The Barefoot Phoenix

this post is stolen

2009-06-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy.
If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem.

But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.

~ E.B. White

from Pink Heels but it's too wonderful not to steal and post it all over the world :D

when in doubt

2009-06-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

keep moving forward

there are no guarantees that this will work

especially if the way ahead is all cloudy and mist filled

you might fall down a hole

then again you might find treasure

but really plodding along is a very good way to just keep things going, it is much harder to stop-loose momentum and then have to start rolling again.

just thought i'd say this seeing as all this stuckness has been hovering around me making my life difficult as of late. still not unstuck but am enjoying the process and the view a lot more from this place.

BE

2009-06-18T19:31:00.001-07:00

Embrace where you are right now, and while you're at it, embrace the idea that you could be here - right where you are - for the rest of your life. If you find yourself unable to embrace that idea, then you just may be right where you are for the rest of your life.

We cannot know where we may be tomorrow. Oh, we think we can, but we can't, really. We construct nice, tidy scenarios for our lives. We may even build in a few wonderful options, like winning the lottery. We shy away from the options that frighten us. Fact is that what frightens us, owns us. Fact is that our nice, tidy scenarios limit us. Fact is that only by embracing the mystery of it all, only by embracing the fact that we know nothing - we know NOTHING! - can we be without the pain and annoyance of wanting what we do not have.

BE.

I found this again in my inbox... it had been saved for a good reason. sometimes words hit you over the head and these did just that... again...embrace the idea that you could be here - right where you are - for the rest of your life. If you find yourself unable to embrace that idea, then you just may be right where you are for the rest of your life.

this is from the Sacred Earth Seven Element Tarot... a beautiful daily reminder of life.

there is a thin line

2009-06-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

between play and strife.

today's tarot draw was the 5 of wands you can see in the image 5 men holding sticks in a circle.

this card shows a standoff. but are they at

war?

play?

there is a very fine line between the two and it is up to us to choose laughter in this situation.

who cares that you have just been insulted... the best thing you can do in a tense situation is laugh.

this is true in any tense situation.

endorphins will be released, muscular tensions will be released. even if no one else joins in, or they move to bash you with their stick--because you have discharged your anger/tension with laughter, you will be able to react swifter, with more clarity and confidence.

choose play... learn to laugh at yourself and situations more readily.

your life will be a lot more fun and you will be a much more pleasant person (with less bruises)

moving out of stuck

2009-06-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

is slow.

but it happens.

there's this point of surrender when you just don't give a damn which way things are gonna go.

at that point you can find me either curled up in a tiny ball or doing something i love.

today i started making books. because the world needs my handmade journals made from beautiful papers, ribbons and all manner of things recycled.

mostly i sat down to make books because i was tired of working on my business and i wanted to play. but play in a way the feeds my soul.

there is nothing more filling then creating beauty.

stuck... i'm stuck

2009-06-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

when you have entered the land of stuck it is very hard to move.

like any movement has the potential to get you stuck-er.

like stuck to the point where you can't use your hands or legs.

any movements are now getting the stuck up around your neck and like very soon you are going to be eating the stuck and it will drown you.

i hate the stuck. hate. HATE. HATE the stuck. and I don't like to use words like hate.

but what i hate more than the stuck is the feelings surrounding stuck. of hopeless and defeat and immobility and ARGHHH. like you want to move and make things alright, but you also just want to stay and process, but fuck it sucks and it's hard and it's ugly and ARGHHHH!

so yeah life's good here... what's it like in your neck of the woods?

most of me knows this is a cycle and it will be soon be over. but there's the part that knows, like in the image above, that once the cycle is over i will become compost for some other adventurer.

meta-physical death/change is often twice as excruciating as literal death. mostly because it keeps happening over and over as we grow. literal death only happens once. usually.

what i can do? ... go pull some more weeds. maybe it will ground me. maybe it will just piss me off, but no matter what it will create a little bit of beauty that i can glom on to and stare at in this time of stuck-ness.

praise from the hot tub arena

2009-06-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

my latest newsletter concerned all ways you can keep feet pain-free with foot exercises and stuff.

one of my clients loved it and blogged about me

Alice also happens to be the owner of Olympic Hot Tub here in Seattle... if you are ever in need of a awesome source of relaxation go see her. She will take great care of you.

