
Pure Happiness. Are you ready to engage with pure happiness?
It is quite simple and it is always present within you. The pure happiness is what you might be familiar with when observing the spontaneous joy expressed by a baby, child or dog (puppy). This impromptu energy within all of us, rises up naturally and effortlessly. The catalyst to this occurring is gentle presence, a pure heart and a willingness to engage with the divine offerings of joy.
As inspired, start to notice what activities, people, places and things bring you organic peace, love and happiness. Once you notice this happiness organically rise up within you, stay present with that pure happiness (joy). Then, keep building upon these moments with presence, gratitude and a savor attitude.
Practice Presence. Keep your attention between you and the activity you are engaging with. When you really enJOY what you are engaging in, you will find this easier. Keep your attention there. If your presence wanders, once you notice, bring it back to where it was. To be noted, if you are healing from trauma this can feel difficult even when doing something you remember loving. It is might need you to practice presence with it until you fully reengage with happiness.
Gratitude. Give thanks for the memories when you step into pure happiness. You can even go back to moments from long before here and give thanks for each one of them. I was just mentioning to a friend this week, that I am so thankful we had so many happy moments together. Those kind of memories can feed you during the twists and turns life provides. Those moments of uncertainty will be vanquished with a good daily dose of gratitude. All you have to do is create the space and recall the memory.
A Savor Attitude. Simply sip up those pure happy moments when they are unfolding in and around you. Then, hold them close to your heart. Savor them like the taste of the perfect bite of a meal you love.
All of these practices will help you store away large quantities of happiness in your cosmic bank account and your entire being. May you overflow with joy, laughter and happiness.

Egg Salad Summer Sides
4-6
servings10-14
minutes20
minutesIngredients
6 Eggs, boiled
1 avocado, mashed
1-2 tbsps of course brown mustard
1 lemon, juice of one half
Course Himalayan or Celtic Salt, to taste
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
2-3 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
1-2 scallions, diced
2 Tbsp. Dill, chopped
2 Tbsp. Flat Parsley Leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1-2 Tbsps. Olive Oil
Directions
Place eggs in sauce pan, cover with water. Bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat to low for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and drain off hot water and then place eggs in a bowl of cold water for about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the shells. Then separate the whites from the yolks. Chop the whites. Then place the yolks in a medium bowl.
Add the mashed avocado, lemon juice and a splash of olive oil. Blend well.
Then add all the spices, fresh herbs, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend well with a fork. If you want more oil add it at this time. Then, add the egg whites.
Gently, toss in the celery, scallions and dill. Taste and add any additional ingredient to your pleasing.
Then, serve as a sandwich or as a side salad. Enjoy.
Egg Salad. Summer Gatherings are the perfect back drop for flavorful side dishes, inventive salads and sandwiches. I am having fun making some of these iconic side salads, like egg and potato salad. From my brief investigative work, I see that egg salad appears to have been birthed in France and England after the late 1700’s. Then, it landed on the East Coast of North America. In the 1800’s, is when egg salad made its debut as an official recipe in a Fannie Farmer Cookbook. At some point for an unknown reason, in the early 1900’s egg salad made its way to Japan. Where, currently, an egg salad sandwich has quite a reputation and a huge following. Good old egg saladdraws locals and foreigners into Japanese 7.11s for a pre-made version of an egg salad sandwich. Which resembles a tea sandwich from the United Kingdom. While, I am not much for left overs or plastic wrapped foods, I would try it; however, I prefer fresh homemade egg salad.

Cherry Season is short and fast. If you are into savoring these beauties for later in the year, jam or fruit preserves are the way to go. Cherries can be pressed into juices and dehydrated for future meals, medicinal remedies and nutritional supplementation through out the year. Alternatively, simply eat the cherries seasonally. This is actually how nature intended it. When we eat seasonally, we are proactively providing our body with the nutrition it needs for the present moment and the season that will follow.

Thyme. A hearty herb that grows bountiful in the Mediterranean region and areas around that world that have a similar climate, like California. It is a wonderful herb to use in the kitchen and plays nicely with most savory summer dishes. It gets along well with basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, fennel and a many other garden friends.
In addition, thyme works well in a luke, warm or cool bath in the summer months. Especially, if your skin needs soothing, after a day outdoors or after being by a campfire. Our Greek brothers and sisters burn this gem in their temples as an incense for clearing and as an offering.
If you have the space to get to know ‘thyme’, you might be surprise by the courage that arrives. Thyme will also provide you with a layer of protection from literal and energetic pests. There are so many medicinal benefits that will become known to you, if you choose to start cooking, sitting and making tea with Thyme. During these summer months, I encourage you to create the space to get to know this garden friend, whom I adore deeply.

The wheel of presence, as it relates to the mind and heart, can support one and another; however, these two energy centers can quickly derail all semblance of a peaceful present moment. The mind and heart (physical, emotional, energetic and eternal) all influence each other. In some moments, you might feel like you are a tumbled stone released from a sling shot and land in the middle of your mind’s past ruminations. Then, you are hurled without notice into a future forecast that is as accurate as the weather report from your local weather station. Suddenly, your body starts to do that ‘habitual thing’ by alerting you through a body part that you have resurrected a karmic knot. The energetic knot(s) wants to be freed from the chamber of your eternal being. While you might be inclined to roll around with yourself for hours, days or years. I would encourage you to take a pause as soon as the upheaval begins. The reason is this process could go on for hours and/or days. In fact, this is what is happening within you, consciously and subconsciously, daily. The key, as mentioned above, is to practice being in the present. This is a practice. Be gentle with yourself.
The goal is to keep your mind and heart CLEAR + OPEN. The two ways you can work towards this state of being are daily meditation (I’M looking for a silent meditation. bottom on cushion. no tech. no beats. a silent meditation. I’M looking for…) Minimum 5 or 8 minutes, then 13 minutes, then 21, 34, 55 and/or 89 minutes. Then, a daily practice of being the observer in your own life and utilizing those observations to assist you in having self awareness, compassion and altruism in all that you do. In addition, utilize these observations to shift the actions you take with your mind, heart and words daily to be of benefit to self and others.

The result will be no longer about entering the same karmic wheel, it will be about sailing freely in the ever present calm.

Move that Body. Summer welcomes us to dance together, celebrate and even engage in devotional dance. Many cultures all around the world have shown and taught us the significance of ceremonial and devotional dance. Engaging in a sacred dance is an opportunity to transcend the heavens and earth through the art of movement while engaging with the elements around you. Dance is held as a traditional form of ancestral communication. The body, electromagnetic fields and sounds are the mechanism to communicate with the seen and unseen realms. What unfolds in these spaces is the opportunity to receive+give, make peace, cultivate joy, listen, see, release and find resolutions for your life here.
Even if you do not have a cultural practice, you can move your body daily with a sacred intention, offerings and prayers. You can even incorporate it into your spiritual practices, faith or keep it like a blank canvas (if you prefer it that way). The key for any an all moments in life is to set the setting with purest heart (divine love) and clearest vision that you have the capacity to hold. From there you will feel those waves you communicate and guide you.
As inspired, move that body with reverence, love and sacred knowing.