this magic moment

well i went inside to find a pen and paper.
i made it back outdoors nearly an hour later, having sunk into the depths of facebook. blogs & emails...
upon leaping into my hammock, i found the laptop had remained glued to me, yet the paper & pen still lay inside.

so i will give in and record my reflections here, for myself and for you.

last month i attended a creative writing workshop with sweethome at breightenbush hot springs. it was my first experience there, and what a dreamy place! a real live thunderstorm blessed our final night there. as we laid in our cabin, we watched lightning crackle and thunder boom. as the storm passed, we made our way to the healing pools and sat under the falling rain and absorbed the heat, earth agni, ancient minerals, and soothing silence.

breightenbush hot springs...

 the river swollen with snowmelt.

i heard the bridge is a magical place to stargaze.

saving a list of new adventures creates magical daydreams.

 warm weather & long summer weekend camping

a new seat. 

today i am luxuriating in my backyard heaven. our two hammocks have found their summer homes. (of course june which i curse as "june-uary" will bring back some rains and force us back into the house.

as i reclined in my hammock i wanted to reflect deeply in this moment. the blue sky. wrinkly apple tree leaves waving to nobody in particular. the neverending wind, rhythmically sharing its blessing with all beings. the leaves dance with joy, frolic with blissful unawareness. unaware of the pain of self awareness. self realization is the path to connect us with all levels of consciousness and remove our humanness.
experiencing the embodiment of our divine nature.

cross section of compost... 

we are beautifying & utilizing.

 this truly is a summer of celebration & abundance.

 jai lakshmi!

the climbing roses are particularly vivid this year.

phoebe cat is very very happy these days.

making my momma proud.

faery door.

poppies reseed so well here.

lupine loves the windy climate of the columbia gorge.

all photos from my instagram feed. 

om shanti shanti shanti

Vancouver Explorations

delicious baguette from finch's tea & coffeehouse

my fantastic tour guide!

nood

i love lamp.

boneta from the street

Renegade Forest Wedding

Now that I am wearing this...

captured by mr. puckett

I find myself Gathering, Simmering, Dreaming...

michellepullman.blogspot.com/

Definitely creating a forest wedding. And a bike parade. And a dance party. Mr. P and I set the date. Tomorrow. To set the date. We need to make some phone calls, write some lists, and maybe even Mod Podge a notebook collage. I'm not really sure how to make all this magic happen, but I trust that it will go beyond my wildest dreams. 

Enjoying growing my wedding blogroll... What are your top sites? I considered submitting an engagement story to A Practical Wedding, just read it the other day when my awesome boss shared her wedding graduates post. 100 Layer Cake makes me drool on a daily basis... my tumblr is full of very pretty things these days... pretty much is turning into a wedding planning blog. hopefully only for another year or so! 

YinSights

The yin aspect of yoga brought me head over heels into my practice. My initial once-weekly yang practice introduced me to the transformative power of yoga, but when I found my first yin teacher, I truly fell in love with yoga. [hmmm i think i am overdue some yin yoga photos... pretty much all yang]

Dealing with friends/family/students with a variety of skeleto-muscular issues, I constantly strive for more comprehensive knowledge of anatomy. Yoga Therapy is the way of the future. In Portland, Yoga Centers almost rival the ubiquitous coffee shop on every corner. One day, that type of knowledge and self empowerment could be as easy as a daily cup of jo. I truly believe that health is the next aspect of social revolution. Jesus and Buddha initiated religious transformation with the concept that every individual is capable of self-enlightenment or realization. When every person has control, or at least comprehensive understanding of their own true health, insurance companies will not be able to continue the type of stranglehold they maintain today.

Rod Stryker's article in the Summer Yoga International magazine sits with me daily this month. His reflection on dharma, and the goal of bodilessness as true health is truly piercing. I shared a quote with my Street Yoga clients last week, and I took it as a good sign that one of the students pulled out his pocket notebook and jotted down notes after class. Whether is was regarding asana or philosophy, I don't know... but I hope I aided in some clarity.

Points of Practice
Destiny and Desire | The four aims of life offer each of us a blueprint for fulfilling our unique potential in this world.
By Rod Stryker

*the article isn't available online, but I plan to recap my thoughts soon....

I have been subbing for my friend and fellow yogi, Leigh Drake as she completes Paul Grilley's 100hr Yin Yoga Teacher Training

This article looks particularly helpful, as just sitting in vajrasana is quite difficult for me. I don't experience any discomfort in my daily life (yet) but when I sit in this posture, I experience very uncomfortable sensation. I love the final closing of the article, "Remember, no pain, no pain!"

