gOt pRoMise?

Dear FunFreePeeps!

As you know, I've begun a 40-day practice which I am calling my Revolutionary Self-Care Reboot (click on the link for my plan). I am trusting that the right messages will find me in the next 40 days, and some cool stuff arrived for me today.

First of all, the message hanging from my yummy chamomile tea bag this morning, read "Peace" -- which matches my teacup. Yeah!

Another cool synchronicity happened, which is that I drew a goddess card called White Tara.

 This goddess reminds us about sensitivity, gently whispering: "You are becoming increasingly sensitive. Avoid harsh relationships, environments, situations, and chemicals." 

These two messages from the Universe gave me a signal that my Revolutionary Self-Care Reboot is happening at the right time. You know, it's hard to stay n track when we make commitments to ourselves, but a mentor once told me that the very worst thing we can do is break promises we make to ourselves.

Here is a beautiful verse from a sacred text by Christian D. Larson that speaks to this very idea.

PROMISE YOURSELF

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticise others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear; and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them, 1912

What promises can you keep to yourself today?

Loads of (laundry) LovE!

Dana

gOt PrAYer?

Dear Ones,

Yesterday I shared that I am committing to a 40-day practice which I am calling my Revolutionary Self-Care Reboot (click on the link for my plan). I am trusting that the right rituals and messages will find me in the next 40 days, and so of course this prayer practice found me this morning.

It is called the Prayer of Light, and I have recited it often during Kundalini Yoga classes and meditations. It found me from a website called Rootlight, which has amazing music and healing spiritual practices. I have decided to do this prayer each morning in the next 40-days as part of my practice; here's the practice directly from the Rootlight site; I have added an mp3 link if you want to listen to this beautiful prayer chanted; just click on the link under the picture of these beautifully balanced stones.

Prayer of Light

You can devise your own way of reciting this prayer. Here we will suggest the following two ways, verbal and silent. Regardless of which you choose, remember that this prayer is beautiful and potent, yet simple. It is in Simplicity that we find Divinity. After surrounding yourself with the vibration of love, peace, and light send its energy, now residing in you, into your immediate surroundings. Include all people known and unknown, as well as the entire universe with its stars, the Sun and the Moon. Allow the positive vibrations of love, peace, and light to penetrate your parents, children, siblings, friends, godchildren, nieces, nephews, home, and pets, regardless of their behavior and what they do, or do not, give you. Allow its vibratory energy to infiltrate all that you tend and care for, all that you love most deeply. Think about the troubled areas of our world where unknown and known faces suffer. As you begin to perform the ritual of extending the energy of love, peace, and light to all become aware of the feeling of love, peace, and light entering your heart and expanding into a tingling uplifting presence. Now, shift your thoughts and focus on the heart itself, with its feeling of expansion, love, peace, and light.

Directions for Method 1 (verbal): Sit calmly and be still. Close your eyes in order to center yourself and when you are ready, recite the prayer of Love, Peace, and Light. You can do so in prayer pose or any other posture. Please refer to the words below.

The Prayer of Light

Love before me Love behind me Love at my left Love at my right Love above me Love below me Love unto me Love in my surroundings Love to all Love to the Universe

Peace before me Peace behind me Peace at my left Peace at my right Peace above me Peace below me Peace unto me Peace in my surroundings Peace to all Peace to the Universe

Light before me Light behind me Light at my left Light at my right Light above me Light below me Light unto me Light in my surroundings Light to all Light to the Universe

Directions for Method 2 (silent): Use your breath as you work with the prayer by trying the following three part breathing exercise. Remember that all breathing should be done through the nose. Again, if you do not know the prayer by heart, please refer to the words that appear above.

Part I - Inhalation: As you inhale, mentally repeat the first verse on love. The entire inhalation should last the time it takes to mentally recite this verse.

Part II - Hold Breath: After you've inhaled love, hold the breath. With the breath held, mentally repeat the second verse on peace.

Part III - Exhalation: As you begin to gently release the held breath, mentally repeat the third verse on light. The entire exhalation should last the time it takes to mentally recite the third verse.

