“When Alice Walker explained that meditation took her back to the way she had been as a child, crawling around eating sweet-smelling earth, knowing love and loving, she concluded, “So that’s the paradise that’s lost, that feeling of being one with everyone and everything.” Loss of childhood is loss of the spiritual kingdom within.”

—   Akasha Gloria Hull, Soul Talk (via bellahugo)(via yearningforunity)

“The World Traveler”

Here are the snapshots from Horor Vacui
That’s me jumping off a cliff!
That’s me throwing a lit match in a forest of drought!
That’s me standing in the rain with a lightning rod!

Of course, all of these are doubly exposed.

Oh, Look, Here I am, trying to take a steak from a Doberman.
Oh Look, Here’s a cute one; me taking a poke with boxing gloves at the local heavyweight.

I’m alive and well in Horor Vacui.
I have no time for visitors.
There is always a flurry of excitement.

Sometimes,

it is so quiet, I can hear,

my vertebrae connecting.

—Ina Chadwick Wilde, “The World Traveler”
(image Bloodpool by Kiki Smith)

Love this!

"There is this one exercise I do in my movement class where you allow your body to move and then you interrupt it and move in a different way, either in the opposite way, or incorporate a body part that's not being activated. It is so simple, but it is really challenging to keep responding differently, to break patterns and not create habitual behaviors. I thought about this this morning when I was thinking about the energy right now. It is really powerful to have the truth come up - identify it - have our wounds and our shadows triggered and then CHOOSE to respond differently; to fight the urges that come from a place of habit, or wanting to be comfortable. What would happen if you responded in the opposite way? It is uncomfortable at first, but ultimately it is incredibly empowering!"

 -- Lauren Spencer King

he he he...

know yourself

“Because of high injury rates and the fact that these poses are not ancient and time-tested, I came to the conclusion that we all must take a look at yoga asana (positions) and assess their biomechanical value…it is vitally important that the essence of yoga- know yourself- is not lost in a physically-based practice that makes no biomechanical sense.” 

-- Michaelle Edwards 

(Quote from here via this brilliant blog post...go read it)

Found here

"I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not. Otherwise they turn up unannounced and surprise us, come hammering on the mind’s door at 4 a.m. of a bad night and demand to know who deserted them, who betrayed them, who is going to make amends. We forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget. We forget the loves and the betrayals alike, forget what we whispered and what we screamed, forget who we were.

[…]

It is a good idea, then, to keep in touch, and I suppose that keeping in touch is what notebooks are all about. And we are all on our own when it comes to keeping those lines open to ourselves: your notebook will never help me, nor mine you."

--Joan Didion, On Keeping a Notebook

Sky Mirror

Anish Kapour

Attitude of Gratitude

Head over to The Sphinx and The Milky Way and read this beautiful piece on gratitude. It made me cry.

"I think a lot about gratitude. It’s easy for us to have it when we are doing something that brings us great joy, or comfort: when we are with a friend who make us laugh, when we receive good news that alleviates worry, when we are in the presence and beauty of nature. But, what about all the other times, times that are challenging, and full of more difficult feelings like pain and sadness. And even times when the unthinkable happens, like when the person we love most in our life dies.

It leaves me wondering - Do we abandon gratitude during the times when we might need it the most?" 

 

-- Lauren Spencer King

(image from junglewizz)

If this isn't nice, what is?

"One of the things (Uncle Alex) found objectionable about human beings was that they so rarely noticed it when they were happy. He himself did his best to acknowledge it when times were sweet. We could be drinking lemonade in the shade of the apple tree in the summertime, and Uncle Alex would interrupt the conversation to say, "If this isn't nice, what is?"  

So I hope that you will do the same for the rest of your lives. When things are going sweetly and peacefully, please pause a moment, and then say out loud, "If this isn't nice, what is?" 

From a commencement speech by Kurt Vonnegut

"She"s stuck I"m not Stuck I"m waiting."

Cycle of a Sari from Legs Hernandez on Vimeo.

Wish I could have seen this!

Embracing the Rain

“Make sure to have a moment of self-reflection in an undisturbed puddle” 

Words by Taylor Stark Photographs by Marcus Møller Bitsch for Kinfolk Magazine

When it rains, it pours. And during these extreme weather days, that means a lot! Here are some ideas for rainy-day activities indoors and out.  
As the long summer shifts into fall, we welcome not only the turning leaves, but also a change in weather. With perpetual sunshine behind us (well, for some of us), we must embrace the crisp air and the coming rain with full force. The right attitude and rainy-day adventures can be the best way to welcome this new season. We have a few suggestions on how to make the most of your next storm....

Take a Stroll
We’ve been fooled in thinking that rainy days mean we must lock ourselves in our houses until the sun comes out. There’s something wonderful about taking a stroll through the park or any natural space in the rain. The key here is to be prepared. First, have an umbrella on hand at home. Secondly, expect to get wet. Oftentimes we dread walking through the rain because we are on our way to work or to meet a friend and we want to look presentable. Instead, the goal isn’t dryness, but rather to experience the beauty of nature through the lens of precipitation. Don’t forget to stick your tongue out to catch some raindrops before heading back indoors.

 Puddle Jump
There aren’t many aspects of potholes to be praised. But when it rains, these traffic maladies turn into glorious pools of amusement. After a steady downpour, slip on pair of Wellies and take to the streets. Jump from puddle to puddle trying to make the biggest splash. Don’t be afraid to bring a partner in crime along to try some cool tricks or to sing songs as you hop around. Before you head back inside, make sure to have a moment of self-reflection in an undisturbed puddle.

 Feed Your Creative Spirit
Gray skies and rainy days bring along an insightful mood. Take the time to feed your contemplation and creativity, no matter what form it might take. For those seeking rest, cuddle up with a book by the fire. For those seeking to make and express, paint, write a letter, journal or simply draw stick figures on foggy windowpanes.

Take a Breath
Right after the downpour has ceased and you have made the most of your rainy day, indoors or out, step outside your front door and take a deep breath. Few things compare to the smell that follows a good rain.

(read the rest here)

Recommended Read

John Berger: And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief as Photo

I have just finished reading this, for the second time, and i recommend it highly!

It is a very sensitive, poetic book. A reflection on time and space, in relation to love, pulled together by poetry, essays, reviews and philosophy...it's so hard to describe you need to read it!

It's definitely the most beautiful meditation on love I've come across thus far.

images from here.

(image found here)

Reflection

[ri-flek-shuh n]

noun.

 

1. the act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.

2. an image; representation; counterpart.

3. a fixing of the thoughts on something; careful consideration.

4. a thought occurring in consideration or meditation.

5. an unfavorable remark or observation.

6. the casting of some imputation or reproach.

Shapeshifter

Shapeshifter 2008
Handbound book, 44 pages

by Caroline Gaedechens

You Are Here

I've been thinking...

While I was away I thought alot about moving and creativity and how they link/overlap/enhance each other and about how I might start to combine the two in my teaching. 

I also thought alot about trying to become ambidextrous. It's been a busy month ; )

Expect some brainstorming in this space.

(image found here)

(Gif from Google+ & Saatchi Gallery’s Motion Photography Prize)