The Shift

The past several weeks have been a whirlwind of growth and intensity as 6 months of training towards my 200 hour yoga teacher certification culminated in an amazing and beautiful graduation ceremony for my classmates and me and our receiving our Certification Diplomas. After another 23 hours of intense physical and mental work on and off the mat this past weekend, including athletic yoga asanas, vigorous sun salutations, and each student's practice teaching for a facilitator, we enjoyed a lovely reception and delicious food. My mother, one of my best friends, Walter, and the owner of the yoga studio where I've been teaching, Decatur Yoga and Pilates, who is greatly responsible for sparking my yoga journey all came to share the evening with us all. I even received lovely fresh flower bouquets!

Several of us, including myself, not wanting to end the celebration after the friends, family, and food was gone, went to see a sold out show at the Variety Playhouse of Michael Franti and Spearhead. Franti is an activist, a musician, a filmmaker, and a yogi...not necessarily in that order. He writes about love and peace, accountability, empowerment, and speaking up for what is right and against what is wrong. I'm in love with this man.

Here's my little amateur video of a minute or so of the show.



Well, those who know me know that I rarely go out at night, often choosing to be in bed by 8 or 9pm..so this was an exception for me. I figured I'd go to the concert, stay for a few songs, then leave so I could be in bed before 9 or 10 that night. It didn't happen. I found a seat early on, and once the music began, I hopped up and danced for the next 2 1/2 hrs. The positive energy was overwhelming, and I got caught up in it. I simply couldn't stop! And this is from someone who has proclaimed to not care for live music...afterall, I went to concerts all the time in the late 70s through the late 80s...I was done. But this concert was different...it rocked, yes, but it was about being active and positive and having the power to change not just yourself, but the world. Idealistic perhaps, but why not? Can't hurt.

This week has been anything but anticlimactic. Perhaps I am still on a pink cloud. Perhaps my dedication to abstaining from sugar and caffeine for a solid period of time has given me physical strength and mental clarity and focus...whatever. I see and feel the possibilities so much clearer now. I see that the end of this training is only the beginning of more growth. I see that while the intense work has subsided in this area of my life, yet more intense work and growth is needed in other areas. I also see that my greatest actions are those that give service and compassion to others. Staying present and calm and still are such gifts. I'm still human. I still forget all these things at times. But the training has caused a shift. I have taught several classes this week...more than usual...stepping up to substitute teach when I've been asked, even at last minute, and I see the yoga room and the students differently. I know now that I have my own special contribution to offer and it is enough. I know also that each student is a gift and that I am still and always will be a student as well.

Shifting...churning...growing.

It's all good.

Endings are only New Beginnings

In the summer of '93, a couple of months before my son turned 4 (and I was to be 28), I bought my current home in downtown Decatur. It was a dream to be in a neighborhood that was not only safe but also a real community with friendly neighbors and a great shops and restaurants within walking distance. ...much different than the inner city war zone I had lived in for 7 years prior. I figured that within a few months, 6 tops, I'd have the house organized and fixed up just like I wanted it.

It's early 2009. My son is in his 2nd semester as a freshman at UGA and will be 20 in September. My home is nearly "there". I'll be 44 in September. This summer marks 16 years since I moved into my 1954 brick ranch. Lots of changes have taken place from renovations, additions, and decor, to my own personal changes with boyfriends, housemates, careers, and inner growth.

As I work towards putting the finishing touches on my own personal home yoga studio, 800 square feet of clean, fresh, open space, I can't help but be on the verge of tears (of joy) everytime I walk downstairs and see the evolution which has taken place. After nearly 6 years of my basement being an extra-large doghouse, filled with all the lovely (and yes, I am being sarcastic) aromas of big hairy mutts, what began as a "easy" job of removing some carpet and painting the floor turned into a huge project. Two layers of ooky, stained, yucky carpet, a layer of deteriorated padding and the surprise layer of old asbestos tile attached with thick black mastic glue later, and now I have an ecologically sound acid stained marble-like floor. Some small area rugs, artwork on the walls, a small library of yoga and health books, yoga props and mats, and a sound system, and I have my own little nirvana.

While decorating, I came across a dream board I had put together several years ago, and I decided to display it. I think it was about 3, maybe 4 years ago when I sat around with friends, magazines, glue and scissors, and made my collage. I got so into it, that I did both sides of the poster and then began some smaller ones. A common them was yoga, health, and nutrition, along with positive affirmations as to my own personal strength and abilities.

And here I am..mid February 2009. Things seem to always take longer than I had envisioned, but the visions are coming through. I've been teaching yoga now for over 3 years and this Sunday I will be graduating from my yoga teacher training with a 200 hour certification. I am about 2/3rds of the way through my holistic nutritional consultant program and should be finished within about a year. I am healthy and strong. And I'm even somewhat sane.

Oh yeah...I'm humble too. While the basement is finished, my yoga training is nearly over, and I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding my nutrition studies, I realize that all these endings just make way for the beginnings that are yet to come. Once I achieve my 200 hour certification, I will more than likely begin taking workshops in pursuance of my 500 hour yoga training. And once I finish school, I'll have to focus on my direction as a health counselor and direct my energy in a way that can best serve my clients. And of course, once the basement appears "finished", I'm sure some other changes will be in store as I begin to use the space in a productive way for the first time in many years.

Before I know it, Alex will finish college, marking the beginning of a new world for him...work, career, graduate school...who knows. And I may end up selling my home afterall, though with my basement finished and all the new beginnings ahead who knows.

My mantra for today:
Inhale possibilities; exhale fear.

Life is good.

The Cash for Gold Scams

You've probably seen them.the commercials with famous dudes, like Ed McMahon telling you how much dough you can make by cashing in your old gold.

Well, in case that little voice popped up in your head and said, "RIP OFF!!!"...

LISTEN TO IT!

I knew it.

Read THIS:
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/02/blogger-cash4go.html#posts

If you have old gold, like broken chains, old ring settings that have no real antique value or attractiveness, please, find a reputable dealer who will give you a fair price.

First, go online to see what actual gold value is on the open market. There are many sites that list the current fair market value. Many of these sites also offer online calculators to determine the value of the gold based on the carat content. 18K gold is 75% pure gold, 14K is 58.5%, 10K is 38.5%, 9K is 33.3% and so on.

Second, make some calls to some local pawn shops and ask them what they are paying per gram weight for whatever carat you have. 10K and 14K are generally most popular.

Third, stay away from the phone book ads or TV ads. Instead, call a reputable jeweler and ask him or her if they are buying gold and what they pay. Often they will pay much more than a pawn shop.

Fourth...finally, unless you are desperate, shop it around until you find someone willing to pay you at least 90% of the current fair market value. A simple google search found this:

http://www.midstatesrecycling.com/karat.php (I am not suggesting using them, only their online caculator...and note, they charge a $100 processing fee on any request, as do many and most places. The more you have the better as far as minimizing these "smelting" or processing fees)

Be aware, though, that in desperation, the bottom feeders are likely to come out and that you will most likely get a small fraction of what your gold is actually worth. As of this morning, gold is about $913 an ounce...there are about 28 grams or 20 dram weights per ounce.

One final suggestion. If you have gold in the form of a Victorian brooch, an old watch chain, an art deco filigree ring, or any other piece of vintage or antique jewelry and it is NOT damaged and IS still wearable, do NOT scrap it..its antique and collectible value is generally MUCH higher than what even the best paying scrap dealer will ever pay. If that is your situation, and you want to sell or consign a piece of fine jewelry or estate stuff, just give ME a call and I promise you an honest and fair assessment!

A Tale of the Bracelet

I just wrote about my feather "lure" from the 1980s, and thinking about jewelry I've had over the years sparked my memories of the early years of being a collector and jewelry dealer.

Back in the day, I was always on the hunt for great jewels...no early morning yoga or long runs before the sun came up. Nope...if I was up before dawn, it was for a flea market, antique show, or to check out the estate and yard sales. It was the late 1980s, and it seems that barely a week went by back then that I didn't find at least one or two fabulous finds. Treasures such as Roseville vases, antique wide brimmed hats, and even a Steiff stuffed giraffe (which I still have) for a $1.

One day, I was driving to open my shop from my first home, a Sears Craftsman's bungalo in southeast Atlanta's historic Grant Park. This required me to drive through a pretty sketchy section of town, which was filled with old pawn shops, abandoned strip malls, and junk stores. Most of these junk stores were truly just junk...not the "junque" that I was looking for, so I rarely stopped. This particular day, however, I felt compelled to go into a store I was passing. I'm not sure why...all that was outside were old broken lamps and repaired vacuum cleaners. But I stopped anyway.

