Soul Singing with Anne Marie |
Hi! I'm Anne Marie, the creator of KaleidoSoul.com,
and a SoulCollage® facilitator in
Massachusetts. If you're just starting to sing your
song with SoulCollage®, this column is especially
for you.
You're As Sexy As You Think You Are
Let me be perfectly honest with you. I have been putting off writing this column
for weeks now. Usually I am all about this column. Usually I sit down a few
weeks ahead of time and the words simply flow from my mind to my fingers to the
keyboard. This column is a bit different, I'm afraid.
And yes, I am the one who chooses the themes for these newsletter issues! But
when I chose it several months ago, I wasn't really thinking about what I would
actually write… I was thinking about how it seems to be a topic that could use a
little SoulCollage® magic touch, especially in my own life.
A couple of years ago, I explored my sexuality within the safe practice of
SoulCollage® by making and working with two cards: Sexual Re-Emergence and Low
Libido. You can see both of these cards and read about how I worked with them on
this page of my blog, Inner Surprises.
As for feeling sexy, I still haven't quite gotten there yet! My body, mind and
spirit are still recovering from the after-effects of surgery, chemo, and
radiation that I went through in 2002 for breast cancer. But yesterday I read
something in Denise Linn's book,
Secrets and Mysteries: The Glory and Pleasure of Being a Woman, that really resonated with me.
The author describes an acquaintance of hers who isn't especially attractive
(pocked skin, drooping shoulders, walks with a limp) but who exudes a certain
sexual radiance when she enters a room. She asked the woman if she knew why she
had such a mesmerizing effect on people. Her response was, "I have a sense of my
own style and my own presence. Even though I am insecure in many ways, I also
know that I am a remarkable woman. Every woman has something about her that is
amazing, but very few truly believe it. Even though I don't fit the normal view
of beauty, I know I am desirable, radiant, and sensual. People are drawn to a
woman who is comfortable with who she is."
That rang really true to my soul, and it is something that I am working towards
in my own life. I believe that each of us really does have an inner committee
part who is as sexy as Marilyn Monroe, or Jennifer Lopez (or whoever you
consider sexy). My job is to coax her out of hiding in the shadows of my life.
She has been on the fringes of my being for way too long.
Thank you to all of you who so generously shared your "feeling sexy" cards with
us in this issue. Perhaps they will inspire all of us to claim and reclaim our
own inner Sexy One, even if we have disconnected from her for whatever reasons.
Recommended Reading:
I Deserve Love, by Sondra Ray. Excellent book on working with simple
affirmations to increase your own sexual self-esteem. Note that this link takes
you to Amazon where you can purchase previously owned copies of the book a
really big discounts.
Recommended Listening:
Choosing Me! Finding Comfort, Joy and Beauty in the Me I am Now, by Karen Caterson. Wonderful 15 minute mp3 download of a guided meditation in Karen's comforting, soothing voice.
Anne Marie Bennett is a
freelance writer, self-taught artist, SoulCollage®
Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer who trained with Seena
Frost. Her background is elementary education, computer
software training, writing, and mixed media art. She
lives, laughs, writes, and sings (and makes her own
SoulCollage® cards!) in Beverly, MA. More of
Anne Marie's cards/interpretations are available on her
blog,
Inner Surprises.
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Soul Symphonies with Karen |
My name is Karen Mann and I'm a SoulCollage®
facilitator from Melbourne, Australia. This column is for
those of you who have already made some cards & are
ready to discover the symphony of voices inside of you
and around you.
Confidently Sexy?
When
Anne Marie told me about the topic for this column I was a little dismayed
and wrote back to her, saying I wasn't sure how much I could add to this
topic as I wasn't feeling "very sexy" at the moment. After Anne Marie shared her column with me, it became clear that I was not the only one who isn't
"feeling sexy" at the moment!
So I did some research. Here are some thoughts from others about what makes
someone "sexy".
- Any piece of clothing can be sexy with a quietly passionate woman inside
it. — Anonymous
- No matter what a woman looks like, if she's confident, she's sexy. — Paris
Hilton
- Do I consider myself sexy? I all depends on the way I'm feeling. When I'm
happy inside, that's when I feel most sexy. —Anna Kournikova
- A great figure or physique is nice, but it's self-confidence that makes
someone really sexy. — Vivica Fox
- I think people
are sexy when they have a sense of humor, when they are smart, when they
have some sense of style, when they are kind, when they express their
own opinions, when they are creative, when they have character. —
Suzanne Vega
These quotes define sexy as:
- Being passionate
- Having confidence (x2)
- Being happy
- Having a sense of humour
- Being smart
- Having a sense of style
- Being kind
- Expressing your own opinions
- Being creative
- Having character
Isn't it remarkable that being sexy isn't about external factors like having
a perfect body or amazing clothes, and it isn't about pouting lips and long
flowing hair? It's actually all about inner qualities that shine through
from within.
