tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76102938207999248212012-01-09T02:48:21.675-06:00MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.comBlogger3341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-4185669180895464052010-01-07T09:54:00.000-06:002010-01-07T09:54:36.013-06:00

I'm considering consolidating both of my blogs into one. I realized this morning that this blog has many posts that are directly or indirectly about a (my?) path to enlightenment. The poems, the links to articles about the brain, my interest in health, the mind, yoga, spirit, love... My new blog is a journal of my commitment to sit in meditation for 30 minutes every day for a year. I could

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-21290126751815696742010-01-04T09:54:00.000-06:002010-01-04T09:54:26.514-06:00

this is now my favorite new year's poem! New Year's Resolution Well, I did it again, bringing in that infant Purity across the land, welcoming Innocence with gin in New York, waiting up to help Chicago, Denver, L.A., Fairbanks, Hon- olulu--and now the high school bands are alienating Dallas, and girls in gold and tangerine have lost all touch with Pasadena, and young men with

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-82333520797837941482010-01-03T17:47:00.000-06:002010-01-03T17:47:58.036-06:00

this poem to me is about the nameless and the named, to quote another poet, leonard cohen.  tom best had participants in a nightwalking workshop do an exercise of walking around and naming what we saw. then we walked around and looked at patterns and gave them nonsense names.  take the tree's point of view, or the rock's, or the grain of sand's. become the tree, the rock, the grain of sand. 

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-10617415575945497472010-01-03T12:06:00.001-06:002010-01-03T13:00:08.459-06:00

i did my annual tarot reading late last night. this year i used the osho zen deck for the first time. i've used the crowley/thoth deck before. i love this new deck! i've never posted a tarot reading before. it'll be interesting at the end of 2010 to go back and read this. i kind of believe it, and kind of not. i drew these specific cards using this specific (celtic cross) layout to get a general

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-66144163492010996482010-01-03T11:59:00.001-06:002010-01-03T12:00:36.465-06:00

saw Sherlock Holmes with friends last night. i didn't like the story or the sets that much, but loved the 2 main characters--they played well together and were believable. downey played a nontraditional sherlock who seemed bipolar. i liked how the film showed his swift visual calculations and carry-through, the genius of holmes at his best.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-47758135641329972942010-01-03T11:21:00.000-06:002010-01-03T11:21:18.777-06:00

thanks to pat siebert for posting a link to this on facebook. click the title of this post to view the article. stunning news: the brain rewires itself within hours after experience! don't you just love science? the article goes into how neurons forge connections with other neurons. here's the gist of it: Studying neuron clusters from the neocortex of neonatal rats, Markram and Le Bé found

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-27860887098330222142010-01-01T19:27:00.000-06:002010-01-01T19:27:23.783-06:00

it's nice to know that as one traverses middle age, the brain gets better at seeing the big picture, recognizing significance and even solutions more quickly than a younger person can. maybe that makes up for those tip-of-tongue moments. but we need to make new neural connections: Educators say that, for adults, one way to nudge neurons in the right direction is to challenge the very

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-25598873100963599572010-01-01T18:50:00.000-06:002010-01-01T18:50:00.889-06:00

i started a new blog, to focus on meditation. i made a commitment to sit daily in 2010. check it out if you're interested. http://zafureport.wordpress.com/

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-23305103530542787412010-01-01T14:17:00.003-06:002010-01-03T11:28:45.647-06:00

in 2010, i am looking forward to the following things already set in motion: meditating for 30 minutes every day and blogging about it (new blog up at http://zafureport.wordpress.com/). i've meditated for about 4 years. probably the longest i have done it daily has been 3 weeks. something interrupts. i get out of the habit. then i get back into, but sometimes it's taken a couple of weeks. it's so

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-86558428564322045302010-01-01T12:47:00.001-06:002010-01-01T13:12:29.861-06:00

2009 was a good year for me. i finished my training as a master practitioner of NLP. it's a fabulous body of work variously described as Now Let's Play, a super-duper set of people skills, and the structure of experience. i learned so much, it would be hard to describe. have had one client since then and am open to more. it's very gratifying to guide someone whose energy about a past event has

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-82248425438978656782010-01-01T11:51:00.000-06:002010-01-01T11:51:06.918-06:00

was thinking last night about what was significant in my life in 2009. health was big. in february, i went to a NUCCA chiropractor and got my atlas adjusted. after a year or two of lots of yoga, and working with my acupuncturist/rolfer/yoga/diet coach and my cranio-sacral therapist and traditional chiropractors, i was still waking up sometimes with back pain. NUCCA sounded like a good bet. even

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-9593737396351280152009-12-27T09:23:00.005-06:002009-12-27T12:24:52.842-06:00

at work, it was a legislative session year, my 3rd session in this job. i stayed busy the whole time, january through may, unlike previous sessions. in addition to publishing various versions of the budget as it wound its way through the legislative process, we tested new features for our software apps. i accumulated over 100 hours of comp time, a record for me. i stayed healthy in my body

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-35122587064732984562009-12-27T08:25:00.004-06:002009-12-27T09:21:43.657-06:00

i look at my postings for 2009. started off strong in january and february, but since then, i've posted 2-5 times per month. i have not been a very good blogger in 2009.part of that is my crazy job. i work at a texas state legislative agency, and when the legislature is in session (jan-may of odd-numbered years), it gets crazy, with periods of high pressure and overtime and being around a lot of

