vision
i’m not sure how today is day 7 already. what i do know is that i am really beginning to look forward to my daily practice. i am thinking ahead about how i can include my meditation in the day and attempting to thwart any obstacles that may impede on my practice. aside from this rudamentary planning i am really approaching this in a “one-day-at-a-time” kind of way. not worrying about the total number of days. today at one point i was finding myself critiquing or judging one of my practices. i caught myself quickly and remembered that i didn’t need to judge myself. i felt content in my act of doing the practice. he are my mini paintings from today.
also, i pulled angel cards before my meditation and they didn’t really resonate with me. since i didn’t connect with the cards i pulled i didn’t think about them during my practice. oddly (or not so much), after my meditation i felt more clear on why i pulled them….
journey
this says it all.
here is my post to cover my experiences day 3, 4, & 5
it’s hard for me to know how much to share with you readers. i normally use this blog for what i consider “professional” reasons. but this series of posts about my meditation practices are decidedly personal. each meditation practice has been done in relative silence. no prompts leading me into the meditation. and i think it is helpful to have some guidance to a meditation practice especially in the beginning.
i have also been thinking more about why meditation is often called a “practice”. each sitting is truly a practice in and of itself… for meditation, for life, for learning and many other things i have yet to discover.
Saturday was a fast day for me and i spent a portion of the day in services. while in synagogue i used many of the techniques in my seated quite meditation practices. like focusing on breath, noticing other thoughts and letting them go and being present just to name a few. while in sitting in services i was able to have some of the same experiences i have while meditating.
during the last hour or so of daylight on Saturday i spent time meditating on the beach, drawing meaningful words in the sand and just feeling the world around me. i reflected on my past year, the things i am proud of, the things i can improve on and my hopes for the new year. as the sun went down on the last day of the days of awe i sat reflecting. not thinking about my grumbly belly or anything else but the gift of life. here is a sketch that i made after my Saturday beach meditation. i am planning on this being a sketch for a more detailed piece.
day 4 was a break in the practice. not intentional. but an early morning, combined with being away, having a lot to do and a day ending with a house guest i wasn’t able to make it happen. i woke up on day 5 feeling ok about skipping day 4 knowing i did my best and also unsure if i should be harder on myself.
checking in with Emily she reminded me that compassion is key and suggested that i add an additional practice. with my multiple meditative practices on Saturday i felt ok. Especially since day 5 i not only meditated but practiced some of my meditative techniques in the dentist chair today. perhaps that doesn’t count when under slight sedation… but if you knew my anxiety about dental work perhaps you would agree?
a little doodle about today
second day of meditation! today was a busy, busy day with traveling out of town for Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the Jewish holiday of atonement where we ask forgiveness of other, ourselves and/or of the creator. it seems timely that i began this meditation practice as this time of year, focusing on introspection as we head into the fall harvest and winter.
today’s sitting was slightly easier and i feel proud that i was able to follow through with an early morning practice before the day began. the first twelve minutes of my practice was easier than the next 5 minutes. and the last few minutes of sitting were the easiest as i sat there reveling in the silent spaciousness. enjoying the time.
i won’t be posting tomorrow since it is a holiday, one of the most holy days of the year in Jewish tradition. but i will be posting for both day 3 and 4 on Sunday!
my consistency in writing here has been poor as of late… i am recommitting to my weekly blog posts! part of getting into the practice of writing again i will be posting daily.
how many of you followed the rom-com-esque blog 40 days of dating? they propose that it takes 40 days to set a new habit. i have heard so many different experts espouse their own personal theory (sometimes tested theory) on the number of days it takes to create a new habit. my general belief is that creating a habit is not determined by the number of days the action is done but rather in how meaningful and beneficial a habit is or can become. for me, as school ended i have been trying to spend LESS time in front of the computer. breaking my pattern of constantly being online has meant that i have become less involved with social media and blogging.
in order to get back into the practice of blogging i will be posting about my daily meditation and include a small water color drawing or painting with each post. my friend emily also made this daily commitment with me. here is her blog.