Love & Light

Allow Me to Introduce My Friend,

My dear friend Saraswati. We haven't spent as much time together as I have been tight with Lakshmi and Durga the past couple years, but Saraswati is a friend that is always understanding and available when you are ready for her presence in your life. (I did dress as her for Halloween!)

When a yogini asked me for more information about Saraswati, I was overjoyed to share what I could recall from my many reads of Shakti Mantras by Thomas Ashley-Farrand. I tried to share the convoluted tale that introduces Saraswati's homegirl, Gayatri. I realizes that this beautiful divine feminine principle has been with me from the beginning of my Portland journey, as Travis and I memorized the Gayatri mantra during our cross-country road trip up to Oregon for the first time. (I think we found the time during one of our 8 hour driving days across Eastern California desert land.

I don't feel that it is a coincidence that today I feel her influence stimulating my creative impulses! Registering for a Thai Herbal Massage workshop... finding a Parkour gym in Portland... Blackberry bush hacking... and then as I was cleaning out the shed, I came across a lovely sqaure of plywood and decided I would start painting with acrylics. Jai Saraswati!

Saraswati is the Goddess of learning, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means "essence" and swa means "self." Thus Saraswati means "the essence of the self." Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma.

In Her popular images and pictures, Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted with four arms (some pictures may show only two arms), wearing a white sari and seated on a white lotus. She holds a book and a mala in Her rear two hands, while the front two hands are engaged in the playing of a lute (veena). A swan is Her vehicle. There is a peacock by Her side gazing at Her. This symbolism illustrates the following spiritual ideas:

• The lotus is a symbol of the Supreme Reality, and a white lotus also denotes supreme knowledge. By sitting on a lotus, Saraswati signifies that She is Herself rooted in the Supreme Reality, and symbolizes supreme knowledge. The white color symbolizes purity and knowledge. The white sari that the Goddess is wearing denotes that She is the embodiment of pure knowledge.
  
• The four amms denote Her omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front amms indicate Her activity in the physical world and the two back arms signify Her presence in the spiritual world. The four hands represent the four elements of the inner personality. The mind (manas) is represented by the front right hand, the intellect (buddhi) by the front left hand, the conditioned consciousness (chitta) by the rear left hand, and the ego (ahankara) by the rear right hand.
  
• The left side of the body symbolizes the qualities of the heart and the right side symbolizes activities of the mind and intellect. A book in the rear left hand signifies that knowledge acquired must be used with love and kindness to promote prosperity of mankind.
  
• The rosary signifies concentration, meditation, and contemplation, leading to samadhi, or union with God. A rosary in the rear right hand representing ego conveys that true knowledge acquired with love and devotion melts the ego and results in liberation (moksha) of the seeker from the bondage to the physical world.
  
• The Goddess is shown playing a musical instrument that is held in Her front hands, which denote mind and intellect. This symbol conveys that the seeker must tune his mind and intellect in order to live in perfect harmony with the world. Such harmonious living enables the individual to utilize acquired knowledge for the welfare of all mankind.
  
• Two swans are depicted on the left side of the Goddess. A swan is said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati uses the swan as Her carrier. This indicates that one must acquire and apply knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind. Knowledge that is dominated by ego can destroy the world.
  
• A peacock is sitting next to Saraswati and is anxiously waiting to serve as Her vehicle. A peacock depicts unpredictable behavior as its moods can be influenced by the changes in the weather. Saraswati is using a swan as a vehicle and not the peacock. This signifies that one should overcome fear, indecision, and fickleness in order to acquire true knowledge.

- Bansi Pandit

bmacphoto.com

* This Goddess photoshoot orchestrated by my amazing AcroYoga teacher, Lila Donnolo
You can keep up with her Acro Adventures too!.
BMAC's Photo Blog & Portfolio is worth a click :) Many Portland yogis & artists grace his website. *

A thousand, a million words that create an intellectual understanding are not as precious as the one word blended with intuition that produces understanding in a flash: Saraswati.

Satyagraha

One of my favorite scenes from the epic Gandhi, is when his wife and foremost devotee explains to his newest student, that Gandhi took a vow of chastity. Three times. Then finally, made a silent vow, and kept it. When the students asks if he broke it, his wife replied "Not yet :)"

I feel very intimidated by public vows. I completely admire bloggers such as the Reluctant Ashtangi, whom I read daily, who are able to find a deeper personal practice through documenting their progress, and holding themselves publicly accountable. I think it is a measure of my self knowledge that I do not hold myself to rigid expectation, for I know my personality, my past, and how I want to conduct my future. I never want to become dogmatic or closed minded. That said, I also am lazy, and need some discipline!