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-49318404236226973752009-12-27T08:18:00.005-06:002009-12-27T12:26:32.066-06:00

peg syverson, resident teacher at the appamada zendo, sent this quote from hongzhi last week. (i don't know who hongzhi is, male or female, probably chinese, but i have begun an association with the zendo, and signed up for a course on the diamond sutra with flint sparks, the other resident teacher at appamada, so eventually i will probably learn more about hongzhi.) i found these words

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-14757701311782497692009-12-25T19:08:00.003-06:002010-01-01T14:22:56.189-06:00

then the resource is awareness. the intent is presence. the strategy is commitment to daily sitting.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-18973307770881778142009-11-19T10:39:00.002-06:002009-11-19T10:50:42.982-06:00

maps have become my territory, and i'm adding this poem to my map collection.thank you, joy harjo, for writing this, and thank you, joe riley, for panhala.net.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-12123610087597365982009-11-12T10:06:00.003-06:002009-11-12T10:11:08.097-06:00

mary oliver shape-shifted into a fox, hung out for awhile, and then she shape-shifted back into human form and wrote this poem. enjoy!here's the link (with great photo!) if it doesn't come through: http://www.panhala.net/Archive/Straight_Talk_From_Fox.html

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-31227587984872305242009-09-29T09:23:00.001-05:002009-09-29T09:24:57.903-05:00

Can You Imagine?For example, what the trees donot only in lightening stormsor the watery dark of a summer's nightor under the white nets of winterbut now, and now, and now - wheneverwe're not looking. Surely you can't imaginethey don't dance, from the root up, wishingto travel a little, not cramped so much as wantinga better view, or more sun, or just as avidlymore shade - surely you can't

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-50716973493153836162009-09-28T07:11:00.002-05:002009-09-28T07:31:53.070-05:00

Before I got involved with Truth Be Told, my charitable giving was erratic. A few dollars here and there, all of course to great organizations doing good work, such as Sierra Club, NRDC, Planned Parenthood, and so on.Since I first attended a Truth Be Told fundraiser 5 years ago, I have become a regular donor to TBT, giving monthly from my paycheck.I like getting the statement each January of what

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-17293016198952144932009-09-04T11:44:00.003-05:002009-09-04T12:31:15.116-05:00

As I mentioned in part 1, I fell in love with local nonprofit Truth Be Told when I attended a graduation of incarcerated women telling their stories in the Lockhart prison. In part 2, I wrote about how I volunteered and served on the board of directors for a couple of years and helped the organization gain stability and traction as a nonprofit.Now I am listing several upcoming opportunities that

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-79073746041091151412009-08-26T09:31:00.007-05:002009-09-02T09:32:49.476-05:00

The ceremony made a deep impression because it seemed to me that what they were doing was REAL work, meaningful work, work that really mattered, that made a difference in the lives of the incarcerated women with whom they worked, giving them an opportunity and the social and emotional support to examine and change the direction of their lives. And THAT would then ripple out to their families,

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-44013833934918866622009-08-20T21:12:00.003-05:002009-08-20T22:10:29.687-05:00

Have you ever been part of something that made a difference in the lives of many? I have, and here's my story. In 2002, my then-new friend Suzanne Armistead, whom I met through InterPlay, was talking about her volunteer work with women at the state prison in Lockhart. It sounded interesting, and when she invited me to come to the prison and witness a graduation ceremony, I signed up and went.What

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-70284272280283568182009-07-22T17:25:00.002-05:002009-07-22T17:29:56.961-05:00

When you dream, your eyes move rapidly. REM sleep is when dreams occur.When you wake up and know you've dreamed but don't have memories of the content, here's what to do to remember:INTEND to remember as much as you can.MOVE YOUR EYES in all directions, as if you are searching for the dream memories and imagining where they could be. Up, down, left, right, center, diagonally, in random order. And

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-10181674981758390332009-07-22T17:22:00.004-05:002009-07-22T17:25:19.234-05:00

I've been waking up in the mornings lately feeling really good. Not immediately jumping into monkey mind but lying in bed for a bit, savoring the experience of feeling good.Not only does my body not hurt or feel stiff or tight anywhere most mornings, but I feel good emotionally as well. I feel well. I am a well being.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-36638423044642517982009-07-01T08:35:00.001-05:002009-07-01T08:36:52.648-05:00

Come out from the shadow of your family tree!This Family Constellation Workshop cuts to the heart of generational issues, shifting inner images from what is to what’s possible, transforming obstacles into more health and well-being. Based on the work of Bert Hellinger, this workshop offers a rare opportunity to uncover hidden patterns, healing past, present, and future generations.Led by Judy

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-41095885755078131452009-06-19T11:38:00.004-05:002009-06-19T11:43:47.720-05:00

I'm reposting this because it's summer and because I like to laugh. Also adding Hangover to the movie list--Lela says it's the funniest movie ever! To avoid having to reinvent the wheel every time someone asks about funny movies, I'm putting this list on my blog. It has my own favorites and favorites from Lela, John, Pauline, Keith, Keith's friend Tony, Alec, Spike, Elizabeth, Nicky, Kathleen,