She will keep you pain-free in body, mind and spirit with a good soak and the pummeling action of hot tub jets.

am off to get my feet their monthly tune-up with a delicious reflexology session!

FREE stuff

2009-05-31T23:52:00.000-07:00

so in my exuberance of finally feeling like i might kinda know what i am doing... i have added a whole new section to my contact form!

it is called free reports!

it's free

it's reports i've written (and mostly edited but you never know what might have been over looked)

what are the reports about?

there are nifty factoids on how reflexology reduces stress levels

or why a tarot reading rocks all your existential angst

or a free sample of the tarot e-book i am creating which gives you insight into card meanings

you can access the contact form of enlightenment here

and don't forget to follow me on twitter for your daily dose of tarot goodness, plus other goodies i post there once in awhile. there is a twitter feed right over there--->

twitter feed is on the side bar click it to follow me :D

i have a thing and it's a good thing

2009-05-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

you know that feeling when things click...

when it all comes together in one instant... over a cup of tea, say

when you still don't yet know what it looks like, nor what it really feels like but you realize you aren't nearly as random as you once assumed...

i had one of those moments last night. drifting off to sleep i suddenly some how put everything together and BAM! i leaped out of bed scribbled notes in the dark and went back to sleep. this morning, i looked them over and realized that this was actually a) worth keeping b) worth developing c) a stroke of brilliance d) validation that i was not an idiot to pursue this path

i have a system... i have goals... i have a way that i work with clients and it is not nearly as random or scattered as i was beginning to think.

this is awesome.

validation on the front that reflexology, tarot, business skill development, ritual, energy work, house blessings and saving the planet all go together in one happy amazing THING...

what is this THING?

i have no concrete idea... it has no name... it has only a vague outline of form

all i know for sure is that i have 6 entry points, six ways in which to explore with me and progress and move and shake.

and now off to create salad... because THINGS must be fed.

more blabbering on MY THING will follow soon...

when life gets too complicated

2009-05-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

try the simple things first.

this post sums it up perfectly: when looking for the eggs check UNDER the chickens first

it's a monday, on a tuesday which is fine by me... the basement got mostly finished yesterday!

but... the water is still dripping...
have called in help because we checked under all the chickens and now it's time for the professionals to be called in to solve the problem. sometimes life requires you seek out help, releasing some of your hard earned cash to keep the flow alive. *sigh* or in this case to stop the flow. ha ha ha.

am going to go meditate on abundance thereby manifesting more of it in the form of clients and/or a movie for eric

enter the weekend

2009-05-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

alas my lovelies i am freed up and able to navigate the sunny Seattle weekend. i have given up even trying to work today.

i think a rocky beach is an excellent place to begin an adventure.

what else is planned? ... laziness with possible bouts of productivity.

and you? what's in store for your 3 day weekend?

stop talking now

2009-05-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

in my desperate attempts to launch myself into the social world i find myself today making comments on twitter. and all of a sudden i freeze. and wonder what teh f*ck have i just said. that was trite and stupid and then the self critical monsters begin again.

drawing the tarot card of the day explained it all...

it a knight of swords day.

the know-it-all pompous teen-aged dumb-ass who offers advice freely and without thought or concern.

you know the one who leaps in to conversations without knowing WTF you are all talking about and manages to make everyone wrong, or dumb, or roll their eyes and walk away.

damn. what a day to take a leap.

however it explains perfectly why i had the balls to leap in and respond... cause knight of swords is brash and rash and dones't care... until later... when he's wondering where everyone went.

i think i shall put on my grubbies and go dig in the garden.
there it is almost impossible to offend, mostly because the faeries that live in my garden are sassy and will have lots of "good" advice to throw right back at me.

