Note to Self. 40 spins around the sun have taught me this.....

Suddenly it all makes sense.

On the Eve of my 40 cycles around the earth, i felt blessed. I felt tremendous gratitude for my soul to have knocked on my door, and for my inner voice to have answered. I was at the Shivananda Ashram in the Bahamas, at awe, in the realization that my first introduction to Yoga came through the Shivananda Centre in Toronto in 1996, so long ago, and though I have travelled many paths through Yoga, it is here that I was on the eve of my 40th birthday.

As I celebrated 40 spins around the sun, and suddenly it all made sense.  Suddenly, there is a different depth of trust in life's grace and I no longer need to know all the details, of why and how, but rather I feel more at peace with where I am and I feel a more mature level of commitment for my spiritual practice that carries me through, day in and day out.  

Suddenly the voice that struggled for so long to find its path, has quietly found it.  Suddenly the weight of my broken heart has lifted and the veiled of the illusion of separateness has come together to show me that neither time nor space are real boundaries for the heart, and that I am here to experience and learn about love, unconditional love.

Separation found its way to my heart on the summer of 1991, when we immigrated to Canada.  We, my mother, myself and brother, left Venezuela 23 years ago in the midst of very corrupt governments  lack of social conscience, violence, attacks on our personal safety and personal freedoms. We became immigrants in what I thought at the time was a strange country, with a language I did not speak, a culture I couldn't relate to, a winter that chilled my bones, and a one way trip that broke my soul.  Tears rolled down my cheek for 365 days in a row, and every now and then, they still find their way out of the deep layers of my teenage heart onto the face of my 40 year old body.  I guess my scar hasn't fully healed, I guess home is always our first love, and a place no other place can ever replace.  But through these 23 years as an immigrant I began to heal my heart, I began to make it my home, I began to understand and feel the greatness of being where I am, being free to speak my truth, having my rights as a human, as a woman, as a mother, as a daughter, respected and valued. I began to appreciate in my body, the peace that exists around me.  I began to appreciate and become conscious of my freedom.  I began to understand the reasons of why we left, I began to understand that growing up in a beautiful yet violent city, had left a deep imprint of fear, anxiety, and worry within me, but it has also given me one of my most precious gifts: a social conscience. 

This social conscience that feels and sees too much, has led me to interact with the world through the lens of my camera, documenting all sort of stories about the human condition, the journey of social justice and human rights is one close to my heart.  Photographing stories of the human heart, stories of spiritual transformation, stories in places far away and close to home, opened new doors of perspective and awareness onto my journey and allowed me to have exposure to the spiritual ways of different cultures and traditions that otherwise I may not have had the opportunity to bare witness. 

This social conscience is the seed of my dharma, and though the way in which I am engaging with the world is changing, the seed is still the same.

I am and will always be a hope activist at heart. 

Through my healing journey over the last 5 years, I discovered that the road is never straight.  That it's full of wonderful twists and turns, detours, and doorways into the greater brave new worlds.  That it's full of serendipitous meetings that always leave an imprint in our souls.  The more we are able to connect within ourselves with our own sacrednesss we are able to also see the Universe- The Macrocosm symbolically at work within us and through us.

This year in particular I have surrendered to my heart, to the consciousness and the fire that burns within, and the reclaiming of the sacredness that resides deeper beyond the fire in my heart, deeper in the place where silence resides, where I feel most complete, most open, most vulnerable, most peaceful.  That space where I am truly myself, where I feel supported, nurtured and nourished by Spirit. 

Along the process I have tapped into the Ashram within,  the sacred space that has always been with us.  I have choosen to answer, to surrender, to melt away into the wings of consciousness.  In me, it took a healing crisis to take the leap of faith.  In me, it took the realignment of where my body, my heart and my soul needed to go vs where my mind thought it needed to go.  In me, it took the acceptance, that I can choose, not just cope, not just have to, not just carry on, but actually CHOOSE how I deal with what happens and the shifts that ripple out of my choice to align myself ever more deeply with my true self, with my soul and with Spirit.  It's given me great strength, awareness, and a deepening of my purpose.  It has sparked the REVOLUTION WITHIN and defined that what I used to call my creative dragon is the hope activist whithin.  For that I am grateful and I know in my bones that I am exactly where I need to be and where I prayed so long ago that I would be- home within.  

