Spirited Woman Blogger Team

The Magic Of Mentors

When I look at my life, I am incredulous at the generosity of the mentors who have guided me. In most cases I did not actively seek them out. Instead the universe presented them to me or at least let me know that they existed. I suppose I need to take some responsibility for accepting their guidance, but what I received far outweighs what I gave.

We all have mentors. A mentor helps us move to the next level in whatever area of our life we are seeking to improve. Relationships, health, spirituality, raising our children, business. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to have a mentor who guides us in many areas. Life has a way of supporting us and providing mentors to emulate and help us grow into the fullness and wholeness of our unique life purpose.

My health and spiritual mentors, Walt and Magana Baptiste had a gigantic impact on my life in the areas of health, nutrition, fitness and spirituality. My spiritual memoir, The Tenth Door: An Adventure Through the Jungles of Enlightenment, recounts the story of my unique training with them. From nutrition to weight lifting to yoga/meditation to dance to spiritual psychology, their S.F. Holistic Health Center was a learning center for me and thousands of others. Magana, at the age of 90 still teaches two yoga classes a week and is a phone call away when I need her advice.

Bernard Jensen, D.C., one of the fathers of natural nutrition in the U.S., contributed to my nutritional education both through his books, seminars and personal counseling. Although no longer alive, he was still actively teaching the age of 94. He taught me to heal myself using natural foods and herbs.

Gay Luce, the creator of Nine Gates Mystery School, is a wise woman I hold in the highest esteem. She has been a role model for me in seeing her lack of ego despite the thousands of people she has guided on the path of transformation. She taught me to ground my energy and firmly plant myself on the earth.

Take a moment and think about the mentors who have inspired you. Make a list of at least three people who helped you lift yourself. What gift did they give you? How are you changed as a result of their presence in your life?

Now consider writing a letter of gratitude to each one. Letters of gratitude are infinitely meaningful to those that receive them. Let them know how they have touched your life. Not only will you be giving them thanks but you will be giving yourself the great blessing of being grateful. Gratitude always brings blessings into our lives.

- Michele Hébert, www.rajayogis.net
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Anniversary Waltz

Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends. -- Anonymous

How grand it would be to waltz through life with the one you love, in a gilded ballroom with magnificent chandeliers, a small orchestra playing love songs, dressed to the nines, without a care in the world.

So Ed and I are married for ten years tomorrow!  (See my blog post Clowning Around for more about our most unusual wedding...). We still believe "the best is yet to come" -- in the words of my favorite cartoon character, Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio.

I wish I could smooth out the rough patches and reassure us that eventually all will be well. For now, the way we can give each other proof positive that our marriage will endure is to remember what brought us together.

We knew right from the beginning that we were surely "two peas in a pod." We think alike, sometimes we say the same thing at the same time or burst into the same song together, we react the same way to people and events, we have the same sense of humor, we speak our own little language, we have our own little routines.

In other words, if there were ever two people who are meant to be together, it's the two of us, my darling Ed. Happy anniversary!

Here's Larry Parks playing Al Jolson, as Jolson sings The Anniversary Song:  http://youtu.be/3g-PZt43SuI.

You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear. -- Anonymous

Silent Retreats

My life has been busy lately. Like a lot of spirited women, I go in many different directions all at once. Nowadays I'm working on a new book, leading workshops, seeing my psychotherapy clients, keeping up on my blogs, and promoting all my projects constantly. All of this I do while maintaining a relationship and keeping up on all my household chores (Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm a runner?). Many women do all that I've listed and add children to the mix, too. It's a vibrant, exciting life. But it's tiring sometimes.

Just this last weekend, two of my colleagues and I put on a one-day retreat we called "Catching Your Second Wind." Women who had finally gotten their children started in school for the year showed up to remember how to take care of themselves. After the workshop, my co-presenters and I toasted one another, talked endlessly about how well the retreat went, and then went to our respective homes to collapse. Later, I got to thinking about how I could really use a few days without words. My whole life (happily) consists of writing, listening, and talking - all day, every day.

I started doing a little research on silent retreat centers. Wouldn't it be nice every year to take a few days off from words? For me it would. So here's what I found. Four places in particular called to me. I share them with you because sometimes the best kind of travel is when you go inside yourself and let your soul rest. If you've had a good experience at one of these or some other retreat center I haven't listed, please share!

Mid America Dharma is locacted in Kansas City, Missouri. Their specialty is teaching people how to practice insight-oriented meditation. They offer both residential and nonresidential retreats. Their website contains a wealth of resources for the beginning meditation practitioner. Even if all you need is a few hours to yourself, check them out for ideas and guidance.

Hazy Moon Zen Center in Los Angeles focuses on classical Zen mediation. Through teachings and community "sittings" they guide even beginners in the Zen way of contemplation. Hazy Moon boasts that they offer more retreat options than any other Zen center in America. Check out their retreat schedule to see if one is right for  you.

Cloud Mountain Retreat Center resides in the southwest corner of Washington State. This Buddhist retreat center provides for sitting AND walking mediations. On 15-acres of wooded land, one could experience a deep quiet that would renew the heart and soul.

Ignatius House is in Atlanta, Georgia, and it's a Catholic retreat center. All faiths are welcome, of course. And this retreat center has the most flexibility of the ones I've listed here. You can go for an individual retreat or a group retreat. The offer spiritual direction or they'll leave you alone if you prefer. The grounds look beautiful, too.

Happy silence!

Cami Ostman, www.7marathons7continents.com, www.camiostman.net
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My Three Day Little Brother

I have always envied my friends who have a little brother. For I would have one -- had he survived.

When I was five or six-years-old, my father took me to visit my mother in the hospital where she was to give birth to my little brother. However, when she finally came home, there was no little brother for me to play with or indulge. Mother said that though little brother was only the size of a thermos and had lived but three days in this world, he looked perfectly healthy with bright eyes, a full head of hair, and reddish cheeks. I always think of him as Little Brother because if my mother had given him a name, she never told me what it was.

Years later even after Mother went to join her young son, I still wonder, why had heaven planted such a beautiful seed on earth, then forbade it to grow, blossom, and bear fruit? I sometimes imagine what, had my little brother lived, would he have become. If he was a scientist, I would have liked him to be an astronomer, so he wouldn’t have to deal with the tribulations of this world, only the beauty of the expansive universe. And if he’d been drawn to the arts, I wished he’d become a violinist so he could, like Paganini, charm with his talent and conquer with his good looks. Or that he’d compose like Mozart, whose music expresses only joy and transcendence, but without the great Austrian’s tragic life.

Sometimes when I think of Little Brother, William Wordsworth’s We are Seven -- about a village maid who insisted she had seven siblings although two were already gone -- emerges in my mind: 

How many are you then," said I,
"If they two are in Heaven?"
The little Maiden did reply,
"O Master! we are seven."
"But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!"
'Twas throwing words away; for still
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, "Nay, we are seven!"

Had my little brother lived, I hope I would be the best and most loving big sister in the world….
But Little Brother, under heaven and above earth, where are you hiding?

Mingmei Yip, http://www.mingmeiyip.com
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Like a Diamond in the Sky

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. -- Lyrics to lullaby, written in 1806 by English poet Jane Taylor (1783-1824)

For some reason today, the nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star kept running through my mind.

So I decided to do a bit of research on Google about the song's lyrics. I discovered that, although the lyrics are usually uncredited because people think the song is folklore, they were actually written in 1806 by an English poet, Jane Taylor, as part of her poem called The Star. The tune itself is a French lullaby.

Reading a bit more about Jane Taylor, I found out a couple of interesting facts.  She died young, at 40, from breast cancer, and supposedly said as she was dying that her "mind was still teeming with unfinished projects." Even then, nearly two hundred years ago, the disease of breast cancer was whisking talented women out of this world way too soon.

