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Grace of Tea

7/1/2020

1 Comment

 
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Grace of Tea 

I discovered the beauty of tea from my grandmother and my mother.  

Each morning as I was growing up I watched the morning ritual of pouring tea.  

It was a typical tradition : boil the water, grab the tea bag and put it in the mug, pour the water and sit.  They would sip and sit and sip and sit.  

Sometimes my grandmother would see the birds out of the window and make a comment.  Sometimes my mother would look out into the distance and smile.  

Words were not often spoken.  Nothing seemed to be happening.  

In reflection, however,  I witnessed a routine each morning that I have come to know as their own version of contemplative meditation.  

Tea Ceremony

Meditation can take many forms.  And one of my favorite paths of meditation is found in an ancient practice called the Tea Ceremony.

The essence of the Tea Ceremony is to be fully present to your Self and to the process of preparation, pouring and sharing tea.  It is with an open-heart and mindful attention that we serve for the benefit of ourselves and of others.

It is a kind of meditation in action.  And it is a way to bring attention and intention into your daily routine and make it a shared experience, as well as a solo endeavor.  

One of the most delightful things about a Tea Ceremony is that it can be created for your Self or with others and so, the meditation becomes a process of expansion and spaciousness.  A shared experience for guest and host.

Each moment is unique and transient. There is only one moment – this moment. It will never occur again in this way.

Whether you are preparing tea for yourself or for others, it is an opportunity to celebrate the moment and care for yourself and others. 

See the magic in what is ordinary. 

This magic is always available to us when we slow down, pay attention to our ordinary experience and allow ourselves to simply be.

Global Tea Hut

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To bring extra joy to my personal tea ceremony, each month I receive a beautiful package of tea, a gift and a magazine about tea from the Global Tea Hut, a tea community in Taiwan, China.  

This month's gift was about honoring the Year of the Sheep and it's lessons on abundance.  And in the spirit of sharing, I share this process with You.

I always look forward to this subscription ~ more than any other mail I receive each month.  The magazine is incredibly thoughtful and educational and insightful.  

The gifts each month are surprisingly generous and the tea is amazing.  

You can subscribe, too, and be a part of the community that serves others so kindly.

In the meantime, whether you are a tea or coffee drinker, please remember to sit, breathe and be still.

Want to learn more about tea + meditation, check out mydailyom.com.  

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This is the Dalai Lama Calling

3/7/2015

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Are you Ready?

In New York City there is always someone doing something amazing, off-the-charts, innovative, out-of-this-world, gorgeous, connected, and well, just BIG! And living in New York City now for over 20 years, I have noticed the cycles of creativity and the rhythm of flow and there are seasons for everything.

There are moments in our lives when we feel that nothing is happening. We are bored, flat-lined, depressed, out of sorts, not motivated.

And then comes the existential wondering :s What am I doing with my life? What's the big picture? or maybe you consider questions of happiness ....  What's going to make me happy?  Is what I'm doing now bringing me joy? 

The cycle of inquisition and reflections starts and the mind, the heart and the body start to move in all sorts of directions.  What's is all about?  And what am I supposed to do now?


Wherever you go with this cycle, it often-times may feel like it is a state that lasts too long and yet, this "flat-line" time period may be the most important times of your life.  Pay attention to them.  And watch and listen and take action.  One conscious step at a time.


When it feels like there is NOTHING happening in your life is precisely the time when you need to PREPARE and PLAN for the moment when something IS going to happen. 

Because when the Dalai Lama calls for you, you want to be ready!

And you don't know when that time will come. SO get ready.

The time you need to go deep is during that downtime when there is no creativity flowing, when the world feels dull, when the days are long and you feel lonely and disconnected from your source. 

This is the time you need to go deep and it looks a little different than you might expect.  Maybe it is going on that yoga retreat or meditation weekend or writing or getting the therapy appointment on the books.  But, if you've been down this road a couple of times, you know, those activities may be good for a short-term fix but then the duldroms creep back into your life.  So what makes real change?

It's not what you think.  Ready?

Get ORGANIZED!  

Get organized with your external space and your internal space will miraculously shift, too.

Here's your homework:

Clean the closets, wipe down the counters, organize the pictures and the mail, sit for longer meditations, stock the pantry with food, sweep the floor, buy candles and incense, do the laundry, clear out the cobwebs and button up the shirts!  In other words, PREPARE for your magic day.  And do it with purpose and intention and clarity for as long as it takes until you have the moment when you get the call from the Dalai Lama. And it will come.


