You think you can't dance?

You may say you can't dance.  That may be true.  There are talented dancers.  These athletes put in years of work to present artistic renditions, tell stories, amaze and entertain.  We all feel good after witnessing these fabulous artists.

5Rhythms is a whole other kind of dance.   It is the kind of dance that a Jewel writes about in a beautiful poem.  It is the kind of dance that isn't about entertainment or impressing anybody.  It is the kind of dance where each dancer creates their own medicine.  It is a flux vortex celebration of vibrant life heals what ails you kind of dance. 

You may say you can’t dance. So, well maybe that’s true

But maybe you can.  A dance can be any kind of movement.  Even if the dance is the slightest movement of your pinky finger, light as a feather.

4-23-14 5Rhythms Installation

Bring Your Compassionate Heart into Life Everyday

Amaze the Fuck out of YourSELF
Don't bother to worry about what others think.
At the end of your life, they won't have your regrets,
they will have their own to worry about
Put your arms around yourself as if you were your Loved Ones
and don't be ashamed to admit
you still would like a stuffed bunny, or doggy or owl
to sleep with at night
a pillow to cradle your fears and ambitions
and a place to whisper your dreams

Blow your Own Mind
Every single Day
Do something, anything, even if it is small
to please your soul.
Your soul is hungry, and she needs you
to sustain her throughout her lifetime.
Surprise yourself with kindness for yourself.

Be kind and gentle,
but don't confuse that with 
allowing others to use you as a doormat.
They can wipe their feet at the door on the way into Your self, or 
show them the door.

open Your heart
tear away the bonds that have held You prisoner
and release the weights that hold You underwater
and float to the top, towards the light and gasp for air
each and every day of Your life.

Eye Lock Switcharoo

When driving down the street, do you ever make eye contact with someone standing on the corner and really connect?  This morning I passed an elderly woman in a wheelchair with a young child waiting for a bus.  We made eye contact and smiled.  I wondered, what were the circumstances of her life that brought her to that moment.  Not just that morning, but from the moment of her inception to the moment our eyes locked?

What if in the blink of an eye we switched places?  And for an hour or a day or a week we could experience each other's lives.  Even if in our imaginations.

What if?

even there, there are dishes to wash

washing machine stops just as the dishwasher starts
a life so full of life
endless cooking and dishes and laundry
and family and friends that are family
and arms to hug and voices to sing and feet to dance and mouths to eat,
cinnamon goodies that crumble and get all over the place.
There is never enough time to do everything but you try
and your back hurts and your feet ache
and sometimes you miss the sunset, but
sometimes
sometimes
sometimes
sometimes you take time out to really see
the ocean and the mountains and a small town where the pace is
very slow
but even there, even there, even there
there are dishes to wash, laundry to fold,
cats to feed and pet and cuddle goodnight

Book Club Challenge - what I found when I focused on the truth

Think about all the little white lies you tell all day every day.   We all do, but like masturbation, no one wants to fess up.  So when we came up with the book club challenge to consciously tell the truth all day I was petrified.  Here is what I learned in 24 hours about truth:   

I enjoy speaking truth (when it suits me)

I feel frustrated when (I perceive) my truth was not well received  

When I resist the truth I become passive

I feel deep guilt when I do things to please myself , 

           do it anyway, 

                            but become deceptive with intent

I delight in the role of impartial observer, and the interesting body sensations it creates

I find great humor within adherence to and observation of truth

Happy Birthday Mama

I wrote this in 1998 as a mother's day present for my mom.  I post it as a birthday present to her on what would have been her 89th Birthday. 

I look down at my hands and think.  “Whose hands are these?  

    Certainly not mine, they look like Blanche’s.”

freckly spots

creases and lines

worn fingernails

smooth touch

caring and loving

I look in the mirror at my face and think.  "Whose face is this?  

       Certainly not mine, it looks like Blanche’s”

laugh lines

furrowed brow

more freckly spots

classic beauty

a few stray gray hairs

I look into my eyes and think.  "Whose eyes are these?  

    Certainly not mine, they look like Blanche’s”

a certain sparkle

wit

honesty

intelligence

wisdom

I look into the eyes of my son and think.  "Whose child is this?  

    Certainly not mine, he looks like Blanche’s” 

smart

funny

curious

cute

spunky

I look into my heart and think.  "Whose heart is this?  

       Certainly not mine, it looks like Blanche’s” 

kind

loving

generous

compassionate

spiritual

Mom & Artie 1993

Mom, Artie & Ralphy 1994

The Art of Dance

I am A self-taught collage artist, I use found or discarded articles in new and exciting ways.  I hope the Vintage items awaken memories and create room for thought and inspiration.  I love freecycle, garage sale, & flea market finds. I love to rescue well-loved items that call to me and make them new again. I love to incorporate nature and collect from my garden.  I believe art is everywhere, waiting to be discovered.  I strive and pray to be a creative service, between the divine, mother earth, and my community.

I began installation art actively about four years ago at weekly workshops and Sunday Sweat Your prayers.  I am honored to provide artwork to inspire dancers and teachers to take more to the dance floor for a deeper experience and benefit of the 5Rhythms sweat. Most of my art disappears into ether when the dance is finished.   The slide show is representative of my art and the creative process I go through.  My inspiration is my own dance practice, intuitive-empathic wisdom and a touch point with the 5Rhythms instructor on a theme or topic.   Installation art is a sacred blessing and prayer that supports my 5Rhythms practice.  

This is the first time I created permanent art.  

Here are some descriptions and photos!

Gabrielle evolved over several years.   Heartbeat and cycles workshops took me on a deep dive into myself, my relationship with my 5Rhythms tribe and the community that is formed around 5Rhythms tribes all over the globe.  This collage represents the love in my heart for my Sacramento 5Rhythms tribe and my personal 5Rhythms practice.  I am grateful to those who inspired me, including Gabrielle Roth, Bella Dreizler, Juliette Kunin, Masayo benoist, and Kathie webb.  $200

Traversing Treacherous Territory

Traversing Treacherous Territory A woman lost in her dreams finds a way to break free of the bonds of the past, fear, and self-loathing to find love and personal freedom.  This is the largest piece in the dreamcatcher series. $150

Devoted Sisters

Have you ever seen such devoted sisters?  My son found this Bjørn Larsen print in the back of a garage at an estate sale.  Even in its marred state, the powerful image of sisters joined at the hip spoke to me.  Dedicated to my soul twin and sister, Jean Rose, I hoped to capture the tangled and complicated relationship between sisters.   $150  

Dream catcher series are my take on Native American art 

Blackbird’s flight into the ether:  $25 (sold)
Sweet Dreams:  $10 
Night Light:  $60 (sold)

Little Alters Series are my take on Día de Muertos scenes that are meant for dance inspiration.  $10-20 each

I am donating 50% of what I sell to Movement as Medicine fund raiser for dance healing.  Whatever I don't sell at second Saturday I will continue to donate portion of my sales until September 28, the date of MAM event.  

http://www.movementasmedicine.net/

Little Alters

Night Light

Little Alters

Best Western Ashtray
Larry's frames

Into Ether

Sweet Dreams
Into Action

Gabrielle