Monthly Archives: January 2009

The Magic of Miraval

Posted on by
2

Yes, I’m back. Yes, I returned from my magical trip to Miraval. It was an AMAZING place. And as I sat here today working from home, wearing my Miraval tee shirt, (I treated myself to a long sleeve white tee with henna design on the back. I covered it with a smock so as not to get spaghetti sauce on it when I had dinner tonight. I must keep it pure forever…or at least until my next visit when I can buy another Miraval tee.) I thought about my trip to warm and sunny Tucson, it sure enthused me more than the snow and ice that was glaring outside my window.

Morning Yoga
Yes, I’m back in chilly, cold, wet New Jersey and wishing I could return to enjoy the magic of my Miraval spa vacation all over again. I reminisced about my day by day activities – the daily yoga classes with Natasha and MaryGrace. I walked under the trellis each morning to get to the Agave Center which looked out over the mountains. I listened and watched the hummingbirds as they greeted me on my morning walks. I stretched and stood tall in Mountain pose and pondered what my next move would be…could I reach the floor or would I need to use my blocks…and then there was silence as we all said ‘namaste.’

My Equine Experience
Yes, I’m back at work, but living with more intention. I’m trying to put into practice what I learned during the Miraval Equine Experience. I performed, as the course says, equestrian ground skills. Using my mind and my body, I actually moved with intention and lifted the horse’s hoof so I could clean it’s foot. I stood at the center of the horse’s body and turned him around and I walked behind the horse to lead him around the corral, dropping the stick when I wanted him to stop.

I was so proud of myself. I was totally open to learning something new about myself and I did. I learned that if I want to lead, I need to be intent on what I want the outcome to be…I need to know what I want…and then I can make it happen….just like I did with the horse. I listened to our facilitator Wyatt…the wise Wyatt…as he told us to live our life in the moment…to practice Wyatt’s three steps:

1 – To try something, recognize if it is not working;
2- To try something else;
3- And if that doesn’t work, ask for help.

A Makeup Lesson With Mary
Yes, I’m back at home, my laundry basket is full of clothes. I wore most of my LUCY exercise attire. I lived in my yoga pants all week. I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in my yoga pants and tees.
There was no makeup to speak of for an entire week, except the day I had my makeup lesson with Mary. She did such a nice job on my eyes and on my face. She said we should always make up our eyes first and then put the rest of our foundation on. She used mineral makeup so it was lighter on my wrinkles. I almost gave in and bought the La Bella Donna Mineral Eraser (but I stopped myself right before my hand reached for my credit card. “Not today,” I said to myself. “Not today.” “You can find this makeup at Bergdorfs and Neiman’s,” said Mary. “Oh, how fabulous,” I replied as Mary wrote down the specific colors that she used. “I will definitely pay a visit and buy my La Bella Donna Mineral Eraser when I return home.” And I will soon. Yes, I will after I pay off all the bills from my spa vacation. Meantime, I asked Mary to take a picture of me so I can remember how beautiful I looked with all my La Bella Donna makeup.)

The Spectacular Spa
Yes, I’m getting ready for sleep. However, there is no hot stone massage to look forward to or reflexology to relax my feet and toes. (These treatments were the best of the best. Oh, yes, and so was the indoor/outdoor Miraval Journey Signature Treatment - I was in la, la, land the minute Tama wrapped me up like a mummy and massaged my head.)

A World Filled with Lovingkindness
No, there is no massage waiting for me…but, I can do my evening meditation because I did buy Mary Grace’s CD filled with her LovingKindness Meditation Here’s the one I’m going to do tonight before I go to sleep. This one was my favorite and I think you’ll like it too. It’s from Jack Kornfeld’s A Path With Heart:

May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
May (a person I love) be filled with lovingkindness
May (a person I love) be well…

There’s more to report and share from my magical trip to Miraval. For now, I leave you with this meditation. I think it beautifully captures a little bit of the magic I took away from my week at Miraval. Yes, there are many more sites and sounds to share, including my rock climbing adventure, the fabulous food and the wonderful people I met. I’ll save that for another day.

