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Practicing Yoga By The Lake

July 13th, 2010
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The  early morning sunlight filters through the Gambel Oaks and Ponderosa  Trees.  The hummingbirds are already active, searching for anything red, including my bandana.  There is a deep quite, a peace in these woods. I take my yoga mat down by the lake.  Big mountain views greet me. The lake is reflective this morning, gentle  ripples creating never ending patterns. I place my yoga mat on the grass, in the sun, craving the warmth. The  cool mountain air brings a chill to my still sleepy body.  As  I begin my yoga  practice I face the sun in the east and begin doing Sun Salutations ( Surya Namaskar), sweeping my arms up over my head, reaching towards the sun, giving thanks for the warmth it provides, shining light on these beautiful grasses that surround this mountain lake.  I bow down towards the earth, connecting to the Mother who provides me with everything I need.  As I bring my hands back together in Namaste I give thanks for this day. My heart opens to the beauty that surrounds me.  I feel so awake. I turn to the south and repeat the asana, welcoming a different view of the lake and its surrounding beauty.  Each time I turn to a different direction I am greeted by a deep sense of appreciation for  the beauty that is here.  I complete the Sun Salutations in all 4 directions.  I feel revitalized and deeply connected to the spectacular  natural setting I am witness to this morning.   Nature inspires me,  ideas run through my head for necklace designs reflecting what  I see before me on this early July morning.
 
Reflections from my camping trip to Vallecito Lake in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. Vallecito lake is at 8000ft elevation.
 
This Amber necklace was inspired by Sun Salutations and is available for sale from my web site: http://www.spiralsoflight.com/yoga-jewelry.html

Reflections & Essays, Yoga, Yoga Jewelry , , , ,

Using OM Jewelry To Renew A Spiritual Practice

January 7th, 2010
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OM pendant on Turquoise beads

 
As 2010 begins, it’s time to re-commit to our spiritual practices. For me that is Yoga and Meditation. I find it very helpful to use the OM symbol to remind me that I am renewing my connection to “the practice”
The ancient symbol OM holds an important significance for me and helps me acknowledge my practice. By wearing OM jewelry and OM pendants, I am reminded to stay in the present moment.  I remember to connect to my breath.  Wearing OM jewelry allows me to stop and reflect throughout the day. As I see the OM pendant around my neck, I pause, take in a deep breath and connect to the NOW. I use my OM necklaces as tools to support my inner spiritual practice. 
 
I enjoy making jewelry with the sacred OM symbol, combining OM pendants with healing gemstones that also assist to inspire a Yoga or Meditation practice.  I am always on the look out for unique and unusual OM pendants to add to my Yoga jewelry line. Creating these Yoga inspired jewelry pieces can be very meditative. My bead studio is a calming space, surrounded by natural objects, crystals, minerals, plants, flowers and many, many gemstone beads.  Putting together OM pendants with gemstone beads is a pleasurable part of my daily work.

OM Pendant on Amethyst & Quartz

OM is a universal, sacred symbol and the most sacred syllable in Hinduism. It is considered to be the primal sound. According to tradition, ancient sages were able to hear the subtle vibrations produced by everything in the universe, and they identified OM as the most elemental sound of creation. In a quiet environment, you can hear the vibration of OM in the crashing of ocean waves, in the stillness of a forest, or in the rush of wind. For more information on the significance of the symbol OM you can go to this article.
OM is used by meditators as a mantra to assist in reaching higher states of awareness. Many mantras and prayers begin and end with the sound OM. Rest in the universal sound of OM.

OM jewelry, Yoga, Yoga Jewelry , , , ,

Why do Yoga?

July 6th, 2009
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yoga-teton1Someone asked me the other day why I create yoga and chakra jewerly.  Good question I responded and answered with—  I began designing yoga and chakra jewelry as a way to support my own yoga practice.  The next question followed, why do you do yoga?  Even bigger question.  Lots of answers came to mind, but the next day I received this email from my friends at  Pathways www.pathwaysbayfield.com. This description of yoga really helps explain why yoga is so important to my life and why I love creating jewelry to help inspire the yoga path.
 
Why Yoga?
Developed in India, yoga is a spiritual practice that has been evolving for the last 5,000 years or so. The original yogis were reacting, in part, to India’s ancient Vedic religion, which emphasized rituals. The yogis wanted a direct spiritual experience — one on one — not symbolic ritual. So they developed yoga.
Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, the classical language of India. In Hatha yoga, for example, postures and breathing exercises help purify the mind, body and spirit so the yogi can attain union. Yoga doesn’t discriminate. Even if you don’t believe in the spiritual side of life, you can still do yoga.  If you do yoga, chances are that you will feel its psycho-physiological effects. Moreover, the concept of union has a powerful down-to-Earth meaning. Yoga helps us get in touch with our true selves.
Yoga gives us control of ourselves. It helps cut through the layers of mis-identities that arise in response to our actions, experiences and feelings. Specifically, research shows that yoga helps manage or control anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, headaches, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, stress and other conditions and diseases. It calms the frenzy, clears the clutter and allows us to get back in touch with ourselves.
 