And You will be ready! YES!


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The "call from the Dalai Lama" is code for the opportunity that you've been waiting to arise.  And when that opportunity comes, you want to be ready.  And furthermore, you want to be ready  to CHOOSE if you wish to engage and receive it or not. 

Our preparation leads us to the awakening to more opportunities. And these opportunities are happening in every day many times a day. When we are busy with other circumstances and conflicted with extraneous noise, some opportunities do not have a place yet and we have to wait for an opening. 

When you get skilled at this preparation practice, you will notice that you may sometimes desire the periods of flat-lining to return again so there is time to relax and renew and reassess values, goals, intentions and quality of attention. Then the time comes and we start again.


This flow is not always so smooth. There are big waves and small waves and obstacles and setbacks, but the important thing to remember is to continue to prepare for the future that is awaiting you. And when opportunity knocks you can say, "I'm Ready!" and choose if it is what you wish to create or wait for the next opportunity that comes.

It is in the preparation that we have the power of choice.

And that is ultimate power : self responsibility, self accountability and freedom of choice!


So make your bed, take a bath, fold the laundry, do the dishes, sweep the floor, fluff the pillows, prepare the flowers, pour the tea and sit.

Your opportunity will come and you will be ready!
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Power of Presence

3/6/2015

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I have a big wig New York City yoga client who is one of those hot shot merger and acquisitions dudes. If I shared with you the companies he works with, you might be uber impressed. He's got a family, a couple of houses, a huge business and a big life. 

I see him each week in his townhouse on the Upper East Side, New York City, that he dedicates to his well-being...meaning he has another home where he lives with his family. The townhouse is his space to chill and renew.   But who cares about the rich and famous, right?  What's the point?

Well, there are many things that are super impressive about this man, but what I find incredibly inspiring and empowering is this:   HE IS PRESENT. 

When we work together, his smart phone is in another room and he is completely in his practice.  

A man with three kids, a wife, a household, a huge business and a heck of a lot of responsibility beyond the scope of most people, is off line and unavailable for a solid hour.  No multi-tasking.  He is in the moment and completely dedicated to his learning, his health and well-being and his purpose.

This got me thinking about success and the amazing successful people that I know in my life and what I notice is that people who have success in their live  have certain qualities that they embody.  

Commitment, Dedication, Presence, Goals, Clarity, and Coaching
I'm sure they have many other important qualities that keep themselves operating at the top of their game, but it seems like these leaders know what they want, they know how to delegate, they know how to perform, they know how to be accountable and responsible and they really get things done.
Commitment
They are ALL IN with their life and their responsibilities.  They are connected to the understanding that they are in charge of their lives and what they create in the world is up to them.  They make it happen and stick with it with consistency.

Dedication
They know how to delegate and what they are good at and what they can give up and keep moving towards the goal.

Presence
They are in alignment and stay connected to the moment and look at big picture goals and visions, as well as the details that need to be congruent to make it all happen. 

Goals
They know what they want and seek out ways to make it happen in manageable bites and bigger chunks.  But they create goals that are specific, measurable, accountable, reachable and timely (aka SMART goals).

Clarity
They know what they want and they go for it.  With clarity, they keep moving forward despite obstacles or setbacks.  Clarity brings freedom.

Coachable
Successful people seek coaches and other leaders and colleagues who are better than they are to continue to learn and accelerate their growth and potential.  They build and seek a team around them that is stronger and more knowledgeable than themselves to keep evolving.

In the yoga industry, it is like teachers seeking teachers.  We all want someone who has "been there before" to show us the way
.  

Here's Your Homework

Ask Yourself?  Am I in alignment with my Highest Potential?  Where could I be better with these leadership qualities in my life?  What do I want?  Am I ready when the big opportunity comes knocking at my door?  What steps do I need to take to keep moving forward?

One step at a time the house gets built.  Build your house on a firm foundation and make it a beautiful representation of your Self and your Dream.

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Click the picture to read the poem.
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mydailyom.com

Like this post?  Please share.

Comment below what other qualities you feel embodies success.

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Chocolate + Poetry

3/5/2015

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ChocoLove Note

Chocolate + Poetry are two of my favorite things EVER!!!  

When you buy a ChocoLove bar, you get the best of both worlds!

Bliss!!!!
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If you but knew
How all my days seemed filled with dreams of you.
How sometimes in the silent night
Your eyes thrill through me with their tender light,
How oft I hear your voice when others speak,
How you 'mid other forms I seek -
Oh, love more real than though such dreams were true
If you but knew.