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-87308979255910022232009-06-19T10:21:00.002-05:002009-06-19T10:50:32.792-05:00

i'm home today because it is an unusual state holiday, juneteeth, the anniversary of the slaves in texas finding out---THREE YEARS LATER---about lincoln's emancipation proclamation. the 81st legislative session is over, ended june 1, and life is returning to normal, whatever that is. a special session is on the horizon so they can finish unfinished business, but right now i do not care one whig.i

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-54224787336916877182009-06-17T12:09:00.004-05:002009-06-17T12:30:43.978-05:00

The session ended June 1, and I took a 4-day weekend this past weekend. Visited a friend in San Antonio for a couple of days, checking out the new extension of the Riverwalk (go check it out--not as crowded as downtown), the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Texas Folklife Festival.Then we went out to the countryside to connect with green vistas and clear waters and clean air. First stop,

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-79628850059672189792009-06-17T12:08:00.000-05:002009-06-17T12:09:10.508-05:00

Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks,stand up for the stupid and crazy,devote your income and labor to others,hate tyrants, argue not concerning God,have patience and indulgence toward the people,take off your hat to nothing known or unknown,or to any man or number of men,go freely with powerful uneducated persons,and with the young, and with the

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-14283296485290151632009-05-14T09:48:00.003-05:002009-05-14T09:56:49.331-05:00

i love the analogy and awareness of awareness here, that segues into pondering about the passage from life into death. i especially love the idea of the death mother shepherding us through. Walking is likeimagination, asingle stepdissolves the circleinto motion; the eye hereand there restson a leaf,gap, or ledge,everything flowingexcept wheresight touches seen:stop, though, andreality snaps

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-45347884622866848122009-05-11T14:11:00.002-05:002009-05-11T14:18:11.694-05:00

the legislative session ends on june 1, and i (one of many) am looking forward to it very much, to having more time and focus to communicate on this, my blog, to catch up on yard work and gardening, and most of all, the downtime i am craving.what's so special about downtime? for me, it's a chance to let my mind wander freely, unfocused on any specific task--unless my mind happens to come up with

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-72133405598976919292009-05-11T13:56:00.001-05:002009-05-11T13:58:59.098-05:00

this is a great mother's day poem. real, not sentimental. enjoy!Invisible Work Because no one could ever praise me enough,because I don't mean these poems onlybut the unseenunbelievable effort it takes to livethe life that goes on between them,I think all the time about invisible work.About the young mother on WelfareI interviewed years ago,who said, "It's hard.You bring him to the park,run rings

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-13686148473866944112009-04-20T20:42:00.002-05:002009-04-20T21:19:48.855-05:00

i have built 4 boxes for square foot gardens and filled 3 with soil and planted them. i've got a 4th box made, ready to be filled with soil and planted. it will have the really hot weather stuff--okra, corn, moon and stars watermelon, yellow squash, and a melon called charentais that i saw in the nichols catalog that looks similar to canteloupe and is supposedly delicious. i check my garden

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-88598411704797610242009-04-09T09:09:00.000-05:002009-04-09T09:10:05.168-05:00

From Blossoms From blossoms comesthis brown paper bag of peacheswe bought from the joy at the bend in the road where we turned toward signs painted Peaches. From laden boughs, from hands, from sweet fellowship in the bins, comes nectar at the roadside, succulentpeaches we devour, dusty skin and all, comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat. O, to take what we love inside, to carry within us

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-11859939880281554932009-03-18T11:35:00.001-05:002009-03-18T11:37:57.319-05:00

she knows! so beautiful, so wise...To Begin With, the Sweet Grass(excerpt) 1. Will the hungry ox stand in the field and not eatof the sweet grass?Will the owl bite off its own wings?Will the lark forget to lift its body in the air orforget to sing?Will the rivers run upstream? Behold, I say - beholdthe reliability and the finery and the teachingsof this gritty earth gift. 2. Eat bread and

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-92085789686173853892009-03-17T14:15:00.002-05:002009-03-17T14:22:41.953-05:00

work is heating up. my first square foot garden is going well. 3 more to fill with soil and plant with summer veggies and herbs. may make a couple more boxes for flowers!i just finished reading Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing by Jed McKenna. current book: A Path with Heart, by Jack Kornfield, co-founder of Insight Meditation. Kornfield has more heart than McKenna, but both have valid

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-16069731210895705472009-03-17T14:13:00.001-05:002009-03-17T14:15:21.398-05:00

this poem reminds me of a process we experience as we grow older. awakening.My mind was a mirror:It saw what it saw, it knew what it knew.In youth my mind was just a mirrorIn a rapidly flying car,Which catches and loses bits of the landscape.Then in timeGreat scratches were made on the mirror,Letting the outside world come in,And letting my inner self look out.For this is the birth of the soul in

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-18116388600331514912009-03-02T20:08:00.004-06:002009-03-02T20:50:39.019-06:00

referring to the long list of healing/energy/growth modalities listed in the previous post, i thought i'd list those that have made the most difference in my life. some have become part of my lifestyle: yoga, meditation, acupuncture, journaling, food awareness, and dreamwork. others have been tremendously helpful given situations peculiar to my life: waking the tiger for PTSD and NUCCA for

