tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29435029593796171512024-03-13T21:27:43.665-05:00Grace IntoxicatedKyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-48401748941915028772020-07-23T21:34:00.000-05:002020-07-23T21:34:25.765-05:00BEACH GLASSby: K y l e L e i a <br />
<br />
When something shatters a <br />
part of you, it never becomes <br />
unshattered, does not return to the <br />
shape it once was <br />
<br />
Healing doesn’t forget <br />
the broken edges <br />
the space <br />
between what happened <br />
and how it changed you forever <br />
<br />
It moves like water <br />
and holds the ground beneath <br />
you like sand <br />
as the pieces <br />
tumble and stumble <br />
around and forward <br />
<br />
Until the sharp edges <br />
soften against the movement <br />
of time, forgiveness & the fierce <br />
waves of loving yourself <br />
<br />
Eventually becoming beautiful <br />
emerald and turquoise jewels <br />
shining on the <br />
shoreline of your being<br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-32900119264567723242017-10-21T15:02:00.002-05:002017-10-21T15:02:54.944-05:00Suffering<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7j-9pM147VVDBDohOWT_Ta2f8pfa5-FJeVg1ubPtDf-CtTfilV6Rm3b1izHH1sRk9DhtcmNivj6XV8R2xJ5qMEOSH3orVvdSVPEST17s1PwRWA8zJo3c0TNK4T55IJlhKNfV7elzEVI4/s1600/Suffering.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7j-9pM147VVDBDohOWT_Ta2f8pfa5-FJeVg1ubPtDf-CtTfilV6Rm3b1izHH1sRk9DhtcmNivj6XV8R2xJ5qMEOSH3orVvdSVPEST17s1PwRWA8zJo3c0TNK4T55IJlhKNfV7elzEVI4/s400/Suffering.png" width="400" height="400" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="800" /></a>Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-7615668278144478812017-10-21T15:01:00.002-05:002017-10-21T15:01:57.990-05:00Potential<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dRTn2ymzsCnKJEiIg2KofWz6ueUzBypIZqqa0WnLo89Wr3c9Xw97y9PGBbbH7LDmp4H02-JHXpTjaizQaRCcn5QNJCD_koh_Wm8Bb-9y5gJ6R1OuMNRIlDhKGNHsVpqjPsKFweOxgh4/s1600/potential.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dRTn2ymzsCnKJEiIg2KofWz6ueUzBypIZqqa0WnLo89Wr3c9Xw97y9PGBbbH7LDmp4H02-JHXpTjaizQaRCcn5QNJCD_koh_Wm8Bb-9y5gJ6R1OuMNRIlDhKGNHsVpqjPsKFweOxgh4/s400/potential.png" width="400" height="400" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="800" /></a>Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-69579240998719656692017-10-21T14:55:00.002-05:002017-10-21T14:55:23.223-05:00Jody Ann Elden Memorial Reading Jody Ann Elden 02/16/1985-09/17/2017<br />
Memorial Reading – Thursday, September 21st, 2017 <br />
<br />
I am Kyle Heyesen, Jody’s oldest sister. First, on behalf of my family we express so much gratitude to all of you for being here, for loving us and supporting us through this difficult time; we could not get through this without all of our friends and family walking alongside us and lifting us up.<br />
<br />
This is for our sweet Jody, who will always be the precious little baby in our family as the youngest (even if only by 5 minutes after her twin Andy). She will forever be deeply & eternally loved by us all, and her love lives on in us eternally as well. She is unforgettable in a million ways, many of which make me laugh out loud just thinking about!<br />
<br />
From John O’Donohue, on the memorial flyer, the first stanza reads:<br />
<br />
Though we need to weep your loss,<br />
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,<br />
Where no storm or might or pain can reach you.<br />
<br />
<br />
This is so fitting because we are all weeping and grieving deeply to have tragically lost our precious little Jody to a drug overdose. And yet as we reflect on her life we know how much pain she was in, all of the storms of trauma and difficulty and struggle she endured for so many years. She was such a sweet sensitive soul overwhelmed with life to the point she couldn’t bear being in this world without being high. We know that the reason she used was to find comfort and release from all of her suffering. And now we know she lives eternally safe in our hearts and at peace in the loving arms of God, returned to the source of life where that pain can never touch her again…When our family had the opportunity to say goodbye to her body this week, she looked beautiful and peaceful, and we found solace in seeing that all of her suffering has lifted. <br />
<br />
We cannot stand here today and talk about Jody’s life without talking about addiction. Addiction ravages lives, is a destroyer of light and truth and relationships. Although we lost Jody officially this week, in many ways we lost her and have grieved her life long ago and over and over to addiction. She walked away from us slowly, her leaving a gradual disappearance into shadows….a fading of color and light...we watched, reached out to her, tried to love her and hold her close, but she turned away. <br />
<br />
Everyone in this room has likely been touched by addiction, whether your own struggle or that of someone you love. And for those of you who have overcome addiction, including my own mom and dad, this is one of the BIGGEST VICTORIES accomplished. We are so grateful to be gifted our parents as whole, beautiful loving people in our lives. Who both were there for and supported Jody wholly until the very end!<br />
<br />
For our family, for such a long time it felt like Jody was in a prolonged hospice. We saw her sick and withering away. She dangled at the edge of life, staring into death every time she used. Daily, it was in the forefront of our minds and hearts that we could lose her at any time. We experienced many false worries and days and hours of anxiety where we feared this could be the day we would learn she died from an overdose. <br />
<br />
Addiction makes people crazy, not just the addicts, but often those close to them. I have a memory of one of those many moments for me…on a particular dark and hopeless day for Jody she reached out to family, to me indicating that she no longer wanted to live. I rushed from work calling law enforcement and the Crisis Response Team. I finally found her on the beach at Park Point, where she grew up, spent her childhood and loved to be, and where on that day, she said she wanted to go to die where she was born. By the time I found her however, she had figured out a new way to make money and she said she was heading out of town with a friend to work and she wanted a ride to her apartment. On the way, desperate to save her, I thought maybe this could be the moment we could get her help, turn her life around. I tried to talk her into going into treatment, into getting admitted to the psych ward. That we were all concerned for her life, we loved her…but, she got pissed at me and ended up jumping out of my moving car and running away from me screaming profanities. I quickly pulled over and dialed 9-1-1 telling them to come quickly…and ran off after her in high heels down the streets of West Duluth screaming, “You think you can beat me, you think I can’t catch you! I run marathons!!” The police came, she freaked out, I hoped that she would be committed, admitted, saved...but, they took her to the hospital and she was released...nothing happened. <br />
