Virtually Gina

In the Om: Teenage Warrior Yogis Develop New Tools For Recovery

December 5, 2016 by Gina Marie

Four teenagers unroll yoga mats in the common area of the East Coast drug rehabilitation center they currently call home. They’re ready for their Sunday afternoon vinyasa flow. Today, they seem tired. One of the teens, Vicki (name changed to preserve confidentiality), requests a gentle practice. She emphasizes: “No downward dogs!” I tell them I’ll happily oblige. Working with recovering addicts, you quickly learn to meet them where they’re at. They can be cooperative on some days and challenging, if not downright defiant, on others. Patience is tested. […]

Categories: Addiction, Compassion, Life, Meditation, Recovery, Spirituality, Yoga

The Fruits of My Labors

September 21, 2016 by Gina Marie

While undergoing an intensive yoga training in Minneapolis over the summer, I learned the Sanskrit term svadyaya, or “self-study.” Much to my surprise, I discovered that reading Tarot cards or other types of divination decks (something I’ve been doing since high school) falls under the svadyaya category. Rather than seeing this activity as “occult,” one can simply see it as a method of getting acquainted with oneself in a deep and meaningful manner. During the training, we would often be invited […]

Categories: Divination, Minneapolis, Photography, The Artistic Process, Yoga • Tags: Divination, Minneapolis, The Artistic Process, Yoga

Yoga for Recovery

August 29, 2016 by Gina Marie

The day after I flew back from my 200-hour Teacher Training & Intensive program at Devanadi School for Yoga and Wellness in Minneapolis, I began orientation with Root to Rise NJ, a non-profit organization whose mission is: “to break the stigma associated with addiction by pushing the limits of what is physically and mentally possible.” In the three weeks since, I have gone from metaphorically dipping my toes into the organization’s warm, oceanic waters to diving in waist-deep. Some of […]

Categories: Addiction, Healing, Health, Jersey Shore, Yoga • Tags: Addiction, Jersey Shore, Recovery, Yoga

Flying High

August 7, 2016 by Gina Marie

What a gift to have found an activity that makes you feel strong enough to fly, and to have a community that will be there for you in case you slip and fall. I am one grateful yogi who is, by the way, now certified to teach! And I have the feeling my journey has only just begun . . .

Categories: Healing, Health, Life, Minneapolis, Yoga • Tags: Healing, Health, Yoga

Technicolor Staycation

July 7, 2016 by Gina Marie

As of today (Thursday) I’ve had one week off: no work, limited responsibility, and beautiful weather here on the shore. And my “staycation” is not over yet! I have three days left before a month-long trip to Minneapolis, wherein I’ll be participating in an intensive yoga teacher training. This trip will be the capstone of a year full of personal transformation on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. For me, the theme of the past 365 days has been “making […]

Categories: Beaches, Boxers, Color, Dogs, Earth, Jersey Shore, Life, Moon, New Jersey, Nikon, Ocean, Photo Journal, Photography • Tags: Beaches, Colorful, Jersey Shore, Moon, New Jersey, ocean, Photography, Sunset

Beachy Morning on the Shore

June 19, 2016 by Gina Marie

Life is just beachy. As of this week, I’ve lived on the Jersey Shore for precisely one year . . . and when I say “on the shore,” I mean we are literally steps away from the beach. The curious thing is, I’ve only brought my good camera out there two or three times! I generally just bring my camera phone because it’s easier. To be fair, I have caught some great photos that way, as well. However, there’s nothing quite like a […]

Categories: America, Beaches, Bicycles, Birds, Jersey Shore, Life, Light, New Jersey, Nikon, Ocean, Photo Essay, Photo Journal, Photography • Tags: Beaches, Jersey Shore, New Jersey, ocean, Photography, summer

When The Dead Speak

June 18, 2016 by Gina Marie

You find an old box of slides, untouched for years, containing images of loved ones long gone from the earthly plane. Get very quiet and you might hear them say: Come out and play . . . we’ll meet you halfway. Images are of my father, grandmother, and uncle, plus an unknown girl in the uppermost image. Originally captured in the 1960s and printed as slides, I used a Nikon to zoom into these images, thus converting them into digital format . . […]

Categories: Fathers, Ghosts, Life, Love, Paranormal, Photography, Spooky • Tags: Ghosts, Mysticism, Paranormal, Photography

Words to Ponder

June 14, 2016 by Gina Marie

“As someone who has been on this planet for 58 years this lifetime, I can tell you that there have always been frightening world problems. If you focus upon these problems, you will miss out on joy. If you fear the future, you will think improving your life is futile. If you’re waiting until there’s a magical peaceful moment in the world, you will miss out on the many peaceful moments in your personal world. Life goes by SO fast! […]

Categories: Inspiration, Life, Light, Love, Meditation, Spirituality, Thoughts for the Day • Tags: Angel Messages, Doreen Virtue, Inspiration, Love, Meditation, Positive Thinking, World Events

Amalgamation

May 29, 2016 by Gina Marie

I haven’t touched my Nikon since the trip to Maine in April. However, my iPhone camera is with me pretty much all the time. Below are a few recent snaps; some of these were processed using Instagram filters. The top four photos are from a recent weekend getaway to Baltimore, where I attended an urban meditation retreat in the Charles Village neighborhood. I stayed in a studio rented via Air BNB; the hosts were Bowie fans (hence the record). It […]

Categories: Random

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