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Beautiful People Beautiful Things

“Ohanami” & “Spring Giddiness”

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Spring Giddiness
Rumi

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.
I would love to kiss you.
The price of kissing is your life.
Now my loving is running toward my life shouting,
What a bargain, let’s buy it.

Daylight, full of small dancing particles
and the one great turning, our souls
are dancing with you, without feet, they dance.
Can you see them when I whisper in your ear?
All day and night, music,
a quiet, bright
reedsong. If it
fades, we fade.

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Spring has arrived where we find abundance … of berries to get us giddy with delight?

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And here’s an excerpt from a longer poem of Rumi’s that sinks in just as rain sinks into this earth to bring about all this abundance all around us, this spring:

… We began
as a mineral. We emerged into plant life
and into animal state, and then into being human,
and always we have forgotten our former states,
except in early spring when we slightly recall
being green again.

Humankind is being led along an evolving course,
through this migration of intelligences,
and though we seem to be sleeping,
there is an inner wakefulness
that directs the dream,

and that will eventually startle us back
to the truth of who we are.”

― Jalaluddin Rumi, The Essential Rumi

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Food photos courtesy of “Sakura” at International House, Tokyo:) Most beautiful Japanese garden to behold … sigh, sigh, sigh…Ohanami season is something to behold.

Categories
Beautiful People Yoga

“I am not interested in what I cannot do”

“I told the doctor” … world’s oldest yogi is a yogini who amazes us all.

Tao Porchon-Lynch now age 98? This TED talk is when she was just a babe @ age 96 … an inspiration. Thank you to someone who shared this gem of a lady – you are an inspiration too:)

With coming of spring, was reminded of her talk – Say to yourself each morning

“Today’s is going to be my best day! “.

There doesn’t need to be a parade, a party, the fireworks … just another ordinary workday … or … devastating time at a hospital … yet, finding the joy in the challenging times as well as in the mundane by shifting our perspectives. Shifting the lenses that captures our reality, each day, it’s an affirmation. A practice.

Categories
Beautiful Deeds Beautiful People Beautiful Rituals Beautiful Things Healthy Food Healthy Living

Spring Equinox & Naw Ruz Blessing

According to my beautiful Persian friend, Naw Ruz means New Day as tomorrow is the first day of spring after today, Spring Equinox.  I was anointed with drops of dewy rose water, had morsels of delicate cookies and sips of wine accompanied by delicious green herb rice and green quiche/frittata called Kuku? Some cute name this dish has and so scrumptious ! Special symbolic foods are served as a tradition to celebrate Persian New Year!  

Golden calligraphy of Hafiz poetry graced this shrine thoughtfully decorated with symbolic New Year’s auspicious eggs (origin of Easter eggs?), bulb flowers of tulips and hyacinth, iris, violets and orchid blossoms still blooming from the winter season, welcoming spring with refreshed smile – school of goldfish swimming in water, pot of green grass, herbs, coins, strands of beads and a rock and ashes and … beautifully lit candles on marble. The symbolism of each carefully selected item curated… but first, to begin with the ritual of looking into the central mirror to set New Years resolution … an affirmation …got me to really appreciate not only this New Day but our friendship. (there were even “Meoto” rice bowls of cherry blossoms from Japan:) So honored to learn about this celebration that dates back centuries, steeped in long Persian history – Persian civilization dates back so far as one the oldest on earth so particularly fascinated to learn the symbolic meanings to all that graced before my eyes. Thank you for sharing your light, dear Friend:)

Variety of fresh spring herbs are folded into this green rice and frittata – Tastes like Spring !
Here’s a poem by Hafiz I found that made me think of my peace loving or just plain, loving and elegant Persian friend:

ELEGANCE
It
Is not easy
To stop thinking ill
Of others.
Usually one must enter into a friendship
With a person
Who has accomplished that great feat himself
Then
Something
Might start to rub off on you
Of that
True
Elegance

Laughter comes easy when you are breathing that air of “true elegance” …it’s rubbing off, as I set my Affirmation for this New Day.

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Sky report is cloudy with some rain but undeterred, cherry blossoms are slowly starting to blossom. Undeniably …

SPRING had arrived. 

Happy New Year!!!