Stay Wild, Child

The eyes of a child notice even the tiniest of critters. This inch worm was inching across a footbridge on a forest adventure. Inch by inch we all get to where we are going....

Few words are needed to share the magic of our week of camping and forest adventures with our ten year-old nephew. Pennsylvania is a magical place and the wilderness here is so full of wonder. Enjoy....

Newts love cool, wet mossy forests. Little boys love newts. 

Mushroom magic is abound during the wet summer storm season. Children are amazing mushroom spotters.

This heart mushroom!!!

Wild blueberries are everywhere now. Best blueberries ever.  I have missed their  sweet tart flavor for the last 13 summers!

Exploring the river banks with uncle Tanner. Snakes, frogs and crayfish are all around.

A happy boy rests on the shores of Conservation Island in Promised Land State Park, located in the Pocono Mountains of NE Pennsylvania. 

No wonder I love Vancouver Island! The resemblance is amazing. I have so much gratitude for all of the magical places I get to call home. 

A summer well spent. 

Are You Breathing? REALLY breathing?

I painted this sign outside of a hostel in Mexico two and a half years ago. It was the first time someone asked me to instruct yoga classes.

If I was a cell phone, my energetic battery would be at the thin red line just before it shuts itself down. 

My inspiration battery would be at least 100% though. Possibly ready to recharge other batteries!

I have never ever been so inspired and so exhausted simultaneously. I am feeling like I can barely walk around without feeling totally tired. Which is why I'm curled up in a plush chair in the tea lounge. It's our final evening of the yoga teacher training. The emotions are big and there is an air of sadness because we are all parting ways tomorrow. My mind is also so expanded that I feel like I am dreaming.

2017 Himalayan Institute 200-hour YTT class. Photo by HI staff- thank you!!!

Today we each took a turn instructing the entire class. It was deeply moving to witness the massive transformations that have taken place for all of us. I had to get a pile of Kleenex to make it through the morning. A good cry can be so nurturing and helps to release deeply held emotions. (Except it often messes with my nasal breathing when my sinuses get all puffy.) 

My ability to breathe has never been so amazing. I had the realization during this course that I have not been breathing correctly for nearly 35 years! Shocking, right?! Tell me about it. We have been practicing breath training daily. One tool that is a miracle worker (if you're open to practicing) is called a breath pillow. It's a cloth sand-filled bag shaped like a crescent moon, between 7-10 lbs. It's weight, when placed on the abdomen just below the rib cage, for only a few minutes each day, allows one to feel the diaphragm pressing into the abdomen to expand the chest cavity, therefore supplying the body with the maximum amount of nourishing breath and strengthening the diaphragm. I was definitely not doing this my WHOLE life. It was a very tricky process to convince my unconscious memory and my cellular memory to allow my diaphragm to release its decades-long grip. When it finally happened, it was like coming up for air after being held just beneath the surface of the water for far too long. I was lying in bed ready to sleep when I felt it (after just a week!) On my back, I took the deepest breath I have ever taken. I got so excited. I said to Tanner "I feel like I have whale lungs!!!" I have been sleeping so much better, too.

Now, the trick is to continue maintaining this openness and continuing to strengthen that mysterious muscle called the diaphragm that helps to keep us alive and thriving. 

There she is. The beautiful diaphragm. 

I had a day two weeks ago where I traced my whole life backwards. I had asked myself how it is that I am here right now. As I traced back all of people and events that lead me here to finally become a certified yoga teacher, my heart swelled with heaps of gratitude. I have been blessed with so many supportive friends and acquaintances. I have been walking (fairly) steadily down a path of deepening spiritual realms. It continues to deepen with each leap of faith and each excavation and examination of my own inner world. 

May we all consider exploring deep within ourselves to shift our collective experience as humanity. As the peace of our inner worlds expands, our outer worlds become filled with more love and joy. Who doesn't long for that? 

The next steps for us are a) completing our required teaching hours and b) completing our 30-day meditation journals. Then our certifications will be official. We hope to be sharing the magic of yoga with the world before very long. Where? That part remains unclear, but time reveals all. 

