GoddessLife Blog

GoddessLife TuesdayShoedays!

Ms. Dolphina — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's Tuesday and the day we at GoddessLife HQ feature an outrageous, fabulous, unbelievable pair of shoes. Why? Because it's TuesdaysShoesday! And no matter what you choose to wear on your tootsies, go out there and strut your stuff Goddesses!

Today's featured pair are the Official Alaska shoes: XtraTuf Boots. They are completely waterproof, perfect for living in the wild and comfortable enough for yoga:)

GoddessLife Inspirational Mondays

Ms. Dolphina — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

We all need inspiration from time to time - especially on Mondays! I am a major quote nerd and love to underline all my books and post them on my refrigerator, mirrors and facebook, I select a special quote each Monday.

"Come forth into the light of things. Let nature be your teacher." - William Wordsworth

GoddessLife Favorite Bedroom Friday!

Ms. Dolphina — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Each Friday, I selected an outrageous, marvelous bedroom right out of my dreams.

Today's room is in my floating cabin on a remote Alaskan island. Into the wild.

GoddessLife TuesdayShoedays!

Ms. Dolphina — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's Tuesday and the day we at GoddessLife HQ feature an outrageous, fabulous, unbelievable pair of shoes. Why? Because it's TuesdaysShoesday!And no matter what you choose to wear on your tootsies, go out there and strut your stuff Goddesses!

GoddessLife Inspirational Mondays

Ms. Dolphina — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." - Amelia Earhart

And we all thought Nike came up with this gem:)

Happy New Moon in Gemini! What does that mean?

Ms. Dolphina — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Happy New Moon in Gemini! What does this mean? The New Moon in Gemini cycle is a good time to commit to personal goals that express the positive energies of the sign of the Twins. It's time to improve our communication skills by listening to others and enjoying others' points of view, rather than doggedly seeking to find that one elusive "answer". This is a good cycle under which to re-evaluate our communication and social skills by questioning just how much we actually take in information, and communicate in a friendly, non-threatening manner. With this potent Gemini energy, we have the chance to make important changes in our lives.

GoddessLife Favorite Bedroom Friday!

Ms. Dolphina — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Each Friday, I selected an outrageous, marvelous bedroom right out of my dreams.

Amazing Skylight!

GoddessLife TuesdayShoedays!

Ms. Dolphina — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's Tuesday and the day we at GoddessLife HQ feature an outrageous, fabulous, unbelievable pair of shoes. Why? Because it's TuesdaysShoesday!And no matter what you choose to wear on your tootsies, go out there and strut your stuff Goddesses!

Candy apple pin up

I have to confess. My most revealing blog.

Ms. Dolphina — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

My life is perfect.

But coming to this conclusion has been hard earned. I’m not joking. I certainly was not handed my perfect life on sequined platter covered with cupcakes. Rather, I was dished up an assorted wonderland of trauma. For years, I refused to even glance at what was on my plate. And while I wasn’t looking, I kept getting served more and more!

I want a different plate! Hello out there! It’s me! I’m the happy dancing girl who chooses to see the beauty in the world. This mound of abusive and cruel cupcakes simply can’t be mine! Somebody must have got the order wrong.

It didn’t matter how loud I shouted or what I said. There was no waitress, no baker, no one to complain to. There sat my plate, right in front of me, at my table for one. It was all mine. Slowly, bite-by-bite, I ate the most gigantic awful tasting cupcake. Ever. And I had to lick the plate clean.

As Joseph Campbell says, "The demon that you can swallow gives you its power, and the greater life's pain, the greater life's reply."

After I finished eating, I could feel…all emotions. Not only the selected few that society has deemed desirable. I felt alive. And blessed. Every moment that I have been living has made me…me!

This has me, above all other emotions, in a state of gratitude. Which is the most divinely scrumptious thing I have ever tasted.

This is why my life is perfect.

GoddessLife Inspirational Mondays

Ms. Dolphina — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

"We are not what has happened to us, we are what we wish to become" -Jung

GoddessLife Favorite Bedroom Friday!

Ms. Dolphina — Fri, 31 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Each Friday, I selected an outrageous, marvelous bedroom right out of my dreams.

GoddessLife Throwback Thursday - A Call of the Wild: My Alaskan Adventure Part Deux

Ms. Dolphina — Thu, 30 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

My Great Adventure in Alaska...How do you return from the wild?

