Sunlight meditation and thanks

I am thankful for this day in November, warm enough to lay outside, and for the sunlight that kisses my face and layers upon layers clothing.

I am in wonder of a family I have grown into...what luck and love. To have a home to visit during days like these, when my immediate family is far away, is a gift. It continues to be as precious as the first year I was welcomed over five years ago.

My heart reflects on the honest friendships i've been graced with this past year. How, thankfully, I was proven wrong: we indeed can Cultivate soul connections as we grow. We can trust, support, and share in kindness, truth and love. Life goes on...so much more, after thirty and beyond... 

I am Thankful for the crisp, clean air I breathe as I lay on this rough wooden porch with this temperamental cat we call Ginger. She is a ham for the camera....as she rolls around half a dozen poses and then tries to eat it.

To have a day off in which I can cultivate time to feel the light, to observe, and to be light, is to be human. I must find more ways for days to be like this. To allow the space of my lungs, heart and spirit to expand...it is joyful, and comfortable...this internal quietness is both satisfying and necessary.

A collage of chirping birds and screeching children from yards away make me smile...the sun is shining...and the breeze is practically warm compared to yesterday.

I watch as a squirrel swing and clings to a tight rope in the sky. He steps to the rhythm and swishing of  leaves, as another sifts for treasures underground.

I stare at the searcher until he pops up and stares back at me. It's only a few seconds before his head is down again. There is more shuffling to do, until, finally...treasures found! He stands up and holds the cutest little paws to stuff his puffed up cheeks.

With my eyes closed towards the sky, the sun glows through my eyelids. Swarms of red, yellow, and orange slowly muddle together. I think about how colors can make us feel warmth, and then my thoughts wander to the ground....whispers of leaves will nourish the soil this winter...books, mint tea, and meditations in sunlight will nourish my soul.

Thank you universe for all the goodness you present me. And, thank you for also for the path to see there is light in all of us.

Edited 11/24/12

A Life Of Symbols: Purple, Crows, Honey and Gold

This Months Life In Symbols:

Purple, Crows, Honey and Gold

Pattern Seeker

I see life through symbols. Though I am not comfortable with labeling myself with much, I feel comfortable with calling myself a pattern seeker. It's not so much that I seek meaning as much as I feel meaning presents itself to me with everyday objects, words, colors, life forms, people, and so on. I think life speaks in this language to all of us. Some of us may be more exercised in it from a younger age than others, just like some folks innately have a keener sense of body awareness. I am not one with keen body awareness on the outside. I am fairly slow and often clumsy in physical activities that require stealth and coordination, ha.  My mind on the other hand is fast--not so much like a genius as like that of a flighty bird or squirrel. 

A Symbolic Lens On Life

I've held this lens of the world as far back as I can remember. As a child I would say things to my older sister like, "You are like a cat, what animal am I?". She would respond with answers such as "platypus" or "armadillo"; possibly to leave me with an equal amount of satisfaction and worry. In my twenties she gave me a silver pendant with an armadillo on it, it cracked me up, but, by that time, she had completely forgotten that she told me that I looked like one a decade and a half earlier...

My preteen years hold my strongest memories of when I began associating people with colors. In high school, my three closest girlfriends were baby blue, lavender, and orange. The majority of my dearest and lifelong friends are a shade of turquoise to a teal or aqua. Over time, I found I have a bit of this color myself and that makes me feel pretty good. It shines through most when I am open to just being me--with love, open in heart, words, expression, and goofiness. 

Opening up 

I have decades of journals full of language inside of language: meaningful encounters, symbols, synchronicity, and patterns that I feel are as vivid as any conversation as with any human being.  I have a few close friends to share with, and, I keep an eye, heart and ear open to the lessons from the world and  in between.

I wanted to share this past month's conversation, as, I have found that other people around me are encountering, or at least talking about similar symbols in their daily life. I have a close friend who I share a lot in common with. We met to have tea together and were laughing because we were both wearing purple and gold. We both also coincidentally were carving honey. Just that day I received a newsletter that was about Honey, and the list goes on. 

