what I did on my summer vacation 📝🎶😎

what I did on my summer vacation 📝🎶😎
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If you follow me on social media, you probably know what I was up to this summer.
I’ll give you a hint… and a word to unscramble:

J M S T E A A R L O Y

My happy place(s)!

I started out in Chicago on July 29 (opening night of the James Taylor tour, and then on to Detroit, Virginia, Maryland and Los Angeles. All in the spirit of “Shower the people you love with love!”

After the last year and a half of cancelled events and lockdowns, traveling to spend time with my cousins, friends, kids and grandkids (and JT!) made my summer pretty spectacular.

Oh, and one more thing I’m really proud of…

That's Why We're Here book

My book is here!

This book has been a labor of love for the past several years. It is a collection of heartfelt stories from fans around the world that reveal the many ways that James Taylor and his music have touched his listeners. From seeking solace and healing through songs dealing with death and grief, to riding the waves of illness and recovery, to experiencing the sheer joy of seeing James in concert for the first time (or the sixtieth!) these stories are full of hope, love, and friendship.

You can read more about the book and order it on my website: LifeWithJamesTaylor.com

It truly was an honor and a privilege to work with the men and women who shared their stories with me, and allowed me to include them in my book.  And what a treat it is when I get the opportunity to meet some of them at concert venues around the country! (This is a group of JTBFFs I met at the Detroit show)

 

So what does this have to do with Yogic Writing?

EVERYTHING!

Yogic Writing is a practice to heal, reveal and leave a legacy through writing life stories. The stories in this book are pivotal moments in the lives of each of the contributors, myself included. Yoga, meditation, and MUSIC are all ways that we can access deep stories within. We write our stories to connect with ourselves and each other. We write our stories to know that we are not alone.

I offer ongoing Yogic Writing programs to help break through resistance, uncover memories, and find the stories that needs to be told. I have a new program “Write Here, Write Now” beginning on September 14. If you’re interested in learning more about it, just contact me!

One last thing.

Facebook LIVE Book Parties!

I am hosting Facebook LIVE Book Launch parties on Sunday September 5, and Sunday, September 12 at 12:00pm(EST) on my Facebook page: “That’s Why We’re Here: Stories From Passionate James Taylor Fans” I’ll be reading a few of the stories in the book and also give away some pretty cool JT Memorabilia! If you’re a JT fan, join the party!

So tell me… what did you do on your summer vacation? Hand in your homework to me by the end of the week 😉

Virtual hugs,

Rebecca

If all my golden moments could be rolled into one, they would shine like the sun on a summer day.

James Taylor

It’s taken me a little while to really take in all the love and joy that transpired last month on my 60th birthday. The day was definitely a “golden moment” I will replay over and over again. After more than a year of covid fear and aloneness and not seeing or hugging one another, the day was truly magical.

My daughter, niece, and husband teamed up to make it happen. The details were amazing, from the JT themed tables, to my favorite Newport “lobstah rolls” and the hilarious “Name That JT Song” game everyone played, adults and kids alike. Are you catching on to the theme here?

(more…)

Hope Lives

Hope Lives
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. For me, that means I schedule my yearly mammogram, and I make a donation to The Get In Touch Foundation, an organization that focuses on educating girls in grades 5-12 on how to do a breast self exam so they can be an advocate for their own health throughout their lives.

I met the founder of GIT, Mary Ann Wasil, several years ago when I was on a retreat at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Continue Reading

You can trap bees on the bottom of mason jars without lids because they don’t look up, so they just walk around bitterly bumping into the glass walls. Go outside. Look up.

Anne Lamott

Are you looking up?

Easier said than done, right?   

The truth is, I’ve been feeling quite a bit of despair lately with everything that’s happening in our country and it’s been a struggle to stay positive. I’m worried that my son Continue Reading

When life hands you dirt, plant seeds

When life hands you dirt, plant seeds
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Question: Is your life handing you a little too much dirt these days?

 

For me, some days I wake up and my first thoughts sink into this global pandemic we are still in the midst of, along with the horror show of trending news stories of virus-deniers, racism, martial law in action, etc… and I just want to cry. I have to force myself to get up, meditate, write, and think about the blessings in my life and the GOOD in the world; not the bad and the ugly. Continue Reading

Living in Yin

Living in Yin
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The first time I took a yin yoga class, I spent the first half hour in conversation with myself: “Are we done yet? Can I get out of this pose now? This doesn’t feel great… Can we FLOW, please?!”

If you’re not familiar with Yin yoga, it is a slow, meditative style practice, as opposed to the more common (yang) yoga of movement and flow. Once you come into a yin pose, it is held between three and eight minutes so that the connective tissues are gently stretched. Holding a pose for several minutes can provoke anxiety, or fear, or even boredom.
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Shower The People You Love

Shower The People You Love
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“There is so much love in the world,” my husband cries softly. “So much beauty.”

“Yes,” I say, wiping his tears, “there is that.”

He sits propped with a cushion to comfort his back, and picks at the fresh fruit from the Edible Arrangements bouquet that arrived earlier today, or perhaps it was yesterday, or the day before. Deliveries of fruit, hot meals, chocolate and flowers have been pouring in the last few days; it’s hard to keep track. Continue Reading

Nothing endures but change

Nothing endures but change
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“Nothing endures but change.” ― Heraclitus

I should know by now that it’s never a good idea to check Facebook right before going to bed. Just before closing my eyes, I happened to see a post from a friend who lives in Israel that two rockets had been fired from Gaza into Tel Aviv. It was the first time sirens were activated in Tel Aviv since 2014 and several Israelis were treated for shock.

Continue Reading