on god.

you know, i'm not as religious as i thought i once would be. i realize, that's kind of a peculiar sentence, but it's the truth.

yoga has become my religion. and, it's not because i don't believe in god or catholicism {heck, i still have that catholic guilt!}, it's just that i found something that made me feel more connected to the divine... the higher power... god... the universe... {whichever term you prefer} than sitting in church on sunday mornings. and that's not to ever ever discount those who do. my grandmother is the best catholic i know. she taught me to count the beads on a rosary, whispering the our fathers and the hail mary's before bed, she never holds back a "jesus, mary and joseph" when things get tense, and she's worn st. christopher - the patron saint of travel - pinned to the inside of her shirt every single day since her first communion. and guys, she's eighty nine! now, that's true faith.

anyhow, i believe god wants us to pick the way to connect to the higher power in the way that is the best for us as individuals. so every time i get on my mat i dedicate every ounce of energy to someone who needs it most. i offer up all of the goodness i cultivate and say a prayer. it's what comes easiest to me. i receive my own benefits as well... keeping the revelations for myself and sharing them... well, right here.

yoga has taught me that i can take pieces from all religions - whether it be buddhism, hinduism, christianity - gathering ideas and stories from each to create my own positive belief system. i think we must choose wisely, seeking out that which resonates best, and in turn, allows us to be our most giving and moral selves.

something dawned on me the other day during a much anticipated, new yoga class. she said, we have the same suffering. we have the same happiness. we are all one. the good... the bad... it's all god. 

then i had this thought that maybe that's where the word god came from. good... bad... god. combine the two to get one. if you think about it, god accepts both good and bad. the universe is made up of both good and bad. and, that's what makes us all one universal whole.

...and with that, i leave with none other than a namaste. thank you for stopping in to read what it's all happening has become... my own little medley of religion.

*did you notice the hummingbird found here? prayer beads found here.

beaut.

meet my new friend, the newest addition to my haven.

isn't she the most amazing hand-crafted beaut you've ever seen?

i think so.

may this sweet hummingbird be a daily reminder to see the beauty in everything and bring out the best in myself and others. thank you, s. {s, as in sister}.

if you could see my heart.

new discovery! my favorite band has a song called hummingbird! 

hold out your hand
yours is the only one that i dare to land

the hummingbird.

a bird does not sing because it has the answers; it sings because it has a song. ~maya angelou

i've been dancing this week. like really going for it. have you? i think it's about time you did.

dancing is nature's best medicine. that's what i decided today.

i'm also obsessing over hummingbirds, which consequently happen to be my healing medicine and support at the moment.

i feel like sharing a few highlights, so bare with me, loves, because i don't want to forget this one for my own selfish sake.

the hummingbird sings a vibration of pure joy. it can fly in any direction or hover in one spot.

it conjures love as no other medicine does and its feathers open the heart chakra. without an open and loving heart, you can never taste the nectar and pure bliss of life.

if hummingbird is your personal medicine, you love life and its joys. your presence brings joy to others. you join people together in relationships which bring out the best in them. you know instinctively where beauty abides and, near or far, you journey to your ideal. you move comfortably within a beautiful environment and help others taste the succulent nectar of life.

if hummingbird has flown into your cards, get ready to laugh musically and enjoy creator's many gifts. drop your judgmental attitude and relax. hummingbird will give you a flash of the spirit, darting here, there, and everywhere. get ready for a strange new burst of energy which may send your senses reeling.

the hummingbird is associated with love and joy. its appearance as a power animal is indicative of the sheer delight of living, and of living the bliss of loving. it implies an ability to see beauty in everything and it is concerned with bringing out the best in people and the good in every situation.

  
dance in beauty. embrace what makes you happy. be joyful. count your blessings. open yourself to pleasure.

Source: Sams, Jamie and Carson, David. Medicine Cards (Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988).

{if that's not the point of this blog. i don't know what is.}

*birdies found here, here, and here. another tattoo idea in the works, yes?