there are monsters in my head

2009-05-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

and they say mean things like:

why are you doing that that way [sotto voce] moron
so what if this week was a success look at next week [sotto voce] looser
yeah, well let me tell you... [insert criticism and the RIGHT way to do it]
so um when are you ever gonna get ahead? cause you've been like doing this for years. shouldn't you have figured it out yet?

so for all of my monsters i say I LOVE YOU! (only slightly forced but with real compassion and gratitude)
thank you for trying to keep me safe (and small and invisible.)

but really, you aren't helping anymore. so tell me what you need and let's make a deal. cause i want to make new friends and see new people and play more.

you can come to, but you have to learn some manners and start brushing your pointy teeths.

why did you become a massage therapist?

2009-05-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

This was the question in a new forum I joined... Thought I would share the answer here as some of you might be interested

I was in the middle of a nervous breakdown, knew I wanted to help people and teach but felt ineffective in public school. So I spontaneously enrolled in massage school having never received any form of bodywork in my life.

From there I realized how much I could learn, and how many different paths I could follow and well here I am... a statistical anomaly. Most people leave this field within 5 years and I have been here 9 :D

For me Reflexology (and massage) are about connecting with this human shaped vessel we inhabit... learning to connect and utilize it more effectively, and learning to deeply love and respect it's amazingness.

anybody want to do some reviews?

2009-05-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

i have listed (pimped) myself on google, yelp, insider pages and yahoo.

if you have time and want to help out a fellow human please go review my services. (only if you like me)

you have to have actually used my services, cause otherwise that would be silly.

you will of coarse get AMAZING karma points and much gratitude. (let me know you did it so i can send said Karma towards you)

there might be a prize in it for you. i will allow you to name what that surprise is and see if i can accommodate it. (brownies, muffins, or cup of tea are guaranteed to get a YES, other things are negotiable)

any other suggestions of where i can pimp myself out? any SEO guru's out there want to offer up suggestions?

my new superhero and her duck

2009-05-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

go read this post now

please...

Havi and Selma are my new imaginary friends and superhero business models. They are imaginary, not because they don't exist, but because they don't know I exist. yet. but since I only live 3 hours north of her in Seattle maybe someday she will know of me too.

if you are lazy (or are saving your clicks) here are the basics:
So how am I supposed to work with my stuck if these methods aren’t going to (necessarily) do it for me?

There’s an element that all three of these traditional methodologies (and yes, I stereotyped like crazy because I’m a horrible person) are missing.

What they’re missing is kindness to yourself.

Destuckification is about the willingness to meet yourself where you are.

Even if where you are in that moment is not being able to get out of bed and do the thing already.

Even if where you are in that moment is not being able to sit with it.

Even if where you are in that moment is not being able to thank your pain for being there to teach you.

And if you can’t meet yourself where you are yet?

You recognize (or remind yourself) that this is okay too. That you’re practicing. That you are allowed to hate it. That you can take your time getting to the point where you’ll be able to implement some concept that you’ve learned.

drip, drip, drip

2009-05-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

it's almost kayak season.

chaos and i are sitting up contemplating water and i realized i have to plan my annual kayak adventure or it may not get in the calendar.

this was taken last year on our south sound adventure.

chaos and i are pondering water because for the last week out water filter has been leaking under the sink. of coarse no one carries parts for water filters so we had to send away for an O-ring.

which takes at least a week to get to you for some dumb-ass reason. i suggest you all go order your back up O-ring right now.

problem with ours is that our water filter is a god forsaken million and a half years old contraption. (i think rich cave men used this version.) so the O-ring that finally came today. not fitting just right. a wee bit small. and therefore the drip drip dripping continues.

so the water stays off for the most part, which is fine but utterly annoying. and i find myself contemplating why anyone thought it was a good idea to bring water into the house. because when it works, it's a joy but when it has crapped out it's a bloody mess. (literally)

am deciding whether to live as is or find a person to install a new one, cause as handy as i am i ain't got no torch.

oh and the kicker to all this. it happens to be in the wealth corner of the house which makes me not want to leave it as is. i think the kitchen facet may have something to do with this whole mess, because we have been putting off installing a new one (it also leaks but only when it's on). my oh my! it is very hard not to just drop $400 and fix it all. alas choices must be made wisely, so will make a decision when not late at night. preferably when 7 new clients have booked so have the $ to pay for it all.

w00t!

