Thank you to my Beautiful SistAr, Rekha, for granting me permission to share her poem.

Oh Mother of the Earth!
I stand upon you with my sisters – hand in hand,
Surrendered, Strong and Sensitive!
Flow through me your wisdom, your compassion and Love
For I with my sisters
may represent your voice and spirit.
Through our outstretched arms
may embrace, comfort and generosity
touch a MILLION Lives.
Through our bellies
may movement, creativity, joy and laughter
light up the land.
Through our hands
may your infinite gifts
flow into the land to heal the land and its inhabitants.
May our strong legs and feet
carry the burden of the land with ease,
and release it into your powerful bosom.
May my sisters around the globe
awaken to your knowing and presence and
become compassionate warriors of the land.
Let us together weave and reclaim your truth.
Let us together
Stand up for the meek.
Stand up for dharma – our innate goodness.
Stand up for Love.
Stand up for peace.
Stand up wise and tall.
Stand up for one and all.
Blessed Be.

Love and Blessings,
~Antonia

The word “surrender” is often interpreted as giving up, as weakness, as admitting defeat. Although this is one way to use the word, we will use it in a different way. Surrendering means letting go of your resistance to the total openness of who you are. It means giving up the tension of the little vortex you believe yourself to be and realizing the deep power of the ocean you truly are. It means to open with no boundaries, emotional or physical, so you ease wide beyond any limiting sense of self you might have.

Love and Surrendered Blessings,
Antonia

Please feel free to visit my new site for more inspired reads!

It was a late Saturday morning, and I was enjoying catching up with a friend in a Northern California wine country coffee shop when an interesting plan was hatched. We agreed to engage in an ‘Authentic April’ on Twitter, casting fears aside to tweet a more full version of ourselves. It seems only right that our agreement to authentic living should include tweeting, as it was on the popular social media sight that we met. While my friend and I have been our authentic selves on Twitter, and in our lives, humans are complex beings, and ‘personal branding’ can leave one painted into a corner of self, limiting the myriad of personal colours and interests from showing through. There have been times when we find ourselves limiting what we tweet because it might not be perceived as interesting to our current followers, who have come to expect certain content from us. ‘Authentic April’ is an invitation and exploration in releasing ourselves from concerns of how we’ll be perceived, and embracing being more fully our uniquely Beautiful kaleidoscopic selves.

Early in February I had posted an invitation on my blog to my BeLoved Readers to: “Set yourself on the adventure of being 100% authentically you.” Here was an opportunity to embrace it, and my Awesome friend is a welcome partner in our expressions on Twitter. I personally am choosing to wholly embrace Authentic April, not just online, but in my life, as well. Of course I will maintain a modicum of respectful personal boundaries.

Being authentic requires being vulnerable; we must step through fears of judgment, not being liked, or being looked down upon. Let’s face it, this can be scary, and is a challenge for many people. Will our friends still like us? Will we lose followers? Should we care? Living with doubts and fears keeps us from being our truest and best self. By releasing fears we can better serve our unique purpose. In taking a risk, we give others permission and courage to do the same. It also opens our lives to greater resonance with those most like us. Imagine the possibilities!

Let go of the dogma, shake off the stigmatism, and step into LoveLoveLoving the Amazing being that you are. Embrace it by trusting that when you are fully yourself, those most like you will be attracted to your authenticity. When we walk and talk our truth from an open-hearted space, grounded in present moment awareness, we are in a flow which allows for our best self to shine. Empower yourself by casting limiting belief systems aside, and owning who you are FULLY! Let’s make ‘Authentic April’ the month we grew wings and flew into 100% Authenticity together.

Love and Blessings,
Antonia

Music plays, a blending of karnatic music and Sanskrit chanting, the mood is both one of festivity and solemn reverence as the crowd of women gather near the Attukal Temple in Kerala, South India, for what will be the largest gathering of women on the planet. For days the atmosphere builds as women gather for the famous annual Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam ritual, buses and trains bringing in wave after wave of women in brightly coloured clothing, earthen pots and pongala supplies carried upon their heads. Bridging all classes, caste systems and faiths, the women-only pongala (aka ponkala) ritual is performed as an offering to Goddess Bhagavati. The terms Devi (Goddess), Bhagavati (powerful, supreme deity), Bhadrakali (auspicious Kali) and Amma (mother) are used interchangeably in Kerala to describe the same deity. This ten-day event has been listed by The Guinness Book of Records as the World’s largest gathering of women in a single day when on 23 February 1997 over 1.5 million devotees converged around the Attukal Temple. This has since grown to what is estimated to be over 2.5 million women. Can you imagine?

