Can Ola Oil?

Ever wonder exactly what IS the omnipresent 'canola oil'? I have. When I was studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in 2008 the myriad of teachers had for the most part said it was no good. And us health-nut-wellness-seeking type students had all but demonized this slick processed-food fixture. But certainly we can't run around telling people to eat this and not that without giving reasons.  I mean, we find this stuff in EVERYTHING…in junk food of course (crackers, chips, cookies ect.), but also ‘health foods’ like granola, soymilk and organic salad dressings. So I did you all the favor of sleuthing around and finding out the deets on why this oil should be on your 'no thank-you' list. (You're welcome-Happy Holidays!)

What is it? I have never heard of a Canola plant.

Canola oil is hydrogenated rapeseed oil. The rapeseed plant is a member of the mustard family and rapeseed oil is a potent pesticide. It also contains high levels of euric acid which is toxic to people (and why rapeseed oil as-is could never be used for human consumption. More on this below).

So why is it called Canola oil?

Rapeseed oil is a Canadian export product; it is the CANada Oil-Low Acid, hence, Canola. So

the word itself is an acronym. (I LOVE acronyms! Of course they are much more useful for names of organizations and helpful reminders rather than euphemisms for crappy products, for example CANOLA versus Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil).

So why is it bad for my health?
1. Heart Health: Sally Fallon (of the Weston Price Foundation author of Nourishing Traditions) notes that "heart healthy" canola oil actually creates a deficiency of Vitamin E in the body, which is essential to cardiovascular health. This was also reported in Nutrition Research, 1997, Volume 17. I will explain other heart-health implications below, but the Vit. E issue coupled with the inflammation it can cause makes this stuff is REALLY bad for people with heart troubles.
2. Hidden Trans-Fat: Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of refining, bleaching and de-gumming--all of which utilize high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety. And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when heated, it must be deodorized. The deodorization process removes much of the now-rancid omega-3s when turning them into trans fatty acids. (Hydrogenation makes oils more shelf-stable). So then we are not only eating a rancid oil, but trans-fat too! Research at the University of Florida -Gainesville determined that as much as 4.6% of the fatty acids in canola are trans fats formed in the refining process.

3. The Omega-6 Issues: In the process described above, we noted that the naturally-occurring Omega-3 fatty acids go rancid. This in turn makes them Omega-6 fatty acids. There has been a lot in the news on these EFAs. Many products on the grocery store shelf are even advertising that they are high in Omega-3s. (It's the new 'low-carb'). While both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids ARE essential, it is the balance of these two that create health or havoc in the body. When our levels of Omega-6 are too high we experience what is called 'Low-Level Chronic Inflammation'. This can manifest in individuals differently with the most common diseases being arthritis, chronic fatigue and obesity but ranging into heart disease, and even cancer. When the body is in a constant state of having to 'put out the fire' of inflammation, it puts the immune system into over-drive leaving other systems (like healthy-cell building, healthy digestion, energy for positive thinking and so depression/anxiety ect.) to falter. This can be remedied by upping the intake of Omega-3s. However, the high levels of the Omega-6 in the modern diet make it important to also be reducing them.

Hopefully this clears up any confusion regarding canola oil. It is hardly edible. Look for healthier oils like coconut or palm for frying and olive, sesame, or sunflower for sauteing and baking. And when buying any foods that come with an ingredient list, be sure to check for Canola! Unfortunately, most vegetables oil (corn, safflower, soybean ect) all go through this same refining process and are therefore less than desirable for human nutrition and health. Look for oils to be cold-pressed.

And one more thing: about cottonseed oil…were we meant to eat cotton?!?!

Bottom Line: Keep it simple with less processed foods! Choose healthier oils! Love your Self.

OM Tat Sat.

***Looking for some help with your diet and nutrition in the new year? Hire me!

Big Sky Delight: Solstice, Eclipse, Full Moon Oh My!

There is some stuff going on celestially-no doubt. We have many interesting alignments: Winter Solstice, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse. It's VERY rare to have three strong aspects in one night. This I know. The implications? That I don't. I am by no means an astronomer nor astrologer but I am fascinated by it all. So I have taken on the task of trying to make some sense of what this could all mean for us as we close out 201o and prepare for a new year. I broke down my research into the three aspects and will do my best to share what I think is happening. All I know is that when I was living at the ashram, Swami Sita would keep us in check with any strange happenings celestially (sometimes through decisions regarding when to hold classes ect. not by telling us anyting), like when NASA was bombing the moon back in October 2009...apparently there was a really strange alignment that signified some violence with moon energy!

So first we look at the solstice. The Winter for the northern hemisphere and Summer for the southern. Since I am in the northern and so are most of you, I will focus on that. It seems that many a profound insight can spring from the dark. We are currently in our darkest time of the year given the amount of sunlight vs. darkness. And when we would normally have a nice bright moon to lighten up THE darkest 24 hours...it is blocked. Think about it. Well back to solstice; we begin to get more light each day leading us to Spring. So symbolically, I see it as a time when we can collect all that we have experienced over the past year and really digest it. Pass off what doesn't need to sit with you any longer and open up to the new, using what you have learned. This is the light.

And this leads us to the Lunar Eclipse. Seen at exactly 3:17AM EST and 12:17AM PST (tonight/tomorrow), this rare alignment with the Solstice has not been seen in centuries!!! A full lunar eclipse only occurs when there is a full moon. The Earth gets between the Sun and Moon and blocks the Sun's light (power, heat) from bouncing off of the Moon (receptivity, cooling). When this happens we can tend to feel closed off and heated up...I think. I mean that it what makes sense to me. Eclipses are also known to be harbingers of change. Feelings or desire of a need for change may feel pressing and urgent at this time. With the solstice/eclipse combo I think it leads to a lot of CHANGE and LETTING GO.

And lastly, we have the aspect of the Full Moon. It is in Gemini/Sagittarius so apparently this means it's time to realize the power of our inner thoughts and desires and to perhaps re-evaluate where we have been and on what path we traverse. REALIGN AS-NEEDED! That being said, there is some advice to heed regarding how best to go about doing so. On the Gemini side of things, we find an emphasis on how we learn. I think this connects to us digesting what we take in (or casting off what we don't want to) which either expands or limits our range of effectiveness concurrently. We need to be sharing and taking in information in a way that doesn't choke the network but invites joy and exciting change. How do we do this? We stay focused and confident. And on the Sagittarius side of things, this will be an important time to check in and see how you stand with you. It's also important to make sure to have enough information so as choices we make right now are not short of the mark. If it feels like you don't know enough to make a decision right now-->wait. Keep hunting and be continually wise, changing when the input changes.

