3 Simple Tips to Survive the Holidays (and Your Life)

Just an opportunity to share our chakra-inspired tree :)

I work with a wonderful woman who always goes the extra mile to support the university students who are studying entrepreneurship and spending time in the venture center where we work. She recently invited a psychologist to speak to the young people about stress management and I decided to also sit in on the talk, since really, can we get enough of that? If you've ever read my writing, you know that I focus a lot on the idea that we are living in a time where we have more input data than EVER before and that the new rate of input quite literally exploded in the past 50, 20, 10, 5 years. I don't believe that we have biologically evolved as quickly as this rate of change around us, and that is why we see an increase in rates of societal "dis-ease" like anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc.

I focus on this all mostly because I experience it. I am highly aware of both the increased levels of stress that our society introduces to us, but also the types of stress that we encounter with each major life change: going off to college, a death in the family, new jobs, marriages, divorces, having children and so on. These life changes are enough to put a person into a special mode of coping, but when you add on the rapidly changing and chaotic world we are living in, the topic of stress management and methods for reducing the effects of stress on the mind, body, soul, are of utmost importance.

It's great that I also happen to be writing about this near the holiday season and though we might (hopefully) face this time with great joy and light (this IS the point actually...as an aside, we are nearing the winter solstice, the time when we'll tip over the hump of losing more light each day, and instead start to gain it back), the truth is that for many of us, all of the hustle bustle can throw us into a bit of chaos.

Here's a fantastic example, and I share this with full knowledge that my own experiences are perhaps less chaotic of those people with small children and other extra layers of concern like illness, grief, and other responsibilities. Yesterday was a Saturday and being a day that I don't have to be at my 9-5, I usually end up taking care of all of the things I am too tired to approach in the evenings of the weekdays. So I made my list: 

• Get ornaments for tree (our first "bigger" one! last year was a small table-top guy with just lights);
• Find glass containers for making candles as gifts;
• Take advantage of the 20% off Target coupon expiring that day to find useful gifts for Costea's family in Moldova;
• Maybe run in to a favorite overpriced clothing store that I just emailed me telling me everything is 25% off (this one never happened).

After the slow Saturday morning breakfast (just love that!), organizing the apartment and whatnot, I head out. I have my favorite yoga music playing loudly in the car, the windows are down because it's so warm outside, and I am SINGING my way to accomplishing the goals on my list. YAY.

Well. I should have know that everyone else was also going to the mall. being just two weeks out from Christmas. Between finding a parking spot, finding what I needed in the store without being in someone's way, and the fluorescent lights and artificial fragrances galore, I got a pounding headache. POUNDING. The little voice in my head was like, "Girl, you should have done this kind of shopping long before now, you know better". I guess I do, but I guess I forgot. Isn't that what we do all.the.time? To end the story, I had a headache until I went to bed even after going home to stretch, drink water my best to relax. 

This little story is just a small example of how hard it can be to remain calm, collected and cool in the world we live in. But alas, there are methods to the face the madness! Since I've already rambled quite a bit, I'll try to keep this as succinct as possible and hope that you'd gain a little insight into making this time of year, and your own life generally, as amazing as possible. Here are my interpretations of our guest speaker's tips:

Tip #1: Observe vs. Absorb

As potentially THE most guilty person of absorbing other people's shit, I can testify to the importance of this tip. My goodness. I used to think I was so nice and sweet because I let people be themselves around me and I'd listen and I'd try to help. Well, while all of that can be good at times, the truth is that it's not my job (nor yours) to FEEL what others are feeling. Many times we can just walk into a room and KNOW that something just doesn't feel "good". The tip here is to observe that and use your discernment as to what to do next. You can either leave the room or if that's not an option, continue in observation mode, but you don't have to actually feel something that is not yours. Observe people's crazy. See it. Delay. And be entertained. One way the visiting speaker talked about this was a mentality of "Sunny in here, crazy out there". Keep your sunny inner weather no matter what. When you KNOW you're going to be around people who bring the crazy, grab a bowl of popcorn and watch the show. 

Tip #2: Protect Your Sponge

Now that we've looked at observing versus absorbing, now let's dive a bit deeper into protecting our "sponge". The way the woman spoke about this was awesome. She pointed out the fact that we are actually, biologically, like sponges. We have receptors connected to our nervous system that are always reaching out into the world as well as taking in the data around us. One example of this would be the pheromones we always hear about that either physically attract or repel us to/from others. So, in the above scenario above of entering a crazy-ass energy room, you know it's crazy even without words being spoken because of your receptors/your sponge. You're taking it in and processing it. And once you realize this is NOT something you want to absorb you can protect your sponge. Here are a few ways how:

1. Visualization: Imagine you're that sponge and you're just not going to absorb anything icky so you need a protective barrier. One great way of doing that is imagining millions of little diamonds glistening all around you. They are hard, light, reflective, and beautiful. You can see through them and the other people can still see you, but the energy flow into you is reflected off and/or transmuted to something much more lovely. (maybe diamonds ARE a girl's best friend? huh?)
2. Have a response ready. Our guest speaker shared this one and I liked it. When Aunt Sally or Uncle Freddy or cousin Sue who you KNOW is always bringing some crazy mozies on over to you, you can have some phrase ready-to-go so that allows you to disengage in their crazy. It might look like this: 

                Crazy Person: "Oh my gosh, Donald Trump is going to kill our country and my boss hates me and the house we bought is a disaster and....blah, blah, blah"

                You: "Interesting" (and walks away or changes the subject to something positive).  

Tip # 3: Respond vs. React

Especially when we're with people we know very well and know what to expect from them, we can tend to get reactive. But since we do know what to expect we can also choose to be responsive instead. And this also works well with the strangers who bring crazy (you know, the guy who cut you off at the gas station, or the person who butted in line). Rather than allowing yourself to get in a huff and react to their crazy, pause, take a moment, and respond to the situation rather than allowing for a knee-jerk reaction. This should help you to keep your cool, keep your "sunny" inside :)


I'll end this post with the great Mark Twain quote about trauma,

 “I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” 

In other words, we create many of the dramatic experiences in our lives simply by letting the crazy in and absorbing crazy that's not even ours. So put up your diamond shield, sit back, and enjoy the show! I love you!

Om shanti, Om peace.

Before and After

Before

Of course after 2 1/2 years a person ages somewhat. So we can see those changes. But what about the changes we can't exactly see but we know are there?

