it could really be this simple

this is for you: thank you

this afternoon has been one of those incredible ones, where things just flow and feel perfect, like everything is aligned and made out of rose quartz dna. i remember dreaming of people relating in a different way, coming from the heart and always checking in to keep the ego on the side. i opened my eyes today and looked around, as if i was visiting my own life, all the little corners, rivers, forests, flowers, soil, hidden caves of my life and i saw that my dream is manifesting itself and i am just happy, honored, at peace and blessed off all the living beings and things that are part of my life.
i feel a different energy flowing in my life and i am just so grateful beyond words of the beautiful communities i am part of and to see things that are important to me in my environment.
and it's not that things are perfect, but it's kind of when the perspective changes everything changes too, and everything starts to glow, things become simple and light. most of all, it's just good to see things for what they really are and not get angry or take it personal, there is just this feeling of complete unconditional trust in this process that i am going through, like my soul knows that everything that is there and that is not there, is just that way it is in accordance to divine timing and that life just keeps getting better and better every day.
simply i just wanted to give thanks to you and if you are reading this right now, it's because somehow out of all the things to do, to read and places to be, you are here right now with me, sharing this sacred piece of life. your intersection in my life has changed my life, even if i am not aware of it right now, i know it has and for that i am grateful.
i love you, so i invite you to always be yourself no matter of what you think others might say or what you might say to your true self. you are beautiful!

starting today and for the next 21 days!

1:  Just for today, I will not be angry

2:  Just for today, I will not worry

3:  Just for today, I will be grateful

4:  Just for today, I will do my work honestly

5:  Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing

impeccability

shine shine shine in cosmic order

closure

te perdono porque te quiero, me alejo porque me quiero

grace

to be the best version of myself in challenging circumstances.

to take the challenge with gratefulness

it really is when we can shine in the storm that we have become/ are becoming great sailors!

to dance  in the storm and be fluid in life no matter what is going on.

a mind shift that is changing my consciousness

weekly to-do list

I have been slowing down to be present to my life and every living being that is part of it. being present in whatever I am doing has helped my mind to become more grounded and stable, also I can listen more deeply and engage my heart fully. however, somehow I still don't find enough time for all the things that are important to me. So, I decided to write everything thing down and organize my life more mindfully. this is what it looks like right now:

daily rituals:

-pre-cut veggies/fruits for morning juice

-stock up on healthy, easy, wholesome, organic foods

-meditation, qigong and yoga practice, all 3 daily (requires super organized morning and good night sleep)

-clean and organize home, don't allow to accumulate

-during the next 10 weeks focus on one niyama/yama principle each week

-working towards impeccability in all areas of my life

-strive to sleep 8 hours (hardest)

-bring homemade lunch to work (hard)

-stay focused, re-group

-infuse home with lavender oil

-have early dinner

-spend at least 30 minutes in silence

weekly rituals:

-community garden 2-3 times a week

-community qigong practice and brunch on sunday morning

-spend time with family

-spend one continuous significant time outside

-journal at least 2-3 times a week going to once a day in close future

-time in the water

-pick-up csa

-cleaning and organizing home

-cook at least 4 times a week

-do medical qigong treatment on 1 person

-go kayaking

-spend quality time with loved ones

monthly rituals:

-wilderness time infused with playfulness

-ngondro practice at center (twice a month)

-Kenthrul Rinpoche streaming once a month at center

-wash car between 2-4 times a month

-go somewhere I have never been

-dance myself clean

-other outdoor activities (rock climbing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba, hiking/backpacking, fires, biking...)