What happens when you go so wild that you don’t know how to find your way back? After getting a taste of the extraordinary, can you return to an ordinary civilized life? I traveled to Alaska to share my own brand of wildness with the women of Juneau by teaching them the finer points of GoddessLife 101. During my trip something happened to me and one of my students and now we are both wandering in the wilderness, wondering how or if we can get back to ordinary civilization.

We all have a different version of going wild. For my student, it was performing with me on stage, and for me, it was going deep into the Alaskan wilderness. Alaska holds a mystique that no other nature locale does. Many people go to Alaska with a Jack London’s A Call of the Wild fantasy. It is the final wild frontier and many people go to Alaska with the vision of being immersed in nature, like Chris Mc Candless from Into the Wild. I did not arrive in the 49^thState with any of these desires. But it cast a spell on me, just the same.

I should have known I was in for a wild ride when my flight landed in Alaska at 10:30pm and I was wearing sunglasses. It is so far north that the sun does not ever truly set during the summer and I arrived on the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice. Courtney Nelson, my gracious hostess for the GoddessLife 101 bellydance and burlesque workshop picked me up at the airport. She went to Alaska 4 years ago for her cousin’s wedding and now lives in Juneau and is married with 2 children. This should have given me a warning that Alaska has a powerful affect that is difficult to shake off.

She excitedly shared the updated details of my trip. In addition to the sold-out workshop and PR interviews, she booked me to perform at a club that once was a bordello. I gasped when she informed me that this was to be a 3-hour burlesque performance for the following night. Not only would it be exhausting to dance for 3 hours, it would be impossible to do alone. Most of my choreographies are approximately 5 minutes each and then there is the issue of costume changes. I needed other dancers. I asked her to contact all the burlesque performers in Juneau. It turns out I was the only one in town. I would have to teach and turn women into dancers for my show.

I truly believe that everyone has a dancer within and I can teach anyone to become a dancer. I routinely see this transformation at my dance studio, the Goddess Center. But could I do this in one day? Would there be anyone who would be daring enough to perform in front of her friends? After we called, it seemed, everyone in town, I had a few possible candidates.

I met with each woman one by one at their place of work (which for some was a fishing boat). I told them about the show and what I was looking for. Each one shared that they secretly have always wanted to be a dancer and avidly watched shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. Then I asked them questions about their fears. Most of the concerns were about confidence: having body confidence to show their body, confidence that they could dance, confidence to be in front of a group of people. I shared with them the liberating, exciting feeling of being onstage in the center of attention and the confidence that would be built by facing these fears and getting up onstage. I invited them all to rehearsal at a dance studio I rented for the day.

I must admit that I was concerned at this point, though I kept these thoughts to myself. There was so much to be done. I had to teach them how to dance, several choreographies and arrange costumes. Most of all, I had to give them a makeover and change their nervousness into confidence. I also needed one dancer to perform an important duet chair dance with me. I had my eye on one of the women there who I met when she wrote an article on me for the Juneau Empire Newspaper. She was smart and attractive, but hid behind her intellectual skills and was nervous and shy. Her transformation from Gretchen to Sugar was so completely dramatic, it sends chills up my spine.

With my students, I see this potential the minute they walk in the door. I know they have walls of protection from years of other people telling them they cannot dance, they are uncoordinated, need to lose weight, and the list goes on. This prevents them from seeing the budding promise that I see. But I see right through the insecurities and I know that once they are in an encouraging environment that these critical thoughts will be replaced with the joy they experience from dancing. I know how much they look forward to coming to class to feel this freedom. I believe in them until they believe in themselves. They become dancers and so much more. They learn confidence, to love their bodies and a joy of being a woman that changes the landscape of the rest of their lives. To be a part of this transformation is my greatest joy in life.

But this transformation takes time. It takes time to shed the layers of self-doubt that have built up over the years. This is why Gretchen’s transformation was so dramatic: it happened within a day. It was like she was a natural, but not until the end of the day. During this day, she went from being shy to being confident,she went from wanting to quit to learning to dance. She faced her fears thoroughly let go and enjoyed her moment in the spotlight. I will never forget her squeals in the dressing room after performing, “ I want to do it again!” I was proud of her and happy. She was glowing. She got up on the bar and kept dancing long after the show was over. She didn’t want to take off her costume or for the night to end. The morning after the show, she called me and she said she didn’t want to go to work – she wanted to move to LA and study with me. I considered it a compliment and went to teach my workshop.

The workshop was wonderful. I taught bellydance in the morning. There were many levels and I was impressed at the talent in Juneau. I taught a choreography that accommodated the many levels of dancers in class from some that had never danced before to professional bellydancers that perform in a troupe. Then I taught burlesque. I encouraged everyone to come up with special burlesque names for themselves – names that are more glamorous than the woman who entered class with insecurities and daily responsibilities. I love burlesques names – it is a great joy of mine and I must admit that I have spent many hours creating names and was very impressed with the creativity of the names they invented, including: Chardon, Pussy Cladwell, and Hallibut (You can read all about my workshop in Shaidia’s/Hallibut’s blog). She is a very articulate and hilarious blogger in addition to being a great dancer.

My hostess planned non-stop activities for me and that evening, I performed bellydance that evening at a delicious Turkish restaurant in which many of my students came to see me perform and got up to dance with me while the owner broke plates. Next, I performed at a wedding and while still in costume, ran in a 1K Race named appropriately, “Only fools run at midnight”.

The generosity of the Alaskans was staggering (just ever so slightly different than Los Angeles) and I had so many invitations to go out one very one’s boat, sled and helicopter. It was difficult to choose, but impossible to refuse any offers! I got up first thing to see the glaciers. We flew in a helicopter and over white soft fluffy blankets of freezing tundra’s. I drank pure glacier water and took photos in my bellydance costume, nearly losing the tip of my nose due to frostbite! As soon as the helicopter landed that afternoon, I soon found myself at the local brewery, drinking the local homemade Rasberry Wheat. Then out on a boat. Life is so abundant in Alaska and I saw orcas, bears, dolphins and whales.

Then I got an invitation that was soon to change my life: I was invited to go see the baby seal pups on a marine research boat. The beauty I saw was as if I was touching the divine and the transformation I made was staggering. On a superficial level, I traded my sequins for a tweed overalls and extra tuff boots. The boat was tiny and I could only bring the necessities: camera, cel-phone, ruffely panties, you know.We began to leave civilization and it was exciting! Goodbye billboards, ETelevision, traffic, and hello stars the real ones in the sky), and sounds ofice clinking against the boat as if we were a delicious cocktail. I saw thousands of icebergs and they were so gorgeous! Some even looked like giant aquamarine gemstones the size of a bowling alley lane.

I slept lightly, but pleasantly. I awoke to see and hundreds of seals.

This experience of going into the wild changed me and I am not the same person I was before I left.Going into the deep wilderness of Alaska and witnessing the pure, unspoiled and abundant life was like going into the depths of my soul. It was liberating, freeing, but it is also was touching something deep within that altered the landscape of all things to come. It is through going to this place that I found the ability to expand and to create more room within. It created new possibilities, much like discovering new land and being an explorer in my own world. I found resources within myself that I didn’t know I had.

Don’t believe for a second that I was not still a glamorous goddess while on the research boat. I took pinup poses with the seal pups, wore sequins under my tweeds, and gave all the scientists cute new names like Randy Research, Theory of Scantitivity, Undicover. However, after 5 outrageous days in the most pristine nature of Alaska, I wondered how I could return to civilization. I felt different. I felt disoriented. It wasn’t simply a great trip that made it challenging to return to the dulldrums of work (btw, I love my work!) When I retuned to LA, everything looked different: classes, dancing, beach, and even boyfriends. I couldn’t recognize my life or find anything to grab hold of.

Everyone has their own version of going wild. For some it is drinking a margarita, for others its taking a bellydance class and for others it is telling their boss exactly what they think of them. Going into the wild is like taking a road trip without a map (and depending on how wild you go: lacking a flashlight, gas or any other necessary essentials). It can feel exciting to go into the unknown without any recognizable signposts, but it can also be terrifying. You might not feel like you will ever find your way back.

The truth is: sometimes you find your way back and have a great story to tell and other times, going into the wild leads you to discover new places within yourself. These new places are so expansive, delicious, exciting, risky that you never want to return to the old way of living. The old way is unbearable, boring, safe, narrow and you might just not be able to find your way back to to there! You are changed forever!

P.s. Gretchen is still dancing in Alaska

P.s.s. I am not going to move to Alaska (yet)

P.s.s.s Please share with me your wild adventures!

