Is karma a cycle of energy? A butterfly effect?
The more karma you have, the further you are from Brahman. You then have to burn away the accumulation of karma by practicing yoga.
Yoga is the internalization of the universe.
Yoga is understanding the body, letting go of the body, and preparing the mind and the body for moksha, nirvana, freedom.
Yoga is dislodging the soul from the body.
Creating heat in the body by practicing yoga burns karma and pollution (related to the Vedic sacrifice).
Yoga = TIA (transformation, intention, awareness)
Liberation and struggle are two sides of the same coin.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Happiness Factor
July 20
What do I think about judging the quality of one's life according to a happiness factor instead of an economic one?
Well, it’s long overdue! Some of us remember the blatant greed and consumerism of the flashy, trashy eighties. That decade sure showed me what I wanted to grow away from. I’m thankful I got to see how wonderful money made people look and act, but how ugly and vacant society actually was. It was during this time that I had to first decide what I wanted - to be like ”them,” or to be me.
It may look grim out there, when we wear our grim-glasses (aka TV), but the Universe, as I believe, is “unfolding as it should.” This path humanity is on has many issues that need to be addressed, many imbalances to correct, many mistakes that need to be rectified. Seeing the interconnection of it all and living an interconnected life will allow us to begin the healing for the Earth. But first we must heal our spirits.
Part of healing my spirit meant never working more than X amount of hours at a job. I knew I could not be at my best, could not be supportive, could not have enough energy, enough love to share if I overloaded my schedule with too many work hours. Of course that meant less money, as it always does. I had seen what money mixed with poor choices had done to so many young adults in the ‘80s. I felt I could be okay with less. I would just structure life a bit differently. From then on, I have been free of the self-imposed pressure to be someone/something I am not. I am happier for it.
Does anyone want to be married to their job or married to their life? Who has the capacity to love you? A career cannot love you, only you can fill yourself with love. Choosing to downsize from being owned by things open us up to so many valuable sources of joy and growth.
So if I had to judge my life according to a happiness factor rather than an economic factor, I would say I am relatively rich. I have so much in my life that I appreciate, that I can share love with, that enriches my idea of who I think I am. Would I trade my riches for material wealth? As Anais Nin said, "If I were rich, I would not be rich very long."
What do I think about judging the quality of one's life according to a happiness factor instead of an economic one?
Well, it’s long overdue! Some of us remember the blatant greed and consumerism of the flashy, trashy eighties. That decade sure showed me what I wanted to grow away from. I’m thankful I got to see how wonderful money made people look and act, but how ugly and vacant society actually was. It was during this time that I had to first decide what I wanted - to be like ”them,” or to be me.
It may look grim out there, when we wear our grim-glasses (aka TV), but the Universe, as I believe, is “unfolding as it should.” This path humanity is on has many issues that need to be addressed, many imbalances to correct, many mistakes that need to be rectified. Seeing the interconnection of it all and living an interconnected life will allow us to begin the healing for the Earth. But first we must heal our spirits.
Part of healing my spirit meant never working more than X amount of hours at a job. I knew I could not be at my best, could not be supportive, could not have enough energy, enough love to share if I overloaded my schedule with too many work hours. Of course that meant less money, as it always does. I had seen what money mixed with poor choices had done to so many young adults in the ‘80s. I felt I could be okay with less. I would just structure life a bit differently. From then on, I have been free of the self-imposed pressure to be someone/something I am not. I am happier for it.
Does anyone want to be married to their job or married to their life? Who has the capacity to love you? A career cannot love you, only you can fill yourself with love. Choosing to downsize from being owned by things open us up to so many valuable sources of joy and growth.
So if I had to judge my life according to a happiness factor rather than an economic factor, I would say I am relatively rich. I have so much in my life that I appreciate, that I can share love with, that enriches my idea of who I think I am. Would I trade my riches for material wealth? As Anais Nin said, "If I were rich, I would not be rich very long."
Seeing the Gods
July 20
How do I think images and myths function philosophically, theologically, and spiritually? What effect are do they engender in the viewer or listener? How are they metaphorical or allegorical?
How will I ever forget how Ganesha came to have the head of an elephant? Upon further investigation into the story of how this happened, we learn that Goddess Parvati represents Mother Nature. The first layer of Nature is Earth. The interpretation of Goddess Parvati creating her son using her sweat refers to her creating with the first layer of her body. The earth refers to Mooladhara Chakra, where Ganesha’s spiritual energy is held. Here we see the connection between Ganesha, Mooladhaara Chakra and the element of earth. After the boy was created, Mother Parvati asked him not to allow anyone into her chamber. However, this rule does not apply to Shiva. Shiva and Parvati are not only husband and wife but also father and mother of the universe. When the boy becomes indifferent to this fact and does not allow Shiva entrance, Shiva chops off his head. After learning from Parvati who the boy is, Shiva bestows his son with an elephant’s head to signify the omniscient wisdom. Both Shiva and Parvati bless Ganesha as the Lord of all faculties and mind. Ganesha is worshipped before starting any work as his blessings will remove obstacles to our mind.
The images we have seen and learned about function to engage our minds by providing information on the practice of living. There are many stories to help us understand the concepts everyone faces in life: ethics, right action, non-violence, liberation, etc., and these myths serve to explain creation, faith, existence of god/s, humanity, harmony, and the power of love, all of which are central themes in philosophy, theology and spirituality.
How do I think images and myths function philosophically, theologically, and spiritually? What effect are do they engender in the viewer or listener? How are they metaphorical or allegorical?
