Pache Mama, I beseech thee

Couldn't sleep. Was calling out yoga asanas (poses) in my sleep. Instead of staying in bed, I crept to the patio to see what the temp was. Degree wise, not so sure, but it called for a hot cup of tea, a steaming bowl of oatmeal, and some big, cozy sweats. I sat out there taking it all in and it left me with this prayer to Mother Earth.

Pache Mama I beseech thee, make me like...

the lake who rests in complete stillness,

the birds who fly free above worry, fear and doubt,

the trees who stand firm and do not react,

the grass who waits patiently for the sun to melt away the frost,

the breeze who brings life to those around,

the fountain who dances playfully in each moment,

the sun who warms the day with brillance.

Pache Mama, I beseech thee, allow me to emulate

your works of beauty in my heart, my soul, my life.

Stop Smoking Your Joints!

I have to credit my yoga instructor for that phrase. He frequently calls me out when I "hang out in my joints" in poses. You see, hypermobility's not all that it's cracked up to be.

I became aware of my 'bendiness' back when I lived in Canada. The situation, as I remember it, was this. A bunch of kids were hanging out when one asked the group if anyone could bring their hands from back to front while keeping them clasped. We all tried it, and magically I was able to do it no sweat. Back to front, front to back, heck I could even climb through my arms and make a jump rope routine out of it. Word got out and I showed my 'talent' to anyone that asked.

I kept the skill as I grew up, and soon discovered more Gumby-esque body parts. My fingers could bend backwards, my elbows could hinge out, my legs could twist up pretzel style. The fun was never-ending! One doctor of mine mentioned that I should join the freak show... and I am sure he meant that in the most complimentary, not 'adolescent-scarring, you'll remember this for the rest of your life' kinda way.

During high school, my party antics of contortionism, started to creep up at all hours unsummoned. I would be driving down the street and all of a sudden my shoulder would slip out of its socket. It could take minutes, hours before I could get it back in. Physical therapy was my only option, and that only lasted until I broke my collarbone.

I skirted through college unscathed by further joint issues. Post-college, a running injury to my hip kept me hobbling for three months before a doctor realized it was severe arthritis. Each time I tried doing yoga, the same hip-slip would resurface and I would be off of the mat for several weeks. It didn't take long before I gave up on yoga entirely. I took running back up and soon learned that my knees couldn't take the daily stress. That's when I learned I was smoking my joints.

Out of the blue, I came to try Power Yoga. Unlike Hatha, where the focus is on calmly stretching, Power Yoga capitalizes on strength and muscle. It's what my body needed- to unlearn my hyper-mobile ways and use my muscles for a change. Every now and then, my instructor will catch me idling in flexibility or pulling a Cirque du Soleil move and he'll call me out on it. I'll adjust my posture and discover how challenging the pose really is. I'm grateful that yoga has come to the rescue in saving my joints so that I can still be practicing when I am in my 90's (like my grandmother- she's 93 and does yoga every morning!) In the end, I guess I can also thank yoga for keeping me out of the freak show.

Come practice Power Yoga with me! http://mbodyyoga.com/

Happy New Year!

Today marks the Chinese New Year! The closest I have been to China was this past summer when I spent a month backpacking In Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. To sum up my trip, I wrote a poem...

I Went Searching For Buddha

I went searching for Buddha where I thought he’d be found,
In lands where beauty in simplicity abounds.

I went searching for Buddha in the wats of Chiang Mai,
Through the forests and tunnels where headless Buddha statues lie.

A blessing from a monk, a spirit bracelet on my wrist,
But Buddha never came, and he was surely missed.

I went searching for Buddha in the verdant Laos hills,
Where a line of rice a mile long strengthens solid wills.

A slowboat to Pak Ou, a tuk-tuk to Kuang Si,
But somehow in the beauty, Buddha eluded me.

I went searching for Buddha in the mystic Angkor Wat,
Where valiant trees stand their ground after battles they once fought.

In visages of seclusion, and early morning dew,
Buddha always remained distant, just outside my view.

I went searching for Buddha on the islands in the sea,
Sailing deep, unchartered waters, diving 20,000 leagues.

Surfacing only for a nap or a bite of food to eat,
There was no time or place for Buddha and I to meet.

I went searching for Buddha on the banks of the River Kwai,
A third class, open-air ticket to be a silent passerby.

Not the rafting, nor the riding, nor hiking Erawan Falls,
Made ever-loving Buddha appear to answer all my calls.

I went searching for Buddha in loud, bustling Bangkok.
Amid locals on the river, following crowds along the dock.

Searched Grand Palace in and out, wats and market vendors too,
But Buddha escaped me every time, I left before I knew.

I went searching for Buddha where I thought for sure he’d be,
But Buddha was not out there, Buddha is in me.

Copyright 2007 Melanie McCaffery

Pack the Peanut Butter!

Smart Balance, Super Douper Crunchy- that's my Emergency Travel Ration. I never leave home without it! No extra room needed for bread or crackers, just a spoon!

I speak on the topic of food today because it is Ash Wednesday, and for many people that means abstaining from eating meat. Thankfully, I've got that one covered.

My diet has evolved considerably over the past 5 years- from a strict, label-reading vegan to an organic lacto-ovo veg. It is a representation of spiritual, emotional and physical beliefs that I have honed over many a trip around the globe. My encounters with people and places have had a tremendous impact on what I put in my mouth. Below is a sampling of situations I've been in and reactions I've had related to my culinary quirks...