<br />
We experienced so many of these moments that are so ridiculous and crazy there is almost nothing our family could do but cry and laugh through our tears at the scenes that unfolded. You can’t make this stuff up!<br />
<br />
Even just at the end of August, this year...she disclosed she was suicidal, called to say “goodbye and I love you!” to each of her sisters...tried to kill herself a couple of times taking pills...to no avail, she said, “I’m such a pill head I can’t even kill myself!” We tried to encourage her, asked her to get help...told her we would do anything...she should go to treatment...but she said she was fine now and she called Nystroms, had an appointment for an assessment in a couple of weeks, thinks she can get back on Suboxone (which NEVER worked for her - the many years she was on it she used the whole time...worked the system, used heroin, sold pills for drug money). We tried to explore getting her committed - if we could only capture her, save her from herself...we felt her pulling away even further, spiraling downward quickly….she wasn’t in her right mind...there are so many more details, dark and devastating, but NO a commitment wasn’t possible (even if a person OD’s, is saved by Narcan, is in ICU to stabilize for 13 hours, that isn’t enough for a commitment, they are released right back to their lives, back to the drug that brought them there to begin with, with no skills or ability to recover)...so, we couldn’t do anything to prevent the inevitable...hands bound as we watched the destruction of a beautiful life.....<br />
<br />
Mother Teresa said, “If you are busy judging people, you have no time to love them.” And this is what we tried to live by for Jody: to simply love her and show her compassion in her sickness. This is sometimes the only thing you can do for an addict.<br />
<br />
And yet, there were also many moments of hope. Windows back into our sweet Jody. Periods of sobriety, going to treatment multiple times (7 total I believe), or less heavy drug use…when she was present again… there was a whole summer a few years back that she was in a such a good place we trusted her to watch her niece Adley and nephew Elias – we will always treasure those precious times -- and while we do lose many people to addiction forever….also, we see so many people recover and return to whole and beautiful lives…reaching their potential. We always held faith that Jody would find that path. We have all prayed that she would find peace here on earth, but she was unable to due to the destruction of addiction. And although it is not what we wanted, we know she is now free from that terrible suffering of her addiction.<br />
<br />
Jody had a husband. We didn’t know much about him or the situation (maybe it was arranged, she was paid to marry him) but we knew he did help her financially recently when she was being evicted. Jody often found ways to get what she needed, however unconventional. And he, Jordan is his name, a sweet smart man from Tanzania, Africa, a college student, reached out to us and came to meet us and be with us following her death. He was kind and generous to our family at this time. Gave money to Jody’s son Ethan’s fund. We thank him for the ways he helped Jody. He is a part of her story, no matter the circumstance, and played a role in helping and supporting Jody.<br />
<br />
And to all of the friends and family in her life that were there for her in many ways – we thank you. And don’t you feel bad if your relationship with her had to be severed or you needed to have boundaries…that is what happens with addiction. We all did everything we could to help her. No one here need sit with any regret. Instead, fill yourself with the goal to act towards others with love, compassion and kindness no matter what.<br />
<br />
Today we have arrived and our worst nightmare is true, that she died from an overdose…but, it would have caused us greater pain if she were alone as she transitioned from this life. She was with a friend, Derek, and they spent the day together. My mom called Jody in the afternoon and he answered her phone. Jody was in the background babbling and bubbly, bouncing off the walls and sounded happy. We have come to find she also used Meth before her overdose, and had been up for days with her friend Patrick. That day, Sunday, she was with a kindred spirit –he understood her suffering and was struggling with the same things himself. Derrick told me, they shared that they had complete mutual infatuation and need for being needed and wanted. To fill the big sickening hole they both possessed, created by drug addiction and horrible past relationships…lost adrift…but that day they felt lucky to have found one another and promised to be there for each other and band together and do better for one another…it was a wonderful day for them….but, they did use heroin, for her layered upon Meth (no sleep, not eating, not drinking water)…and fell asleep high, cuddling, feeling hope, seeing a brighter future….but, Jody didn’t awake...she slipped away, her breathing slowed to nothing….floating into unconsciousness...below the surface of life, wrapped in a warm opiate haze...as if underwater, weightless….pulled down to the bottom of the lake, laid on the sand of death, way beneath the depths of life above...resting heavy, & she knew it was her time to leave this human realm...I imagine she was lifted up above the surface, above this earth, into complete love, peace & light…...……..and when he awoke, her head in his lap, just before 11pm and realized she wasn’t breathing he tried to revive her, gave her Narcan, called 9-1-1 and was there, distraught, until the very end….Paramedics worked on trying to revive her for nearly an hour before she was pronounced dead. Our family is grateful that she was not alone, that she felt love and connection with another person, and that she died in the arms of someone she felt safe with. <br />
<br />
But of course, this is not the whole story of her life….she will always be remembered for her huge and caring heart. She accepted and loved everyone with open arms. Even in her darkest moments she would remember important details about others or have a special gift for the kids in her life. She gave my daughter Stella many things including a coach bag and sunglasses, make-up, and Victoria’s Secret Pink clothes. I see Jody’s light & spunk in my little girl Stella.<br />
<br />
In the memorial flyer O’Donohue’s second stanza urges us….<br />
<br />
…May we learn from you (Jody):<br />
