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Well, I finally did it!  At least a little bit of “it”.  Since beginning this business venture, I have been told countless times by various consultants, marketing people, friends, artists, nieces and nephews that social marketing is essential to making my business work. A baby boomer and a strong believer in the benefits of a personal computer, I have been resistant to Facebook, My Space and Twitter.  After all, they all seem antithetical to creating a quiet space and trying to chill out.  It all seems kind of hyper’ish to me…. but I’m trying to get the message out about my business and apparently this is what one is supposed to do.  So this is how I’m trying to resolve my dilemma.

Back in June, I was dragged kicking and screaming into making a Facebook page by my web designer, Jill at Firefly Design. She actually started doing it while sitting next to me, and I put  in my birthdate, name and web address for my business - the reason I did the Facebook page! A few days later I told one person that I started a “page” and she emailed the entire mailing list of my graduating class at West Linn High School! To my shock, within a day I had 20-30 messages on my whatever the heck a “Wall” is!  I was freaked out by the messages that suddenly appeared, some even seemed to be personal blogs with pictures and all…. I didn’t know what to do with all those messages.  Was I supposed to respond to them?  If I did, would my message be posted on everyone else’s Wall?  So, I’ve pretty much ignored those messages, not meaning to be rude, but I never did figure out how to manage that “page”.  I continue to ignore it and if someone asks to be my friend an email message gives me notification, I just click “yes” and don’t even have to get on Facebook.

Yesterday, for the first time, while putting together my Fan page, my 25 year old niece showed me how to look at my Facebook page. Yikes! I can’t believe I’m going forward with this but I had to - I’m paying a promotional professional and she insists that I do the Fan page to get out messages about my business.  So far, I have 6 Fans in 24 hours, mostly relatives, bless their hearts. We’ll see what happens.  If you want to be a Fan, here’s the link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-OR/Creating-Quiet-Spaces/155398342689?v=wall

Who knows, someday I might really get into this social media thing and try Twitter, but for now, NO WAY! Maybe, just maybe, it won’t be so intimidating to me at some point. We’ll see….

Nancy Goodwin, Owner

www.creatingquietspaces.com

nancy@creatingquietspaces.com

One of the hardest lessons in starting a new business is practicing the forth part of the Four-Fold Way* - detach from the outcome - or actually, “Be open to outcome, not attached to outcome”.

Sometimes we work so hard to put something together for a presentation, a customer, or a promotional opportunity, and then “nothing” happens. Of course, maybe something is happening but it just hasn’t materialized in a way that is obvious or can be measured.  Why is it that we like to see fruits of our labor?  Perhaps it is to know it was worth the effort, time and money, whatever.  What I tell myself when I’m in that uncomfortable place is that if we are truly coming from authenticity and following the path of our heart, something good will come of the effort even if it is never shown in a material way. Perhaps a seed was planted with someone somewhere and those efforts might eventually germinate to become to benefit someone.

I still have a lot of work to do on that but it is a comfort to know that it is something others struggle with at times.

*The Four-Fold Way is trademarked by Angeles Arrien, a well-known cultural anthropologist, who has written several books including and The Second Half of Life and The Tarot Handbook.  I was lucky to have had the opportunity to study with her at the California Institute of Integral Studies and more recently at a weekend workshop titled “Second Half of Life”.  Angie has written several books, and has educational programs that are detailed on her website, http://www.angeleesarrien.com.  Her Four-Fold Way in its briefest terms is stated below:

Show up and choose to be present
Pay attention to what has heart and meaning
Tell the truth without blame or judgment
Be open to outcome, not attached to outcome

Those have been very useful guidelines for me over the last 20 years, both in developing two retail businesses and while being a mental health counselor.  Maybe they can be of use to you.  If you have anything you’d like to share on this blog, please let me know.

Nancy Goodwin, Owner
www.creatingquietspaces.com
nancy@creatingquietspaces.com

Vastu Pool with Yantra

Vastu Pool with Yantra - Photograph by Steve Akash

Everything here in Santa Fe is getting more vibrant. The river is running and exuding the most marvelous vitality, bliss, and freshness in the air. Greenness is taking over, leafing out more and more each day. Drinking my delightful organic Rishi tea in my backyard under huge oak trees ,while filling myself visually with white blossoms and green everywhere, reminds me how grateful I am that we live in such a radiant home, nature itself blessing us always.

