Category: Meditation

What is it you plan to do with this one precious summer?

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Meditation, newsletter, Nutrition, Recipes

To paraphrase Mary Oliver’s poem, but the question is sincere. What is your plan for this one precious day? 

I have a very sick cat at the moment. My emotions have been volatile, as he is a most precious being, and I’ve had the privilege of having him in my life for 12 years. I’m leaning into each day with him, moments spent with him laying beside me, hearing his purr as I comb him. It’s these moments that truly matter. These, and holding my emotions tenderly as they shift and change.

THE SUMMER DAY

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean —
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down —
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

–Mary Oliver

While I began this newsletter on a more somber note, it also has many good things enclosed (including Mary Oliver!). I just completed and uploaded a brand new meditation on Insight Timer-Resting In Gentle Awareness. It’s FREE to listen to, no subscription needed. Also, what’s more delicious than avocados or mangoes? When they’re combined in a yummy chilled Avacado Mango Salsa. Recipe provided below!

I hope your day–and your summer–is filled with many good things. Naps and purring cats, good books and good food, floats down a river and sunsets over the ocean are a few things that come to mind.

In good health & wellness,
Claudia

P.S. My little labor of love (aka Made With Mantra Shop) on Etsy is having a summer sale. If you’re looking for thoughtful handmade gifts for loved ones, it would make my day if you dropped in for a visit.

The buttery avocado and sweet mango in this recipe provide healthy mono-unsaturated fats, fiber, and a high dose of vitamin C.

AVOCADO MANGO SALSA

  • 3 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can sweet corn, rinsed and drained
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 limes, juiced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 small jalapeño, minced and seeds removed **If you like it on the spicier side.**
  • salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy by the spoonful, or with your favorite crispy corn chips or raw vegetables.

Be The Light

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Meditation, newsletter, Recipes, Seasonal Yoga, Yoga

and blaze your own trail.

I will be the first to admit that lately the world seems to be becoming darker. Peace feels like a distant beacon of hope. I also know that one of the best ways to shift my doom and gloom is to get outside and walk, feel the breeze on my face, watch the leaves shimmer in the light, and listen to the sounds of the larger world around me.

Fall is a beautiful transitional season. It reminds me to let go of things I can’t control, and to count my blessings. I also get to dive into my cozy fleece hoodies and joggers! The key for me is balance–when my thoughts get dark, I balance them with light. My hope is that this newsletter brings you some light also!

This October and November, the offerings include:

  • a delicious baked bean recipe, full of spice, heat (and yes, pumpkins!),
  • a yin yoga session focused on releasing tension in the upper body,
  • and, a guided Metta (Loving Kindness) meditation.

In closing, I leave you with words from the poet Tyler Knott Gregson:

Into the great darkness
when veils are thin
and we see handprints
pressing
on the curtain
between this life and the next,

I heard them
whisper

“If it is light
you seek
you must carry
your own
fire.”

Chipotle Pumpkin Baked Beans

  • 2 cups cooked cannellini beans
  • 1 1/2 C water
  • 1 1/2 C cooked cubed pumpkin or butternut squash
  • 1/4 C tomato paste
  • 2 small canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
  • 3 T brown sugar
  • 2 T molasses, maple syrup or date syrup
  • 2 T cider vinegar
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • ½ t cinnamon
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/4 t black pepper
  • 3 pepperettes, chopped (optional)
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 2 chopped shallots

Heat oven to 350 Farhenheit. Blend together pumpkin, water, tomato paste, chipotle pepper, brown sugar, molasses, cider vinegar, oregano, cinnamon, salt and black pepper into a smooth paste. Place beans, pepperettes (if using), carrot and shallots in a casserole dish. Sir in pumpkin mixture. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Makes four servings.
*** Source: IDEAFit.com

Heart Meditations

by Claudia Fountain, posted in kindness, Meditation

A few months ago, I began volunteering at the Humane Society of Central Oregon. I work primarily with the cats and kittens, providing socialization. I will also spend time walking through the dog kennels, offering treats and attention. The experience is heart breaking, but also very fulfilling. It’s about meeting the cats and dogs where they are (terrified, depressed, or coming out of their shells), and letting them know they are seen, touched (if they want it), and loved.

“Stay still, gentle one,
and stare into the shine.

