West Coast Seeds and Burns Bog Conservation Society Join Forces

West Coast Seeds and the Burns Bog Conservation Society are celebrating International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day, May 1st.

Never heard of it? Well neither had Sharon Edelmeier of West Coast Seeds, and Eliza Olson of Burns Bog Conservation Society. That is, until they decided to do a fundraiser for the Society using seeds.

This last January, boxes and boxes of sunflower seeds arrived at the Burns Bog Conservation Society’s office. “I had no idea how I was going to do the fundraiser. I went on the internet and I discovered International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day!”

The Brussel’s Farmer, a group dedicated to transforming neglected public spaces, declared May 1st, International Sunflower Guerrilla Day in 2009. Now sunflowers are popping all over the world!

“I designed the invitation to “our first Annual International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day. West Coast Seeds designed the seed packets,” commented Eliza Olson.

A $25 donation comes with a promise to plant the seeds in your backyard. A $50 donation comes with the promise you will give the seeds to a friend. You can choose your own gift to the Society. In return you promise to help a child plant the Sunflower seeds. “I can hardly wait to see the sunflowers popping up in people’s yards. The seed heads make great bird feeders in the fall!”

International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day is taking off all around the world. West Coast Seeds and the Burns Bog Conservation Society are just the latest groups to join this movement.

“It is one of those unexpected moments,” said Eliza Olson. “I always wanted to do a fundraiser with seeds. Our volunteers loved working on this project. And I get to give back something to our wonderful supporters!”

If you want to get in on the fun, call the Burns Bog Conservation Society at 604.572.0373. Choose your gift and get your package of sunflower seeds while they last. This is a Guerrilla movement worth joining. Phone early. Our supply of sunflower seeds is limited.

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Contact: Eliza Olson, Burns Bog Conservation Society, 604.572.0373, cell
604.418.2314, or Sharon Edelmeier, West Coast Seeds, 604.952.8820 for more information.

I truly do find that when I do my home practice, our pets often accompany me with some stretches. Of course, they don’t wear their yoga pants and I am most often in my pj’s, however, we enjoy our practice together!

I usually do a slow flow sun salutation each morning and some restorative postures in the evening.

Teagan does a pretty great down doggie!

Here is a recent picture of my sweet dog!

Live fully
Create happiness
Imagine peace
Seek truth
Laugh often
Hope more
Inspire change!

From a wall poster !

Enjoy your glorious day dear friends and feel free to pass this on.

namaste

Zoey

We all commented on the adorable babies and little ones dressed in their Easter finery.

We followed customs from my childhood and remarked on the passing of time. We mentioned those who couldn’t be with us; nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters in law and my mom, who passed away many years ago.

If you have seen “The Descendents”, which surprisingly I thought was very good, you will appreciate that we also experienced the vulnerable sweetness of an elder with Alzheimer’s and the wonderful good health of another elder in his 90′s.

Yesterday, we were missing the young babies but otherwise we experienced the full circle of life.

At the end, it’s all about our family isn’t it?  Whether a birth family or a global family, our relationships define and sustain us and support us to live a life in balance.

namaste,

Zoey

Easter Sunday Brunch with Grandpa and the Grandkids et al!

I’m inserting this yoga experience at Sky Temple as my week 5, even though I attended this yoga class in December while vacationing in Yelapa, Mexico. I’m taking some editorial license.

I actually attended my wonderful local Shanti Yoga this week for a gentle Hatha class but wanted to jump back and include Sky Temple in my travels.

Sky Temple Yoga is a breath-takingly beautiful studio, perched on the hillside in the tropical jungle around Yelapa.

Yelapa is a quaint and beautiful Mexican pueblo located south of Puerto Vallarta and only accessible by water taxi.

Judith Roth, a well known yoga teacher from the Pacific Northwest, relocated to Yelapa around 10 years ago. Over the years she held yoga classes in numerous locations in the village including little palapas, grand rooms in quaint estates and upper decks of homes.

Recently Judith organized the construction of Sky Temple, a yoga studio, home and retreat centre with a view of a sparkling bay and gorgeous beach. Accessible via a path winding through trees and jungle foliage Sky Temple offers beginner and advanced classes.

Karen, our next door neighbor and myself, attended a gentle Hatha class with about 10 other folks from Asheville Oregon, Northern California, England, the Gulf Islands of BC and Vancouver. The age range was about 25 – 65. Judith didn’t teach the class but I did have a chance to connect with her after class.

