“Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours.” ~ Swedish Proverb
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Author Archives: Jackie, The Baseball Bloggess
Be Present!
Kalidasa was a Sanskrit Poet who lived at some point in about the 4th Century. Several hundred years are pressed between this poem and today. And, yet it feels fresh and beautiful and relevant. It is, truly, a poem for this present moment! Enjoy
Salutation To The Dawn
Look to this day! For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The bliss of growth;
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The bliss of growth;
The glory of action;
The splendor of achievement.
The splendor of achievement.
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness, And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
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There Is Only The Dance …
“Of what is the body made? It is made of emptiness and rhythm. At the ultimate heart of the body, at the heart of the world, there is no solidity. Once again, there is only the dance.” ~ George Leonard
"Team Bunny" Needs You (& Your Dandelions!)
I received an email from Randy at the Wildlife Center of Virginia this morning. Here’s what it said:
“It’s time to activate TEAM BUNNY!”
Your help last year was amazing. And, so the Wildlife Center of Virginia has come to us for help again this year.
It’s the Wildlife Center’s annual spring influx of rabbits (many are very young orphan bunnies) — nearly two dozen are already in their care and more are arriving daily.
And it’s clear these furry little patients don’t particularly like the regular “hospital fare” the Center provides. (And, really — who DOES like hospital food?) But, what baby bunnies and their friends DO love is snacking on dandelions and clover.
Would you be willing to donate a bag of dandelions and clover from your yard?
Last year, Peaceful Hands Yoga Students & Massage Clients provided many, many, many pounds of greens to feed the bunny patients. In recognition of this kindness, some of the Wildlife Center staff have named the Peaceful Hands’ Family “Team Bunny.”
Join “TEAM BUNNY” by donating a bag — or 2 or 3 — of greens and help feed the bunnies!
Here’s how …
If you’re out in your yard, garden, or pasture (in untreated, pesticide- and chemical-free areas only, please) and you wander across some dandelions and/or clover, the Wildlife Center would love to have them! (Fresh is better, of course, so if you’re coming to yoga class or have a massage scheduled, pull them up in the morning sometime and then bring them in with you. Or drop them off at my massage studio any time during the week.)
Just dandelions (especially the green leafy parts) and clover. A little bag. A big bag. Every little bit helps. (And the dandelion flowers are fine to include.)
The rabbits will need the bounty for many weeks to come … and soon the goslings and ducklings will benefit from your donations as well. And, a happy, eating rabbit is a healing rabbit (or duckling or gosling or possum), and that makes the job easier for the Center’s Vets and Rehabbers.
Email me with questions at peacefulhands (at) gmail.com.
Thank you in advance for helping out these wildlife patients.
Be Fearless & Pure …
This week in Yoga, I shared a meditation with you from The Bhagavad Gita, the spiritual book that guides (and explains) Yoga. It is a beautiful story and guide to living a fulfilling and enlightening life. It enhances every spiritual practice and if your Yoga is beginning to be about more than just the asanas (poses) on the mat, then The Gita is the perfect step into the higher potential of your Yoga practice.
The meditation in classes this week comes from the beginning of Chapter 16 of The Bhagavad Gita and I share it again with you here:
Be fearless and pure; never waver in your determination or your dedication to a good and spiritual life. Give freely. Be self-controlled, sincere, truthful, loving, and full of the desire to serve others. Seek the truth in all things; learn to be detatched and take joy in the sacrifices you make to support goodness.
Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle; show goodwill to all.
Cultivate vigor, patience, will, purity, avoid malice and pride. Then, you will achieve your divine destiny. …
These divine and good qualities will lead you to freedom.
The Bhagavad Gita is available widely. It is a short and transformative guide. You can even find free Apps of Gita translations for your iPhone or Droid. I hope you’ll explore its beauty.
The True Spirit of Yoga
The true spirit of Yoga is a full-time endeavor ~ kindness to your body when on your mat … kindness to your world when off your mat.
Bear & Rabbit Say "Thank You"
During 2011, Peaceful Hands Yoga students were incredibly generous to the Wildlife Center of Virginia … donating time, supplies, and food that helped save the lives of many wild animals. I’ve said “thank you” before, but I wanted to take a moment to thank you all yet again for your kindness. Your generosity embodies the pure spirit of yoga!
This spring many of you helped with an online voting campaign to name the Wildlife Center’s new Red-Tailed Hawk RUBY — in honor of the young civil rights hero, Ruby Bridges.
Also this spring, many of you became part of “TEAM BUNNY” collecting fresh young dandelions, lettuce, and other fresh greens to help provide tasty and nutritious food to the overflowing number of young rabbit patients at the Center. Rabbit patients are fussy eaters. The time you spent collecting and picking bags of fresh greens ensured that these fussy eaters had something they liked!
This fall, you changed your focus to “TEAM BEAR”, working together to gather food to feed a young, underfed bear cub. You provided so much good, nutritious food! My car was filled to overflowing several times. Many of you tapped your friends, local grocers, and your schools to collect donations. The bear grew big and strong and was released back to the wild in early December.
And, then, you joined in a WILDLIFE CENTER BENEFIT yoga class in December to support the Wildlife Center — bringing monetary donations, supplies, and other equipment that will support the Center’s work in the days, weeks, and year ahead!
I thank you for your kindness to all creatures — big and small — and for the inspiration you are to me. I’m uplifted by you whenever you unroll your yoga mat with me. And, I’m uplifted by the kindness of your heart!
But, really … I think two Friends of the Center, BEAR & RABBIT, say “thank you” much better than I ever could.
