BlueViews

In December 2004 I was in Los Angeles for a week for an AMX training course. While I was there, I visited with friends and we went to a Liberatin Yoga class together. I tried Iyengar yoga for the first time and loved the experience. I signed up for their newsletter and enjoy the insights:

"True love, that which fulfills and illumines, is not the love one receives but the love one gives." - unknown Indian author

The meditation of the month at Liberation is Unconditional Love. Practice a few minutes each day of complete acceptance and love for yourself - in this way it will spill from you to all those around you and back to you again in a never ending circle of shared compassion and joy.

Liberation Yoga

124 S. La Brea Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036

email: inside@liberationyoga.com

phone: 323-964-5222

web: http://www.liberationyoga.com

This weekend I found myself in an unfamiliar space of sadness. Somehow in the path of the journey it seemed like friendship no longer held a place of priority.

The Story

For weeks we had been planning a girls’ night celebration for five of us who used to be inseparable, hanging out up to 6 nights a week, but who now rarely get together. The last time had been almost a year ago in March. On Friday night I got a voicemail that one of them decided that day to leave for Vegas in the morning with her boyfriend.

What I Made It Mean

I was crushed and disappointed. She had already confirmed the week prior that she would be there. The indignant voice in my head screamed, "They see each other almost every day and go to Vegas every 3-4 weeks. Can’t they just go next weekend?" I felt slighted, that being with your best girlfriends was not important enough to reserve one Saturday night for catching up. I made it mean that she didn’t love us enough.

What’s So

Each day includes hundreds of choices, conscious and unconscious. One of my personal resolutions is to try my best to consistently choose my priorities in the following order:

- my well being

- my immediate family

- my church, song and spirit

- my work and creativity

- my friends and community

- all the other stuff

I noticed that on my own priority list, several things came before girlfriends. There will be times that I choose to not go out because I’d rather have dinner with my parents or be alone for some quiet time. Just as I hope others understand those choices aren’t meant to make them feel less important, I realized that my friend deserved the same consideration.

Possibility

The possibility that I’m creating for myself and my life is the possibility of being understanding.

In the game of remember/forget, I sometimes forget to take the time to see a situation from other perspectives. I forget my space for understanding.

When I remember to stand in another’s shoes for a moment and consider the view, I remember that we are One. I find that peaceful place in my heart. I know without doubt that all is well, right and perfect. And so it is. Namaste

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… from the Angels

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My dear friends, we love you so very much.  As you continue your journey of sitting in stillness from time to time, we will be working with you very closely to help raise your vibration so you can weather these new frequencies with more grace.  It is extremely essential to take moments of stillness so we can work with you.  There is much darkness on the planet, but as well cause for celebration because, as you add love, all that is less than that vibration bubbles up for healing.  You will be seeing this in your own mind and heart as well as in your governments and institutions as the year progresses.

And as you watch what you might consider to be the darkness at times, know that it needs love too.  When you meet your own darker spaces, send them love and do the same for others.  Are you sad?  Reach out for comfort whether that is a call to a friend or a warm blanket.  Are you upset with someone?  Find out where you are truly upset with yourself, perhaps for harboring expectations they cannot possibly meet.  Are you tired and frustrated?  Rest, eat well, and you will feel better soon.

Perhaps you are in glorious joy!  Spread this and share it with those in need.  Some days you will be the angel.  Other days you will need the angels.

But above all, dear friends, realize planet earth is a school.  Life is a journey.  You will have times when you are flying high and other days when you are dipping into the depths.  It is all part of your learning how to love God, self, and others. Don’t judge or make anything wrong, dear ones, inside or outside of yourselves.  By all means, learn to discern what is healthy for you to be around, but do not judge.  This is a gift you can give yourself and others.

God bless you all.  We love you so very much.

– The Angels

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… from Ann

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Hi All,

My healer/psychic/teacher friends of mine and I all joke about "surfing" the waves of the energy.  Truly somedays we’re riding high and other days we feel plowed under.  But if you trust that ‘this too shall pass’ the denser times move quickly and you recognize the beautiful ones as moments of truth. 

