I Am Lusting for Travel!

When I was 16, living in Spain, I left my shoes outside my grandparent's house and a group of traveling gypsy's decided they would take them on their adventures.  When I walked back inside the house to ask if anyone had seen my shoes, my grandfather calmly answered, "the gypsy's took them... better not leave your shoes outside."
I gasped for a good minute and then laughed at the idea that some gypsy was walking around in my shoes.  So, a gyspy I became myself that day as I deliciously imagined where my shoes were leading me.

I love all things travel. One of the things that entices my soul the most is diving into a new culture and widening my eyes to new things. I remember being called "daft" by my British classmates my eleventh year in highschool.  I am not "daft" I quickly retorted and scoffed at even the thought of being called such names.  Of course, I quickly ran home and looked up the definition of daft... and realized that I was indeed "ignorant" to many things.  We have so much to learn, and once we dance over own pride, we know this means great things to come.  My classmates did me a great favor that year and helped me stretch.
Ahhhhh!!! (That's me excitedly yelling). I am ready to dive in again pretty please! My gypsy shoes are on and I am perched on the edge of my own wanderlust.

So, this new idea is brewing within me these days like a tea pot that's about to explode from it's high pitched scream.  I am listening this time. The idea: I want to travel to countries where I get to learn traditional folk medicine from indigenous tribes and circles. All of the traditions, herbs, stories, circles, foods, teas, ceremonies are waiting patiently to be learned and passed on for our use.  I hear the natives and elders of such countries, like Guatemala, Belize, Ecuador, Peru, etc... are quite literally dying to pass on this medicinal information because their children and grandchildren may not wish to learn it and pass it on.  Wha-aaat?! 

YES and So Many PLEASE'S!
I am willing to travel and learn these things to pass on to future generations. I am not only willing to learn and use it, but also videotape it for future generations to use also.  Bring on the adventure and the juice of new ideas and breath of fresh wisdom! Sign me up for all of it.   Well, I think I will sign myself up for all of it because I am starting a new foundation with this very thought. 
"Full Circle Folk Medicine Foundation"!  A mouthfull?  Well, it certainly fills my heart.  Let's do this!  I am signing up to raise $22,000 for this foundation by January 22, 2013.  Be on the look out for the foundation and video on www.indiegogo.com

Maybe I'll even find the gyspy who graciously took my shoes and showed me a new world.

Keep on Lusting,

Christy~

I Still Love the Ride in Discovering Me!

Our only mission here on Earth, as I understand it, is to live an authentic life.  We learn things like love, compassion, and kindness in our first few years on Earth. This is learned in what I call,  Earth Kindergarten.  However,  as we ride the train farther down the road of living we learn through life lessons who we are meant to be fully.  Our truest character comes through knowing what we are, who we are, and what we must be as we put behind us what we are not.  What we are not can be fun lessons also, but let's get to good part.  Let's start living, please!

Hello self,  I just want you to be you!
Are you living an authentically "you" life?  Are you pleasing everyone else to avoid having to dissapoint them?  Are you avoiding your own happiness because you don't know who you are or what you want?  Do you believe you deserve to be authentically happy? Here's a secret: You can visualize and meditate until the cows come home, but you will not receive what you wish until you believe that you deserve it fully.  We attract to us exactly what we feel we are.  Do you believe you are worthy of your true self?

Start with these questions, to help discover who you are authentically:
1. What do I love to do?
2. What do I do that makes me feel the happiest?
3. If I didn't care what others thought, what would I say and do?
4. If I were dying, what would I say I wished I had done.
5. Do I say what I think others would want me to say, or do I speak from my heart?

Now, look at your answers and start living from the answers.  If you still don't have clear answers... start practicing living from your heart versus your ego or mind.  In other words, stop listening to everyone's opinion, and focus on your own passions and dreams. Soon, you will be asking yourself for answers rather than everyone else.  We are not living anyone else's life!

The Paradox:
Many of us are taught we are here to be martyr's and help everyone else before we help ourselves. That school of thought is over my dear friends!  I highly recommend that you put your own oxygen mask on before you assist your neighbor.  When we live an authentic life as our true selves, we give those around us permission to do the same... hence, true happiness all around.  Let's all toast with a glass of wine, please! Awe, big sigh...

What if your only mission here was to be truly yourself?  Go, Run... Be that... Be you! From this authentic place comes such divine happiness that you stoke the happiness of all those you encounter.  This fire within you attracts even more happiness, and suddenly the world is filled with authentically beautiful selves running around you.  Be you, that is all you are here to be.

(and please) Enjoy every second of the ride!

Christy~

Intention and Attention

It was a bright, Full Moon last night and the rituals and ceremonies of "ancient time" filled my head and heart.  We know that the moon affects many things on Earth, specifically the tide.  The human body is comprised of at least 60% water... so it only makes sense that the moon would affect our internal tide as well.  Many times our thoughts an emotions are riding the wave of this high tide.  I say ride it and celebrate!