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-981811097077550112009-03-02T18:23:00.006-06:002009-03-02T20:27:15.978-06:00

Today I was making a list of the various modalities I have at least some experience with for health, energy, awareness, personal growth, relating, and changework. I was shocked at how long it was!I have either worked with trained practitioners, received training myself, attended classes/workshops/practice groups, read books or watched videos, or taught these modalities. I'm going to start with

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-90640054803018247162009-02-24T10:10:00.001-06:002009-02-24T10:14:54.787-06:00

I am loving John O'Donohue's poems more with each one I come across. Could he be writing about the third chakra here?For the Unknown Self So much of what delights and troubles youHappens on a surfaceYou take for ground.Your mind thinks your life alone,Your eyes consider air your nearest neighbor,Yet it seems that a little below your heartThere houses in you an unknown selfWho prefers the patterns

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-13027724495261380672009-02-23T14:31:00.004-06:002009-02-23T15:12:23.298-06:00

Today I had my third visit to Back N Balance, to see how my body is responding to having my atlas adjusted. Last week (week 2) my atlas needed readjusting.This week I stayed adjusted! That's thrilling to me. Dr. Lorenzen watched as I stood on the two-leg scale and my weight would shift slightly from side to side, just from standing straight. Then she used the activator to give gentle taps to my

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-42961593340546802292009-02-20T14:57:00.001-06:002009-02-20T14:57:47.312-06:00

The Night House Every day the body works in the fields of the worldmending a stone wallor swinging a sickle through the tall grass --the grass of civics, the grass of money --and every night the body curls around itselfand listens for the soft bells of sleep. But the heart is restless and risesfrom the body in the middle of the night,and leaves the trapezoidal bedroomwith its thick, pictureless

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-61987899712539306702009-02-20T14:55:00.000-06:002009-02-20T14:56:20.716-06:00

Starlings in Winter Chunky and noisy,but with stars in their black feathers,they spring from the telephone wireand instantly they are acrobatsin the freezing wind.And now, in the theater of air,they swing over buildings, dipping and rising;they float like one stippled starthat opens,becomes for a moment fragmented, then closes again;and you watchand you trybut you simply can’t imagine how they do

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-80804652572355023932009-02-20T14:53:00.002-06:002009-02-20T14:58:23.668-06:00

Mind Wanting MoreOnly a beige slat of sun above the horizon, like a shade pulled not quite down. Otherwise, clouds. Sea rippled here and there. Birds reluctant to fly. The mind wants a shaft of sun to stir the grey porridge of clouds, an osprey to stitch sea to sky with its barred wings, some dramatic music: a symphony, perhaps a Chinese gong. But the mind always wants more than it has -- one

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-29674581964321976632009-02-19T09:41:00.003-06:002009-02-19T09:45:49.082-06:00

my dear friend katie wrote this. i can feel the influence of the weekend spent at buescher state park in celebration of my birthday, and the influence of rumi, whom she read to us that weekend, and yet katie makes it completely her own, an original poem.This love has made me crazy.I keep forgetting to rise up, to worry,and I’m dancing around in meadows,silly and stupid with your ecstasy.Where

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-15977696400090025542009-02-18T10:10:00.000-06:002009-02-18T10:11:12.326-06:00

FAMILY CONSTELLATION WORKSHOP with Judy SmithJuly 18-19, 2009Austin, TX (place and time TBA)$375 ($100 nonrefundable deposit) In this workshop we explore family generational patterns, hidden dynamics, and subconscious patterns, and heal the souls of our families, restoring the natural order of familial love. Family constellation work brings long-standing unresolved family issues to light and

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-88191858002800793022009-02-17T14:19:00.004-06:002009-02-17T14:24:58.221-06:00

katie raver has broken new ground working with the 12 states of attention with two innovations:first, she has differentiated kinesthetic into tactile, visceral, and proprioceptive. second, she has replaced the internal/external distinction into sensed and constructed. she asks if these extra distinctions are really worth it. i like them, but it's a little more complex to teach to beginners.you

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-62431367866512144142009-02-17T09:55:00.004-06:002009-02-17T10:05:38.840-06:00

if you are one of my Facebook friends, you can now read my blog posts on Facebook. they will appear as notes. there's a delay after posting on Blogspot before they appear on Facebook. you can also continue reading posts here. good for those who wish to be anonymous or who don't want to get into Facebook. surprisingly, i have several friends like that. they think it's going to be really demanding.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-44407800617828056992009-02-17T09:42:00.001-06:002009-02-17T09:42:26.182-06:00

testing to see if Facebook imports blog posts

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-38248673349558175312009-02-16T18:55:00.002-06:002009-02-16T19:00:59.277-06:00

My cat turned 20 last week. We don't know when her actual birthday is since we got her from the animal shelter. They said she was about 7 months old, so Lela and I counted back and decided we'd celebrate Feb. 12th as her birthday. Since it's also Lincoln's birthday, we named her Samantha Lincoln.It's fantastic to realize that Samantha has lived with me for 20 years. That's longer than my child

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-57793894615881481732009-02-16T18:34:00.004-06:002009-02-16T18:55:13.609-06:00

