What's holding me steady as I get back from a week long retreat...

Just a little quick hello that I am back home from retreat and missing it already!

Its been a bit overwhelming coming back to 'regular' life; business tasks, emails (God bless autoresponders!), parenting, not to mention looking for a new room mate, and all the other responsibilities of modern life!

I miss the forest, the quiet, and having a lot of time for introspection. I miss the simplicity of being on retreat. I could easly take a week off every month.

That said, when I feel like I am spinning out of control, its been a bit of shock coming home, I have two solid practices that are helping me to hold steady and get grounded.

My first and number one go to tool is my meditation practice. Lately I have been chanting 'Nam Myoho Renge Kyo' which is the basis of SGI Buddhism. I just repeat those words over and over and honestly I feel wonderful afterwards. I also have a silent inner guided meditation I learned from classes at the Training In Power Academy. I find this inner quiet practice very nourishing and grounding.

My second sanctuary in the midst of modern day living is, of course, my studio! My daughter was gently asking me yesterday if I was going to go paint. "Oh, no, I'm fine, I'm going to read a book... I'm just going to take a few things down to the studio..." A few hours later I have been happily distracted by some new Fragments of Life paintings I have been playing with. This happens a lot and I am so grateful for the magic and healing of creativity in my life!

[ Part of the distraction was because I've got some new collage materials of horses and maps of the Gulf Islands and this combined with gels and sand textures makes it very hard to leave the studio! Time disappears and I am back in my place of bliss!]

As a very sensitive person in this world, I classify as an HSP (highly sensitive person), I find these two pillars in my life - meditation and painting - help me to cope with all the outside world frantickness (sp?), all the challenges and commitments, all that noise. They make life sweeter and help to hold me steady.

Namaste friends,

Love Deb