The beginnings of juicy goodness at Orly’s Attachment Theory Workshop

Had a blast with Mom, and friends old and new enjoying a six hour Art Journaling extravaganza as only Orly can pull off so seamlessly and deliciously!

What fun – the day started with an introductory exploration with friendly strangers (my table buddy Brian had great energy to share space with throughout the day), and proceeded with other thought provoking prompts, exploration of new mediums, a fantastic group of people which enhanced the really wonderful feeling in the room (although we were all somewhat introspective which was exactly where it needed to be I suppose), and an out of this world middle eastern feast!

Looks quite tasty doesn’t it? It was, and this is all that was left!

Not to be confused with scrap booking, Art Journaling is something quite different.
I will let Orly explain it briefly to you here though, as she surely knows better then I.

This was another table mates portfolio of journaling materials – a fabulous image she let me photograph. Everyone had their own way of organizing their bits of life that would at some point find their way on the glorious blank pages. And if we didn’t have much to work with or that exact thing that would bring our composition to the next level, Orly had quite a grand selection of ephemera (new word for me) to amuse us. So much enticing stuff to wade through. She got me to see ticket stubs and grocery lists in a whole new light.

Orly holds several classes throughout each week – go here to see her present schedule. If you happen to be in the Port Townsend, Washington area October 21 to 25 – don’t miss the opportunity to sit in on her class at Journalfest - both mood altering and potentially life changing, not to mention just pure unadulterated fun – she is a very warm, funny, engaging and entertaining girl !

My last page of the day on patterns and combining patterns with others to make entirely new patterns. Only four pages and not even entirely completed in six hours – a lovely way to relax and go deep or stay light – whichever serves you in that moment. You should try it sometime.

(Gorgeous aren’t they? Don’t you just love them?)

No matter how bold or unassuming, it’s all good – large, boisterous, petite, demure, we just need to do it – in anyway that moves us – just make a splash – once a day at least. BIG HUGE WAVE, little tiny sprinkle… Dive in feet first and hit the ground running, skipping, jumping – however and wherever they take you – just go with them and make it matter. Because YOUR splash encourages others to splash and we all know where that leads – remember the ripple? Yeah, I knew you did – So go and be fabulous and put yourself out there this time for real – don’t back off, see it through. And I will be right there beside you singing your praises and being completely inspired and thoroughly wowed. Thanks in advance for that…

So where did you splash around today?

Statue photo taken at J.Woeste in Los Olivos

Her story was inevident to the clot of passersby. Her face unrecorded in their memory banks as they rushed around the raw-nerved civil servants working on what seemed to be nothing directly to the right of the subway stairwell. She watched and waited unhurriedly taking in the melee of departed train riders as they emerged and collided with the world that lay above. She didn’t notice him at first, his claim to fame – the invisible one – but then she realized a kink in the flow, a sudden dam in the salmon run and there he was amidst the crowd, stopped in his tracks with one foot while the other one raised repeatedly several times, seemingly in effort to extract himself from a web of something that was presently adhering him to the pavement. Deciding it best to move out of the line of traffic, he made his way to the curb and proceeded to rake his sole against its abrasiveness. A visible sigh raised and lowered his chest and shoulders, and he ventured on – his demeanor moving from initial surprise to anger to annoyance to resignation within a matter of a minute. He knew he didn’t have time for this on this particular morning. There was an empty spot, a blatant gap in his agenda that seemed to be reserved for some reason, though he knew not why. His gut told him to just get to the office and everything would become clear.

She decided to take a more unorthodox route, as she preferred to arrive ahead of him. She didn’t want to give him the opportunity for any rehearsing. She needed him in a purely spontaneous receptive state.

It was a small dank hole of an office with no windows, frayed carpet, coffee stained cushions and the smell – a meld of stale cigarettes, Glade and history defying submission. Everything about the office screamed apathy and whispered self-loathing, from the dusty, vased artificial flowers to the hairline crack of the 70′s inspired wall mirror. The receptionist gave a curt
“Have a seat.”

Her ensemble didn’t cause much notice – a mere glance as if to say “hmph – whatevah”, as if her feathered cloak could be seen anywhere on any street corner in the lower east side. As instructed, there were to be no grand unveilings to the general public. This was a strictly one on one parley, and she would wait to reveal any glimmer of gold after he settled in and she had his full attention.

