catch up

I would love to be one of those bloggers who hits the keyboard every morning with new and interesting info, but I'm lucky if I can get here once a week. Not that inspiration doesn't find its way into my life more than that. By the time I'm actually in posting mode, I've been wowed more than once.
One of the moments that inspires me weekly is arriving home after a week in the city. Two hours or more in the car, and the week just recedes behind me. The weekly shuffle and constant packing and unpacking, loading and unloading gets old fast, but melts away with the warmth of the cat and the quiet of my sanctuary - the living room.
This week I came home to a package in the mail from Seido Chicago. It was the commemorative book from their 20th Anniversary Celebration in which I'd placed a small ad. Larry and I had hoped we might be able to attend, but I dropped the ball, and am so sorry I did. Reading the history of the karate school reminded me of how one person can make such a huge difference in the world. Kyoshi Nancy Lanoue, Thousand Waves' founder is an amazing woman, an amazing human being. I wish her story and the story of Thousand Waves were posted on their website for you all to read. But by following the links you can piece together enough to be inspired on your own.
For Thanksgiving, Larry and I went to the soup kitchen in Poughkeepsie, The Lunchbox, to help with their annual Thanksgiving dinner. There were more volunteers than there were diners. It's always an eye-opening and heart-wrenching experience. I'm just grateful that we've created this tradition for ourselves. And glad I can be of some small help to those less fortunate than we.
The weather itself has been an inspiration this week. Cold and clear. Nice to be bundled up at home, doing a bit of cooking, meditating, cleaning and napping, with afternoon jaunts into the woods.
I guess with Thanksgiving behind us, the holiday season has officially started. Every year I try to disconnect from its commercial overtones a bit more. Here's hoping your holidays are filled with more soul than shopping.

retreat

Last Friday I jumped in the car and drove up to Vermont for a yoga retreat with Lori Flammer, at Sky Meadow Retreat Center. Lori and I met at Omega this summer. I posted excerpts from her letters from India a few months back where she was studying Ayurveda.



In between a wonderful range of yoga sessions, ranging from restorative to intensive, we had plenty of time to wander the land, which was dusted with a few inches of freshly fallen snow. After an invigorating walk, I sat on a rock by one of the many ponds, mesmerized by the water, thin coat of ice and woody reflections.



It was wonderful to have the opportunity to spend so much time outdoors. Even though it's so accessible when I'm home for the weekends, I get so wrapped up in my many projects and laundry that I often skip the hike that I long for all week in Buttercup Sanctuary. Breathing all that fresh air and having the time to just walk and sit in nature was really restorative. As was being in the company of such an inspiring group of women, so open hearted, easy to talk with, easy to be with. Natalie, Yana and Jennie are 2nd year med students at University of Vermont. Michelle is a grad student there, who schedules labs there while she raises two young sons. Lisa is an alternative energy grad. Beckie works with at risk youth and is an amazing massage therapist. Here's a few pics of the divine yoga goddesses.




Driving home, I chanted for almost 4 straight hours, the last two of which were lit by an almost full moon. So after a little supper with Larry, I called my friend Claudia down the road, and the two of us took a lovely moon walk, a beautiful end note to a weekend of quiet contemplation and active yoga practice.

I'm still struck, three days later, and in the midst of a cold that came on fast and furious, how important it is to get away from our daily routines and immerse ourselves in nature and practices that unite our bodies and hearts. I have a tendency to deny myself the opportunities to escape and blame it on lack of time or money, but it's really so important to our well-being. I always slam head-first into my life on re-entry. Deadlines real and self imposed are always looming. But I found myself in an irritating meeting on Monday, calming breathing to myself "hum sah, hum sah" - the Sanskrit mantra of the life breath - and relaxing into the conversations swirling around me, without clinging to any outcome, just watching and listening to the universal chatter.

Lori talked about the beauty of sunset in India where this satvic time of day is honored with ceremony of puja and incense wafting through even the busiest restaurants. And though stuck in that meeting on Monday unable to begin a little ceremony of my own in the office, I hope to be able to light one of those aromatic Aveda candles that are everywhere in the office and do a little puja of my own.

Every Wednesday

I pass this sculpture of Gandhi in the southwest corner of Union Square Park. It has often offered me solace during times of emotional unrest, and reminded me of the power of peace. My google search revealed a fascinating article by Salmon Rushdie in Time Magazine.
I remember hearing someone speak about reading Gandhi's autobiography and being amazed that he was as filled with self-doubt as he was. The point of the speaker's reflection if I remember correctly was that Gandhi's doubt did not stop him. And our doubt shouldn't stop us.
I've over-simplified what was an extremely poignant thought, but it's preferable to over-complicating it, in my mind.
There are usually flowers and other offerings left at the sculpture's feet, which I imagine people must jump the gate to leave, because it's always locked.
A few weeks ago, communing with the sculpture really clarified a particularly difficult personal problem I was having. And I think it would be nice to stop throughout the day's minor turbulences and wonder what Gandhi would do in my shoes.

art and activism again

Seems to be a kind of synchronicity with art and activism.
On my way back from Exit Art's Traffic exhibition, I happenened upon a walking demonstration that had started at Union Square Park. The World Can't Wait made the news just as I was sitting down to blog.





Yesterday I wandered over to Coda Gallery down the street from where I work in Soho to see Stacy Phillips' bronze and ceramic work. I'm captivated by the figures, beads and materials she uses. Unfortunately, googling her doesn't net any info. Although the gallerist told me she originally trained as a jeweler and has a vast collection of beads.