Author: orendahealing

Today is May 18, 2016.  Normally in Northern New Mexico this is prime “fire time.”  Hot, dry, windy– perfect weather for all sorts of little emergencies.  Most of our fires, unlike the autumn fires in California, happen now– or used to.  But not this year.

I keep trying to put away the winter clothes and join the determined (and hardier) shorts and T-shirts crowd, but it’s much too chilly and very wet!  We’ve had unprecedented weeks of rain– a storm every few days.  While human Santa Feans are grumbling about the lousy Spring, our local plants are thrilled and positively leaping out of the ground! Trees have shot up at least three feet since last Fall.  Every conceivable high desert plant has put out flowers.  Wild grasses are waist-high.  Weeds– well, weeds are another matter.  But as a neighbor said this morning, why not let those weird green things you haven’t seen before stay put in case they make flowers too?

Thinking about this phenomenon, I realize it’s been sneaking up on us for the past several years, accelerating since 2014.  Right along with the unnerving reports of climate change and its dire consequences, Pachamama has been mounting her own defense.  Dry places are getting wetter.  Wet places are drying up.  The seas (polluted by human carelessness) are rising, thanks to Arctic ice melt, and as this happens, more water droplets become part of Earth’s atmosphere and create different weather patterns– violent storms being one of them.  As the planet’s weather changes, her inhabitants are forced to change with her.

One such change is a major diaspora– a relocation of populations from where they may have lived for thousands of years to new locations.  This is happening everywhere, but it is particularly noticeable here in Santa Fe where for so many decades the three major groups have been non-native Whites (or Anglos, as we call them here), Native Americans, and Hispanics– descendants of Spanish Europeans.   A fragile balance existed among Anglos who had the most money, Native Americans who stewarded the land and waterways, and Hispanics who ran the government according to ancient tradition.  Now, however, Northern New Mexico’s citizens include North Africans as well as Afro-Americans, Tibetans, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexicans, Salvadorans, Peruvians, Germans, French, Italians, Indians, Syrians, and (due to harsher East Coast and Midwestern winters and the rising cost of living on the West Coast)  a steadily growing group of out-of-state Americans.  Different languages are heard around town.  Differently-dressed patrons stand in line for coffee at Starbucks, Ohori, or Downtown Subscription.  Different foods are appearing in the grocery stores, and in different menus in new and exotic restaurants.  Even die-hard afficionados of the ubiquitous green chile have to admit that our local cuisine is expanding.

The result of all this?  Ah, Pachamama is a clever mother!  She knows that the more of us humans are thrown into the pot and stirred into a nice, richly-flavored stew, the less likely we are to misunderstand and fight each other, and the more peaceful and less competitive the planet’s citizens, the healthier the planet will be.

So today, instead of grumbling about how cold and grey it is outside and how we wish it were hot and dry so we could plant our tomatoes in comfort, let’s celebrate the cool morning, the grey skies, and the veritable jungle of green that is crowding around our kitchen windows.   Let’s celebrate the wisdom of Pachamama, Earth Mother, and her New Green Revolution!

I celebrate Cinco de Mayo, May 5, as a lusty celebration of life, justice, and the victory of the common man, the paisano, over the despotic patron.

In Mexico it commemorates the  Mexican Army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza.  North Americans often mistake  Cinco de Mayo for Mexico’s Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16.

In the context of whole being and wellness, however, Cinco de Mayo is a call to celebrate the “paisano,” the directive of body and mind to be whole, to reject the “patron” of Western civilization–the heavy burdens of competition, stress, performance anxiety, and fear– and to connect with our inner source of strength and renewal, claiming our right to walk freely and joyfully on the earth– not because of what we’ve done or because of who we are (or think we are)– but because we just are.  We exist.  We are alive in bodies, these precious vehicles for the soul and crucibles for its expansion and growth.

How often do we celebrate simply being?

When my sisters and I were kids in Austin, we sneaked outside at dawn to dance barefoot on grass damp with morning dew.  We looked forward to plump strawberries on our breakfast cereal.  We chased the ice cream truck barefoot on freshly tarred gravel roads and wiped sticky popsicle juice on our t-shirts and shorts.  We poked holes in the lids of clean peanut butter jars and caught fireflies to use as lanterns on hot summer nights.  We were ecstatic with the beauty of our beingness.

Many years have passed since those carefree days, many major life changes.  But inside these adult bodies, the children that we were still wait for us to throw off our shoes, sneak outside at daybreak, sit in awe under a canopy of stars, and let popsicle juice drip down our chins onto our fashionable blouses or pants– or, if we don’t like popsicles anymore, have a beer– and not give a damn.

Viva Cinco de Mayo!

Lena Stevens, co-founder with Jose Stevens of The Power Path, reminds us that poised as we are between the new and full moons, each accompanied by an eclipse, with the Spring Equinox right around the corner, we are at a cosmic crossroads– which is the meaning of the Greek word, kairos.  

Kairos time is where the rubber hits the road.   The spiritual intersects the physical so strongly that we are at a balance point– rather like being perfectly seated on a seesaw so that your end can move neither up nor down.

Kairos time offers us choices.  We can choose to move forward with the powerful positive energy pulling us into an unknown future, we can attempt to stand still, or we can struggle backwards into familiar territory.  Moving forward we could find ourselves experiencing monumental change– being inspired,  creative, and fulfilled in ways we’ve never dreamed of.  Moving backwards could be a very bumpy ride, because we’d go through the same old ruts and bang into the same old walls we’ve complained about for so long.  Standing still is hardly an option, since this universe is always in motion.

Why am I talking about kairos time?  Simply because lately I’ve noticed that almost every person I know– friends, partners, children, colleagues, and clients– is expressing great discomfort with their current situation, whatever it may be.  So clearly, change is in the wind.

Change can be scary, true.  But the one guidepost that can help us accept and perhaps even embrace change is trust.  In this age, when we can Google practically any topic and find at least a smidgin of information to allay our fears or validate our beliefs, it’s admittedly hard to trust anyone or anything but ourselves.  However, it helps to look back and remember that we didn’t always have Google, smart phones, or computers for that matter.  We had our families and friends, and whether we shared their beliefs or not, our families boasted ancestors who had a deep trust in Spirit (by whatever name).

This is true for all of us, regardless of what we look like or where our people came from.

Our ancestors believed that there was someone or something besides themselves, guiding their lives, protecting them from life’s worst experiences, and frequently bestowing its best.  And somehow, it worked– because here we all are!

So in this age of frenetic information-gathering, global competition, political upheaval, and general distrust, it might help to reach back into the past and connect with one of those ancestors.  Let’s ask for the trust that made it possible for us to be here, alive on this planet, at this time.    Let’s help each other to release our fears and open our arms to welcome the future, so full of promise and great possibility.  And let’s never stop believing that what we ask for is what we’ll receive.

The other day we joined a number of other damned liberals at one of Santa Fe’s local theaters for a showing of Michael Moore’s new film, “Where to Invade Next.”  This may well be one of Moore’s best documentaries.  Like the reviewer in the article I’ve linked to below, we laughed more than we expected to.

What I didn’t expect was the anger this film evoked.  It’s amazing to discover that here in “the land of the free and the brave” the very principles by which America used to define itself no longer exist, while they’re alive and well in Germany, France, Italy, Slovenia, Tunisia, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway– to name but a few.  Amazing and infuriating.  (I tend to forget that while I may be a healer in this life, I’ve been a warrior in many others, and that warrior left the theater steaming!)

So after three days of fury directed toward the government, the politicians, and the mega corporations that have basically trashed what once defined us– and the upset stomach that accompanies any bouts of fury I may indulge in– I had to stop and ask myself the question that underlies all the dodging and weaving by which Americans (myself among them)  try to avoid confronting the very serious issues that face our country today.  What can I do about this?  

We can vote, yes.  But for whom?  And for what?  The issues Moore raises in his film are not on the table.  Instead we’re urged to vote for the candidate with the most engaging smile, the most refined manner, the most rabble-rousing rhetoric, the most (or least) degree of diplomacy, etc., etc.  But not for raising the minimum wage, supporting single parents and seniors, improving the quality of American education, providing access to better medical care and healthy (non-GMO, organic, compassionately raised) food.  And if we take to the streets, as many in Moore’s film have done, we’re bludgeoned, shot, and/or incarcerated by out-of-control and heavily armed police.  It’s all too frustrating.

Finally my husband, tired of mini meals and leftovers while I struggled with my stomach, reminded me that this was the fourth film of its kind that we’d seen since Christmas.  The others were “Bridge of Spies,” “The Big Short,” and “Spotlight”– all excellent exposes of the death of the American Dream.  “This means something,” he said cryptically.  “Somewhere, someone– or several someones– want this to come out, to be known.  It’s been swept under the rug for decades and now all of a sudden, here it is.”

He is right.  Finally my anger subsided, my stomach calmed down, and I was able to remember that even though I can’t always “do something” about what troubles me, things are happening offstage– subtle changes taking place– alterations of the matrix occurring that I may not yet be able to recognize.

It gave me hope, and that is the flower in Moore’s new film.

One of the most difficult things to do is to apologize for our mistakes– and in human interaction, mistakes occur on a daily basis, no matter how careful we are.  Sincere and accurate communication is difficult under the best of circumstances because most of us don’t hear what’s being said.  We hear what we want to hear.  Generally, when we speak to someone else, we automatically assume they’re on the same page with us, and we tend to gloss over subtle details that could help the other person understand what we really mean.  The person who’s listening rarely asks for clarification, because he (or she) doesn’t want to appear clueless or worse.  So assumptions are made, acted upon, and followed by an escalating chain of reactions until we feel all alone, without a friend in the world.

Online communication makes it even easier to unwittingly upset someone.  A thoughtless or simply casual response to a hastily written email can cause a world of hurt!  This past Mercury Retrograde period (January 5 – January 25) has shown me how easy it is to offend another person, even when that’s the last thing I’d want to do.  It’s also emphasized the fact that “I’m sorry” is one of the more challenging phrases in the English language– or any language, for that matter!  But sometimes, it’s the only thing to say.  At least it opens the door to empathic communication between two people who have misunderstood each other.

The linked article addresses the importance of being able to swallow our pride and ‘fess up to being simply human– fallible creatures with all the good intentions in the world but not always the most well-honed communication skills.  It also shares some ways to apologize that help the wounded party believe you really mean it when you say “I’m sorry.”

Now that the holidays, with all their emotional ups and downs (not to mention the obligatory January 1st hangover!) have passed, we can turn our thoughts to the next big item on the 2016 agenda:  our New Year’s resolutions, particularly in the area of personal health and well being.

Maybe we’ve resolved to finally sign up for that yoga class, eat less gluten and more fresh organic veggies and fruits, cut down on caffeine and alcohol, try a paleo diet or one that’s vegetarian or vegan.

Maybe we’ve even thought about going to bed an hour or two earlier, just to see how that feels.  That at least should be easy, right?  But maybe not!  Recent research reveals that our tendency to stay up late or retire early may be part of our genetic blueprint.

I’ve been a night owl ever since childhood.  Even when I know I have to be up early for a meeting or some other project, I’m rarely in bed before midnight and often spend another hour or so “mulling” before falling asleep.  Lately I wake around 5 am and can sometimes get back to sleep but often not, yet it doesn’t seem to diminish my ability to function during the day.  Naps are impossible.  Seems like once this body is up, it’s in constant motion.   On the other hand, my husband falls asleep instantly the minute his head hits the pillow.  He sleeps through the night, wakes late, and often naps or meditates during the day.  (He’s retired so this works for him.)  Clearly we are not the same kind of critter!

Ayurveda sheds a fascinating light on the subject of genetic programming.  According to this teaching, there are three main doshas or body types:  vata, pitta, and kapha.  Vata people are often small, slight-bodied, active, and nervous: their core element is wind. Pittas can be any size but are usually active and quick-tempered; their core element is fire.  Kaphas are often large, slow-moving, passive, and heavy-bodied; their core element is water.  Most of us are a combination of these doshas– I am a vata-pitta, while my husband is a kapha-pitta.  One of our daughters is vata-kapha and the other is pitta-kapha.

Whether or not research has been done to determine the correlation between Ayurvedic teachings and the work of Dr. Eran Tauber and his colleagues, we can all take a deep breath, let go of the guilt we’re supposed to feel for being “different,” and enjoy being exactly who we are!

Happy New Year!

Lena Stevens has skillfully shared what we most need to know about navigating the monumental changes that this month, December, is bringing us, and what to expect during this time of transition.

I was a “gypsy child,” meaning that because of various unusual family issues, I moved around a lot– from one house to another, one country to another, and one frame of reference and societal expectations to another.  Rootless?  Maybe.  But if you don’t have roots, perhaps you develop wings!

In any case, change has been the central focus of my life, and while I tend to cling to the familiar along with everyone else (“Better the devil you know than the one you don’t, aye?”) I’ve been able to survive rapid and radical change with most of my sanity intact.  And so can you.

The trick is to take a deep breath and let go of control.  If you can trust that not your ego but Spirit (Higher Self, God, Goddess, Allah, the One, Great Mystery, Creator, etc.) is the one in control and always has been, then it’s a bit easier.  After all, Spirit has been guiding our lives for all of our lives, in spite of ego’s efforts to usurp control.

So, whatever life presents this month, this final month of 2015, let yourself ride with it.  Surf the wave.  No fear!

As John Lennon said, “Everything will be alright in the end.  And if it’s not alright, it’s not the end.”

The holidays can be fun.  Or not!  Want a welcome change from the usual pressures of buying presents, bad-weather travel, non-stop cooking (what my daughters and I call a “cook-a-thon”), irritable visiting relatives, and the resulting exhaustion and secret resentment?

This article suggests innovative ways to help you and your family uncover and celebrate the true meaning of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and other end-of-the-year holidays.

Years ago, when Lewis and I were living in the Bay Area, my daughters would choose to spend one or another of the “big” holidays with my ex-husband.  We could have moped about the house feeling sorry for ourselves because there were no squeals of childish joy around our Christmas tree on that special morning– but we usually went to the beach instead.  There was something truly sacred about the light of a Winter Solstice sun illuminating the waves that kissed the sand at Baker Beach. These quiet times put the holy back into holiday, and our beach-y Christmas came to mean more than the traditional one ever had.  (One year I even made a Christmas door wreath from kelp and seashells– unusual and attractive!)

No, we didn’t go surfing!  But we came home refreshed and happy, truly in touch with the joy of the season.

This new Scorpio Moon packs a punch!

As we’re busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and other celebrations of autumn, we may be feeling more pressure than usual. What is it that’s pushing our buttons?  Health?  Relationships?  Money?  Or just the usual challenges of the holiday season? Tension around holiday travel; family expectations; a sense of not enough time; obstinate kids; problems with co-workers, supervisors, employees; even our pets can add to the pressure cooker, and before we know it, we’re steaming!

It helps, especially under pressure, to remember to B-R-E-A-T-H-E.  Sometimes a deep, calming breath is all it takes.  And sometimes not!  So what else can we do?  A little time in Nature always makes a big difference for me.  A walk in the woods, a quick walk around the block (if there are no woods nearby), sometimes simply glancing out the window at the falling leaves and taking a moment to acknowledge the beauty of a changing season, can reconnect us with the peace of the natural world.  A regular healing practice like Yoga, Aikido, or Chi Kung allows us to find our center and in our center, to find calm.  Curling up with a good book is a blessing.  A cup of tea with a friend doesn’t take much time, and there’s nothing like “kitchen table counseling” from someone we trust to help us get back on track.

The point is not to allow the pressures of our fast-paced culture to stress us out.  This new moon encourages us to reflect on what, with Spirit’s help, we’ve been able to achieve in this past year, to feel gratitude for all the good we’ve experienced, and to let go of what was painful.  We don’t need to do more, buy more, or be more.  As we are, we’re enough–  and the feeling of confidence that comes with realizing this simple truth creates an energy field that emanates calm, compassionate acceptance of everyone and everything around us– a healing in itself!