Mindful Sunday

September 26, 2010

I’ve been writing a lot for work lately, hence my recent hiatus here. I’ve also been filling my brain with beautiful design ideas, which I’ve been posting on namaste*hOMe. For now, the written posts there are mainly private.

Today, I’d like to share a few gems from a fabulous read, Wherever You Go There Your Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

. . . feel the present moment . . .

Only then can we accept the truth of this moment of our life, learn from it, and move on. Instead, it often seems as if we are preoccupied with the past, with what has already happened, or with a future that hasn’t arrived yet.

Not knowing that you are even in such a dream is what the Buddhists call “ignorance,” or mindlessness. Being in touch with this not knowing is called “mindfulness.”

This waking up goes hand in hand with what we might call “wisdom,” a seeing more deeply into cause and effect and the interconnectedness of things, so that we are no longer caught in a dream-dictated reality of our own creation.

Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing something about who that it.

When it comes down to it, wherever you go, there you are. It’s your life that is unfolding.

Mindfulness has to do above all with attention and awareness, which are universal human qualities.

This exploration of the diamond of mindfulness is offered for all those who would chart a course toward greater sanity and wisdom in their lives. What is required is a willingness to look deeply at one’s present moments, no matter what they hold, in a spirit of generosity, kindness toward oneself, and openness toward what might be possible.

May this Sunday find you well and at peace with all that is!

3 Comments | living our yoga, mindfulness | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Project thriftEEE, Mindful Consumerism

August 29, 2010

I have been wanting to write this post for days but haven’t had the time . . . a Project thriftEEE update.  I began my journey with Project thriftEEE on July 23rd and committed to 3 months at that time, July 23 to October 23.

Here are my insights thus far . . .

  • Project thriftEEE is primarily about mindfulness for me.
  • I don’t OVER consume as a rule, but I am a “buy on a whim” kinda girl.
  • I’ve begun to think about the things I can make from existing items around my home vs. buying something new.
  • Consumerism is a huge part of our culture.  It’s been interesting explaining my reasoning to my daughter.
  • I will spend more for high quality items vs. buying cheaply made items from now on.

Here are the details . . .

Bullets 1 & 2 go together.  I am need of new dishtowels and a bathroom rug.  Typically, I could go to the dollar store and pick all of these up (whim), but most would fall apart within a year.  Dishtowels I bought less than a year ago are rags now.  Recently, I bought two vintage dishtowels at an antique mall.  All of my *new* dishtowels will now be vintage, but I can’t buy them on a whim.  I found several on Etsy that I like and will be purchasing over the next month.  Plus they are so much more interesting than dollar store towels!

I had two birthday parties to go to last weekend.  They were for my friends’ daughters.  M and I made jewelry for each of the girls and I made cute little *upcycled* envelopes to put them in.  I will begin to sell these envelopes on my Etsy site, probably in sets of 10, once I get enough made.  The envelopes will be unsealed, along with stickers to seal them with.  I gave one present to a friend of mine in a Yoga Journal upcycled envelope.  She commented on how cute and unique it was.

For the girls, we used old copies of Dog Fancy that my parents gave to me.  I have some old books and atlases that I may do the same thing with.

I have not been antique or thrift store shopping at all.  I haven’t purchased anything besides food and gas over the last month or so for myself.  M got money from her aunt to go school shopping.  I would have preferred we went to the consignment shop so she could get more bang for her buck, but she wanted Target.  It was her money and that is where we went.  The only other items I currently need are jewelry supplies.  I’ve been lurking on Etsy and will be buying supplies in the next month.  I may buy a few basic items, however, from Hobby Lobby so I can buy in bulk.

I feel good about the project so far.  It was never meant to be about guilt anyway, only mindfulness.  All-in-all, it’s been easy and natural.  I’ve just noticed my tendency to shop on a whim for things that aren’t really necessary anyway, and I’m living without.  M’s birthday is in September, so I have some thinking to do about that!  How are things going for you?  Have you joined Project thriftEEE, an exercise in Mindful Consumerism yet?

Peace Love and Light . . .

1 Comment | green, life, mindfulness, moments | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Namaste~Heather Giveaway!!!

August 7, 2010

As promised a week or so ago, I’m having a giveaway for my 100th Post.  Honestly, I think this post is 97 or 98, but close enough.  I don’t have the opportunity to write as much these days, but today I do, so here goes . . .

Drum roll please . . .

Welcome to the Namaste~Heather Giveaway!!!

And what would you think I’d give away?

Items pertaining to yoga, mindfulness and green living of course!

In this giveaway you will win four or five items.  The reason I say four or five is because three of the items were donated by three friends who have Etsy shops.  I also want for them to be able to enter the drawing and if they win, I will withhold the item they donated for a SECOND GIVEAWAY!  We’ll just have to see what happens!

Here is what is included in the giveaway . . .

ITEM #1 – Yancy at 5Seed donated an all natural Chocolate Mint Lip Balm.

I love 5Seed products!  I have several items, including this one!  Here is the description:

This delicious-smelling lip balm (our most popular) is made of all natural ingredients – absolutely NO PRESERVATIVES have been added. We also do not use flavorings, or tints in our products. With all the information being spread about the dangers in traditional cosmetics, it is safer AND more environmentally-friendly to use all natural cosmetics – especially on your lips!

Cocoa butter and beeswax offer your lips intense moisture as well as protection from wind, sun, heat, and cold. Peppermint essential oil is refreshing and yet restful. This lip balm smells like a peppermint patty (which is why everyone loves it so much!)

Visit her Etsy shop at www.5seed.etsy.com.  You will love it!

ITEM #2 – LeLa, of Naturallylela left a comment on my blog some time ago, offering me a free yoga mat spray.  She sells two kinds in her Etsy shop.  After contacting me, I asked if she would be willing to send a second one for this giveaway, and she agreed!  This all-organic yoga mat spray is called Sun Salute.

I am currently using her other mat spray, called Moon Madra.  Sun Salute Mat Spray is composed of the following ingredients:

Check out NaturallyLeLa’s Etsy shop at www.naturallylela.etsy.com.

ITEM #3 – Lauren of SaltSays was one of my first blog friends.  She doesn’t write a yoga blog, but she is a very funny and sweet yogini.  She recently opened her own Etsy shop and I bought one of her first (maybe THE first) items from her shop.  They are drop earrings with Namaste on one and the OM symbol on the other.  I love them.
Lauren offered to make a pair of earrings for this giveaway and they are soooo cute!
I apologize for the picture quality here!  These earrings are lotus flowers cut into silver square drops under a pretty green crystal.  Lauren has lots of other beautiful jewelry in her Etsy shop called love|salt.  Visit her shop at www.lovesalt.etsy.com.
ITEM #4 – from Yours Truly, me!  I also opened an Etsy shop, which is currently VERY sparse.  I am offering a pair of earrings from my shop as well.  They are yoga inspired with all of the colors of the rainbow to represent our seven main chakras.
Here is the description of the earrings I placed on my shop page:

These playful earrings were inspired by my love of yoga and wonder of the the chakras.  Most physical forms of yoga are known as Hatha Yoga. “Ha” stands for sun, while “Tha” stands for moon. Opposites. Yoga is about balance.

One earring has a sun, while the other, a moon. Crystal beads of each color of the rainbow correspond to our seven main chakras which run along the central channel of the spine. Each of these chakras relate to the colors and a specific area of our lives.

Red – security
Orange – creativity
Yellow – power
Green – love
Blue – having a voice, speaking our truth
Indigo – witnessing self
Violet – connection to a higher power

Visit my Etsy at www.namasteheather.etsy.com.

ITEM #5 – a yoga book!  Yoga Bliss by Tara Fraser.  It’s a sweet little book that can help any beginner get started.  If you are a seasoned yogi, it will be a new book to add to your collection!

Quite a giveaway, huh?  I am so thankful for my friends who donated items!  Here is how the giveaway will work.  I will use Random.org to determine the winner.  Leave a comment with your entries on this post.  Here are the ways to enter:

  1. Blog about this contest, linking back to it. (1 entry)
  2. Follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/namaste_heather. (1 entry)
  3. Follow Namaste~Heather on Facebook.  Click the link in the sidebar to find it! (1 entry)
  4. Tweet about the contest.  (1 entry)
  5. Re-post this Giveaway on your own Facebook page. (1 entry)
  6. Join Project thriftEEE! Follow the link!  Examine your consumer choices.  It is an open experiment which you can undertake in your own time and YOU make the rules.  It isn’t a challenge, but an experiment.  You can read more about Mindful Consumerism and Project thriftEEE by following those links.  (1 entry)

Leave a comment below telling me which of the 6 entries you did.

The contest will be open until 4 p.m. E.S.T. next Sunday, August 15th.  After collecting all entries and using Random.org to determine the winner, I will post here on either Sunday the 15th or Monday the 16th.  Should Yancy (5Seed), LeLa (Naturally LeLa) or Lauren (love|salt) enter and win, I will keep their donated item and have a second giveaway with exisiting entries, using Random.org once again.

Good luck!

Peace Love & Light,

29 Comments | giveaway, yoga | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Mindful Consumerism

July 22, 2010

Isn’t it funny how life works in cycles?  On a road of self discovery regarding food for about the last two years, it spilled over to the products I buy for skin and hair.  Remember my hair experiment post?  I am happy to say that I now use bulk organic shampoo that is refilled at The Farmacy, a health food store of sorts, about an hour away.  While the drive is a factor, I must drive an hour in any direction to get to a yoga studio and Athens has one I love!  In my visit to Athens, I’ll typically take a class, go to the farmers market, visit the Farmacy and eat at a restaurant that serves all local food. To me, it is worth it.