The New Moon is traditionally for making wishes and setting your attention for the intentions you would like for the month.  Think of it this way, the moon has waned enough to a dark moon, and therefore is has room to build and increase in light and energy.  So we make our wishes when there is room for that energy to increase.  The Full Moon is when the light is bright, and this reflects the energy increase also within us,  and so we celebrate what we have intended for our life--back on the New Moon.  So, last night I celebrated all the beautiful things I intended for this month. It is truly mind blowing to see the workings of all the wishes and thoughts I manifest appear before my eyes.
Pay attention to what you intend! :)

This is important: "Where the mind goes, energy follows" 
Where are you putting your attention these days?  Everything is led by mind, based on mind, fashioned by mind.   First come the thoughts and then the action follows.  It is almost impossible to have a different action from what our thoughts really believe.  So! What are you thinking and intending for your life?
Do you believe good thoughts some of the time or most of the time?  Is positive thinking a good thing only in theory??  If this is the case... stop what you are doing right now, and notice your pattern of thought so that you can wake up out of them.  The key to transforming your life is by noticing your habitual pattern of thinking and changing them.  Do not become a slave to these old patterns!  You can create newones in a minute and a half!

Jill Bolte Taylor, the scientist and author who wrote "Stroke of Insight" tells us that when emotion arises, it takes about a minute and a half, after that you need thoughts to keep the emotion going.  This means that we make up thoughts to keep the emotions stuck within us to satisfy our ego and keep us distant from others.   A minute and a half only?!!  What the heck are we doing holding grudges and creating stuck thought patterns based on a emotion that only needs to be truly felt for a minute and a half?  I believe the magic comes after that minute and a half, when we choose to think differenly and create new neuro-pathways in our mind.  " Neurons that fire together, wire together."

Step out of the stories that keep you stuck in your old patterns of thinking, and instead choose to love the truth of clear and open hearted intentions.  You will feel more at home within yourelf.  Would you rather be right or feel happy?  Your attention will then lead to loving intentions that you intend on the New Moon and celebrate happily on the Full Moon.

We all need reasons to celebrate!  I celebrate daily, but the Full Moon gives me a time to see in action what I have intended with my thoughts and heart. 

"We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are."
~Anais Nin~

In Joy Today!

Christy~

Are you celebrating? Are you dancing?

Like Attracts Like

It is Fall and I am inspired!  As the tree leaves turn colors and fall to the Earth, the colorful inspiration in my heart rises and I look for ways to express what I feel.  It is said that "like energy attracts like energy", so if I were to practice this feeling then how would my day look?

In other words, what would I send out to the world that I could feel as I was sending it?  This begs the question "do we even need to wait for a return from what we send out?" 
In my opinion, the answer is firmly "no."  The return is felt in and through the giving.
However, we can recognize the universal law that honors energetic cycles... which is to say, "that which you send out ALWAYS returns to you." (Every time!)

Just as Earth expects and calls on the falling leaves to continue a cycle, our hearts call to us the energy we send out. 

So, to rejoice today... I am sitting with a warm cup of tea and looking at a recipe that a dear friend sent me this morning to simply warm my heart. (And warming it is).
The recipe: "Cashew Chai Tea"
http://nourishingourradiance.com/2012/10/cultivating-warmth-golden-cashew-chai/#.UIhHCau9FEs.facebook
(Thank you dear, Julie)*

I drove to the store promptly after receiving the recipe for this chai to try out the new flavors. I have learned in life not to wait for healing pleasure. My motto is: "Create it or make it now!!"  Luckily I was only in need of some spices, and I also wanted to try it out with coconut milk. ;)  Always keep your options open.

Around the corner from the store I spotted a car that had a parking ticket on the dashboard.  My face scrunched in that way it does when I can empathize with a situation. "Grrr" (as my grandmother often says) is most likely how the owner of that car will feel when they see the ticket.
So, instead of driving past... I decided it would be a fun adventure to stick the $50 bill I had just received from a session in the envelope that held the parking ticket.  On the bill I wrote, "Blessed with Luck!"

Later, I danced through the isles of the store getting my ingredients that would further warm my heart.  I sat in the awareness that I felt happy in my soul... not in the future of the chai tea or the past of paying someone's parking ticket.  But, in the present bliss of knowing love is exponentially growing all around us just by doing things that make us happy.  I do not know how that $50 returns to me, nor do I count on it or care.  I do however, know that the love I felt from sharing it filled my heart more than any bank account or $50 would.  I am richer from feeling this, and I am whole and inspired by living it.
Perhaps tomorrow I will just give of my services, but today this felt abundantly healing.

Go inward to your warmth, and reach out with what inspires you.
Here, you will find your best medicine.

With Love and Warm Chai,

~Christy~

Go ahead, warm your day further.  You have permission.