What a Wonderful World

Be careful going in search of adventure... it is ridiculously easy to find.
- William Least

Holy moly. So much to say. This year, my appropriately named "year of the chi", is going SO well. I can't even explain.

Open up to goodness, and it finds a way in. I promise.

Yoga Teacher Training starts on Friday! It feels like just yesterday I was deciding whether or not to do it for real. And massage school starts Monday! I KNOW it's all going to be fantastic. How could it not after the start to the year I've had?

Two biggest things in my life that I couldn't possibly go on without blogging about - I'm in love, and my family and I just got back from a jaw droppingly beautiful vacation to Florida.

I'm thinking about doing a larger post about the trip, including pictures, and my spiritual revelations, but this post is more of a catch-up, so I will resist for the time being.

I just want to say to everyone that life really does have a way of working itself out. I had a really, really rough 2012 and instead of going into this year freaking out, I made a decision to instead move forward. And honestly, it's been a wonderful year. I have complete faith in the journey ahead of me.

Side note, I promise to be better about updating. It's my job to spread the chi, so I'm gonna do it more! Love you all. Peace & Light.

Welcome to the New Year

2013 is going to be beautiful.

Before I close all the 2012 books, I'd like to say thank you thank you thank you to everyone who participated in 25 Days of Kind-Chi. It felt so good to be a part of it, and I love you all. We touched a lot of people. I heard so many feel good stories, but I know there are a ton more that I haven't heard of. Knowing there's a little more happy in the world is so comforting, and it's thanks to all of you.

Now, it's time to go into full gear!
I quit my job right before the holiday season, and decided that this year is about forwarding this movement. Going to give my entire self into this concept of Spreading The Chi and see where it takes me.

A huge part of that is going to be the Mindfulness event. I'm looking at April/May time slot wise. Which means it's time to start feeling people out for participation. If you know anyone who may be interested in being a part of it, or if you're interested yourself, please please email me!! I would absolutely LOVE to hear any and every suggestion. And I'm looking for all kinds of people. Musicians, speakers, wellness practitioners... Hit me with ideas, and we'll brainstorm.

Also just putting this out there - I'm going to need a substantial speaker system that can work outdoor and that can plug into an iPod. Any ideas?

I love you guys for reading this. Worry not, my friends, because this thing is going to take off like wildfire this year. It's the year of the chi.

25 Days of Kind - Chi

I'm so so excited to share this experience with all of you!

The other day, completely on a whim, I created an event off of Spreading The Chi's facebook page called:

The concept is that every day between now and December 25th, you go out of your way to do something nice completely for someone else. And then you share with the other kind-chi-ers. So it's all about people making the decision to give back in 25 (or more) little ways this holiday season.

AND WE GOT FIFTY PEOPLE!

It's a dream come true! There's so much goodness being added to this holiday season. People paying for a stranger's lunch or pulling a bike out of a stream for a little kid. People taking a breath and deciding to be a little bit nicer when it's most difficult. I'm so grateful for everyone participating and for the love that's spreading around. You are all making this world a better place.

If you haven't joined, please check it out! Open to everyone on this beautiful planet. :) Facebook, Spreading The Chi, 25 Days of Kind Chi.

Oh, and thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

Full Force

I'm coming back, and strong. Full force. I have learned so, so, so much this year.

Its been nuts.

But I'm back. The good and the bad, all of the energy that I was opened up to in 2012 will charge me for a year of productivity in 2013.

Last night I watched Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World. It was really good, and really moving. It makes you think. I'm not going to tell you it's a romcom like I'm so super addicted to, or if its even a chill laid back movie to watch for fun. But it's worth the two hours it takes to watch it. Anyway, it made me wonder what I would change about my life. Which turned into what I will change about my life.

I'm going to craft more. This Christmas is a homemade, heartfelt kind of christmas, and it's going to introduce a year of handmade love to give and share.

I'm going to nourish the relationships I have. I have so many amazing friends and my family is my whole heart, but I often find myself too busy to be as connected as I'd like. I need to re organize my priorities. Find time every day for the people I love, even if it means not everything gets done.

Keep reading. There's so much to learn, and so many worlds to visit. I don't even want to loose my love for the written word, in both the creating and the intake.

I will become and certified yoga teacher. And I will learn from every class I teach.

