Never give up, never give up, never give up sings Gypsy Soul singer Cilette Swann. We are truly the sum of the choices we make in life. The song you will listen to below invites us to wake up from our slumber and ask these questions:
Do I give enough?
Do I love enough?
Do I trust enough?
Do I risk enough?
Did I ever give up on anyone?
Questions to not only ask ourselves frequently, but vibrantly, passionately, and mindfully live in order to be able to say YES! to all but the last question!!
Addendum: “Did I allow myself to receive enough” for all of you women out there that have given until you had nothing left to live your life with….
Last Friday night my body was a mass of whirling limbs, undulating pelvis, and open hearted movement. Where was I? At one of my favorite movement pastimes. You see I, like you, have several favorite movement practices….among them swimming, yoga, making love, and ecstatic dance/contact improv. The latter is what I was involved in a few days ago.
What is so outrageously refreshing about ecstatic dance is just what the poem below by Jewel Mathieson (thank you to Kimberly Beroset!) suggests quite powerfully. There are no boundaries or constraints to adhere to. The dance movement comes from deep within and in the moment. By yourself in a room full of dancing, whirling, cavorting people….or in direct energetic contact with one or more others. It is like finding out who you are within each breath of limb, organ, skin, and fluids. It is taking the time to explore what is desiring and demanding to emerge next…while taking the risk of fully inhabiting that movement, sound, dance, emotion, relationship with self and/or other.
I have written here before that women too often apologize for everything, even their very existence. My remedy for this has been to suggest that every time a woman wants to say ” I’m sorry” (though there are truly times when that is appropriate) she should instead say “I’m so sexy!” – or at least think it…and stop the apologies in their tracks, never to emerge unconsciously again!
The poem below embodies all of what I am speaking to here and as I slip a piece of luscious dark chocolate into my mouth I say to you……We HAVE come to be danced! Let us not forget that for even one single moment! See you on the dance floor of life!!
Did you know that in the early history of yoga, and up until recently, it was meant as a practice only for men? That is hard to believe as the majority of students and teachers globally these days are women. What first attracted me to the practice so many years ago now was the freedom to explore my body, mind, emotions and breath in a “time out” – or better “time in” – without the pressures of everyday life intruding. Something women historically have had precious little time for.
Just today a video movie trailer came across my inbox (thank you Lynn Walker!) called YogaWoman. I post it here because it makes a statement about what women can create when they become passionate about something. Women have changed the entire make up of this ancient practice creating an embodied and grounded pathway to moments of nourishment, strengthening, nurturing, flow, expanded awareness, increased fluidity and flexibility, a modality for health and well being for all ages, genders, and races – and for simply being with the breath in each moment.
As a student and teacher for many years now I still feel a thrill every time I step on the yoga mat and know that this time, this practice, is just for me! Deep gratitude goes to the many men that have helped bring yoga to the Western shores….and a standing ovation goes to the women that have consistently expanded and grounded the practice in a way only a woman can.
If we can support each other in stepping into our individual expressions, such as has been done with the practice of yoga, instead of competing with each other (or ourselves!), then we have not only come closer to embodying the authentic and honest expression of who we are, but have joined other women in a collaboration of empowerment and joyous creation.
Infinitely compassionate and wildly loving.
Softly strong and strongly soft in my ways.
Don’t get too close, you may see dreams come true and wishes appear from thin air.
I am a dangerous woman…….
Able to give unconditional love from an endless well within.
Blindingly bright ~ I will continue to shine until the stars fade from the heavens.
For God’s sake, don’t give me your heart, I might show you what it’s for and how to use it.
I am a dangerous woman……
Capable and real.
Genuine and wise.
Whatever you do, don’t tell me your secrets, I will keep them.
I am a dangerous woman…….
Gently staunch in my defense of family, friends and home.
Crazy in love with my life.
Don’t expose me to your children, I may teach them something of value.
I am a dangerous woman………
Reveling in my sensuality.
Enjoying all the pleasures of being female.
Stay away from me if a lover that is both your equal and your joy is what you seek.
I am all that I am meant to be.
If this means danger then……
Thank you Mary for this inspiring gift as we enter into the New Year of 2012 with our authentic voice, senses, wisdom, creativity, love, compassion, integrity, courage, faith and empathy fully expressing! GA
As we come near the end of another year I am reflecting on the life moments that have given me the most joy. What wins hands down is kindness. Those acts of generosity of spirit and fulness of heart that we as humans are meant for.
The kindness can be doing small acts of giving that are completely unexpected as an overflow from the fullness that we feel in our own lives….or they can be simply being open to receive the offerings of others.
As I reflect on my year there are so many “kindness events” that I am filled to overflowing. It would be so hard to choose just one particular exchange, but…..if I had to choose just one for “giving” and one for “receiving”, this is what I would say.
In giving I was inspired to assist a “disabled artist” to have a new found pride in his creative gift. Click on the link here for that story (Learning How To Dance In The Rain) . In receiving I opened to the gift of a home to stay in for 3 months when I relocated to Austin this July, given by a woman who has to be one of the most generous souls on this planet!
Now these two examples don’t stop at the act. They continue on because everyone in the exchange is changed inside, never to quite be the same again. An example of this is shown in the video below. Kindness does indeed travel in a circle!
I invite you to make a list (write, sing, art piece, collage or silently to yourself) of all the times that you either gave or received kindness this year as a way to feel gratitude for the life you have been given in 2011.
