Holistically Human

We are in the throws of a major revolution. Or maybe you’d call it an evolution. However you want to look at it, things are changing in our world more quickly than in any point of known history. 

Admittedly, I have been confused as to how I have ended up in life where I am. I started out studying business, but only because my dad refused to support schooling in the fashion industry, where I really wanted to go. I figured that a business background would be useful, I could work in the “fashion industry”. Of course you later find out that the industry is very much a “who you know” or “how much you already have” situation where naturally extremely talented individuals can and do rise, but they are typically on the creative side. As in studied fashion or fine arts. I digress.

So it was business. So I worked in big business. So I died a little inside. And it surfaced outside of me in the form of hives for over a year. It was as though my body was screaming from the inside. One of the first major sweeps of our current revolution “saved” me from this with layoffs (AKA 2008). Maybe it was intuition, a dash of passionate interest, sprinkled with a burning desire to heal my hives situation, but when I lost my job, I was already half way through studying for a certificate in holistic health counseling. And in that program my interest for local, organic, whole foods as a source of healing the person and the world, became a new passion. 

I refused to re-enter the corporate world and did all I could to stay afloat doing work I cared about. I took a seasonal job as a local produce buyer. I worked for a startup nonprofit in sustainable agriculture. But I could not sustain me. I couldn’t afford rent. I hadn’t realized a way to do what I cared about and to take care of me. I know many, many of us face this every day. We are not all so lucky to have such fantastic choice of vocation as others. There is truly no “fair” reconciliation of this. Only that we must do what we have to do and somehow find that passion for what we feel we want to do, what maybe we were born to do, with the energy and time we have outside of the way we make our paychecks. Those of us lucky enough will at one point have an opening to reconcile our passions and paychecks. But it’s not just luck, we have to also take risks.

And risk is where I am heading with all of this. 

Back when I was studying the nutrition, I was very convinced that I neede to write a book called Holistically Human.  This book would be about how we’re living in the throws of a time when technology is evolving so much more quickly than our biological selves and because of this we are suffering. We have anxiety, depression, diabetes, obesity, digestive issues and autoimmune diseases galore. I see these as great symptoms of a great change. 

I haven’t written that book. Not yet. Somehow I didn’t feel I had all of the pieces.

Back to my confusion. After some deep introspection during my time spent living at the yoga ashram, I decide to (finally) apply for the Peace Corps. I had wanted to do the Peace Corps since my freshman year of college when I met a group of returned volunteers at a study abroad fair. They all seemed so different than most people I met. They had this knowing about them that I admired.

However, with the death of my brother during my junior year of college, I felt paralyzed to go so far away from my family for such a long period of time. So I dropped the idea from my conscious mind. But it never went away truly. 

In 2011 I embarked on a 2-year journey to Eastern Europe to do whatever was asked of me. I did know I’d learn a lot about the world, myself, and about humans in general. I also knew that I’d gain a better understanding of how government, public, and private industry work together to solve societal problems. And all of this did happen. And then I came home. And then what?

I often find myself in envy of people who always know what comes next. “I’m going to Peace Corps, then I’m getting my JD, then I’m moving to Montana and buying 300 acres and having 5 babies”. Well isn’t that nice?! What a plan! But that’s not me. I don’t lay it out like that for whatever reason. And yes, I know all of the books that teach us about the secrets of realizing our greatest desires say we need a CLEAR picture of what we want to and hold that, then we'll get it. But aren't we also supposed to be careful what we wish for? The only thing I clearly know that I want is peace of mind, happiness, and health.

I guess I don’t trust my fleeting desires for what I WANT as much as I trust that the smaller choices I make daily in my life lead me to what I NEED. Maybe I am wrong but hopefully that as I grow wiser with time, my choices just keep getter better.

"And so how the f did I end up here?" I've spent the last year asking myself. I am not making good money. I do not own a home. (Nor a second home obvi...a desire). I do not have a gaggle of children. I would not be considered successful in the eyes of many. And certainly not in the eyes of my 19-year old fashion industry-wanting self. 

But you know what I've finally realize I am doing? I am facing that revolution I've been so aware, the first major kick of which I experienced in 2009. The awareness likely spans my entire life. I finally feel that I am alive right now to somehow play, no matter how small, a role in preparing us for this revolution. For preparing and for sustaining in a flexible, adaptable way. 

In my current role, I am developing and implementing programs that teach high school students about the entrepreneurial mindset. My boss inspires me with his reason for doing what we do: because the world is rapidly changing and we can assuredly predict that that change will continue at an ever-increasing rate. Bill Gates himself shares concern for the number of jobs that will soon be replaced by AI and the “software substitution”. Yes, the coming technology will change things and we need to have people prepared for this in more ways than simply knowing how to work with technology. Of course we need programmers and consultants and IT project managers, but more than that, we need to let young people know about this change and prepare them to be flexible, adaptable, and yes, entrepreneurial. Because with great change, comes great opportunity. And those who know how to recognize this opportunity, who are willing to take risks, to approach it, to work with it, to bring value to others, will flourish in our new world. 

It’s not just about food and nutrition, spiritual wellbeing, beauty and fashion, money. It’s not just about one thing. It's holistic. I wanted to write about the holistic human, and how to thrive in our world of tomorrow. There is more to the picture, and I am immersed in that now. I am grateful. I would not be here if not for the journey to here.

OM tat sat.

Technique 7: EARTH!

This is the next post in the Ascension series.  Since this is December's post (opa! meaning "oops" in Russian-ish, at least here in Moldova!), there will be two this month.  My next post will be on my two Christmases and 2 New Years :)


Oh Earth, oh home!  There are so many, many topics I could cover regarding you: your health, your ecology, your age, your size...


But there is an aspect of you that grabs my attention so dearly.  The one thing about you that I find such a place in my heart for...humans.  Yes, Earth, you have us humans all over you.  We change you, we use you, we play with you.  And you support us.  No matter what we do, you provide us water, minerals, food, and oxygen.  That is amazing.  You must know about unconditional love.


And so with this technique, Earth, I want to address what I find to be the most plaguing issue on your plate today.  It is what I am always writing about.  It is humanity, it is our true nature, and it is what keeps us from knowing that and henceforth clinging to you, dear Earth, so tightly.