Homes and gardens that are aligned with the subtle laws of nature known to Vastu naturally is more peaceful and supportive to your goals in life. Vastu, the original green, sustainable design system on the planet, is based on knowledge of these laws of nature. I discuss Vastu in organized detail in my book Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature. Since it is that time of year where nature has woken up, here are some tips for your garden.

Everything in creation is made up of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. Honoring and working with the five elements allows nature to support us rather than throwing disruptive resistance in our path in life. Water element is predominant in the northeast, which is a sacred zone. Placing a water feature in the north or northeast increases the flow of peace, joy, support, and abundance. This can be a fountain, pond, waterfall, or any other water feature. Sitting outside by this beauty, listening to its soothing sound, will be a delight, and it will also influence how you feel inside your home.

Keep your northeast clean and light and fresh: Don’t keep your trash, sheds, or recycling here, or it will create a non-peaceful, oppressive influence. If you are planting trees this year, do not plant tall trees in the northeast. Place them instead in the west, southwest, or south of your yard. For more tips, read my book and go to my website, www.transcendencedesign.com You can also sign up at www.transcendencedesign.com/contact for my newsletter which combines useful knowledge and inspiration with conscious products, art, and services you can purchase to enhance your sacred space and organic lifestyle.

Sherri Silverman, Ph.D.   TRANSCENDENCE DESIGN
505.984.0108  www.transcendencedesign.com
1521 Upper Canyon Road, studio F, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Gallery: Contemporary art & jewelry for sacred space.
Conscious products for sacred space, organic lifestyle. Vastu consultations.

Author, Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature

I’ve been thinking a lot about my mother this week, probably brought on by the passing of my friend’s mother two weeks ago and the approach of Mother’s Day this coming Sunday.  Last weekend the friend who just lost her mother, another girlfriend and I, all good friends since early grade school, got together for an afternoon visit that lasted well into late evening.  We talked and talked sharing a lot of stories about our very different early adulthood situations. While we all live within 20 miles of each other we pretty much parted ways after high school graduation as part of the “individuation” process, I suppose.  A revelation that we all came to that evening while catching up on the last 40 plus years, is that we had each been envious of each other. They were envious that my family’s lifestyle was more abundant financially and I was envious of the attention, closeness and affection they received from their parents within their smaller nuclear families. We had spent a lot of time in each others homes and couldn’t help but notice differences in family lifestyles. After sharing our jealousies last weekend, we had a good laugh and swore that we will be friends forever.

I honor my mother this Mother’s Day as she inspired me to pursue my dreams with courage and tenacity - she modeled both well.  I know she would be cheering me on now even knowing it’s a little crazy to begin an internet business at age 60 when I’ve always been afraid of technical concepts.  I can still hear her saying the quote, not sure whose it was, “It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.”  By my translation, that saying meant to follow my heart and to try anything.

My mother, bless her heart, tried so hard to be the perfect mother, the good wife, the great cook, charming hostess and so on.  She worked really hard taking care of our large family and pretty much wore herself out, dying at the age of 69.  She had some regrets that she didn’t work outside the home and always wondered how it would have been to have had another career other than taking care of a home, my dad and 5 children.  That was a huge, huge job and she did it well.  Thanks Mom for all your encouragement to find myself and to do what makes me happy.

Last night at 10:20 I got a call from a “new” old friend letting me know that her 96 year old mother suffering from dementia is in the final stages of dying.  My friend was very sad, anxious, overwhelmed, and angry at times during our nearly hour-long conversation.  We talked, shared tears and at times even gentle laughter. I was glad that she called as I had offered her support for what was obviously coming soon.

This morning she called saying her mother passed about two hours after we spoke last night.  Her voice was clear and tender, her anxiety and anger gone.  She is sad but seems at peace now, she knows her mother is no longer dealing with the sometimes violent confusion of her last several months. Perhaps she is experiencing some relief from the ongoing responsibility and vulnerability during her mother’s demented decline.

My friend and I lost contact over 40 years ago, we’d been good friends through grade school and high school, then parted following graduation seeing each other only once - at our 20 year high school reunion.  Whatever reason we parted seems totally irrelevant now as we are in such a different passage in our lives.  Now our parents have passed, we’ve each lost friends through illness and war, we’ve both been divorced…. it is really quite sweet how we are finding a different more mature and mutually respectful common ground in our friendship. Common interests and lifestyles seem to mean less now than the quality of our current contact.