So I walked inside to find a cramped dusty shop filled with typical junk store stuff....appliances, FTD milk glass vases, bad 70s art, chrome and glass furniture that hadn't yet had its resurgence. The shop had a big spaceheater that was cranked up to about a bazillion degrees, and an elderly black couple were watching The Jeffersons on an old console TV. It was so hot and loud that I was ready to just turn around and leave, but then I saw It..the Glass Jewelry Showcase. I walked over to the showcase. I began peering inside...past the strands of broken faux pearls, past the goldtone contemporary earrings, past the costume rings. I had very little hope..though I DID have some hope...until the elderly lady said, "Oh, an antique dealer just came in yesterday and bought all our good jewelry." Bubble bursted, I prepared to say thanks and walk out...then I saw it.

The bracelet.

Among the dusty junk jewelry was a bangle bracelet. It was tarnished with little diamond shaped purple stones and little clear stones. It was missing a purple stone. Somehow, though, it caught my eye and prompted me to ask how much. "Three dollars," the woman replied. I thought for a moment...."hmmm, it's missing a stone, I'll offer $2." So I made my offer, which was promptly denied. Again, on the verge of walking out, I studied the bracelet for another moment...it was hinged, and it seem well made for an old brass and glass bracelet. Then the true test of value hit me...at $3, it was still cheaper than a Wendy's sandwich (I ate those back then!). So, I figured, what the heck...I coughed up the 3 bucks and left. The bracelet got thrown into a "fixer-upper" project box and somewhat forgotten.

A few weeks, maybe months later, while playing "show and tell" with a friend, looking at jewelry that I'd bought fairly recently, I came across the bracelet. For the first time, I actually really looked at it...the open backs behind each stone, the high quality of the setting, the nice construction...and then I opened it, also for the first time. Instantly, my friend asked, "what does "14" mean?" WHAT?? FOURTEEN? Uhh...well, here I was, jewelry dealer/buyer/collector extroidanaire and I had failed to even look for a mark. I had assumed that gold didn't tarnish and hadn't even bothered to check.

My bracelet turned out to be an authentic art deco period piece, circa 1920s-30s, 14K, diamonds and amethysts. My first real find! I kept it for a while and eventually found a jeweler to cut an amethyst to replace the missing one....for $50...due to the diamond shape and custom cutting, it was a bit pricey, but well worth it. I "test drove" that bracelet several times over the next year, enjoying it immensely. Eventually though, I decided to "recycle it on...and I offered it for sale in my shop. A dealer soon came in and bought it...for $900!

Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of the bracelet, but I will always remember the thrill of the hunt and of finding great treasures like this bracelet. It's been over 20 years since that fateful day, and while every so often, something wonderful comes my way, I doubt I'll ever find another art deco bracelet even close to that one again.

Now, I can only hope I can disprove that last statement!

The Lures

When I was 15, it was 1980...in Atlanta, the night scene was hopping with all night gay bars, intimate concert venues like the Agora Ballroom, and we even had the Limelight Disco...commonly referred to as The Slimelight (located next door to "Disco Kroger", I might add, first grocery store to have a sushi bar, at least in the south). Like many of my friends, I had a fake ID, and we all frequented these places as much as we could. Drinking age was 18, so from the time most of us were 15, give or take a couple of years, it was fairly easy to get into any club we wanted.

I don't remember where I got them , but my favorite, and possibly only piece of jewelry from the time I was in my early to mid teens, was a pair of long brown feather earrings that tickled the tops of my shoulders. I had a big brown over sized knitted sweater with a big tiger on the front, which I would wear with my feather earrings and jeans. While that was my favorite outfit, I actually probably wore those earrings nearly every day, regardless of what else I was wearing. By early 1981, I was at a high school called Open Campus West, which was filled with hippies (well, wannabes, but no one told us we were actually born too late to be REAL hippies), rebels, and single teen moms. I was a combo of the first two. My feather earrings fit in quite nicely, and I felt too cool with my tall suede moccasin boots with the fringe around the top, my too-tight jeans, and my tiger sweater, smoking cigarettes in the parking lot and skipping class to eat the $1.99 breakfast special at Cocos.

