I hope nobody is expecting anything profound based on the title of today’s post.
But First! – the winner of the Marc Jacobs Daisy bottle that Perfume Fairy donated as a giveaway is Alica! Just click on the Contact Us on the left, send me your contact info, which I’ll send on to the nice people at Perfume Fairy, and they’ll send it to you directly.
Some of you may or may not know I’m doing Yoga Teacher Training. I can’t remember if I mentioned it here or not. I’m not exactly sure why, just a combination of things that stayed in my head, and when anything does that, I just go with it because I figure there’s a reason I’m supposed to be there or do it or learn something. I’ve found myself drawn quite a lot to yoga therapy during this class – using yoga (physical, mental, spiritual) to help people with injuries, disabilities, depression, etc.
But one of my favorite things from this intensive two-month program has been standing on my head. I’m 51, I don’t stand on my head until, well, I do, which is now every morning first thing when I get up. It’s an amazing way to start the day, even for 30 seconds, which is about all the longer my body will hold it without the aging ship trying to crack up on re-entry. Instead of seeing the world right-side-up when you open your eyes, I see it upside down. And that is absolutely perfectly right.
That makes more sense. More sense than what came out of my aura healing meditation the other night. Yes, we explore all of those chakra’ish, crystal healing, aura, ayurvedic, energy healing corners of the world, which turn out to be more interesting than I thought they would be. So we are deep in meditation – including me! which is a first since normally if I drift away during meditation, it’s because I’m snoring – fashioning some healing for our auras in the places they are damaged, and she guides us back to ourselves, then to look inside to see if there is something inside us that will help us feel more centered. I completely dropped out then and went somewhere else that I don’t really remember. When we finished meditation, everyone else talked about peacefulness, seeing sparkly lights, shades of gray. Me? At that point where I dropped out, when I came back, clutched in my fingers was the phrase “pet the tiger.”
Do you think that is profound or a line from “The Hangover”? I think Mike Tyson said it in the movie. I must have went to the movies when I dropped out of my head during meditation. Or my psyche thinks it’s hysterical to give me random phrases and let me puzzle through them like they mean something. I’m betting on the latter. But if anyone has any ideas on what that could possibly mean, I’m all ears. Kat said maybe it was Durga, who I am quite drawn to, and I didn’t know she sometimes rides a tiger until then. I’m just fascinated by all those arms with each one holding a different weapon. She is such a bad-ass, but utterly feminine.
What does that have to do with Parfums MDCI La Belle Helene? Nothing maybe! But it sure is pretty, and I’d stand on my head for it while petting the tiger. Heck, I’d do a headstand on the tiger’s head because I love me some pear, and it’s almost never done right, and Duchafour gets it exactly right in this scent. Notes of Pear accord, aldehydes, tangerine, lime blossom, rose essence, osmanthus absolute, ylang-ylang Madagascar, orris butter, hawthorn, Mirabelle plum, myrrh, vetiver Haiti, patchouli, cedar Virginia, amber, oak moss absolute, white musks, sandalwood, licorice wood. The pear shows up with the other fruits, not overly sweet, but ripe, fairly heaving with juice and bubbly aldehydes, and then the deeper oriental notes stretch out to keep it from rolling over into Pink Sugar (yes, I do like Pink Sugar, but I appreciate completely what a sweet, sticky mess it is). Layer in some gorgeous orris butteriness and apricotty leathery osmanthus, and Parfums MDCI La Belle Helene is utterly charming in its bad-ass femininity. And I bet Durga would love it.
Let’s let some of you find out for yourselves. I’ll give away four small samples of this to four comments. Drop a comment in, speculate wildly on what “pet the tiger” could mean, or just tell me I’m nuts and seek help immediately – either is perfectly fine and appropriate.
I have no idea what “pet the tiger” means, so you don’t need to enter me in the draw, but I’m just stopping by to say thanks for posting this – I love pear, will have to smell this!
Really nice scent. Once I smelled it on my wife, I was off to Luckyscent to buy her a bottle. A luxurious, sophisticated gourmand.
The old saying goes, he (or she) who rides the tiger is afraid to get off. Maybe you are coming to terms with fear, or something that scares you. Turning it into something good. If I’m not too late for the draw, please enter me, and enjoy your yoga adventure–mary
Pet the tiger — isn’t that what the GYN does when he/she takes a culture? I know, gross…Count me in, please
I don’t think you’re nuts! “Pet the tiger” reminds me of a move in Tai Chi, called “Embrace Tiger.” Perhaps you are being called to learn Tai Chi! :-) Please enter me in the draw.
Thank you for a wonderful and funny post. I love pear notes and especially pear desserts, so I would love to try La Belle Helene.
Yoga is a life-saving, life-enhancing practice.
I’m happy for you that you are delving deeper.
I gave up headstands years ago. Aged neck.
Pet the tiger–sounds like doing something dangerous, and being both watchful of the danger and enjoying the danger, too.
I’d love to experience this wonderful scent.
thanks.
Maybe it’s like “jump the shark”. Don’t have your characters do it, if you’re writing a hit tv show..because it’s a sign that show is over. I think it means possibly..a brush with a sacredly dangerous energy. Good to live through..but not seek. Like, don’t be a tourist sending your kids out with sandwiches to greet bears, so you get cute footage. A rub against the mystery. Unsought.
Oh, what a strange phrase!
I have no idea of what that means, but it could be that you are achieving something difficult in your life or that somehow you feel powerful because you have managed to do something which seemed impossible.
I would love to try that sample :) Thank you!
Speaking of pear, I was immediately reminded of my Pear Glacé set (body spray, lotion and shower gel) from Victoria’s Secret that I had when I was a wee lass. That was pear overload, like a bushel of pears had punched me in the mouth. Yet I kept layering it on… Do they still make that stuff?
My guess would be this is a reflection of how you feel either in your work or personal life? that you are “petting the tiger” always a step from danger.. living close to the edge, or feel like it =)
I don’t know…”pet the tiger” may be too close to a Sheen-ism.
The yoga training sounds wonderful. So do the lovely samples!
Hi Patty. Good grief… where you get the time to do yoga teacher training, Wonder Woman?! Good for you.
All I can think of is the recent photo I saw on Facebook of a friend of mine who visited Thailand last year — apparently there’s a temple with “tame” (ahem, yeah right, “TAME!”) tigers that you can pet. Google it. Go on. Anyway, all I thought when I saw that photo is, “You’d never catch me squatting down petting a 500lb cat that could rip off my head with one bite. I read Life of Pi after all!”
La Belle Hélène really interests me: osmanthus, Duchaufour, MDCI. Cool that you also love pear. It’s one of my favorite scents, but usually nothing compares to the actual fruit. Thanks for the draw.
When I went to India, I kept looking for a way to get to a tiger preserve. That’s all I wanted, but the agenda was set by someone else, and we were never close enough to make it a day ride to go see them. Next time, definitely.
Agree with most of the interpretations here, but have to add that the first thing that popped into my head was the Heely’s perfume.
(where is that dang eyebrow raise emoticon)
Hat me please!
Sounds like coming to terms with your demons to me. Would love to try this!
I think it means that you face something terrible and dangerous, and you have the upper hand. And not only that, but you’re so confident that you’re able to be generous to the previously terrible-seeming thing. Or something like that?
Please enter me in the draw!
Haha, ‘pet the tiger’ is an awesome phrase to look for meaning in, I think. But that depiction of Durga really makes me want to ride the tiger instead. ;)
…and now I have “Shock the Monkey” running through my head! Wandering far afield it would seem. Maybe the tiger is running rampant and needs a pat on the head.
Oh dear. When I read your commnent a line popped into my head (which I won’t fully repeat here)
about a monkey…. I’m sure one has nothing to do with the other. I think of power when I think of tigers, and also things not entirely stable. Maybe give something a chance that you might otherwise be cautious about?
Sign me up! Sounds lovely :)
sign me up for the giveaway…I think ‘pet the tiger’ means face your challenges head on-with courage……
What a great expression! And no, I don’t have anything to add to what has already been said as to what it means, but I would love to be entered in the draw!