The famous Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam festival commenced (this year on the 11 February) with the musical rendering of the story of the Goddess (Kannaki Charitam), which continues to play for nine days. The atmosphere is cheerful as Bhajans, musical concerts, ballets depicting folk and temple arts, and singing take place around Thiruvananthapuram city. Colourful floats of the deity are carried by devotees. The seven kilometer (and growing) stretch around the Attukal Bhagavathy temple fills with women, in preparation for the making of pongala, which occurs on the ninth day, 19 February under the full Moon. Pongala, which means ‘to boil over,’ is a porridge offering to the Goddess made of rice, sweet brown molasses, coconut shavings, nuts and raisins.

Before the Sun rises, the women devotees prepare their pavement thresholds for the coming Goddess Bhagavati by drawing an elaborate kolam, a ritual drawing made from white crushed rock or rice flour. They then await the signal for lighting the hearth, which is given by the chief priest of the temple at an auspicious time, and is then followed by humming of the temple drums. Fire from the temple kitchen hearth is quickly passed amongst thousands. The streets are filled with wall to wall women ceremoniously cooking pongala porridge for the Goddess. The ceremony concludes when the temple priests pass by, sprinkling holy water. This is followed by a shower of flowers in honour of the Goddess Almighty. Pongala is shared among families, a prayer for peace and prosperity.

Love and Pongala Blessings
~Antonia

As the year draws to a close, I would like to invite you, dear reader, to take time for a re-visioning and celebration of your glorious crowning moments in 2010. It’s Wonderful to have goals in life, but it’s also important to take the time to congratulate ourselves upon reaching the intended end, honouring our life’s achievements. What did you do to make yourself proud? Did you meet a goal in your life? Did you courageously step through fears and doubts? Perhaps you found inner strength to release something which was no longer working in your life. How have you moved towards living your best life? Little successes lead to bigger ones, and all should be acknowledged.

My crowning moments this year:

1. Laughing, Loving, Trusting and staying in Gratitude throughout the year.
2. Journeying solo to Central America, exploring the phenomenally Beautiful countries of Costa Rica and Panama. Pura Vida!
3. Beginning a grad school program which I Love, and for which I am Grateful.
4. Returning to the bay area, reconnecting with my roots.
5. Listing my accomplishments on the www every year!

Okay, Wonderful Ones, it’s your turn to rise, shine and toot your horn about your victorious crowning moments this year. Praise your triumphs, for they are your successes, for which you should be proud. We have been doing such great work, it would be a pity to leave out the celebratory aspect of the completion process. This is a party just for you and all you did right! Yay! Congratulations for all you walked through, and brought forth. What were your crowning moments this year?

Love and Success Blessings,
Antonia

The recent seasonal change is a Beautiful reminder that all is cycling ‘round and like Nature, we too, will have a period of falling away of that which no longer serves a purpose for us, allowing a cycle of renewal and rebirthing of Wonderful gifts to arrive in our lives. Changing, changing, life is constantly changing, filled with precious poignant celebratory moments, Joyous Beauty and sweet victories; other times big challenges, disappointments and unavoidable sadness enters our lives. When entrenched in challenges, it is easy to let fears swirl and take control. But you can take your personal power back by consciously living in the present moment, and not allowing old mental fear-based programs to keep you stuck. Instead compassionately embrace what’s happening in your life, recognizing that challenges are opportunities to learn, grow and heal. Empower yourself by staying in a state of Gratitude for that which is going right, trust that your difficulties have served a purpose, then redirect your energy towards that which you do want to create.

Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking. Live in silence.

You are a Powerful being, more capable than you think, and through some silence and reflection, you can deepen your connection to how your beliefs, thoughts, words, and other energetic outputs are drawing challenges into your life. How are you standing in your own way of manifesting your best life? There is no competition or comparison in life, it’s a fallacy to believe that you need to be better than anybody else. You only need to be the very best you possible, which will be easy when you let go of the fears and trust yourself. Trust that you can exceed your own dreams.

