearing. Channeling my grandmother when I make her lasagna, wearing her apron.

Oh and one more thing. This little exercise of sitting for a few moments each day, watching my face appear has invited me to make a call. To a beauty salon. I think I need a new 'do.

See other SPT posts here.

senses. inspire me thursday.

{see}
my art supplies scattered all over the dining room table. the colors that result as i mix blue and purple paint. the lines in the photo that begin to appear as i scratch away with sandpaper. color disappears and reappears as i apply bleach and water to the photo with a brush. some of my grandmother's favorite seashells in a bowl on the table. the joys of figuring out a way to add them and finding the ones that already have a hole in them. deciding where to place these objects on the canvas. over here? no. here? hmmm. how about this way? yes.

{hear}
I tear the paper and head to my office. the typewriter keys move and create letters on the newsprint. click, click. the words come from my brain to the page. click, click, zing. as i ponder how to adhere the shells to the canvas, i tap a pencil on the table. after my a-ha moment, i hear my feet along the floor as i run to the guest room closet. my long-lost bead collection. the beads roll and tumble in their plastic containers as i pull the bag off the shelf. my feet again as i run back to the table. i open the bag and the containers inside. "yes!" i cry. wire. david wilcox sings in the background and i am a back-up singer as i twist the wire into knots. my husband asks, "do you want some tea?" yes, please, i reply.

{smell}
the fume-y-ness of paint, gel medium, and bleach. the woodsy, clean green tea as i bring the mug to my lips when i pause to let things dry. later, the strong wrinkle-up-your-nose smell of the varnish; a cross between oh-what-is-that-odor and moth balls.

{taste}
i bring my fingertip to my tongue in anticipation of leafing through some paper and grimace as i my tongue hits the coppery taste from the wire that lingers on my finger. in the hope of capturing a memory of the sea, i bring a shell to my tongue. but i taste nothing. the warm, soothing green tea as it slides over my tongue and down my throat.

{feel}
these moments are all about touch. i use my hands for everything. i feel the stickiness of the glue on my fingers. the rough, little pebble-like feel of the sandpaper. the smooth, then rough, round, edges of the shells. the wire as i sew the shells together. twist, turn, loop, thread.

{and know}
an artist. yes. an artist. there is an artist inside me who danced and laughed and sang as i created this piece of me. you have one inside you, too.

see other inspire me thursday art pieces that use all of the senses here.

the typewritten words say:
do not fear
the unknown
embrace
the
questions
the answers
are the guts
of it all
your life

taking my own advice (take one)

So this is for all of you who have a hard time saying no.

I did it. Today. I said no.

I can't help you. Today, tomorrow, or the next day. Yes, I do have a job, and I will not have time. Between teaching four yoga classes and editing four chapters (with more to come) and handling the other responsibilities I have, I will not be able to help you.

Thursday? Oh well, Thursday...well, I might be able to help Thursday. Just let me know.

(I am trying...)

attention

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
Henry Miller

a prompt

I stoped by Sarah's site today and felt prompted to share some thoughts...

I yearn for...a place of my own where I can create, write, practice yoga, meditate, nap, look out the window, daydream....maybe a treehouse, a cabin in the woods, a cottage at the sea, a little studio in the backyard...a place just for me (and yes, I will invite you to come and visit).

I ache...for my grandmother. Every day. I ache with the missing. It has almost been a year. A year. This amazes me. I ache for her.

I adore...spring flowers. All of them. Purple, pink, orange, white, red, yellow, fuschia, blue, striped. Everywhere. Makes my heart so happy to see the earth awaken from her slumber.

I want...to find the goddess inside me. The sexy, beautiful, strong, wild, superhero, wise goddess inside me.

I need...to continue to let go every day. Let it go. Take a breath. Let it go. Let go and have more fun. Let go of the guilt, anger, sadness, ego. Let go and throw my head back and laugh and laugh and laugh. Let go. And live.

three things (a tag)

Melanie of navylane and inspire me thursday tagged me to answer this great list:

3 Things You Wish For (just for you)
that i would write more (start a book!)
to take belly dancing lessons
to learn to swim without fear (i can swim, but i am always just on the cusp of terror)

3 Things You Would Do To/For Yourself If There Was No One To Judge You (or if you had the guts to do it!)
get my nose pierced
dye my hair red
go on vacation by myself
(get tattoooo! but this one i do plan on at some point in the future - maybe on my 30th birthday later this year. shhh...don't tell anyone.)

3 Bad Habits You Have
thinking ice cream is a food group
not putting things away in the same place after i use them
not putting new toilet paper on the roll; i just put it next to the roll and leave it for jonny to fix later

3 Insecurities You Feel
i don't think i am ever as pretty as my friends
that i do not know as much as a person i disagree with (so i often just disagree in my head instead of out loud)
that i may never have the group of friends here in my town that i really want

3 Talents/Skills You Wish You Had
knitting
driving "stick" (at least that is how we say it back home in Indiana)
sewing

3 Things That You Would Do If You Had More Time
cook (ok, i have time for this some days but i just don't do it enough)
learn to sew
write more letters

3 Things That Bring You Peace/Relaxation
reading
yoga
coloring

3 Things That Spark Your Creativity
color!
music
my favorite things in my house (probably another post all in itself)

3 people you want to tag
M of Creative Stumblings
Cate The Bean Counter
acumamakiki because we know she loves a good list (and i don't think you have done this one)!
Of course, feel free not to accept the tag. And if others are inspired to play along, please do!

{SPT} the me who accepts your invitation

Invitations I usually accept:
guilt, to be "the responsible one," to do a favor I don't have time for, the ringing of the phone (even if it is not a good time), to fix someone's problems, guilt, the words of my inner critic, to meet unreachable expectations, sadness, to hide who I truly am, to sit in the back of the room, to stop asking questions, to whisper instead of speak loudly, to be the good girl, to walk instead of dance, guilt, guilt, guilt...

But this month, another invitation has come my way.
The invitation to embrace and accept all of me.
I extend this invitation to others every time I teach yoga, yet I could not find a way to extend it to me.
And then this month, this invitation arrived in the guise of magical words , images, and art by amazing women and the brave creatures who posted SPTs.

Thank you. Please accept my RSVP. I will attend this acceptance of myself as I embrace all of who I am. The faults, the ugly bits, the beauty, the grace, the fears, the joys, and yes, even the feelings of guilt.

Check out other SPT all of me posts at Self Portrait Tuesday.