Things that Help me breathe...

This week Kenneth had been extemely busy. I fear he may be busier that he can handle...which is saying a lot because he can handle A LOT! Busy translates to me having long hours at home by myself with the kids and no car. Kenneth has been working til 1 am most nights this week, and we all miss him! Thank good ness for the weekend coming up! But in the meantime I havebeen home with the kids, and on my own. Thank goodness though for sunny weather, phone calls, email and this site. I discovered this yesterday...and even though I really don't have a lot of time to be on the computer, it is very theraputic! Try it...you will feel like an artist, and you can just let loose!

Thank goodness also for Yoga. Megan and Robyn came over last night (kenneth's sisters) and we did 45 min of yoga. I have a CD by Shiva Rea and we just loved it! It is hopefully going to be an every thurs night thing. It is really great to do yoga with people you love and trust. yoga is such a personal thing, and involves trust and release...and when you can do that with people you love, it becomes a very bonding experience! I love you guys!

In these sometimes 17 hour days all by myself, I have found simplicity to be key. Just being and accepting and not wanting more than I have. I find that when stress comes, my mind wants to solve problems by thinking...if I had this, then Life would be easier. "if I had a car, I could get out more withthe kids, etc" But I read this great article in a back issue of "Yoga Journal" entitled "Less is more..make time for doing the things you love by simplifying your life" From the article:

"Most spiritual traditions encourage simple living, and yoga is no exception. ...One of the yamas is Aparigraha, often translated as "greedlessnes" But it means more than just taking only what you need, explains David Frawley...Aparigraha also means "not having a lot of unnecessary things around yourself, and not hankering after what other people have." In other words, Aparigraha also means keeping only what you need, and wanting only what you need"

Happiness can't be bought. There is a whole group out there that was started in San Fran last year, and they call themselves the "Compactors" I need to look them up and see more of what they are about. But they are a group of people that have vowed to not buy anything new for a year (with the exception of food, medicine, cleaning products, etc.) Think about that for a minute! What would that do for you to only buy used, make it yourself or go without? Somethings would take more work (shopping might take longer to find just the right thing) but in the end, what a sense of satisfaction that you weren't indulging into the easy trap of materialism. I don't buy lots of stuff, but the little I do buy, it is easy to want more than maybe I really need...especially after a particularly hard day. Anyways, I have been thinking a lot about simplicity and how it has helped me to breathe better on hard days. What would that be like to really live the mantra: "be happier with less"? Food for thought. Simplifying your surroundings, your mind, your home, your needs all bring such spiritual peace and for me, a sense of space where I can move more freely. I have a ways to go...this is something rather new for me, but so far it is really working.