Notes from Nina
Each weekend I send out the schedule for the following week along with a quick update on all things Yoga with Nina G
Perspective
Dear Friends,
I was on a whirlwind tour of the Plains states this past week. I visited the three Presidential Libraries and Museums that are located there: Eisenhower (Kansas), Truman (Missouri), and Hoover (Iowa). Visiting these sites is a great way for me to learn history and understand a bit more about this experiment of democracy.
I wasn’t very excited about visiting the Hoover Museum. No one has anything good to say about Hoover. He probably got a page or two in my high school history book and that’s all I know about him. It’s all about the depression and it’s depressing.
But I was wrong. I learned that Hoover actually did a lot for the country and the world. Prior to becoming President, he coordinated relief efforts throughout Europe after WWI. Families and children were starving and he brought food to the continent and distributed it to those in need. He saved millions of lives. And he did it again domestically when the Mississippi River flooded in 1927.
I learned that Hoover was a humanitarian. That didn’t make it into my history book.
I was able to see him from a different point of view. One that I hadn’t imagined possible.
Photo credit - D Ginocchio
We see what we want to see. We see what we’re told to see. Maybe when we look at things from a new perspective, we can see them differently.
Yoga offers us a chance to develop this perspective. We spend time on our mats moving and breathing. We come with open minds, ready to learn about the self. We practice awareness and experience feelings and sensation as they arise. Sometimes we even look at things upside down! Yoga helps us to become more self-aware and more adaptable to the changing world around us.
Yoga expands our point of view. All that we can imagine becomes possible.
Please join me on your mat.
Love & Learning,
Nina G
Salute to the Sun
“Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It’s alright”
Hi friends!
The autumnal equinox is upon us. On Thursday the sun will shine directly on the equator and then we begin our journey towards the winter solstice. Another round for all of us!
Since the beginning of the month, I’ve spent some time travelling. As an early riser, I’ve been able to see the sun rise in all parts of the country. It’s been an interesting comparison.
I was in Seattle at the beginning of September. Every day I woke up to gray skies and lots of cloud cover and fog. A few hours later, it seemed like a curtain slowly opened to reveal the outdoors. It was beautiful when it finally cleared and the sun appeared. Sun of clouds and fog, we salute you!
In western Pennsylvania, the sun was different. There was a golden quality to it and it flooded the floor and the dark corners. I actually thought that there was a new lamp or something since the quality was so different from the sun that I know in the Midwest. It came up over the hills, pouring its golden beauty all around us. Golden sun, we salute you!
In Indiana and Illinois, the skies are dark and then they lighten to gray. Then I start to see some pink and orange and – just like that – the sun is up! It’s like there’s a switch that someone throws - and boom! - it’s daylight. The photo above was taken in Indiana just before the light switch was turned on. The sunlight is most beautiful when reflected on the high clouds. It’s light and bright and ready to bake the fields. Nurturing sun, we salute you!
Our sun salutes in yoga take many different forms – I try to offer variations that can serve all of my students. As we practice them this week, let’s be mindful of the fact that there are many different ways the sun joins us each morning.
Sun, we salute you!
Love & Sunshine,
Nina G
Reminder – the Monday afternoon class returns tomorrow at 4:15 pm.
Exclamation Marks Galore…
Hello dear friends,
“How It Might Continue
Wherever we go, the chance for joy,
whole orchards of amazement -
one more reason to always travel
with our pockets full of exclamation marks,
so we might scatter them for others
like apple seeds.
Some will dry out, some will blow away,
but some will take root
and grow exuberant groves
filled with long thin fruits
that resemble one hand clapping -
so much enthusiasm as they flutter back and forth
that although nothing’s heard
and though nothing’s really changed,
people everywhere for years to come
will swear that the world
is ripe with applause, will fill
their own pockets with new seeds to scatter.”
Several years ago, someone that I know reviewed my resume and commented that it seemed like everything I had written down was followed by an exclamation point - not an actual exclamation point, but the tone was such that it felt like an exclamation point. I looked at it again and had to admit that he was correct. And then I didn't change anything. I'm just an exclamation point kind of woman! If you know me, you know that is true.
Amazement and joy are contagious. Take some time this week to be amazed yourself. Then scatter a few of your own exclamation marks around.
As a reminder, I am travelling this week - classes will resume next Monday, September 19. The afternoon class (4:15 pm CT) will resume next Monday as well.