I took the week off to get my house painted and do a LOT of work I’ve not had time for.  Instead I lost all my energy and couldn’t do much at all.  I realized that in spite of all the angels’ urgings to take down time I had not taken enough.  I was near exhaustion!  Nothing a little soul searching and stillness couldn’t cure. 

And so I spent a LOT of quiet time after the painters finally left and dug deep into my heart.  I found some old gunk from my past still hanging around, a few conversations I had not had that needed to be had, and some forgiveness where I didn’t even know I was still harboring judgments.  So the conversations were held, the forgiveness was done and all of the sudden my life force flowed back into my like an ocean wave gushing through me.  I felt all my energy return in less than 24 hours. 

It is amazing how we can sap ourselves and not even know it.  The time in stillness offers a chance for the angels to gently urge those unhealed parts of ourselves up and out.  It is SO much easier to work with them by simply sitting still and asking for assistance, than it is to proceed on our journey as if we’re doing it alone.

As the Beatles sang, "I get by with a little help from my friends!"

The angels really DO love you!

Love you all,

Ann

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… from Jacqueline

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I was asked at dinner tonight how I prefer to meditate. 

"I sit in silence.  On Sunday mornings I meditate with a Christian group.  We will typically open with a reading or lesson by Father John Main or Father Laurence Freeman (http://swamij.com/maranatha.htm).  We sit in a circle in silence for about 30 minutes.  At the end of the time, a tuning bowl is struck three times.  Sometimes afterwards some music is played.  Sometimes there is another passage or mantra shared.  Sometimes someone has a question and opens their experience up for discussion with the others.  It just depends."

I have a weekend retreat planned to St. David’s monastery for a group meditation next month.  I have no idea what to expect.  There was an agenda and description of the itinerary, but I did not give it much attention yet.  It doesn’t really matter to me, or represent the reason for my registration.  Even if we spent the entire 72 hours in silence and simply soaked in being there, it would seem to me that that’s exactly why we chose to be there in the first place.  And so it is.  Namaste 

In catching up with a friend last night I found out that his spouse has been diagnosed with cancer. To save on expenses, they have decided to stay in their old place, which is closer to the hospital, and rent their brand new tri-level townhouse for $900/month.

Construction at Kenningston Place (Union Hills and Cave Creek) literally finished only 5-6 months ago. Their unit is

- 1500 sq ft

- Dual master upstairs

- Powder room downstairs

- 2 car garage

- Stainless steel appliances

Ideally they are seeking a reliable and responsible tenant. With everything else going on in their lives, they really don’t want landlord headaches but need the income for medical bills.

If you know of someone looking for a great place to rent near Desert Ridge, please have them contact me and I can coordinate a meeting with the property owner. Thanks! Namaste

Together making a difference,

Jacqueline

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:26 AM. Barely skated into 8 AM meditation circle, a few minutes late. It’s a good thing I’m fairly low maintenance and don’t take a ton of time to get ready.

2. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Memoirs of a Geisha. My mom wanted to see it and my dad wasn’t interested in going. We had an Asian mother-daughter bonding experience at Camelback Esplanade.

3. What is your favorite TV show? I don’t hardly ever watch television. The only show I watched recently was "The Bachelor Paris" with my roommate. It was disturbing how entertained we are by people making fools of themselves on a national broadcast.

4. What did you have for breakfast? I went to Richardson’s for brunch after church and ordered the Taos Special. It came with jalapeno eggs benedict, asparagus, and chicken enchiladas. Washed it all down with a prickly pear margarita. Yum!

5. What is your middle name? Michelle

6. What is your favorite cuisine? It’s hard to pick one favorite… I love to eat EVERYTHING! Maybe in this order: Mom’s home cooking, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, American grill/seafood.

7. Your favorite Potato chip? It’s a tie between Fritos and Pringles. If I’m at a sandwich shop where I get a bag with my combo, I’ll usually pick the Fritos. If I’m at a convenience store and have the munchies, I’ll grab the Pringles short can off the shelf first.

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I’m listening to J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion in the car over and over and over and over… some people sing in the shower, I practice for our upcoming Good Friday performance in my car.