More importantly, I will begin to benefit from yoga more often. There's SO MUCH out there to give myself through my practice, I just need to take the time.

I will make my Kai Chi Do class take off. It's time to go into business pushy mode, but in the chi sort of way. I'm determined, and my determination stems from a need share the beauty I get every morning when I wake up.

So, I'm making my new years resolutions early. I've got a lot to do, and I'm excited for every second of it.

Happy Holiday Season, everyone. Let's do this one right.

Retreat

Retreat - The act or process of withdrawing, especially from something hazardous, formidable, or unpleasant. The process of going backward or receding from a position or condition gained. To treat again. Going on a trip means taking time away from the ordinary every day concerns to relax and care for your soul.

A big message for me in the past few months has been to take care of your self, your soul, you wellbeing. There was a time when I was pretty in tune with the concept of looking out for yourself. I made some serious decisions and went out of my way to make sure I was doing the right thing for my emotional and spiritual health, which in turn helped me be physically healthy.

But things have been stirred up and flipped over in the past six months, and I'm realizing I've lost touch with myself. I need to spend more time in stillness, in contemplation, to find my footing again.

I need to retreat.

I think we forget how much work goes into that practice. Mindful living, person care, the ability to ground yourself - activities like these are just as time consuming and mentally active as any work you do. Relaxing is different for everyone, but I think there's a difference between sitting mindlessly doing nothing and sitting mindfully in your own presence. Our inner calm deserves as much work as our physical health, because the two go so very hand in hand.

The point of posting the definitions of retreat was to explore the idea that the word itself is vast, and the definition is vague. A lot of times when we think of a retreat it's a sunny beach, an expensive workshop, a physical change of scenery. And that's a beautiful and valid experience. But the truth is that option isn't always available. I'm not saying settle. If you need something, be it a vacation or a class or a weekend of quiet, do it. Find a way. But don't let the largeness of that type of retreat push you away from retreats all together.

Find a quiet place. Comfortable clothes. A candle, maybe, and a prayer or a chant or some quiet music. Find your peace. Get in touch without a time limit hanging over you head or a to do list. Allow those thoughts to float away, however long it takes. Listen to yourself and feel what you really need. Don't wait for a detailed trip to find your mental balance.

I hope you can all find some quiet in your day. And if you're feeling the need to take a more geographic retreat, I know of a few places along the east coast that can truly help you find yourself again. Email me lovies.

Winnie The Pooh

Upon my internet browsing, I came across some quotes from Winnie-The-Pooh. So I looked deeper, and I realized that silly yellow bear gave us some amazing lessons.

So here's some quotes to brighten your day.

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.”

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”

“Some people care too much. I think it's called love.”

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

“What day is it?"
It's today," squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day," said Pooh.”

“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.”

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.”

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”

“Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”

“And by and by Christopher Robin came to the end of things, and he was silent, and he sat there, looking out over the world, just wishing it wouldn't stop.”

Simple thoughts, and a warm nostalgia that leads to a comfortable thoughtfulness that we can't quite put to words. Thank you, you silly old bear.

Oh, and just to remind us that little things can leave a big legacy?
Here's the original stuffed animals, owned by Christopher Robin Milne, that the books were written about.

Always

Said goodbye to my Grandpa this week.
In the end, it was the right time for him. Perhaps not for us, but it's never a good time to loose someone.
I know he's with Grandma now, that's the important part.

I think my favorite part of the last few months with him was that I could always just reach out and hold his hand, no words, no explanations. When either of us needed it.
So I've decided that's not going to end.

Other news, because my blog posts have been severely lacking this week.

Winter is coming. The leaves are almost all down, the air is getting crisper, and we're making Thanksgiving plans. Before we know it, the world will be white (fingers crossed for a snowy season this time around) and it will be the season of cozy nights and family time.

I love how much this season revolves around giving. Giving thanks, giving presents... Giving love, and for my family, giving support in difficult times.

So I'm throwing myself whole heartedly into it this year. Crafting up a storm to make various christmas presents and cards and cookies, making list upon list of things I'm thankful for for Thanksgiving, and in this year specifically, giving a lot of my time and energy to this business.

Which brings me to my Spring Wellness Event! (temporary title.)

Planning is starting full swing. Will be creating a facebook page before the end of 2012, but there's always my general facebook page. I have so many people on board already. I appreciated the mailing list requests!! I will keep you all informed.