A nourishing nature break from yoga school by a babbling Pennsylvania brook. Ahhhhhh....

OM is Where the Heart Is

It's June 21st- Summer Solstice, international yoga day (I guess this is a real thing? I need to get out more!) and it's also day 5 of the 2017 Himalayan Institute 200-hour yoga teacher training. the Pennsylvania campus is the world headquarters and the HI has multiple campuses worldwide. 

We are resting before supper time on a grassy hillside that overlooks hundreds of acres of Pennsylvanian wilderness. The crows and songbirds are abundant and summer weather has finally arrived. 

The campus here ebbs and flows with human activity. It's typically something like a yogic beehive on weekends when extra programs are offered. It relaxes down to a peaceful, rhythmic buzz during the weekdays. There is a beautiful blend of seekers from all parts of the planet, and on any given day you will sense this worldly energy. Many languages, many lifestyles, many faces... all sharing one consciousness. The thread that weaves the diversity together is a seeking for higher truth. A greater understanding of existence. A longing for personal freedom, beginning deep inside. 

There are 17 of us teachers-in-training and just two are gentlemen. One of them is Tanner and the other is a very cheerful and kind young man from India. Age ranges from mid-20's to nearly 70 years wise. 

The approach and execution that this organization has designed for their students is like nothing I have encountered elsewhere. I spent a very challenging, transformative and dynamic 6 months here at the HI way back in 2003, at age 21. Over the last 14 years I have made massive changes to my own way of being and interacting with life, inside and outside. Yoga has supported me through it all. Many who have not experienced the breadth of yoga have a perception that it is simply an hour of stepping onto a mat and folding and stretching, and of course, wearing the fanciest yoga pants available. (Ok. I'm wearing my new tie-dyed leggings today...but seriously...) 

The mat practice is just one slice out of the yoga pie. 

The hatha or asana practice is like the bait that seems to attract the student with a stealth ninja-like cunning. It seems like a fold and a twist and a one-legged balance. But then...one day...something happens. A feeling. An awareness that wasn't there before. What was that? Did anyone else in the class feel that shift? Hmmm. Maybe there's more to this whole yoga thing.

A different instructor leads our 6:45am hatha class each morning. The variety of styles of teaching is fabulous. Today I was moved to tears by the woman who led the class. The words that she spoke while she lead us through a sequence of postures and contemplation were connecting to a place so deep within my yet so infinitely vast. 

I proceeded to eat my breakfast alone and just sit with what had transpired. I realized that I have not felt moved or inspired to this level in recent months. My inner light grew three sizes today.

At the conclusion of today's afternoon anatomy session, we were invited to share our personal shifts that have been a result of following our own yoga practices. I wanted to say many things, but what I ended up sharing was that I was so grateful to have discovered the yogic path nearly 15 years ago, and that it has been the foundation of me cultivating a knowing of deep inner peace. No matter where I am, or what is happening around me, there is an anchor deep within. Nothing outside of me has even come close to the inner guru that each of us has and is, if only we choose to hear the whispers of the guru. I've seen a saying that says "go within or go without".  Everything (and I mean everything) outside of us is only superficial and temporarily soothing or comforting tool. The infinite wisdom is waiting inside of us. Patiently. With love and compassion for our humanness to discover it. Namaste. Yup. I said it. And I meant it, too.

Trumped...but Still Beautiful

It's been an adventurous month crossing the USA. I have a few minutes while I await a dental exam (another one) to begin putting my thoughts into words here. To my dismay, a cavity that I had filled two months ago is very sore and so I wait for a seat in my least favorite type of chair....

On a lighter note, it's been a beautiful trek across America, and just so our Canadian and global friends know: America is the same place it has been for a very long time. It's not suddenly evil. The people are generally kind and friendly - just like in Canada. The land is gorgeous and the wildlife is abundant - just like in Canada. Everyone is doing the best they can. Occasionally, we have spotted red, white and blue billboards, signs and bumper stickers saying "TRUMP: Making America Great Again". In my humble opinion, America IS great, but it has nothing to do with the politics. It's simply another incredible place on this earth, and the abundance of amazing human beings is what makes it greatest. 