Amsterdam: Finding out that there IS a thing as too much falafel!
France: Asking repeatedly for "Beurre d'arachide" (peanut butter) at the supermarket only to wind up with a stick of butter and a bag of peanuts.
Germany: It is amazing how sustaning beer and pretzels can be.
Italy: How do you say eggs in Italian? And milk? Darnit, if I could just ask them if their dishes contained either, I would be in pasta paradise!
Laos: All you can eat, pack your plate to the sky vegetarian buffet, nightly- $1USD
South Africa: "People here do not understand vegetarianism because when you know what hunger is, you don't refuse food."
Spain: I can only imagine what I look like to the locals here, as I sit on the side of the road eating baked beans out of a can, cold.
Switzerland: "Isn't it unfortunate that when you travel you can't embrace the entire culture by eating their local delicacies?"
Thailand: Tofu terrain, 20 cent Pad Thai from an alley stand.
Zambia: "You're vegetarian? You must want to live a long life."
Zimbabwe: Paying $20USD for a sleeve of crackers and a block of cheese.

Who knew eating, or rather not-eating, could be such an adventure! For a great start to eating veg around the globe, check out the uber-helpful http://www.happycow.net/!!

Phone Fast

A couple of months ago, I decided that I would reserve one day a month for a food fast. Nothing but water and hot tea all day long. I usually try to pick the most active day of the week- the one that is chock-a-block full of things to do so that I do not have time to focus on food or lack thereof. It is a truly grounding experience.

These past couple of days have been like a phone fast for me. I have been on phone fasts before- whenever I travel, in fact. The phone fasts can last weeks- but like my food fasts, I keep myself occupied in another activity. For some reason, a phone doesn't even come to mind when I am barreling down a class V rapid or hiking along a coast through village after village.

I am trying to employ similiar tactics that I use in my food fast for my phone fast. At the first thought of hunger, I usually take the time for a simple prayer of gratitude. Likewise, when I think about making a phone call, I settle into a moment of thankfulness. If the hunger turns into a growling stomach, I will make a cup of tea. Writing an email, posting a blog or talking to myself gets me through the aching moments that I really want to call someone. When I get a wafting aroma of delicious food, I smile and revel in the nourishing fact that I am surviving! Similiarly, the sound of a phone ringing makes me smile and realize that I can, in fact, make it through the day without talking on the phone. Though I am not distracted by the excitement of travel this time, I am still granted the opportunity to look at things in a different light.

When presence calls, answer.

As I learn more about yoga, I consciously try to extend my practice beyond my mat each day. Like yesterday, for instance. I dropped my cell phone in the toilet. With my attentive reflexes, I fished it out quite heroically. I maintained my awareness of the situation, and even had a non-yogic chuckle. I assessed the event as a 'call' to be more present. No pun intended. I will likely have to employ the yogic teachings of pranayama (deep, rhymthic breathing) today at Sprint, when I am informed of how expensive this 'call' to presence really was.

I guess it was coming. My most recent calls to presence have gone straight to voicemail. This one came through loud and clear. The surface meaning is obvious- don't wear your phone clipped onto your pants. It is the deeper meanings that always get me. Let's ponder, shall we?

Perhaps this call to presence was to highlight an area of my life that I need to focus on- communication most likely. Have I not been clear in my conversations with people recently? Do I hide behind the guise of a phone call rather than speak to people in person?

Maybe it's not my lack of communication at all. What if it's that I have been letting people push my buttons and I am about to short-circuit? What if I have been draining my battery too low and I am about to shut down? Hmm.

You may see a trend here, I think a LOT. But honestly, being present is important. How many times a day do I find myself wondering how or when or if I did something because I was not actually present when I did it. Being present means actually paying attention to what you are doing/seeing/hearing/feeling. Events like these shake up a routine day, however annoyingly this particular time. But you know what? Each time I think I hear my phone ringing or I go to call someone, I am reminded of my imbecillic move, and again I am present.

So what if the only real lesson to this wake up call is not to wear my phone clipped to my pants. I have taken something else from it as well- sometimes it takes something out of the ordinary to take us somewhere out of the usual. Now when presence calls, I will try to answer on the first ring!

I stopped halfway to 360...

I think it's funny when people are describing how much something changed and they'll accidentally say that he/she/it 'did a total 360.' As for me, I stopped halfway. Isn't it appropriate that I was halfway around the world at the time?

The SuperStroll took me back to memories of Australia, and how I credit the country for totally changing my entire life. (Cheers, mate!) Basically, the experiences I had there 6 years ago shifted my perspective, and my life was forever changed.

I have to laugh when I think back to my return to the states after studying abroad down under for 6 months. "Hey, so I'm not going to pursue advertising anymore, I am a vegan and at the end of this semester I am moving back to Australia, what's new with you?" That was my 180.

Since then, I have had varying degrees of transformation, but none as drastic as the Oz shift 6 years ago. I will likely recount some tales along the way through this blog, but tonight I just wanted to set the base and thank the Aussies for being the catalyst of growth in my life.

Super Stroll...

I know it's SuperBowl Sunday. Hey, I even know what teams are playing! But I am sitting here, 7 minutes to gametime and I am wondering why I would watch the game. I have no loyalty to either team, (living in NY for 3 months does not automatically make you a Giants fan). I could watch the ads, seeing as how I was an ad major for 4 years and hold a degree in the field. I'll be honest, it's not too enticing.

Instead, I've just came up with my own game plan. I am going to take a SuperStroll down memory lane- I am going to start a blog. This is it, the first play. It's going to be a winner, I can feel it. I'm even excited about it! In this day and age when decisions are often easy to come by, (heck they're made for us half the time) I ask you to join me and STRETCH YOUR HORIZONS- do something different, something out of the ordinary, something spontaneous. For me, today, that means no SuperBowl watching. Tomorrow, the opportunities are endless...

XOM