The Earth Technique....designed to remove the last of the separation between the individual and the Universe...The Earth Attitude creates a refined level of witnessing, the hallmark of Perpetual Consciousness, 


When I read this, I think of a poem I had read while looking up the Eagle's animal totem.  On one of my last days in the U.S. prior to my Peace Corps departure, my family and I stumbled upon an immature Bald Eagle on a Cape Cod beach.  And this was the message:


On the currents of the Four Winds
you ride the sky
held aloft by unseen hands
that hold you close to the Grandfather


Far below lies the world of Man
a realm in which you also dwell,
yet always from within
comes the ache to rejoin the Great Spirit


Caught between two realms,
you remind all who witness your beauty and strength
of the eternal struggle of the two-legged
to rise above the mundane
and feel the Soul take flight

Caught between two realms
This is how I often feel and I have made that clear in a number of my posts.  This seemingly innate desire to rise up spiritually, to detach from mundane worldly pleasures is almost immediately met with an attitude of, "OK, I am here, let's just do this and enjoy it."  And so finding the balance between these two places is a great challenge.  And what I want to share with you today is what I see as humanity's current great challenge, from a very broad and esoteric view.  I warn you now about that, so if you are not interested in such ideas, no need to go further.  I am going to mention the likes of governments, religions, and materialism.  I don't mean "materialism" like, "...she a gold digger", (though that too), but more as an over-current to modern man's view of life being so solid, so concrete, so dense, so absolute. I do not mean to judge or condemn. These are simply the times we live in. It's written in the stars. It is a part of our evolution as a whole.  I simply want to bring some things to light in order to assist with our further evolution, to nudge us all, closer to Truth.

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Our Material World: Government and religion leading the way
Governments are and have always been afraid of authentic spiritual knowledge.  This is mostly due to the fact that if a person truly believes/understands the concept that, "I am not this body, I am not these thoughts, I am not ANY label" then they won't need to run to the store to buy  the things to support these labels, won't feel themselves inadequate as to look for leadership and approval from another...they won't join in the perpetuating game of "not good enough".  It is my belief, one that I do not intend to push but do want to share, that organized religion has also become a way to keep people away from their own true nature.  Unfortunately, in today's world, the one place people will often turn to in a time of hope, despair and inquiry, is the same place that will keep them at an arm’s length away actually experiencing the enlightenment we all so deeply crave-mostly on a subconscious level.

Our Deepest (Secret) Desire
Have you heard of Non-Violent Communication? It is a communication process that makes the assumption that all human beings share the same needs-what they refer to as "Universal Human Needs". They are listed as:  Connection, Interconnectedness, Competence, Meaning, Peace, Honesty, Autonomy, Celebration, and of course our Physical Needs.   The developer behind this theory proposes that all suffering comes from these basic needs not being met, whereas joy and happiness, occur when they are met.  And just like we may not be aware of these exact needs, we also might not be aware of our desire to understand our true nature.  But just like with the other needs, when not met, we cannot remain in permanent and authentic joy without it.  Something will always be missing.

We all need to eat, sleep, breathe and drink water.  But if those were all we needed, would we be any different from a squirrel or a pig?  There is something different about us indeed-all of those other things listed above.  (I am not saying animals don't too need cuddles and a sense of belonging too-some more than others).  I will take the above list one step further and propose that there is a basic human need for understanding one's true nature.  Now, I do not believe that every person, in every lifetime, will actually face this need.  But as soon as you ask yourself the question, "Who am I?", you have begun the quest, no matter how far you take it, to understanding your own true nature.  AND...IF you were to succeed on this quest, rest assured you wouldn't have much time or care to deal with things like politics, economies, shopping, buying, owning, being better, being right and so on.  No, you would rest in the understanding of your true nature as sure as the sun rises.  You would understand that all is perfect and there are no inequities.  You would be in constant peace. 

Material Clinging
And so governments and religion are certainly afraid of enlightened souls.  Their very existence depends upon people being confused and suffering.  And so they do what they have to in order to keep people asleep in material consciousness.  I hate to sound like some conspiracy theorist, and that I think governments and churches are "out to get us". While I do find it frustrating that ancient knowledge of how to understand ourselves has been all but hidden, I do also trust that most people in power are trying to accomplish what they truly believe to be best.  Unfortunately for the rest of us, they are most often operating out of an entirely unenlightened place...a place of materialistic clinging. 


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And so how does one conclude this?!  I guess the main point is that we are between two worlds my friends. And in this time as a human, we are truly of neither.  We are not pure spirit and we are not pure animal.  We are both.  Meditating on this truth can help us to understand the impermanence of it all, the fleeting qualities of the material world. Would you rather work towards what will be a part your existence for a mere blink, or for the vast eternity?  

XOm!

Ascension...Come Again?

OK, I am going there.  I am reading and writing about a document called "Ascension" so now I should probably address...what the heck is this Ascension I speak of.  And hold on tight because it's going to be a little bit of a far out ride for some :)  Which I, of course, just love that you're reading this!  Thank you!

All spiritual traditions, in all of times, have spoken of some ultimate goal. It has been called Enlightenment, Self Realization, God Realization, Nirvana, Bliss, Cosmic Consciousness, Christ Consciousness, Awakening the Kundalini etc. Currently, the term 'Ascension' seems to be emerging as a popular term in reference to this goal. Here is a short listing of different interpretations of said goal: 

1. The evolution of the individual, and the collective evolution of humanity...each soul's and humanity's destiny.
2. A level of consciousness in which we experience permanent union with our Higher Self ..oneness with all Life.  (Union....like the "yoke" definition of yoga)
3. Becoming our highest possible Self... Learning to fully express our creative powers and spiritual capabilities within the challenging conditions of physical reality.
4. Raising our vibration to a higher frequency...closer to that of the light of Spirit. (As opposed to lower vibration frequencies like lust, greed, hate, envy, ect.)
5. A state of permanent peace, joy, and freedom from limitation and suffering.
6. Expanding the role we are playing within an ever‑unfolding universal drama (beyond our current ability to comprehend).

Since stumbling across this document (on Twitter of all places) and taking on the task of covering what the Ishayas call the “27 Techniques to Ascension”, I have begun quite a quest into the world of Ascension. What it is, what it isn’t, how it relates to 2012, to Jesus Christ, to the New Age movement, to Yoga. And what I have found is at one point wide and at another quite narrow. And since this is a simple blog and not a scholarly report, I can’t possibly go into the detail and explanations I might want to…we can do that over a cup of tea sometime.  You see, there is mythology from across time and space that tells the same tales again and again, just using different language. Some of this "mythology” is deeply intertwined with many of today’s most popular religions. As I have read most recently about the Greek Sophia, I have realized she is the same as the Yoga's Shakti. Same stories, different time, different culture…or was it?

