The “Church” of Green

It had been a rough night.

My heart felt bruised and battered.

In the morning, it was only amplified.

I put on my exercise gear, ready for my 8:30 a.m. class. Driving there, I was not feeling inspired to push myself in any way. I could barely hold my head up, let alone my body weight. Hell, I was feeling raw and vulnerable. Pulling at the steering wheel, I headed to the gym.

“Not Today…”

I listened—my inner voice told me not what I should do, but to what I needed to do.

The messenger was speaking.

I created a 60-Day Self-Directed Workout Challenge which consists of doing some form of movement for 45 minutes a day, including a twice-weekly workout with another friend or colleague and one activity for pure fun each week.

I, plus other friends who have joined me in this challenge, are now in week three (day 17).

Whilst I see the benefit of a gym workout, it does not “light my fire.” It is mainly arduous and somewhat boring to me. 12 years as a yoga instructor has ruined me for the gym. Yoga has always taken the disheveled pieces and put them back in place for me, better each time than the last and bought my joy to the forefront of my life.

Today I listened and discovered what I truly needed for my own well being.

Originally posted and published on Elephant Journal. Read more —> https://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/05/the-church-of-green/

Iron Ovaries & Growing Ladyballs

by Lulu | Feminism, Inspiration, Mindset

Warning: Naughty language ahead!

All women need iron ovaries or balls. Lady-balls.

What do I mean by “lady-balls”?

These are not the physical appendages swinging between a man’s legs. Lady-balls represent clear determination, speaking our truth and not ever pussyfooting around. They represent engaging with the world in a way that demands respect.

Men have all the rights and privileges that come with balls, but society still shuns women with “balls”. We are accused of being cold, hard, bitches, self-serving, demanding ball-breakers—and worse.

Women with lady-balls are the antithesis of those things because lady balls represent presence, poise, dignity, self-love, and self-honoring. A woman with “balls” knows who she is, is present in her body, secure in her Self and honors all parts of her. A balance of Yin-Yang. The ovaries balance the balls.

The sad truth is that women still hold back: at work, at home, and in social settings. “I don’t want to be seen as a complainer” is a mantra ingrained in many women—so deeply ingrained that we don’t even know it’s there. This is both suppression and oppression and it is rampant.

“Being nice” is the all too common path women take, but this sort of compliancy is a tight noose.

Originally posted and published on Elephant Journal. Read more —> https://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/05/iron-ovaries-growing-ladyballs/

A Mother’s Love is Unwavering

by Lulu | Relationships

Some days it is hard being a Mom.

Other days it is pure bliss.

More than once my daughters have told me that they perceived me as a strict Mom.

As parents, we strive to keep our children safe. We aim to give them independence at the right time and allow them to learn from their own mistakes. We teach them that trust needs to be reestablished when it has been violated. Most importantly, we see their inner light when they can’t see it themselves.

And now a decade later, they have thanked me for being that same “strict” mom.

Originally posted and published on Elephant Journal. Read more —> https://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/05/a-mothers-love-is-unwavering/

The Best Date of My Life

by Lulu | Inspiration, Mindset, Relationships

It has been decades since I have dated.

I am happily married (most of the time).

But if I were to date, I would want to date God (Grace/Source/Creator/insert the name of your own faith, religion, liking or perception here). For continuity, I will use God and will refer to this Divine Presence as He.

In my own life, I tend to use She more than He for God. The truth is that I would date God no matter what gender because God is no gender, but both aspects of what we in our human mind call masculine and feminine. I know and experience God to be genderless.

So one day, while meditating, I decided to go on a date with God.

And this is what happened:

Originally posted and published on Elephant Journal. Read more —> https://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/04/the-best-date-of-my-life/

The Birth of a Mother

by Lulu | Feminism, Inspiration, Mindset

At 30 years old, there was a wrinkle in time and I fell in deep.

Everything changed.

My life truly began.

I had had a full and interesting life up until that point. I’d traveled to numerous continents. I’d followed my passions and created a successful career for myself. I was married to a wonderful man. I was filling my time effectively—so it would seem.

From the moment my first child (my “little little”) was born, that I was done and I severed ties with the previous version of myself.

With the cutting of the umbilical cord, I was born anew. She arrived in the world, but it was the day I was born.

My Birth Day.

The old version of me was now outdated; I would never be the same again.

I had been the woman who had gotten by, by living my emotional life on the periphery—engaging superficially with others. The one who had merely flirted with “real life” meaning and purpose.

I had been the woman who did what she wanted when she wanted—I could sleep in for hours every weekend if that’s what I wanted to do.

Originally posted and published on Elephant Journal. Read more —> https://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/03/the-birth-of-a-mother/