i ought to be in pictures (oh, wait, here i am!)

July 29, 2009 by rachel

I’ve been hinting at my newfound love affair with a small, rural town in southeastern Colorado, and now here’s another piece of the puzzle. I have been given stewardship over an historic schoolhouse/church — along with the charge to convert the building into a community gathering spot/cafe/museum/visitor center/mercantile/you-name-it. The benefactors who purchased the building and I have been working on our vision since we met last November, and on June 26-27 of this year, we held our first Open House […]

Categories: inspiration, Rachel Snyder, southeastern colorado, transformation, video • Tags: adaptive re-use, Branson Colorado, inspiration, Las Animas County, old church, old prairie school

rachel walks her talk, heads for a new frontier

July 21, 2009 by rachel

The new photo atop this page is of a tiny community in southern Colorado that has called my name and entered my heart. Much is unfolding! If you feel drawn to the idea of living 50 miles away from a gas station or grocery store; being fully present to the vagaries of weather and wind; and basking in the reverent quiet of prairie, mesa, and canyon, drop me a Comment and I will tell you more.  PS: Both photos are […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, prose poetry, southeastern colorado, spirituality, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: ascension, consciousness, inspiration, transformation

can you remain awestruck during tough times?

June 19, 2009 by rachel

These words are from a book on Faith currently under development by a publisher who shall remain nameless. The NASA image of the sun is not a Summer Solstice photo-but it sure gets me in the mood! Be Awestruck Although it isn’t always easy, the toughest times require you to believe in the greatest, grandest possibilities. Can you allow yourself to be brought to your knees by miracles and finely orchestrated “coincidences” that defy rational thought? Can you soften your […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, faith, inspiration, life, NASA photo, personal growth, prose poetry, spirituality, sun, surrender, transformation

what there is to love about a man: journey

June 17, 2009 by rachel

This excerpt is from my out-of-print book, What There Is To Love About A Man. The art is by British artist David Preston-Earley, who adds, ” This image is about a mythical journey where the people of the world are carried on the back of a turtle. The turtle is a symbol of fertility and long life. To the Native Americans it was associated with the lunar cycle and also female energies. The spirit of the turtle can also teach […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, men, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, David Preston-Earley, empowerment, hero's journey, inspiration, men, mysticism, personal growth, spirituality, transformation

fearing clearing? get your move on & deal with your stuff!

June 15, 2009 by rachel

I am an inveterate nomad who carries the DNA of a migratory desert dweller. When I feel called to relocate, I prepare with little or no hesitation. Oftentimes I pack and stand ready for months while the energy lines up for actual physical movement. For me, moving is a sacred ritual and a potent symbol of an engaged life journey,  and I bring to bear as much presence as I can muster. Suddenly, it seems everyone is on the move. […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, humor, personal growth, stretch break, transformation, video • Tags: "Material World", Annie Leonard, awakening, body mind & spirit, clutter-clearing, consciousness, inspiration, personal growth, The Story of Stuff, transformation, video

you are your own responsibility

June 11, 2009 by rachel

I just found the guts of this poetry scribbled 6 or 7 months ago on three little pieces of paper stapled in the corner. I then stumbled upon the work of Steve Banks, a wildly creative artist from Davenport, Iowa. I couldn’t resist this image, or his description of it, “…The all-seeing Priestess straddles two worlds. One of technology and sensory over-stimulation, and the other world, one of loosely flowing organic serenity.” You are your own responsibility Uphold your end […]

Categories: inspiration, love, personal growth, poetry, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: Artist Steve Banks, awakening, consciousness, healing, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, mysticism, opening heart, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation

enjoy billy joel while i’m warming up in the greenroom: and so it goes (video)

June 9, 2009 by rachel

Saints be praised! I can feel the stirrings of a new cycle of blogging, poetry, and other shared pursuits. While I’m shaking off the residual cobwebs, enjoy this poignant classic by Billy Joel.  These poetic words and his sensitive performance seem to characterize where many of us are these days: Letting go of the old (whether by choice or circumstance) and opening our tender hearts to new ways of being, feeling, and engaging with others.  Enjoy! Both tears and smiles […]