-spend one whole day "doing nothing"/ home vacation/ spa/ holistic beauty

-host one conscious evening get together at home

-build community

the soundtrack of my life right now

today's reflection

opening to yoga class today

"what do you need to arrive to your (spiritual) practice?" courtney

journal party

get your closest friends together.
make yummy tea or juice.
bring journals and art supplies.
open your heart.
be ready to share it all.
let go of any judgements.
let someone take your journal.
read someone's journals that is willing to share it.
make sure you are in active listening mode.
honor this journal.
remember you are in sacred space.
write or draw about this experience.
closing activity: make sure everyone feels connected and has an opportunity to share.
when you get to that point where your belly tenses up and your heart is uneasy, yes it is normal, this is part of the work of deeply sharing :)
keep sharing and take that leap of faith!

stone telling

Go outside. 
Let yourself be drawn to a natural object, a stone, a plant, a tree. 
Let this life-form become your teacher. 
Watch and be with it. 
Let it tell you of three strengths that are yours:  
       One is a strength you were born with.  
       The second is a strength you have won through  hardship.  
       The third is a strength you will discover as you take part in the Great Turning.



Johana Macy


What are your strengths?
This reflection will be going in my journal soon.

True Dharma

Being immersed in samsara, sometimes it's hard to break-off from illusion and see, really really see. Sometimes we are attached to see things the way we want them to be, sometimes seeing things as they really are can be painful, because of our attachment to the perceptions we have. This quote right here, really spoke to my heart!!!! all i can say is WOW, rock on!!!


"Dharma is not about credentials. It’s not about how many practices you’ve done, or how peaceful you can make your mind. It’s not about being in a community where you feel safe or enjoying the cachet of being a 'Buddhist.' It’s not even about accumulating teachings, empowerments, or 'spiritual accomplishments.' It’s about how naked you’re willing to be with your own life, and how much you’re willing to let go of your masks and your armor and live as a completely exposed, undefended, and open human person. "

- Reginald Ray, "Blazing with Wakefulness

tiempo al viento

el sol no miente
la luz envuelve
mi corazon se viste de rojo
y revive

el sol no miente
cuando amanece
cambia el color de todo
se mueve con el aire
se viste de rosa el mundo

le pido tiempo al viento

world as lover, world as self

“Of course, even when you see the world as a trap and posit a fundamental separation between liberation of self and transformation of society, you can still feel a compassionate impulse to help its suffering beings. In that case you tend to view the personal and the political in a sequential fashion. "I'll get enlightened first, and then I'll engage in social action." Those who are not engaged in spiritual pursuits put it differently: "I'll get my head straight first, I'll get psychoanalyzed, I'll overcome my inhibitions or neuroses or my hang-ups (whatever description you give to samsara) and then I'll wade into the fray." Presupposing that world and self are essentially separate, they imagine they can heal one before healing the other. This stance conveys the impression that human consciousness inhabits some haven, or locker-room, independent of the collective situation -- and then trots onto the playing field when it is geared up and ready.

It is my experience that the world itself has a role to play in our liberation. Its very pressures, pains, and risks can wake us up -- release us from the bonds of ego and guide us home to our vast, true nature. For some of us, our love of the world is so passionate that we cannot ask it to wait until we are enlightened.” 


Joahna Macy

i would like to invite you to

highlight of this weekend

i saw many dolphins this morning on the beach in naples. the first pod of dolphins was really close to the shore, i got super excited and started swimming towards them. they were fishing and playing, i was about 6 feet away. does that count as swimming with dolphins? i think it should!!! so i guess i swam with dolphins this morning :)

nature always brings out curiosity, play and adventure in me. being on the beach this entire weekend was amazing!!! reconnected with mangrove energy, got energized by the sun, went on some pretty awesome nadaditas, paddle boarding, reading, relaxing, birding... i started thinking how i used to write about nature in my blog and i want to include that more.

feeling so much love!!! i am changing very much and changing with some of the people around me. it's pretty cool to be in tune with friends and share that journey of transformation. also sadhana is very very important, i need to remember this always. so good to be feeling like this after 2012 was kicking my butt, now 2012 is starting to rock! 

wishing everyone had a super awesome weekend and an incredible week coming!!

may ALL benefit now, the second after that and until forever

time to unpack :)

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

sung by Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche

Words of truth by HH Dalai Lama

A Prayer Composed by:
His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso The Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet

Honoring and Invoking the Great Compassion
of the Three Jewels; the Buddha, the Teachings,
and the Spiritual Community

O Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and disciples
of the past, present, and future:
Having remarkable qualities
Immeasurably vast as the ocean,
Who regard all helpless sentient beings
as your only child;
Please consider the truth of my anguished pleas.