He made his usual stop in the lobby to The Corner Cafe (it irked him when others stated the obvious and tried to pass it off as cleverness) and bought his usual half decaf half regular (his doctor warned him of the perils of caffeine on those hypertensive – this was his way of a compromise) and a buttered Kaiser roll with two slices of American cheese cut in quarters. He snagged the Post, the News and the Times, folded them into a big chunky uneven rectangle, secured them under his armpit and headed towards the elevator.

The anticipation of some coming soon event of unknown origin was pulling at his tie and causing his brow to bead. Choosing to chalk the anxiety causing these manifestations up to a marginally utilized imagination, he discounted the whoosh of seemingly fresher air as he ambled down the corridor to his suite (the term obviously used loosely) – “Suite 7″ greeting him in presumed perpetuity, and he turned the knob.

To Be Continued…Sometime….Thanks for reading!

Yayyyy my first postcard came from the Benevolent Postcard Society!

I mentioned a couple posts ago how thrilled I was to be a part of this fun project. I recently received this adorable guy from a lovely woman in Norway – thank you Therese for the teddy bear and happy wishes – he makes me smile every time I walk by!

A big thank you again to Lori Langille, the kind soul who put this all together – anticipation of next months mailing has gotten me drawing again and it feels so good after so long!

Have a fabulous day out there everyone!

The entrance to J Woeste in Los Olivos – a truly magical place!

Some days they would be anyway…

A brief, generic ‘having a great time – wish you were here’, sometimes a deeper gesture to encourage a reconnection, a snapshot glimpse of an enchanting place you’ve yet to experience yourself, a quick message of love and devotion possibly accented with a hint or a smack of sultriness, steam or scent of perfume, or coupons to entice you into purchasing a new product or service, and now, for me and for 250 plus others around the world, a unique way to just share a short, sweet message of unconditional optimism – a grand way to shine a flicker of light, blast of color, texture and design in between the not as exciting packets of junk mail and bills. Can’t wait to receive my first card from the Benevolent Postcard Society, I await its arrival with keen anticipation – and I hope my new friend likes the one I sent along, my beloved sheep from the LA zoo. Thank you so much to Lori Langille for letting me be a part of this beautifully inspired project – just made it in under the wire – I am so thrilled.

Minor diversion during mise en place.

Too much time on my hands?

Possibly, but now I just have to fold in the corners and dump it in a pot.

Sara and Aileen!

Congratulations to you both and I will look forward to meeting up with each of you for your one hour Reflexology session very soon!

Thanks so much to everyone for playing and for taking the time to share your comments.
It was fun and I will enjoy doing something like that again some time in the not too far off future.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Donna

Although purely utilitarian in nature, the initial impact of this image was a bit startling. From the vantage point of my lens capturing the shackles around these beautiful bronze bubble toes, I felt a twinge of sadness until I followed the path of the metal upwards.

Delightful isn’t she? Completely appropriate word for her I think. Light, fun, goofy – just like the rest of her friends in the garden. Just look at them.

For more images of Phillip Glashoff’s sculptural whimsy and other wonderous works at the Judith Hale Gallery in Los Olivos – click here.

But back for a moment to the emotions stirred from the original image – such a perfect metaphor really, for how the human spirit is able to overcome adversity. When we are “held captive” or “stuck” by either external sources or our own fears, what is it that gives some individuals the strength to persevere, to keep trying to move forward, the personal power to overthrow their adversaries, the desire to continue to survive and prevail? Is it just undying faith? The unwavering belief that this is not their destiny and the best will surely come sometime soon? Do they maintain their fortitude on behalf of another? Do they just shut themselves off from the reality of the earthly situation and venture off to another more loving, peaceful place in their own minds? How is it that some people have endured a life time of repeated loss, tragedy and hardship and still their soul has the capacity to soar? I have met people like this as you may have too – circumstances that would break a good share of us seem to make these people shine even brighter. Is it a profound sense of gratitude that they maintain for what they DO have? Do they just continue to count their blessings? Do they see the gift in the experience no matter how potentially crushing and catastrophic it is?