GoddessLife TuesdayShoedays!

Ms. Dolphina — Tue, 28 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's Tuesday and the day we at GoddessLife HQ feature an outrageous, fabulous, unbelievable pair of shoes. Why? Because it's TuesdaysShoesday!And no matter what you choose to wear on your tootsies, go out there and strut your stuff Goddesses!

GoddessLife Inspirational Mondays

Ms. Dolphina — Mon, 27 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

"We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever." ~ Carl Sagan

GoddessLife Favorite Bedroom Friday!

Ms. Dolphina — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Each Friday, I selected an outrageous, marvelous bedroom right out of my dreams.

Talk about a roll in the hay! This beauty was sent in from Timothy L Martin from our GoddessLife Community - thanks @TimothyLMartin!

Happy Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius! What does that mean?

Ms. Dolphina — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Happy Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius!

The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse occurs on May 25th, 2013, at 12:25 AM EDT. Early Saturday, a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse occurs with a Sagittarius Moon opposing the Sun in Gemini.

Lunar Eclipses are about relationships and polarities. With the Gemini-Sagittarius axis involved, this Lunar Eclipse presses us to look more closely at our needs, lacks, and wants in our lives concerning the balance between Gemini-ruled and Sagittarius ruled areas of life. The Gemini-Sagittarius polarity is a mental axis, where Gemini represents the "lower mind" and Sagittarius represents the "higher mind". The Gemini Sun encourages us to think logically, while the Sagittarius Moon persuades us to intuit, and to think in a broader manner. Sagittarius symbolizes the quest for meaning and ideas that expand upon the "here and now". Gemini is quite comfortable in his or her immediate environment or neighborhood, while Sagittarius stimulates us to venture beyond it. Neglecting either end of the axis will surely backfire on us. Ideally, a balance should be found between the two energies, and this is what the Lunar Eclipse invites us to do. This eclipse is about communication, attitude, and our sense of adventure. Something has been building inside of us, and now is the time when the energy of the cosmos fairly demands that we let it out. Over the coming weeks, we will discover what this means for us. For now, we can't sit on our feelings. We need to express them.

GoddessLife Throwback Thursday - SurfGoddess: Keep Your Butts out of the Ocean

Ms. Dolphina — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

SurfGoddess surfer girls are unlike ordinary surfers in so many ways: we are glamorous, uncompetitive and believe that the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun. But by far, what sets us apart from every surfer on the beach is the fact that we clean up the beach before we even enter the water. You would be surprised and shocked at what we have found littering our beautiful beaches in Southern California! The list is appalling, hilarious and completely outrageous. However, the most copious item that was tossed into our large plastic bags was cigarette butts. I share with you all the items we find, how the butts get there and how to keep them out. Ultimately, I say, think globally, act locally, no matter how fine you think your butts are, keep you butt out of my ocean.

GoddessLife TuesdayShoedays!

Ms. Dolphina — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's Tuesday and the day we at GoddessLife HQ feature an outrageous, fabulous, unbelievable pair of shoes. Why? Because it's TuesdaysShoesday!And no matter what you choose to wear on your tootsies, go out there and strut your stuff Goddesses!

GoddessLife Inspirational Mondays

Ms. Dolphina — Mon, 20 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

"Dancer's are athletes of God" - Albert Einstein

This is not photoshopped - she was a real dancer from the 1920's with the stage name "Spaghetti for Bones"

New Goddess Workout Teacher Training Certification GoddessLife Workshop Studio Opens

Ms. Dolphina — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I am thrilled to announce the New Goddess Workout Teacher Training Certification GoddessLife Workshop Studio Opened! It's decor is boho gypsy glam Moroccan chic. Here I am pictured teaching my first Certified Goddess Workout Bellydance and Burlesque Instructor, Juliana Crouch. Oh what fun we had!

GoddessLife Favorite Bedroom Friday!

Ms. Dolphina — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Each Friday, I selected an outrageous, marvelous bedroom right out of my dreams.

This beauty was sent in from Timothy L Martin from our GoddessLife Community - thanks @TimothyLMartin!

GoddessLife TuesdayShoedays!

Ms. Dolphina — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's Tuesday and the day we at GoddessLife HQ feature an outrageous, fabulous, unbelievable pair of shoes. Why? Because it's TuesdaysShoesday!And no matter what you choose to wear on your tootsies, go out there and strut your stuff Goddesses!