The second interesting fact was that Jane Taylor wrote the lyrics to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star when she and her family lived in the magnificent town of Lavenham in Suffolk, England.  Years ago, I visited that charming 15th-century town, with some of its sturdy half-timbered public buildings and homes still standing. I hope that my husband Ed and I will spend some time in Lavenham in the next few years -- it's unforgettable.

Isn't it interesting what you can discover by doing a bit of computer research about twinkling stars?

Here is a charming little video of the cartoon character Dora the Explorer singing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCFs-0B5X2E.

Linda Jay Geldens, www.LindaJayGeldens.com
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Mongolia - A New Travel Destination?

Did you know that Mongolia has one of the fastest growing economies in the world? Recently, huge stores of gold, coal and silver have been discovered and are being mined in this formerly communist, landlocked country. Developers are flooding in to make a killing by mining these natural resources, sadly risking the survival of one of the most extraordinary cultures in the world. Mongolians are largely nomadic, still following their herds to wherever food can be found.

Now is a good time to travel to Mongolia---before the culture is completely transformed by economic development.

I'm lucky because I have a dear friend who is not only Mongolian but an avid activist on behalf of her country of origin. Recently my pal, Bolor, made a trip to Mongolia with a group of travelers from my town. I wasn't privileged to be a member of the team, but I've been a good listener to the travel reports of those who recently returned. And I must say that Mongolia is high on my list for international travel.

Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world: 603,909 square miles and only 2.75 million people. So what does one do when traveling to Mongolia? Here are a few things on my list:
- Attend the Naadam Festival in the city of Ulaan Baatar (Boojum Expeditions has tours. The Naadam Festival is a week-long sporting event in July featuring horse racing and wrestling. Full of colorful outfits and national camaraderie, the Naadam Festival is something not to be missed if you visit the land of Genghis Kahn.
- Participate in the Sunrise to Sunset Ultrarun in early August. Now I'll grant you that running an ultra marathon is not everyone's cup of tea, but for those of us who like to see the world on foot, the Sunrise to Sunset touts itself as the most beautiful 100 kilometer run (about 62 miles) on earth. Participants trek beside the Hovsgol Lake, taking part in eco tourism as they race.
- Stay in a traditional Mongolian Ger (we call them yurts). When I finally get to Mongolia, I plan to stay with Mongolian nationals, but for those who may not have such connections, staying in the traditional round housing near the Kerlen River with the option of going horseback riding and fishing during the day is a great option.

I'm deeply in love with traveling in a manner I call "low to the ground." I try to participate in a culture as much as I can when I travel abroad. I look forward to doing so in Mongolia just as soon as I can.

Cami Ostman, www.7marathons7continents.com, www.camiostman.net
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Happy Camper

So there I was yesterday, starting to plow through one of the many boxes around here that contain Mystery Papers -- by which I mean, it's a Mystery to me what on earth the Papers in that box are.

Lo and behold, one of the treasures I unearthed was a badge of honor that I hadn't seen for decades!

You see, when I was in the 8th grade, my parents sent me to summer camp. I went to the YWCA's Camp Lenmary in New Trenton, Indiana, about 30 miles from my home in Cincinnati, for two weeks.

Well, when I first arrived there, I was one homesick kid, even though I knew a couple of my fellow campers from West High, my school. I remember that I cried quite a bit at night, and wrote copious letters, in addition to postcards, to my parents during our one-hour "quiet time," on our cabin bunks after lunch.

Evidently my demeanor changed significantly during the two-week whirlwind Camp Lenmary experience of making beaded lanyards, swimming in the pool, eating s'mores and hot dogs around a campfire at night while we sang songs and a camp counselor told scary ghost stories. Because...

One night there was a Camp Talent Revue on the stage in the biggest building on the grounds. I was part of the Talent, and sang a song. Later in the evening, awards were handed out. To my surprise, I won a badge that proclaimed that I was "Most Improved Camper"!  (Of course, decades later, I'm not sure if this was actually a compliment, because I don't know what condition I was Most Improved from...!)  Anyway, I wore the badge on my T-shirt all evening and accepted the congratulations of my fellow cabin-mates.

