3.12.2013

New start + a goodbye.

I've decided to say goodbye to this little blog of mine.

I really love all the memories I got to share here, but I am ready to start anew, and move in a different direction with my writing, documenting, art, life... everything.

SO if you would like to see an improved version of my blogging.

Go check me out on my new blog:

We Lutz Love

There will be some of the same, a lot of new.. Contributions from Rob. My art. His art.

I hope to create an improved representation of who we are, what we are up to, and look forward to you all joining us.

If you follow along, great! If not, then thanks for reading This must be the Place.

Namaste!

3.09.2013

Mr & Mrs (Finally)!

Welp, we are now Mr & Mrs!

I love being married to my best friend, it is such a fun feeling!

The day was absolute perfection.

Actually, our entire week in Florida was perfect. We are greatly indebted to all the wonderful people in our life. 

Despite being sick to my stomach all morning with nerves, the day shaped up to be more perfect than I could have ever imagined.





We have about 6 weeks before we get the pro-shots-- I am really proud of how we put it all together so I can't wait to share all the details. Our wedding was a true reflection of who we are, and it was most definitely the best day of our life!

Things around here are going to change a bit-- so bare with me as I make the changes.. and yes.. there will be several wedding posts over the next few weeks. I hope you're ready!


If you are on IG, there are more wedding photos tagged: #lutzlove

(By the way, I'm rypeace on IG, let's be friends?)

I hope everyone is doing well. Rob goes back to work on Monday, so I'll be stocking your blogs again this week.

Namaste!

xoxox r



2.15.2013

Beet the Sunrise

I've been juicing a lot lately, and pretty much I am obsessed.

This week I started juicing beets.

I've never really liked beets much-- I usually just roast them in the oven with other root veggies with some olive oil, S&P-- but I started reading about how good they are for you, so I had to give 'em a try in the juicer.

Beet Benefits:

1. Beets are a great source of iron. Since I am a vegetarian woman, I am more prone to anemia than my carnivore friends. Smart vegetarians fill their diet with iron rich veggies, and beets are top notch.

2. Beets are "cleansing"-- Great for liver/kidney function & purifying your blood with all those antioxidants.

3. Beets have good carbs, so they are instantly energizing.

4. Beets contain betaine, typtophan, and niacin all of which aid in depression-- relaxing the mind and creating a sense of well being.

5. 100% beet juice is a great sub for your evening cocktail. Throw some ginger in the mix, and you'll have a nice little alcohol-free buzz goin.

6. AND they are good for just about everything else: Digestion, complexion, libido, vitamin replenishment (magnesium, calcium, potassium, Vit A, B, & C, folic acid) and more!

It's good stuff.

Here is my favorite Beet Juice recipe:

2 beets (sm-med)
2 apples (whatever color you like)
3-4 carrots
1 hand of ginger (use less if you don't like it spicy)



Juice & enjoy!


Have a healthy weekend!

Namaste!

r

2.12.2013

The story of our rings

Hello everyone.

We're just 19 days away from wedding day-- I am so excited it is making me sick to my stomach.

I just want everything to be perfect. Everyone to be happy. and every moment remembered.

We bought our rings over the weekend. Well, HE bought our rings.

We really procrastinated on buying rings, but I am kind of glad we did because we really ended up at the right time, at the right place, to get the perfect rings for us.

I am not your typical bride, bling-bling doesn't really wow me, but sentimentality does. And Rob, like most guys, doesn't wear jewelry normally so he was having a hard time committing to something he will wear every day.

After going around to a few shops, we were feeling a little frustrated. Rob has pretty slim fingers, so all the rings he was liking were going to need to be special ordered-- taking over a month to receive, obviously, we didn't have have kind of time.

We walked into this Hawaiian import jewelry store, not expecting much, but hoping...

We found his ring first-- it is a white gold band with a maile leaf pattern all the way around the band. The Maile leaf grows in Hawaii, in ancient times only kings and queens could wear maile leaf leis. 

The maile represents, Aloha (Love), Ho'ohanohano (honor) and Mahalo (respect)-- I thought this was perfect, because I was looking for a way to include the claddagh ring into his ring which represent, Love, Loyalty & Friendship. 

I've worn a claddagh ring that is very special to me since I was nine, so the meaning of the ring has always been important to me. So when I was looking at rings for him, I was trying to find rings that held similar meaning.

While we were discussing getting Rob's ring sized-- We found my ring.

Now, I was having a hard time finding a ring that looked GREAT with my engagement band. I really didn't want to move my ring to another finger-- ya know, I am all sentimental and stuff-- I was trying on skinny bands with diamonds, and not really feeling it.. so when I saw my ring, I got really excited.

Then it fit perfectly over my engagment band. Once I had the ring on, the sales associate told us the meaning of MY ring, Rob and I looked at each other. He asked if I loved it, I said yes, and he said "lets wrap 'em up"

So my ring is a Plumeria flower--they symbolize serenity, faith, devotion, aspiration and surrender.

We thought the meaning of our individual rings were so perfect for our new roles as Husband and Wife.


So we were really excited about our rings, and as we were being rung up the lady asked us where we are getting married-- When we mentioned "Orlando area" she proceeded to tell us about this wonderful place she likes to visit when she goes to Orlando. She couldn't remember the name, based on her discription, we knew she was talking about Blue Springs.

So Rob said, "Are you talking about Blue Springs"

she said, "YES! YES! Oh how I love that place!"

we said, "That's where we had our first date! First Kiss! and it is the place we got engaged!"

It was a lovely bit of serendipity, and it really made me feel like we found rings with great energy, lovely meaning, and somehow, our favorite place found its way all the way across the country to remind us that we are doing good.

See I told you guys I was all sentimental and stuff.

Buckle up, my blog is about to turn into a wedding post mess!

xxoo

Namaste!
r




2.05.2013

Running, losing, juicing & loving.

Namaste & good morning Bloggy friends.

I am feeling MUCH better this week.

I started running (again)-- and this time I have been running in my Vibram Five Fingers which makes running so much more fun! Aside from a few discomforts-- I've actually been enjoying my runs. Who woulda thunk it?



My neighborhood is filled with San Fran worthy hills, so I've been getting really strong physically & my endurance levels have sky rocketed-- I'm sure this is why I am feeling so good.

Have I shared that I have finally gotten down to 140lbs? Well I have. In the beginning of 2012 I was about 173, and now I am 143 (and on good mornings 140!) This is a huge accomplishment for me, I have been battling with this extra weight since my Chicago days-- I left Chicago in 2008.

When I moved to Chitown I was a slender athletic build weighing in somewhere between 130-135, and by my third winter, I was a whopping 185lbs. Even with carrying weight as evenly as I do, I was looking pretty chunky.

In 2008 I lost about 20 lbs before I moved back to FL, then for almost 4 years I would gain 10, lose 5, gain 3, lose 10, gain... lose, gain...

Anywho, I am so close to being at my healthiest weight, and I am really proud of myself-- especially since we are headed back to Orlando in a short 24 days-- I think everyone will be surprised.. I've lost 20 lbs since moving to CA.


Whew, that felt nice to say-- I am proud of myself. We should tell ourselves we are proud of how far we've come more often, don't ya think?

So I've been running, and it has been good fun. I've also been juicing once or twice a day, and I'm obsessed.

My favorite juicing concoctions:

Wake-up call:
4 red apples (green works well too!)
1 hand of ginger
(Sometimes I put a carrot in there too, yum yum!)

Sometimes I put a little more ginger in for some extra zing, but I must warn.. this is a spicy drink! If you have an adversion to spice, use the ginger with caution.

Green Goddess Lunch in a cup:
1-2 large cucumber(s)
a handful of arugula
a handful of kale
1 lemon (peeled)
1/2 inch of ginger
a little bit of wheat grass

My skin looks nice and clear too-- Living in L.A. I have the smog working against my efforts to have clear skin, so the juicing has been a great helper from the inside. :)

What else can I bore you people with this find morning?

  • Our wedding is in 26 days-- I've been working on a few posts wherein I express my thoughts on becoming someones wife, changing my last name, maybe being a mother one day, and all the things that come with marrying someone.
  • I went to my first "Leather Bar" last night with my neighbor last night. I have never seen so many manly, burly bearded gay men in my life. This was a "tame" night, so there was really not leather action happening, but it was definitely interesting to see a bunch of gay dudes, that "looked" really, really straight. I know this makes me sounds like I have a limited veiw on homosexuality, but don't get it wrong.. I don't.. I just know way more gay guys that are more obvious, than gay guys who look like they belong in a death metal band. 
  • I love L.A! FREAKING LOVE IT. Every day, I fall more in love with this strange city-- I think I might love LA more than Chitown. 

Okay, time to make my dude some breakfast and get on with the day!

What is happening in your life. Everyone who reads this, tell me something awesome about your past week in a comment!


LOVE to all!


Namaste!
r









2.04.2013

Neighbors that Rock and malibu hikes.

So one of my blog posts has been attracting a lot of spam activity, it's weird. So I went back to requiring word verification, sorry guys!

I've had an incredible week!

In fact, I met someone really cool. Out of respect to my neighbor I am going to have to be vague, but my neighbor across the courtyard from me is in a pretty popular band (you can hear their music on the opening credits of a popular NBC series)-- Of course he didn't tell me all this-- and we spent about 2 hours talking about the universe, yoga and spiritual stuffs--so I found out after looking up his band when I got home later that day.. SO anyway, the other night I popped by his apartment to give him a CD of my grandfathers music (my grandfather has gold albums, so I like to share his stuff with other musicians).

I enter the apartment, classical music in the back ground, and a man with intense brown eyes is sitting at a table in front of a chess board-- My neighbor introduces us, I shake his hand and apologize for interupting the chess game.. I'm no good at chess, but I know how intense the concentration can be.

So anyway, I keep looking at my neighbors friend. I know him from somewhere, but I can't pin it. I thought maybe I had just seen him around the neighborhood-- Then it clicked. My neighbor was sitting with a music legend..

I can give you one hint as to who this man was (remember, I am trying not to sell out my neighbor here) The name of this blog is a nod to a song written by the guy I met.

So, if you know what the title of my blog is referencing.. Then you will know who I met.

Once it all clicked, I freaked! I have to admit, I was REALLLLLLY  glad that I didn't recognize him at first because this man is a real artist-- He doesn't care about fame, he has never "sold out" and I have MAD respect for every move he has made in his career.

Had I recognized him, I would have totally made myself look like a huge dork!

I really love living in LA because it just seems like everyone I meet is DOING something awesome-- My neighborhood especially-- so many talented musicians & artists live around here. Just walking around the hood means you get to hear some really quality band practices happening. It's awesome. 

R ended up only having to work 4 hours on Sunday, so we hiked in Malibu with our good Buddy G yesterday... we did some real rock climbing too-- I have to say, climbing vertically requires some true grit! Going down-- even scarier! It was a good day.

AND, all the wedding freak out crap is falling into place. Only 26 more days and I am a MRS!


How are things with you people?

XXXXOOOOO

Namaste!

Ry



1.29.2013

Wedding freak outs Nick Cage Style.

Welp, wedding planning has officially become a huge freaking pain in my big' ole behind.

My (future) Sister in-law works at a restaurant near our wedding venue so I gave her a buzz yesterday to see if we could reserve one of the rooms for after wedding eating/drinking.

During our conversation she informed me that she had to work that day-- I asked why, and she told me Winter Park (our hometown) is having their St Patrick Parade on March 3rd.

Obviously my jaw drops because our venue is OFF of the main drag in Winter Park, "Park Avenue." So I think to myself, OK.. the parade could be in the morning, NBD.

The parade starts at 2. Our ceremony is at 330 and it is our doors.

Even though the parade will be over by the time we were suppose to say "I do" there will still be parade festivities, lots of people.. It's a problem.

SO Rob and I decided to just have a private ceremony where we got engaged (which, if you have been following along here, was the original plan, but we opted to do everything at the same place because we couldn't figure out how to budget for the 2 locations in a reasonable way.)

ANYWAY, the venue was pretty apologetic for the mishap, and offered to cover whatever costs we will take on for moving the ceremony. Okay, so everything is alright.. No big deal. I am zen. I am flexible. People can still try to arrive at 330, if they are late because of traffic no big deal, they will be there in time for the music to start, and we'll all still have fun.

WELL then I get a call from a certain person (people) who shall remain nameless protesting Rob and I having the ceremony at Blue Springs-- Actually it was more of a good cop/bad cop thing. One sympathizing, the other bitching. At this point I was in shock that anyone would have ANYTHING to say about it considering we are not in control of the city changing parade day.

Then.. THEN I was told that this wouldn't have happened if we were getting married in a church.

First of all, I don't see how getting married in a building that MEN built is more holy than getting married in a natural setting of God-made greenery.

Second of all, I am SO freaking sick of being ridiculed by certain people for not being a catholic. NEWS FLASH! Rob is not a catholic either! We both grew up as Catholics, and we both grew out of being catholic ON OUR OWN.

THIRD- WTF. WTF. WTF.

I was "keepin calm, and carrying on" trying to see the change as a good thing, and then you have the balls to call me and complain about being inconvenienced to get in a freaking LIMO, sitting in it for a whopping 40 mins, watch us get married, take some pictures, get BACK IN THE LIMO, have a little drinky, and be dropped off at our reception.