Love!!!
Nina G
News & Notes - September, 2022
Hello Friends!
Here's all the news you need to know...
1. There's a new chair yoga video out on my YouTube channel. Check out Hands & Feet - you'll need to have your tennis ball close by as well.
2. No class on Monday, September 5, due to the Labor Day holiday. I will still be teaching the Movement & Stillness class on Wednesday evening, September 7.
3. No classes the week of Monday, September 12. I'll be travelling to visit family.
4. Classes will resume on Monday, September 19. MONDAY AFTERNOON CLASSES RESUME on Monday, September 19th at 4:15 pm CT.
If you are interested in attending any of my Zoom classes (Monday morning at 8:30 am CT, Monday afternoon at 4:15 pm CT, Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm CT) and you do not already get a link via email, please reply to this message and I'll add you to my list. You are most welcome to join us!
Enjoy the long weekend. I look forward to seeing you again soon!
Love,
Nina G
Quiet Breath
“To Be Quiet and Still is a Special Thing.”
Hi friends!
I love the opportunity to be quiet and still on my yoga mat. It gives me an opportunity to connect and to just be. I spend time with my breath, with my body, with my thoughts, and with my true self.
The breath fascinates me. Our breath is the one system that is autonomic (happens without us thinking about it) and also able to be controlled by us. Even when we aren’t being mindful about our breath, we’re still breathing. But when we do take the time to be mindful of the breath, we tap into that network of possibility and growth. Yoga is a wonderful way to connect the breath, the body, and the present moment.
Another interesting concept about the breath is that we can’t ‘get ahead’ on the breathing. We can’t stockpile extra breaths today and then skip breathing tomorrow. That doesn’t make sense! We can’t do lots of deep inhales during yoga and save the exhales for something else. We have to keep breathing that same inhale-exhale pattern 24/7/365.
It’s not boring. It’s vital and life-giving.
We breathe to stay alive. We breathe mindfully to experience all that life has to offer in each breath.
It can be hard to find the quiet and stillness in our busy lives. There are many distractions and there is a lot of noise out there. To be quiet and still is a choice we can make. When we find the quiet, we can connect to the breath. When we find the breath, the quiet has a chance to expand.
Join me in the quiet and stillness on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
Upcoming schedule changes:
No yoga on Monday, September 5th Labor Day.
To Infinity & Beyond!
Dear Friends,
Once again space exploration is in the news! The first launch of the new Artemis mission is scheduled for this week. In mythology, Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo – thus these missions will bring us back to the moon. There is still much to explore there and the intention is to land astronauts on the moon in future missions. As of today, the rocket is at the launch pad, and soon we’ll be launching an unmanned rocket. We’re getting ready to explore the moon and outer space again.
Future Artemis missions will send humans to the moon and position us for deeper space travel. There’s a whole portion of the program that’s called Moon to Mars. And who knows what will happen after that?!?
We are actually travelling to infinity and beyond.
And I’m here on my yoga mat on Earth.
I like it here on my mat. Yoga is centuries old and I keep returning to it. It offers me a chance to release tension and to recover from the events of the day. It isn’t a ‘quick fix’ but I know that the more I practice, the more it does fix. I like the way that I feel at the end of my practice, so I’ll step on my mat tomorrow as well.
When I share yoga with my students, there are always new things we can explore. If we happen upon a moment of grace or insight or calm, we can use it as a jumping off place for more self-study. That’s why we take those pauses throughout our practice – to reflect, to notice, and to learn.
I keep returning to my mat and I keep learning more about myself and my place in this vast universe. There is still much to explore. I’m in it for the long haul.
We are actually travelling to infinity and beyond.
Join me on your mat – we can make this trip together.
Love,
Nina G
The Space in Between
Hi Friends!
Have you ever watched a trapeze artist? There’s the moment when they let go of the bar that they’re swinging on and reach for the arms/hands of the person that catches them. In that space between the two supports it’s just momentum that keeps them in the air. And when the catcher catches them, we all breathe a sigh of relief.
It’s that space in between, that fraction of a second, that takes our breath away.
Circus Arts Conservatory
Those spaces exist everywhere. We don’t often notice them. We see matter and finite conditions or things. We move between tasks and to do lists as time moves forward. We don’t pay attention to the spaces in between things and activities because, as humans, that has never been our focus. It is hard for us to comprehend the vastness of these spaces.