In summary (and if this seems like just a whole bunch of STUFF...trust me it was just has hard to rake through the dozens of sites I read, each having different times, outlooks and information), it seems the main themes and advice for this powerful time of transformation are:

1. Reflect on what you have learned this year, digest what you want, cast off the rest.

2. Stay positive and focused. Be confident in your path or make changes as needed. (Only when you feel you know enough to make the decisions necessargy for change).

3. Transmute any 'closed-off' or 'heated' feelings into powerful new opportunities. Listen to what your heart is saying (not your head). *Note: wearing pearls can help with this.

4. Make sure you are good with YOU.

5. Be sure to share with others what you have learned in a way that invites joy rather than creating blocks. Commune.

It would probably be a very good idea to work on being in control of your thoughts today and tomorrow and keep them focused on what it is you would like to see traspire in your life. No better time to meditate than now.

Om shanti shanti shanti!!! Have an amazing solstice/eclipse/full moon...get outside and see it, feel it and shape your life.

It's Cookie Time!

Oh tasty morsels~nectar for the soul! I am attending a cookie-exchange party tonight and decided to bake up a delicious egg-free cookie that is as easy as it is scrumptious. It's also pretty low in sugar which is a plus! I try to make a lot of my baked-good recipes without eggs. This is for two reasons: first being that if I want to adapt/develop a recipe into a vegan version, it's important to understand how to substitute for eggs correctly. And second, the Yogic Diet, which I specialize in, does not include eggs. So while butter, milk, yogurt and a little cheese are considered OK, eggs do not fit the bill in the diet for the mind. The Yogic Diet is intended to not only keep the body in tip-top health, but also to keep the mind at even-keel. Food that can tend to either lower thought-vibrations (eggs, mushrooms, and rotten or over-ripe foods) or over-excite thoughts (onions, garlic, processed foods, caffeine, under-ripe and stale foods) are avoided so that it becomes easier to meditate. Interesting huh? I will be writing more about the 'energetics of food' as it's an area of great interest for me.

Here is the simple cookie recipe to try. Matched up with a nice cup of cocoa, tea or milk, will surely be a crowd-pleaser. I bet Santa would even really like these ;)

Basic Pecan Shortbread
Prep 45 min Chill 2hrs
Bake 10 min Oven 350

½ cup raw sugar
½ tsp. flaky sea salt
2/3 cup organic pecan pieces
16 Tbsp. organic unsalted butter, slightly soft
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached, unenriched flour (I plan to experiment with spelt, kamut, and GF flours too)
6 oz. white or dark chocolate

1. Pulse sugar and salt in dry bowl of food processor until fine and powdery. Add pecans; pulse until finely ground. Add butter in large chunks and vanilla. Pulse until butter is smooth. Add flour; pulse until forms soft dough. Transfer to bowl and knead briefly to even out mix.
2. Form a rectangle log about 12 inches long of dough. Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Cut log into slices ¼ inch thick. Place at least one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are golden.
4. Wait until cookies are nice and cool. Melt chocolate and drizzle over cookies.

*You can really top the cookies with whatever you like, or enjoy them plain. In the 3rd picture above, I topped some with a white chocolate frosting and coconut so they look like snow...and I love any excuse to use coconut:)

And an update on the Goat's Milk stuff. I have been having bits and morsels of goat cheese and yogurt and lo and behold, my body seems pretty cool with it. The bottom picture is my current favorite way to enjoy a little raw goat cheese: I toast a piece of Ezekial Cinnamon Raisin bread (this is a sprouted grain bread). Slice up some raw goat cheese (you could also spread some Chevre), top with walnuts and drizzle with honey. Pair with a warm cup of tea and DELISH! Amazing breakfast or snack.

Om shanti & Enjoy!

Teens, Yoga and Desire

I teach an adult yoga class at a health club in a very affluent area. Many moms, dads and busy professionals arrive in their Beamers and Range Rovers with aspirations of getting fit. But when we think about the deeper desire that is being filled when we work our physical bodies, the true desire driving us to the health club, it's one for health/wealth. Swami Vishnudevananda says "Health is wealth". Without our physical health we really cannot enjoy much in this life. So taking care of our bodies is key.

Yesterday, I was elated when my newer class, Teen Yoga, was filled up with 18 students!!! The club has made an effort to offer teen classes so that families can take advantage of the club together. Kids can go to karate class or the babysitting area and teens can take various classes created just for them and on Wednesdays it's Yoga with yours truly. There are usually about 6-10 students, all girls. But yesterday 18 of them arrived all giggly and chatty...and 2 were boys! Word is spreading. That it feels GOOD to take care of ourselves. I know that I am dealing with a generation who is playing lots of video games and does most of their socializing via Facebook. Attention spans are short. But by the end of class they were quiet, focused, and in final relaxation->some asleep! There is no question that our souls are CRYING OUT for a break from the constant onslaught of media and pressures we face in each given day.

Said health club has now even delved into new territory by offering a meditation workshop! I am leading this also and last week 8 people showed up. What drives us to workshops like this is what I consider the other most noble of 'desires': happiness/peace of mind. Swamiji says, "Peace of mind is happiness". We are fooled into thinking that who we know, what we do, and how much we own is what will make us happy. But our inner guidance and truth knows better. This voice leads us to meditation classes, therapists and healers of all types. I LOVE to see the busy people taking the time to work out, sit still, and love themselves. If the workshop does well these 2 weeks (we are offering at holiday time for stress-reduction), it may become a regular class. Fingers crossed. I would love to even see a Teen Meditation class!

This all reminds me of a popular story Swami Vishnu told: that of how to attain world peace. He explained that like a cloth made of cotton, if we were to change it to one of silk, we would need to replace each and every thread, one by one. And likewise, in our world, we will only attain global peace when each and every individual finds peace within.

Om shanti. Om peace.

Ohhh Right...Goat's Milk

I have been going back on forth on my stance of dairy consumption for years. I go through periods of time where I eat it, and other times I don't. I can't really say in which periods I feel 'better'. But every time I am not eating it, there comes some point where I am craving it. SO...there must be something in there my body likes. Period. I have taken the stance that it's not something I need to eliminate so much as to be mindful of in my consumption. How much am I using? Is it an emotional or physiological craving? What is the quality? How were these animals treated at the farm? What it a real farm or a factory farm? Lots to consider!