9. What kind of car do you drive? My baby is a 2005 Toyota Prius named Gypsy Blue. She is white on the outside and blue on the inside. Her birthday is coming up on March 19. I absolutely adore her! She averages 47-65 mpg. Go hybrid power!

10. Favorite sandwich? Anything with lots of stuff on it. Pile it on! (Except hold the mayo, please)

11. What characteristics do you despise? Despise is an awfully strong word… I have a hard time getting along with people who are blatantly disrespectful of humanity and the Universe.

12. Favorite item of clothing? My pajamas. After a long day, nothing feels as good as crawling into them and curling up with a good book in bed. Big kudos to whoever developed performance fleece for Old Navy ; )

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? I’d like to visit Hong Kong with my family and have my dad show me the places he grew up. I’ve only been to China once in 2002, and we didn’t have time to see the south.

14. What color is your bathroom? I sponge painted the wall opposite my vanity sky blue. The other three walls are still white.

15. Favorite brand of clothing? I like Bebe sweaters, Gap Kids pants, and Ann Taylor dresses. I’m not super brand conscious; I just really like how those lines fit me without having to be altered. It’s hard finding clothes sometimes that aren’t too long or too big.

16. Where would you want to retire? Figuring that it’s a while before retirement hits… I would love to retire close enough to my kids to see my grandchildren grow up and have family dinners on Sunday nights.

17. Where were you born? Los Angeles, CA

18. Favorite sport to watch? My friends trying to select their next "future wife" on a Friday night… It’s not exactly the Olympics, but it’s just as competitive.

19. Who do you least expect to send this back? Kevin

20. Person you expect to send it back first? I’m not sure… Jennifer?

21. What laundry detergent do you use? Tide. Downey April fresh scent for colors and "with bleach" for whites.

22. Coke or Pepsi? I reach for a silver can Diet Coke over Pepsi, but really prefer Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew more than either of them.

23. Are you a morning person or night owl? Neither, really. This question discriminates against middle-of-the-day people! What about us?! I specialize in lunch.

24. Do you have any pets? I don’t have any pets at my house, unless you count lint bunnies and migratory ants. My parents have two dogs that I see all the time. Phoenicia is a 12-year-old miniature Dalmation and Chiquita is a 2-year-old blonde long-hair Chihuahaua.

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share with everyone? I’m pregnant by my alien lover. Our baby will have blue skin and x-ray vision. Just kidding. Wanted to check if you’re paying attention.

26. What did you want to be when you were little? Big. It was hard getting picked for teams during recess as a midget who couldn’t catch a ball. And rich. I used to say that I didn’t have to learn to cook or clean because I was going to have a live-in chef and maid when I grew up. Hmm, well, I still can’t cook and that house boy didn’t work out for maid service (sigh). Guess I’ll have to keep on working…

27. Favorite candy bar? I love chocolate. With peanut butter. With toffee. With a candy-coated shell. Whatever, chocolate. The wrapper doesn’t matter. It’s what’s inside that counts.

28. What is your best childhood memory? Dressing up my baby sister in goofy outfits before she knew enough to complain. Ah, the days when they didn’t talk or have opinions ; )~

29. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Since I was about 5 years old, I did door-to-door sales. I was that kid who made your mom buy Girl Scout cookies, gift wrap, candles, greeting cards, etc, at the front door. My first "real job" was working at La Petite Boulangerie when I was in high school. I was in charge of wrapping holiday baskets, then got promoted to stocking, making sandwiches, and woo hoo cashier. After I graduated high school, I had a number of temp/admin jobs and telemarketing positions throughout college. Since that time I’ve had titles like Statistical Analyst, Enterprise Techology Consultant, Client Solutions Director, Process Engineer, Executive Director… and most recently Project Manager for Linda Seeger Interior Design.

30. What color underwear are you wearing? Multi-colored polka dots with aqua trim.

31. Nicknames? Diva Blue

32. Piercing? I’ve had my ears pierced twice but I only use the upper holes. I used to have my tongue pierced, but when my mom saw it she started crying. It wasn’t worth having her so upset to have a jeweled metal rod in my mouth, so I took it out and it closed up days later.