I would love to try La Belle Helene. I’ve practiced yoga since 2003. I prefer the Iyengar style and learned so much from Jesse Winder, at Karma Yoga in Cambridge, MA. Everyone should try yoga. Start with an easy restorative yoga class. One of the best things it does for you is make you aware of your movement, and aware of imbalances in your body. Perhaps your right leg is stronger, or you always open heavy doors with your right hand. Perhaps you favor one side when looking over your shoulder. Correcting these imbalances will improve your quality of life! Too long of a post, but I also want to say, since you mentioned yoga therapy, I recently discovered the Feldenkrais Method, and also Anat Baniel and Frank Wildman, and I recommend anyone with back pain, tension in their jaw (TMJ) or any other physical complaints to try gentle restorative yoga or look into their methods. Bravo to you for yoga teacher training. I’ve often wanted to teach, if only to help others improve their quality of life. Instead, I content myself with insisting my husband do legs-up-the-wall at night. I’m embarrassed by the long post, but putting it up anyway…
I’m glad you posted it! And I completely agree. I think I’ve finally talked my 76-year-old mom into doing some gentle yoga. They have a class at the senior apartments where she works for the Area on Aging. The beauty of yoga is that you can do it until you die. The other thing of beauty is how fully it connects you to yourself over the long course of time. I’ve been doing it for like 2.5 years, and I realized the other day when I was doing some public speaking that I never run out of breath when I get excited about my topic. I breathe through everything now – even my chatterbox, 600 words per minute yapping, and never have to pause to breathe. It is an amazing thing, but you don’t realize it until you’ve been doing it long enough and find out how deeply relaxed you always are or how close you are to just shurgging your shoulders and ditching the stresses of the day that used to take you 3 glasses of wine and 7 hours to do.
You should think about teaching, even if it’s at a senior center or kids or something that draws you.
Gosh, this MDCI has been on my radar. If I were to “pet the tiger” in my life, I would “try” to face the big, elephant-like tiger in the room—my never ending quest for “the” perfume. It has definitely lightened my wallet in the last few years. LOL
As others have said, it seems most likely to be the surfacing of an internal message that you should make friends with your fears. BUT…a more off the wall theory is that you have summoned a deeply buried memory of the 1990’s song “Pet the Tiger” by Katrina & the Waves, better known for their hit “Walking on Sunshine.” Come to think of it, walking on sunshine sounds like it could be quite a lovely state of advanced consciousness, too.
oh no you didn’t…;))
xo >-)
If I come out of my next meditation humming walking on sunshine, I’m blaming you. Seriously, I hum that one a lot of the time already, along with pocketful of sunshine. My optimistic personality is really annoying to the people around me who like some shadow in their life. :0
Pet the tiger:
Treating something beautiful and fearsome gently – as if it isn’t fearsome
please enter me in the drawing…
PET THE TIGER- MEET ONES FEARS HEAD ON
PLEASE ENTER ME IN THE DRAW.
No need to enter me into the drawing since I have a bottle and I am wearing it today. I find it to be very soft and feminine. I think petting the tiger means to confront your fears.
I can totally see how “pet the tiger” could be about facing your fears. But since that’s been said a lot already, how about the alternate idea of calming your inner tiger – maybe there’s something you’re all fierce and growly about that you need to ease back on. Calm and gentle…..
Possible meaning for “pet the tiger”: walking into difficulty. It sounds like you’re doing that in your teacher training.
Wearing perfume while I practice yoga at home: intoxicating!
I love doing that, scenting up and then wafting gently up whilst moving about slowly and gently. It’s just a beautiful way to practice, and I can’t wear scent to the studio, so it’s the only chance I get to do it.
I have been trying to find Pear for quite a while! I love the fragrance of pears!
Sounds to me as if you ‘hit’ samadhi, Patty!
Oh, no way. Samadhi is way out of my reach at this point, or it feels like it. But if Samadhi is full of funny movies and catch phrases, maybe? 🙂
‘Pet the tiger’ seems like taming a wild nature, and reminds me of that Buddhist tiger sanctuary. Perhaps you’ve seen video or photos of it? I think it’s in Thailand, but I may be wrong. Anyway, people pay big bucks to go there and pet tigers, lie down with their heads on a tiger’s belly, walk with tigers. The Buddhist monks claim that the tigers are not drugged and have just been raised to be peaceful. I have mixed feelings about the whole business – on the one hand, the monks are helping an endangered species in great crisis, on the other, the whole thing seems like a disaster in waiting. The release forms those tourists must have to sign! Anyways, please enter me in the draw, I’m looking forward to trying this scent, and it may even inspire me to finally fork over the cash for one of the MDCI discovery sample sets.
