Belly dance fitness =)

My belly dance work out for the day--It did work me! but it was fun...
~Im determined to hold up my legs by my abs before it's done (seen in Part 3 towards the end)
And remember to SMILE!

Do less...to do more.

A CRITICAL Reminder ladies--it could be life or death.

Sometimes you have to delegate. Sometimes you have to lock yourself in your office, your room, your space.

You ever heard of working smarter, not harder?

Honestly, who wants to be running in place?

Dont Underestimate the Power of Hair

OHHHH EMMM GEEEE!

So I've just discovered the sercret to unblocking the spiritual and mental clogs at the root of your creativity ruts, physical fatigue, mental slowdowns and that are overall holding you back!!!

Take GREAT care of your hair....no like, really.

It sounds simple. It sounds silly, but its absolutely true. OK so maybe taking care of one's crown and glory has to be done in tandem with other important things to experience full results, but let's not underestimate the power of our hair.

I say this because I JUST recently started my locs (I'm embarking on my loc journey!!). Prior to my locs, I've always had a lot of hair. I went totally natural in 12th grade, and that summer is when i decided to wear my scarf officially. I guess that combination resulted in a lackluster A.T. towards my hair. (Ironiccally, in h.s. i was obsessed with the appearance of my hair--truly the other extreme). As an Au Natural, people might ask me, "what do you do for your hair to keep it so full?", and I'd be thinking "nothin :/"  I kept it clean, semi-moisturized (I didn't even moisturize as much as I probably should have), sometimes braided, sometimes bumped, occasionally a color here and there, but thats about it. (That actually sounds like a lot--I assure you it wasn't. No matter how much I wish I WERE in this moment, I simply was NOT that fly sista always in the salon or with a new hairstyle everyother week!)

But, as y'all well know, change happens. Right in line with my enhanced awarenee and expression of my womanlyhoodness (lol! like why I started this blog)...I knew i had to do SOMETHING for, with, to my hair, and that it needed to be nurtured and cared for on a regular consistent basis. Flash forward---> I got twisties last Sunday to start my locs.

Like honestly, I woke up the next day a different person....hella weird. I felt clear, I felt strong, I felt powerful, I felt like "I'm owning this!!"..."this" being my life, my temple, my destiny. I feel womanly, I feel sexy, I feel fierce, I feel RENEWED, I feel like there's less in the way between me and peace...Something about cultivation of the hair communicates cultivation for the soul, in such a major way...and I think that's why, as we can see in the movie "Good Hair", a sista's hairdo is such a big deal. So anyway I think great hair care has several facets--hair should be healthy, clean, moisturized, styled (take the time to see what it wants to say to you and the world each day--or most days, you're allowed a day or two of "hell, who cares"...lol), and most important....it must be loved!

Blissful Body

"Here in this body are the sacred rivers; here are the Sun and the Moon, as well as all the pilgrimage places...I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body." ~Saraha

Peace and blessings beautiful ladies, just a reminder, based on throughts caressing my dome as of late:

Our body is our temple...Lets be EVER aware of what we put inside of it, how we're moving it (or allowing the blood to move through it), how we adorn it, keep it clean, nurtured and cared for...

I thought about our sacred places of worship, and how we respect them. We wouldnt dare defile them. One wouldn't fill a mosque, church or ashram with garbage, harmful substances, or the like--we want the places we go to perform our worship to reflect the purity, cleanliness and reverance we bring to the endeavor...

Likewise the way we treat our bodies should reflect the reverance we bring to living, for our bodies are our pathways--our vehicles--to experiencing this earthly life and to LIVING our sacred commune--in a practical way. I can pray to God with my heart and mind but if I neglect doing a good deed for my family or neighbor, or am in the habit of stealing, or simply am not using my body to SERVE humanity and right endeavors, then a major part of worship is not being fulfilled. Hence our bodies are a means to the bliss that will fill the Soul and can encompass the spirit...