When we approached the border between southern Alberta and Montana, the guard looked at my American passport and said "welcome home". I smiled and said thank you, but also felt a bit funny because I haven't considered the USA to be my home in over a decade. 

We made our way south to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The geysers were so beautiful and bizarre. It was tricky to capture the true essence of their steamy mystery in photos. 

Herds of bison grazed the foothills and elk and moose could be seen in the fields and forests. 

Heading into eastern Wyoming, we took a detour when we saw a sign that said "wild horse scenic tour". We drove for nearly two hours through the dry badlands on a high plateau overlooking prehistoric canyons with layers of colored rock shelves exposed from centuries of erosion. The roadside markers described what was believed to be a prehistoric ocean millions of years ago. Also we never saw a single wild horse...so that was a bummer. We had fun anyway!

We had to do a last minute route change, due to an avalanche closure of a Rocky Mountain pass through northern Colorado. Instead, we went a bit south through Denver. As soon as we drove into the downtown area, marijuana was in the air. We parked and found a hip Thai bistro and has a great chat with the young man, perhaps 25 years old, who was the waiter.  He had spent a year in Thailand and was feeling obligated to remain in the USA because he felt that he would be throwing away his winning birth lottery of being born American. We smiled and suggested that he just do what made him happiest. He said the legality of marijuana in Colorado was causing a crunch in housing availability. Everyone wants to be a part of the cannbis revolution. He mentioned that he was observing the current generation's new American Dream: have a career that allows you to be your own boss and live anywhere you want to. We said that is precisely what we are aiming for...

We downloaded an excellent audiobook called "Stop Saying You're Fine" by Mel Robbins. It's SO good. She is a no-bullshit kinda gal and is a former lawyer, who now has an inspirational radio show. It is full of great stories and tips to inspire even the most stuck person into just doing anything, rather than nothing to make a change in their lives. We took notes as we listened day after day while traversing the corn and wheat belt of the American Midwest. We found this gem of a park to camp in, right in the middle of Kansas. We saw the name on our atlas (yep, we have a vintage paper atlas) and just knew we wanted to camp there. It was beautiful. 

We had a lovely weekend with my older brother, who is an air traffic controller. He wanted to take us into his center and show us the behind the scenes of his job, but they said no Canadians allowed in there. So much for that. America's air security is seriously serious.

So we made it to the east coast. We are currently visiting my dad in rural northeastern Pennsylvania. It's so beautiful here. We have been getting up and going for a long morning stroll around the neighborhood where I grew up exploring forests and streams. We saw a family of red foxes and found this turtle in the yard today. A pair of robins built a nest on top of a Christmas wreath that I hung for my dad over a year and a half ago next to his front door.  

We harvested a ganoderma tsugae mushroom, a type of reishi that grows on hemlock trees here. We dried a big one for tea and Tanner sautéed a chunk to enjoy fresh also. He said it was delish. 

We made a visit to the Himalayan Institute last night for supper and a kirtan, Indian devotional chanting. It was a wonderful visit and in one week we will begin the 200-hour training to become certified yoga instructors. We are very excited.

Front entrance at the Himalayan Institute in Bethany, Pennsylvania

Hearts Know No Distance

Maple Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

It's dawn on Kootenay Lake in Nelson, British Columbia. What a gorgeous place on this planet. The ravens are plentiful around our campsite and have been belting out a wide variety of songs to each other. I have been awake since 3am (3 hours now). This is not typical for me. I am normally a pro sleeper. The nocturnal munching of mice on the other side of the thin, vinyl tent from my pillow was what kept me awake at first. Then a very nearby train with a persistent whistle. Now the morning traffic has also begun. The world here is buzzing and in action like the springtime pollinators. 

The sunset view across the Georgia Strait on our way to Vancouver. Another ferry headed to the islands.

I am letting the reality sink in that we left our home of Vancouver Island and all of the amazing people there. In a way, I wish I could have brought them all with me. Realistically though, I know we are all on our own unique journeys and that hearts know no distance. 

 

It's been a very full and transformational month for us and this blog post has been slowly coming forth through it all. 