I made a quick trip to the Sivananda Yoga Farm right before embarking on my Peace Corps experience. I wanted to touch base with the silent inner voice I had gotten to know better while there, and to gain some feeling of "blessing" from the director, Swami Sita. I was so happy when I found that the lovely and sweet Ambika, an Ayurvedic practitioner well known at the Farm, was also staying while I was there. Before I left, she looked deep into my eyes and told me to be sure to take a before and after photo with a clear look into my eyes, so I could see the profound changes that were sure to occur, even, and especially, at the soul level.

OK, so there are many levels on which we change. They can actually line up exactly with the 3 bodies: spirit, mind, body. And yes, all of those have changed. So let's look at each of those for this post :)

The easiest to notice are the physical changes:

1) My hair is longer. I cut it short right before I left for Moldova as I didn't know what I could expect for hair-care. Well, little did I know that I would be living in a city and there would be plenty of places for haircuts and even highlights. But I didn't exactly find a stylist I loved and sort of decided to let it grow out!

2) I am 3-5 pounds lighter. At one point, I had put on a good 7 pounds. That was almost a year into my service. I remember taking a trip with my friend Natashia to Budapest and we were visiting a spa that had hot spring baths and waters to drink. I wanted to cleanse. I stepped on the scale and saw 60 Kilo and it didn't take too much calculating to realize that was more than I usually weigh. Of course this was the beginning of spring and I always gain weight when it's cold (and the Peace Corps doctors and all of the women here would also remark I needed to be more sturdy for winter). I am closer now to my "healthy weight" but I do fear that is more fat than muscle since I didn't keep a regular workout routine...ugh.

3) I look older. Apparently I look young for my age because people in Moldova always thought I was 25 (I am 32). But when I look at photos from 2011 and now, I guess I can see some new lines. I also think I see some circles under my eyes...

4) I might possibly be toxic. This one is out for the jury. On one hand, I ate quite "clean" in Moldova in the sense that I didn't eat a lot of packaged or processed foods. Moldova also has incredibly rich "black" soil. The fruits and veggies are unbelievably juicy, tasty, amazing! So this makes me think that the micro-nutrients that go into the foods from the soil are higher there. But on the other hand, there is no great organized waste management in Moldova so who knows what's going into the soil really. The water is heavy in minerals and I have no idea if some of those are the dreaded "heavy metals" that come with industrial wasteland type environments. With no place to put your trash, a lot of people burn their trash, including plastics, so who knows what I was breathing on many days. I didn't do any sort of toxicity testing before Moldova so I have no baseline data to compare, but I will definitely be doing some sort of cleansing when I get home.

And next comes the mind...

A little harder to take notice to, but comparing to my thought patterns of the past:

1) I am less self-important. I can't say how I was before I left, but I can say that is something that hit me when I would meet new Americans well into my service. I often felt they were really loud, open, and sharing strange details about their lives that didn't seem to be relevant or necessary. This was overwhelming to me. When I shared this with my work partner, Inesa, she said that I was probably just the same as them but then I got used to the Moldovan ways of being which are typically more reserved with personal life details. I am not so sure if this is exactly "self-importance" but it does seem that I have taken to the Moldovan way of remaining a bit more reserved until appropriately accustomed to a person or group of people and it's not out of shyness but more out of not feeling like everything I say or share is the most important. I have learned to listen more.

2) I compare myself with others less. I won't call this phenomenon an American thing, because truly it's a human thing. We tend to see where others our age are in life, what our neighbor has done to their home, and so on, and compare that to where we are. It's like trying to stick in a life thermometer and ensure we are somehow OK. But living in a place where I understand how difficult it is for people to "get ahead" and living with people who don't have much but offer everything they have, has truly shown me that the things in a person's life are nothing compared to the way a person conducts themselves within that life. Comparing the way we look, what we own, where we are in our careers with others, can be both useful and harmful .There is nothing wrong with seeing some life aspects that we want to reach for, but to understand that we all have our own path in life and that is not a linear and defined path, but an amorphous and evolving process, will help us to just love who we are and where we are...and have respect and love for that!

3) I have less anxiety. I wish I could say I somehow rid myself of all fear and anxieties but heck if that were true, I could probably convince every American to join the Peace Corps ;) My mind still plays plenty of it's same old games of self-doubt. Did I try hard enough? Do I do that the best I could? Did I waste time? Am I on the right path? These questions don't go away but they can lessen and quiet down. One thing Moldova has done for me is to significantly "ground" me. In this I mean that a lot of those high-flying, spinning fears and self-doubting thoughts were probably from being in such a fast-paced and highly critical society coupled with a seemingly unavoidable food system of highly processed inputs. (This is an Ayurvedic or "energy of food" concept that the more whole and local your foods, the more grounded and whole you will feel). Feeling more grounded and whole means feeling more comfortable in one's body, life, and choices. For this I am incredibly grateful.

And finally, the soul...

It's so hard to know how we've changed on the soul level. Of course I have but I won't be able to see that until I have my life review or however that process works towards the time of leaving the physical body. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and there we might see the change. I am not sure this is the best picture but it was taken the day I finished with Peace Corps, my "Close of Service" date. The picture at the beginning of the post was taken the day I swore in as a volunteer in  Moldova. Om!

After

The Julie and Costea Show

Looking up the definitive definition of the word narcissist allows me to know that is not what I am. And I hardly think that I am alone in my thinking. It's like this: ever since I was a little girl, I felt at times like I was in a movie or a show, on stage, as though people were always watching me. (Ok, so notice my fear of narcissism, but truthfully there is no self-importance or lack of empathy or anything...)  I have no idea where this idea came from, but it's stayed with me, a sense that is at some times stronger than others. Like I am observing myself.

In a world of Instagram updates showing off every little thing we do, my fantastic ideas that people were watching me, have become reality for those who actually want that. I did so many cool things throughout my youth and can actually recall thinking, "Wow, how awesome is life, if only the people could see me now". I know I was not alone in this thinking because of the popularity of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. These services arose in popularity because there were millions of people thinking that same thing. We're all the same in many ways...

I can't say I have totally taken to showing off everything in my life, nor would I want to. I will go over the reasons why much more in my "the differences between people here and there" and  "how I have changed" posts coming soon. But with all of that, I can't help from daydreaming about the crazy reality that will be mine and Costea's life when we are living and trying to make a go of it in the US of A. And in my mind that plays my life like a show, I mean, we are practically a reality TV sensation :)

So why will our life be so crazy?