You have within
all the warmth
you will ever need.”
–Tyler Knott Gregson

Sometimes I sit in meditation with a quote that initiates a resonance–feelings, sensations, images. I let them flow like leaves on a river. Repeating the words periodically, until the water runs clear. Other times, I meditate on the heart. Try closing your eyes, and bringing your attention to the center of your chest. Breathe in, breathe out. What do you feel, hear, or “see”?

“At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love.” 
–Martin Luther King, Jr.

This month, let’s be gentle with ourselves. Spread kindness, or love–like sowing seeds. 

In peace,
Claudia 

P.S. My latest exercise video of the month is out: Top 4 Chest Stretches

RADICAL GIFTING

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Meditation, newsletter

This month’s newsletter is short and sweet. The holidays can often feel like a burden, filled with conflicting messages–do more, spend more, be more. It can also be a very difficult time for those who are alone, or have lost loved ones. My wish this year is for us share the (radical) gift of love, time, presence, and attention. 

This is also the perfect time to practice LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATION. Loving kindness is offered towards oneself, loved ones, your neighbors, even the stranger standing in line in front of you. Whether it’s for one minute, or 10 minutes, silently repeat 3-4 of the following phrases (or ones that hold meaning for you) directed towards yourself, a loved one, or all beings:

  • May I/you/we be happy 
  • May I/you/we be peaceful
  • May I/you/we be well
  • May I/you/we live with ease
  • May I/you/we find deep joy
  • May I/you/we be free of pain
  • May I/you/we be free from harm
  • May I/you/we be free of suffering
  • May I/you/we feel safe

If you’ve never practiced Loving Kindness Meditation, or would like to do a guided version of it, I have one on my Arketa On-Demand Video page that you can watch for free. Find it HERE.

In closing, please find below my modified teaching schedule for the rest of 2022. I will be taking a holiday break, in preparation for flowing into 2023. I look forward to seeing you in the new year!

🙏🏼🙏🏻🙏🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿 OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTI 🙏🏿🙏🏾🙏🏽🙏🙏🏻🙏🏼

HEADING INTO 2022 LIKE…

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Flexibility, Ganesha, Meditation, New Beginnings, newsletter, Nutrition, Yoga, Yoga Nidra

we have everything to gain–more peace, equanimity, strength, flexibility, adaptability, and increased wellness!  

I’ve put together a set of tools this month to help move us along these goals, beginning with a 10 DAY YOGA CHALLENGE. If you’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to begin a regular yoga routine, this might be it!  You will have 12 days to sample a variety of yogic practices from meditation and mindfulness, to guided breath practices and yin yoga. [FIND MORE INFO AND THE LINK HERE.] January also delivers a new exercise video that focuses on hip mobility, specifically targeting the hip adductors (inner thigh). [FIND THE VIDEO HERE.] And finally, if you have not tried Yoga Nidra yet, set aside 30 minutes for some deep rest. Find the guided Yoga Nidra For Deep Rest HERE. 🙏🏼

Please also find my teaching schedule HERE.  I continue to teach weekly Livestream Yin and Vinyasa classes. My VOD library of 90+ classes will be moving to a PRIVATE LINK very shortly. The price will remain the same ($18), and I add videos weekly.  If you are interested in subscribing, please drop me an email request!

In closing, I leave you with the mantra to GANESH. May he remove obstacles on your spiritual path, and ensure success in any new endeavors. 

OM GUM GANAPATAYEI NAMAHA!

P.S. This month’s healthy recipe:

BRUSSELS SPROUTS HAZELNUT SLAW

Cruciferous vegetables (think Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, broccoli, bok choy) contain consistently high amounts of vitamin K.  Vitamin K may be involved in inhibiting narrowing (calcification process) of blood vessels.  A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition discovered that higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables (at least 45 grams daily) can decrease buildup of deposits on artery walls in older women. 

3/4 lb Brussels sprouts, shredded
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 pear, thinly sliced
2 scallions (green onion), thinly sliced
3 oz prosciutto, chopped
1/2 C pomegranate seeds or 1/3 C dried cherries
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 orange
2 T maple syrup
1/4 C hazelnuts
2 t Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

In a large bowl, toss together Brussels sprouts, carrot, pear, scallion, prosciutto, and pomegranate seeds or dried cherries. Place olive oil, orange juice, maple syrup, hazelnuts, mustard, garlic, and a couple of pinches each of salt and pepper in a blender container and blend until slightly chunky. Toss dressing with slaw. Makes six servings.
**Source: IdeaFit.com**

Let’s Get Fresh!

by Claudia Fountain, posted in etsy, Meditation, Recipes, Yoga

Springtime is all about renewal, growth, fertility, and …. blossoming!

