Free to Dance

While on my morning walk today and listening to my music, I started to dance, as I often do and realized this: I have never seen anyone of the hundreds of people I see every day with earbuds in their ears dancing. WHY?!

Why? I had to ask myself. We live in the land of the free but when it comes to our bodies we do not seem  very free. What is this social construct that keeps us from moving in ways that help us enjoy life more? What is this western sense of propriety and decorum that we must not move in ways that may make others think we are crazy?

Is it crazy to dance in the park with your headphones on or while walking down the street if a song moves you thusly?

This photo has absolutely nothing to do with this article. 

Take that social norms.

In his article Social Norms Samuel Mcleod  says that "Social Norms are unwritten rules about how to behave.  They provide us with an expected idea of how to behave in a particular social group or culture." Our culture regulates dancing to stage shows and night parties.

We walk around with serious looks on our faces and must be going somewhere specific. But I challenge you to change the norm. Be authentically yourself without the pressures of society. I have to admit that as I got closer to my building, still dancing away, when a woman and her dog walked toward me I stopped, embarrassed. I challenge myself to not feel chagrin at my authenticity.

Join me in creating a brighter more free tomorrow. I promise your soul will thank you.
















McLeod, S. A. (2008). Social roles. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/social-roles.html

Full Moon in Taurus

I have started a new path to self discovery.  I am on a journey to balance my chakras; starting with the root chakra.

Though I am an earth sign and supposedly very grounded, I have been feeling disconnected lately preferring to live in my head.  This negatively impacts my power of manifestation. To reach my full potential I must have all of my chakras fully open.

This Full Moon in Taurus is quite an auspicious time for a Taurean like myself to be starting this journey. I started this process during the New Moon. But now is the time to figuratively till the soil and plant the seeds. What we are planting is balance. A strong foundation is needed to build higher and reach the level needed to consistently achieve enlightenment.

When beginning to open and balance our chakras we want to start at the base or root. This glowing red chakra is located at the base of the spine is responsible for our connection to our bodies and the earth. It is where we satisfy our basic needs for food, water, shelter, and safety. This chakra can become blocked by early childhood trauma, feelings of lack, and an environment that has us constantly in fight or flight mode. With all the #metoo posts I have seen on Facebook I know there are many out there who have had damage done to their root chakras.

The first step to healing is grounding. We want to ground ourselves and let the earth absorb what no longer serves us. Let go of the pain and hurt that we have been carrying around that is limiting us in reaching our full potentials.

A little grounding meditation during my morning walk.

To begin, I would go out under the Full Moon and take off my shoes. I would let my bare feet touch the earth. Take a moment here to center the hips and feel a physical sense of balance. Inhale to the count of eight and exhale just as slowly. Do this three times.

Now visualize that you are one with the earth. Your feet and legs are like tree trunks and their are roots shooting from them into the earth. On the next inhale gather all the pain and hurt, guilt and frustration, gather all that is inside you that you no longer need and does not serve you and push it through the roots of your feet and into the earth grounding it and letting Mother Earth dissipate and dispel that which you are letting go.

On the inhale feel energy rising from the earth through the roots up your legs and filling your body with  vibrant warmth. Focus on your root chakra and envision that red light glowing brighter and brighter.

Breathe.

When you feel that you are grounded, thank the Moon and the Earth for their assistance in this endeavor by raising your arms to the sky and bringing that moon energy down to the earth placing your hands upon it and sharing the blessing. Walk on in peace.

American Bittern

Today on my morning walk I realized that I was part of a community that I appreciated every morning but hand't noticed till that moment.

The same smiling faces and happy nods. I don't yet know their names, but I'm sure in time I will. 

This realization came as another morning walker was taking pictures of the same American Bittern that I had snapped half an hour prior.

She wanted to share the beauty with me; and I showed her the close ups I had previously taken. She is the one who informed me of the bird's name. 

The American Bittern as seen at Beaver Lake near me ;)

This is a migratory bird of the Heron species. It feeds on fish and insects. This bird is thought to be decreasing in population in the south because of infringement upon it's habitat.

We humans, being social creatures rely on these daily interactions for sustenance. The positive interactions we have with the people in our communities give us energy whereas the negative interactions take it away. Thankfully, exercise is a mood booster so everyone I see is mostly happy/positive.

Introverts need not hyperventilate here. A smile or nod serves the same purpose as a hello. Just the brush of energy at it moves past you can be beneficial.

However, without stepping away from the TV, computer, without getting off the sofa and out of our homes we are missing out on something vital.

I say get out and move. Discover the community around you. 

Today I reached Enlightenment

Today I reached Enlightenment.

I found it on my morning walk. I had been searching for it everyday for most of my life. But today, I found it. Right in front of me. It had been staring at me for years and I could not see it. But today was different.

Yesterday, I got married. We pulled out every ritual you can think of to make a lasting and binding union. We called on the directions and asked the ancestors to join us. We made a special bath to promote happiness, vitality, health, and passion. Everything was just right. Maybe it was this experience that helped me open up. I have never had a perfect day before. And yesterday, my wedding day, was the perfect day.

I reflect wondering if this was what helped me to reach my new found state of enlightenment. Is this what helped open the door? Maybe it was reaching a state of calmness and peace. Maybe it was all the relaxation and complete contentment. Whatever it was, I am eternally grateful.

What does enlightenment look like?

To the outside world, it looked like a medium height black woman of average build and dreads crying in the midst of a group of trees and over grown weeds.

From my eyes it looked like being surrounded but utter beauty and vibrancy. I was among trees and plants that I had walked past every day and thought I had appreciated. But today I recognized them as my sisters and brothers. It felt like I could feel them breathing and I knew they were providing me with oxygen as I was providing them with carbon dioxide. Enlightenment came as calm stillness and the realization with out a doubt that all things on this plane of existence are inter connected.

Everything the yogis and the spiritual teachers say are true. Enlightenment comes from within. It is all around us and can be reached through meditation and coming to a place of stillness. I thought I was going to see something new. Fireworks would explode. But I saw with new eyes and my heart exploded. We are living in the garden we have but to open our eyes and recognize it.

I hope to shed forever the illusion and live a life fully transfixed with my new state of being.