Starring Constantin Grozav as Costea

For one, Costea has never been to the USA. He's met a lot of Americans, mostly Peace Corps volunteers, which one might argue are a breed of their own, but he's never experienced the kind of diversity he'll meet there: people of every color, religion, sexual identity and beyond. Of course I sense he is an accepting person but it will still be a big difference for him. Costea does know English so he'll get along in conversation. But the little sayings and idioms will surely get him at times. For example, one time when I was really mad (warning: not so yogic moment ahead...) I called him a 'piece of shit'. Rather than getting mad at my diarrhea of the mouth he started laughing because that just sounded so funny to him. He was imagining a little piece of poop and why I would call him that. I had to explain that it's a saying people use in America to describe a person who is not so nice. SO...one can imagine how many of those we'll go through.

and Julie Frieswyk as Julie

Next, though I am American, I haven't been in the USA at all in two and a half years. I have changed indeed and will have to find my place in my new role as an employee somewhere, a wife in America, and hopefully in some part of some awesome and supportive community of friends. But as the native between us, I will be the "root" so to speak. Costea won't have any roots and I need to be grounded enough for both of us. And for a girl who loves to fly, this will be a whole new challenge.

Lastly, I will share that Costea and I have quite of a bit of an age difference. I am the older one and surprisingly not too many people here have thought too much of it. We'll see if that's the same in America. I honestly always thought I would marry someone my senior, but you know, when you're the kind who moves with life rather than planning so hard, life surprises and amazes you constantly. 

I figure that as an outlet and for entertainment, I can document our transition to life in America a bit. I already have a few seasons of our show and maybe even a feature film played out in my head with about 1,000 different paths, variants and outcomes. It should all be interesting. Thinking about sharing our craziness makes me a little nervous and feeling quite vulnerable. I have definitely become a more private person in my time here. But the lessons we'll be sure to learn are probably too juicy not to share. And the laughs...

We want to be healthy and fit and introducing Costea to the "health nut" version of myself will be interesting. I can't wait to juice with him and do cleanses and experiment with food. We want to be more active than we've been here. There aren't exactly national parks and tennis courts around here. I want to hike and take yoga classes and to both take up tennis. Costea was the captain of his volleyball team so hopefully he can find some way to play wherever we end up. Oh and that...that's just another twist to this story...we don't know where we're going to live yet! A few irons in the fire but nothing for sure. So much is open and we're keeping our hearts and minds open. Finding our way around my friends who seemingly all have mortgages and babies, the new friends we make, our professional lives, and family, will keep us busy and above all, hopefully happy. This will be challenging...! This is life.

One More Week

One week from now I will be finishing 2.5 years of serving with the Peace Corps in the Republic of Moldova. This means a lot of emotions going on over here: in, around and through me. A lot of processing and reflecting. This is resulting in about a dozen different blog posts and stories I want to share. I know I haven't shared as much about my life as I used to do in these past months. I was going through so many changes at once I didn't have it in me to exist successfully in that while also regurgitating all of those experiences for reflection. And it's all coming up now. So I will be writing and sharing :)

I can tell you I am working on a number of pieces:

-The Food Post. I haven't written enough about how much the difference in food effects the life. And paradoxically how it doesn't change some things. I will probably post this one on Taste of Peace but will link here.

-The Julie and Costea Show:

-Before and After Reflections on how (I think) I have changed

They will be published in the order according to my whim in writing. This is all happening in between and whilst writing my reports for Peace Corps. Getting it all out and cleared for the next LEAP!

xo

Slippery Puddles

The temperature outside is hovering around zero (Celsius that is). The already thickly frozen layers of ice and snow on the streets have begun to melt in the past 48 hours of indecisive temperature, making for everyone’s favorite messy mix of slush, ice and water.

This morning as I carefully navigated my way around the puddles that hid layers of ice as I made my way to buy produce at the bazaar, I began to think about this temperature hovering. “Come on!” I seemed to beg of the weather. “Pick a side, do you want to freeze and snow, or not and rain?” I found I wasn’t appreciating the ice below, rain above, slippery puddles. I wanted decisions. And appropriately so, this brought about the thoughts of where I am in my own life, also wanting clear and deliberate decisions. No one like fence-sitters- but why?

I have a little over 5 months of time left here in Moldova, as a Peace Corps volunteer. I have loved my time here. Things were hard, terrifying, enlightening, sad, joyful…things were the stuff life is made of. But now I know I need to think ahead of what to do next; where to go, with whom to be, work or school, domestic or foreign. As we all know this kind of thinking, when thought on too much, brings about anxiety. I am a slippery puddle. I am not warm and melted-flowing, but I am not fully frozen- stuck. Sometimes we start out wet and warm and in time start to freeze up. This is me now. I had been loving my life in Moldova-making my own schedule, working on multiple projects at once with many partners, meeting new and interesting people and experiences at every turn. It’s a rather perfect lifestyle for me.  And the idea of going into something that boxes me in (getting colder) and makes me ask how high when they say jump (and colder) and chains me to one desk in one place for the rest of my life (OMG almost frozen!!!)…ok you can see I am not being rationale. And other times we start out frozen. “I am NOT EVER going to do THAT”. And in time, we warm up to an idea, a place, a person. But life is not black and white, warm or frozen.

So why do we tend to be so uncomfortable in the middle. To be moving from one major life decision to the next, having not yet grabbed onto something “permanent” is probably the scariest thing in life. (And to note, permanency is a joke, as Shakyamuni Buddha explained, there are four inescapable realities: 1) we will all become old and frail. 2) It is absolutely certain that everything will constantly change. 3) Everything we achieve or accumulate will eventually fall apart and scatter. 4) We are all bound to die).

We’re all slippery puddles at times. Sometimes we’re warm pools or dry as a bone, sometimes we’re slush, sometimes we’re ice. But we’re always changing and choices will always need to be made. I don’t know how to embrace this zero degrees myself yet. Each time it happens, I KNOW I am in the middle of a huge life choice and lesson, and yet I still get worked up and just want to swim or slide, you know?! Sometimes you just want to have fun and see what happens. One thing I know to do, is as best I can, be light. “LIGHTEN UP JULIE, IT’S ALL GOING TO CHANGE ANYWAY”, a familiar voice echoes. The laughable part is that I am not even sure it’s what we choose or do or make that matters the most. I think it’s more important HOW we do it. Or at least equally important Do we listen, do we flow, do we trust? Or do we move with our head in the sand, making the choices out of fear?

Listen. Lighten. Flow.

