Women at Rest

A Sunday Night Dose of Warm Fuzzies

"Being miserable can be very dramatic, complicated and sophisticated. It can make you appear quite impressive to other people. Being happy, on the other hand, is an expression of simplicity and freedom and joy. Chances are, others could be suspicious or resentful."

~Ralph Marston

(Photo by tammyjq41.)

Can You Imagine?

Can you imagine?
For example, what the trees do
not only in lightening storms
or the watery dark of a summer's night
or under the white nets of winter
but now, and now, and now -- whenever
we're not looking.  Surely you can't imagine
they don't dance, from the root up, wishing
to travel a little, not cramped so much as wanting
a better view, or more sun, or just as avidly
more shade -- surely you can't imagine they just
stand there loving every
minute of it, the birds or the emptiness, the dark rings
of the years slowly and without a sound
thickening, and nothing different unless the wind,
and then only in its own mood, comes
to visit, surely you can't imagine
patience, and happiness, like that.

~Mary Oliver

To unwind with more poetry, visit Poetry Thursday and explore the Participants.

(Photo The Yew Tunnel by annicariad.)

Radio Interview With Carla

My recent radio interview with Jane Carroll is now available to listen to! It's a long interview at around 45 minutes, but you can pause and restart at any time. Some of the things I talk about include...

• Life before zena moon
• How I came to start zena moon
• The Oprah experience
• When I worked with U2
• Jane reveals one of my secrets (and shocks the pants off me!)
• Debunking the Oprah myth
• Balance and burnout
• Ruminations on living as a woman at rest
• The blessings and strength of asking for help
• Upcoming retreats
• And lots more I didn't remember talking about :)

Click here to listen to the interview (I come on about 5 minutes after the shows starts). Let me know what you think!

12 Ideas for Slow Down Week

In the spirit of slowness, today I found out this is International Slow Down Week (January 14-20, 2007), so I came up with some ways to help us slow down this week. How about giving one or two a try?

1. Do one thing at a time (no multitasking)

2. Take yourself and a book out to lunch (no fast food)

3. Write someone a letter by hand instead of sending email

4. Go to bed 30 minutes early and read poetry

5. Call in sick (even more believable if done 2 days in a row)

6. Go to a matinee (for best results combine with #2)

7. Turn off your cell except for a pre-determined window (max 2 hours on)

8. Rent a helper monkey (Elliott's suggestion :))

9. Take photos throughout your day

10. Say no to what needs to be said no to

11. Drive the speed limit

12. Eat all meals sitting at a table (bonus points if you light a candle)

Remember it's just through Saturday ... although of course we can prolong our slower ways as long as we choose. I plan on doing 2, 3, 4, 6, 10 and 11. I'd gladly turn off my cell too, but I rarely have it on. What are your ideas? I'd love to hear them!

(Photo Pebbles, originally uploaded by Zed Bee.)

Women at Rest & Play Retreat ~ April 15-18, 2007

Carla Blazek & Lisa Evans
invite you to...

Women at Rest & Play Retreat

April 15-18, 2007

Breitenbush Hot Springs
Detroit, OR

Give yourself permission to take a personal time out and learn the artful balance of resting and playing.

This women's retreat is for you if you want to reconnect with your relaxed and playful nature. Writing and wandering, coloring and collage, meditation and movement are a few of the creative endeavors you can participate in with like-spirited women.

Ample time will be given for both personal and group activities. In addition to our daily retreat offerings, Breitenbush is famous for its natural hot spring pools, tiled tubs and steam sauna, sumptuous organic vegetarian cuisine, labyrinth and ancient forest and river trails. You’ll leave Breitenbush feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to put into practice the ideas and insights you received during the retreat!

BEGINS: Sunday 4/15 at Dinner

ENDS: Wednesday 4/18 at Lunch

COST: $250 ($225 if registered by 3/1) plus the cost of lodging

For more information about the retreat, email Carla.
For lodging costs and more information about Breitenbush, click here.
Registrations are made through Breitenbush. To register, click here.

This promises to be a soothing, inspirational, joy-filled retreat at one of the most beautiful and sacred places in the Pacific Northwest. I hope you will join us!

Snapshot of a Quiet Evening

Watching a lovely little Canadian movie called Marion Bridge.

Hoping Bryon and Elliott make it home through tonight's snowfall safely and soon.

Guilting over not putting up the retreat info yet! Tomorrow!

Wishing Silas would lay his crazy self down and chew on a rawhide rather than flinging his toys around the living room. (I need safety goggles.)

