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Yorkville, IL – July 21, 2018
“Keep close to Nature’s heart…and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.
Mother Earth seemed to conspire with Tairi Grace, founder of the Metaphysically Fit Fest in Yorkville. Despite the crazy heat and abundance of rain prior to Saturday’s outdoor festival, the skies cleared and sunshine filled the Yorkville skies for this fun-filled event. Attendees were graced with green grass, a rolling river and a warm breeze throughout the day.
Tairi greeted me at the entrance of the festival. Her warmth and sense of joy were a perfect match to Mother Nature’s picturesque surroundings. She graciously offered to buy me a veggie smoothie as I conducted our interview. Of course, doing more juicing has been on my mind as of late. I paid over $300 for a juicer about two years ago, and I’ve only used it once. I ask myself, “Hmmm, do I order the delicious looking apple lemonade ice, or do I choose the super veggie smoothie, made with kale, carrots and all kinds of other ‘better for me’ fruits and veggies?” The veggie smoothie won out, and while I doubt that it tasted as delectable as the frozen lemonade, I knew that I was ingesting good foods and vowed to start using that juicer. As I chugged down my smoothie, Tairi informed me that this was the festival’s fifth year. She shared that it has grown tenfold, from a mere four vendors during its first year to over 40.
Tairi’s commitment to growing a conscious community in the Yorkville area does not stop at the festival. She shared that her passion was bringing people together, and she does just that in a myriad of ways. She is the owner of the Sense of Samadhi Yoga Studio, listed as one of the top 10 studios in Illinois. She also created the Grace Holistic Center for Education (GHCFE), a Pre-K through 12th Grade school, that fosters the education of the heart, mind and soul. Along with conventional curriculum, classes are also offered in diverse areas such as Yoga, Mindfulness, Pet Therapy and Aquaponics. They have an Aquaponics system in their pet room, where fish feed their plants and students are taught the value of contribution, compassion and responsibility.
“In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.”
Backtracking for a moment, prior to heading out to the event, I spent a couple of hours working in my garden. When I was a child, while I loved nature, I had no interest nor appreciation for plants and the growth process. Fast forward 50 years and I find myself in awe. Watering the seeds, I so carelessly planted in the early summer, I am shocked at the sudden appearance of five huge cucumbers that had been hidden under massive leaves. Three enormous bowling ball-sized veggies appeared out of nowhere. “What? Squash? But, I didn’t plant any squash. Awesome, but how?” Tending to my lawn, I watch as it becomes overgrown with some kind of weed that has a shallow root and vines that quickly expand to cover a vast area, and eventually strangle the underlying grass. As I yank weeds out from the miniscule cement cracks on my driveway, I note how nature is bound and determined to survive and grow. I believe that that too is our innate nature as well—to expand and grow in our consciousness.
“Nature’s beings live in the moment. They need nothing, and they ask for nothing. They know that they are where they need to be— we too are where we need to be.”
After arriving at the festival, I headed to the Conscious Community Magazine table to say a quick “hello” to our dear publisher, Kasia. As we spoke about my angst in the marketing of my solo show to a New York audience, she reminded me of the fact that nature knows and trusts, and that we should too. Ah, those two words that echo through my mind, “surrender” and “trust”. While I believe I need to, it is not always easy to do so.
Just across from the magazine’s booth was a booth sponsored by the local Fruitful Yield shop. If you are not familiar with Fruitful Yield, they are a family-owned business that originated in 1968. Their core values are healthy products, honest prices and five-star customer service. While I’ve seen retailers do some impressive promoting, I was overwhelmed with their generosity and outstanding customer care. They gave away so many free products; full bags of nuts, snacks, toiletries and other goodies; I wished I had a couple of extra grocery bags handy for all of their generosity.
“I received some powerful messages while reading cards from the Journey of the Fool!”
Of course, like every event I visit, synchronicity abounds and pertinent messages always surface.
I then headed over to the lawn area by the river, where some of the workshops were held. Dawn Aulet held a 30-minute tarot reading and discussion on The Journey of the Fool. She had us each pull four cards from the deck. My first was the Lovers VI card. I responded by throwing the card back in the deck, saying, “Yikes, not yet!” Then she explained that there was a dual meaning – that I need to love and honor myself fully, along with being open to a partner in my life. In retrospect, speaking of fools, I know that my gesture was a foolish one, as it is high time I fully open to experiencing both.
Later, I pulled the Wheel of Fortune X and Sun XIX cards. In her reflection of my cards and my interpretation of them, Dawn informed me that she got a message that performing my show and promoting were both creative acts, and that I was already successfully fulfilling both requirements. I experienced a “lightbulb” moment when she referenced the promotional work I was doing as a “creative endeavor.” Shifting the paradigm of promotion from being something I dread (but have to do) to being a creative activity was a potent way to reframe it. I was grateful to her and her powerful message.
“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.”
When I reflect back on the journey I have taken with my show and promoting it, I have learned so much. I have built my own websites, improved on my video producing and editing skills, and learned a great deal about marketing. So, I ask you, are there tasks you do that you perceive as being mundane and uncreative? Are you impatient with yourself and avoid taking credit for what you have accomplished? Perhaps it is time you reframe your perception as I re-evaluate mine. Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge yourself for how far you have come and see all that you do as part of your creative process. Without the rain, there would be no rainbows. Without the contrast of muddy grey winter days, there would not be the appreciation of spring’s burst of colorful foliage.
To learn more about Tairi Grace and the services she offers the community, go to www.metaphysicallyfitfest.com.
Theresa Puskar is an author, performer, speaker, minister and motivational audiobook producer. With over 25 years of experience in media and communications, she has worn many hats in the industry. She is the author of the “Terri” children’s book series, which focus on a variety of emotional and social development issues for children ages 5 to 9. She has received accolades for her autobiographical solo show, Beauty, Bollywood and Beyond and looks forward to performing it in New York in October. A powerful inspirational speaker and transition leader, Theresa edu-tains her audiences, by touching hearts and minds in a way that is engaging, joyful and life-affirming. For more information, you can visit www.TheresaPuskar.com.