And on the dairy subject, I had a breakthrough the other day regarding the difference between cow dairy and goat dairy products. I stopped into the amazing local raw foods spot, Oasis, for a Maca-infused (more on Maca Root in an upcoming Superfoods post) warm beverage and ended up having a great discussion with the owner who is also-you guessed-amazing. We were chatting about the dairy issue and how it's such a sticking point in various dietary theories. I was explaining how I have been studying and practicing Ayurveda (promotes milk, yogurt and ghee for certain doshas) but also combining it with some modern studies by Dr. Mercola (he says raw dairy is good) and wanting to infuse the knowledge of the raw foods movement. What she said next blew me away. She mentioned that her body likes goat's milk much better than cow's because they are more her size. A goat is more her size...and my size...and (hopefully) your size too. OHHHHHHHHHH...OK- that makes sense! Cow milk is produced to grow COWS. Goat's milk is produced to grow GOATS. And yes indeed, I am closer in size to a goat than a cow and I intend to keep it that way:)

So in the end, where I am today with my view on dairy, is that I will use (sparingly) mostly goat's milk products that are organic, grass-fed and raw (unpasteurized). How about you? What do you think about our nation's obsession with dairy? What's your relationship with it like?

Bon Appetite!

I Voted Yesterday-You Did Too!

Our personal power to make magnificent change in the world through what we choose to buy has been an interest of mine for some time now. After working in product marketing for a consumer goods company making their products in factories overseas, I have come to see the immense value in products that are made with integrity and with the health of the planet and its people in mind. We were trained to cut costs at every corner-at the expense of many. And while I am well-versed in understanding that companies need to be profitable, the amount of greed I have been exposed to (we all have) in a culture of careless consumption has pushed me to speak out about the issue. We simply cannot keep TAKING. As our nation's horrendous case of affluenza doesn't seem to be tapering off all too quickly...we all need to be talking about taking less.

This is a subject I will write about often as one post could never cover the many facets of how we can make changes in local and global economies as well as our environment, simply by how we choose to spend our money. To get a comprehensive overview of the subject and to learn about the Materials Economy -the process involved in our getting all of the 'stuff' we buy-watch The Story of Stuff. It's awesome: eloquent, short, and full of great information. Then listen to this radio interview I did a few weeks ago, focusing on the importance of where we put our cash during the holiday shopping rush.

This morning I was reading an article by Dr. Mercola. In the article he is warning us of the dangers of Genetically Modified foods (GMOs) to our health. GMOs are being linked to issues with fertility and overall disease in the body. And we know it can't be doing any favors for our soil. Think about it...sterile, genetically altered soil...GMO plants...make GMO people! Who can't reproduce. Not a good thing. Dr. Mercola goes on to say that we do vote with our pocketbooks when we refuse to buy these foods. We send the strong message that it's not acceptable to alter the way nature has created and provided food for our species for millenia in such complicated and dangerous ways. At the grocery store check-out we need to vote for real food that can be grown sustainably. Here is the list of eight foods Dr. Mercola describes as the crops most genetically modified:

Soy
Corn
Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
Canola (canola oil)
Sugar from sugar beets
Hawaiian papaya
Some varieties of zucchini
Crookneck squash

I knew I hated Canola Oil! The easiest way to avoid GMO foods is to do some research and planning before you shop. Here is a link to the Dr. Mercola interview and other related articles.

Educate yourself and know that every single day you are voting. These are the votes that impact us all more than any election for political office ever could. Period.

Om tat sat.

Animal Totems are Way Cool

The idea of animal totems came into my life years ago when a friend was reading the book, "Animal Speak". Being one of those people who loves anything that acts as a guide or helps us with signs (ie religious texts, meditation, pendulums, astrology, Angel Cards, Cards of Destiny and on...) I loved the idea of having nature and her uninhibited creatures acting as guides. The native Americans, both of the north and south, have used animal totems throughout their cultural history. Today it is common to hear people refer to a shaman or a trip to South America when they speak of totems.

I like to think we can use this ancient wisdom in our everyday lives to help us along our path. I recall at one point I kept having crows swoop down in front of me. I finally looked it up to find it was an omen of change. I noticed they would visit me when I was with my boyfriend with the most persistent bird following me along a hiking trail and swooping so close to me I fell into a lake! This was on a mountainous island that I would soon call home for three months-so boy did change come! I moved , we broke up, and I set down a completely new path in my life.

Lately I have been being visited by the mighty and glorious Red-tail Hawk. While I know that hawks are making a return from their dwindling population, here is when I think it's worth looking an animal up: when it is persistent. When it calls out to you grabbing your attention and/or when you see one day after day. The hawk totem is about fulfilling your soul's purpose. It becomes a permanent totem as it arrives as you are on the path your soul was meant for and since you are now like the hawk, seeing the big picture, it's time to bring the message to others. Since I have been studying nutrition and yoga for some time now, it seems to be time to share what I have learned with as many people as I can. It feels like a big job but with hawk telling me that the time has come...here I go! I am hoping to take this as a push to be doing more writing , teaching more yoga, doing more meditation, and taking my health coaching business to the next level. I will keep you posted.

What is nature trying to tell you? There are 3 times that it seems appropriate to check out your totem:

1.) When there is an animal that you have always loved your whole life. Like the horse people, or people who just love lizards. These are more permanent totems that have something to do with your soul's constitution and outlook in this life.

2.) When you dream of an animal. This is a strong message of your super-conscious Self coming through in nature-form. Remember that animals are pure. They don't have egos, they don't judge. So therefore a message coming from them is also completely unattached to any ulterior motives. It is universal truth.

3.) When an animal in the wild persistently or unexpectedly approaches you. Whether it's a wild animal that approaches you when it would normally run away (like a fox, moose or beaver) or just keeps creeping by (like a bug, worm, or bird) they are trying to get your attention. They might call out to you, swoop in front of you, appear on your shirt...just keep an eye out and be open and aware!

It's fun to listen to nature speak. I have found the best resource to be the website Lin's Domain. (Warning: there is music on the landing pages!) But if you just google "animal totem + your animal" this is the website that will usually come up as the 1st or 2nd option, bringing you directly to that animal's page.

ENJOY!

Mechanics of the Mind

Today seemed a good one for some organization and clearing of the clutter. I just LOVE to REDUCE the amount of THINGS around me. Do you? I mean, sure, I have always been a huge fan of The Story of Stuff and try to buy as many things 'lightly used' as I can. But today was more of a papers/outdated ideas/scraps-and-doodles-with-concepts that either deserved another chance or to be put to rest. This clears space in folders, binders and bookshelves, but most importantly, space in the mind.

In my process of making piles of 'away', recycle, keep here or there, I came across a stack of my homework assignments from my yoga teacher training. And since I am attempting to create some space in my own mind, I thought I would share what we learned from Swami Sitaramananda regarding the 12 Mechanics of the Mind. These are ways to understand the different functions, deceptions, tricks, and tactics of the mind that take us either towards suffering or bliss. Remember that we can best control that which we fully understand and these analogies and metaphors help us to better understand the mind. The true definition of yoga, rather than the popular references of 'union' and 'yoke', goes to Patanjalis Yoga Sutras as: "Yogah Chitta Vritti Nirodhah", or "Yoga is the cessation of fluctuations of the mind". In everyday speak, this simply means that yoga is what is achieved when we still the mind. It's a place where we are not thinking or doing, we are simply being. It is in this place where we find peace and where we can remember our true nature: divine bliss, ultimate happiness...pure love. Learn and enjoy!

1.) The mind is like a lake with waves: A calm clear lake will reflect the trees, sky, all in a real and clear way. Waves upon the lake will create distortions; the bigger the waves, the greater the distortion. These waves in our mind are our thoughts. The more excited the thoughts, the greater the distortion of reality.

2.) The mind is like a drunk monkey stung by a scorpion: It's out of control! It's high...and what goes up, must come down. Crash, boom, bang.

3.) The mind is like a wild horse: Difficult to control and wants it's own way to do what it likes. Like the horse, the mind needs to be tamed. We do this by first befriending the horse, er mind, learning about it, understanding it and gently and gradually taking control. Like the horse, the mind cannot be forced. Once tame, both become useful instruments to the owner.

4.) The mind is like a shy lady: Always playing hide and seek. The mind doesn't want to be known but always wants to see.

5.) The mind is FAST: the speed of thoughts occur so quickly that we know they must hold great power.

6.) The mind is like a musical record: There are many grooves that can become quite deep. A record repeats and the mind will often do the same-repeating the same thought patterns again and again. In this we find the importance of habits. With the great speed of the mind, we know we must first slow it down to be able to change the habits, get new grooves with positive to replace negative.

7.) The mind and body are completely connected: What goes on with the mind will be reflected in the body and vice verse. A body filled with chemicals and toxins will make for a clouded mind. A mind full of negative thoughts will create dis-ease within the body.

8.) The mind and breathe are connected: Like with the lake and waves, we find it is hard to calm the waves and so much easier to protect the lake from the wind in the first place. (Wind representing excitement and drama). If the wind is controlled and steady through the practice of breathing exercises (pranayama), the lake's waves will never be too big.

9.) The mind is connected to the 5 senses: The mind takes the stimulus from the senses and interprets them into thoughts. When we meditate, we withdrawal our senses so to quiet the mind. Since we cannot control stimulus in the world, with practice we control the mind and therefore control of our senses follows (ie. not overeating, oggling, losing prana through the senses).

10.) The mind functions by association to the senses: When a sense is stimulated by something that it has a memory of, the mind can take your thoughts directly to that past experience and bring with it the emotions attached to that memory. This, when not controlled, can lead to much unnecessary suffering.

11.) The mind functions with association to names and forms: This means that if something lies outside of one's frame of reference, the mind cannot associate and is free to make unbiased sense of something-an observation rather than a judgement. This is why a mantra is useful in meditation. Conversely, we can often fall into the traps of preconceived notions by assuming things based on past experiences with certain people, places and things.

12.) The mind can only hold one thought at a time: This may come as a shock to many of us multi-taskers, but the mind can truly only hold one thought at a time. So if within a moment you have decided what to do next about 5 items on your list, imagine just how quick the mind is as stated in #5. And here is the importance of focus and concentration. When we hold one thought for a long time it gains so much power and we are able to be extremely efficient and accomplish much.

The mind is an instrument given to us to guide us through this life for our own growth. When used improperly, we experience great suffering. We must become the master and not the victim of our mind. OM.

Dinosaurs and Peace: Earth's Past Teaches for Today

While watching my friend's 2 1/2 year old son, Jude, I made an observation that was both startling and completely obvious. We were playing dinosaurs and the thought occurred, "Did the dinosaurs teach us all we really need to know about peace?"

As most little boys like to do, we were reading about dinosaurs and talking about their life on earth millions of years ago. Whenever we would come across a page in a book of a dinosaur who ate eggs or other dinosaurs, Jude would say they were "scary". These carnivorous dinosaurs have always been depicted as the villains in popular TV shows, movies, and books. We all know that you have to watch your back for T-Rex and that though the Brontosaurus was huge, you could make a friend out of one and probably even slide down its back for fun. Yes, the gentle giants, or herbivores, were always depicted as the "good guys".

How can we not see the parallel here with modern man and his diet? Why don't we see eating meat as "scary"? (Well we can probably answer that first and foremost as most people who eat meat have absolutely nothing to do with the hunting/killing of said beast. They pick up the flesh at the market, colored pink and wrapped in plastic. It's incredibly far-removed from the days of T-Rex ripping the flesh off of his neighbor. But I digress...) If being a meat-eater makes one aggressive and if being an herbivore denotes characteristics such as calm and peaceful-wouldn't we all want to be herbivores? (And now I go to answer my own question...well that is only if a person actually wants a peaceful world, which I question with the behaviors we see globally). But I know I DO!!!

Recalling a workshop I had attending about 6 months ago with Gabriel Cousens MD, he referred to those who eat other animals as living in the "culture of death" and calls vegetarianism (and for him a mostly vegan/raw diet), the "culture of life". These descriptions never became so vivid as when I place the image of a T-Rex and Brontosaurus beside them.

One might argue to me, (I can hear it now and I know exactly who would say it, and you know them too), that this is simply nature and it's just how things are on this planet. But I will argue right back that mankind is DIFFERENT than NATURE in that we do not operate purely out of a place of instinct. No, we have the gifts of intuition and intellect to guide us to our greatest form of existence. It is our innate responsibility to utilize these gifts, these human differentiators, to make wise decisions for all living things.

The question I leave you with is this: Do you want the "scary" aggression of the T-Rex or the gentle strength of the Brontosaurus? (And if you have ANY trouble to answer that just go watch The Land Before Time).

Om tat sat.

Anthem Found

I am playing this song over and over and over and over...don't you just love when you find a song that speaks to you so loudly? I mean tears and realizations and laughter and that feeling of, "of course!" It's almost as though the song has been resounding inside of me my whole life and I am just remembering it now...does that ever happen to you?

Matthew Paul Miller, whose Hebrew name is Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae musician. Now how's that for you? I LOVE IT! There are 3 different cultures intertwined and that is just so beautiful. I was doing a little research on him for this blog post and am freaking out a little bit because I tend to stumble upon the craziest 'coincidences' all of the time. In other words, synchronicity does not escape me and so I am aware of the many signs I am always receiving. If you ever wondered what it is like to have multiple epiphanies in a typical day, call me. It's a blessing I am sure but also demands many tears. I swear I have to stay extra hydrated to keep up with the flow. OK-so what were these synchronicities? Well, for one he was born in West Chester, PA a mere two years prior to my own arrival into the same town. And second, he has a younger sister named...you guessed it- Julie. Interesting!

Watch the video then download the song and blast it...let your heart SING..."ONE DAY"

-OM

Shanti Shanti Shanti

Peace Peace Peace

Monday Meditation: Peace in the Pew

I went to church yesterday with my mom. It's the church that I attended growing up. It's a nice church. Nice people, pretty building, talented ministers. I did find the services boring at certain points in my life, most likely because I was being forced to attend against my will. One can imagine that a teenager would much rather be in bed at 9AM on a Sunday morning than sitting on a hard pew listening to parables and announcements usually regarding things furthest from said teenager's mind. But yesterday was different. As was the time I attended this same church a few weeks earlier on my own. And here is why (other than that I haven't been a teenager in 10 years!):

I spent 7 months waking up at 5:30AM to sit for half and hour in silence to meditate. I filled two journals in that time with insights and wisdom that would surely only come to me in those dark and quiet moments. And while I have not been able to maintain a self-discipline to sit myself down for half an hour each morning since I have departed the community and structure that an ashram brings, I am discovering a few tricks. And one is church.

Because I would never describe myself as religious, I do believe this would work in almost any center for spiritual communion, not necessarily only in a Presbyterian church. But what happens during the service is simply this-you can't get up and leave. I mean you could if you really wanted or needed to but in essence you are committed to being somewhat still and present for about an hour. And within that hour there is some standing, some singing, some messages from the Bible, as well as some moments for prayer-both led and silent. Aside from the standing aspect, this is not too different from Satsang at the ashram! Sit still, quiet the mind, empty your 'self' and your 'Self'/God just may swoop in with some answers. Of course I believe those 'answers' are always there, we just can't really hear them through all of our over-analytical, frenzied thinking. And on this particular Sunday, having spent the previous afternoon at a bookstore reading many of the political and social journals and magazines, my mind took me here in the midst of the silence:

NOTE: This is verbatim, written on a small orange notepad my mom was miraculously carrying around with her. I now know to bring my journal to church. Also note that the minister's message for the morning was about the prophet Jeremiah, who was incredibly unpopular for the prophecies he would bring to the people-so much so he was eventaully thrown in jail. I suppose we have a long history of those who cry for change being belittled and hated, even when what they bring is TRUTH. (Especially then). This is my truth and I share:

I am choosing in this first statement to focus only on idealism and optimism when looking at our nation: We have done wondrous things in a mere 300 years. We have created infrastructure like no other in size, breadth and effectiveness. Our achievements are many and they are grand.

Now, I add the realist tilt, the view that is gaining popularity but still will never be a delivery of 'good news' in conventional circles. Was this great building of cities and infrastructure done with mindfulness? No. Was is done with greed, with the mind on the fiscal progress of the few and the feeble benefit or poeverty of many? Yes.

I do happen to believe that everyone does their best. Meaning that in a given situation, humans will, with their frame of reference in that moment, make the best decision they can at that time. And so I don't shed blame. It is clear that the best that could be done with our collective frames of reference was done. And now? Now we see the error of our way. We do need to feel a sense of pride in our progress in the sense of technology and discovery, but also an even greater sense of calling to repair the wounds that have resulted in our haste.

The prescriptions of consumerism and capitalism to heal the wounded American/Human spirit, have proven to have disastrous side-effects. And rather than to continue on this unsustainable 'pharm-cycle' of a pill-for-an-ill, the time has come to address the cause of the disease rather than simply treating the symptoms. We are killing our environment and its inhabitants with the weapon of human greed. How do we heal this? What is the right prescription? (Grassroots, grow-your-own...the people need to WANT to stop buying crap...)

Om tat sat.

This Gives Me Goosebumps!

I love this kid! OMG! It so truly warms my heart and gives me so much hope as the generations coming up are totally understanding the craziness that is "frankenfood". This video brings together two things that I truly love: the sustainable agriculture movement and the TEDx conferences. When together there is a 'viral' ability to spread the good news that there are MANY people out there, young and old, that understand how many many many of the 'issues' we face in our world: climate change, fossil fuel reliance, the economy; are connected to the fact that we have too many over-chemicalized, under nutrient-rich foods circulating in our food chain. While many of the wealthier nations are stuffing themselves silly with these 'foods' that come in shiny wrappers, others are starving due to soils that cannot grow foods and unstable governments and environments that limit the ability to establish a sustainable growing system.

OK-as I step off my soapbox, I encourage you to WATCH THIS!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Id9caYw-Y

Om Om

PS-I totally am aware of the possible 'brainwashing' people might see here. But Birke IS 11 and not 7 and that is totally a big difference. I choose to simply stick with the message :)

Where is the FOOD?

I can appreciate that I may have been spoiled in the past when it came to choices for eating. I lived in Providence for a year where there were 3 Whole Foods in one small city. I had a stint as a local foods buyer in Maine where I could order whatever produce and specialty items I wanted and talk to the farmer who grew it. I spent 7 months living on an ashram where we ate 100% organic vegetarian meals. Much of our produce came from our own gardens and I participated in a lot of the cooking. I knew what was going into our meals. And most recently, I spent 3 months living in Boulder, Colorado. Now if anyone doesn't know about Boulder let me sum it up in a few choice words: healthy, organic, sunshine, smiles, athletic, yogic. I could seriously walk into every 3rd restaurant and find gluten-free beer on tap, organic salads made with goat cheese from a farm 5 miles away, and grass-fed beef burgers (if I had wanted them). And if I had a sniffle-I had over dozen herbalist apothecaries to choose from. It was a health-nuts dream come true. But it's NOT reality. For the special few who can afford to live in a town like Boulder and then also afford the price tag of those healthy menu items, reality it might be. But for most, that world it is simply out of reach.

This reality has come crashing down on me as I have returned to the area where I grew up-greater Philadelphia. Within the 30 mile radius of the densely populated suburban region where I am currently residing, there are 2 Whole Foods markets, and maybe 4-5 small 'natural' grocery stores. This may seem like a decent amount but I can tell you-it's not. I find myself needing to go between 3-4 different stores to get all of the different items I am used to be able to find in one store. Decent eggs from this store, flax oil from that one. The same box of cereal at one store might cost $3.59 and at another $5.99. When you start to notice this it's hard to justify buying the more expensive 'version', hence furthering the need to traverse between multiple shopping locations. And let me clarify that it's not just that I need to have 'organic' foods. It's that I need to have food, as opposed to 'food-like products' AKA chemicals. My body is very sensitive to artificial preservatives and additives and I notice right away when I start to eat packaged foods that the headaches creep in, my anxiety goes up, and my attention span dissipates.