This past weekend was spent getting ready for a new season in the backyard–emptying out the winter water from the pond, plugging the fountain pump back in, cleaning out dead ornamental grasses, pruning my blueberry bushes, and discovering the first push of new iris greens coming up. The air was so fresh, the sun warm on my shoulders. Spring this year feels so different from last year, the urge to go outside being stronger than ever.  And, after over 12 months of “sheltering”, I feel like a she-bear emerging from her den–ready to expand and move, explore and grow.

This month I’m excited to share some new things with you!

  • New class on Tuesdays – Yin Yoga, 8:00-9:00am PDST

“We don’t use our body to get into a pose, we use the pose to get into our body.” -Bernie Clark  Yin yoga is a quiet, slow, contemplative practice; its essence is yielding. Poses are held for longer periods of time so that you–the student–may go deeper. Props are highly suggested: mat, blanket(s), bolster, blocks, and strap.

Register at:  https://moxie.xyz/claudiafountain
Cost: $10 drop-in, or $54 for a 6-class package

  • New meditation offering: My Morning Meditation 6 – Four Elements

In this session we connect with and explore the Four Elements—earth, water, fire and air. These four elements can be experienced and observed within the living body, and are doorways into resting in the present moment. Earth is our foundational ground; water holds our fluid emotions, intuition, and is an essential element of life; fire is the creative life force; while air connects us to the universal life force.

Find it here:  https://vimeo.com/502383760
Cost:  FREE!

  • A quick 3-minute core conditioning sequence. Depending on the comfort of your wrists, this can be done with blocks (easier on the wrists) or without.

Find it here: https://vimeo.com/533736863
Cost:  FREE!

  • And, finally, I have added some fun NEW gemstone bracelets to my little shop on Etsy – Made With Mantra.  Colorful, fun, designed to stack and share.  Choose the gemstone who’s energy most resonates for you!  

In closing, I wish you many new adventures, time spent on self-care (…may I suggest yoga?) and sharing/spreading love, and good eats!

Lay a little loving on yourself…

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Mantra, Meditation, Online Offerings, Self Care, Yoga

There is a community of the spirit.
Join it, and feel the delight
of walking in the noisy street,
and being the noise.

Drink all your passion,
and be a disgrace.

Close both eyes
to see with the other eye.

Open your hands,
if you want to be held.

Sit down in this circle.
–Rumi


I can only speak for myself, but I feel… lighter, hopeful, as though there is room to breath again. As Emily Dickinson said it, “Hope” is the thing with feathers – that perches in the soul – and sings the tune without the words – and never stops – at all.” 

I have a row of seedling pots ensconced in the warmest/sunniest place in the house (the bathroom!). They are just starting to sprout–the first seedlings are Bristlecone Pine, a very long, lived and hardy species of pine. The goal is to eventually shape them as Bonsai, a Japanese art form that takes patience, and daily mindful care.

My goals this month are two-fold. Just as I nurture and care for these seedlings, my first goal is to lovingly cultivate my creative pursuits.  Whether it is designing and making hand-knotted malas and jewelry, recording and creating new meditation videos, or launching my live-streaming class platform–I am creating and tending to my online presence in a slow and patient way.

My second goal this month is to acknowledge and hold my anxieties and doubts about this growth period with loving kindness and awareness. Success or failure–it’s the effort and presence that truly matter.  

My hope for you is that you lay a little loving on yourself. Spend time moving your body. Eat nourishing foods. Give yourself a little gift–just for you–whether it’s time with a good book, yoga, a piece of really good chocolate, or anything else that speaks to you.

The next installment in the series, “My Morning Meditation”, is up on Vimeo. This one is all about sound and mantra. Think of it as a 20 minute immersion in the sound of the Universe. If you have never used mantra, it is a nice introduction. As always, these are FREE. Find the meditation here: https://vimeo.com/504972237

In closing, I do hope to SEE you on the mat! My first virtual class offering on Moxie is Vinyasa Glow Flow, Wednesdays @ 12:00pm.  You can drop-in LIVE, which is a wonderful way to connect with other human souls.  Or, subscribe for monthly access to my VOD library. Live classes are recorded, and can be watched OD when it best suits your schedule. Right now, the monthly price is only $18. Register here: https://moxie.xyz/claudiafountain

LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU
May all beings have freedom and happiness; and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my life contribute in some way to that freedom and happiness.

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR…..

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Meditation, newsletter

Gratitude. 
        Connection.
                    Sharing.
                              Reaching out.
                                          Giving. (Look for my gifts to you below!) 
            
As I close out this extraordinary year, I made a pact with myself to remind myself daily to look for at least one thing for which I am grateful.  I use the word ‘extraordinary’ very deliberately to describe 2020.  Weird, bizarre, and unimaginable could also be inserted, but those would be limiting.  Extraordinary covers it all–the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to c r e a t e this year–from recording guided meditation videos, to making hand-knotted malas. 

I am completely grateful for the time to l e a r n new things–Zoom snafu management, remote fitness training, bluetooth microphones, and working with wire, crimp beads, and the plethora of adhesives for sealing knots and attaching stones to settings.  So much fun!

I am utterly grateful to my private clients who have continued to work with me remotely, sharing fitness, laughs, and my parade of cats wandering through our sessions.  

And, I have no adequate words for how grateful I am for my family and friends, staying safe and healthy.  

No doubt, it has been a trying year.  The key is to remind ourselves continuously of how much we DO have.  

May your holidays include love and cheer and connection.  See you in 2021!

SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM


P.S. My little gift for you–the third video in the “My Morning Meditation” series is up and waiting for you.  

My Morning Meditation 3: Breath Practice. Weaving body scan grounding, breath awareness, and a breath count practice (pranayam) into a seamless whole. In this session you will be guided into a 4-6-ct breath technique, including a brief pause at the top of the inhale and bottom of the exhale. This practice is designed to deepen your awareness of breath and body, and leave you feeling centered and calm.

All my videos are FREE to view and enjoy.  FIND THE MEDITATION HERE: https://vimeo.com/487036589 

P.S.S. My labor of love, “Made With Mantra Shop,” also holds a gift of 20% off on select malas and bracelets.  FIND MY SHOP HERE: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeWithMantraShop?

CHANGES

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Meditation, newsletter, Online Offerings

“Let’s plant a new tree, make a change
Need it for you and me, brighter days
Will come and you’ll see, make the change
Necessary for ordinary people”
–Ziggy Marley


I am in the mood to keep it simple and sweet. If there’s one take-away for me so far this year, it’s in the art of surrender and letting go. Has it been challenging? You bet. Surrendering is a continuous practice, and just like Mother Nature we shed, we grow, we shed, we grow. 

One of the best ways I know of to help in the process of surrendering is to meditate. The simple act of witnessing all that is happening inside, without judgement, is like seeing each leaf on a tree and watching it drop. Thoughts are simply thoughts. Feelings are just that. See them, feel them, witness them falling away.  

“An untroubled mind, no longer seeking
to consider what is right and what is wrong,
a mind beyond judgements,
watches and understands.”
–Buddha


The second session in My Morning Meditation Series is up and ready for you.  Find the link here: https://vimeo.com/477811884.  And, then join me on the meditation cushion!

OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI

Earth-Air-Water-Fire-Space

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Meditation, newsletter, Self Care, Uncategorized

Last week was spent wandering amid ferns and ancient redwoods, bathing in foggy mist and salty sea air, and meditating on the dancing flames of a campfire (mindfully and responsibly cared for). There was no cell reception, electronic distraction, or 24/7 news for the vast majority of the trip (thank goddess). For me, there is no better way to restore and replenish body, mind, and spirit than being in nature.

Walking as close to the earth as possible (bare feet, oh yes) is utterly grounding. Breathing the fresh air under a redwood canopy–deeply refreshing. Burbling water, crashing waves and salt spray–so cleansing (those fabulous negative ions, yes please). The deep, radiant warmth of a fire felt, sinking into bones and soothing the soul. Spending time watching the flames dance, and letting all else fall away–a recipe for clearing the mind and creating space to simply BE.

I believe, deep in my soul, this is how we were designed to live. Connected with all other beings, and to this beautiful blue planet that sustains us and supports us. During times of chaos it is imperative that we remember life is more than just our small selves. We are made of stardust, and to stardust we shall return.

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”― Nelson Henderson

I am in the midst of creating a meditation series that reflects what my meditation practice looks like. The first one is up and ready for you! (Find it here: https://vimeo.com/468731804) This first meditation is about learning to ground ourselves in the present moment through somatic body awareness. It is an invitation to rest, breath, and connect. Carve out 15 minutes in your day, find a space where you can be uninterrupted, plug in your ear phones, and drop in.

In closing, I wish you many, many opportunities for connection, grounding, and replenishment.