Persnickety Tutu

In a world where there is so much confusion and violence and instability I thought I'd take a moment to post this photo as to me it symbolizes the simplicity and beauty of love and friendship and peace.

This little monkey was abandoned by his mother and was dying in the wild when he was rescued and brought to a sanctuary. He was mending but seemed "spiritless" so the people at the sanctuary put this pigeon in with him to keep him company. He attached himself to the pigeon and they have been inseparable ever since. He is doing remarkably well now.

May we all find the ability to reach out to those who need us and share ourselves in a more meaningful and more connected way...

Love is love.

I tend to get very soulful and quiet when Fall sets in and the air changes, the nights grow cooler and the smell of burning wood from neighbor's fireplaces wafts out of chimneys and permeates my street.

Fall is my season. It is the one I was born into and the one that both soothes and heals me. With this in mind I have just come from buying music that best represents this change that occurs within me, this mood that sets in and consumes me at this time of year. I will turn 42 this coming Monday so this is my weekend to re-fuel and prepare for my season and this new year of lightness, discovery and adventure that I hope to have ahead of me.

I live by music. I have stacks and stacks of CD's that represent the many pieces of me, my insides, the corners and sharp edges that make me - me.

I am living Portuguese Fado music at present and am listening to Mariza in particular. Everything about it entices me and makes me feel alive, sensual and hungry. I hope some of you find this new music you're not familiar with and desire to have it in your collection, as I have.

I give you Mariza preforming my favorite - O Gente Da Minha Terra...

I am 42 today. I am in my skin, fiery, alive and empowered. 42 is going to be utterly fabulous, I just know it.

I'd be a fool not to acknowledge that the years have been very kind to me. I figured after all the crap I've been through these past few years I'd have aged like mad. Well, I have been incredibly lucky. I have my ancestors to thank for that. I bow to them for blessing me.

Getting older in many ways is, well, fairly delicious. I am looking forward to the years to come...

I celebrate all of my fellow Libra's today. May you all have a joyful anniversary of your birth!

"May we be free of torture, may there be peace in hearts and minds as our kindness spreads around the world. - The chant of Buddhist monks in protest in Myanmar

The power of the people is no small thing. My heart is heavy knowing what these brave and remarkable people are enduring right now. I stand united with them in spirit. Their voices are my voice. Their pleas are my own.

May peace and humanity prevail

I will admit that I am in a bit of a funk at present. I am officially funking.

It's not one thing, really. It's ten things all at once. It's work and family and friends and life and the deep and tender parts of me that I hide away from the world being re-tweaked and poked at.

When I get to funking I think of the places I've felt safest and happiest and most at peace. Funny how I almost always find myself back in a tub somewhere...

My favorite tub at my dad's house

I am seeking solace in poetry at present, as I always do really, and this poem in particular is resonating within me today. It is one of my favorites. I think we've all experienced this place, this feeling, at one time or another. I know it has meaning for me.

A life without poetry is a life without light. I can lose myself for hours in a good book of poetry. But then I live for words...

Desire

I wanted when I died
my name carved
on that hardest of monuments
your heart of
stone.

So I taught my second restorative yoga class yesterday. I did a day long yoga therapeutics workshop at City Yoga on Saturday and then taught my class last night. I have to say it all just feels really yummy to me. While I sell my class as a bliss experience for my students, and they keep telling me it is (I thank them for that), I get as much out of it as they do. Sharing myself with my students is a joyful experience for me. I get to step out of my own sometimes crazy world and just be there for them. This is a good thing.

I had a student tell me after class last night that I massage the places on the body most people overlook. I had my students in a supported Savasana (bolster or stack of blankets supporting the back), the most restful pose, and I gave them all head, neck and ear massages. I know I love this myself so I am happy to do it for my students - truly. I even incorporate some acupressure into my adjustments as I know how amazing it feels. I can't even begin to tell you how rewarding it is to feel someone's energy settle and to feel them relax and let go. After all the training and investment in this part of my life I have to say I have not one regret. It is is all so wonderfully worth it.

Once upon a time this little tutu realized she wanted to be a teacher. She also knew she wanted to help heal people and provide them with a little comfort and care. It's amazing what we can achieve when we just dive in.

