Inspired Space

Hello People! My name is Fernanda. You may have seen me around town or read my story in a previous issue of The Lakewood Observer. In that story, I arrived in Mozambique, Africa, to start a wonderful experience that for sure made me appreciate and see the world from a better perspective learned from amazing and strong people. 

After spending a few days in Maputo, I embarked on a journey in normal time, I mean, roads in good condition etc. It would last approximately 5-6 hours, it took us 18 hours, no kidding hahaha!... to Chimoio, the place I would live for 6 months working with the communities.

The trip was very happy and new but very uncomfortable. We stopped in uninhabited places, like where there was nothing at all, to go to the bathroom where there was no bathroom. Women have no problem with that because they use capulanas, whichis a large fabric that they tie to their body as a skirt, the capulana has a thousand uses, carry babies, cover the hair, carry things either fruit or bread, load support on the head, etc.

I, who had no experience and no capulana, had to wait until I saw a place with a bathroom, which was about 5 hours later.

In some places of the trip there were small vending stands of fruits, bread, boiled eggs, soft drinks, and well water in recycled bottles.

 

Did you make a New Year's resolution for 2010? How’s that going for you? Feeling motivated, or have you fallen off the resolution wagon? According to Dorothy.com, each year about 1 in 4 adults make New Year's resolutions and out of those only about 6% keep them. It really isn’t too surprising, since so many who resolve to make a change (whether to quit smoking, lose weight, work out more, or be happier) haven’t prepared themselves to break their deeply instilled habits. Going cold turkey rarely, if ever, works.

It is just about this time of year when so many of us really start getting tired of the snow and cold.  For some it seems like winter will never end, and for others, it can be a real struggle to fight against winter blues or even severe depression.  It can also be a tough time to be in your house, especially if you are experiencing cabin fever, or at home due to a job loss. But, winter can be a very positive and powerful time in our lives, and for the time we spend in our homes. In Feng Shui, the winter energy is like no other time in the year.  This energy always seem so crisp and clear, like a veil has been lifted, revealing that within ourselves we hold all of the answers to our questions, or solutions to our problems.  The winter energy forces us to slow down with the promise that we will be given opportunities to savor living life in the moment. There is nothing quite like an early morning walk in the winter.  The snow crunching under your boots is the only sound you hear until you stop.  Then, around you only silence, and in that silence the knowing and clarity comes.  You are in the moment. 

It is so easy to “fight” against winter.  It is acceptable for people to start conversations with their winter complaints.  And even if we don’t particularly agree that that the weather is bad, we will give a nod or a quick, “yeah, I know,” because we can relate to the person suffering. Yet, we have a choice. We can choose to recognize that for now, in this moment, that it is winter and there is nothing we can do about it. We can make the choice to accept and embrace winter as a season as relevant, necessary, and joyful as any of the others.  Winter is truly a gift that gives us a chance to hibernate, not in a way that separates us from the outside world, but a chance for us to connect with ourselves and who we are. These months given for our hibernation allows us the time we need for reflection; to be still, to silent ourselves so that we can hear and relish in our thoughts.  As we rest, we prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the spring that waits—the season when our thoughts, created in the still of winter, are brought forth and put into action.  To be sure, the days will get longer, the ice and snow will melt, and the green grass will come back. But for now, with little precious time of the winter remaining, surrender to the moment and enjoy the magic of the winter energy. 

Westside Yoga Studio presents a series of talks and meditation practices introducing the principles and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. This is a progressive training program that will build each week from the previous week. Evin Bodell has been a practicing student for 12 years, studying the teachings of the well know Tibetan Master Chogyam Trumpha Rimpoche. Teachings are based on books, discussions, meditation practices & the life experiences of Trumpha Rimpoche, Pema Chodron and other teachers of this profound tradition. This program serves as a foundation for a series of monthly talks & teachings in meditation practices and principles from Mahayana Buddhism. "Metta"The path of Loving-Kindness and compassion for all beings. Students will be introduced to concepts and the practice of mindfullness awareness meditation called Shamatha -Vipashyana. We will practice both sitting and walking meditation as well as more conceptual techniques for developing loving-kindness, as well as the practice of working with and taming strong emotions.  

With all the bad news about the economy, now can be the right time to tackle those de-cluttering projects that have been on your mind. That old clutter could be money in your pocket! Extra cash from your unwanted stuff can help make ends meet or pay for a well-deserved night our after all of your efforts to cut-back, and after-all, Christmas shopping time is just around the corner...

Q: I want to use the Feng Shui map to determine the different areas in my apartment, but I live in a double. Which door do I use as my entrance, the one I use to enter the house or the one that opens into my apartment? I live upstairs. -S.B., Lakewood...

Stephanie McWilliams, host of HGTV’s Fun Shui, has a saying, “Change your space-change your life”. Each episode consists of Stephanie analyzing one part of the featured home and making it beautiful through applying Feng Shui principles. She talks with the home owners first to find out what aspect of their lives they would like to improve, and then works her magic. Well, not magic. Feng Shui isn’t a superstition, nor is it a religion or philosophy, and although Stephanie McWilliams is a talented interior designer, Feng Shui is not just about how a space is decorated...

Everyday we are bombarded with messages about the state of our economy: rising food costs, record high prices at the gas pump, families losing their homes, and mass lay-offs. We all know it is next to impossible to sell a house in this market, right? Not so! Selling a home is a state of mind to be sure, but the chance of success could be the state of your home. I am talking about clutter...