2009-05-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

i got an email that my tarot for business article has been accepted to the larger Biznik community and is being put up in the public forum!

yayayayayay! *does a little dance of success*

here's the link go read (and review please :D)

pictures of discovery bay

2009-05-03T10:31:00.001-07:00

thought i would finally get a couple of pics up here to share...

this was my favorite little cove. i used to walk out to it almost every day. the sand is smooth there and once in a while a moon snail shell would wash up for me to find.

i have a confession to make.

for most of this trip i had no camera. i am so forgetful when it comes to those simple things. i will have clothes, pots and pans, tea and other non-essentials but somehow i always forget something to document my life with.

this second pic was a typical view from our front porch. only for the first 3 weeks of our month, there would often be a new dusting of snow on those hills. and a bit less sun, except in the early evenings.

a beautiful place. i miss the seagull sentry that would walk up and down the dock every morning, and the kingfishers hovering and diving.

everything seems simpler when you have large expanses of sand to explore.

coming soon!

2009-05-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

an ebook on tarot! now you can learn tarot in the comfort of your own home.

with me! who is probably one of the most bizarre tarot readers out there. but i require you memorize nothing and still have amazing results. and i am really fun. and i make you do really fun things and possibly turn your world upside down, making you look at life in a whole new way.

the introduction to tarot will be an ebook, around 35 pages with lots of exercises and some audio tracts!

i am searching for a name for the book.... and an editor type person, and a layout person to make things pretty. does anyone know anyone who knows anyone else who does this? (i think i love that last sentence)

also coming soon is my new website! it should be up by the 15th and i am so excited! literally it is days and days of dancing in my seat thinking ahhh! this is gonna be great! pretty shiny new barefoot phoenix [*twirls*]

what really is important

2009-04-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

journal entry 9/20/07
What a funny thing this amazing life. We are so concerned with things that matter so little to our continued existence on this planet. If there was one thing I could impart it would be the immanency with which we must act in order to survive. There is so little time and so much to do.

i found this in my purging that began my month of writing. some days i connect and touch what feels like great truth. and some days just are there checking items off the to-do list.

today feels like a little bit of both.

i am trying desperately to remember that my personal development is way more important than what's apparently happening in this crazy world. there will always be some super virus out to kill us, money will still be a challenge for many, hearts will be broken.

the earth, like us, is trying to find balance and its perfect expression. therefore, we will either learn to live in harmony with each other or life will be precarious. it always has been a matter of life or death, why should anything have changed just cause we got smarter, greater in number and spread out. the earth has had just as much time to adapt and find new ways to keep us in balance.

so live. and live well. cause that is what truly matters.

tired of waiting

2009-04-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

i keep putting things off until the new website gets done...

well no more.

today i made new adwords campaign to get some fresh faces in here

and

I posted an article to biznik

you should go read it and vote on it :D
and if you don't know what biznik is... it truly is networking that doesn't suck go play!

my life is on sale

2009-04-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

so it seems people might either a)have a hard time receiving b) don't trust things that say free or c) not want to take advantage of the person offering things up for free.

so let me spell it out for you. i want you to come in and see me for a session. i need to build my client base and get more people in for healing during these stressful times in our history. you are not taking advantage of me, i am offering my time in exchange for yours and if you feel you get the better end of the deal go out and do something nice for others. this "special" was brought on by a radio interview of random people stepping up in this economy and doing random generous acts. i don't have money to give you all but i seem to have a lot of time. so come grab yourself a slice of it.

until sunday may 10th, when you bring a friend to a session you both receive an hour of my time for the price of one of you. what does this look like?