Categories: inspiration, love, transformation, video • Tags: And So It Goes, Billy Joel, change, healing, inspiration, life, love, opening heart, surrender, transformation, video, wisdom

words of the day: be, begin, believe

April 13, 2009 by rachel

To encourage and support your becoming, here are three words excerpted from my book, Words of Wisdom for Women (Barnes&Noble/Fall River Press). Though the book’s title is gender-specific, the content is universal. If you enjoy these, hop on over to my sister blog, Just Say Yes Now!, for a trifecta including Refuse, Remember, Restore. Be Remember that life is in the being, not the doing. Be every bit of everything that you are. Be tough, be soft, be dramatic, be subdued. Be a […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation, word of the day • Tags: awakening, be, begin, believe, body mind & spirit, change, empowerment, inspiration, life, personal growth, soul, transformation, word of the day

meet my new sister blog: just say yes now!

April 4, 2009 by rachel

After a gestation period of way more than 9 months, my second blog, Just Say Yes Now!, has emerged. Bear with us as we get into the new rhythms that accompany a family with a newborn as well as a very active one-year-old. The new blog is a bit more directed to women – though all are welcome.  I’m seeing it as more of a community effort — and want to integrate more of your ideas, your comments, your art, […]

Categories: blogkeeping, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, transformation, women • Tags: change, empowerment, inspiration, personal growth, Rachel Snyder, transformation, women

change is the prelude to growth (video)

April 2, 2009 by rachel

Here’s one of the many beautiful and insightful videos from Humanity Healing, a worldwide organization that can help enlighten you on the subjects of personal and global transformation; spiritual living; starseeds, angelic humans and twin flames; and awakening from a variety of traditions. Enjoy! There’s a significant list of credits at the end of the video, with good links to check out. Learn more about Humanity Healing Foundation at http://www.humanityhealing.net. Check out the Humanity Healing Social Network here. I am […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, planetary shifts, spirituality, transformation, video • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, change, consciousness, Humanity Healing, inspiration, life, personal growth, spirituality, transformation, video

walk your talk: the moment is now

March 28, 2009 by rachel

I have just returned home from a quick trip to Springfield, Massachusetts, where I had the privilege of presenting my “Woman! What Are You Waiting For? ™” talk to a group of over 100 women. (Including “The World Needs You Now,” which you can read right here.) I was inspired by so many of these courageous individuals! – Blessings! to the woman who brought the eight caregivers who had helped her care for her dying mother (who passed just 3 […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, transformation, women • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, empowerment, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, personal growth, The World Needs You Now, transformation, Woman! What Are You Waiting For?, women

stretch break: the triple crown of transformation

March 23, 2009 by rachel

Here’s the latest stretch break — introducing you to people, concepts, modalities, or expressions that might be a tad outside your usual comfort zone… …or might be the perfect frequency match you’ve been seeking. Either way, if you’re ready to shed your old, stale, ways of being and move (with as much ease and grace as possible) into a new level of living, you’ve come to the right place. Meet three astoundingly gifted women who work separately and together with […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, spirituality, stretch break, transformation • Tags: Aleya Dao, ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, CCT, consciousness, Crystalline Consciousness Technique, Energies of Creation, energy healing, energy work, gia combs-ramirez, higher consciousness, inspiration, Lexi Sundell, personal growth, Science of Energy Healing, spirituality, The Journey Work, transformation

keep moving: turn the knob and open the door

March 19, 2009 by rachel

This is what I lay at your feet: The elevation of your sin above my joy Your immutable commitment to your own swirling Charybdis Your lust to live a life predicated on lies And an insatiable appetite to manipulate Every tender expression into a gamble against unbeatable odds. This is what I own: Enchanted by sugarspunfine words and misguided supplication I willingly unshrouded, Exposed crystalline layers to malificent tundra Shook the heavens in fervent self-immolation Stripped bare to bone, I […]

Categories: inspiration, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, Charybdis, consciousness, Earth Art, inspiration, intelligent inspiration, NASA, NASA Satellite Photo, poetry, satellite photos earth, soul journey, spiritual poetry, spirituality, surrender, The Optimist, transformation, transformative poetry, Whirlpool Photo

woman! what are you waiting for? come see me in springfield, massachusetts march 26