Continue for three to eleven minutes. Doing the prayer of Love, Peace, and Light in this way causes you to feel and experience these three principles, while helping you to slow the breath down. You should perform this exercise as slowly as possible. Eventually, you will slow the breath to approximately one breath per minute, with each of the verses taking twenty seconds. Do not, however, concentrate specifically on the time as you do this exercise. The slowing of the breath will not only come naturally, but also it will improve your health. For matters of health and healing through the breath refer to the book The Divine Doctor.

It is critical that you remember that words are powerful. They are living things, servants and slaves to our will, and they will seek to find a way to manifest in shape and form. We must be aware of our magical power and creative inheritance, and take responsibility for what we say, manifest, and do. More than ever before, this is essential. Recite the prayer of love, peace, and light, and make amends, heal yourself and help the world. In addition to practicing the prayer of Love, Peace, and Light as explained, simply listening to it also has tremendous benefits. Dim the lights in a quiet room, and light a candle. Lie down comfortably on your back, allowing yourself to completely relax. Play the last track on the CD Healing Fire or Blissful Spirit. Both contain the prayer of Love, Peace, and Light. Put your CD player on repeat mode and listen to this prayer for at least eleven minutes. Many healers allow their patients to listen to this prayer as they receive treatment, as they have found that it magnifies the benefits of various therapies. It is very important to add here, the architecture of this prayer is what makes it work. There is a precise order or structure to it, that creates the perfect healing impact.

Copyright © 2011 Rootlight, Inc.

b hU(wo)MAN!

  

"Live life fully while you're here. 

Experience everything.

Take care of yourself and your friends.

Have fun, be crazy, be weird.

Go out and screw up!

You're going to anyway,

so you might as well enjoy the process.

Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes:

find the cause of your problem and eliminate it.

Don't try to be perfect;

just be an excellent example of being human." 

- Anthony Robbins

Hey pEEps!

Do you embrace and live fully in your craZiNeSS? One thing I loVE about the quote from AR is that he encourages us to be super goofy and fUn! 

That can be amazingly scary for us folks who worry a lot about what other people think about us. What I've learned in the last few years, is that if I am play-acting and trying to iMpReSS others about how awesome I am, and I am trying to be a certain way--I am not being truthful 'cuz when I'm trying, . . . it's not me. When I'm me, I don't usually have to try (. . . well, unless I'm in a situation where I would normally do the whole people pleasing BS and I am consciously trying NOT to do it...)

Anyway, being hu(wo)man and ImPerFecKt is so awesome 'cuz I am not TRyIng so hard to control what everyone thinks of me (or what I make up @ what they think of me) aND (bonus) I can relax! And breathe . . .

Totally takes the pressure off!

And I can do loving things for myself despite when I screw up---and I am more okay when other people screw up--cuz' I can be more loving to them! 

It's all Go(o)d! 

Here's my new secret: (shhhhhhh . . . please tell EverYonE!)

peOplE

arE

dOing

aNd

BeIng

tHeir 

Best...

and sometimes their best totally sucks to us . . .

(believe me, I get it . . . I've been there!)

BUT ALSO CONSIDER THIS:

Don't you want other pEEpS

to ASSume

you

are always doing and being your bEsT?

So, I challenge you to

PAY IT FORWARD.

sOmEtImeS,

(& . . . don't tell nE1 . . .) 

my best

SUCKS!

SUCKS HUGE!

aND I don'T always know why!

Sometimes, my best is to get my butt out of bed and gO pEE, pEEps---'cuz I'm sad, or mad, or SUpEr sTuCk! (but not super often, thankfully . . . )

AnyWay, hope you get what I mEan. When have you given someone else a miss, and let them off the hook of your JUDGEMENT!? 

Let me know in the comments!

Love you and love EverYoNE!

;0) dAnA

lOvE yOu(rSeLf)!

I will love you no matter what.

I will love you if you are stupid,

if you slip and fall on your face,

if you do the wrong thing,

if you make mistakes,

if you behave like a human being 

-- I will love you no matter.
--Leo Buscaglia

Dear Dana,

I am writing this LovE leTTer to you from your higher self. It’s me!

