A Rose by any other name

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The Lover Tells of the Rose in His Heart

All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old,
The cry of a child by the roadway, the creak of a lumbering cart,
The heavy steps of the ploughman, splashing the wintry mould,
Are wronging your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart.

The wrong of unshapely things is a wrong too great to be told;
I hunger to build them anew and sit on a green knoll apart,
With the earth and the sky and the water, re-made, like a casket of gold
For my dreams of your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart.

— W.B. Yeats

 

One Perfect Rose

A single flow’r he sent me, since we met.
All tenderly his messenger he chose;
Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet—
One perfect rose.

I knew the language of the floweret;
“My fragile leaves,” it said, “his heart enclose.”
Love long has taken for his amulet
One perfect rose.

Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it’s always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.

— Dorothy Parker

 

The rose is such a beautiful flower.  With over 100 species, they are magnificent in their color and scent.  Their uses are just as varied.  Of course they are used in gardens but you can also find roses being used in perfume, food and drink as well as medicine.  Roses are a favored subject in art and appear in portraits, illustrations, on stamps, as ornaments or as architectural elements. I chose the rose for this week’s photo challenge of “abstract” because my husband has a gorgeous rose garden in our yard and I have been working on a collection of photos for a special group of note cards and calendar. Working with different lighting and lenses I have captured some stunning images.  This is very Georgia O’Keefe like to me!

Enjoy.

Kicking and Punching

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“It’s the lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself.” Muhammad Ali

For the past nine months (give or take) I have been a member of a new gym only seven minutes from my house.  It is called “Grit Box Fitness” and I am so glad I was introduced to it.  I have a dear friend who is a member and talked me into going to a free boxing class. Over the years I have been to many gyms and tried lots of exercise classes and have worked out with trainers weight lifting but I never was in a gym where there were classes using a punching bag.  There is nothing cute or chic or sexy about this space.  On the contrary, to me it looked quite intimidating.  But being always up for trying something new I was all in!  For 45 minutes I worked out as hard as I could.  Did I have a few doubts that I would not make it to the end of the class?  Did that little voice in my head telling me I am NUTS being MY AGE and working out with KIDS who could be my kids?  Of course.  Did that stop me?  NO!!! When I am “all in” I am ALL IN.  After the class I was a sweaty, happy mess.  I felt great.  So I joined and have been loving those evenings when I can kick and punch the crap out of that black bag.

I love yoga. I love that I can refocus myself, breathe, meditate for an hour and leave knowing I have done something good and healthy for myself.  It is a purge in a way.  Well this boxing thing is just like my yoga practice except the music is a lot louder and not a calming, the teacher is yelling and not speaking in gentle tones, the lights are brighter and there is grunting (well there is grunting in yoga too I suppose!).  It is the best pairing of physical activities for me anyway.  On Saturday mornings I have been attending my yoga class and go straight to my gym for boxing.  My boxing on Saturday mornings somehow feels different and by the time I get home at noon I feel GREAT!

So I thought I would share with you some of the things I have learned about the benefits of this kicking and punching thing that I do.

The heavy bag is a stuffed bag made of leather or vinyl, which weighs between 40 and 100 pounds, and is used primarily among boxers for building punching power and improving boxing technique. Hitting the heavy bag is physically demanding and a true test of strength and stamina. For a relatively simple piece of equipment, it delivers many amazing benefits.

  1.  Improves Aerobic Fitness – Training on the heavy bag at the right intensity, will greatly tax the cardio respiratory system. The mere act of moving around a bag, while changing body position, equates to an aerobic (utilizing oxygen at a lower intensity) workout.
  2.  Improve Power –  The heavy bag was actually designed for boxers to enhance their punching power. It allows for the perfect opportunity to focus on using as many muscles as possible, to ensure a punch is thrown with perfect technique, and with the greatest possible force – the bag never hits back.  Main muscles worked on the heavy bag include the shoulders, arms, back, chest and waist. Legs are also used in the process of punching the bag, to generate power through the upper body.  Straight punches, such as the right cross and jab, will help develop power through the shoulders and chest, while uppercuts and hooks will utilize the back and arms to a greater extent.
  3. Improve Core Stability and Coordination – Circling the heavy bag and throwing off combinations of punches will help with coordination. Keeping on the toes, and transferring weight from one foot to the other, to throw a specific punch, will help develop core stability, and, as a result, overall body coordination. Boxers move with grace!
  4. Develop Self Defense Skills – The bag cannot retaliate, therefore making it a great way in which to perfect self defense technique. Visualize the bag as an opponent (or someone you would love to take a swing at) and hit as if being hit.
  5. Improve Body Shape – I have personally witnessed an improvement in terms of shoulder, biceps and back detail, as a result of heavy bag training. Although hitting the heavy bag does not equate to a pure bodybuilding workout – as would weight-training – it does provide an excellent way in which to add detail and strip body-fat. I have even gone back to do some weight training!
  6. Decrease Stress – My favorite.  Hitting the heavy bag is one way to dissolve negative stress. Although any form of exercise has special stress-countering qualities, boxing is probably unique in that it is a physically exhausting, aggressive, activity, which demands total concentration while allowing one to literally strike-out at an inanimate object.

