Learning time {Fairy Tale}

SCHOOL IS OUT. KIDS ARE IN.

Did you just say… “holidays”?! I am learning how to navigate this blessed time of the year. I am doing well, thank you. As I type this, you see, my two kids are watching a “scary movie”: Nanny McPhee. Apparently, nothing glamorous to gloat about. Still, there are circumstances I am learning to manage and today this means it is pouring down, no beach, everybody’s locked inside a summer dwelling that’s all beautiful and neat…  Until it rains and we need some kind of umbrella to go from one room to the other.

THE BEST SCHOOL

Still, this is perfect to sit down and ponder. I strongly believe that outdoor life is the best school possible for kids, adults… humans of all walks of life. Kids can finally run free, gather small treasures, swim and play alone or with friends. Everything is possible. They are as inquisitive, curious, and daring as ever - sheer delight in my book. Not to mention that it provides tons of stories and memories. Think long winter evenings, more rainy days… And yet, there are still rules to abide by. 

Combine the two and both kids and parents learn how to define that thin line to ensure balance and well… happy holidays for everyone involved.

CARVE OUT

Holidays turn out to be a unique learning opportunity. This is also when I have a craving for a different kind of learning - this is when night time is my savior. I have literally turned into a nocturnal bird who relishes the late hours to bask in silence, thoughts, meditation and creative activities. This is when I carve out time for my school hours.

NIGHT OWL

Once everyone is sound asleep, only the walls of the house, the local cicadas and the occasional owl still stir. This is when creativity kicks in! Sitting down in the small patio, I take out the painting gear, my friends for the night: sheets of white paper, paint brushes, watercolors, Micron pens… How can I possibly feel lonely with them? Sometimes the moon sits next to me - just recently she blushed so intensely that everybody spoke about her! The blood moon, they called it. Is that some great company, or what?!

MY FAVE ACTIVITIES

What I have drawn and painted so far, are mainly flowers: dahlias, peonies, roses (very difficult) thanks to this gorgeous book. I have doodled a lot too, thanks to another amazing resource I went through before leaving on holiday with the kids. As the hours grow dark, I feel safe and inspired - sometimes even overwhelmed by all that my mind wants to grasp, achieve, discover… It imagines the podcasts I want to catch up with, the latest chapter in my current book (this, by the way), the pictures taken during the day I would like to edit, categorize and rename, the blogs I would like to read and the shell collection I would like to wash and display… And the list goes on and on…

This may sound like a to-do list, but it is not. I just let my mind take me where it feels most at ease and safe. No list, no pressure. And, do not be mistaken, this is what I am learning. For me, and for my kids. Learning to just…be here.

Credits: TheDaydreamer

#MAKEWAVES

Make Waves: 2018 Summer Series {Look Around}

It has become a true tradition and I can see no reason to skip it. I am very happy and grateful to be typing here again, in this special virtual corner of the world. I am especially happy to launch the 2018 Summer Series in true daydreaming style!

You know how much water is dear to me - a breath of life, a cradling world that speaks softly and confidently as long as I let it in and pay attention to it. As long as I can focus on its ripples and taste. 

This year's title is Make Waves.

This title sounds like an invitation to be active on all fronts and fully involved in the making of this series (time, halas, is still of essence and lacking...). I have chosen this title to make YOU feel involved and to encourage you to embrace its many meanings.

How can we make waves?

We can dive in the deepest sea or skim its surface, always marvel at its beauty and fragility. We can splash around alone or with our kids and friends... Feel united and unique in the motherly ocean, sea or lake we cherish.

We can also act in order to make things around us shift: drop toxic relationships, silence the unsettling noise made by all of those who want to prevent us from hearing the true stories of the world, escape our routine and take risks to find out who we really are, what we are really worth, accept uncertainty and challenges to grow and learn - always learn -, embrace diversity, compassion and champion acceptance...

The list is endless. So are the possibilities.

Make Waves.

You get the drift.

There are many waves, it is up to us to make something precious of them to be sure this summer does not pass us by.

#makewaves

Ayurveda in my life {Discover}

CIRCUMSTANCES

Circumstances. A word I do not like to use that often. Today is a special day then. Not only am I pronouncing it out loud, I am welcoming it in by writing it down.

Circumstances in my life brought about new experiences, some good, some bad and among the positive journeys I am going to include Ayurveda and the wonderful person who introduced me to it, Magali. With her jet black eyes, slender frame and reassuringly firm hand shake, she's opened the crack of Ayurveda. Some of its light touch me thanks to Shirodhara.

HOW DOES SHIRODHARA WORK?

The ancient body and mind therapy is known to soothe the anxious, stressed, overactive souls affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) fighting with overflowing thoughts, recurring nightmares and tumbling down into the dark pit of doubts and fears.

Once I lie down on the wooden bed, face up, Magali bends my head so as not to hurt my neck. She opens the faucet, as it were. A warm stream of oil touches my forehead as I close my eyes and surrender. Shirodhara is a word that associates two meanings: head + flow/stream. The oil drips delicately, balances slightly from left to right at the beginning and then focuses its vibrations on the center of my forehead. This is our shrine: it encapsulates a dense network of nerves and symbolizes ideas, thoughts, dreams, rationale, logics.

Just picture yourself slapping your forehead when remembering something you thought you had forgotten. That's it. The forehead.

Now, I'll be honest here and tell you that the idea of having a stream of liquid poured over my head reminded me of some kind of torture... the fateful drop of water that hits the head on the same spot, over and over again. As I write this, I grasp the significance of hurting the cradle of our brain, a second heart of sorts.

EFFECTS OF SHIRODHARA

The good news is: Shirodhara has nothing to do with this memory of mine about turture, plucked from a book, no doubt. Shirodhara is a friendly therapy. It is meant to help clear my head, take away the tension, release positivity and serenity. The silky oil is so soft and calming, it acts like a soft blanket cradling me from left to right, holding me tight while letting me breathe again. Once the head is clear, tensions dissolve and the nervous system regains its balance, the rest of the body can start functioning properly again.

The feeling of relief is palpable following the healing session. I feel at peace when regaining consciousness after a state of deep, soulful meditation under the guidance of the oil action, the warmth of its touch, its vibrations and the silence filling the small room. I have traveled far and away. Now, I am back.

Credits: TheDaydreamer