I had my second NUCCA treatment today. Dr. Lorenzen weighed me on the anetometer, which weighs each foot separately to see if one's weight is distributed evenly and also has calipers to measure each hip's height. Last week, at first I was 10 pounds heavier on the left. When I finished, I was one pound to the left.Today when I came in, I was 4 pounds heavier on the left, and .1 when we finished.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-3406546473484093552009-02-10T10:26:00.002-06:002009-02-10T10:42:40.999-06:00

i had my initial exam and adjustment yesterday. NUCCA is a type of chiropractic care that focuses only on balancing the head on top of the spine. there is one office in texas, back n balance here in austin, with 4 NUCCA chiropractors. click title to go to their website. dr. lorenzen (very young, cute, and well-trained) did an intake about health problems, concerns, and medical history.she had me

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-74954196203300568902009-02-09T09:39:00.005-06:002009-02-09T09:49:08.227-06:00

mahalo to katie for sharing this poem. (katie knows i spend time looking for the shine)In every gathering, in any chance meeting on the street, there is a shine, an elegance rising up. Today I recognized that that jewel-like beauty is the presence, our loving confusion, the glow in which watery clay gets brighter than fire, the one we call the Friend.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-41722380862350033802009-02-09T09:28:00.005-06:002009-02-10T10:24:44.468-06:00

mahalo to keith for sharing this, who knows of my return from exile.Sometimes simplicity riseslike a blossom of firefrom the white silk of your own skin.You were there in the beginningyou heard the story, you heard the merciless and tender words telling you where you had to go.Exile is never easy and the journey itself leaves a bitter taste. But then, when you heard that voice, you had to go.You

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-9487801749428404912009-02-09T09:10:00.005-06:002009-02-10T10:26:40.809-06:00

i'm getting my february blog posts started off right, with poetry. i've had in mind for days to post the two poems i just posted, and finally have a few moments to do just that... this past weekend i celebrated my 56th birthday with friends. we stayed in cabins at buescher state park. linda decorated our cabin beautifully with colorful pareos, an altar, a lamp brought from home. she brought her

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-52251663711482465862009-02-09T08:50:00.001-06:002009-02-09T08:51:07.192-06:00

You work with what you are given,the red clay of grief,the black clay of stubbornness going on after.Clay that tastes of care or carelessness,clay that smells of the bottoms of rivers or dust. Each thought is a life you have lived or failed to live,each word is a dish you have eaten or left on the table.There are honeys so bitterno one would willingly choose to take them.The clay takes them:

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-44083051436170378782009-02-09T08:47:00.002-06:002009-02-09T08:49:29.861-06:00

The universe does notrevolve around you.The stars and planets spinningthrough the ballroom of spacedance with one anotherquite outside of your small life.You cannot hold gravityor seasons; even air and waterinevitably evade your grasp.Why not, then, let go? You could move through timelike a shark through water,neither restless or ceasing,absorbed in and absorbingthe native element.Why pretend you

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-58723709019113289842009-01-29T19:19:00.002-06:002009-01-29T19:22:30.440-06:00

This is the first part of my essay for the book Stricken: The 5,000 Stages of Grief. Click the title to go to it on Amazon.MargaretWhat is this resistance I have to going there again, procrastinating writing about my personal grief? What comes to mind is a scene from Beth Henley’s play Crimes of the Heart, made into a movie with Diane Keeton, Jessica Lange, and Sissy Spacek, in which Old

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-55574394298460626242009-01-29T18:55:00.003-06:002009-01-29T19:17:45.276-06:00

Last night, Wed., Jan. 28, I participated in a book reading at BookPeople. The book is Stricken: The 5,000 Stages of Grief, published by Dalton. It's a collection of essays about grief, and several of the local essayists, including me, read from our essays.Spike Gillespie, whom I met a couple of years ago, pulled me into this with her indefatigable energy. She's one of the co-editors. So...grief

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-11467038009810763452009-01-28T10:48:00.002-06:002009-01-28T10:51:52.233-06:00

Joe Riley, manager of panhala.net, or someone put this together from the writings of Joseph Campbell. I like it a lot and want to share...MaryFollow Your BlissThe divine manifestation is ubiquitous, Only our eyes are not open to it.Awe is what moves us forward. Live from your own center.The divine lives within you.The separateness apparent in the world is secondary.Beyond the world of

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-45166524447284795382009-01-27T12:02:00.002-06:002009-01-27T12:05:13.538-06:00

i heard a novel idea about why so many people are suffering from a vitamin D deficiency--even though so many foods are fortified with it.we are too clean.cholesterol on our skin is what interacts with sunlight to help the body manufacture vitamin D. it takes 24-36 hours for cholesterol to reach the skin.bathing removes it. so--the point is, i guess, when you're dirty, let the sun shine on your

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-83148424869417242142009-01-27T11:43:00.002-06:002009-01-27T12:02:20.139-06:00

this article in today's NY Times (click title to read article) turns some conventional wisdom about hygiene on its head. scientists are learning that babies putting everything in their mouths are actually educating their immune systems, which is like a blank slate at birth. “Children raised in an ultraclean environment,” one researcher said, “are not being exposed to organisms that help them

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-40704105795045216702009-01-23T11:36:00.000-06:002009-01-23T11:37:05.827-06:00

For Yaedi Looking out the window at the treesand counting the leaves,listening to a voice withinthat tells me nothing is perfectso why bother to try, I am thiefof my own time. When I dieI want it to be said that I wastedhours in feeling absolutely uselessand enjoyed it, sensing my lifemore strongly than when I worked at it.Now I know myself from a stoneor a sledgehammer. ~ David Ignatow ~ (New

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-57715555474542962212009-01-20T13:30:00.002-06:002009-01-20T13:33:20.633-06:00

'Tis the gift to be simple,'tis the gift to be free,'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,And when we find ourselves in the place just right,It will be in the valley of love and delight.Refrain: When true simplicity is gained,To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.To turn, turn will be our delight,'Til by turning, turning we come round right'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-21648350689975695812009-01-20T13:25:00.003-06:002009-01-20T14:17:23.404-06:00

here's the text of Elizabeth Alexander's inaugural poem:Praise song for the day.Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire,

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-19074573095593032852009-01-20T13:04:00.002-06:002009-01-20T13:14:50.636-06:00

I HAVE COME INTO THIS WORLD TO SEE THISI have come into this world to see this:the sword drop from men's hands even at the heightof their arc of angerbecause we have finally realized there is just one flesh to woundand it is His - the Christ's, ourBeloved's.I have come into this world to see this: all creatures hold hands aswe pass through this miraculous existence we share on the wayto even a

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-71248058156297275432009-01-20T12:05:00.004-06:002009-01-20T13:30:20.112-06:00

and WE shall rejoice in it.I heard Cicely Tyson say that when a camera crew found her sitting in a chair waiting for the inauguration to begin. I watched the ceremony on a very large TV in one of our conference rooms at work, with a roomful of my colleagues. I brought a box of Kleenexes. I only used one, although I felt near sobs a couple of times. I am pleased that Rick Warren did not focus on

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-64800105565414672009-01-16T21:02:00.004-06:002009-01-16T21:19:13.760-06:00

a couple of weeks ago, i had a lucid dream in which i looked at my hands, looked away, and looked back at them. they had changed, so i knew i was lucid dreaming. i enjoyed knowing i was dreaming and looking around at my dream environment.one of the things i wondered after having that dream was how "solid" things are in the dream world. if you can look, look away, look again, and see things

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-77223608279392821612009-01-16T20:49:00.002-06:002009-01-16T21:02:18.186-06:00

thanks to katie raver (ENFJ extraordinaire!) for suggesting i write about this. (this post is also posted on my facebook notes.)today i am still feeling the consequences in my body of working a 70-hour week last week sitting at a computer under deadline pressure, so this request is timely since i have current actual experience and not just advice to share. so...read this and apply it to your own

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-80749490782491038342009-01-16T11:18:00.004-06:002009-01-16T11:26:39.197-06:00

i am loving this poem so much today.haven't posted for several days due to getting through one of the most stressful times at my job, publishing huge appropriation bills for the beginning of the texas legislature, a starting point for the budget decisions that pay for state government services. my part is winding down for now; i'm still feeling tension from a 70-hour work week leaving my body.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-49834686152290303392009-01-09T15:36:00.000-06:002009-01-09T15:37:48.822-06:00

SOMETIMES Sometimesif you move carefullythrough the forest breathinglike the onesin the old stories who could crossa shimmering bed of dry leaveswithout a sound, you cometo a placewhose only task is to trouble youwith tinybut frightening requests conceived out of nowherebut in this placebeginning to lead everywhere. Requests to stop whatyou are doing right now,and to stop what youare

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-47776258634595227602009-01-09T15:35:00.002-06:002009-01-09T15:38:07.562-06:00

joe has had some really good poems to start off 2009. i love the line in this one by mary oliver, "thought buds toward radiance."What I Have Learned So Far Meditation is old and honorable, so why should Inot sit, every morning of my life, on the hillside,looking into the shining world? Because, properlyattended to, delight, as well as havoc, is suggestion.Can one be passionate about the just,

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-11334784091973277122009-01-07T10:54:00.002-06:002009-01-07T10:56:32.517-06:00

i lent my EFT videos (a set of them) to someone and now i can't remember who. it was in 2008, i'm pretty sure.if you borrowed them, will you let me know?how do you keep track of stuff like this? make a list, set a timeframe, or just know ahead of time you may not ever see again something you value enough to share?

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-71290548463702562062009-01-07T09:53:00.004-06:002009-01-07T10:08:42.730-06:00

woke up to the radio this morning, hit snooze.when life is pushing, maybe radio isn't a such good idea first thing in the morning. it's that talking. it's grinding. how about some didgeridoo? yes, that'll make it better.note to self: put a steve daniel dij CD in alarm clock. and then i lay back in bed, slowly experimenting with opening my eyes, wiggling fingers and toes, stretching, inhabiting my

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-13819561108069744062009-01-05T21:08:00.002-06:002009-01-09T15:38:37.071-06:00

For Presence Awaken to the mystery of being hereand enter the quiet immensity of your own presence. Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses. Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon. Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path. Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity. May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame. May anxiety never linger about you.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-86777783199899285632009-01-05T18:46:00.003-06:002009-01-05T18:57:17.722-06:00

today was my first day back in the office since noon on dec. 23. i really appreciated the time off--the better to relax and appreciate friends, family, solitude, nature, and relaxation and to store up peace and harmony for the next five months when i'll be working hard doing my job, publishing the texas state budget. i slept as much as i wanted to, which wasn't a lot more than usual, but it was

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-2236000967331249552009-01-02T09:34:00.006-06:002009-01-03T18:16:24.541-06:00

had a long rambling dream last night. the most significant part to me now is that in the middle, i wondered if i was dreaming. everything seemed so real. i just couldn't tell.then i remembered to look at my hands. yep, they were my hands.i looked away from them and then looked back. they had changed shape, and a finger was missing.confirmation i was dreaming, aware in the world of dream physics.

