photos from tucson-week 1.

mi casa in tucson.

the view looking to the right from my front door, just lovely.

such a cute stove...it has buttons you push for the heat, totally old school :)

view from a stop light. i love that all of tucson is surrounded by mountains, it's absolutely beautiful. imagine a view like this any direction you gaze...

finds from the gem show...who knows what will be created from these!

my first weekend in tucson.

day 6&7. It's hard to believe that a week has already passed by. In some ways, it feels like time is moving rather fast, but at the same time it also feels like all I have is time :) I spent my Saturday afternoon learning about teas from a Chinese scholar, which was very insightful and has ultimately tweaked a new interest to learn more perhaps on a deeper level so that I might can add this to my 'toolbox' of healing. I had a much needed massage followed by an exploration of the gem show that is a yearly gathering in Tucson. I'm not sure I understand the purpose of it, but it's great fun to see all the colorful stones & gems. To give you an idea, vendors from all over set up house at hotels throughout Tucson. It's the oddest thing, they convert hotel rooms into show rooms. It can be an extremely overwhelming experience because of the magnitude of items displayed, but still worth the experience. I ended the evening enjoying a delightful & healthy meal made by a new, dear friend with the company of the lady she is living with. It was wonderful and the conversation was superb. We watched 'forks over knives' (thanks @ ravi), which you should definitely watch if you haven't already!

Today, I am going to spend my Sunday experiencing a community energy healing session followed by a return to the gem show with friends and then reading/researching about all the interesting things I am learning (I'm so excited!) with whatever time I have left of the day. Stay tuned for a photo re-cap of the week later today!

the most perfect day.

day 4. Our day began with a "clearing" chi qong exercise followed by the healing meditation. I wonder what life would be like if we started every day this way. We all felt so relaxed and centered. We had an interesting lecture on personal wellness and did a brillant exercise I want to share. We were asked the question "what would you do just for yourself if you had": a) < 5 min, b) < 30 min, c) < 1 hr, d) < 2hr, e) half a day, and f) a whole day? The point that was trying to be made was that you can create a "vacation" anytime you want. We all shared what we would do with that time, mine include: < 5 min = make cha; < 30 min = call a friend/family member; < 1hr = cook a meal; < 2 hr = go to a yoga class; half a day = diy project; a whole day = have a gathering with friends. Then to our suprise our teacher informed us that there was no "next" lecture and that we had 2 hours off to do anything we wanted, like a vacation. Wow. I was blown away. Brillant exercise, right? I thought so. Two of the many incredibly amazing people I have met, spent that time getting manicures/pedicures while sipping on fresh carrot juice :) followed by a yoga class. It was perfect. Again, just when I thought the day could get no better, it did. We all met at a friend's place to gather before dinner. He lives in a traditional adobe style home...when you walk in the front door, it's what I imagine walking into heaven must be like. It's breathtakingly beautiful. There's greenery everywhere and the house is so well connected to the outdoors it gives me chills. I will certainly take pictures my next visit so you can get a glimpse, it really is amazing. We ended the evening eating tapas from a lovely spanish restaurant...this has been a mind-blowingly awesome experience and it's only day 4 :)

tuscon = best kept secret.

day 3. We began our morning with a chi gong exercise, toe tapping, while listening to the sounds of drums...what a unique start to our day.
It was followed by a healing meditation and then yoga, which made me smile (and I haven't stopped since). I absolutely love yoga and all the benefits that come from it. I was reminded of a simple truth today, "without the breath, there is no yoga". The breath is everything.

Just when I thought the day could not get any better we began a discussion on medical intuition. Really? I can hardly contain my excitement! Everything I am learning is so in line with my thinking it seems unreal. I have always felt "different" for my perspectives when amongst my colleagues, but now I feel like I have been united with a community of similar views. See, I have a vision for my integrative practice and it's the type of vision they are promoting here...it's incredible!

We talked about the unique relationship between a physician and a patient. I can't tell you how hard my heart has become over the past 7 years of my medical training. It's a result of many things, one I believe is from time constraints and being told repeatedly that I'm too sensitive. Here they encourage authenticity and really connecting with patients, born from a wholistic mindset. It reminds me of why I choose to pursue medicine...everyday I get the feeling of "chills", it's awesome. Lastly, we talked about using nutrition to bring the body back to a state of health...a topic I find absolutely fascinating and will certainly return to.

I'll leave you with this, each moment brings an opportunity for something new...what new experience will you have today?

feel like i am dreaming.

Today is day 2 of my time out in Tuscon learning about integrative medicine. Wow. I mean really wow. I am truly at a loss of words when I attempt to explain what I am experiencing and all that is happening to me from within mostly because it feels unreal. On our first day we created an alter as a group to 'alter' our space and had a ceremony to unite us as one, as a community of healers. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Imagine a room full of physicians in a circle, feet touching, one hand on our heart and another hand on the back of the person next to us. It really was a moment of awe and inspiration. We all walked away a little shifted. It's incredible to be amongst a group of individuals who share similar perspectives. It really is amazing. Our conversations include anything from juicing, to daily yoga (we went to an evening class for $4), anti-inflammatory diets to botanicals to energy healing...I could go on. I can't stop smiling and now I understand what happiness truly feels like. I haven't experienced it like this before, it's every moment in the day. It's freaking incredible. Every moment feels like I am in the best dream ever...I am finally doing what I've always imagined. Very surreal.

a gathering of great women.

our diy infinity scarfs!

there is nothing better than spending an evening amongst friends enjoying laughter, wine, & food!

ginger love.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today and thanks to the suggestion of a friend...I have been introduced to a new winter love: hot water infused with ginger and honey...incredibly soothing with a twist of invigoration. doesn't it sound tempting?