These are some photos of a few favorite places where I have found strength and beauty. I would like to share them with you.
My friend, Harriet, introduced me to this wonderful place, SHREE MUKTANANDA ASHRAM, South Fallsburg, New York, when I lived in Connecticut. We spent some rare moments there, along with other seekers, doing Siddha Yoga meditaton, chanting, contemplating, and learning to increase our awareness of the sacred aspects of our lives. This was not the beginning of my spiritual journey, but it was an experience of expansion. I later took my son, John (who was suffering from Cancer), to introduce him to Siddha Yoga, the Ashram and Gurumayi Chidvilasananda. I live in Missouri now and am too far away to visit that peaceful place but it will forever be in my heart. The sign above John and me, in the picture, says "see God in each other."
This is a photo I took while on a drive through the woodsy roads of Connecticut in early autumn. I didn't find the hills and curvy river roads there that are here in Missouri, but the topography there can be breathtaking, especially in the fall.
This is a picture of two men dancing at a POW- WOW. I know them both. After returning to Missouri, the state of my birth, I began to seek out places where I could connect with my Cherokee heritage. There is an organization in Springfield, where I live, which is an intertribal group. We meet once a month to conduct business, have a meal (everyone bringing a dish), drumming, singing, and dancing. Once a year we have a POW-WOW, which is like an arts and crafts show with the drumming and dances added. I made my own shawl. I love this group of people. They are a good direction on my spiritual path.
This is a sunrise in Missouri, one like I can see every day from my sunroom. I love to look at the sky, especially sunrises and sunsets. Clouds and stormy skies are appealing too. Naturally, I have a lot of sky pictures.