Whether you pursue yoga as a spiritual path or for its physiological benefits, yoga is a methodology for developing a deeper experience of your self and the world. And it makes you feel really good.
 
To see some of my yoga inspired jewelry designs go to: http://www.spiralsoflight.com/yoga-jewelry.html

Jewelry, Yoga, Yoga Jewelry , , ,

Music to design jewelry by

April 2nd, 2009
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New OM necklace

New OM necklace

I always listen to wonderful music while I am creating my gemstone jewelry.  I usually prefer soothing, calm melodies which help me stay focused on the energies of the gemstones.  I love playing chant music and Deva Premal is my favorite.  Today I just couldn’t find the right mix to get me motivated in creating new jewelry pieces to replace the ones that have sold on the web site.  So I decided to go through my CD collection and dig out some music I hadn’t listened to in some time.  While I was at it, I cleared out many old CDs I knew I no longer wanted listen to.  You know the ones, you put the CD into the player get to the second or third selection and take it off.  “How could I ever have purchased that one!?”  We may be past the Spring Equinox but  I chose today to do some spring cleaning.  I always enjoy these days when I go around and clear out the old, packing it up to take to the Salvation Army or thrift stores. On an energetic level it is so helpful to my work space to clear out things that no longer serve me.   

I found the right combination of music to listen to today and  beaded the whole afternoon creating new jewelry with some beautiful high energy gemstone beads and pendants. 

Here’s the mix that helped me create  new Yoga Jewelry today

  • Migration by Peter Kater & Carols Nakai
  • Dance of Life by Deva Premal & Mitten
  • Asian Lounge from the Putumayo Collection
  • Call of the Mystic by Karnunesh
  • Yoga Ragas by Manose( the flute player for Deva Premal)

Whats your favorite music for meditation or yoga?

Gemstones, Jewelry, Yoga Jewelry , , , ,

Amethyst for Meditation: Looking for Wisdom

January 18th, 2009
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amy-om-smI admit, I let my meditation practice slip. It hasn’t disappeared, just been put on hold. Until today. Today I put on my OM necklace with Amethyst and sat down to meditate. Inspired to come back to my meditation cushion by a Dharma Talk given by Lama Migmar Tseten. Lama Migmar is a Buddhist chaplain at Harvard University. He founded the Sakya Institute in Cambridge, MA. www.lamamigmar.com.

 Lama Migmar is visiting here in Key West FL, giving talks to help “Free Your Mind” from stress, and emotional patterns that cause confusion in our lives. He presented an overview of basic techniques found in the wisdom traditions of Tibetan Buddhism for achieving tranquility and insight, cultivation of positive emotions and achieving a state of awakening. He reminded me that through meditation we can free our minds from wondering thoughts and focus attention. Through focused attention we can find insight. Through insight we can find wisdom. Through wisdom we can hold the personal experience that allows us to see the ultimate nature of ourselves, ONENESS with all things, oneness with the universe, and experiencing true awakening. Lama Migmar explained that when we have the experience of oneness we will experience complete peace, complete joy and perfection.In listening to his words, I was reminded of my favorite gemstone to use while meditating- Amethyst.

 While there are many stones that help in a meditation practice, I find Amethyst to be the one I always go to. Amethyst represents pure existence and through this pure existence it assist us in quieting our minds, finding attention and focus, moving into awareness, insight and wisdom. From this place of wisdom awakening to the oneness can come.

I felt a deeper connection to my meditation today, a deeper quietness.

Thanks Lama Migmar, thanks Amethyst.

Meditation, Yoga Jewelry , , ,

Ideas for new Yoga and Chakra Jewelry

January 14th, 2009
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Selenite Castle

Selenite Castle

As I unpack all the wonderful gems, crystals and beads I purchased at the trade show this past weekend, new jewelry designs flow through my head. I’ve been wanting to add some new designs to the Yoga jewelry line. Now I have some incredible new beads and pendants to work with.
Its always so much fun to bring these gifts from Mother Earth home. I can now take my time, look over these semi-precious jewels, feel their energies and put them into healing jewelry designs.
I also purchased some stones brand new to my healing gemstone collection. These will be introduced at my next crystal and gemstone class.
I stocked up on more Selenite wands. These are so smooth to the touch. I enjoy holding them because they can melt away any negativity I am carrying around. Not only did I find Selenite wands, I purchased Selenite in its  many different forms. A beautiful Selenite castle weighing over 8 pounds, is carved from the inside so that a night light can be put into it. What a glow this one gives out. It reminds me of the Rocky Mountains near where I live in Colorado. (For more information on Selenite go to my Web site) New for me is a stone called Petalite. While I’ve seen this stone over the years I never purchased it in its smooth tumbled form before. Placing the round stones into the display basket, I became mesmerized by them. Each one calling me to look deeper. What other messages will they share with me? Bringing new stones to my customers keeps this business fun and exciting. Now back to more unpacking!

Chakra Jewelry, Crystal Classes, Crystals, Gemstones, Healing Jewelry, Yoga Jewelry , ,