The story of how we reconnected while living within only 10 miles of each other, is interesting and reflecting of the times. Apparently her clever daughter knew her mom was soon going to need some support so she set up a “Facebook” page and another friend who observes “Facebook”, saw the posting.  From that posting several friends from childhood are coming around and will surely offer support during her grieving process.

There have been times I have been facing the loss directly, this time I’m a support person and I feel honored to share the “space” with my friend as she grieves the loss of her dear mother.  Today or tomorrow, I will take her a small treasure from CQS to symbolize this important time of transition.

Do you have stories you’d like to share on this blog about how you deal with things that come up your life?  If so, please email me at the link below.

Nancy Goodwin, Owner

www.creatingquietspaces.com

Meditative Art for Your Personal Sanctuary at Home, Work and in the Garden

nancy@creatingquietspaces.com

Nia

Speaking of ways to create a healthy “space”…  Last week I attended two Nia classes and enjoyed great physical workouts, lots of unusual world music and fabulous fitness instruction.  The classes were not “quiet” by any means, but the carefully chosen rhythmic music lasted for about an hour and in the final phase toned down to offer a quiet meditation.  It is beyond just a good workout, it is designed to affect all of who we are and it is actually fun!  The sound, movement and whole experience brings one into the present moment.  Just try to hold onto a bad mood throughout an entire class.  While I worked up a sweat and knew I’d had a good cardiovascular workout, there was a profound experience of gratitude for actually being able to MOVE – we take that so for granted.

Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas founded Nia in 1983 and Portland is now home for Nia International Headquarters. Debbie and Carlos each bring their unique gifts and extensive experience to this now well-known fitness technique that is a workout, lifestyle and personal growth program. Classes are now taught in 37 countries including Bahrain, where my sister Jane currently teaches Nia at Worldbeat Fitness Center.  Here is the link to her website.  http://www.worldbeatfitness.com

I’ve borrowed my sister’s description of Nia (Neuromuscular Integrative Action): “a dynamic cardiovascular workout that stimulates and integrates mind/body/spirit and leaves you feeling recharged, rejuvenated, and fully alive. Nia blends dance, martial arts, yoga, and healing arts to allow your child, athlete, warrior, and dancer within to expressively emerge.”

For more information and to see a demo video, here is a link to the Nia International Headquarters website: http://www.nianow.com From Nia’s website, “Nia is movement-medicine for the body and soul.”

How do you create your personal peaceful sanctuary, quiet or otherwise?  Guest Bloggers are welcome!

Nancy

It has been a tough week finishing up tax stuff.  For some reason, I let that get to me every year.  I like to leave it to the end, get all the records together, write the checks and just not think about it for another year, kind of like ripping off a band-aid.  The challenge is getting to that final rip.

So while feeling a little “off” the last few days I’ve noticed that one of my many orchids is beginning to bloom.  It has been showing signs of possibility for a few weeks and now it is seriously unfolding. This might not be a big deal for many but for me it is something close to a miracle - have to wonder what it signifies.  This has only happened once before in the 10 or so years that I’ve been collecting these plants, almost always as gifts.  I love the orchid’s delicate beauty and the way the bloom lasts for such a long time. Given that Portland is often dark and rainy, along with the way my house is situated with tall buildings all around, the light situation for orchids is very tricky, therefore my happy surprise.

So this blooming is just another reminder to be grateful and expect the unexpected.  As I write this, this sun has peaked out from a dark sky.  Yes, all is well.

Nancy

Would you like to share a story about your quiet space?  Email me your blog entry and I will post it.

A short time ago I had the delightful experience of spending an evening at Hough Elementary School with my grandchildren. It was family night and the exercise for families was to create/write their own book. The suggestion given was to create a book that expressed what Joy Is for each person. Given the current economic situation and the sense of fear and worry in our country the topic was very pertinent.

It was a delightful evening watching my grandson Kellen and granddaughter Taryn each create their unique personal Joy Is book. Father Brian took a “family” approach and mother Michele’s was personal and bright. I had a wonderful time drawing, and I use the term loosely, the images in my book mostly without planning or thought and was curious after at the selection and order of the images. My book began with flowers and the first cup of coffee in the morning, moved to a page filled with multi colored musical notes called “Music, music, music,” next a drawing of a dinner table with each person in my family sitting around it labeled “Family, food, fun,” then my attempt to draw the ocean called “Sand ~ Sea ~ Sun,” and the last page were images that evoke my spiritual connection and the words “Namaste” and “Ohmmmm”.