How will I ever forget how Ganesha came to have the head of an elephant? Upon further investigation into the story of how this happened, we learn that Goddess Parvati represents Mother Nature. The first layer of Nature is Earth. The interpretation of Goddess Parvati creating her son using her sweat refers to her creating with the first layer of her body. The earth refers to Mooladhara Chakra, where Ganesha’s spiritual energy is held. Here we see the connection between Ganesha, Mooladhaara Chakra and the element of earth. After the boy was created, Mother Parvati asked him not to allow anyone into her chamber. However, this rule does not apply to Shiva. Shiva and Parvati are not only husband and wife but also father and mother of the universe. When the boy becomes indifferent to this fact and does not allow Shiva entrance, Shiva chops off his head. After learning from Parvati who the boy is, Shiva bestows his son with an elephant’s head to signify the omniscient wisdom. Both Shiva and Parvati bless Ganesha as the Lord of all faculties and mind. Ganesha is worshipped before starting any work as his blessings will remove obstacles to our mind.
The images we have seen and learned about function to engage our minds by providing information on the practice of living. There are many stories to help us understand the concepts everyone faces in life: ethics, right action, non-violence, liberation, etc., and these myths serve to explain creation, faith, existence of god/s, humanity, harmony, and the power of love, all of which are central themes in philosophy, theology and spirituality.
Shunryu Suzuki
A favorite excerpt from Meditations from the Mat, Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga written by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison:
“When my master and I were walking in the rain, he would say, ‘Do not walk so fast, the rain is everywhere.’ “
- Shunryu Suzuki, Page 241
Pain and grace are everywhere. When we come to recognize this and accept it, it is a shining day in understanding the universe. Yes, it is raining, but the moment we are in only lasts for a moment. The rain is neither good nor bad. It is wet. I hope that my understanding of this quote will permeate my spirit and enable me to be more accepting and less emotionally attached to upsets.
Hurrying or running from something does not make it go away. Sitting with our pain, we can examine it, experience it, allow it to be integrated and only then we can move forward. Running from pain is essentially running from growth.
I made a reference in my Touching Enlightenment post about riding on the back of a motorcycle through the rain and a monk that didn't speak English. Indeed it was raining that day and we had no other transportation for the four hour commute, other than that motorcycle. For that visit the monk spoke only Vietnamese and had I not been ready to accept the gifts of the present moment, I could have stomped through the mud and missed out on the beauty of the trees, the community, the rain, and especially the peace that was present in every breath.
“When my master and I were walking in the rain, he would say, ‘Do not walk so fast, the rain is everywhere.’ “
- Shunryu Suzuki, Page 241
Pain and grace are everywhere. When we come to recognize this and accept it, it is a shining day in understanding the universe. Yes, it is raining, but the moment we are in only lasts for a moment. The rain is neither good nor bad. It is wet. I hope that my understanding of this quote will permeate my spirit and enable me to be more accepting and less emotionally attached to upsets.
Hurrying or running from something does not make it go away. Sitting with our pain, we can examine it, experience it, allow it to be integrated and only then we can move forward. Running from pain is essentially running from growth.
I made a reference in my Touching Enlightenment post about riding on the back of a motorcycle through the rain and a monk that didn't speak English. Indeed it was raining that day and we had no other transportation for the four hour commute, other than that motorcycle. For that visit the monk spoke only Vietnamese and had I not been ready to accept the gifts of the present moment, I could have stomped through the mud and missed out on the beauty of the trees, the community, the rain, and especially the peace that was present in every breath.
Helen Keller
A favorite excerpt from Meditations from the Mat, Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga written by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison:
“I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.”
- Helen Keller, Page 196
I was raised untraditionally and I was given the opportunity to make nearly all of my own choices from a very young age. I learned that my choices reflected who I was and I had a responsibility to myself and to everyone I encountered. I was never handed a life plan and I was never expected to do anything other than listen to my heart. Years later, in early adulthood, I regretted the fact that I was given so little structure in life. But that’s what enabled me to freely become me. Helen Keller found peace with her circumstances and eventually flourished as a teacher and human. From whatever backgrounds we come from, we can choose to accept the past and grow from there. God dances within us when we have peace with what and who we are.
“I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.”
- Helen Keller, Page 196
I was raised untraditionally and I was given the opportunity to make nearly all of my own choices from a very young age. I learned that my choices reflected who I was and I had a responsibility to myself and to everyone I encountered. I was never handed a life plan and I was never expected to do anything other than listen to my heart. Years later, in early adulthood, I regretted the fact that I was given so little structure in life. But that’s what enabled me to freely become me. Helen Keller found peace with her circumstances and eventually flourished as a teacher and human. From whatever backgrounds we come from, we can choose to accept the past and grow from there. God dances within us when we have peace with what and who we are.
Lao-Tzu
A favorite excerpt from Meditations from the Mat, Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga written by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison:
“Do you want the world to improve? I don’t think it can be done. The world is sacred. It can’t be improved.”
- Lao-Tzu, Page 96
We can all see that there are negative things going on across the planet but at some point, I have to trust that the world is exactly where it needs to be to evolve. Why does it have to be the world’s fault for being perceived as imperfect? Maybe it is my responsibility to see the perfection in everything, to understand that imperfection does not mean bad. To quote Max Ehrmann, “Whether or not it is clear to you, the Universe is unfolding as it should.”
I find this quote so important to me because I often want to control part of the world. Don’t I know by now that it’s an impossible task? And why would I want to control it anyways? It’s a perfect reminder for me to accept what is and to work on what is changeable.
“Do you want the world to improve? I don’t think it can be done. The world is sacred. It can’t be improved.”
- Lao-Tzu, Page 96
We can all see that there are negative things going on across the planet but at some point, I have to trust that the world is exactly where it needs to be to evolve. Why does it have to be the world’s fault for being perceived as imperfect? Maybe it is my responsibility to see the perfection in everything, to understand that imperfection does not mean bad. To quote Max Ehrmann, “Whether or not it is clear to you, the Universe is unfolding as it should.”