Really?!?!?!? Okay, now I need to find this place.
It popped into my head that something is telling you to take the risk or chance at something. Go for it!
Would love to stand on my head again sometime and see the world in a new way. Keep up the good work. :-)
I think it means “face your fear”. Or it could just mean you’re crazy, lol. I don’t know but I think the story is rather neat.
Please enter me in the draw…I’m sad to say that I never received my Xerjoff sample set that I won. :-(
Linda, shoot me an e-mail. I think it was you that wrote me later, and sometimes these e-mails wind up in junk, and I have to fish them out. Let me know if you haven’t gotten it yet, because I think it was sent out last week.
Aw, heck. I’m usually about having fun with interpretations, but I can’t get over the idea of you doing headstands. Last time I was in all-around shape enough to think I was ready to do that, I got stuck in the upside down mode. As in, my mind shifted IMMEDIATELY, I couldn’t think right side up, blood was rushing to my head, I started laughing hysterically, which made my (then rather young) children start laughing, which made it all the more difficult to impress upon them how serious I was when I was saying GET YOUR FATHER *NOW*. He entered, began laughing also, and all I could do was whimper “help.”
I had no idea how to “dismount” without breaking something in our somewhat constricted quarters, whether object or self. Talk about collapsing into laughter…
You go pet that tiger. :)
Oh no, poor Shelley! Don’t mean to laugh at your dilemma but just the way you put it, I can just see it! :) Trying to get the kids to be serious and go get help but still laughing uncontrollably. Yikes! I’ve had situations like that where I was crying and laughing hysterically at the same time and could hardly breathe. Glad it turned out all right, but try to stay upright from now on, OK?
I will try to do so, but of course staying upright requires me to be fully aware of which end is up. ;)
Truly, it was quite funny…just a little disconcerting, because of the potential risk. And, of course, because I am rather fond of being upright in general, and did not wish to live the rest of my life upside down and passed out, lol. It does make for good family gathering conversation. :)
=))
xo >-)
OMG, now that’s funny. My dismount from my headstand isn’t nearly as graceful as I hope it will be some day. My mount is getting a little prettier, though, so I have hope!
Hi Patty! The first thing I thought of when I saw the title of the post was the Strength card in the tarot deck. The traditional (Rider Waite) image is of a beautiful woman, calm, holding open the mouth of a lion. It shows true strength–strength that doesn’t have to be violent or extreme, but is serene and confident. It’s a beautiful image. You should google it and see if it resonates with you.
And yes, please enter me in the draw for a sample of Belle Helene! I’m dying to try it.
I believe that dreams are meant to be interpreted by the person dreaming them. It’s all about symbolism according to Carl Jung. The imagery of tiger and pet are interesting to think about. Perhaps you’ve already faced your inner tiger (fear of power? failure?), and now you are free to be at ease with what has been tamed. Yes, you can now pet the tiger!
Patty,
Congratulations on the Teacher Training. I am more about grabbing the tiger by the jowls and kissing his smoochable face – but I am a moron. My ideas for your revelation are manifold and in league with what folks have already said here.
I’ve not embraced the pear much but I don’t think it’s the pear’s fault…:-?….the few I’ve tried I think I like but I don’t have much recollection of it. So many people want to be in this draw and my neutral pear-position means that I am likely to be the winner (because that is always the way, innit?) so don’t worry about including me.
xoxo >-)
Maybe it means to approach things that scare or intimidate you with gentleness? Just thinking of the sentence itself. I don’t comment often, but I will come out of the woodwork for a chance at this sample!
I love this phrase – “pet the tiger.” It’s a cotnradiction: tigers are fierce and powerful, petting is gentle and loving. Reconcile the contradictions in yourself? Or, better yet, embrace them, and don’t feel as if you have to clearly be one thing or another. You can be both. (for excample, DH and ride his harley and have season tickets to the local symphony. No need to pick a persona – be all the personae you can be!)
And of course I’d love to sniff the MDCI.