To enter each day with a generous heart.<br />
To serve the call of courage and love<br />
Until we see your beautiful face again<br />
In that land where there is no more separation,<br />
Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,<br />
And where we will never lose you again.<br />
<br />
Jody was the most honest, direct, raw person you’ll ever meet. She would absolutely tell it like it is. She would do anything for those she loved, including threaten to kick someone’s butt if they hurt a person she loved – which she offered to do for me on many occasions when I was in pain. She was hilarious and crass and swore like a trucker. Often she’d call me and say “what’s uuuppppp my Biiiiaaaccchhhh!” “Ha, Ha! You know I say that cuz I love ya’!” She was wild and crazy – the life of the party! She was everyone’s go to for braiding and doing hair – she was tremendously good at it, I will never live up to the way she could do double French braids in my daughter’s hair, or how she could paint her nails with awesome designs in ways I never could. She dearly loved her nieces and nephews and they adored her. She was the one while our family was at the beach, who would sit and build sand castles, dig holes, make the kids into mermaids or other creatures out of sand, splash in the water with them, push them around on a kid kayak. She was the one who was at her twin sister Andy’s house just before her son Elias was born, scrubbing and cleaning to help prepare for this new baby. She was the one who came to our house when we sold it in 2014 and scrubbed the bathroom cleaner than I’ve ever seen it. She didn’t give me a Birthday present or even a Happy Birthday this year, too far gone, but in 2016, she didn’t have much money, but she found the most beautiful mermaid card (knowing I love mermaids) many days before my Birthday and made sure I felt loved and special. The inscription: Happy Birthday to someone who is a treasure to know, a joy to be around, and beautiful inside and out. And, in her looping, scribbled handwriting she wrote “Well doesn’t this card fit you so good. Love you, have a good day! Love, Jody & Ethan” -- even amidst her addiction overwhelming her, she left these gifts scattered across all of our lives, leaving her mark on us, forever...<br />
<br />
The best thing she ever did and the greatest joy of her life was her son Ethan. She loved him fiercely. She’d do whatever scheming, wheeling and dealing, even if flat broke, to try and get him an Xbox for Christmas or or an iPad for his Birthday. She was tremendously proud of him and the amazing young man he has become. Sadly, even though her love for Ethan was the most abundant thing in her heart -- her addiction won out, robbing this boy, the most important thing in her life, of a mother……..She loved hard, lived hard, fought hard, and forgave quickly!. She had a beautiful shining soul in a million ways! She has touched us all….<br />
<br />
Lenord Cohen said:<br />
Ring the bells that still can ring<br />
Forget your perfect offering<br />
There is a crack, a crack in everything <br />
That's how the light gets in<br />
<br />
Just like today, Jody’s death is a HUGE crack….and it can be so easy to become overwhelmed and get swallowed up whole by this very real darkness (which is what happened to Jody)…but yet there is a coming together of this amazing community of people…the LOVE in her, for her, from all of you to her, to each of us close to her grieving. The prayers, well wishes, support, meals, flowers, generous donations…all of this light and love that is larger and more powerful than any crack. It transforms this awful thing, into something beautiful and life giving…<br />
<br />
That is the lesson we can take from Jody’s life and her death…there is nothing perfect, there are often difficulties and devastation we all face, no human walks this earth without the experience of suffering --- of cracks in our lives….yet, if we can acknowledge these cracks, come to terms with them, and allow the light to come in, to shine through, we can clearly see the incredible beauty and potential before us…we can open ourselves to the love, grace and joy that is available to us in this life. We can be fully and wildly alive.<br />
<br />
In the bible it states in Matthew 5:14-16 – “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others.”<br />
<br />
We all have this beautiful light within us and our purpose here on earth is to recognize that WE are the light of the world, each of us…and we are meant to shine!!<br />
<br />
Jody sadly didn’t know her own beautiful light and it was extinguished too early at only 32 years old, too soon….many of us tried to tell her in a million different ways the potential we saw in her, the life that she could’ve had, show her the love that surrounded her….and what the poet Hafiz says so perfectly:<br />
“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.” <br />
So we will forever honor and remember you Jody and know your astonishing light now shines brightly, completely unobstructed, and that you rest in peace. We LOVE you!!<br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-23124191630361835652016-02-01T07:07:00.002-06:002016-02-01T07:07:57.145-06:00Yoga: Resting In Your Own True NatureBy: Kyle Leia Heyesen<br />
<br />
“When you are in a state of yoga, or wholeness, you rest in your own true nature” ~Judith Lasater, <i>Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life<br />
</i><br />
The meaning of yoga is to yoke or unite. The practice of yoga is designed to help us become united in mind, body and spirit. Entering into a state of yoga brings us into our wholeness and here we rest in our own true nature. Our true nature is one of peace, love, truth, light and clarity. This, the yogis teach, is a remembering, a homecoming, a returning to what has always existed within us. This is a place where our egos begin to dissolve, comparison to others as lesser or greater than us fades as a fog burned away by sunlight and we see the incredible beauty in humanity’s differences. Judgment of self and others, the “shoulds”, the “if onlys”, the when this happens, when that happened….the grasping for something to be different, for something outside of ourselves to bring us happiness, fulfillment, contentment - all of this washed away by the breath flowing in and out, undulating like waves, drawing us back to our true selves, pulling us back into the present moment, realizing that this moment is all we have and we can experience peace, calm and contentment as it is always available to us. Even if it is below the surface of our current circumstances, even if there is difficulty and pain – we learn how to bear anything we face allowing a sea of grace to carry us through so that we may respond skillfully. We learn to become a witness to our thoughts and emotions, taking pause, allowing for space and responding instead of reacting by default. Yoga is an act of love and self-care. Yoga is the realization that the only perfection that exists is being perfectly where we are at, in this moment, humbled by our humanness and personal limitations, by the fact that no one has ever lived a perfect life – so we practice yoga, our mat a sacred laboratory, where we reconnect with ourselves within the confines of our bodies, and know we do not strive for a perfect pose, for no one has ever accomplished a perfect pose, but rather we begin to know ourselves more deeply, practice being present in our bodies and for all the experiences of life; and, from this place transformation is possible. We reach our full potential as human beings and experience greater wellbeing and aliveness in our moment to moment existence. <br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-56490678091295266562016-01-18T12:24:00.001-06:002016-01-18T12:24:02.373-06:00AWAKEN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3TXKh3u8j3McET1428hyphenhyphenUe2KgKF_huy9brQWs8JhheZWkfS4I2unGkU9czQKpm3lUL6yEtpZm48jqCf4mHCTUwlcWf93J0cNMx-GHSY_TkeVqlmbB_hpxWy14p3pnDdkUh0s3cuyLyM/s1600/Awaken.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3TXKh3u8j3McET1428hyphenhyphenUe2KgKF_huy9brQWs8JhheZWkfS4I2unGkU9czQKpm3lUL6yEtpZm48jqCf4mHCTUwlcWf93J0cNMx-GHSY_TkeVqlmbB_hpxWy14p3pnDdkUh0s3cuyLyM/s320/Awaken.jpg" /></a>Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-66599013211494850122016-01-18T12:21:00.001-06:002016-01-18T12:21:52.288-06:00Walk Across Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yAnvy6VBUZ6mxcqWP0j8TpmLa0T5uyW8wIye8sXYoqoTR83d5p98guFnYBtUzNn-burvbWYDXvDtXgLMRsdNDwYTg33_JZfco-BBTIid_Te0kwfnkekTqu2SwrKF9Sguw4XAf5NHJK0/s1600/Lake+Superior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yAnvy6VBUZ6mxcqWP0j8TpmLa0T5uyW8wIye8sXYoqoTR83d5p98guFnYBtUzNn-burvbWYDXvDtXgLMRsdNDwYTg33_JZfco-BBTIid_Te0kwfnkekTqu2SwrKF9Sguw4XAf5NHJK0/s320/Lake+Superior.jpg" /></a></div><br />
By: Kyle Leia Heyesen<br />
<br />
Lake Superior collides with winter, adjusts & inhales, holding herself steady within the season's frozen offering. Suspended for this moment. Changing form with the ever changing world, freezing in the places that make contact with what is before her, the armor needed to endure. We can exist like this too, gathering ourselves amidst the sometimes cold shoreline of circumstance, the rough edges of our lives....whatever we are up against, we can find the shape of our being expanded, shifting, transforming! Isn't this a miracle, the ice only ever once exactly like today. There are small white rugged mountains and smooth stone colored valleys against a striking blue horizon filled with floating steamy clouds. See now how we can walk across the water like never before, how we are closer to the sky....Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-76379513412656223902015-01-13T11:49:00.000-06:002015-01-15T08:25:46.605-06:00AwakeningBy: Kyle (Elden) Heyesen<br />
<br />
It’s a new year. Filled with new possibility and resolutions galore! A concept I’ve been exploring and come back to over and over is that of being awake, awakening, waking up in our lives. I once came upon a line from an e.e. cummings poem that I was taken by: <i>Unbeing dead isn’t being alive!</i> Damn, he’s right. Just not being dead doesn’t make us truly alive, awake to what our lives hold possible for us. Too often we are on autopilot, disconnected from a greater purpose, blocking ourselves from our potential, deadened to the awareness of the simple, beautiful and both extraordinary and ordinary joy that is available in every moment of life. Another poem that speaks to this is from Rumi: The <i>breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you, Don't go back to sleep! You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep!</i> This has me pause, think about waking up, staying awake and asking for what I really want in my life.<br />
<br />
A little over a year ago I had a poem come to me which first unfolded as “The Million Ways to Avoid Awakening” focusing on the realization that although there are circumstances in all of our lives that are beyond our control, that may be difficult, unfortunate, and heartbreaking – when I’m really honest with myself many of the ways I haven’t realized some outcome, some success, some change I would like: I’m the one responsible. Yikes! Surprise! It’s on me!! There are a million excuses to not awaken, a million ways to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep, to turn away from possibility – even when there’s something you are being called to. Looking at awakening first asks the question, in what ways am I asleep in my life? Do I feel stressed and frustrated, am I full of anger and un-forgiveness towards somebody, do I keep gaining weight, am I drinking too much, watching too much TV, when was the last time I was truly filled with joy and gratitude? Awakening doesn’t necessarily have to be something dramatic, although it can be. It can be simply choosing to take a walk, practice yoga, hit the gym, meditate, pray, or read a good book instead of watching the 5th episode in a row of that addicting Netflix series you’re into. Doing something that brings you into full contact with your life, brings a deep sense of fulfillment and opens up joy within. But, maybe this is something bolder like leaving that job you hate, the relationship that isn’t working, writing that book, training for that marathon, taking that trip, taking a leap in your life towards something big you’ve always dreamed of. Awakening can take so many forms. <br />
<br />
So, this poem that began in its first rough draft as the ways I avoid awakening, turned into just Awakening….first journeying through the experience of how I am the one that turns away from or avoids awakening, I’m the one that delays joy in my own life….and then moves into the experience of awakening…<br />
<br />
I want to note that in this poem, in the incredible experience of being awake, and connecting with a deep sense of joy, it may seem abrupt and crude that I have this take place amidst ice covered sidewalks, piles of frozen dog shit (yikes she swears), and wind-chill….but, this is the reality of our human experience. We will always have difficulty, struggle, frustration, and nasty aspects of life…..However, it is fully possible to recognize and experience being awake and filled with joy even alongside that. The light with the dark! Whatever your spiritual beliefs, or religious convictions - it is my experience and understanding that awakening & being filled with joy in this way is the outcome of being in relationship with God!<br />
<br />
<b>Awaking </b><br />
<br />
When you are called to awaken<br />
sometimes, sometimes you turn your gaze away<br />
you do not go.<br />
<br />
The dawn break daylight fills your room<br />
opens possibility, unfurls promise <br />
the birds sing and sing you <br />
awake, but<br />
the sun strains your eyes<br />
you shut the windows <br />
draw the shades, pull the covers<br />
over your head, go back to sleep.<br />
<br />
When you are invited to awaken<br />
sometimes, sometimes <br />
the alarm does sound but <br />
you <br />
shut it off<br />
roll over<br />
drift back to sleep underneath<br />
the dark heavy lids of your <br />
own eyes. <br />
<br />
What if today were different,<br />
what if this is the moment to awaken<br />
what if you don't delay joy<br />
like a child tearing into a present,<br />
in fury and gladness<br />
the gift of their desire shining<br />
and revealed<br />
so much is possible<br />
tear into your precious life.<br />
<br />
Awaken<br />
press play<br />
push down on that button, the arrow<br />
pointing in the direction forward,<br />
break silence<br />
the click, the hum, the music<br />
of joy coming in on surround sound<br />
and find yourself dancing everywhere,<br />
even on ice covered sidewalks<br />
and around frozen piles of dog shit in<br />
twenty-five below wind-chill<br />
the music of joy IS coming in <br />
on surround sound.Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-91714772323457133632013-10-07T09:44:00.000-05:002013-10-07T09:44:06.602-05:00Wildflower LoveBy: Kyle Elden<br />
<br />
Love, the untamable <br />
the greatest wildflower <br />
of the human heart <br />
springs forth unexpected<br />
sometimes a bit crooked and tattered but<br />
beautiful burst of vibrant yellow, flame of orange petals<br />
open, and open and open, day after day<br />
again and again, and comes <br />
year after year after year <br />
responding after darkness<br />
touched <br />
by the light, by the world, by the tender <br />
truest love of another<br />
<br />
To wed does not tame love<br />
does not keep it in its place<br />
does not shape or manicure<br />
some type of perfect species<br />
of color, of petal, of unwavering <br />
happily ever after, or endless summer<br />
<br />
To wed is a promise<br />
to remember this seed, this love <br />
the greatest wildflower of your hearts <br />
that has sprung up<br />
and learn to open, to return, to arrive<br />
for one another<br />
day after day, again and again, year after year<br />
allow yourselves to respond like this after darkness<br />
to be touched by the light, by the world<br />
and by the tender truest love of one another<br />
<br />
Remember this unique and beautiful species <br />
of your love<br />
sprung up in this field of your life<br />
and adore the imperfect, but perfectly yours <br />
beautiful burst of vibrant yellow, flame of orange petals<br />
faces of one another<br />
for always<br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-86897932637136466252013-09-25T10:29:00.002-05:002013-09-26T15:41:54.899-05:00Waking Up By: Kyle Elden<br />
<br />
Do you ever run into the feeling that you aren’t reaching your potential? That perhaps there are some default habits or behaviors in your life that continue to keep you stuck in unhappiness? Or, that there is this <i>thing</i> in life that needs to change, a <i>step</i> you could take, this <i>something</i> you have to offer the world but you are too afraid or lazy or (fill in the blank)….Even if it’s just offering the world your best, most kind, most honest self each day, that’s a pretty spectacular existence. <br />
<br />
I’ve been reading a lot about HAPPINESS and reaffirming the reality that true happiness doesn’t come from anything external, but rather is a conscious choice to realize the million ways life is good every moment of every day in spite of difficulty and imperfection. That happiness doesn’t magically just show up, come for good, unpack all the party bags, turn up the bumpin’ music, and roll out the red carpet in your living room so you can trot along your life with fanfare knowing you are awesome, sexy, lovable, perfect and finally, downright H-A-P-P-Y. It’s not a math equation: If/ when (X) happens, then (Y) = HAPPINESS! If I finally get the job, the house, have more money, get married, have a baby, lose weight. If, everyone else would be nice to me, realize how great I am, stop their crap. Then, I’ll be happy. <br />
<br />
Elbert Hubbard stated “Happiness is a habit - cultivate it!” Shawn Achor, a leading researcher and renowned speaker in the field of Positive Psychology and author of <i>The Happiness Advantage </i>indicates that “[It’s] the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. And if we can change the lens,” we then change our experience of happiness, or lack thereof, you also change the outcome for greater success (personally and professionally). So, how you choose to perceive a situation coupled with practicing happiness can turn you into a happy-heavy weight lifting happiness champ.<br />
<br />
Life isn’t perfect. It’s messy, confusing, presents daily troubles, difficulties, and things/people/emotions to manage. I was just reminded of a quote I found in Elizabeth Lesser’s book <i>Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow</i>, she refers to one of her favorites by Wavy Gravy a clown-activist, “We’re all bozo’s on the bus, so we might as well sit back and enjoy the ride.” I love this because it points to the fact that we are all imperfect and once we just come to terms with that and realize we are all bozos we can be a little less hard on ourselves and one another, be honest about our imperfections and find a little humor, or “enjoy the ride” of life a bit more. <br />
<br />
In order to find the humor, enjoy the ride and allow happiness to become manifest in your day to day life, you must be able to stare at yourself in the mirror before you pluck those dark ugly chin hairs, apply the concealer on the dark circles under your eyes, and be honest with yourself about your imperfections. Be truthful about the ways you just might be the one responsible for your happiness, or lack thereof. Look at the ways you are invited into living your life awake, becoming happier, accomplishing the things you dream about and know you are capable of. <br />
<br />
I wrote this poem as a reminder to myself about the million ways I avoid my own awakening. Maybe it’s just about being more mindful when it comes to spending, saving and paying down debt. Maybe it comes down to making exercise, eating well and self-care a priority. Maybe it is related to being positive and practicing gratitude. Or maybe it’s something bigger, a huge leap of faith into unknown territory like trying to get published, or look for a new job, or move away, or leave an unhealthy relationship, or, or, or….Typically in life, when there is a problem or an opportunity, I usually only have myself to blame for avoiding the change necessary to fix it or not taking the step needed to capitalize on my potential.<br />
