when we stop ourselves in our tracks and settle into the silence, only then can we really begin to see.
{you can't see if you don't look}
truth is not to be found, it must reveal itself.
copyright 2012 Alisa Barry
14 January 2012
03 January 2012
Inspiration is sometimes anonymous
Do not doubt that though you cannot see, someone, somewhere, is inspired by your light.
When you hesitate to share what you have to offer, remember that even one person's life may be influenced, inspired, perhaps even radically changed for the better because of your generosity.
copyright 2012 Alisa Barry
When you hesitate to share what you have to offer, remember that even one person's life may be influenced, inspired, perhaps even radically changed for the better because of your generosity.
copyright 2012 Alisa Barry
12 December 2011
01 November 2011
be who you are.
radianceENCHANTMENT
dare to be different
dowhatyoulovewhatyoudo
bask in your brilliance
be unwavering on behalf of your best self
honor your intuition
improvise as a daily practice
be the curator of your dreams.
become vulnerable dive deep{er}
followyourheart
tame, train, transformradianceENCHANTMENT
dare to be different
dowhatyoulovewhatyoudo
bask in your brilliance
be unwavering on behalf of your best self
honor your intuition
improvise as a daily practice
be the curator of your dreams.
become vulnerable dive deep{er}
followyourheart
tame, train, transformcopyright 2011 Alisa Barry
dream request - day one
before you drift off to slumber, ask for a message.
{live life fearlessly}
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
{live life fearlessly}
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
22 October 2011
some time ago
it's been quite a while now, I can hardly remember how long
startled upright out of bed, not knowing if I was awake or still asleep. something being offered to my soul.
glittering gold emblazoned on the empty sky with bold pomegranate red lettering spelling out words I had never heard.
"mystical allegory" it sang. loud and triumphant, but clearly only for my ears to hear.
it was a gift, a grail, of that I was sure, despite the fact that I had no earthly idea what it meant.
like most curiosities to investigate, I headed to the keyboard and dialed in my request.
Plato arrived. the cave. the darkness. the light.
where was I? where was I to go? no where, was the answer. right here. sitting still and suspending time.
years later, not quite sitting still, but somewhat suspending time. knowing that some day, divine timing will reveal this magical mystery.
a momentary reminder and repose.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
startled upright out of bed, not knowing if I was awake or still asleep. something being offered to my soul.
glittering gold emblazoned on the empty sky with bold pomegranate red lettering spelling out words I had never heard.
"mystical allegory" it sang. loud and triumphant, but clearly only for my ears to hear.
it was a gift, a grail, of that I was sure, despite the fact that I had no earthly idea what it meant.
like most curiosities to investigate, I headed to the keyboard and dialed in my request.
Plato arrived. the cave. the darkness. the light.
where was I? where was I to go? no where, was the answer. right here. sitting still and suspending time.
years later, not quite sitting still, but somewhat suspending time. knowing that some day, divine timing will reveal this magical mystery.
a momentary reminder and repose.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
06 April 2011
longing
wanting, wishing, waiting.
romantic, perhaps.
dangerous, for sure.
it ensures we are not in the present moment with what we already have or
living the life we've got.
aspirations are admirable, but not at the expense of everything we already have.
would you give up everything for something else?
live what is before you push it aside for what you imagine.
no longer longing....living.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
romantic, perhaps.
dangerous, for sure.
it ensures we are not in the present moment with what we already have or
living the life we've got.
aspirations are admirable, but not at the expense of everything we already have.
would you give up everything for something else?
live what is before you push it aside for what you imagine.
no longer longing....living.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
10 March 2011
more or less
more or less is usually a casual statement that you really don't care one way or the other, you're not sure or it really doesn't matter.
when you add intention to those words, here's what you get:
more of what I want.
less of what I don't want
definitive clarity
instead of being blase', it becomes an empowering emotional commitment;
a discipline that isn't about drudgery, but rather devotion.
put that intention into action and you are unstoppable.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
when you add intention to those words, here's what you get:
more of what I want.
less of what I don't want
definitive clarity
instead of being blase', it becomes an empowering emotional commitment;
a discipline that isn't about drudgery, but rather devotion.
put that intention into action and you are unstoppable.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
04 March 2011
follow your dream
if i knew where the dream lives, i'd put myself on the path
everyday a detour
to somewhere unknown
and not yet knowing
attendere.
wait. attend to. incubate.
this is the only place i need to be right now.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
everyday a detour
to somewhere unknown
and not yet knowing
attendere.
wait. attend to. incubate.
this is the only place i need to be right now.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
19 February 2011
quiet contemplation
morning dark
full moon
my breathe finally slowing down to a sane pace
creativity saunters in
clear, concise, open
what do we want to make next?
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
full moon
my breathe finally slowing down to a sane pace
creativity saunters in
clear, concise, open
what do we want to make next?
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
14 February 2011
live between the two worlds
there's a beautiful ambiguity
about our fractured identity
don't spend a minute more fretting about.
we are not supposed to choose between the two worlds.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
about our fractured identity
don't spend a minute more fretting about.
we are not supposed to choose between the two worlds.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
13 February 2011
it's time.
are you ready to fall in love with your life?
what must you do to make it so.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
what must you do to make it so.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
09 February 2011
meta view from the mountain top
it's so easy to get caught up in details or mired in the minutia.
take a hike and you'll see a whole different perspective from a higher vision, a meta view.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
take a hike and you'll see a whole different perspective from a higher vision, a meta view.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
08 February 2011
just like water flows
everything is constantly in motion, even when we feel solidly stuck.
remember the cleansing of a warm rosewater-scented bath or a soothing shower; droplets descending upon us until we can't tell the difference between our tears and the tumbling waterfall from the spigot above.
remember playing in the pool or frolicking through the sprinkler.
or the thirst-quenching taste of cool water from the summer spring.
like our memories, we carry on, grow up and pass on.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
remember the cleansing of a warm rosewater-scented bath or a soothing shower; droplets descending upon us until we can't tell the difference between our tears and the tumbling waterfall from the spigot above.
remember playing in the pool or frolicking through the sprinkler.
or the thirst-quenching taste of cool water from the summer spring.
like our memories, we carry on, grow up and pass on.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
07 February 2011
what is the REAL work to be done?
we wake up, go to our computers and think about what must get done today.
FORGET IT!
what is the REAL work you must do?
{The object is not to make art, but to be in the wonderful state, which makes art inevitable.}
how can we prepare ourselves to live in the world this way?
rituals. devotion. discipline.
pave a path with practice and the art shall pour forth like a font of food for the gods.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
FORGET IT!
what is the REAL work you must do?
{The object is not to make art, but to be in the wonderful state, which makes art inevitable.}
how can we prepare ourselves to live in the world this way?
rituals. devotion. discipline.
pave a path with practice and the art shall pour forth like a font of food for the gods.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
06 February 2011
allow yourself to be broken open
sitting here on sunday
falling asleep listening to another's revelation
while dreaming of my own revolution.
drifting off and diving in.
my heart is broken, wholeheartedly open.
now it can finally breathe in the ethers of love wafting through the world.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
falling asleep listening to another's revelation
while dreaming of my own revolution.
drifting off and diving in.
my heart is broken, wholeheartedly open.
now it can finally breathe in the ethers of love wafting through the world.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
05 February 2011
declaration
for so many years, I have put aside, away, out of reach
those things that i am afraid to declare for myself
for fear of loneliness, being alone, being wrong, being left out in the cold
the soul is funny that way.
it allows us to go traipsing around as if this life were our own
waiting patiently for us to return to gather the tattered pieces that we've strewn about
here and there
a trail we've left for ourselves to find our way home.
it's where the comfort comes from knowing that what we have never owned anyway no longer needs to be ours
it's the place where we stand up for our convictions with confidence, no longer shouting with forced fists closed, but singing softly our humble hymn.
it's a space where emptiness is not a void, but a vessel where we can finally rest with nothing without missing anything.
this declaration looks like nothing i've known.
