present with the process

Just finished a four day craniosacral class focusing on the emotional releases that often happen when working on clients.  I'm feeling renewed and ready to practice my new skills, especially the idea of staying neutral as the therapist and trying not to lead the client physically or emotionally.  Instead of trying to fix the client or the symptoms they came in with, instead of trying to to control or be attached to the outcome, it's a blending and melding with the tissue and the process, staying present and trusting that the client's body and psyche will lead me where it needs to go to unwind and to release.

As I'm writing this, it seems like an obvious metaphor for how I desire to live my life.  Staying present with Spirit/myself/the process, following the flow of things, trusting that it will lead me to where I need to go.  And wouldn't it be great if someday it didn't even feel like leading and following?  But happened so naturally that it just felt like living?  That is my prayer for today.  May I be so in line with Spirit/the Flow that it is difficult to tell the difference.

2012

my annual new year's post!

2012 was filled with:

--new year's in the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains with friends
--a trip to sunny San Diego in February to visit our friends from college
--another magical ladies-only birthday (31!) on the beach in Pacifica
--a trip to Nashville for my mom's 63rd birthday in March
--a visit from my Dad and Cindy, also in March
--Dan's whole family coming, including our sweet niece, out to the Bay Area
--August was wedding month! . . . a romantic celebration in Mendocino where Dan and I sang "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" under the redwood trees, an open marriage ceremony at a bar in Oakland, a new agey hippie wedding in a plant nursery in Pacifica that I photographed, and a marriage party including a taco truck and all night dance party
-- a blazing hot trip to LA in September to visit Brenda and the boys
--a beautiful autumn trip to Michigan in October, hanging with loved ones in West Michigan, Mt. Pleasant, Lansing and Detroit
--a quick but lovely visit from Hez and Matt in November
--a wonderful visit from Mom for Thanksgiving
--and the we broke our 5 year tradition of not traveling during the holidays with a trip to Minnesota to see Dan's family for Christmas!

And when we weren't traveling, having visitors or going to weddings:

2012 was also filled with:

--graduating from massage school (in January), taking a nutrition course and continuing workshops for craniosacral, getting a new studio right in the neighborhood!, seeing clients, and still thoroughly grateful for my new path
--part-time nannying/falling in love with Baby Verena (who I suppose is not a baby anymore :( ), watching her learn and grow
--play dates with Evan at the park
 --hanging out/deepening friendships with church friends, neighbors, and others, old new
--going to YD shows
--enjoying seeing Dan so happy at Pandora, making friends, enjoying work
--adopting a rescue bird, Indigo, so Jasper has a friend, watching them become buddies
--finding a new creative outlet by starting a new art and style blog with my friend Shikha
--a good friend's mom and my Aunt Natalie transitioning on
--continuing my self-care regime . . . chiro, cranio, spiritual direction, clean food, yoga, journaling, meditation and prayer, walking and dancing


2013 will be:  ???

I am intending to hold my plans for 2013 loosely, but we have a few intentions, including putting out Dan's 3rd (solo) album, a lot less traveling than last year, but hopefully a trip to San Diego again, and a trip to Michigan (to meet our new niece or nephew!), Dan going on a month-long tour with the YD in July, my various self-care type goals, friendship intentions, a trip to Yosemite at the end of August, and then me getting pregnant in the fall, God and Universe-willing.  :)  Yay for 2013!!!!!