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

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

Words & Movement: Let Your Body Tell Its Story

Words & Movement: Let Your Body Tell Its Story
Awaken Awareness, Conclude with Compassion, Dance through Life

Everyone’s body has a story to tell. As people transform into adults, they tend to lose touch with their inherent creativity and expressive nature. Somewhere along the way, most people lose their natural connection to their body and stay stuck in their heads. Imagine if everyone lived in their body and loved it! During the month of February, EDIN (Eating Disorders Information Network) is hosting Love Your Body Month. There will be a variety of events and workshops offered, which are described in detail on their Web site, www.myedin.org. One of the events planned for the month is a workshop that will allow people to re-awaken their connection to their bodies through movement and writing. The event is free and will be held February 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the YWCA at 957 N. Highland Ave. NE. Sandy Bramlett, a Nia blackbelt instructor, will lead the movement portion of the workshop, and Caroline Correll, journalist and mind/body trainer, will lead the writing portion. Everyone is invited to let their body tell its story. For more information, please email me: carolineflow@gmail.com

Translate P to T and E

Wow, I'm about to take my own advice here, except it's not really my advice but from Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones. Instead of justifying or explaining my lapse in contributing to my own blog, I'll write some notes Goldberg gives:

Writing Ideas and Tips from Writing Down the Bones:
*Pick up the rhythms around you.
*Breathe deeply.
*Go for the jugular. If it's scary or naked, dive right into it; it probably has lots of energy.
*Capture the oddities of your mind.
*First thoughts have tremendous energy.
*Sit down with the least expectation of yourself. Say: "I am free to write the worst junk in the world." Give yourself the space to write a lot without destination.
*If the process is good, the end will be good. You will get good writing.

These tips correlate to your body/spirit energy, too. If you're like me, the P word haunts you. Perfectionism. So, whether you're writing or dancing or brainstorming or organizing, use these tips. Go with the flow. Allow some room for the T word. Trust. And, while you're at it, get to know the E word. Enough. You are enough. You can trust your work, your ideas, your being. Your flow is enough.