it's gentle and kind
and quiet and content
"welcome home, " it offers, as I enter the portal to this new place.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
those things that i am afraid to declare for myself
for fear of loneliness, being alone, being wrong, being left out in the cold
the soul is funny that way.
it allows us to go traipsing around as if this life were our own
waiting patiently for us to return to gather the tattered pieces that we've strewn about
here and there
a trail we've left for ourselves to find our way home.
it's where the comfort comes from knowing that what we have never owned anyway no longer needs to be ours
it's the place where we stand up for our convictions with confidence, no longer shouting with forced fists closed, but singing softly our humble hymn.
it's a space where emptiness is not a void, but a vessel where we can finally rest with nothing without missing anything.
this declaration looks like nothing i've known.
it's gentle and kind
and quiet and content
"welcome home, " it offers, as I enter the portal to this new place.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
04 February 2011
ego or art
sometimes it's hard to distinguish
whether we are creating from our he{art}
or if it's the masterful ego who simply wants attention. adoration. admiration.
and then there's the answer.
without adornment or accomplices.
speaking the bare-naked truth.
you know how it feels when it hits you hard.
no matter, keep going. wherever it comes from
keep creating your art.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
whether we are creating from our he{art}
or if it's the masterful ego who simply wants attention. adoration. admiration.
and then there's the answer.
without adornment or accomplices.
speaking the bare-naked truth.
you know how it feels when it hits you hard.
no matter, keep going. wherever it comes from
keep creating your art.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
29 January 2011
red is love
red is love
red is conspicuous
red is daring and bold and outrageous
red is compassion
red is protection
red is frivolous
red is sexy
red is wanting to be seen
red is an accent
red is a splash of thunder
red is sensual and seductive
red is forbidden
red is comforting
red is life coursing through my veins
red is the hurt and wounds that won't heal
red is a warning sign, a red flag that something needs attention
red is luscious lips
red is my beating heart
red. is. love.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
23 January 2011
stay open to surrender when the shadows loom
luminous and luscious
life's ebb and flow
moving, changing, guiding us on the path
broken open and falling apart
lost and not knowing even the next step
of where we are to go
of who we are going to be.
allowing the uncertainty.
embracing the unknown.
giving gratitude for the mystery,
knowing that behind the veil
there is a universe conspiring on our best behalf.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
life's ebb and flow
moving, changing, guiding us on the path
broken open and falling apart
lost and not knowing even the next step
of where we are to go
of who we are going to be.
allowing the uncertainty.
embracing the unknown.
giving gratitude for the mystery,
knowing that behind the veil
there is a universe conspiring on our best behalf.
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
15 January 2011
finding our medicine.
{give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.}
* quote by david whyte
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
except the one to which you belong.}
* quote by david whyte
copyright 2011 Alisa Barry
10 January 2011
finish & focus
i'm finalizing
and finishing
and getting ready to focus.....
on my art.
{mission. mantra. motivation.}
moving in a new direction.
declaring a new way of being.
being with what and who I really am.
letting go feels good.
declaring feels daring.
defining what this is.
no more hesitation anymore.
this just feels right. finally.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
and finishing
and getting ready to focus.....
on my art.
{mission. mantra. motivation.}
moving in a new direction.
declaring a new way of being.
being with what and who I really am.
letting go feels good.
declaring feels daring.
defining what this is.
no more hesitation anymore.
this just feels right. finally.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
birth day beginnings + a few of my favorite things
today is for favorite things. rosewater bath, pho + a foot massage, matinee movie. red wine with my love.
happy birthday to me.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
happy birthday to me.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
08 January 2011
honoring the emptiness
sometimes there is no better place to be than no where.
just here.
no wandering or running
in search of something or someone,
distractions or to-dos.
being content with just being.
allowing the space to not have to be filled up.
what a relief.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
just here.
no wandering or running
in search of something or someone,
distractions or to-dos.
being content with just being.
allowing the space to not have to be filled up.
what a relief.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
05 January 2011
beautiful benediction 2011
{May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art – write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can.
May your coming year be a wonderful thing in which you dream both dangerously and outrageously. I hope you’ll make something that didn’t exist before you made it, that you will be loved and you will be liked and you will have people to love and to like in return.
And most importantly, because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now – I hope that you will, when you need to be, be wise and that you will always be kind. And I hope that somewhere in the next year you surprise yourself.}
* quote by neil gaimen via open culture + the improvised life
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
May your coming year be a wonderful thing in which you dream both dangerously and outrageously. I hope you’ll make something that didn’t exist before you made it, that you will be loved and you will be liked and you will have people to love and to like in return.
And most importantly, because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now – I hope that you will, when you need to be, be wise and that you will always be kind. And I hope that somewhere in the next year you surprise yourself.}
* quote by neil gaimen via open culture + the improvised life
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
04 January 2011
early morning rising
the day is dark
and the birds are the only ones yet awake
car engines hum in the background,
tires swishing by on the hard pavement road
it's quiet.
if only i could have a few more hours of this emptiness.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
and the birds are the only ones yet awake
car engines hum in the background,
tires swishing by on the hard pavement road
it's quiet.
if only i could have a few more hours of this emptiness.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
01 January 2011
1.1.11
{one.}
you, me and all of thee.
wholeheartedly. vulnerability. courage, connection + compassion
no resolutions to be made. only life to be lived.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
you, me and all of thee.
wholeheartedly. vulnerability. courage, connection + compassion
no resolutions to be made. only life to be lived.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
29 December 2010
champagne celebration
thank you soul sister
for friendship + fun
and frivolous folly
for totem talk
and spirit songs
for sharing your heart
and baring your soul.
i treasure our friendship,
be we near or far.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
for friendship + fun
and frivolous folly
for totem talk
and spirit songs
for sharing your heart
and baring your soul.
i treasure our friendship,
be we near or far.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
27 December 2010
26 December 2010
love list 2011
{my top 10 for the new year} :
1. gotta get my house in order.
physical. financial. spiritual.
1. gotta get my house in order.
physical. financial. spiritual.
2. Help from the he{ART}
T for Tibet.
a non-profit fund-raising opportunity to honor + preserve Tibetan culture. hand-stitched T-shirts to benefit a favorite philanthropy, Tibet House in NYC .
T for Tibet.
a non-profit fund-raising opportunity to honor + preserve Tibetan culture. hand-stitched T-shirts to benefit a favorite philanthropy, Tibet House in NYC .
enso ink. pocket prayers. beautiful books. movement. music.
4. all seeing. wisdom. warrior.
intuition. confidence. faith. practice.
5. the art of entrepreneurial enlightenment comes to life.
6. laughter, love + loveliness.
7. nourish + nurture: begin THE BOOK
{the devotion of delicious rituals in our daily life.}
8. travel. adventure. opportunity.
manka's mystical fishing lodge. PARIS. la bella villa in umbria, Italia. rumi's sacred space in kona, turkey. artist friends in abiqui.
9. www. A L I S A B A R R Y . com
designs in the work by my favorite urban zen designer, coolgrayseven.
looking forward to sharing what i love.
10. monthly retreats at our sweet little northern california cottage.
writing. cooking. loving. dreaming. r e la x i n g. working. eating. painting. gardening. FERRY PLAZA FARMER'S MARKET. italian lessons + bocce ball.
mantra 2011:
{i give myself permission to do what i love. i give myself the responsibility to serve others with that love.}
celebrate the feast of faith and joy
{Faith is based on genuineness, trusting in yourself and your vision.
You are not faking anything, and you are not trying to impress anybody.
You are not faking anything, and you are not trying to impress anybody.
