So...This Is My Life...And My Life Is Great!

Well, today has been a very busy day and I had a very busy evening! That just seems to  be how life is lately.  Well, actually, it's been this way for a looooong time. I had a great time at a weekend workshop on Thai Yoga Massage Stretching Techniques. I worked part of the day Monday and taught Monday night. Today, I got home to Incline from Reno and Sukha and I had to go straight to the studio for 5:45 p.m. class, had a 7:00 meeting, emptied a bit of my suitcase, went to the grocery store, made the dog's food, gave her subcutaneous fluids, now it is 11:00 and time for bed.  My day starts tomorrow with 7:30 a.m. class and the busyness continues from there.

Sukha, Me, Sarge and George
at our home in Reno

But it's just fine with me. The one constant in my life, other than being busy, has been love. Nothing else matters. There is NOTHING better than love!  It starts with love of self, and then extends to love of family and friends, and others out there, and so on.  So thanks, to my family and friends, and others like my animals (who are actually my family), and my students and clients. Here is our latest family photo.

I have a very full and very wonderful life!  Sometimes it seems less glorious because of the hectic-ness I feel much of the time.  But that's okay.  The truly important things in life are in place.  Now I just need a personal assistant and a housekeeper that work for free!  Any takers?

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Not me....

Hello people,


I was at the grocery store and bought the new O magazine and got this quote from A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. 

No need to hurry.  No need to sparkle.  No need to be anybody but oneself.

Cool.  My thoughts exactly.  The day I figured this out was the day I started to live.  My advice to you today is to just be yourself.  Love and accept yourself just the way you are.  Then LIVE for Pete's sake!


I was in Reno the past few days getting my prenatal yoga teaching certificate.  Whew!  I'll be glad to have some down time, which I can turn into busy time catching up with all I need to catch up on.


I'm doing the 3-Day for the Cure walk for Breast Cancer, with the Susan G. Komen Foundation with my cousin, Nancy.  We are walking 60 miles total (20 miles each day for 3 days), in November in Phoenix, Arizona.  I need to collect $2,300 in order to walk.  Won't you help fight breast cancer?  Click on the banner below.


By the way, I don't know why there is so much space between paragraphs.  I hit "enter" once and it does what you see.  If I don't hit "enter," there are no paragraph breaks.  Hm.  Weird.


Ciao!
Jun-ri

I still love the animals, too.  (hint hint)

Prenatal Yoga Anyone?

Well, if you want to take a prenatal yoga class, I can comfortably teach one after tomorrow.  I had some basic knowledge of doing yoga during pregnancy, and was comfortable if a pregnant woman came to my class, but after I take the class I am taking this weekend I will feel ready to teach a prenatal-specific yoga class.  I think my biggest challenge was getting over the hump of not having a child myself, so I didn't feel I really knew enough about being pregnant, other than what to NOT do.  I'm feeling much more confident about that, after being in class all day today.  I will be taking another day of class tomorrow, which I am looking forward to.  I've always wanted to know about every topic imaginable, so this fits right in!


It always amazes me, though I can't figure out why, that  yoga can help so many ills of the body and mind.  It has always helped anything I've asked it to help, so I don't know why I still get amazed.  But maybe that's one reason why I've always loved it so much, since I was 13, for crying out loud.  B.K.S. Iyengar said, "Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured."  That's definitely what it has done for me my entire life.  If I was angry, I could take it to my yoga mat.  If I was in pain, physical or emotional, to my mat I'd go.  Yoga has been my savior on many, many occasions.  I cannot imagine life without it.  I'm sure that's one reason I am so passionate about teaching yoga and meditation to others.  I am passing on tools others can use to save their own lives.  What better gift could I possibly give?


So my brain is a little fried tonight, having been in class all day.  I've not much to say!  I wish you a wonderful evening and a wonderful rest of the weekend.  I'll be blogging again very soon...


Namaste,
Jun-ri

Wang Dang Sweet Poontang???

Well hello there.  It is a lovely Wednesday night and I'm sitting here in my office replaying my day in my head.


It started with a 4 mile run on Lakeshore, a beautiful place to be on a nice day.  I am a girl who like to listen to good ol' rock n' roll when I run.  As I was running along, my playlist popped up with "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" by Ted Nugent.  I couldn't help but laugh at this for two reasons.  The first is that the song, from the Double Live Gonzo CD, starts with Ted say something like "anyone who wants to get mellow can just turn around and get the f&*% out of here."  I am about the mellowest person you could ever meet!  Secondly, I laughed at the idea that a song sung by someone whose beliefs and political ideas are so far from mine they make me want to toss my cookies can actually make me want to run like a fiend!


After my run, I went home and took a hot bath while doing some mental homework.  Then...I got a call from a friend who was going to be moving away and leaving the state very soon, and is now going to stay for a while longer.  That made me very happy.  He also said some really nice things to me, about me and some choices I've recently made.  That made me smile, as well.


Before I left for my yoga studio to teach some classes, I took some pictures of the lovely flowers that George planted for me.  Here they are:

                                                                                                                                                                           

You might notice the flags.  George was pre-decorating for July 4, and they had some flags at the store.  Works for me!


I am redecorating the studio and have been trying to figure out what color to paint.  I painted some samples on the wall and have made a decision.  It is a light beige color that will go with anything and is a very serene color.  I think it will look very nice.  (There are two other possibilities...AAAHH!!!  This should be fun but there are so many choices and so many things to consider!)