I know you’ve felt alone at times, although I’ve been here all along. Those clunky lonely spots have brought you back to me, and they are reminding you how to continually reach deeper and deeper to connect with your own source of Radical Self-Love.

Who knew that loving yourself is the only way to give love to others? We’ve been a bit backwards about that, haven’t we? And we know better now . . . we’ve had so many amazing teachers and signs, and it’s go time for the Dana Revolutionary Self-Care Extravaganza! (Mastin’s words from months ago . . .)

The poem above reminded me that before we give awesome loVe to others, we must first give it to ourselves: NO MATTER WHAT. No matter if we are STUPID or DO THE WRONG THING or MAKE MISTAKES.

We are human and that makes us less than perfect; and in this imperfection, ironically, we can find our own sense of being PERFECTLY ourselves. Nobody can be better at being YOU! You are the expert! 

So how are you going to take care of yourself today? Will you:

• take a lavender bath?
• meditate?
• eat some deliciously prepared food?
• write in your journal?
• listen to beautiful music?
• read?
• sing and dance?
• take a nap? 
• JusT be?

You are growing and learning and that's how it's meant to be. 

Breathe in deep and celebrate your amazing life, sweetheart!!

So much love,

Dana   

I'vE gOt a sEcrEt . . .

ShhHhh . . . prOmiSe nOt tO TeLL?

Dear FunFree(imperfecKt)Peeps,

After what happened with Chloe being so distraught yesterday ("Mom! Something's not perfect!"), I was gently reminded (again) of the daunting nature of perfection.

I looked around the room of my basement and I saw Chloe's artwork crumpled up in piles--markers and colored pencils strewn all over the floor. She'd had a fit of frustration because her art wasn't PERFECT.

YIKES.

I have had fits of perfection off and on all my life. Still do. As a matter of fact, something about my perfectionism has recently got my attention in a BIG WAY.

BACKSTORY: Sometimes, I like to manage my emotional life by keeping all the yucky stuff to myself; for example, when I'm struggling, sad, frustrated, overwhelmed, or anxious about anything, in particular--or about LIFE, in general. So, things build up . . . DUH . . . and then my feelings and fears end up spewing in a not-so-planful or pretty fashion. Not pretty. (Sorry, Keith . . .)

And, I can't possibly get support from the people who love me if they don't know what's going on. The EGO part of me believes that it's better if people think I'm FINE and I can handle everything--like SUPERWOMAN, right?

Not.

So, I have made a commitment to myself and my loved ones to be more transparent about my TRUTH, knowing that sharing my pain or frustration does not make me needy, it does not mean I wish be rescued, and it doesn't make me a BURDEN or a VICTIM. 

It just IS.

In the past few days, I've shared a lot about the tough spot I've been in, and it has pretty scary. But I have been surprisingly relieved. 

I have felt a huge weight lifted from my heart by shedding a layer of my perfection, asking for a little time, and resting in the presence of loving friends who have listened with patience and compassion (thank you Keith, Mom, Chris, Alana, Edward, Max & Chloe, and Celia).

I am (im)perfeCktly human.

After all, amazing stuff as well as my wobbly spots are all part of what makes me, Me: Dana Lynne Curry . . . and I can't  celebrate the great stuff and hide the ISH . . . cuz' the ISH is what needs transformation and is the awesome Growing SPOT.

I need to shed light on ALL parts of me--and especially those scary wobbly parts of ME need to bask in the yummy light so they can be transform, heal, and re(a)l-ease. Get it?

Ahhhhhhhhhhh . . . Here is a meditation for healing. Check it out!

Purple Nerple Love,

Dana Burger

Mom! Something's not perfect!

Hey All--

Something very interesting happened to me today. I was in the shower with the (albeit clear) shower door closed as well as the bathroom door closed (which means my kids are suposed to let me have "Mom time"), and my daughter rushed in through the door and knocked on the (CLEAR GLASS) shower. Awkward. I don't think it's appropriate for my kids to see me naked, even though we're family.

Anyway, she was panicked. She pounded on the glass. "Mom!" she gestured for me to clear the steam from the shower glass.

"What? It's Mommy's private shower time! I'll be out in a minute."