By summer of 81, a few months before I was to turn 16, my friends and I had found a little dive called Hedgens. They were known for having great live music ever night, so a new haunt was found for my feather earrings and me. The first night I went their, I saw a band called The Numbers, and I was enamored with them. My group quickly befriended the guys and began going to their gigs around town. I had a special interest in Hays, the drummer. He was in his early 20s...yes, too old for an almost 16 year old...but that's another story! I remember the first night we ever spent alone with one another, we stayed up all night just talking until the sun came up...and it was actually fairly innocent...I was fully dressed...and in case you are wondering, yes, I was wearing my long feather earrings.

Hays and I fell quickly and madly in love. I graduated school soon after at age 16, got a full time job and an academic college scholarship, and about a year after meeting we got an an apartment together. We stayed together for about 4 and a half years, til I was 20, but Hays always told me that while he was always attracted to me for many reasons, it was my feather "lures" that sealed the deal. I'm 43 now and Hays is almost 52...it's been about 23 years since we split, though we have remained friends all these years. I am actually invited to his wedding this summer, and he lives only about 2 or 3 miles away. And yes, he still wants to be a rock star. And yes, I still have my earrings, though they have lost a little bit of their fluff over the years. I really should start wearing these again! Who knows, maybe the next catch will be a keeper.

CH CH CH CHANGES

Before I begin my topic for today, I just want to identify this photo. I took this picture in Greece this past summer at a museum in Athens. It is of an ancient strand of amber beads...natural and original of course! As a collector and lover of amber for the past 20+ years, seeing these ancient strands moved me...unfortunately none were for sale! (since this is a jewelry blog, kinda, sorta, I wanted to include at least a little blurb that made this jewelry related!)

So, today is a big day. (and yes, my blog title is ripping off David Bowie's song: Changes) Despite your personal political opinions or where you live on the globe, chances are, you have some sort of feeling about the fact that at noon today, (eastern time), Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.

While our country gets a new president, my basement is being changed from a doggie-house to a yoga studio and office. It's a small change in the scope of the world, though for me, it is huge...and something I have dreading due to the work and money involved.

From various conversations I've had with people from all parts of the political spectrum, nearly all have expressed in agreement that change is certainly needed regarding the direction of our country. Of course the "what" and "how" part of that equation differs greatly, though that is not the purpose of my post today. Fact is, "change" has been a common mantra from many..most, I believe...and it makes me think of a quote I have heard...something that is often my own internal mantra:

"If nothing changes, nothing changes."

I am not sure of the original source of this quote...I probably heard it in a support group or read it on a bathroom wall somewhere. (If you know the source, please let me know!) The first time I heard it, I did a big "DUH"...it seemed so simplistic and almost silly. Then it set in for me more and more as I realized that besides the big picture, I often kept expecting change in my life, yet resisted actually doing anything different. That of course brings to mind this quote, which I believe was Albert Einstein:

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I know for me, I am SOOO guilty of being insane according to dear old Al's definition. I basically want it NOW. Whatever "it" may be. And while my friends and family and acquaintances may view me as a go-getter type...perpetually running around, wearing many hats...single mom, business owner, yoga teacher and practitioner, nutrition student (not to mention all the literal hats I have worn...wide brims, fedoras, pill box, cloches...but I digress), I have to be honest here: when it comes right down to changing...I DON'T WANNA. Well, I want the RESULTS....it's the actions that often hold me up.

Yes, full disclosure here...I want to be slim and pretty and look like I'm 25 forever, but I want to be able to do it while eating whatever I want when I want, and without having to exert much mental or physical effort. I want to be the best nutrition consultant in the world, but I don't want to take the time to study and research. I even want to have the best inventory in the world on my site, but I don't necessarily want to wake up extra early to get to the estate sales and antique shows before anyone else. Oh yeah...and I am impatient....when I DO implement a change, for example, giving up sugar, I want the extra 5-10 lbs that I may be holding onto to miraculously disappear within 24 hours of consistent mindful, healthy eating.

I guess the cool thing is that while my little brat ego which lives inside of me, hoping for a chance to rear its ugly head, can think those thoughts, my "real" self, the part of me which knows the truth, certainly doesn't EXPECT change without actions. For this, I am grateful.

Today, the United States will inaugurate a new president...and not just any president, but the first black president, and a scholarly one at that. While I don't expect that tomorrow, all the current economic, environmental, and social issues will suddenly cease to exist, I do have hope that this is a start. I have to do my part of course, as do we all. So today...I'll ship some packages to customers of my website, go on a brisk walk to the yoga studio, read some for school, and get a few other things done in my life. Nothing back breaking or mind blowing. Just a few steps in the right direction.

