Happy Friday loves!  This is one of my favorite all time quotes.  As I often ponder  long thoughts, it occurred to me that there really is a great need to incorporate this this mantra into my life.  If we were to truly 'live the questions now,' wouldn't our lives be blessed with deeper connection and richer purpose?  

As I was strolling down the street the other day I saw this heart in the middle of the sidewalk.  Had I not glanced down at that moment, I would've missed it.  Reflecting on this quote by Rilke and finding this heart, I can only surmise that the 'answer' ultimately becomes love.   

Love is a subtle friend who unconditionally accompanies us for this journey.  As we go through trials, as we grow our spirits, as we harness new experiences, the questions themselves become a compass for this journey.  The True North of this compass is love.  Love is always the answer.  

If we are raw with emotion, offer more love.  
If we are distraught about an outcome, offer more love.  
If we are hardened by an unthinkable experience, offer more love.  
If we are fearful and full of anxiety, offer more love.  
If we are in a state of bliss, offer more love.
If we are feeling disconnected and isolated, offer more love.  

Love is beneath our feet and streaming from our hearts.  Let this treasured friend softly guide us towards the ultimate answer: LOVE.

May You have a blessed weekend!
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

Happy Thankful Thursday!  Today I am ever so grateful for this group of souls who have become my friends, my Yoga tribe, and most importantly my teachers.  They think that I show up every Wednesday night to teach them, but they are the ones teaching me! 

We began our journey together almost 3 tax seasons ago.  The studio owner where I had most recently completed my Teacher Training suggested I connect with them as they were looking for a bit of relaxation during the trenches of tax season.  I excitedly met with the office manager and her co-worker and was giddy at the prospect of offering classes at their office.  We decided to move forward under the guise that it would only be 3 months tops...

And as they say, the rest is history.  This dynamic group has created such an amazing space to 'practice' Yoga in.  They show up each week to support and cheer each other on.  No matter what is going on in life, they are there for the events that matter.  Here are the 4 lessons that they continually teach me:

1. Show Up:  No matter who you are, no matter how you are- you can change, evolve, grow, stretch, shrink, create, and pretty much do anything else that you set your mind to if you have the guts to show up.  Showing up isn't always the most desirable task, but it is the most glorious.  Even if they have had a long tax day, a grueling project, or just a blah day, they come to their mats and do their work.  They remind me, "This is YOUR life, not a trial run!"

2. Celebrate:  If you are having a birthday, if you are celebrating an accomplishment, if you have had a joy in your life, celebrate it!  And there is a high probability that wine will accompany the celebration!  What are you waiting for?  Just the mere fact that you are breathing in and of itself is cause to celebrate.  And thank you dear friends for celebrating Sweetly Seeking turning 1.  Your cards and flowers touched my heart in such a sweet way!!!!!!

3. Support:  This group has created an amazing community of support for one another.  I am always in awe of their ability to step up and participate in life.  From rafting adventures, to weddings, to races, to baking-this group of souls offers true kindness and friendship!  I love to peak my eyes open at the end of class and see them all sitting in seated meditation.  The peace that I see on their faces is breathtaking.  As they offer support, they also receive support.  Support is so much about being able to give and receive.  

4. "It it doesn't challenge you it doesn't change you." ~Baron Baptiste
This is one of our favorite sayings in class.  Okay, it might just be mine at this point, but it's such a rich quote!  When I think back to our first class, it wasn't easy to show up for something new.  Bodies didn't twist as easily and naturally as once thought.  Breath was clumsy and movements were tiring.  As I reflect on this group now and the progress they have made, I feel like a mama bear watching her cubs leave the nest.  They make me proud to be a teacher and student of this amazing practice!  

As I think of our time together, I think of all the ways that they have enriched my life and have offered their support and kindness.  It is truly with a grateful heart that I say thank you to each and every one of you.  I offer my light and love to you always!

Anita, Tammy, Laurie, Missy, and Roger and Abbey (whose on another continent)- I love you all and am so grateful that the practice of Yoga has connected us in such a beautiful way.  

May you be happy.  
May you be free.
May you experience love.
May you be free.
May you be blessed.
May you be free.

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

"Confusion clouds the heart, but it also points the way."
~Trevor Hall, You Can't Rush Your Healing

Happy Wednesday beautiful hearts.  This musician's words are chalked full of wisdom.  You Can't Rush Your Healing blares on my iPad as I settle in to start my day. His raspy voice and moody chords soak into the emotions of my heart.  These words become the mediation of my heart.  

​Everyday you wake up and have the opportunity to start fresh, to free your mind, to explore your heart.  You enter these sacred spaces with kindness and compassion.  How can you sit with the wholeness of your life?  Every door that closed, every opportunity that was missed, every joy that was savored, every smile that was shared...these moments are your life.   How can you attend to the unfoldment of the journey?  Instead of labeling and pushing away the experiences of your life, can you simply be with them, witness them?  'Darkness has it's teaching...Love is never leaving...You can't rush your healing.'
​
His words continue to echo off the walls of my heart.  "Time is such a wonderful gift... you're not running out, you're really running in."  May the Divine pace of your life inspire you to trust, embrace and believe that 'love is never leaving.'