Do we really have such a multitude of “cultures” or is this something the human mind has used as a way to establish its own ego? “I am a part of this group. We do this, eat that and speak this way.” Unity in division?  

What if I were to propose that there is only one culture, the human culture? It turns out we have a lot more in common than we have in difference. Because if we have the same stories of (and I am largely generalizing here for simplicity sake) Creator/God/Brahman whose extraordinary light descends due to some sort of passion/desire/sin and creates the world/Shakti/Sophia/Gaia, and then we, being sparks of God (having souls that is), are here in Shaktiland, but remember Creatorland (the place of complete love, nonsuffering we first came from) on some level and desperately desire to return. But those desires get mixed up and crazy in Shaktiland and instead we figure we really just want an empire, a yacht, a diamond, some sex, political power, a cigarette, a film…and on and on. But the yearning never ceases. And soooooo…(drum roll please)…Creator, through compassion, sends some pretty darn (or so it would seem) clear messages down to good old Earth, to remind the people, that there IS actually a way to rejoin Creator/Immaterial for all of eternity AKA no more suffering and no need for death. And so comes Buddha/Jesus/Krishna/Siva…messages. These messages pretty much say, “Hey people, listen up, love yourself because you are perfect. Then love your fellow human, they are perfect too. Stop being afraid, that is crap. There is no need for fear. It’s actually ruining everyone’s time here. Drop it! Get to loving. It’s the only way. Drop the BS of jealousy, greed, envy, hate ect. and accept who you are, what you are and BINGO… you’ve got ACSENSION."  That's right...heaven on Earth, Earth in heaven...however you like it!!

There you have it my friends. There are a bazillion ways towards Ascension, techniques. There are religions. There is yoga and meditation. There is radical acceptance. Whichever path you choose is cool...AND...last but not least....It's being touted in many circles (from the hippy dippies to the Mayan calendar to the economic crisis) that Earth and humanity are currently going through an extraordinary consciousness shift...a quantum leap to a higher, more enlightened state of being (think quantum physics...particles vibrating at an ever-increasing rate).  It is believed that you can choose to go with the flow of this evolutionary current ‑ thus facilitating your ascension process ‑ by preparing yourself for a new and higher level of consciousness. If you choose to do so, here are some tips to assist you! 

1. Connect with your inner knowing daily...in silent meditation or prayer.
2. Be Light. Remember as often as you can throughout the day (when your mind is not fully engaged, drifting) to shift your attention back to the light of your calm true Self.
3. Develop some degree of spiritual non‑attachment. The more weight you give the world, the heavier it is to carry.
4. Strengthen your "energy circulatory system", so that you can conduct higher spiritual energies (AKA prana). This can be done through regular exercise, physical work, or energy body exercises, such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, etc.
5. Learn to attune to your higher guidance.  Think with your heart.

  Om tat sat.  Love and light.  XOm.

Techniques 1-3, All is Love!


Welcome to the first "Techniques" post.  As I said in my last post, I would have to fit the first three (of the 27) techniques into one month since I have been in Moldova for almost three months now-crazy!  I really gave myself a challenge in writing this up so quickly but when I started to read the document in-depth, I found much of what was being said quite familiar!

 A few notes on how I am doing this:

• Explanations directly from the document, Ascension: The analysis of the Art of Acension as taught by the Ishayas,will be underlined and anything that is a direct quote with be in parenthesis.
• I will typically start with the explanation from the document and then either delve right into my interpretation, or take you along my thought process in my attempt to make sense of it! 

Technique #1: Praise
Praise corrects the fundamental stress of the modern world, that "something is wrong."  This root stress begins when we are very young and continues to happen again and again, always assuring us that in some way, we are "not enough".  Not pretty enough, not funny enough, not smart enough...enough, enough....something WRONG.  Sound familiar?  These are the very basic stories that we tell ourselves based on an observation we obtain from our external environment.  Except if they were truly just observation, they wouldn't be harmful.  It's that we turn these observations, "Johnny didn't sit next to me today" into judgements: "Johnny didn't sit next to me today, because I am not good enough for him."  You see how this works?  We therefore use praise- praise of ourselves, praise of those around us-to correct this terrible imbalance we place on ourselves.  Reminding ourselves and others of how truly wonderful we simply ARE.  I think you are wonderful.  In fact, you were perfect the day you were born, and when we converse, when we laugh, when I look into your eyes, I see all the beauty of the world.

"Identification with your mind creates an opaque screen of concepts, labels, images, words, judgments, and definitions that blocks all true relationship. It comes between you and yourself, between you and your fellow man and woman, between you and nature, between you and God." -Eckhart Tolle

Technique # 2:  Gratitude 
The attitude of gratitude is focused on the objective world, "designed to cure all erroneous beliefs and concepts" about the body and the external world.  Gratitude is the first step towards  mastery of the outer world, and therefore "invaluable for healing disease of all kinds."  That last part took me a while-gratitude healing all disease....but what I came up with is that when we live through gratitude, we further nurture this objective side of our reality, the pure observation.  If we battle the subjective judgements with praise, then we nurture WHAT IS with gratitude.  The sun rises...THANK YOU SUN.  The neighbor's dog barks...I AM SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO HEAR ALL THE SOUNDS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL LIFE...and so on and so forth.  Yes, our bodies and even our thoughts (mostly them), our homes, our neighbors may not be exactly as we want, as we expected, as we desired.  BUT (always a but-huh?), once we are able to stop judging these things (via praise) and start to just feel gratitude for them, all negative thoughts and intentions slip away and we are left only in the glow of positivity and life-promoting thought.  This heals all indeed.