I'm sorry, but this wedding was going to be an all day affair for our parents and bridal party whether this parade happened or not, the only thing that is changing is now we have to be ready by 11 instead of 1 so we can have nice pictures & a private ceremony. If anyone should be all pissy about this it is ME, the BRIDE. I SHOULD BE THE ONE ALL PISSED OFF, and you know what.. NOW I am pissed because someone has the AUDACITY to tell me that this wouldn't have happened if we were getting married in a church..

WELL YOU KNOW WHAT------ &^%$*(#$@%$%&^%*^*&$%^#%$@$@#%^$^&%^&$

UGH. I am seriously 2 seconds away from cancelling our flights to Florida, and getting married in Vegas, in a CHURCH run by ELVIS in a BLACK dress with all my devil worshiping emblems, since clearly not being a catholic makes me a devil worshiper or something.

Even though Catholics are the most PAGAN humans next to full blown practicing Pagans. (Not that I think pagans are Devil Worshipers, I don't -- "the Devil is a Christian creation, they can keep him"-- evil is universal, not "the devil")

ANyway.. I am trying to be "dude" about all this.. and be all like:




But, nothing gets me more fired up then a bunch of FREAKNG BS so I am feeling a little more like this:








End Rant thanks, for listening.




1.24.2013

Org*ZENize.

Hey Kids!

I started my own business-- I'm still working out the kinks, getting certificates I need and all that jazz, but I will be devoting most of my time to  my new site and launching my new business.

www.orgZENize.com   

I'm really excited about this-- over the years I have become quite good at organization, and doing so quickly, and I actually really enjoy it. I'm hoping my business can help family and business find a little ZEN.

Add OrgZENize to your blogroll!

Xo

NAMASTE.

ryan

1.22.2013

Hit or miss.

I've been avoiding the blogspace lately.

I don't know what it has been lately, but I guess I feel like blogs that lack substance (in my opinion) are the most popular-- I just can't get into all the fashion posts, copy-cat pinterest DIY's, and "sponsor my blog" posts.

Can we just keep it real? I want to know about YOU.

Not your closet, or your desperation for extra income.

I'm not trying to be judgey-- but I can't be the only one that goes through their blogroll completely disinterested in almost every post. The most frustrating thing for me has been a lot of blogs I use to like, lost their individuality. Sometimes I feel like blogging is an extension of High School-- all the popular kids are conformist, and the creative/quirky kids aren't really given the time of day even though they are the most interesting.

ANYway, because of all that, I have a hard time seeing where I fit into the blogworld. The more I express my true self, the less readers I seem to have. I don't take that personally: I'm not interested in fashion, or documenting every DIY project I make. I don't go out much. I'm not a socialite. I don't have any kids and I'm not that interested in weddings (even though I am planning one). Of course there are a ton of bloggers out there that talk about their kids, or wedding ideas or fashion blips that I find interesting.. but for the most part, I am bored with bloggers.

I do like to share my journey-- quirks and differences aside. But I have to admit, I started blogging in hopes of reaching out to folks who share interests, maybe making some friends.. but that hasn't really happened.

I feel really out of place.


Things around here have been a little crazy.

R is working seven days a week, 9am-1am. It is insane. I see how tired he is, and I just feel so bad. I know this is the career he signed up for, and crazy hours during this season are inevitable, but I miss spending time with my guy. Our time has been limited to cuddling at night, and sometimes he wakes up early enough for us to have breakfast/Coffee together-- lately though, he's been rushing out the door to make it to work on time.

R had the day off on Saturday (due to a brown out), so we went for a hike in Malibu's Solstice Canyon. There is a lovely waterfall and stream at the end of the trail, so I brought my crystals with me for a little cleansing and enjoyed a really lovely meditation in the sun.

One of my good friends from High School, my "sister from another mister," Desi-- is working in LA this week, so I had a little dinner party on Sunday night which was a lot of fun. I got to introduce one of my new good friends with one of my old good friends. Red wine was flowing, and apparently the food was good.

I finally got most of the skunk smell out of our place-- but I occassionally still smell it. The smell seems to stick to metal. It's gross.

I've been a little disappointed with wedding planning. I sent out our invites Jan 3rd, and I have only received about 4 RSVP cards in the mail, and a handful of online RSVP's-- I guess I thought I would have a lot more "excitement" from my family-- but unfortunately, everyone seems really caught up in their own lives.

My family has never really been great at validating me: calling me back, emailing me back, or facebooking me back. I am pretty good at keeping in touch with friends and family.. even though the thought is rarely reciprocated, but after a while it really starts to feel like rejection and lately it's really been eating at me.

I have to admit, without my guy around I've been pretty lonely. Most of my friends work for the same company that Rob works for, and the few times I have tried to "put myself out there".. I end up feeling like a freaking weirdo.

At least I have SKYRIM and cats to entertain me.

le sigh.

Hope everyone is well.

Namaste.

r

1.16.2013

Skunk in the City

A few weeks ago, R and I woke up to the smell of burning plastic. We have a water distiller, and the smell seemed to be coming from the motor, so we freaked, unplugged it.. and returned it for repair.

Then 2 nights ago we woke up to this faint squealing noise, and the smell of burning plastic. I mean this is one of the most TOXIC smells I have ever encountered-- I thought for sure this time it was our heater burning up! We live in an old building, so I just thought maybe the wiring wasn't great and was burning up our appliances.

Rob and I thought the sound was divine intervention, ya know, saving us from our heater catching fire.

Then last night, my cousin visited me while she road trips to Dallas, and the squealing happened again.

We go outside, investigate the sound, open the grate to the crawlspace under the building, look in with a flash light.. and the burning plastic smell takes over the alley. I start freaking out.

"THERE'S THAT SMELL AGAIN!"

We're both completely repulsed, and I honestly start to panic. This is the 3rd time-- I keep thinking.. THESE ARE THE SMELLS CANCER IS MADE OF.

At this point I'm thinking that I am breathing in some awful plastic fumes. I am quite anti-plastics. I know you can't really avoid it all the time, but I store all of our leftovers in glass, drink out of glass (we even have glass water bottles) and ya know, plastic fumes kind of freak me out.

So after my cousin and I determine this is some kind of animal being killed under the building, I notice that my neighbor is up, spraying her apartment with lysol.

I know on the door and ask her if she smells it too.. She only speaks Spanish, so she said to me:

"¡Es una mofeta! ¡Morirse!  " (I think that's how she said it anyway)

I didn't know what "mofeta" meant, but I did understand the second part "Dying"

So I start putting two and two together, and ask the great google:

"What does skunk spray smell like"

Google informs me that skunk often smells like burning rubber/plastic.



Ladies & Gentleman, we have our culprit.

A skunk, is living & dying under my building. The smell is atrocious. It sticks to the inside of your sinus, and lingers for hours.


The good news is, I haven't been poisoned by plastic. The bad news is, my apartment smells like skunk & it is making me ill.


That's all!




1.11.2013

Wedding Roller Coaster.

It seems another week has flown by.

I've been pretty busy with wedding stuffs this week.

  • I mailed out our invitations. (And I even got 2 RSVP's on our website) 
  • I bought my shoes-- I can also wear them with my rehearsal dress.


  • I determined how the ceremony would "flow"-- (we're doing something really different, I am so excited to share with you all)
  • I made some "Do-To" lists
  • We hired some wedding day "help" and a bartender.
  • My MIL and I picked a rehearsal dinner location. 
  • I ordered gifts for my ladies. 
 I got myself A3, my matron and maid of honor A7, and my 3 bridesmaids A4.
Via Sunset to Sunrise Etsy shop.
They have SO many options & so far they have been really nice, I can't wait to see the product.

  • I looked at some wedding rings online. 
  • I made an appointment to get my Cali ID (Again.. they were closed last time and I need a Cali ID to get our FL Marriage License with the quickness--otherwise we are considered residents and have to wait 3 days) 
and......
  • I found some of the things I will need to get the "wedding favors" completed. We're going to put vinyl chalkboard stickers on Wine/Beer glasses for our guest to use and take home. I was going to use the paint, but not that I am in Cali and will only have a day to get these together, I think the stickers are going to be a life saver. ;)  


Only 51 more days! We're getting pretty stoked. I mean, we've been engaged since August 2011! 

That's a long wait!

What else can I share on this fine Friday.. 

OH YES. The weekend. My guy is working Saturday & Sunday (bummer, I know) but, the silver lining is that I get to go to Magic Mountain with my buddy Mike. R hates roller coasters. I think they freak him out, and since he has a bad inner ear, they make him SUPER sick, so I've had to pretty much accept that we would never have a theme park date. LUCKILY our good friend also loves coasters, so we're going and it will be awesome. That's tomorrow. ;) 

What's up with you peeps?

Have a great weekend!

Namaste!
R


1.03.2013

2013 non-goals & Chinese dinner..

Happy New Year!

I've been taking a bit of a breather from the blog world lately. Sometimes I feel like I get all caught up-- Tangled in a mess of the thoughts & opinions of others, my own thoughts and opinions, and before you know it... I feel like I am losing any relevance, and then I think everyone else thinks I am a wack job, and then.. ya know.

At least, that is what my ego likes me to think.

ANYwho.

Not a big fan of the holiday season, so since I didn't have many nice things to say about Christmas, and all the hoopla that it entails, I just enjoyed spending 10 days with my love, (almost) internet free. R has been working like a dog since we moved here, so it was really nice to get in some extra lovin' while he was off.

We had dinner in China town on Christmas. We had high hopes since all the folks in there were Chinese and/or Jewish.. but the service ended up being terrible, and my vegetarian entree had prawns in it. Prawns are not vegetarian. (OH, I should mention, I finally committed to being a vegetarian again. More on that later-- going on 3 weeks now)



New years was a blast. Our friend caught wind of some party happening near down town. $25 a ticket, DJ's spinning 45's all night, and open bar. Not too shabby. Rob and I danced the night away, and made out almost all night long like a bunch of horny teenagers. It was awesome.

We hang out with "the guys" a lot, so our public display of affection is often limited to wedgies and my acceptance of his flatulence.

Earlier in the day on New years eve we ate Ethiopian food with some of our friends who moved to LA from Florida.. it was grand. Seriously, if you haven't had Ethipean food, and you like Indian/Ethnic foods, go try it.. SO freaking good.

While he was off we hiked in Runyon Canyon, geeked out at the Pace Museum, went for jogs together, got a little wild and slept in past 6:30 some morning (I think our latest was 8am!), ate a lot of ethnic foods, hung out in Venice, and cuddled (a lot).

Rob went back to work yesterday, so I have been spending my free time thinking of how I am going to make this year better than the last.

2012 was pretty good to me. I stayed on a pretty healthy track, lost 20 lbs (gained 10 with the move, and lost 10 again-- so it evened out, and I get to keep my 20 lbs lost status, woop woop)

2012 highlights:
Losing 20 lbs
Being 100% med free, and managing my spectrum with great ease and awareness (BP talk)
Finding my voice
Volunteering with the Red Cross & meeting some really awesome folks.
Deepening my yoga/spiritual practice
Self love & acceptance
Dress shopping with my mom and MIL.
Moving to L.A. (Road tripping with my lover and kitties was mostly a blast!)
Medical Marijuana (I had to include it because MM is a depression killer, and big pharma is a depression perpetrator. IMHO)
Strengthening, repairing and developing friendships, old and new.
..and closing out the year with my sweet guy!

There is a lot that went down in 2012-- I changed more this year than any other year (I think I say that every year, but that's a good thing) I'm really excited about 2013 & I am getting married in just 59 days! AH!

So here are some of my New Years Non-Goals.

(Last year I talked about non-goals being better than goals because non-goals are something you just do because you should/it's important, and goals are something you think about doing and usually end up never doing-- Kind of like resolutions.) ;)


2013 Non-Goals

1. Maintain a diet that is strong in Sattva Guna. Essentially this is the "yogi or Sattvic diet." You want to avoid foods that are Tamasic (Harmful to the body/consciousness-- meat, fish, egg, onion, garlic, scallion, leek, chive, mushroom, alcoholic beverages, , blue cheese, and stale food.) Limit the consumption of Rajasic foods (stimulants, spicy foods, salt, chocolates, etc.) and mostly consume foods that are Sattvic-- fresh fruits, high-in-chlorophyll veggies, nuts, berries, legumes and some milks/cheeses (from healthy animals) is okay too.

2. Recommit to a full time work out routine. I was really consistent until about August-- Fell off the wagon with work & the move, but it's never too late to get back on! I'm hoping to become a better runner, more flexible & consistent yogi, and I'd like to once and for all shed the remaining 20 lbs I have hanging around to get me at the lower spectrum of my "healthy weight."

3. Find a community project to get involved with. I'm not exactly sure if I want to go with volunteering again, or if I want to find a job that is community based, or if I want to start my OWN project-- But I know I want to do something that serves/benefits others.

4. Attend at least one group meditation per month. (..and Yoga doesn't count) I am not very good or consistent with meditation, but I know how powerful the benefits can be if you stick to it and grow with it. I think the best way to accomplish this would be by attending & exploring some of the many guided meditations offered throughout the city (They're usually free too!)

5. Quit using fowl/abrasive language & quit resorting to yelling or "talking loudly" when I am angry/upset.  I love a good swear word, the F--K word being one of my favorite expressions for many emotions, but BOY do they sound cheap! In 2013, I'd like to keep it a little classier and use better words to express my frustrations. Something I really don't like about myself is how easy it is for me to get loud (and then swear) when I am frustrated/angry. I'm better and more mindful than all that.

6. Save money to ACTUALLY take a Yoga teacher training course in the fall.

7. Stop relying on alcohol to make social interactions easier. This is something I am almost a little embarrassed to admit on public forum, but it is the truth. Alcohol is such an acceptable drug in our society that it is hard to tell when you think you might need to cool it-- especially if you are functional & not one of those crazy angry belligerent drunks. The truth is, I can hardly have "just one drink" and I drink more when I am anxious, frustrated, uncomfortable, etc, and that has to stop immediately. I also have no problem drinking several glasses of wine at home, alone. I spend a lot of time alone, so I never really thought too much of it but Alcoholism is something that runs deep in my family, and I do not want to perpetuate the cycle. I know all too well the effects that alcohol abuse has on a family, and I think being aware of and owning your "weaknesses" is the only way to fix/end bad cycles. I am not saying that I am an alcoholic (yet), but I am saying that I  can see the slippery slope, and I refuse to go down that rabbit hole.

8. Spend my time more wisely. Some days, I really waste my time. I HATE it and have become completely intolerant of it since my uncles car accident the week before Thanksgiving-- in a single instant he lost everything that was normal to him. He will never walk again, he will never use a toilet again (his waste is deposited into bags attached to his body), he wont make love (in the normal way) to his wife ever again, he has lost an incredible amount of privacy and he is destined to a life of sitting in a chair. I am not suggesting he will never have joy again, because he will.. but what I am getting at is.. Knowing that someone as vivacious and loving as my uncle could have it all taken away, really gets you thinking about how one should spend his/her time. I have not been as productive as I could be or as active & grateful as I should be.

9. Stop engaging in confrontation. I have a tendency to call people out. Sometimes I just can't help it. As a Sagittarius, I love the truth more than I love peace. Now, I am in NO way suggesting that I will stop speaking the truth, or calling out injustices, but I think I could afford approaching such issues with a lot more tact and I could be a little picker when it comes to which conversations I chose to engage in.

10. Be a kinder, more supportive (wife!) partner to Rob. I'm a fire personality-- he is water. I think R really appreciates my straight-forward-no-BS personality, but I could definitely be "softer" towards him. Sometimes when I am trying to be constructive, I am not being mindful of where he is coming from so I end up tearing him down instead of building him up, which is NOT my intention at all!


SO there you have it. Some typical, some not.

What improvments are you interested in making this year?
XXXOOO.

Namaste!

Ryan



12.19.2012

unconditional love, the stars, my father & wedding.

Whew!

What a week!

A lot, and I mean, A LOT, has been going on lately. On a personal level, in the news, the universe, in friendships, relationships, everything.

SO here goes.

1. The Sandy Hook Shooting.

I do not have "Television"-- we, as a couple choose to not have television for 2 reasons-- Main stream media is evil and it is WAY to easy to get sucked into 4 hours of TV at a time. Albeit, I am totally guilty of watching Netflix four hours a day, but I/we can justify this behavior if we spend at least half of that time watching documentary's (educational, right?!).

SO on Friday, I was facebooking, when the shooting was brought to my attention. Naturally I was curious, so tried to find a live new feed.

Two things stood out to me.

A. 24 hour, Main stream News Media is freaking evil. They were all so concerned with identifying the shooter FIRST that they wrongly named Ryan Lanza as the shooter. I mean really, what the fuck is wrong with journalism these days? It is much better to have a delayed response of TRUTH, than an inaccurate FIRST response.

B. People really don't want to give up their rights to guns, even for 5 minutes to allow people to adsorb the shock of what happened. Within minutes, my snarky southern-gun loving friends were posting about how this has nothing to do with gun control, bla bla bla.

As a spiritual person, I come from the school that this is all part of a grand plan. Of course I am saddened by the loss of these children, but I can't help but feel like these little souls signed up for this before they were even conceived. I KNOW, to most people that just sounds insane-- but rationalizing a heinous act is insane to me and counter productive. 

Secondly, as a spiritual person.. I find it very sad that the mother of the shooter, and the shooter himself have become demonized. YES, it is sickening what Adam did.. but I think a huge problem that we have in society is that we do not have compassion for ALL people. Don't have compassion for what the guy did, have compassion that he was hurting so badly, and was so out of touch with the world that he would do something like this. As someone who has struggled with my own mental illness (bi polar) I know what it is like to want to hurt yourself (Thank God I've never wanted to hurt anyone else) Mental health is a VERY taboo subject in this society, and we need to talk about it. We need to allow people to talk about their suicidal urges without being judged, we need to empathize with people who can not feel (such is the case for the shooter), we need to learn how to LOVE regardless of how strange or off-beat the individual is.

Having worked with people who exhibit anti-social behaviors-- The act of love, and gentle "pushing" makes a BIG difference.

The problem I see here is there is such a lack of understanding, folks like Adam are dismissed, when the "crying out for help" signs have been there all along. I am in NO way saying what happened is OKAY, but what I am saying is.. it is okay to have compassion for people who are sick, even if they have done horrible things. After all, the people who are the most sick in the world, need love the most. We need to start loving people unconditionally.

..and my final comment on the issue is this... I truly hope light comes out of this event. I hope the parents of these children, and the loved ones of the teachers take this opportunity to stand up for something good-- otherwise we will have lost these people in vain, and if you ask me we've lost too many wonderful people (to guns) in vain. I hope the nation see's that all the faiths of the world grieve the same way, value the life of their children, and find solace in the same higher power.

2. Strange things are happening.

Since moving to California, I have spent a lot of time "developing" parts of me that I use to squash. In that, I met this lovely lady  named Chelsea-- who is on a similar path as I. She specializes in Astrology (not your news paper horoscope variety, but real ass, astrology).. ANYWAY... I've been a little more open with people about my "insight" and the validation has been extraordinary! I'm really excited to see where this path takes me. I've always hoped to be a "healer" and it's happening.

ALL of that said, I think I am going to invite Chelsea to guest post here on the blog to share her insight with readers on a weekly basis. We're not sure how we're going to structure it, but I am hoping to find a way to make it insightful for those of you who are interested, and entertaining for those of your who are skeptics.

3. I had this rather volatile conversation with my father last week-- Honestly, I do not understand my fathers "beef" with me. It doesn't matter what I do or how I do it, in my fathers eyes I am a failure. I realize he views himself as a failure, and these acts of aggression towards me are projections of his innermost feelings about himself, but it still hurts.

After having some long conversations with my siblings, and a few close friends.. I have decided to let him go. I will always be linked to him cosmically, after all, I am part of him. But every time I call, or answer when he calls (which is hardly ever), I am inviting the negativity and self doubt into my life.

Because of this, I will be walking myself down the isle in March (I am entertaining inviting my siblings to take the walk with me-- as they have been my true constants in life and most valuable support systems).

You know, I love my father, and I really hope he finds a way to be healed in this life-- but healing takes work, and you have to be willing to fight for it. He, at this point in life, has given up. He does not, and has not cared to nurture our relationship for over 10 years now, and it is unfortunate because it has cause us both a lot of pain.

