Do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans?

Happy Jazzfest ya'll!
Its hard to say these words, let alone think them, and not be there in person for the actual festival.  My world practically revolves around this magical occasion.  What is Jazzfest you might ask?  pfffttt ;)

Allow me to elaborate.  The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival, otherwise known as Jazzfest, is perhaps the greatest festival on the planet.  If you can show me another festival that has the food, the music, the people, the arts, the vibe, and the spirit of Jazzfest, I would be forever indebted to your graciousness.  This year marks the second time, since 1996, that I will not be attending the beloved festival.  It brings tears to my eyes to not be present for such a beautiful occasion.

The first time I missed this festival was two years ago, due to a departing relationship with my then girlfriend- the irony being I stayed in Montana to help support our relationship, only to watch it dissolve.  The reason I am missing it this year is obvious, as my physical condition is not necessarily conducive to "festing".  I see both of these reasons to miss the Festival as completely validated by the transformational opportunity that each one provided to enhance my life experience.  Both are essential to shaping who I am today.

The first day of Jazzfest is always my favorite day as everyone is beaming with happiness, the energy of the festival so alive, pulsing with a spirited vibration.  There are eleven different stages of various genres of music, three of them are tents featuring only Blues, Gospel, and Jazz.  The other eight stages make up a plethora of musical tastes, including Funk, Zydeco, Pop, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Rock, Latin, Dixie, just to name a few.  The golden rule of Jazzfest is- if you do not love what you are hearing then move to the next stage, because there is always something mind blowing going on.  Usually its not so much about what you saw, its about what you had to miss to see what you saw.

People of all colors, all sizes, all ages, and all walks of life find their way to a colorful festival that is sure to please even the grumpiest of folks.  The sense of community is overwhelming, especially considering 90,000 people can spend the day together dancing, celebrating, and enjoying the gift of life through music, food, and art.  I urge you all to make plans to attend this magnificent festival in your lifetime.

I could write for days about the beauty of the festival, so I'll leave it at what has already been spoken.  If you wish to tune in to the magic of Jazzfest, check out this link:  http://www.wwoz.org/programs/live+events/112141+new+orleans+jazz+and+heritage+festival (click on Listen Now tab in the upper left hand corner of the page).  WWOZ, the name of the radio station, will be broadcasting live all weekend.  Jazzfest happens over two weekends, so tune in, turn up your volume, and get down!  If you want to see/hear some late night action, look no further than Tipitinas for live webcasts!  http://www.tipitinas.com/content/webcast/

Speaking of getting down, I practiced some yoga tonight.  And I did my first down dog!!  I have been dreaming about this day for months now.  Even as I type these words, I am overwhelmed with joy!  I actually rolled over, completely ecstatic, laughing uncontrollably and letting out sounds I can't even begin to describe.  The closest I can identify these sounds with are the exact opposite sounds that I moaned immediately after smacking the tree.  In other words these sounds were tones of delight, bliss, and splendor.  I am so grateful for everything in my life; actually I am drenched with gratitude, like a frog swimming in a pond, and this blog is my lily pad.

I feel as if I have a new body when practicing yoga.  I'm not doing anything strenuous or invigorating, so to speak, gentle and restorative poses still dominate my sequence.  But throwing in a few cobras, headstands, and down dogs, makes me feel challenged, alive, and healed, respectively.  My sense of atonement with what is taking place in my body while practicing asanas is completely profound.  I can feel the subtle changes and shifts that I used to only be able to imagine.  Alignment is a subject that I not only understand, but envision in each and every pose.  This gift of awareness feels like a present straight from the heavens, though its been wrapped and delivered by all of the wonderful yoga teachers in my life.  I bow to both with tremendous gratitude and appreciation.

Last weekend I attended a Reiki Level One course.  So I am now certified to practice Reiki, mostly on myself, an ancient healing practice working with the intelligence of the body and the energy of life.  I am excited to take this new understanding to deeper levels, so I'll ideally be working towards a Level Two course in the near future.  I'm still amazed at the amount of talented healers, seekers, and wisdom in this corner of NW Montana.  We are all so blessed to be surrounded by incredibly beauty and to live in such a powerful community.  It's all happening!

Yeah, I just quoted "Almost Famous".  I'll leave you with another quote from that hilarious film, another favorite of mine:  "Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid."  Keep that in mind as you go throughout your life.  It certainly has worked for me.  Happy Jazzfest ya'll!