Om shanti. Om peace.

Questions

View from my apartment window. A not-gray day.

I have been really quiet. Am I being secretive? Am I just so "wrapped up" in it all? I am leaning towards the latter. I am not usually afraid to share the details of my inner-most thoughts.  Am I feeling there is nothing worth sharing these days?

What am I spending my thought energy on now, in my 18th month  as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova? What battle am I fighting in there? I asked and this came:

There is gray 

  On this day

There is no one 

   to say

How it all comes

   together

When a day is so gray

There's a quickness 

  to air

There's a stir 

  In my heart

Is there is something

   to grasp to?

Or is flying

   my art?

One part is 

  so gray

And the other 

   can't say

In which

 direction

Or what 

   to allay

This morning I awoke to a cold rain that soon became snow. Winter, it seems, has found Moldova. 

OM shanti

Om peace

Just Because

This is what came up today.

We all go through hard times. Dark times. Life is both. Light and dark. Finding a graceful way to move between these two places...that is true success.

Someone is in that dark place right now. Maybe it's you.

Here's my letter to you:

Dear Beloved,

I am not sure exactly what you're going through but I can sense it. What I know is that all great souls have to reach some place of darkness before a period of intense light, so that they may recognize and go after that light. So that they will remember the other side of the coin. We have heard of "the dark night of the soul".

My own first deep dive into the dark was when my brother died. It was sudden and traumatic and took a long time to process. And that's OK. Life is just an experiment for processing all that happens around us. We experience things as happening "to" us but really we're all just trillions of mattered-particles spinning around and bumping into eachother and it's our emotions that start clinging to "things". The harder the clinging, the bigger the lesson. It sounds so cold...that the great sages could move through deaths and losses without showing emotion. However, this was just out of a place of complete understanding that all that was happening was in many ways an illusion and quite temporary. That all that is "real" lasts forever. And when something is lost or changes, it wasn't "real" and just an experience.

So that is the question? What does actually last forever? Really? Not our bodies, our jobs, our homes, even our relationships (although I like to think some carry on with us!). What is left? Our Selves. Everything else can go in a split second.

Life seems to offer us these sometimes seemingly "terrifying, paralyzing, how-the-heck will I survive?" lessons. And I ask myself, WHY?! WHY THIS LESSON? WHAT DO I NEED TO LEARN HERE? I cry, I feel sad, sorry...but then...finally...I remember how many lessons I have payed for in my life: yoga, cooking, nutrition, dance...all areas I want to learn more about for my personal growth and to in turn help others. And what I have realized, is that sometimes we don't get to sign-up for and attend lessons, they are simply brought TO us. And these are the ones that matter most. Because God/the Universe brought them and knew we needed them and they will shape our souls into exactly the shape they need to be. IF we pass of course.

How do we pass? Well, I guess only we can know if we have moved through something with the most grace, surrender and acceptance we can muster. And each time we go through that darkness we pick up a new strength, a new tool.  I wish you all of those things right now.

Be gentle with your Self. It will get better. I promise.

XOm

Moment by Moment

The apple crisp was vkucna (tasty)

There are defining moments in our lives, no doubt.  Life is just a whole lot of moments all added up to make a minute, an hour, a day...however we choose to measure.  But how do you measure the quality of a moment?  While some seem rather ordinary, others are extraordinary whether because they are painful or full of joy.  But they are full of life.  They are all equally important of course, adding up to make our lives, but some seem to be rather full of impact.  Perhaps here is the quality.

Today I had one such moment.  Full of impact, fully alive. 

It  was a gorgeously sunny fall day here in Moldova.  I woke up early to make my way to the capital for a meeting about GLOW, a volunteer-led organization intending to empower girls in leadership.  I spent the morning with some fellow volunteers, sipped some (instant) coffee and ate some cookies (very normal here, in fact I am yet to attend a meeting where there are no cookies...).  I was eager to get back to my training village, Cricova, where I am staying for another 2 weeks of language training, so that I could make apple crisp with my host sister.  And so I breezed out of the meeting and out the front doors.  However, I did take a moment to stop by the guard's desk to see if I had any packages.  It was recently my birthday and some friends from home had mentioned I should watch the mail.  Sure enough, there was a bright red box with Mickey Mouse on it from my friend Erin.  I picked it up and off I went to catch bus #2.

I was walking briskly as I didn't want to find myself spending too many moments waiting for the next bus, I wanted the 12:05.  So I, with my red box, moved down the sidewalk-all flashes of black sweater, blonde hair and red box.  At one point, I looked up and saw one of the Peace Corps language teachers, Angela, walking towards me on the opposite side of the street.  I called out to her, "Priviet Angela!"  She replied, in Russian, "Hello Julie, how are you?" as we each continued briskly towards our intended destinations.   

What ensued was a simple, fast and passing conversation, all in Russian:

Me: I'm good, all is normal, such beautiful weather!  And you?

Angela: Me too, all is good. 

Me: Bye, see you tomorrow.

Angela: Bye!

What was significant about this conversation was not what was said, but that it was followed by a moment where I realized I had spoken entirely in my new language without the premeditation of what I would say.  This doesn't happen very often, not yet.  It felt natural.  I felt like it was totally normal for me to be walking down a street in Chisinau, Moldova, seeing people I knew and exchanging pleasantries, in Russian.  I felt like I belonged. 

All in a moment.


Like watching a child grow, you cannot tell moment by moment, day by day, how they are changing.  But there are moments where a great leap in growth is realized.  And it's in reflection of these moments where we are gifted with understanding our growth and seeing the lessons this life has to offer.  Isn't is SO COOL to be alive?

Om tat sat.

Ascension...Come Again?

OK, I am going there.  I am reading and writing about a document called "Ascension" so now I should probably address...what the heck is this Ascension I speak of.  And hold on tight because it's going to be a little bit of a far out ride for some :)  Which I, of course, just love that you're reading this!  Thank you!

All spiritual traditions, in all of times, have spoken of some ultimate goal. It has been called Enlightenment, Self Realization, God Realization, Nirvana, Bliss, Cosmic Consciousness, Christ Consciousness, Awakening the Kundalini etc. Currently, the term 'Ascension' seems to be emerging as a popular term in reference to this goal. Here is a short listing of different interpretations of said goal: 

1. The evolution of the individual, and the collective evolution of humanity...each soul's and humanity's destiny.
2. A level of consciousness in which we experience permanent union with our Higher Self ..oneness with all Life.  (Union....like the "yoke" definition of yoga)
3. Becoming our highest possible Self... Learning to fully express our creative powers and spiritual capabilities within the challenging conditions of physical reality.
4. Raising our vibration to a higher frequency...closer to that of the light of Spirit. (As opposed to lower vibration frequencies like lust, greed, hate, envy, ect.)
5. A state of permanent peace, joy, and freedom from limitation and suffering.
6. Expanding the role we are playing within an ever‑unfolding universal drama (beyond our current ability to comprehend).

Since stumbling across this document (on Twitter of all places) and taking on the task of covering what the Ishayas call the “27 Techniques to Ascension”, I have begun quite a quest into the world of Ascension. What it is, what it isn’t, how it relates to 2012, to Jesus Christ, to the New Age movement, to Yoga. And what I have found is at one point wide and at another quite narrow. And since this is a simple blog and not a scholarly report, I can’t possibly go into the detail and explanations I might want to…we can do that over a cup of tea sometime.  You see, there is mythology from across time and space that tells the same tales again and again, just using different language. Some of this "mythology” is deeply intertwined with many of today’s most popular religions. As I have read most recently about the Greek Sophia, I have realized she is the same as the Yoga's Shakti. Same stories, different time, different culture…or was it?

Do we really have such a multitude of “cultures” or is this something the human mind has used as a way to establish its own ego? “I am a part of this group. We do this, eat that and speak this way.” Unity in division?  

What if I were to propose that there is only one culture, the human culture? It turns out we have a lot more in common than we have in difference. Because if we have the same stories of (and I am largely generalizing here for simplicity sake) Creator/God/Brahman whose extraordinary light descends due to some sort of passion/desire/sin and creates the world/Shakti/Sophia/Gaia, and then we, being sparks of God (having souls that is), are here in Shaktiland, but remember Creatorland (the place of complete love, nonsuffering we first came from) on some level and desperately desire to return. But those desires get mixed up and crazy in Shaktiland and instead we figure we really just want an empire, a yacht, a diamond, some sex, political power, a cigarette, a film…and on and on. But the yearning never ceases. And soooooo…(drum roll please)…Creator, through compassion, sends some pretty darn (or so it would seem) clear messages down to good old Earth, to remind the people, that there IS actually a way to rejoin Creator/Immaterial for all of eternity AKA no more suffering and no need for death. And so comes Buddha/Jesus/Krishna/Siva…messages. These messages pretty much say, “Hey people, listen up, love yourself because you are perfect. Then love your fellow human, they are perfect too. Stop being afraid, that is crap. There is no need for fear. It’s actually ruining everyone’s time here. Drop it! Get to loving. It’s the only way. Drop the BS of jealousy, greed, envy, hate ect. and accept who you are, what you are and BINGO… you’ve got ACSENSION."  That's right...heaven on Earth, Earth in heaven...however you like it!!

There you have it my friends. There are a bazillion ways towards Ascension, techniques. There are religions. There is yoga and meditation. There is radical acceptance. Whichever path you choose is cool...AND...last but not least....It's being touted in many circles (from the hippy dippies to the Mayan calendar to the economic crisis) that Earth and humanity are currently going through an extraordinary consciousness shift...a quantum leap to a higher, more enlightened state of being (think quantum physics...particles vibrating at an ever-increasing rate).  It is believed that you can choose to go with the flow of this evolutionary current ‑ thus facilitating your ascension process ‑ by preparing yourself for a new and higher level of consciousness. If you choose to do so, here are some tips to assist you! 

1. Connect with your inner knowing daily...in silent meditation or prayer.
2. Be Light. Remember as often as you can throughout the day (when your mind is not fully engaged, drifting) to shift your attention back to the light of your calm true Self.
3. Develop some degree of spiritual non‑attachment. The more weight you give the world, the heavier it is to carry.
4. Strengthen your "energy circulatory system", so that you can conduct higher spiritual energies (AKA prana). This can be done through regular exercise, physical work, or energy body exercises, such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, etc.
5. Learn to attune to your higher guidance.  Think with your heart.

  Om tat sat.  Love and light.  XOm.

Processing

Tonight Diana and I went for a bike ride.  It was my first Moldovan flight, legs peddling hard and wind in my hair.  It felt so good to move fast...as fast as my thoughts.  We felt like two French ladies on our bicycles as we moved quickly past the vineyards of the famed Cricova winery.  It was fun...pure joy.

I haven't written a blog post in some time and wanted to check in with you all.  It's certainly not that "nothing" is happening.  Of course life is happening.  So much so that I am deeply in a state of processing.

-----

It is high fruit season here, meaning that many of the sweet fruits of summer have reached their peak.  The aroma of apricots, peaches, cherries and raspberries permeate the hot summer air as the Moldovan women wash, peel, pit and cut the fruits for preserving.  They are processing.

(n.) process- a systematic series of actions directed to some end

There IS some end, and there are many parts and means that build up to this end.  Currently I find myself still slaying dragons (for another post all together).  Being far from home, far from the people and places that for so long "helped" to shape my identity and ideas of the world, I have an amazing opportunity to decide what will come along and what will stay behind.  There is so much I have learned, but what garners wisdom and what brings destructive illusion?

-----

Some of the fruits are to be enjoyed on these hot summer days.  And others, processed with the intent and understanding that they will be enjoyed in the future.  If we don't process these fruits now, we cannot enjoy them later, perhaps when times are cold and dark.  We must make choices every day on how we will be sustained.  What are you processing?


Om tat sat.

The Edge of My Pancake

The proverbial edge.  Everyone is talking about edges. (This guy is one of my favorites, and these two as well).  It's a twitter buzz word amongst the eloquently evolved beings I follow.  And sure, I "get it"...I mean it's not a new concept.  I was screaming about "Livin on the edge" as I curled my hair and swiped my lips with Clinique's Tenderheart lipstick in 8th grade.

From that point of view, coming from a rock band and being in an 8th-grade frame of reference (ie matrix), the edge was something for bad-asses.  It was leather pants, cigarettes, having sex, doing drugs.  The edge.  Yeah.  Bad-ass. 

And now, a loooong time later, as I consume and somewhat digest probably too many other poeple's ideas, thoughts and opinions, this whole "edge thing" takes on more depth.  While I was a deep  8th grader, the 'mind-forged manacles' of those days are nothing compared to the web I am untangling now.

-----

"Her brain doesn't work right", I heard my dad mutter as he left the living room last night, the comment directed towards my mother.  I had to chuckle because I know what he sees seems so out of context.