May we all allow a little more bliss into our lives. We deserve it!

There is a little girl in India who was born with a condition called Ischiopagus. Her mother bore a twin who died in the womb and little Lakshmi absorbed what was left of her twin. When Lakshmi was born several years ago she was named after the beautiful Hindu goddess Lakshmi, who herself was multi-limbed. Little Lakshmi has become revered by many as a deity.

She is just now undergoing an incredible operation that could possibly free her of the extra limbs and organs and turn her into a fairly normal little girl.

I'd like to think she is a miracle child. Perhaps she is touched by the goddess Lakshmi in some small way. Why not? Life is rich with oddities and complexities that we can never fully comprehend. And a little girl with an amazing smile might lose the extra limbs she was born with, but I think she's a perfectly beautiful being as she is.

Be well small goddess.

If a friend of yours who was in a relationship, with someone you liked no less, continued to try and pick up other people and use you to do so, would you go along with it? Would you enable that person? Would you go along out of some sense of loyalty? Would you stand by them as they set out to hurt another human being who was unaware of what they were doing or would you tell them to knock it off?

I pose this question because this question was presented to me recently and after mindfully thinking about this I am damn clear that I am not someone who could do such a thing. I say nay. I believe in living an honorable life and I pride myself on my integrity. Lead by example, I say. And do unto others, right? And be careful when you dance with Karma: she's tricky.

My thinking is when you support someone you know is being deceitful, hurtful or cruel you are, in fact, a co-conspirator. Think on that for a minute. That calls your own integrity into question and I believe it shows a lack of honor. Seriously.

In a world so filled with deception and greed, I think we all, every one of us, has an obligation to set the bar higher for ourselves and those around us. I do not mean casting judgment on others or somehow saying we are better than anyone else. We are all flawed beings, after all. But that does not mean we have to accept being less than we are to help support those around us do bad things. That's just f *cked up.

I am now wise enough to know I can only have people in my life that I trust and feel safe with. I would hope if I were to stray off my path and wander into troubled or dangerous waters my friends would not follow me into the choppy seas but rather encourage me to find my way back to still waters. Stilling one's mind is no easy task. There will always be temptations and desires that can turn even the strongest of us into broken and self destructive people if we aren't more careful and self aware. We are not responsible for anyone else's behavior...NO. We are responsible for looking ourselves in the mirror at the end of every day and taking responsibility for what we see.

Encourage light, not darkness.

On the path to peace we are the masters of our own journey. I say make each step a mindful one...

And often when you find that you are really pretty damn happy just being on your own - there it is. Funny thing that.

And perhaps it's because you are finally so blissfully content on your own that you are actually in a place to enjoy it for what it is. And really, shouldn't these things be that simple?

Sometimes they are...

From my home to yours, I wish you only the most wondrous of things that Christmas can bring. For me it is having these two little beasties beside me. The simple things are often the most magnificent.

Be Peace...

Kathy

Benazir Bhutto, the only woman to have ever been Prime Minister of a Muslim country, was brutally assassinated this morning as she was trying to bring democracy back to Pakistan. Pakistan was her country. I am in tears that heartless and faithless cowards could take away such a bright shining light and such an outspoken supporter of the people at a time when the people of Pakistan so desperately need her.

May your message continue to be heard through the voices of the people who stood beside you and may your lightness of being continue to be felt by those you left behind. The world has lost yet another brave spirit and as a woman I have lost one of my heroes and I have so few of them.

I hope that in my lifetime I can live with even one ounce of the courage that this determined and remarkable woman has shown.

LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY

Ah, the year is coming to a close and the birth of a new one is just round the corner. Can't you just taste the juiciness of all that this new year can offer you? When you close your eyes can't you see the light coming through, the adventures laid out before you, feel your heart wanting to break wide open?

I can....

Namaste,
Kathy

And may I just suggest that you all donate to the organizations and charities that you believe in and support. I have just donated to
Doctor's Without Borders (for my soul), ASPCA (for my heart) and KCRW here in Los Angeles (for my mind).

Pay it forward...

Regardless of who you might plan on voting for in the next Presidential election you must admit that the fact that one party has a black man and a woman as its potential leaders is, well, pretty damn amazing. I am reminded that anything is possible in this country of mine if we allow ourselves the opportunity to use our voices and our vote to make a change. Race and gender have nothing to do with intelligence, integrity and strength. This is what I was raised to believe and I feel blessed to have had a father who used his voice to fight for equal rights for all and became a trail blazer as a professor on the Brown University Campus.

I am my father's daughter.

My very first boyfriend from childhood sent me this video today. He knew I'd appreciate it. I do...

The message is universal and incredibly powerful.

Yes, We Can.

We've all heard about those people who wake up one morning and realize that the lives that they have been living no longer feel authentic or organic to them. So, they start taking radical steps to create the lives they have always wanted for themselves. We've all heard that old lovely tale, right?

Well, I am one of those people. My name is Kathy.

In keeping with another fellow blogger who has decided to promote his charity on his blog, I thought it important that I take this time to do the same as I have long supported several causes that mean a great deal to me and so I thought that I would share them with you.

Here's a little taste of who I am and what I believe in:

ASPCA - Because it is our responsibility to take care of the wee creatures who cannot fend for themselves. I put my money where my mouth is and donate to them every year.

Doctors Without Borders - Because these fine men and women fight the good fight all over the world and are often the first on scene to provide medical care for those in need and do an utterly brilliant job at that. I feel great pride in giving what I can to these fine and noble medical professionals. I'd love to volunteer to work with them if I could find a way to do so. Just brilliant.

American Red Cross - Because during every American disaster I can think of they have been there making the difference for many between life and death. Their help is utterly immeasurable.

U.S. Campaign for Burma - Because I support the monks and people of Burma and when the men in saffron risk their lives to defend democracy- I pay attention. They are new to me, and I have some reading to do, but so far I am impressed.

There a few others that I am planning on getting involved with and some involve the country of Guatemala, which has become a place that I hold close to my heart. Once I have committed myself, I will post about them as well.

If you find that you support these noble causes as well please donate! And if you have others that are just as meaningful to you as mine are to me then donate to them instead. We can all make a difference...

Be peace,

Kathy

Some of you know that I've been dealing with estate hell and an unstable party (and that's being crazy kind, trust me) for four years now. And some of you know the toll it has taken on me over the years. It hasn't been easy, let me tell you...

Well, it's over.

On Wednesday things were finally settled and one chapter of my life came to a quiet close. And after the fact my brother and I, along with the executor and all of our lawyers, went out and partied it up at Aidan's, my favorite Irish pub here in Rhode Island.

DAMN BLOODY STRAIGHT!

I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned about myself over the course of these four years since my father passed away. What I can tell you right now is that I have come to appreciate the small things in life and have learned to have more patience than I ever thought was possible. I know my father would be proud. Everything I've done was in honor of what he wanted and what he stood for. I am my father's daughter...

Good things ahead! And there is a screenplay percolating in my brain about all of this. Oh yes...

Yoga and travel have been my therapy. One can find salvation in the stillness of a pose or the beauty of a sunset over the rooftops of Antigua. I know I have.

And thanks to those people in my life who have been there for me and stood by me whilst this madness unfolded. I bow to you for being my rocks, my lifelines and my ears to bend on the days the darkness seeped in. I value you far more valuable than the most precious of metals. You have been as important to me as air itself.

I feel big changes a comin', my fine and illustrious people. I can be anything now. Oh, you just wait and see...

Closure is a beautiful thing.

I'm seriously digging on my new CD by Yael Naim. She's this wonderful French-Israeli singer/songwriter who sings in French, English and Hebrew on her new self-titled album. My favorite music gal over at Amoeba records recommended it to me a couple of days ago and I've been listening non-stop ever since. Get it!

Here's a seriously feel good and whimsical video of her song
New Soul. Couldn't we all use a little lightness of being right about now?

I am thoughtful in my decisions and as I will always stand beside those who fight for their right to freedom and freedom of expression, I stand with Reporters Without Borders in their call to boycott the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Beijing. China has not adhered to the promises that were made when they were granted the great honor of hosting the Olympic games in Beijing. Human rights are still being violated and the press is being banned from covering what is taking place there. I will NOT support those who foster the repression of their people.

Call me a wacky chick.

I will, however, always support the brilliant athletes who have worked hard at becoming the very best of the best and I celebrate them regardless of the situation at hand. May they be free, safe and honored for their great efforts and achievements.

Just a little personal freedom of expression here. Bloody damn good thing I have it...

~Freedom for all~

I'm back in LA and feeling out of sorts. I am realizing I crave a simpler life and getting out into LA traffic today really pissed me off! I have a wall full of expensive handbags and in Guatemala I am happiest using my $5 handmade native cloth bag that slings across my body and is a little slip of a thing. Funny how you gain perspective when you step out of your box and allow yourself to slowly adapt to another culture. It also makes you appreciate more fully the things you have back in your daily world and how many of them are not really all that important after all...

When you are a real traveler you take on bits of where you've been. You become a fuller person rich with colors and tastes and smells and experiences from other lands.

I am full tonight.

I have so many photos to share but to me this one best captures how I feel. I am a work in progress. I am slowly trying to strip away the sharp and twisty bits and go deeper into the grit, the meat of things. In this moment, in this room in Guatemala, I was filled with wonder, peace, anticipation and a sense of abandon.

~Some moments are just so terribly delicious.~

I am utterly imperfect. And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way...

A friend from Slow Travel proposed today that we write our travel memoirs using only six words to do so. What a great challenge! Without even putting too much thought into it these words came to me and I realize how much they resonate inside me.

I have been incredibly blessed on my journey's and have always been welcomed with open arms. My friend Deet said something that really made me think the other day when I was parting ways with her in Antigua, Guatemala. Just as we were saying goodbye she told me that no matter where I go, I always make friends. And I realized that she's right. I do.

And so, I bring you my travel memoir in six words:

~Wherever she goes, doors open wide~

Thank you, Deborah, for giving me the idea which then became my mirror and a means to really look at how far I've come and how so many have opened their doors, homes and hearts to me. I must be doing something right...

The cyclone that hit Myanmar, formerly Burma, has taken over 100,000 lives and they are saying well over one MILLION more have been affected. What I find reprehensible is that the people of Myanmar did not know about the cyclone heading towards them from their own government. The few that knew it was coming only heard reports far too close to the storm actually hitting and those reports were from foreign outlets only. The government of Myanmar let its people down and now the rest of the world is being called upon to help assist those who has been devastated by this natural disaster. To add insult to injury the government is not letting many of the relief workers in so relief efforts are going slowly. What a complete and utter travesty.

News sources are saying the damage is far greater than even that of the Tsunami that greatly affected Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India back in 2004. Something must be done. Much of the area is still under water. Can you imagine what it must be like to live through that? Unfathomable...

I will be donating to relief efforts and most likely give extra money to Doctors Without Borders, my staple source and where I go when I want to contribute to the greater good. They fight the good fight. And yes, they are there making a difference right now!

If you'd like to contribute to the relief efforts Network For Good has a really extensive list of reputable charities who are helping to make a difference.

If you can't give financially, well then perhaps give of yourself on some other level to help those in need right now. There are many ways to give, after all. Be creative.

And on a personal note may I just add that those involved in the relief efforts are the real heroes in this. They are risking their lives to help those in desperate need and are doing so without thought of personal gain or safety. They make the world a better place. To me this is what heroism actually means. We should all be more mindful about throwing the word HERO around. It should only be reserved for those who truly warrant the title.

It's our world, folks. We all have the choice to make a difference.

When I made the decision to take time out of my work life and invest in my yoga training I did it with a sort of blind optimism. I had just gotten to the point where it occurred to me that my life was, well, happening NOW, and that it was about time I created the kind of life that really turned me on, filled me with a sense of excitement and hope. I wanted to wake up every day with a feeling of joyfulness, not just acceptance.

I have no regrets. Best damn money I ever spent. Truly.

In honor of this Independence Day I would like to take a moment to celebrate Ingrid Betancourt's release as a hostage in Columbia and her safe return to her native France. She is a reminder to me of how fragile our freedom can be and how beautiful it is to be able to walk this earth as free and loved individuals. After being held captive for years she is still able to have a brightness to her, a playfulness and an ability to express real gratitude and joy with a beautiful smile all the while emanating a lightness of being.

I am humbled by her strength and open-heartedness.

Happy Independence Day. May we all take pause and remember how incredibly lucky we are to be free...