Engaging in the Art of Simplicity

Recently conversing with my friend D.C. a lull in the conversation brought up the subject of simplicity.  As I stated that I long for a life of it D.C. retracted, "Simplicity.....What ever does that mean to you?"   Stumped in a momentary pause as my conscious mind rapidly searched the files within my head I tentatively answered.  A mind numbing answer as the realism hit me that I didn't quite know what simple meant to me.  As I look back on that conversation I ask myself, what is simplicity?  Is it truly something that exist or is it simply the euphoria of wanting that which is a created illusion.  As I delve deeper into the troughs on the subject I realize that i'm not as simple as I would like to think.  Simple minded......not quite, simply dressed.....not really, simple living....a want not yet achieved.  Hmmmm this idea of simplicity was becoming more complicated then I would like to admit.  As I sit and ponder this conundrum on this beautiful sun drenched morning my eyes explicitly wander outdoors.  Simplicity!!  Awe yes, is the ability to sit in the morning sun without needing to be anywhere then where I am at this present moment.  It is the enjoyment I find in my morning choice of tea.  It is the sound of the magnificent high pitch squeak made by the dozen or so hummingbirds chasing after their morning nectar.  It is the sense of calm radiating off my body as I gaze at the beauty of my English garden.  It is the pleasantry of bestowing blessings upon the world as I salute each days arrival with sun salutations.  It is the joy of performing daily rituals such as showering or misting myself with one of my favorite perfumes.  It is the sensation of selecting a pair of gorgeous heels and being delighted in the sound as they click against my hardwood floors.  It is the tantalization of a bonfire as the flames lap up the oxygen of the nights sky.  It is the revelation that comes to mind when I slip under my down comforter and exhale a long breath of peace.  Its where I lend myself to as the fall season invades my dreams with the promise of a turn of events.  It is the flow of words that poetically come together as I write this blog.  Yes, I am safe to say that this to me is what floats through my mind when I allow myself to engage in the art of simplicity.  Whats yours??
~M 

Is patience truly a virtue worth seeking

Hurry up and wait appears to be the game selected to be played this month.  Shall we dare say the lesson to be learned is "patience" or perhaps something far different.  As I pour every effort known to man into my beloved fur baby I look to seek answers, signs, messages and body responses to gauge what I am to expect of this particular outcome.  Is his temperature as high as it was yesterday?  Did he consume enough calories?  Am I following the instructions given properly?  Is there any receivable validation available to assure me i'm doing a good job?  The weeks pass by and the exhaustion, fatigue and general low deposition begin to slip in from round the clock feedings, heightened emotions and bodily rejections of my best attempts at success.  The continuous quandary as to, am I doing this for him or for me at this point?  The question plays in my mind like a repetitious tape recorder every time I pace in and out of rooms.  Once upon seeing his frail body peacefully sleeping, another when he begs me for a treat.  As I surrender to that which has outlived it purpose in my life in order to keep that which I cherish most, I begin to falter.  Once again questioning my choices, my answers, my beliefs, my definitions and my purpose.  Something where as in my near past I would never have resorted to.  As the time lapses so does my faith in myself.  Never do I question my faith that we will beat this disease together, but I question my faith in me that I am of stamina to fight this crafty opponent known as death.  As I continuously run Reiki on Halibut I  struggle to see the line where holistic improvement meets modern medical procedure and rely on outside validation to sooth my aching soul.  Once again allowing the universe to play devils advocate.  Improvement in outer doesn't always mean improvement within.  As I admire my beautiful friend with his polished coat, gleaming eyes from weeks of drip IV, vitamins, herbs and high doses of medication I still face the dread of what the future test results will bring.  As I run my hand along his body and intuitive feel the fire beginning to subside within his body.  I listen to the chatter of test results indicating the dreaded "C" word cant be ruled out at this present moment.  Hurry and wait pulsates throughout my mind once more......
~M      