I find this quote so important to me because I often want to control part of the world. Don’t I know by now that it’s an impossible task? And why would I want to control it anyways? It’s a perfect reminder for me to accept what is and to work on what is changeable.
Michael McGriffy, MD
A favorite excerpt from Meditations from the Mat, Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga written by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison:
“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.”
- Michael McGriffy, MD, Page 288
On day two of our training, I held a winning lottery ticket in my hand. I laughed and shouted with excitement, fully living in the moment, not thinking about the money at all, just experiencing the feeling of joy. “How much did you win?” asked my husband. “A dollar!” So I came out even in my gamble. It was neither good nor bad, but my response to the moment was what made it worthy. I would hope that my response to the ticket was the same whether I won a lot or nothing at all.
We all know about the inherent strength of bamboo. It sways and flexes in the wind, bending when necessary, never fighting with a storm. But at the same time, it is so strong, it cannot be easily broken. When our minds are modeled after bamboo, we are firmly rooted into the earth, swaying when necessary but never being broken by outside influences. Having a strong base from which we stand on will allow the wind to rush through our hair while our limbs stay at our sides and we accept the wind and just let it do its thing, knowing that the wind will eventually subside and we will stand in tadasana again.
This flexibility is so close to my heart because I have been practicing it for so long and will always work on becoming more flexible. I won't say, "Hey, I'm flexible," and then just stop trying. It doesn't work that way. Being flexible means knowing that more flexibility can be attained by trying.
“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.”
- Michael McGriffy, MD, Page 288
On day two of our training, I held a winning lottery ticket in my hand. I laughed and shouted with excitement, fully living in the moment, not thinking about the money at all, just experiencing the feeling of joy. “How much did you win?” asked my husband. “A dollar!” So I came out even in my gamble. It was neither good nor bad, but my response to the moment was what made it worthy. I would hope that my response to the ticket was the same whether I won a lot or nothing at all.
We all know about the inherent strength of bamboo. It sways and flexes in the wind, bending when necessary, never fighting with a storm. But at the same time, it is so strong, it cannot be easily broken. When our minds are modeled after bamboo, we are firmly rooted into the earth, swaying when necessary but never being broken by outside influences. Having a strong base from which we stand on will allow the wind to rush through our hair while our limbs stay at our sides and we accept the wind and just let it do its thing, knowing that the wind will eventually subside and we will stand in tadasana again.
This flexibility is so close to my heart because I have been practicing it for so long and will always work on becoming more flexible. I won't say, "Hey, I'm flexible," and then just stop trying. It doesn't work that way. Being flexible means knowing that more flexibility can be attained by trying.
Neena
A favorite excerpt from Meditations from the Mat, Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga written by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison:
"Within two months after my first yoga class, my arm was completely healed. About that time, I told my doctor that I was going to stop taking the thyroid pills I had been sentenced to for the rest of my life. We agreed to monitor my blood every three months. After the first three months, I was within spec - barely. My doctor thought I should go back on the pills, but I asked her for another three months. At my next checkup, my blood tests indicated that my thyroid was completely normal. It has stayed that way since. Reversal of this condition is quite rare. My doctor was amazed but she didn’t attribute it to yoga. I know, however, that I didn’t change anything else in my life. It had to be yoga.”
- Neena, yoga student, page 269
Self healing is one of the most creative and amazing powers we have. The body is born with this ability and the healthier we are, the stronger this power becomes. I, too, suffered for years with a thyroid condition, but I was not yet practicing yoga. I responded to my medication eventually and was able to overcome the condition. But I was still unhappy. While I wanted change in my life, I was unwilling to change my life. My intense desire for something that I thought would make me happy increased my level of unhappiness and only after I spent a long time working on accepting my imperfectly perfect self was I able to stop asking, “Why me?”
Doctors only know so much, and some don’t know much at all! Neena was willing to listen to her body and try to heal herself from the inside. Surprise to her doctor, it worked. Only six months after ceasing the medication was Neena again considered normal. Thyroid conditions can certainly be life long and can require surgery; there are many complication with metabolism, weight, mood, etc. I would guess that Neena was doing a fair amount of dandyamana bibhaktipada janushirasana.
"Within two months after my first yoga class, my arm was completely healed. About that time, I told my doctor that I was going to stop taking the thyroid pills I had been sentenced to for the rest of my life. We agreed to monitor my blood every three months. After the first three months, I was within spec - barely. My doctor thought I should go back on the pills, but I asked her for another three months. At my next checkup, my blood tests indicated that my thyroid was completely normal. It has stayed that way since. Reversal of this condition is quite rare. My doctor was amazed but she didn’t attribute it to yoga. I know, however, that I didn’t change anything else in my life. It had to be yoga.”
- Neena, yoga student, page 269
Self healing is one of the most creative and amazing powers we have. The body is born with this ability and the healthier we are, the stronger this power becomes. I, too, suffered for years with a thyroid condition, but I was not yet practicing yoga. I responded to my medication eventually and was able to overcome the condition. But I was still unhappy. While I wanted change in my life, I was unwilling to change my life. My intense desire for something that I thought would make me happy increased my level of unhappiness and only after I spent a long time working on accepting my imperfectly perfect self was I able to stop asking, “Why me?”
Doctors only know so much, and some don’t know much at all! Neena was willing to listen to her body and try to heal herself from the inside. Surprise to her doctor, it worked. Only six months after ceasing the medication was Neena again considered normal. Thyroid conditions can certainly be life long and can require surgery; there are many complication with metabolism, weight, mood, etc. I would guess that Neena was doing a fair amount of dandyamana bibhaktipada janushirasana.
Mother Teresa
My favorite excerpts from Meditations from the Mat, Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga written by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison:
“Whatever you do, even if you help somebody cross the road, you do it to Jesus. Even giving somebody a glass of water, you do it to Jesus. Such a simple little teaching, but it is more and more important.”