Shedding Light On The Objects

 I really wanted to create a visual image of all the symbols that came to me multiple times, and, in multiple forms this past moon. I say the moon, as it began around this past full moon in October. The symbolism was amplified at the Scorpio New Moon, and I feel at this point it is sinking in. 

So, above is the photo collage I came up with: Purple, Crows, Honey, and Gold. The paint chips I did intentionally pick up yesterday from the hardware store, as, that is when I realized it was time to manifest my photo collage idea. I think about creating photo collages often, but, I am a hands on person who has a hard time operating my Picasa web album on my computer. I don't know why I have not created an image via real-life object collages before!  It feels like a big relief  knowing that I can express myself without too much technology. 

In Darkness and In Light

These lessons have been leading up to this month---and I think also speaks of the energy of this year. So, I consider this my new years affirmation in a way. The lessons I hear lean towards this: Cultivating balance, accepting, and embracing that there is a  balance of darkness and light; Trusting my intuition, and honoring the divine in us all.

During my work sessions in my practice the past few weeks, the balance of light and dark energy has presented itself very clearly to me. It has made me wonder into a realization that my work is about transformation. I mean, I always knew that--I always could verbalize that I loved to make old things new again--to revive my mothers with a warm bath; to restore old furniture I picked up on the side of the road; to re-decorate and organize a tired and stagnant room; to rejuvenate a client with a bodywork and an aromatherapy session, and so on.

To Balance, Inspire, and Transform

My life passion has always been about renewal, transformation, and balance. Only, I think I was missing something. I have not always recognized that I simply shuffled up energy--helping to integrate darkness and light, the old and the new, the past and the present. 

So, I think that with this, I have found new meaning in my work once again. I think that it is important that I share with people, the knowledge that it is okay to be yourself in your darkest hour. To know that there is beauty in that, and that it will help to create an even more brilliant light-self. It is just important that we integrate the two, and embrace them equally.

So, I wanted to share below some of the synchronicity and symbolism that visited this past month and that  inspired that photo collage. I am wondering if even more people out there than I have encountered are also experiencing similar patterns.

Accomplishment, Light, divine feminine and the Honey Bee.

This moon, beginning a few days prior to my birthday on October 26th, a few lively images came so clearly. I think I purchased some of what is the most luxurious smelling blocks of beeswax in the world. It was mid October and I was hoping to use it for herb and candle crafts. Because its aroma is so dreamy, I thought about shaving a bit for a sachet to put under my pillow. It truly smells divine; light, sweet, deep, and soft. Unlike most beeswax blocks I have encountered, the sharp scent of Propolis is dim. 

Honey Bees For My Birthday

The month started out cold, and the day of my birthday I encountered three different honey bees in my bedroom and living room! They all buzzed against the windows, seeking a way out. The wild part was, none of my windows were open, I have no idea how they got in! I immediately though of "worker bee" energy. I had been up since 5:30 am, as I didn't want to miss a day of my birthday and I had vowed to fill my day with only things I love to do. I made perfumes, cleaned the house, put up shelves to decorate, and went on a magical hike with a good friend. When I read about the bee in the Ted Andrew's book, Animal Speak, the concept of "queen bee" and fertility came up...something I never thought of with bees.

My birthday day I purchased a bar of honey soap that I kind of want to eat. I have been craving  honey with my mint green tea since late summer; when honey bee symbolism began to seep its way into my life. I feel honored because it's not a symbol that has come up a lot in my life, but, feel it feels very special. The other day after work I came home to my partner who was listening to Van Morrison's album Tupelo Honey. It didn't dawn on me until I sat down and heard the lyrics to the song in which the album is titled after, "You can take all the tea in China, put it in a big brown bag for me, Sail right around the seven oceans, Drop it straight into the deep blue sea, She's as sweet as Tupelo honey, she's an angel to the first degree, She's as sweet as Tupelo honey, Just like honey from the bee...".