Happy New Moon Solar ECLIPSE in Taurus

Ms. Dolphina — Thu, 09 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A New Moon Solar Eclipse in the sign of Taurus occurs on Thursday, May 9th, 2013, at 8:29 PM EDT.

The New Moon in Taurus is a good time to commit to personal goals that express the positive energies of the sign of the Bull. It's time to enjoy life's simple and physical pleasures--savor good food, and enjoy activities that bring us in touch with nature and with our bodies. It's time to stop and smell the roses, and to become more aware of what makes us feel comfortable and secure. With this potent Taurus energy, we have the chance to make important changes in our lives. It's time to make some solid yet realistic plans, and to set the stage for reaping the rewards from our new beginnings, as little or big as they may be, in approximately two weeks' time after the Full Moon occurs.

The effects of this Solar Eclipse can be felt up to six months after the actual date of the eclipse. In the sign of Taurus, matters related to personal finances, values, matters of ownership, physical and material resources, personal possessions, feelings of worthiness, desire for safety and security, resistance to change, comfort, sensuality, and familiarity will be a strong focus on a personal level. This eclipse is about new beginnings regarding all of these matters.

Occurring in Taurus, this eclipse is about strengthening our sense of security. It is a time for re-evaluating our relationship with money and possessions and discovering what it is that truly makes us happy and fulfilled. It's a time for considering new ways of increasing our income or earning power. We should be concentrating on what it is we can do to increase our own feelings of self-worth. We are asked to get in touch with what it is that we truly value and want in our lives, and to part with those things or situations that are not contributing to our feelings of worthiness. This includes identifying those things that give us a false sense of security. Sometimes eclipses bring about events that force us into this position of re-evaluation. For example on a mundane level, someone might need to move to a smaller place that requires downsizing of personal possessions; another might be in the position to pay out a large sum that necessitates an adjustment of spending habits; another might need to deal with an audit or back taxes; and the list goes on.

We might evaluate where we have been complicating our lives by our love-hate attraction to predicament and conflict or by an addiction to food or comfort items and consider what truly makes us feel content and comfortable. Knowing what it is that truly - deeply - makes us feel comfortable and pleased ultimately improves our intimate relationships.

GoddessLife Woman of the Week Wednesdays

Ms. Dolphina — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's GoddessLife Woman of the Week Wednesday! Here at GoddessLife HQ, we feature a woman who embodies the highest possible expression of her nature. Honoring the brilliance in other women will help all of us on our path to living our own true potential.

"You are the storyteller of your own life.. you can create your own legend..." - Isabel Allende

GoddessLife TuesdayShoedays!

Ms. Dolphina — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's Tuesday and the day we at GoddessLife HQ feature an outrageous, fabulous, unbelievable pair of shoes. Why? Because it's TuesdaysShoesday!And no matter what you choose to wear on your tootsies, go out there and strut your stuff Goddesses!

GoddessLife Inspirational Mondays

Ms. Dolphina — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” - Socrates

GoddessLife Favorite Bedroom Friday!

Ms. Dolphina — Fri, 03 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Each Friday, I selected an outrageous, marvelous bedroom right out of my dreams.

This beauty was sent in from a woman in our GoddessLife Community - thanks @Sanndi Thompson

GoddessLife TuesdayShoesdays!

Ms. Dolphina — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It's Tuesday and the day we at GoddessLife HQ feature an outrageous, fabulous, unbelievable pair of shoes. Why? Because it's TuesdaysShoesday!And no matter what you choose to wear on your tootsies, go out there and strut your stuff Goddesses!

I don't care if these are considered shoes...j'adore my new vintage 1970's "Rollers" rollerskates!

GoddessLife Inspirational Mondays!

Ms. Dolphina — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Today's quote is dedicated to all the Certified Goddess Workout Instructors:

The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to them their own.

Why I Dance - A Poem by Dolphina

Ms. Dolphina — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

When I’m weary
Feeling lost
I dance

When I grieve
With endless tears
I dance

When I’m insecure
And lonely
I dance

When I’m violated
And need to forgive
I dance

When I hear music
That tells my body to move
I dance

When my heart
Explodes with joy
I dance

Dance
Healed
Every part of my mind, body & soul

Dance
Reminds me
Of who I truly am

This is why I dance