Dear friends, I'm in Athens, Georgia now.   Much in my life has changed and yes, much has stayed the same.  I'm reconnecting through this blog, hoping to maintain a connection with you as we both move through this life.  I'll be in touch again soon.

Hugs, Rhonda

Jack Kornfield says one of the tenets of mature spirituality is being able to find perfection in the non-perfection....accepting things as they are, rather than how we want them to be.

We often set ourselves up for disappointments by having expectations of ourself and others.  It surprises me how many times I still create expectations (some consciously some unconsciously).....expecting my husband to respond a certain way when I ask a question, or my siblings to call to just say " hello, how are you"  ...expecting someone to automatically say "yes" when you invite them out.  From small mundane things to the big things....expectations often cause suffering.

Kathy Dickson once shared some wisdom from Eric Shiffman, the yoga teacher.  He said he reminds himself each day "I will make no decisions without consultation with a higher power - BIG MIND - , because it's the intelligent thing to do.    Zip it, be still and listen.  If I remember to do this, when a perceived disappointment comes along, I rest in the realization that things are just as they are and they are perfect.  There's nothing personal.  And in Jack's words I can "invite the heart to sit on the front porch and experience, from a place of rest, the inevitable comings and goings of emotions and events - - the struggles and successes of the world.

Our spiritual task is not to make perfection, but to awaken to the perfection all around us.

2 hours ago

"Everything in your life is there as a vehicle for your transformation. Use it!" ~Ram Dass

This quote from Ram Dass puts everything in perspective! When we view everything in our lives as an opportunity to learn something about ourselves we act from a place of equanimity.... embrace everything life gives you.  

Yesterday I happened to see a program on PBS that touched me deeply called "Trial by Fire". It's about burn victims and their lives after their body has healed. The people on the program had suffered some of the most horrific pain imaginable and through the process they realized an important lesson in life .... rather than focusing and defining themselves on what happened to them, they celebrate that they are alive. You are alive ....... don't take that for granted.

I'm having a wonderful adventure, so much to be grateful for......

Love the multitude of chickens here.....

 I think this guys likes me.  He keeps following me around.....chickens are everywhere on the island!  I love being awakened by their crowing at the crack of dawn each morning.  What a wonderful alarm cock :-)

 Organic fruits and vegetables are plentiful.

Fresh from the market today was organic celery, grapes, mango and a red bell pepper.....all for just $37.53!   Seriously....I'm eating well.

Neighbors share their bounty with us...leaving us banana's, avocado's (lots of huge avo's), oranges, limes, lemons, etc on my doorstep...love that!

One brought me organic tofu yesterday :-)

We rarely eat out, love to prepare our meals at the house and watch the sunset over Hanalei Bay.

Outside the Kauai Pilates studio there's a beautiful pond filled with lotus flowers....a reminder each time I step inside of the beauty that surrounds me.

The women in Pilates and yoga classes here are a lot of fun...I've made many new friends.

Thankful that hurricane Ana skirted the island last weekend. That was the 3rd hurricane scare we've had since we arrived. The waves were incredible....couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted surfers out in the ocean......!

This picture is from 2005 Dahlonega Yoga Retreat!  You might recognize some of those faces.....Yep, that's Paulette Lapham in a handstand in the park in downtown Dahlonega!   We will be returning to Dahlonega in August 2015 for our next retreat!  If you'd like information, please contact me at rhondamhelms@gmail.com.

Remember not to take anything too personal.  Everyone is doing the best that they can...forgive easily, love wholeheartedly and speak softly.

With peace,

Rhonda

Rainbow spotted on my way to the grocery store :-)   Ahhh

Aloha
....I hope this blog finds you all happy & filled with peace.  It's been a while since I checked in with all of you.... thanks for the nudge Cynthia!   

The month of August in Athens, Georgia flew by so fast.  In the midst of it I had the sweet opportunity to go to my of my favorite places for a week....Kripalu Yoga Center in Lenox, Massachusetts for a 5  day retreat with Richard Miller, the founder of IRest....(yoga nidra or deep yogic relaxation) and a weekend with Joan Borysenko and Karen Drucker.   It was deeply satisfying in so many ways.....