No matter what your life looks like in a given moment, and regardless of the obstacles you face, you can always choose again to allow for positive changes. The turning of the wheel of life brings experiences into our lives which better prepares us for the next part of the journey. When we let go, surrender and trust, we make room for the new to show up. Through sincere reflection you can begin to recognize the ineffective thought patterns you’ve been holding onto. Do you know that you deserve to have meaningful work you enJoy, a healthy Loving relationship and success? Name and release the fears and blocks standing in your way. Aim high, breath life into a better vision for yourself, knowing that you thoroughly deserve to lead a magnificent life, and trust that you have it within you to create it into being.

Love and Blessings,
Antonia

“Una pipa, por favor,” I say each day at the local fruit stand, as drinking this healthy coconut water has become a part of my daily Costa Rican routine. While delicious, it took me a couple of tries to adjust to the taste of the slightly salty sweet coconut water. I was repeatedly told that I was really missing out by not drinking them, and kept hearing that a pipa a day would keep me healthy. I began researching the opaque juice one finds inside young, green coconuts and was really impressed. It’s one of the most nutritious and wholesome beverages one can find.

Not to be confused with coconut milk, this liquid is found in a young coconut, the juice gradually gives way to the coconut meat as the coconut matures. Coconut water is fat-free, low calorie, full of electrolytes, contains lauric acid, and contains more potassium and less sodium than sports drinks. It also contains natural, unaltered sugar, which the body can readily use. The coconut meat in these young coconuts has a jelly-like consistency, which I like to put in my smoothies. Waste not, right? As it matures, the coconut water becomes the hardened coconut meat with which you are probably familiar, which when pressed is a fat-filled and far less nutritious coconut milk.

The nutritional value of coconut water decreases once exposed to air, so I always request that it be freshly cut. This wholesome beverage is known to build up the immune system, aid in urinary tract health, decrease kidney stones, help with artery pressure thus lowering blood pressure, and wards off fatigue. I’ve also read that it can kill intestinal worms, assists HIV patients, and has many more health benefits. The fact which really amazed me is that coconut water is naturally sterile and is closest to human blood plasma, which is why it is sometimes used in IV’s as a blood transfusion in place of blood plasma. While boxed varieties can be purchased, one can also buy Thai Coconuts (young, coconut water filled) at health food stores and local co-ops to maximize health benefits. I know that coconut water is a tremendous gift, which is why I happily subscribe to, “¡Una pipa al día!”

Love and Blessings,
Antonia

I fumbled my football analogy twice this week, which serves me right since I do not watch the sport. I tried to use it as encouragement, you see? I wanted to remind dear ones in my life that they are so close to the finish line, that it was not much further now, and express how very proud of them I am. There are times in life when we are Blessed to share in cherished moments with those we Love, the kind of Beautiful occasions which we know will stay in our memory banks for a lifetime. I have been graced this week to watch a few beLoveds in my life arrive at benchmark stages in their life with courage and grace. Two women in my life are coming to the end of creational processes each spanning the past two decades! Amazing! Another girlfriend makes her way towards an important birthday, while also moving towards her dreams. And, a sweet friend and I both pack our belongings this week, saying goodbye to our homes, and preparing for new ones to arrive. All of us are leaping through fears of a substantial magnitude at the same time. How great is that? It feels like quite the synchronistic gift.

While in a free fall of trust, I find it important to remind myself to stay in the present moment, which is the true point of power where intuition and guidance arrives just as needed if we’re willing to listen. It was from this place that I was guided to visit my mother a couple of mornings ago. Upon my arrival I discovered that she was editing her book, Plant Whatever Brings You Joy, and needed an extra set of eyes to assist in the process. Sitting down at the table to read her Beautifully written book together, sharing in her Amazing birthing, which I promise is an incredible gift to the World, will always be etched in my memory as one of the dearest I’ve known. I was honoured to share in the completion of the momentous occasion, and am so proud of her, there are no words. Thank you. Thank you, for such a precious moment.