To me the honeybee is rich. Yet, it has integrity, and has to work hard to create the fruits of their labor. The sign of the bee also tells me that the results of labor may soon be apparent. The sweetness of honey is nourishing, it calms the spirit, and for me it slows down and deepens thought. 

Honoring My Own Voice, Ancestral Wisdom, Darkness, and Crow

The day after my birthday I went to visit a store to purchase a book. As I got out of  my car a crow landed in a tree above, looked right at me and "cawed" with a focus at me similar to the focus a dog would have when barking from their home. It startled me; it was not scary, it was just amazing how deliberate this crow was with its speech. It was wise. I knew that I would see more crows. As the last time crow came to visit, I was traveling in Maryland in 2004 and crow made itself well known through street signs, imagery, songs, and so on for weeks on end.

This month I have ordered a CD online, not knowing it's cover. It shipped from Europe, and its envelope was decorated with a stamp that read "royalty" under the bust of a crowned woman. When I opened the CD, I giggled; the album was covered in crows. The week prior I receive a magazine in the mail whose back cover portrayed a giant crow in a pine tree. I have seen countless crows as well over the time, and, I feel they are very comforting. They speak of change--deep change that may include a time of darkness. But, I believe that near every shadow, there is light. 

The Crow Is Calling

The crow reminds me that in us all there is an inner wisdom and knowing that we must honor. Not all inner wisdom is sunshine and roses. Some of that wisdom comes from painful life lessons. Darkness is not evil, it is not bad, it is a part of life, a part of the cycle of the universe, a part of you and me. 

Uncanny Updates: Since this post many manifestations of these symbols have continued to flow in. So many that It just seemed normal to encounter a bee in the beginning of winter in Kentucky. I have seen countless crows, particularly in flight displaying a surprisingly massive wing spam at moments where I am thinking of something very important. But, there have also been some pretty uncanny coincidences ...here are a few that I found particularly memorable:

Gifts of honey 

5Lbs of honey?! Upon arriving to my office last week I discovered that my office mate had gifted me a 5lb container of honey, "just becuase"! She had not read this blog post, I had never shared sentiments of honey with her, it was just another serendipitous gift. 

Most Magical Honey Ever

Back in October, when I acquired that luscious beeswax for craft making, I initially contacted some local city  bee keepers, 5th Street Apiary.  They did not have wax for sale at the time, so I had intentions of purchasing their honey instead, which, I had yet to try. Coincidentally, one day later, my partner came home with this once full jar of their honey. I have tried some pretty magical Kentucky honey, but, this is by far the most magical. I can't explain it. I had hoped to write them a review since the day I cracked open this jar..but, until then, this will have to suffice. We just finished this jar last week, otherwise I wish I had an image of the beautiful amber color.

Apiary Fairy

Last weekend I heard from a good friend how she had found a ticket to this Christmas concert that I hoped to go to, and, that had been sold out. When I arrived at the show, the woman to hand me the ticket was the local apiary woman whom I had been in touch with, but, had never met in person. I was happy to be able to share how much I enjoy their craft in person.  It was an uncanny coincidence. 

Gift of Amber Colored Stones 

Last Monday, I had an appointment with Sandra Humfleet at Pilates One Studio. I love this studio...I have a lot to say about it that I will save for another post. The difference between classical Pilates at this studio versus the grueling and self-defeating classes I attended in the past with friends...is immense. 

Sandra gave me the piece of amber that is closest to my finger tips, after my last session.  Color and crystal therapy is amazing! The orange/yellow/gold tones in this amber speak clearly to me the past few months. There is a sense of standing my ground in my truth, and remaining confident no matter what life throws my way. I see this more in my interpretation of the honey and gold. They help me to take time to enjoy the sweeter things in life, to appreciate the outcome of hard work, and to know there is more to come!

The oval stone in the palm of my hand came to me the very next day. It is a worry stone that a friend gave me with impeccable timing. I am heading towards some big shifts in my life this coming year and have noticed some subtle physical signs of stress.

