Weekly Words: "The Journey"

"Above the mountains
the geese turn into
the light again

Painting their
black silhouettes
on an open sky.

Sometimes everything
has to be
inscribed across
the heavens

so you can find
the one line
already written
inside you.

Sometimes it takes
a great sky
to find that

first, bright
and indescribable
wedge of freedom
in your own heart.

Sometimes with
the bones of the black
sticks left when the fire
has gone out

someone has written
something new
in the ashes of your life.

You are not leaving.
Even as the light fades quickly now,
you are arriving."

- David Whyte

Happy weekend...

Happy holiday weekend! It's a cozy gray morning, and we're on the train headed down the New England coast to Connecticut for a few days. I anticipate that there will be a lot of good eating and time well-spent with family on Easter. Before we head off, here are a few things that have moved me this week:

• Grabbing some new music inspiration from the always excellent playlists pulled together by Sarah Tolzmann of Note to Self. That March-April 15' playlist is really on point.
• Loving this essay on "The Potential in the Pregnant Pause" from On Being about how breaking free from habituation can open the door to transformation.
• Revisiting some classic thoughts on mindfulness from Jon Kabat-Zinn, and gearing up for a sitting at the Cambridge Zen Center later this spring.
• And finally, some words to close the week from Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh on how understanding ourselves better frees up our hearts to love others:

“ The essence of loving kindness is being able to offer happiness. You can be the sunshine for another person. You can’t offer happiness until you have it for yourself. So build a home inside by accepting yourself and learning to love and heal yourself. Learn how to practice mindfulness in such a way that you can create moments of happiness and joy for your own nourishment. Then you have something to offer the other person...

...If you have enough understanding and love, then every moment — whether it’s spent making breakfast, driving the car, watering the garden, or doing anything else in your day — can be a moment of joy.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Maintaining Balance on the Road

I'm a woman of ritual. Whether it's my morning or evening meditation, a daily smoothie, or a luxurious self-massage using healing oils, these acts of self-care help encourage a personal homeostasis and an overall sense of wellness.

However, I tend to travel a lot - for fun, work, and family visits. While many trips are great times to escape your daily space and mindset, there's also something to be said about coming home feeling like you need another vacation to recuperate. With a large percentage of my time spent living out of a suitcase for work, I've worked hard to maintain a general sense of my home balance while on the road.

After returning from her own recent trip out west, my sister-in-law requested that I share some of my tips for traveling well. Below you'll find some thoughts on how I prepare for weekly trips and manage life as a road warrior. While some ideas may seem a bit obvious, by creating these types of simple parameters for yourself, you can break down packing to a science and ensure that you return home feeling just as good as when you left.

Nourishment

Travel is a great time to explore food options in a new place. But, I find that there's also nothing worse than finding yourself hangry while stuck in traffic on a roadtrip, on the tarmac of a delayed flight, or in an office park full of less than desirable food options. There are three main  ways that I prepare for these types of challenges:

• Pack Like You're Going to Camp: As a kid, I remember making a big bowl of GORP ("good old raisins and peanuts") when preparing for a hike or an overnight camping trip. I find that nothing travels better than trail mix, and in a pinch nuts and dried fruit can pack a great punch. On the Sunday nights before I hit the road, I pull together a mix of nuts (almonds, cashews, and walnuts are favorites), dried fruit (like tart cherries, sultanas, or banana chips), seeds (pumpkin or sunflower) and a touch of sweetness (dark chocolate or carob chips). I store them in my favorite Produce Bags for easy access.
• Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Many people arrive at airports and toss their bottles - only to buy a few liters of water before they hit their gate. I always have my reusable water bottle on hand, and on most flights, have the flight attendant fill it up several times while en route. Bonus step: fill your bottle with slices of lemon, cucumber, and herbs ahead of time as well. Nothing helps hydrate like a little flavored water, and when you fly frequently, you need that agua more than you know. 
• Balance Meals Eaten Out with Stops at Local Markets: When in a new or unfamiliar place, particularly for work, eating every meal out can get tiresome (mostly if you're a home cook like me!). I like to balance the meals that I eat out with a stop at a Whole Foods or grocery store to pick up some easy fruits and vegetables that don't need to be refrigerated. I've traveled to some areas that were relative food deserts, and really appreciated stumbling upon a weekday farmer's market to stock up on some fruit. It's also a great way to hydrate after a long (and drying) flight.

