Playlist: Don’t Forget to Breathe

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This song has been on one of my yoga instructor’s playlists all summer—and in my head (in a good way!) for just as long.

From the first strum of Alexi Murdoch’s guitar in that first downward-facing dog of the day, I can feel the stress just slide off of my body. Ahhh . . . the beauty of deep, slow, complete breaths.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making space in my busy day for more deep inhales and exhales. 

For the Birds

This morning, just as everyone seemed to be getting out the door and on with their day, the skies opened up. The street went from speckled to soaked in an instant. And those rumbles in the distance? Not the garbage truck. You could practically hear the collective “aw, sh*t” across the eastern half of the state.

Except for the birds. They were lovin’ it. While stopped at a red light, I watched a posse of sparrows hopping and flapping and splashing in a giant curbside puddle. To them, the morning rainstorm was pure delight.

I need the rain. It reminds me to appreciate the sunshine and the flowers. That brighter days always lie ahead. It nourishes the trees that provide shade on my lunchtime walks and brings a twinkle to their leaves, which will soon turn fiery shades of orange, yellow, and red. I need the snowfall. It reminds me that warmer days will come. I need the hazy, hot, and humid days to remind me that a break is always just around the corner. I need it all.

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, then New England’s widely varying weather should be a source of comfort and peace of mind to its inhabitants.

Long story short: I simply refuse to complain about the weather. Sure, it gets me down sometimes, but a rainy day is just that. A day. It passes and I move forward. That’s the nature of nature.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because my happily ever after has four seasons. (Photo by doortoriver via Creative Commons.)

Gratitude Roundup: Summer Lovin’

Alas, (not to be confused with  “at last”) it’s fall. Sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes are just around the bend. Scarves, too. (I love scarves!) And even though the calendar still says we have two more weeks of summer, I’ll always associate September 1 with fall’s unofficial start. Maybe it’s the latent meteorologist in me . . .

But before I usher in autumn, I must pay homage it its spunky little sister. This year’s summer was filled with things to love, both big and small. Such as: 

• Park trips aplenty with the pups and my beloved
• My best pal moving back east
• An indulgent, two-hour yin + vinyasa workshop with YogaThree’s Chanel Luck and Bonnie Argo
• Upleveling my life with creativity coach extraordinaire, Christine Kane
• An outdoor yoga class in the DeCordova sculpture park
• Learning how to hold ’em and fold ’em
• A new car (after a year-plus of being a one-car family)
• Hosting a fancy-pants dinner party at the Liberty Hotel (even though the hotel lost our flowers)
• My hair got crazy long
• Perfecting the art of cold-brewed iced coffee (thanks to smallnotebook)
• Front-row seats to see Willie Nelson at the House of Blues (and access, to the fancy-pants Foundation Lounge)
• Laughing in yoga classes with Boston’s omgal, Rebecca
• Cupcakes and iced coffee on the porch of a yellow Victorian with my best pal
• Discovering lovely, serene sittin’ spots around town
• Getting my geek on with this uber-addictive card game
• Digging my toes in the sand while sitting beneath my beach umbrella
• Taking lunchtime walks and snapping photos (like the one above) on my cell phone
• Falling in love with croonsmith Ray LaMontagne
• Playing bocce (win!) and mini golf (let’s not talk about that score)
• A leisurely, cloudy morning spent at a harborside coffee shop (with a new notebook in tow)
• A foodie gift bag from a friend, which included the most lovely jar of dandelion honey from Italy
• Trying new flavors at the ice cream stand up the street from my house (graham central—yum!)
• Eating raspberries in the parking lot at Russell Orchards, fresh from the field, still warm from the sun

I’m a simple pleasures kinda gal. Sure, a week on an island would have been lovely. But my memory of those raspberries is priceless . . .

"That much gathers more is true on every plane of existence."                                                                     --Charles Haanel

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because, so often, the little things can add up to something spectacular. 

Quotation: On Slowing Down

"There is much to be done; therefore, we must proceed slowly."                                                                                        --Buddha

It's a three-day weekend. Slow down. Hit the park. Pick up a book. Take a nap. Do yoga. Buy an ice cream cone. Whatever feeds your soul.

