the exhale

moments of stillness
(of calm
of peace
of deep exhale)
found in a quiet place
are not how we challenge ourselves
in our practice 
to be awake
mindful
present.

but they are, without question, incredibly precious.

ahhh ~

' a happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, 

for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet 

that true joy dare live.'

as much as i love christmas, i really love the day after christmas... the quiet that seems to settle... i love being around family and friends, laughter, talking... but i get overstimulated... i can be a creature of solitude - in as solitude a way as a mom of 3 can be... on a day like today, i am happy to hear the kids chattering and helping each other... i am around, i give hugs and kisses, make food, but not talking if i don't need to... i crave quiet at times... that's why i love my walks so much... 


we have a storm again this weekend, but this time the snow has been washed away... in 2 days the temps have risen about 30 degrees - it's in the mid 40s and windy... i can hear the chimes outside and the patter of rain on the windows... it seems just right... took em to work on the boardwalk and the waves are churning... but inside, i am not... in fact it is today that i am ready to create gifts for the friends who will get gifts from me... i don't create jewelry well under pressure to begin with - especially not for people i know... for whom i have to feel what i am doing... i was lucky in that i was able to make my nieces their necklaces - because that exchange is done on christmas eve and i couldn't go empty handed to them... 

for both i used butterflies from nancy schindler at roundrabbit ... one child is very delicate and girly... the other is fiesty... 

so they are similar but not the same... i love butterflies - how they symbolize change and growth..

these free spirit earrings were fun to make... when i tied the cloth onto the back from the top i worried that it looked a bit superhero cape-ish ... but you know what? that's ok... because it's all about flying and soaring to your own heights... i got some incredibly beautiful floss/yarn/fiber from sassa lynne's etsy shop... i love the colours ~ 

today we are going to see 'avatar' ... i am pretty excited about it... although i would like to keep the really low-key vibe of the day going, the kids have been waiting to see this... it should be fun... yesterday we watched 'the jungle book' ... santa brought it on dvd and it brought back so many wonderful memories... 'princess and the frog' is on our list too... it is done in traditional 2D animation... is set in new orleans... and oprah has a role? sounds like a winner to me... 

thank you for your lovely holiday wishes and commiserations on feeling overwhelmed as well... the encouragement shared... a gift indeed...

rock steady

'the more intensely we feel about an idea or goal,
the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious,
will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.'
- earl nightingale

'we can never obtain peace in the outer world
until we make peace with ourselves.'
- dalai lama

the past few weeks have been especially capital 'I' intense for a number of reasons... in that time, i have been unable to do any of my creative venturing, except for one little experiment ... & i am currently in withdrawal and hoping this week provides an opportunity for some 'me' time... this small copper charm is the single thing that was worked on... but has had more meaning than i had realized... it's been sitting on my table since i made it and viewed on a number of occasions just as a prompt for calm...

the importance of breath is a subject that is often discussed for many reasons... in anticipation, we 'hold our breath' or 'take a deep breath and jump'... these things create tension ... after having gotten through something difficult, we 'heave a sigh of relief' or exhale... this has a more relaxing effect... when we are trying to settle ourselves we inhale deeply and exhale slowly...taking 3 deep breaths can make you feel more aware and awake... being mindful of the breath can help you to be present... it is pretty amazing how quickly you can feel the physical change that accompanies the different types of breathing...

being present is where i need(ed) to be, being mindful of my breathing helped me through some 'challenges'... emotions become more calm and balanced, thinking is clearer, & even a moment of peace can be found... definitely an almost daily practice...

retrospectively, i think it was interesting that 'breathe' was the first word i choose to imprint into metal (with physical force - hammering it into my psyche?)... finding peace is a journey for me (& you i am sure) and this goes hand in hand with it...

two nights ago, i picked up the current copy of shambhala sun and was drawn into an article titled 'ready, steady, go'... it discusses how focusing the mind can have great advantages... it is very interesting and my ten word description pales if you are interested in the topic... 'the approach to harnessing our mind is by using the wind, or the breath.' ...

wind horse by beth hemmila

the author also shares info about tibetan warrior teachings...a concept called windhorse relates to vitality... while reading i immediately thought of beth's charm at hint... i have such respect for her ability to communicate a concept so simply and eloquently... i really could have one for all of my moods... but my lotus is a treasured friend... (i know material things are not supposed to have great significance, but i admit to my human frailty & tell you now i wear it daily)... i can feel in this charm, the meaning of the article, the power of the mind that can carry one forward in life when properly harnessed...

we enter the world with breath, we leave with its absence, and all of those inhalations & exhalations in between are opportunities to learn, helping us to find the inner peace that we so desire...