- Mother Teresa, page 246
Allowing our actions to be focused outwardly releases us from thinking that we are at the center of the Universe. The smallest gesture of kindness or a simple smile holds the power to transform. The infinite is living within all of us, whether we call it Jesus, Buddha, Brahmin, the higher source, or whatever. Extending love and energy to others connects us to each other, which connects us to the higher source, allowing the interconnectedness to free us from the ego.
I have seen what very small gestures of caring can do for someone experiencing grief or pain, or just a dull Monday morning. I have been hugged by countless strangers because I have been willing to connect to them rather than view them as separate from me. These kind of interactions ease the pain of the world because they are seeds planted from one human to another, one seed at a time.
Being sensitive to others and letting our heart and inner love be our guide makes connecting to others easier and easier over time.
“Whatever you do, even if you help somebody cross the road, you do it to Jesus. Even giving somebody a glass of water, you do it to Jesus. Such a simple little teaching, but it is more and more important.”
- Mother Teresa, page 246
Allowing our actions to be focused outwardly releases us from thinking that we are at the center of the Universe. The smallest gesture of kindness or a simple smile holds the power to transform. The infinite is living within all of us, whether we call it Jesus, Buddha, Brahmin, the higher source, or whatever. Extending love and energy to others connects us to each other, which connects us to the higher source, allowing the interconnectedness to free us from the ego.
I have seen what very small gestures of caring can do for someone experiencing grief or pain, or just a dull Monday morning. I have been hugged by countless strangers because I have been willing to connect to them rather than view them as separate from me. These kind of interactions ease the pain of the world because they are seeds planted from one human to another, one seed at a time.
Being sensitive to others and letting our heart and inner love be our guide makes connecting to others easier and easier over time.
What Does It Take To Run A Yoga Studio/Wellness Business?
July 16
We live in a capitalist society. I don’t favor the model of capitalism, but I chose to live under its rule. Running a yoga studio should be run as any other business, if one chooses to do so. If I had unlimited resources and ran my own studio, I could offer all free classes, but it would still be run as a business. The money issue will always be there and people need to be paid for their services.
I used to practice at a non-profit yoga and wellness center that offered several sliding scale and donation classes so that limited and no income people were never turned away. Unfortunately they had to convert to for-profit because there just wasn’t enough money to rent the space and keep the building heated. The place is thriving again and sliding scale/free classes are still available.
Somethings I thought of that has had great social significance that were not businesses are Food Not Bombs, The Diggers, and The Black Panthers. But can you imagine trying to bring yoga to the people by these methods? I’m just not sure how one separates offering yoga from running it as a business in America.
What I see as the pros of running a yoga/wellness business: offering a way to healthier lives, walking the walk, making your own hours, create the working environment as you wish, financial gain, an amazing community.
And the cons: staying in the red, always being connected to the phone, extra hours, uncertainty, increased responsibility, no guarantees.
There has to be a market for a yoga studio. If I open a studio in a neighborhood/location where the population isn’t interested in fitness or yoga was thought of as esoteric, I’m not going to draw many people to my business. Location, for this reason, is critical.
Dedication and commitment to your practice, to learning and to teaching are tantamount to running an effective studio, as well as having an open heart, a strong spirit, a sense of humor, and excellent instructors.
It’s 2011, what can’t be commodified? People want to learn so they seek out teachers. Teachers need to eat and should absolutely be compensated for their time. Everyone has a right to earn their own living. If you want to offer free yoga and not call it a business, I won’t try to stop you.
Conflicts I see running a yoga/wellness business: money management, capability of fulfilling all the roles necessary to achieve success, problematic students and/or staff, time, business partner. Conflict can come from anywhere. Staying calm and level-headed is the key to managing whatever comes up. Stick to the facts!
We live in a capitalist society. I don’t favor the model of capitalism, but I chose to live under its rule. Running a yoga studio should be run as any other business, if one chooses to do so. If I had unlimited resources and ran my own studio, I could offer all free classes, but it would still be run as a business. The money issue will always be there and people need to be paid for their services.
I used to practice at a non-profit yoga and wellness center that offered several sliding scale and donation classes so that limited and no income people were never turned away. Unfortunately they had to convert to for-profit because there just wasn’t enough money to rent the space and keep the building heated. The place is thriving again and sliding scale/free classes are still available.
Somethings I thought of that has had great social significance that were not businesses are Food Not Bombs, The Diggers, and The Black Panthers. But can you imagine trying to bring yoga to the people by these methods? I’m just not sure how one separates offering yoga from running it as a business in America.
What I see as the pros of running a yoga/wellness business: offering a way to healthier lives, walking the walk, making your own hours, create the working environment as you wish, financial gain, an amazing community.
And the cons: staying in the red, always being connected to the phone, extra hours, uncertainty, increased responsibility, no guarantees.
There has to be a market for a yoga studio. If I open a studio in a neighborhood/location where the population isn’t interested in fitness or yoga was thought of as esoteric, I’m not going to draw many people to my business. Location, for this reason, is critical.
Dedication and commitment to your practice, to learning and to teaching are tantamount to running an effective studio, as well as having an open heart, a strong spirit, a sense of humor, and excellent instructors.
It’s 2011, what can’t be commodified? People want to learn so they seek out teachers. Teachers need to eat and should absolutely be compensated for their time. Everyone has a right to earn their own living. If you want to offer free yoga and not call it a business, I won’t try to stop you.
Conflicts I see running a yoga/wellness business: money management, capability of fulfilling all the roles necessary to achieve success, problematic students and/or staff, time, business partner. Conflict can come from anywhere. Staying calm and level-headed is the key to managing whatever comes up. Stick to the facts!
Minimalist Thoughts On Hinduism
July 15
Hinduism is neither a religion nor a philosophy, but it is also both. It does not just for into a box or label. Hinduism may be a called a “language” of describing the Universe in order to understand it.
