Importance of Play & Community: An Invitation on Halloween

I love Halloween. It gives me an excuse to dress up and pretend I'm a kid again. I can so easily get bogged down in the seriousness of life... in the data. I can forget to smell the roses. There's a reason that children and grandchildren keep us young. They can keep us in the moment. They can be pure joy. We forget how important it is to play. Even working dogs, like rescue dogs, can only work 2 hours before they need a break and need to run and fetch a ball for fun.

This is why I love and teach Carpe Diem Dance. It is movement to music that keeps you in the moment. It's playful, fun and joyful. Sometimes I throw in an invitation to explore your emotional and spiritual self along with your physical body.  Otherwise, it's too easy to get stuck in our mental body. When you play, your body emits powerful endorphins of pleasure. This tells your body that it is safe to rest and relax, to rest and repair, and/or to mate and ovulate (depending on your goals).

It's also easy to get stuck in social inertia. If you are self employed or work at a desk on a computer every day, you can easily feel some social isolation. This is a common root cause of dis-ease that is becoming increasingly more common.

You cannot underestimate the power of both play and community. Sometimes our community can keep us stuck too. If you are wanting to create change in your life, your family and friends may be resistant. Especially when it comes to food and alcohol. Food is emotional and it takes courage to be different. This is why it is especially important to create your own community for support as we are doing with the IF Kickstart starting this week.

In yoga, we call habitual patterns, samskara's. These habitual patterns become so ingrained that they can become addictions. These can become our modern day "Ghosts"

So whaddya gonna do about it? Call Ghostbusters!

Please join me on Wednesday morning at 7:30am to dance and play to fun Halloween music. Can you think of a better way to start your day? You can bring a costume or just bring yourself in whatever attire is best for the day.  I'll be teaching my Carpe Diem Dance class at Rise Wellbeing Center. If you've been meaning to check out this beautiful new center then come this week. If it's your first time, the class will be free. Consider joining this community of like minded souls to nourish your mind, body and spirit.

When you surround yourself with healthy people, your health improves. Do you have a community that supports your samskara's or that allows you freedom to choose healthy, food, thoughts and actions?

What ghosts do you need help busting? What do you do for fun? Is there a super power you want to emulate this week?  Happy Halloween!

Carpe Diem,

Lisa

Ancient Wisdom from the Celts: Samhain (sah-ween) preceded Halloween

Happy Halloween! Do you know where our Halloween tradition comes from? Samhain, pronounced Sahween was a Celtic tradition. The Celtics believed the veil between the living and the dead was the thinnest today. The idea was that if you put out treats you might be able to attract the energy and wisdom of our passed loved ones. They believed we could learn from, and therefore grow, from lessons from our beloved ancestors. 

In celebration of Halloween, I will be giving a Karma (free) class at the Great Falls Beloved Yoga Studio. It will include halloween music and maybe allow you to open up our energy to a more spiritual side.  Who knows what ancient wisdom you might glean from this experience!

Speaking of wisdom, how apropos is this poem?
(poem by: R. A. Melos )

A Witch's Words To Her Familiar On Samhain

Still your mind, 
and still your soul,
heed the words that make you grow,
listen to the winds of the sages,
learn the wisdom of the mages,
handed down to us from the ages.

Time is ours,
but only fleeting,
hear the wings of eternity beating,
soon enough we'll all be meeting,
and each of us merrily greeting.

The moon will be full,
and round,
and bright. 
And we'll be wisked away,
in the dead of night.
To the place we are meant to be,
to learn and grow,
and maybe see,
a spectre of what we should be.

Time is ours, 
frozen, but brief,
allowing us to release our grief,
to open our hearts and minds once more,
and step through the sacred door,
of time and space, and futures past,
to teach us the spells to cast.
So we may once again be free,
to live and love and blessed be.

So still your mind,
and still your soul,
and open your heart,
and set yourself free,
on this Samhain, I challenge thee.
Learn the truth from mages old,
the truth which was foretold.
The time is right, the night is new,
we can learn what not to do.

Warnings from the great beyond,
we'll heed them or all cry,
for lies can no longer be told,
when you look me in the eye. 
I've learned a lesson, bold and true,
and now there are but a few,
who understand the depth of change,
and how we all must rearrange,
our thinking and goals,
for times anew,
if the world is to survive,
for me and you.

We've got our work cut out for us,
my friend.
And we must not fail,
before the end,
or all will be lost,
and fate will be no more,
and finally the great beyond,
will close the door.

Time and space will exist no more,
my friend, 
my familiar,
we must work to prevent war.
Peace must prevail for ten thousand years,
and we must make sure it does.
Our souls eternal bond will hold,
as our bodies grow old.
Fear not the great beyond,
my friend,
for it is a beginning,
not an end.

Our work will continue for eternity,
until everlasting peace shall set us free.

Happy Halloween and Carpe Diem,

Lisa

About Lisa

Lisa is a yoga teacher, author, inspirational speaker, and a functional medicine coach with a mission to inspire others to feel and look their best at any age.

Lisa's book 

Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think and Thrive outlines her seven-step system towards optimal health that is fun and transformational.

Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement and the Wellness Inspired Network. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance.