HEALth and HEALing

In my last post, I showed you my Sanctuary... my Studio.  Since I went on my mini art retreat, I've really prioritized yoga with meditation, doggie walks and art time.  This post I wrote in a local Pittsburgh Facebook group (for local folks with thyroid disorders) sums up my experience since then:

"In the spirit of encouragement, I thought I'd share some great things that have been going on with me. Over the last week, I've been doing chakra balancing yoga including meditation in the morning and another meditation (sometimes chakra focused, sometimes not) in the evening before bed and my body, mind and spirit have shown wonderful healing signs- like my nails are in better shape than I saw them after the cleansing fast [I did this fall], which I thought was amazing and I'm more patient and joyful. I'm better able to center myself. I know it's really difficult with kids to get the time and space to do these sorts of things, which is why I haven't been as consistent in the past. But, the more I do yoga and meditate, the more results I see, and the better able I am to adjust to all the things that get in the way or break my concentration, like Angelo running his cars over me or throwing a fit in the middle of my practice or sitting in my lap while I [do pranayama] [or the doggie sings her "omg you're in the floor song in my face and/or licks my face]. I'm better able to accept that this is what a Mother's yoga practice looks/feels/acts like. I've also made sure to do art journaling almost every day, whether I can get some "just me" time or not. (Anti-perfectionism!!!) Surprisingly, all this has led me to do a little more cooking and managing the laundry better. Or maybe that shouldn't be so surprising. :) I often think as our energy system as a bank that you have to make deposits in to have anything to withdraw. :) Hope this helps!"

Then, in response to someone asking me how I stayed active and whether it was easy or just a great habit I said, 

"I've been active most of my life, but definitely been through periods of time where I'm sluggish and tired and just not motivated to move. Moving to Pittsburgh where there's a huge variety of classes to take really helped. I LOVE to dance, and have taken belly dance, hip hop, and stiletto fit classes. Also some yoga classes since I always practice longer and do a bigger variety of poses in a class than at home because someone is making me. Even though the cost and the hassle getting there are concerns, I made the commitment to keep going to classes and if I didn't go to class then I was more active at home. No, it wasn't easy at any point when I had to force myself to go to class when I was/am tired. Repeating "remember how good you feel afterwards" helps get me there. Since going on my mini art retreat, I remind myself of all the benefits I've reaped so far and that helps me to keep walking the dog and fitting in at least some yoga before/after even if I have to do only standing poses and plank in the kitchen while the eggs boil (did that this week some time). I really think meditation and art help give me the peace of mind and therefore extra energy to keep going. Also, I can _really_ feel it when I go too long without yoga. My body hurts [when I go too long without yoga]. I used belly dance and yoga to heal after several car accidents years ago, so experience tells me that it's going to "put me back together". A friend of mine talked about her method to motivate herself to keep walking: she said "just don't think about it. Just put on your shoes and go." It's a way to keep from talking yourself out of it... which I've done on plenty of occasions. Also, walking the dog is easier to motivate for because I know she needs it to be healthy too. She also lets me talk out any issues I have or problems I need to solve. I've had many "Aha!" moments on our walks; guess they are like meditation too. So, I guess to sum up (ha ha), I just keep remembering all the benefits and focus on that."

Currently, I'm not taking many classes, but I do consider them the boost I needed to motivate myself on my own.  The past few years have been relatively unhealthy ones for me (among my "periods of time where I'm sluggish and tired and just not motivated to move").  After having Angelo, many things (not always  directly related to him) "went haywire" among the people I love and am close to.  My Dad having strokes and being in and out of the hospital was part of that.  Because I had a small child, I really shut down parts of myself so I could keep going.  But that method really caught up to me. A little over a year ago, I was really not healthy despite eating pretty healthy foods and not being a _total_ couch potato.  I tried, but I needed to try harder.  I felt pretty beaten down.

