Spiritual Toolbox : The Great Work of Your Life

Posted | 0 comments

“… we cannot achieve greatness unless we lose all interest in being great. For our own idea of greatness is illusory, and if we pay too much attention to it we will be lured out of the peace and stability of the being God gave us, and seek to live in a myth we have created for ourselves. It is, therefore, a very great thing to be little, which is to say: to be ourselves. And when we are truly ourselves we lose most of the futile self- consciousness that keeps us constantly comparing ourselves with others in order to see how big we are.”  – Thomas Merton

photo-229

The quote above came from a wonderful book : The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope. It looks at the lives of great masters and ordinary people to see what it took for them to listen to, and follow what felt to be their true calling.

Reading about other people’s journeys reminded me the individual’s purpose is so unique, and shouldn’t be discounted if it seems too “small” or not making a big enough impact. The nurse, the teacher, the friend, the artist, the mother, the assistant, whatever it may be… is incredibly important and a sacred role to fill, especially when it is aligned with your heart and your life’s work.

It’s worth exploring.

Read More

The Point

Posted | 0 comments

Becoming still is why I move.

Savasana is why I vinyasa.

10356419_10100565039638261_2313177673906683189_n

If there aren’t moments of pause tucked within, around, and beside the movement – it becomes tricky to soak in the gifts. I become too wrapped up to see the sparkle shining right in front of me.

Stillness allows our bodies to absorb blessings.

Stillness allows for reflection, which gives way to meaning.

Savasana is the point of all the shapes in yoga. They prep us to simply lie on our backs and receive: our breath, our worth, our light, our impact we have both on ourselves and in this world.

Pause and breathe, so you can receive.

 

Read More

Make Your Space Magical

Posted | 0 comments

When we first moved into our apartment I went through each room of our apartment with dried sage to clear the energy.  Now I am starting to cleanse and clear the air on a regular basis.

photo-154

I read this amazing post by Gala Darling and was inspired to make my own energy clearing room spray. I used an old Pangea spritz bottle, covered it in washi tape (of course), and added water + drops of lavender and tea tree oil + a splash of vodka and voila! It’s nice as it lightens the smell of the burnt sage and can be used as a quick spritz whenever you need to ‘clear the air’.

So go ahead and get your potions, candles, and dried herbs out – or whatever you need to make your space and your life super charged and super magical.

P.S. If you’d like some more ideas on home rituals… This post by Clementine Daily is great.

What rituals do you have  –  or would like to have in your sacred space?

 

 

Read More

Doodle Day * 4

Posted | 0 comments

Happy full moon! Use this day to notice everything that is awesome in your life.

Have a mini ceremony, eat some raw chocolate, and then color to your hearts content.  Click on the picture below for a printable PDF version (hand drawn by the talented Ryann) and get lost filling in the intricate spaces with whatever colors you’d like as you imagine what you’d like next in your life.

4

For more printable doodle sheets click here.  And if you want to share – #doodlesbyryann .

Read More

The Sacred Push

Posted | 0 comments

I pushed two things into existence this January: a jewelry line and a baby (in chronological order), and it is with huge excitement I introduce you to both:

charm & magic: a collection of mini japa malas that serve as a visual & tactile reminder to seek out the charm & magic that exist in daily life.  A japa mala is a string of 108 beads often used in yogic and Buddhist traditions to offer a grounded focus while chanting a mantra or prayer.

photo-57

and then came…

Luca Jack Sherman, born January 15th at 5:23 pm, weighing 7lbs 4 ounces and measuring 18 inches long.

photo-66

Both births were supported by phenomenal women and my amazing husband.  Here is a little about both.

Part 1:  Creation of charm & magic

As I waited for Luca Jack to make his arrival, I started to craft necklaces.  Making jewelry has been a dream brewing in my mind and my heart for years.  As drawn as I was to this idea, I never quite knew where to start.  Not to mention the swirl of thoughts that played in my head over and over: I’m not talented enough, plenty of other people are making jewelry, I have no time, it would be too hard, what would people think? etc…  These negative thoughts always seemed to stop me before I began.

Then, thanks to my husband, I had the pleasure of meeting Rachelle Tratt, the creator of a company I love dearly, The Neshama Project.  Sitting and talking with her felt like a visit with an old friend.  I shared my dream of making mini malas with her, something I only sheepishly shared with a handful of trusted people.

She held the space as I shared my vision, and the negative thoughts living in my brain got quiet.  Suddenly, I had a brand name (charm & magic), a tagline (movement. color. love), and new mantra: Shut Up & Do It.  This blunt mantra is exactly what Rachelle said to herself to get her soulful business up and running.

Since then I have been churning out necklaces, getting completely lost in the color and design of these playful, delicate, and asymmetrical expressions of my heart and soul.  Then came January 15th.

Part 2:  Arrival and care of Luca Jack

I bow to all mothers that ever were, and will ever be – labor is hard!  I will spare you the details, except for this one moment.

I was halfway through labor, when I started crying, fully believing I couldn’t do it.  It was already so hard, and the end was nowhere in sight.  Totally unprompted, but just what I needed, my husband handed me my japa mala.

I held each bead and started digging into my inner reserves.  Mantras emerged that helped me believe I actually could do this.  Lying on the bed, I repeated “I am a powerful goddess,”  “I was created to deliver this baby,” and “I trust my body, she is infinitely wise,” until I started to believe it.  This gave me a much needed second wind.  Almost 12 hours later, with the help of three grounding midwives, many compassionate nurses, and one very strong doctor, we met our baby boy.  I have yet to experience anything so miraculous.

So now our little family is hibernating as we figure out this whole parenthood thing, with my collection of mini malas dangling in it’s storefront in the living room. 

photo-65   photo-47

I have always been a person with many interests, and I’m excited to see A Well Fed Body live alongside charm & magic, and watch them both inform each other, with Luca Jack adding wonder when necessary.

So with that, I leave you to chew on this:

“Ideas in secret die.  They need light and air or they starve to death.”   – Seth Godin  

Is there something you are ready to bring into existence?  Are you waiting for the perfect time?  Are you waiting for someone to give you permission?

What if you just started, taking small steps and watching where it leads, playing along the way, knowing it is OK that you don’t know it all now, but reveling in the fact you are putting things in motion?

It’s amazing what happens when you trust and believe in yourself.

Love, mala beads, and baby hiccups,

Leah

 

Read More