March 18, 2009 by rachel

I’ll be making a personal appearance at Tower Square in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Thursday, March 26, kicking things up with my “Woman! What Are You Waiting For?” presentation. The event is sponsored by “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, a series of The Republican, (Springfield’s newspaper, not a political statement), with significant support by Nuvo Bank of Springfield. The collaboration was born November 2008, in sunny Cozumel, Mexico, and took off from there. You can read a bit more about the […]

Categories: eclectica, inspiration, Rachel Snyder, women • Tags: inspiration, inspirational speaker, inspiring women, life, March 2009 event, motivational speaker, Rachel Snyder, speaker, Springfield MA, Tower Square, women

hallelujah: k d lang says it so much better than I ever could (music/video)

March 12, 2009 by rachel

Historically, I’ve been partial to Jeff Buckley’s cover of this Leonard Cohen song — which is based on the Biblical story of (King) David and Bathsheba and has been analyzed and interpreted for years. Yet today, in this moment, at this juncture in the road, no other rendition carries the power, the majesty, and the achingly delicious surrender that K.D. Lang summons through her body and voice in this commanding-yet-humble, 2005 live performance in Winnipeg. This slays me in the […]

Categories: inspiration, love, spirituality, video • Tags: David & Bathsheba, God, Hallelujah, inspiration, Juno Awards performance, kd lang, Leonard Cohen, life, love, spirituality, surrender, video

5 minutes of rumi, safri duo, and deep soul peace (video)

March 9, 2009 by rachel

Do you have five minutes to invest in the deep nourishment of your soul? This video, uploaded by rahmama2, blends magnificent poetry by Jelaluddin Rumi (as translated by Coleman Barks) with uplifting music and stunning photographic images. (Though I cringe, even I can momentarily overlook the typo confusing “you’re” with “your.”) Note that we are nearly at the Full Moon, making the text even more potent and poignant for us all. If you are as taken as I am by […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation, video • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, divine union, ecstatic union, higher consciousness, inspiration, Islamic Arts, Islamic poetry, love, poetry, Rumi, Rumi poetry, Safri Duo, Sufi, Sufism, surrender, transformation, video

letting go of relationships that no longer serve you: a primer

March 7, 2009 by rachel

Wow! A lot of people are in the thick of it right now — not only dealing with economic turmoil and loss, but also working on deeper levels to clear their lives of anything that no longer serves them. There’s more clutter in your life than what you see in your closets! Fact is, though, not all of us have the basic tools for disconnecting from friends, professional associates, family members, jobs, housemates, and others who might have been part […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, higher consciousness, inspiration, letting go, new paradigm, personal development, personal growth, relationships, transformation

well, dang if I didn’t grab first place in the “inaugural poem we should have had” contest!

March 2, 2009 by rachel

Looks like I nosed out second-place winner William Haskins and snagged First Place in a contest for “The Inaugural Poem We Should Have Had,” sponsored by absolutewrite.com (see details and links in post directly below). My entry was “Prayer for Inclusion,” which I posted on January 20, 2009 (Inauguration Day), and which can be found listed in the Pages section of the right-hand sidebar  — or click right here if you’re short on time or energy. As any writer, artist, […]

Categories: barack obama, inspiration, poetry, writing & creativity • Tags: absolutewrite.com, barack obama, inaugural poem, inaugural poem contest, inaugural poem contest first place, inspiration, poetry, prayer, Prayer for Inclusion, writing

answering the call (in five acts)

February 18, 2009 by rachel

Answering The Call (In Five Acts) I It’s not that God didn’t call me I just wasn’t able to answer! Time and circumstance gnawed through the wires The receiver slipped from its cradle, all circuits busy, And when I opened my mouth to speak Nothing poured forth from recalcitrant lips, Carried off in an instant by an elusive, provocative wind. II It’s not that I couldn’t engage my senses I saw the garden rise up just beyond the cobbled wall! […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, call, consciousness, God, higher consciousness, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, purpose, spirituality, surrender, transformation, vocation

the 7 words of well-being for men (redux)