The yoga wear was very eclectic, funky, fun and functional, given the warm temperatures. There were brothers and sisters and lots of tats, piercings and long gray braids. I wore my cozy brown yoga pants (again) and Karen wore a pair of black leggings. I wore my tie-dyed t-shirt and mala beads in a gesture of a deep bow to the hippies and singers like Bob Dylan, who introduced Yelapa to us in the ’60s!

I credit Judith with awakening my love of yoga! She is a woman who embodies power and courage with gentleness and authenticity. Prior to attending a class with Judith, I had viewed yoga more as exercise but in Judith’s class, I experienced a deeper and more profound experience. Yoga with Judith made my body sing and she feels like a soul-sister for sure!

Sky Temple is available for other yoga instructors to use for retreats with their students as well as for those living in and traveling to Yelapa.

In addition to amazing yoga, a wonderful beach and very friendly people, Yelapa boasts outstanding restaurants with delectable food made from fresh ingredients.

You can also take Spanish classes, go birding, take a day trip to the Marietas Islands, go snorkeling, go hiking or fishing

A trip to Yelapa for rest, relaxation and yoga would significanty contribute to living a life in balance.

This picture below is a beautiful mosaic announcing the entrance to the path leading to Sky Temple.

Enjoy your glorious day.

namaste,

Zoey

I found this photo on f/b and would live to know who the artist is!

namaste,

Zoey

The photo brings to mind a woman’s spirituality & loving kindness!

I seem to be reading about leadership everywhere these days, and I love it!

I had a wonderful surprise with starting Steve Farber’s new book, which I down loaded on my ipad and started reading yesterday.  I don’t want to say much more, other than ‘do the same’ as I may spoil your surprise.  What I resonated with, in addition to the words, was a sense of Steve’s presence and the personal touch that made the experience of reading the book exceptional for me.

This morning on LinkedIn, one of the articles (from Forbes) was entitled “New Leaders: To Make Your Mark, Do Nothing” and it spurred my thinking to the area of ‘mistakes’ or ‘do overs’.

As a leader, I have made tons of mistakes and experience many OS!Moments!  One of my main mistake and the biggest thing I would like to ‘do over’, is to “do nothing” in an organization for about 6 months or longer.  This would give me a chance to get a sense of the culture, the people, the informal rules, the energy of the system, so to speak.  It would also clearly say that my personality, my energy is only a small part of the whole system and would speak to a collaborative leadership style.

I wonder too, if due to the gender divide and the history of an imbalance in women, success and power relative to our male counterparts, women are more afraid than men to make mistakes in leadership and err on safety?  Does being safe as a leader mean being stagnant as an organization?

I would love to hear from women leader’s as to what your main ‘mistake’/'do over’ would be!  Please share!  From our sharing, we can learn, grow and support each other!

in peace & mindfulness

namaste,

Zoey

Topaz Lotus Life & Leadership Coaching for Women

wisdom coaching to set your heart on fire and soothe your soul

Women’s Leadership Tip

Continuing the discuss of the ‘being’ and ‘doing’ of women’s leadership…

Leadership can and should be crazy, magic, awful and wonderful, just like life!

‘What the double hockey sticks’ you may be thinking!

In life, coaches know that the messiness and hard parts are often the ‘gateways’ to amazing personal, spiritual and professional growth!

It is the same with leadership.

Steve Farber, extreme leadership guru and author of ‘Radical Leap: re-energized’ was a keynote speaker at the International Coach Federation Conference I attended in Las Vegas recently. Steve talks about the ‘OS!M’ and this does not refer to open source! He refers to the interplay of love and fear and encourages leaders to experience an ‘oh s#*t!moment’ frequently.

In my experience in coaching and in leadership, these moments are frequent and scary and authentic and real and edgy and if one stays mindful with the process, can catalyze transformation, personally and organizationally!

So, play around with OS!M this week in life and work.

Read more on Steve’s website, click on ‘Pursue the OS!M’

In peace & mindfulness

namaste,

Zoey

Inspirational Quote of the Week – On Courage

“Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering its a feather bed.” ? Terence McKenna

(from the School of Sacred Arts facebook page)

Have a powerfully, courageous week!

in peace & mindfulness

namaste,

Zoey

Topaz Lotus Life & Leadership Coaching for Women

wisdom coaching to set your heart on fire and soothe your soul