"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. " -Dalai Lama

 


Technique # 3: Love 
An attitude of love (and opposite of fear) is designed to "heal all misconceptions about our relationship" with the True Self/Spirit/Connection.  Love is something we absolutely cannot prove, but know we feel.  It's the sweetness of life.  It's pure connection with other people.  When I was in high school, I would doodle on my book covers incessantly.  And one little phrase that I would write on every single book?  "Life is love".  This came through clearly to me at a young age.  So much so that in fashion class, I made a jean skirt with the same slogan embroidered into the pocket.  I have always believed that the end all, be all of this experience, life, is to to experience truly unconditional love while in human form.  I say it this way because I believe we come from and return to a source of unconditional love.  And if we can acquire the wisdom to hold onto that feeling, to act out of a place of love rather than fear, we have accomplished our greatest goal.  Indeed we do experience moments of this, if we did not we would not want to continue to live.  That's how sweet love is.  It's what keeps us motivated to keep going day in and day out.  Even when we don't recognize what it is that motivates us, in the end it's either love or fear.  A lot of the world, a lot of the time, is operating out of fear, which is why we have so many issues that are basically due to greed (war, famine, starvation, poverty) which basically is born of fear, " I will take  yours too in case I do not have enough for me." 


"Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand." -Mother Theresa



Summary of first three techniques towards "Ascension"? (I will have another post around the meaning of Ascension soon!):  With these three attributes or attitudes, we are able to remove beliefs and judgements about the limited nature of the three primary divisions of life:


1.  The subjective (Judgement), Praise--->helps us to cease to judge
2.  The objective (Observation), Gratitude---> for what we observe
3.  The spiritual, Love--->the sweetness of life, the nectar.  What life is worth living for, what keeps us going.


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Life is love.  Om tat sat.

If you're really feeling the love, go to this link and turn up the volume on your computer :)

The Next Big Thing

I wrote this blog post first in my head last night while I was lying in bed, mind spinning, unable to sleep.  This is a common problem among people and I know for me it's usually the first sign that I am getting off-balance.  When I have had too many nights in a row of mind-racing, I know there are some big changes ahead.  The hardest part is that these changes are ones that I need to implement.  Sometimes we just need some guidelines, whatever they might be, to tack us along, to stoke the fire of motivation...

At the ashram, Swami Sita would tell the story of the mind being like a lake.  When it's still, we can see straight through to the bottom of the the clear waters, into the depths of what lies beneath.  We can also see the reflection of the trees, mountains, hills, plains, buildings...whatever is of our world, we see in a clear reflection.  And so once this lake is disturbed, with waves (thoughts), the water gets to be murky and the view of the world around us, distorted.  In other words, the more thoughts we have and the more excited our thoughts are, whether happy/sad/angry ect., the more we disturb the mind and induce the forgetting of "that which lies within" or, our purpose, and begin to distort our world, bringing on a need for judgement rather that pure observation.  It's the cycle.  We are all intimate with these fluctuations.  

And so it's time for me to get this lake of mine to calm down.  I canfind some empathy for myself.  I did just move halfway across the world two and a half months ago, and I am looking at 24 more months of living in this new place, without familiar faces of friends and family, not knowing what my work will look like and so on and so forth.  Last night was my first real "fight" with myself about this.  As tears welled up about all of the things I would miss in the lives of many of the people whom I love, I moved further from the sleep I desperately needed.

And with this blog, with you, the beautiful soul sharing  in these words, I want to retain a space where I can transmute some of this "excitement".  These pages are not only a journal, but a place for me to take those waves from my lake, or better to prevent the winds from ever reaching its shores.  And so that means I share truth, my truth, and this makes me quite vulnerable to you-doesn't it?  But I am going to be OK with that (over time).  I trust you and I love you.  We are all in this together.

And so, also with this blog, I hope to have a place of consistency and regularity.  After recieving my placement in Moldova with Peace Corps, I scanned the web for blogs of volunteers already in-country.  I noticed many blogs having large gaps-sometimes for months at a time.  "Hmmmm", I thought, "I wonder why?"  I had my suspicions of course.  People get complacent, tired, lazy, busy, bored...depressed.  And once I got here and spoke to the volunteers (many of whom did admit to not keeping up with their blogs), coupled with my own apathy to share what amounts to, at times, more hearthache and lonliness than sunshine and rainbows, my suspicions were confirmed.  Moldova is a tough place.  Though most of us have toilets and running water, there is a layer of mental stress here that can be more difficult to overcome than the hardships of physical infrastructure and economic constraint.  These "thought waves" that we are swimming in here are of a calliber that will take some strengthening of ones own mind to overcome.  I have heard numerous accounts of depression, especially in the dark and cold days of winter.  I anticipate that my own mind will take some downward turns.

And so last night, as I didn't sleep, I began to plan a way to ensure that I stay on top of myself mentally (and physically will be good too!) to ensure that at the very least I am posting on this blog once per month.  Yesterday, I came accross a free Ebook on a Twitter post.  It was called Ascension.   Being the new-agey type that I am, I have an interest in other's views of how our world is changing in the more sublte realms.  And this link came from a yogi I follow so I indugled.  I began to look over the document last night and found that it provides, "27 steps towards The Art of Ascension as taught by the Ishayas".  The who?  Their website states, "The Art of Ascension is a systematic mechanical process that directs the mind to the stable point of reference...the home or seat of consciousness itself....Ascension is simple and effortless.  It takes more energy to maintain our fear and illusions of life than it does to relax into the simplicity of the present moment."  Ok, it's yoga.  Just a different taste.  Yoga is like this...like ice cream, like religion, like shoes...there are all different kinds but ultimately the function is the same.  For yoga, the function is to still the mind. 

And so, no I am not subsrcibing to some new sect of anything, I am simply noticing the relevance of a 27-step philosophy towards this end and the fact that Peace Corps is a 27-month endeavor.  And so, the next big thing for me is to use one step as my theme for each month that I am here.  This guarantees I write AND points my mind and thoughts in some direction...ultimately towards my inner Self.  Now since I have already been in Moldova for almost three months, I will have to post about those first three steps before September . The first four of these "techniques" as they are referred to in the book, are what they call Root Stresses, with the first three being:

1.  Praise
2.  Gratitude
3.  Love

You will know when I am posting about one of the 27 techniques because I will call the post "Technique #  ____".  Some of these will certainly be a little "out there" as I look ahead at techniques titled "Lunar" and "Glory" but it is my challenge to myself to find a way to make it all tie in to my life, your life, and ultimately to some Universal truth towards human happiness and peace of mind.  We're all in this together...so happy to have you along for the ride (Praise!), for this is am so GRATEFUL.   I LOVE you!

