Following My Gypsy Spirit

As I sat pining away in my cubical cell, lost in the Midwest. I followed the happenings at the 2010 Harmony Festival, remotely via the awesome power of social media. I vowed that I would be there next year...

Well in the immortal words of Polexia Aphrodisia “It’s all happening!”

As I walk into the festival, photo pass in hand, I will be living the dream of my gypsy spirit. Entering fully, into something that was but a dream just a year ago.

2011 Harmony Festival

For 32 years, Harmony has been a leading-edge lifestyle festival that celebrates the latest trends in health, music, arts, ecology, and spirituality. Created and seasoned in the trend-setting North Bay Area, Harmony is the original festival to appeal to the green lifestyle market.

The Peoples Parade... via HarmonyFestival.com

This is my tribe. An all ages community of free spirits coming together to celebrate, music, art, spirituality, healthy living, and the environment.

First, I will be documenting the festival with my camera... Eco Rally, Steampunk, Goddess Grove,... etc...etc.. the list is amazing... I can already feel the power of all this visual inspiration coming to life thru my lens.

My goal is to capture the community spirit of the festival, and maybe get a shot or two of some of the headliners this year... like... Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, and local boys, PRIMUS! For a full line up of all 3 amazing days check out the Harmony Festival website.




mint, emerald, verde, lime... its all green


Bring your own reusable, water bottles, coffee cups, plates..etc... There will be recycling stations, compost stations.. water stations.. and a green team if you need a little help.

The goal is Zero Waste! What an amazing message that could send to the world!

http://www.harmonyfestival.com/greening.html


tweeting live

As I am shooting and experiencing all that is the Harmony Festival I will be tweeting and posting live candid shots from my iPhone, with my groovy new download Instagram.

Follow the fun @HarmonyFestival @MysticTweets or simply search the hashtag #HF11 (although recent research shows that @HollandFestival in Amsterdam is currently using the same hashtag, stay tuned for updates). You can also like Digital Mystic on Facebook for words and images from this years Harmony Festival.

Just to be clear... The festival runs from June 10-12, Friday-Sunday. Sadly my passes are only for Saturday and Sunday.... That just means I have more to look forward to next year.

cheers,
joy

Positive Affirmations & Daily Mantras

I’m in total agreement that self affirmations are hooky, wacky, new-age-y silliness. That is why I LOVE them! The really help, not only do they lift our moods and spirit but they are gentle reminders that we can be better to our selves and to others.


There Are No Coincidences

I was just having an e-mail conversation with my friend Erin, you know the kind of e-mails that go back and forth so fast, we might as well be chatting or talking on the phone... I sent her a little affirmation and it got me thinking about how great they are and why I practice this form of spirit embracing yummieness. (seems like I can turn anything into a blog topic these days)

I am a firm believer I that there are no coincidences and no accidents in this great universe of ours. So when things start to get a a little strange and “coincidental” I slow down and pay attention.

A friend of ours is staying with us for a while, and he gave me a scroll that says.

A Precious Human Life

“Everyday, think as you wake up,
Today I am fortunate to have woken up,
I am alive, I have a precious human life,
I am not going to waste it,
I am going to use
all my energies to develop myself,
to expand my heart out to others,
to achieve enlightenment for
the benefit of all beings,
I am going to have kind
thoughts towards others,
I am not going to get angry,
or think badly about others
I am going to benefit others
as much as I can”

H.H. The XIVth Dalai Lama

This passage is so direct and to the point in the most beautiful way. Loving kindness is not just for Buddhists. You become more fulfilled when the quality of your interactions with other starts from a place of kindness.

Although its not easy to remember when I am screaming inside my car at the person in front of me who seems to have a broken turn signal. grrrr

So then...

Then my husband, Jason, told me a story about a guy he worked with that would set his calendar for daily reminders that were all positive affirmations and they would go off at random times... I love this idea and am going to set mine up!

An Amazing Astrologer

I think positive affirmations and daily mantras are fantastic. I read one everyday via my favorite astrologer, Bridgett Walther, and think who else needs one?? So I send an email to someone I think might need a smile. It’s my wacky version of metta bhavana. Sharing loving kindness via email or tweets.

Here is my mantra for today, via the insightfully lovely and talented Bridgett Walther

Today’s Mantra: I organize my business ideas today, especially regarding my start up money. I figure out exactly how I want to get exposure for my product or service and realize that printed materials are often out of date five minutes after they’re printed. So I’m drawn to the internet as the most accessible, affordable tool to market my goods, talents, and services.

I told you she was good.

Now remember

You ARE amazing!

You are doing a great job!
(don’t wait for your boss to tell you that, he’s to busy protecting his own job)

You have what it takes to be successful!

Now I dare you to fill the world with your energy, perspective, and loving kindness.

Here is one of my favorite lines it makes me smile from the inside out.... 


Freedom, blessings, and miracles. Yes, they actually happen.
~ Bridgett you are amazing, thank you for sharing your insight with the rest of us.

I hope you’ll try a few affirmations in your daily practice...

Share some of your favorites in the comments below, don’t worry you won’t have to sign up for anything or even give your email address...
all you have to do is share your thoughts, emotions, rants, raves...

cheers,
joy