day 1
Thursday was my first day of meditating. it was HARD to do a quiet seated meditation for 20 minutes since i haven’t been meditating with consistency. over the next 40 days i hope to develop a vocalization component to my mediation practice. i have found that creating a ritual around the practice is extremely helpful in preparing for meditation, especially when beginning a meditation practice. whether it’s lighting a candle, putting on quiet music, sitting a specific place in your home or having a special blanket you wrap around yourself little actions help signal the start of something different and special. this helps serve as a reminder to settle your mind and your body.
today there were no great revelations or thoughts. today was just challenging. when i am starting my practice i notice how my mind resists being still and focuses on different sensations around my body. my face itches, my leg twitches, another body part cries out to be touched. sitting in my seated position my eyes narrow, barely focused on the flickering flame, breathing steadily in and out, holding on the inhale and the exhale. i recognize these sensations as my mind looking for something to grasp to. when your mind is unaccustomed to finding stillness it is always finding something to try do or think about! it is in these moments that i can really recognize how much i need to slow down and find time to recuperate my mind. to teach my mind to just be.
paintings and a baby scoop of peach sorbet
happy happy friday dear followers and friends!
i am in the process of updating my facebook page, my pintrest and this blog to be more reflective of the holistic wellness coaching work i am doing in conjunction with the arts teaching and making i am doing.
as i embark on path of beginning to call in clients, friends, art folk and seekers of whole person happiness i am noticing that i need to start actually TELLING people what i am doing! this week had many exciting developments. i have been working with a friend in the wellness field on the beginnings of business brainstorm and planning . almost even more exciting is that i will be showing my work in october at Tara’s Organic Ice Cream Telegraph location in the Temescal location of Oakland. and possibly in Reno, NV in September.
i also noticed as i wrote last week’s blog post that i was using capital letters and a more formal writing style naturally. perhaps that is where this blog is going as i focus more on the professional aspects of this blog. thanks everyone for reading and i look forward to sharing more updates with you.
for this week’s inspiration eye candy
fabric patterns <3
Chia seed pudding has become a summer favorite in my house these days!
For many people with food allergies or dietary restrictions summer fun events can feel limiting or isolating. Or, sometimes you just want to have a summer alternative to eating ice cream… This dessert is great to share with everyone with and without dietary restrictions. There seem to be plenty of recipes out there for this but I wanted to create a recipe that is easy and simple to make with basic ingredients you most likely have lying around the house…. except for maybe chia seeds. I also created this recipe to compliment all of the delicious seasonal fruit around us. This pudding can be sweetened to taste but I recommend not making it too sweet so you can really taste the summer fruit you pair it with.
First let me tell you a bit about chia seeds
They are an ancient seed indigenous to Mexico and are said to be a staple of the Mayan and Aztec diet. They are extremely high in readily digestible fiber and have a really nice flavor. On top of all of that, they are high in Omega-3s, which is one of the most essential fats we need and usually don’t get enough of. Sooooo not only is this dessert delicious it has nutritional value as well. Chia seeds are roughly $10.00 for a 12 oz. bag. This bag will go a long way! You can add chia seeds to almost any dish for a great crunch, to act as a thickener of sorts for baking or for a beverage. My point is, if you are buying a bag for the first time it will last you a long time even though you will be finding uses for them in many dishes. I have also seen then available in bulk bins at local health food stores. Feel free to ask any more questions about where to order, brand etc… in the comments section.
And NOW! The recipe!
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (Serves 6)
1.5-2* cups Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any other milk you like. I always prefer unsweetened to control the amount of sugar I am
consuming as well as to avoid refined sugars) I wish I had home made almond milk on hand at the time…..
almond milk
1 cup canned coconut milk
coconut milk
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 1/2 cup unsweetened coco powder
4-5 tablespoons Maple Syrup (grade B)
a pinch of sea salt
pinch of cinnamon (optional)
*important note! the amount of milk seems to vary a bit and depends on how much the chia seeds soak up. Start with a 1.5 cups of the almond milk and you can add more if needed to get the pudding consistency you want. Also, the more coconut milk you use the thicker the pudding gets.