I recalled the last time I was in the area going into a certain grocery store. It is a large chain and they had a nice little organic section where I could find some of the items I am used to buying. Today I waltzed in after a stop at the bank thinking I would pick up a few tasties for the weekend-some Gouda and organic apples. Maybe some spinach and pecans, some organic goat cheese (I was hungry). Imagine my shock when one of the stock boys told me that along with the recent 'renovation' of the store they got rid of the organic section!!!!!!!!!!!! He said I would have to look amongst the other inner-aisle goods (see the Food Politics site or read The Omnivores Dilemma for more on that) to find their organic counterparts. This proved tough. Over in produce 4 organic apples cost $4.99! And they were on a Styrofoam plate covered in plastic wrap!?!?! Does anyone else see how backwards this is? I was in grocery store hell. I couldn't find a darn thing to eat in an entire store dedicated to food. Or wait...is that what they are dedicated to? NO. The truth is they are dedicated to money and to providing whatever it is that fills their pockets. (Read Marion Nestle's amazing book What to Eat).

I left the store with a jar of almond butter (they didn't have organic-even if I could afford it at around $15/jar), rice cakes (no organic option), a box of Corn Chex (only gluten-free cereal I could find) and a bag of frozen sweet potato fries. Since tomorrow is Saturday I can get my produce from a farmer's market. (But what about in November?!) Some good that comes of all of this is my further burning desire to open my own natural food store and apothecary!

To-Do/To-Be

I wake up each morning with a list running through my mind of what needs to be accomplished in the day. I want to pay attention to this thinking and to accomplish all of the presenting tasks but then I say, "ssshhhh! Can't I just be for a moment?" This was one of my biggest obstacles during my time at the ashram. Given that we practiced meditation for at least an hour a day, one quickly got an idea of what sort of thoughts tend to swirl around, incessantly taunting the owner of the mind to 'do something' rather than 'just sitting there'. For me, this came in the form of ideas. I would plan what to write in an email, entire chapters of books I wanted to write, names of companies I wanted to start...grrreat! Why is it that when we are trying so hard to 'just be' that we (or I) can't stop thinking about what to 'do'? Well this is likely the biggest obstacle in yoga, in life. If one definition of yoga is the cessation of thought waves, then the mind that is constantly planning is quite the opposite.

This morning was no different. Sit quiet, the list starts. "Write a blog about this, email that person, run to the bank, pick up those forms." And then I think, "wait...here I am rattling off a list and I can't even write it down. So does this mean I will forget everything that is coming to me right now? Or can I trust that it's all 'in there' and that those reminders will come back into play once I'm not trying to sit and meditate or do my yoga asanas?" This can all make for a very short meditation or asana practice if the mind believes those tasks are more important that sitting quietly and stretching out.

I am figuring out that a sure sign of progress along the spiritual path is when one can brush off the 'To-Do' and replace with 'Just-Be' when appropriate. This certainly takes planning, organization, and faith that what needs to be done...will be done.

A strong mind knows To-Be is just as important as To-Do!

Om tat sat.

The Maine Point

Happy Sunday! Just a little photo blog to share some of the beauty I am so blessed to witness on each journey to the coast of Maine. It's a rather 'simple' life in these parts of Maine. Simple in the measure that the people who live here do their work-whether lobstering, gardening, teaching, painting or rearing babies-with a humble nature and a quiet pride. You can sense there is nowhere else they would rather be. It is said that things get pretty quiet these ways in the winter, as compared to the bustling summer months I have witnessed. I hope to find that out this winter as I plan a trip to experience that quiet & stillness.

I imagine that I may like to live in Maine one day. My instinct says the stillness will permeate through me and hopefully fill me with quiet content rather than a feeling of loneliness. I find it is a fine line between the two ...but when the soul is strong, when one has deciphered between what is truly important and what is 'noise' in this world, the soul can be soothed by the piercing quiet as well as the movement of city life. For it is not WHERE we are...it is HOW we are. And here, we enjoy the magnificence of creation. In Maine, God certainly put some of the best work at play!

Queen Without a Crown

When the mind is so busy

The heart cannot see

Clearly into the world

In which it must be

Intuitions too quiet

True voice stifled down

The heart cannot grasp

It's Earth Kingdom crown

Righteously ours

For we are all kings

Forgetting our nature

Distracted by things

Today could be IT

This moment right NOW

The choice can be made

We forget to be proud

We can tell the mind "hush

Don't worry today

We're safe and we're loved

In every which way"

Here is victory

Heart over mind

Truth runs through

Inner light shines

Om shanti.