Judi

Getting Ready for My Spiritual Journey

Posted on by
4


I’m getting ready for what is soon to be my very first ‘alone’ trip…yes, I’m going all by myself…yes, yes, yes, in just a few days I will be going on what promises to be a very spiritual journey…I’m going to Miraval, Oprah’s favorite spa in Tucson, Arizona.

I’m prepping for my trip…bought all my new LUCY attire, so that I will be exercising and lounging in style. I got a cute Black Cardio Power Jacket for my morning hikes (hopefully I will awake in time to do these walks in the mountains) and the Burnout Mix Top which is a little dressy for my evening dinners. It looks especially nice with black or gray leggings. And I bought a few extra tops and bottoms in earthy colors to coordinate with my desert surroundings. Maybe I’ll even venture to take some pictures of myself during my spiritual journey and if I can get the pictures out of the camera…maybe I’ll share them on my blog. Now, that will be a great accomplishment!

I’m primping for my trip. This weekend I’m going to get a pedicure (can’t be seen with ugly toes if I’m going to be doing yoga and getting spa treatments in a beautiful place. I haven’t had a pedicure in months. Let’s see…when was the last time I did have a pedicure? Ah, yes, it was in August 2008. OMG, no wonder my toes look so awful…so glad I am going to Miraval so that I remember to get a pedicure.)

I’m packing for my trip. My Miraval spa consultant said there is no need to bring any dress-up clothes. Oh, goodie, goodie…imagine, a week wearing warm up gear, and sneakers, and sandals, and no makeup (well maybe I will bring a little makeup bag just in case I want to put on a little makeup…or maybe not). I’m taking my BIG red suitcase and filling it to the brim with all my new exercise clothes and lots of books. I bought an eclectic collection to take:

- One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell (a fun read by the author of Sex and the City and the author of my new favorite tv show, Lipstick Jungle, the show they are canceling…guess I am the only one who likes it and watches it on a Friday night at 9:00 pm.)

- Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson (never read any of his books, but the book jacket said it was a magical story about a love that transcends boundaries…and I love love stories and I love the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s with my favorite, favorite actress Audrey Hepburn…so I thought I might love this book too.)

- The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup, M.D. (Dr. Northrup appeared on The Oprah Show and after all, I am going to Oprah’s favorite spa. I may need this as a reference as I get in touch with my fifty year old body and soul. I likely will not read this BIG book, so it will be the first to go if I can’t fit it in my BIG red suitcase.)

- Teach Yourself Visually – The Fast and Easy Way to Learn MacBook (I didn’t buy the MacBook for Dummies book. It looked too difficult. This book had color pictures. If I do decide to bring my MacBook, I will pack this book. If not, it will stay home to use when I return.)

- he’s just not that into you by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo (One of my friends who is my lifeline for my new 50+ venture into the dating world suggested I read this book. I got a headstart and skimmed it this past weekend…so far an interesting read. It’s a little paperback…so I guess it will fit in my BIG red suitcase. And it is important in my 50+ years that I finally understand as the subtitle says “the no excuses truth to understanding guys.”)

- Love Smart by Dr. Phil McGraw (One of my friends who is my other lifeline for my new 50+ venture into dating suggested I read this book. Since Dr. Phil is one of “the world’s foremost experts in the field of human functioning,” I’m sure I can learn a lot from his wise words during this new phase of my life.)

- Almost forgot…how could I forget…there are all my magazines to pack too…two recent issues of Vogue, my new issue of InStyle, and I’m thinking of subscribing to The Yoga Journal, so I bought the latest issue of The Yoga Journal to take on my trip too.

I know, I know, it sounds like I have enough reading material for a year…not a week…but there is so much I want to read in my 50+ years. I thought I’d just pack everything. This way, I have lots to choose from depending on what my mood is during each day of my spiritual journey.

Ooh,ooh,ooh, I can feel my body melting away as I prepare for my relaxation massage the evening I arrive.