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-78086409366152940412009-01-02T08:59:00.007-06:002009-01-09T15:48:26.507-06:00

thanks to keith kachtick at dharma yoga for sharing this poem in class yesterday and sending it to me this morning. this poem was originally written for the jewish "head of the year," rosh hashanah. it's a day of repentance and significantly, the year starts with a new moon, a time of turning inward. for more on this holiday, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah. i liked find this out:

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-6307033968187458912009-01-01T22:27:00.005-06:002009-01-03T18:18:04.455-06:00

Today's New York Times has an article about New Year's resolutions. The majority of them fail, and the article explores why. Particularly interesting were the 4 steps of effective personal change:1. Start with big changes, not small ones. Quick, noticeable results are inspiring.2. Act like the person you are trying to become. 3. Reframe the situation.4. Don't do it alone.NLP can help a lot with

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-18756168749330772592009-01-01T10:22:00.003-06:002009-01-01T10:48:56.034-06:00

if you have a dream that feels significant but has you stumped, i highy recommend going to trance dance with the dream fresh in mind, with an intent to get more out of it. or you could do this on your own, by yourself. move through the entire dream in your dance. make the same movements and gestures you did in the dream. face and change direction just like you did in the dream. walk, lie down,

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-75495357002090348052008-12-31T16:56:00.000-06:002008-12-31T16:57:29.980-06:00

New Year's Resolutions: The Two ListsA Message from DailyOM Co-Founder Scott BlumI was fortunate to spend time with an enigmatic man named Robert during a very special period of my life. Robert taught me many things during our days together, and this time of year reminds me of one particular interaction we had."Now that you are becoming more aware," Robert said, "you need to begin to set goals

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-78771017240143971122008-12-31T16:49:00.002-06:002008-12-31T16:51:56.490-06:00

i went to the doctor this afternoon. while waiting to be called, i meditated. just sitting, back straight, feet on floor, eyes closed, hands on thighs. after 30 minutes, the nurse called my name. she took my blood pressure. it was 84/50, the lowest it's ever been. it's usually more like 100/70. meditation works!

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-66384926094093211132008-12-29T16:22:00.003-06:002008-12-29T18:03:45.435-06:00

sally kempton's wisdom column in the february 2009 issue yoga journal (now on newsstands) is once again a masterpiece of insight, with wisdom we can all use.she writes of an acquaintance, a surgeon, who began meditating and doing yoga to control stress. he's noticed a new tenderness toward people on the operating table, a feeling of softness and rawness, that he was unaccustomed to.kempton says

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-18002119549128459772008-12-28T11:22:00.003-06:002008-12-28T11:50:25.613-06:00

click the title to read the opinion from bob herbert, who says it better than i could: it's time for americans to stop being stupid. about the economy, the future, industry, jobs, wars, regulation, credit, mortgages, college tuition, globalization, government spending, debt, investment, paying now versus later, infrastructure, education, the environment, health care, and consumption. i would add

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-44977628404238952122008-12-27T16:52:00.002-06:002008-12-27T16:59:48.176-06:00

today i got to do one of my favorite things: watch a sunrise starting when it's still completely night. kathleen (with buckshot, the boxer) and i convoyed to pedernales falls state park. it's about 50 minutes away that early. we left at 5:09 am, arrived at 6 am. watched stars twinkle out and the lightening sky in the east. low clouds on the horizon before dawn became heavy clouds shortly after

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-45430192517135630672008-12-25T11:28:00.006-06:002008-12-25T12:49:08.340-06:00

my family, even though we all live in austin, doesn't gather together very often, but christmas eve is one of those times. yesterday afternoon we gathered at my brother frank and sister-in-law kathy's home. they always host because they have a house that's big enough for us all. i look forward to these gatherings. i love seeing everyone and spending a few hours together and catching up. the

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-28333333604347474752008-12-23T17:23:00.005-06:002008-12-23T17:35:10.817-06:00

i hope that whatever your plans are for christmas, that you take some time to experience and appreciate your own and others' and the world's radiance. that has come to be the true meaning of christmas to me. it's about radiance, of which the christ child is a symbol. the energy of solstichristmakwanzukahh is that of radiance. one dear friend told me that she wasn't looking forward to the usual

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-10795875611866322522008-12-23T17:16:00.002-06:002008-12-23T17:22:06.235-06:00

what are you first aware of when you wake up? it varies for me. sometimes my waking thought is profound and sets a theme for the day.sometimes it's monkey mind, chattering 100 mph. that's annoying. this morning i kept hitting the snooze after awakening from a dream about 2:30 a.m. and being unable to go back to sleep for at least an hour.i'd hit the snooze, and fall back into a doze, over and