Faith inspires discipline, which is not based on punishment or arbitrary
rules and authority, but rather on becoming thoroughly gentle and
genuine. Discipline guides you and shows you how to live in the
warrior?s world. With this unwavering discipline, the warrior takes joy
in the journey and joy in working with others. This joy is like music,
which celebrates its own rhythm and melody. The celebration is
continuous, in spite of the ups and downs of life.}* quote by chogyam trungpa rinpoche
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
25 December 2010
winter wonderland
gift from the heavens
sticking to the ground.
going to bed hoping for sweet dreams and white covered sidewalks
merry christmas, my friends.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
sticking to the ground.
going to bed hoping for sweet dreams and white covered sidewalks
merry christmas, my friends.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
20 December 2010
18 December 2010
stepping out
of my comfort zone.
push me
lead me
to the ................ edge.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
push me
lead me
to the ................ edge.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
sing song, we all need a place to belong
in many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions.
where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experience the loss of soul. dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves.*
* gabrielle roth
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
- when did you stop dancing?
- when did you stop singing?
- when did you stop being enchanted by stories?
- when did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?
where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experience the loss of soul. dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves.*
* gabrielle roth
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
believing in the stars + moon
fluffy white lemon meringue
pie in the sky.
heaven on earth
and tears of joy.
sparkles and hope
from a faraway land.
dreams do come true.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
pie in the sky.
heaven on earth
and tears of joy.
sparkles and hope
from a faraway land.
dreams do come true.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
assess, align, aspire
{assess}
the year you have lived.
{align}
your priorities with your dreams
{aspire}
to follow the path with faith and devotion
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
the year you have lived.
{align}
your priorities with your dreams
{aspire}
to follow the path with faith and devotion
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
focus on the fundamentals first
I love Susan Piver. She has the ability to write about the everyday ordinary. Not, as one might assume, the boring or mundane. This is about things we can do daily that focus on the fundamentals: our well-being + sanity.
Think about it- when we feel a sense of order and purpose, we have the fuel and fire to go out into the world and explore greater possibilities with confidence and conviction....and sustainable, successful results.
In one of her recent posts, she shares with her readers a few fundamentals her teacher, Sakyong mipham rinpoche, offers.
- Cleaning up your space.
- Wearing nice clothes. (Not expensive, necessarily; clean, well-fitting, and so on)
- Spending time with people who increase your energy.
- Eating good (quality) food.
- Spending time in the natural world.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
dark morning dew
the drip of rain droplets falling off branches
settling into the cement
seeping into the earth.
wake up!
slowly.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
settling into the cement
seeping into the earth.
wake up!
slowly.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
14 December 2010
11 December 2010
10 December 2010
in the midst of chaos
keep calm.
hold your ground.
stay centered.
find the stillpoint.
enjoy the ride!
{chaos is a friend of mine.}
*quote by bob dylan
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
hold your ground.
stay centered.
find the stillpoint.
enjoy the ride!
{chaos is a friend of mine.}
*quote by bob dylan
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
08 December 2010
discipline as a practice of devotion
devotion to our art
devotion to our work
devotion to our family
devotion to our well-being
it's about faith that what we are doing is meaningful
it's about mindfulness in the practice of what we undertake
it's about showing up with ourselves as our offering.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
devotion to our work
devotion to our family
devotion to our well-being
it's about faith that what we are doing is meaningful
it's about mindfulness in the practice of what we undertake
it's about showing up with ourselves as our offering.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
06 December 2010
knowing uncertainty
fighting my way through the habits that have seeped deep in my bones, my psyche, my soul.
time to be the warrior now.
shaking body, shaking up life. purging. cleansing. clarity.
curiosity.
uncertainty is my new mantra. there is a deep knowing in the unknown.
trust and faith. having seen the divine at work.
I step aside to let the soul serve.
consciousness and cohesion.
30 November 2010
synchronicity, silence and being in the flow
dia- logue.
"flow of meaning."
when we're in it, it's magical, momentous and sometimes even the fork in the road that can change our lives...for good.
taking time and making space. to be. to see.
when it arrives, if we're alert and aware, we can honor its gift.
magic in the making.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
"flow of meaning."
when we're in it, it's magical, momentous and sometimes even the fork in the road that can change our lives...for good.
taking time and making space. to be. to see.
when it arrives, if we're alert and aware, we can honor its gift.
magic in the making.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
07 November 2010
a new day
it's a new day
it's a new way
it's a better world
it's gotta be.
dream. song. vision.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
it's a new way
it's a better world
it's gotta be.
dream. song. vision.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
31 July 2010
slow morning in the making
i love to linger
under cotton sheets and closed curtains
cutting off all the light
until I am ready to surface
into the day, into my life
slow morning in the making
sun peaks through the clouds
farmer's market foraging
and the cool blue splash of water on my tanned skin
a perfect beginning to my beautiful day
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
under cotton sheets and closed curtains
cutting off all the light
until I am ready to surface
into the day, into my life
slow morning in the making
sun peaks through the clouds
farmer's market foraging
and the cool blue splash of water on my tanned skin
a perfect beginning to my beautiful day
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
29 July 2010
touching the earth
ground. ing. to what really matters.
it is where creation lives.
salt. dirt. rain. earth
bare feet feel the stones below,
digging in
and hanging on......
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
it is where creation lives.
salt. dirt. rain. earth
bare feet feel the stones below,
digging in
and hanging on......
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
I have nothing.
There are some days when the only salve is to settle in. Empty sky. Quiet mind. The blank page is our silent witness. Just the spaces between the lines and the words that pitter patter from the tap, tap, tap of a keypad.
stream of consciousness, see what comes to be. No goal, no gain. what a relief. Tap, Tap, Tap. the sound is at once soothing and unsettling, reminding me every so often that I still need to breathe. breath. take a breath. beautiful breathing. heaving. holding. keep the hands moving . and the heart connected. don't stop. to. edit. let the critic take nap while the soul comes out to play. let it play. what do you have to say? speak. I'm listening. am I listening?
sing song, angels gone. only the night sky is blanketing my thoughts now. slumber soon and sleep awaits. writing a novella in my dreams. practice, perfect, purge. letting go of the cares that keep me cornered and concerned. release and no regrets. the touch of paper is my joy. turn the page and feel the crispness of the corners, the texture of the type . cloth-lined covers. chiaroscuro. from the shadows, emerge into the light. tunnel opens. turn away from the dark. follow the path that calls your name and is your calling. what is calling you? words, only words. almost just words, and then there is the story. unraveling as the letters are set in stone like a concrete cave. our story carved into stone.
i have nothing. only this. this is nothing. nothing is good. the vessel is empty. white. void. space. spaciousness.
we are all the same. saying the same thing. with different tone and tome and timber. all the same. we are. the support system, not competition. sacred circle. that is the thing. remove the shawl and let the shoulders bare all. beauty of curved crooks, tanned and toned from the summer sun. skinny arms and sculpted muscles. strength in the making. and softness in the belly. belly breathing. time for bed. dreams.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
stream of consciousness, see what comes to be. No goal, no gain. what a relief. Tap, Tap, Tap. the sound is at once soothing and unsettling, reminding me every so often that I still need to breathe. breath. take a breath. beautiful breathing. heaving. holding. keep the hands moving . and the heart connected. don't stop. to. edit. let the critic take nap while the soul comes out to play. let it play. what do you have to say? speak. I'm listening. am I listening?
sing song, angels gone. only the night sky is blanketing my thoughts now. slumber soon and sleep awaits. writing a novella in my dreams. practice, perfect, purge. letting go of the cares that keep me cornered and concerned. release and no regrets. the touch of paper is my joy. turn the page and feel the crispness of the corners, the texture of the type . cloth-lined covers. chiaroscuro. from the shadows, emerge into the light. tunnel opens. turn away from the dark. follow the path that calls your name and is your calling. what is calling you? words, only words. almost just words, and then there is the story. unraveling as the letters are set in stone like a concrete cave. our story carved into stone.
i have nothing. only this. this is nothing. nothing is good. the vessel is empty. white. void. space. spaciousness.
we are all the same. saying the same thing. with different tone and tome and timber. all the same. we are. the support system, not competition. sacred circle. that is the thing. remove the shawl and let the shoulders bare all. beauty of curved crooks, tanned and toned from the summer sun. skinny arms and sculpted muscles. strength in the making. and softness in the belly. belly breathing. time for bed. dreams.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
11 July 2010
15 May 2010
05 May 2010
what love looks like
playfully you hid from me.
all day i looked.
then i discovered i was you,
and the celebration of That began.