"Mom!" she gestured for me to clear the steam from the shower glass, AGAIN. I cleared the steam.

"Mom!" (she was very distraught). "Mom!" she urged. "Something's not perfect!" My daughter, Chloe, was crying.

"Honey, I need to finish my shower and I'll be right there, okay?" I rushed to the tv room and everything was thrown EVERYWHERE.

Chloe was so frustrated. I know that feeling.

I used to try to be perfect, and I thought that if I did everything perfectly, people would approve of me, or like me (have you every been around someone who acts like they are perfect?  . . . I actually find people who act perfect quite annoying and humorous...and I used to be THAT girl... yikes.

So being perfect was a way for me to feel in control. Perfection comes in many disguises, like, for example:

• being the perfect student
• being the perfect son/daughter
• being the perfect athlete/singer/actress/_______fill in blank (no fouls, strikes, warnings,wrong notes or lines etc.)
• having a perfect body (eating disorder warning)
• looking perfect
• kissing butt to people so they like you 
• making others dependent on you . . .

Being perfect is SOSOSOSOSOS stressful . . . and WE DO IT TO OURSELVES. Nobody else does it TO us. Anyway, so that leaves us with being (im)PerFeCKT! Hmn...

It's actually kind of a relief . . . takes the pressure off, and then we can just breathe, be hu(wo)man, and love ourselves even MORE. I personally love being a dork and I want to remind you that (im)PerfeCkT is the new PerfeCKt!

BTW: Who else can be perfekctly you? NO-BODY!

You r the grace of GO(O)D-(NESS)!

;)dana

aBoUt LoVe! Happy Valentines Day!

Hey Happy Valentiners!

Have you ever noticed that many people spend a lot of their time focusing on things they don’t like or what bothers them--instead of the good stuff that surrounds them? Sometimes, we are that person . . . either focusing on negative stuff about ourselves (mean inner (S)ELF) or other people. 

If we don't catch it, this behavior can drain us of our energy FAST!!!! 

Today let's celebrate: 

WhAt We LoVE!

Check out this vid from SoulPancake

(of the OprahWinfreyNetwork)

a team of people who basically share the love . . .

I personally like to write every day. Do you have a journal? If you want, take out a piece of paper and for each category, list three things you LoVe!

3 activities you LoVe:

3 foods you LoVe:

3 people you LoVe:

3 books you LovE:

3 songs you LoVe:

3 objects you LoVe:

3 things you LovE about your life:

3 things you LovE about yourself:

Did you know that our thoughts make a huge difference in how we feel? So, if we choose amazing thoughts, it can help us feel, well . . . amazing!

 What if: Every time you felt mad, or irritated, or even sad, lonely, or tired.  .  . You looked at your list of things you LoVe and chose to focus on being psyched for all the good stuff  instead of being miserable?

What amazing shifts might occur?

Just sayin'...

Lots of LoVe!

Dana

mErrY VaLeNtiNe'S dAy!

Valentine's Day Tree, 2013

We Are Love!

Dear Peeps!

So every year (especially since I have become a single parent), I get a bit sad over the holidays when we have to take the Christmas tree down. I don't exactly know why, but I suspect that because I am a woman who lives in metaphors and symbols, I love the idea of having a ginormous--albeit fake--but I don't care, it's still a real(ly easy to put up and down)! sign of celebration in our home. The picture above is a transformed Christmas tree--you know, like, it's so obviously a Valentine's Tree, right?

Here's a closer look:

Notice the hundreds of hearts hanging from the boughs in place of the traditional Christmas holiday ornaments. It may, in the next months, turn into the Easter Tree (my sixth grade son, Max, is horrified), and thereafter the End-of-School Tree, 4th of July Tree, Back-2-School Tree,  . . . but I digress (not). 

I have to admit that I love surrounding myself with rituals; it's the stuff I, personally, am made of--you know, like writing in my journal, praying, meditating, teaching, blogging, cooking amazing meals for the people I love, lighting candles, and listening to amazingly inspiring (and not so inspiring, even naughty--hello RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS!) music. 