Here’s the link to this special little presentation: Bear & Rabbit Review 2011 at the Wildlife Center.
December 22, 2012 ~ Do Yoga & Benefit The Wildlife Center of Virginia!
On SATURDAY, December 22, 2012 join me for a special morning Yoga class in Orange to greet the Winter Solstice and warm your internal holiday lights! Join in some joyful yuletide Yoga flow!
9:30 a.m. at Peaceful Hands Yoga Studio our NEW location in the historic Silk Mill: 307A Madison Road in Orange.
This class will benefit
THE WILDLIFE CENTER OF VIRGINIA!
Your class “cost”? 1) Make a cash/check donation to the Wildlife Center of Virginia or, 2) If you prefer, bring a bag filled with helpful supplies for the Center. Please choose items from this list:
Paper Towels w Tissues (no lotion) w Glad/Hefty Trash Bags (all sizes) w Dawn Dish Detergent (blue) w Ziplock Bags wDishwashing Gloves w Safety Glasses/Goggles w 10-gallon Aquarium wTuna/Sardines in Water w Canned Dog Food w Large, heavy duty “Kong” toys w Pillowcases w Basic office supplies: 20 lb. white paper, pens, padded mailing envelopes, dry erase markers & erasers.
The Wildlife Center of Virginia depends entirely on the generosity of individuals like us to support their life-saving work. They’ll care for more than 2,600 wild animals this year. Please join us & please be generous!
To learn more about the Wildlife Center of Virginia, their animals, and to watch bear cubs, owls, eagles, and more on their “addicting” online LIVE Critter Cam, visit them at Wildlife Center of Virginia
We’ll have a little OPEN HOUSE in the new studio following class from 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. You can pick up a nice last-minute stocking stuffer from my new line of Peaceful Gifts (including, finally, my hand-blended massage oil in take-home bottles!), enjoy some hot apple cider and a little sweet treat, and see the “OM-azing” space that is our new Yoga home.
If you have questions about this special benefit Yoga class please email me at peacefulhands@gmail.com or call 540.672.9528.
If you have questions about this special benefit Yoga class please email me at peacefulhands@gmail.com or call 540.672.9528.
Thanksgiving Yoga ~ A Blessing, Part 2
In “Thanksgiving Yoga ~ A Blessing, Part 1”, I told you about the blessing that guided our Thanksgiving Yoga Savasana, our time of deep relaxation that comes toward the end of a yoga class.
But, you knew I couldn’t let class end without just a few more words about gratitude.
After all, each week I am filled with deep gratitude for the people who take time out of their busy days and lives to join me on their yoga mats. I am so uplifted and inspired by the yoga practices of those of you who unroll your mats with me each week. I’m overwhelmed by your coolness, your kindness, your wisdom, and your sense of humor and adventure! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
And so, as in all of our classes, we end with a bit of stillness, a bit of meditation. And … for our Thanksgiving class this year … these words:
“When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer.” — Wilferd A. Peterson
Feeling Blessed? Here’s more on gratitude from our Yoga classes over the years …
Click here for the timeless and inspiring Thanksgiving blessing from W.E.B. du Bois. It is the blessing that I share at the end of every Yoga class at Thanksgiving: Give Us Thankful Hearts
Click here for the Gratitude Savasana and Energy Bridge instruction:Thanksgiving Yoga ~ A Blessing, Part 1
And, here The Buddha explains why we should be thankful, click: So, Let Us All Be Thankful
For “Thanksgiving Yoga: Rekindling Our Light”, click: Rekindling Our Light
And, for a beautiful poem of Gratitude from Harriett Kofalk that served as the foundation of another Thanksgiving Day Yoga practice click: I Give Thanks
Thanksgiving Yoga ~ A Blessing, Part 1
This week was our Thanksgiving Yoga class … one of my favorite classes, and I love to share it with people who have been unrolling their mats with me for nearly 10 years now, as well as with those who have just come to enjoy and benefit from a yoga practice.
For nearly a decade, I closed my Thanksgiving Class with the beautiful and sweet blessing from W.E.B. DuBois “Give Us Thankful Hearts”. If you don’t know it, I encourage you to give it a click.
This year, I offered two blessings.
The first came during Savasana, our time of relaxation and release. While absorbing the fruits of our yoga practice we lit the fire of our true heart of kindness. And, then we connected our warm heart light with the hearts of those for whom we are grateful … friends, family, and others … who inspire, uplift, support, and care for, and about, us through good times and bad. We built an energy bridge … our heart connected to the hearts of so many others.
And, the blessing that guided us was this:
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” ~ Albert Schweitzer
Of course, we needn’t wait until Thanksgiving to build an Energy Bridge of gratitude to those who care for us. But, it’s a nice reminder just the same.
The Thanksgiving blessing for our meditation during class is beautiful, too. So beautiful that it deserves its own entry …
Feeling Blessed? Here’s more on gratitude from our Yoga classes over the years …
Click here for the timeless and inspiring Thanksgiving blessing from W.E.B. du Bois. It is the blessing that I share at the end of every Yoga class at Thanksgiving: Give Us Thankful Hearts
Click here for another beautiful blessing that guided our meditation at the end of one Thanksgiving Yoga class: Thanksgiving Yoga ~ A Blessing, Part 2
Here The Buddha explains why we should be thankful, click: So, Let Us All Be Thankful
For “Thanksgiving Yoga: Rekindling Our Light”, click: Rekindling Our Light
And, for a beautiful poem of Gratitude from Harriett Kofalk that served as the foundation of another Thanksgiving Day Yoga practice click: I Give Thanks
Peaceful Hands Yoga 