two 60 minute reflexology sessions for $75 ($37.50 each)
two 60 minute tarot readings for $100 ($50 each)
two 90 minute 'afternoon w/ your soul' session (combo of both tarot and reflexology) $225 ($112.50 each)

yes it's a steal. yes you should sign up now. why? cause it really sucks trying to be nice to people and they ignore you and the gesture. but mostly cause i want to meet new people and to help people de-stress. it's hard functioning on a daily basis and we are all strapped for cash so spread some love and some money around and get yourself a little nurturing.

ahhh the paradox

2009-04-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

excerpt from marc lesser's blog

"A paradox is something that appears to be contradictory, unbelievable, or absurd but may in fact be true. Do less. Accomplish more. These statements present a paradox. Acknowledging, owning, and embracing the paradoxical nature of our lives, the lives of others, and the world can lessen our resistance to change and increase our effectiveness. At its most basic it makes us less tense and more open to happiness....

Sometimes we get caught up trying to resolve internal contradictions, thinking that if we can, we will solve our busyness. Instead, this effort can itself become the cause of our busyness and our scrambled bewilderment. Our complex minds, emotions, and personality traits are simply a rather wonderful fact of human existence. Accepting that can lighten and expand our self-image, making it more fluid. In a strange way it is a more accurate view of life. Embrace paradox and you increase self-acceptance, tolerance of others, and your own possibilities.

How would you describe yourself as a paradox?
How would you describe your life or work as a paradox?"

i am shy and yet i thrive in public speaking
i believe in the abundance of the universe and yet i cling to things and money
i nurture people for a living and have a hard time receiving when others nurture me
i am very intelligent and yet often mumble and don't answer simple questions
i love being around people i hate being in groups larger than 4
i dance with abandon with people under 5 yrs old around, i don't dance with adults
my work is an evolution of who and where i am and yet i have to "define it" for marketing

it the time of year for foot pain

2009-04-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

every year i have two cycles of people coming in with foot pain. when the weather gets warm and the flip flops come out; and again in the fall when the other shoes (the water proof kind) go back on.

here are some tips to avoid the dreaded foot pain.

first of all don't wear those crappy shoes... wait! this was a post to educate not lecture. sorry. but really if shoes cost less than $5 or is made of bright foam. just saying...

1) roll out your feet. purchase yourself a nice $5-15 foot roller and treat you feet at the beginning and the end of the day to a good 2 minute foot rub. yes you can multi-task while doing this, like check you email, or brush your teeth.

2) soak 'em in hot water and epsom salts. epsom salts are magnesium and magnesium helps heal sore and achy muscles. so does hot water. forget the foot bath! stick your whole self in.

3) ankle circles. i will never get tired of promoting this simple and VERY effective stretch. ankle circles stretch both lower leg and foot muscles. do them often as you transition into your summer shoes. by often i mean at least 10 rotations each direction 4 times a day.

4) calf stretches. most summer shoes have little to no heel. if you have spent the winter in heels your calf muscles are going to be mad at you if you don't stretch them out. twice a day for best results.

5) get yourself some castor oil, mix in a nice amount of your favorite scent and some other oil if you don't like it sticky (my favorite is avocado) and give yourself a nice little foot massage. This is the perfect way to maximize time spent watching you-tube or the boob-tube (do people still refer to tv's as the boob tube? obvious cool people don't) spend extra time on your arches cause they will be the most sad. also between the toes cause they will all of a sudden have lots of room and that might be scary for them toes.

*both avocado and castor oil can be found in the beauty section of whole foods and PCC. castor oils is like magnesium in that it helps breakdown and heal damaged tissue. both oils are very hydrating and can help prevent icky cracked heel and summer calluses.

and as a bonus you can visit your local reflexologist (preferably me :D) for a quarterly tune up. because no self massage will ever feel as good as a professional reflexology treatment. and really preventing foot pain... getting education on developing problems so you can maintain your exercise program and/or avoid surgeries or orthodics. plus relaxation or an un-iterupted nap. i'd say that's worth $75. i'd almost say it was priceless