It's Official

Winter is here and amazingly I made it this long...snow last week, freezing rain over the weekend, and yes Blaise-I hate you with your e-mail about hanging out by the pool in 80 degree weather writing today-, but I have fully pulled out the boots.

I was looking forward to a new year with new boots (Blaise gifted me with her furry beauties when she moved to Tx and clearly stated she would no longer be needing them). I tried, I really did. But they are about 1- 1/2 sizes too big and if it isn't enough that I already get teased relentlessly for living in boots 7 months out of the year, try doing it when every step you take makes a large plopping sound (remember wearing your dad's shoes when you were young? Yeah kind of like this). So sorry Blaise, but I wore them for a week and got blisters and many jokes directed towards me and finally passed them off to another size niner then broke out the 6 yr old boots that I have been wearing, well, since 6 years ago.

Here's to winter. Remember, spring comes based not on Groundhog day and whether he sees his shadow or not, but on when Lisa puts the boots back on the top shelf of the closet for the season, and I wouldn't hope for much before April. Settle in for another one...unless your Blaise and sitting by the pool in Austin!


Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. ~Author Unknown

Every life is a blessing

It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth -- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up -- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

When is your last day? You will never know but perhaps a reminder that life is truly short, is a life you loved, lost to you. My cousin John died today. Our lives our limited, what we share with the world while we are here is our greatest opportunity. And my most beautiful memory is of pictures my Aunt shared with me while John was in Yoga training. Pictures of him bending and stretching like a true yogi. And so he was. My deepest dedication to him would be 'NAMASTE'. Even in his passing the light in me recognizes the light that lives within him and I am grateful for this deep, if even painful reminder; life is precious and not to be taken for gran-tide.

Thank you John, Your life was a blessing!

Painting is like gardening

Well not really at all actually. But I have to find some way to tie together what I am doing with my garden right? And that is what I am doing (painting), or rather, that is what I did all day today, and what I will be doing all day tomorrow, after what I propose will be a terribly painful trip to Ikea (sorry Sarah, it may seem sacrilege but I do NOT love Ikea).

All of these things are so exciting of course, the painting and even the dreaded trip to Ikea are for my new space 'The OM Collective' which I most recently blogged about. Balance has moved out and the OM is moving in and there is nothing in the space. After 6 years at Balance being in the space in this way is scary and yet exhilarating.



Not more than two days ago this empty room was filled with stuff, all a part of what Balance was, and now it has nothing, all a part of what will become 'The OM Collective'.

"One creates from nothing. If you try to create from something you're just changing something. So in order to create something you first have to be able to create nothing. "
-- Werner Erhard

I love this quote, and I intend for this to become my focus for fall/winter. Gardening is behind me, for the season of cold is upon us, yes it is. My empty pots are proof of that (they are still on the fence outside because they are damn heavy and neither Matt or I want to carry them down the stairs)



The pots have nothing in them, the perennials have been cut back to nearly nothing, the leaves cover everything and my garden is in hibernation. Do you want to read about nothing? This could be a very elevated blog if it was about nothing, or terribly boring, or just empty. I would post every day, nothing. Easy enough, if I have nothing to write, than nothing is ever left unwritten. But...



I have plenty to write and I do not need to go into hibernation like my perennials. SO what is gardening after all? When I checked I found this sweet description....a fertile and delightful spot or region. How perfect, my new fertile spot is my new space. Ahhh, a sigh of contentment.

I have a spot. One that is mine to develop, nurture, water, and shine light on, and at the perfect time, just when my garden needs to sleep. This will keep me busy, but I promise to write, let you know all of what is happening in my new fertile spot, and of course, how all of it relates to my life. And no need to even change the title of my blog, I am a novice gardener, I think I always will be, there will always be something to create from nothing. And every time it will be different, so it is like starting fresh with each new delightful unknown.

In the moment I allow that I know nothing, I allow myself to know all.

OM for one and OM for all

Life can change at a rapid rate. I am experiencing this. Not more than 45 days ago I posted this I find that what I always thought- being a partner at Balance Fitness Studio- is not happening.

I thought I would have to go out on my own, which felt so lonely. Though I want to build my own business, focused on Wholeness, accessible for every one, I still desire connection and interaction with others that have the same vision. My heart's desire has been answered.

In an unbelievable turn of events, I will be leasing the current Balance space with 3 other women. All mothers, all nurturers, all entrepreneurs, dedicated to wellness and community.

We are the OM collective. We have created a space for all independent teachers of varying disciplines to come in and guide their students to living a full life.

We are also going to have a healing room for people to practice massage, breath work, Reiki, and Ayurveda. Hello, this will be what I head up! It is my path. The build out will happen in a few months and in the interim the four of us are getting to know each other (easily) discovering that we all have a similar vision and this flower is just beginning to open, in the fall no less!

I can't wait to share more with you as this unfolds, and of course I haven't been in my garden yet, because this has taken up much of my time.

I promise to give the full low down of our collective OM experience as well as my garden consolidation in the next week. I wanted to share this news because my heart is soaring.

