We Haven’t Got That Kind of Time April 28, 2011

I met a woman a few weeks ago who told me she loves her postpartum body. Not only have I never heard a woman say she loves her body after its been through childbirth, I have never heard any woman say she loves her body. Period. And this woman didn’t have the kind of body that bounced back into place a few months after birthing. This woman had the quintessential goddess body; wide round hips, a low belly, soft breasts, a roundness in her cheeks…she was truly beautiful. And when she said these words, “I love my postpartum body. It makes really feel like a woman and reminds me that I can give life. I feel really badly for women who don’t appreciate the imprint childbirth imparts on their bodies. It’s like a roadmap – telling you all the ways you grew and nurtured this little being into the world,” I thought I might cry.

A few days later I was trying on swim suits, as you could say my “roadmap” is well written. I was so exasperated by trying to figure out how the different sizes work for different brands at one point I said to myself, “Well at least they make them big enough for me!” Then I caught myself. I looked at my little pine nut crawling around on the dressing room floor, yanking on tags, sticking her tongue out at the mirror and suddenly the magnitude of what it means to raise a girl in this culture with a healthy body image sank in so unexpectedly it took my breath away. I realized in an instant that the importance of getting a swimsuit for the summer was beyond the thing itself. It was about putting one on, taking my little girl swimming, being out in public showing the world my roadmap, and teaching her that the most important thing is having the ability to go swimming at all. I was thinking about how many women I know who will not go swimming with their children because they will not be seen in public in a swim suit, and was shocked to realize how easy that road can be to go down. I wondered, at what point in my life will I truly have the gratitude for my health and respect for my body it deserves? When will I free myself from this struggle and lay down this cross? Will I have to be a breast cancer survivor? Will I have to lose someone I love to a terminal disease? How do I cross the threshold into self acceptance and loving-kindness?

As if I was meant to receive the message, I caught an interview with Anne Lamott a few hours later. She was talking about how she went shopping with a close friend who was dying of cancer. Annie tried on a dress and asked her friend, ”Does this dress make my hips look wide?” Her friend replied, “Annie, we don’t have that kind of time.”

What she meant is that we can’t philander our time here on earth with the things that take us away from becoming all of who we are meant to be. There is only enough time to show compassion and be present for the people you love, to fully embrace what is real and here now, and to strive towards being the very best person you can be for both yourself and for others. Anything that does not bring us closer to those states of being is an untruth.

I let this sink in at the same time knowing my skin will lose its elasticity. My laugh lines will become crows feet. My freckles will become age spots. I may never lose the baby weight; but when my joints start to ache and it’s harder to get around, I will be glad to have spent my time at the beach while I could.

In Praise Of… March 13, 2009

When the drums sing like this it’s like being found.

When the drums sing like this it’s like you can show the world your heartbeat,
And you can see theirs;
And all of our differences don’t matter.

We are the stars,
We are the drum skin,
We are the soil we stomp upon in praise.

In praise of who we are,
In praise of who we can be,
In praise of the journey in between.

Unnecessary Plastic Goods, Clean Air, Fresh Water in Africa, and You… March 10, 2009

In a post a while back I made a reference to conspicuous consumption and global ethics. At the time I had no idea that the world economy was going to tank. I was writing from the perspective that our consumption in the U.S. was simply not sustainable. And so it is true – in more ways than I had imagined. I wasn’t aware that so many Americans were over their heads in mortgages and debt, I only knew that the production, distribution and disposal of all these consumer goods had an environmental ripple effect that was invisible to most people.

My intention was to encourage people to consume more consciously, and shop with intention and responsibility. I was wanting people to think about how the mindless shopping, the casual overuse of water and the accidental leaving on of lights impacts people they will likely never meet. For every light left on additional coal is burned, adding to greenhouse gases, and accelerating glacial melting.

I was also challenging people to think about why they buy, in addition to what they buy. Why do we need to own every movie we like on DVD? Why do we attach our egos to the latest fashion trends? Why is our identity embedded in the vehicle we drive? What does all this consumption indicate about our hunger, when our dinner plates are full? What “nutrient” is missing to make us so insatiable?

Most anyone who has traveled to financially destitute countries will tell you that they have never met so many joyful people, and they come away changed – knowing in their heart of hearts that wealth and possessions have nothing to do with happiness. My brother once called it “the mystery of misery.” Because you know logically that poverty is a hard, hard life filled with toil and uncertainly, but because of it, or perhaps in spite of it, the spirit of people in these communities is fully present.

“It’s embarrassing,” one friend said after living in an African village to build schools. “You know these people have nothing and the grandmother taking care of dozens of AIDS orphans insists you join them for a meal. You feel guilty eating their food because you know they have nothing to spare, but in the end you have been given the greatest gift, and it was the most amazing meal you ever had in your life because your soul feels nourished.”

Now we find ourselves in an economic crisis, with unique undertones that could turn out to be the perfect storm when you factor in climate change, and peak oil. I don’t want to come across as a Pollyanna about the financial hardships so many people are going through, but I do see this as an opportunity for us to reflect as a culture on how we can come together as communities, and begin feeding our spirits instead of our pockets.

For starters, the environmentally friendly choices are nearly always the better economic choices. Turning lights off in rooms not in use saves you money on your utility bill, while you do your part to reduce green house gas emissions. Re-using your ziplock bags can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year, and eating at home is better for your health, it saves you money, gas, and increases quality family time.

As communities, we are being given an opportunity to see how we can come together – a modern Stone Soup may be within our midst. You can see this especially with business models like Same Cafe, in Denver Colorado. At Same Cafe you pay for your food by donation, or you can work for it and lend a hand in the kitchen. The menu has no set prices, and meals are made from organic whole foods.

We live in a global world, and with that we have global responsibilities. Let’s come together during these trying times and bring out the best in one another. Use less so that those in need can have more. Feed your body and your spirit. If you’ve been laid off, use this time to get involved in a community project. If you’re gainfully employed, spend your money responsibly, consciously, and support fair trade and local businesses.

“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions.” -Wendell Berry

Namaste,

Sacred Harvest

Interspirituality January 21, 2008

Interspirituality. Hmmmm. Big word. Doesn’t show up on spell-check. Incredibly ambiguous if you do a Google search on it. And yet…and yet is sounds like something enormous. Sounds like something the world might need. Spirituality, and the prefix of “inter”…Latin for “between, or among,” we might be on to something here; and in Santa Barbara we certainly are.

The term “Intersprituality” was first coined by Wayne Teasdale, and while I won’t digress here on the teachings of Brother Teasdale, what I will note is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi that has much in common with what Teasdale was getting at:

“When you go to the heart of your own religion, you go to the heart of all others too.”

This was certainly my experience on my retreat at La Casa de Maria, where I was given the gift of being introduced to the interspiritual community in Santa Barbara. When I showed up at the Spiritual Path’s retreat, I really didn’t know what to expect, nor did I understand fully what drove me there. But what followed was a weekend of celebration, meditation, and calls to action. The objective of the retreat was to bring environmental advocacy groups into dialog with the spiritual leaders from various religious traditions and members from the community to explore the ways in which can work together.

Ed Bastian, founder of Spiritual Paths, lead the retreat. Speakers included Reverend Cynthia Bourgeault, Ph.D, Shaikh Kabir Helminski, Shaikha Camille Helminski, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Ph.D, and Pravrajika Vrajaprana – faculty from Spiritual Paths. Representatives from environmental groups included Sharyn Main from the Community Environmental Council, Dr. Michael McGinnis, an Environmental Studies professor at UCSB, Don Four Arrows Jacobs; professor of Educational Leadership at the Fielding Graduate University, and Michael Potts from the Rocky Mountain Institute.

I was turned on to something that’s time has come, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. It was one of the most beautiful, remarkable things to not only explore the traditions of all these great faiths, but also see how much we have in common. At the core of all religions is a spiritual essence that unites, and never divides. The sacred contract we have to each other as humans and this planet that sustains us is universal. To understand this, and teach this is truly what can change the world. Namaste and Godspeed to Spiritual Paths – you’ve got great work ahead of you.

Life is Not A Dress Rehersal January 19, 2008

I will live the dream

Born from ideas of the heart.

I will walk the passionate path

With truth and fortitude.

I am creating my world.

My designs create my life.

May 08 be great for you and your loved ones!

Namaste,

Sacred Harvest