Awake.In:::DreamSpace:::

Tonight's sunset was behind the clouds...

Sometimes, clouds want all the attention.

So, they are finding traces of radiation in milk here in the US...  This is no surprise, it was just a matter of time...  scary how quickly the radiation released from Fukushima  7,000 miles away has affected the environment here.  The EPA and the FDA are saying "don't worry" the levels of radioactive Iodine-131 were 5,000 times below the FDA's level of concern, and even more not to worry about, it has a half-life of eight days... OK, all I can say is "YIKES"!

OK, I'm not a nuclear scientist, physicist, or doctor, but gee, there wasn't any of this stuff in the milk BEFORE the Fukushima accident, I would like my glass of milk to have none of it NOW.  As far as I'm concerned, any trace isn't good.  And well, we aren't even talking about rainfall, snowfall, air quality, etc...  These "trace" amounts that are nothing to worry about are probably in many places in the US now...  right?... after all, I don't think radioactive Iodine-131 is just falling on grass where cows are grazing...  This stuff is not just here, but will be all over our planet, yes, OUR planet, it belongs to all of us, and we should be taking better care of it.  We are all connected, the sooner we all start accepting and living that, the better. 

And yes, there is Trader Joe's Organic Milk and Half & Half in my fridge... am I afraid of drinking it?  Sure, will I... yes... why?... Because, I have known for most of my life that all the stuff I drink and eat is contaminated in some way that is not natural, and well, so is the air I'm breathing in and out...  It is something we all live with, these environmental catastrophes bring them to our awareness for awhile, and then they leave our consciousness until the next time... in the meantime... this stuff is accumulating inside us...

That time of  year again... tax time.  Didn't know what to expect... good news from my CPA... I didn't owe anything, I would be getting a refund.  Great relief.  Great joy!  Hope everyone else gets good news too.

I have collected 3 magnets with powerful words that have captured what I'm trying to achieve on this journey called life and enlightenment.  They are on the fridge so I keep reading them over and over and remember the words during the day as stuff comes up. 

The first magnet reads:  "For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin a real life.  But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.  At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.  This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.  So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one.  Happiness is a journey, not a destination." - Alfred D. Souza

The second magnet reads:  "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." - Neale Donald Walsch

The third magnet reads:  "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr

Now that I'm aware...

I have found happiness everyday that I used to not see... there is plenty around us, just look. 

I try to get out of my comfort zone when the opportunity arises... Not Easy!  Try it sometime.

I have found that I cannot change anything, I can only change myself.

Oh, and below the 3 magnets... the Breathe & Flow Yoga Studio schedule... so I keep on the road of my Yoga practice.

My latest sinus infection has me finally checking out this ancient tradition from India... nasal cleansing!  No, my Yoga practice that started in January doesn't have me going off the deep end... yet... anyway... this really works!  My sinuses are amazingly clear and clean since I have been using the netipot twice a day, in the morning when I get up and in the evening before I go to sleep.

Yes, the antibiotics are to be credited also to my current recovery, but I will continue this practice even after this bout of sinus drama.  It is supposed to prevent future issues... hey, this is easy enough to do, I warm up some filtered water, cut the little packet filled with pH balanced sodium chloride & sodium bicarbonate mixture... mix, and pour... into each nostril... grab a tissue, gently blow my nose and voila... nice, clean, clear, breathe deep!

Interesting that this practice which began with Ancient Yogis in India is gaining "modern" recognition...  By cleansing my sinuses twice daily, I'm hoping to rid any bacteria and virus nasties that have settled in there and rid them before they get me sick again!

Well, I renamed and gave a new look to my blog.  It was time.  "Skye Axon In Cyberspace" was a temporary name when I started the blog years ago.  I have dabbled in dream walking and lucid dreaming since I was a kid and didn't even know what I was doing.  So, the new name of my blog... Awake.In:::DreamSpace:::  Not just about being awake in my dreams, but being awake when I'm awake... follow that?  Didn't think so....  Don't worry, much of what I write about doesn't make much sense to me either.  I'm planning on an entry every day.  A dauting task, since I have had huge gaps in the past.  And to make it all official, I got the domain name too... http://www.awakeindreamspace.com.

So, I'm surfing the net, and of course Facebook statuses and comments are flying around.  A status of one of the young people on my friends list pops in... he is so excited about getting a job.  I was happy for him since, hey, many young people today aren't working!... and the enthusiasm for it was refreshing!   It made me think way back... to... A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away... when I was really excited about getting a job... the job I still have... the job I really don't like anymore... but I thanked Evan for reminding me that at one time, I did, and it was a magical moment when I got what I worked really hard to achieve. :)

Ahh, Valentine's Day... that made up holiday to sell cards, chocolate, jewelry... so people have a reason to get laid.  When you are with someone, it is a great made up holiday, when you are not, it sucks.  When you are with someone and it is complicated, well, it is the middle of the road... it is great and sucks at the same time... wonderful!

What's love got to do with it?... Well, everything of course... because after the cards, chocolate, jewelry, and sex... you have to get down to real life... you know... household chores, errands, careers, finances, family, and everything else that gets in the way of what sparked your love and got you into the mess of sharing your life with someone...  One little made up holiday isn't going to keep that love alive... it is all the other 364 days of the year in and year out that will...  If you don't work at it every day... well... it doesn't survive.  So, do something special for the person you share your life with... everyday...

And since I love Meredith Grey quotes... this is the one I picked for this Valentine's Day...

"Intimacy is a four syllable word for, "Here's my heart and soul, please grind them into hamburger, and enjoy." It's both desired, and feared. Difficult to live with, and impossible to live without."

Yup, enough said.

Last week I started Yoga, and also attended a New Year's Intention Meditation workshop.  After all the life changes and sadness I experienced in 2010... my intention for 2011 was joy...  Life doesn't warrant perpetual happiness but I have opened my eyes and realized that there was much joy in 2010... I just didn't see it at the time for what it was, therefore, I didn't experience it.  Now what exactly is joy?  The answer to that is unique for each person.  I'm now awake to joy... it comes in the most simple of forms...  I enjoy cooking, but haven't done much of it... I've started to again, and found that the preparation and act of cooking gives me joy.  It makes me want to turn on the music and feel good.  All that, just because I'm now open to the idea.  And that is only cooking... not a passion of mine, just something I like to do... 

There is joy in walking Koda... even in the rain and snow and cold... for you see, if I didn't have Koda in my life, I would be sitting inside in the winter and not going out very much...  So, at least 3 times a day, there is a 30 minute walk that has me out and experiencing things I wouldn't be...  Last week, Koda... who has some Vizsla genes in her blood therefore very interested in birds and small animals...and is the only dog I have shared my life with that looks up to the sky and trees... So that is how I saw the amazing hawk sitting in the tree...  Would have walked right by it without Koda with me... and taking one step back... I wouldn't have been outside anyway...  I love raptors... so, the joy of seeing one in the wild always gives me a rush... they are amazing birds... regal.

So, with all this winter cold and post holiday gloom...  Open up your eyes to the joy in your life...  It is there, you just have to be open to it and then it just appears.  Try it... it works!  And no, I'm not tripping on anything!... except maybe some Joy.

I finally went to my very first Yoga class...  It was amazing.  I talked about it all last year, no more talk, time to do!  I'm making a commitment to learn and practice yoga.  My body's flexibility has diminished, I want it back.  The yoga studio I have joined is Breathe and Flow Yoga.