Contemplating cataloging my books in LibraryThing, but waiting to see if I still think it's a good idea 3 months from now.

Wondering whether the snow means I should cancel tomorrow's plans in Seattle? Yes, I think so.

Grateful for...

• Netflix
• Good health
• Buttery toasted cheese sandwiches
• Discovering one of my blogs listed on someone's blogroll
• The sudden disappearance of my addiction to peanut M&Ms
• My readers, mentors and unmet kindred spirits
• My family, dogs and friends
• Fat dry snowflakes
• Laughter
• Love

Among the Trees

In the morning I am off to rendezvous with Lisa at a B&B somewhere near the coast to finish planning our Women at Rest & Play retreat happening in April 2007. I'll post an announcement with all the juicy details as soon as I return later this week, but in the meantime you can find more info here and registration is now open!

I am rekindling a love for poetry, and want to share with you this beauty I read tonight:

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness,
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

~Mary Oliver

(Photo An Army of None, originally uploaded by stublog.)

New Beginnings + 20 Truths

 

I had a quiet New Year's Eve, one of my nicest ever. Home, spaghetti dinner, reflection, a movie, Sonoma Peach Sparkling Juice, a little bedtime reading and asleep by 10:30 which is later than I usually last. :) Bryon woke me up at midnight with a kiss, I muttered "Happy New Year" and conked back out.

I'm superstitious how I spend two days of the year: January 1 and my birthday. Today especially I believe what I do sets the tone for the rest of the year, so I'm extra mindful and deliberate in my choices which in itself is a gift. Time slows down and it feels like I savor more. I like experiencing life this way!

I started my morning in my spiritual home, at an AA meeting. Afterwards 5 of us spontaneously enjoyed a girls-only breakfast at Louisa's. At 8 a.m. on New Year's morning we had the place to ourselves! Nothing in the world beats giving and receiving support, laughter, encouragement, compassion and attention.

The rest of the day I've connected with friends and family, relaxed, written and daydreamed. Beyond that I doubt too much more will be happening today. :)

Resolutions are a surefire way to set myself up for failure, but I do have one intention for 2007:

To be the woman God wants me to be.

I don't know exactly what this means, and I don't have to know. The God I'm discovering through my spiritual director is a kick-ass, loving, everpresent and infinitely gentle presence. I want to cultivate a relationship with Spirit like I would anyone else. Communicating (praying). Playing (feeding my passions). Hanging out (meditating). Showing up (helping others). Palling around (asking for guidance). Respecting (speaking my truth). Listening (paying attention). The quote by Dionysius that I use on zena moon's willingness candle captures it beautifully for me:

Look that nothing live in thy working mind
but a naked intent stretching into God.

Lately I wonder if listening to Spirit is the secret to being a woman at rest, because walking this path the past 14+ months has somewhat quieted the chattering demons inside my head that lie to me and fuel behaviors that lead to stress, burnout, worry, people-pleasing and overcommitting. The God of my understanding does not want me a stress monkey -- in fact, the paradox is I'm useless when I'm overworked! I've also learned it has zippo to do with perfection and everything to do with practice.

These 7 truths bring me the truest relief I know:

1. I am not in charge
2. I am loved as is
3. I matter
4. I am enough
5. I have enough
6. I do enough
7. This too shall pass

These 13 truths are the scariest things I can contemplate writing, and unwritten they're clogging me up, so here goes the flush:

1. I struggle how much of myself to share on this blog
2. I'm not a self-help guru or expert and have zero desire to be either
3. I'm neither Christian nor religious and have zero desire to be either
4. An active relationship with God is new for me (not for God)
5. I think God rocks!
6. I accept some folks are put off by God-talk, just as some folks are put off that I'm neither Christian nor religious ... that's cool ... my path is what it is and I can't keep my love for God in the closet anymore!
7. I usually refer to God as She
8. I'm too lazy to use names other than God, although I like the names Spirit and Holy Spirit too
9. I'm easily and constantly overwhelmed by the clutter, pressure and cacophony of modern life, and am trying to not only discover but to explore -- and listen to -- and marvel in -- and encourage -- and share with others -- the Still Small Voice within
10. I need a lot of time to rest, be quiet, daydream, create, dawdle, roam, retreat and be with other women who need the same
11. My soul purpose is supporting women to live restfully, mindfully and creatively
12. The best -- really the only -- thing I can offer is my truth, experience, strength and hope
13. I am willing to share my truth, experience, strength and hope -- no holds barred

Happy 2007, all you women at rest! I am grateful for you and send you peaceful blessings.

(Photo by Andy South Wales.)