Prioritize. Nurture yourself now so that you've got the energy to get things done later.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because being busy and being productive are not the same thing. (Photo by Ed Yourdon via Creative Commons.)

V Is for Velocity

I saw the cutest thing on my drive into work this morning . . .

A little boy with a big, new LL Bean backpack was walking to his first day of school, holding his mom’s hand. His sandy blond head turned side to side as he waved at each and every person in his path. It was adorable to see just how proud—and excited—this little boy was to begin his big adventure

So, there he was, this radiant bundle of potential. And there I was, stopped in a line of traffic and waiting for the crossing guard to escort all the kiddos across the street. I had a choice: I could grumble about the delay (Ugh, school’s back in session. Nine more months of all this traffic.) or I could wave back and smile at the little rock star.

I waved and smiled.

Cheering him on, if only from the confines of my car, is so much more productive—for him and for me. It’s an energetic exchange. Like a flock of geese flying in formation: the honking offers encouragement and the flapping creates the velocity to soar.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because mindsets and outlooks can use a little cleaning up, too. Right? (Photo by Daquella manera via Creative Commons.)

Good Boy

 A coworker who’s involved in dog rescue posted something on our intranet that caught my attention. It was about a Navy Seal who’s also a photographer in Iraq and was looking for pet food donations to help care for the countless stray cats and dogs who were hanging around—and winning the soldiers’ hearts. That’s him in the photo above with a couple of the pups.

People and animals alike, there are so, so many in this world who need a helping hand. I wish I could do more to help everyone. For now, a grassroots plea will have to do.

Can you help?

Here’s what’s needed:

• Cat food*
• Dog food*
• Heartgard
• Frontline
• Medicated shampoo

*Dry food should be emptied into a durable plastic garbage bag and sealed tightly. It’s a good idea to also include the label from the packaging.

Note: Collars and leashes are a no-no. It’s a death sentence for the animal if an Iraqi soldier knows an animal is being cared for by Americans. (That’s just wrong.) 

Perhaps you have some cat food in your cupboard that your finicky feline won’t eat. Or maybe you wouldn’t mind picking up an extra bag or two of pet food when you’re at the store. Or perhaps your vet would have some food or supplies to donate. The flat-rate box cost $11.95 to ship—not so bad, considering how far away it’s going.

The address is:

MC1 Jayme Pastoric SOTF-W DET RAMADI Unit 43501 FPO AP 09367-3501

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."                                   --Margaret Mead

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making space on the ol' to-do list so that a few sweet furry creatures might be able to live happily ever after. (Photo from Jayme Pastoric's Facebook page)

There Are Heroes in the Seaweed

Wednesday afternoon, my Power Lunch reading buddy bobbed her way through the school lunch line, a smiling whirl of braids and barettes, and presented me with an orange tissue paper flower attached to a popsicle stick.

The flower looked like the type you'd find adorning a platter of sweet & sour chicken at a Chinese food buffet. It's the sort of thing I would have slipped into my pocket and brought home with me when I, too, was 8 years old. In fact, I still hold on to pretty scraps of this and that. Colorful strips of satin ribbon and lightly creased slips of pretty tissue paper dominate my collection of gift wrap. Odds and ends that make their way to me among the everyday jumble.

"Did you see the news?" she asked me as we climbed the stairs to the library. I had, of course--and knew the exact story she was referring to: the major earthquake that hit her family's native home of Haiti just the day before. I'd seen the coverage online. The wreckage and chaos. An immense amount of sadness. The phone lines were all down, so her parents weren't able to get through to their relatives. I cannot imagine.

When I got back to the office, I spent some time online reading about the aftermath and the relief efforts and the countless people who had risen to the occasion, helping in whatever way they can. Indeed, beauty has a way of presenting itself in heartfelt gestures among the ruins.

 "And she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers."                                                                                                                --Leonard Cohen

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--one heartfelt gesture at a time--to live happily ever after.

On New Year's Resolutions and the Soul of 9

I've always loved the new year and its promise of a fresh start. Ironically though, I've been making the same resolutions for the better of 20 years now. Eat more vegetables. Watch less TV and read more books. Get more exercise and more sleep. Write more and submit my work for publication. 

