In July, I am embarking on a potentially life altering adventure.  The first part occurs in Boston, with a yoga teacher training with Ana Forrest-  a risk in opening and unveiling the self.  The second part is in August, when I will be moving back to Hawaii, to live on my own in the woods and to pursue my dreams of living MY life- with meditation, prayer, creating art, and creating my own sustainable healing arts practice in Hawaii.    Is it a risk? Yup. I'm terrified and excited, at the same time.  

Now that I have your attention, no, not of a human baby-not right here, anyway.  Spring, finally, has unfurled her tentative hands across the northeast.  The trees are finally lush with leaves, and the weather is fabulously- inconsistent.   The flowers are out- and yes- it is all new life.

I went onto Gaia today for the first time in ages, and my profile said "Gaia Child".  Whoever spearheaded that is an absolute genius, because that is exactly where I'm at in my personal evolution.  Its been a long dark winter for me, on many levels, and I am ready to come back to the earth, and step back into community.

I'm going to be graciously relinquishing my ashtanga pod, as I no longer practice ashtanga, and feel it belongs in the hands of a devoted practitioner.  I'll put it out there: Would anybody like it? This offer will be up for awhile..... My own yoga practice has blossomed and transformed into something, slower, deeper, and deeply intuitive. 

I will be working on and growing with my other pod- the Transformation pod- expect some writing there, and please join us. 
. 

Hi -
I'm totally enamoured of this idea of a Gaia retreat center, so I thought I'd put out a questionnaire/ poll to the community.  Please feel free to reply by posting in the "reply" section, or emailing me directly.

1. Would you be interested in a Gaia retreat center?  Yes/No

2. If so, where would you like to see it situated? Hawaii/CA/Elswhere (specifiy)

3. What sort of proramming/events would draw you to it?  Yoga/Meditation/Outdoors/Eco friendly/Other (specify)


4. What would the dollar value, per night, be to go to a Gaia retreat center, were food, lodging, and basic classes included?  $100/$150/$200/$250/other

5. What would the dollar value be, per night, to go to a Gaia retreat center if phenomenal programming (say a workshop with your favorite spiritual teacher) were included as well?
$150/$200/$250/$300/other

6.  What else would you like to see happen if you are interested in this?  What else MATTERS to you if this were to happen?

Tossing ideas around....
Jess

INFORMAL ROUTE
Feel the warm, sweet tropical air enveloping  your body.  Wiggle your toes through lush grass.
Walk down a rainforest path, hearing birdcalls, listening only to that, and wind , and leaves.  Inhale, drinking in air: clean, sweet, slightly thick in the tropics.

If  I were to create a retreat center, it would absolutely be in Hawaii- home of mother earth, of Pele, of fire goddesses and eruptions into growth and change, into continents and islands ever shifting and changing.  Pele erupts giving birth to new earth.  

Walk down the wooded path to a huge sustainable bamboo yurt.  Slip off your sandals, unrolling your yoga mat in a vaulted room with bamboo: windows, statues of both Hindu and Hawaiian dieties.

Two islands in Hawaii strike me as especially potent for the transformation of retreat: Maui, called Mother Maui, the heart chakra, the love....or the BIG ISLAND - home of  active Volcanoes, (but out of their path!) of Pele, of enormous upheaval and change. 

Retreat , for me, is about blossoming ever deeper into self, and bringing that deeper self back into service for community.  Accessing the heart is potent, as is creating major change.

I would create a lush, tropical, rainforest retreat either on the sacred North shore of Maui, or in the rainforests of the big island.  There would be several buildings  scattered about on a parcel of land- all sustainable with light and statue s of the gods - one for yoga/meditation, one for dining, one for conferences/groups/meeting halls, one of administration, and TREEHOUSES and Yurts for our guests.  (yummmmyyyyy......)  And a comprehensive "healers hall" with spaces for massage, acupuncture, crystal healing, et cetera....

Weaving together the sustainable, the eco friendly, and the spiritual- in the buildings, in the air, in the presentation and the breath.....no seperation.