Photo by Roxanne Wood. Thanks Roxanne!!! Xo

I want to mention an incredible gathering of amazing women that took place on earth day, April 22nd, in Saanich on Vancouver Island. My sweet friend and magical musician, Astaria, and myself gathered with these ladies and shared a beautiful day of heart connection and earth connection. 

In less than a week after listing her for sale, we sold our sweet motorhome to an amazing retired couple. They intend to take her to the Yukon way up north and also down to Mexico. Our kind of people, indeed. 

"I Believe in the Good Things Coming"-Nahko Bear

On the day we sold our little home on wheels, we packed up our trusty old Jetta with our belongings, except what wouldn't fit in that first car load, which was probably stuff we didn't need anyway. 

We also sold both of our bicycles. We sold our garden rototiller and a few other odds and ends too. We sold the dehumidifier that we had purchased to keep our RV dry through the wet winter months to a man who was raising his two kids in a school bus that was converted into a long, homey RV. Humans and their life adventures are so amazing.

We also decided to search last minute for a larger and more economical vehicle. Our 2003 VW Jetta was amazing and yet she was really showing her age and the 300,000+ kms that we put on her.  We bid on a green 2008 Ford Escape hybrid and got her for an incredible price. She needed a bit if aesthetic TLC, but she is worth it. Tanner suitably named her the Green Goddess. Bye-bye Blue Billy Goat (Jetta's name after trekking through the Mexican and Guatemalan mountains).  Welcome to the One World Wellness team, Green Goddess! You're in for some fun times!

We stayed temporarily at the home of a dear friend on Vancouver Island for the last two weeks while we tied up all loose ends so that we could make a clean departure toward the east coast. Sold a final few items and donated about 7 liquor boxes full of things and stuff we didn't need to carry on with life. Refreshing!!!

We co-hosted a cacao ceremony in North Vancouver at a beautiful venue and said farewell to our shining soul sister, Astaria. We know we will meet again before too long!

We then travelled to Harrison Hot Springs and co-facilitated a beautiful small ceremony with two sound healers (among many other titles) who had an amazing collection of crystal bowls and a crystal lyre, crystal pyramid, chimes, tuning forks, gongs and more. It was sensational. We normally contribute during a sound journey at our ceremonies with the small collection of instruments that we own. This time though, we both laid back and simply soaked up the sound journey vibrations. What a beautiful gift. Learning to receive is something I have been working on for my whole life: material gifts, compliments, nurturing, etc. 

We have just received invitations to Hawaii and Australia for the fall and winter to share our cacao ceremonies. Time will tell which direction we travel...at this point we can only guess. It all sounds great to us! It's all possible because we have taken many small steps to reduce our needs and our ties to any material limitations. Every little thing we own is with us in our vehicle. It's a truly remarkable feeling of freedom. 

I am already missing the fresh stinging nettle soup that we enjoy this time of year on Vancouver Island. We picked and ate so much nettle in April. There is nothing like the green nourishing energy of a big bowl of nettle soup. It has so many physical benefits (google it). We enjoyed our last jar on the ferry from Vancouver Island to Vancouver. 

Enjoying nettle soup while waiting for the ferry. 

Wrapping up this blog blurb, I'm at a little coffee shop in rural Alberta that I used to frequent when I lived here. (I sometimes start a blog in one place and then finish it wherever I can). 

We are facing an interesting reality that Albertans, in general, are not nearly as receptive to cacao ceremonies as British Columbians are.  We are supposed to host two ceremonies this weekend and neither has garnered much commitment from guests, so we may postpone them to a much later date. All we can do is try.

A blurry and dark glimpse of the sound journey at one of our cacao ceremonies. 

It's my mama's 69th birthday today! She was diagnosed with breast cancer over 10 years ago and I did not think that she would be here to celebrate approaching 70 years! Life is truly amazing. With the combination of poor cell phone reception and no wifi on her end, I have both called and texted her today with no luck of hearing her voice yet. I did leave her a voicemail. There are still a few hours left in the day, so hopefully we will connect. Technology remains a baffling mystery to me...it both enables us and limits us in mysterious ways.