Ooh,ooh,ooh, I can feel my feet floating as I sit still for my reflexology treatment.

Ooh,ooh,ooh, my face will feel like velvet after my customized facial. (I just must be careful not to get swept into purchasing hundreds of dollars of anti-wrinkle creme or I likely will not be able to afford this fabulous spa vacation. But, if I can’t afford this vacation after I take it, then they may make me stay and work in the kitchen, which wouldn’t be so bad…there I go…dreaming again…I did just take my Ambien…guess my mind is asleep.)

“Do you want to have a hot stone massage?” asked my Miraval consultant. “Of course, I do, I do, I do,” I said. “It is extra $, but it is worth it. “Of course, I do, I do, I do,” I said again.

Next Thursday would have been my 25th wedding anniversary. My late husband and I had always planned to go to Half Moon Bay, the romantic Ritz Carlton Hotel on the cliff outside of San Francisco, one of our favorite cities. We were going to rent a new Mercedes sports car when we got there. It was part of the long weekend package and he always had wanted to drive a Mercedes sports car.

I’m going alone on my spiritual journey to Miraval. I took my wedding ring off last week to ready myself for my spiritual trip alone.

Thursday is the last full day of my spiritual journey. “Do you want the Outdoor Miraval Journey treatment?” asked my Miraval consultant. “It’s simply amazing she said…unlike anything you have ever experienced. It’s an invigorating body ritual that restores vitality to the skin. To prepare you for the nurturing hydration ahead, we begin by exfoliating the body with volcanic pumice, an effective yet gentle treatment that refreshes the skin. A full body massage follows; we restore moisture with an Edelweiss-infused emollient, known for its rich antioxidant properties. We then wrap your body in warmth, inviting you to relax as you receive a scalp massage, hydrating face mask and rejuvenating foot treatment.”

“OMG,OMG,OMG, book it…book it…book it…I’m going on my first spiritual journey alone and I want it to end on a really HIGH NOTE. Who cares what it costs…just BOOK IT.

My yoga teacher said a beautiful quote by Helen Keller last night as she ended our class. It was a perfect ending to our class and a perfect way for me to start to think about my trip to Miraval. No, this wasn’t the trip I was expecting to take during my 51st year, no it surely wasn’t the trip I was planning for January 2009, but as Helen Keller said:

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

I’m getting ready for my spiritual journey to Miraval. It’s January 2009 and I just turned 51 years old. While I’m sad that the first door of happiness has closed, I’m ready for my new door to open.

Judi

My Mondo Beyondo List

Posted on by
1


I just read Jen Lemen’s little book called “Beginnings.” I’ve read it several times before, and always loved it. I met Jen Lemen at the BlogHer conference two years ago when I attended her session for ‘little bloggers’ like me. I was just starting out on my blogging journey and she was so reassuring to ‘little bloggers’ like me. She said ‘little bloggers’ are important…that they touch people just like big bloggers do, only they reach fewer people…but they make a difference to each person they reach. She was so encouraging and inspiring. You should read her blog at jenlemen.com

Then I met her again last year at the BlogHer conference and I saw her little book called “Beginnings” and I immediately fell in love with it.

As I approach the end of my 50th year (about 48 hours to go) and the start of my 51st year and 50 plus life, it is so fitting to read “Beginnings” again. Jen talks about “how difficult beginnings can be…how you can get all these ideas about how great things are going to be and make grand plans…and then you get scared that everything is going to be a disaster…and how perfectionism can paralyze you so much that you have to lie down or eat chocolate to stop freaking out.”

Jen says that “sometimes these episodes last for weeks or even years.” She says that “starting can sometimes be so damn overwhelming because the fear that once your fantastic idea sees the light of day it will no longer inspire or delight you in the same way.” But, more importantly, “we have to learn to accept this and keep dreaming, keep coming up with ideas, and take chances.”

