ARTFUL GATHERINGS

I am grateful for......

Cone flowers 

Friends 

 Wonderful, silly gardens filled with my favorite "flea market junk".

Being silly and making other people laugh.

Summer Days

What happened to the lazy days of summer? Trying to keep up what with the kids is a full time summer job, add some theatre volunteer work, gardening and yoga teacher trainer  and you have my explanation for not blogging in two weeks. Oh I should post pictures of my studio, it illustrates the lack of creative work being accomplished. The room is clean and every art supply is put away in its correct location. I am working on my priorities and finding that I feel a thirty hour day would be lovely. I think I am just at odds with myself and I want to be productive and lazy at the same time.

Oh well I must listen to this song a few times tonight...

Pirate Looks at 40 

Ayurveda

Life is constant. After finishing my work with the musical theatre workshop, the Unseen, I was and still am immersed in a yoga weekend. This weekend we have been studying  Ayurveda( The aim of Ayurvedic medicine is to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit. This is believed to help prevent illness and promote wellness.) Considered the sister science to yoga. We have had the privilege to be taught by Rosy Mann from Kripalu. 

Devotion

Devotion or isvara pranidhaha, is the last of the niyamas.  What does this word mean to me? At this moment it means sheets of yellow legal pad paper filled with scribbles and many booked marked pages on the Internet. It has been years since I have written a formal paper and I am finding myself overwhelmed with this task. But my love of yoga and the thought of becoming a yoga teacher keep me moving forward.

In some ways the writing of this paper is an example of my “devotion”. My life is busy, complicated, convoluted, and never straightforward. To pursue my yoga dream I have to relinquish control of my kids, house, animals, and garden to my husband for an entire weekend(6 separate weekends). I have to venture to strange yoga studios where not one face is familiar. Learn Sanskrit when I still have not mastered the English language. Now I have to write a paper and all I want to do is flop on the sofa and watch the Confessions of a Shopoholic. But I am devoted to my yoga teacher training, so I sat down and looked up at the ceiling and said God you have to make this paper happen. Please organize all these jumbled thoughts in my head into words that make sense.

I have spent the past two weeks working with 27 children. I have been assisting with a musical theatre workshop. One day I helped 27 kids paint 27 chairs. (Well no not by myself.)

This morning I helped these same 27 children organize their costumes. This afternoon a member of the cast, who is an autistic ADHD 12 year old boy, sang Alone in the Universe from the musical Suessical. This child has the voice of the angel and brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the theatre. I was mesmerized by his performance.

When I have not been at the theatre I have been gathering quotes for this paper. In one of my Internet searches I came upon this unrivaled definition. ….Ishvara Pranidhana, meaning centering on God. This ancient concept gives freedom for each individual, sect, culture and tradition to choose the name, quality and aspect of the divine most suitable for worship or devotion. It is based on a respect for each person’s right to access the divine in his or her own way. There is recognition that the person or culture chooses an ideal in life upon which they may develop an individual and personal way of connecting with the divine. This attunement to God has taken many forms over time and across the planet. Swami Shraddhananda (Maureen Dolan)

 I have been trying to orchestrate a paper around this quote. I have found myself hitting the same brick wall over and over and feeling a complete failure. All I have accomplished is alienating all those around me by my constant whining, “ I have to write a paper and I am to old to do this.” But maybe I am simple trying to hard and I must relax and realize that this paper does not have to be an intellectual masterpiece but something real.

Now I get it. Ishvara Pranidhara is truly about letting go and relinquishing my daily life to a higher power. I need to stop searching for answers on the Internet and just pay attention to my everyday life. By being devoted to 27 kids for two weeks brought me amazing gifts and insights. God has been with me there every day and the more I relinquished my control the more amazing things I witnessed. I will  always remember today Zephyr standing straight and tall as his voice reverberating throughout the theatre.  The chills that went through my body as I heard God say he is one of the special ones please do not control him I will. 

Live every day being guided by a higher power and try to stay open to all the answers that God is giving you. There is my answer to the question, “ What does devotion mean to me?".

Painted chair

Today I had a wonderful time helping 27 kids paint their own chair to be used in a Musical Theatre Workshop.  Okay there where a few stressful moments but once I saw the chairs lined up all my stress dissipated. I was so upset I had left my camera at home but thank goodness for cell phones. So tomorrow I will take close up pictures of these charming, whimsical, and unconventional folding metal chairs.

At this moment I am comfortably  propped up in my bed mesmerized by the Michael Jackson specials on television. I am enthralled by all Michael's humanitarian  efforts through the years. 

Summer Is For Play

I hate making important decisions in the summer. I think there should be some world wide policy about no decision making in June, July and August. Summer should be all about play.  No stresses, just enjoying delicious local fresh fruits, vegetables and ice cream. Now that I have made these statements it would be hypocritical of me to share my angst on a decision I need to make. I will continue to enjoy my summer and practice allot of yoga . I need to  incorporate what I am learning into my daily life. At the moment I am writing a paper about Isvara Prandihama " The essence of this Niyama is acting the best we can then relinquishing all attachments to the outcome of our actions. Only by releasing our fears and our hopes for the future can we really be in union with the present moment" Judith Lasaker ".  I do believe I need to make my decision and move on and not worry about the outcome. As Pat so clearly stated, stop waffling. Really I do not want to bogged down with all this stuff....... I just want to enjoy the summer.