-- lalla
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
all day i looked.
then i discovered i was you,
and the celebration of That began.
-- lalla
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
04 May 2010
dream
arousing me to awaken from my sleep, yet I never woke up.
"balance + alignment" were the words that were whispered.
energetic shift
soulful release
a gift from the night
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
"balance + alignment" were the words that were whispered.
energetic shift
soulful release
a gift from the night
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
defining do's + don'ts
what we don't do is just as important, if not most, than what we chose to do.
ideas are abundant and inspiration is everywhere.
i can be like the greedy girl who wants it all.
the side effect of over indulgence is indigestion.
it often looks like overwhelm, indecisiveness and a plate too full to enjoy what is in front of me.
that's when it's time to stop.
do nothing.
incubate. contemplate. clear the slate.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
ideas are abundant and inspiration is everywhere.
i can be like the greedy girl who wants it all.
the side effect of over indulgence is indigestion.
it often looks like overwhelm, indecisiveness and a plate too full to enjoy what is in front of me.
that's when it's time to stop.
do nothing.
incubate. contemplate. clear the slate.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
03 May 2010
may day
a warning.
a wake-up call.
one is based in fear + panic.
the other is an opportunity to study. observe. practice.
there is no time when this moment is the reference point we live by.
right now, we have all the time in the world.
relax and enjoy this time. now.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
a wake-up call.
one is based in fear + panic.
the other is an opportunity to study. observe. practice.
there is no time when this moment is the reference point we live by.
right now, we have all the time in the world.
relax and enjoy this time. now.
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
rest in the breath
there is much to do.
there is so much to accomplish.
then, there is a stillness.
a place where everything that needs to happen unfolds as it should
a time when the empty space is where the gem reveals its self.
a space where doing nothing and just being is some of the best work we can do.
{sit down and be quiet.}
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
there is so much to accomplish.
then, there is a stillness.
a place where everything that needs to happen unfolds as it should
a time when the empty space is where the gem reveals its self.
a space where doing nothing and just being is some of the best work we can do.
{sit down and be quiet.}
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry
03 April 2010
in the stillness of the quiet morning
nothing quite yet awake
even the sun has not said hello to the day
the stillness can be eery
if you are uncomfortable
with its quiet
drink up the emptiness as if it has everything to offer
and let it all go in the very next breathe
non-attachment is the gift for the sage
not wanting
not grasping
not holding on
only sitting and seeing and breathing and feeling, for the moment
and the next
and the next
sounds surface
and the morning activity begins
emptiness is the only thing we never have to hold on to
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
even the sun has not said hello to the day
the stillness can be eery
if you are uncomfortable
with its quiet
drink up the emptiness as if it has everything to offer
and let it all go in the very next breathe
non-attachment is the gift for the sage
not wanting
not grasping
not holding on
only sitting and seeing and breathing and feeling, for the moment
and the next
and the next
sounds surface
and the morning activity begins
emptiness is the only thing we never have to hold on to
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
22 March 2010
who am i?
seems like i should know this by now, for god's sake.
is it a mid-life crisis or have i finally woken up to the fact that i know there is more possibility than i know. this is one of the rare times when doubt can actually be a surprising path of discovery.
curiosity and uncertainty. there is a certain freedom in all of that.
curiosity and uncertainty. there is a certain freedom in all of that.
Ask yourself - Who am I? Who am I with? What is my place?
It’s only when you can instinctively answer these three questions that you are moving on the soul plane. If you know who you are, you know what you need and how to be. If you know who you are with, you know what they need and how to give it to them. If you know your place, you know how to fit in and what you have to offer. Chances are at least one of these questions is driving you crazy. It is the source of your frustration and suffering, not to mention your loneliness, lack of direction, or lack of self-esteem.
My prescription for my own healing and the healing of others is to dance.
Dance alone to discover who you are. Dance with others to discover who you are with. Dance in a group to discover your place. Put your psyche in motion and it will heal itself.”
Gabrielle Roth “Connections”
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
the path of the sacred warrior
you are a warrior when you have the bravery to face who you are, without fear, embarrassment, or denial. this is the basis of the spiritual path.
-- Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
the premise of buddhism is that we all have basic goodness. when we stand in this space, we develop confidence and strength. not to be confused with power, strength is soft. it is gentle. it is compassionate. not to be confused with being nice. or being a jellyfish.
see things as they are, but without judgement or preconceptions.
do you trust what you see?
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
-- Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
the premise of buddhism is that we all have basic goodness. when we stand in this space, we develop confidence and strength. not to be confused with power, strength is soft. it is gentle. it is compassionate. not to be confused with being nice. or being a jellyfish.
see things as they are, but without judgement or preconceptions.
do you trust what you see?
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
the meaning of it all
sometimes, the questions mean more than the answer.
How can I find a meaning, purpose, vocation for my life?
What can I know?
What ought I to do?
For what may I hope?
Is there life beyond death?
Whom do I love? Who loves me?
What curtails my freedom?
How can I escape from the constricting social, political, sexual, and economic myths that were imposed on me by my family and culture?
To what cause, ideal, faith may I surrender without destroying the integrity of my self?
What does it mean to experience the sacred?
How can I live a spirited life in a world dominated by a secular-technological-economic vision of reality?
How can we create a more just and peaceful world?
What is my practice?
Who is part of my community?
What do I do to create community?
ask the questions. compliments of Sam Keen .
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
How can I find a meaning, purpose, vocation for my life?
What can I know?
What ought I to do?
For what may I hope?
Is there life beyond death?
Whom do I love? Who loves me?
What curtails my freedom?
How can I escape from the constricting social, political, sexual, and economic myths that were imposed on me by my family and culture?
To what cause, ideal, faith may I surrender without destroying the integrity of my self?
What does it mean to experience the sacred?
How can I live a spirited life in a world dominated by a secular-technological-economic vision of reality?
How can we create a more just and peaceful world?
What is my practice?
Who is part of my community?
What do I do to create community?
ask the questions. compliments of Sam Keen .
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
31 December 2009
love list 2010
e x p a n s i o n.
CREATivity
co+labor...ation.
fearlessness.
beauty.
here's my top 10 love list for the new year:
1. purge my closet {sell, donate, give away to friends } to make way for my lovely new feel-good collection of urban zen objects of desire. beautiful clothes for a good cause. dreaming of opening a store in my 'hood.
2. ENSO art with master kaz tanahashi i've signed up {and canceled} his classes for 3 years. this is THE year. book. installation. art.
3. grow the business by $1 Million in sales revenue at current rate of profitability {or more!}. karmic management: setting intentions and planting the seeds. for my business, for my life. sell, then sell.
4. everyday life as art. study, practice, create.
5. create a new job position for myself. from CEO to CWO: chief writing officer. out of the office and onto the page. from anywhere. as i am inspired. to inspire. i am going to outsource myself to my company.
CREATivity
co+labor...ation.
fearlessness.
beauty.
here's my top 10 love list for the new year:
1. purge my closet {sell, donate, give away to friends } to make way for my lovely new feel-good collection of urban zen objects of desire. beautiful clothes for a good cause. dreaming of opening a store in my 'hood.
2. ENSO art with master kaz tanahashi i've signed up {and canceled} his classes for 3 years. this is THE year. book. installation. art.
3. grow the business by $1 Million in sales revenue at current rate of profitability {or more!}. karmic management: setting intentions and planting the seeds. for my business, for my life. sell, then sell.
4. everyday life as art. study, practice, create.
5. create a new job position for myself. from CEO to CWO: chief writing officer. out of the office and onto the page. from anywhere. as i am inspired. to inspire. i am going to outsource myself to my company.
