Create the Work You Love- Week 2

In week 2 of Create the Work You Love we are exploring our connections to our spirit and the impact that has on creating the work and life that you are in love with. It is an exploration into the idea that we are not alone on this journey. Whether you call this connection GOD, Goddess, Jesus, Buddha, Collective Consciousness, The UNIVERSE, or ALF; having some kind of connection to something MORE is critical on the path to living your True Self.

I have always believed the Universe will take care of me, and I may at different times in my life use all of the above terms to define that connection. Because I am not married to one philosophy I have access to whatever and whomever I need to call on at that moment. That does not mean I always have perfect clarity. I think sometimes I have so much Divine Guidance that I get confused and have a hard time discerning what message is being given to me or what path is the correct one.

I suppose I should; after all of these years of paying attention and receiving guidance; finally understand that there is NOT JUST ONE PATH FOR ME. And be OK with that. Much like someone going through a 12 Step Program I need to take it day by day. I am blessed that I can do that. I need to train myself to wake up every morning and say hey Mother Earth “What’s in store for me today?” “What will my contribution to my path and the world around me be?”

And then wait for the answer…but I hate not having a plan for my week and some structure. It is my left and right brain battling it out for supremacy. Yet, when I go with the flow I am much more content. When I listen for the answer I am much more productive than when I try to produce by sheer will and stubbornness.

It reminds me of an old mantra…..”Let Go, Let God”

So for this week, that is exactly what I am going to do and see where it leads. My family will thank me.

Technorati Tags: This Time I Dance,Tama Kieves,Personal Growth,Unleashing Your Calling,Spiritual Growth

Create The Work You Love- Week 1

As I mentioned in my last post I am embarking on a 12 week e-course called Create The Work You Love by author Tama Kieves.  I am blessed to have had the space to explore my passions for the last 8 years or so.

Part of this week’s journey is to allow yourself the space and time to create and realize your dream. As I mentioned I have had the space on the physical plane, but on the spiritual and mental planes I realized I have not really allowed the space; I consistently beat myself for not having it all figured out or have given up when things were not immediately successful.

Many times I just question, is this endeavor really my calling? When is the Universe going to send me a sign that this is really what my path is? I realize that may never happen so I just explore and hope that something sticks.

I have always had the need to be “good” at something right away. If I am not not, I let it go. I don’t really put in the practice or effort if it does not come easily to me. Maybe, that thing I will put effort into and continue to come back to is “my thing”. Writing is one of those things, some days I know I want to do it but I avoid it like the plague. That is fear rearing her ugly head. But it is the thing I have done since I was a child.

One of the exercises is to write some permission statements here are some of mine:

I give myself permission to:

· Fully experience every moment, every path without needing immediate results.

· Not focus on the immediate outcome; or give up when the outcome is not apparent.

· Write when the moment strikes me and stop worrying if all the errands are done; conversely not beat myself up when I am playing and not writing.

· Take more naps.

· Let my blog(s) unfold as they may without worrying too much on design.

· Play with my son whenever I have the chance; in a few years he won’t be interested and I don’t want to regret one wasted moment.

· Love more fully, and to stream love into every piece of my life.

· Not to worry that I don’t know exactly what my path is and what the rest of my life will look like.

· To dream big and set intentions without knowing exactly how I will get there.

Technorati Tags: This Time I Dance,Tama Kieves,Mangia Denver,Personal Growth,Unleashing Your Calling

Time to Get the Creativity Flowing……

Technorati Tags: This Time I Dance,Tama Kieves,Mangia Denver,Personal Growth,Unleashing Your Calling

It’s been so long since I have been here, wondering what am I going to do with this blog…how much to I want to work it and how am I going to tie it in with my new food blog Mangia Denver. I have ignored you dear readers and I do hope you come back to me, and follow my new blog as well.

It is often difficult to allow yourself the space for everything you want to do. I definitely want to work on design for my new blog, I don’t even have a button yet, but right now I am focusing on content for that blog and maybe even getting a few followers.

So the glutton for punishment that I am…I am going to try to work both of these blogs at once. And my first order of business on this blog is to chronicle my experiences taking an online course I have just signed up for.

It is called Unleash Your Calling:Create the Work You Love and it is a 12 week course designed to help you realize your calling, allow yourself to create the space for the work you love through self-realization exercises. The course is written by Tama Kieves author of “This Time I Dance! Creating the Work You Love” which is an amazing story of how Tama gave up her life as an attorney and followed her dream of writing and teaching the rest of us that it is ok to follow our dreams.