My favorite part of the book is when Jen talks about making a Mondo Beyondo List. She says there is no requirement to actually DO any of the stuff on the list. All you have to do is DREAM it up. Sometimes this list leads to an ADVENTURE. Jen heard about Mondo Beyondo from Andrea Scher’s website called SuperHeroJournal. Andrea’s friend encouraged her to make a list of her most outlandish and amazing dreams. The idea is to let your mind go WILD with possibilities about your future, whether it’s 5 months or 5 years from now. Andrea says that daring to write down your dreams is very powerful.

Sooooo…I think now that I am approaching 51 and the NEW ME is EMERGING…it’s time for me to start my own MONDO BEYONDO LIST. Yes, I’m just going to start and see where it takes me…what adventures it takes me on. Oh, where should I start? I could have a MONDO BEYONDO LIST every day, or every week, or every month of my 51st year. Ooh, ah, what should I put on it…I better hurry up because the first thing on my list is to get more sleep and it is almost time for my Ambien time release to kick in (oh no, I forgot to take my pill at 10:00 pm and now it’s almost 11:00 pm, which means that I have a whole additional hour to dream up my MONDO BEYONDO LIST…oh goodie!)

Here goes:

MY FIRST MONDO BEYONDO LIST

- Take myself on a fabulous, incredible spa vacation (fa, la, la, I am going to Miraval Spa and I just booked all my fabulous, amazing treatments. I am going to have a hot stone massage, a reflexology treatment on my feet, a Miraval full body scrub followed by a full body massage…fa, la, la, la, la…me, me, me, meeee…dreams do come true)

- Meet a super fantastic new male companion…who is caring and loving and gives great hugs and likes the beach and likes biking and yoga and exercising and good food and cooking and being outdoors and traveling to fun places and doing fun things…lots of fun things that I like to do too…and who has his own MONDO BEYONDO LIST of dreams (yes, I did go on a first date this weekend…after 24 years of a wonderful marriage…during my last days of my 50th year…I went on a date and I survived.)

- Get an absolutely adorable dog…that doesn’t shed…that has big eyes and loves to be with me…and doesn’t chew up the furniture…and that likes to take long walks (but doesn’t wake me up too early in the morning or keep me up too late at night)…who greets me at the door every evening and keeps me company at night…and travels in the car well…and likes to go to the beach (not actually on the beach but I will take him or her to the beach if he or she is a good dog)

- Go to the Golden Globes someday and watch all the movie and tv stars in their designer outfits and ooh and aah over the stars (yes, I will be doing this from afar on Sunday evening as I watch the show on my big screen television…that is if I can find the channel and turn the big screen television on to the correct channel)

- Write my book – A Year To 50…An Extraordinary Journey By An Ordinary Woman (yes, I will, I will, and maybe I will be on the Oprah Show and have Oprah select my book as part of her book club. Of course, first I have to write it and get an agent or a publisher OR publish it myself. (okay…okay…this is a Mondo Beyondo List…but I want to do this…I do…I do…stop the fear and JUST DO IT)

- Go to the Golden Globes in my ARMANI designer gown to accept my award for the movie they made out of my bestseller book (I did say I was giving up my ARMANI suit dream, but I never said I was giving up my ARMANI designer gown dream)

- Go to Paris and Provence with my sister…and then go again with a super fantastic new male companion

- Go to Tuscany and if I don’t have a super fantastic new male companion I’ll take my absolutely adorable dog…or maybe meet a super fantastic Tuscan male companion who can teach me Italian (okay…my kids can join me too…I’ll get a villa that is big enough and they can bring along their super fantastic companions too)

- Relax on the beach with dozens of great books to read (or maybe even learn to use my new Kindle)

Oh…I have to go to sleep…I must get some sleep….more dreaming tomorrow. As Jen and Andrea say…there’s always time for

MONDO BEYONDO

…where do I want to go?
…what would make my heart sing?
…what adventure is calling me?
…who do I want to meet?

This is today’s list…I can have another one tomorrow and the next day, and the next day too…I can take as many days as I want to write my MONDO BEYONDO LISTS in my 50 plus years…but I better get some sweet dreams now…where is my memory foam pillow…oh…there it is…good nite…sweet mondo beyondo dreams to all.

Judi