Let Nothing Lie Dormant

At the farmer’s market in Rosarito, Mexico,
a man touched my arm.
He sat on a stool at a wooden table,
and in the center,
a blue pitcher of water beaded under the sun.
Hunkered over his lap,
he worked with a gouge on a block of walnut,
and he blew at the dust,
and the dust swirled in the breeze.
Done stripping the sapwood vulnerable to rot,
the man held the heart of the wood,
a purple wood hard against
the chisel’s cutting edge.
He looked up from his work,
and his gray eyes told me I must listen.
“This wood must be strong
or the heart cracks before the real work is done.
See this?” he asked softly,
and he lifted a mallet carved
from a branch of apple, “Strong wood,” he said.
“It wanted to be more than a tree.”
He rubbed fresh walnut dust between his palms.
We drank glasses of ice water,
talked about life in general,
and he used the pitcher,
billowed and wet like the sail of a boat,
to cool his neck.
Later, through the soft meat of an avocado,
I felt the pit longing to be free.

David Dominguez

CultFit Woods


Mind(Full)

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet-

Where is your mind when you’re “working out – running- cycling – racing“? Is your mind busy planning tomorrow’s running route as a bottomless ravine moves closer and closer towards your aching feet? Is your mind still wrapped up in some excitement from earlier in the morning, replaying a conversation over and over again as you put another ice pack on your sore knee(s)?

When we are looking forward to the future or back into the past, then by definition we cannot be in the present moment.

Walking, slowing down the pace of life, mindfulness, turning off the phone, yoga and many other cool “things” provide us a wonderful opportunity to be present, mindful and aware, as opposed to being distracted, stressed and overwhelmed. Presence, mindfulness and awareness provide us an opportunity to train our mind and spirit, to understand what it means to be in the here and now, with a healthy sense of appreciation, patience, and a non-judgmental attitude. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to get back in touch with the world, the world in which you live in.

Notes:

*Read below

CultFit Love Live


Heart (it) Races

If you’re reading this … Congratulations, you’re alive. If that’s not something to smile about, then I don’t know what is-

Magazines, movies, television shows and just about every romance novel teach us to follow our deepest attractions if we want to find true love in our lives. As you may have discovered by now, reading Shape magazine to get fit works about as well as an off the strip gambling parlor. We all share many types of attractions, and every attraction beckons us into an entirely different direction and future.

The direct path to exploring a healthy life lies in only following what I believe are our “activities of inspiration.” These attractions draw us to “things” that are gentle and available; Nature is my best example as well as people who inspire us simply by who they are. Engaging in activities that diminish our sense of self rarely change, even with love, commitment and lots of sweat and hard work. We don’t need the roller coaster of negative attractions to grow! We can grow through inspiration instead.

The decision to only follow our “activities of inspiration,” is a life changer. The whole tenor of how you look at yourself, fitness and health changes. Even if you haven’t found the one activity you enjoy the most, you feel a sense of wholeness; a sense that you’re moving closer to finding what you truly love.

Notes:

I encourage you to make a commitment to yourself, in this present moment, in your jammies … Be bold, different and choose only attractions of inspiration. Each one of us has the power to change our life and our future with kindness and a commitment to ourselves.

CultFit Sunrise


Sing a Simple Song

The words ‘I Love You’ kill, and resurrect millions, in less than a second-

Chances are many of us have endless “should(s)” that occupy our lives; things we want to change in order to make our lives better. Passion can shed a new light on these “should(s)“.

Passion offers us insight(s) about our behavior that touch us most deeply. Passion calls to us, often in our most undefended moments, and its call carries a sense of urgency and truth that we feel deep inside. If we can pick out the core elements from the cacophony of life’s demands, and if we give these elements the priority they deserve? Our lives will shift into a completely new direction.

Notes:

The journey to finding what we love is more akin to a treasure hunt than a straight path. When we listen and follow the message we’ve discovered, intimately, passionately? We are then led onto another path, another treasure … What we discovery may very surprise and delight us, there’s only one way to find out!

Thank you for your continued support of CultFit. Take care this evening and be well!

CultFit Bloom


(You) Wish

To find out what is truly individual in ourselves, profound reflection is needed; and suddenly we realize how uncommonly difficult the discovery of individuality is-

Ever since I was introduced to nonviolence (shortly after my knee surgery), I have been studying, learning and working steadily to free my consciousness from the traps I have inherited over the many years of my life. Each morning when I rise out of bed, sore, bitter, angry at the world before I even have my first soothing sip of ginseng tea.

I relentlessly make the conscious effort to devote time and energy throughout the day to removing from my vocabulary words that point to certain ways of thinking such as “should I”, “I can’t, “I have to do this”, and all metaphors of virulence.

Every day I make deliberate choices that are at extreme odds with the world’s addiction to convenience,addiction to violence and to harming ourselves, an addiction whose gravity I recognize within myself – Each and everyday.

*I would sincerely appreciate any and all feedback you provide in regards to future posts*

Notes:

Today, lets take an early afternoon walk, hand in hand – directly towards emotional discomfort and away from violence … Again and again so as to create true freedom in ourselves. To live the lives We want.

CultFit Con