That which ties feline to human

For the last two weeks a roller coaster of emotions has ridden throughout my body.  Restless slumber nights, subdued eating habits and lack luster acknowledgement to thrills swirling around.  When events occur which rock our placid shores it gives us true meaning to our belief systems.  Do we hold up the wall or allow for it to crumbly under the minuet amount of strain?  Do we ostracize ourselves and others in the attempt to create healthy boundaries?  Or do we build fences instead to protect our fear.  For all who know me, you are well aware of my feline companion Sir Francis Aka Halibut as being the love of my life.  I have never known for there to be a bond that can run so deep before I met my cat.  He is truly the greatest gift I have ever received.  He has played an enormous role in my life over the years.  He was my travel companion when I feared driving, was with me when I said, I Do to my husband, decorated my first place with nail, teeth and fur marks, accompanied me on a multitude of Starbucks trips, listen to me when I had a less then spectacular day, slept with me when I didn't want to sleep alone, indulged me by wearing holiday costumes, patiently awaited for me to snap a multitude of pictures of him and licked my forehead when I was feeling under the weather.  Over the last 9 years he has held his place within my heart as being my ember of light.  As he fights on to survive his own illness I take the time to cherish all that i've had, do have and will have with him.  I marvel at his amazing spirit and will to continue on fighting.  I feel honored that such a remarkable little creature has blessed me with so much love and has allowed for me to be such a large part in his life.  "To think that life is short".....has the biggest impact when you risk losing someone you love.
~M

For The Love Of An Animal

I'm Back!!!!  Its been a few months of challenges, transformation and transitions....But once again I have emerged a stronger person then I once was.  Traveling down a path to enlightenment isn't always the easiest.  It isn't always the most rewarding and many of times it is difficult to see where the light shinning will guide you when you are blinded by the pain within your heart.  We try our best to be the spiritual beings that we seek to become.  Without fault we find fault within our seeking and learn a new course altogether.  With love and passion we seek to do phenomenal things with us defining what phenomenal is.  Rather it be holding the door open for a stranger or buying groceries for the less fortunate.  Or perhaps in my particular case phenomenal concludes saving a dog from her end at the shelter and her being my armor of courage.  We wish for fairytale endings and forever interludes.  However, sometimes, some of us end up with "for the time being".  Short periods in which we learn something grand from remarkable beings about ourselves and what are limits are.  Sometimes these beings dispel our fears and allow us to see what really lies within our hearts.  Thanks to my beloved fur babies I have found the courage to love the many faceted sides of me and to truly see how much motherhood lies within my own heart.  As much as I would love to keep some of them by my side always, they too have a journey of their own and a purpose in their hearts.  As I learn to let go, release attachment and move forward without judgement I further grow as an enlightened being one step closer to my own truth.         

Trusting That Which Isn't Seen

Before I started out blazing my own trail into the spiritual west I used to equate everything with logic.  The term "Miracles" happen to other people who categorized them as such but were in actuality, simply put...events where all the pieces lined up.  If  I couldn't see it, touch it, breathe it, then it didn't exist to me.  As I ponder this naive way of coexisting I realize that the truth I was born with was a fable, rather a .....childhood myth one might say.  The truth I was born with was quickly swept beneath the floor boards and the new realism I redeemed became one in which helped me fit in with the peers around me at that time.  I abandoned myself for the ability to blend in and became throughout the years vanilla in expression.  Only until I shook out that which didn't belong to me did I find the exquisite gold hue peanut left behind which was mine.  Today I say with pride that the peanut is now the size of a grapefruit and still expanding.  That fable has become my foundation for truth.  My realism doesn't rely on the surmount of materialism I own to define me.  My qualifications aren't noticed through my degrees, certifications and licensing to determine if I am capable to achieve.  They are measured by my compassionate heart which one can not physically see, my generosity and my capacity of determination.  As I embark on yet another year ahead of me I realize that I now know me.  I am acquainted with this remarkable person who trust that when the little voice mutters go right I need to make a sharp turn right.  Even though I may not see who the voice is coming from I have learned well enough that if I choose to venture left it is going to be a dry and desolate journey.  One that in the end will deliver me back to right, feeling lethargic, broken and perhaps blocked.  Countless times I hear from my clients how they know they should be doing etc but choose to achieve the opposite instead.  Why is it "ourselves" who block our own path to deliverance?  Why do we feel the need to change the game that is already pathed and given to us?  Why do we trust that which produce hardships but shy away from that which makes our existence just a little easier?  As I approach my magical 33 I have come to realize that forging in the turbulent waters is not for me.  I welcome placid shores, tepid water, and all the support that comes my way.  It's not that I am beyond the point of struggles it is however, that I am able to take the moment needed to rise above just for a second and notice the dip in the road.  Seeing the dip is enough to allow me to brace myself for the pain that may be coming upon impact.  By putting on the seat belt I can engage with it and allow it to pass through me.  This way perhaps allowing none of its painful memories to stick within but allowing the lessons to produce further wisdom.  As you journey through life continue to play.  Listen to your own dual voice.  Love yourself for who you are.  The attributes, the beautiful flaws that show up as attributes in given circumstances and embrace the whole.  As we further venture back into the truth of childhood, we learn that we were born with all the answers to all the questions we will ever need to know.  Yes......My friends it is that EASY!!  All one needs to do is let it be.
~Monique   

