synchronicity abounds

waking up this morning, the universe has felt totally aligned for me.

my body moved as I needed it to move. my heart felt and still feels whole. by 5 AM, I was on my ayurvedic journey. i had done my loving-kindness meditation, drank a cup of fenugreek tea, and now I am drinking holy basil tea.

it’s only 6:22 AM and I feel ALIVE, beautiful, and centered. everything feels balanced. WOW!

i have already journaled, and now I am writing a short blog.

sure there are bills that I am struggling to pay, weight that I need to lose for my health/back, and family challenges. there are also amazing and inspiring friends, a snoring pup at my feet, and a job that I can’t wait to get to today.

there are also paint brushes that need to be used, books that are being read, and a world to explore.

courtesey of terri st. cloud of bone sigh arts at: http://bit.ly/2tzcBxD

perhaps best of all was opening up my morning email from terri st. cloud of bone sigh arts to see this amazing prose and picture. I love terri’s work, it always shows up at the perfect time!

each and every word here speaks of my soul; my entire being is reverberating with a rhythm that reminds me that:

I am alive.

I am thriving.

I have arrived to this exquisite time.

synchronicity abounds.

 

ps: confirmation that I really am a writer came when someone ‘liked’ a blog and then became a follower. when I went to the specific blog (http://bit.ly/2uSVhry) that was ‘liked’, I found that it resonated with me too. and then WordPress asked me for feedback about their blog platform. I am not sure if they will respond to my feedback, but I hope so. I so want to grow THIS blog!

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Shedding the Extra Weight

L I V I N G is holy work.

 

Reflection Time Selfie

 

Life is so profoundly full

My body craves less

My mind would love some emptiness

My heart desires just a little more.

 

Dance is the hidden language of the soul. (Martha Graham)

Stretching my entire being

Reaching for the stars

Allowing my body to sway to my own rhythm

 

Losing what I don’t need

Addictions, loved ones, and inner turmoil

Body weight, too much stuff, and lots of old stories

Wanting to celebrate what was

while letting go of what is no longer needed

 

Craving what I need:

Writing time

Creative experiences

and spiritual moments

 

Chanting

Drumming

Journaling

Moving

 

My body

My mind

My soul

Needs so much less and so much more

 

Each time I reach inward, I find more that I want

He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how. (Nietzsche)

My soul yearns to make a difference

My body and mind yearn to see the world through a different lens.

 

Let go of the old, make room for the possibilities

 

In front of me is a bridge

Only once I shed what I don’t need

Release what no longer serves me

Take one step and then another

Only then, will I be able to cross the bridge

 

L I V I N G is holy work

So I will do ALL that I have to do.

Hineini

Here I Am

Pantano Wash, Tucson Arizona

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The Name I Call Myself

My name is the gift I gave myself.  It nurtures my essence and reminds me of all I am and all I want to be.

I am alive. I dance to my own drummer and navigate the world in my own unique ways.

Photo by Aryeh Grossman;                          Composition by Marty Johnson

i am Chava
lover of life
survivor of blackened skies
believer of the future

i am Chava
beaten but not destroyed
strangled but always breathing
blessed to be exactly who I am

a women who finds light in darkness
a dreamer who never stopped dreaming
a drummer who beats to her own rhythm
a writer who knows that her voice matters

i am a wave of light
who seeks light in the shadows of nightmares
who finds sparks in tunnels
who navigates the murky waters of life
and calls wherever I am – home.

Gal-Or
the moon calls to me
the sun warms my heart
both soothe my soul

i am alive
i am thriving
i am soaring
my world is simply precious beyond words.

I am not sure when I learned how to dance or to sing. I can’t remember when I found my voice or my rhythm. And yet, I have.  My world was not diminished by the demons that had moments of breaking my spirit.

My heart broke, so many times my entire being felt shattered.  The tears fell and welts swelled – sometimes physical and sometimes metaphorically. And yet, the clouds allowed splinters of light to stream around me and into me.

The bruises have healed and my heart is now intact.  The door has opened wide and has beckoned me through.  Feel my heartbeat, imagine how deeply I can now breathe, and watch my spirit soar.

I am Chava Gal-Or.

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Opening the Door: My Journey Towards 50 – Shining As I Am

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
~Anais Nin

Love how these flowers radiate light. May I do the same as I walk in the world.

Courtesy of Alden Solovy
From South Jerusalem

I am blessed to be exactly who I am. My spirit soars and dives according to the rhythm of the world. A part of me has always been this way.  And yet, I have watched myself evolve even more solidly towards trusting my rhythm while allowing the intensity of my spirit to come out in each and every setting. I have stopped hiding the deepest parts of me.

I am me. And I love the person I am.

Only recently have I learned to shine a little brighter and to trust my thoughts and my voice to be shared a little more. Something switched in recent months, I started becoming more ok with me!

I love knowing that I can be exactly as I am. My heart breaks open a little more each time I push myself out of my comfort zone. There is a part of me that has always needed to protect myself in the cocoon of life. I love to go inward like a precious flower that opens into the sunlight, but closes at night.

Remembering to close up when I need to is important to me, but so is allowing myself to be completely present in my interactions with others.

As I approach my 50th birthday next year, may the many moving parts of my soul radiate light into the world.

With love, light, and blessings,
Chava

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If I had wings. . . .

 

My soul is open.
With each breath, I feel all that surrounds me, all that is within me.

Grateful that my life is what it is. And. . . .
Struggling with the transgressions I see in the world
and the angst enclosed in my heart.

Life is full.
The world as I know it is like a mountain range full with peaks and valleys.
Even with knowing the blessings, sadness trickles into the person I am.

If I jump, would my wings work?
Would my wings soar to new peaks?
Could I make a difference?
For myself? For others?

So many are struggling.
Listening to the messages that surround me.
With each beat of my heart, I am trusting the rhythm to guide me.

What to say?
How to respond?

With my heart wide open, my spirit is ready to soar.
Wherever I fly, wherever I land. . .
May my spirit reverberate for good.

 

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I know it’s going to be a great year!

“The most significant gifts are the ones most easily overlooked. Small, everyday blessings: woods, health, music, laughter, memories, books, family, friends, second chances, warm fireplaces, and all the footprints, scattered throughout our days.”
~Sue Monk Kidd

All of life has a rhythm.

For me, the rhythm comes from an inner light that radiates out and allows me to honor the beat of my heart and the song of my soul. With each step, I feel myself become more and more grounded to the earth.

Yesterday, I celebrated my life; I found joy in the love that surrounded me and in the peace within the storm of life.

For the days prior to my birthday, I was considering ignoring my birthday, removing any mention of it on Facebook and closing the door to my bedroom so that I could ‘lick my wounds’ from a challenging last year.  And then I realized that the last year does not define who I am as  a person.  But if it did define me, I would be a woman who defies darkness by always doing what it takes to succeed.

With each breath, I navigate the very real realities of life’s journeys, where I am, and where I want to go.  I dream big and then work towards making my dreams happen.

One of the most treasured gifts came from my friend and poet Susan Windle who said, “Love to you in your birthing time, dear Chava”.  Those sweet words reminded me that not only am I loved, but I am actively becoming the person I want to be.  This sacred birthing process is empowering me to grow in ways that would not have been possible in the not very distant past.

Authenticity is flowing from the core of my being.  I am seeking simplicity in all that I do; I am working towards living a life of transparency and integrity.  I am weaving words together and finding center by speaking with the fullness of my voice. Vulnerability no longer is filtered by the bravado that I don’t really feel.  I have learned and am continuing to learn how to use my voice in all of it’s forms.

Over the last year, I have been expressing my most purest of feelings without holding back from those closest to me. Sometimes tears fall down my cheeks as I try to cope with deep sadness; sometimes passion flows from my lips and from my fingertips. And then there is my laughter the reverberates the core of my being.  While I have always been real, I am trying to remove the shield that has sometimes protected me from my deepest of feelings.

I really do believe what my friend Marc Hershkowitz said, “I know it’s going to be a great year!” I am determined to shine and to be the best person I can be.

While life has been a little harsh of late, it doesn’t have to put an edge into my spirit. I am alive and I intend to celebrate the gifts that surround me with each and every rhythm that is part of my journey.

May this year be the year for my writing to inspire people, my creativity to flow, and my heart to emerge in new and beautiful ways.

This is my year to thrive; I hope you join me!

 

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Rhythm of My Body

I love the rhythm of my body.

Each morning, I naturally wake up an hour or two before the sun.  My body eases into the day without distraction and  without struggle.  No one has expectations of me and the dog isn’t ready for her morning walk or attention.  Life is good.

In the morning, I can write, chant, drum; I can be lazy, look out the window, or go back into a light slumber.  I can listen to the animals, the birds, or the wind.  The energy of honoring my body is probably one of the reasons I can walk around with a smile on my face even when I face challenges.  Morning allows me the time to collect my thoughts, find balance, and gently move into the day.

The rhythm of the earth has always been nurturing for me.  I love my quiet time; I love my space.  As much as I love my family and connecting with people, I also love the silence and walking gently.  The cocoon of darkness yields a beautiful light propels me into the day and into the world with others.  Taking that trek slowly is the gift I give myself.

Boker Tov my friends; Boker Or Kulam

Good Morning; (AH) Morning Light Everyone!

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