Whenever I’m embarking on some new chapter in my life, I have repeated dreams about moving into a new apartment. Can you remember ever having any other dreams or “meditation hangovers” about a similar theme to petting the tiger? Of course, my day-to-day dreams are mostly utter nonsense with a few remembered random bits of the previous day dropped in here & there, and that’s also a possibility.
I would very much love to try La Belle Helene. It sounds marvelous.
Nope. Tigers have never shown up in my dreams or anything. I like them, but they haven’t been a symbol that’s been recurring or ever in my life. That’s why it struck me so much.
I would like to pet the tiger and sniff the MDCI!
Perhaps you have what is known as a tiger spirit?
Attributes: adventurous, psychic, ambitious, passion, sensuality, will & power, devotion, strength, solitary, insight into boundaries.
“Often times, the two legged with Tiger as an Animal Totem, will walk through the flames of hell and back several times during their lifetime. Many painful lessons will be encountered wherein he/she will expend themselves to the point of exhaustion and utter depletion, to then arise like the Phoenix out of their own ashes and begin a new cycle of growth and learning. Life for these souls is experienced whole heartedly and experiences which may discourage other less motivated individuals are frequently perceived by the Tiger individual as a challenge to be met head on and conquered.
When the two-legged with this awesome Animal Spirit comes to recognize the necessity of balance and harmony, the result is a wonderfully integrated human being.”
And yes, please enter me in the draw!
Maybe!! I’ve certainly made some, um, interesting life choices in my life that led to near-ruination financially, mentally, etc., and I refuse to stay down long and tend to come back stronger than I was before. Well, i’ll take the tiger, at least I now know what I’d tattoo on me if I ever were brave enough to do it. I’m sorta thinking about it fairly strongly right now.
Don’t know what “pet the tiger” means, but I love the expression!
I am so very curious to try la belle Helène: a perfume based on osmanthus and iris sounds wonderful. The poached pear scares me a bit, though I’d love to have one to eat right now!
;)
Don’t know what “pet the tiger” means, but I love the expression!
I am so very curious to try la belle Helène: a perfume based on osmanthus and iris sounds wonderful. The poached pear scares me a bit, though I’d love to have one to eat right now!
OMG! I must win this!
*jumps up and down*
*Swings things around to get Patty’s attention*
I must try this!! I’m the biggest fan of MDCI. I love their stuff (Un Coeur en Mai is freaking brilliant). The quality of their materials makes perfume worth smelling, you know?
I am one of those type A people who can’t sit still, so I’m not sure that I could be any help on demystifying the meaning of “pet the tiger”. Petting an animal seems like a meditation through movement to me. Plus, it’s a moment when you are really bonding with another living thing. For someone like me who probably thinks too much, the act of petting my dog simply turns off my brain. So maybe it’s related to that?
You’re so funny. I love MDCI as well. They haven’t done anything yet that I don’t love. Maybe it’s about understanding what is wild and free while being domestic?
Hi Patty, I don’t have anything insightful to add to the chorus of face your fear or accept a challenge, except to say, just embrace whatever comes your way.
As for the La Belle Helene, I usually avoid pear, as the pear-centric scents I’ve tried have not agreed with me and they seem to go wonky faster than usual.
But your “Duchafour gets it exactly right” has me intrigued that this could be the one that clicks, so please enter me in the draw. Thanks. And BTW, hope your mom is doing well.
I definitely think the tiger reference is about overcoming fear and embracing whatever that is. In this case, I think it is a specific fear, or something you are reticent about, and you may not have brought it to your conscious mind yet. When you discover what is lurking there (under the surface), you will know to embrace it!
Would love to try the MDCI, and am enjoying your yoga posts.
Fear of getting a tiger tattoo maybe? 🙂
Would it be too unimaginative to say that perhaps you had just started to drift into sleep? A few times when I’ve caught myself on the verge and actually captured the thoughts, they really aren’t coherent like waking thoughts.
I’d love to try the MDCI. Helene sounds absolutely gorgeous.
Nope. I know the difference since I’m prone to falling asleep in meditation. 🙂 There’s a specific feeling of flipping and being aware, but not.
I have no more original ideas to add to this. But I like the idea of cozying up to your animal instincts and desires. And I love the idea of winning one of those samples!