Besides, it just feels greeeat to pamper yourself....feed your vessel wholesome things that will propel and re-energize it: take an aromatic bubble bath, rub yourself in scented oils and lotions that make your skin feel silky and soft, clean out those cuticles, enroll in that dance class that'll make you feel ALIVE!, learn some fresh veggie-laden and delcious recipes, tell your body you love it, treat it like you do, and give thanks that it honorably carries your essence through this journey.

POWER! words...

Another fun, and very rewarding activity I recently engaged in was jotting down my POWER words--these are words that my Soul is reaching for and are importnat for me in my development. It was an intuitive--gutinstinct pull towards these words, I didn't have to think, just feeeeel. When some words would come up, I dug deeper and said "no"--that's not what I need, what am I searching for? what is making my smile and my toes curl?...these are my POWER words (for my sacred being)--that give me strength, nutrition and direction....

round. love. sensual. full. sacred. feminine. water. moisture. smooth. divine. colorful. swirls, curls, vibrant, vital. life. blood. orange. red.  purple. pink. thanks. grace. heat. stimulation. movement. circulation. motion. dance. swing. power. bold. glory to God. pretty,.beauty. sanctuary. garden. flowers.  trees. air, breath. breathe. inhale. exhale. release. clean. pure. natural. organic. sizzling. womb.hood. cultivation. earth. seed. lovemaking (not warmaking or indifference). moon. sun. light. warmth. pigment. silky. skin. rest.

Make YOUR list....read it....watch what happens...

Loving the precious Self Pt. 1

Healing. yes, we're gonna heeeeaall together. Im in the --- throes of a lifestyle revamp. And--naturally--thinking on some thangs....
we get run down so easily as women, we get insecure, we get anxious, we get jealous, sometimes we panic, or feel scared, or suddenly feel so very isolated from our truest, joyful self, we get physically ill, mentally confused and spiritually disconnected (maybe in the reverse order)...I've been feeling all these things in varying degrees lately. And one morning recently, I got still--very still--and The Peace (that never left in the first place :) ) became known to me again, and I jotted down my inlking thinklings....lets share this journey together---its so exciting and fuuun!

With God's Name
My recommittment to being a Sacred Woman.
1) Gratiitude--when I look in the mirror, consciously embrace and give thanks for my being and my vessel.
2) Meditate--get quiet and let go of all the hurt. Allow my/yourself to go within and explore how you feel. Research your mind and heart's history and acknowledge the "pains" as well as the "whys." Tell yourself its ok. And slowly release it. Yes, Breaaathe it out of your system--forgiving yourself and others.
a) Note about deepbreathing--let your sstomach rise fully at your inhale and recline at your exhale--sweeping the air (and the mental bacteria) from the floors of your stomach and out of your internal environment.
3) A recommittment to cleansing of impure and unpleasant thoughts (feeling negative about someone else or yourself) on a regular basis--outside of meditation but "in the moment". We have to look @ our thoughts as PHYSICAL phenomena, if we're overrun w. bad bacteria, our bodies will get sick, period. IMAGINE what unclean thoughts do to out psyche, spirit, and body eventually as well!! :( :( :(. Lets make a committment to cleanse ourselves. and ask God to show us how--oh yes! bring The Creator into it--no way will we succeed without doing so--thats more than half the battle right there. Let go of fear, "I cant's" and all that disempowers and de-energizes you...

That concludes the first traverse on this VERY nourishing trip...To be continued,..Stay tuned for our next Session on DEALING W. JEALOUSY and INFUSING JOOYYY into our lives...!
=)

I promise myself...

"I promise myself to live by the authority of my own soul today and to practice being my own best friend and motivator...I promise not to hide out or play it safe, but to bring my open heart and Master mind to each moment with confidence. I promise to believe in myself and in the genius of my people.

I promise myself to live this day with joy and enthusiasm, to allow only love and light to flow through me no matter who or what life sends my way. Everywhere I look I will see beauty and possibility, and I let my light shine in service to my people, giving joyfully from a full-cup.