There is space between objects.
There is space between breaths.
There is space between thoughts.
This is where our yoga practice leads us.
When we practice, we pause and notice sensation. We make space for ourselves. Sometimes we pause after a sequence to notice the effect on the body. Sometimes we even pause between sides of a pose. These pauses force us to pay attention to the space in between. We have the opportunity to learn something here. Perhaps to notice a moment that takes our breath away.
Please join me on your mat. Let's explore those in-between spaces together.
Love,
Nina G
Stay Cool
“Just play it cool boy, real cool.”
Dear Friends,
We’re bracing for some hot days ahead. I think we need to be cool. Not just temperature-wise, but there are lots of definitions of cool…
When you talk about cool in terms of temperature, you mean a fairly low temperature, but not cold. The meteorologists also use it as a relative term. Especially if it gets into the 90s, then a night in the 80s seems cool.
If you’re using cool to describe a person, that might mean showing self-control…someone can be a cool negotiator. You might be cool as a cucumber – calm and self-composed. Cool, calm and collected is something we all strive to be.
Wanna talk about jazz? Cool jazz is restrained and relaxed. Talking to someone that’s over excited? Cool it means to take it down a notch or two. The song from West Side Story that I quote above refers to that meaning.
And what about the cool kids? That's the in-group, those that are always in fashion and setting the trends.
You can keep your cool and, unfortunately, you can also lose your cool.
It’s a fun dive into our language. We can use the word in lots of ways.
This week we’ll explore this idea of cool in our yoga practice. Physically, we will move with smooth and graceful movements so that we won’t overexert and get too hot. But we’ll also take the time to notice emotions that are hot (anger, hatred, frustration, resentment, anxiety) and try to cool those off as well.
Cool!
All the cool people practice yoga. Please join me on your mat and we'll be cool together!
Keep cool,
Nina G
Yoga is Everywhere
Dear Friends,
We were driving home from the city this past week and there was a bicyclist on the road in front of us. We were stopped at a light (as was he) and he remained balanced with both feet on the pedals of the bike. It looked like he had a heavy backpack on, it was super-hot out, but he was able to maintain his balance in stillness. I marveled at his focus and his core strength.
Then I decided that he was actually practicing yoga.
Once the traffic light turned green, the cyclist began pedaling again and the momentum that he created from the forward motion kept him upright easily. He was no longer a yogi, just a guy commuting by bike, weaving in and out of traffic.
When we practice yoga, we work with that same focus, stability, and balance. We’re on our mats, using those same concepts to keep us upright without momentum or extra support. We can continue that practice, even after we step off our mats, even if we’re riding a bicycle.
Yoga is everywhere. I love finding it in the most unexpected places!
Please join me on your mat and we can find some together.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - July, 2022
Hello my friends!
Here's an update for this month:
1. A new chair video is now available! Shoulder Strength. This video works to strengthen the shoulders as well as provide increased mobility. Why not give it a try?
2. Mobility & stability are what we are focused on this month. We need both to move safely through our lives.
3. This has been a hard week for all of us. Let us grieve and process in the ways that best heal ourselves and those around us. A friend of mine uses this quote to guide her: "Ask for what you need, offer what you can."
That philosophy of kindness and sharing sounds like what we all need right now.
Stay well, my friends. Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
We the People
Hey friends,
Those framers of the Constitution weren’t stupid. They came up with a pretty good idea and it has lasted a few hundred years. This experiment in democracy is constantly changing and evolving to reflect our times. It’s fair to say that some of the changes have been better than others. But the way that they wrote it allows us room for growth.
And so, we celebrate this weekend.
In my experience as a yoga teacher, I have had many, many students come to me after a class and say, “How did you know that I needed that class today?” or “How did you know that I was holding so much tension in my shoulders/hips/etc.?” or “Wow! That was exactly what my body needed, how did you know that?”
My response is usually a laugh and then I say, “It’s all about me!”
And while that may seem glib, it is true. I think about what’s happening in the world around me, I take the time to evaluate what I need and how I want to feel. Then I work to plan a class that will serve those needs.
Guess what? Those areas that I identify for myself are often the same thing that you need.
It’s no coincidence that it works. We are all having this shared experience of life here in the United States on planet Earth. We are all connected here. We’re connected to each other and we’re connected to the planet as well. It’s an intricate lattice-work of interdependence.
