Finding Center.

“I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point - namely, to the mid-point. It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the center. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the center, to individuation.” -Carl Jung

My Returning to the Center altar, created in my Morning Altars Teachers Training course.

The times in my life when I’ve felt numb, isolated, and lost were the moments when I was disconnected from my center for an extended amount of time. Finding my way back to my center returned me to a place of balance, order, and rhythm. But it’s not about remaining there. Life is a continual dance between departing and returning.

In creating this piece, I noticed how it’s the rippling out from the center that creates the patterns and ultimately, beauty. The maroon mums near the edges of the circle signify a return to the center in an expanded way. It’s not about always staying in the center and not leaving. It’s about departing, expanding, and then finding center again.

What represents the ‘center’ in your life?

What does it mean to let something emerge from your inspiration and ripple out, without losing the heart- the center- of who you are in the process?

Pay Attention.

Running through Godrays at Purisma Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.

Pay attention to…
The way their eyes light up when they see you. Your intuition. Synchronicities. What you’re doing when it feels easy. What you’re doing when time flies by. Your self-talk. The things you choose to self-soothe. Who you text back immediately. Who you wait more than a day to reply back to. How your body opens up and expands when it’s a wholehearted “YES.” Moments it contracts when something feels off. What turns you on. What frustrates you. When you feel most like yourself. Who you want to spend your lunch with. How much energy and space you regained once you established boundaries. Who still reaches out even when you’ve made your boundaries clear. Books you want to reread. Quotes that resonate with you. Where your mind wanders. The smile you hear in their voice when they answer the phone. What you still want to learn. Godrays. The freedom children have when they play and make art. Soul-replenishers. The beautiful, fleeting moments that take you by surprise. Your breath. Your heartbeat. How there is only one of you in the entire world.

Slow Down.

Last week at the gym, I was finishing a set on the seated back pull machine. I had just lifted 135 lbs on each side, and triumphantly received a nod of approval from a fellow lifter. As I was cleaning off my weights, I noticed a bodybuilder looking over.

“Mind if I show you something?” he asked. I smiled. “Sure.” He pulled out his phone and showed me a video of a professional bodybuilder doing the same exercise I’d finished, with only one 45-lb weight on each side. “Try it with less weight, but go a lot slower on the eccentric and concentric phases of the exercise. Focus on the mind-muscle connection.”

This week, I’ve adopted that principle. I’ve dropped the weights down and increased the time under tension while focusing on the mind-muscle connection. It’s the first time in awhile I’ve felt sore the next day.

When we slow down, we pay better attention. We’re more engaged and present.

Try it. Slow down. In your conversations, in your interactions, while emailing, when you drive, and when you eat. Notice the difference.

Abundance and Expansion.

Created on the trails at Grabtown Gulch.

2+0+2+4= 8. I created this altar today with the number 8 in mind, symbolizing abundance and expansion. At first I gathered small fern and nettle leaves, their soft fuzzy exteriors still damp with morning dew. I laid them down in a small circle, their leaves shaped like hearts facing outwards into the world. As I continued to forage, I discovered larger nettle hidden behind a robust patch of giant ferns. I added those to the initial circle, noticing how the design physically and metaphorically represented this theme of abundance and expansion. May we all embody this in our own lives. A ripple effect outwards of more love, kindness, and generosity that we can practice in 2024.

December In a Nutshell.

December was a whirlwind filled with SO.MUCH.JOY.

Hundreds of my books arrived in one huge shipment on a Thursday in early December, and I spent the evening signing each one with a personalized message. Gratitude filled my heart as I wrote messages to old friends from college, triathlon, co-workers, clients, and friends from different areas of life who have supported me through the years. This was my favorite part of this entire book journey.

A friend visited from Nevada and she gifted me a feather from a Great Horned Owl because this animal holds so much spiritual significance for me. Synchronistically, she gave this to me on the very same day that I had the privilege of being in the same room as a Great Horned Owl. Look at his intense, focused stare!

I hiked new trails in Folsom with an old friend, and was gifted Godrays in Woodside during a misty morning run. The mushrooms were abundant in Santa Cruz, and nature generously provided supplies to create Morning Altars with.

This month, I felt overwhelming support from family and friends. It’s been said that there are years that ask the questions, and years that answer.

This year, I finally received my answer, and I am smiling ear to ear.

If You Can Hold It in Your Head, You Can Hold It In Your Hand.

For the past year, I’ve had this line in my head from Bob Proctor- “If you can hold it in your head, you can hold it in your hand.”

Taking the concepts I learned from Jose Silva’s method, I created detailed MindMovies of my book- from how it felt (hardcover), as well as the feeling I had of exhilaration seeing the names of mentors and authors I admired. These included Chase Jarvis and Day Schildkret. Every morning and evening, I watched my MindMovie upon waking and before going to bed.

A year later, I can confidently say when I hold my book Food For Thought, everything I held in my head I now hold in my hand. It’s an incredible feeling, but one I worked daily to visualize, feel, and create into existence.

What do you want to create? What do you want to believe into existence?

How It All Started...

The idea for creating this book came from participating in #the100dayproject, so it felt fitting to begin the evening with this spoken word poem. The poem’s last lines were written on my Wednesday morning walk, two days before the event. All of the poems in my book were written in this way- received as downloads while on early morning walks. Entire lines and stanzas would drop into my consciousness, and I would immediately record them on my watch. I’d later transcribe them when I came home.

(Note: The sound quality is compromised since it took place during the art walk with people strolling through the various galleries.)

First Friday Author/Artist Talk: Food For Thought

Above are some sweet memories from my author/artist talk at Chopsticks Alley Art Gallery during the First Friday San Jose Art Walk. I shared about the process of writing and illustrating this book, read my favorite story from the book, and wove in some spoken word poetry. The best part of the evening was hearing my dad share in response to me reading our story (the chickpea page) which brought many of us to tears. Friends from all chapters of my life traveled great distances to celebrate with me. This was an evening I will fondly remember for the rest of my life.

Every April during junior high to high school, and even when I returned home from college for Easter break, my mom would take me to the annual Children’s Book Illustrator show at Sun Gallery. I loved meeting the authors and seeing their original art displayed in the gallery. Each year my mom would let me pick out one book and I’d get the author’s autograph. I have a stack of all these precious books in my bookcase now. My mom recalls in college I got back into the car, buckled my seatbelt, and proclaimed, “One day, I am going to write and illustrate my own book, too.”

Decades later, here we are. To showcase some original art from my book and have an intimate conversation about my creative process with loved ones was a surreal, full-circle moment. I am deeply grateful for everyone who helped me get to this place, who watered these seeds of curiosity, and encouraged me to keep creating and believing in this dream.