We all have a right to follow the wonderful and random things that meaningfully call us in life, as long as we do no harm to others. I think maybe Max can put up with (in positive terms: CELEBRATE) my silly need for a Valentine's Tree . . . much like I CELEBRATE things about HIM (top secret only to be revealed at his high school graduation or his wedding . . . ). 

Anyway . . . I'm not embarrassed, and I make no APOLOGIES for this tree. I LOVE IT! and I think it's so, so cool. It's beautifully, and wonderfully, ME: Dana Lynne Curry. I want my kids and the people I love to know the real me.  Lucky DOGS. Click below for the audio:

My daughter, Chloe, and I worked on and planned the Valentine's Tree for weeks! And it's lovely, and even majestic (and I secretly think Max likes it a little . . . don't tell him I told you . . .)

So, how do you infuse ritual into your life? 

Leave u a comment and share your amazing ideas with our funfreeMe community.

Super duper tree-huggin LOVE!

Dana

eAt wItH yOuR pReSenCe!

Dear Fun FreE Peeps!

  

So what brings you into the pResEnt moment? Usually, it's when we witness something really intense, or when we play a sport we lOvE, or do an activity that is our pAsSiOn (like writing this bLoG for me...).

What if I challenge yOu, yO . . . to be present when you EaT?

To many of us in our busy lives ingest food and don't really appreciate and bless the  gift of our DAILY BREAD. 

Above you will see pictures of my amazing dinner this evening: SUSHI!

What I know about SUSHI is very limited, but this is what I DO know:

• my best friend and I were served ART for dinner--yes, ART. Our meal was pretty, beautifully presented, and as we witnessed our SUSHI chefs at KOBE creating our meal, it was like watching ballet.
• the men who made our meals were amazingly HUMBLE--they smiled at us and asked us if we were happy and whether the sushi was delicious.
• because I am not totally good with chopsticks, I have to really pay attention as I eat (or nothing will get into my mouth!). I appreciate and am grateful for my meal.

The go(o)d news, is that we can choose to be present to whatEvEr is in front of us . . . so that whatever or whomever is placed in our pAtH gets our fULL AttEnTiOn.

ANd then, magically, time drops off. TOdaY: give yourself a present--fEeL your preSence! What do you give your timeless presence? Leave me a comment and share with our peeps!

luv ya!

;) Dana

cHoOse LoVe . . . nOt fEaR!

Gratitude is the single most important ingredient
to living a successful and fulfilled life.

~Jack Canfield

Hey Fun & Free Pps!
I know I've written about it before, but this Personal Code of Truth has absolutely gotten my attention again: I live in love and gratitude.

So the first part--I live in love--means that I don't live from a place of fear anymore. Like, for example, not saying stuff 'cuz I'm afraid of what people will think of me, and I have KNoCkEd OfF not being true to myself 'cuz of what others may say. It's kinda weird, but lately I've been learning a lot about fear--

I've now know that my fear isn't really an all-powerful

scary crEEpaliscious monStEr--

it's simply (not so scary)

information. . . . 

AND

MY FEAR SHOWS ME

WHAT I AbsOLuTely mUsT DO OR SAY!

So, like, if I'm scared of something . . . 

that means I sUcK iT uP & DO IT, danggitt#@$%!. 

Crazy stuff, huh? I used to shrink back away from the stuff I was scared of instead of facing it head on--but guess what? Facing the stuff I'm scared of gives me confidence, independence, strength, and power!

The second part of my PCT--I live in gratitude--simply means that I look to life with awe, thanks, and humility. I have gratitude for even the smallest things in life (like, for example, taking a breath, seeing a beautiful flower, a smile from a stranger . . .). And, (this is trickier, yo) that means that I am also thankful for the yucky crap-aliscious stuff--'cuz when it feels crappy, it means I just can't see the sparkly gifts in the experience yet-- 'cuz I can't see the super amazing, delicious, 

bIggEr and beTTer pLan

the You-niverse has for me!

. . . so there you have it! That's my second mantra! What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know how YOU live in LoVe and gRaTiTuDe! If you're interested in some more quotes about gratitude, click on this link:

GrAtiTuDe QuOteS: OWN

Have an amazing and magical day!

heArts!

;0) dana