Buddha's full teachings dispel the pain of worldly
existence and self-oriented peace;
May they flourish, spreading prosperity and happiness through-
out this spacious world.
O holders of the Dharma: scholars
and realized practitioners;
May your ten fold virtuous practice prevail.

Humble sentient beings, tormented
by sufferings without cease,
Completely suppressed by seemingly endless
and terribly intense, negative deeds,
May all their fears from unbearable war, famine,
and disease be pacified,
To freely breathe an ocean of happiness and well-being.
And particularly the pious people
of the Land of Snows who, through various means,
Are mercilessly destroyed by barbaric hordes
on the side of darkness,
Kindly let the power of your compassion arise,
To quickly stem the flow of blood and tears.

Those unrelentingly cruel ones, objects of compassion,
Maddened by delusion's evils,
wantonly destroy themselves and others;
May they achieve the eye of wisdom,
knowing what must be done and undone,
And abide in the glory of friendship and love.

May this heartfelt wish of total freedom for all Tibet,
Which has been awaited for a long time,
be spontaneously fulfilled;
Please grant soon the good fortune to enjoy
The happy celebration of spiritual with temporal rule.

O protector Chenrezig, compassionately care for
Those who have undergone myriad hardships,
Completely sacrificing their most cherished lives,
bodies, and wealth,
For the sake of the teachings, practitioners,
people, and nation.

Thus, the protector Chenrezig made vast prayers
Before the Buddhas and Bodhisativas
To fully embrace the Land of Snows;
May the good results of these prayers now quickly appear.
By the profound interdependence of emptiness
and relative forms,
Together with the force of great compassion
in the Three Jewels and their Words of Truth,
And through the power
of the infallible law of actions and their fruits,
May this truthful prayer be unhindered
and quickly fulfilled.

This prayer, Words of Truth, was composed by His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, on 29 September 1960 at his temporary headquarters in the Swarg Ashram at Dharamsala, Kangra District, Himachal State, India. This prayer for restoring peace, the Buddhist teachings, and the culture and self-determina-tion of the Tibetan people in their homeland was written after repeated requests by Tibetan government officials along with the unanimous consensus of the monastic and lay communities.

om mani padme hum

Tara

"There are many who wish to gain enlightenment
in a man's form,
And there are few who wish to work
for the welfare of living beings
in a female form.  

Therefore may I, in a female body,
work for the welfare of all beings,
until such time as all humanity has found its fullness."

yes thank you more please!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/pictures-that-will-restore-your-faith-in-humanity

"interpretando...

...el cielo de mi tu bosque" mario camilo barrera
               

la vida es un viaje

today's to-do list

happy
grateful
resilience
gracefulness
groundness
recovery
healing
love
stability
done :)

purification

happiness always finds its way back.

thoughts subside and the mind finds calm, peace and clarity

family and good girlfriends are key!!!

what is real is filled with love

love withstands all obstacles

life is precious and i am happy to share it with you!!!

ataque de risa

surprisingly enough, this is exactly how i feel right now

http://vimeo.com/38410306

The empowered woman

“The Empowered Woman, she moves through the world
with a sense of confidence and grace.
Her once reckless spirit now tempered by wisdom.
Quietly, yet firmly, she speaks her truth without doubt or hesitation
and the life she leads is of her own creation.

She now understands what it means to live and let live.
How much to ask for herself and how much to give.
She has a strong, yet generous heart
and the inner beauty she emanates truly sets her apart.
Like the mythical Phoenix,
she has risen from the ashes and soared to a new plane of existence,
unfettered by the things that once that posed such resistance.

Her senses now heightened, she sees everything so clearly.
She hears the wind rustling through the trees;
beckoning her to live the dreams she holds so dearly.
She feels the softness of her hands
and muses at the strength that they possess.
Her needs and desires she has learned to express.
She has tasted the bitter and savored the sweet fruits of life,
overcome adversity and pushed past heartache and strife.

