BEACH/art

spent the weekend in provincetown. found this spontaneous art installation on the beach at herring cove. it was made out of all found objects: drift wood, shells, stones and red seed pods found all along the dune trails.

i love making art out of found objects. whether you live in the city or in the country creating art with objects found on the ground is easy.

please post some of your favorite sights for found art... here are some cools sights for found art and inspiration:

http://found-art.blogspot.com

http://abstractionsart.blogspot.com

http://www.artgrange.com/michellesculpture.html

http://www.lostandfoundart.com/index.html

FREAK/freely

i’m in a wildly transitional place in my life right now. i just got rid of everything i own. i left florida to travel on the road for three months. i’m moving to boston at the end of september. i’m teaching at a new studio. i’m moving in with guys i don’t know. and my bank account is almost empty. this trip has has far exceeded my expectations of adventure, spontaneous experiences and human connections. but it hasn’t been all rainbows and glitter.

in many ways this extended road trip has forced me to take a good, deep look at myself, at how i show up in the world, at how i receive and spend energy and what the deeper inner voices are saying to me. i’m seeing my resistances & fears and how i distract myself from my life’s calling: to liberate the world. sounds ambitious, huh? ok, it might be, but i feel it in my bones, and i’m going to do everything in my power to follow this path. what’s the worse thing that could happen? i only liberate half the world? or the community around me? or myself?, which is the first step anyway-- stepping out of my own box, getting out of my own way, facing my fears, strengthening my courage and more & more saying YES to life.

i’ve always been interested in inspiring people, in liberating people, in helping others to step out of the box and into a world of expression and spontaneous living. there’s nothing that ignites me more than watching the people around me grow and transform and shine brighter and find fulfillment. inspiration is contagious. so when the those around me are inspired it rubs off on me, and when i'm inspired it rubs off on those around me. it's reciprocal.

it's impossible to find true liberation without seeing and acknowledging the shadow side, the dark side. we all have secrets and ugliness, pockets of shame, areas where we come undone and show our teeth. i’m interested in those parts, too. i'm interested in the truth. i’m passionate about creating a world that is based on compassion and mutual respect, and i realize that in order for that to happen the shadow has to be exposed, the truth has to come to the surface and art-- lots and lots of art-- has to be made.

want to join me in this mission? liberate yourself first! get out your art supplies and make something-- don’t worry about the outcome. go for a walk with your camera and snap photos of everything you see that catches your attention. put on some music and start dancing like a freakin’ idiot. sing-- belt out your favorite tune. put on something outrageous and wear it with flare! break through whatever it is that is stopping you from being you. stop allowing your fears to dictate how you show up in the world.

TAMPA/boys

me, justin & tony

tommy

stephen and me

spent sunday evening with my boys at tony's place in south tampa. he made us an incredible, slurp-a-licious dinner. conversation was open and fun and uninhibited. tony, stephen, tommy and justin totally rock. tony put together a small ritual for us to honor each other and our beautiful connection. then we had chocolate ice cream cake celebrating stephen's "21st" birthday. the connection i have with these beautiful men is deep and affectionate and just all around lovely. gosh darn i love my boys!!

these are the kinds of friendships and connections i crave the most. honest and caring, fun and loving, affectionate and trusting.

MUSIC/lecture

i recently gave a talk about music at the lotus room/pond yoga teacher training. music is a big part of who i am and what i do. i LOVE listening, collecting and talking about music. the discussion was on music in yoga classes and how to organize & create playlists. i keep a list of music resources on my website. if you're interested in music check it out: music inspiration

FLORIDA/fun

my time in tampa was awesome and exhausting. spent the weekend at the lotus pond yoga studio teaching in the yoga teacher training. it was a very structured weekend on "creating a class." it's always wonderful to see my students. i was so impressed by their teaching and by all of the transformations they are making on and off that mat. by sunday evening my brain was a happy mush.

i spent monday and tuesday visiting with friends and private yoga clients. i got to see karin and my dog boys-- malcolm, tanner & ike. and then spent an evening with dina-- rad yoga teacher extraordinaire! val and i went to the beach at ft desoto yesterday morning. we floated in the water for a long long time just watching the blue sky and enjoying all the little fish jumping. i always think that little fish jumping means a shark is nearby! i laugh in the face of danger. after the beach we went to gulfport for lunch.

my time with tony was lovely, but there's never enough time to spend together.

i'm at the airport now.

FREE/toilet

montpelier, vermont

LAVA/vibe

this is what it feels like to spend time with nina!