For this post I made this recipe using the super, duper fast way by starting the chia seeds soaking before making the flavor slurry that makes this so delish. This way if you don’t have time to make it ahead of time you can make it in a pinch and will be ready to eat for dessert. In total the pudding should soak for at least 2 hours. The longer it sits though the better the flavors meld and the more puddingy the consistency becomes.
Step by Step:
Add 1/2 cup chia seeds to 3/4 of a cup almond milk and let sit for about 45 min in the refrigerator.
Put coco powder into a small bowl with high sides and add a small amount of the coconut milk. Mix together making a chocolatey paste with no lumps.
Add maple syrup, cinnamon and salt along with the rest of the liquid.
Slowly add the chocolate mixture into the pre-soaked chia seeds. Make sure to break up any existing chia seed clumps that may have developed. Mix with a big spoon or whisk to incorporate all ingredients, evening out the consistency. It should still be liquidly at this point but the chia seeds will still be sucking up moisture. Let the mixture sit for about half an hour longer in the fridge to let the chia seeds soak up more liquid. At this point if it seems to be more chunky than the smooth you can add more liquid. Let the pudding sit for another hour. If it still seems like it needs more liquid you can add more.
clumps of chia seeds in the pudding that need to be incorporated into the rest of the pudding
Serve with fresh fruit. Ta dah! Enjoy!
I hope to post a savory recipe soon! I don’t ever follow recipes so it’s a lot harder to make up savory foods recipe. I am looking forward to posting regularly again.
Thanks!
hello dear readers!
it’s been almost 2 months since i wrote a blog post and almost as long since i posted on the avenues of artistry facebook page. throughout this sweet hiatus i did not forget about avenues of artistry social media or internet presence. rather, i have been collecting photos to post here and articles to post on the facebook page.
i consciously chose to take a pronounced break during my thesis writing to focus on finishing my master’s degree in Integrative Health with a certificate in Wellness Coaching. april to may was a whirlwind of finishing my thesis and presenting my work to faculty and peers. the process of the thesis was perhaps one of the most stressful experiences of my life. once i completed the thesis process i was relieved but i could feel the stress and exhaustion that had built up in my body.
graduation at Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco
at the end of may i was lucky to be able to celebrate my graduation with my family and my birthday with friends, as well as have some delicious alone time. june has been about celebrating love with the marriage of good friends and spending time reconnecting with myself. finding balance as a way to prepare for diving into my career.
i want to share with you the website i made for my academic e-portfolio. please feel free to take a look at it and contact me with questions or feed back. unless you’re my mom….. this is a prototype for the next steps in my career and i look forward to continue sharing with you as things unfold! please remember the art images images are copyrighted and may not be used without my permission.
here are some of my favorite photos i’ve taken over the last few months to let you know what i have been up to. hope you enjoy them!
so glad to be back!
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- wild flower arrangements
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- a (kind of dark) image of the ketubah i made
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- spring bouquet
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- bloom
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- me getting my feet dirty on a gloomy memorial day
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- hanging art in a friends classroom, loved this!
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- wood mandala
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- a bunch of us ladies making a friends chuppah
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- student work from a friends classroom
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- bay bridge lights
2 posts in 24 hours, i must be procrastinating? nope! i just find inspiration when i am working really hard!
last night a poem. this morning music. these are fuel to my creative fire.
i just had to share this with you because of the uniqueness of the sound of this cover of a song that most of us know. this version blew my mind this morning. these two go together like peanut butter & jelly. the way their voices dance together is cosmic bliss. ENJOY!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWC7g89D8Jw&w=560&h=315]
back to typing away!
we are bound in our ancestral cellular make up
our histories written in our DNA
we exist within our nurture
but our nature is a story our bodies tell
and relive in their expansive beauty.
our bodies
exclaim ancient memories
that our minds alone can not hold.
within the tiniest microscopic versions of ourselves,
that are the building blocks our glorious being
remain lost tales, visions and experiences
of those that came before us
and birthed us into being
wrapped in their own lineal, primordial shroud.
there is a raw beauty in these embedded details of lives past and present
and if pain, loss and destruction exists in these pieces
we dive in and through those dark, damp, earthy places
to rise verdant and anew
manifested within those puzzled segments of those that came before