I’ve just returned from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival – a guaranteed day of amazing music from Blues to Zydeco and all kinds in between. Singing and dancing in the Gospel tent is going to church, rocking out with throngs of fans at the big stages is a party. The paths in between are infused with shifting beats and tunes. It is a perfect day.
Almost. The challenge of deciding which stage you’ll take your dancing feet to can be overwhelming, so I pop in and out to discover new sounds. The music is a constant celebration. The weather? Not so much. Cool. Windy. Rainy. Scorching. You never know. This recent visit included an afternoon rainstorm, adding to our shared experience. Everyone got drenched, from dripping hair to soggy flipflops. Did I complain? A little, especially when one shoe dipped deep into a muddy puddle. But mostly I embraced the outburst and gave thanks. Rain is good, a must for survival. It was a good old washing clean, no thunder or lightning. So I weathered the weather and as wet clothes stuck to my dampening skin, I wished to be a six-year-old playing in the mud. I embraced it all, happy to be in that moment, in that place and time that was near perfect.
Quote of the Week…
“My heart is beating, and I’m breathing, and nothing anybody has ever done has changed that.” Rupi Kaur, 1992 –
Breathe…
We all do it. If we are lucky, it is automatic and pain-free. We don’t even think about it. Paying attention to breath is meditation 101, the most basic mindful awareness practice. I’ve used box breathing (four counts inhale, four counts hold, four counts exhale and four counts hold) during dentist visits. Six breaths per…
Quote of the Week…
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” Pablo Picasso, 1881 – 1973
Patty Mayeux Blog 
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