You are enough, You do enough, You have enough

Some days I am blank. Just blank. Don't know what to write and just feel absolutely stuck in the downtime of my afternoons when I'm trying to decide what to do next: write, watch a dvd for training ideas, tackle my to-do list, write a new to-do list!

Jane Green, I suppose I can say my favorite author (www.janegreen.com), updates her blog on facebook and her homepage almost daily. I'm so jealous of her ability to write so richly - she paints pictures with words about her life, her parties, her book signings, her bits of stress, her daily musings. A plus: She's so completely honest, and real, and down-to-earth, none of that I-am-almighty-stylishly-perfect-and-proper (though I think she is quite fantastic in many categories - can you tell?). I want to have tea with her everyday!

Instead of wishing I were Jane, or wishing I were building the charming house with the charming man (that's kind of a joke - I like my apartment, and I like my own fella) - I can be okay with me. I can be okay that when I opened Blogger to write, I had not a clue what I was going to say, but I just knew that writing would feed me in some way. I even thumbed through a couple "writing" books to give me some creative ideas, which would require a little more effort than 10 minutes, so afterall I wrote about my idol.

Funny how people pop into your life to remind you how to live:

*Jane Green's books and daily blog writing remind me to keep it real - live richly, love others deeply, stay true to yourself.

*A woman from the gym, Nura, whom I've not seen in forever, used to encourage me in a bright, loving, carefree way: "Caroline, do what you want to do - don't do what you should do. Life is too short."

*Becky Lewis, my favorite college professor, reminds me to write details - to keep up with the creative nonfiction - that everyone has a story to tell, and there's no right way or wrong way to tell it. To live and love courageously.

*Another woman I see weekly reminds me that all is well. Her presence is enough to confirm that the mystery of life and beauty of life go hand-in-hand. All is well.

And, a quote I found recently says it all:

You are enough.
You do enough.
You have enough.
All this comes by just being you. Present in the very moment.

*author unknown

July 4th - Honor your Independence!

Happy July 4th - America's Independence Day!

How lucky we are for July 4th to land on Friday this year - the perfect day to kick off the weekend - with BBQs, friends and family, perhaps a vacation day from work, and tonight - fireworks!

I'm teaching a yoga class this morning - my only piece of work for the day - Actually, I picked up one of my best friend's at the airport this morning at 5:45 - She flew in from Seattle for the weekend - she's been napping, so I've been enjoying the peace and quiet during the a.m. downtime. We have big plans today to catch up, go to a pool party and have a girls night.

Before all the fun festivities begin, I thought I'd connect the celebration of today with our "self" journey of independence.

Maybe you're just beginning an exercise routine like aerobics, yoga, running, cycling. Maybe you're contemplating adding exercise into your life. Maybe you are a regular practicioner of some sort of mind-body practice. My wish for you today is think about the sense of independence your mind-body practice can give you.

Wherever you are, and I'll use an old yoga philosophy here, start where you are. Again, whether you're an athlete, a yogi, an on-again-off-again exerciser, or a self-described couch potato, start where you are. Know that a mind-body movement practice can help you tune into your sense of autonomy, of wisdom, of intuition.

Think about your movement practice as a channel to dig deeper into your life experience - to become more familiar with recognizing your inner messages - physically, emotionally, spiritually. While this "digging deeper" can be a little scary for some people because it can bring up a flood of buried feelings never touched, the endorphins released from movement will elevate your mood enough, and essentially strengthen you enough, to be able to move forward, to gain a sense of self that wants to explore more, that can handle whatever waves of emotion come your way.

How does this tie into July 4th and Independence Day? Think about independence - what words or feelings pop up? Strong, all-knowing, steady, grounded, wise. At least, those are the words that come to my mind. I hope you can find this sense of strength - to know your heart's desires, your next step, when to say yes and no, when to want more, when to be okay with what you've got, when to bend and flex, when to plant yourself where you are.

While this strength starts from your inner experience, it can also mean inviting others along for the ride. The independence I'm defining here starts with your self, but then the lessons and wisdom you gain from loving yourself will allow you to be with others, to seek guidance from others, to teach others, to love others along your journey.

So, Happy Independence Day - My hope is for us all to continue to dig deeper, to strive for peace, to reach for fun and joy, to move through all the feelings, to honor the connection within your body and soul to live a strong, safe, peaceful, inspiring, deep and truthful life.

Let your light (or fireworks!) shine brightly today!

EDIN workshop

Writing with the Body: Words and Movement
Monday, July 21, 2008
7-8pm
EDIN’s Decatur office:
124 Church Street, Decatur, GA 30030
*free

Join FLOW Training for a workshop
combining gentle movement and writing.
Drawing or coloring is also an option.
Practice tuning into your mind-body connection.
Let your body and your heart speak.

*Bring your journal and yoga mat.

Connect with your body, connect with yourself, connect with others. FLOW Training offers a variety of fitness training and workshops focusing on connecting the body, self, breath and community. For more information:

FLOW Training
404.210.6752
carolineflow@gmail.com
www.mybodyflow.com

*For more information about EDIN (Eating Disorders Information Network), please visit www.myedin.org