...the entrance to Kripalu

Fall had already begun in the Berkshires.

We are all doing the best we can in this moment.

There are sweet signs like this in the stairwells at Kripalu.

Walking the grounds is a meditation.

Ganesha, the remover of obstacles

 The weekend with Joan Borysenko & Karen Drucker was a "Women's Spiritual Retreat" that was laced with humor, spirituality, inspiring stories, Joan's most recent research on women's health and the beautiful music of Karen Drucker.  If you've never heard of Karen, I encourage you to google her and listen to some of her music....it's beautiful.

Karen Drucker and Joan Borysenko

The week with Richard Miller was spent mostly in meditation, gazing, breathing....just being.



After a week at Kripalu, I felt like I floated back to Athens (I think there was a plane involved....I felt so light of heart, mind and body.  Just 4 days later we left for Kauai (9/4).....and landed in this beautiful spot on the island.  We are in a home near Hanalei Bay on the North Shore.    

Hanalei Bay, just down the street from our house.

Kauai is a special place.    Stepping off the plane you automatically feel a sense of release....of letting go... surrender.  There's no hurry, no place to go, nothing important to do....... everyone you meet is relaxed and seemingly attuned to the rhythm of the nature that surrounds them.         

I love the connections I've made here with the yoga community, a meditation group and a pilates studio. Wonderful energy, sweet spirits....all on their own journeys...........

   I feel like I've landed right smack dab in the middle of paradise and I think I'm gonna rest here a while....snorkeling, hiking & sitting on the beach to read good books.

 This week we hiked the Kalalau Trail up the Na Pali Coast.  The tropical foliage was beautiful and the bamboo forests were huge.  This photo was taken in one of them.  I have never seen such huge bamboo.   Hiked up to a water fall that cascaded at least 1000 feet and swam in the turquoise pool at the bottom.

At the end of the trail, thanking God that we made it....a grueling 8 mile hike.....we were both exhausted.

What are you grateful for?  I'd love to hear from you.

Malu (Peace in Hawaiian)
Rhonda

Isn't it funny....
how much more you appreciate things after they are gone and life has moved on?   I've been missing my friends, yoga peeps and life back home....and reminiscing about how much joy the routine parts of my life brought me.   Joe would love to hear me say this because he loves routine... I, on the other hand, avoid it when possible.

I think I'm just having a "poor pitiful me" moment.....as Nancy Lopez said (more on this later) so eloquently when I met her recently...."when anyone complains about their golf game I just look at them and say "whah, whah, whah"..... you have the privilege, the free time, the funds, etc to be out here playing this sport...stop whining".      And so I'll stop my whining about missing all of you.

We had a glorious month in Colorado....many friends visited us in the mountains.  Some of you may remember Judy and Mike McDonald from Yoga Class at Sam's many years ago.  They live in Boulder and always come for a visit and a hike.    

One of our favorite hikes in Summit County is to the top of the Eisenhower Tunnel.  Our friend Cindy Gray from The Woodlands joined us on the hike.  You feel like you're on top of the world up there at 12,000ft elevation.  It's above tree line so the 360 degree views are stunning.

                                                    The week before we left Colorado my beautiful niece Haili Ferrino flew to Denver to join us on the trip to Georgia.


Hail & I racked up lots of miles on our bikes
before we left the mountains.....she has been great company!  I love that sweet girl.  There's nothing more refreshing than being with a teenager for a couple of weeks!


We rode down from the top of Vail Pass one day ....what an experience :-)
 It's the same ride we took on the yoga retreat
a few years ago.




I love when wonderful things happen very unexpectedly.    I was playing golf one day with the ladies group at Keystone and the pro came out to tell us Nancy Lopez just called and she wanted to offer us a free clinic the following day.  She has a home in Keystone and visits there often in the summer. What a treat!   She spent a couple of hours with a small group of us the following day.  She has a wicked sense of humor..... not only did I have some great laughs but I got some good golf tips :-) and of course had to take a 'selfie' with my new best friend :-)

 The yoga community in Summit County is wonderful.   Mary Pat Cropper has been teaching there for many years and I've been a student and follower of her teaching for over 15 years.  Each summer I attend her classes while we are in the mountains and I'm always sad to leave this yoga community when we go.  On the last day of class we took this photo for the blog...... thanks for always welcoming me back into your yoga community with open arms!