Through Yoga I Bid Farewell To Fear

 The moment my feet press into the mat I bestow thanks and honor to my body.  I take the time to connect to the divine and become aware of my heightened senses.  Focusing on my breath, my body, my intentions, I become intune with each asana I create.  I raise the vibration within through a rapid Kundalini breath and allow myself to sink even farther into warrior.  Feeling the energy race throughout my entire spine, I allow for concentration, dedication and openness to what lies in the next breath.  At this moment I am a student, a teacher, a novice, a warrior, a healer and pure love.   

Looking back on my life I remember a few years back occupying this world griped in fear.  It was an existence full of what if's, constant wanting and cowardly discord.  It was a life that not only limited me but kept me from being who I wanted to become.  Now, this is not to say that "fear" doesn't try to have its hold on me today.  It is only to imply, that my life path isn't driven by fear any longer.  Through my constant devotion to meditation and yoga throughout those years, I learned to conclude that I had a choice in how I wanted to live.  I could honor my heart and live out a life I truly yearned for.  Or I could listen to my thoughts with their constant demanding uncertainty and limiting beliefs.  A fabrication of truth railed by fear and what might happen next.  A year ago I fully devoted myself to My Beliefs and chose to live a life through my heart.  For the first time in my 30 something years alive I felt the desire for adventure.  I felt the need for uncertainty and the love for what could be around the corner.  I found myself saying yes to life!!!  I surrendered my need for perfection and I allowed the imperfection that entered to teach me a thing or two about myself.  I embraced the world with my arms wide open in the "Victory pose" and I arched my back in acceptance.  It was a true releasing of it's time.  I accredit so much of that release to my yoga practice.  Meeting my Guru last summer was the blessing of a life time.  I had been doing yoga for years but never truly finding the connection I was searching for.  I soon developed a mindset that my search would have to take me to India in order to find this divine understanding I craved.  But before a trip could be coordinated the universe blessed me with the impossible.....India came to me.  The connection was so powerful upon that first meeting that I bowed my head in the lap of my Guru and wept.  Stroking my hair with a loving hand I knew at that precise moment I came home.  My prayers had been answered and my life would never be the same again.  It was finally my time to move forward and move forward I did.  Soaking up as much knowledge as I could, I thirst for the wisdom this individual possessed.  Without selfishness but a deep love, my age old wounds begin to heal and what came with was a deeper understanding.  I came to understand I understood nothing, I knew nothing and I needed nothing.  Learning that melted the misconception for perfection.  I accepted my fate and stepped onto the mat for the first time this year as teacher.  Speaking the words of my Guru as well as some of my own I understand now that we are all teachers.  We are all learning, sharing, giving and receiving. If we constantly remind ourselves of this beauty then there is never a need to fear fore we are surrounded by generosity at all times.  What could ever be more beautiful then that?                

Falling In Love With LIFE

Just because one teaches doesn't always mean one makes the best disciplined student.  It has taken me getting sick these past weeks to slow down and listen to my own teachings.  Week after week I find myself teaching meditation but lacking the discipline to practice it.  Week after week I discover myself assisting my clients through the mud but lacking patience to truly acknowledge my own.  With a calmer spirit and a much more open heart i've slowed down the pace.  I took the time for myself and "Fell In Love" with life once more this past week.  I have discovered even though we have a tumultuous love affair going on between us, these ups and downs are significant to my continuous transformation.  This last bout of wills has instilled me with a much greater sense of achievement.  I've taken the plunge and with coughing fit for an elephant my voice has open up to a much softer sound.  In every moment we possess the opportunity to be, create and achieve who it is we want to be.  Each moment we hold the power to live life closer to what our true self expression is.  This moment I have learned that although I love what I do, I love myself equally as much.  Which translates into me taking the desired amount of time to assist my needs, wants and affirmations.  Since making the choice to live a life closure to my true self my lessons have become easier, more enriched and the sense of peace has been profound.  In order to maintain this sense of inner order I must first maintain the spiritual order within me.  Although I have shun discipline this year I have come to see a new vision materializing before me benefiting from the use of it.  Thank you universe for your constant reminder that we are ever growing, changing, evolving beings.
~Monique

"We can't direct the wind but we can adjust our sails"  -Unknown