And the one thing she never understood,
she now knows to be true,
it all begins and ends with you”.~Sonny Carroll

Understanding our mind... the way to practice

promise me now,

promise me this day,
promise me now,
while the sun is overhead
exactly at the zenith,
promise me:


Even as they
strike you down
with a mountain of hatred and violence;
even as they step on you and crush you
like a worm,
even as they dismember and disembowel you,
remember, brother,
remember:
man is not our enemy.


The only thing worthy of you is compassion –
invincible, limitless, unconditional.
Hatred will never let you face
the beast in man.


One day, when you face this beast alone,
with your courage intact, your eyes kind,
untroubled
(even as no one sees them),
out of your smile
will bloom a flower.
And those who love you
will behold you
across ten thousand worlds of birth and dying.


Alone again,
I will go on with bent head,
knowing that love has become eternal.
On the long, rough road,
the sun and the moon
will continue to shine.


thich nath hanh

YES THANK YOU

AND MORE PLEASE!!!!!!!!


"ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU ARE AFRAID TO DO" Ralph Waldo Emerson

let's rethink technology

a paso lento

Abre los ojos es tiempo
de detener el momento
la vida como el viento
y nos invita a su juego
A paso Lento

CORO
Oyeeeee mira, la brisa viene y va
Oyeeeee mira, deja la vida pasar
y disfrutando a paso lento
la vida vuelve a brillar

Oye en la vida el compás
de sus latidos bailar
del largo pasa el afán
el ruido lejano está
en el silencio a paso lento
la vida vuelve a brillar

CORO

Deja que llegue el momento
lo bueno tiene su tiempo
y disfrutando a paso lento
dejale al día su andar

oye mira
oye mira
oye mira
oye mira

Y disfrutando a paso lento
la vida vuelve a brillar

the word that was too late

once upon last year, a love was about to be spoken out.  i thought about it over and over and over again. I was about to take a leap of faith and then bad timing slipped in. i gave up, i thought bad timing was a sign to not take a leap of faith. i got distracted and i let life take its course. i will never have certainty of what would have happened, but what i do know is the uncertainty, the regret of not having told that beautiful heart that i love him. now, the words are late and i can look back to everything we lived together with so much gratefulness, especially for sharing his buddhist practice with me. spiritually, i have soooo much to thank him. today, i am happy that he is happy and happy to share the flowers of my galactic yellow flowers with those that cross my path and come into my heart.

Julio Cortázar

“What most people call loving consists of picking out a woman and marrying her. They pick her out, I swear, I’ve seen them. As if you could pick in love, as if it were not a lightning bolt that splits your bones and leaves you staked out in the middle of the courtyard. They probably say that they pick her out because-they-love-her, I think it’s just the siteoppo. Beatrice wasn’t picked out, Juliet wasn’t picked out. You don’t pick out the rain that soaks you to a skin when you come out of a concert.” 


“Lo que mucha gente llama amar consiste en elegir una mujer y casarse con ella. La eligen, te lo juro, los he visto. Como si se pudiera elegir en el amor, como si no fuera un rayo que te parte los huesos y te deja estaqueado en la mitad del patio. Vos dirás que la eligen porque-la-aman, yo creo que es al vesre. A Beatriz no se la elige, a Julieta no se la elige. Vos no elegís la lluvia que te va a calar hasta los huesos cuando salís de un concierto.” 


“Cómo podía yo sospechar que aquello que parecía tan mentira era verdadero...” 


“All profound distraction opens certain doors. You have to allow yourself to be distracted when you are unable to concentrate.” 

purification

everything around me is shining and vibrating purification. I had an incredible yoga class this week focused on each chakra from the root to the crown and the relationships that are purified through asana practice.  mateo, the teacher, really made an emphasis on the meaning of yoga: union and how yoga is the union and the relationship we have with mother earth which encompasses EVERYTHING in our lives. 