CLOTHING/optional

when i arrived at rock river (vermont) there were about 50 naked men sunning on beaches and rocks, swimming in the river, hanging out with friends laughing and sharing good times. i'd say it was a downright wholesome scene. well, as wholesome as a bunch on naked gay men can be! i kept walking on past the main swimming and sunbathing area and stumbled upon a large flat rock, which invited me on to it for a yoga practice. i was only practicing for about 10 minutes when i looked up and saw my very first yoga teacher walking toward me. we both laughed and embraced and stood there bone ass naked catching up. he's the one who encouraged me to become a yoga teacher, and then years later he catches me practicing yoga naked on a rock! it was a special moment for me.

FIRE/attire

around the fire at easton. festive attire was encouraged. i was happy that i had my costume box with me.

EASTON/mountain

easton mountain is a year-round community, retreat center and spiritual sanctuary for gay men located just an hour north of albany, ny. the buildings of easton mountain are set in among lush forests, vegetable & flower gardens, and meandering trails. there’s a main center called “the lodge” which houses the kitchen, dining rooms, lounge areas, a large workshop & yoga room with beautiful windows and hardwood floors, a workout space & hot tub, communal showers, a costume room and a healing arts space. there is also a swimming pool. if it sounds fancy it’s not. the space is eclectic and raw with a bit of a hippie commune flavor. for the most part easton mountain is clothing optional and creative attire is held sacred. in the summer, a simple bright colored sarong is the common clothing choice. If you don’t have one you can purchase one in the shop!

there is a community of men who live there full-time and a rotating volunteer staff who help with administrative work, grounds keeping, gardening, etc.. there are a variety of cabins and guest rooms for visitors both private and communal. tent camping is available, as well. a walk up the hill and you’ll find a beautiful wood-fired sauna, an art pavilion and lush gardens. continue on and you’ll discover the beading tree-- a magical art space built under a very large evergreen tree created by hunter, the artist in residence. under the long branches of the beading tree you’ll discover several tables with endless jars, boxes & bowls of beads, shelves stacked with art supplies and beaded art creations dangling like candy from every limb. in fact, it’s the rule of the space. you can make and take anything you like, but you must leave a piece of art for the tree.

just across from the lodge is the temple. the temple is a sacred space for workshops, prayer and ritual. There’s a large altar, sound system, pillows for sitting and a wood burning stove for cold winter days.

easton mountain provides a safe space for gay men to explore their spirituality and sexuality in an environment of love, acceptance, encouragement and open-heartedness. if you are interested in learning more about easton mountain sanctuary and what workshops & retreats are being offered you can visit them at: www.eastonmountain.com or give them a call 518.692.8023

I am also available to answer any questions you might have. Email or phone: 813.313.9474

__________________________________

easton mountain’s vision:

easton mountain is a community, retreat center and sanctuary created by gay men as a gift to the world.

in workshops, programs and events we provide opportunities to celebrate, heal, transform, and integrate body, mind and spirit.

we offer our land, rich in beauty and wisdom, as home to a community that extends beyond the land.

we are a worldwide fellowship of people enriched by our connection to Easton Mountain. This fellowship is a positive force for change in the world.

JEWISH/mud

jewish men and the mud pit

i just spent seven days at easton mountain sanctuary in upstate new york as both guest and workshop facilitator. i arrived a few days early to meet up with my very dear friend tony who lives in tampa. he was also a facilitator at eros spirit camp. we intended to spend those preliminary days relaxing, catching up and planning. instead, we were invited with open arms and encouragement into the gay men’s jewish gathering that was happening that weekend. it was an extraordinary experience filled with singing, eating, dancing and the beautiful life affirming attitude of the jewish tradition.

one of my most memorable experiences of my entire easton mountain experience was the mud pit. i was in the lodge and someone came up to me and said, “are you joining the mud pit?” the mud pit!? i didn’t know exactly what it was, but found it impossible to say no. i darted out past the pool and ran barefoot up the hill to the edge of a large hole in the ground filled with a special clay-mud and 20 gorgeous naked men talking, laughing and generally carrying on. their bodies, faces and hair completely covered. it was a warm sunny day with perfect blue skies dotted with little fluffy clouds. i immediately stripped down, tossed my clothes into the grass and slid feet first into the mud. i was warmly welcomed with mud filled hands. within moments i was covered head-to-toe.

at one point the rabbi-- yes, the rabbi-- grabbed me by my wrist and slid me across the soup of naked men from on end of the pit to the other. there were limbs and feet and hands everywhere.

“whose foot is this?” someone asked.

“mine,” i said.

“no! that’s my foot,” the man next to me said.

“no, it’s mine,” i argued back.

“it’s mine!” he said.

turns out it wasn’t my foot. laughter ensued. and massage. and every so often someone new would enter the mix and the whole pool would shift and the “mudding” would start all over again.

MORE/wrestling