Odds and Ends

Moving day is nearly here and I am livin' it up in Hawaii!  Saturday, we all went to the zoo in honolulu.  The zoo here is great--nice, small, and cheap!   Something I have really enjoyed about Hawaii is the discount locals get here.  Well, I am not actually considered a local, but I do have local ID, so I still get the discount!  This is called the Kama'aina rate.  

But I did not log in to talk about Kama'aina.  I want to talk about the revitalizing aspects of the ocean, of change and of epiphanies that come out of nowhere.  Actually, I don't want to talk about these things, I just wanted to mention that they exist and that I am reaping the benefits of said revitalization.

I just came off the beach after a run and a short meditation and have realized that I am going to need to get back to the ocean whenever possible.  I have always known this about myself, really, but it is living so close to the water and now having to leave it has made me really become aware of my connection to the sea.  I often seek out water, whether it be a lake, a river, a really big bathtub, but it is the ocean that is my home!

So here I sit, in my bare home on my next-to-last day in Hawaii, with sand between my toes, thinking of the adventures that our move back to the mainland will bring.  I sit here with the realization that I will need to come back to the ocean someday soon.  And guess what?  It will be waiting for me, here or at any seashore, faithfully and without expectation or regret.   

Namaste, Aloha and I love you!  

 

Promising Progress...

Denial.  

No, it is not a river, but rather the state I am in right now.  You may be thinking of my last post, in which I was lamenting our imminent move.  But that is not it.  Not the idea of the move itself--it is the move-"ing" of stuff, as in clean, sort, pack, load, camp out for a few weeks, unload, unpack, wonder why I brought this crap, clean again, sort again, settle part that I am in denial about.  Oh, and in between (during the camping phase), we find the actual place in which we unload said stuff.  I am merely hesitating to start that crazy process.  

And, while I have your attention, it must be said that while part of me is sad to leave such a lovely place, I am finally in a position to be OK with the move.  In fact, better than OK:  good.  I know, I know, but this past week has been a huge eye-opener for me.  I spent the week attending a course on the philosophy of yoga.  Let me tell you, it is not what you imagine!  It was absolutely amazing.  While not going nuts on the subject, even though I am tempted, I will say that my faith in my faith has grown exponentially while learning about yoga as the non-sectarian spiritual practice that it truly is.  I learned the proper definitions of words that, through the "dumbing-down" of Eastern spirituality, have become so convoluted that almost everyone I know has got them wrong.  I was one of those people, but no more!  

At the very least, this experience will enhance my yoga teaching when I return to that venue. But even better, it has strengthened my relationship with Jesus Christ and my resolve to follow His example and do His work.  Weird, huh?  Who knew?!  All this time, we thought yoga was just really great exercising and breathing, right?  There is more to it than that!  I knew there was a deeper level to yoga--it would be hard to practice for any length of time and not pick up on that somehow.   But the fact that it is possible (and even necessary) to embrace the spiritual aspects of yoga in my quest to return from whence I came is incredible.   Amazing. Wonderful.  Crazy.  Stupefying.  Exciting!     

So, off I go to the mainland.  Whatever happens, happens.  I am just going with it because it is ridiculous to not.  I mean, why spend all that energy and thought on something I cannot and do not want to change?  I can only change my reaction to the move to a response.  Here it is: Bring it on, universe.  I've got my head on straight.  Finally.   

p.s. thanks, Mom, for the photo!