33. Eye color? Brown. Some days they look so dark they’re almost black. Right now they are blood shot because my allergies are crazy and I’ve been trying to rub my eyeballs out of my head.

34. Ever been to Africa? Not yet, except for a day trip to Tangier, Morocco as an excursion from Spain. My parents went on safari to Kenya and I kick myself that I didn’t get to go with them. Their photos were like National Geographic. Amazing. One of these days…

35. Ever been toilet papering? In high school my house got hammered with toilet paper almost every day. It was ridiculous. My friends created a group named "Mr. Whipple Inc" and they even threw rolls over the roof that would land in the trees in the back yard. The worst was when I didn’t catch it before the early morning sprinklers turned on. Or the time that my grandfather tried to help me clean up by raking and shredding it all into bits… boy, was that a mess!!!

36. Love someone so much it made you cry? Absolutely. What’s the point of living if you don’t feel the joys and the pains of the journey?

37. Been in a car accident? I totalled my first station wagon a short while after I got my driver’s license. I couldn’t judge the speed of an oncoming car and pulled out from a stop sign too soon. In college I was part of a multi-car pile up on Interstate 5 when a teenage driver left his car parked and locked on the freeway as he went to call his dad because it had stalled. Thankfully I’ve been able to walk away from all of them, even if the car didn’t fare as well.

38. Croutons or bacon bits? Bacon bits. And I want the real stuff, not any of that imitation crap.

39. Favorite day of the week? Sundays. The usual includes meditation at 8, choir at 9, church service at 10, coffee/brunch, hang out with my parents, maybe catch a nap in the afternoon, and dinner at Super Dragon.

40. Favorite restaurant? Lately it’s been either Satori Sushi or Pasta Brioni.

41. Favorite flower? Roses. My mom has about 60-70 rose bushes in the back yard, and my dad spoiled his three ladies in the house when we were growing up by always having fresh flowers on the table. I especially love the ones that have the tips of the petals a different color than the rest of the body or the ones that are fragrant.

42. Favorite ice cream? I can eat a pint of Ben and Jerry’s in a sitting. New York Super Fudge Crunch and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough got me through undergrad.

43. Disney or Warner brothers? Disney, all the way.

44 . Favorite fast food restaurant? In N Out. Double-Double animal style with a chocolate shake.

45. What color is your bedroom carpet? Beige.

46. How many times did you fail your driver’s test? Zero.

47. Besides this one, from whom did you get your last email from? Steven Ringelstein (www.itswhoimcoaching.com)

48. What store would you choose to max out your credit card? Tiffany & Co. I love the "O" Elsa Peretti Sevillana ring. Mine is in sterling silver. It also comes in 0.8-carat pave diamond on platinum… an upgrade for the future. Or Louis Vuitton luggage has so many other pretty things too, it’s hard to choose.

49. What do you do most often when you are bored? When I have the time, I write and blog!

50. Bedtime? Usually I’m crashed out by 11:30… unless I’m up waiting for my laundry to finish, and answering a questionnaire. What am I doing up?!

51. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? Everyone!

52. What are you listening to right now? The hum of my dryer and buttons clicking against the metal sides.

53. What is your favorite color? Blue, by far. Hot pink is a close second.

54. Lake, ocean or river? Any water is fine by me. Even bubble bath and fountain.

55. How many tattoos do you have? Three. The Chinese character for Love, a black light blue ink sun-star with a heart in the center, and a few pansies on a vine.

56. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Chickens evolved from non-chickens through small changes caused by the mixing of male and female DNA or by mutations to the DNA that produced the zygote. Prior to that first true chicken zygote, there were only non-chickens. The zygote cell is the only place where DNA mutations could produce a new animal, and the zygote cell is housed in the chicken’s egg. So, the egg must have come first. That’s the geeky answer.

57. How many people are you sending this email to? At least 2291. I’m posting it on my blog.

58. Time Finished: 12:49 AM, waiting for the laundry to finish.