So as I sit on this last day of 2014, I think of all that came to pass, the twists and turns of my healing journey, and I bow into my heart with a big smile on my face and resonating with a big YES!!! and a big THANK YOU!! on my chest for heavy metals are officially OUT! and a new phase begins and the extention of the Revolution Within continues.  I'd like to think of it as a new phase of deeper integration.  And rather than make or think of my 2015 goals as resolutions, I rather think of them as a process of deeper alignment.  What and how do I choose to walk my line? What do I envision to create this year? What are the feelings, the everyday state of being that I wish to live from?  Gratitude, Love and Deep Trust are the first ones to come to mind.  How can I be of service and really, really make a difference in my community, in the world, in my life and yours? 

How can we inspire each other to bring about the best in us, and live, in trust that you will be there for me and that I will be there for you.  How can we create safer communities for our children and how can we teach them to walk their line ethically, carrying honesty and a deep love and respect for the world and the people of the world?

What are you thinking for this next year to come?  Allthough every day is a new opportunity to create shift and change within us and spark our own Revolution Within as we awaken the hope activist that resides in our hearts,  this time of the year gifts us the opportunity to synch into ourselves a little deeper and begin to write a new chapter in our lives.  Time, well, she goes.  We keep spining around the sun.  What have your spins taught you?  What are the dreams you dream as we spin?  When will you start living your dreams, living what you love and in the process spark your own Revolution Within and tap into your own hope activist?

I don't have your answers.  They are only yours to be found, to be lived, to be surrendered to, to be choosen by you and only you.  You know yourself best, and most importantly it's your life.  It's your journey back to you.

On these 40 spins around the sun, and on this last day of 2014, I feel blessed, grateful, hopeful and inspired to dive deeper into the realms of alignment of body, heart, mind and soul.  I feel my compass has been set.  It is driven by my heart and the hope activist within, and it knows only one way forward. So what do you say, are you ready to roll up your sleeves and dive deeper within?

Quote of the day:

Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth."  Say not, "I have found the path of the soul."  Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."  For the soul walks upon all paths.  The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.  The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.  ~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, 1923

Ready, Set, Come out and Learn! Yes, it's true, rawllygood is coming to you....

Greetings from the North....

Have you heard the news yet? the good news, that is. 

rawllygood is opening it's doors to teach all things true & raw.  It's a dream come true, it's the beginning of a new journey within this brave new world, and it is a time of transition, and further integration. 

So I invite you to come out, be inspired, open up to new perspectives, build your health up wherever you are, find new resolutions, and join me as we gather to support, sustain and regenerate ourselves.  Get your calendars up, and book yourself some time for regeneration!

I will be teaching two classes coming up:

Empower your Health through Raw Foods Workshop 

Date: Saturday November 29th, 5pm-7pm.

Location: Vitality Yoga and Lifestyle Boutique in Uxbridge, ON

In this 2 hour workshop and demonstration you will learn about the power of Living Raw Foods to empower your health, you will learn  why Raw Foods have become so popular, I will demystify raw foods and share with you the principles for a successful raw Raw Food adventure, while tasting delicious health sustaining foods.  You don't have to be 100% raw to enjoy the benefits that adding raw foods to your current diet can provide.  Come out and learn the tips, tricks, tools, the science and the art of Raw Foods.  Food Tasting Included.  Empower yourself ALIVE! Recommended purchase with this workshop:  Empower your health through Raw Foods E-book. (Please email me if you are interested in this E-book).

To register please visit http://vylb.ca/yoga-schedule-vitality-uxbridge/workshops/

 Sweet love of mine, Raw desserts that LOVE you back Workshop- new ideas for sweet Holiday Times. 

Date: Saturday December 6th, 5pm-7pm.

Location: Vitality Yoga and Lifestyle Boutique in Uxbridge, ON

In this 2 hour workshop and demonstration you will learn how to integrate nutrient dense foods into the sweetness that we all crave, learn to make gluten free, dairy free, raw desserts that boost your energy and support your body. You will get a chance to taste delicious Raw Food Desserts that everyone will love, and more important that oh so LOVE you back!. It’s the perfect inspiration for the Holiday Times! Food Tasting included. Recommended purchase with this workshop: Sweet Love of Mine, Raw desserts that Love you back. E-book. (Please email me if you are interested in this E-book).

To register please visit http://vylb.ca/yoga-schedule-vitality-uxbridge/workshops/


There is more rawllygoodness coming soon, so stay tuned. Yes, I am going to keep you at the edge of your seat for now... in a lovingly kind of way....

Remember, 

LIVE WHAT YOU LOVE,
cause it's all good,
rawllygood!


Quote of the Day
"You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself."- Galileo Galilei

Things are changing around here....for the better! New Video Series: The Power of Restorative Farming!

Things are changing around here... for the better! As we continue to grow and listen within the silence of the practice, it has become very clear to me that the Rawllygood blog is a part of something bigger.  It has become clear to me that it is important to share my journey of realignment to nature and of body, mind and spirit with you.  Sharing all the tools I have used, and continue to use as part of my daily practice, lifestyle and healthier habits.  As well, it has become clear to me to be of service to others along their journey of realignment.  It is through this process of clarity that The Realign Ranch has been born.  The Realign Ranch will be a centre that supports the journey of realignment of body, mind and soul through a variety of workshops such as yoga, meditation, raw food nutrition classes, creative expression, permaculture & edible gardens.  It’s mission is to be of service through the process of self-transformation that leads to spiritual growth, self realization and freedom.  

Through the process of becoming The Realign Ranch, I will be doing a series of video explorations on the theme The Power Of.... , part of the process of realignment is to take full responsibility for our actions, for their consequences and for the power that is within both of them.  The video series The Power of.. will explore the power of alignment with nature, alignment of body, mind, soul through many practices that have been helpful on my journey.  As well, it will be an exploration of our Power as global citizens to affect change.  Every action and habit that we have either builds our road to optimal health and spiritual liberation or builds our road to decay and disease on a personal level and a global level.  Each one of our actions contributes to the health and ecology of our communities and the planet.  So its time to act locally and think globally, for our own health and the health and future of humanity and the earth.  The Power of.. will explore themes such as Restorative Farming, mindfulness, yoga practices, meditation, permaculture, ayurvedic traditions, raw foods, creative expressions and on and on I could go.... I think you get the point.... So come along the journey of self-discovery and exploration of the tools and practices that bring us back in touch with our true self, with liberation and freedom.

Today we begin, perhaps with baby steps, this new journey of self empowerment. I welcome you to join me and Phil Collins as we discuss The Power of Restorative Farming.   Phil Collins is the owner of Foggy River Farms and co-founder of Fresh City Farms, and I will be teaching our June 8th workshop Homesteading for Raw Nutrition along with him, here at the Realign Ranch.  

Restorative Farming is based on the principles of permaculture as organic living systems that serve to to restore the land-not just sustain it, restore our bodies-phisically, mentally, our consciousness, our communities-by gathering and sharing the experience of growing food. 

Sit back and enjoy the ride...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJRksTsFOEg

Events coming up

Sunday June 8th, 9am-5pm, Homesteading for Raw Nutrition-
Presented by Phill Collins owner of Foggy River Farms and co-founder of Fresh City Farms, and myself.

Location: The Realign Ranch. 8641 Concession 2. Mt Albert, On (conveniently located 15 minutes East of Newmarket, or 12 minutes west of Uxbridge).


Join us for this full day combination seminar and hands-on workshop. Learn about the benefits of raw nutrition while Natalie demonstrates how easy it is to create simple nutritious meals for you and your family. Natalie will be demonstrating and talking about the benefits and healing aspects of juicing, smoothies, fermenting, dehydrating, super foods, sprouting and more! Phil will talk about many of the nutritionally dense foods that anyone can grow in their own landscape, tree planting and garden bed preparation, permaculture design elements and principles used to design the Mandala Gardens at the Realign Ranch. Hands on activities include meal preparation, tree planting and garden bed preparation.

We will end the day with a walking meditation.