So far confirmed events are Yoga, Kai Chi Do, a group meditation, and some various singers and speakers. There will be light food and some community organizations that relate to the message. Lots of socializing, very laid back. Any ideas or inquiries are more than welcome.

Much love your way as the wind gets colder. I hope you all find ways to warm your heart this season.

Celebration And Sadness

“We sometimes choose the most locked up, dark versions of the story, but what a good friend does is turn on the lights, open the window, and remind us that there are a whole lot of ways to tell the same story.”
~Shauna Niequist

It's been a really rough few weeks. Lots of good and bad things happening in short bursts.

But instead of taking up my small piece of your time with a lamenting tale about the struggles of my family at present, I'm going to remind you, and more importantly myself, that life is about the celebration in the struggles.

Long story short, in the chaos of going back and forth from the hospital and keeping people updated on my Grandfather's situation, I did my part by watching Sierra Mae, my beautiful niece, so that my aunt and mom could be at the hospital dealing with things.
And her smile made me smile. And after a conversation with a good friend and an afternoon of giggle-conversation I realized that I needed to stop being so negative.

Which given the circumstances felt impossible. Like the positive energy well that I'm so quick to give out of was completely dry.

My birthday is in a few days, and I was all set to skip it. Didn't feel like celebrating at the moment. Would've rather wallowed, I guess. But now I see why that was so against my message.
Life is reminding me that there is celebration and sadness, and sometimes they both happen at once.

So here we are. On a night in the middle of a totally up in the air situation that I could write pages on, I'm choosing instead to celebrate the life of a beautiful little girl who made my day.

SIERRA MAE

In case you haven't noticed, she's beautiful. And I love her.

Thanks for being the angel this family needs, babygirl.

Going Public

So, I'm officially a brand.

That's right, folks. I'm officially official... whatever that means.

I have a twitter (@SpreadingTheChi) and a facebook page (Spreading The Chi).
Follow me! Like me! Help me get going.

In other business-y news, I'm officially...

...launching the planning stages for my mindfulness event at the peace wall!

A day next spring all about promoting a positive mindset and how changing your thoughts can change your world. Including yoga, light food, music, Kai Chi Do, meditation, speakers... and anything else that comes my way!

Now would be the time to email me if you're interested in helping out or teaching - or just if you want to be on the email list for updates!!

Let me know: SpreadingTheChi@gmail.com

goodbye negativity

So, I take back my frustration from earlier today. I had an amazing class with two beautiful girls. And we created the energy of a hundred. So awesome. The fact that people can come do Kai Chi Do and that I can be a part of making them feel good... it's so inspiring. I just hope Kai Chi Do can do for them what it did for me, and that I can let go of myself enough to help them get there.

I'm so humbled to be on this journey.

In other news, I have a fun little life renovation to share.

It's called 7 Steps to Happy (another yogajournal find, with my own tweaks)

1) Start Your Day Bright. Instead of worrying about to do lists or work or appointments, spend some time thinking about how much you've accomplished in the past few days. Even little things like making food or spending time with friends. Be grateful that your body is healthy and carries you through every day. Enjoy a few minutes of just being happy to be alive. Make that your routine, consistently, every single morning, before anything else.

2) Smile. Whenever you think of it. No matter how bad it is. Trust your body to know what a smile means.

3) Add some mini-yoga into your day. Whenever you're overwhelmed, take a minute, stand tall and steady, and breathe. Elongate your spine, and feel grounded. If you're in a private place, incorporate some forward folds and loud exhales.

4) Use music. Music effects your heartbeat and breathing rhythms. So when you're overwhelmed, play some even paced music, like bob marley. Give yourself a minute to close your eyes and listen to the beat. Then continue your day.

5) Make tea. Take time to smell it before you brew it, to feel the warmth of the water, to watch it steep. Inhale the steam. Enjoy every sensation. Examine your first sip.

6) Go outside and walk. Pay attention to each sense individually. Everything you feel. The air, the ground, the sun. Everything you hear. Everything you smell. Build the experience around you and focus on nothing else. This is true meditation.

And finally...

7) Kiss yourself goodnight. Finish your day with a mini pampering ritual. Whether it's simply putting some nice lotion on your hands and face or giving yourself a mini foot massage. Maybe a meditation. Finish each day with a moment for you, by you. Love yourself.