February 16, 2009 by rachel

The ground is shifting under the feet of us all, but perhaps even more so, for men determined to release themselves from old ways of being. Someday, the gender distinction will likely prove itself irrelevant. Until then, this feels like a good time to revisit this post, which originally appeared in April, 2008. *    *    *    *    *    *    *    * Even though my books and writing may be labeled “for men” or “for women,” these distinctions often reflect publishing-world […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, men, personal growth, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation, word of the day • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, empowerment, eros, healing, hero's journey, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, masculine, men, men's groups, prose poetry, sanctuary, spirituality, transformation, truth, voice, wisdom, word of the day, words, work

v is for valentine, and for indie roots musician scott von

February 14, 2009 by rachel

There is so much energy moving in my life right now;  so many doors opening wide and so much joy spilling out… …that even I don’t know how to put it all down on paper. In the meantime, here’s a musical interlude for your listening pleasure — the Scott Von duo (SV plus Cary Morin) singing “Molly Malone” in Park City, Utah, in 2007. I had the great good fortune to discover the man and his music in person a […]

Categories: inspiration, love, video • Tags: Cary Morin, Colorado musician, folk, folk music, indie music, indie roots, inspiration, love, Molly Malone, roots, Scott Von, Scott Von Duo, video

seek no longer: creation is your only purpose

February 9, 2009 by rachel

There comes a time when it is no longer enough to seek out the transformative life. There comes a time to listen deeply and to say Yes! to the faintest inklings of your heart. That is the time when you become a creator in your own right. When you answer the Call without reservation and with fulsome heart. It may not be convenient or practical. It may make no sense to your family or friends. Yet if you have stepped […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: artist Lexi Sundell, ascension, awakening, calling, consciousness, creation, empowerment, higher consciousness, inspiration, Lexi Sundell, life, personal growth, poetry, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation, vocation

i’m not telling you anything you don’t already know

February 7, 2009 by rachel

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know! You approach the altar time and again Only to retreat under the weight of your own misgivings, Your feet falter, caught in the glue of ego and indecision And you retreat once more into your lone and empty cell. You know I’m not making this up! You muster a weak smile for the woman on the sidewalk, While those pesky concrete walls encircling your heart Rise up repeatedly in triumphant separation, […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: body mind & spirit, empowerment, higher consciousness, inspiration, life, personal growth, poetry, spiritual poetry, spirituality, transformation

time for this one again! until then, maintain your faith: inner strength for troubling times

January 29, 2009 by rachel

Even though this post first ran in October, 2008, it seems even more appropos today. Hang in there, folks! This, too, shall pass… until then, maintain your faith: inner strength for troubling times When times are unsettled, There is no place to go but deeper, and deeper still You must excavate and as you do, calcified residue of old ways will be thrown up in your face You will taste it on your lips and gag as you swallow more […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: body mind & spirit, empowerment, faith, inner strength, inspiration, keep the faith, life, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation, troubling times

five words of wisdom for entrepreneurs of heart & spirit

January 27, 2009 by rachel

I created this piece and presented it at a local Leads Group meeting last year. Now, more than ever, independent businessowners need to bring head, heart, and spirit to the table in equal measure. In business as well as personal arenas, it’s time to Be Whole Now! ASK Ask yourself the tough questions. Ask why you are in business. Why you are in this business, in this place, in this time. Ask yourself if you truly love what you’re doing. […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, word of the day • Tags: body mind & spirit, business inspiration, business poetry, business wisdom, conscious business, consciousness, entrepreneur, independent business, inspiration, personal growth, small business, spiritual entrepreneur, spirituality, succeed, success, wisdom, word of the day, words

inspiring much? jennifer hudson sings ‘i am changing’

January 26, 2009 by rachel

I just can’t get enough of these incredible divas!! Huge energy is moving today, inviting you to let go of the old and embrace new ways of being, living, and loving. If you’re still grasping, you might feel as though you’re stuck, mired in muck up to your ears, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Drink up some of this woman’s energy, her fire and her passion. You’ll get to the other side if you surrender your […]

Categories: inspiration, personal growth, transformation, video • Tags: awakening, David Letterman Show, Dreamgirls, empowerment, I Am Changing, inspiration, Jennifer Hudson, life, surrender, transformation, video

prayer for inclusion

January 20, 2009 by rachel

Include me. Invite me into the circle and guide me to the spot that bears my name Escort me with a steadying touch, loose your hold and bear me aloft Include my joy and ebullience, my hope and promise, The tracks of endless tears and the wounds of struggle and pain that have marked the past. Include me raw and refined, defiant, quiescent Include me enriched and diminished, broken and healed Embrace me as the one anointed and demeaned, Privileged […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, community, consciousness, inauguration day poem, inclusion, inspiration, life, poetry, prayer, spirituality, transformation, unity, unity consciousness

be the change: presidential pledge video

January 19, 2009 by rachel

I  pledge to continue to awaken, to grow, and to serve as the hands, heart, mind and spirit of God – by whatever means I am called.

Categories: barack obama, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, transformation, video • Tags: activism, barack obama, be the change, change, consciousness, higher consciousness, inspiration, new paradigm, personal growth, presidential pledge, service, transformation, video, volunteer, volunteerism

turn, turn, turn: words of wholeness sung by nina simone, judy collins, pete seeger

January 17, 2009 by rachel

This song flashed into my awareness early this morning with the reminder that Divine timing always trumps our calendars, goals, and spreadsheet objectives. After viewing videos of the song performed by The Byrds, The Seekers, Nina Simone, and Judy Collins (60s and 90s versions), I couldn’t choose a favorite. So, here are (1) an early ’60s TV show featuring folksinging icons Collins and songwriter Pete Seeger… … plus (2) a 1969 version by Nina Simone. The words hail from the […]

Categories: inspiration, spirituality, video • Tags: 60s music, Ecclesiastes, inspiration, judy collins, life, nina simone, peace, pete seeger, spirituality, to everything there is a season, transformation, turn turn turn, video

you are not complete unless you take action!

January 10, 2009 by rachel

If you want to move forward with your journey, now is the time for embodied expression. Come out of your cave; leave your meditations and rituals behind; and jump into a potent engagement with the world around you! At every turn, say Yes! to whatever lights you up — and simply say “No, Thanks” to situations, people, or places that feel annoying, irritating, or just not right. Really, it can be that easy — as well as excrutiatingly difficult! If […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, health/healing, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, transformation • Tags: ascension, awakening, awakening earthangels, body mind & spirit, consciousness, empowerment, inspiration, Karen Bishop, life, new paradigm, personal growth, transformation, whatsuponplanetearth

india arie, rumi, writing, automotivology, forgiveness, & remembering who you are: favorite posts of 2008

January 6, 2009 by rachel

Even though be whole now is not yet a year old (like me, my blog is a Piscean), the start of this sure-to-be-unforgettable new year is a good time to unearth and recycle some memorable posts from 2008. Here are a few of my favorites, based on a purely non-scientific selection process. 1. I never tire of watching diva India Arie sing the James Taylor classic, The Secret O’ Life. Every word speaks directly to my soul. Maybe yours, too? […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, eclectica, inspiration, love, ordinary oracles, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation, video, writing & creativity • Tags: awakening, body mind & spirit, consciousness, creativity, ecstatic union, forgiveness, India Arie, inspiration, James Taylor, life, love, new paradigm, ordinary oracles, personal growth, poetry, prayer, radical forgiveness, Rumi, The Secret of Life, transformation, video, wisdom, writer, writing, your inner writer

january 1, 2009: say hello to the new

January 1, 2009 by rachel

Seattle-based artist Cathy Woo contacted me after I featured art by another artist of the same name — and, of course, I fell in love with her art! Visit this Cathy Woo’s studio (and learn more about the concept of Zen Dots) by clicking right here. Say Hello To the New, To opening doorways and glistening portals To picking up a broad brush and painting a portrait of the ultimate You To stepping into your place on the circle with […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: artist Cathy Woo, ascension, awakening, body mind & spirit, Cathy Woo, consciousness, inspiration, life, love, new paradigm, New Year, New Year's Day, poetry, spirituality, transformation

what there is to love about a man: tears, treasures

December 24, 2008 by rachel

A pair of Words of Well-Being(tm) from my book, “What There Is To Love About A Man,” which, alas, is currently out of print. Used or imperfect copies are available here and there on the Internet. Just a heartfelt collection of waxings poetic by a woman honoring and celebrating masculine qualities of body, mind and spirit. Glorioski! Imagine that! Tears Who first planted the idea that real men don’t cry? They tense and tighten every muscle,  hundred-weight pounds of pressure […]

Categories: body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, men • Tags: body mind & spirit, inspiration, life, love, male, masculine, men, prose poetry, tears, treasures, VanGogh, Vishvarupa, Weeping Man