Included in the workshop are raw breakfast and raw lunch.
Each participant will receive up to 10 select seedlings to start their own garden.
For more information and to register for the full day workshop, please visit http://restorativefarming.com/workshops/may-3rd-raw-nutrition-home-gardening-workshop

Quote of the Day

"The decisions that you make and the actions that you take upon the earth are the means by which you evolve".- Gary Zukav

Receiving the gifts of Alignment. What do Juice Fasting and Meditation have to do with each other?

As the door into new and magical sacred lands open up, I find myself spontaneously Juice Fasting to cleanse, to rebuild, to tap into my own sacredness, to stay deeply connected, to allow new insights into my consciousness and ground my feet deep beneath the Earth as I go along for the ride, to deeply nourish myself in times of transition and to tap into the essence of my nourishment. I am on day 6, but this time I am doing a Liquid fast, not just a Juice fast in that I am including smoothies, nut milks and raw soups into my fast. It just feels so right.  Fasting is a way to align ourselves with our true self.  It is a way to increase our Prana, our life-force.  It is a way to connect more deeply, to allow the silence within to become the humming vibration that guides my being.  I also mediate for longer when I fast.  They seem to go together, and they seem to enhance in synergy the positive effects they both have on the body, mind, emotions and spirit.  I am not sure how long this fast will last, I am deeply listening.

Fasting is considered a detoxification tool along our journey, but as we detoxify and let go of what we no longer need in many and all levels of our existence, we also create room for rebuilding our new selfs.  As we fast we allow our bodies to balance and realign themselves with our natural rhythms.  In the Science of Ayurveda these rhythms are of ultimate importance in our journey to balance and optimal health.  These rhythms govern every process in our bodies.  Think about it for a second, the beating of our hearts has its own rhythm, our breathing has its own rhythm.  From the rhythm of each and every cell process, to the patterns and rhythms of our days, rhythm is everywhere, inside and out!

In Ayurveda, the more we are in alignment with our own bodily rhythms and with the rhythms of the Macrocosm, the more we will experience radiant optimal health.  It reads so easy, doesn't it?, yet its a process to do, to stay in tune with your self and the rhythms that surround us as to stay open for the gifts of alignment to shine in.

As 2014 moves along, and we find ourselves, day in and day out, in our routines and daily habits, doing something like a Juice or Liquid Fast, breaks the rhythm of routines & habits, for better or for worse, it breaks down the wall of delusion, it allows our soul to shine a mirror to our ego, it allows us to think and question, allows us to quiet our self, our minds, our hearts, and our bodies so we can then establish new or re-establish old rhyhtms that serve us better.  Think of it as a breathing break in the midst of climbing to the summit.

The best time to start a Juice or Liquid Fast is when your body is asking you for it! Either we will be in alignment and know that it is right, or we will be spinning out of control, emotionally, physically, spiritually and suddenly something happens that points us in the direction of taking time to restore.  A good idea when fasting is to also align ourselves with the rhyhtms and cycles found in Nature.  Many civilizations prior to us, practiced fasting in alignment with the Full & New Moons, as well as, at the time of Seasonal Change.  The energy is different at these times, and the veils between the physical and the sacred become more palpable.  Aligning ourselves with these energies or change in the energies,with the intention of Alignment of Self has magical synergistic effects on every aspect of our being.

The meditation practice is a great support tool when Fasting because it allows us to be a 'witness' to ourselves and find more compassion and self-love in our process of letting go.  Meditation also restores our nervous system, something that the process of fasting and what we 'release' can sometimes challenge.  It provides the space for Sacredness and for the unseen to become seen.
 
As tomorrow's Full Moon approaches I invite you to dust-off your juicer and juice it up! I invite you to sit in meditation just for 5 minutes at the beginning or at the end of your day or both if you can!!! I invite you to participate in the 7th Annual "Winter Feast for the Soul", a free 40 day commitment to the personal practice of stillness.

It's been two years since I did my fist 40 day Juice Fast and the 'Winter Feast for the Soul'.  Since then I have found new depths in my meditation practice and the stillness within, in my awareness, in my understanding of energetics, in my relationship with food, with life, with love and with Spirit.

Juice it up and bring it on! Align yourself with the forces of the Universe and keep your heart open to receive the gifts!

n.
__

Juice it up and bring it on - check this recipe!