 I received a message from that same friend, oracle card reader, energy worker, and crystal wise woman, Lori-lynn Hurley,  During her Monthly Oracle. The message was that I should take a moment to figure out what would help to bring me peace of mind. I have so many new projects that have been underway for years...but, only now coming to the surface. This has been a little nerve racking, but, also, very exciting. 

I realized one aspect of peace that night--I should remove all caffeine. I was drinking a cup of caffeinated tea or coffee most mornings. I found my mind racing, a trembling behind my eyes, and a slight internal shakiness. Though, my upcoming changes are all positive, they are also very new to me. My nervous ticks were humorous but a little unsettling.

I love how the deep Citrine color is meddled with a shade of  pale violet.. touching on both the themes of purple and the golden shades of honey. This stone came to me right when I needed it. During a time where I must remain focused, continue to work hard, and remain strong in my beliefs, above and below.

Piecing it all together with Indigo, Amber, and Black

These are color oracle cards that SaColorndra at Pilates one used on Monday, they helped to inspire her gift of amber. I love these cards! Color is a language  we can all learn from. This reading in particular made perfect sense. This is funny, but, I have always seen as more purple than blue. The same goes for the color of blue violets...they look purple to me, not blue! I think I may be partly color blind, ha.

I am not going to go into the meaning of this reading right now, but, I just find it amazing how these cards reflect the colors in this Life in Symbols post...black night of crow, purple and the amber and gold of honey.

Life is magical. 

Are Your Veggies Out Of Sight And Out Of Mind?

Re-Organizing Your Fridge, With Intention

Don't stuff your most colorful foods into a life-sucking time trap. Skip the veggie bin....

Vegetables are a Top-Shelf food,  and that's where they belong!

Best Eaten Fresh

Okay...one question: Why is it that veggie bins almost always among the bottom shelves of our refrigerators? 

That being asked, I have to admit; I have never had an apartment with a fridge younger than about 10-15 years, so, maybe times have changed. But, my guess is that many of us still have refrigerators built circa 1990-2000 that were designed around space and function.  Shouldn't healthy eating be the priority in refrigerator design?  I think it is time to think outside of the box. 

Although these bins are made to keep our veggies fresher and  crisper, they hold our veggies hostage. Out of sight and, out of mind. 

How many times have you come home with a harvest of veggies, only to shove them into a dark little drawer for keeping? Weeks later you sadly rediscover the now floppy remains, "oh crap! I forgot about the ______ [insert vegetable you want to eat more often, but, always manage to forget here] again!". Vegetable-bin-neglect results in a floppy, sad, and, otherwise avoidable death. 

Me covering up the Frowny-face in the right corner.

With about 20 minutes of  time and organization, you can increase your veggie intake by leaps and bounds! 

All you have to do is create a space to store them within eye sight.   

I love vegetables. I was that bizarre kid who chose them over the meat. And, though I was raised eating a variety of veggies with about every meal, I have accidentally let veggies go to wilt in my fridge my entire adult life. My biggest victim is celery. To be honest, I don't care to eat celery much aside from in soups, so, no heartbreak there (sorry celery). 

Beets, spinach, and chard...that's another story...a very sad one that ends in heartache over a vegetable. Okay, I feel bad for downing celery...good organic celery is peppery and delicious. I think that a childhood filled with a tasteless and waterlogged version coated in peanut butter or cream cheese kind of tainted my taste-memory of real celery. Okay, back to the refrigerator...

After a few episodes this summer,  it dawned on me; my failure to meet an ambitious veggie quota was due to poor presentation! 

Deductive Reasoning: 

I would eat what was on the top of the drawer the day of purchase. The veggies that did not fit into the drawer ended up on a shelf where they were easily within eyesight, and they were also eaten. Inevitably, the veggies on the bottom of the drawer were most often forgotten about, and left to wither to waste. Or for soup scraps...or, If I was really lucky I could shock and blanch the life back into them.

After realizing the peril of that dungeonous drawer, there was nothing else left to do; I retired our veggie crisper, and began to lovingly display all veggies on the top and second shelves of our fridge. 

