Elvis Costello & The Police at the Hollywood Bowl

What could be better on a beautiful L.A. day, then heading to the Hollywood Bowl, picnic basket in hand with good company, ready to see a great line-up! Before entering, 3 women enjoyed Pinot Grigio while waiting for our 4th wheel - a husband - to join us.

We hoofed it to our box seats while Elvis sang his heart out onstage. The guy looks the same and his classics are awesome. We waited for "Pump it up" to get the audience really frenzied but alas that was not to happen. Sting came on for a duet of Alison which I thought was awesome.

When The Police came on stage - I let my hair down. I think I sang nearly every song, clapped to the beat, hollered and hooted and had so much fun, I wondered why I don't make it to more concerts. I was up and out of my seat, stomping my foot on the concrete, moving to the music - I felt like a kid again. No one seemed to care and the 18,000 in the audience made for an intimate setting (well, as far as concerts go!)

For the last 2 days, I've brought out all my Sting CDs and have been playing them non-stop. Too bad you can't hear me sing!

New World Fair- Drumming, Stone Balancing, Zen Garden & Labyrinth

This weekend, while I was feeling under the weather with a bad cold, the thought of staying home on a steamy hot day, just didn't sound very comforting or inspiring.

Who would think a long commute to the Pasadena Convention Center would be such an uplifiting experience when battling a sore throat, coughing, sneezing and lethargy?

I knew I was in the right place when I saw the Walking Labyrinth. Putting one foot in front of the other, I felt more calm, content and had a little more hootzpa. I love this form of mediation because the path is clear - there are no dead-ends or tricky, misleading turns. Sure the path winds back and forth and around, but if you pay attention, it is easy.

This lead me to the Zen Sand Tray. I've been familiar with the concept but not with the actual symbolism behind it. The patterns you create can help you understand more about yourself and your relationship to others. For example, rocks can represent land formations while sand may represent water. Or you are free to attach other meaning - choosing rocks to be representative of friends and family. The rake patterns are like water ripples affecting everything in its wake - showing an interconnectedness betweeen all things. It is said that the sand tray will quiet your mind. I found that I was drawn to raking a completely new pattern, erasing all before me - and although it may sound like I wasn't playing nicely in the sandbox, I felt calm knowing that life is about change - nothing stays that same - and soon the next person would rearrange my design just like waves over a sand castle. To me, that is the beauty of the Sand Tray.

The next type of meditation was Stone Balancing. I always admired stone stacking monuments in Hawaii but never knew what they meant. At the Fair, it was said that stone balancing teaches "spiritual qualities and the process itself is a metaphor for the way we live our lives...discover more about what balance is and how to achieve it." For me, I was drawn to selecting 6 large rocks and placing them front and center on the table. The rocks were not perfectly snug in their arrangement and there was a little wiggle when pushed on either side but still they stood strong. For me, this represented my family. I chose the big rocks because we are big people. I chose 6 because there are 6 members. It suprised me a little later on when I thought more about it, since my father passed away awhile ago. Without even thinking, he is still here and still very much alive in my mind. This was a very good exercise for me.

The next experience for me was a drumming circle. Boy was that FUN! There is a lot of joy in this acitivity and it sure gets any negative emotions out as you pound the drum. Soon there is only positive energy and a lot of smiling and laughing. I found I was a little timid at first but by the end, had lost my inhibitions and felt very happy.

This lead me to listening to the reggae band before heading home. I had a wonderful day - flopped on the bed, exhausted from stretching my physical limits with the cold/flu and feeling very gratified.

I'm always interested to hear comments from readers - and if any of you have thoughts or experiences regarding these various types of meditation, please feel free to write a comment.

Back from Mexico!

Boy, where did the time go?

This trip was filled with all sorts of fun and interesting activites, food, company and unfortunately, an accident of a family member that resulted in surgery and their curtailed vacation. All is ok...now..but boy, who would have imagined that?!?!

Water aerobics, kayaking, ping pong, shows, shopping and plenty of pool time were some of the activities. It was the first time my family and I experienced one of those bars that you can swim up to in the pool and partake in an icy cocktail. My choice was a pina colada - (forget about the 1000 calories - it's vacation!). We all learned the Spanish word for pool - "piscena" and splashed around daily - the kids had a great time playing together.

Champagne was delivered upon our arrival, the next day there was a plate of sweets, after that a bottle of tequila and many other pleasantly suprising deliveries to our room. Each day fresh towels were delivered and folded into various exotic shapes - swans, fans, an elephant head, etc.

The sun was relentless - I have never used so much sun screen and was vigilant with sunglasses, a hat and wearing a cover up. I still managed to get burned! Our family outing to the ruins of Tulum felt like a Mexican death march. I could not help myself - but I tuned out after the first 5 minutes of our tour guides explaination of the Mayans....lunch made up for the discomfort - a couple of cold cornonas, the best quacamole ever and yummy fresh grouper with a table side view of the amazing torquiose waters.

Now - jet lag and a mountain of laundry...

Off to Mexico!

Greetings from the Mexican lounge at LAX. Check-in and security was a breeze...which is a refreshing change from all the other airport experiences over the last 6 years! A restless sleep worrying that I would oversleep came to fruition...my alarm clock did not buzz and so when I felt the sun streaming in my bedroom - I knew I was late. 20 minutes later I was out the door and acted like one of the impatient LA drivers!

VACATION!

This is going to be awesome. I cashed in my miles for a first class seat and am already enjoying a first class experience. Time to explore the lounge and enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee!