The Deep Meaning of Disney

Well, it's been another crazy trip.  Here I am with a hippo skull at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  I must admit I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. We made it through with only a moderate bout of stomach flu at the end-poor Lucy-I think we'll be able to make the plane tomorrow.  We had sun, blue sky, and about 70 degrees the whole time.  No travel drama really, but some big, unexpected crowds at Disney.  Economy be damned!

More than anything I've been struck by why my expectations were so low for this first trip to Disney with my girls.  I have tried hard to limit media exposure, to encourage "natural" play, to promote a love of the outdoors, and to cultivate the unfettered development of their imaginations through reading, art, and spontaneous experiences that don't need the facilitator of animation or other kidcentric media.  In fact, my one and only tv is in a corner covered by a cloth.  It appears only for special occasions.  I don't have cable.  Despite all this, I found myself having a good time at Disney and not falling into my typical cynical diatribe about the corruption of the Grimm fairy tales and commercialization of childhood-the co-opting and commodification of creativity, and so on....Folks, it costs $1000 for 4 people to experience Disney for 3 days!

Then I received an email from a friend who inspired me to come back and edit this post.  I emailed her that we were at Disney.  Her response was "That sounds fun...I've heard that's the happiest place on earth!"  and I looked at my girls and thought-"Wow...for them at this moment, it clearly is the happiest place on earth." ...and full of the magic they promise.  This trip was full of happiness in a very troubled time and that as it turns out, is worth quite a lot. There are parents all over the world that can't even conceive of a trip to Disney with their children.  This fact of poverty, lack of opportunity, and inequity is never lost on me.   I guess it's okay to live the fantasy for a few whimsical days if we never forget the reality and then work to seek change.

See you soon,

cw

Ganapati Project-Seeking Peace Offerings

Greetings Friends,

I hope this post finds you well.  Ganapati continues to unfold.  I have spiffy new business cards (will try to post here) and I have registered for a "wish list" on yogaaccessories.com.  Please check it out and feel free to gift the project something from the list if you feel so moved:

http://yogaaccessories.3dcartstores.com/

To log in, use my email: christinewolf@yahoo.com.  The password is Ganapati.  

We are planning a Ganapati hatch party for April.  Stay tuned for details.  We will be having a "baby shower" for the project.  So save and bring any gently used or new yoga props and supplies to donate, or check out the wish list above.  

As always, I am open to help or suggestions regarding Ganapati.  It occurs to me that opening up the project to be more inclusive of the wide range of healing arts may be in order.  If you have a skill other than yoga that would be in keeping with the spirit of Ganapati, please let me know.  We will also be in need of someone with skills in the non-profit arena, perhaps someone familiar with the 501c3 process.  Be well.......

Namaste,

cw

Grateful

I'm feeling grateful today.  

Sometimes as I wind my way through ideas I find the choices I have to make overwhelming.  A serious burden that I am unwilling to shoulder.  It's the thinking of a lazy mind.  I am searching for a new graduate program, searching for peace, searching for clothes that still fit my oldest daughter, searching for something all the time.  Today, feeling slower than usual-having a "true sabbath" kind of sunday, I've found a space for fresh air to blow out this stale, unproductive thinking.  I want to be grateful for where I am.  Not worried and busy, searching for things that yes, may help me somehow, may make a marginal improvement, but mostly it's just another thing I can cross off my list.  I was thinking of going to church today until I realized that this too was another something to cross off the TO DO list.  I can go to church right here on my Mac by taking the pause to reflect on a topic or idea, which is what going to church is really about.  Certainly this is true for us Unitarians.  We specialize in thinking about a lot of things and just thinking a lot.  Today I think I will think for myself on this self-guided tour of the topic of gratefulness.  Take my private spiritual pause to consider what I should show gratitude for.  With so much left undone in life, this can be hard to do. There seem to be so many reasons to be full of complaint, self righteousness, anger-a lot is simply out of our control.  But there are ways to make the best of it-wherever we are.  One way is turn the glass upside down.  Take thing thing that's most on your mind.  That issue that is bothering you.  Look at it long and hard and then flip it over.  Ask yourself why is it happening and then what good could come of it.  In this way I find I can almost be grateful for my problems.  I do have the capacity to learn from the hard stuff.  That alone sometimes is enough to be grateful for.

Vision Statement for the Ganapati Project

Ganapati Project*


The Ganapati Project is a peace movement which seeks to share the wisdom, healing power, and community that yoga offers with those who might otherwise experience barriers to the practice through gift classes taught by certified instructors at Milwaukee area non-profits.



*Ganapati or Ganesha is one of the most recognizable deities in Hinduism. Ganapati is most commonly known at the “remover of obstacles.”