6. more movement.
mine is the art of inspiring people to turn themselves inside out, transform their suffering into art, their art into awareness, and their awareness into action. - gabrielle roth
7. create books and other works of art that inspire others with beauty + words. art books, food books, ebooks for entrepreneurs. jamming on cool projects with creative strategists, designers, artists, writers + illuminated minds.
8. yoga. happiness is only a breathe away.
9. expand my horizon. morocco, copenhagen, abiuqui, new york, charleston, an apartment in paris to write for a month, italy- just for the love of it.
10. time with family + friends. pureunconditionallove. leisurely love.
mine is the art of inspiring people to turn themselves inside out, transform their suffering into art, their art into awareness, and their awareness into action. - gabrielle roth
7. create books and other works of art that inspire others with beauty + words. art books, food books, ebooks for entrepreneurs. jamming on cool projects with creative strategists, designers, artists, writers + illuminated minds.
8. yoga. happiness is only a breathe away.
9. expand my horizon. morocco, copenhagen, abiuqui, new york, charleston, an apartment in paris to write for a month, italy- just for the love of it.
10. time with family + friends. pureunconditionallove. leisurely love.
30 December 2009
30/30
it's my birth day and it's time to birth a new being into a new year. same old, same old just doesn't cut it anymore.
i'm ready to risk being the fool, step out of my comfort zone, embrace more of the artist that often gets set aside for the pragmatic part of me. it's about letting go of being dutiful and allowing myself to slack off + show up in all the right ways. i'm creating my love list- what feels "good" vs. what feels like "should".
here we go......
i'm ready to risk being the fool, step out of my comfort zone, embrace more of the artist that often gets set aside for the pragmatic part of me. it's about letting go of being dutiful and allowing myself to slack off + show up in all the right ways. i'm creating my love list- what feels "good" vs. what feels like "should".
here we go......
23 December 2009
7/30
today's focus of celebration: celebration!
the season is coming to a close and the last employee gift {almost} was given.
a sense of relief, a feeling of relaxation.
it's time to break out the prosecco {done!} and
CELEBRATE!
every year it is a right of passage....
this year, it's not only about survival, but surpassing into a field of something greater.
think big and beyond, in the midst of constraints
mindset + declaration.
at the very least, taking action when the world seem stagnant with strife.
celebrate, I say.
when I am down to my last dime, i want to be drinking something bubbly and eating a bite, if only, something de-li-cious.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
the season is coming to a close and the last employee gift {almost} was given.
a sense of relief, a feeling of relaxation.
it's time to break out the prosecco {done!} and
CELEBRATE!
every year it is a right of passage....
this year, it's not only about survival, but surpassing into a field of something greater.
think big and beyond, in the midst of constraints
mindset + declaration.
at the very least, taking action when the world seem stagnant with strife.
celebrate, I say.
when I am down to my last dime, i want to be drinking something bubbly and eating a bite, if only, something de-li-cious.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
18 December 2009
11/30
I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion.
-- jack keroac
and there you have it. a year of writing practice coming to a close.
i've loved the journey ......
this next year is going to be great.
in all of its confusion, chaos and soul-searching goodness!
see you soon on the other side.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
-- jack keroac
and there you have it. a year of writing practice coming to a close.
i've loved the journey ......
this next year is going to be great.
in all of its confusion, chaos and soul-searching goodness!
see you soon on the other side.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
12/30
today's focus of celebration: live the life you love
where and when did we forget that we are the authority of our own lives?
we've settled in and settled for
hey, stop that!
this is your wake-up call!
it's not about cappuccino and the next new thing.
this. is. about. YOUR LIFE.
give yourself permission to do what you love.
you deserve to live the life you long for.
you have everything you already need to make that happen
you are surrounded by people that will cheer you on {and, if not, go find them!}
you ARE the authority of your own life. really. i promise.
how do I know?
because it has happened to me.
I gave in and almost gave up.
but i didn't
I started making small changes that nurtured my heart and honored my soul
it didn't make me selfish
in fact, it made me more generous for others to do the same for themselves.
once i got a taste of what it felt like to start seeing the world in all of its spaciousness + allowing,
i cracked open
i slowed down
i started doing more of what i love
i saw myself surrounded by beauty
i realized i wasn't in a race and there was enough to go around- for everyone
god didn't put us on this planet to compete for food or fight for love
he gave us a gift so we could offer up ourselves in our own uniquely beautiful way.
imagine if every single one of us realized our gift and offered it to others.
magic. and beauty. and love
we would all explode. our hearts, that is.
and, we would be doing what we love.
no better time to start.
get crackin'!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
where and when did we forget that we are the authority of our own lives?
we've settled in and settled for
hey, stop that!
this is your wake-up call!
it's not about cappuccino and the next new thing.
this. is. about. YOUR LIFE.
give yourself permission to do what you love.
you deserve to live the life you long for.
you have everything you already need to make that happen
you are surrounded by people that will cheer you on {and, if not, go find them!}
you ARE the authority of your own life. really. i promise.
how do I know?
because it has happened to me.
I gave in and almost gave up.
but i didn't
I started making small changes that nurtured my heart and honored my soul
it didn't make me selfish
in fact, it made me more generous for others to do the same for themselves.
once i got a taste of what it felt like to start seeing the world in all of its spaciousness + allowing,
i cracked open
i slowed down
i started doing more of what i love
i saw myself surrounded by beauty
i realized i wasn't in a race and there was enough to go around- for everyone
god didn't put us on this planet to compete for food or fight for love
he gave us a gift so we could offer up ourselves in our own uniquely beautiful way.
imagine if every single one of us realized our gift and offered it to others.
magic. and beauty. and love
we would all explode. our hearts, that is.
and, we would be doing what we love.
no better time to start.
get crackin'!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
17 December 2009
13/30
when that happens, this happens.
- buddha, 500 bc
today's focus of celebration: karma
cause and effect. seeds we've sown. this and that. such a very elementary and logical concept, and yet we all do things everyday that set in motion a set of circumstances. perhaps now, maybe later. but always. it's the law.
" it's the cause of causes", says geshe michael roach.
something below the surface, where the seeds are planted deep in the soil.
it begins with how we serve others, and how that serves our selves.
generosity. service. intention.
i can now more clearly see the same patterns that trip me
and, thankfully, the light emerging from the intentions i set on January 8, 2007.
step by step. either way. make it forward go.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
- buddha, 500 bc
today's focus of celebration: karma
cause and effect. seeds we've sown. this and that. such a very elementary and logical concept, and yet we all do things everyday that set in motion a set of circumstances. perhaps now, maybe later. but always. it's the law.
" it's the cause of causes", says geshe michael roach.
something below the surface, where the seeds are planted deep in the soil.
it begins with how we serve others, and how that serves our selves.
generosity. service. intention.
i can now more clearly see the same patterns that trip me
and, thankfully, the light emerging from the intentions i set on January 8, 2007.
step by step. either way. make it forward go.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
15 December 2009
17/30
i am just a reinvention of what has already come before me.
today's focus of celebration: authors and inspiration
i am perpetually and gratefully inspired by others.
i devour books like other devour food. Food for my soul.
sometimes, food for the spirit is more needed than for the body.
thanking those great masters of art + spirituality that have come before that continue to inspire me.
just a few to bow down in thanks.
rumi
anais nin
m.f.k. fisher
john o'donahue
david whyte
chogyum trungpa
goethe
carl jung
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
today's focus of celebration: authors and inspiration
i am perpetually and gratefully inspired by others.
i devour books like other devour food. Food for my soul.
sometimes, food for the spirit is more needed than for the body.
thanking those great masters of art + spirituality that have come before that continue to inspire me.
just a few to bow down in thanks.
rumi
anais nin
m.f.k. fisher
john o'donahue
david whyte
chogyum trungpa
goethe
carl jung
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
15/30
today's focus of celebration: breaking bread
food is the great equalizer.
if one is hungry, there is almost no where to go, be or do until that is satisfied
how lucky i am to have enough bread to break.