One thing I never knew how to do with people was create boundaries-- and  I am just so grateful for the strength I have now that allows me to set healthy boundaries with people-- my dysfunctional family especially.

It's sad-- But it is good.

4. Wedding plans are driving me to mad confusion! UGH, I just want to have a party, celebrating love.. All this wedding crap is crazy.

How are you people doing?! Sorry I've been silent on your blogs, I am reading.. but commenting on my ipad/phone is too complected & I've been avoiding the computer like the plague!


xxxooo

Namaste!

ryan



12.13.2012

Silver Lake dumping grounds- A rant.

You know what I hate about hipsters? They are freaking morons.

All of them. MORONS. Too busy being cool to think about how real adults behave.

APPARENTLY, according to forbes, I live in the hippest hood the USofA has to offer, and all living here has done is validate that I freaking HATE hipsters, HATE them.. Especially artists who are also hipsters. WORSE COMBO EVER.

For 3 weeks now, this pile of shit has only gotten bigger. We've had 3 garbage pick ups since the mess started, and there it is.. still.

The reason I am blaming this on an artist-hipster fuck is because all the shit is props & dried up art supplies--- like someone emptied out their storage unit or something.

SO I took it upon myself to call 311, schedule a pick up for shit that doesn't belong to me, and I left a note for whomever did this-- Just so I would feel better.. because pollution really freaking pisses me off.

I mean really? WHAT is so hard about calling for a garbage pick up? Isn't it common knowledge that garbage men usually only pick up what is in the cans, unless you call in for oversized-pick-up?





What makes me even more angsty-- is the fact that when I called 311-- I was the ONLY person who had reported this shit. I mean-- a good 500 people live in a 5 block radius of me, I am sure of it.. and I'm the only one who gives a flying fuck? I would have felt SO much better had this been something the CITY dropped the ball on, but really.. How irresponsible do you have to be to walk past your pile of shit every day, and not think to call and have it picked up.


UGH.

PEOPLE.



END RANT.

Namaste!

UPDATE: One of my OTHER neighbors removed my sign from the garbage, and taped it to the door of the culprit! hahahahahahahah!

12.11.2012

pop in.

Well our Sunday was nice-- Sunday's are the only days we really get to hang out, so we've been trying to find ways to make the most of them. This particular Sunday we decided to take public transit around. We went to downtown, then back up to Hollywood.

I am really proud of my sense of direction-- So I had a lot of fun impressing Rob with my ability to navigate a new part of town without a map (or cell phone!). I never get lost. It's awesome.

We got our wedding invitations in yesterday and they look SO good!

I was sort of regretting not designing our own, or going through some hipster company that makes pinterest worthy invitations, but they look awesome-- so I'm glad we went through vistaprint.

I use vistaprint a lot actually (usually with my own designs), and so far I've never been disappointed.

In other news, tomorrow I am going to get my Cali Drivers license-- I hope I get to hang on to all my Florida stuffs. I feel like I am cheating on my home state!

I don't have much to report these days. I am working on (starting) a project-- I'm not sure where I want to go with it, and the few I have shared the big picture with had some interesting input, so I am trying to figure out how to keep the grand plan authentic to what I originally wanted to do, but also.. take in the advice of other artists.

That's all for now.

byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.




12.08.2012

happy weekend.


Yay, it's the weekend.

My sweet guy is working today-- (and every Saturday (and possibly Sunday) for the next 6 months)-- SO I'm making some grub to bring for a picnic to spend some time with him-- cause let's face it.. I miss that guy!

Tomorrow we're going to romp around L.A.-- There is an out door ice skating rink in Culver City that I am dying to check out-- I love to ice skate.

I met one of my neighbors yesterday-- We saw someone crawling through his window a few weeks ago, so we went and knocked on the door to make sure it was him-- since then, every time we see him he thanks us for looking out.. Well yesterday I got to chatting with him, found out he works in set design.. SO I think he might let me tag along one day, and see if its something for me.

Very exciting.

Welp, that's all I got.

How's the weekend going in internet land?

Namaste,
r


12.05.2012

A wedding update. (88 days to go.)

So, we're getting married in 88 days.

Where does the time go?!

It seems like it was just yesterday when I talked about the wedding being 10 months away!

Everything is really coming together for the wedding, but we still have a lot to do/think about.

We have a website up (sorry it's password protected!), we ordered the invitations on Sunday, R's parents were so sweet to get our flights for us, center pieces are in progress, officiant picked, rehearsal dinner site booked, bridesmaids are ordering their dresses, musician locked down, my dress, His suit and... even though I am having a hard time seeing it all come together, I know it will!

We're both getting pretty excited-- I think we're anticipating the next 88 days to fly by, and since we're keeping the wedding so simple, we're really going to get to enjoy our friends and family while in town-- so it is a very exciting time for us.

I've really struggled with "the registry"-- we have everything we need, and some of the things that we want are really specific (and pricey) so we finally decided that a registry just wasn't for us-- so we've asked our guests to donate to some good causes: Oxfam Unwrapped & Amnesty International.

(Fun Fact: Though it was brief because I changed schools that year, I was President of Amnesty International club my junior year of high school.) ;)

I wish I had some pictures to share of the details, but I don't.

On Sunday we ordered the invitations. I was going to go all out and do everything myself-- but I just decided to go through vista print, and customize something they already had.

We printed the STD's at home, and it was a freaking nightmare. The printer wouldn't format correctly.. SO for the sake of not dealing with that again, we just decided to keep it simple.

We're keeping this shin-dig casual, so even though I started out with these visions of totally badass creative & funky invitations created by us, I am happy with what we ended up with.

Here are the proofs of our invitation package:

 The invite will be on Linen paper

RSVP Front & Back:







(Had to be very clear, folks in my life tend to have a "low response" rate, if you know what I mean)

The Insert:



On the envelopes I am going to do my funky-writing to snazz things up a bit, I'll share those once I get'em done.

I am really afraid that I am going to cry the entire time I walk down the isle. Every time I think about walking down the isle to R I just start crying tears of joy-- I know, I am such a sap! But really, I don't want to send the wrong message by hysterically cry-laughing as I walk down the isle.. Plus, I hate water proof make-up, so we might have an issue.

 AND I have managed to lose most of the weight I gained moving here (I gained freaking 10 lbs between Sept & Thanksgiving). I've changed my diet to fasting a few times a week, and eating clean protein and raw veggies so I can keep my skin nice and clear and reduce water retention. I know I need to get in really good habits now so I stick to them the week of the wedding.

I am really worried about having a major breakout and crappy looking skin! I've been really battling with my appearances the past 6 months as I have started to show my age a bit-- Grey Hairs, "smile" wrinkles that stick around, furrow lines... I'm feeling a bit worn out looking. Hopefully cleaning up my diet and fasting will clear up some of these issues!

So there ya have it, a nice fluffy post.. I know everyone loves those!

