Sun Gazing 9:10 PM

On a flight from Mumbai to Hong Kong I sat by and Indian couple who introduced me to the term "sungazing." They told me they watch the sun rise and set everyday and it helps keep their spirits high and bodies balanced. At the ashram I witnessed some powerful sunsets and also learned that when you look at something for long enough you absorb its energy. Stare at a Monet painting for long enough and it makes sense. Stare at the sun long enough and you'll burn your eyes, so instead with a safe "gaze" you can absorb the energy of that which sustains our lives.

I unofficially committed to sungazing during the Thanksgiving weekend. I got up just before 6 am to see the day break and went back at 4:45pm to see the sun set. All from the beautiful shores of Redondo Beach. I couldn't actually see the rising sun but it was just as wonderful to watch the the sky slowly shift from soft to brighter hues while the mental energy of the community remained at rest. It's almost heavenly. To add to the magic, the dolphins came out and one day I even saw a sea otter.

Tips for sungazing:

1. Take off your shoes and allow your bare feet to touch the Earth. This will ground you and make you more physically connected to all that is around you.

2. Do a headstand. Touching your head to the Earth will be healthy for your brain function. If you happen to fall and embarrass yourself laugh it off.

3. Say a little prayer.

4. Invite someone along and pretend you are a tourist in your familiar space.

Leaders Causing Leaders 8:08 PM

I attended a conference earlier this month in Long Beach called Leaders Causing Leaders. It was a two day event packed with workshops, panels, and lectures to attend that covered a huge range of inspirational subjects in personal, business, and social development. The universal theme that seemed to weave through all that was offered was "be the change you want to see."

The highlights for me were:

Challenge Day "The Challenge Day mission is to provide youth and their communities with experiential programs that demonstrate the possibility of love and connection through the celebration of diversity, truth, and full expression."

Eric Saperston "Sometimes you take a trip and sometimes a trip takes you."

Jason Mraz "My goal is to a clear channel to deliver something."

Terces and Matthew Englehart : "Make acknowledgement the currency of your community."

My buddy Matthew from SuperForest has a bunch of footage on his youtube channel.

The conference was well organized, motivational, and informative. In addition to the condensed schedule of speakers there were yoga sessions, live music, vendors, and lots of open hearted people to meet. Events like these can change the world.

A Birthday Manifesto 10:13 PM

In this next year of my life I commit to honoring my full potential as a member of my community. My life is my message. I am in instrument of love, creativity, positive change, and peace.

1. I will put effort and enthusiasm into the growth of my business.
2. With passion and dedication I will be the best music therapist I can be.
3. I will invest in my personal relationships to cultivate growth of myself and others.
4. I will release an album of original music.
5. I will visit 3 places I have never been to.
6. I will practice loving without expectation or judgement, and not be hard on myself when I slip up.
7. I will regularly step outside of my comfort zone and allow myself to be vulnerable.
8. I will be of service when I can authentically contribute, and ask for help when I need it.
9. I will adore, acknowledge, and respect myself, the people in my life, mother earth, and my home everyday.
10. I will feed my soul with music, creativity, connection, conversation, laughter, gratitude, and brilliant moments.

That said, I will try my best to be the space for all of this while letting go of control over an outcome. I trust life's timing to deliver as I do my part.

__________________________

I started this blog one year ago and on that day I ignited a big plan of traveling around the world. And I DID IT. One thing I can acknowledge myself for is that I follow through on doing the things I say I want to do. I am grateful for every single experience I had in year 30. I DID SO MUCH and it all brought me here sitting in this chair full of optimism for the next year. In this moment I feel a relief that I am in a different place that I was a year ago. The wanderlust and adventure was fun but one of the biggest things I learned in the past year is that I want a place that feels like home.

My birthday this year was a bit out of character for me. I usually do not like making a big deal out of it. This year I somehow ended up celebrating three nights in a row. And you know what, I enjoyed it. I keep writing these blogs about how grateful I am, and I am astounded at how my capacity for gratitude keeps expanding. It's a beautiful thing.

Hug Quota 7:27 PM

A leadership conference. A baby shower. A funeral. A friend's live music gig. What is one thing these events have in common? They can all significantly increase a person's daily hug quota.

A psychotherapist named Virginia Satir said we need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 for maintenance, and 12 for growth. While the true effects of a hug are more qualitative than quantitative there is something about these numbers that make sense. A couple weekends ago after a full day of workshopping at a conference I went to bed totally exhausted yet happy. As I recalled the good events of the day I realized that I got quite a lot of hugs. So many that I wasn't even sure of the number but guessed it to be between 20 and 30. At day 2 of the conference I decided to keep a count and by the end of the day I was up to 39. What fascinated me most was that at the end of the day I could recall every single one.

Through the following weekdays I also kept track of the hugs and most days it was less than 5. But then the weekend came again and in came a flood of hugs at a baby shower and funeral. By then I let go of trying to keep track and I'm not going to count anymore cause I don't want this to be about numbers. What I do want it to be about are multiple DAILY genuine connections, and hugs are one concrete way to get that. It makes me wonder what my lifetime hug quota will be and all the people who get to be a part of that. So many people. It's a beautiful thought.

If I had my way everyday I'd conveniently get to hug those people I care most about. We all have those people in our lives where one hug from them is worth a million. Though I don't get to see most of these people everyday, there are lots of other expressions of love that can defy distance and even time. And when I think about how many of those I get a day I feel pure gratitude.