Joe, Haili and I  left Colorado on Sunday, July 20th on our way to Georgia.   Along the way, we had some fun...stopped in St. Louis to view the arch, then on the Paducah, KY.  In Paducah we had our first AirBNB experience.   Stayed in a renovated artists studio loft near the downtown arts district.   The artist and her husband lived upstairs and our rooms opened into the art studio.  She and her husband attended college and lived in Hawaii for many years.....we are getting excited about the next leg of our trip to Kauai now.
The Grand Ole Opry was awesome.   We enjoyed the music and the excitement of the evening.  
I googled "things to do in Nashville" and found something called "The Great Escape".   All the reviewers raved about it, so of course, I got tickets for Haili and me.
What an experience!   We were locked in a small room with 5 other people, given minimum instructions....like don't climb and told to find our way out.  It took us almost an hour to get out.....it was so much fun.  We ended up breaking the codes getting into room after room by working out clues.  Here are our partners, who helped us escape....

We are all moved into our town home in Athens, Georgia now.  It's located in downtown Athens adjacent to the University of Georgia and right in the middle of a multitude of fraternity and sorority houses.  The next few weeks is going to be interesting :-)

Our place is small and lovely....homey.  Have you seen the documentary 'Tiny:  A Story About Living Small'?    It's on Netflix.... it's thought provoking.   Watch it if you have the opportunity.

I've read a couple of books along the way, some good, some not so good.  I'm reading 'The 5 Love Languages' now.   Lots of wisdom on relationships...perfect timing since I'm spending loads more time with my husband these days.

Haili flew home last Wednesday.  I thought I was going to cry as I realize she is the closest I'll ever come to having a child....my sisters daughter.  Spending time with nieces and nephews over the years has given me a glimpse of what I've missed not having children.  As with all things, it's a mixed bag - yin/yang.

Before she left Georgia we did have some fun climbing.   

I was a bit concerned I might hurt myself but it didn't stop me.

This week is Joe's big birthday.   His brother Bruce lives here in Athens.  We've invited friends & family to join us for dinner at Bruce's home.  Joe will be surrounded by all the people he loves most in the world....what more could one want on their special day.

Love to all of you......I'll be in touch soon.

She Let Go

She let go.

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of the fear.

She let go of the judgments.

She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.

She let go of the committee of indecision within her.

She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.

Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice.

She didn’t read a book on how to let go.

She didn’t search the scriptures.

She just let go.

She let go of all of the memories that held her back.

She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.

She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go.

She didn’t journal about it.

She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.

She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.

She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.

She just let go.

She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.

She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.

She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.

She didn’t call the prayer line.

She didn’t utter one word.

She just let go.

No one was around when it happened.

There was no applause or congratulations.

No one thanked her or praised her.

No one noticed a thing.

Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort.

There was no struggle.

It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.

It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be.

A small smile came over her face.

A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore…

~ Rev. Safire Rose







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Kansas City MO

Along with hiking and biking I've been playing golf here in the mountains.  Love these mountain courses and have enjoyed playing with the Ladies Golf Group at Keystone.
On Friday, I got to meet Nancy Lopez at a clinic she offered at Keystone.  She has a home here and when she's in town she offers free clinics.  She is to women's golf what Arnold Palmer is to mens golf.  She was humorous, warm, entertaining and authentic.....what a sweet serendipitous surprise it was to meet her.

And of course, I couldn't resist taking a "selfie" with her!

We gathered at our place for dinner with our friends from Summit County.....Bill, Michele, Trudy and Marsha and our friends Cindy, Steve and Kevin Gray from The Woodlands joined us.  

Life is good and having wonderful friends makes it so much sweeter!   I miss all my peeps in Texas and hope you are all happy and well.
Peace,
Rhonda