At its core is Brahman, which is everything in the Universe, the nature of sound itself, the absolute. Atman, a proponent of Hinduism, is in reference to the “Self.” Brahman and Atman are always separate as long as there is karma.
Karma accumulates and the more karma one has, the further away one is from Brahman.
Hinduism is neither a religion nor a philosophy, but it is also both. It does not just for into a box or label. Hinduism may be a called a “language” of describing the Universe in order to understand it.
At its core is Brahman, which is everything in the Universe, the nature of sound itself, the absolute. Atman, a proponent of Hinduism, is in reference to the “Self.” Brahman and Atman are always separate as long as there is karma.
Karma accumulates and the more karma one has, the further away one is from Brahman.
What Is the Body?
July 15
What is “the body” in classical yogic and tantric philosophy? How is it used? What is its benefit or its liability? Is yoga philosophical, aesthetic, religious?
The body is what weighs you down, literally and figuratively. Is is to be understood and then let go of, in order to separate consciousness from matter, to get right to moksha. Normal human capacities can be transcended by yoga but the body keeps one in the on-going build up of karma which can be burned away by practicing yoga.
Yoga is the internalization of the universe.
What is “the body” in classical yogic and tantric philosophy? How is it used? What is its benefit or its liability? Is yoga philosophical, aesthetic, religious?
The body is what weighs you down, literally and figuratively. Is is to be understood and then let go of, in order to separate consciousness from matter, to get right to moksha. Normal human capacities can be transcended by yoga but the body keeps one in the on-going build up of karma which can be burned away by practicing yoga.
Yoga is the internalization of the universe.
Raw Food & Ayurveda
July 11
Properly metabolizing the food we put into our bodies is the common theme of raw food and eating Ayurvedic-ly. If we’re just filling our bodies with food, even seemingly healthy food, if the metabolism and digestion are less than optimal, problems can arise.
Following Ayurveda, we see that many foods are cooked so digestion needs to be strong. Eating within your dosha will support a healthy digestive process. Many traditional peoples ate meats raw and the communities thrived. The digestive strength of these people are genetically designed to break down the protein and be metabolized perfectly. Some threw their catch on the fire and eventually we began to see a shift in the health of the population. Since heat is not introduced, or is severely limited, in the raw food diet, the enzymes are intact and the body can assimilate the nutrients with little build up of internal waste.
A raw food diet seems great for an internal cleanse during a change of the seasons or periodically, but I feel like eating cooked food isn’t as badly cracked up as raw-foodists claim it to be. It’s just not black and white. How do we get more lycopene from our tomatoes? We cook them.
It makes sense to learn what I can about different styles or schools of eating for health and try them out for a period of time that seems appropriate. Not in a forceful way, but rather in an exploratory way with awareness and intention. Maybe macrobiotics is better for my constitution than a raw diet. The point is to learn and give it your body a chance to see if there is improvement with energy, complexion, vibrancy, etc.
Ayurveda eating makes sense to me, but at the same time, it seems overwhelmingly complicated after reading Morrison’s The Book of Ayurveda.
I think that Mr Pollan’s continued work on educating us about the loss of connection to our food is an eye opener to the fact that people are dying to find an answer to our food issues. A large part of the problem is that food-things are created to benefit a corporation, not the body.
When we start looking in our cabinets, we might see that there are products that no longer resemble anything that grows. Cracker and cheese bites, mac and cheese, chips, canned gray beans, etc. Where’s the food?
We can see that corn rules the American diet. By allowing our diets to become reduced to just a few main crops, imbalance is all we have in store for our bodies. The processed food-things were never developed to maintain health, let alone support or even help it.
Our connection to what sustains us and brings us radiance has been pushed aside for too many of the wrong reasons. Here is an excellent opportunity to practice brahmacayra, or personal responsibility.
Properly metabolizing the food we put into our bodies is the common theme of raw food and eating Ayurvedic-ly. If we’re just filling our bodies with food, even seemingly healthy food, if the metabolism and digestion are less than optimal, problems can arise.
Following Ayurveda, we see that many foods are cooked so digestion needs to be strong. Eating within your dosha will support a healthy digestive process. Many traditional peoples ate meats raw and the communities thrived. The digestive strength of these people are genetically designed to break down the protein and be metabolized perfectly. Some threw their catch on the fire and eventually we began to see a shift in the health of the population. Since heat is not introduced, or is severely limited, in the raw food diet, the enzymes are intact and the body can assimilate the nutrients with little build up of internal waste.
A raw food diet seems great for an internal cleanse during a change of the seasons or periodically, but I feel like eating cooked food isn’t as badly cracked up as raw-foodists claim it to be. It’s just not black and white. How do we get more lycopene from our tomatoes? We cook them.
It makes sense to learn what I can about different styles or schools of eating for health and try them out for a period of time that seems appropriate. Not in a forceful way, but rather in an exploratory way with awareness and intention. Maybe macrobiotics is better for my constitution than a raw diet. The point is to learn and give it your body a chance to see if there is improvement with energy, complexion, vibrancy, etc.
Ayurveda eating makes sense to me, but at the same time, it seems overwhelmingly complicated after reading Morrison’s The Book of Ayurveda.
I think that Mr Pollan’s continued work on educating us about the loss of connection to our food is an eye opener to the fact that people are dying to find an answer to our food issues. A large part of the problem is that food-things are created to benefit a corporation, not the body.
When we start looking in our cabinets, we might see that there are products that no longer resemble anything that grows. Cracker and cheese bites, mac and cheese, chips, canned gray beans, etc. Where’s the food?
We can see that corn rules the American diet. By allowing our diets to become reduced to just a few main crops, imbalance is all we have in store for our bodies. The processed food-things were never developed to maintain health, let alone support or even help it.