We would offer three types of services:
-Drop in, where local folks could stop by for lunch, tea, meditation, a dharma talk or kirtain, or massage or yoga
-Freestyle rest and relaxation : come, stay in our sacred space, eat wild organic food with us, do what you wish (hike, take ongoing tai chi or yoga, run under a waterfall etc)
-Workshops and Programming: come, stay in our sacred space, sign up for a transformational life altering workshop such as "the art of kirtan" or "unleashing the healer within" or "buddhist meditation and fine chocolate".  This could include notable presenters that fit in with our vision of sacred transformation, breath and land, land, spirit, breath....eg John Perkins (shaman), Pema Chodron, Shiva Rea, Layne Redmond  (drumming and chant) John Upledger (craniosacral continuing ed for bodyworkers).


thats the very short form.....And I think *somewhere* Jake tried to send a long one from me to Dave---which didn't go through: so here it is below:

FORMAL PROPOSAL
GAIA OASIS:
Jessica Abelson
priestessjess@hotmail.com
617-459-3108

Vision:
To have a Gaiam retreat Oasis in Hawaii, offering residential, intensive retreats, rest and relaxation getaways, and drop in offerings (ie full yoga schedule, café, massage.)  This would be very roughly modeled after the WILDLY successful programs at Omega, Kripalu, the Crossings at Omega, Esalen, Mount Madonna etc- but with vast improvements over these programs.  Programming for guests could draw from vast number of  spiritual teachers out there who may or may not already be affiliated with Gaiam branding. ( Nicki Doane and Eddie Modestini, Ram Das, David  Williams, Mirka Kraftstow.)

Location:
Viable property in Hawaii, or as an alternative, Southern California.

Pros of Hawaii:
First of its kind on grand scale out there.  Extremely marketable as a getaway destination, especially once packages are offered.  Big “allure”- everyone wants to go to Hawaii.  Islands have a special story and a very intense healing energy.  No major competition in that market.  Good draw of retreat leaders, especially for yoga, in that area  More of a sense of solitude/healing.  ALOHA!!!!

Pros of California:
Property may be more affordable.  Closer vacation destination, possibly opening up travel to a wider market segment.

What makes us ROCK:
•    Eco friendly building and solar powered.
•    Organic produce, possibly some grown on site, all local.
•    OUTSTANDING and noteworthy presenters, eg Shiva Rea, Ana Forrest, Sharon Salzberg, Pema Chodron, Lama Surya Das, Sark, Gabrielle Roth, Layne Redmond, John Perkins and Lynn Roberts, etc.
•    Onsite yoga program (separate building) for local drop ins.
•    Annual yoga teacher training in Hawaii.
•    Massage/healing arts center as part of program/visit or for drop ins.
•    Gaiam store.
•    Providing jobs for local population.
•    Swimming with the Dolphins. 
•    Aloha spirit.




Target market:

•    Gaiam customers
•    Gaia members and their associates
•    Holistic practitioners, yoga teachers, acupuncturists, etc,
•    Urban professionals
•    Middle to upper class population segments on both coasts and in metropolitan areas like Boulder!
•    Families looking for meaningful vacation time
•    Couples looking for meaningful vacation time
•    Individuals interested in personal growth

Physical building/property
•    Building(s) woven into nature- natural beauty of Hawaii is key.
•    One or more buildings constructed of renewable and or otherwise eco friendly materials that are ecologically appropriate to the islands-Bamboo is particularly excellent out there
•    Powered  as much as possible by solar power
•    Composting and recycling
•    Several large main rooms for workshops/programs
•    Organic café for meals. 
•    Yoga studio- possibly two or three, one for ongoing classes with regular teachers, another for yoga programming/workshops.  (bamboo floors, windows)
•    Lodging for guests- mixture of indoor rooms and more  camping like yet awesome TREEHOUSE accommodations!!!!
•    Beach accessibility or lake/pool onsite.
•    Shared bathrooms
•    Lounge areas for down time.
•    Gaiam retail store/bookshop.
•    Healing arts center- rooms for practitioners like massage, acupuncture, shamanism crystal healing et cetera. 
•    Outdoor ritual/ceremony spots- fire pits, hiking trails,
•    Some lodging in nature –cabins/tents and or treehouses – possibly whole thing a collection of smaller buildings. 
•    A hall that’s a non denominational sanctuary/meditation hall.











Programming:
Three main options:
1, One, local drop in- just drop in for a yoga class or massage or a meal.

 2. Two, rest and retreat- Come stay with us on our property, all inclusive of lodging food and regular yoga./tai chi/meditation classes, for as long or short as you like, renew, do your own thing, hike, swim, etc.