- Unknown Author
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www.stephanieculen.com
www.mydailyom.com


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Pitango's Tea Surprise

2/20/2015

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I discovered iMovie on my iPad and it's been so much fun exploring different elements and aspects of life to share in different ways of mood and temperament that come together in harmony.  This is my second insta-film.  Hope you enjoy it!

This insta-film is about my dear friend, Pitango.  

We met in 2010 on Prince Street where he sold his rings. He was a street vendor there for 20 years and I walked by him for 20 years before I actually "saw" him.  When we met, it was a friendship from the soul and heart that will last forever.  

He is a great teacher of life and love and laughter. 

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insta-film.com

Please share on social media!

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Four Steps to Bliss

2/18/2015

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How to Plant Good Seeds

This is the best practice I know to be done on a daily basis or as often as you can remember.  It has worked wonders in my life and I notice a considerable difference to my personal well-being and to the way my days unfold when I practice these four steps with attention and intention.  Happy planting!

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The Four Steps

1.  Make a decision of what you wish to have or want to happen for yourself.  
It should be one short sentence. 

Examples : 
"I want an amazing place to live."  "I want a healthy body." I want a loving partner." 
"I want to travel more." 
 "I want help with my business."  "I want more money." 


Be specific and exact.

This step is called Shi in Tibetan.  It basically means "basis".
2.  Find someone who wants something similar to what you want.  
Make a plan to help them get what they wish.

Example :
"I will ask my friend who shares my same desire if she wants to have tea.  
I will listen and see how I can support their desire and give counsel and ideas as they arise.  

This step is called Sampa in Tibetan.  It basically means "intention" or "state of mind".
3. Meet them.  Speak with them.  Love them and be happy for them.  

Meet and talk.  Help them with intention and attention.

This step is called Jorwa in Tibetan. It basically means "deed" or "act".
4.  Before bedtime, as you lay awake review your day and the good deed that you did in sharing your time to help someone be happier and more fulfilled in their life. 

Keep your mind and heart in a happy place and take joy in your actions.

This step is called Tartuk.  It basically refers to "joyful contemplation".



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Tartuk is the most important step of this process.  
It is the step that will make a magic garden grow 
in your life.  
Remember to Tartuk each night!

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This work is based on teachings by Geshe Michael Roach and the Diamond Cutter Institute. 

Please share!


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An Invitation to Your Health

2/18/2015

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I wasn't always a health nut or a yoga "guru".  As a matter of fact, I was a really sick kid. 

From the time I was a baby, I have suffered from allergies and asthma.  Except I was not diagnosed with these conditions until I was about 9 years old. 

Every Spring and every Fall, my mother was told by our family physician that I had bronchitis.  I was put on heavy duty antibiotics for weeks at a time.  Antibiotics my mother came to understand many years later, adults should only be on for a maximum of 3-5 days.  I missed weeks of school every year, stuck in bed watching I Love Lucy and Bewitched and I never really felt "sick". 

It was a kind of nightmare. 

I wanted to play in the leaves in the Fall and smell all the flowers in the Spring. I missed out on Halloween trick-or-treating and fun country flower-picking and frolicking events in the Spring. Every year, it was the same old tune.  



Until one day, my mother, who worked at a hospital bumped into the Allergy Specialist.  Then things started to change for me.

She made an appointment with the Ear, Nose and Throat specialists at the hospital and I started allergy testing. In the 70's allergy testing consisted of making tiny scratches on your back (all over of your back) and putting tiny drops of live allergens onto the scratches. If there was a reaction on the skin, then you were allergic. Guess what happened next?


I was the poster child for allergies! It turned out that I was basically allergic to EVERYTHING enviromental and almost everything animal (especially cats, dogs and horses). And not only was I allergic, I was 10 times the normal patient...whatever THAT meant. As a child, I took it to mean : I had been sufferig for a long time unnecessarily.

And so a new cycle began for me. Oe that included allergy shot 2 times a week and a whole new paradigm of nutrition, supplemeents and education.

As my mom took in all this new information, our lives and circumstances started to make a whole lot more sense.

There was a reason I was getting "sick" and it was allergies. I was allergic to feathers, dust, mold, grass, dogs, cats, horses...you name it...I was allergic to it.