I'd outline grand and precise plans in these areas, all designed to help me succeed. And then, when I'd get the slightest bit off track, I'd cast that goal aside and move on to something I could accomplish. Like watching every episode of House Hunters and What Not to Wear or walking to get a vanilla soft-serve cone with rainbow sprinkles on top for dinner.

I'm not lazy--nor am I a slacker. But I've always had trouble sticking with things. Even things that I enjoy. Turns out, it's my Soul of 9 that's holding me back.

Let me back up a bit: A few weeks ago, my kundalini yoga teacher was talking about the 10 bodies--a way of understanding and restoring balance in your life. Tantric numerology offers a window into our own bodies. Ever the curious one, I went online, entered my birthdate, and out popped my tantric reading.

My soul number--which identifies what's at the core of my consciousness--is a 9. It says that I'm very hard on myself (yep) and that I have a tendency to give up on things after a short period of time rather than sticking with them and mastering them (yep). It goes on to explain that, "without mastery, life is a mystery" to me and that "my joy in life will come from mastering things." On the one hand, I feel like this is just generic enough to apply to most all of us; but I have enough experiential evidence to know that my internal critic is snarkier than most.

So, how can I overcome this? The numerology report recommended a 1,000-day meditation. Just seeing the words "1,000 day" made me want to reach for the remote and flip on HGTV. But the perfectionist in me isn't willing to give up quite that easily this time.

After years and years of resolving to do all of these lofty and ambitious things and only making marginal success, I've decided to change my approach. In the spirit of Christine Kane's Resolution Revolution, my goal for 2010 is simply to finish.

Finish. That's it. Just one word. The goal being to infuse anything and everything that I aspire to with this intention. Those unread and partly read books on my shelves? Finish. My to-be-written essay ideas? Finish. My desire to eat vegan for two meals each day? Finish. My plans to run a 5k? Finish. You get the picture.

With just one word to aspire to, there's no room for drama, backstory, or excuses. Just do it.

"Don't fear the long road."                                                                                              --Michael Franti, Never Too Late

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because less is more--especially when it comes to setting a clear New Year's resolution. (Photo by Flowery L*u*z*a* via Creative Commons.)

All the Details

It has been a week of simple pleasures--the type of things that, all too often, I take for granted. Such as . . .

• Marveling at the clean blanket(s) of snow
• Accompanying Inky on his Caring Canines visit
• Buying holiday presents for a child whom I've never meet
• Enjoying the glow of my beautiful Christmas tree
• Cozying up on the couch with a loved one (pups nearby)
• Making breakfast for dinner (accompanied by a glass of malbec)
• Devouring my homemade calzone (even better the next day)
• Rearranging my end tables
• Adding 2010 plans to my cute new agenda book
• Accomplishing a big professional goal at work
• Fortifying myself with fresh-squeezed orange juice
• Savoring a bowl of tomato soup with parmesan croutons on a cold winter's night
• Receiving my first holiday card of the season
• Discovering a new (to me) musical group: the Vitamin String Quartet
• Making yoga + brunch plans with a good friend
• Attending my first kundalini yoga class with the gong
• Staying healthy (knock on wood and take my vitamins)
• Laughing together (oh, hello ab muscles)

How about you? What are some of the little pleasures that you've been taking for granted?

"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life."                                                                                                                     --William Morris

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because everyday things can be pretty special, too.

Should We Talk About the Weather?

One of my least favorite topics of conversation is the weather--only because it's usually riddled with complaints. Too hot, too cold, too sunny, too grey. I do my best to avoid ganging up on Mother Nature, even though she can be a tempramental lady sometimes. Occasionally though, she's a saint--delivering us an unexpected, gorgeous day.

Today was 72 degrees and sunny. Today. December 3. In New England. Oh, Mother Nature, I could kiss you for this unexpected treat. I (almost) don't care what tomorrow brings. Or the next day. Those torrential downpours this morning on the dog walk are a distant memory. Because today I ate my lunch outside. In a short sleeve shirt.

New England: this is why I love you!

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilirating; there really is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."                                                                                                                       --John Ruskin

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--mentally and physically--to live happily ever after . . . no matter the weather forecast. (Photo by David L. Ryan/Boston Globe staff.)