Moral of story: Sometimes unexpectedly finding a "Most Improved Camper" badge makes one a Happy Camper!

Linda Jay Geldens, www.LindaJayGeldens.com
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Joining Clubs

Now that I am Freshmen in high school, I can join school clubs. A few weeks ago we had a club sign-up day and everyone was really excited. I was too because clubs are both a great way to meet new people and to expand your interests and activities.

A large part of my school is completing service hours, so being in a service club was first on my list. My friend and I both joined the same service club by accident, and we are both really looking forward to doing the service activities.

The hard part about joining clubs was choosing which clubs to join. Between sports and school work I hardly have enough time to pack my lunch before going to bed. In the end, I decided to join only a few clubs so that I could be an active, responsible member in all of them.

Part of being a Spirited Woman is trying new things. This year I got the opportunity to try out things I was interested in that I had never done before. For example, in one club we are going to dress up as our favorite book characters and read to younger children.

Whether it is joining clubs, starting a new exercise, or even just making your dinner a new way, trying something new is both rewarding and fun!

Alice, The Spirited Kid
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Nature & Technology Blend Together in Singapore

It's just amazing, how many ideas and inspirations people create today for going green - exploring new design spaces which combine enjoyment, education in a sustainable man-made environment.

In Singapore at Gardens by The Bay, Project Directory Dr. Kiat Tan is on the leading edge of inspiration and science fiction where his gardens and technology are blending together to take going green to new heights. His creation, termed "Super Trees," are beautiful steel trees 40 meters tall - home to thousands of plants creating a living architectural marvel.

Dr. Tan, refers to them as the "hook" that will draw people in, people who never look at gardens will come and enjoy this space and connect with nature through the work of a group of dedicated engineers, horticulturists, architects, and landscape designers, who have turned their inspired vision into reality right in the heart of Singapore. Enjoy this marvel on video!

Bicycle Accident Provides New Perspective

This is the first post in Vicky's three-part series on her childhood lessons.

Just like any other girl my age, I was absolutely thrilled when my parents wheeled a sparkling new ten-speed bicycle out in front of me on Christmas morning. Just a few weeks earlier, I had happily cast my training wheels aside with the help of my older sister who taught me the proper way to deal with the insecurities that accompanied moving from four wheels to two—to firmly grip the bicycle handlebars and pray.

A few months later after the snow and ice had melted off the driveway, my father met me in the garage. My new bicycle was propped against the wall next to him. As he tightly held the handlebars, I hoisted my leg over the seat. With my feet firmly on the pedals, my father pushed me out of the garage and onto the driveway. Unfortunately, neither of us had thought to check first to see if my feet could reach the pavement.

As he held the seat and ran behind me, I pedaled furiously as we circled the driveway. The bike wobbled back and forth. Sweat ran into my eyes as my father yelled from behind me, “I’m going to let go now!”

What? He had to be kidding. I was completely inexperienced. I didn’t have a learner’s permit, insurance, or license plates. I had no idea how to change a flat tire, grease the chain, or tighten the brakes. Wait a minute. No one told me about the brakes. Where were the brakes? I pedaled backward. Nothing but air. I pedaled forward. Nothing. I stared at the handlebars. What were those silver things?

But there was no time for contemplation. It was like I was behind the wheel of a runaway semi-truck on a steep mountain road. I completely lost control of the bicycle as I zigzagged down the sidewalk. Neighborhood children flung their tiny bodies out of the way as I picked up speed. Suddenly, I noticed my best friend and her cousin standing in the middle of the sidewalk, just ahead of me—frozen with fear.

The seat was too high, my legs too short, and luck was apparently on someone else’s side that day. My best friend leapt out of the way just in time, but her cousin stood there—her feet firmly planted on the ground. She wasn’t going anywhere. Her mouth opened as she attempted to scream, but she didn’t need to worry—I screamed enough for both of us.