whether i'm cooking at home or hanging out with Jean Georges in New York City, food is never far from my mind --or mouth!
it's something we all do everyday, maybe several times a day.
and, how do we eat?
in a rush, on the go, in the car....
or at the table, over a glass of wine, sitting with our lover tucked away in a corner savoring every. luscious. bite.
it's easy to be in a rush
it's hard to be thoughtful, to take time, to slow down
for me, it's my best investment of the day.
i don't always slow down as much as I would like,
but it is a daily ritual that I do my best to keep sacred.
and, delicious.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
food is the great equalizer.
if one is hungry, there is almost no where to go, be or do until that is satisfied
how lucky i am to have enough bread to break.
whether i'm cooking at home or hanging out with Jean Georges in New York City, food is never far from my mind --or mouth!
it's something we all do everyday, maybe several times a day.
and, how do we eat?
in a rush, on the go, in the car....
or at the table, over a glass of wine, sitting with our lover tucked away in a corner savoring every. luscious. bite.
it's easy to be in a rush
it's hard to be thoughtful, to take time, to slow down
for me, it's my best investment of the day.
i don't always slow down as much as I would like,
but it is a daily ritual that I do my best to keep sacred.
and, delicious.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
18/30
today's focus of celebration: simplicity
sometimes it's the simple things that make life grand.
a cup of tea on a chilly winter morning
sunday breakfast made by the one I love, with love {with lots of applewood smoked bacon!}
sparkling water always at the ready
illumination of candles to light my day.
good pens and naked notebooks
manicured nails + toes
warm bathes with essential oil
hey, hot water for that matter!
watching my lovely jack asleep on the couch
early morning flames in the fire
just a few .....for this year.
and next year, i look to expand my world, but still keep it simple.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
sometimes it's the simple things that make life grand.
a cup of tea on a chilly winter morning
sunday breakfast made by the one I love, with love {with lots of applewood smoked bacon!}
sparkling water always at the ready
illumination of candles to light my day.
good pens and naked notebooks
manicured nails + toes
warm bathes with essential oil
hey, hot water for that matter!
watching my lovely jack asleep on the couch
early morning flames in the fire
just a few .....for this year.
and next year, i look to expand my world, but still keep it simple.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
12 December 2009
19/30
today's focus of celebration: radiance
i'm feeling kinda stuck today on what to write about so i went back to gwen bell for some prompting. one of the questions she asked was something like what word sums up 2009. well, i am sure i could write a book of words, but the word that just popped into my head was radiance. it' s about seeing light through the darkness.
holding the space open when claustrophobia is the only thing on your mind. it's about the great eastern sun- allowing the radiance of the world to shine even when the circumstances surrounding us seem otherwise.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
i'm feeling kinda stuck today on what to write about so i went back to gwen bell for some prompting. one of the questions she asked was something like what word sums up 2009. well, i am sure i could write a book of words, but the word that just popped into my head was radiance. it' s about seeing light through the darkness.
holding the space open when claustrophobia is the only thing on your mind. it's about the great eastern sun- allowing the radiance of the world to shine even when the circumstances surrounding us seem otherwise.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
11 December 2009
20/30
today's focus of celebration: friends
there's no greater gift than to give or get from your friends.
not gifs or stuff or money {tho' that sometimes can help!}
it's about simply showing up.
when they need you, when they want you- even if they don't know they need or want you.
it's about showing up for the daily menu of life as it is.
whatever it is.
with intention.
full attention.
there are so many things to keep us busy and forgetful of our friends.
i am always blessed back so much more than i can ever imagine when i give.
and, I get to laugh, cry, howl at the moon.....or just simply be me. and they them.
what greater gift is there than that?
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
there's no greater gift than to give or get from your friends.
not gifs or stuff or money {tho' that sometimes can help!}
it's about simply showing up.
when they need you, when they want you- even if they don't know they need or want you.
it's about showing up for the daily menu of life as it is.
whatever it is.
with intention.
full attention.
there are so many things to keep us busy and forgetful of our friends.
i am always blessed back so much more than i can ever imagine when i give.
and, I get to laugh, cry, howl at the moon.....or just simply be me. and they them.
what greater gift is there than that?
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
21/30
today's focus of celebration: gratitude for solitude
i'm naturally wired to work behind the scenes, quietly crafting on my own.
and, i have discovered, there is one area of my life where even i am in need of others, I must do the work on my own.
it's in my daily meditation practice.
i've always sat on the cushion-on and off, here and there, now and again.
but i've never sat as i do now; with the understanding and effort that is essential for what it takes to settle in deeply and feel change profoundly. or feel, for that matter. down to the bones, hard in the gut.
in the past, it was always the next this workshop, or that book, or the next class.
sure, i got a moment of peace or bliss or motivation or quiet.
and then, it was back to my regular routine.
and, it wasn't pretty.
although no one can get me on the cushion besides myself, I couldn't do it the way i now do without the blessing of others who have walked this road before me. who are now walking the walk with me. who are there when i need them, and they now when i need to travel on my own.
so, even though i am sitting in solitude and silence, i hear the echo of others offering their service.
even if it is just holding the space.
and, I am grateful.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
i'm naturally wired to work behind the scenes, quietly crafting on my own.
and, i have discovered, there is one area of my life where even i am in need of others, I must do the work on my own.
it's in my daily meditation practice.
i've always sat on the cushion-on and off, here and there, now and again.
but i've never sat as i do now; with the understanding and effort that is essential for what it takes to settle in deeply and feel change profoundly. or feel, for that matter. down to the bones, hard in the gut.
in the past, it was always the next this workshop, or that book, or the next class.
sure, i got a moment of peace or bliss or motivation or quiet.
and then, it was back to my regular routine.
and, it wasn't pretty.
although no one can get me on the cushion besides myself, I couldn't do it the way i now do without the blessing of others who have walked this road before me. who are now walking the walk with me. who are there when i need them, and they now when i need to travel on my own.
so, even though i am sitting in solitude and silence, i hear the echo of others offering their service.
even if it is just holding the space.
and, I am grateful.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
10 December 2009
22/30
today's focus of celebration: letting go and shedding some skin
it's time to bolt.
i'm not talking about what I used to do best- run!
i'm on a new path and it's time to start shedding.
out with the old, in with the center.
peeling back away the layers of decay, down to what really matters.
it's time to toss those things that no longer serve me well.
i'm clearing out the clutter.
i'm planning my purge.
i'm letting go................
emptiness feels good.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
it's time to bolt.
i'm not talking about what I used to do best- run!
i'm on a new path and it's time to start shedding.
out with the old, in with the center.
peeling back away the layers of decay, down to what really matters.
it's time to toss those things that no longer serve me well.
i'm clearing out the clutter.
i'm planning my purge.
i'm letting go................
emptiness feels good.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
08 December 2009
23/30
today's focus of celebration: open to the unfolding
pushing, pulling, trying to make some sh+t happen.
and then there is allowing.
imagine: loosening your grip {and your jaw for that matter}.
it's a kind of allowing that isn't about giving in, but rather about showing up.
in the moment.
liberation! finally.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
pushing, pulling, trying to make some sh+t happen.
and then there is allowing.
imagine: loosening your grip {and your jaw for that matter}.
it's a kind of allowing that isn't about giving in, but rather about showing up.
in the moment.
liberation! finally.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
07 December 2009
24/30
life is a series of experiences and circumstances.
we can get caught in the net, or we can swim off gracefully out into the deep blue sea
Today's focus of celebration: overcome hope and fear
my favorite book this year has been The Sacred Path of the Warrior. it has been both my bible and my best friend.
i remember the first time I read it- a flood of tearful recognition. it was awe-inspiring to recognize myself on the page, in all my habitual glory and goriness. that is where the path begins. being completely naked and honest about one's self.
and, not getting caught up in it. training the mind through meditation so that our everyday is not just a serious of ups and downs, excitement and disappointments. it is, as Chogyum Trunpa puts it, overcoming hope and fear.
it is equanimity.
it is enlightenment.
not there yet, but definitely on the path.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
we can get caught in the net, or we can swim off gracefully out into the deep blue sea
Today's focus of celebration: overcome hope and fear
my favorite book this year has been The Sacred Path of the Warrior. it has been both my bible and my best friend.
i remember the first time I read it- a flood of tearful recognition. it was awe-inspiring to recognize myself on the page, in all my habitual glory and goriness. that is where the path begins. being completely naked and honest about one's self.
and, not getting caught up in it. training the mind through meditation so that our everyday is not just a serious of ups and downs, excitement and disappointments. it is, as Chogyum Trunpa puts it, overcoming hope and fear.
it is equanimity.
it is enlightenment.
not there yet, but definitely on the path.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
06 December 2009
25/30
this has been an amazing year in so many ways.
ironically, it's been a very difficult year. for me. for many.
and yet, i have received so many gifts i could have never imagined.
there is no doubt i am a better person.
alchemy works its magic in many strange ways.
and, in spite of all and because of it all, I feel blessed.
focus of today's celebration: taking time for reflection
There have been both heartaches and heart-filled moments.