There are always those times when we must surrender and let go of something in our lives in order to allow ourselves to embrace the new. It is such an interesting yoga, isn’t it? With a Loving heart, we trust that we have done our best in the process, allowing chapters to come to a close, releasing it into the Universe. For each of us these dear times are allowing for different types of releases, but the completion allows for Beautiful new gifts to unfold as we move into a different stage. These touchstones mark important work done, and serve as the chapters which weave together the stories of our lives. I am thankful to bear witness to these poignant moments in the lives of those I Love, whom I remind that it really is not much further now, we are so close, and I am so appreciative to share in your magnificent achievements. Congratulations, and many Blessings upon the next.

Love and Blessings,
Antonia

Leap and the net will appear.

I watched one of the Beautiful womyn in my life take an Amazing leap of faith this week. She’s not alone, as she’s joined by a few brave souls who have surpassed their desires to stop at the edge, toes sticking over the unknown abyss. Bearing witness to these courageous acts of stepping through fears to follow the heart’s inner calling is an honour and incredibly inspiring.

Most of our obstacles would melt away if…we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.

One has to let go to make room to embrace the new, even if it’s ‘only’ fear that we’re releasing. When one of the womyn confided that it was a little scary, I replied, “It’s supposed to be.” She burst out laughing, which I expected from her, and have found to be an Excellent way to disperse fear. It wouldn’t be a leap of faith if there weren’t at least a few fears to hurdle and faith required, right? But, once the dream has been heard and the decision to act on the desire made, what we set into motion through our advancements are far stronger than any fears which could hold us back. Surrendering to the free fall, intimidation is left behind on that cliff’s ledge.

Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.

Ultimately, we have to trust our inner guidance system to guide us through, knowing that the Universe will support us as we move towards our dreams. We have within us the ability to push through the daunting voices and emotions which stand between where we are, and our ability to live up to the fullest expression of who we are. We can also prevail as we encounter the many tasks to perform in order to bring the goal into manifestation. Keep moving forward, allowing it to be as easy and flowing as possible. Sitting on our own gifts does not serve ourselves or others. We’re here to fly! Bravo to the Wonderful, bold womyn in my life for taking a leap of faith towards their true callings! I applaud you and wish you the most Joy~full, abundant Blessings.

Love and Leaping Blessings,
Antonia

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it..

Life is what we make it, a mirror reflecting from the inside out, our attitudes the view through which things materialize. I believe that life is Beautiful, each moment an opportunity and Gorgeous gift. It is for that reason that I began to capitalize words, typically adjectives or nouns, which remind me of the Glorious nature of life and my Gratitude for living. Love is always capitalized in my World! Well, as often as I can get away with doing so anyway. I like to remind myself and others to put the Joy back in enJoying each precious step of this Amazing adventure. While words which disparage or belittle are known as pejoratives, words which express praise, or have a positive effect are known as laudatives or approbatives. Enthusiastic words and actions which share inspiring energy should have a term, and those words which can remind us to stay uplifted in the challenging times, I think, deserve to be capitalized occasionally.

I Love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.

Being in Nature is an Incredible opportunity to get closer to God/Goddess/Source energy, and by breathing in the sights and sounds we allow for an unfolding of life’s mysteries through which we can hear what our internal guidance system is wishing to share with us. Mother Nature, Nature, Earth, Sun and Moon all contribute such Loving energy into our lives, whether we accept consciously or not. Shouldn’t they be capitalized too? It’s an Awe~some miracle to bear witness to the Magnificent magick of Spring’s renewal, as plants and trees burst forth in new buds overnight. Much can be learned from the forests, lakes, streams, trees, plants, flowers and the Joy~full energy which abounds therein. It’s hard for me to believe that our life-giving Planet should not be given an upper-case status.

All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.

As life mirrors our thinking, I consciously choose to accentuate the Wonderful positives. When we are enthusiastic, seeing the Beauty of what is, we transform challenging situations and bring greater awareness to the Wondrous moment. Through us, this Dazzling energy is shared with those around us, allowing for a rippling out of positivity. Love life and share Joy with yourself and those around you, my BeLoved reader. Watch how it deeply enriches all. At least, that’s the view through my lens, and why I chose to start capitalizing my laudatives! What words would you capitalize?

Love and Blessings,
Antonia