So go find a good gym that has a bag, find a good trainer and enjoy!!!

 

Water, Water Everywhere So Drink and Drink and Drink

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We know we are supposed to drink plenty of water.  Unless you live under a rock that is a basic.  Most of us also know that our bodies are around 60% water, give or take.

It is commonly recommened that we drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day (the 8×8 rule). Did you also know that water is the SECOND most popular beverage in the US?  Can you guess the first? It is soft drinks!  Can you imagine.  Sugary soda is a HUGE health hazard upping the risk of obesity, stroke, and other heart problems.

Although there is little science behind this specific rule, staying hydrated is important.

Here are 7 evidence-based health benefits of drinking plenty of water.

1. Water Helps to Maximize Physical Performance – MUSCLE FUEL

If we do not stay hydrated, physical performance can suffer.

This is particularly important during intense exercise or high heat.

Dehydration can have a noticeable effect if you lose as little as 2% of your body’s water content. However, it is not uncommon for athletes to lose up to 6-10% of their water weight via sweat.

This can lead to altered body temperature control, reduced motivation, increased fatigue and make exercise feel much more difficult, both physically and mentally.

Optimal hydration has been shown to prevent this from happening, and may even reduce the oxidative stress that occurs during high intensity exercise. This is not surprising when you consider that muscle is about 80% water.

So, if you exercise intensely and tend to sweat, then staying hydrated can help you perform at your absolute best.

2. Hydration Has a Major Effect on Energy Levels and Brain Function

Your brain is strongly influenced by hydration status.

Studies show that even mild dehydration (1-3% of body weight) can impair many aspects of brain function.

3. Drinking Water May Help to Prevent and Treat Headaches

 

Dehydration can trigger headaches and migraines in some individuals.

Several studies have shown that water can relieve headaches in those who are dehydrated.

However, this appears to depend on the type of headache.

One study of 18 people found that water had no effect on the frequency of headaches, but did reduce the intensity and duration somewhat.

4. Drinking More Water May Help Relieve Constipation

Constipation is a common problem, characterized by infrequent bowel movements and difficulty passing stool.

Increasing fluid intake is often recommended as a part of the treatment protocol, and there is some evidence to back this up.

5. Drinking Water May Help Treat Kidney Stones

Increased water intake appears to decrease the risk of kidney stone formation. More research is needed in this area.

6. Water Helps Prevent Hangovers

 

A hangover refers to the unpleasant symptoms experienced after drinking alcohol.

Alcohol is a diutetic, so it makes you lose more water than you take in. This can lead to dehydration.

Although dehydration is not the main cause of hangovers, it can cause symptoms like thirst, fatigue, headache and dry mouth.

A good way to reduce a hangover is to drink a glass of water between drinks, and to have at least one big glass of water before going to bed.

 

7. Drinking More Water Can Help With Weight Loss

 

Drinking plenty of water can help you lose weight.

This is due to the fact that water can increase satiety and boost your metabolic rate.

In two studies, drinking half a liter (17 ounces) of water was shown to increase metabolism by 24-30% for up to 1.5 hour.

This means that drinking 2 liters of water every day can increase your total energy expenditure by up to 96 calories per day.

The timing is important too, and drinking water half an hour before meals is the most effective. It can make you feel more full, so that you eat fewer calories.

In one study, dieters who drank half a liter of water before meals lost 44% more weight, over a period of 12 weeks.

It is actually best to drink water cold, because then the body will use additional energy (calories) to heat the water to body temperature.

Love, Me

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Make the most of yourself…for that is all there is of you.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

I think the most important changes don’t come from the big things that happen to us.  I think it is the small things that really transform our lives; small things that can have surprising effects that travel far beyond our expectations.  Think of the pebble dropped into the pool of water, the ripple effect that starts small and grows outward ever increasing it’s scope and reach.  We have the power to effect change in small ways and those ways have the ability to grow, expand and reach farther than we can imagine.