My Yoga Story (a reprint)

this is a copy of a blog post that I wrote for Yoga Journal early sept 2008
(click on the title of this blog or below to see the rest of the pictures from my trip to Greece...the photo above is from Santorini with a new friend I met while there)

I began a dedicated, regular yoga practice about 5 years ago right before I turned 38. I was at a crossroads in my life after many years of battling my body, my addictions, my obsessions, and my life in general. I felt I was on a hamster wheel, running all the time, yet getting nowhere. I spent so much time in my own self induced isolation, overeating, over exercising, over working, and then becoming paralyzed, zoning out with the TV or computer.

I sought help by joining a support group for my food and eating issues about 6 months before I began my yoga practice, and I began taking Bikram yoga for one reason...to continue to lose some weight and to be slim and physically in shape. Years of running and harsh physical activity was no longer suitable for me, not for my body, mind or spirit. So I began practicing hot yoga and as a creative way to finance my classes, I cleaned the studio in what was to become a very zen-like exchange of energy with the studio owner. Something clicked, and somehow, I was hooked. Yes, my body changed; while I was not overweight to begin, a few pounds melted off and I began to accept and even like my reflection in the mirror. But a deeper change was beginning.

What I found was that I began to get in shape from the inside out. My basic personality of being an outspoken open person didn't disappear, but I began to be more mindful, a better listener, more compassionate, of greater service to others, humble. I didn't come to yoga for these things. They just happened. Actually they ARE happening. After about a year, I thought I was at an intermediate level with my practice; after a year and a half I realized I was a beginner...a beginner on all yogic levels. The journey, I discovered, was just beginning. The physical benefits are undeniable, but the subtle and not so subtle internal shifts are the miracles.

As I turned 40, I felt the best I ever had felt in my life. Yes, I still had life happening...a teenage son, eating and body image issues, and working towards a balanced life in general. However, the willingness to change, to grow, is what I have found is the important thing. It's not seeking perfection in life. It's remaining teachable. As one very wise yogi told me, it's keeping a beginner's mind, as the possibilities are endless for beginners.

One day, after nearly 2 1/2 yrs of a 5-7 day a week yoga practice, the teacher overslept, and the class asked me to lead them through the class. I was nervous, and I am sure I wasn't the best teacher or that I led the best class ever, but I did it. By serving the students, not only were they grateful to me, but I also did myself a service of feeling the joy of giving back. A new path had begun, and my cleaning barter for my classes became a part time job of leading a silent yoga class to seasoned practitioners each week. I was nervous at first, but then I delved within and did my best, letting go of the results. The students loved the classes, and a regular group formed a core of devoted yogis whom practiced with me weekly.

Other blocks in my life began to lift. While I still reach for food compulsively at times, it does not rule my life as it once did and I don't feel trapped in a body that is unfit or unhealthy. After years of tossing around the idea of going to school to pursue a degree in holistic nutrition, I finally enrolled in school and am nearly 2/3rds of the way through with my program. Last year I attended a training and received a 100 hour certification to teach a type of hot yoga, and this year I not only am receiving another 100 hour certification, but I began a long and involved process to receive my Yoga Alliance 200 hour yoga teacher training certification. For nearly 3 years now, I have been teaching 1-4 yoga classes each week in a lovely studio, something I had never, not in my wildest dreams, envisioned doing in my life.

I will be 43 years old on September 18th. My life is nothing like I could have envisioned and I am forever grateful for it all. My son left for college a few weeks ago and I am processing the myriad of emotions that have been flowing through me. Most of the time I deal with them in ways that are mindful; sometimes I make less than ideal decisions. The point is that I am living my life the best way I can for today, learning from mistakes, accepting my humanness, remaining humble and open, and being of service to others. I am not seeking perfection nor do I always act in ways for which I am proud. Yoga helps me to recognize, to be aware, and to keep a beginner's mind.

Yoga is a tool to keep me from becoming stagnant with my life and it reminds me to be grateful and to have an open heart.

If you've read this little ramble, thanks for sharing my journey with me. I initially began writing this as a way to enter a contest to go to a yoga conference, but to tell you the truth, I continued to write this as a way to get in touch with the way I am honestly feeling today. Letting go of the results is a gift, and for today I can honestly say that the results are really not so important as being able to share my story today.

Sat nam.
Lisa
Click HERE to see pictures of my trip to Greece in July 2008