I promise myself to remember that every circumstance is a pathway to God, that every crisis is temporary and lasts not a moment longer than it takes for me to surrender it to God and ask for a divine solution.

I promise myself to remain faithfully aware that God is always here, with and withib me. That no matter what the question, God is the answer. No matter what the need, God is the fulfillment. I promise myself to
remember."
~Susan L. Taylor

What's your DIVA?!

DIVA!

I never really took to this word. I've always seen a "Diva" as someone full on themselves, lots of A.T., not a lot of humility....But today, all of a sudden, I started feeling differently...(an aha! moment?)....maybe Diva can be that aspect of WOMAN that fiercely loves herself....is unchanging and essential. The part thats been around for decades and effortlessly "knows" and sparkles luminously. She enables you--to be cute. and fun! a lil spunky. creative. spontaneous. and dramatically feminine....

Sooo, then I do a lil research, and the dictionary tells us that Diva means "a female version of a hustla"......sike! ;P It says "distinguished singer" or "prima donna." (Right, right.) Buuut, the word comes from Latin and has roots in Italian as well. In Italian, diva means "goddess, fine lady." In Latin it means "goddess" and was the feminine of "divus", which meant "divine." Whenever I read or hear "goddess" or "divine woman", I like to think: The woman that is in love with her true essence (and all that gives it expression)...and very much connected w. the spirit of God which works through her! She does indeed, love herself.

So---I definietly think Ms. diva has her place in personality. But naturally, she must be kept in check :) Reigned in with the knowledge that--every female has one. As a matter of fact, every diva is a part of a larger undivided Association of Divas! So--no 1 diva better than the next!

;-)

What does your diva share and express?

sisterhood pt. 1

With God's Name

Question: Since when did it become popular to be that "I-don't-really-get-along-w.-other-females " sista?

This must be one of the most oft-repeated phrases I hear from young ladies (and sometimes older ones too), and it's always interesting when I hear it. 'cause its said with an air of "this makes me kinda cool", "this makes me dfferent", "this makes me edgy"....But I always just walk away feeling sad that its become the cool thing to not like other woman, not feel the need to address an obvious imbalance in the harmony-equation , and instead, actually be proud of the circumstance. Something that should be viewed as an obstacle or challenge with an attainable resolution, is tossed around casually as if to earn bragging rights...hmmm, interesting indeed.

I think the most profound changes take place when we examine our mental frameworks (the thoughts, feeling and attitudes that shape our patterns), reassess if they are actually healthy and true, and consciously make the necessary shifts (replacing ill, non-productive thoughts with positive, true, productive ones). And paying attention to the subtle, silent killers--like nonchalance, apathy, or arrogance--makes all the difference. Since when did we NOT CARE about the negative state of any type of relationshp, let alone that of our sisters--our gender buddies. The entity that effortlessly shares collective stories and secrets that can only be known and felt by another real deal girl :-) Ya know--like that moment you crossed the threshhold from the courtyard of girldom to the palace of womanhood. Or how about how it felt to be kissed by your special guy for the first time ? How can you downplay and forfeit all these special, estrogen-ridden experiences?--Like doing eachother's hair, or swapping jewelry and outfit pieces so yall can look fly for that event no one wants to miss!, or talking for hours about love and hopes and dreams, or learning those crazy dance moves from the latest music video, or just actin silly, or being that shoulder and tissue-hander when boy problems show their inevitable face. It just wouldn't be right. It's too much fun you'd miss. Too much love you wouldn't get (that rhymed:) ) and it it just wouldn't fit (ha!)

Seriosly though, let's not let what's feels cute at the moment, destroy our blessings and God-given connections. Everything has a purpose and has it's place. Now, instead of shrugging off the difficulties that can come w. interacting with women, why don't we take the pro-active approach and try and get to the bottom of it, and in process heal ourselves and our relatioships...more on that to come....

Guess What????

I'm getting married!!!! [Godwilling]

Details to come...