XOm,
Julie

Я еду в Бeлць!

In other words (well same words, different language...), "I am going to Balti!" (Transliteration: Ya edu v Beltz).  Now that is a hard word in general seeing that even though I 'spelled' it correctly, it's actually pronounced "Beltz".  

And so it is!  We got our site announcements yesterday.  I will be working with an organization called Pro Business Nord in the city of Balti.  I am very excited!  I think that being in an urban center will provide more opportunity to teach yoga than I might get in a village.  I will also get to meet many people and of course practice my Russian.

I can honestly say that it is times like these that the flexibility of yoga comes in handy.  I certainly never imagined that when I joined the Peace Corps I would find myself in an Eastern European city speaking Russian.  My nomination had been for the Caribbean.  I imagined myself on a warm island helping growers find better markets and prices for their produce and products.  I would sleep under a palm tree and eat mangoes for lunch.  But it was only an imagination and NOT an expectation.  And so I was never too let down.  The less we "expect" out of life, the less we suffer.  

I heard a swami say something very interesting shortly before I left for Moldova, "It is important to be 100% invested in all we do, and yet 0% dependant on the outcome".  This is a VERY difficult concept, espeically when applied to businesses, outcomes and financial "security".  But in LIFE, when we give up the need to be in control (an illusion anyway), and simply do our duty, whatever that may be (in the Carribean, in Balti, scrubbing floors, fixing things, starting businesses, ect.) without a dependence on the outcome of these activities to define who we are and what we are worth as humans, we suffer less.  When our worth comes from within, we are always whole.

Om tat sat.

Reaction

pāpa-nāśanah— (Sanskrit), the destruction of sinful reactions

I try to work on my reactions as my wisdom and learnings tell me they are all that I can truly control. Monitor emotion, breathe, observe thoughts, breathe, take proper action. There is action in inaction.

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Mark my words: I love nothing in this changing world more than humans. I may make mistakes in my relations with them daily and these relations cause me at once great suffering and immense joy.

I was born with an undying desire to wrap my arms around a race of beings that I realize is still largely in the dark. The death of a fellow being cheered as though we have won an NFL championship? Violence answers nothing. Retaliation creates more karma.

I realize not too much has changed since the Romans cheered the gladiotors as they tore each other's bodies to shreds. The technological revolution does not indicate enlightenment.

My flame further ignites. My compassion for my fellow man becomes increasingly strong. My work is made more clear.

I realize that my words may offend some, but I am willing to take that risk and to take my stand. A stifled voice brings peace to none. Share yours. Your truth is your only true gift to this world and to your fellow man.

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Hari om tat sat.

Image from Jane deForest Art of the Sacred

Alignment

When practicing yoga asana, they say that your alignment is of particular importance. Sure, we need to be breathing-through the nose-and perhaps reciting a mantra if more advanced, and certainly focusing. But if the alignment is off, then rather than a chakra-opening, muscle stretching, blood-circulating, mind-focusing posture, you may be creating injury.

And so it is with life.

When we are out of alignment with our purpose, our truth, we hurt ourselves and those around us. Simply put, we suffer.

I haven't written a blog post in a while because I haven't felt that anything I wanted to share was in proper alignment. You see, I have many varied interests. And seeing as we live in a society that seems to really love when we are all packaged-up and easy to pinpoint, I fall into the trap of feeling like there are certain "areas" I am "supposed" to cover. But is what I am sharing aligned with what I am experiencing?

I have never fit into a pretty package. I am rather a messy being. I am pretty sure that I have lost friends because of this. People get pretty uncomfortable with that which they cannot predict or understand.

"She is moving...again"...

"Why can't she just settle into a job, find a guy and STAY somewhere...have some babies"...

I can hear the thoughts. Sometimes they even manifest into words. But they don't sting. Not anymore. My strength is building.

My interests change with the moons. Not because I am desirous, or flaky. But because I need to keep learning. Am I dissatisfied? Sure. But I am not unhappy. There is more I want to experience, to discover, to uncover my hidden nature. I am learning to just move on.

And once I have learned something, I move on. Next!

A nutrition blog? MMM...too limited. Maybe focus on just yoga...JUST?! How about LIFE? How about humans?

When we, as humans, want to know something, we ask questions. And the universe brings us the answers. We stir shit up. We rock the boat. And so that is what this blog is about. That is what I am about. Asking questions, getting answers, sharing them. Period.

By settling in to the questions that occupy our minds, what stokes the fire of life within us...and then sitting with THAT and seeing where it takes us. This is alignment. Where do I feel this in my body? How is my heart rate? Is it fast because I am anxious, or because I am on to something?

My heart is beating...my stomach is tight...this needs to incubate.

My heart is beating...my throat is hot...this needs to be SHARED!

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My intention is to bring to this space, what I believe to be my aligned truths. When I notice, what fires me up, or as my friend Uma would say, what "turns me on", I query, incubate and share. God am I grateful to share. It's my greatest desire.

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As I shut the car door I glimpsed the children and they saw me. Running up the hill, them, running down the hill, me. We embraced and I kissed their cherubic faces. It had been a full year since I left the ashram and it felt so wonderful to be in the presence of some of the most beautiful souls I have encountered.

I made my way towards the office, excited at the prospect of which old friends I would meet. And then I saw it. Orange. The color of the Swami. Could it be? Could she, Swami Sita, be sitting right there in the office? My heart rate sped up. I felt like I was five years old going into kindergarten for the first time. What was it about her that makes me so nervous? Was I out of alignment? I can see where I still require strength.
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Food. Food was a topic that could be found upon my lips more often than not for many years. It has been one of my most prolonged topics of interest. But it's over. That's right-you heard me folks. I still have a LOT of information about it of course. If you ever need food advice, nutrition concerns, call me up, I am happy to share. But I know all I need to know. For now. I may come back to food and nutrition but right now I am all set.

My soul is satisfied. I have the answers I was looking for.

And what is that? That it's best to be vegetarian, and if you can, vegan. You see, we could argue until we are blue in the face for and against both meat and dairy. I could for sure. There are definite nutritional values in both. But that's not the point.

I have read enough literature about our global environmental situation. And THAT is not even my real interest. Sure, I am cool with saving the ecology of the planet. Yes, livestock use up a ridiculous amount of grain and water that COULD be going to humans starving throughout the globe. But that's not the point either.