Any 90-days-to-go tips from you ladies who have done this before?

Namaste!
 r






12.03.2012

The G-word, Ted Talks & critical thinking.

Ted talks are probably my favorite way to spend my time.

Sometimes I find myself dreaming about having something important enough to share with the great thinkers of this world-- but then I worry that my terrible stage freight would yeild a babbling idiot. so writing it is. ;)

I listened to a really great talk, on a tough subject-- so I had to share.

First, I should share some things about my own views.. 

I grew up in your standard Catholic/Christian household. My sister and I went to Church with friends on Sunday when we were invited, and my mother would insist that we go to church every few weeks-- after all, us kids had busy sport/extracurricular schedules & she was a full-time working single mom.

We took Communion, we were encouraged to say our prayers, and we were expected to have a certain reverence for the faith.

God was often "someone" who was feared. "God is watching you!" or "God, knows if you are lying, Ryan" or whatever else. In retrospect, it was weird actually, because my mother is not like that (anymore).

Anyway, as you can imagine.. I kind of thought God was a jerk. Especially, since my life had been so freaking hard-- by this point I was only eight and I remember several instances in my life where I flat out said, WHERE are you now, God!?

Long story short, I spent most of my teens/early twenties exploring the religious, and non-religious, but spiritual world. I had ups and downs. I rebelled. I conformed. I broke through. I broke down. I had profound experiences. Sometimes I felt really lost, and sometimes I felt really convicted in my beliefs.

Then I spent a good 4 years of my life really scrambling-- and it was re-accepting the idea of God as part of me, and everyone/thing else, that really got me on the path to good health again (and yoga, and working out, and eating right).

Not the Christian God. Or Allah. Or  the angry vengeful God(s) we've seen in human history.

But, just God.

The Universe. The higher power.

The breeze in the air. The light in the sky. The source humans have been talking about, and expressing visually, from cave walls to canvas, since the beginning of time.

Something like this...

Same God. Same Universe. Different interpretation.

For so many of us, especially those more fact driven-science-thinkers (such as myself), the word God is/was perverted because humans practicing religion have perverted it.

I've experienced that perversion on my own path, so I feel  like this is a fair assessment to make.

It's an accidental (and sometimes intentional) limitation of who or what God really is.

The problem I see in religion is that is creates an US vs THEM mentality.

Your God. My God.

There is no God. Who is God?

They believe. They don't. 

Separation. Distrust.

And everyone is SOOOOO sure, that their interpretation of God is correct, and the one true ticket to heaven.

Even if you aren't good, as long as you believe in this specific way, you will be forgiven.. and eternal bliss is yours.

I think this is BS honestly. Where is the accountability? Where is the action?

A blind faith, that doesn't hold us accountable for taking care of this planet, or each other.

I am not intending to attack organized religion-- what I am saying is that I think in a lot of cases, those who are practicing a religion are not really exploring God-- they are exploring an interpretation of God made by man-- Man is flawed, and so are our interpretations of what was seen in that burning bush.

My favorite expression of God is through Om.

It is humble. It is it simple, it holds one accountable for doing their "part" and it is a physical reminder that the vibrations of God, The Universe, are within you.


The sound Om is beautiful-- and a room full of om's is quite powerful. (If you've been to a good yoga or meditation class you know what I mean)

This is how I view God now. Not a man in the sky with puppet strings. Not an entity that creates rules about whom one shall marry. But a feeling. A warmth.

God is hard work that heals the soul.

A powerful, all encompassing, vibration that moves the universe. The more in tune we all become with that vibration, the more likely it is that we will wake up.

I am ashamed to say, within my own family I have witnessed an extreme intolerance for other faiths-- mainly Islam. These (somewhat distant) members of my family have claimed that the Anti-Christ is in the White House, and that Islam is a faith of hate, among other really crazy shit. It is really scary to me that otherwise well educated, well off people would have such a gross misunderstanding of an entire faith, and of even their own faith, and where their religion has been in its past and where it is still to this day.

Not all Christians are good, and not all Muslims are bad. Just like not all Buddhists are patient or compassionate and not all yogi's are disciplined all of the time.

If you are a thinking person, intolerance forces you to look at HOW easy it is to allow the perversion of words and ideas, and religion.. to continue when you don't talk about the issues in intelligent ways.

The intelligent conversation just is not happening as often as it should.

I think sometimes there is fear in starting these conversations. Fear of conflict. Fear of insult. But it is important to speak out when an injustice is being made.

We've been spiritual beings since the beginning of time, that is not going to end, unless we do.. But what should end, is the gross misunderstanding that we are somehow not connected. Yes, from a rational, scientific perspective, we are separate.. But on a fundamental level, we aren't even separate from the forest or the trees within it.

This TEDtalk made me remember and appreciate that there is an awakening happening all over the world. It is happening in Islam, where the people have been controlled and repressed by radicals, it is happening here in America (slowly, but it's happening) and it is happening all over this planet as we expand our consciousness, and become more connected through technology.



This talk reminded me of how fragile we are.

We are so easily influenced by words, and imagery.. Oftentimes we forget that we really don't know or see what is happening on a deeper level around the world.

There is a serious lack of critical thinking happening in the religious-spiritual community, it is important that we open the conversations on a global scale.

The only things I have ever found to be actually true is that we all breath the same air. We are made up of 70% water. Blood runs through our veins. And we are all capable of two very powerful complex emotions.

source unknown to me.


Love/Tolerance & Hate/Intolerance. 

Namaste.

R













12.01.2012

Acupuncture, chakras & a tale of forgiveness.

My breaks are never too long, what can I say? I just can't seem to stay away.

Plus, after a few days, I really miss writing.

Writing has always been a cathartic experience for me--- even as a young'n.

A lot has been going on with me lately, and while I feel like I give an honest portrayal of who I am in real life on this blog, there is a lot I leave out. Mainly because there are a lot of things about myself that I am still exploring, and exploration has always been a private journey for me.

Until now, that is.

Moving to LA has really opened me up to what I am suppose to be doing with my life-- it's simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.

If you know me in real life, and some of you do.. You will  know that there is something a little different about me. I know things. I feel things, and I sense things on a different level than what would be considered "average" or dare I say it, "normal." If you know me in real life it wouldn't be out of character for me to tell you a "B" energy is with you," only to find out that your grandfather Bill recently passed-- or I know you are pregnant before you do.

Sometimes I am wrong. But I am generally pretty in-tune with what is not always seen. This is not something that makes me special, because everyone has it in them, it is just something that has been more "natural" for me.

In the past this is something I have kept very private and reserved the energy for those who are closest to me. The reason for this is because I've had a lot of healing to do, and have really needed to focus on myself. Because of this, I have really separated myself from a lot of people I love.

I know they are hurting, and therefore I hurt too.

