The Diaphragm is one important place in the body! It connects us to our heart, lungs and the abdominal organs. So the more we get to know this, the more we can practice and learn how to be aware with our body while doing chores, studying, working and even sitting in front of the computer. 

I found my belly breath experience or diaphragm breath in my 2nd year at York University's Theatre department. Everyday we moved our bodies to warm up. Then we would stop and simply lie down. Then close our eyes and breathe. Everyday in movement class we did this. It was an exercise to practice being aware of our bodies in movement and in stillness.  For three years in Theatre school, everyday in movement class we practiced this. It is a practice that forever changed by breath experience and it is a practice that I use in my everyday life.

Here's what I have learned: Move your body (any movement - example can be walk or dance or play or yoga), stop in stillness, close your eyes for a moment (about 5 seconds)  and then send your breath around your upper belly.

Open your eyes and Invite your breath to move gently in the diaphragm or your upper belly. 

Allow and send your mind to the slow movement of your upper belly.

Breath in. 

Breathe out.

Then slowly invite your breath in your diaphragm or upper belly again, so you can decrease a little bit of holding inside your belly.

We need to understand the truths and histories about the cities we live or lived in.
We also need too understand the stories of plastics, garbages on rivers and the truth about concrete jungles.
Or mother nature will remind us in ways that are unexpected. 
This time her name was Yolanda/Haiyan.

We have to remember.
We need to remember.
We all need to be reminded.
That there are still some who are living here for 1300 years.

We have to face the truth that climate is changing.
Fast.
And we need to come together and work together making the changes the best we can.
In our homes.
In ourselves.
With our choices.

Let's have conversations about the planet.
And learn and listen to one another.
And educate each other about the matters of the planet in the past, present and future.
We are all here. Still here.
And together we can collaborate, cooperate, and coordinate to make changes.

I have never seen a 1300 year old tree ever in my life, until recently.
To witness and to touch a 1300 year old tree is a gift.
Sometimes we forget.
Sometimes we need to be reminded.
Sometimes it takes time to realize and embrace the truth.
But we are all trying to understand.
We are all trying to piece everything that we need to know and not know.
About the earth then, now and the coming future.

And still here it is, still standing in front of me a 1300 year old tree.

We have to remember.
That there are some of us who have been here on this planet for 1 or 30 or 53 or 81 years old.
And then there are some who have been here on this earth for 1300 years. 
I lived in cities most of my life. Cities that I call home. Cities that are close to my heart.
In Manila, I lived in a place where honking of jeepneys, tricycles and cars were everyday sounds.
Shacks and small crowded streets were everyday afternoon walks.
Black canals running down the sides of houses.
Floating plastic bags moving down towards what it was called a river in the past.
In Toronto, I lived in a place where  4 lane highways were packed full of cars at 4pm.
Malls were places where older folks meet and do their exercises.
Plastic cards swiped for an afternoon delight.

We have to remember.
We need to remember.
We all need to be reminded.
That there are still some who are living here for 1300 years.

Photo taken in Capilano Bridge, Vancouver BC by Rose Cortez

Sonia Norris was my first teacher in theatre at York University. She asked us one day to observe an animal.  I chose the chipmunk!  I observed the chipmunk for one day. I went to the library and researched movements and sounds the chipmunk makes and creates because we had to share this animal in class. When it was my turn to share my chipmunk, I started on the ground, then my teacher asked me to begin to walk like a human. My body contorted, my voice changed and I was a walking human chipmunk! Then entered Gabriel. I remembered he was a gorilla, oh a baboon turned into human form. It was an experience to be an animal and a human at the same time.

Hmm...what animal would you choose?

Then I researched the meaning of this animal:

http://www.universeofsymbolism.com/symbolic-meaning-of-chipmunk.html

Symbolic Meaning of Chipmunk...  by Presley Love    "Chipmunk spirit animal is a symbol that something good is on it's ways to you, something wonderful that delights your heart something that makes you smile and laugh".   