So how do you make the most of you?  How do you learn to love yourself? There are books written every day about this topic and I want to give you just a few ideas to get you started on the path.  I promise you will feel so good making the effort.

  1. Leave everything a little better than you found it.
  2. Wear your scars proudly.  You are not your mistakes.
  3. Look for depth.
  4. Seek the truth.
  5. Share your smile.
  6. Value your loved ones.
  7. Find humor.
  8. Don’t wait for perfect.
  9. Lose the excuses.
  10. Embrace good manners.  Give compliments.
  11. Write. Travel. Sing. Eat well, exercise your mind and body, and get plenty of sleep.
  12. Work with joy!
  13. Get focused.
  14. Find the wonder.
  15. Conquer stress.

As I said earlier, there are hundreds more, maybe even thousands more, ideas on how to make the most of yourself.  If you don’t like something you are doing then change it.  Don’t wait.  If you have a stinky attitude and you recognize it then turn it around.  If you really want to say something mean, count to ten and find a better way.

Make it a great day to be you!!!

Truth and Integrity

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Today let go of anything inauthentic and all activities that do not mirror your highest intentions for yourself.

If something in your life is not working, be willing to let it go.  Release it to God, the angels, the Universe.

When we open our hands and our hearts and release unhealthful situations and thoughts, the Divine light can enter.  Miracles always follow when we surrender troubling conditions.  That job, relationship, health issue, or other circumstance will heal rapidly and in ways only God can manifest.  Expect that miracle when you decide to be true to you!

 

Have a blessed day.

 

BLAH!!!

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b66b497a1f5f6c7f567cc1810fe68ee9Have you ever felt just BLAH?  No motivation. No inspiration.  No joy.  Just Blah.

I HATE when this feeling comes over me.  It is hard to shake it off.  So I have been feeling blah.  Even though I am meditating, exercising, practicing my yoga and kicking and punching a bag at the gym, I am still just blah. Becoming aware of blah moments and trying to see a pattern is important I think and it is something I am trying to become more aware of so maybe I can get ahead of the blah and maybe even break the cycle.

So my first question is; What is causing my uninspired feelings and how can I deal with them?

If I can answer this I can take action.

Mental and emotional

Most of these recommendations are mental adjustments rather than actual action steps. But they can make a big difference.

1. Own your blah moments

Take full responsibility for how you feel. Don’t waste your precious time and energy looking for someone or something to blame. No matter what happens we can always choose how to react.

2. Don’t resist the feeling

This is probably the biggest cause of mental and emotional drain. When you’re not up to doing something, you keep fighting the fog and creating more pain for yourself.

Accept the blah as it comes. There is no point fighting it.

So when we don’t feel like it, it’s time to look within and see how we can move past it. Here is an idea: instead of fighting the feeling, ask for more.

Asking for more means you try and feel all the blah that comes your way. Tell your blah to bring it on, to give you all it’s got. What’s the worst thing that can happen?

I bet it won’t take more than a few minutes before you start feeling better. Surrender is very powerful in releasing stuck energy.

Talk to your blah and say something like: I know you’re here for a reason, tell me what I can learn from you.

3. Accept your limitations

You are not a machine and shouldn’t expect yourself t to function at the same level all the time. You will have good and not so good days. We all do. This means accepting your down time as mentioned above.

If you have a limitation in a certain area of your life, let it be. Instead of denying or avoiding it, work with it. Accept your limitations without judgment.

Ask for help if you need to. For example, if you’re not good with numbers but have to prepare a budget report, ask a colleague to help you or explain the hard stuff to you. People love to help. This is a better choice than staring blankly at your computer screen.

Instead of focusing on limitations, open up to the opportunities and resources that can be available to you.

4. Gain clarity

To motivate yourself to keep going, you need to be clear about what you want and why you want it.

This is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It will give you a sense of direction and ignite your motivation.

I’m not talking about rigid goals here. But things that you are passionate about and would love to have more of in your life.

Start with a list of things you’d like to be, do and have. From this list you can determine if your choices of actions so far have helped you in moving closer to your desires or if you need to change direction.

5. Learn to prioritize

If you can’t set your priorities straight, someone else will do it for you. You’ll spend most of your time doing what’s important to others, not you. This will overwhelm you even more.

Prioritizing is a skill that you get better at with practice. Every day determine what’s the most important task or two. Focus all your energy on getting these done first. You can handle anything else that comes your way after.

6. Overcome feeling overwhelmed

  • Pick one thing that nags at you the most.
  • Break it down to simplest actionable portions.
  • Do one action step at a time.
  • Commit to completion. Don’t do anything else unless this task is done.
  • Repeat the above process with the next thing.