Our connection to what sustains us and brings us radiance has been pushed aside for too many of the wrong reasons. Here is an excellent opportunity to practice brahmacayra, or personal responsibility.
Energy Shift
July 10
The basic foundations of yoga, a healthy life style and feng shui were characterized so succinctly by Gina Lazenby when she noted that the shifts of energy just before and just after a thunder storm are the most obvious because there is tension, a release, and then it feels different afterward. What is not so obvious is that everything is vibrating and energy can be manipulated. Why do we practice yoga? To move our muscles (tension), to calm our nerves (release), to change (feel different). What are we changing? Our energy, our chi. Why eat healthy food? Why bring healthy plants to our environment? To balance the energy that gets out of whack so easily in these modern times. We can manipulate the energy in our bodies and we can do the same with the energy in our homes.
Traditional People/Ancient Wisdom understood their environments and the use of energy. They worked, played and lived with nature as their guide. Our techno-paced lifestyles disengage us from the natural rhythm of life and so we live terribly out of balance. By shifting toward the inner self, which is still in synch with the moon, we may come to realize that what we want is a way to get the nature balance and energies flowing so we can change our lives.
Changes we make in our homes and environs, and those we make in our bodies (through yoga, meditation, healthy living) increase the chi, the life force, and we can experience that the spiritual gain is quite affordable in comparison to feeling dull, depressed and unhappy. Is my house unhappy when she can’t breath well because there are things obstructing the flow of chi? Yes. Is my house comforting and relaxed when the air is circulating and everything seems to be in just the right place? Yes. In this way, we can see that both yoga and feng shui support healthier lifestyles.
If we want to live in harmony with our bodies, our families, our communities, our world, it is our personal responsibility to work on balancing the inner self, because that is where all healing begins.
www.thehealthyhome.com/gina.htm
The basic foundations of yoga, a healthy life style and feng shui were characterized so succinctly by Gina Lazenby when she noted that the shifts of energy just before and just after a thunder storm are the most obvious because there is tension, a release, and then it feels different afterward. What is not so obvious is that everything is vibrating and energy can be manipulated. Why do we practice yoga? To move our muscles (tension), to calm our nerves (release), to change (feel different). What are we changing? Our energy, our chi. Why eat healthy food? Why bring healthy plants to our environment? To balance the energy that gets out of whack so easily in these modern times. We can manipulate the energy in our bodies and we can do the same with the energy in our homes.
Traditional People/Ancient Wisdom understood their environments and the use of energy. They worked, played and lived with nature as their guide. Our techno-paced lifestyles disengage us from the natural rhythm of life and so we live terribly out of balance. By shifting toward the inner self, which is still in synch with the moon, we may come to realize that what we want is a way to get the nature balance and energies flowing so we can change our lives.
Changes we make in our homes and environs, and those we make in our bodies (through yoga, meditation, healthy living) increase the chi, the life force, and we can experience that the spiritual gain is quite affordable in comparison to feeling dull, depressed and unhappy. Is my house unhappy when she can’t breath well because there are things obstructing the flow of chi? Yes. Is my house comforting and relaxed when the air is circulating and everything seems to be in just the right place? Yes. In this way, we can see that both yoga and feng shui support healthier lifestyles.
If we want to live in harmony with our bodies, our families, our communities, our world, it is our personal responsibility to work on balancing the inner self, because that is where all healing begins.
www.thehealthyhome.com/gina.htm
Principles of Ayurveda, pH & Feng Shui
July 10
Imbalances can be corrected by modifying the diet and behavior. Dosha (constitutional type) deficiencies can result in poor health. When digestive energy has been compromised, undigested food waste clogs the body.
It’s all about balance!
My dosha, lifestyle and practice are amazingly linked: fiery, thrives on intensity, needs to chill out. I love spicy food, I enjoy salt, I can work for hours without eating, and then crash suddenly and have a freak-out. And where has that gotten me? Out of balance. I thought I’d been eating healthy food but I’m not eating what my body needs to be optimally balanced. Even hearing that some of my favorite foods are ones that I should avoid makes me angry! Could there be a more loud message? As a Pitta, I would do better to avoid or limit the heat of my current practice and favor a slow-flowing practice. I need active rest.
We fill our bodies with food. We fill the home with objects. If the food is unnatural, ugly, unsupportive of health, there will be imbalances, disease, possibly constipation, or worse. If the objects we surround our bodies with at home are broken, ugly, or useless, there again will be imbalance, constipation, dis-ease. When we put balanced energy into the mouth and in through the front door, chi can flow.
Imbalances can be corrected by modifying the diet and behavior. Dosha (constitutional type) deficiencies can result in poor health. When digestive energy has been compromised, undigested food waste clogs the body.
It’s all about balance!
My dosha, lifestyle and practice are amazingly linked: fiery, thrives on intensity, needs to chill out. I love spicy food, I enjoy salt, I can work for hours without eating, and then crash suddenly and have a freak-out. And where has that gotten me? Out of balance. I thought I’d been eating healthy food but I’m not eating what my body needs to be optimally balanced. Even hearing that some of my favorite foods are ones that I should avoid makes me angry! Could there be a more loud message? As a Pitta, I would do better to avoid or limit the heat of my current practice and favor a slow-flowing practice. I need active rest.
We fill our bodies with food. We fill the home with objects. If the food is unnatural, ugly, unsupportive of health, there will be imbalances, disease, possibly constipation, or worse. If the objects we surround our bodies with at home are broken, ugly, or useless, there again will be imbalance, constipation, dis-ease. When we put balanced energy into the mouth and in through the front door, chi can flow.
Feng Shui & Self-Transformation- Eliminating Clutter
July 9
I have an issue with “letting things go” in terms of my home because I really dislike seeing things go. Where do they go? When I donate things, are they mostly being thrown into a trash heap? Am I contributing to the expanse of the island of refuse that swims the ocean? Of course I am. It makes me feel anxious to know that I contribute to the problems of waste...even though I have been practicing mindful wastelessness for decades. I feel guilt about throwing thing away when I know so many people have so little, therefore I hold onto things because I might find a new owner.