_
"The real skill is to raise the sails and to catch the power of the wind as it passes by."- Thomas Berry

The Power of the Human Heart....

I hope all is well, wherever you may be.  I recently had the opportunity to photograph my friend Maickel Melamed walk the Chicago Marathon 2013, he was the last man to cross the line with a time of 16hr46min. Yes, you read it right.  I wrote an article along with a photo essay of his journey that was published by Elephant Journal Magazine. So please have a read!

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/10/the-power-of-the-human-heart-natalie-schonfeld-howard/

Maickel is an incredible person, with an even more incredible soul. He has made it his mission to inspire people worldwide to follow their dreams!, to reach out! and make them happen despite challenges, circumstances and obstacles that appear along the way.  As Maickel says, "Your life is the most beautiful gift you have."  And with that comes the power of Choice.  I am not sure where in the world you are reading this from, but here in Canada, we have the freedom of speech, most of us have the power to choose our lives and make our dreams happen.  But through conditioning, or limited beliefs we close ourselves to the world, we close ourselves to ourselves.  We stop believing.  We stop believing in our selves and in our potential for change, for peace, for a better world.  It is when we encounter inspirational people like Maickel that have made it happen for themselves that a spark gets lit within and we find ourselves making different choices, or perhaps making the same choice with a different awareness.

A deeper question comes up for me, how can I be of service to the world, became a charged inspirational seed for others and how do I extend a hand to those who do not experiences the same personal liberties that I do?  I don't know what the answer is, but I know that it is within my heart.  Perhaps it is within yours too.

So for now, I offer you a read, sit with it... and allow it to touch your heart and let it blossom.

I previously wrote about Maickel on Day5 of my juice fast... long long ago!

May your days be filled of conscious choices,
In peace,
Naty Howard.

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My heart goes out to Boston, my thoughts and resilience are with Venezuela, my spirit gathers strength with Amnesty International for there is much to do in this world.

My heart goes out to Boston, to everyone who participated, from runners to supporters, from individuals to families... I think of you. The world thinks of you.

My thoughts and resilience are with Venezuela, where elections were held a few days ago and the layers of corruption have yet again taken over the process of democracy.

I am inspired by those who extend their hand in the midst of chaos, those who keep on advocating for a just world, where human rights are met for one and all. In the midst of it all, these stories rise to the top, and I thank you for being a ray of sunshine on dark days. We stand for those who may not have the opportunity or freedom to stand, we speak for those who may not have the opportunity or freedom to speak, we act for those we may not have the opportunity or freedom to act, for themselves, their children, their country.

There is a quote by the Dalai Lama the XIV that I would like to share with you...

“There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’ No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.”

Hope carries us through. I believe Hope combined with Action has the power to change each and everyone of us, our immediate community and the world at large.

My spirit gathers strength with Amnesty International.. and that was really my blog today, but I just couldn't let the two previous events go unspoken. This is my second year participating in Amnesty International's Canadian Yoga Day. A day to raise funds for Women's Human Rights. 

I am a strong advocate of human rights, where does this feeling or need to act come from? For me it comes from growing up in Caracas, Venezuela and, as a child and young adult, baring witness to one to many violations of human rights. It comes from my work as a photojournalist seeking justice in my heart, trying to raise awareness about current social-political situations and baring witness to the unthinkable. Today, as a mother of 3, having found some peace within myself with the fact that the I may not be able to bring justice to every situation I encounter, but I can focus on educating my children so that they can become shiny just beings with open hearts. I can take part in creating awareness in my own community, from human rights to the local food movement, I can participate in events like Yoga Day were my efforts have a direct influence on someone else's life for the better.

So come on out for Amnesty International Yoga Day Marathon !! Come for one class, stay for all!

If you are on lands far away, you can still help and participate... you can donate! you can create your own event! Ask your Yoga Studio to get involved! Spread the goods and make it a world wide event! Actually you can create any event you want as a fundraiser for Nasrin... go on... gather your hope along with your action.. its time! Post it... what event will you create? what event will you participate... anything from Potlucks to Yoga! keep it simple, the canvas is yours... It would be fun to see what you come up to.... take some pics and post them up.. lets see if we can go around the world with this one!