Only the Journey

Many of us have read the book, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. I recently had the chance to see the movie and here is what I got from it. I think we could all use a little reminding of the lessons here!

~~~

There are no destinations in this life, on this earth. There is only the journey. There is no 'place' or 'state' to 'get to' where one will find happiness waiting. Happiness is within you now, just waiting for your to allow it to come out, to be the predominant state of your being. Currently, for most of us, this is clouded by delusion-by thoughts that if we win that game, get that money, meet that person...we will then be happy.


This delusion comes over us over time, as our minds become what in yoga is said to be 'impure'. When we are born, as babies, we are happy. When does this happiness end? Can you recall that moment? For most of us it's a collection of moments. For some it starts younger and for some the disillusionment won't start to set in until an older age. For some it begins with abuse, and for some simply not receiving enough attention from parents, or not getting that pony.


I try to look back and recall when it was that my pure, ecstatic 'little girl' joy began to slip away. I recall crying whenever my kindergarten teacher reprimanded me...why was I so worried and concerned in these situations? Was I so desperate to have my teacher like me? Why so 'guilty' at 5 years old over a lost book or broken toy? And then there was my 'beauty mark' aka mole. I was born with a mole below my left eye. As I grew older, it grew too and became a distinct feature of my face. I did always have a pleasant face, a friendly disposition that some would describe as bubbly. I was born joyous. But as I grew older, my fellow classmates began to use my mole as reason to make fun. I specifically recall a girl in 3rd grade on the playground yelling at me, "Well at least I don't have an ugly mole on my face"...I was heartbroken. I took this superficial trait and internalized it. This was wrong thinking. My happiness and joy began to slowly dissipate as events like this would continue to transpire. Whether it was in reference to my chicken legs, ability in sports, crushes on boys...always something there to disappoint. And so the self-loathing began...


All of this is wrong thinking but because it feels so real, because of the emotions behind it all, it becomes our reality. It is only when we delve deep within, when we begin to question the way the world 'is', that we can begin to unravel these entanglements, or as William Blake described them as, "mind-forged manacles". We can, at any one point, choose what we want to take on and what we want to let go of...what we want to believe and value, and what has no value. In these inquiries we begin the process of discovering the true self, and in this we begin the true practice of yoga.


Om shanti.

On Falling in Love: The RUSH

Surely the subject of falling in love with another person does not normally arise within the yogic community. You see, our first duty is to learn to discern the real from the unreal and not to go about seeking pleasure and understanding from outside of ourselves. As my teacher taught, anything in this world that changes is not real. Things that don't change...real. For example, you could look at pictures of me or anyone at age 1, 2, 3 ect and I will look different. My body is changing and so from the yoga/Vedic perspective, the body is not real. Now there is something in those pictures that is NOT changing...the fact that in each photo it's me or you or whomever...there is something inside that doesn't change-who we are, our soul, our core.

After that first discernment, our next duty is to find peace of mind. In this we are sort of 'falling in love' with ourselves. To really find inner peace we will have to be in a place of complete acceptance of what IS. And this is true love. Acceptance is love.

So THEN...after all of this HARD WORK, it seems it is then we can fully and honestly 'fall in love' with another. Of course we can give/share love all day everyday with all people, plants and things. But we know what I am talking about here...THAT love. I can say I have been in love with another person. Only once. I have had love in relationships but looking back there was only one that was 'real'. And I had certainly not approached those first two duties(discernment, inner truth, self-love) yet and so the relationship didn't work out.

This morning, I was going through old emails. I found a poem that I had written to that one love and I want to share it. Just reading it reminds me of that lovely feeling...that RUSH of LOVE!

the world is ever swirling and it never really ends

I saw you only yesterday

but still i miss my friend

Don't you know?

My love just grows...

and though we may not know right now

what the future holds

answers fall from clouds and stars

and stories do unfold

Don't you know?

the story goes...

so rest your head upon my heart

and let me take a stand

to lend my all, my everything

and let your heart expand

Don't you know?

your love will grow...

Om shanti,

Sivakami

I'll Take Both!

When I had my first Reiki attunement back in October 2009, I had a vision...I was sitting on stage with Oprah Winfrey and we were talking। The only thing I remember her saying was, "look at you..."। When I 'came to' so to speak, came out of my little trance, I had tears streaming down my face। It was a pretty intense experience। SO...fast forward to this past winter at the ashram. A guest had come and shared the news that Oprah Winfrey would be ending her show. Gasp, horror! But wait...I think I am supposed to be a guest still...! And then we will fast forward to this past May. Arriving home with Kristin from a day at the office, she turns on the television (this alone has been a huge adjustment) and Oprah is talking and saying that she is looking for people to host a show on her new network to be called OWN TV, or the Oprah Winfrey Network. LIGHT BULB. I waited a few weeks then decided I simply must apply...I mean the vision and everything. But what would my show be about? I mean there's the nutrition stuff, the yoga, the fun & fashion...and then I dug deep within myself to see where I am right NOW in my journey and what I could possibly offer up to people.

I have personally been struggling greatly with this concept. There is certainly one side of me that wants to LIVE IT UP! I have been headed in that direction in the past: experience it all, lots of parties and dancing, strong desires for nice things. And then there was the big gear shift that came first with being laid off from my job ($/ego issues) and with my education at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition। I realized that in order to live with adequate energy and positivity, I would need to learn to be more mindful and to treat my body correctly-as it is the most elegant, expensive, important vehicle I will EVER borrow (that's right-we so do have to give it back)। And then the bigger shift-when I decided to get my yoga teacher certification। I could have gone to any old yoga school, stayed home and done a weekend program...but NO...I had to do it 100%, this I knew. And so ashram life came and became a part of me. Discipline, control, an understanding that the top priority in this life is to experience God-Realization (AKA awakening the Kundalini, Self-Realization, Liberation et al) and to find peace of mind on this crazy, erratic and seemingly out of control planet. WELL...I sort of want both. THAT is what I realize. Peace of mind=YES PLEASE. A comfortable life: THAT TOO. Contribution to fellow man= I'll take TWO!


I want to appreciate this human life, to understand that it is so sacred. But I don't want to run away from the humanity of it all to a place of complete focus on the spirit. I just don't find that that is what I am supposed to do. I am choosing to see that EVERYTHING is divine.-the birds, the bees, the traffic and the pollution too. It will be how I react, how I decide, and my motivations that will bring me peace or suffering. I suppose that if I can be the master of my life, in control of what I can, surrendering the rest, then I will have found that balance.


Lots of love...to a life in balance...with equal vision...and peace of mind :)





-Sivakami Julie

When I Leave for Good

This last month has been...crazy. No better word. I was quite literally sucked out of the ashram due to my grandmother's death on the east coast coupled with an offer for some contract work in Colorado. My dear friend Kristin has been trying to get me to move to Boulder for approximately 6 years now so I figured that since I had to get on a plane to fly across the county for the 2nd time in 2 weeks I should make a stop at what I have heard is a beautiful place and see if it's somewhere I would like to stay.