I feel like my upper back has been realigning itself especially in the area around the heart. My heart is transforming i can feel something changing. I can't wait to uncover what those changes are!!!

The sweet lodge was incredible and I went with all my roommates. The next day I felt that the energy in our house was different, lighter and emanating more love. Alfonsito talked about love and how it is one of the best medicines there is. He said that when we are filled with love we don't have to worry about who we give it to, because we can give it to everyone. It really resonated with me. Someone else talked about letting go of any expectations we have and cultivating acceptance. Very powerful!!

seeds within are growing and feel like I want to eat veggies that grow upright, I want to have a lot of uplifting energy in my life. Macrobiotics is sooo cool, I want to learn a lot more about it and, become more aware of the sutil  energy of the food that I eat.

buen camino!!! and i will write more soon! in the mean time shine shine shine and tons of love!

this past week

-crystal bowl meditation and chakra cleansing and realignment

-coalition of immokalee workers solemn walk in lakeland

-dance dance dance to live music concerts: alika, sudakaya, monsieur perine, bachaco

-hare krishnas at madre tierra

-boddichitta

-sweet lodge/ temazcal

-tons of yoga

-cooking together at parents house

-movie with mom while holding hands with her

-love letters

weekend snapshot

this weekend was incredible!
friday incredible yoga class with a focus on fiercefully letting go: allowing, witnessing and revealing. then, amazing diner with impromptu get together.
saturday: yoga in the morning, organizing and cleansing in the afternoon, agni's exhibition in wynwood at night followed by dancing to xperimento's live music at tobacco road
sunday: making breakfast for vane, lovely morning in the backyard, beach, family lunch, family's visit to new house with dad giving me and installing a flat screen to watch movies before going to sleep, yay! and yoga to finish it off. cherry on the top: lis making me lunch for work tomorrow.

also first weekend at the new house and very much enjoyed spending time with my roommates.

life is beautiful!!! feeling like i am re-centering and regrouping after a pretty rough fall and winter. sometimes our resistance to change takes more energy than simply letting go of what doesn't serve us anymore. letting go with no resentment, but total love. now, i can see more clearly what is important to me, who is really there when things get though, who loves me unconditionally. i have been surprised, but so good to know.
celebrating the beauty and the warming rays of transformation that are invading my soul. celebrating miracles, transformation and friendship with my sister.

may all beings benefit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thoughts are the seeds that blossom into action

"Come on girls, hold your head high, wear a vibrant smile, and let your presence have a positive effect on everyone you meet. Be a do-gooding diva gone wild."
Kimberly Wilson

transparente- transparency of being

there is an incredible lightness in living life when i live with a transparency of being. mindfully choosing who and which places to unveil my heart and share my light. I have been so surprised to been gifted with people in my life that are open to engage in a transparency of being. i love being actively listened to, having a space to share. i am also trying to create space in my life, so i am not running from one thing to the next and i can listen to people more, have deeper conversations more, create yummy relationships.


quiero tener la piel de cristal nada a nadie ocultar
transparente como el agua se vera mi verdad

pensar bonito

this song never gets old

recargo todos mis cristales con la luz del amor
este es mi trabajo y no jalono a nadie
pero hay que pararse en el centro
en el corazon



mire bien mire bien que los cristales los tiene por dentro usted tambien
en el corazon

Macrobiotic Prayer

Time to go back to brown rice and macrobiotics, the universe is sending me signals everywhere. This prayer is from one of my favorite books: "A hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics"

   

Dear Infinite Universe: 

I am a magician 

Through the alchemy of cooking 

I am turning this time into glittering gold. 

I am building my body 

And the bodies of those I love. 

Instead of Stagnation, 

I am enjoying growth and forward motion. 

Instead of hiding my light, it is glowing in the world. 

It feels so good to be alive. 

Cooking wakes up my senses, 

Sharpens my intuition, 

And warms my soul. 

Cooking is cool. 

Thank you for teaching me, through cooking 

About your elements; 

Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Tree 

Which make up my body and all living things. 

With you, I am nourishing my deepest power  

And my wildest dreams.  

Let’s go!