Off the grid

In 1603 Samuel de Champlain lead an expedition to the New World and described Nova Scotia as Arcadia, a place of rustic innocence and simple, quiet pleasure. No phone, no cell or internet, simply the call of loons under starry skies. My daughter and I spent three long overdue idyllic weeks where time stood still. Greeted on arrival in HK by T8 and confined to a hotel room, the lake is so very far away. Only 4 days left in this chrysalis.

Primeval forests stand untouched since time began.
An ageless land, and changeless,
A land fast-held by sea on every side,
god's country yet unspoiled by man,
A land to love, to know by heart.
Clouds sit upon a nearby hill.
White storm clouds, feathers, the gossamer of fog.
Fields stretch from sky to sky
with farmlands lush and rolling,
Quiet cattle, stolid barns,
And then the sea!
A corner turned and there it is
Beyond the rocks, below the cliff
With boulders huge as whales and smooth
from tide and spray and ocean fog,
With houses perched between the rocks,
Atop the rocks and everywhere,
A helter skelter barren town,
A village clinging to the hill
As old as time, unchanged by time.
The clock runs back, and this today
Is centuries past, yet here and now,
How can this tine sea bound land
Hold so much beauty in its lap?
The sun is full and warm and bright,
The night is cool and filled with sound,
And fog comes in, a curtain chill,
And you can breathe,
In Nova Scotia. -  Orcelia Birge Winn

Leavin' on a jet plane

Home is the story of who we are and a collection of all that we love. Anon It’s not a place but a feeling that serves to define who we are.

After 20+ hrs in the air and a 4 hr drive I will arrive literally on the far side of the world to a cabin with no hot water or internet. The trip will be a time of memories and closure, reconnecting with friends and family, rituals of summer and new of beginnings. Most definitely worth the effort to get there.

Vital Signs

I often say that the opposite of depression is not happiness but vitality. Andrew Solomon

In first aid four vital signs prove you are alive: heart rate, breathing, temperature and blood pressure.  But how do you define ‘vitality’? The dictionary says ‘ the power giving continuance of life, present in all living things’ or ‘the state of being strong and active; energy’. Yogi Bhajan thought vitality was the ability to act consciously conscious and authentically while being emotionally flexible and available to the entire universe of emotions expressing compassion, courage and kindness. 

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. Martha Graham

Yogi Bhajan said vitality was a quality of our spirit and always within us.  At our maximum vitality our communication, emotions, feelings and responses flow smoothly and freely. We are most present and our presence is most potent. We live a life of ease, in flow, of spontaneity.

Too often when I ask ‘how are you?’ It saddens me to hear ‘surviving’ not ‘thriving’.  Energy can neither be created or destroyed and vitality is innate, however stress is a constraining force limiting the flow of life. By removing blockages vitality returns.  Kundalini yoga is particularly effective to elicit these changes even after one class. Why do I practice it?

I want to keep my attractiveness as long as I can. It has to do with vitality and energy and interest. Jacqueline Bisset

Even keeled

In sailing a keel is the backbone running lengthwise from stem to stern. Traditional boats have a deep weighted keel extending below the water line to provide stability by means of a counter balance to the sails. When you are sailing, a strong wind pushes the boat over giving you the impression of speed however the greater the surface area of the boat that touches the water, the slower your speed through the water.  The optimum angle is about 15°. Thus the optimum speed in a sailboat is actually nearly vertical. Or on an even keel.  So too in life.
 
We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will never rest, we must learn to sail in high winds. Aristotle Onassis
 
In humans being on an ‘even keel’ means  functioning normally after a period of difficulty or a person with a calm temperament.  As we continue to navigate life with the restrictions of COVID imposed upon us I invite you to seek the path that allows you to remain calm in order to progress steadily towards your goals.
 
It is remarkable how quickly a good and favourable wind can sweep away the maddening frustrations of shore living. Ernest Gann

Less is more - rethinking Thanksgiving

Less is more - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Rethinking Thanksgiving

Today is American Thanksgiving, a time for family and friends to gather, to share a meal and to express gratitude. Contrast this to the military precision hours later as bargain hunters hit the streets on Black Friday inundating shops and city centres.  How often do We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like. –Dave Ramsey .   If you live for having it all, what you have is never enough. –Vicki Robin

It is no surprise that in 1992 a fellow Canadian named Ted Dave and his group of 'Adbusters' created 'Buy Nothing Day' as an alternative to  this blaring contradiction in values.  On Friday I invite you to take a moratorium on shopping and instead reflect on the true meaning of the holiday season.  Take time to  Be content with what you have;/rejoice in the way things are./When you realise there is nothing lacking,/the whole world belongs to you.”–Lao Tzu . For true Contentment comes not so much from great wealth as from few wants. –Epictetus

Take the time to...Make something, Sing something, Cook something,  Draw something, Build something, Hug something, Buy Nothing

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. –Leonardo da Vinci