Christine Lozano

“I believe that the thought that women together can change the world is emerging into the minds and hearts of many of us and that the vessel for personal and planetary evolution is the circle with a spiritual center.”

Jean Shinoda Bolen

My four friends and I have been meeting every solstice and equinox for almost twenty years to talk, to laugh, to eat together and to share our deepest concerns and our most wonderful stories. We talk about any and everything: deaths, births, marriages, divorces, relationships and the challenges they bring. Getting to know each other and our selves better after each circle.

We have been through a lot together. We feel happy when things are going well and are supportive when one of us is going through something difficult. We listen to the tale of one’s divorce, remarriage, and another painful separation. We hear about years of sobriety after many years of alcohol. We commiserate over tales of worrisome teenagers and ailing parents. We comfort each other during illnesses and crises. We tell stories of success and joy and highlight moments we are grateful for.

We light candles and sometimes grind corn in the stone bowl and bless all we have been given. We read poems and passages from books and articles that are meaningful to us. We give each other gifts and share food and offer encouragement and support. We have learned to love and accept each other for exactly who we are.

In her book, The Millionth Circle: How to Change Ourselves and The World, Jean Shinoda Bolen tells of women gathering together to help tip the scales toward understanding and wholeness and to shift the planetary consciousness to one of love and community. In solidarity and support our little circle underscores the importance of women getting together to celebrate all of life. (www.millionthcircle.org)

In listening to each other’s stories, never knowing what anyone should do, we laugh and talk and make gentle suggestions of what could be of help, something valuable we got from a book, a class, a video, a teacher, a practice or a diet. We are interested in what each of us have found out or experienced in the three months since we last were together.

We lead totally different lives but our intent is the same: to find as much joy in life as we can and to summon the strength and courage to get through hard times. In our quarterly circles we find appreciation for all the many gifts each season gives us. We are one of the world’s women’s circles that are changing our planet. We five are now in our 60s and 70s, still going strong, better friends than ever and grateful that the circle goes on.

In Simplicity

Simplicity

Christine LozanoDecember 13, 2017December 14, 2017Leave a comment

“The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past.” Marie Kondo

After 26 years of living in one home, moving was an excellent way to de-clutter but I really started the de-cluttering process years before. At first, as I tackled one closet and began to let go of stuff, it felt weird. But the more I did it the easier it became. I kept at it for months and then years and as each child left home it was the perfect opportunity to continue to simplify our house. As A and I got rid of unnecessary things our lifestyle became simpler to the point that now, taking care of our home is quickly done. With fewer belongings it is easier to put things in their proper places.

I was very inspired by Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the magnificently successful de-cluttering bible. In it she encourages us to keep only what we love. A herculean task no doubt but worth every effort. I have found that once I have only what I use and love, the dusting and cleaning is easy. It is a way to honor and appreciate the things I have surrounded myself with and our home glows in that airy and open space.

After our parents died and it was up to us to go through their belongings and clean out their garages and closets, under their beds and their dressers drawers, we woke up to the fact that this was a big, big chore that they avoided and so it fell to us. We decided we would not put our children through that so we have pared down our things to only the most personal, loved and useful. We found that in readying our life to move, grow and change we prepare, as best we can, for the unknown. By anticipating change we eliminated not just physical stuff but cleared space in our minds and hearts for new and exciting things to occur.

Getting rid of the old, unused and unloved items cleared the way for the new, fresh and surprising. We always knew we were going to move one day. Preparing for it months ahead was a very smart thing to do. In fact, I’m convinced that the getting-ready-to-move mindset is brilliant. After all, you can’t really know when you’re going to “move” so why not be ready.

We now live in a two-bedroom condo filled only with things we use and love. Our home is light and clean and pleasant to be in. We operate a home business and happily entertain our family and friends from this new, perfect place. Many wonderful things have happened since I cleared out that first closet so long ago.

I encourage everyone to simplify and see where it leads them.

In Health

Thank you, Louise Hay

Christine LozanoDecember 13, 2017December 13, 2017Leave a comment

“I am grateful for my healthy body. I love life.” Louise Hay

My early 20s were wild days of bad eating, excessive drinking, hormone taking and confused thinking. I was in a lackluster marriage, living a stressful life, unsure of how to really take care of myself. At this time I found a lump in my breast and was told by my doctor to immediately stop taking birth control pills and prepare myself for a biopsy. Within days I went through the nightmare of going to sleep in the hospital not knowing if I would wake up with one breast or two (this was 1972 and they didn’t give you a lot of options.) Luckily the lump was benign but this scary event was followed by the uncertainty of whether I was pregnant or not because stopping the pill “cold turkey” sent my body’s cycles into a crazy spiral. After the panic and insecurity of what was happening to me I began a journey to learn how to safeguard my health and to stay out of hospitals.

And here I am 45 years later, three home births under my belt and menopause behind me and I have successfully avoided hospitals and doctors’ offices. I do not get routine exams, mammograms or flu shots. And although I have experienced brief illnesses and used some over-the-counter meds, by and large I have allowed these ailments to come and go by trusting the wisdom and healing power of my body.

There were times when I worried and doubted myself but I read and studied, researched and experimented with ways to get healthy and stay well. Borrowing on the insights of dozens and dozens of people, I finally have found a lifestyle that works for me. I eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet, exercise moderately, breathe deeply, meditate occasionally, laugh often, practice kindness and so far, so good. I am 65 years young, active, fit and vibrant. I take no medications and visit no doctors. I take responsibility for my health and am always learning new ways to improve my chances of a long and healthy life.

One of my favorite authors is Louise L. Hay. Her quintessential book, You Can Heal Your Life, published in 1982, has been one of my “medical” text and new age guides for more than 30 years. In this amazing little book Louise lovingly and gently outlines why mental thoughts and patterns are responsible for most of the diseases in our bodies. She does not blame the victim and is definitely on our side as she brilliantly shines a light on why our unhealthy choices and negative thinking are at the root of many of our problems, and helps steer us into higher thoughts and actions. She is an inspiration to millions and created a hugely successful publishing company (Hay House) that offers dozens of beneficial books and tapes. YouTube also has many of her enlightening lectures and guided meditations.

In You Can Heal Your Life, Hay shares some of her personal story of abuse, neglect and illness and tells how she used affirmations, right actions and thoughts to turn her physical, emotional and spiritual selves around to radiate abundant life and health. Louise loves to say that we are each 100% responsible for all our experiences and we must be willing to learn to love ourselves, because when we genuinely love ourselves we can line up every thing in our lives to work for our abundance and wellbeing. It’s hard to be ill. Harder yet to criticize, condemn and belittle yourself. Louise Hay in her little rainbow book has given us tools to help us on our way to healing and transformation.

Just when I was looking for different answers to my personal health questions, Louise and her book were there for me. And decades later I still refer to her little book of aphorisms and continue to be inspired by her nuggets of wisdom.

Louise Hay died on August 30, 2017. She was 90 years young and passed peacefully in her sleep. A perfect last act in a life filled with grace and generosity. Thank you, Louise, for your insights and for sharing your wisdom and light.