When I look at this list, I would say that I possess most of these
characteristics, except at times I lack confidence. Interestingly, the card
in my SoulCollage® deck I immediately thought about when this topic was
mentioned was my "Female Confidence" card. It seems that subconsciously, I
already was aware of the missing ingredient.
Part of the message that my "Female Confidence" card shares with me is:
I am the one who is confident and free. I am comfortable in my own skin and
happy being me. The advice I give you about feeling sexy is believe in
yourself and allow yourself to show others just how great you are.
Self-doubt and worrying about what others think of you is not sexy. Trusting
that you are "good enough" and sharing your strengths & gifts with the world
is sexy. You don't have to TRY to be sexy- just be your true self and allow
your unique gifts to show, and you will BE sexy.
So I'm off to be my authentic self, and to let others see the real me which
I will share with confidence. As I practice this, and become more confident,
I trust I will appear more sexy to others and feel more sexy myself. I will
stop stressing about not having the "perfect" body, and start working on my
self esteem and confidence. I will be confident and sexy because I am
confident and sexy!
Karen Mann is an artist, art teacher,
Lifestyle Coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and
SoulCollage®
facilitator. Karen has been working with SoulCollage®
cards for more than four years and facilitates a variety
of SoulCollage® Groups. Karen also runs
SoulCollage® Facilitator Training weekends.
Karen offers regular workshops in Melbourne and Geelong,
Australia, and is also available to travel to other
regions in Australia. For more information, or to
contact Karen, please visit her website, Flying Colours Creativity. |
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KaleidoSoul Creations |
As promised, we are featuring SoulCollage® cards
from our readers in each issue.
Each card below is one SoulCollager's expression of Feeling Sexy.
Rebirth of Inner Venus
Judy
Massachusetts
I am one who has broken through
the chains that held me back
from love and closeness and
sensuality. I am one who births
a new unfolding to allow my heart
to be struck by cupid's arrow,
my body to be seen and felt,
my soul to be merged with another.
I am the one who now sees the
naked truth and will not hold back
my dreams of knowing the ecstasy
of lovers' union.
Feeling Sexy
Mirabai
California/Italy
I am the one who is feeling sexy. I love to be playful, even on the washing
machine. I am the one who loves to look eye-to-eye with the man while
lovemaking. I like to play twister with my lover. I am the one who is a sexy
desired woman.
Sensuality and Healing - Aphrodite
Kara
Washington
I am One Who reminds you of your beauty, your sensuality, and the healing that occurs when you walk in the world, knowing who you really are. I am Aphrodite, goddess of love, keeper of your innermost heart and deepest passions.
The One Who Likes to Wear Leopard Print
Heather
British Columbia, Canada
I Am One Who feels delightfully naughty and playful when I wear leopard print, even when it's mostly for campy fun. I Am One who feels more bold and attention-getting in leopard print.
To see some more "Feeling Sexy" SoulCollage® cards from our readers please visit this KaleidoSoul page now.
Please feel free to submit one of your cards for
a future issue by sending a reply email to this
newsletter.
Future themes include:
Second Chakra Animals
Prayer
Third Chakra Animals
Creative Muse
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KaleidoSoul Notes
Noteworthy resources for anyone interested in
SoulCollage®
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Soul Songs Back Issues - Read back
issues of Soul Songs on
this KaleidoSoul page. An excellent resource.
Just look for whatever SoulCollage® topic
you are interested in, and read to your heart's
content!
SoulCollage® is a trademarked
process created by Seena B. Frost.
For more information about Seena and the origins of
SoulCollage®, please
visit her website.
SoulCollage® cards
are made either from one's own art or from images
found in materials which have been bought by or
given to the SoulCollage® card maker.
These collaged cards are used only for the
cardmaker's own inner exploration. SoulCollage®
cards are not sold, traded, bartered, or copied
(except as a back-up for the cardmakers own use) as
is stated in the "
Principles of SoulCollage®."
Where SoulCollage® cards are available to
be seen by others, it is for the purposes either of
demonstrating the SoulCollage® process or
of sharing the cardmakers' inner process in the
context of community. SoulCollage® is
grateful to the artists and photographers who make
this deep awakening process possible and in all ways
SoulCollage® seeks to be respectful of
their rights.
All articles in SOUL SONGS
are copyrighted 2009,
by Anne Marie Bennett and
Karen Mann.
Articles may be reprinted by
permission only.
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