So perhaps you will see me around these parts a little more in the future.



"Satyagraha is not predominantly civil disobedience, but a quiet and irresistible pursuit of truth"

Earth Hour

On March 26, 2011, pledge to turn out your lights at 8:30 pm for Earth Hour, a worldwide collective display of commitment to protect the one thing that unites us all--the planet.


This Earth Hour, when the lights go back on, we hope you go beyond the hour and think about what you can change in your daily life that will benefit the planet. Let’s work together to create a better future. Our actions can add up.

Feminism

After reading the Yarn Harlot's post a couple days ago, her assertion has been strongly in mind:

"I am a feminist.  I can say that unequivocally, because I know the definition. Feminism is defined, in every dictionary you will look in, as something like "the  belief in the political, social and economic equality of the sexes." (It is worth noting that the word is equality. Not sameness, since the sexes are not the same, nor superiority, since that's not true either. Nor does it even define the gender of the person who would believe in this equality.)  Since we do not yet have any of those things, I'm still a feminist, and I feel like were I to say I was not, I would be saying that I don't believe in equality, which I do. Firmly. " -- yarnharlot blog

Hearing about cultures across the globe that demand women act/dress/behave within strict guidelines only increases my gratitude for being born into a society that enables freedom of expression. Gratitude for being born into a family of strong, silly women that use artistic outlets to express who they are, and how they see the world.

Spring is on its way! The crocus, daffodils, cherry blossoms... Oh, I live in a beautiful part of the country.

Handstands in Nature

I really need to work on my handstand to keep up with this guy!

{link}

Of course, handstands with friends is always the best!

acro goddesses

lovely acro yoginis
Rachel Plies , Sujata Shyam, Lila Donnolo
Saraswati, Kali, Lakshmi

{link}

planning a fireside yoga class... wishing for acro. ruminating about thai massage, herbalism...

knitting, planning knitting, procrastinating. my dad converted nearly 100 hours of family video to DVD... watching sister and i jump and ham for the camera in oklahoma, missouri, with family, birthdays, roller skate parties...

fun yoga class this morning. blessings!

Lovely Summer

I {obviously} haven't been able to find the words to bring to this space. I've been lingering, limbo-ing, searching, working, and praying for my path to unfold. As I work with this guidance as it helps me find the way, some pushes in the wrong direction have actually made things much clearer. (Accepting a job I thought I really really wanted, then crying for 24 hours straight before declining the job...) After a melodramatic day I discovered a job posting for a part time teaching assistant at a Montessori inspired school. More specifically a small scale day care center for 2 year olds with a backyard garden, chickens, and art projects galore. Although my inquiries have not borne fruit, similar job postings have popped up on craigslist and I am determined to find the training to support my new goals!

My favorite job in college was at the First English Lutheran Child Day Care Center. The hardest part for me was understanding their policy of not drawing "with" the children, because they then want/need you to replicate your "better" drawing for them over and over again. The one time I did break the rules, I immediately regretted it after drawing about 14 angels. The best part of working with children is imagination. We would spend hours constructing adventure tales, usually based around toys or objects in the garden or play area. Tigers would fly across oceans, Dump trucks would make best friends with race cars in desert sand dunes and everyone would share, develop and make an epic tale. Together.

Learning about the Montessori and other play-based education methods has reignited a passion for the welfare of America's children. Naturally I am concerned for all the children of the world, but my work is here, in America (where I am legally bound to pay student loans for a long, long time...) and I really feel that there is a change sweeping our culture, a realization that allowing children to discover rather than conform is the healthiest way to create kind, well adapted adults to lead this country out of its abscess of the myriad chronic health problems we face.

Clearly I am not spending the same hours on the internet, reading your stories, sharing beautiful images. But since I am living life much more fully, I will try my best to document the highlights, and share my reflections on the low times.

Someday I'll Fly Away

However, this week I will be working on my roots. Friday is my last day at work. Making the decision to leave my job has been the most exhilarating, scary, reckless and amazing decision I have ever made. Every move I have made in my life thus far always involved a calculated safety net. This time however, is different.

I have no job lined up. My portfolio is pitifully out of date. I can barely look at my resume before getting fed up and stomping away from the computer. This would explain the dearth of posting here, my inability to upload photos of my garden, adventures, and fun fun things. Everything in me is rebelling, trying to escape the 17 inch glowing screen. My body wants to open, not sit: stagnant for hours upon hours. Freelance is a possibility, since that would hopefully open up my office to hammocks and sunny parks surrounded by my fellow goofy Portlanders who can't stand to be inside during our glorious summers.

That is why my only gig lined up is teaching yoga! (Which you already heard about of course)

I want to get my hands dirty. Play in dirt all day. Brew some coffee, smile at children.