After all my classes were finished, I did my own yoga practice in the studio before coming home.  Then I got a little sidetracked doing some research on the internet, and here I am at 10:28 with a plan to get into bed by 10:30.  I had better say goodnight and get myself upstairs!


Thanks for reading my thoughts. :)


Jun-ri

Oh my! What a day!

Well, friends, today was a very busy day. It is 10:09, and I got home at 9:30; my day started at 8:00 this morning and I've had enough. My plan is to start being asleep by 10:30 at the very latest, so I need to go to bed.

So, not much of a post tonight. I hope all of you had a wonderful, fun, and productive (as much as you wanted) day.

Good night to all!

Jun-ri

So What If You Are Different?

Hello Friends in Blogland,

Wow. I'm not exactly sure what I want to blog about today, but stick with me and I'll figure it out. I've been feeling a little blah all day; I think I'll blog in purple and a fancy font.

I got a bunch of work done today, even had a client call, which was good! While I was inside working, George was outside planting flowers for me. He did a FANTASTIC job! I'll see if I can post some photos tomorrow. I need to get some more flowers, but my "yard" is nearly finished being decorated for the summer season. It's great to get a hot cup of tea, and go outside to meditate as a nice start to your day, particularly when surrounded by so much natural beauty. Few things are that inspiring.

I just opened my trusty meditation book to find the following quote by Jae Woong Kim from "Polishing the Diamond."

When someone asks you a question, answer him or her sincerely and when you are not asked, do not force your teaching upon others.

Well. That says a great deal for many people to hear. I am assuming that, since you have come to my blog today, you want to know what I have to say. In effect, you are asking what I think, so I'm going to tell you.

You may have noticed that I am a Buddhist. As a Buddhist, I get a lot of questions about Buddhism, and I get to hear what other people's religious beliefs are. I don't mind answering questions, and I sometimes ask other people questions, as well. I answer the questions the best way I know how to answer them, as plainly and correctly as possible. If I don't know, I say that I don't know. Some questions are more complicated than others, so I try to give the best explanation using the simplest terms I can. I figure that if someone wants a complex answer, he or she will ask more questions. It is not my "job" to persuade anyone how to think. I enjoy discussing religion, faith and beliefs. I have all of those and they are very important to me! I don't know how I could live my life without those things. They are the biggest part of me.

I am sometimes told all about why I should have a different belief. That's okay, unless it gets excessive. I begin doubting a person's real beliefs when they get waaaay to fervent and ferocious in their commentary (and I'm not one to take things personally). I feel like they are trying to convince themselves how they feel and think, and not trying to convince me at all.

But here's the thing, I don't really care what other people think, so I don't understand why they have to be so vocal in telling me what they think and why I should think the same way. Let's get one thing straight. I am a kind, compassionate, and loving person. I live by the Golden Rule. I wish only the best for all, and no ill for any person, even many of those who maybe, by our society's standards, I probably should. I will not change and I harbor no judgment of others who think differently. If anyone out there in internet land wants me to change my mind, just forgive me and move on so we can have a nice lunch. Okay?

H.H. Dailai Lama says that Buddhism is not for everyone, and I believe all religions are that way. It is just like being a doctor, a writer, a teacher, or a monk or nun is not for everyone. I am vain enough to dye my hair, but not enough to get a facelift or lipsuction, though it might help with the tummy bulge I have even when I am "skinny." Some people get their butt fat injected into their lips or cheeks, but think salt and pepper hair is just fine. So, even plastic surgery and hair dye isn't for everyone! As long as good grooming is still "in," I will be happy.

I guess the most important thing is to not apologize for simply being just who you are, feel free to tell anyone who asks what you think about anything you are comfortable talking about, let people have the respect due them when their opinions don't match up with yours, and just love and appreciate yourself for being who you are. Doesn't that sound like the start of a happy, harmonious world?

Now go out there and be the best "you" that "you" can be!

Your Very Buddhist friend,

Jun-ri

Hello World...Come on Get Happy!!!

Are you old enough to remember the Partridge Family? Well, if you tuned in to the show, do you remember the theme song, Come on Get Happy? It's a short, little ditty, that makes me smile every time I hear it. I can't help but feel happy! It's kind of like that song "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves. Just makes me feel all bubbly and giddy inside. Weeeeellllll...I am here to tell you that it can be purchased from iTunes. It is on my iPod and I listened to it while walking 7 miles today. It was a great, and happy, walk!

One day a couple months ago I purchased all my favorite songs from the 60s, 70s and some from the 80s. It was a fun, albeit expensive, indoor adventure.

Speaking of adventures, here are some photos from yesterday's adventure with George and Sarge. What a beautiful land I live in! It's no wonder I love living here as much as I do.

So here is a haiku about the beauty we saw yesterday:

Blue sky clouds float by

Flowers colored by nature

Many hues so bright

I must have been tired after the long day and walking all over creation; I slept 'til after 11:00 this morning! Luckily, I had the good sense to get the sleep I needed (if you have Fibromyalgia you really need to listen to your body) and to get up and walk today. I am walking, with my cousin Nancy, the 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer in November. We walk 3 days in a row, 20 miles each day! (Yes, that is 60 miles total.) I am raising at least the minimum of $2,300 for the walk. If you'd like to donate in my name, please go to my fundraising site: http://www.the3day.org/goto/JulieHodges

I will be back on the walking trail tomorrow, and will share with you what I find.

"Hello world it's a song that we're singin', come on get happy, a whole lot of lovin' is what we'll be bringin', we'll make you happy...."

So Get Happy Already!

Jun-ri