I do hope you follow me on this journey, and if you would like the opportunity to review the course please contact me and I might be able to get you involved.

Now I am off to start week one, and to write up some reviews and recipes at Mangia Denver.

Winter Solstice (or whatever you celebrate) Blessing

I post this every year(because it moves me every time), it was written by one of my yoga teachers Enoch Dasa and it makes me reflect in a new way every year; I hope you gain as much from it as I do. Each year I want to share it because it reflects on the deeper spiritual meaning of every holiday and every philosophy and to me reminds me that we are all one, regardless of where we come from, or what God we believe in. ENJOY:

THE SUN’S RETURN — KRIYA & THE SYMBOLISM OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE

My dear friend,
As this year comes to an end, I send you my deepest blessings. May the coming year bring you ever closer to the realization of your spiritual dream. May you find fulfillment in the joy of sharing it without hesitation.

I would like to reflect with you on the symbolism of the winter solstice and this important holiday season. As spiritual entities, we are travelers in time, spirit in form (kala purusha). ‘We exist in a universe that is a matrix of consciousness composed of an infinite number of patterns or cycles; birth/death, day/night, inhalation/exhalation, and the rotation of the seasons each with their traditional kriya or ritual.

There is a principle in yoga known as UTU Dharma. Utu Dharma is the law of balance or equilibrium. It states that a system or an entity can only go so far toward any extreme before it will come back toward balance by virtue of its own nature. You know this intuitively and have probably heard it expressed metaphorically in the West as “You can only walk so far into the woods before you begin walking out” and “You can only go so far into the night before you are moving back toward the dawn” A soul will only sustain so much pain and suffering before they recognize that “they” must do something about it, As spiritual beings, we only descend so far into form (rupa) and time (kala), before we begin to ascend once again to the high place.

The winter solstice and the celebrations of the sun’s return (Hanukkah and Christmas) are festivals of light that remind us of this vital spiritual principle. We are not permanent residents down here, though some of us act as if we may be. We come, and we go. We descend, and we ascend, we inhale, and we exhale. We give, and we receive. However, as mystics; we are always seeking the point of equilibrium, of stillness, of balanced self-awareness.

There are great lessons to be learned from observing nature. There are great lessons to be learned from observing your nature. In yoga, this practice is called svadhyaya or self-study. However, to learn from nature necessitates removing your subjective emotional filters and seeing yourself, seeing Life as it is, not as you desire it to be or fear it to be, but as it is — wondrous and beautiful. Beholding Life as it is (and you are part of Life) is not easy because you have to renounce your expectations and projections. In Japanese philosophy, there is a concept referred to as chahuhi: Nature is not man’s concept of nature. Nature is not a perfect square or a perfect circle. It is certainly not formed out of straight lines. The pattern of the solar year is not 360 days; it is 365 and a quarter days. Shabuhi expresses the organic nature of life, It reveals that we, like the universe, are not moving in a circle but in a spiral an ever expansive movement towards greater balance.

Kriya is an esoteric school of yogic thought. It is concerned with inner experiences and dynamics. The root of the word kriya means an action, rite or ritual — an inner, conscious one.

Holidays or Holy Days are like inns upon the path that offer you, as a traveler in time, an opportunity to stop and reflect at particularly auspicious points upon your journey. Where have you been, where are you now and toward what are you traveling? Are you moving in a circle or a spiral? Is your path a conscious movement (kriya) or an unconscious karmic pattern?

The winter solstice (December 21st) is the point where the sun enters the zodiacal sign of Capricorn, its extreme southern declination. The sun has descended lower in the sky than it will all year. For three days, it stops moving north or south (ascending or descending) and is still! It then begins to ascend again on the 25th, the high holy day of Christmas the festival of the Sun’s return. To the mystic, Christmas and other festivals of this season (Hanukkah, Dawali and Kwanza) are celebrations of Light, reminding us that as spirit we too ascend and descend. We have descended into form and shall ascend once again at the appointed time. The solstice also holds an even deeper mystical symbolic meaning. - —

Remember the old mvstical hermetic axiom: ‘As above, so below. As within, so without. Within your astral body (which is a solar system in miniature), there is an astral sun. This sun rotates each year “ascending and descending” around the twelve mansions of your astral spine, the idic and pingalic hemispheres of your six chakras. After the winter solstice, the astral sun moves (transits) into the Capricorn section of your Saturn chakra, the lowest point of your chakric universe. During the Sun’s movement through your Saturn chakra, tremendous spiritual energies take “form” and will be released in the coming cycle of your existence.
Though it may seem as though there is little or no creative activity taking place right now either within you or in the nature that surrounds you, there most definitely is. Do not make the mistake of thinking that just because you do not see something (or more accurately, are not aware of something) that nothing is happening. The formed arises from the unformed. The very structure of the next cycle of Life, of your life, is being generated at this time. My offering to you this month is simple. Make your life a kriya; an action.