Now that I'm on the other side of that, I can share what has helped me and hope that it helps someone else.  Along with the commitment to eat healthier and moderate portions, exercise, meditate and do more art- generally honor and nurture my Whole Self- I recruited help.  There were people who helped me push along the path to better health.  

First I saw a massage therapist 2 weeks after I miscarried last June.  She urged me to do a detoxification program, which lead me to see the naturopath.  He encouraged me to journal and that renewed habit lead me to call the really amazing psychic I saw at the beach when Angelo was 3.  She confirmed something that was in the back of my mind- that I should talk to a life coach- someone who listens to what you are going through/pondering/trying to figure out and helps you find solutions and clarify your goals.  Michelle Ward, the When I Grow Up Coach, helped me to sort out many things I needed to let go of and stop doing just because I felt obligated to.  (If you sign up with Michelle, which I highly recommend, tell her Kimberly Minardi sent you, please!) This freed up energy to start looking into my heart and forgiving (myself and others) and letting go of a lot of Pain I was holding onto.  An excellent book that I read to help this process is "Unconditional Forgiveness- a Simple and Proven Method to Forgive Everyone and Everything" by Mary Hayes Grieco.  

My vision board had goals on it that only my heart understood at the time (my mind kept saying "I'm not sure why I'm choosing this), but because it was too closed I couldn't see or feel what they were.  Now when I look at it, I'm amazed!  It really helps support the idea that if you trust even the quietest whispers of your intuition and collect and collage images that speak to you, you can push your life forward in the direction of your choosing.  Truly, truly amazing!  

Speaking of collaging images that speak to me and health and healing, here are some sneak peaks into some of the art journaling I've been doing:

When I scheduled the Art Journaling Workshop with Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, I knew it would make me focus much more on art journaling than other creative efforts and I am so so glad that I did.  I am really excited to share this process at the workshop, so if you can make it, it will be so worth your while, I promise!  :)  If you live too far away to come to the workshop, I am working on getting some materials together to be able to offer an ecourse or perhaps an ebook.  No idea when it will be ready, but just wanted to get people thinking about it.  Feels scary letting people know my plans, but it really feels like something that just has to go out into the world.  :)  

Thanks for hanging in on this long post.  I hope it is useful for you. :)

On Gratitude

I do not have a picture to share to go along with this video, and I didn't see a way to embed it, but I am very Grateful to have found it.  It is quite inspiring.  It brings Giving Thanks to a whole new level.

"Live every day as if it were your first and your last."

Enjoy this 10 minute talk by Louis Swartzburg. (Warning, there is a naked rear in there, in case you care about that sort of thing. ;0)

Visits to the Naturopath

I went to the Naturopath here in our neighborhood.  Before the first visit, it took about 2 hours to fill out the paperwork.  The process was actually really cathartic- like a therapy session that allowed me to tell my entire story regarding my physical, emotional and spiritual self.

After the free 30 minute consultation, I was feeling hopeful that some of my current issues would be resolved more thoroughly than I anticipated and at the same time a little concerned that I would have to radically change my diet again and only be able to eat rice.   (Not the case regarding the second, fortunately.)

It was one of those "block out 3 hours for the evaluation" and it took 4 things.  That's not a bad thing, though.  IMO, a much better approach than checking in with someone who has allotted 3 minutes for you and rushes to prescribe a pill or surgery.

After the seemingly magical evaluation that involved a computer, an electric probe, and accupressure points on my hand, I was surprised to find out some of the things I was sensitive and reacting to- cats, formaldehyde (hello anatomy and neurology lab- you were more than just creepy!), carragean.  At the same time, I was not really surprised since many of the things I already knew I reacted to and avoided-mold/dust, gluten. Or things I cut out just because I knew they were "bad"- msg, aspartame.  Now I know they are specifically "bad" for me.

After a chiropractic evaluation and adjustment, some manual accupressure point checks, lots of questions regarding my whole self, he came up with a plan that I can really get on board with.  One thing I was really impressed with was the homeopathic remedy he prescribed.  The profile described me to a T.  Very interesting, a little spooky and very confidence-building.