<br />
<b>The Million Ways to Avoid Awakening</b><br />
<br />
When you are called to something<br />
sometimes, sometimes<br />
you do not want to go.<br />
<br />
The sunlight fills your room<br />
in the dawn break shattering<br />
of light that strains your eyes<br />
and the birds sing and sing you <br />
awake, but<br />
you<br />
shut the windows<br />
you <br />
draw the shades, pull the covers<br />
over your head, go back to sleep.<br />
<br />
When you set yourself to awaken<br />
sometimes, sometimes <br />
the alarm does sound but <br />
you <br />
shut it off<br />
roll over<br />
drift back to sleep underneath<br />
the dark heavy lids of your <br />
own eyes.<br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-85371777771878682992013-03-12T09:04:00.003-05:002013-03-12T09:04:22.332-05:00The PromiseBy: Jane Hirshfield <br />
<br />
Stay, I said <br />
to the cut flowers. <br />
They bowed <br />
their heads lower.<br />
<br />
<br />
Stay, I said to the spider, <br />
who fled.<br />
<br />
<br />
Stay, leaf. <br />
It reddened, <br />
embarrassed for me and itself.<br />
<br />
<br />
Stay, I said to my body. <br />
It sat as a dog does, <br />
obedient for a moment, <br />
soon starting to tremble.<br />
<br />
<br />
Stay, to the earth <br />
of riverine valley meadows, <br />
of fossiled escarpments, <br />
of limestone and sandstone. <br />
It looked back <br />
with a changing expression, in silence.<br />
<br />
<br />
Stay, I said to my loves. <br />
Each answered, <br />
Always.<br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-18486097044107223612013-02-14T13:42:00.005-06:002013-02-14T13:42:57.280-06:00What's in your heart? This comes from Rick Hanson, Ph.D., neuropsychologist, Affiliate of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and invited lecturer at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard universities. [Reprinted from Just One Thing, New Harbinger, 2011]<br />
<br />
<b>The Practice <br />
<br />
Love<br />
</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Why? <br />
We all want to receive love. But maybe it comes in a form you don't want - perhaps someone offers romantic love but that's not what you're looking for-or it doesn't come at all. Then there is heartache and helpless¬ness; you can't make others love you if they won't.<br />
<br />
Definitely, do what you can to get the love you need. But the practice here is about expressing love, distinct from receiving it. When you focus on the love you give rather than the love you get, then you're at cause rather than at effect; you're the cue ball, not the eight ball - which supports your sense of efficacy and confidence, as well as your mood. And it's enlightened self-interest: the best way to get love is to give it; even if it's still not returned, your love will likely improve the relationship, and help calm any troubled waters.<br />
<br />
Sometimes people worry that being loving will make them vulnerable or drained. But actually, you can see in your own experience that love itself doesn't do this: it protects and nurtures you when you give it. While you're loving, don't you feel uplifted and stronger?<br />
<br />
That's because love is deep in human nature, literally woven into our DNA. As our ancestors evolved, the seeds of love in primates and hominids - such as mother-child attachment, pair bonding, communication skills, and teamwork - aided survival, so the genes that promoted these characteristics were passed on. A positive cycle developed: As "the village it takes to raise a child" evolved and grew stronger, the period of vulnerable childhood could become longer, so the brain evolved to become larger in order to make use of that longer childhood - and thereby developed more capacities for love. The brain has roughly tripled in size since hominids began making stone tools about 2.5 million years ago, and much of this new neural real estate is devoted to love and related capabilities.<br />
<br />
We need to give love to be healthy and whole. If you bottle up your love, you bottle up your whole being. Love is like water: it needs to flow; otherwise, it backs up on itself and gets stagnant and smelly. Look at the faces of some people who are very loving: they're beautiful, aren't they? Being loving heals old wounds inside and opens untapped reservoirs of energy and talent. It's also a profound path of awakening, playing a central role in all of the world's major religious traditions. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The world needs your love. Those you live with and work with need it, plus your family and friends, people near and far, and this whole battered planet. Never underestimate the ripples spreading out from just one loving word, thought, or deed! <br />
<br />
How?<br />
<br />
Love is as natural as breathing, yet like the breath, it can get constricted. Sometimes you may need to release it, strengthen it, and help it flow more freely with methods like these: <br />
<br />
Bring to mind the sense of being with people who care about you, and then open to feeling cared about. Let this feeling fill you, warming your heart, softening your face. Sink into this experience. It's okay if opposite thoughts arise (e.g., rejection); observe them for a moment, and then return to feeling cared about - which will warm up the neural circuits of being loving yourself. <br />
Sense into the area around your heart, and think of things that evoke heartfelt feelings, such as gratitude, compassion, or kindness. To bring harmony to the tiny changes in the interval between heartbeats, breathe so that your inhalations and exhalations are about the same length, since inhaling speeds up the heart rate and exhaling slows it down. The heart has more than a metaphorical link to love; the cardiovascular and nervous systems lace together in your body like lovers' fingers, and practices like these will nurture wholehearted well-being in you and greater warmth for others. <br />
Strengthen these loving feelings with soft thoughts toward others, such as I wish you well. May you not be in pain. May you be at peace. May you live with ease. If you feel upset with someone, you can include these reactions in your awareness while also extending loving thoughts like I'm angry with you and won't let you hurt me again - and I still hope you find true happiness, and I still wish you well.<br />
There is a notion that being intentional about love makes it false or at least second-rate. But actually, loving at will is doubly loving: the love you find is authentic, and the effort to call it forth is deeply caring.<br />
<br />
To love is to have courage, whose root meaning comes from the word "heart." I've been in a lot of hairy situations in the mountains, yet I was a lot more scared just before I told my first real girlfriend that I loved her. It takes courage to give love that may not be returned, to love while knowing you'll inevitably be separated one day from everything you love, to go all in with love and hold nothing back. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sometimes I ask myself, Am I brave enough to love? Each day gives me, and gives you, many chances to love.<br />
<br />
<br />
If you choose just one thing from this book of practices, let it be love. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-24203702025704466792013-01-28T07:23:00.000-06:002013-01-28T07:23:39.807-06:00Orange Tiger LiliesPoem by Kyle Elden<br />
Art by Kate Whittaker<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOI6iDodO2Cbw2B2NuOAU7e2IKAaGTVhloiA7TUPULRXhqM3U0RDs0afCrCVjZ2Xo3TRT2YVgSNWnlQZe7k4YS_C7CdQwp0f5OfJwfQ-u7m8Gfn7vFtJdXbcm-2ktSVBnYcz7CNyB-i4/s1600/Orange+Tiger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="199" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOI6iDodO2Cbw2B2NuOAU7e2IKAaGTVhloiA7TUPULRXhqM3U0RDs0afCrCVjZ2Xo3TRT2YVgSNWnlQZe7k4YS_C7CdQwp0f5OfJwfQ-u7m8Gfn7vFtJdXbcm-2ktSVBnYcz7CNyB-i4/s320/Orange+Tiger.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-48521719507768804142012-11-23T13:31:00.001-06:002012-11-23T13:32:21.895-06:00Grace Intoxicated Book Release Reception<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzcO4ghIRSkS99TABQ2en1G-v4JX8_5JU0fmOPCcJkftK3Yl8JZ9bW8j8pwlD9OHv-fFLFYU3bpzKshJmFiz-eEYIc_9f4FR-BuTo9tQMmBJzYREQacorKnZX1DWcHRR6SQKij_ealE0/s1600/Lake+Ave+Promo+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzcO4ghIRSkS99TABQ2en1G-v4JX8_5JU0fmOPCcJkftK3Yl8JZ9bW8j8pwlD9OHv-fFLFYU3bpzKshJmFiz-eEYIc_9f4FR-BuTo9tQMmBJzYREQacorKnZX1DWcHRR6SQKij_ealE0/s320/Lake+Ave+Promo+Card.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-34552734616208934732012-10-08T13:41:00.001-05:002012-10-08T13:41:33.612-05:00Listening to the Koln ConcertBy: Robert Bly<br />
<i>from Eating the Honey of Words</i><br />
<br />
After we had loved each other intently, <br />
we heard notes tumble together, <br />
in late winter, and we heard ice <br />
falling from the ends of twigs. <br />
<br />
The notes abandon so much as they move. <br />
They are the food not eaten, the comfort <br />
not taken, the lies not spoken. <br />
The music is my attention to you. <br />
<br />
And when the music came again, <br />
late in the day, I saw tears in your eyes. <br />
I saw you turn your face away <br />
So that others would not see. <br />
<br />
When men and women come together, <br />
how much they have to abandon. Wrens <br />
make their nests of fancy threads <br />
and string ends, animals <br />
<br />
abandon all their money each year. <br />
What is it that men and women leave? <br />
Harder than wren's doing, they have <br />
to abandon their longing for the perfect. <br />
<br />
The inner nest not made by instinct <br />
will never be quite round, <br />
and each has to enter the nest <br />
made by the other imperfect bird.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-69917675819360971292012-09-11T09:56:00.001-05:002012-09-11T09:56:39.676-05:00Yoga Class on Park Point at LafayetteI will be offering a morning hatha/vinyasa yoga class at Lafayette on Park Point starting September 24th!<br />
<br />
Details:<br />
<br />
Dates - September 24 - November 26<br />
Day - Mondays<br />
Time - 6:15am-7:05am<br />
Cost - $100<br />
<br />
10 Total Sessions<br />
<br />
If you are interested contact me at eldenkyle@gmail.com or graceintoxicated@gmail.com and I will send you a registration form. Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-64998151289225036512012-09-11T09:52:00.001-05:002012-09-11T09:52:39.227-05:00IN THE TIME OF PEONY BLOSSOMINGBy: Robert Bly<br />
<br />
When I come near the red peony flower<br />
I tremble as water does near thunder,<br />
As the well does when the plates of earth move,<br />
Or the tree when fifty birds leave at once.<br />
<br />
The peony says that we have been given a gift,<br />
And it is not the gift of this world.<br />
Behind the leaves of the peony<br />
There is a world still darker, that feeds many.Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-35031990609490730842012-08-21T10:54:00.002-05:002012-08-21T10:54:32.429-05:00Happily Ever AfterBy: Kyle Elden<br />
<br />
When we hear the phrase “Happily Ever After” what typically comes to mind is finding the love of your life and living happily ever after just like the fairy tales depict. Oh the Cinderella complex, or the Grass is Always Greener complex how it can creep in and take over! I’m 32 years old, a single momma and a single woman. Last winter I was driving out for a snowy trail run with my friend Deb (also single at the time) and we were discussing how a few of our other friends had finally met the “one” and how happy for them we were. In the same breath though I lamented (half joking, half serious) “God, when will WE find OUR happily ever after!?!?!?!?” We both laughed and then began concocting the formation of our Happily Ever After Club – for single people who are happy being independent and single, aren’t looking to hook-up, but want to hang out and have fun together! We’ll go on trips, great runs, ski, out to eat, experience great music together, dance, bonfires, and on and on….we don’t NEED a partner to be happy and fulfilled! So, we followed through…invited other friends…over the months we had loads of fun! People came and went and came back again depending upon their relationship status. We made being single into a fun little joke of an exclusive club! <br />
<br />
Through this little silly but sweet Happily Ever After Club and taking a good look at life and relationships I saw how much dysfunctional weight we put on finding the “one” – that, and in addition, thinking we’ll find that true HAPPINESS when we do find the one, or get that house, or finally have a family, or the job, or become more awesome, or rich, or sexy or fill-in-the-blank!!! Weaving into this a deeper spiritual practice and grounding myself in the sacredness that runs through all of life – I was feeling sad about needing to let go of someone I love deeply because the love was not reciprocated in the way I deserve and thus unable to be actualized – and I awoke one morning with continued prayers for healing and peace – and I walked out to the beach behind my house….soft sand cold and wet with dew on my bare feet, the lake still, a dark mirror reflecting a majestic orange sunrise – my heart filled to the brim, bursting with gratitude – tears of joy rolling down my face…..This is IT, this is HAPPILY EVER AFTER, every single day I’m alive! Life is a miracle, we only get one life, only get to live each moment once! And having loved, even with a broken heart in the end….you know what I’m lucky that I loved, and that I feel – even