joy.

make every moment count, with a simple choice

The Permanence in the Impermanent

I was recently asked about my wrist tattoo. Coupled with some Buddhist reading I've been doing, I started to really reflect on what it means for something to be truly permanent. My questioner ruminated on the subject, "I just don't get it....you must really like whatever it is you get, to decide you want it forever." My response was far too simplistic and somewhat trite, "Well, yes." And honestly, what I was really thinking was, "DUH." As I consider this idea more however, I realize it's much deeper than that. This idea of permanence and impermanence, even just on our skin. Is there anything in this world that is truly permanent? Surly the image I have "permanently" plastered on my wrist will not last forever; The Earth. My wrist portrays primarily North America, surrounded by blue ocean and filled with lush green land. The exception to the lush is the southwestern part of the US, accentuated by a yellow hue, as a tribute to the New Mexican desert, where I was living when I first got "inked up." The Earth is ever evolving, and will at some point in history cease to exist as we know it. Truthfully, it won't even remain the exact same on my wrist, subject to fading and shifting with my skin's aging and that of the ink. But isn't that part of the appeal of a tattoo in the first place? Despite the ever changing world around us, despite the impermanence of every aspect of every day, this image, this Earthly tribute, will remain a part of me, as long as I am me. I treasure this home of ours. This vast sky, these inviting mountains, the brilliant oceans and the uniquely blooming deserts; each and everyone of us belong to them. We are all a part of the incredible planet we call Earth. Countless times throughout the day, I glance down at my little Earth, and I remember different parts of it that I love. I remember the crystal blue waters and lush green forests, and I am saddened by the thought of those things dissipating. So to those who inquire about my tattoo, I say, the Earth is not permanent, and I cannot make it so. But I can make it a permanent part of me, both literally and metaphorically, the former only further enforcing the latter. I believe that's what we all do, when we chose to turn our skin into a piece of art. We take something that we simply cannot make permanent, and do just that to it.

A Second Try

My unplugging assistants: Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar, Relax and Renew by Judith Lasater, Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation by Larry Rosenberg (all recommended by one of my incredible yoga instructors), the perfect tea mug, my favorite journal, my very loved yoga mat, colorful pens and a fleece blanket

After a 4 year hiatus, I've decided to try and revitalize my blog. I'm not going to try and backdate through the past 4 years, I'll say compared to 2008, I'm a pretty different person in many ways and still the same ole me in many others. Something about the word resolution really rubs me the wrong way, so I'll just say that I've set a couple goals for 2013. Blogging is not one of the those goals, but I think it might be an effect of another. On New Years Eve, I "unplugged" for 24 hours: turned off my phone, computers and internet. I spent my time reading, practicing yoga, and journaling. I have set a goal to unplug once a month, and meditate daily. I may choose to blog about it, or I may not. This is all part of an overarching goal I set about 9 months ago. Working in an environment nothing short of chaotic, and losing myself in the madness, I yearned for a sense of balance. Since then I have worked to find this sense of balance and inner peace. Over the summer I primarily sought professional and physical balance, I now extend this endeavor to include an emotional and spiritual balance. Many of my friends are a part of this journey without even knowing it, and to them, I am eternally grateful. But I am more grateful for the roles my family and friends have played in steering me to a place of reflection, hope and curiosity. Here goes!