Yesterday evening I had a routine acupuncture appointment that went anything but routine.  As many of you are now, have been or will be, (the inevitable promise of this life) I am going through some BIG changes.  And I am cool with it.  But when our external world is changing so dramatically, the shifts that also need to take place inside require some attention, nurturing and as I experienced last night, LETTING GO.

I stepped into the room and before Lance (my needle guy healer) got to ask me, "What's going on", I blurted out, "I am feeling really emotional" and the tears began to flow.  And they didn't stop for over an hour and a half.  Through various needlepoints, checking-ins and the most beautiful mantra, "Hara hara gurudev" playing in the background, I approached the edge of the cliff. 

The needles ensured that I was open, and my work was to be in my body, feeling where the emotion was:
It's in my chest, it's a big ball-so tight. 

Stay with it Julie, allow it, love it and let it go when you are ready. 

I'M READY!!!  I cried from my inner most divinity.  IT HURTS I KNOW BUT IT'S TIME, IT'S TIME JULIE, YOU'LL BE OK, I PROMISE.  MY ARMS ARE AROUND YOU.  YOU ARE SO LOVED. IT'S OK TO LET GO.   YOU'RE NEVER ALONE.

It's in my throat, my jaw, my ears. 

OK, OK.  MY IDEAS OF HOW MY LIFE SHOULD BE AREN'T AS THEY ARE.  I CAN ACCEPT THAT.  I CAN SHED THOSE IDEAS.  BEAUTIFUL, TENDER, LOVING JULIE...YOU TRIED MANY THINGS, HAD MANY BATTLES.  YOU WERE DOING YOUR BEST.  IT'S OK.  YOU CAN LET GO OF THAT NOW.  THOSE IDEAS ARE OVER.  BE WITH WHERE YOU ARE NOW.  EMBRACE WHERE YOU ARE GOING.

It's in my third eye...it's like a big heavy marble in my forehead.

At this point I have to take note of how much I am both physically and emotionally experiencing.  I am literally weeping like a child.  Full body convulsive crying.  At times I feel cooling, tingling waves come over me and I calm down, catch my breath, am washed by the mantra.  And then I move back into my body.  Where am I feeling it?  I am not sure how much more of this I can take.  At one point I felt a incredible heat roll over me, up from my toes.  The final heave.  The vision.  I have this vision.  I have had it for so long.  I am leaving my home, my country, my friends, my family.  For two years.  I am going to re-wire.

I am exhausted.  And relieved.  All of that had been living inside of me, swirling around.  Being held back.

-----

The other day I found out that one of my dearest friends in pregnant.  A few days later, my old coworker who is now a dear friend, announced her engagement.  A few days after that, my cousin who is also one of my closest friends called me to tell me something.  She knew she was getting engaged and she knew the wedding would occur while I was serving my term in the Peace Corps. 

I wanted my joy for each of them to be greater than what I could feel.  You see, all of that stuff that had to get worked out was in the way of aligning my true feelings with what I could actually feel.  And my mind.  My mind was in the way, with these old thought patterns:  "Of course now...I am going to miss out on all of this...oh look, all of this celebration for these things: engagements, weddings, babies.  Of course they seem much more joyous than measly me leaving for the Peace Corps.  Who would want to celebrate that?  Will I ever give my friends and family something they want to celebrate?" Should it matter?

-----

When I got home from my acupuncture appointment I was visibly exhausted having done some heavy inner-excavation work.  I needed a little something in my belly for sleep and I needed to give my heart and mind a rest.  I put a pot of water on the stove to boil some noodles and wandered into the living room where I picked up the remote for the TV and tuned in to a show about a Kardashian.  I sat and stared.  I don't watch TV.  Anyone who knows me knows this.  But I can see why people do.  I needed mind-numbing right now.

So when my dad walked into the room, he was caught off gaurd as I am rarely there, propped in front of the TV.  It didn't make sense.  "Look at you, just home from acupuncture, wrapped in your yogi shawl, and watching THIS CRAP?"

I smile.

Walking out of the room, "There's something wrong with her brain" to my mom.  My love for him expands.

-----

This  morning my head is still pretty heavy from the work of crying.  I came down stairs and decided it was a good a day as any for blueberry pancakes.  I sat with my golden cakes and began to relish in each bite.  About half way through my plate, I noticed that I wasn't eating the middle of the pancakes.  In fact I only really liked the edges. 

The middle is too soft.  The edge is just right.  It has hints of that soft inner, and if I had taken it any further on the heat, it would be burnt-not tasty.  But as the edge gets a little more cooked than the center, a little more exposed, it becomes a nice mix of the soft center and the crispiness of being up against the heat.  The edge IS bad-ass.  Especially with a little maple syrup.


Hari Om tat sat.

Big Day for Breakthroughs: The Next Big Change and Why it's Already Here

Seeing that I am not an astrologist, I cannot tell anyone when auspicious days are for them or for the collective. All that I can do is to share what I feel is going on. We had a strong full moon on Friday-in Leo no less. Intensity, flare-ups, expression, merging of the collective make it a Full Moon of breakthroughs.

Over the weekend I couldn't help but feel that many people, perhaps the collective, were feeling an uprising "unrest", a feeling that large changes are coming. This has likely been a feeling many of us have been having our entire life. If you are reading these words right now then you are probably someone who has had the feeling at one point or another that you were born at a rather crucial point in humanity and that some how, some way, you will be a part of the large changes headed our way.

It's Already Here

The truth is that these "large changes" have already happened and continue to make exponential leaps and bounds. The fact that this morning I had an amazing session with my therapist and that now not even an hour later I can press some buttons to put together my insights from the session (insights that have to do with my lif- sure-but with the collective as we are all in this human experience together), push another button and BOOM-it's in front of you...THAT is large change from what your parents were doing to share their stories at your age. There is no denying the exponential growth that technology has made over the last century. It is remarkable. And we are here, living in this age, to figure out how to use this to take humanity to the next level of consciousness. To use this technology to help rather than harm.

I think most of us can attest to the harm that technology is capable of. I blame a large percentage of anxiety, depression and chronic illness not ON technology but ON the human response to what it has made possible. Technology didn't ask us to check our email twenty times per day. Technology didn't determine we would have to have our cell phones on at all times and answer every call that came in. Technology did not demand of us that since we had 24 hour access to information and the electricity to have false daylight 24 hours we have to stay awake and pound on a keyboard for the grander part of our days, our lives.