This may sound overly simplistic but it does work. The most important thing is to choose one thing and eliminate everything else from your stream of thought until you are done.

7. Be flexible

Balancing your important work with life’s unexpected interruptions is an art. Staying flexible means that you allow for things to happen. Don’t over commit or over schedule your time. It’s a recipe for disappointment.

As I mentioned above choose the most important task or two, max. This gives you ample time to deal with other things as they come. If you pick two tasks each day, you will complete 10 tasks a week and a whopping 500 tasks a year (assuming you work 50 weeks per year). This is quite an achievement.

I haven’t talked about fear in this article. I truly believe that the best way to face your fears is to start shifting your focus and taking action. Most fears, when it comes to moving forward, will be dealt with if you do the above.

Physical

It’s easy to determine what you can do physically, after dealing with the biggest obstacle—your primitive and protective brain. Consider these ideas as a start and add your own.

1. Move

Just move. Do anything to break the cycle of stagnant thoughts. When you move you improve your circulation and enhance your mood. Then your thought pattern starts to change. And you feel better.

These are simple ideas that won’t take much of your time.

  • Walk up and down a couple of flights of stairs.
  • Go outside for a walk. Five or 10 minutes will do.
  • Get a glass of water and drink it slowly.
  • Stretch. A bit of flexibility goes a long way and can ease your physical pain.

2. Optimize your diet

We all know we should eat healthy but how often do we do it?

If you determine that your diet causes you to be more sluggish, change what you eat gradually. Your goal is to eat healthy 80% of the time and you can do what you like with the remaining 20%.

This means cutting down on meat consumption, fried foods and sugar. Eat more whole grains and vegetables. And drink more water and less toxic beverages like sodas and alcohol.

3. Rest

If you’re exhausted you need to take a break and rest for a while instead of wasting more energy trying to force yourself to keep going.

Resting vs. mind numbing

Resting means not doing anything that stimulates your mind. Browsing the web or watching TV is not resting. It’s mind numbing. There is a big difference.

Resting allows you to wipe the slate clean and energize your mind and body.

Numbing your mind robs of you of time and energy. You don’t wipe the slate clean. You add more crap to your psyche which will make you feel worse after.

Consider these:

  • Sleep or take a nap
  • Listen to relaxing music
  • Take a warm bath
  • Meditate
  • Walk or stretch, as mentioned above

4. Renew

This is something you can do to feel more energized over the long run. You give yourself time to do things that bring you joy.

Pleasure vs. Joy

There is a big difference between the two.

Pleasurable and thrilling activities will give you a high. The rush can be quite intoxicating. But as we all know, for every high there is a low. Going to loud parties, theme parks, alcohol consumption and extreme sports are examples of activities that will give you short lived pleasure.

What really helps is doing things that renew your energy and restore your sense of wellbeing. Here are examples:

  • Spend time in nature. Star gaze, garden, watch a sunset, or walk on the beach.
  • Connect with the people you care about the most. Spend time with family and friends. Nothing is more rewarding than a genuine human connection.
  • Work on a hobby or start a new one. Lose yourself in something that brings you joy. You will forget about the troubles of the world and feel a wonderful sense of satisfaction.

Joy is more subtle but lasts much longer. You calmly and gently renew your entire being.

5. Manage your space

If your space is a mess, you need to deal with that before you can find your inspiration. De-clutter and rearrange your furniture to make your environment more inviting and suitable to your needs.

6. Reflect

Make it a habit to sit quietly and do nothing else. Reflect on your days and experiences. If you can’t just sit still and get lost in your thoughts, write them down.

Reflection gives you insight into what’s working and what can be improved in your life.

7. Act

After all’s been said and done, the one crucial thing that will make a difference is action. After you have dealt with the underlying reasons behind your unmotivated phase, you need to act. Start, move and make every action count.

I hope you find some of the suggestions above useful in moving forward. As you know there is no one definitive solution for any challenge. The key is to consciously choose the actions that suit you and keep going.

And regardless of where you are, may you always uncover the hidden gifts of awakening and growth that come from every experience in your life—including blah moments.

Ideas taken from “onewithnow”

 

The Wedding Dance

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Well, being a photographer, I had to at least post ONE photo from a wedding after all!  The dances, bride and groom, father and daughter, mother and son, are some of the most beautiful demonstrations of love I have ever witnessed.  Enjoy!

Fire Dance

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Hawaii 2007.  Fire dancers on the beach outside our hotel.  Who said playing with fire was bad?