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
Sarah 

Happy Tuesday loves!  

A friend shared with me tonight that The Cleveland Museum of Art in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Arts in London have organized an exhibit, Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse.  This exhibit is on display now through Tuesday January 5, 2016.  The exhibit is dedicated to honoring the role of gardens in the paintings of Monet and his contemporaries.  Sounds like a fun road trip to me!  

As soon as I read the above quote, I was in love!  I have always been an admirer of Monet's work, but the the sentiments contained in his quote make my heart pitter patter.  

An artist naturally pays tribute to their muse- be it the strings of their instrument, the stroke of their brush, their pen to paper, the click of their shutter, the solitude of nature, the duality of their gaze, or the simple arrangement of foreground and background.  Life is always waiting to be captured in a brilliant manner.  
How thoughtful and dynamic that this revered artist paid tribute to his love of the natural world.  Had it not been for these gorgeous flowers, we might not know such beauty.  

It is my hope that this day inspires you to notice the landscape of your life.  Every speck comes into focus as you shift attention and begin to create the portrait of your life.  What inspires you?  Maybe begin creating space for this inspiration in your day to day life.  Have fun and keep your hearts curious!  

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

Happy Monday beautiful hearts!  I hope the weekend blessed your hearts in amazing ways.  As I was thinking about today's post, I stumbled across this quote by Shannon Alder.  Her words circled my heart like a crisp autumn breeze.  Soft.  Stirring.  Curious.  I couldn't help but feel inspired.  

Today it is my hope that you begin asking yourself what it is you are chasing?  Are you chasing after another person's attention?  Are you chasing after busyness?  Are you chasing after the past?  Or are you perhaps chasing after peace?  

What if today you rooted down into the Earth and felt the support of Mother Earth?  As you ground down, can you feel the energy of transformation pulsing beneath your feet?  Maybe today you simply notice what it is you are chasing...

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

Happy Friday beautiful friends!  Fall is in full tilt in North East Ohio.  This is hands down my favorite time of year!

I love the mornings as the Earth gently wakes up from a delicious slumber.  This  slumber nurtures and restores.  Can you feel the energy and aliveness of this day?  The cascading rays of light stream through trees.  And it is this light that welcomes us, and fills us.  Can you shine your heart bright like the sun?  Unending.  Unlimited.  Resilient.  Compassionate.  The last bit of color reflects a warmth leftover from summer's heat.  The breeze is cool and crisp- reminiscent of new beginnings and fresh starts.  Morning always causes me to pause and feel the aliveness and magic brewing.

What if today you simply paused and felt the support of the ground you walk upon?  Mother Earth and Father Sky.  This dynamic duo holding you in the energy of opposites.  Mother Earth grounding you.  Father Sky allowing your heart to take flight.  Send your dreams out into the autumn winds and let them be warmed by the glory rays of the sun.  

Today and everyday there is magic in the air...it just might be 'the start of everything.'

Wishing you all a beautiful and blessed weekend! 

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In gratitude, 
Sarah  

Happy Thankful Thursday my sweet friends!  I was working on a project yesterday that was very near and dear to my heart when my cell phone chimed in that I had a new message.  It was from my dear friend Patrick and it was the above quote from Robert Collier. I squealed with delight as I felt the magnetism of possibility.  Throughout the week, Patrick will send along an inspirational quote or message and it always seems like it arrives at precisely the right moment. 

I opened my email this morning and saw my inspirational message delivered from TUT- The Universe. Another dear friend Jim had shared this site with me and suggested I sign up for their positive daily messages.  As I clicked the message open, here's what the Universe had to share.:

Sarah, you want what you want because you know it's possible. If it wasn't, you wouldn't. This is powerful. Embrace it. For whatever else you believe or don't believe, this belief alone can take you the distance!
And what you want wants you, 
    The Universe

Another squeal of excitement at the very thought of these two similar messages.  I could feel the goosebumps traveling up and down my body!  If you were to dial into your deepest desires, your grandest wishes, your most exciting opportunities, what are they?  The very things that animate your dreams are there because they want you to believe in them.  'For whatever else you believe or don't believe, this belief alone can take you the distance.' 

Maybe there is fear surrounding the decision to act upon our desires- if you did, how would your world change?  Change can be an intimidating factor, but it can also be an amazing adventure.  Change offers us the chance to rise above our conditioned state into a world of possibilities.  

On this Thankful Thursday and everyday, may you create space in your life for all of your wildest dreams.  If you were to think of them as already in your possession, how would you construct your life?  Trust.  Nurture.  Explore.  Plan.  Feel.  Simplify.  Begin making space for your dreams to be your reality, because 'what you want wants you!"  Tap into the synchronistic possibilities of the Universe!