Chipmunk totem energy is also a sign that you will have an important conversation with someone close to you very soon, pay attention to the details!  Chipmunk always pops up out of nowhere, and just as quickly it vanishes into another world, the world of the Chipmunk... it has hidden pathways and secret tunnels hidden in plain sight all around you.  Chipmunk power animal loves the enjoyment of a good adventure and exploration, he is always exploring and noticing any new changes in his environment... a new fallen leaf, a new pebble, or a new visitor. Chipmunk will chatter to whomever is nearby telling them everything about the new discovery. 

Chipmunk Magic and Medicine Powers...

Chipmunk brings the gifts of: artistic endeavors and creativity

Chipmunk shares the energies of: play, exploration

Chipmunk teaches the magic of:  intuition, wishes granted

Magic is afoot when Chipmunk appears for you...

 Chipmunk totem animal  is the ambassador of play, whenever you spy a chipmunk it's always frolicking and scampering about  and you watch it with the eyes of a child hoping to see what it's up to.  Chipmunk spirit guide always keeps you guessing... this gives the Chipmunk totem a bit of a mysterious nature.

Chipmunk spirit animal explores everything with it's hands, call upon Chipmunk when you want to try out and feel confident in your artistic expressions and experiments... particularly with your hands, let your hands be the channel of your intuition.

Spiritual meaning when Chipmunk has appeared for you it is a most opportune time to ask for a wish.

Like the Squirrel, Chipmunk symbol stores up his supplies for winter, always prepared...  seeing him is a sign for you to do the same... Symbolic meaning of Chipmunk reminds you to make sure you have ample supplies of everything you need in case of an emergency. 

Whenever you see a Chipmunk totem you can be sure that magic is afoot, synchronicities are in the air... keep your eyes open you may glimpse a faerie... Fairies most assuredly are in the midst.   Chipmunk and fairies appear encouraging you to believe in magic just like you did as a child.

Symbolic meaning of Chipmunk teaches the blessing that there are always spirit guides around you, ready to help... but you must invite the assistance of the spirits, and the instant you do you will feel the essence and energy of their presence and can begin communicating your requests.  Again, this is the perfect time for you to ask your guides for signs.  

The Shangri~La magic stick that has fallen for Chipmunk spirit guide is "star guidance"... when you have a question you need help with, look to the stars in the night sky... ask for a sign, close your eyes and know the sign will appear at just the right time, the answer will come and it will feel like divine intervention and synchronicity.  Practice this and you will begin to become the master of trusting your vibes, regardless of what anyone else has to say about the matter.  

Hmm...this sounds like the perfect animal for that time in my life.


Then the other day I saw a coyote walking on the road.

It was a fascinating animal. 

Then I researched the meaning of this animal:

http://www.spiritanimal.info/coyote-spirit-animal/

Coyote Symbolism

The coyote often symbolizes the trickster or joker. However, its symbolism is associated with a deep magic of life and creation. It can be considered as having the following meanings:

• Jokester
• Adaptability
• Reveal the truth behind illusion and chaos
• Playfulness
• Paradoxical nature, personality difficult to categorize
• Beware of the dark side of things and play on your resources

The hidden wisdom of the coyote spirit

The wisdom delivered by the coyote spirit animal is rarely direct. The way of the coyote is to teach through ways that do not appear straightforward. It may also use subterfuge or trickery to reach its goal or deliver its message.

Don’t be fooled by the coyote’s way: In any circumstances you encounter, no matter how pleasant or clear they appear to be, there’s a hidden wisdom for you to reap. Be aware of the round about ways of the coyote totem and its teachings.

Coyote spirit and not taking things seriously

If the coyote spirit animal crosses your way, you may be encouraged to not take things too seriously. Perhaps you need to lighten up or change your perspective about an issue or matter that has been on your mind for a while.

Call on the spirit of the coyote to support you in refreshing your perspective and lighten the weight of circumstances. Even if the coyote is often presented in many stories as a trickster and a spirit animal bringing complication to whoever crosses his path, it is a good reminder to keep things simple and open up to possibilities.

Coyote totem and teachings with a sense of humor

It’s sometimes hard to grasp the wisdom of the coyote without experiencing some unsettling or disruptive feelings. Here, serious pieces of wisdom and playfulness often go hand in hand and appearances may be deceiving. The wisdom of the coyote may appear through a joke or what shows as trickery.

There’s often wisdom in making fun of serious matters and letting go of certainties. Call on the coyote to reinvigorate an appreciation of life’s wisdom through diversity and richness. This animal totem provides his teaching with a good sense of humor.

The Coyote, the magic in life, and the unexpected

The coyote totem is symbolic of the magic in life and creation. In some traditional stories, it is associated with the dark side of witchcraft and is considered as a bad omen. The flipside of these negative associations is the spirit of resourcefulness and ability to survive.

When the coyote spirit animal shows up in your life, it might lead you to experience the unexpected more fully. Surprises await you. Pay attention, you may also find piece of wisdom in the most unexpected places. By affinity with the power of adaptability of the coyote, you may be called to be flexible and adjust to a situation that you did not anticipate.

Hmm...what animal have you seen lately?

Oh and if you want to learn what to do if you do see a coyote on the road, here are tips and suggestions by:

 http://www.spca.bc.ca/welfare/wildlife/urban-wildlife/coyotes.html

A coyote in the city? A coyote near my farm? Don't these animals belong in the wild?A coyote that finds itself among houses and urban parks, or living on the border of rural farms is looking for the same thing as us – a means to survive and provide for its family. 

 Coyotes have become common sights in urban areas and around rural farms across North America. In B.C.'s Lower Mainland for example, there is estimated to be 2,000-3,000 urban coyotes. They belong to the Canid family and are related to wolves, foxes and our domestic dogs. Coyotes are smart, social and playful, just like our domestic dogs, however they have a bad reputation for killing small animals.It is this same trait that in fact makes them valuable to our urban and rural ecosystems as a scavenger and a predator of rodents and insects. This important role in nature is often forgotten when faced with human-coyote conflicts.

Why are they here?Coyotes have been expanding their range over the past 100 hundred years. Although coyotes have been in B.C. for many years they are relatively new to places such as Vancouver. Coyotes prefer grasslands and living at the edges of forests. But urban development and farmland create new habitats, while railway lines, hydro-wire corridors and highways provide easy pathways for coyotes to travel. The more forest land that is cleared for development, the more habitat space for coyotes, who don't live in dense forests. Also, other predators such as cougars, bears and wolves usually move away from human occupied areas providing coyotes with an unchallenged food supply. So it is not surprising that the coyote does well living among us! 

Coyotes are classified as carnivores but their diet varies greatly making them a "generalist species" which gives them the ability to adapt to new places as long as there is enough food and shelter. They primarily eat small mammals – rats, mice, shrews, voles, squirrels, and rabbits. Being opportunists, coyotes will also eat just about anything – garbage, compost, fallen fruit, seeds from bird feeders, and pet food. So why not live in areas close to people to get such an easy meal! Pet guardians need to be particularly careful because coyotes will prey on free-roaming cats and small dogs if given the opportunity and other resources are scarce. There have even been occasional cases where dogs have been attacked even while on leash. On the farm and even with urban chickens, coyotes can cause significant losses so proper precautions should be taken seriously.

Is it a Coyote?The coyote track closely resembles that of a dog or fox – the print is a rough oval shape with four toes bearing claw prints. The larger front foot has a much larger pad than the smaller rear foot. To tell the difference from a dog, coyotes are referred to as "perfect steppers" – their front and rear paws land in the same spot when in stride, and overall tracks follow a straight path where a dog's steps will wander. Monitoring programs in the Lower Mainland track coyote sightings; you can click here to report a coyote sighting in Metro Vancouver.

Possible Conflicts and Solutions

Although coyotes are generally not dangerous to people, in a city they often come into conflict with humans. They eat garbage and food left outdoors, and sometimes they attack small pets. In rural areas, coyotes are tempted by small and young farm animals. Normally coyotes pose no danger to adults, but people should be aware there are potential risks to pets and small children. Coyotes by nature are fearful of humans but some have lost their fear after being fed by people over time. Attacks on people are very rare, and in all known cases the coyote had lost its fear of humans because people were feeding the animal.