Playing with Fire (Lea Austen)

Rhythm and Motion

The steady beat of the drum

Bending and Stretching

The motion creates a hum

Dancing and Playing

There’s art in the danger

There’s beauty and awe

Fire dancers have magic

To partner with fire

It’s beauty, it’s heat

Stay focused Fire Dancer

Brave Fire Dancer

Worshiped Fire Dancer

You capture the flame

And make your rhythm the same

The flame is the start

and you grow with the heart

So dance and release

For as the flames die out

There will be quiet and peace

 

 

Oprah, Deepak and Me

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So I enrolled in the “Shedding the Weight, Mind, Body and Spirit” 21 day meditation journey which started today.  At the start of Lent I had prayed for some help from my angels.  In my prayer time and journaling the word meditation came up over and over again.  I decided that even though I do some meditating perhaps my technique needed some re-examination and improvement.  As part of my 40 day Lenten activities I included an overhaul of my meditation practice along with my prayer journal reading and writing.

The 20 minutes began with Oprah and Deepak talking about finding the lightness in your life.  “Today we discover that we don’t have to struggle to shed our burdens – all we need to do is expand our awareness. In that awareness we find the inner fulfillment that is our true self. This state of expanded awareness is the lightness in your life, and allows you to effortlessly let go of heaviness that doesn’t serve you,” according to Oprah.  Deepak then offered a centering thought and a mantra to use.  If this sounds good to you please check out their offer.  It is free!

Because I prefer to pray and get closer to the God of the Bible, I chose to change the the centering thought and mantra to more of a promise from God and a prayer as I moved through the meditation.  After the 20 minutes I then picked up my notebook and started to write.  It was wonderful and I am looking forward to taking this on again tomorrow morning.

Here are some of the thought questions they asked after the meditation.

Consider the ways you feel weighed down in your life.  Write a list of the burdens on your mind, body and spirit that you wish to lighten.

What are three things you can do to find lightness in your life?

Reflect on what nourishes your inner self and then describe two things you can do today that nourish your spirit.

During meditation I was reminded of Matthew 11:30: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“Our Saviour has invited all that labour and are heavy-laden, to come unto him. In some senses all men are so. Worldly men burden themselves with fruitless cares for wealth and honours; the gay and the sensual labour in pursuit of pleasures; the slave of Satan and his own lusts, is the merest drudge on earth. Those who labour to establish their own righteousness also labour in vain. The convinced sinner is heavy-laden with guilt and terror; and the tempted and afflicted believer has labours and burdens. Christ invites all to come to him for rest to their souls. He alone gives this invitation; men come to him, when, feeling their guilt and misery, and believing his love and power to help, they seek him in fervent prayer. Thus it is the duty and interest of weary and heavy-laden sinners, to come to Jesus Christ. This is the gospel call; Whoever will, let him come. All who thus come will receive rest as Christ’s gift, and obtain peace and comfort in their hearts. But in coming to him they must take his yoke, and submit to his authority. They must learn of him all things, as to their comfort and obedience. He accepts the willing servant, however imperfect the services. Here we may find rest for our souls, and here only. Nor need we fear his yoke. His commandments are holy, just, and good. It requires self-denial, and exposes to difficulties, but this is abundantly repaid, even in this world, by inward peace and joy. It is a yoke that is lined with love. So powerful are the assistances he gives us, so suitable the encouragements, and so strong the consolations to be found in the way of duty, that we may truly say, it is a yoke of pleasantness. The way of duty is the way of rest. The truths Christ teaches are such as we may venture our souls upon. Such is the Redeemer’s mercy; and why should the labouring and burdened sinner seek for rest from any other quarter? Let us come to him daily, for deliverance from wrath and guilt, from sin and Satan, from all our cares, fears, and sorrows. But forced obedience, far from being easy and light, is a heavy burden. In vain do we draw near to Jesus with our lips, while the heart is far from him. Then come to Jesus to find rest for your souls.” Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

This is the lightness that we seek over the heaviness and weightiness of the burdens we carry.  These burdens weigh down our mind, our body and our spirit and made make our moods darker, heavier and more depressed.  I hope you will find some ways to nourish your spirit today and bring some light into your day.  Maybe your light will spill over onto someone else and you can help them lighten their heavy load!

 

Dance – Photo Challenge/Girl Twirling

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I Hope You Dance
Lee Ann Womack
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance….I hope you dance.
This is a photo a shot some years ago during a photo shoot on the beach at Wild Dunes Resort. The family as I recall had such a fun and free spirited energy around them.  The photos were less posed and more playful from beginning to end.  I fell in love with this one.