thankful thursday

my thursday gratitude list includes:

- getting to send the entire weekend here at the lovely olmsted manor in pa (sans cell service and internet) for a yoga retreat as part of my additional training

- feeling quite refreshed this morning after my lovely massage yesterday. i didn't realize how much i needed it until i was on the table. yes, us massage therapists get knots too :)

- for a new yoga teaching opportunity that i have embarked on. i'm teaching employees of a local bank (the majority of which have never done yoga before) - we are having so much fun!

- for patricia harman attending the bliss book club meeting last sunday and getting to ask her all sorts of questions about her book "the blue cotton gown." which, i can't recommend highly enough!

- for new and old readers alike, thank you for reading my blog. if you are a new reader or an old reader who's never commented please consider leaving a comment this time so i can check out your blog.


have a spooktacular weekend everyone & happy halloween!! hugs!!

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still flying high from my retreat

when we first got to the retreat we received folders with handouts explaining about our scheduling and what to expect, etc. there was a piece of paper in each of our folders from elasa and i wanted to share with you mine.

"often time you wonder and worry about who is who and what is what, you are the who and the what of all things, see the other in you and you in the other, see the highest in the other and the other will see the highest in you. the real you is truth, the real you is all, the real you is perfect with perfect flaws, for this is no flaw that does not have beauty written all over it. offer up your humble gratitude for the other. yes you still are coming into your individuality and divine presence that will have its own unique expression, as this is simmering and steaming, hold your space as this individual light, own this power and the other will reflect the same, for in this movement to individuality of soul expression comes the vision of many around you doing the same, until you are then able to hold monadic presence."

don't you just love that?! it fit me perfectly. i am still flying high from my retreat.

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weekend bliss soul retreat

i could not have asked for a better group of like-minded individual to share this past weekend with. we had the most fantastic retreat! i wanted to share with you a taste of my blissed out retreat.

we met at the klaer lodge in chestnut ridge park friday afternoon, each of us with our own baggage. by time time we left sunday we all were truly transformed. upon arrival we were each given a folder containing the events to come. we were each also given a specific chakra that we represented for the group for the retreat. i represented the yellow star point - solar plexus chakra (power). friday evening we shared a lovely potato soup and salad for dinner. i had a jin shin jyutsu session with lauren which was fantastic. we had a fire and retreated for the night.

i spent my weekend with these lovely group of people: from left to right and in order of the chakras: elasa - the source point, lauren - the crown chakra, elizabeth - the third eye chakra, tamara - the throat chakra, helen ann - the heart chakra, moi - the solar plexus chakra, amy - the sacral chakra, and chris - the root chakra.

we walked a labyrinth as a group and set our intentions for the weekend

proud warriors - heidi's good morning yoga workshop. from left to right: amy, moi, chris, danica

cooling down with a twist
assisted yoga workshop with mary jo. left to right: helen ann, tamara, elizabeth, lauren, mary jo
lauren assisting elasa to get deeper into her child's pose
mary jo and chris in beginning stages
mary jo doing a back bend while chris enjoys delving deeper into his child's pose
helen ann and mary jo demonstrating four gates

we had a silent meditative 2 mile hike in nature
after our silent hike through the woods we came back and drew our bliss bodies (intentions from here on out) and to show non-attachment we had a fire ceremony where we burned our drawings
and no blog post would be complete without pics of the food!! (you know me all too well):
vegetarian chili and corn muffin
polenta with roasted veggies
carrot cake and gorgeous green salad
fruit and cold carrot ginger soup w/ avocados

i want to thank each and every individual that i spent this weekend with. we were all there for the same reason and we all were different people by the time we left on sunday. i will hold each of you in a special place in my heart and i will never forget the wonderful weekend we shared together - thank you!!