How can you do this? How can you make your life a kriya, a conscious movement through- - time? One way is to create a map, something that gives you a reference point for where you are, where you have been and where you wish to go. This could be the cycle of the seasons, the cycles of astrology or the cycle of the breath. For most people, it is the cycle of the holy days (holidays) to which Christmas and Hanukkah belong. Here we are taught to celebrate and reflect upon our life through a rich tradition of rituals and observances (kriyas). We begin to see the cycles of our life as part of a whole, part of a larger pattern — the Bharva Chakra (the wheel of existence), we stop to get
our bearings, to make sure we are moving forward and not just going in a circle. We slow down our busy lives for a moment and become quiet enough to see afresh the pattern of our lives and the path we are upon, just like we do in meditation.

By making our lives a kriya, we come to the realization that independent of the cycle or universe in which we find ourselves (physical embodiment, dream world, marriage, parenthood), it is the hub of our self-awareness that brings clarity of purpose, direction and the strength to walk the path before us that we, and only we, have created. This insight allows us to refrain from fragmenting or distorting our experience of Life because we no longer fear it, judge it or blame others for our karma. Symbolically each act, each thought, each word becomes a means to become more conscious (a sacrament in Christian thought), to remember from whence we have come, who we are and why we
have come, -
As you can see, the suns return is a metaphor for many things.In kriya, it is also a metaphor for the mechanism of the breath and the laws of self-conscious awareness. Your breath is composed of four parts: an inhalation followed by a hold (kumbhaka) and an exhalation followed by a hold, These are four factors, two of which (the pause between inhalation/exhalation and exhalation/inhalation) are the same. When you have four factors, two of which are the same, there are only twelve different combinations or permutations in which they can be grouped. (For example 1233, 3312, 1332,
2331,1323, 2313, 3123 etc.) This is the genesis of the archetypical twelve system which is seen throughout mythology, religion and the human experience: the twelve disciples of Christ, the twelve, 12 tribes of Israel, the twelve knights of the round table, the twelve labors of Hercules, the twelve months of the year. These twelve principles are referred to in Kriya Yoga as the laws of self-conscious awareness. The cycle of Capricorn is 1/12th of this pattern. It is the point or law of crystallization both internally and externally. But there is also a 13th factor Christ, King Arthur, Moses. You!

You are the hub in the wheel of your life. You are the center of your chart, You are the Anointed One, you are the King, you are the Law Giver. your self-awareness needs to be the reference point on the map of your life. With each breath you release spiritual forces that generate the pattern of the next cycle of your life. Over the next two months, as the sun transits Capricorn and Aquarius. this release will be especially powerful. Therefore, now and each day of the year, it is important to make time for quiet reflection, time to perform a kriya, a conscious ritual of creation. In your meditation, ask yourself some fundamental questions. What are you dedicated to in your life? What is the hub or center of this incarnational pattern for you? There can be only one. All the spokes or “houses” must fit harmoniously into this hub if the wheel of your life is to be balanced and true,
What are you trying to accomplish? What have you been trying to achieve in the last cycle of your life and why? How have your values changed? How have you changed? What recurring problems have you encountered? What are the major obstacles in your life? What will they be in the coming cycle? What are you going to do (kriya) to overcome them this year? What were your triumphs and what were your mistakes? Reflect on what you have created this past year, what you want to sustain and what needs to be dissolved in your life. The laws of self-conscious awareness are not a philosophical dogma. They are a living system that can produce a transformation in consciousness that will improve your life and benefit others. They are also the map that reveals the timing and intensity of your karma. The questions are, “What are you trying to accomplish, and why? What are you truly dedicated to, and why?”