The images are pretty rudimentary and looking at them again today I smile and reconnect with the peace and joy and warmth and serenity each of them represent for me. What would you put in your Joy Is book? What makes your heart sing and brings you peace and harmony? What would a family Joy Is book look like for you? Might be fun to take an evening and play with it. Listening to the conversations and laughter at the tables surrounding us, the evening was a hit with everyone.

And for a little more joy in your life visit www.ISpyJoy.com. A recent survey of their readers found that “the greatest source of joy comes from being in the moment with our loved ones,” according to Michele McKeag Larsen, creator of ISpyJoy.com and the survey. When given a list of 23 items to rank on their ability to bring a smile the top three were: a hug from your child(ren), time with your spouse/significant other, and getting love from your pet. And the last three were: time in the gym, your job, time shopping. Very interesting. Would you agree?

You can check out the rest of the survey on line at www.ISpyJoy.com.

I encourage you and your family to take some time in your favorite quiet space and play with creating your own Joy Is book. Use lots of bright colors, go wild, play, laugh, share, love.

AFFIRMATION – Joy surrounds me, light guides me, love enfolds me.

Joyfully yours,
Carol McKeag

Ever toss and turn much of the night because all the things you need to do are before you shouting, “me first”, “me first”? In this scenario experienced in just the last couple of hours, it seems that there is no possible way to do all the things that need to be done by later today… Monday evening…. April 15th.. it goes on and on. To deal with this uncomfortable state of mind, I ask myself, “What is going on that is really causing me to feel so anxious?” Is there something I need to look at and sort out to feel better – even before I try to sort out my “to do” list?

So here it is. A situation has come up once again where I have hired someone to help me with an aspect of my business and she, based on her experience and knowledge, has made recommendations/suggestions to help me with this project but they are not in agreement with changes that I have made following another person’s experience and knowledge-based recommendations/suggestions. For some reason, I get all anxious around this…

It is easier when my accountant tells me to do something, I do it because there are rules and laws for accounting and tax preparation. But these issues aren’t so cut and dried. There are technical issues and there are aesthetic issues, sometimes not a compatible pair. Then there is what I like… want… lean toward, whatever…where does that all fit in? This is the hard part, I have to decide! Then I have to accept and embrace my personal “authority”. How do I get to my authority? By taking in all of the information, running it through my energy sensor (in my case my body – especially around the heart and stomach area), I get the message - it is to slow down, breathe and take my time. So out comes the yoga mat, out goes the light, the candle in front of Kwan Yin is lit, and the focus becomes the breath and the body, followed by some quiet meditation, and finally a warm bath. Maybe, just maybe, it will all seem manageable after that and I will create my quiet space once again.

Oh there are plenty of other things on my mind that need attending, but at the moment this is front and center. I’m quite sure that I’ll feel better in less than a half hour, probably much less. Actually just identifying my source of anxiety and making a plan has helped.

How do you create a quiet space for yourself? Your thoughts and stories about creating personal sanctuary are welcome and might actually be helpful to others. Please send them to my email, nancy@creatingquietspaces, for placement on the CQS blog. Meanwhile I’m off to the yoga mat…

Nancy

Yesterday morning I entered my yoga class somewhat agitated with concerns about the current state of the economy and the potential implications for my new business. But as usual, the effect of Rena’s class transported me out of those thoughts and activated my second chakra. During the hour and half my brain was mostly present with the movement and the breath, but part of it was processing some creative solutions to my concerns. I love that part of yoga, energy really gets moving but my mind calms.

Following Shivasana in the closing part of class, Rena read the following from Eckhard Tolle’s book, Practicing the Power of Now (page 111). She purposefully left out the second part of the first sentence.

“Don’t look for any other state than the one you are in now;

Forgive yourself for not being at peace. The moment you completely accept your non-peace, your non-peace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender.

When you accept what is, every moment is the best moment.”

The message for me, once again, is that “suffering is not accepting what is”, I think that quote or something like that is from Stephen Levine in A Gradual Awakening. Accepting whatever state we are in will bring personal peace whatever the state of the economy.

My yoga teacher Rena Hatch, is available for consultations, see www.creatingquietspaces.com/consultations.html or hear Rena’s hypnotic voice and learn more about her services at www.LunaGaia.com

Nancy