For another resource for kindness please go to this website: www.helpothers.org and request free of charge “Smile Cards” – experiments in Anonymous Kindness. TAG – You are it!
Today I watched a video of a talk given by the Dali Lama on women. What he said in essence is that there is a “lack of human affection” in our world today….and that women are the ones to turn that around. Our naturally compassionate and feeling nature often lead the way in daily interactions.
This is not to say that men don’t have this as well, but we as women are designed for it. After a few funny stories the Dali Lama made a statement that would potentially upset 1,000’s of years of a lineage that is based on very defined practices and beliefs. He said he was open to a female Dali Lama! Needless to say this would be quite a paradigm shift for many, many people…but what if this did happen??
Following on the heels of this I was re-inspired once again by Caroline Casey who gave a TED talk on how extraordinarily far belief can take a person. I won’t spoil the story for you, so you will have to devote 15 minutes to it in order to find out what happens. You won’t be sorry that you did!
I am asking myself right now, “am I pretending to be something that I am not?” or “am I absolutely being truly myself”? Good question to immerse in! Enjoy the video and Caroline’s story…she is one of those innately compassionate (self and other) women and just by being fully herself inspires us all!
Caroline Casey on Moving Beyond Our Limits
Activist Caroline Casey tells the story of her extraordinary life, starting with a revelation (no spoilers). In a talk that challenges perceptions, Casey asks us all to move beyond the limits we may think we have.
For a great Christmas present for those hard to buy for younger teenagers on your list take a look at this. A great and adventurous read that even you will not be able to put down…with a female heroine!
This weeks post will be brief as I am giving you, the reader, a link to a recent Huffington Post article written by Yashar Ali – a man who has women’s well being at heart! The title of this article is “A Message to Women From A Man: You Are Not “Crazy“.
You will find a well written insightful article that explains something that Yashar calls “gaslighting”. This term, used by mental health professionals, explains a form of emotional manipulation “to describe manipulative behavior used to confuse people into thinking their reactions are so far off base that they’re crazy.” This most often happens to women, but everyone experiences a form of it at times in their life.
As women it is important that we understand and be aware of anything that may take our voice away. That has the potential to diminish the authentic expression of who we are. One more awareness to leave any remnants of “victim” behind.
Your comments would be appreciated as we learn from each others stories!
“There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom“. ~Anais Nin, 1903-1977, Author
In a time when women are coming to the forefront in many different ways all over the world, the video below struck me as a reminder to each one of us that need encouragement and inspiration to keep taking those steps forward.
There is great power that lies sleeping within each of us, and when awakened into action is formidable and unstoppable. Hold my hand sister and walk with me awhile….
Maya Angelou has been over the years a voice to listen to. This video speaks to the fact that we all become “silent” from time to time, and hide out when it is exactly our voice that needs to be heard!
She speaks to an innovative and creative way to release our voice, when we least want to do so. I invite you this week to dance movements with sound, sing your favorite song, tone with sacred sound, laugh out loud, speak poetry to the sky, roar like a lion or hiss like a snake, or give each color a sound while you paint.
Find your way to finding your voice….even as the caged bird sings.
“Over the many years that I have spent in the study and practice of meditation and imagery I have never come across something with so much depth and potential for deepening and relaxing the mind and body.
In Sanctuary Creation Richard Cawte’s gentle voice and beautifully detailed imagery take you down into a sensual world of nature where color, breath, and beauty activate all of the senses and drop you into a depth of being from which you can discover what it is like to fully embody your life’s moments.
What greater tool for daily life than something like this that can be activated and created within you at any time!”
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs
On the verge of becoming one of the “crazy ones” is a very ripe place to be. “Crazy” is being defined here as one who steps way out of any self or culturally imposed boxes and makes the decision to take action on behalf of the heart informed inner voice. That voice of courage, passion and strength that has never know conformity.
Amelia Earhart
What makes us decide that we can no longer hide out in complacency or fear of being all that we are? Confidence and determination are certainly a part of it. Yet I believe that it is deeper than that. There is a place inside of each of us that has known since the day we were born the purpose we came here to serve.
This may be a quiet purpose out of the public eye, or it could be a completely visible one where there is no hiding at all. Whatever it is, knowing your purpose with clarity is the starting block on this journey of coming out.
As women this knowing can be delayed a bit. Sometimes we wait in quiet expectation until
Indira Gandhi
our 50”s, 60’s or even 70’s before we take the time to listen to the heart and intuition driven inner voice that Steve Jobs speaks of above. It is never too late to become what is your hearts desire!
Take me for example. I turned 63 this year and I laughingly said to a friend of mine recently “I keep calling myself midlife. Am I really deluded? If I am at midlife now then I will be living vibrantly until age 126!! Now that is possible I suspect, but a more likely explanation is that I find life so irresistible right now that every day is like an art piece to be explored.
Jean Houston
My friend wants to redefine midlife to include the years when we are vibrantly choosing to make a difference and passionately following that inner guidance with heart directed action. I agree with her. Midlife is whatever we define it no matter what age we are.
Are you playing it safe? Or have you decided to be one of the ‘Crazy Ones”?
Those crazy ones – make a difference. Narrated by Steve Jobs
…and then there is Alice Walker
“So in the end you can’t even really regret your misfortunes,” explains the beloved author Alice Walker, “because they led you somewhere.”
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