It was only today that, I removed everything from the top shelf but a beautiful cornucopia of  colorful veggies. They are pretty much irresistible now. And, every time I open my fridge, inspirations on how to prepare them come to mind, as they are the first thing I see.

Label Master

Think Outside Of The Bin

Just because it's labeled "veggie bin", it doesn't mean it can't house the condiments. If it makes you feel better, get some masking tape and re-claim the space for something that is a little less perishable. Make it a beverage or condiment crisper instead. 

We have these huge jars of olives and roasted red peppers that don't fit in the side doors of our refrigerator. So, I  pulled those off the top shelf and tucked them into their cozy den below with other jars of randomness. I like the idea of a "condiment crisper" since condiments are rarely used , and  last forever. Like FOREVER-forever. Before a grocery trip, our barren refrigerator resembles a moist and well lit vault of rare and antiquated jars. 

Plus, I am reminded of my talented loves ones who make things from scratch !

Label Your Lids For Simplicity

From an aerial perspective,  I see shiny lids of condiments that line my crisper drawer. I like shiny things so this is an aesthetic plus. In order to avoid having to pick up and inspect every jar to find what I am looking for, I  label the tops with masking tape, a permanent marker and my three year old handwriting..."pesto, jam, salsa...", and so on. 

5 Steps To Create Space And Honor Your Veggies

#1 Clear all items from the top shelf of your refrigerator.

#2 Display luscious array of veggies on that top shelf.

#3 Place beverages that would usually be on the top shelf in door compartments or in drawers.

#3 Remove condiments from shelves and doors to make space for other items if needed, such as beverages.

#4  Label lids of jars with masking tape so the jars are easy to identify from above. Place them in a crisper / bin. 

#5 Use baskets and bowls to organize veggies on the top shelf if needed.

Garden harvest: In Darkness And In Light

I spread lots of seeds this year...there are only a few lovely reds that sprouted from the earth this past season.

Though, I am an herbalist and lover of plants, I find the darker seasons of fall and winter to be my favorite. I love the time winter allows us to sink deep into our roots. We settle into the hidden, shadowy sides of our true selves as do the elements, plants, and trees in nature when their energy retreats to their roots.

Winter is akin to being underground. I think this is why I always loved snow days; a guilt free gift to do what all of our bodies really want to do in the winter: rest, rebuild, read, relax...

Though, we tend to get less sunshine and green time in the cooler months--I think this time can be equally as invigorating.

Where there is light-a shadow is bound to be cast...that is life. It is all good stuff, some emotions darker than others...some trials more difficult than others...

The coming winter season is a time to honor our inner darkness, our shadow, and, to be comfortable with just being who we are inside and out; an integration of darkness and light.

As the earth dances and changes with the rhythm of the seasons, so do we. An acceptance and embrace of this subtle, yet, energetic, movement deepens our connection to Earth, and, life. It can lead to an even a better understanding of our friends and companions. By recognizing our own unique responses to the world around us, we can increase our joy factor by a bazillion. Yes, definitely a bazillion.

Not every day is sunshine and roses--but, everyday has a window in which we can perceive it to be potentially beautiful--no matter how bitter, no matter how sweet--life always has inspiring lessons to teach.

Happy November everyone!

An Herbal Bone Broth To Soothe A Cold Or Flu

Food as First Line of Medicine

It is rare that I get a head cold or flu...but, every so often it does happen. This weekend happens to be one of them. Not to say that I never, ever get sick. My ailments just tend to lend their time to my digestion, and because of that, I have used food as medicine for some time. Using food as medicine is something that we all have an ability to do. It can not only help to heal digestive ailments, but can help to resolve autoimmune diseases, the common cold and flu, reproductive disorders, etc.


On the other side of that coin, I have also learned through experience that specific foods for some can also react in their bodies like a poison. Quite often, it is an imbalance with what we put in our bodies that cause, or exacerbate an underlying tendency for a disease.