So, when I’m feeling overwhelmed by the news or the extreme weather or pandemic concerns, I’m looking for a yoga practice that can get me back on track. I want something to help me build my resilience and return to a sense of calm. My guess is that you want/need that same solution too. We are more alike than we are different.
We the People. No matter our education, our history, our dreams, our beliefs, we are not in this by ourselves. We are living together here in this place. We are experiencing the highs and lows of living in this nation, on this planet, at this time. As we acknowledge that shared experience and see our similarities as more important than our differences, we really can become We the People.
And so, we celebrate this weekend.
Enjoy!
Love and love and love,
Nina G
Concert Time Machine
Hey friends,
I went to see Billy Joel in concert this past weekend. It was the first rock concert that I have attended since college. I saw him perform when I was a student and I thought it would be fun to see him again, back on the campus where I first saw him.
I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. It was an outdoor concert, so I could handle the sound volume and any Covid concerns. The crowd was mostly my age and incredibly well-behaved. We had seats on the aisle and I had a direct view of the stage. The weather was amazing and the thunder and lightning that had been predicted didn’t arrive until hours after the performance ended. It was fun to listen to him and see him perform.
It was an all-around perfect evening.
The concert was a veritable time machine. I let the experience wash over me and I was definitely transported back to the late 70s, early 80s. I’m glad that I went back in time. It was a great reminder of people and places that I loved. I’m happy to be here in the present moment again.
Please join me in that present moment on your mat.
With love,
Nina G
Yoga of Now
Hello dear friends,
“Happiness is not something you find at the end of the road. You have to understand that it is here, now.”
I have a deck called “Everyday Peace Cards” by Thich Nhat Hanh. I often pull one out of the deck, read it, and then let it sit on my desk for a few days. The cards are simple mindfulness meditations and they always offer something to ponder.
The quote above was on the card that I pulled this week. I’ve been noodling on it for a few days now. To me, the most interesting part is the final word after the comma…now.
Happiness is here NOW.
And NOW.
And NOW.
When I first studied to become a yoga teacher, we had to read the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient text on the theory and practice of yoga. There are 196 Sutras divided among 4 chapters. It was originally written in Sanskrit and there are several different translations available to us today.
The very first Sutra is:
“Now begins the practice of yoga.”
It seems pretty straight ahead - like an introduction to the book. It almost feels like “Once Upon a Time.”
Or maybe it isn’t. Perhaps that “Now” at the front of the sentence is supposed to remind us that our yoga begins right in the NOW that we experience when we’re in the present moment.
NOW begins the practice of yoga.
Our yoga practice allows us to be fully present with the body, the breath, and the mind. It helps us to stay in the present moment and discover the sensations and feelings that are here NOW. We can't obsess about the past, we can't worry about the future, we just practice in the NOW.
Right NOW.
Thich Nhat Hahn was right, we're not on a road trip to happiness. We don't need to travel to find it. That happiness is already here. It's found in subtle moments of grace and love. When we find that intersection of mind, body, breath, feeling, and sensation, we can find NOW.
When we find NOW, those subtle moments of happiness surround us.
Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
Mirror, Mirror
Hello dear friends,
Think about the mirrors in your living space. Where are they? What do you do with them?
Of course, we have mirrors in our bathroom. We look in those in the mornings when we get up. Some days look better than others... We also have a mirror by the front door. I take a quick glance before I leave the house. No spinach in the teeth is what I'm looking for here! You might have a small mirror in your work bag or purse. Sometimes, I might even catch a glimpse of my reflection in a window as I'm out walking. There's always something interesting to learn in those reflections.
This week my yoga teacher suggested that we consider our practice as if we’re looking in a mirror. Face it, we’re never bored looking in a mirror. We look, we stare, we notice something, we might criticize or even find some positive aspect to admire. Perhaps we make changes based on what we see, but we never are bored looking into a mirror.
Consider that idea when we’re lying on our backs, making circles into our hips. Consider that idea when we’re sitting on a chair bringing our attention to our breath. You might be waiting for the next cue, wondering when we’re “gonna get to the ‘real’ yoga.” Or you might look into the mirror of your mat. What do you see in yourself when you’re practicing? What do we notice in those hips? In that breath? What should we change? What’s beautiful?