Though kind of overwhelming, I'm glad this route addresses the root cause of the issues and not just the symptoms or a disease.  And that the solutions don't come with a list of crazy side-effects.

Hmm... and I thought I was going in for a detoxifying foot bath...

Has anyone else had experience seeing a Naturopath?  I'd be really interested in hearing about your process.

Assemblage Art

Here she is! This is the shrine mentioned in this post. Collage and Assemblage Art go hand-in-hand when I picture pieces that I'll make, though that is not the case with everyone. Almost all forms of Mixed Media Art and Altered Art appeal to me, however they go together. Because I got to use these "smalls" (term I picked up from "American Pickers"; LOVE that show!!) and their quantity outweighed the collage elements, I am categorizing this as Assemblage Art. In truth, these forms all flow together for me. Over at Craftcast, I listened to a great podcast featuring assemblage artist Keith Lo Bue. He got to see an installation by Joseph Cornell, a pioneer in the form. I really related to how inspired he got by found objects, antiques, etc.

My apologies for the craptacular framing of these pictures. When I got a chance to take some pictures in good light, it was also during my afternoon fog and after a while, I lost patience. I've been trying to get to know my camera better so I can take better pictures, but I can't help longing for an uber digital camera ... a gal can dream. ;)

Quick run down of how this went together: started with a cigar box and removed the lid and inside paper. Added a layer of white gesso on the outside, thicker in some places than others, letting some of the paper show through. Glued a torn piece of sheet music to the inside of the box. Painted the inside with heavy bodied acrylic and the outside with water soluble oil pastels (blended with a damp brush). The inner frame, I cut foam board to size and coated with matte medium, and let it dry (helps prevent warping) then covered with rice paper, painted with the same blue water soluble oil pastels and damp brush, sponged/streaked dye based ink (Ranger Rainbow ink) over that because the effect just wasn't as nice on the rice paper; then glued together with tacky glue. Used an antique gold Shiva paint stik around the edges of the box and the frame. Glued most objects in with E6000, but used tacky glue on the magic wand (stick and wooden star ["Distress" inked and added a layer of Shiva antique gold] ... I knew that tiny stick would come in handy). Blocks were sanded and inked. Paper behind the dolly is from a 1910? pharmacy booklet. For the bunting at the top, I drew triangles on sheet music and cut out, poked holes with a needle tool and threaded a string from a tea bag.

Making the inner frame was a new technique for me. So, a few days went by between the familiar painting and gluing stage and the final stage of the frame. I was most intimidated by covering the foam board with rice paper because I imaged it a more precise process than it actually was. It was also incredibly satisfying ... how can I describe the feeling of tacky glue grabbing the rice paper and becoming one? Hmmm... you'll just have to try it yourself. I'm sure you'll be glad you did. :)

Let me know what you think of the shrine- I'd love some feedback!!

Also, if you aren't already officially following the blog, please click the "Follow" button to the right. If you don't already have a Google account, you'll need to create one, but it is quick and painless. Any (valid) email address will do.

Have a great weekend!!

Delish Pumpkin Soup

After going to the Farmer's Market on Monday and Rich's Farm today (to pick out pumpkins), I found myself with lots of fresh vegetables! Today, I thought I would make a big batch of soup and freeze the left-overs. After much debate, Angelo helped me to decide which soup to make by picking up a pumpkin at least 3 times and saying "Can we make pumpkin soup?" Well, pumpkin soup it was!

I adapted this recipe from Ultimate Vegetarian (Parragon Publishing 2003) (Here is a picture of what the book's soup looks like. Mine didn't photograph well ...):

I doubled the recipe. This fed two adults and a toddler tonight and looks like we have enough for two more dinners (for all of us) and a lunch (for one of us- maybe enough for Angelo and I to share).