As an intuituve-empath-- something I am willing to own publically now--  I know my work here is important, and more importantly.. I know that I am important enough to focus on my purpose and heal myself, and others.

SO my friends, that is what I have been doing-- Healing. On Monday and Thursday I went for my first acupuncture treatments-- the effects for me have been amazing. Working on your energy, especially as an energy sensitive person, is mind blowing.

This week, most of my healing has come from forgiveness. Not just any kind of forgiveness-- not the kind of politically correct forgiveness that we all state we have achieved, when in reality, we still harbor feelings of distrust (you know, forgiven but not forgotten).

It's the kind of forgiveness that comes from the root chakra-- awakening the innocence of your inner child. Accessing that untainted inner-wisdom that becomes clouded as we age, increasingly busying our minds with "reality."

It's the kind of forgiveness that lifts a heavy load and forgives all ways: you forgive others, and yourself.

An amnesty for the heart & soul.

I accidentally stumbled upon this forgiveness awakening by meditating on  my root chakra while on the acupuncture table. Imagining a red ball, clearing the clouds, increasing the vibrancy-- breathing, breathing, breathing.

I came to an ocean, a dark ocean that I would never go into, and I kept seeing my father. I know why my father would appear, there is a lot of pain there, but what does it mean? What does he represent?

As the week has progressed, I kept this vision in my head, asking the question: What does it mean?

Last night, I got to hang out with a girl who is like a sister to me. My parents adopted her when I was in high school-- Her father had died, mother unstable-- she was bouncing around a lot, sometimes having her social security taken advantage of, and this being a childhood friend to my sister Taylor, my parents stepped in, got custody, and took care of her.

There has always been an understanding between her and I that we love each other, but I have not always been kind to her. I would have been there for her if she asked, but I never tried to step up, and mentor her like I do with my other younger sisters. Her and I are very similar, yet quite different.

Last night, I apologized to her for not being there for her-- she should not feel like she needs to walk through this world alone. We talked a lot about forgiveness last night. Doing what is right regardless of the participation of others.

Then the answer to my question: Deep forgiveness is the first step in healing. Which is why it comes from the root chakra, it is the foundation of love for oneself, others and humanity.

As I am sorting through this new space, where real forgiveness is the key, it almost makes me sad. I know so many people who would benefit so greatly from the gift of forgiveness-- But forgiveness is misunderstood by many, it is not something that comes after an apology-- Forgiveness is something that you become. 

You either forgive with amnesia, or you have not really forgiven.

I was talking to my love about this-- there is a certain person in our life who has brought a lot of pain to our hearts-- and while we have claimed to "forgive" her, I think we both had our egos in the way, and weren't really forgiving her. .

We "forgive her" but she can't come to the wedding.. We forgive her, but unless she does XYZ, we won't attempt a relationship with her. That's not really forgiveness.

Someone who is in so much pain that they would purposely, and intentionally, say mean and hateful things to another human, deserves real forgiveness, deep kindness & true compassion. Even it is never (ever) reciprocated. Those who lash out in negative ways are are the ones who need love the most, even if our ego says they are undeserving. They are the test..

Do we really love and forgive, or do we love and forgive with our ego?
The ego has stipulations, the soul just is.

As Rob would say: "They best way to slay those who trespass on you, is with genuine kindness."

(I love him)

So as I bring this post full circle, I encourage anyone who is reading this to contemplate how they forgive. Do you require an action (apology, gift, etc)  prior to forgiveness?

How much is your unwillingness to forgive ego driven? Is it because you can't trust that person anymore, or think they have a bad heart?

Can you truly forgive and forget?

If forgiveness is something you are dealing with-- either within yourself or others I encourage you to meditate on your root chakra. Don't let the word meditation bug you out, there is no right or wrong way to do it.

1. Find a quite place, and comfortable position to sit in. (You can lay down, but I usually sit up so I don't fall asleep)

2. Close your eyes, and focus on your breath. breath deep in and slow breath out. Calm your mind. If you slip into thought, go back to your breath. You will do this A LOT at first, but after you learn how to increase the connection between the front and back of your brain, it becomes easier to stay in meditation. 


 3. Your root Chakra is in your groin area and is represented by the color red. After several deep breaths (relaxed shoulders) Imagine a red mass-- some people see a crystal, some people see a ball of light, you might see an apple.. 




I usually see a ball of dull light-- and I work on making it bright until is glows by breathing in cleansing light energy, and breathing out the dark negative energy. Being mindful of each breath, and where the tension is releasing from. Sometimes you will be taken to dream like places, in my case I was in front of that ocean, and my father. Observe the surroundings, and return to your breath
and the red light (or whatever chakra color you are working on)

Your root chakra is also responsible for keeping you grounded and present, it is responsible for your sense of security, and your relationship with Gaia (mother earth). 


4. Slowly come out of the meditation by keeping your attention on the breath, coming back into the physical surroundings. 

You can repeat this meditation for the other chakras all in one meditation, moving your way up from your root chakra to your crown chakra (each will represent a different color, and system) knowing what each chakra MEANS isn't necessarily as important as learning how to clear the chakras of negative build up-- bringing forth the light, and clearing the clouds.


You can remember the colors with this acronym: ROY G BIV. (This might be a familiar to for you artist folks.) 

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. 
(Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third-eye, Crown.) 

As you cleanse your chakras, either through meditation, or yoga, or whatever else.. you will become more aware of the subtle changes each chakra controls.

Here
is a good explanation of the different chakras, and at the bottom of the page she talks about meditation, breathing and colors.


So, dear readers.. As I move into this new chapter of This Must be the Place, I look forward to sharing a lot more of myself, and I hope to encourage each of you to dig deep in our own life.

As always, Namaste!

R

11.25.2012

Thanks, Birthday, break.

Happy Sunday Morning to you my bloggy friends.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Ours was easy-peasy. We took the train down to San Diego to have Thanksgiving with my mother, her man, his two kiddos, mother and step father. Our friend Mike, who is one of our buddies from Orlando, joined us as well-- and despite catching the oven on fire, the turkey came out great (even though the oven no longer works) and all the fixings were southern and fattening. Paula Dean would have been proud of my mother. Good news is, I didn't over eat (or drink) so it was a guilt free Thanksgiving for me! ;) 


R had the past few days off, so we just soaked in as much time as we could since it is likely that his next couple of days off will be around Christmas time.

Yesterday was my 26th birthday-- We slept in, went to brunch, played on the internet and listened to music, had a nice dinner at an Italian place (that served Gluten free pasta!), bought some art supplies, and then we went to Theater in the Dark . It was a neat experience--I'd be curious to see where they go with this Theater in the Dark thing. I had a wonderful birthday. 

Anyway-- I'm going to take a bit of a break from blogging-- I'll be back in a few weeks!

If you miss me or something, you can follow me on Instagram where I occasionally post pictures that eventually get posted here. ;) IG username: Rypeace

Namaste!

R