It’s important for me to not allow my false justifications to keep me from letting go of stale objects. I need to get over the fact that my place in Western civilization in the 21st century is not going to make or break the environmental impact that the last 200 years has had. I can only hold myself responsible for what I have power to control.
Another serious issue I have is the multitude of art projects I have abandoned. The materials for these projects and the bones of the projects are weighing down my future because they hold me to the past like friends with their hands outstretched, wanting me to grasp onto them, saying, “Remember me?” but I have already moved on, and the artistic process/the relationship is over. I love the excitement of beginnings and I love to create, but I have the most difficult time completing projects after the initial glow of the concept has subsided. Then I end up with unfinished works that collectively turned into baggage.
Holding onto these unfinished projects creates a negative dialogue in the back of my mind about how I never finish anything, I failed because I didn’t finish, I wasted money buying materials, blah X 3. It’s important for that dialogue to stop now and for me to say, well, too bad I didn’t finish, the sun’s still comin’ up tomorrow. Guilt, go away.
Another area I want to look deeper at is the shed. But more than just looking deeper, I want to look through the shed. With two small areas of my home cleared, and lots of practice with other areas on the way, I will have the flow of discarding things once I get to the shed. It will be glorious and I am really looking forward to the process now, rather than dreading and ignoring it!
I have an issue with “letting things go” in terms of my home because I really dislike seeing things go. Where do they go? When I donate things, are they mostly being thrown into a trash heap? Am I contributing to the expanse of the island of refuse that swims the ocean? Of course I am. It makes me feel anxious to know that I contribute to the problems of waste...even though I have been practicing mindful wastelessness for decades. I feel guilt about throwing thing away when I know so many people have so little, therefore I hold onto things because I might find a new owner.
It’s important for me to not allow my false justifications to keep me from letting go of stale objects. I need to get over the fact that my place in Western civilization in the 21st century is not going to make or break the environmental impact that the last 200 years has had. I can only hold myself responsible for what I have power to control.
Another serious issue I have is the multitude of art projects I have abandoned. The materials for these projects and the bones of the projects are weighing down my future because they hold me to the past like friends with their hands outstretched, wanting me to grasp onto them, saying, “Remember me?” but I have already moved on, and the artistic process/the relationship is over. I love the excitement of beginnings and I love to create, but I have the most difficult time completing projects after the initial glow of the concept has subsided. Then I end up with unfinished works that collectively turned into baggage.
Holding onto these unfinished projects creates a negative dialogue in the back of my mind about how I never finish anything, I failed because I didn’t finish, I wasted money buying materials, blah X 3. It’s important for that dialogue to stop now and for me to say, well, too bad I didn’t finish, the sun’s still comin’ up tomorrow. Guilt, go away.
Another area I want to look deeper at is the shed. But more than just looking deeper, I want to look through the shed. With two small areas of my home cleared, and lots of practice with other areas on the way, I will have the flow of discarding things once I get to the shed. It will be glorious and I am really looking forward to the process now, rather than dreading and ignoring it!
Meditation & Reflection: Thoughts following a 10 minute sit
July 6
"Ten minutes feel like s a loooong time right now." My timer went off and this was somehow surprising, that ten minutes was over so fast!
During my "one, now" mantra, which I have used for 13 years, I always get monkey chatter creeping in and today the chatter was limited to just a few issues rather than the huge array of things that come up generally. Possibly due to my fatigue.
This exercise of meditation showed me that one of the benefits I was receiving was a real opportunity to check in. Meditation may be seen as "checking out" since the outside world does, hopefully, get turned down or off, but I found that I was in fact taking inventory of my energy without the forethought or plan to do so.
One thing in particular that was different about this meditation was that I was not trying to plan anything. I could easily get myself back on track by following my "one, now" breathing rhythm after little moments of reflection upon the day.
A very nice break.
As I slipped deeper into the day’s second meditation lead by Dr Pflueger, my left leg slipped deeper into pain, pins, numbness and the right leg began to follow. Deeper, deeper we went...until the pain was so much that I had to pick up my leg from half lotus to let the blood back in. I broke the surface from deeper meditation.
Within the contrast of pain and the bliss upon re-entering the outside world, I heard, “Walking on sunshine,” as I floated down the sidewalk.
(Dr. Pflueger received his doctorate and master’s degrees in religious studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Washington, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude. He has taught at the University of Wisconsin, California Polytechnic State University, and California State University-Long Beach. He specializes in South Asian religion, classical yoga philosophy, Indian philosophy, and classical Sanskrit. He has 27 articles on Hindu and Buddhist topics in the Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, (Oxford, 1997). Also from Oxford, he published a chapter in The Innate Capacity (1998), “Discriminating the Innate Capacity: Salvation Mysticism in Classical Samkhya-Yoga.” Other publications include The Bhagavad Gita for Contemporary American Religion (Macmillan, 2000) and in 2003 from Routledge Curzon (London) a chapter, “Dueling with Dualism: Revisioning the Paradox of Purusha and Prakiti, in Yoga: The Indian Tradition.” More recent publications include “Person, Purity, and Power in the Yogasūtra,” for Essays on the Theory and Practice of Yoga, Knut Jacobson, Ed. (Brill 2005), and a forthcoming article, “Ishvara,” for The Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan). In the summer of 2007, Dr. Pflueger was chosen to participate in the Freeman Foundation Summer Institute on Japan, for intensive study of Japanese language and culture at Tokai University in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Pflueger is presently focusing on a research project titled The 1000 Names of the All-pervasive God Vishnu. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Beta Kappa, and serves as faculty advisor for Truman State University’s Art of Living (yoga) Club and the DEPTHS Club. An intense, knowledgeable instructor. Intimidating to the likes of me.)