pain! It hit me in the gut with gale force, knocked the wind of dis-contentment and false seeking right out of me! Yeah life can be rough and tough, downright sad and heartbreaking – yeah, it’s okay to want certain things – to grow and create the life you desire! But God Almighty, if you don’t know that this IS happily ever after – that each day you wake up and open your eyes to see the beauty (and the ugliness both) that surround you, to look at your little daughter’s face and even fight with her about brushing her teeth and snarly hair, each day you walk across the floor to take a pee, that you can pee, that you can breathe – I mean breathe you are ALIVE! Holy moly, if I don’t know this – I mean let it really sink in and realize how absolutely blessed I am – well I’ll still be unhappy and discontent even with the “one” and the house and the great job and the blah, blah, blah blah! It is only thorough knowing this that we can fully appreciate all life has to offer and never put so much weight on any one or various external things that we think can magically make everything perfect….because guess what, it already is!!<br />
Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-7705151645239332832012-08-08T15:35:00.001-05:002012-08-08T15:35:18.909-05:00Don't Postpone JoyA friend of mine indicated that he'd seen a bumper sticker while at the parking lot at Mount Royal Fine Foods:<br />
<br />
<b>Don't Postpone Joy<i></i></b><br />
<br />
He stated that it made him think of me - awww, that was sweet :)<br />
<br />
What a beautiful suggestion to keep as a reminder of how precious and short life is. I have taken this into my heart and keep it in mind as I navigate through the waters of life. In any situation I ask myself if there's any way I am postponing the joy, peace and grace that is available to me....I find when I truly execute this and look honestly at myself and the situation, I can respond and move forward in a way that makes manifest the most joy possible.Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-25446223780160701272012-07-24T08:56:00.000-05:002012-07-24T08:56:11.112-05:00Half LifeBy: Stephen Levine<br />
from <i>Breaking the Drought</i><br />
<br />
We walk through half of our life<br />
as if it were a fever dream<br />
<br />
barely touching the ground<br />
<br />
our eyes half open<br />
our heart half closed.<br />
<br />
Not half knowing who we are <br />
we watch the ghost of us drift <br />
from room to room<br />
through friends and lovers<br />
never quite as real as advertised.<br />
<br />
Not saying half we mean<br />
or meaning half we say<br />
we dream ourselves<br />
from birth to birth<br />
seeking the true self.<br />
<br />
Until the fever breaks<br />
and the heart can not abide<br />
a moment longer<br />
as the rest of us awakens,<br />
summoned from the dream,<br />
not half caring for anything but love.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-42699106446043743592012-07-17T15:29:00.000-05:002012-07-17T15:29:11.839-05:00SeedBy: Henry David Thoreau<br />
<br />
Though I do not believe<br />
that a plant will spring up<br />
where no seed has been,<br />
I have great faith in a seed.<br />
Convince me that you have a seed there,<br />
and I am prepared to expect wonders.Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-68830967836977931622012-07-12T08:51:00.003-05:002012-07-12T08:51:59.164-05:00Morning Yoga in Leif Erickson Park!<br />
Wednesdays, July 18th - September 19th (10 weeks) <br />
<br />
6:15AM-7:05AM <br />
<br />
<br />
Back by popular demand, our Hatha/Vinyassa style yoga class designed for runners and triathletes! Once again the class will be led by Kyle Elden, RYT. The class will incorporate tennis ball work for fascia release and focus on abdominal strengthening. We will especially focus on common muscles used by runners and cyclists.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The summer session will meet in Leif Erickson Park behind Duluth Running Co.<br />
<br />
Dates: Wednesday, July 18-Wednesday, Sept. 19<br />
Times: 6:15AM-7:05AM<br />
Cost: $100.00<br />
Must pre-register for all 10 weeks.<br />
Space is limited to 40 members.<br />
<br />
All class members must bring their own mat. Yoga mats are available for purchase at Duluth Running Co. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3059132949"><br />
Register HERE!</a><br />
<br />
Registration is also available at Duluth Running Co.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If you have any questions, please contact Kyle at k_elden@yahoo.com or call 218-341-6115<br />Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-6189490719318361872012-07-10T15:38:00.000-05:002012-07-10T15:39:17.999-05:00Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknic4Wu-cMiI0C0h1zDD_2jVX1v4S-cS3XI8CyJ-NyCh_UFV0eHcTLnUagVLtcI8G-dI9_YXNnaPAb5hUf9dASjwFYE93D9Z3iEye4wt6OtFgm7l8km7wfJ0mFY_ZeIHmxRcNJdqPEyQ/s1600/fire+poem+and+image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknic4Wu-cMiI0C0h1zDD_2jVX1v4S-cS3XI8CyJ-NyCh_UFV0eHcTLnUagVLtcI8G-dI9_YXNnaPAb5hUf9dASjwFYE93D9Z3iEye4wt6OtFgm7l8km7wfJ0mFY_ZeIHmxRcNJdqPEyQ/s320/fire+poem+and+image.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
This is an example of how my book will look collaborating with Kate Whittaker's beautiful paintings. Please visit her <a href="http://www.katewhittaker.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=17333&AKey=A2QTAE5R">website</a> <br />
Poem <i>Fire</i> By: Kyle Elden; Painting By: Kate WhittakerKyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-74076919189693418472012-07-10T06:12:00.000-05:002012-07-10T06:15:10.504-05:00By: Jane Hirshfield<br />
<br />
Past time, I threw the flowers out,<br />
washed out the cloudy vase.<br />
How easily the old clearness<br />
leapt, like a practiced tiger, back inside it.<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/44343204?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943502959379617151.post-46622851285412659512012-06-28T11:59:00.002-05:002012-06-28T11:59:41.008-05:00Kickstarter Campaign: HELP FUND MY BOOKMy Dear Friends & Supporters I am collaborating with Kate Whittaker to publish a collection of my poetry weaving throughout a tapestry of Kate’s beautiful paintings. The publication reading/reception will be mid-October. I have been awarded a grant through ARAC, but am in need of additional funds to support the publication so have started a Kickstarter campaign. Any support you are able to offer (even just $10) would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time and consideration :) Follow this link to support:<br />
<br />
<a href=" http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1719227528/grace-intoxicated"><br />
Kickstarter LINK</a>Kyle Elden Heyesenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16406830408000865075noreply@blogger.com0