Happy Birthday Mama! We are headed your way...it won't be long and then we can have a real hug.

That's my sweet sweet mama, Linda xoxo

Ps. This song is AMAZING!!! I played it for friends last night and they said it sounds like the One World Wellness theme song. Haha!! And so it is.

https://mamuse.bandcamp.com/track/welcome

Dare to Be Different

I am writing this while splayed out on the bed in our motor home (aka our Om Sweet Om) like a starfish and my feet have a distinct heartbeat. It is painful. Just after the start of the new year, I decided to take some action regarding warts on several toes that developed after our adventures in foreign countries, nearly two years ago now. Despite the dedicated use of flip flops in hostel showers, warts found their way onto one baby toe...then two toes...then five (plus one on the ball of one foot). I tried some natural remedies, but I couldn't get ahead, so I finally asked for professional help and it has been an incredible foot journey in the last 11 weeks!

I am taking Thuja (white cedar) homeopathic in conjunction with weekly liquid nitrogen treatments. The pain level is really no fun, and yet there is so much learning in that pain. Such as: Pay attention to ALL parts of your body. Don't ignore little things until they become big things. Ask for help when you need it. Step lightly. Slow down. Put your feet up. Take your time moving forward. No need to rush or race. Move at your own pace. Just be.

 (It's hard to tell, but this is me holding hands with that starfish. And we are matching in our purple tones.)

Yoga has been more challenging than ever before in my life with half of my toes in bandages for these few months. Want to really test your balancing skills? Wrap your toes up in gauze and tape. Haha! This is a great way to both humble oneself and challenge mental limitations. 

Speaking of yoga, Tanner has been accepted into the yoga teacher training program with me! We are so excited to dive into the depths of yoga science and philosophy together this summer. We have both been truly enjoying the required reading list during these lingering cold weeks moving toward spring.

I am half way through this one:

It contains an incredible amount of truth and wisdom and I am feeling so grateful for these teachings. 

One part of the reading that was profoundly pertinent to me was the section that addressed "four mental contaminants" from a spiritual perspective. They are: animosity, cruelty, jealousy, and self-righteousness. It is stunning how often I observe these tendencies in the realm of "spiritual seekers". Not what it's all about. In fact those things are the opposite of what we all truly desire.

After a late night conversation with Tanner, I came to a realization that what I'm seeking in my relationships with people (especially those that I spend lots of time with) is a reciprocated level of authenticity and vulnerability. This is huge. I am suddenly understanding why I often feel frustration after my interactions with friends and acquaintances. I have a deep desire to be met with equal authenticity. Many of us humans are less than authentic because we carry the weight of social fears- aka "the four mental contaminants".

So how do I, myself, encourage this authentic way of being in me and those around me? Well, I suppose that I simply keep modeling what that looks and feels like for others to witness. This means remaining aware of my own thoughts and intentions at all times. The main messages that keep coming for me are that I must let go of my expectations of others and also create healthy boundaries with those who are not living in this way when it feels like it's not supporting my own well being and growth.

This topic recently sparked the latest 20 minute episode of "Walking the Path" with myself and Christine Yole about embracing our gifts and being authentic while also maintaining healthy boundaries. You can watch or listen here: Walking the Path episode #10 

We have been enjoying some global cacao sampling to ensure that we have the best quality cacao paste for our spring cacao ceremony tour throughout western Canada. We have found a new incredible source for our cacao and we are expecting our first batch to arrive next week. Woohoo! 

We had an incredible group gathered last night for one of our most powerfully transformational ceremonies to date. It feels like we all just keep expanding to depths that are new and amazing. So many people are ready to branch out and experience new ways of being and shifting into their higher purposes in this lifetime.

Daring to be different is the new black. 

Speaking of different... If you are in British Columbia and are seeking a super sweet home on wheels, our little OM SWEET OM, is looking for a new person (or persons who really like each other and can thrive in a tiny home) to call her hOMe. It's a bittersweet parting, as we would love to keep her but, we will be away on adventures for half of 2017 and do not wish for pouring of our funds into her gigantic thirst for fuel. She does, however, make a wonderfully cozy living space and vehicle for shorter trips. oneworldwellness@yahoo.ca to inquire about her.

