Categories
Beautiful Places

“The ocean was one of the greatest things he had ever seen in his life—bigger and deeper than anything he had imagined. It changed its color and shape and expression according to time and place and weather. It aroused a deep sadness in his heart, and at the same time it brought his heart peace and comfort.”

― Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

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I love this place.

Categories
Healthy Activities Healthy Living

Happy New Year !

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Chinese and classic Japanese calendar is based on a lunar calendar and therefore,
it’s New Year, an auspicious day.

As we celebrate the New Year, I am just filled with deep sense of gratitude.
So blessed to have kind students – this morning, I had a student who gave me a good feedback to put me back on track- thank you – I don’t drink coffee early in the AM but maybe I should?
and after last Sunday evening class, a lovely student sweetly says something like:

She: “I know I have a name for you in Spanish!”
Me: ?
She: “You are a CURANDERA.”
Me: ??
I do not know Spanish – wish I had studied it – so absolutely – ??? lost.
So, she translates “Curandera” to mean in English … “Healer”… “HEALER“?
Me: me? what?
I am so flattered and honored. Thank you – Arigato – Gracias!

We all need positive reinforcements especially when faced with a dilemma or trying to choose a path.
I don’t think of myself as a healer – that’s just too tremendous a responsibility but I think she read my intentions – that I desire that kind of a magic potion that heals all wounds and pains, I wish I could be a healer and my mind is full of how-to’s to accomplish it and I study the how’s (alternatives to Western medicine) out of that desire. How I wish I had that magic tincture… an elixir… to dispense that remedies all.

I think most people I see as being “spiritual” – not religious but “spiritual” all experienced or faced some significant loss or even death in some ways (that pretty much covers everybody eventually) – if not your own loss (health, innocence, belief system, strength, will – all things material and not) or near death experience, someone or something near or dear to you… and that makes one a bit more aware, call it spiritual – or conscious and AWAKE – as in that sign that says
“Life is Short; but Eternity is Not…” Yes, don’t we know it.

So if appreciation of Life makes me a Curandera, hope we can all, each of us find the Curandera spirit within us.
That is how I hope to serve… for everyone to be empowered to be one’s own Curandera… with a little help from a friend:) dispensing that technique.
We are all, each of us, a “Curandera”. It made me think of a medicine man in Native American culture I once read about and felt an affinity towards…

Native American Shamanism… actually has some parallels to Shinto tradition in Japan… hope it’s okay to say that…anyway,
Thank you again for such a special compliment that humbles and inspires me, Dearest T.

Happy Lunar New Year and enjoy the Oscar party – will miss you but, even a Curandera cannot replace vibes from such a party:-)

Categories
Beautiful Places Beautiful Rituals

Super New Moon called Black Moon

Tonight:)

Leading up to New Moon is a detox time to go more inward. To most extroverts, this may give you a fearful feeling of the void – that abyss into a black hole of … emptiness – if you are anxious of uncertainties of what cannot be seen. Cannot be seen but can be “felt”, no? With heightened awareness, what cannot be seen can be felt – it’s the vibration, the energy fields in this Cosmo. Indeed, no one has a crystal ball as to what is in store for us in the future. But think about it – we do not want such a crystal ball that predetermines us. It’s better to live in NOT knowing our fate, our destiny. We live in each breath, moment to moment, being utterly and radically present. It’s light, not heavy.

To me, it means, trusting the luminous light that exists hidden in the darkness. It means that time of transition and renewal where the old is washed away and the new unknown beginning is to unfold.

That’s why New Moon juncture it’s a powerful time to sow seeds of new beginnings through dedication of prayer, wishes, desires, intentions to the Universe.

and…
if you are a yogi or a yogini…asana-wise, lunar salutation morning – so luscious and juicy – and night – so dreamy and floaty:) It’s a purification ritual where you feel one with that alignment of the universe – the sun, the moon, the earth, aligned in such a way the moon cannot be seen, hidden in the shadows because of the brilliance our sun emits …and today … it’s a “super” one as in super close – meaning our moon closely hovering this earth:) Such a precious time we can allow ourselves to
FEEL the tide of your ocean within – let the waves wash away the dead past, unproductive thoughts and bring you the sparkling gifts from the sea.

Not a Haiku

White effervescence…bubbles and foams lacing the beach
washing away the words, the imprints, the thoughts – random designs -erased – on the sand
lines are drawn – straight and curved, patterns and doodles – the geometrics and graphics
all erased, sandy beach awashed…with flow and ebb of the tide
Waves rhythmically crashing onto rocky and sandy beaches along the shores
then … receding back into the blue blue brilliance – water shining with vibrations
receding even further – returning into the source, the horizon
smudged with colors of the sunset
golden red and orange colors of marigolds, so bright.
I take a cleansing breath…
facing another flight of stairs – resolved to scale it –
Steps by step images spring up, floating about, filling the void
I am not here but there
step by step climbing the long stairway to a serendipitous temple
on a mountain top in Kyoto – or was it Kamakura… long steep stairs seemingly endless.
Memories are vivid, never fading as the day light fades into
darkness of this new moon evening.