I am madly in love with my yoga practice. I wake up and can’t wait to get on my mat, to explore how I feel, to know what’s happening. Some mornings I’m distracted and can’t concentrate – on those days my practice is shorter. Some mornings are full of focus – that might be an hour-long practice day. It doesn’t matter how long I spend on my mat, by the time I’m finished, there’s been a shift. A shift in my mood, in my nervous system, in how I feel and act and respond to events around me. Whatever my mood or the amount of time I spend on my mat, I learn more about myself through the mirror of my yoga practice.
Yoga isn’t something I have to do every day. Instead it’s something I feel passionate about and I look forward to it. It's that quick glance in the mirror by the front door before I continue with my day.
Please join me and we can explore together.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - June, 2022
Hello dear friends,
I hope that all is well with you. Here's an update on what's happening this month in yoga.
New Chair Yoga Video! A new video was released this morning. It has repetitive, meditative sequencing to help the body and mind find peace. Click here to try it - Peace in our Thoughts.
Schedule change - The 4:15 Monday class will end on Monday, June 13th. Class will meet on the 13th and then will resume in the fall, when school starts again. The 8:30 am class will continue through the summer. Please join us on Monday mornings!
Be the Light - As I mentioned in my newsletter last week, we will work with this idea of being light throughout the month of June. The days are getting longer and we will reach the longest day of the year later this month (Tuesday, June 21st). Of course, once we reach that day, the days will then begin to get shorter. Let's relish our time building up to this date and then work to extend the power of that light as well. There are so many ways to bring this idea of light into our practice. Grab your mat and let's explore them all!
Please join me on your mat.
Love and peace,
Nina G
Find the Light
“When day comes, we ask ourselves:
Where can we find light
In this never-ending shade?”
Dear Friends,
Once again, I sit and write a newsletter after a week of horrific events.
And once again, I am gutted.
It is hard to find the light as we witness trauma upon trauma upon trauma. How can we process all of this and begin to heal? How can we find the light again?
I have no new insights to share. I go back to the idea of taking right action and then working to calm the anxiety that builds between news cycles.
Right action can mean many things. Decide what you want to do and work towards positive change. Even tiny steps make a big difference. And then let’s focus on healing the body. As anxiety climbs, the effect on the body is noticeable. Now, more than ever, we need to practice yoga.
And that, my friends, is why I will continue to teach. I know and believe that yoga offers tools that can help us. One class doesn't fix a lifetime of anxiety, but returning to the mat on a consistent basis will make a difference. Please commit to your practice, whether that is in class with me or with another yoga teacher. Practicing yoga gives you the opportunity to find the compassion in yourself, both for yourself and for others as well. In these times of unprecedented national and global trauma, we need compassion now more than ever.
Our practice this month will focus on the light - the light within us and the light that we can share with others.
As a harbinger of hope, Gorman’s poem ends with the following lines:
“When day comes, we step out of the shade,
Aflame and unafraid.
The new dawn blooms as we free it,
For there is always light,
If only we’re brave enough to see it,
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Let’s be brave enough to be that light. Please join me on your mat as we work our way out of the darkness together.
Love, always love,
Nina G
Siren Song
Dear Friends,
I love to read mythology. The Sirens of the Odyssey are interesting creatures. They are half woman/half bird and their beautiful song can drive a man to madness. They lure sailors to their certain death along a rocky channel. Odysseus decides that he needs to hear their music, so he commands his crew to plug their ears with wax and says “tie me to the mast”. His intention is to sail through the channel and hear the Siren song without sending his ship to its certain destruction.
It works.
Odysseus and his crew have quite the adventure. His crewmates make sure that he is securely fastened to the mast. They are deaf to the sounds around them and Odysseus can hear the sweet music without endangering the ship.
There are lots of modern sirens singing around us today - many distractions and stealers of our time. The world is still dealing with the issues of the pandemic and conflict in Ukraine. The US is still dealing with violence and injustice across our country. The list goes on and on. It requires a tremendous effort to process all of this news on a daily basis.
It tires me out.
It can be so easy to skip our time on the yoga mat and get lost in the siren song of news and happenings around us.
But we know that we will feel better if we practice yoga.
Time spent on our mats gives us the opportunity to check in with the body and the nervous system. We show up for ourselves to learn more about ourselves.
So my command is ‘tie me to my yoga mat’. Once I’m on my mat, I can still hear the music, but I know that I can sail safely through the dangerous waters.
And it is quite the adventure.
Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
I’m Keeping Track of Time…
Dear Friends,
One of the things that I say in almost every class as we head into savasana is: “Rest here. I’m keeping track of time, and I’ll let you know when it’s time to move again.” Why do I say that? Because my students and I have an unspoken agreement that I’ll end our class on time. I want you to be able to relax completely in savasana, knowing that you’ll be ready for the rest of your day when the class is over. No rushing, no hurrying, no feeling like you’re late.
That rest at the end of our practice is the most important part of what we do in class. We spend the entire class working towards that pose. We start with awareness, we turn our attention to the breath, we stretch, and we move. We breathe – we might take 3, 4, or 5 breaths in a pose. We might even add a count to the inhales and exhales, but we don’t rush between the poses.
This week in our classes, we will luxuriate in the time. No hurry. No need to feel rushed. We’ll do everything we need to and then we’ll rest and let all of the good stuff become a part of us. Once all of that is integrated, and when my timepiece says it’s time, we’ll make that transition from our yoga mats to the rest of our day.
There’s a ‘self-service’ sundial in the park behind my house (see photo above). If I stand on the appropriate tile on a sunny day, I can see what time it is (more or less). I took this photo with the camera on my phone on Friday morning. According to the sundial, it was approximately 9 am. Kinda cool.
When I downloaded the photo to add it to this newsletter, the information about the photo told me that it was taken at 9:05 am. The clock in my phone/camera was more precise. It offered more information, but told me the same thing. It was approximately 9 am.
There are times when we need to know the accuracy of the time to the nearest fraction of a second (think Olympic time trials). I’m thankful that we have the tools to do that. I use an accurate time device when I’m teaching class so that I can start and end class on time.
There are many other times when using a sundial serves us just fine.
Those are the times when I’m not rushing on my yoga mat.
Please join me.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - May, 2022
Hello my friends!
I hope that you had a lovely weekend. Just a few updates for this month.
1. There's a new chair yoga video available for you - Smoothing Out the Rough Edges. We use our breath to bring a greater sense of calm to the nervous system. Give it a try!
2. There will be no classes on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30. Enjoy the long weekend!
3. The forsythia have been slow to bloom this spring, but they are riotous now! Perhaps there are some where you are? If yes, go out and enjoy them. If no, here's a photo of some bushes near me.
I found a cool poem about forsythia as well...
“What must it feel like
after months of existing
as bare brown sticks,
all reasonable hope
of blossoming lost,
to suddenly, one warm
April morning, burst
into wild yellow song,
hundreds of tiny prayer
flags rippling in the still-
cold wind, the only flash
of color in the dull yard,
these small scraps of light,
something we might
hold on to.”
Let's not lose hope of blossoming despite delays.
Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
What’s In Your Pocket?
Hello friends,
I always like to wear clothes with pockets. I think we all do! Not a lot of yoga pants have pockets, but I keep looking for more. (NB - My daughter's wedding dress had pockets - that's what sold her!) My pockets might have a tissue, a piece of candy, a grocery list, or maybe a penny.
The cool thing about pockets is that when you buy a new pair of pants or a dress or a sweater or jacket, YOU are the one that puts the stuff in the pockets! My pockets - my treasure. How much fun it is to find a five dollar bill inside a pocket. More often than not though, it's the lucky penny that I found on the sidewalk.
Another important thing to note about pockets is that you should probably empty them before putting that garment in the washing machine. My husband is quite tired of finding the single tissue that was in my pocket now wrapped around a whole load of laundry. Five dollar bills and lucky pennies hold up just fine in the washer though!
I found another poem by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer this week (the same poet as last week's tulip poem). It is charming and it mentions pockets. Take a moment to enjoy it and I'll meet you when you've finished reading!
“Hope has holes
in its pockets.
It leaves little
crumb trails
so that we,
when anxious,
can follow it.
Hope’s secret:
it doesn’t know
the destination –
it knows only
that all roads
begin with one
foot in front
of the other.”
I'm glad that Hope's pockets have holes in them. Let's look for those little crumb trails of hope this week. And when we follow them and pick them up and put them in our pockets, let's hold on to them. The next time you reach your hand into your pocket, you'll find a treasure. Hold onto it. Keep it in your pocket forever.
Crumbs of hope hold up just fine in the washing machine.
Please join me on your mat.
With love and hope,
Nina G