3. Three : Package programming: Come stay with us for a set number of nights and take a workshop with one of our phenemomenal superstar teachers/healers/leaders, when you’re not in workshop time enjoy the facilities, get a massage, swim with the dolphins, etc.
Purchase options:  Residential stays packaged by number of days eg 3 nights, 5 nights, 7 nights, 10 nights or 14 nights – built to match length of formal programming/workshops.
Holding workshops year round, but always offering the option just to rest and relax too.
Presenters such as:  Tias Little, Ana Forrest, Shiva Rea, Pema Chodron, Bhagavan Das, Layne Redmond, John Perkins and Llyn Roberts, Sounds True Artists, Nicki Doane and Eddie Modestini etc.

Operations/Who’s on Staff
Staffing could be provided by a mixture of paid, local employees, contractors, work exchange volunteers, and visiting retreat leaders.

Very roughly, paid, local employees could handle desk work, operations, meet and greet, some of the organizing work.  Contractors could work in the healing arts center and/or as onsite yoga teachers for daily, ongoing classes as well (or they could be employees.).  Work exchange volunteers could do tasks like cooking, cleaning etc- in return for room, board, and a small stipend.  Visiting retreat leaders would be responsible for the major workshops/events.  Of course, some upper tier employees would be needed to live locally to the center to be in charge of  facilities, hiring, major events planning, marketing, travel arrangements etc. 

Finances, in a nutshell
Similar facilities charge upwards of $125 a night just to stay in a shared room, relax, and use facilities/meals.  The starting rate at such places for a three day workshop including room and board BEGINS at $500.

Why this ROCKS
Omega and Kripalu have been wildly successful doing this sort of thing.  Omega opened a second location at the Crossings several years ago to further success.  Places like Mt Madonna and Esalen have been offering holistic programming in Northern CA for years.  No  major center has yet made it to Hawaii- and yet, the Hawaiian tourism/travel market is huge.  Pair that with FANTASTIC options and programming, all inclusive packages,  the option to just come and  retreat, the Gaiam family/market- and we’ve got a superstar on our hands.   Furthermore, as a eco friendly/sustainable location, we’d both be walking our talk and offering a feature many of these other centers do not offer, that Gaiam customers really care about. 
Who I am
I am a Gaia member, Reiki master, entrepreneur, and yoga teacher with a PASSION for yoga, healing, and Hawaii (I’ve lived there before)  and all things natural.    I’m motivated to create change in this world through the power of energy, intention, motivation and yes LOVE.  I’m inspired,,to plant the seeds of this project and offer to bring it to fruition with

...And change is a constant.

Big congratulations to the Zaadz team for the transition over to Gaia.   I'm looking forwards to seeing our community evolve and expand.

On that note, I'll be changing over my Ashtanga pod to something that more accurately reflects my yoga practice and journey.  Ashtanga was a tremendous part of my path from 2000-2006, and recently my own practice and teaching have shifted into an entirely different direction.

Would any of you like to keep the Ashtanga pod alive?  Someone with a regular Ashtanga practice and/or a good understanding  of the system  would be excellent.

I'd like to keep a  (different)  yoga pod going, on my end, (and to be more present to feed and water her!)  -something that reflects my own evolution with this practice.   Ideas and concepts arriving, shortly.

Meanwhile, enjoy 2008,  Numerologically it adds up to 1 - meaning, a year of new beginnings- the perfect time for change.

Jess

There is a space of gratitude
sacred prayer
in my heart
for you.

i've always "run".
adrenals amped up, promises and lures of the next big
adventure, possession, distraction
to quell the demons.

tonight
my heart would rather fall, and fall
and fall
into your embrace.

half my heart wants to run to oceans!
adventures! hopes! Hawaii!
and the older, more ancient  half knows
the gems
lie within.

Perhaps better to shoot roots into earth
hold my own while I extend my arms
and offer this:
You will ALWAYS have my love.

your written word speaks most, sometimes
like your eyes into the bottom of your soul
beloved,
after this precious gift of life
I love you most of all.

A few years back, I had an interesting dream. I was running through a big house, looking for something very important at the center. I realized the house was part of me, and I was looking for my purpose..... I got to the middle of the house, and found an old school, 1980's apple computer with the green text going on. The computer ran through piles of garbled data....until the screen read: artist and healer. My vision is this: I want to live back in Hawaii healing and helping others to heal- serving through yoga, art, meditation, energy work, prayer...(and whatever other tools I learn)....in service as teacher and healer. To hold space for healing and sacred transformation both in Hawaii and throughout the world. The story below is that...a story of a potential future...woven of the threads of the amazing healing I've been blessed to recieve in Maui: A day in this sacred life: I wake up at five am to the crowing of the roosters and the singing of the stars. My cat jumps up on me and begins kneading. Silently , I slip out of bed and towards my altar- cup of coffee in hand. Kneeling to Kali ma, to Shiva, to Ganesh, to Pele, I invoke them all in silent prayer and love. The labrodorite necklace beside me, or on me. Settling down into my cushion, I meditate. An hour later, I rise, unrolling my yoga mat, setting feet into the next stage of joyousness....asana practice, the rise and fall of breath, the ecstatic dance of body in the early tropical air. Hours later, I sit with friends for a breakfast of grains..local fruit...nuts. We enjoy company for awhile, and then take off for awhile. I go to my work sanctuary- a seperate ohana off the main house, clean and bamboo and partially private- all sacred and holy- and see clients a good part of the day. From 9am to 3pm, there are only small breaks. Some come to heal, some come to simply learn asana, some come for both. I use whatever tools seem to fit....shamanic drumming with some, therapuetic artwork, reiki and yoga with others, talking with others still, communication with realms unseen. Usually, they leave feeling better....sometimes, in "healing crisis" or up against a boundary, they leave feeling worse. Looking into spirit I connect with each of them, love them all, on the level that transcends individual love and flows into universal love. They pay me for service - I am abundant. At around three pm I start to slow down...some days I go off to work on a painting or writing project, other days I prepare for upcoming trips to the mainland to teach yoga and sacred art, other days I head back into meditation or to the beach. Today, taking a walk on the beach, drawing supplies in hand, I trace my feet through the sand with huge breaths of gratitude for the life I lead. Sitting down on a big rock, I begin to create images flowing through me from a higher source, or those releasing the day I have had. Setting my supplies down, clothing off, I gleefully jump off my rock into the ocean and immerse myself in her healing energy....a dolphin swims by, and we briefly talk. Heading back up to my house, my beloved meets me for dinner for stories of his day. Over fresh island fish, greens and salad, we gently touch. Heading up the stairs, the cat rubs against our legs, meowing in greeting. We sit in silence, and then under the stars drift off into deep sleep. Jess

On to part two...way briefer than Part One, more of a general outline to get us to Part THREE (the crucial part.) Part two...Back in Boston. March-Nov 2006 Jake and I came back to Boston on March 10, 2006. (but who keeps track of dates???) I had *forgottten* that March is still winter in New England.....within a month or two I'd reuinited with my cat I'd left behind (with a friend!) -Boo Achoo. Slowly, I found work teaching, some amazing places, some not. Slowly, I rooted down oh so slightly, reestablishing old friendships. It felt dark. It felt cold. I felt scared and sad and fearful, developed trouble sleeping, and cried for the Hawaii I'd (partly by choice!) left behind. Winter became spring became summer. I landed a gig teaching daily private yoga to one man who wanted to open his own studio, and wanted to learn more first. It was ultimately that gig that would finance a big trip back to visit Maui... My stress escalated....although I was "peaceful and at ease" with the work I was doing. I was blissful teaching...and felt extremely agitated....as if I'd left a part of myself behind. I had...a performed a soul retrieval to bring myself "all" back to Boston. Summer became fall (2006) and Jake and I moved out of our cramped urban quarters into a more spacious suburban location. I breathed....and slowly settled down into calm...and sleep...and new friendships. November 2006-December 2006. ,,,I went back to visit Maui. Blissful and amazing, it was like sitting on the top wave of a continual orgasm...this one known as LIFE. Valerie and I continued our intense shamanic journeying together, bringing me more and more into a space of myself, healing for the planet. I went back to practice with Nancy, and started work on more of ashtanga. I left Hawaii flying myself home in knowing-ness of my ability to help, give, and serve. Jan 2007- August 2007 I came back, and instantly was hired at several places I'd been hoping to get into. Estatically, I embraced Jake, so grateful for our life together. I "sat" through winter, waiting for spring. My painting blossomed...piles of artwork grew in our once livingroom...and my yoga practice slowed way down...from fast ashtanga to slow, intense flow. ...moving deeper....Winter to spring to summer....began to feel seeds of questioning along a trajectory of amazing growth and healing, massage school and yoga trainings and "doing " and some silence. And the doing was important...and also an avoidance of BEING and truth. Aug 26-Sept 10 2007 A journey back to Maui. This time, far more magical than even the last....journeying so deeply into myself. Journeying right into the heart of the earth and god/dess (them)selves. stepping into a new role of myself...initation into full potential...into myself as teacher, healer, serve-er, seeker. Mother Maui and the goddess drawn down in through me, Valerie, every willing woman made sure of ALL that....tribal and ancient memory merge together into truth. The labradorite necklace (see part one under January) of magick, from the day I recieved Valerie's name: became essential in some of our ritual and ceremony in this trip, channelling energy that was to be essential. Knowing that part of my role is to sit silently, until I can share wisdom. Sept/Oct 2007 And I come back to Boston, and Jake. And it is wonderful to see Jake, but Boston is like a pair of shoes who feels like she no longer quite fits me, my primal and divine feminine energy, my role to serve and heal and share and DANCE....and it is time for a JOURNEY into the unknown. Onto Part Three...THE VISION