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-38553792238435114502008-12-23T17:10:00.003-06:002008-12-23T17:15:44.071-06:00

panhala, which sends me poems each weekday, is on holiday hiatus. i'm missing it and maybe you are too, so here's one from rumi. it ties into a rune i drew after sharing a dream sunday with peggy, phyllis, and victoria. It's the old rule that drunks have to argue and get into fights.The lover is just as bad. He falls into a hole.But down in that hole he finds something shining,worth more than any

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-5723792097277038652008-12-23T16:48:00.003-06:002008-12-23T17:08:19.447-06:00

marco schneider sent me a link to a NY Times article about a man who had no functioning in his visual cortex due to two strokes, yet was able to navigate an obstacle course successfully and cringe at a picture of a scary face--even though he could not consciously see them. click the title of this post to go to the article.marco and i both speculate that there's a connection between peripheral

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-42319241529961051292008-12-21T19:06:00.005-06:002008-12-21T19:25:33.372-06:00

just a note...i ended up buying claritin and a sinus spray at CVS, based on my assumption that the longer sinuses stay congested, the more opportunity for infection to develop. just couldn't get them to clear with acupressure, ginger tea, homeopathic remedy, neti pot, rest, etc. yesterday i took one claritin and 3 sprays per nostril yesterday, which cleared me up.after this latest cold front blew

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-59003287770963512532008-12-19T18:31:00.003-06:002008-12-19T18:48:59.653-06:00

last sunday a cold front blew into austin, complete with gusty winds and freezing temperatures at night that didn't rise much with daylight.sunday night i began sneezing. the inside of my nose felt inflamed and sensitive. my sinuses were soon congested, and then my throat got sore.i felt a little better in the daytime. when the front left sometime tuesday night, i felt a shift occur. i stopped

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-75424375664018541392008-12-16T13:15:00.006-06:002008-12-19T20:58:08.315-06:00

Click the title of this post to read David Brooks' response to Malcolm Gladwell's new book, Outliers, which contains the quote above. Outliers explores what makes successful people successful and concludes that it's mostly social forces. Brooks applauds Gladwell for moving us away from the cold rational self-interest model and hopes it will influence policy-makers to focus more on policies that

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-15782986769223190732008-12-15T10:29:00.004-06:002008-12-15T10:50:57.546-06:00

Stricken: The 5,000 Stages of Grief is being published in January. An essay I wrote is included. A book reading will take place at BookPeople on Wednesday, January 28, 2009, at 7 pm. I may be one of the readers, yet since there are 14 contributors from Austin (local writer and raconteur Spike Gillespie pulled the book together), I may not. Details remain loose, but I plan to attend whether I'm

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-65340546115775806832008-12-15T10:01:00.004-06:002008-12-15T10:05:48.230-06:00

i got a comment from someone very interested in my cranio-sacral therapist (hi, carol), and someone else has inquired on facebook when i posted something about CST there.here is the contact info for my cranio-sacral therapist. she doesn't have a website, or she'd definitely be included in my links.her name is nina davis. she does adult and pediatric cranio-sacral therapy and lymph drainage

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-80067534978876397912008-12-13T08:29:00.005-06:002008-12-16T11:41:02.461-06:00

okay, i'm assuming you read part 1 and picked two statements--one from the ABC group and one from the XYZ group--that best represent you. not how you'd like to be, but how you are.if you haven't done that, go to part 1 and do it. you should have a combination of letters like AX or BZ.here's the key:AX=7 the enthusiastAY=8 the challengerAZ=3 the achieverBX=9 the peacemakerBY=4 the individualistBZ=

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-63667661598444975762008-12-13T08:11:00.007-06:002008-12-16T11:42:55.390-06:00

I'm taking this straight from the book The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson. If you want to know more, read the book! Click the title of this post to find it on Amazon.com.The enneagram can give you a bigger picture of your life and hone in on issues pertaining to your type. If you're serious about reaching your highest potential, learning your enneagram type and

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-79873543874888814842008-12-12T11:02:00.002-06:002008-12-12T11:11:09.171-06:00

One of the basic presuppositions of NLP is "the map is not the territory." That presupposes that there is a map and there is a territory, and they are separate or different.I came across a new take in Ken Wilber's A Brief History of Everything."The mapmaker, the self, the thinking and knowing subject, is actually a product and a performance of that which it seeks to know and represent....the map

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-31109979892718621132008-12-11T10:51:00.004-06:002010-01-01T13:06:47.633-06:00

just back from cranio-sacral therapy lying on the table on my back nina puts one hand under the small of my back the other under my neck releasing surrendering to gravity breathing space into the tight places i nearly fall asleep images come unbidden no effort C2 and T7 have a dialog a competition to see who can open up the most in all directions i feel really good

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610293820799924821.post-67392549633421243982008-12-11T10:48:00.002-06:002008-12-11T10:50:30.133-06:00

Despair So much gloom and doubt in our poetry -flowers wilting on the table,the self regarding itself in a watery mirror. Dead leaves cover the ground,the wind moans in the chimney,and the tendrils of the yew tree inch toward the coffin. I wonder what the ancient Chinese poetswould make of all this,these shadows and empty cupboards? Today, with the sun blazing in the trees,my thoughts turn to the

MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04780657696813583718noreply@blogger.com1