arline jernigan

This is a very exciting time right now for many reasons. One being the imminent election, which I hope will cause a great transformation. My hopes are high, but I am not attached to my thoughts of what I want. I will therefore not get political, because if you know me, you know I am not exactly political by nature. I tend to be a bit idealistic and oftentimes turn a blind eye to the happenings in our government. Sadly many others do the same thing. This apathy, and it is apathy, has not done our country any favors.

I do vote though, and realize what privilege that is. We are lucky in so many ways, and it is time to pay attention.

I will say, that I have been meditating and sending a lot of energy to all the candidates. I wish peace, everyone deserves that. My opinion is on the liberal and expansive side, and I believe that transformation is essential. This fear based mentality and avarice has to end. There is more than enough!

I have a lot to learn.

On a personal level I have so much to be happy for. I feel loved and connected, and so grateful for all the amazing people in my world. I can’t say that enough, I am truly blessed.

Lately I have been reconnecting with old friends via the internet. What an incredible world we live in, and with the brilliance of technology sweet connections can be made and rekindled. And to think, I resisted technology for so long.

It is interesting to me, the things that we resist. The unsettling nature of change can breed fear. I think that is why it sometimes seems so hard to embrace something new?
I have stayed in countless situations, miserable to the point of suffering, for far longer than I had to, simply because I was afraid of what the new possibilities were. I think that complacency also plays a part. It requires work and oftentimes discomfort to change. This is true personally and universally.

I say bring it on! What ever change is in store will produce growth and wisdom.

We need it, and the undercurrent is strong, something is going to overturn sooner than later. Lets just bring love into it.

My day started at about 4 30, and not too badly considering that I woke every hour on the hour post 12 30 when I lay down to sleep. I was restless, and having strange strange dreams. I won’t go into them now, but needless to say, I don’t feel adequately rested.

Still, I was very excited to get into my studio this morning, because I got some new gesso, an artist medium that is really thick white paint. Well, the thing was vacuum sealed, and I could not get it open. I tried patiently, and I tried many ways, when I finally got frustrated and slammed it down like a spoiled brat.
Well, the container opened alright, it went splat all over my face, in my hair, but thankfully not on my shirt, or I would have really been mad. So I stomped inside to clean the mess off my face, and coffee was all over the floor, because I had not put the coffee pot in securely enough, so coffee everywhere, paint everywhere. Deep cleansing breaths came only after the explatives that I fervently yelled.

Sadly this happened AFTER my meditation, my peaceful meditation…

This month, I have made changes to my teaching schedule. I changed the time of my sunday morning class. It was form 10 30 am to 12, and I have moved it to 9 am, this was scheduled to be in effect next sunday October 12th, and was on the printed schedule, but was not on the website, SO guess what happened.
Several people showed up at 9 and I was not there to greet them. OH MY GOSH HOW HORRIBLE!!!
I got this phone call telling me the news, and asking where I was. Of course I was thrown into a temporary panic, dropping whatever I was doing, rushing to get there, beating myself up for this mishap, and having richious indignation at once, because “I was very specific about starting the second week of October, and why was it incorrect on the site????” Trying to explain this over the phone at this time was futile. The two schedules were incorrect, because of miscommunication, that’s all, and really it was OK, not the end of the world

Yes, I mentioned this, but I had meditated. Where was the peaceful state, the bliss, cause I was not feeling it.

Finally I collected myself, and was able to get past my ineffective thinking and attitude, and be present to those who came. THANK YOU so much you guys, for being understanding! I ended up teaching two classes, because at 10 30 some students showed up, and did so joyfully.

One thing on meditation. Meditating does not necessarily make things more peaceful, it brings about space, and makes you present to what is real and right in front of you. Hopefully in stressful situations, you can draw on the practice, and not fall apart, or at least for not too long. Just the act of sitting there with the intention of meditating is, I believe, touching something deep, and is asking the strong mind to change rout. Sometimes things take time. One thing is for sure, we are not always going to feel peace, and yet the peace is always available to us. It is about tapping into it.

All is well now, but I plan to start over fresh and new, and am going to check out for a bit. Sleep works wonders on the mind, and the nervous system. So off I go to tap in…

I have been getting used to being back in Memphis after my wonderful retreat to Italy. With the way the energy is now, with the imminent election, people are charged, and can hardly help from reacting. I myself included. I am therefore going to draw on the wonder of my time in a beautiful place, and the time spent with the beautiful people who shared the experience with me.

This post will be mostly visual:

I have already shown a lot of pictures from Santa Maria del Sole, and by the way, we are going back again next year!!!!!!!!! More on that later.

Here is the Ionian Sea>

And pieces of rome>

the coliseum

The Vatican, the smallest city, and the richest city, by far

beautiful ceilings and floors.

I could not take pics of the Sistine Chapel, as no photography was allowed (some people did though).
I also failed to take pics of a lot of other things as well. There was simply too much to see. Let’s just say I was highly inspired!

The contrast between Santa Maria del Sole and Rome was huge, but wonderful none the less. I can’t wait to go back.

This is the outside of my room on my Italy retreat, front view and side angle…

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A back door path…

This is only a taste of the charm of Santa Maria del Sole. I will write much much more, after I gather my bearings. It is a wonderful place to be, and the people are beyond words. Love knows no bounds and language barriers can not stand on the way of it.

More later.

In 8 days, I am going to Italy with a group of amazing people to teach yoga. I am sooooooooooo excited.

It seemed so far away for so long, in fact, it was almost like a dream, but it is actually right around the corner, and it is happening. Someone asked me if I was prepared, and the answer is no, not yet. I have been suddenly hit with a bazillion things that need to be taken care of before I leave. I am making the list now.

I”m not worried though, I am too happy to be.

We are flying from Memphis to Amsterdam, then on to Rome. Once in Rome, we will get another flight to Brindisi, and will be picked up and taken to the site where the retreat will be held.

We will do yoga twice a day, morning and evening. There are plenty of things to do or not to do while there. I can’t wait to see the place, it looks beautiful from the pictures. I hope to take a bunch of my own pictures (note to self, get new memory card).

After the actual retreat, several of us will head on to Rome, just to explore. I can not wait to see the architecture, and the art. We wont forget yoga while there, no no, I plan on teaching there too, as a gift. We may have to move some beds and do it in the hotel, but we don’t care.

I have so much to do I can’t sit here. More later…

Love and Hugs