The great move has occurred. For now, the gypsy has taken root. Berkeley, California is where I have nested... and what a nest it is becoming. I've been calling in this space for years. Snuggled in a cozy community yet mere blocks from the vibrant urban centers, this 100 year old Victorian house with worldly art on the walls and interesting roommates is always where I've wanted to live! Sunday afternoon~ Listening to Billy Holiday and drinking an alchemical brew of schzandra berries, oat straw and licorice root to name a few, the day will soon include planting the vegetable starts awaiting me in the vast back yard, home to succulents and fig trees. For those of you who have not heard, I've decided to finish up the Green MBA program, a statement that sounds much too casual for what it actually means. Soon I am likely to become a library mouse, focused on the fine cheeses and crumbs I find in the finance and marketing sections.

Along with that heady endeavor, I've re-committed myself to my sadhana practice (a twice daily routine of yoga, breath techniques and meditation) once again with new enthusiasm, joy, and utter fulfillment. This is part of what I am doing to live a more satvic lifestyle. Satvic is a Sanskrit word that is used to describe a certain quality that activities, spaces, foods, even behaviors have. When the satva is high in a person or place, there is calm alertness, an energized relaxation. The scent of a fresh rose is satvic. A ripe orange is satvic. Waking up early to shower yourself and then greet the day with prayer and deep breaths of gratitude for life will put you in a satvic state of mind. So will doing service for others. When we shake off laziness and dullness, go for an inspiring hike and spend time with good company, we are raising the satva in ourselves and our environment. The benefit of all of this is that emotions become even keeled, mental alertness and focus grow very clear, and we have physical energy that sustains us so we are able to do more but not get stressed out. More than anything, there is a pervading peace in the mind and a sliver of happiness and humor that never quite goes away. This sliver or thread, which I can associate with the inner Divine Self is more prone to grow into a wide beam of light and flood out into creativity and spontaneous kindness when we nurture the satva in our daily habits and spaces.

Oh how good it is for me to remember all of that! Articulating lessons and knowledge is one of the biggest gifts I can give to myself, to support myself. Thank God the Me of the past took the time to write things down and plant seeds for the purpose of nourishing the Me of the present!