I believe that if I take this leap of faith, my dreams, my passions and desires will flower. Opportunities will present themselves. And I will have the freedom, the space, the grounded roots to be able to accept.

So this week I am grounding down. Finding my source of strength. Then flying free.

images via weheartit
*that first image reminds me of a fellow yogi friend's work: UpRoot by Stevee Postman

bears eat beets.

Beets are amazing. Fact.
This farm in East Austin has the most lovely, organic identity. What better eye candy for a graphic designer who loves to garden!
I want all of the shirts, bags, and tomatoes.

I made the lettering using pieces of wood that had been inked and printed. So I tried to do some illustrations of beets and carrots and making the letters JBG with those pieces. It felt right. It reminded me of plotted farm land, or crop circles, or quilts. It was very elementary to a degree, a back to basics, building block exercise for me. And then I realized that a farm is very much like that. Using what you have… the land, the equipment, your hands, hard work, different people from different backgrounds… and putting those pieces in action to produce something that changes seasonally. Much like the boxes of produce, you never get the same thing twice. There’s a system, but it’s a very organic one, pardon the pun.
— JBG’s blog

Johnson's Backyard Farm via Brand New

Under the Sea

Oh to combine my long held love of frolicking underwater and new fascination with ukuleles! This vintage photograph reminds me of the lovely spring fed waters of Barton Springs Pool down in my homeland of Austin, TX.

A pink ukulele! What-the-what!! I did find a ukulele on craigslist in my price range (not to much for a brand new interest I dreamed up last night, all because of the girl below...)






I love guitars, music, and traveling. But guitars do not like my short, stubby fingers. And guitars are so big & bulky, taking up tons of space.... So here comes a ukulele to the rescue! Yay!

Ps when you started to read the post title, did this song pop in your head??



images via weheartit

i like books

The Selby arrived in my inbox, and really struck a chord with me today. Featuring Jamie Isaia and Anthony Malat, photographer and clothing designer power couple, their house is a maelstrom of fabulosity. They obviously followed the {rules}.

Just this past weekend, Travis and I cleared out our massive bookshelf (which had been pared down by 2 moves previous already) and boxed up the books for reselling. The re-purposed bookshelf is quite lovely with plants and wine glasses, ceramics, cookbooks and board games creating a multi-use area in a new part of the house.

But still, the bookworm in me wants to hoard every aromatic bound-stack of papers. A bookshelf is a visual timeline, much like songs that can take you back, viscerally into a moment in time, a book reminds you of where you were, and how that author changed you in a small, or dramatic way.

So, to get the Selby "all up in my place" I need to collect picture frames, old books, antique trunks, magifying glasses, yellow chairs, gilded mirrors, animal bones...

However opposite of my current minimalist/shedding phase, I look forward to being settled one day in a home where accumulation (but not hoarding!) will occur, bringing wisdom and grace with batty old age.

employment

 {giancarlo rado}

Oh dear, such a fun, sunny weekend, and now a dreary busy work week. Monday's commute was particularly soggy... essentially like riding through a grounded cloud.

I took many pictures of the magical wonderland that is Horning's Hideout, but have yet to even touch my camera for uploads. This upcoming weekend is another yoga teacher training (with Paul Grilley!!!), which means late hours at work to cover my Friday all day workshop, and yoga homework which is always left to the last minute.

Travis began his new job of hunting for jobs this week. I can't help but envy his "mini vacation" at home, but soon we'll both be super busy, as I plan to take on more yoga teaching as his schedule fills up with bike and food related shifts.

Check out this extremely practical pattern! I love our hardwood floors, it helps me keep the cat fur in check, rather than embedded into carpet. But sometimes it is overwhelming how fast the dust bunnies return!

{greener knitting by the yarn panda}

pip pip!

*ahem*
Warning, self-congratulations follow soon!

Well, some boyfriend praising, too... this morning Travis and I actually got up (turned on the light) when the first alarm went off. Then the second alarm went off, and we really did hop up! And went for a walk! Huzzah!

Although we bike to work each morning, I feel guilty when tabulating my daily cardio count as 45 minutes of cycling, due to the fact that bike commuting involves alot of coasting, stop and go, and slow rolling. Which is good for not arriving to work a sweaty, red faced hot mess (unlike post-spin class). So I am determined to start working on my Chi Walk/Running (Darth Vader breathing anyone?) one step at a time. We walked, then I sprinted home.

So, here is my reward, a day of Julie Doiron on grooveshark. She is playing tomorrow night at one of my most favorite music venues, Mississippi Studios.

blog crushes

a few blogs I love...