Part one of a three part blog. This part outlines the magickal journeys I had while living in Maui (Hawaii) , part two details my journey back to Boston, and part THREE details the vision I'd like to birth into the universe. All three parts weave into the vision I have of helping to give to the earth and her inhabitants. July/August/ Sept 2004 I stepped off the plane into the warmest, most dense air I'd ever felt. I'd never even visited Maui before, but here I was, moving here with Jake, courage, hope, and a shoestring budget. Jake and I stumbled, those first few months, from fear and the sheer new-ness, from bed and breakfast to work trade to shared attic bedroom to a decent bedroom . I found some sort of cobbled together employement within a month, his journey was longer, but we were held together by a shared desire to BE in maui, and by love. Every morning at 7:30, I'd venture to the House of Yoga and Zen, and experience pure magickal healing on my yoga mat, learning under the guidance of Nancy Gilgoff. Each breath was a prayer, a breath of gratitude for my newfound life by the ocean and under the stars, intimately making love with the earth each step. Already a yoga teacher, I was learning, learning, learning more about the potential combination of yoga+Maui+ community to silence the mind, open the heart, and heal. October/November/December 2004 The relationship between Jake and I was getting strained,...each of us going through our own process. This culmulated with Jake having a mini breakdown and winding up in the Molokini ward, and with me moving out of our shared quarters onto a semi -cooperative property- aka the HUI. I was working two jobs: part time with autistic children, part time selling shoes....blissful existence in Maui, challenges regarding paying the bills and the partial separation between Jake and myself. Slowly, I found big community in my new quarters, and settled into the rhythms of nature in my newer, more solo life. I continued to go to practice each day at 7:30 am, and explored deeper into all limbs of yoga. I was blessed to have two adorable small children living next door to me, and take me and Jake in as their friends...and to have 16 months to watch them grow! In December a wee black kitty found his way into our lives and our hearts: Jake dubbed him Jivanmukitty. (roughly, enlightened cat). January/February/March 2005 Jake and I reunited! Him, calmed down after his experiences, me, missing this man who I loved so much. I took on another job/struggle working in a group home for troubled adolescents....a decent job opportunity, as far as potential to help others, but definitely biting off more than I could chew, energetically speaking. Still the yoga, still the continual thread of breath. I cracked open my art supplies, silent and still in the malestroms of a "new life". Slowly, I began to paint....a lady in a gorgeous backbend....images of fruit and trees.....slowly, hindered only by my own battle with "shutting off" the artist, and the commitments of a 45 hour work week. I was going through my own struggles...doubting myself....on antidepressents...health issues...building/living in walls of fear/....continually reliving old traumas. One day, in Makawao, I spied a necklace with a huge labradorite set in silver...it called to me energetically and would later play a major role in transformation. That same HOUR....Jake steered me into an herb store in Makawao and told me to ask the man behind the counter for a practitioner who could help ME heal. I did, and recieved a slip of paper with the name Valerie and a phone number. April/May/June 2005 One day in April , I was sitting in my yoga teachers home and going through my drama queen/trauma spiel again. Her and Jake exchanged glances, and laid down the line "ENOUGH!" I called Valerie, from the piece of paper given months earlier. I showed up at her office days later, to be met by a woman with cascading silver hair, adorned in Tibetan robes. Immediately, I felt very young and very small. We talked about what brought me there (massive food allergies, healing from trauma, living in fear,....), and she brought out a drum and rocks. Placing the rocks on my belly, she started to beat on the drum and go into ritual. I felt waves of immense healing energy wash over me, and knew I had entered a completely different realm of possiblity. Her business card stated she was both an ND and shaman. I cleaned up my diet, per her suggestion, went on multiple supplements, and started to work with moving my issues out and through via more artwork, awareness, shifting my attitude. I quit my job working with the troubled teens, deciding I no could sit to work in a place where I was threatened by children and demeaned by other staff daily. And Valerie and I kept working, and working, and working. July /August/September 2005 One day in June, I decided it was time to break my 8 year dependence on SSRI antidepressents. Slowly, over a five month period, and with Valeries help, I weaned myself off them. I became tremendously physically ill along the way, developing a staph infection that took two months to clear out with extensive dietary restrictions, rest, and herbs. Seeking the ever-elusive-financial-stability of Maui, I took jobs at art galleries and jewelry stores on the tourist side of the island. Near work, I returned to yoga teaching, part time. Jake and I were still happily co habitating, each settling more into ourselves. Still the daily yoga practice with Nancy, still the breath. Slowly I advanced along the path of second series of ashtanga, then third series....healing via the islands, yoga, working with the shaman, and my own intentions. October/November/December 2005 For the first time since landing in Maui, I went back to the East coast to visit in Oct 2005. It was wonderful to visit my family, and I was surprised by the sheer energetic intensity of the east coast...the constant going and moving, the density of buildings, energy, and people. It felt like a relief into a deep meditation to come back to Maui. Meanwhile, Maui/fall and winter progressed. I kept loving my simple, quiet-er life, community on the Hui, being with Jake, and the immense healing I was undergoing from years of ....stuff. I weaned completely off all chemicals (minus coffee...). I began to really MISS the teaching yoga as a career, and being able to reach out and deeply HELP people find healing as my full time calling.. I began to question a move back to the east coast so I could go forth and serve on a deeper level. My teachers, namely both Valerie and Nancy, encouraged me, essentially stating that if I wanted to be a teacher in IN myself in that way, I would find it far easier, opportunity wise, on the Mainland. (side note; at that time most of the yoga jobs in Maui did not offer an adequate pay scale to live on.) A few days before Xmas, 2005, our wee black kitty, Jivanmukitty was hit by a car and promptly sent into his next incarnation. (or elsewhere...! If the name was true, no more incarnations...) I viewed this event as a closure, of sorts, a signal to prepare to move on. January/February/March 2006 The energy of Maui started to wind down for me. I was loving solace, peace, community, and yoga, and sorely felt I wanted to teach ./serve in a different, larger way. At some point, Jake and I both decided it was time to return to the Mainland. He was seeking grounding and missing his family, I missed my family (and had lost a grandparent while in Maui) and wanted bigger career options as a yoga teacher. Somewhere along this line, Jake landed a job with Zaadz. I landed what amounted to enough classes to support myself back onto the east coast.,...until simutaneously, a week before the move, most of them fell through. I was devasted...and Jake was set to go back, the car was dying, the cat HAD died, and our boxes were somewhere over the Pacific ocean. We were going back to Boston.... onto part two .... Jess