I remember the first morning I ate my cereal before school and I could actually breathe and eat with my mouth shut for the first time. I was 9 years old. Before that, eating was challenging especially when I was trying to follow manners and "eat with your mouth shut." You see, I always wanted to do the right thing but I really struggled with simple tasks. And now not only could I breath and eat simultaneously, I could TASTE food and flavors. WOW!!!!!

It was around this time in my life that I was introducted to my step-father's sister, and then things got really interesting. My step-aunt also had her own existential health crisis and she was a advocate for macrobiotics and all things natural. She was seen as a strange lady who cooked all her own food and brought along with her (outside of the home) all of these teas and tinctures and oils and many other "weird" concoctions for her health and well-being.

As everybody else was making fun of her, I was watching and learning. I believed she had the information and knowledge that I needed to be healthy and grow. She taught me yoga exercises and massage techniques and Qi Gong movements that would be helpful for my asthma. She taught me about foods that created phlegm and discomfort and foods that were better for my body. She tuaght me about cooking and spices and herbs and it was a huge awakening. I was buying everything she was offering. I was ten years old.

At that time my mission was to get healthy and feel better so that I could hang and play with my friends, go to school and not get behind on readings and homework and be "normal" like everybody else. 


Little did I know, this was the beginning of my life's purpose : to learn how to heal myself and help others learn how to do the same.

Since I was ten years old, I have learned supreme self-care because I know the value in being healthy and staying healthy. And as a very small child, I made a secret vow to myself to do whatever I could to keep myself out of hospitals, to stay off of pharmaceuticals, to stay out of a sick bed and to be out in the world : laughing, loving and living.

This commitment I made to myself remains true to this day and my wish is to help others learn how to help themsleves throgh the many techniques and options that are available today that include the disciplines I have known to be of service to me: yoga, reiki, nutrition, meditation, creativity, movement, and essential oils.

There is a time and place for doctors and hospitals and Western medicine. And I am totally in favor of the dedication of our modern world and its advances in medicine. However, I also have experienced that many chronic conditions can best be served through a variety of healing paradigms and that our bodies are powerful and capable of doing the work. Being well-informed and curious and inquisitive about what works for each one of us and what doesn't takes patience, persistence, and presence. Paying attention to what is working and what is not and knowing when to seek Western counsel and when to seek alternative methods and when to combine the two pardigms.

It's up to you. Always. To make the choices for your body and healing. Gather the information and feel out what is best for you. And remember, that was works for somebody else may not work for you and vice versa. Perhaps it is why there are so many different options to explore and it can be comfusing. Using your intuition about what might be best for you and feeling your body and how it works is a really good start.

I love you. 
And care so much about you and what happens to you. 
Please take supremely good care of yourself. 
It's important.
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Unsubscribe Please

2/1/2015

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Since the beginning of January, I've been spending small pockets of time unsubscribing from the gazillion emails that come into my box every day.  Why? Because something shifted in me in the New Year and I wanted to get super essential with every thing that I was doing, feeling and experiencing and I found that my energy was being divided by all those pesky messages coming into my virtual space.  I wanted to find out what and who I was truly connecting with and what were they telling me that was helpful, important, and worth my time to pause and read. 

I found few who made the cut.  And then I started feeling out why they were privileged to be chosen to take up my time.  This is what I discovered:

Those people, companies and messages that remained in my life had similar qualities: 

They all offered something inspiring, interesting, helpful, funny, creative, purposeful and connected.  They all spoke to me with honesty and charisma.  And they all gave me really awesome ideas and contemplations. 
And almost all of them that I chose to keep in my "box" were not selling me a product or a service or a course.  They were sharing themselves in a real way.  And I liked it. 

And so, that got me thinking, eh......how do I serve my clients, "fans", friends, family and others who have chosen to be on my mailing list?  What am I offering that would inspire and serve? How can I be most helpful because I truly wish to be a muse of inspiration, health, grace, fun and love. 
I don't want to take up space in someone's life without offering something truly worthwhile. 

And the editing of my own life began to get very real.  And I started to ask myself : How am I presenting what I know and love to the world? And where do I want to help people?  And where do I most want to put my energy and time?

These questions and reflections have been a part of my curiosity for MONTHS now which is why I've not mailed anything out to my list that isn't fun or free, but my messages have been kind of lame.  And even I know it.  So, I've stopped mailing .... for now .... but that may change.  Everything does.