Until next time, feel free to get in touch via email, Facebook page One World Wellness (has the little peace earth logo) subscribe to our YouTube channel or find us in person! Peeeeeace. 

A Pinch of Magic

It's been just over a year since I began creating these crystal and gemstone headbands. In 2016, I created and sold over 100 of them to awakening seekers. Open Arise Creations has had a great first year and although I do not intend to pursue this as a full-time "career" in 2017, more of a fun, supportive hobby, I look forward to bringing smiles to some crystal lovers worldwide!

Here is the etsy shop link to browse the Open Arise Creations on Etsy

Also, I am thrilled to say that we just acquired our first ever retail location in BC! Woohoo! Spreading the beauty and the magic!

Photo of Kristin on Mushroom by Kim Yanick Portraits 

(more amazing work on FB here: Kim Yanick Portraits )

We both began the new year with a month of micro-dosing with psilocybin mushrooms. After our incredible experiences using larger doses in a ceremonial way last fall, we then did some reading about micro-dosing to shift one's overall perspective on life. Well, in the way we tend to do, we needed to try it for ourselves to know if it was a viable protocol to suggest to others. We regularly took a tiny amount of the magic, not enough to feel much, but in the way medicinal ingredients work, the experience was just...a hint different. The end result? We are still ourselves. No huge notable shifts. Still both mostly optimistic. Still both forging our own unique paths in the world. Still busy as ever with all kinds of interesting things. Still unsure or the purpose of life. Overall, we are happy and taking life moment by moment and day by day. It works for us! We continue to be amazed by the plants/fungi!

On the topic of medicinal things, we are excited to have a CACAO supply again! Tanner's mom, Cori, has returned to Vancouver Island with a heap of the good stuff after her journey to Mexico and Guatemala. 

Tanner and I will offer our first cacao ceremony of 2017 next weekend. We are in the midst of organizing a spring series of collaborative ceremonies with some sound healer friends. It's going to be so lovely! Here is our cacao ceremony page: Cacao Ceremonies by Cacao Connection!

Also, for your viewing/listening pleasure, here are new episodes #7 and #8 of Walking the Path. It's a series of conversations between myself and our lovely pal and intuitive spirit magician, Christine Yole. We discuss things like "what is my purpose?" and "getting into the flow of life" or "conscious communication". You know, stuff like that. Check it out if you feel inspired to hear our thoughts and experiences. We have a lot of fun recording these: Walking the Path: With Kristin and Christine!

I have begun studying my required reading list for the yoga teacher training program in June. Excellent stuff! Mind expanding content galore and so much beauty and truth within these pages. I am loving it. Yoga Sutra, Bhagavad Gita, anatomy and more. Yum.

Where is my challenge lately? Social media. I'm being totally honest here. As always. I do not feel good about the entire concept. I am at a total loss for finding a marketing alternative that reaches as many humans. I'm wowed at how programmed humanity has become to rely on these things.

As each week passes by, I hear more and more people of all ages sharing their woes about the weird stuff happening through social media. I am thrilled, THRILLED, to be not using Facebook anymore for personal socialization, entertainment or things that aren't serving my ultimate wellbeing. The amount of true connection time with friends and loved ones has increased significantly. And so have my mental clarity and energy levels. I feel freer!! 

We just Skyped with a sweet young guy friend of ours who is far away from us tonight. He shared his experience of his first month of being Facebook-free.  He was bubbling with joy and said he is totally focused on his own life, not on what everyone else is up to. He is present for what life is showing to him each moment. He has been cooking more and socializing and doing what he loves. He said he feels freedom and peace of mind. 

Yes!!!! It IS possible. And he didn't go missing off the face of the earth. He's still himself. A more complete and present version, too! He reached out to us and asked for a Skype so we could laugh together and share good stories and remind each other that we love one another. That is the true heart of life, right?

Astaria Light, bright light sound healer at Light of Sound, and myself, sharing our booth at a wellness fair in Victoria, BC last weekend.