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah 

Happy Tuesday beautiful hearts!  Today I am SOOO proud and excited to announce that SweetlySeeking has be up and running for one year!  My smile is lit up like a Christmas tree and I'm totally doing a happy dance!!  This past year has been a realization of many dreams, of sweet adventures, and of lots of love.  SweetlySeeking has been a glorious space to share the musings of my heart.  It is my hope that for the reader, this has been a place of inspiration and curiosity.  Here are just a few of the inspirations from this past year.     

1. Be like a leaf: A leaf has so much intrinsic wisdom to offer us.  It follows the rhythm of nature and gently cascades to the Earth.  How is your journey like that of a leaf?  How can you be brilliant and yet yielding to the great energy of the Universe?

2. Magic: Meeting Stella has been an ultimate life highlight!  Holding this tender and tiny little life has brought renewed meaning and love into my life.  Can you feel the magic in your life?  Maybe your magic is in the form of a project or a new idea.  Be willing to nurture this magic.  Cultivate all your senses as you tend to the magic of your heart! 

3. Know where you stand: It's always good to look up, but how many times do you look down at the Earth?  Can you offer a moment of thanks for your unique place in this world?  Where you stand today is gently linking you to the steps of tomorrow.  

4. Looking Back:  Your life is propelling you forward.  The natural rhythms of life are inspiring you to dig deeper, to love more, to fear less.  Can you create your life in such a way that your anticipation of the future is much grander than your regrets of the past?  

5. Find Yourself:  Finding ourselves if a privilege.  To me, this is what the journey is all about.  Sweetly Seek my loves!!  At Rodney Yee's training he shared that there is a difference between a 'Labor of Love' and 'Have to.'  Why not make your life a 'Labor of Love?'  You don't have to do anything other than fall in love with your life.  Love the questions.  Love the sorrow as much as you seek joy.  Heal your heart.  Be made new.  Forgive.  

6. Quotes:  I often times find myself slipping away in the lines of quotes.  These gorgeous words weave together and animate the chambers of my heart.  Just as a musician feels, as a doctor heals, as a poet creates- I fall in love with the lyrical lines of life.  How can you use words to inspire your journey?  Do you have a favorite quote that you keep close to your heart?  

7. The Ocean:  There's something about the possibility of being a mermaid that intrigues me.  I know that I won't be Ariel anytime soon, but the majesty and grandness of the ocean allows me to reconnect and feel limitless.  Where do you connect to feel this quality?  Can you find this space and sit in wonder and awe?  Take it in.  Let it fill you.  Allow it to inspire your journey. 

8. LOVE:  This word hardly needs an introduction.  How do you describe the infinite measure of love?  How do you categorize its ability to allow you to feel?  Love prepares us to surrender.  As we become love's faithful companion we allow our lives to be transformed.  Where there was once fear, we now realize love.  How can you realize more love in your life?  Love for others...love for self.  It's all about compassion baby!

9. Yoga:  This practice has caused me to ask some of the most thoughtful questions of self.  How can I be vulnerable and strong at the same time?  It's not about the poses, it's about the practice.  This practice is thousands of years old, yet it's wisdom is still whispering to us in present day.  Yoga has taught me to be curious.  Yoga has asked that I explore the root of my physical, mental, and spiritual suffering.  Can you do the same?  

May this gorgeous day inspire your beautiful heart!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for tuning in to Sweetly Seeking!!  I hope that this next year is just as amazing.  Please feel free to leave any comments about topics you'd love to read a post about!!

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
Sarah 

Happy Monday beautiful hearts!  I hope that the Universe has been flooding you with blessings.  Doesn't it feel good to receive?  Doesn't it feel good to give?  A simple inhale becomes a profound invitation for the energy of the Universe to create a space of abundance in our physical bodies as well as our spiritual bodies.  An exhale then becomes a vessel of gratitude that we share with the world.    

Deepak Chopra's book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success was given to me many years ago by a dear friend.  As I was exploring my bookshelf last night, this well loved copy jumped off the shelf at me.  As I opened the book, I found myself opening to The Law of Giving.  This is the second spiritual law of success: "This law could also be called the Law of Giving and Receiving, because the Universe operates through dynamic exchange.  Nothing is static.  Your body is in dynamic and constant exchange with the body of the Universe; your mind is dynamically interacting with the mind of the cosmos your energy is an expression of cosmic energy."  

How can you practice this law today in your own life?  Many great spiritual teachers mastered this law by sharing knowledge and spreading love, by offering prayers and present moment awareness, by repeatedly coming back to their practice.  So often we think we have to 'give' someone a gift, but aren't the best gifts often intangible?  Perhaps today you will offer your attention, your love, your appreciation, your smile, your compassion to all that you come into contact with.  How can you touch another's heart today?  How can you touch your own heart?  

You can't help but receive when you are giving.  The more you share of yourself, the more the Universe echoes back with blessings.  Allow your movements to bless the Earth.  Allow your breath to fill your body with prana.  Allow your touch to be gentle and soft.  Allow your sight to be fixed on the horizon of compassion.  Allow your tastes to savored with gratitude.  

May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude, 
​Sarah