WELL..I am not sure if it's because I was living in an ashram for 7 months or if it's because I am in my Ketu Period (check out Vedic Astrology-it's fascinating-part of yoga)...but I have felt like I have been swimming upstream (see previous post) since I have been here! Nothing has quite worked out as far as apartments and jobs and I find myself so missing the community and contemplative time at the ashram. So here I am: a fork in the road. Go back, or make a go 'outside'? I wrote an essay the other day about something much deeper than whether to go back to the ashram or not, but there is a parallel. It's about wanting to leave this earth...BEAUTIFUL MOTHER EARTH. Yes-those thoughts have crept in but not in a dark way-a contemplative way. In a way where the yogi realizes they do not want to keep going around on the same cycles...sort of like,"Been here, done that...I get it...I need to master this." And it's like the ashram because while I think it would be great to return; I want to be 100% I am doing so not to run away from this mundane life of working for a paycheck and cars and stoplights and television (distraction) and such...but to run TO the ashram because it's where I can continue to grow. And just like life on this earth...I want to leave when I am ready, not because it's too hard. See my thoughts below...written at a table in a bistro in Boulder one night while I dined alone on a veggie burger and gluten-free beer (!)

I don't want to keep doing this world. I KNOW THAT.

However, I don't want to be tired of this world because it's hard.

I want to KNOW the beauty, love, serenity IN this world (Mother).

Then I will want to stop doing this world because I will have tasted the sweet nectar that created all of this (Father).

I will want to join that out of a place of complete awe in such power and unending love.

Not because this life is hard

But because it's beautiful.

I'll want that love eternally so much that I can then surrender with ease.

Om tat sat

Thought Power, Happiness, and the Yuba River

I am been moving around quite a bit lately. I find myself now in Colorado and in all of the movement over the last month, from CA to Boston to PA to CA to Boston and finally to Colorado...well let's say my Vata is WAAAY off balance! (Vata is a dosha in the yogic science of medicine Ayurveda). So after finally making my way to a health food store and getting some triphala, sesame oil, and ashwaganda, I am on my way back to balance. But regardless of the awful physical symptoms, what has been worse is the mental tossing...by far! The mind is racing, the heart rate is up, concentration becomes tough. And this leads to unhappiness, worry and in the end, suffering. It's where most of the world lives...time to grab some control!

This takes me to 2 of my journal entries from the Yoga Farm-

January 13, 2010:

The fewer thoughts you have a time, the more powerful they are. So if you have 100 thoughts/minute they are weak thoughts whereas 1 thought/minute...the mind's power becomes limitless.

Have few and positive thoughts to bring the best life.

January 14, 2010

You are only as happy as your mind is slow...the slower and less amount of thoughts the happier. 'Empty thy vessel and I will fill thee' said Jesus.

My current thoughts and desires aren't serving me. If I can dispell, empty, then there is space in me for Bliss & Clarity! I can trust that when Divine energy fills me I will have the thoughts and ideas that will assist me in fulfilling my highest dharma.

OK- so now OUT of the Yoga Farm I read this and am like...whoa! How easily we forget. That's right, it's not about me, I don't need to plan everything. That causes suffering. I need to be that yogini, that seeker of BALANCE in order to work towards dharma (Dharma is one's life purpose or duty). I look at it like this: there is a beautiful river near the Yoga Farm, the Yuba River. We would go there weekly to pick up some prana from the water and relax in the beauty, the shakti. I would always contemplate the river, thinking, that right there, that river IS life. Just like the Ganges to the Indian Yogis...why is it SO special? And what I came up with is this: life is the river...it's moving at a rate and current completely out of our control. It is simply up to us how we navigate the river. We can be a leaf being tossed hither and tither, we can be a big rock, not making movement, being carved up, or we could be a salmon, swimming upstream...so tiring! OR...we can be a kayaker...a skilled, wise and trusting kayaker (or canoer-you get the jist), navigating the river. Knowing where to give, where to take, when to push and when to surrender.

Now it's just LOVE the river, CONTROL the thoughts...and live the life you were meant to.

Om shanti!

Emotional Times: Love and Desire

We all have an innate desire to feel loved forever and ever...this is totally valid! I think it's what makes us tick. There is a knowledge deep within each of us that love exists and that it is truly all that you need...that it will make you happy forever and ever. And it's true! So then why aren't we all happy and in love all of the time? It is in our methods of finding love that we fail and find suffering. It is in our ignorance that we find it hard to separate love and desire, love and attachment, love and lust...

Here's what to know about the best subject EVER!

L-O-V-E IS:
1. Different than attachment. Attachment brings fear because we expect some sort of outcome. Attachment can turn into love when fear is removed. If there is fear, there is no love. Period. If you are fearless, you are not able to attach and so you can have real love and no suffering.
2. Pure and selfless. Love is to give and not to get.
3. Different than desire. Desire is insatiable. It can never truly be fulfilled. Desire implies it is something you don't already have (quite different from love which is in us all) and that you must look externally for it. This search leads to suffering.
4. Infinite. It is never damaged and it never dries up.
5. Creative. It has the power to redeem, renew, transform.
6. Present in all conditions. It is the greatest wealth, the greatest peace, and it's yours NOW.

Yoga is...equanimity of mind

Our problems in this life come from weaknesses in the mind. Just as a body-builder works out in the gym to strengthen his muscles, the yogi works to strengthen the mind. A weak mind will collapse under the weight of negative thoughts like fear and worry.

So to strengthen the mind, just as the body-builder uses weight resistance, the yogi uses tendency resistance. We all have our inborn tendencies, the ways we tend to react out of our subconscious mind to situations around us. These ways often do not serve us best and to react out of a place of purity takes a lot of energy, resistance and strength.

Just as the body-builder checks his progress in the mirror, the yogi or 'mind-builder' checks his progress in the people around him. Other people are our mirrors in this life to show us our progress in our journey towards inner peace. Interactions show us where we are still weak and where we are strong.

Om tat sat

Yoga is...calm

There are SO many definitions of Yoga. Today, we cover that Yoga is a state of CALM:

"When the surface of a lake is still, the bottom can be clearly seen. Thsi is impossible when the surface is agitated by waves. In the same way, when the mind is still, with no thought or desires, you can see the self. This state of calm is called Yoga" -Swami Sivananda in "Bliss Divine"

Airplane Reading: Special Delivery

As my first post, I thought I would share a quick story from my recent flight home to the east coast for a family emergency. In this blog, my purpose is to share tidbits of insight and wisdom that come through during my studies in yoga and life. My only hope is that even one person finds some comfort and inspiration here. Om shanti!

Sometimes we get a little gift in the pocket in front of us on the airplane. And sometimes we leave them. Sometimes, rather than a gift, it might be a temptation, as I recieved on this particular flight. I suppose we can see temptations as gifts too...in either case, whether we yield or not, we experience some sensory pleasure (usually followed by pain) or we resist and gain strength. The gift that I unwittingly left, and the one I recieved are so far apart in nature and yet all a part of the duality of our world.

Traveling from the ashram in Grass Valley, CA back to the east coast, I , with best intentions, brought along a copy of Swami Sivananda's, "Thought Power". I have been trying to get around to reading this book for some time now. I did, however, purchase a copy of Vogue at the airport newstand so that could be seen as the first indication I might not read the book... Taking my seat on the plane and preparing for the first leg of this venture across the country, I pull out all of my proposed reading materials: Thought Power, Vogue, and Cards of Destiny (more on that book another time) and stuck them in the seat pocket in front of me, leaving the Thought Power behind as I departed the aircraft to switch planes.

As I dug through my over-stuffed carry-on bag for said book that I was finally going to read, it was nowhere to be found. I pondered for a moment on where it could be and began to feel a smile spread across my face. "Oh the soul that finds that powerful book!" I thought to myself. Surely it is karmic that the next person to sit in that seat, or clean out that pocket, who finds that book and reads the wise truths of this great master's teachings on the mind and power of thought, will be changed forever. This could be their salvation; their awakening.

To know I was somehow part of this delivery from the Divine feels pretty neat. I somehow followed through on some karmic action to benefit another soul. So the question remains....why was the 'gift' in my seat pocket a copy of Us Weekly? ;)