Where does joy live?

Do you know how when you go on vacation and just about when the vacation is over you FINALLY relax? You let go of doing tourist things, of seeing the sights and checking off your list everything you dreamt of doing for the months leading up to vacation? That moment when you let go of expectations, of the need to be anywhere and do anything?

When you finally just sit and stare at the water, or find contentment in the smallest blessing of warm breeze or exotic flower? 

It’s that moment when peace can enter. When contentment, gratitude, joy and appreciation can arrive. When we stop doing.

This is our true state of being; joy, peace, and gratitude. 

I know this because I’ve had plenty of practice over the last few years and especially this year. 

It used to be uncomfortable to be in my body. I experienced lots of pain and suffering. I would do anything to distract myself from being in my body. I watched TV, ate, had a list of projects, read, anything to keep me from being present with the pain

I did not feel part of the flow of life. I felt separated from joy. 

I didn’t know how to move past this way of being; angry, frustrated, sad. I knew deep down that it wasn’t supposed to be like this. I wasn’t supposed to spend my life being bed-bound. I knew I was meant for adventure and that our natural state was joy. I just didn’t know how to get there. 

One of the wonderful things about this lifestyle is the abundance of time to just be. To stare at the sunset, to listen to the birds, to watch the scenery flow by as we travel a lonely road looking for our next destination. We don’t have a 9-5 job, we don’t have a house to care for, our simple life allows us opportunities that we didn’t used to appreciate.

These moments all string together now, and then another now, and another now, into stillness and softness until the entire day becomes a series of now moments, a walking meditation that carries me through each moment of doing. As I clean the floor, make dinner, do the dishes, each moment is an opportunity to allow myself to be in the moment, not to rush through the chores and have-to list so I can get to a better next moment. 

What if life is not about how much you can get done in the day? How many chores, work hours, projects finished. What if we are here to learn to drop into ourselves? What if this life isn’t about working hard, and having more stuff? What if we have it backwards?

Can we get past the mind’s constant chatter, the need to be in activity every moment, and just feel? If you said this to me 4 years ago I would have balked at this idea. I would have come up with a million reasons to hold onto my way of life. 

Now, I have no interest in a life that is about struggle and suffering and fear.

The more I practice being present the happier I become. Instead of being filled up with busyness I practice filling my body with gratitude. The more space that I allow by just being in my body, the more room for joy.

 

As corny as this sounds this practice has fundamentally changed my life. I am happy. I still have pain in my body, but now instead of rushing into the next distraction, I am able to sit still with my body, let my mind quiet, and find a whole new world open up inside. 

Now I find complete joy staring at a beautiful tree, a hummingbird stopping to say hello, peace in the color of sunlight bouncing off the water. 

I no longer feel separate from myself or from God/Source/Nature. I am learning how to be IN the richness of flow, of allowing life to stream through me and around me. 

Because flow and peace is not something outside us. The beauty of life is first found within. I know I am seriously treading on corny/spiritual ground again. For anyone who knows the decades that I have suffered with chronic health and as a byproduct a thwarted career, and hobbies might have an inkling of how dramatic this experience is for me. To feel the opposite side of the coin from fear, depression, and pain is truly a miracle! 

The less I do, the more that I just am, the more I find true happiness. It is in the stillness that our true nature has an opportunity to arise. A to-do list satisfied has never brought me wonderful feelings of bliss, peace and love.

So I encourage everyone to find a few minutes everyday to step away from your expectations and just sit. Watch a tree, the sunlight, a candle or even a beautiful piece of art and just breath. Just feel. Turn off the mind (if you can), and see what room you can find within. Don't wait until your next vacation.

Where does joy live in you?

Love to you all

 12, 20, 2020

Today is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius! 

 

Let the Sun Shine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILSr9BbhoJQ

This is more than an astrological turn of phrase. The Age of Aquarius heralds in the transformation of humanity. A long awaited time in our collective evolution that awakens us to our full potential as human beings. 

Even amidst the chaos of the outer world (or maybe because of it?), this inner shift has already started. Maybe some of you sense it yourselves? A change you can’t put your finger on, a question, an out of the ordinary experience, or inner knowing. 

This past year has certainly caused us all to change our way of living and perhaps our perceptions also. However, this is just the beginning. There is so many wonderful things to come as we navigate this time period together. 

We’ve been hibernating like so many others during the past 10 months. However, our journey has been equal part internal transformation and nomadic explorations around the USA via our little travel trailer we’ve dubbed Terra Holoholo. Our adventures have brought us closer to nature, ourselves, and strangely enough to a world wide community of souls on similar spiritual journey’s to our own. 

Even though we are alone much of the time in nature we are connected through our hearts, minds and Zoom. Because of this community, because of the simpleness and beauty of our daily lives, because of the wildness of nature, we can honestly say this has been an amazing and life changing year.

Last April, when boatyard life came to an end we stayed in San Carlos for a few months house sitting, and waiting out the virus intensity in the PNW. Once summer arrived and with rising temperatures in Mexico we packed up and returned to Washington. Within a week we moved our belongings, sold a boat and a car and landed in our trailer in Olympia.

By the end of August we had installed a solar system and fixed up our trailer, bought a new/used truck and left town for the coast. 

When the fires and smoke rolled up to the sea we quickly drove east, keeping barely ahead of the worst of the smoke until we reached SE Idaho, where we found reasonably clean air, water and lovely forests to camp within.

Over the next months we enjoyed weeks alone in the wilderness, in Utah’s Valley of the Gods, Pagosa Springs, Zion, Sedona, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead, and Lake Havasu. We hike and meditate and enjoy camp fires and reading, YouTube and movies. We listen to the wind storms as they rock our trailer, sit in the sun on a warm afternoon, drive the backroads just for the fun of it and watch the moon and stars shift and change along with the season. Our simple life allows for us to heal and laugh, be present and enjoy life.

The most challenging aspects are lack of community (in person) and where to find water to fill our tanks. Other than that we are self sufficient and only go into town for supplies. 

There are many similarities to cruising by sailboat and many times feel as if our little trailer is our land cruiser, plying the backroads of America in search of beauty, adventure, rest and connection.

But today is an extra special day, a rare event - the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn - on the winter solstice. This is also know as the Bethlehem star. And this star is said to bring the return of Christ, or Christ consciousness to humanity. (Christ consciousness just means a higher state of being).

Many people, cultures and native communities throughout the world are gathering together on this day to celebrate and pray for enlightenment, peace and love. This day and the coming age has been prophesied about for thousands of years and it is finally upon us. We are all so lucky to be alive during this time, this transition into a new reality. 

I’ve know of the importance of this day for only 10 months now and so newly awake to the transformative power of this timeframe and have been looking forward to this Solstice as a pivotal and momentous moment. On this day we all have easy access to our own hearts and inner knowing. 

It is also a day for setting intention for the future. For dreaming big and letting the Universe know that you are ready for increased joy, prosperity, love and peace in your life. 

The Age of Aquarius is the turning point for humanity. A time when we turn away from war, hate, selfishness, and fear and turn toward unity, freedom, peace and compassion. 

Tonight we will have a bonfire in the desert, we will dance and sing with joy as we move together into a new way of being. A new age. A new life filled with all that we can dream.

I invite you to join us in your hearts, in your thoughts and welcome the wondrous events about to unfold over the next few years. 

Happy Happy Solstice

and

Love to all of you.