awakening

awaken

be open to the universe

listen to its thunder

listen to its rain

listen as it pitter-patters through the souls

of even those lost in vain 

clear your mind

free your thoughts

get lost in some

form of art

let go of judgement

let go of fear

let go of thoughts not serving you

even if you want them near

take a moment to breathe

and

with each breath you'll see

an awakening

inside of you 

the gift of love

a gift that is free

awaken

well, i'm switching things up over here. as my journey continues, all of life evolves. my blog is a reflection of my journey. change. growth. newness and unlearning. to be open to the world. i have realized that what we may need to do is unlearn (a word i ironically learned at a recent seminar i attended). unlearn our learned ways. unlearn some of what has been passed on to us, particularly if it is not serving us. unlearn those pieces of ourselves, that really are not us. unlearn the pieces we've heard and have learned to think are us or make us, us. 

let go. our story has been created by others and without others, none of us would be here. for that we may be thankful and at times, not as thankful, but we need to accept what is. recognize what is. when we begin to look inward at the self, we realize what our story truly is. while we may not know where our path is going, we begin to understand and trust in the universe. it has a plan. we may long to know what that plan is. but you see, that is not part of the plan.  (this is difficult to accept, at times....or a lot of times....acceptance).

we live in a world today where there are little surprises. things are so easy to access. clicks of buttons is all it takes (yes, lots of irony within this statement, as i send my thoughts to the world through technology and simple clicks of the button). the technology of our world in my mind has lessened the patience with which one may have. patience in the everyday. patience in the lineup at the grocery store. patience at the gas station. patience with others. many have lost this patience. myself, i know i am one of them. in the past few months, the universe has given me many lessons in patience. an essential quality for a prosperous, happy and healthy life. 

we need to recognize the lessons the universe has to offer us. if we're losing our patience over and over it's a sign. take a breathe. step back. reflect. what is it that is causing you the impatience? breathe again. everything will be okay. let go of trying to control. let go. let go. let go. not an easy task. it takes patience and..... trust.  

yoga has taught me to recognize many of these "teachings". some may think yoga is only for those who are flexible, or that you have to "fit" a certain sterotype. that's the essence of yoga. there is no mold. no category. yoga is like a place of worship. a place to let go. look inward. calm the mind. the mat, is like a place of refuge. of course, it may serve as something else to each individual. just knowing it has the potential for all this is a wonderful thought, isn't it?     

what's your intention for the today, the week? are you awake to the lessons of the universe? 

open your heart and you'll be amazed at what you see, hear, taste, smell & yes, feel....

blessings,
femmeclectique

whispers of the universe

as i was driving home the other night, i had this amazing blog post all "written" out in my head. now, as i sit and write, the words are not surfacing quite so easily. perhaps i wasn't meant to share all the wonderous thoughts i had in that moment. perhaps all of that was simply just for me, even though it played out like a beautifully orchestrated blog post. 

it seems, like many i suppose, i come up with my best thoughts, when doing seemingly mindless tasks, like driving, walking, running, and laying thy head to rest.  (i suppose driving isn't exactly mindless, as you do need to pay attention to the road, but it feels that way.) the mind drifts and heads to places it doesn't get a chance to visit in the go-go-go of our north american busy lives. we're always doing and going, going and doing. we need to live more in the present. in the moment. love the gift of life we've been provided. see the sun through the clouds. let go and not get so caught up in the expectations and worries and fears. we need to adopt a more "pole pole" lifestyle, like the african culture. pole pole, a word learned from my sister who is living a dream in africa right now (visit her blog here) translates into "slowly" in Kiswahili.  

it's easter weekend. a time to slow down. enjoy family, friends, pets, if you're lucky maybe a good book or have fun coloring eggs...you don't need to have children to do this. cultivate your inner child. do it alone. it's okay. go ahead! i did! 

old jars work just spledid for coloring!

burst some color into your life!

okay...I wasn't totally alone.

it's looking a bit more like christmas here. with the snow ever so gently failling on my spring tulips. i'm taking the weather as the universe's way to slow us down. now, like all messages sent from the universe, not everyone listens to them. (especially us north american folk so heavily influenced by capital gains) not everyone hears them. you have to hear something in order to listen to it. in order to hear it, you must practice being present with the world around you and within you. it's all connected. so often in life we have learned to "tune things out". it's a shame really. because when we are in tune with ourselves and the world around us, that's when we do the best thinking, learning and growing. 

since my return from my retreat in seattle, washington (check it out here) i've been longing to have another weekend like that. it was such an amazing experience. i continue to learn and grow from all that it offered and continues to offer in my day-to-day life. the lessons and love it offered didn't stop on the last day of the retreat, as my new friend jasmine (check this gal out-and thanks jasmine!) dropped me off at the airport. it was only just the beginning....all "this" happened because one day, i walked down to our locally owned and operated stationary store chisolms (thank you chisolms!). as i browsed through the magazines (i have a slight addiction...one of many healthy addictions), i stumbled upon a magazine called mingle.  i was attracted to it because of the fabulous photo on the front. then, when i found out that it was magazine all about "creative ideas for unique gatherings"....i knew that was it. another addiction. mingle. what a great name. 

this was my first big message from the universe. this magazine has changed my life. now, you might think that sounds ridiculous, a magazine changing a persons life. it's the truth.  i was meant to find this magazine. it all happened at the right time. what i didn't know, at the time, was the impact this simple finding would have on my life. i didn't know that inside that magazine there was a world waiting for me. a world of wonderful like-minded people. i read it thoroughly. i cried. i read. i connected so much. i could feel something shifting. i was present. in that moment. with that magazine. it was like a whack of synapses were connecting. i could almost hear them crackle, like the hot embers in a blazing fire. my mind was excited. 

i "met" some great people in that magazine. one in particular. liz lamoreux. as i read her article on the be present retreats i knew i had come to the right place. i thought to myself-this is just what i need. right now. what are the chances this retreat lands on my march break? well, as it turned out. the chances were pretty darn good. the stars aligned. i took some time to think about it all (such a thinker). talked it over with my husband. he thought it was a fabulous idea. i didn't jump on it right away (even though i wanted to). i left it sit in my mind. weeks passed and i was still thinking about it. so, i jumped on it. well, it was more like a leap! i was excited. nervous. would i be good enough? am i really an artist?  yes. yes, i am.

and i was. and now i am. slowing down. living with an open heart.

listening to the messages the universe is cascading upon me

even when i don'twant to listen

i'm still hearing the whispers 

and gently listening

as i blissfully let life guide me

listening to its precious lessons

healing.

transforming.

like the changing season & celebration of the weekend.

rebirth.

regrowth.

listen to your heart.

are you hearing the universe?

with dedication,

femmeclectique