No, these are behaviours that we as humans have developed around technology therefore placing unachievable demands of our ability to live a full life both in the virtual and physical worlds. At least that is how it has been. The change that I am feeling, the large change, is a flip of this coin. The tale of 2012 has been looming around us for some time and it begs of me to share that this timing, this event, this CHANGE, is that of the collective being able to switch from slave of technology to wise master.

Mind Over Matter

Anyone who has studied spirituality or even psychology will know about the battle of the mind. Anyone who born human will live it. It is the same with modern advances is ways we disseminate information and share our lives with each other. The mind can take over, can cause havoc and heartache making up stories about the way things "are". Technology can also take over when we allow that it demand how, when and where we place our attention and energy. We can flip both around once we become the wise master of each. With the mind this is through meditation, mindfulness, breathing (pranayama), proper nutrition and detachment (varaigya). With technology, it is the same. Simplify, discern (viveka) what and where deserves your energy, and embrace both your physical and second (virtual) self.

I can admit that for a long time I thought of one's existence "online" was a shallow, narcissistic and wasteful place. I was judgemental about it for two reasons: one being that it intimidated me. This made me feel like not matter how I might try, I could never catch up with those who knew how to write code, had amazing blogs, followers, friends, fans ect. The other reason being that in my deep dive into a strict yoga practice, there was a general thought-form that it was MUCH too vata-inducing and "unreal" to exist in a place like the Internet. Now that I have been living outside of the ashram life for the better part of a year and immersed myself in aspects of life that I had shunned for so long, I have been able to discern and discover some new ways of thinking, a new paradigm, that works much better for my own mind. And it's this: that it is not only OK to embrace technology and the idea of a "second self" online, it is actually the way things are supposed to being going. Things are speeding up-yes. Things are changing more and more exponentially-yes. This is because we are evolving much more quickly and this is EXCITING and SUPPOSED to be happening. The second self gives us the opportunity to express what is in our hearts and minds without attachment to physical place, body, stutus ect. As we move forward, our goal as humans is to be able to speak and live within the physical realm as openly and freely as we do the virtual. These worlds collide creating a new possibility for mankind.

Using the Internet to share ideas is accelerating human evolution. All I have ever aspired to be is a source of transformation- bringing humanity to the next level of existence. A level where suffering is less, joy is more and people embrace one another. Our physical self needs to have attention, love and care. Grow your food, cook for your family and neighbors. Do yoga asanas, take walks, decorate your home as brings you joy. But also share of your soul, bare your truth to the farthest reaches of the planet. Your second self, your virtual self, might bring that nugget of truth to another soul that guides them to the light they need.


Further Reading and Inspiration
Here is some further reading from some of the sources I have come across on the topic of human evolution and technology. These are Digital Warriors, bringers if light, and sharing Fierce Wisdom. Introduce yourself, follow them on Twitter and prepare to move into the next Big Change. In my next post, I will discuss more of went down in my therapy session-how I am working to bring my own "two selves" together. I am discovering for me, and maybe you have felt this too, that there is a disharmony between how I am living and what I want to be living. I am working hard to have these two sides of me not only know of but embrace one another.

-Satya Colombo, Shooting Stardust at the moon: time and space died yesterday: prepare for takeoff

-Ev Bouge, Data Transfers from the Heart

-Gwen Bell

-Watch Amber Case's TED talk, We are all cyborgs now for some more background on "second selves".

In my next post, I will discuss more of what went down in my therapy session-how I am working to bring my own "two selves" together. That I can share that I am in therapy is in part a large step for me... I am discovering for me, and maybe you have felt this too, that there is a disharmony between how I am living and how I want to be living. I am working hard to have these two sides of me not only know of but embrace one another. I certainly don't claim to have answers, only that I am incredibly grateful to have a space to share what I do learn. And to learn from you.

Om tat sat. Om shanti. Om peace.

Plan C

Plan C is the path you didn't 'see' before. It's the 'everything else' that you never before realized. There are two ways to think about this. One I learned from Sin Kuhn, a visiting teacher at the Yoga Farm. He called what I am referring to as Plan C, the 3rd Alternative. As he put it, there are three paths we can choose in any given situation, which I will explain-read on.

One night a few weeks ago, after taking a leadership and self-empowerment course, I had a rather strange dream. I dreamt I was pregnant. Even in the dream I knew this couldn't be possible. So I went to a friend (one who in real life is usually a voice of reason in my life) and she helped me to take another more accurate test that I didn't know exisited and it too read positive. At this point in the dream I was totally freaked out but also totally excited about the prospect of the experience ahead of me. And then my friend came to me with a box of pills. She pulled out a packet and it was labeled, "PLAN C". Ah-hah! (For those of you who don't get the 'joke' here, there is a "morning after pill" on the market that is actually called Plan B.)

Pulling together what I have been going through in making some major life decisions, my Saturn Return, and the many amazing people and opportunities in my life, I was able to intertwine Sin Khun's theories with one I was realizing for myself. And it looks like this:

Plan A/The 1st Alternative: What you know. The subconscious mind. The past replays itself. A broken record.

Plan B/The 2nd Alternative: What you know you don't know. What you can easily learn from another. What you can read up on. Your beliefs. The beliefs of others. Taking the path another has taken.

Plan C/The 3rd Alternative: Everything else. What don't know you don't know. The wide open unencumbered future. Creating your own path.

You see, Plan C is the path that opens the possibilities of being YOU. Because YOU have never lived before-in this life, in this body, in this family, in this job, in this role. And you came into all of these things for a reason. Plan C is taking risks, being scared, not knowing what the outcome will be. Like in my dream, I was scared, but I was also so very excited. Plan C is opening yourself to the possibility that anything and everything is possible. Is it scary? YES. Is it rewarding? YES. Is it the way we are meant to be living? I do believe so.

Take a chance. Go where no other has gone. Be wholly, authentically, beautifully YOU.


Om tat sat.

This is going to be interesting...

I began this blog when I was living at an ashram. Living the life of a yogini. Away from "the world". And that was nice, for a time.  And then I got nervous about finances. I still had an outstanding student loan, I was paying for my health insurance...my reserves were getting low for my comfort. You see, I wasn't quite able to 'let go' of all of my 'real world' concerns, and so it was time for me to leave.