The root of the word Hanukkah is a Hebrew word that means dedication. Hanukkah is called The Festival of Light. It was at this time each year that the old altars in the Temple were taken down and new ones rededicated. This idea of rededication is an important one. There are two definitions of dedication that can found in the dictionary:
1. ‘To devote exclusively to the service or worship of a divine being or to sacred uses; To set apart with solemn rites.
2. “To give, present, or surrender to public use.
The first definition fragments that which is sacred from that which is not. The second recognizes that Life is rooted in reciprocity. “As above, so below. As within, so without.” From the rhythm of our respiration to the movement of the sun, moon and planets, we live in a unified system of cycles, internal and external. We are part of Life, not apart from it.
Do you surrender yourself to public use? The problem, as I see it, is that we lack dedication in some parts of our lives because of a subjective value system. We see some things as worthy of our dedication and some as unworthy. We think meditating is holier than washing dishes, Our priorities are easily distorted because we have fragmented that which we consider sacred from the other aspects of our lives.

The beauty of the dance of Life (lila), the beauty of this garden of God is that everything and everyone within it has its own timing mechanism, its own rhythm and its own purpose. When we develop this awareness, we are on our way to becoming spiritually mature. As we mature on our spiritual path, which is life, we come to understand that dedication really means surrendering ourselves to serving others when and how they need to be served. This is a razor’s edge because we must be cautious not to harm ourselves and not to interfere in the lives of others. It requires wisdom, compassion and most importantly, unselfish love. It requires the ability to see Life as it is. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that you are not capable of being of assistance to someone unless you have God’s zip code — often all it takes is a smile, a gentle touch, an understanding ear.
Solomon built the Temple of Israel to emanate light. He said, “The dwelling place of the Holy Spirit should be a source of light, and not it’s container.” Remember, we are always talking about an inner dynamic, an inner experience. The Temple is your body/mind complex, the altar is your awareness, and light is spirit, balanced self-conscious awareness. At this time each year and on this plane of existence, we have arrived at a point both “above and below, within and without” of greatest restriction and limitation. But do not forget the law of Utu Dharma: We can only move so far into the night, before we begin to approach the dawn. -

The celebration of the sun’s return (borrowed later to become the sons return) is a metaphor. Only a physical body, matter or prakriti (a Saturn symbol) can limit the sun of God or Spirit. It is a beautiful symbol. Why did Christ come? To bring the Light! What is the Light? It is consciousness. It is Spirit. What is the celebration of Hanukkah? It is the miracle of the Light. Truly, you are the Light that has returned. You are the Light that grows each day.

In this cycle of the sun’s return (of Saturn and Capricorn/Aquarius), no matter what form of external ritual or celebration you observe, remember to make some time for silence and inner reflection, to rededicate yourself to being a Light that brings vision, clarity, warmth and healing to Life. Whatever else you may give, give the gift, the only gift that is truly yours to give: your time, your talent and resources — give your Self.

On the altar of your self-awareness rededicate your life again and again and yet again. Remember that you are the Light of Life, the living flame of existence. Take refuge in joy. Take refuge in wisdom. Take refuge in gentleness. Take refuge in Utu Dharma. Take refuge in stillness. Take refuge in peace, but never forget to share that peace.
• May the sun’s return bring light, laughter and joy.

Namaste,
David Lipschutz
(Enoch Dasa)

Feast of the Seven Fishes- Part Uno

I was going to wait until after Christmas Eve to write this post about The Feast of the Seven Fishes (aka La Vigilia) because I wanted to post photos of all of my fantastic dishes, and then I thought; wait a minute what if someone would really like to cook this and did not know how or did not have the recipes; they would never be able to pull it off. So I am doing Part 1 now…explanation and intentions, and then part duo after I get some good photos.

I grew up with my parents and great-grandparents; my grandmother born in Naples and very Catholic it was par for the course to do only fish (or pizza but no meat on Fridays). This is apparently the Italian version of fasting, (a far cry from the hindu, buddhist or muslim version…lol); like we could really fast!!! My parents were hippies and really did not clue me in on the religious connotations of this or La Vigilia on Christmas Eve, so for us fasting means eating no meat but fish (and I found out no dairy but what Italian could live without cheese). It is the vigil waiting until midnight for the birth of the baby Jesus, basically you eat until you are ready to puke and then go to Midnight Mass for the social scene.

All I really seem to remember is a whole lot of eating, drinking, card playing and money up for grabs (no wonder my grandmother was excommunicated), not to mention those are the years I swear I heard Santa Bells as I was going to sleep. For me; it was eating anything with a shell which has been my favorite food since I was two.

Now that I am older and in my own household I have chosen to continue the tradition; when it has been logistically and financially possible. Living in Colorado can be expensive to get the good seafood I love, so my menu will be subject to pricing and availability!! Traditionally this menu would include Baccalla (salt cod) and eel; my mother could tell you many stories about the trips to the fishmonger and the live eels sharing the space with her in the backseat of the car. But because of tastes and availability I skip those. This year my in-laws are coming to my house which means I don’t have to haul a bunch of fish to Wyoming.

HERE IS MY MENU AS PLANNED! This would be a 10 page blog post if I put up the recipes, so if you want them please comment and I will get them to you or post them after the big day.

• Antipasto with Italian Tuna packed in olive oil (this does have meat and cheese…I just can’t help it) (fish #1)
• Shrimp Cocktail (one of the few fish dishes my husband likes and does not require any work…Fish#2)
• Scallops wrapped in bacon (Fish #3)
• Fried Calamari with Marinara (never done this so it should be fun Fish #4)
• Clams and Mussels steamed in butter, lemon, white wine and garlic (fish #5&6)
• Breaded and fried Cod or Whitefish (for the non-fish eaters  or the kids, next best thing to fish sticks (Fish #7)
• Ok here is the big one dependent on price and availability- Lobster tails steamed in Champagne Butter if not then it is Shrimp Florentine which is a personal recipe. (fish #8) This is the good luck fish.
• And just for some vegetation I will probably do broccoli rabe.
• For dessert….tiramasu and hopefully someone brings something because I have been cooking my ass off.

I hope you enjoy and send me a message for recipes; I am looking forward to cooking it and taking photos. There are no promises that this will actually all happen. And then I have a great Christmas menu planned as well!!

Technorati Tags: Feast of the Seven Fishes,cooking,recipes,Italian recipes,Christmas Eve recipes,La Vigilia

It All Started When the Computer Crashed

One week turned into three, I had a lot of irons in the fire and I realized when I was unplugged that I had enough of blogging for non-existent dollars. I do apologize to anyone who was engaged in these things with me that I let drop and I hope you understand.

The initial intention of the blog got lost in black hole of networking, following, linking posts in a bazillion places. None of the posts being educational like I intended, but posting about posting, and following, and contests. And it was making me miserable. I needed to regroup, think about the purpose. It took until today for the mood to even strike me to come back here. I have not looked at the email linked to this blog in three months. I just purged 3000 unread email messages. Mostly links back to blog networks about giveaways…and I realized I don’t care. So I dropped those email feeds.

In that time, I don’t think I have made any earth shattering self discoveries. In all honesty I spent it knitting and watching movies…which is exactly what I needed to do. Now as the Solstice is approaching I can feel some renewal coming on, I am finding MY voice again. I just purged my house of a lot of clutter and deep cleaned it. I could not function spiritually until I did that. I still have a little way to go.

So now I am back; what I am going to write about, that I am not sure. It will be completely random based on what I have going on, or what I want to share. Could be educational, funny, recipes, pictures of knitting…I don’t know. No more following just to follow people, in fact I am purging my follow list. If you don’t write about anything but giveaways and reviews I probably won’t follow and you probably won’t care.

I do need to write to an audience, but I am not going to go crazy trying to find it. If the Universe wants someone to come to my blog and learn something or enjoy reading my stuff then she will bring the readers to me.

As for product reviews, I will still do them if I come across something that knocks my socks off. Of course, there is the dilemma of the blog name, but I don’t have the energy to change it right now…..we will just see where it goes.

I am not going crazy with sidebar fanciness and widgets either. I am just going to write, and hope people enjoy it. So I am back, and moving into a mode of change. 

Peace and Love,
Dina

Extending the Leap Out of Your Box Deadline

My computer was back for about five minutes, and then broke again, so I must break down and send it in for repair. I must say it has been quite refreshing not feeling like a slave to my computer or blog. When I get it back, I already have some great posts and experiences to write about.
In the meantime, because I have not been here to support the contestants, or do the twitter parties and other things I have planned. I am extending the challenge deadline until October 30th. This will give you more time to make huge changes and write about them. I think you will all appreciate the extra time.
And once again, email may be my only method of communicating with you for a week or two, so if you have not provided it please do so, in a comment on this post!

Dina