About 6 lbs. of "pie pumpkin" (one medium small and one small)

4 small or 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

About 6 TBSP of butter (you could use olive oil)

1 1/2 medium Onions

About 3 cloves garlic

About 7 cups vegetable stock (or at least 4 cups veg stock plus the remaining amount in water)

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp orange zest (I used a tiny grater instead of a zester) (optional)

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

1. peel, remove seeds and cut pumpkin into 1 in. cubes

2. melt butter in large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. add onion and garlic an fry over low heat until soft but not colored.

3. add pumpkin and carrots and toss with onion 2-3 min.

4. add stock and bring to boil over med. heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add ginger, lemon juice, orange zest, bay leaves and cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 min., until pumpkin is tender.

5. Calls for discarding orange zest, if using, but what I used was so small, I left it in. Discard bay leaves. Cool soup slightly then press through a strainer or process in a food processor until smooth. ... so they say. I used a potato smasher and just smashed in the pot until I got a consistency I liked and it was really easy and pretty fast. No transferring from pot to food processor and back again.

I served it over garlic rice (recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking):

2 cups long grain rice

6 cloves garlic, lightly mashed and peeled

5 TBS olive oil

1 tsp salt

wash rice in several changes of water. drain. soak rice in 6 cups water for 1/2 water. drain thoroughly.

heat oil in heavy 2 quart pot over med. flame. when hot, put in garlic. stir and fry until garlic turns med brown color. add rice and salt. stir and fry another minute. add 2 3/4 cups water and bring to a boil. cover tightly, turn heat to very, very low and cook gently for 25 minutes.

I also have a pot of vegetable stock cooling on the stove, using the peels, ends and greens from this soup. It is so easy to make! Try it and you'll never buy pre-made veggie stock again!

Hopes and Dreams

Hola!

I'll fill out my profile shortly, but I thought I'd introduce myself. I started belly dancing in 1993 and practicing yoga shortly after. I got my Masters in Occupational Therapy and my specialty was in pediatrics, though I've also worked in Rehab and in Nursing homes. I quit my full time OT job when symptoms from Hashimoto's disease rendered me poorly functional. I went professional as a belly dancer since it gave me energy rather than draining it. My husband I were married in 2000. We were lucky enough to get two lab-shepard-husky-rotti mix pups about 4 1/2 years ago when my sister's dog had puppies (that's Dana in the picture.) The showed us how to love unconditionally and prepped us for the biggest job we'd ever know: parenting! We were blessed with a beautiful boy, Angelo (also in the picture), in 2007. When one of our dogs, Tara, was killed when a mountain lion came up on our porch, we were devastated, completely traumatized. We experienced our greatest joy and our deepest pain all within 9 months! I got my Reiki II attunement shortly after she died. It was absolutely necessary for healing not only myself, but the whole family. I got my Reiki I for the dogs and baby in the first place. I'll never stop missing her, but we have "settled" into a new normal. I teach a couple bellydance classes a week and perform. I'll be going to at least one workshop a month until June and then am sponsoring one myself!! (will post more on that later...)

I'd been thinking for some time that I should start a blog for several reasons: I wanted to share certain experiences that might help other people (especially pregnancy, vegetarianism, belly dance, natural parenting, yoga, Reiki) to share my development in the mixed media/collage/shrine arts (because all humans are artists and should be encouraged to be artistic), keep people posted on my belly dance happenings and my thoughts on belly dance topics, to share my efforts to live green and inspire others to be environmentally friendly... I'm sure I will have more things to discuss here, but that's a start.  I have to say that there was "universal intervention" in getting me to finally get this started. I'd thought about it for a while and was also meant to search the web for Moms who did arts/crafts so I could get ideas for how they fit all that in. Then I got my most recent issue of Mothering magazine featuring 5 crafty Moms who have multiple kids, cook from scratch, sew for the home and family, craft, and blog all about it. some even home school their kids and managed to write books!  That was the inspiration I needed! So here we are!

some links to check out:

My websites: www.TribalBellyDance.net and www.EarthMovement.org

Mothering Magazine: www.mothering.com

Yoga Journal: www.yogajournal.com

more later...