The point is this: Cain and Abel. T-Rex and Brontosaurus. Throughout history there have been scientific, religious, philosophical texts and parables that all paint the meat eater as violent and the vegetarian as docile. THAT is the point my friends.

Ahimsa. Non-violence. And it's not even that I want to protect the cute bunnies and the resources from land, grain and water hungry cows. Nope.

And I will admit it right here. I like eating meat. It tastes good. THERE, I said it. But you know what I care about more than my cravings and taste buds? YOU. I care about your ability to be a human on this planet. To be here experiencing the wonders of the world: family, friends, sex, touch, sunlight, cool breezes, damp forest floors. Love.

We are here for a reason my friends. And the violent ways that began so long ago, we have the intelligence to turn around.

Alignment. Hari OM tat sat.

Sugar and Spice: Don't Call Me Nice

I recently heard a song on the radio, and it went:


All my life I've been good but now,
I'm thinking 'What the hell'
All I want is to mess around,
and I don't really care about
If you love me, if you hate me,
you can't save me, baby, baby


That last line very similar to a song I wrote while living at the ashram:
I know I can't leave this life with you by my side
We each have our own mountain to climb
I can guide you up yours and you guide me too
To the peak it will be where we find our own truth



There are two themes here:


1. Being good/nice
2. Being on our own



1. I am often regarded as being "too nice". This turns some off, annoys others and then attracts some like flies to honey (these fall into two categories-those bathing in the light of kindness and those taking full advantage of a soul who "looks on the bright side"...I deal with both on a daily basis). I don't think I am too nice-especially when I consider that I have dealt with a awful case of inborn guilt almost my entire life. If I thought I was always being sweet and nice, what would I have to feel guilty about? That wasn't it. Of course from the outside it looked that way. I am currently on the cusp of embarking on a difficult and life-changing challenge (more for another post) that involves some foreign travel and being surrounded by all new circumstance. I can remember being young and watching shows like The Real World in places like Paris and London and thinking, "I cannot believe how rude some of these people are/how ignorant to embracing a new culture/if I were there I would learn the language, be kind and open, blah blah blah." And that is why producers of a show would likely never pick someone like me to be on it!


Case in point: the people from the show The Apprentice came to my university my senior year, interviewing for the upcoming season. I thought, "What the hell?" and interviewed. Because of my domestic skills (babysitting, gardening) mixed with my keen business acumen (OK I made that up, but I sure made them think I was a biz whiz), I was asked to do a taped interview for the Apprentice: Martha Stewart. WELL...it went well and they said they would get back to me. About 3 months later, I got the call saying that they loved me, I'm great, but the final decision was that I am "just too nice" to be on the show. Uh-huh. Being nice, again, doesn't make for such great entertainment.


But I can't change who I am. And what came to me last night while I luxuriated in a warm salt bath is that it's not that I am nice. I think what it is, is that I am pretty happy. Sure, I have my ups, downs, confusions, "what the f@#k am I doing with my life?" times, but in general I was born joyous. And that spark of joy, though dimmed at times, remains luminous enough for others to see. And so am I nice? Sometimes. Am I happy? I am realizing that in my quest to wellness, my intense passions in natural foods, sustainable ways of living, doing business...my love of all things spiritual, yoga, meditation...in all of this there was always one underlying principle: the universal theme that I was looking to get to was always happiness. I know that peace of mind=happiness and so whatever can bring a human that peace in their hearts and minds, whatever can slow the spinning thoughts that cloud us from our inner luminosity, THAT is what I am looking to understand. So that I can share.



2. Now this takes me to how my song relates to the above Avril Lavigne song.



If you love me, if you hate me,
you can't save me, baby, baby


And I know I can't leave this life with you by my side
We each have our own mountain to climb



This is about the stark reality that NO ONE outside of ourselves is going to swoop in and make us happy. Nobody. Somebody. Anybody. NOPE. Just you. We each have our own truth to find. We will have many guides and teachers along the way. They show up in the forms of friends, enemies, family, lovers, spouses, swamis, preachers, bosses, the homeless man you pass on the street...are all our teachers. But it is up to each of us as individuals to BE happy. To BE grateful. No one, nothing, no circumstance, will ever be able to step in and do that for us. I am on a true quest for one thing: discovering the universal attributes to happiness. I already know that peace of mind is happiness. So now, it's all about how we obtain that peace of mind. I know this is what Yoga teaches. I am sure this is what many other philosophies and spiritual texts teach. What I want to discover, what comes up from the depths of my soul, is how we can spread this...for if each individual were happy, if companies functioned based on decisions that came out of joy rather than power, manipulation and coercion...what a whole new world we would find ourselves in.


So perhaps being nice doesn’t get you far. But being happy does.


Om tat sat.


XOm

Big Day for Breakthroughs: The Next Big Change and Why it's Already Here

Seeing that I am not an astrologist, I cannot tell anyone when auspicious days are for them or for the collective. All that I can do is to share what I feel is going on. We had a strong full moon on Friday-in Leo no less. Intensity, flare-ups, expression, merging of the collective make it a Full Moon of breakthroughs.

Over the weekend I couldn't help but feel that many people, perhaps the collective, were feeling an uprising "unrest", a feeling that large changes are coming. This has likely been a feeling many of us have been having our entire life. If you are reading these words right now then you are probably someone who has had the feeling at one point or another that you were born at a rather crucial point in humanity and that some how, some way, you will be a part of the large changes headed our way.

It's Already Here

The truth is that these "large changes" have already happened and continue to make exponential leaps and bounds. The fact that this morning I had an amazing session with my therapist and that now not even an hour later I can press some buttons to put together my insights from the session (insights that have to do with my lif- sure-but with the collective as we are all in this human experience together), push another button and BOOM-it's in front of you...THAT is large change from what your parents were doing to share their stories at your age. There is no denying the exponential growth that technology has made over the last century. It is remarkable. And we are here, living in this age, to figure out how to use this to take humanity to the next level of consciousness. To use this technology to help rather than harm.

I think most of us can attest to the harm that technology is capable of. I blame a large percentage of anxiety, depression and chronic illness not ON technology but ON the human response to what it has made possible. Technology didn't ask us to check our email twenty times per day. Technology didn't determine we would have to have our cell phones on at all times and answer every call that came in. Technology did not demand of us that since we had 24 hour access to information and the electricity to have false daylight 24 hours we have to stay awake and pound on a keyboard for the grander part of our days, our lives.