Did I mention that this shampoo is ALL I use now?  No conditioner.  No hairspray.  No blow dryer.  Every now and then I’ll use apple cider vinegar to rinse, or sometimes Dr. Bonner’s Castile Soap diluted in water.  It makes my hair softer.  Some can use it as a shampoo.  It just didn’t work for me in that way.  It does work, however, as a body/face soap and to condition my hair.  I now buy it in bulk too – less plastic!  Because it is all natural and made with oils, I no longer use lotion on a regular basis.  Coconut oil if my skin is dry works perfectly well just out of the shower.  Less is more is a true statement for me, and I’m excited to have made the changes in my life.  There is less clutter and it makes traveling so much easier.  To continue on this path, I’m going to examine more closely my cosmetic choices.  Luckily, I read Y’s blog at fiveseed yesterday, which provided wonderful information about the cosmetics industry.  Check it out!  I don’t wear much makeup anyway, eyeliner and mascara from time to time.  But this post and further examination may allow me to go further on this path as well.

Next topic:  I just found this site today, through a New York Times article.  Have you heard of six items or less?  It was an experiment that began on June 21st and concluded yesterday.  People signed up and pledged attempted to wear six items of clothing or less for one month.  The six items did not include underwear, swimwear, workout apparel, outer apparel, etc.  As the site says, it’s an open pledge, or experiment examining the power of what we don’t wear.  They plan to run another challenge sometime at the end of August or beginning of September.  I signed up today.  If interested, visit the sixitemsorless site and sign up too.  Leave me a comment, telling me you did so.  We can encourage each other once the challenge starts.

Happy Thursday!  Peace Love and Light . . .

13 Comments | green, mindfulness | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

Effort and Ease

April 27, 2010

Wow . . . writing. What’s that? I was beginning to wonder. So, I’m back, hopefully in a consistent manner now. Thanks to all who have continued to visit me in spite of my missing-in-action-ness. (I love that I get to make up my own words on my blog and it’s not against the rules!) I’ve found so many good friends via my blog for whom I am TRULY gratful. Jamie from On the Mat left a cute message on Twitter asking our other yogi-bloggers to take a day trip to Ohio to find me. You are so sweet, Jamie.

Very soon I will be posting after pics from our home remodel. We are 99% there. The slate wall is 3/4 of the way up, with only the top layer left. Besides that we still need to trim. SO, I will either post when completely finished or when it looks like it will be another year before we get to the details. Thanks for all of your comments and well-wishing. I feel truly blessed and grateful!

So, for my post-break debut, I thought I’d write about a recurring issue for me lately.  I’m fairly certain all of us may struggle with it, so it was my topic for classes last week to give my students a taste of moving from one to the other . . .

Effort and Ease

How do we find a balance between the two in our lives?

Image courtesy of Flickr

Just like a teeter totter, it’s all about balance.

A few weeks ago, I was going about my business when suddenly I became aware of my jaws.  They were tight.  I was clenching my teeth!  This was in a random moment in the middle of the day.  While I know that I’ve had a larger amount of stress in my life than normal, I thought to myself, “Wow . . . is it really that bad, to be clenching my teeth?”  Apparently so, because I was.  Of course it lead to greater awareness throughout my body and it made me think about the importance of both effort and ease in our lives.

Most of us spend the majority of our lives in an outward fashion . . . working, interacting with friends and co-workers, completing tasks, doing, going, never stopping.  While this effort is important to accomplish necessary tasks and to get ahead in our chosen careers and professions, if it is all we do we are MISSING our lives.

Mindfulness is key, which is where ease comes in.  After efforting to accomplish tasks, how do we ease into the results.  Or, when things don’t go our way, how do we ease into whatever situation we find ourselves in.  This has been a lesson ~ and a blessing of mine as J and I have been working on the house.  I’ll admit it, when I want things done, I want them done NOW.  However, I’ve come to realize that tasks don’t always get done in the manner and fashion in which you want them to.  I’ve learned that I needed to find ease in each and every situation I’m in.  Things are as they are and wishing them to be different only creates more stress.  I am happy to report that I’ve finally found the ease I’ve been seeking.

I love this about yoga.  Nothing is static.  It’s all about practice.  Day in and day out.  Each day is different, yet the same.  We learn. We grow.  I am thankful to have found this beautiful practice and to have it be such a meaningful part of my life.

Balance

Mindfulness

Breath

Be in the moment and be grateful for all that IS!

This is my new Mantra.

Happy Tuesday.  I’ve missed my blog and friends who visit!  I’m back ;-)

10 Comments | blogging, house, life, living our yoga, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by namaste*heather

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