I've had ah-ha moments of clarity, and lingering days of chaos and confusion.
So many lessons I have learned.
I've traveled less, and discovered more.
I've surrendered gracefully and fought with fierce grace.
I've learned that perseverance does pay off.
I've been inspired by the beauty, brilliance and generosity of others.
It has left me speechless in awe and appreciation.
I've learned that self-sufficiency is not sufficient.
I've learned adversity is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
It's about living with a spirit of adventure and knowing that our circumstances do not define who we are.
I've been broken open with no where to hide.
I've learned how to stay with the discomfort during trying times.
I am learning to tell the truth- with compassion, kindness and confidence.
I've remembered how much I love to move.
It's a language that speaks my truth more than words I could ever say.
I am grateful for the music that echos through the house.
It's my medicine and my muse.
I've learned that sitting and doing nothing is some of my time best spent.
I am thankful to have a teacher to guide me on the path.
I've been surrounded by art and artists who create a bewilderment of beauty.
It's been hard to hear conversations about the survival of that beauty.
And yet, the spirit prevails.
There's been reorganizing and reigniting.
I've seen people leave and lose jobs, and then unexpectedly find their soul.
It's been about knowing that finding our calling trumps keeping a career.
I've had amazing meals shared with others around the table.
I've connected with so many people i didn't know before who share my passion.
I know I am blessed to be able to afford an abundance of good food.
I love my family.
unconditionallove.
grateful. gratitude. grace.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
ironically, it's been a very difficult year. for me. for many.
and yet, i have received so many gifts i could have never imagined.
there is no doubt i am a better person.
alchemy works its magic in many strange ways.
and, in spite of all and because of it all, I feel blessed.
focus of today's celebration: taking time for reflection
There have been both heartaches and heart-filled moments.
I've had ah-ha moments of clarity, and lingering days of chaos and confusion.
So many lessons I have learned.
I've traveled less, and discovered more.
I've surrendered gracefully and fought with fierce grace.
I've learned that perseverance does pay off.
I've been inspired by the beauty, brilliance and generosity of others.
It has left me speechless in awe and appreciation.
I've learned that self-sufficiency is not sufficient.
I've learned adversity is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
It's about living with a spirit of adventure and knowing that our circumstances do not define who we are.
I've been broken open with no where to hide.
I've learned how to stay with the discomfort during trying times.
I am learning to tell the truth- with compassion, kindness and confidence.
I've remembered how much I love to move.
It's a language that speaks my truth more than words I could ever say.
I am grateful for the music that echos through the house.
It's my medicine and my muse.
I've learned that sitting and doing nothing is some of my time best spent.
I am thankful to have a teacher to guide me on the path.
I've been surrounded by art and artists who create a bewilderment of beauty.
It's been hard to hear conversations about the survival of that beauty.
And yet, the spirit prevails.
There's been reorganizing and reigniting.
I've seen people leave and lose jobs, and then unexpectedly find their soul.
It's been about knowing that finding our calling trumps keeping a career.
I've had amazing meals shared with others around the table.
I've connected with so many people i didn't know before who share my passion.
I know I am blessed to be able to afford an abundance of good food.
I love my family.
unconditionallove.
grateful. gratitude. grace.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
04 December 2009
diva, indeed
The Empress card affirms what my subconscious heart already claims for her kingdom : Domestic Diva. One whose superpower is to conceive, nurture or create potential by labors of love.
I'm mother to natural conditions, ideals or invention and when I hold court, I please or preserve by need or design, depending on my mood or hunger. I liberate dramatic results to inspire devotion, or make them over according to my own story. Today then, I shall indulge the pleasure and luxurious comfort of some romantic repose or pamper a delicious obsession with room to enhance my standard or vision of beauty.
I set aside trends or time to exhibit style and charm assigned by heartfelt passion or wild fantasy, but in true multi-task fashion, I also support the progress of other fertile interests now poised for payoff beyond reproach, so don't cross me in my enchanted garden or I'll let you have it -- that's a promise.
* this tarot card dropped into my email box. first time, not sure how it got there.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
I'm mother to natural conditions, ideals or invention and when I hold court, I please or preserve by need or design, depending on my mood or hunger. I liberate dramatic results to inspire devotion, or make them over according to my own story. Today then, I shall indulge the pleasure and luxurious comfort of some romantic repose or pamper a delicious obsession with room to enhance my standard or vision of beauty.
I set aside trends or time to exhibit style and charm assigned by heartfelt passion or wild fantasy, but in true multi-task fashion, I also support the progress of other fertile interests now poised for payoff beyond reproach, so don't cross me in my enchanted garden or I'll let you have it -- that's a promise.
* this tarot card dropped into my email box. first time, not sure how it got there.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
03 December 2009
28/30
Today's focus of celebration : creative collaboration
i got used to doing things on my own. as one of seven kids, there was no room for neediness or asking for help. self-sufficiency was the name of the game. as much as i still like my solitude, i am always learning , longing and loving how to work well with others. the ones who show up in the game, whatever it takes. ten yards or ten miles, they are in till the end. practice, performance, perfection. not perfect, but just right. it may take many detours to get there, but being here along the way is what it takes. perseverance is the mantra. 'cause, it's gonna get tough. pushing the envelope. pulling out all the stops. stopping to regroup and regress back to square one. again. deep breathe. deep breathe.
and, then, the magic happens.
it always does.
it may not be as you had originally envisioned, and hopefully it ends up better than you could have ever imagined.
i am in awe of all of the talent in the world. it humbles me. inspires. makes me bewildered.
i want to be a part of the conversation.
the part where we stop and stare at each other in an awe of exhaustion. we laugh, and cry at the beauty that has been born.
crossing my fingers and my heart that this one will be more of the same. eventually. finally. finale.
and, there is still a road to go.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
i got used to doing things on my own. as one of seven kids, there was no room for neediness or asking for help. self-sufficiency was the name of the game. as much as i still like my solitude, i am always learning , longing and loving how to work well with others. the ones who show up in the game, whatever it takes. ten yards or ten miles, they are in till the end. practice, performance, perfection. not perfect, but just right. it may take many detours to get there, but being here along the way is what it takes. perseverance is the mantra. 'cause, it's gonna get tough. pushing the envelope. pulling out all the stops. stopping to regroup and regress back to square one. again. deep breathe. deep breathe.
and, then, the magic happens.
it always does.
it may not be as you had originally envisioned, and hopefully it ends up better than you could have ever imagined.
i am in awe of all of the talent in the world. it humbles me. inspires. makes me bewildered.
i want to be a part of the conversation.
the part where we stop and stare at each other in an awe of exhaustion. we laugh, and cry at the beauty that has been born.
crossing my fingers and my heart that this one will be more of the same. eventually. finally. finale.
and, there is still a road to go.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
02 December 2009
29/30
count down begins.
