Elephant Journal Article by Stephanie Pappas, Codependent Yogi

Published today on the great yoga site for the latest blogs and articles…

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/01/reflections-of-a-codependent-yogi-an-introduction–stephanie-pappas/

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Elephant Journal Article by Stephanie Pappas, Codependent Yogi

Published today on the great yoga site for the latest blogs and articles…

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/01/reflections-of-a-codependent-yogi-an-introduction–stephanie-pappas/

Read Full Post »

Your Toes Look Like Little Cocktail Party Sausages

I wrote this in 2009 – three years before my mom died this past September…

She laughed. I can’t believe she actually laughed.

Getting my mom to laugh before her various illnesses and progressing state of vascular dementia was challenging. How odd. Now, she laughs more.

What a gift. Even if it is only once in a while, it is a gift.

Just for a moment her dark house with curtains on every window, lit up.

The other day I was helping her change her socks and shoes, or maybe I was putting on her comfy white slippers?? I don’t remember. Because of her congestive heart failure, sometimes her feet swell up. I looked at her feet and said to her in a straight voice, “your toes look like little cocktail party sausages!’

Well, she howled. Tears, snot, and drool streamed from her face. I was delighted.

This is something that I probably never would have said to her in the past. Maybe because the tone in her house was always so serious and a bit depressing. Or maybe because I never helped her put her shoes on before.

To me it seems that the bit of dementia that has set in has created a sort of “giddy forgetfulness” in her — as if she has always just had one glass of wine. It appears that she is happier now that she can’t think, or should I say “over-think” so much.

I bet we all could use a bit this type of forgetfulness. It seems her illness has brought her more into the present moment.

Who would have thunk it? Dementia = yoga.

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Dolphin Yoga in Tulum, MX

Stephanie Pappas and the Dolphin Healer Yogi

In 2001, I had an eye twitch for 3 months after the 9/11 event, and teaching yoga in a boys prison camp. The twitch was so annoying and it only went away when I ran vigorously on the canal path along the Delaware River.

So,  I went on a vacation to Tulum, MX  with my yoga friend John F. and swam with some amazing dolphins. It was his birthday gift to me.

I was so touched by their gentleness and compassion.

I cried like a baby at dinner afterwords. The Mayan waiter, Ramon, was really the manager at Zamas Restaurant on the beach, but was filling in that night because they were short-staffed. Ramon was understanding, and listened to my glassy-eyed dolphin tourist story of that day with a big smile and kind eyes.

One year later, on yet another Tulum vacation, I ended up getting shown a piece of property in Tulum town from that same Ramon, and buying it with cash over coffee! His uncle was the owner, and the mayor of the town.

And so goes the circular journey of magic in this life!

It seems that anything very significant that has every happened to me, I realize  has happened with little or no effort on my part.

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You’ve Been to Hell and Back. Welcome Back!

My good  friend Pattie wrote me this today. What a great phrase. She is my biggest fan, but maybe she should be a writer, too.

Yes, it is true. I have been to hell and back…hate to admit that, but it’s true. And who hasn’t in one way or another.

It is good to be back, though. And if hell comes again, I know that I can “unlike” it or “unfriend” it, like I do on in modern times facebook. Or simply be fully with it, and experience it like I have in the past. This juicy stuff of life never ends!

Sticky, and juicy.

Christmas 2011

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Protect Your Loving World – a Call to Women

By Stephanie Pappas
1/25/12
Hey Women. It is time to do something different. Put your comfort zone aside.

We intuitively know something is wrong in society and in this world
when we see pictures of starving children and animals with their
faces bashed in on facebook.

We know how to birth; literally and figuratively.

For the most part, our hearts know about love, and how to protect and
cultivate a loving atmosphere.

We love our men, and they can be so supportive, but our men also like war games, and weapons of destruction.

The fear/ego/power based part of their male brains is designed to create walls of protection for us.
However the walls close us off and make others wrong. They kill others they feel are wrong.

Fear and intellect overrides their hearts and they forget that true protection and safety is based on love and connection.
It is not their fault. It is their condition. I am not saying women don’t do this, but look at history and you will
factually see we created millions of times less suffering.

It is time that women step forward and put forth our truth based on our
innate goodness and loving feelings toward humanity. We can create
businesses that will grow the truth of connection, not separation.

We can feel and see that time is running out to help each other on this Earth.

What idea do you have brewing Ms.? It might take some planning and research, but
you have time. You KNOW it is worth it. What do you feel? What does your life stand for?

Instead of competing with other women for a man’s love and attention, support and connect with
one another to greatness and goodness.

To be continued…

Love, Stefani

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