"Ten minutes feel like s a loooong time right now." My timer went off and this was somehow surprising, that ten minutes was over so fast!
During my "one, now" mantra, which I have used for 13 years, I always get monkey chatter creeping in and today the chatter was limited to just a few issues rather than the huge array of things that come up generally. Possibly due to my fatigue.
This exercise of meditation showed me that one of the benefits I was receiving was a real opportunity to check in. Meditation may be seen as "checking out" since the outside world does, hopefully, get turned down or off, but I found that I was in fact taking inventory of my energy without the forethought or plan to do so.
One thing in particular that was different about this meditation was that I was not trying to plan anything. I could easily get myself back on track by following my "one, now" breathing rhythm after little moments of reflection upon the day.
A very nice break.
As I slipped deeper into the day’s second meditation lead by Dr Pflueger, my left leg slipped deeper into pain, pins, numbness and the right leg began to follow. Deeper, deeper we went...until the pain was so much that I had to pick up my leg from half lotus to let the blood back in. I broke the surface from deeper meditation.
Within the contrast of pain and the bliss upon re-entering the outside world, I heard, “Walking on sunshine,” as I floated down the sidewalk.
(Dr. Pflueger received his doctorate and master’s degrees in religious studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Washington, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude. He has taught at the University of Wisconsin, California Polytechnic State University, and California State University-Long Beach. He specializes in South Asian religion, classical yoga philosophy, Indian philosophy, and classical Sanskrit. He has 27 articles on Hindu and Buddhist topics in the Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, (Oxford, 1997). Also from Oxford, he published a chapter in The Innate Capacity (1998), “Discriminating the Innate Capacity: Salvation Mysticism in Classical Samkhya-Yoga.” Other publications include The Bhagavad Gita for Contemporary American Religion (Macmillan, 2000) and in 2003 from Routledge Curzon (London) a chapter, “Dueling with Dualism: Revisioning the Paradox of Purusha and Prakiti, in Yoga: The Indian Tradition.” More recent publications include “Person, Purity, and Power in the Yogasūtra,” for Essays on the Theory and Practice of Yoga, Knut Jacobson, Ed. (Brill 2005), and a forthcoming article, “Ishvara,” for The Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan). In the summer of 2007, Dr. Pflueger was chosen to participate in the Freeman Foundation Summer Institute on Japan, for intensive study of Japanese language and culture at Tokai University in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Pflueger is presently focusing on a research project titled The 1000 Names of the All-pervasive God Vishnu. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Beta Kappa, and serves as faculty advisor for Truman State University’s Art of Living (yoga) Club and the DEPTHS Club. An intense, knowledgeable instructor. Intimidating to the likes of me.)
Dosha Discovery
July 4
Hey, another pitta dosha here! Even though I selected "dry, brittle, frizzy" hair, a pitta's hair would have a tendency to grey or thin early. Then I remembered losing about a third of my hair in one day, in my 30's. Whoa. And yes, I can eat anything, any time, though I have the sense not to do so (usually). I am very precise, detail oriented, and I function best in an organized environment, though my desk in complete chaos. I have always been told I would be/am a good leader (my natal sun sign) but I have mixed feelings about that because of my lack of discipline. My skin has always been very sensitive to chemicals, insects and other irritants; I blush amazingly easy, and as you have all seen, I am as red as a beet in class! I would rather buy anything of great quality than of luxury, a lesson in moderation that I have integrated into my type. I can seem quiet at times because I am selective with what I feel needs to be shared. I do not have a tendency to speak just to fill the silence. And yes, I have always been prone to irritability.
doshaquiz.chopra.com/
Hey, another pitta dosha here! Even though I selected "dry, brittle, frizzy" hair, a pitta's hair would have a tendency to grey or thin early. Then I remembered losing about a third of my hair in one day, in my 30's. Whoa. And yes, I can eat anything, any time, though I have the sense not to do so (usually). I am very precise, detail oriented, and I function best in an organized environment, though my desk in complete chaos. I have always been told I would be/am a good leader (my natal sun sign) but I have mixed feelings about that because of my lack of discipline. My skin has always been very sensitive to chemicals, insects and other irritants; I blush amazingly easy, and as you have all seen, I am as red as a beet in class! I would rather buy anything of great quality than of luxury, a lesson in moderation that I have integrated into my type. I can seem quiet at times because I am selective with what I feel needs to be shared. I do not have a tendency to speak just to fill the silence. And yes, I have always been prone to irritability.
doshaquiz.chopra.com/
Yamas & Niyamas Reflection
July 4
Yamas are renunciations to be embraced or given away. Niyamas are practices to be cultivated or taken in.
Applying the yamas and niyamas to life, teaching and practice are intertwined and are really the same thing. Even without being fully aware of them, I have sought these standards of being and behaving as a model to follow for my own well-being, and also as an example that it truly possible to be the change we want to see in the world.
Right now, I need to have compassion for myself (ahimsa): I can’t seem to move beyond the difficulty I had with leading my group through one asana. I would love to cultivate some santosha (appreciation, faith, contentment) for the work that I did accomplish today. So now I make the choices...
and study more!
Yamas are renunciations to be embraced or given away. Niyamas are practices to be cultivated or taken in.
Applying the yamas and niyamas to life, teaching and practice are intertwined and are really the same thing. Even without being fully aware of them, I have sought these standards of being and behaving as a model to follow for my own well-being, and also as an example that it truly possible to be the change we want to see in the world.
Right now, I need to have compassion for myself (ahimsa): I can’t seem to move beyond the difficulty I had with leading my group through one asana. I would love to cultivate some santosha (appreciation, faith, contentment) for the work that I did accomplish today. So now I make the choices...
and study more!
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