today's focus of celebration: healing and learning
this year has been a continued journey of healing and learning. healing habitual demons and learning life's lessons. a new perspective. softening up the "i'm right" attitude in exchange for creative collaboration and conversation. it's been tough and many times i've slipped back and fallen off. and, i know i am making progress. i stumble less and bruise even less and heal faster. fall down seven times, get up eight. this time, i'm not standing up with tightened fists and a grimaced growl, but softening my gaze and opening up my palms. there is a knowing that whatever is here if for healing and learning. and, i have a feeling that finally, if even only faintly, i am hearing the message and heeding it's lesson. staying with it all.
now, that's something to celebrate.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
today's focus of celebration: healing and learning
this year has been a continued journey of healing and learning. healing habitual demons and learning life's lessons. a new perspective. softening up the "i'm right" attitude in exchange for creative collaboration and conversation. it's been tough and many times i've slipped back and fallen off. and, i know i am making progress. i stumble less and bruise even less and heal faster. fall down seven times, get up eight. this time, i'm not standing up with tightened fists and a grimaced growl, but softening my gaze and opening up my palms. there is a knowing that whatever is here if for healing and learning. and, i have a feeling that finally, if even only faintly, i am hearing the message and heeding it's lesson. staying with it all.
now, that's something to celebrate.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
01 December 2009
30/30
december 30 is my birthday.
i am not one to make a big fuss of it. most of my life, i have seen the sacred date slip right by without much notice or fanfare.
it's an auspicious day. time to look back before the year is over, time to look ahead before a new year begins.
i am doing something new this year for the next 30 days until my birth day. Inspired by gwen bell, petite but powerful yogi master and unexpected techi titan. i am setting aside time each day to contemplate upon my life. a daily ritual to reflect upon what has been, and reimagine what may be. that is what this whole blog experiment was for me to begin with, so it is fitting as the year comes to a close, i create a ceremony of celebration. in community, in solitude. in love.
today's celebration: my sacred circle of women
full moon rising.
feminine spirt. a sacred circle of women warriors.
melissa and caryl and flo and merrilee and jenny and mimi and mati and andrea.
trusted tribe.
letting down the defenses, basking in the beauty, devouring the love.
a warm dose of gratitude for these amazing warrior women.
just like you. and me.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
i am not one to make a big fuss of it. most of my life, i have seen the sacred date slip right by without much notice or fanfare.
it's an auspicious day. time to look back before the year is over, time to look ahead before a new year begins.
i am doing something new this year for the next 30 days until my birth day. Inspired by gwen bell, petite but powerful yogi master and unexpected techi titan. i am setting aside time each day to contemplate upon my life. a daily ritual to reflect upon what has been, and reimagine what may be. that is what this whole blog experiment was for me to begin with, so it is fitting as the year comes to a close, i create a ceremony of celebration. in community, in solitude. in love.
today's celebration: my sacred circle of women
full moon rising.
feminine spirt. a sacred circle of women warriors.
melissa and caryl and flo and merrilee and jenny and mimi and mati and andrea.
trusted tribe.
letting down the defenses, basking in the beauty, devouring the love.
a warm dose of gratitude for these amazing warrior women.
just like you. and me.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
30 November 2009
29 November 2009
the three marriages
to see something other than yourself that reveals yourself.
unraveling- our creative undoing
spaciousness- where the old has left and the new has not yet filled the space.
our relationship to vulnerability.
courageous conversations
fierce attentive non-doing
helping hands
sacred/sacrifice
everything is waiting for you
beautiful words of wisdom from the master poet of life, David Whyte.
to hear David Whyte's poetry + prose, click HERE.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
unraveling- our creative undoing
spaciousness- where the old has left and the new has not yet filled the space.
our relationship to vulnerability.
courageous conversations
fierce attentive non-doing
helping hands
sacred/sacrifice
everything is waiting for you
beautiful words of wisdom from the master poet of life, David Whyte.
to hear David Whyte's poetry + prose, click HERE.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
full moon -musing
there is some kiss we want
with our whole lives,
the touch of spirit on the body.
seawater begs the pearl
to break its shell.
and the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild darling!
at night, i open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face into mine.
breathe into me.
close the language-door,
and open the love-window.
the moon won't use the door,
only the window.
- rumi
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
with our whole lives,
the touch of spirit on the body.
seawater begs the pearl
to break its shell.
and the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild darling!
at night, i open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face into mine.
breathe into me.
close the language-door,
and open the love-window.
the moon won't use the door,
only the window.
- rumi
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
foi
as soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. - Goethe
my biggest obstacle is trusting myself.
I am a dynamo in business, but in my personal life, I sometimes lack the kind of confidence that I can only admire in others.
and, we are all a figment of our own perceptions. how we see ourselves is not necessarily how others see us. that rarely seems to soothe the wound.
and yet, it does.
as my dharma teacher, john, said to me today, as his dharma teacher, Chogyam Trunpa said to him, "it's like wearing out the soles of a pair of shoes.".
transformation, much less change, is rarely and overnight success story. step by step is how it usually goes.
sometimes steady, sometimes not so much. but, always on the path. stay on the path.
i am so blessed to have such an amazing teacher to guide me along the way.
blessings abound, everyday.
i bow in gratitude and thanks.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
my biggest obstacle is trusting myself.
I am a dynamo in business, but in my personal life, I sometimes lack the kind of confidence that I can only admire in others.
and, we are all a figment of our own perceptions. how we see ourselves is not necessarily how others see us. that rarely seems to soothe the wound.
and yet, it does.
as my dharma teacher, john, said to me today, as his dharma teacher, Chogyam Trunpa said to him, "it's like wearing out the soles of a pair of shoes.".
transformation, much less change, is rarely and overnight success story. step by step is how it usually goes.
sometimes steady, sometimes not so much. but, always on the path. stay on the path.
i am so blessed to have such an amazing teacher to guide me along the way.
blessings abound, everyday.
i bow in gratitude and thanks.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
23 November 2009
let life happen
what would happen if we stopped making decisions and let life unfold?
mystery, magic, moving mountains.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
mystery, magic, moving mountains.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
22 November 2009
the cost of compassion
we have to give up being right
we have to allow ourselves to be gentle {*this does not mean weak}
we have to let things fall away
we have to leave things as they are {not as we wish them to be}
we have trade in our instinct to fight in exchange for the ability to be at peace.
compassion is costly, but not nearly as much as the alternative.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
we have to allow ourselves to be gentle {*this does not mean weak}
we have to let things fall away
we have to leave things as they are {not as we wish them to be}
we have trade in our instinct to fight in exchange for the ability to be at peace.
compassion is costly, but not nearly as much as the alternative.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
21 November 2009
possibility + probability
the odds of success in all things are 100%.
-- 6th century buddhist sage Chandra Kirti
imagine if everything we set out to accomplish started with the premise that we could succeed. failure is not in the equation. pretty amazing odds, for sure. whether it's a seed of a simple dream or a mission impossible, the probability of the possibility is real. how can we bank on that kind of certainty? because we are the creators of our success. from the inside out.
it's not the circumstances around us, and surely you know by now that you cannot determine the outcome or actions of others {I try my best, but get proven wrong over and over and over......}. that's called control. a sorry illusion, at best.
the way of the warrior understands that karma is the key.
no dividing line of distinction.
you, me, all of thee.
without those seeds, there is no success.
so, this is where we begin.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
-- 6th century buddhist sage Chandra Kirti
imagine if everything we set out to accomplish started with the premise that we could succeed. failure is not in the equation. pretty amazing odds, for sure. whether it's a seed of a simple dream or a mission impossible, the probability of the possibility is real. how can we bank on that kind of certainty? because we are the creators of our success. from the inside out.
it's not the circumstances around us, and surely you know by now that you cannot determine the outcome or actions of others {I try my best, but get proven wrong over and over and over......}. that's called control. a sorry illusion, at best.
the way of the warrior understands that karma is the key.
no dividing line of distinction.
you, me, all of thee.
without those seeds, there is no success.
so, this is where we begin.
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
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