No, these are behaviours that we as humans have developed around technology therefore placing unachievable demands of our ability to live a full life both in the virtual and physical worlds. At least that is how it has been. The change that I am feeling, the large change, is a flip of this coin. The tale of 2012 has been looming around us for some time and it begs of me to share that this timing, this event, this CHANGE, is that of the collective being able to switch from slave of technology to wise master.

Mind Over Matter

Anyone who has studied spirituality or even psychology will know about the battle of the mind. Anyone who born human will live it. It is the same with modern advances is ways we disseminate information and share our lives with each other. The mind can take over, can cause havoc and heartache making up stories about the way things "are". Technology can also take over when we allow that it demand how, when and where we place our attention and energy. We can flip both around once we become the wise master of each. With the mind this is through meditation, mindfulness, breathing (pranayama), proper nutrition and detachment (varaigya). With technology, it is the same. Simplify, discern (viveka) what and where deserves your energy, and embrace both your physical and second (virtual) self.

I can admit that for a long time I thought of one's existence "online" was a shallow, narcissistic and wasteful place. I was judgemental about it for two reasons: one being that it intimidated me. This made me feel like not matter how I might try, I could never catch up with those who knew how to write code, had amazing blogs, followers, friends, fans ect. The other reason being that in my deep dive into a strict yoga practice, there was a general thought-form that it was MUCH too vata-inducing and "unreal" to exist in a place like the Internet. Now that I have been living outside of the ashram life for the better part of a year and immersed myself in aspects of life that I had shunned for so long, I have been able to discern and discover some new ways of thinking, a new paradigm, that works much better for my own mind. And it's this: that it is not only OK to embrace technology and the idea of a "second self" online, it is actually the way things are supposed to being going. Things are speeding up-yes. Things are changing more and more exponentially-yes. This is because we are evolving much more quickly and this is EXCITING and SUPPOSED to be happening. The second self gives us the opportunity to express what is in our hearts and minds without attachment to physical place, body, stutus ect. As we move forward, our goal as humans is to be able to speak and live within the physical realm as openly and freely as we do the virtual. These worlds collide creating a new possibility for mankind.

Using the Internet to share ideas is accelerating human evolution. All I have ever aspired to be is a source of transformation- bringing humanity to the next level of existence. A level where suffering is less, joy is more and people embrace one another. Our physical self needs to have attention, love and care. Grow your food, cook for your family and neighbors. Do yoga asanas, take walks, decorate your home as brings you joy. But also share of your soul, bare your truth to the farthest reaches of the planet. Your second self, your virtual self, might bring that nugget of truth to another soul that guides them to the light they need.


Further Reading and Inspiration
Here is some further reading from some of the sources I have come across on the topic of human evolution and technology. These are Digital Warriors, bringers if light, and sharing Fierce Wisdom. Introduce yourself, follow them on Twitter and prepare to move into the next Big Change. In my next post, I will discuss more of went down in my therapy session-how I am working to bring my own "two selves" together. I am discovering for me, and maybe you have felt this too, that there is a disharmony between how I am living and what I want to be living. I am working hard to have these two sides of me not only know of but embrace one another.

-Satya Colombo, Shooting Stardust at the moon: time and space died yesterday: prepare for takeoff

-Ev Bouge, Data Transfers from the Heart

-Gwen Bell

-Watch Amber Case's TED talk, We are all cyborgs now for some more background on "second selves".

In my next post, I will discuss more of what went down in my therapy session-how I am working to bring my own "two selves" together. That I can share that I am in therapy is in part a large step for me... I am discovering for me, and maybe you have felt this too, that there is a disharmony between how I am living and how I want to be living. I am working hard to have these two sides of me not only know of but embrace one another. I certainly don't claim to have answers, only that I am incredibly grateful to have a space to share what I do learn. And to learn from you.

Om tat sat. Om shanti. Om peace.

On Being Transparent

Something of an epiphany came when someone spoke of our connection to God through each other recently. I heard this often at Sunday school growing up and every day at the ashram was reminded of the divinity of each human around (the bathroom signs read "Blessed Self please do not flush large objects down the toilet..."). But a new light has been shed on the subject for me. This is a common belief among many religious and spiritual circles. And I do believe it's true. Relationships are meant to expose us to the incredible amount of love and support that exists for us in this life. However...they don't always do that-do they?

No-instead we often end up with enemies that used to be friends, ex-lovers we used to swoon over, even family members we suffer through on holidays only. When and why did these "opportunities to experience God", become experiences with our deepest, darkest fears often marred with shame, regret and intense propensities for being the "right" one in a falling out?

As I revealed in my an earlier post, I took an internship in NYC recently in order to expose myself to some new information, experiences and growth. I am now coming to a close on week three. It's been hard, exciting, tiring, rewarding...all of the things that "work" is. And I am learning a LOT. It is a PR/Social Media Marketing role and something I keep coming across in my training and research is TRANSPARENCY. Like in this article I read today (thanks for posting Linda). The jist is that the more we present what is what in our ever-more real-time world of information and news, the less "clean-up" we have to do later, the more people trust our company's information, and the more likely they will be to become a "fan" and customer.

So now how does this link back to yoga and more specifically the yoga of relationships? It seems that the more we as people are transparent with our intentions, with who we truly are, then others will respond in an authentic way as well. There is no mess to clean up later because everything was clean from the get-go. When we give up looking good and being right all of the time, we end up looking vulnerable, sometimes ugly, but all together and entirely HUMAN. And guess what? People like this BETTER than the fake, "I'm always fine and good and happy don't really need you or anybody else" attitude we tend to take on when feeling that vulnerability. (Or conversely the "I'm a victim and will just DIE if you don't like me" attitude). In other words, when someone is being REAL, no matter how hard that is or how hard their truth may be to swallow, it's always going to be more attractive than inauthenticity. We will always line up to be in front of people who are themselves. Why? Because when we drop the ego and drop the games, what is left is our true Self. What is left is God. And guess what? We LOVE to be in the omnipresent, ultra-accepting love and warmth of God.

Open up, drop the BS, and let your true light shine. And then be prepared for the increasing number of people who want to be around you. They want to bathe in that light.

Om shanti. Om peace.