Instead, I will be posting things here on my website so take a look around.  In the meantime, you will find me here and there and everywhere (thank you for your inspiration Yoga Sara...you made the cut!)
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Photo by Teddy Szcudlo
So, if you are on my mailing list and want out, now is the time to unsubscribe.  No hard feelings.  I totally get it.  And if you change your mind later, you can come back.  I will still love you.  I never stop loving.  But we change and our priorities change and where and how and with whom we want to spend our time with changes.  Yada yada yada.  And so we evolve.  I get it.

But here's the deal : I'm going to give you information you may really like (and need!) about a lot of different things in a lot of different areas and if there is a way I can help you feel better, live happier and be a better person for yourself and others, it's my secret agent mission to make that happen for You.

Oh, you're not on the list?  Here ya go:  You can subscribe here.  That was easy.

Did you know I wrote poetry? 
You can browse through the blog archives and feel them out.
Let me know what resonates with you.  Yeah, I really want to know.....
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Opening to Grace

12/31/2014

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Last moments on the hilltop. Coming home today. It’s been a huge heart awakening in many ways and I am feeling tender and soft and connected to a very deep source as the new year arises. Opening to Grace in 2015. Curious to the exploration of the unknown as the sun rises and sets each day. Appreciation and gratitude for each breath is a prayer.
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Magical Presence

11/1/2014

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Everyday magic on the Island starts with Sunshine and yoga with Cindy. Opening to the mystery of island living, I always wonder what the day will bring. From hanging on the porch at Beach Bums chilling with the dogs and dudes, to riding the bike with Bianca in the basket breathing in the salt air of the Gulf, to meeting ladies on a beach walk collecting seashells who have a place for us to stay, to conversations with friends who now live in the area, to swimming in the kidney shaped pool under the palm trees at the garden motel next door, to the newlywed couple who adore Bianca, to impromptu afternoon beers and BBQ on the tip of the island watching the sunset with new friends, to sharing stories of love and dreams inspiring over cocktails and mussels at the waterfront, life unfolds naturally and organically and authentically. Breathing in gratitude gratitude gratitude. I will be back in NYC soon. For now, it’s another day in the life of a mermaid and I am biking my way to yoga on the beach with a friend from NYC who is here for the weekend. Bliss bliss bliss.
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For the Love of Rain

7/9/2014

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Prayer

6/23/2014

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Breathing in the prayer of gratitude.
Every breath like drops of water on a dry leaf nourishing and cleansing,
supporting and purifying,
satisfying and gratifying.
Breathing in the prayer of gratitude.
Essential heart evolution of humility and grace.
Beyond measure. Boundless. Endless. Timeless.
Gratitude.
Thank you.
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Self-Love and Radical Self Acceptance

2/10/2014

1 Comment

 
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In my years of teaching yoga, I’ve found Self Love to be an essential element of one’s evolution and enlightenment. The foundation of Self love is radical self acceptance. Self love is embodied and expressed in the delight to serve others. When we love ourselves completely and unconditionally, love infinitely pours into every cell of our body. Love is never finished, it is always in flow. So once you are being filled with the flow of self love, it begins to overflow and takes the form of loving kindness, compassion, playfulness, respect and nonjudgmental expressions of service.

My favorite self-love practice is forgiveness, forgiving over and over again, in every moment. Another great practice of self love is mindful speaking to myself and others. I listen to the language and tone with which I speak to myself and make certain that I speak to myself as I would to my lover or a child. It is an extremely helpful practice.

Loving self care is essential to Self Love! Taking care of mind and body – including eating good foods for my body and soul, dancing, clearing emotions with meditation, choosing positive thoughts and releasing negative ones, sharing time with people I love and laughing. Laughter and play are the most magical tools for self-love!!

To live a life you love, you have to have a sense of what you love, how you love and why you love. Our best possible selves must start with accepting where we have been and where we are now and where we want to go. There are always transitions in our lives. Everything changes everyday. We need to know how to work with these changes from a place of self acceptance and self understanding. We are the directors, producers, writers and actors of our own life. Once there is an understanding that we have the power within our own hearts and minds to create what we wish, then radical transformation can begin. Taking full responsibility of ourselves, our thoughts and our actions, is required. And self love starts the process.

Yoga is a process of balance and union of the different parts of our self nature. In its most simplistic terms, we are balancing and bringing into union the feminine with the masculine, the sun and the moon, the ha and the tha. Most of us have issues with one or both of parts of ourselves – so to love all the parts, just as they are without criticism or judgment, is a huge step towards enlightenment, aka the ultimate self love!

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    Stephanie Culen

    stephanieculen.com

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    #theartoflivingpoetically #talesfromthetreehouse

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