For instance, you may likely already know that if you have a cold, it is best to avoid sugar. Sugars feed bacteria. This includes those juices, crackers, and, carbohydrates in general that many of us were raised to reach for when we feel ill. If you haven't experienced it, try it. No better way to learn than by actually experiencing it. Next time you begin to feel ill, notice id you feel much worse after eating something with sugar in it--pastas, crackers, orange juice, etc. Dairy is another example. If you tend to get terrible sinus headaches with loads of mucous, try avoiding dairy. Dairy is very mucilaginous (mucous like in texture).  When we eat dairy, our noses may tend to run more, our sinuses stop up more, and so on.

The fact that the things we ingest for nourishment can have often have quick acting effects is not new news.
People have been writing about it for years, more so, it has become more mainstream in the past ten years or so.  While one food can be a gentle medicine for one person, for another it can be a slow poison.

Living With The Fall Season: Earth Harmony & Slowly Welcoming Stillness (part 4)

AUTUMN

{Living with the Fall Season Part 4}

Harmony through proper food, meditation, and, movement therapies.

This is part 4 of a 4 part series on how to better live in harmony with the seasons.  Below are some ideas on the essence of Autumn as well as some self-care practices you may like to integrate into your life this time of year.

DOWNWARD movement, dry wind, clear SHIFting of emotion.

Leaves fall, and geese migrate South as the energy of plants and trees move from the once green leaves to the roots of the nourishing earth. Our bodies dance with these shifting energies through our posture, moods, cravings, and thought patterns.

The fall is about movement. Sporadic and whimsical movement that precedes the stillness of winter and follows the exuberance of summer. The cooling of the fall air is a reminder to us that, though there is a time to shine with fierce action (summer), there is also a time for calm and inward reflection (fall and winter). 

Living With The Fall Season: Inspiring Your Creative Voice. (part 3)

AUTUMN

{Living with the Fall Season Part 3}

Inspire your creative voice, honor your dreams, stay hydrated, and create.

Wow, it is already November! I can't believe it. We are beginning to wind down with the beginning of fall's whimsy as our energies deepen further into the ground. Before our out environment grows much more moist and cool, I would like to share some ways to help you to deal with the dryness that can ensue with fall. 

I will touch on the creative aspects of fall to inspire your breath of creativity and expand the energy of your voice.  As I have mentioned in the past, over the years I have noticed during the early fall months,

Creating Space For The Things We Love

Sunset Porch, copyright n.sandhu

"rec·re·a·tion/ˌrekrēˈāSHən/

                 Noun:

Activity done for enjoyment when one is not working. The action or process of creating something again: "the periodic destruction and recreation of the universe"."

Maybe it's time to find new meaning in the word "recreation". 

On Re-Creating The Whole Self

Queen Anne's Lace, copyright n.sandhu

Perhaps, by participating in the activities we long for, we allow ourselves the time and space we need to re-create ourselves. I am not talking about some kind of forced makeover with crazy expectations, I am talking about the real you. That piece of  you that was a sparkle in your eye as a child and still lives today. You know what it is. You can feel it when you close your eyes. Take a deep breath, and think...

What are the things that you love most? 

What did you love to do the most in your late teens and early twenties when you didn't feel like you had to work as hard? If you had to grow up early...think back to times even earlier in life. What makes you feel like a kid in a candy shop? Which past times create a similar sensation or emotion that you experience when you think about a beloved friend what you have not seen for a long time?

I encourage you to think about how you can rebuild and re-create your whole self outside of work. It's taken me about a long while to realize that by not living my days as I would like, I am only wasting my lifetime as Nishaan Sandhu. You are only you once (well, maybe). Why spend so many hours of your life doing things that you cannot stand? Of course many albatrosses around our necks for a life lesson, but, even then, over time, true happiness can prevail.

Holy Basil back garden, copyright n.sandhu

A happier way of life with less work hangovers.

I really feel like the time we take to restore our energy after work is a part of the work itself.  Let's call it a work hangover...you just lose a certain amount of productive time because you over estimated your abilities to process the ____________ (whatever comes to mind). If you feel exhausted all the time, maybe it is time to think outside of the box when it comes to your income.