Personal Care

I'm a firm believer that to some extent, when you look good, you feel good. If you are someone who spends money on products for your face, body, or hair, I strongly urge you to bring them along on your trip. You'd be surprised what you can fit in a quart-sized clear bag. Some general thoughts:

• I pack three-ounce bottles of my shampoo, conditioner, and several oils and sprays.
• I re-use old sanitized makeup jars and contact cases for packing pint-sized versions of my creams or concealers. I also have several travel-sized makeup items that never leave my suitcase.
• I also bring along my dry-brush, and a few pampering tools, such as a powder mask and scrub. If you've got a few evenings alone in a hotel, there's nothing lovelier than a glass of wine or some tea and a face mask to reap the benefits of time away.

Other Routines

And finally, I have a few miscellaneous thoughts on maintaining routine. While many of these apply mostly to those who travel for work, they can also help you find a balance when you're simply getting lost for fun:

• Determine Your Balance Range: At home, I exercise five to six times a week. When on the road, there are client or team dinners and occasional late work nights to consider. Figure out your general goal for maintaining things like exercise, or other daily practices, and identify your ideal maximums and minimums ahead of time. This will help you create an attainable range, and you'll be more likely to set aside a feasible amount of time to stick to your routines.
• Explore Options: While traveling for pleasure, I love to go in with a plan, and let life happen along the way. When traveling for work, my method is a bit similar, but I like to give myself options. If I can't exercise in the evening because of a dinner, perhaps I can find a local exercise class around the hotel or a local site to powerwalk to during lunch. Giving yourself options can better ensure that you maintain personal goals when in a new place.
• Be Flexible: Finally, give yourself a break. While I try to maintain routines, eat healthy, and care for myself the way I prefer, I'm quick to remember to be gentle on myself. Travel is a great way to enjoy a new place, get a little lost, and shake up your view. Don't forget to take advantage of that!

Roundup: Coming into bloom...

Even though we're dealing with some classic early spring weather in the Northeast, I'm pushing forward towards the May flowers ahead. I've got big dreams of seedlings pushing through the warming earth, fresh buds on trees, and the return of greenmarkets, sharing their early harvests around the city.  Here are a few things that I've got my eye on for an April in bloom.

Left to right, beginning in the top row:

A couple of Hudson Valley seed packs, for generating a little homegrown haven on my little city balcony.

An energizing flower remedy, to motivate and renew.

An herbal bath tea, for relaxing amidst the blooms.

A gorgeous new fragrance oil, for dabbing sexy jasmine and rose scents on the key pressure points.

A new diffuser, so that every room can smell just as delicious as outside, thanks to floral essential oils.

A nourishing rose petal hydrosol, for nurturing turn-of-the-season skin during those raw early spring days.

A fermentation crock, for pickling and curing 'krauts that honor our internal flora and fauna.

A bright nail polish, in "Pansy", for bringing the tips and toes to the flower party too.

A market basket, for toting home locally-grown blooms from our favorite farmer's market and shops.

Weekly Words: "A Living, Growing Criatura"

"Having a lover/friend who regards you as a living growing criatura, being, just as much as the tree from the ground, or a ficus in the house, or a rose garden out in the side yard... having a lover and friends who look at you as a true living breathing entity, one that is human but made of very fine and moist and magical things as well... a lover and friends who support the criatura in you... these are the people you are looking for.

They will be the friends of your soul for life. Mindful choosing of friends and lovers, not to mention teachers, is critical to remaining conscious, remaining intuitive, remaining in charge of the fiery light that sees and knows."

- Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Tapping into Magical Thinking

Yesterday, I found myself full of Sunday night nerves and the kind of feelings that can arise when you're preparing for a big week. I felt some self-doubt, and found myself focusing too hard on what I couldn't control. I struggled to find myself in the present and needed a reminder to stop and be here, right now.

And, as if on cue, there it was - a line from Rumi that found it's way to me, and resonated so deeply it was though the universe itself had spoken. It seemed a little bit magical that something had landed in my lap, just when I needed it most.

“Live life as though everything was rigged in your favor. ”

— Rumi

Many of us work hard to cope with life. We struggle with feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, or fear. We feel victimized by circumstance and, quite frequently, get too caught up in the reality of life. When this happens, we open up the floor for negative, catastrophic, and irrational thinking, and get stuck in the stories we tell ourselves and the frameworks that we build to govern our lives. As a result, we forget about the simple fact that we are miraculous bundles of cells and energy - and we lose a little touch with the magic and mystery of life.

Carl Sagan famously said that "we are made of star stuff." Oliver Sacks poignantly shared that the thrill of humanity is in being "a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet." And, as Mary Oliver noted, "truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood." Within all of these words lies the reminder that in this vast and amazing world, we are more full of possibility and answers than we think. We are free to create our own realities - and a change of perspective is all that we need to re-frame our challenges into opportunities.

“Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say
”Look!” and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.”