I am not alone, a single daisy in a vase; instead I am what I have always wished, a bright blast of Echinacea, next to the Lilies, next to the Roses, next to the Zinnias. I am not only one beauty to behold, but a part of the greater beauty, the garden. I am my own, and yet I am all!

All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.
-Swami Vivekananda

Thanks, and thanks!

I got this in the mail today! I was so excited, and I am so grateful. Thank you dad for this gift. After finding this magazine he thought I might be interested and subscribed me. How awesome, perusing is has made me think that I make take a break from all the stuff I have been doing recently to get my company growing and get back to my garden growing tomorrow. It has felt a bit neglected me thinks, and it will do some good to get outside, commune with nature, revive my creativity, and release some stress. More on how this turns out tomorrow!

I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.
- William Shakespeare

Fall=Change

We have defintely entered the fall season...the weather has changed, I still don't have any tomatoes, but my autumn fire seedams are bright and beautiful. I have been quite successful this season with perinnals and annuals, not so much with the veggie garden, but another year awaits us and I am sure that my knowledge and experience will allow for a growth year in 2011. Fall offers us change, and change offers us growth. I am sure that many of my plantings will have the opportunity to hibernate and next year become even more than they were this year.

Funny though as I enter a growth stage there isn't much hibernating happening. I have moved away from my involvement with Balance Fitness studio and am working on expanding my own brand Sante' Fitness. This comes with a lot of work. And a lot of uncertanity. What will come of my new endeavor? And as I enter into so much change I find that many of the things I was certain of before I now doubt.

Like:
Can I engage the students I need to sign up?
Do I have the ability to succeed on my own?
Will I be able to handle the logistics, and day to day pieces of my company?

It is so challenging to go out on your own and try something new.

And yet, this year I did that with my garden. I pulled up grass, planted new things, they are growing. I set up a veggie garden, this didn't go as planned but things are still growing there, even if they aren't veggies. My garden offered me some beautiful results and some ho-hum results but I never would have known if I hadn't tried.
And there are many things growing in my garden that experts said might not grow, which I contribute to tenacity in the plant.

So what is my tenacity in this time of change? Can I flow with it? Can I build my brand and my company and see growth, despite what the experts say?

I believe I can if I have some clear goals and I do!

1. I want to offer health and wellness at an affordable price point
2. I want a brilliant and beautiful life available to all
3. I want to offer this to others and get paid well for my services
4. I want to support you in loving your life, and your body
5. I want to inspire you to live your best life and inspire others to do the same

I have a few things in the cooker to move me forward in this direction and I look to my garden, many of the things I have planted that have grown so much this summer and I wonder, after a winter of quiet where will you be? I am assured that they will grow to a larger magnitude next year. And I am assured the same of myself during this time of change. It might be challenging at first, it might be lean and cold and bitter for a bit, but by next year, things will be blossoming and I will be in a rapid state of growth and my dreams of impacting the lives of others for the better will be a reality!

I find that what I always thought- being a partner at Balance Fitness Studio- is not happening. And so I must be willing to grow in another spot other than the one I had planted myself in. And I believe that with a clear set of goals I will grow wherever I am. It might take some time to re-root myeslf but change can equal growth if you wish it to. And I am courageous, I will grow wherever I am.

Grow where you are planted- Unknown

If your counting...42 days

42 days, that is quite possibly most of the summer. And I thought I was doing so well. Here is what happens; life. And then you get so far away from all of it (your garden, your blog, your friends) when you finally take a look everything needs a bit of watering and weeding. First let me apologize that I haven't watered you by checking in, second let me say I haven't done much weeding, so my mind is filled with clutter and lots of unneeded growth. Third, please forgive me if I unload all of this clutter on you at one time.

Let me note that while I didn't win my fight I was spectacular and offered an exclusive invitation to fight at next years world championships. Consider yourself invited if you wish to be there! Since that amazing day, my life has turned in many different directions, which has of course led to my absence blog side.

There are some parts of my life in upheaval. I have planned for A the last 5 years and now I have learned that A is not possible and I must go after B. The only problem in this is that I didn't have B planned. So I am feeling a bit like a re-plant in my garden.

I believe that life throws curve balls to wake you up. I am waking up. This doesn't mean I haven't been a bit lost, and things aren't blurry, but my eyes are opening to more possibilities every day. If this seems a bit vague, it is as it is must be.

Last week a monarch butterfly was hanging about my back garden. She was there ALL day and I asked myself, "where did you come from, how did you make it here, why do you stay"?



And then the next day, she was gone. And I realized I must ask myself the same questions, and in the tomorrow, I will be gone. Change is inevitable. We need to ask ourselves some vital questions. Where did we come from? Why are we here/how did we get here? And why do we stay?

When something no longer loves us up and expands our growth, why indeed do we stay? Because we are comfortable? Not a great reason to remain; a frog placed in cold water over a stove stays because it is comfortable, and as the heat increases never jumps because they always maintain a certain amount of comfort. At least until their cooked... and I am eating their legs (at that point they probably don't care) But I don't want any one to eat my legs so, I'm going to jump!

I prefer to be the butterfly that flits/floats for a day, and then moves on. And so I will, and I promise more....give me some time!

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown