the words inside…

Some days ago I was decluttering some things at home and found a little poem, which was written to me by canadian poet Daiva Friedmann.

In the early summer of 2023 I went out for a long walk in Copenhagen with my eldest daughter, Anouk, we went a lot of different places, mostly in my old neighbour Nørrebro, where I lived for many years.

My sweet daughter Anouk and I in the summersun at a café in Istedgade, Vesterbro, Copenhagen
At the café in Istedgade Vesterbro where we had some cold drinks at the desk: “Buy a poem & have one of our sweet editors reading it out loud”

After visiting several different places we went to the neighbourhood Nørrebro and had a walk at one of the most famous cemeteries in Denmark, “Assistens Kirkegården” in Copenhagen, founded the year of 1760. The cemetery is still in use, so everybody are aware of respecting grieving people but this place is also a place locals are using for walks, sunbathing and so much more. When I lived at Nørrebro I often used the cemetery as a leisure place, just 2 min from my apartment.

Famous danish poet Dan Turell and pens as a tribute from guest’ and fans visiting his grave

We passed by a young woman at a tiny little desk with an oldschool typingmaschine. Bebause we were talking me and my daughter we just passed by the woman and her desk, so it actually took some backwards steps to realize what she offered. She offered A written personal poem made in the present moment and you could give her a few words for inspiration or just let her write freely. What an opportunity.

Daiva Friedmann, www.poemlady.co/poems
By Daiva Friedmann to Anouk
By poet Daiva Friedmann to Aviaja

It was so lovely standing there in the warm summersun, enjoying my company of my lovely daughter, spontaneous recieving a poem, being very inspired and very touched. I felt myself and my own creativity through her work.

When my girls were much younger (small children) and me longing for expressing myself creatively while being a fulltime single mother I had to find a way to do something without leaving home. So I wrote poetry in the evening, in danish, the poetry was a door to my own creativity. Several of them were published, and I was recommended to write more poems and create a book by a well known publisher and editor.

Finding the above poem some days ago, inspired me once again to reconsider the poetry part of myself. Recently have I been reconnecting with my own creation of poetry and starting up again with new rough drafts of text pieces of new poetry. Perhaps I will share them here one day.

My lovely parker pen and a blank sheet

Retreat time

For the first time in many many years as a full time singlemother I soon have the possebility to take some time off on my own. No travelling, no courses or educations (I already follow one 7- week course for the moment, and have 2 mentors and an advisor following me), this time I will stay at home, alone (my cat will be around) and I will use my 7-10 days on a personal meditation retreat.

The intention of my retreat is to sit in silence, go inward, create a deeper connection with my soul and nurture my inner stillness. My days will be spent with meditation, talk with my spirits, yoga, walks in nature, silence and no talking or contact with other people, no social media, phones, wifi, tv and so on, eating healthy, study, rest, just solitude, except for our cat.

So I have some planning beforehand. Cleaning, grocery, meal prepping, laundry, perhaps buy some treats, so when my retreat start at home I can fully focus on my meditation.

I have made several meditation retreats different places in the world. I did a buddhistic one in France many years ago, 1 month of meditation in deep silence (supposed to be in silence, but I was not able to be silent a whole month “LOL” ), but I think I am able to be silent for 7-10 days when I start next week.

I can really recommend it, going inward, listen to your inner voice, sit with yourself, and feel whatever comes up, so you can create more space inside of yourself.The first period you usually feel that you are very tired, then you feel restless because youre not stimulated by the outside world, and then you feel feelings and unsolved issues arising from deep down which havent been taken care of….

At some point you will feel the inner PEACE, more inner SPACE, more JOY and LOVE for yourself and the world…at that time you are more able to be in the PRESENT MOMENT….I really look forward to my mini retreat, and will make another month long retreat when it is possible – I will write about it in some weeks.

The following photos are from my 1 month long silent buddhistic retreat I did in Mas Marvent in France at Dechen Chöling together with 65 other people from around the world.

Today I rise

A dear new friend of mine – talented writer, poet and dancer Michiru Adriene shared this sacred beautiful conscious art short film…by Alexandra Feldner – what a gift to recieve.

Connect with all aspects of yourself – Be a gift …..

Autumn showers a new colourpalette

Yesterday morning on the way home from following my daughter to the bus – this wonderful tree – which made me so happy –

Don’t sit and wait – get out there – feel life and take time to look up into the tree branches to re- connect to mother earth!

Autumn on its way

I will write more one of the days – dailylife has started – both my girls have started their new schools – and I have focus on running my business a new place – so many ideas, thoughts and administrative things to do when ones company has to start up in a new country – a lot new knowledge and rules – its very promising place to be in life…

she walked the walk

This wonderful musician Alice Turiyasangitananda or Turiya Alice Coltrane, was an american jazzmusician and composer and in her later years a swamini. From an early age, Alice was open to the mystical world and has told she recalled regularly having out-of-body experiences at the age of nine. Her spirituality ran throughout her musical life from the time she started as a church organist and classical pianist before giving herself over to jazz as an expression of her own creativity.

“The music is within your head, your soul, your spirit, and this is all I did when I sat at the piano. I just go within.” – Alice Coltrane

Remembering FAN

Master photographer, film director and actor Fan Ho ( Born 8th of october 1931Shanghai China, Died 19th of June 2016 San Jose, California, Usa) have created phenomenal photos from the streets of China. His photos are like great chinese poetry…full of soul. He believed in art creation was to try anything…No limits. Making all forms of art. Then he was good at mixing old and new….have a look at these beautiful and sublime composed photos….and a little interview with him….

Exploring inner worlds

Asja Boroš is an artist and illustrator based in Croatia. I have followed her Instagram page for some time and love her style, they remind me a lot of an russian artist Yelena Bryksenkova (grew up in Cleveland Usa) we already have some artprints from.

The art of Asja is colourful, the qoutes are lovely and I like the way she show her art as an visual diary.

She describes herself like she is painting her inner emotional landscapes in ink and explores her dreams and visions through ongoing series of colorful illustrations.

Her work reflects a deep desire to take a glance behind the curtains of everyday reality, to go beyond all reason and dive into the mysterious realms of imagination and to explore her inner worlds in a playful way. Through her art she wishes to evoke a sense of childlike joy, innocence, optimism and hope.

walk with me….

Mindfulness is to arrive in here and now….you have been running a lot, but have not arrived yet….words from the new documentary about the zen buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh

Which you probably already know…I look forward to watch it…

All that running, since my program and stay at Joshua Tree retreat in march, I have refused to run anymore…no more running, I have been busy more or less my whole life, except for some periods where my different spiritual and inner practices have been in focus….NOW Im taking my new “medicine”, and although I have been freaking out several times, feeling lost, no direction, because I decided not to move country and stay here where I am for the next period, I have kept listening to the my inner gut feeling, and NOW it seems less spaced out at least these days…..habits, ego, fear, soulwork is getting deeper and deeper until the veil at last is removed…so we are able to sense and experience reality clearly….

I think its time for some evening jazz…