Carnival of Healing #223 - Grace in Gravity
Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 12:05AM | 13 Comments Welcome (back) to Grace in Gravity!
If you're a return visitor, you may have noticed I have a new look. Many thanks to Amy Crook of Not Dead Yet Studios for transforming a smudge on my mirror (true story) into a lovely work of art that I hoped would convey my theme.
Speaking of themes, I was at a bit of a loss for one for this carnival.
Being that the opportunities to host are now fewer and further between, I wanted to make this one
So Very Extra Special. A new year, new website image, new feature, the approach of spring... sure, these things could easily lend themselves to the message of newness and transformation.
But then, maybe the emergent theme is even more obvious.
Grace in Gravity. Spiritual Beings Having a Human Experience and all that.
You know, how to navigate the trials and tribulations of physical existence while reaching for that longed-for sense of Communion and Oneness, in whatever form it may come. With self, with each other, with Spirit.
Isn't this the real intention behind healing?
With that, let us begin.
One of the most important prerequisites of successfully being human is the ability to laugh about it.
The obvious first post would be from Mad Kane's Humor Blog, and "Send Us Spring, STAT!"
Is there anything that can make (some of) us feel less graceful, and more humble, than doing yoga in public? Savvy Brown, writes of conquering her fear (and probably speaks for many of us) in "Yoga for Chickens".
To be alive is to navigate perpetual transition.
The challenge is to do so with ease.
Eliza Fayle, who has inspired me to use the word "crumpets" as a curse, explains why we women transitioning into our crone years are a lot less tolerant of the demands of others than we had been when younger. Read "Nurturing Ourselves Instead of Others" on her lovely site, Silver and Grace.
The recent shifts in economy have certainly created a transitional climate for us ... one in which many of us have had to rethink our actions and habits. Some lives were devastated. But in some fortunate cases, we've been able to use this time as an impetus to make different life choices.
In the situations we actually have power over, our choices might lead us to one side or the other regarding this post by Healthgasm: "25 Ways in Which the Great Recession is Afffecting Our Health".
To be human is to sometimes doubt our own worthiness.
Christopher Foster, of The Happy Seeker, reminds us that if we want to experience love, both the giving and receiving, there is no better place to start than with ourselves, in "Who Truly Deserves Your Love"?
Feelings of self-worthiness, in my opinion, start at birth, if not before. But in the absence of such 
reinforcement, it become our own adult responsibility to reclaim it. James Feudo, of Overnight Sensation, illustrates this in "Why You're Not Worthless".
Of course, there are times we can use a little help from a trusted friend (or massage therapist), as my trusted friend (and massage therapist) William Bryan writes so eloquently in "The Heart of Touch".
Expression of our innate divinity begins with the practice of awareness.
As in, awareness, of the stories that lead us toward or away from what we want in life, like in Kathleen Gage's post, "What Holds Many People Back from Success... Resentment!"
Awareness that comes from shaking up the routine a bit, which Jenn Givler recommends in "Do Something Different!"
Awareness of the power that the beauty of the natural world can bring to our overworked and anxious minds in this lovely guided Full Moon Visualization, from The Conscious Life.
From Kaushik Chokshi, on Beyond Karma, a post which sums up in the first point anything I could possibly say about the subject of awareness in The Basics - 13 Key Points About the Flow of Awakening.
And if naval-gazing as a means of gaining awareness is not your thing, you can try Writing as Meditation, as described on The Emotion Machine.
Of course we still need to attend to the pesky needs of our physical bodies.
Just a few tips on holistically addresing the various ailments which may plague us:
From Gout Cures... Interesting ways of dealing with gout (which seem far more palatable than the prescribed medication of colchicine that my husband took once).
From Heartstrong - The Top Four Exercises People Do Wrong - And How to Fix Them! Very useful info, as I've certainly hurt myself while trying to do something good.
Next to last, a post that I'm hopeful will lead to a lot of useful support for the largest segment of our population which may be hardest hit by our current health care crisis, "Alternative Medicine (for Baby Boomers)... Is it Right for You?"
This concludes the March edition of The Carnival of Healing.
Last month, it was hosted by Your Joyous Life. Next month, (April 3rd) be sure to visit The Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing Blog.
And now, I will leave you with an invitation to prepare for the wonders of impending spring, with "Open the Window to Beauty", from Be Zen, My Friend.
(Many heartfelt thanks to Phylameana lila Desy for keeping this thing going, and supporting the growth of the holistic blogging community.)
Reader Comments (13)
Great carnival! Thanks for including me! I'm really enjoying the entries - great job everyone!
You are SO in trouble ms. Gina - now I've got MORE incredible folks to check out -- already jumped over to about 1/3 of them and will come back to the others tonight. Thanks for this!! Looks like one heck of a lot of research went into this great post!
Glad to be an inspiration, even it is in the curse words you use :-) Actually, I really like crumpets. Mmmmm .... hot toasted crumpets with butter and homemade strawberry jam.
Thank you for posting my article What Holds Many People Back From Success. I appreciate it.
Wow, so many great links to check out but so little time. Where do I start? But thanks for including mine in this carnival. It's a great honor!
@Jenn: You're welcome! Glad we got it in under the wire. :)
@Karen: Um, thank you? LOL. Yes, it poses quite the dilemma for both hosts and readers to get through all the amazing offerings. And to think this used to go down once a week!
@Eliza: Don't think I've ever even had a crumpet, but they do sound yummy.
@Kathleen: My pleasure!
@wp: And thank you. It was hard to chose between the two you sent, and in fact, I would like to draw some attention to your other submission about mudras, because that was really informative!
Oh my goodness! I love the new design--I went looking down at the site credits to see who did it, only to find it here at the top of this post! Of course Amy Crook did it! That explains everything. By the way, does coming here count as my daily practice of awareness?
Yes, Kelly. The fabulous Amy, who highly recommended you as well, by the way, for help with my tagline. (Which, um, I didn't get around to, but, um, hey, I still might be knockin' on your door..)
Thanks, but you clearly don't need me to write your taglines! You are doing a brilliant job all on your own! (And don't even get me started on the home page copy. Let's just say I'm a fan!)
I love your new look--well done! Such a relaxing, inviting space.
Wow, thanks Kelly! *blushing*
And, thanks to you as well, Michelle.
Hi Gina,
I love your website! Thank you for including me in the carnival. I am definitely subscribing to your blog!
My pleasure, Renee! And thank you so much! Glad to have you join the party...