*If confronted by a coyote: yell, stamp your feet, look big, wave your arms and scare the coyote away. Kids, especially, need to know this!*

Protect your pets! Coyotes are attracted to and can mate with unspayed or unneutered domestic dogs. Unspayed female dogs in season will attract male coyotes, and unneutered male dogs can be lured away by the scent of a female coyote in her ovulation cycle. There have been cases of male dogs being lured by the female coyote's scent and killed by male coyotes. It is strongly advised that people living in areas frequented by coyotes have their dogs spayed or neutered to prevent such tragedies from occurring.

The BC SPCA's position on coyotes parallels that of the BC Ministry of Environment which focuses on co-existence. Only coyotes known to be causing a direct threat to people should be killed, and the method of killing must be humane. Call 1-800-663-9453 to report an aggressive or threatening coyote. Note that coyotes are NOT rabies carriers in B.C.

Trapping is not the solutionTrapping is inhumane and ineffective. Even if you use a live trap, relocating coyotes to another place is usually a death-sentence. The removed coyote is in danger in the new area because it is likely the home range or territory of another coyote. In fact, a large percentage of wildlife that is removed from the city generally does not survive and just move the problem to someone else's backyard. Coyotes are clever enough to avoid most traps and even if they were removed, they may be replaced by other coyotes. Since a coyote has an established territory, removing one might create a habitat for two new coyotes. Poisoning programs to reduce coyote numbers is also inhumane and could also kill other wild animals or pets.

The key is that a balance will be reached within the environment based on available food supply. The better we are keeping the food supply restricted – cleaning up garbage, protecting farm animals and keeping pets under supervision – the fewer coyotes there will be over time. Learning to live with the coyote through tolerance and prevention seems to be the best answer.

Prevention is the key to co-existing•  Never leave small children unattended.

•  Never attempt to feed any wildlife as doing so causes them to they lose their fear of humans - "A fed coyote is a dead coyote" because if the coyote attacks a person you can bet that animal will be destroyed.

•  Supervise all pets closely outdoors, keeping them indoors from dusk to dawn.

•  The only way to guarantee your cat's safety is by making it an indoor pet. An outdoor-enclosed cat run is also an option.

•  Discourage coyotes with a fence at least 2 meters high and flush to the ground or dug below ground level.

•  Maintain sheds and garages to prevent unwelcome tenants.

•  Monitor your property for rodent activity to reduce attracting their predators.

•  Protect farm animals with fencing, ensure their cages are well-built, and ideally contain farm animals indoors at night.

Be sure you are not feeding coyotes without realizing it! Check that:•  Garbage bins and composts are secured

•  Fruit fallen from trees is not left on the ground

•  Bird feeders are not overflowing with seeds

•  Pets are fed inside and no pet food is left outside 

Quote taken from the book Mastery by George Leonard

Cedar chips from The Dance Screen by James Hart

I grew up reading and sharing lots of poems.  At a young age, I knew then that I LOVE words, using imagery and voice through poetry and storytelling. I was called to Declaim! I told Filipino myths and legends and became a Filipino Folk Dancer in Grade 1. I spoke the words of many poets.  Along the way, I was guided by so many great teachers as well as my mom, dad, aunts, uncles, grandpas and grandmas.  I was 13 years old when my family immigrated to Canada. I navigated my teenage years thriving in the Arts. In my elementary class, I created a Batik Art Piece of Mother and Child - an ancient Art Technique of wax-resist dyeing I learned in Grade 8.  I became the 1st Captain of the Cheerleading Dance Team, created my 1st Shadow Puppetry, choreographed Modern & HipHop Dance in High School. I knew then I wanted to pursue the Arts! I auditioned and was accepted at 3 Universities. I chose York University in Toronto, Ontario. In 2nd year, I auditioned again for the Conservatory Program and became one of the 16 people in their Acting Conservatory. I followed my love for the art of poetry and storytelling. I learned so much from all my mentors along the way. Right after I graduated, I was called to create, collaborate and write a play. I was welcomed by Carlos Bulosan Theatre Company Collective.

These are a few important lessons I've learned: 
Share poems and stories that speak to you.
Move with words.
Face your Fears.
Enjoy Life.  
Use your voice as outreach to all.
Tell your stories to inspire others.
Be Courageous.
Be Peace.
Stay Empowered.

I promised myself that I will continue to share what I found in the art of poetry and storytelling.  So will it be...