Rama Bolo

It's Sunday. It's a Rama day. So what the heck does that mean you ask? I thought that today would be a good one for a little Vedic lesson. Basics in understanding what is being referred to when we speak of Rama, Siva, Ganesha..."who/what ARE these?"

I have been loving my new "epiphany" (it's not that ground-breaking because it's not that I didn't KNOW this before-but I am working now to actually LIVE this): that we are human BEings. Not human doings, not human havings. What we do and have will never determine how we BE; but conversely how we BE will determine what we have and do. And within the context of human BEings we hear a lot of "just be" talk. Well yes, it's wonderful to "just be" but there are some other really brilliant ways of "being" that we are guided to through Vedanta Philosophy with the three natures/aspects of "God". (I am going to use the term God in this post and you can take that or leave that or replace with whatever works for you. This is simply an exploration, not a postulation.)

So back to Sunday. I teach a Yoga class on Sunday mornings called Sunday Sadhana. Sadhana means spiritual practice. It's really lovely because I am able to delve into the more esoteric aspects of Yoga since it takes place at a studio as opposed to the more sanitized versions of the class I teach at the health club. We do some kirtan and talk about the aspects of the Sun and Rama. And so comes the background: there are 3 aspects or natures of God. I am going to explain each in its masculine/femine form (yin/yang, ha/tha), the nature and what it teaches us about being human:

1. Brahma/Saraswati: the creator. Here God creates all. In masculine it's the spider, in feminine, it's the web. The manifestor and the manifestation. In this we learn, that as divine beings, we are creators of our world. Our thoughts, words and actions create the life we live. We are divine authors. Here, we are humans being: CREATIVE.

2. Vishnu/Lakshmi: the preserver. Here God is in the act of living on earth. Vishnu/Lakshmi is abundance and how we live here in peace, in power, in surrender. It is the belief that Vishnu comes into the world in the form of an avatar (Rama/Sita, Krishna/Rhada, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed ect.). in order to remind humans that they are divine and of how to BE on earth. There is also Rama's faithful servant Hanuman. He is present to teach us that humans are servants, here to serve one another. In this we serve God. Here we are humans being: GRATEFUL, ABUNDANT, COMPASSIONATE, KIND, OF SERVICE.

3. Siva/Parvati (she is also known as Durga and Sivakami): the destroyer/transformer. Here we find the power of transformation. As all things are created, there is a natural cycle and what comes in this life, also goes. It is our duty to transform our lower natures (lust, anger, greed, hatred, jealousy ect) into divine natures (empathy, gratitude, love, compassion ect). Here we are humans being: TRANSFORMATIVE

In simple summary, humans are meant to BE: creating, serving, and transforming.

And so on Sunday, we sing "Rama Bolo!" where we are proclaiming "How grateful we are, how abundant is life, how kind is God, how can I serve my fellow man?"

Om tat sat.

Yoga Say What? Learn. Forget. Remember.

The true definition of Yoga might very well be different dependant upon whom you ask. While I was studying at the Yoga Farm we in fact learned that there are many translations regarding the meaning of Yoga. Today, I will share those meanings and how I see them pertinent in today's world.

A little background on the source and history of Yoga before we delve into WHAT exactly it is. Yoga Philosophy comes from The Vedas. The Vedas, translating to "knowledge" are writings transmitted to the world via sages/saints over three thousand years ago. So like with the prophets of the Bible and other spiritual texts, these people sat quietly, at times for years at a time, in order to receive these Truths to assist humanity in achieving its purpose. For those of us with a sense that we ARE indeed born with purpose, these texts become something to be examined and considered. With Vedanta Philisophy (this is the philopophy of the Vedas, also known as Yoga philosophy) being "the end of knowledge", Vedanta implies that once you truly understand the message, there is simply nothing left to know.

I had a moment of intense clarity the other day (LOVE those right?) where three words came to me: Learn. Forget. Remember. In these three words I relate to the Vedas & Yoga.

• In LEARNING: we are born and we learn so much about the world around us-right and wrong. For example, we learn that we eat fruits and vegetables not rocks and dirt. This is 'right'. We also "learn" that perhaps we are not talented enough, smart enough, or attractive enough. This is "wrong". So we learn and learn and learn until one day we say, "HEY-I don't think I have this all RIGHT. I don't believe what this and that person said and I want to get back to the way I was before I believed that!".

• And so we have to work hard to FORGET. This is what a lot of the Yoga practice is meant for. To release us from the false perceptions we have of ourselves and the world around us.

• Once we do this work, we can REMEMBER. We can remember who we are, why we came into this life, and the all important work we are supposed to do. We remember our purpose. THIS, is life.

Now back to the meanings of YOGA in order to apply them to LIFE:

Yoga is:

#1. A level of bliss, maintained. In this I see that it's something that is meant to be constant.

#2. Evenness of the mind. Here is the view that it is when we have enough control over our own thoughts to not get overly excited about things. While that may sound like a downer at first, when we think about that what goes up must come down (physics), we can understand that for every super-excited thought or reaction, we level it out with an equally depressed or lethargic state of being. So the more we can keep our minds steady, the less we suffer.

#3. Skill in action. This is where we delve into what is commonly called Karma Yoga or Seva. Here we participate in our duty; whether it be as a parent, janitor, banker ect., we do our work without expectation regarding the outcome. When we can do this, we cannot be let down as we never had expectations to begin with. In this we can approach #2 much easier!

#4. A scientific method to find truth. Indeed. It is written, it is proven, it's been done for thousands of years. It is NOT a religion, it does NOT ask for any steadfast belief or surrender, it only provides a method to LEARN. FORGET. REMEMBER.

#5. Union with the Divine. This is perhaps the most popularized definition, often referring to a translation of 'yoke'. In this we can say that here is the REMEMBERING that we are no different from any other person nor from whatever That is Who created all of this!

#6. The severance from the union with pain. As is #3, when we aren't expecting things to turn out a certain way, when we simply try our best and offer the results to the world rather than laying claim to them...we don't hurt. We don't identify with 'losing' because we had never intended to put our Self out for gain. Pretty. Darn. Cool!!!!

I hope you have enjoyed this little lesson in Vedanta and that you have seen that while indeed esoteric (no matter how I could try, I could never not be spiritual...if that makes any sense!), there is a lot of meaty, relevant and useful information in all of this.

Om Tat Sat.

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.

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