Hiatus

In Latin, hiatus means "opening” or “to stand open.”

I have stepped back from my work as a yoga teacher several times. To heal, to recover, to process, to rest, to stop. But each time I come back with a new perspective, some unexpected wisdom, something true. It’s been months now where my focus has been home. Home, the physical structure. Home, the people that live there and that feel like home. Home, in the garden, in Nature. Home, within.

To be clear, I am not retreating. I am not avoiding. And I am not silent.

I am standing open. Open to receive. Open to the “heart taps". Open to magic.

Living in wonderment, amazement, curiosity and feeling into the deep and the dark.

There is a world beyond that we, most of us, don’t get to see. Some would say that in this realm, there is spiritual warfare - where the dark and the light struggle to find balance. Where “evil” undermines “Light” and it’s not clear what will happen. Will evil win and take us all down. Or will Light filter in and illuminate, enlighten, lift, diffuse, soften.

There are immeasurable complications. Complications that run deep through multiple upon multiple layers. Deep and twisted. That make no sense, that have no order, that are chaos in action.

I don’t have answers, nor do I really care to know the “answers”. But, I will be here - standing open. Listening, witnessing, aligning. Meeting this time with curiosity, compassion and Love.

Because well, Love … kinda is the answer, no?

Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

O and I did some purposeful work today and made a Blackberry Rhubarb Pie together. We took pictures and he learned about using the camera too. We talked about the importance of being kind, respectful and patient and, how to listen.

Recipe is down below.

Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

Ingredients
pie filling
1 pound rhubarb stalks
1 1/2 lbs blackberries
3/4 cup sugar
3-5 drops doterra lemon essential oil
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped from the pod
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

prepared pie dough

crumble (all measurements are approximations)
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400º F. In a large bowl combine the sugar, lemon essential oil, and vanilla bean seeds. Use your fingers to combine the lemon oil and seeds into the sugar until well combined and fragrant. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and salt.

• Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces and add it to the bowl. Add the blackberries and let sit.

• Roll out and put dough into a pie dish.

• Combine oats, flour, butter and brown sugar to make the crumble - using your fingers to pinch the butter into the flour, oats, and sugar.

• Add filling to pie crust and top with crumble.

• Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool and serve with ice cream.
  
  Have a look at this beautiful video and recipe from Yossy Arefi from which I drew inspiration for this recipe.

HOW TO MAKE NEW MOON WISHES

All ideas are paraphrased from Mooonolgy by Jasmin Boland.

HOW TO MAKE NEW MOON WISHES

1. Feel gratitude for all that’s good in your life. Think about the people, situations, and things that make you the happiest. Write down 5-10 people/things that make you happy and for which you are very grateful for in the last month - send love.

2. Create space - set up a comfortable and quiet place (bring in music, candles, oils, smudging herbs, etc., whatever feels right, have a notebook nearby) and take 3 deep breaths to center + ground.

3. Write your intentions for the next 4 weeks and decide what you can commit to doing in order to make the wishes come true. Whatever you decide will then become, wishes.

4. Think about what you do want. Write down your top wishes. Write from your heart.

5. Use your imagination to experience each wish coming true in as much detail as possible. Read your wishes as if they were true, as if they have already happened. “Feel the feeling of the wish fulfilled.”

6. Write an affirmation - an I am statement.

7. Look at each wish, mark a number out of 100 of how likely it is for this wish to come true.

8. Go through each wish and note how you intend to make it happen, what are willing/able to do?

9. Meditate to release your dreams out into the Universe, happy and confident.

10. Get on with your week, do everything you can to make your wishes come true.
    

    At the next new moon look over your intentions - give thanks and release.

Nature knows

It feels scandalous to go outside of the house right now and yet, being outside, in Nature is the best medicine I can think of. Life has become very simple externally and internally, we, all of us, are being asked to reckon with what’s important and what is for the good of all. Nature works in cycles and patterns consistently, but the timing is mysterious, spontaneous and happens with some unpredictability. We never quite know. We sort of have to wait. Wait and see. And trust the process.