I gained a pretty strong awareness that while I couldn't stay at the ashram any longer, I also couldn't go back to the way I had been living before the ashram: anxious.  Anxiety has been plaguing me ever since my freshman year of college. It hit me hard when I went to take a full body stretch upon waking one morning and felt a POP in my neck, followed by me not being able to move my neck. Yes, I had officially begun my relationship with worry manifesting in tight muscles around my spine. What was I was worried about about you ask? Well, everything and anything. It sucked! Whether anxiety is a learned behavior, genetic, circumstantial...I don't know. I think it's a combination of all of the above mixed in with our nutrient-deficient SAD (Standard American Diet) diet and fast-paced, expectation-filled modern lifestyle.

 

And so it's been quite the journey in this young adulthood of mine. Trying to figure out: how do I live a life I love in the modern world, doing things I love, and not succumbing to the spinning anxious thoughts that so often cloud my world?

I have taken many approaches: first, through diet. This worked. Changing my diet enabled me to stop taking the medications I was prescribed following the untimely death of my brother, 9 years ago today. (Shout out to Philip!)  So now I could live without Lexapro and Xanax but I was still spinning. And so I knew it was time to take the full-on mind/body/spirit approach. And hence my 7 month ashram stint. It was wonderful! I learned to BREATH. And CHANT. And TRUST. But it wasn't going to last forever. You see I knew deep down in my heart that I was born to live IN the world...(but not OF the world?!)   And so now, right NOW, I am delving into my next step in the process of being able to find that balance.

I have accepted an internship at one of the world's largest publishing houses in Manhattan. I will be working in Social Media Marketing. I worked in marketing in the 'corporate world' early in my career. I had hives. Since then I have been a produce buyer, health coach, wellness program developer, babysitter, candle-maker, yoga teacher...anything to avoid "the office". But now I am taking that dragon on again. I have discovered in all of my travels and different hats, that I am a pretty darn good communicator. I can speak and write well. And I like to do it. I like to communicate a message to many people. My current interest in the ease and efficiency of spreading information through social media excites me and I want to learn more!

AND...I am scared. I am trying not to take my past disappointments with me through the front doors of the big building between Park and 5th Avenues. I have learned so much and I only pray that I will be able to be a true Yogini in the office. I will share with you how this all works out-the challenges I meet, the characters I enjoy (or otherwise), and the work that I do. How I manage to fit in my passions for cooking and nutrition, maintaining my personal writing and still teaching yoga classes. I can honestly tell you I am scared, excited, nervous all at once. Perhaps this was a huge mistake. But one thing I will never be, is left wondering...

 

In every action I take, there is just one thing that I hope to find: peace of mind. So in that I can be a business woman at the ashram or I can be a Yogini at the business. The truth is it's all the same.

Om tat sat. Om shanti.

Big Sky Delight: Solstice, Eclipse, Full Moon Oh My!

There is some stuff going on celestially-no doubt. We have many interesting alignments: Winter Solstice, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse. It's VERY rare to have three strong aspects in one night. This I know. The implications? That I don't. I am by no means an astronomer nor astrologer but I am fascinated by it all. So I have taken on the task of trying to make some sense of what this could all mean for us as we close out 201o and prepare for a new year. I broke down my research into the three aspects and will do my best to share what I think is happening. All I know is that when I was living at the ashram, Swami Sita would keep us in check with any strange happenings celestially (sometimes through decisions regarding when to hold classes ect. not by telling us anyting), like when NASA was bombing the moon back in October 2009...apparently there was a really strange alignment that signified some violence with moon energy!

So first we look at the solstice. The Winter for the northern hemisphere and Summer for the southern. Since I am in the northern and so are most of you, I will focus on that. It seems that many a profound insight can spring from the dark. We are currently in our darkest time of the year given the amount of sunlight vs. darkness. And when we would normally have a nice bright moon to lighten up THE darkest 24 hours...it is blocked. Think about it. Well back to solstice; we begin to get more light each day leading us to Spring. So symbolically, I see it as a time when we can collect all that we have experienced over the past year and really digest it. Pass off what doesn't need to sit with you any longer and open up to the new, using what you have learned. This is the light.

And this leads us to the Lunar Eclipse. Seen at exactly 3:17AM EST and 12:17AM PST (tonight/tomorrow), this rare alignment with the Solstice has not been seen in centuries!!! A full lunar eclipse only occurs when there is a full moon. The Earth gets between the Sun and Moon and blocks the Sun's light (power, heat) from bouncing off of the Moon (receptivity, cooling). When this happens we can tend to feel closed off and heated up...I think. I mean that it what makes sense to me. Eclipses are also known to be harbingers of change. Feelings or desire of a need for change may feel pressing and urgent at this time. With the solstice/eclipse combo I think it leads to a lot of CHANGE and LETTING GO.

And lastly, we have the aspect of the Full Moon. It is in Gemini/Sagittarius so apparently this means it's time to realize the power of our inner thoughts and desires and to perhaps re-evaluate where we have been and on what path we traverse. REALIGN AS-NEEDED! That being said, there is some advice to heed regarding how best to go about doing so. On the Gemini side of things, we find an emphasis on how we learn. I think this connects to us digesting what we take in (or casting off what we don't want to) which either expands or limits our range of effectiveness concurrently. We need to be sharing and taking in information in a way that doesn't choke the network but invites joy and exciting change. How do we do this? We stay focused and confident. And on the Sagittarius side of things, this will be an important time to check in and see how you stand with you. It's also important to make sure to have enough information so as choices we make right now are not short of the mark. If it feels like you don't know enough to make a decision right now-->wait. Keep hunting and be continually wise, changing when the input changes.

In summary (and if this seems like just a whole bunch of STUFF...trust me it was just has hard to rake through the dozens of sites I read, each having different times, outlooks and information), it seems the main themes and advice for this powerful time of transformation are:

1. Reflect on what you have learned this year, digest what you want, cast off the rest.

2. Stay positive and focused. Be confident in your path or make changes as needed. (Only when you feel you know enough to make the decisions necessargy for change).

3. Transmute any 'closed-off' or 'heated' feelings into powerful new opportunities. Listen to what your heart is saying (not your head). *Note: wearing pearls can help with this.

4. Make sure you are good with YOU.

5. Be sure to share with others what you have learned in a way that invites joy rather than creating blocks. Commune.

It would probably be a very good idea to work on being in control of your thoughts today and tomorrow and keep them focused on what it is you would like to see traspire in your life. No better time to meditate than now.

Om shanti shanti shanti!!! Have an amazing solstice/eclipse/full moon...get outside and see it, feel it and shape your life.