— Mary Oliver

So what if we could shift our negative thinking to something more magical? What if, instead of asking ourselves "how could that work?" we inquire "what if that worked?" or "if time and money were no issue, what would this look like for me?" Harvard psychology professor Daniel M. Wegner suggests that "for people who are generally uncertain of their own abilities, or slow to act because of feelings of inadequacy, this kind of thinking can be an antidote, a needed activator." He notes that "this feeling that your thoughts can somehow control things can be a needed feeling." 

After reading Rumi's words, I took a step back, and almost instantaneously felt a shift in my consciousness. I had spent the morning lazing in bed for a few extra hours. I had experienced an empowering workout that reminded me how capable the human body is. I had enjoyed a beautiful afternoon filled with sunshine. The world wasn't conspiring against me; It was supporting me in invisible and mysterious ways. Instead of feeling fear of consequence, I felt peace.  And suddenly, I was back in the present.

You see, the thing about believing in magic is that it opens up the doors for possibility. And when you are aware of possibilities, you generate the positive energy needed to move forward, past any of the roadblocks you face. Now tell me, what's more empowering than that?

Happy weekend...

Happy Friday! It's been a long first week of spring, and I'm looking forward to enjoying some time at home before hitting the road again on Monday morning. I hope you have a restful and fun weekend as well! Here are some things I've been fancying for the past few days:

• Revisiting Joni Mitchell's "Ladies of the Canyon" and getting overly excited about spending a July weekend up in Woodstock, NY with my own ladies in a gorgeous modern barn.
• Thanking my lucky stars, and this Black Elderberry Syrup, for keeping me healthy this past week after the flu hit our house and I spent a few hours on a plane.
• Slowly increasing my daily meditation to 10-15 minutes, twice a day, thanks to apps like "OMG. I Can Meditate!" and "Simply Being." It really does help induce restful sleep and peaceful living.
• And finally, a gorgeous quote on sowing positivity and growth to take you into the weekend:

“When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You’re able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.”

— Pema Chödrön

Favorite World Music Flicks

For the next few weeks, I'll be spending a bit of time on the road for work, which translates to evenings in hotel rooms and more than enough hours to re-watch some favorite flicks. I'll preface this by saying that I'm a terrible television watcher - always have been, and probably always will be. But if there are two things that can hold my attention on a screen, it's music and food.

Music is a very important thing to me. It has the power to elevate vibrations, move us through moments, and inspire all at once. A penchant for world music grew throughout my childhood, from listening to a variety of global-influenced radio stations and developing an obsession with renting foreign films from the public library in my hometown.

I began studying Anthropology as a freshman in college, and one of my most beloved courses was in Ethnomusicology, where we dug deep into the intersection of cultural tradition and musical expression, discussing the globalization of Pygmy lullabies and learning to Gumboot dance. Eventually, I hosted a world music radio show, and from there, the love affair has continued to evolve.

In celebration of world music, this week, I'm sharing some of my longtime favorite music films. Also, if you have a favorite music film, I'd love to hear about it. Share it in the comments below!

• "A Visit to Ali Farka Touré": At eighteen, I became transfixed by Ali Farka Touré; a spark for Malian music that bloomed into a wildfire during college. While most known for his collaboration with Ry Cooder in the Grammy-winning "Talking Timbuktu," this film follows the guitarist to his homeland, where he dedicates himself to improving living conditions, and continues to evolve his music.
• "Throw Down Your Heart": In high school, I listened to a lot of Béla Fleck - his instrumental banjo jams blaring from the speakers of my little Jeep Wrangler as I roamed around the Connecticut countryside. In this documentary, Fleck heads to Africa to understand the origins of the banjo. Most notable is the joyful song played by a female thumb pianist.
• "Bamako is a Miracle": Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of kora players, and collaborated with Ali Farka Touré on several albums, including the gorgeous "Ali & Toumani," released in 2010 after Touré's death. This film focuses on the creation of an album between Diabaté and a famous jazz trombonist in the capital of Bamako, and highlights the magical convergence of cultures.
• "Under African Skies": While the obvious primer for this film is "Graceland: The African Concert," this documentary is an interesting and different look at the making of Paul Simon's "Graceland," the controversial and groundbreaking 1986 album.
• "Buena Vista Social Club": A classic must-see for any world music fan, this film is about Ry Cooder's journey to bring together the remarkable sounds of Cuban musicians, showcase their culture, and share their life stories.

And a bonus non-world music film that I recently revisited:

• "Nina Simone - Live at Montreux 1976": Nina Simone - diva, love sorceress, and high priestess of soul - is stunning in this emotional performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. A must see if you're looking to have your mood moved, see a musician bear her soul, and follow it up with a few performances from later in her career.