So this blog finds me in the Portland OR airport- where they so graciously provide free wireless access---something wonderful to be said about that! I'm returning back to the east coast after 15 days in Maui, followed by 3 days in Portland OR. As usual, Mother Maui played her magical games of lovin' and butt kicking. I embarked on this journey, hoping, on some level for rest and relaxation- a nap on the beach, perhaps? But as us Zaadzsters know, the name of the game usually winds up being change/transformation - and yet again, that's what mother maui and madames Pele and Kali had in store. I arrived in maui and had the awesome pleasure of staying at a friends place in Haiku...some of you may know, thats some bona fide tropical-almost-jungle turf, a bedroom with a treehouse vibe, a face licking dog, and three adoring kitties. I worked with a teacher of mine- shamanic teacher- and fell far more deeply into myself and truth than I'd ever known possible- and again, my Saturn return saw more fires of transformation and falling into new shoes. (hell, new FEET!) Muchos gracias, universe.. .One teaching that I'd like to share, spread and impart is "Life is bliss". Granted....that learning came by fire.....and even the fire of a thousand goddessess is bliss- the trick is to accept the flames as they arise. Whatever the story, the attachment, the suffering....the underlying message of the universe is bliss. I believe Buddhism states that life is suffering....and I'd say back....is there another layer under the suffering? that joy of being-ness? Like when you are a baby, and you wiggle your toes....and its the pure amazement of being alive. How much of our suffering is a layer over a "bliss sheath". (which...detour...reminds me that yoga speaks of five bodies...the deepest of being the "bliss sheath".) Life IS bliss. And I sense journeys ahead of all of us that will render us speechless with ....Beauty. Holding bliss, beauty and knowing ness like growing children in my heart- I put out gratitude to all those I've known and loved, and been loved by.