This act of seeing the gift in every situation is not a new idea, but if we could master just this one practice, just think about how the course of our lives could be altered for the better. Sometimes it is very difficult to find the gift in a situation, but if you write down every bit of your past baggage, every occurrence that repeatedly flies back into your life to reek havoc, every devastating tragedy that you have withstood, and partner it with a gift you received from it – I bet you would be surprised how you can turn your focus around and these past happenings will be empowering rather than sabotaging. You will be able to move on. You don’t have to forget, but your focus will be different and it will open you to inspiration and the strong urge to create once again.

Give it a go and let me know how it works out for you. Those silver linings – we just have to keep searching them out.

As a Recipient I LOVE:

• The fact that I only need to remove my shoes and socks to experience complete release of tension, soreness or pain throughout my entire body.
• That I am able to achieve such a profoundly deep level of relaxation, unlike any other form of body therapy I have ever encountered.
• That I can consistently arrive at that glorious altered state this work is known for.
• That the level of peace and calm that is realized during a session stays with me long after I leave the practitioner’s chair. It is seemingly a cumulative effect that is experienced, where that balanced state is maintained for longer periods of time afterwards, the more consistently I schedule my appointments.
• The concentrated attention on my feet. It feels fabulous especially after dancing, walking, or just standing for hours at a time. I also feel very cared for when having my feet worked on. There is something very soothing and comforting about this work. It is very nurturing.
  
• The greater flexibility and range of motion that I have in my ankles, feet and toes.
  
• That I can immediately tell where I have imbalances simply by having points on my feet palpated (or working the points myself). My feet give me immediate and accurate feedback.
• That Reflexology has always been a perfect reminder for me to BREATHE, and when I receive it regularly, it allows me to feel more balanced in every aspect of my life.
  

As a Practitioner I LOVE:

• Seeing my clients faces and states of being completely alter from when they first arrived. By the end of their session they usually look significantly softened, lighter – sometimes completely luminous, a bit spacey, unquestionably relaxed, and they are usually sporting a lovely smile on their faces. (ahh – makes me so happy !)
• Being able to assist people in their process of restoring or maintaining vitality.
• When they come back and tell me that they just feel so much better on a whole since receiving this work. They feel more in balance.
• When they share with me upon getting up off of the table that they are pain free….and they are so excited!
• When they get off of the table and tell me their headache, migraine or stomach ache is gone.
• When they say that they feel they are better at coping with life’s challenges and they are not feeling depressed anymore (and they feel that Reflexology is partly responsible for this improvement).
• When they express that it is just nice to feel a human touch.
• When they tell me they were transported to another place in time…some place really beautiful…
  
• When they fall asleep and snore, after they informed me that they hadn’t been sleeping well for days.

I have heard the above reactions from many different people time and time again. People’s responses are varied of course, but at the very least, 99% of the time they report feeling more relaxed and refreshed then when they first walked through the door.

It has been a privilege and an honor for me to share this work with others over the past 22 years. I am as jazzed about it now as when I experienced my first session with my first Reflexology teacher back east. It was a complete “WOW” for me – truly a life changing hour, and I new as soon as the session came to an end that I wanted to learn how to work with this wonderful energy therapy. As I mentioned clients have told me of many different ways they have felt better after the session. I don’t believe it is me “healing” them as some practitioners purport, but rather ‘this work’ leads them to such a state of deep relaxation that the body is then in an optimal position to heal itself.

I also thoroughly enjoy teaching Reflexology, and am constantly learning something new about it with each group of students I have the pleasure of instructing. It is fun as well as enlightening to explore it through other people’s experiences as well as my own.

Have you ever had a Reflexology session before? How did it make you feel? What did YOU love about it?

I would love to hear, and if you would be so kind to tell me here by clicking on the Comment link below, I will happily enter your name in a drawing for either a:

One Hour Reflexology Session (if you live within the Los Angeles County Beach Cities of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach or Torrance)

or if you don’t live close by, you will be entered into the drawing to win a gorgeous laminated set of 5 Sole Garden Reflexology Charts

Never had a session before but would love to try it?
I want to hear from you too, so please leave a comment as well and I will gladly add you to the drawing.

Drawing will be held on Friday, August 21, 2009.

Two winners will be drawn digitally and will be announced right here on the home page, and also will be notified by email.

Thanks for playing!

Best Wishes, Donna