The Value of Time

"Know the value of time.
Time is most precious.
Utilize every second profitably.
Live every moment of your life for the realization of your ideal and goal.
Do not procrastinate. That "tomorrow" will never come.
Now or never.
Abandon idle gossiping.
Kill egoism, laziness, and inertia.
Forget the past.
A glorious and brilliant future is awaiting you.
Be in tune with the Infinite. "

Master Sivananda

I especially love "abandon idle gossiping", and "forget the past" !

Namaste!

The River of Life

The river is the esoteric symbol of life's force. As our life force flows, it shows us how our attachments keep us hung up on the bank, or a boulder, or a tree branch along the way. When we look within, we see what stops that river from flowing, from becoming one with life's ocean and eternal bliss. All of the personalities we know and material objects we are clinging to keep us holding tightly to the banks of life's river. The river still flows on, but we do not flow with it. We are fighting against life's currents when we allow ourselves to become attached. When we take time to think of how our experiences in life show us how often we cling to the banks of life's river by attaching ourself to people and possessions, we may even notice that some of our attachments are things we don't even like! We are attached to objects, values, schedules, habits, memories, even likes and dislikes. We become caught up because we do not stop to realize that those experiences are just our conception of a boulder or a tree branch, and that we can let go at any time, and flow in the river of life to merge with the ocean of eternal bliss. Namaste

The Shadow Of The Buddha

I have a Buddha statue on my windowsill, that when the morning sun shines in casts its shadow upon the wooden floor in front of me. Its image is beautiful, serene, as I breathe deeply and receive peace from it.

When the sunshine is dimmed by a passing cloud, the image of the Buddha fades, but I know the statue remains, strong and real.

Much like the living Buddha who once cast his shadow on the Earth, we know he is still there in all his realness. Even though we can't see his image in front of us, we know he is there.
As is Jesus.
As are we.

God's shadows are everywhere.

Happy 11-11-11!

It was a beautiful day! I hope everyone was able to take a spiritual moment, in prayer, in meditation, in a group or in solitude, in a city or in the wilderness.

I guess I can say I did all of the above...I practiced my morning meditation/prayer ritual, and yoga.

I attended the Psychotherapy and Faith Conference, which included a very inspiring talk on Spirituality and healing, by Dr. Kenneth Pargament, who was wonderful! I made the wise choice to leave before the talk on Jeffrey Dahmer, since I don't want to know about that sort of evil, and I chose to focus on enlightenment today.

I prayed in the Byzantine Fresco Chapel. Beautiful! Then I visited the Rothko Chapel, just across the street. If you are in Houston, I highly recommend both of these serene chapels.

And even though I was in the fourth largest city in America, I found a place of solitude, surrounded by bamboo hedges, where I could imagine being in a bamboo forest. Bliss!

I AM 50%

With all the percentages in the news today with the 99%, and I posted the 100% to my Facebook page, I thought it appropriate to show how my raw food diet is going. Not so good. I must say I am as raw as I was before I started the raw diet last week. I am always 50% raw. I did eat raw cookie dough for a day before I baked it. But I eat gluten free brown rice tortillas every day. I don't know if I want to live without those, and they are cooked. But other than cooked rice, the occasional bowl of popcorn, and maybe gluten free cereal and oatmeal, I can do this! I prefer raw vegetables to cooked anyway.

My fellow Yogi and I did make the commitment to go completely dairy free, and with all of the vegan choices out there, this is fairly easy. Eating out takes a little more willpower. Okay, A LOT more willpower, as the dish of butter across the table was calling out to me more than the veggie pizza right in front of me.

But I look at temptation like a poker game: "I'll see your butter," (acknowledge it) "And I'll raise it." (to a higher power). I do this exercise in meditation, also. When a thought comes up, especially an unpleasant one, I see it (acknowledge), and raise it (to a higher place, releasing it). You must fully see things before they will leave you alone. If you ignore them, they will be persistent in pestering you until you acknowledge them. Kind of like a child in the grocery store. (Note to moms: Everyone else hears your child; why don't you?)

But I digress...

The point is, I am vegan again, 50% raw, gluten free, and giving up temptation to a higher power!
I AM 100% FREE!

Have a beautiful day!
Namaste^

Going Raw!

My fellow yogi and I are going raw for 7 days. I'll let you know how it goes. I've tried it many times before, but found it very difficult living in a small town with no raw food restaurants. It takes a lot of preparation and forethought.  You really must go shopping to fill your house with good choices ahead of time, or hunger and grumpiness (ok, that's putting it mildly) can overtake your best intentions. This morning, having done neither of those things, I threw together a smoothie with coconut milk, raw almond butter, blueberries, banana, algae powder, and a splash of orange-pineapple juice. OMGEE! Delicious! So I'm off to a good start. Oh yeah, I forgot about the tea I had earlier. It was an honest mistake, as there are mixed messages online regarding the subject of tea being raw, and how hot the water can be. So I overheated the water, and the chai was probably baked, but I will be more careful tomorrow:-)

White tea, heated to no more than 118 degrees. I can do that.

I also took some cookie dough out of the freezer without thinking about it. So I guess I will be eating that raw later. (Sorry kids)

I'm going to save on the gas bill this month, that's for sure. 

Not sure what's for lunch, probably just yoga. It does taste good, you know ;-D

Life Is The Butterfly!

A dear friend once said to me, "Ah, life! It is the butterfly!" I didn't quite know what he meant (probably because he's French), and I waited for some explanation, but never got one. So it was open to interpretation, which for me has changed a lot since the 90's (thankfully). Whereas back then I may have thought of it as an analogy that life is beautiful and delicate and fleeting, now I can see so much more and less in it. Let me explain what I mean by less.

Sitting at my computer last week, feeling overwhelmed with attempting to write a brochure for the new yoga business, and trying to figure out a schedule of class times with the City of Sugar Land to teach in the parks and recreation centers, and trying to download pictures for the new website but the files were unreadable...for a brief moment I lost sight of what it was all for. Yoga. Bringing the mindfulness of yoga into everyday life. As the burdensome tasks began to overtake my peace of mind, with a sigh I glanced out the window and saw a little yellow butterfly flitting across my lawn. Everything stopped in that moment, the need for a brochure, a class schedule, the perfect picture for a website. I didn't just want to be that butterfly with not a care in the world, I WAS the butterfly. In my mind I came back to that center that I come to on the mat, in yoga, in meditation, the place where you realize THIS is all there is, the moment of NOW. And everything is okay, right now. We can be the butterfly at any moment. The butterfly just is.

Know You Are A Bud!

Like the lotus flower growing from the mud, we must know we are really a bud. We are not the mud that surrounds us; we are a bud. As we make our way out of the mud, we find water, and we have a stem. Have we arrived yet? No. We know we are still a bud. We are not the water. We are not the stem. We are a bud, waiting to unfold. We may not even know that there is sunshine above the water, but we know we have a purpose, so we continue to strive upward. As we break the surface of the water, and unfold in the warmth of the sunshine, we bask in the glory of what we knew all along...we really were always a bud, and now we can share our bloom with the world. Here's to the late bloomers! May we all have our day in the sun!

How I got The Name: Yoga Tastes Good

I was soul-searching for a name for my website when I came across this trailer for "Yoga Is".  In this film Dharma Mittra says, "The reason why so many people practice yoga is because it tastes good!" I loved it!
http://www.yogais.com/

Obstacles to Yogic Practice

The six destroyers of yoga practices, as mentioned in the "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" are:
over-eating, over-exertion, useless talk, undisciplined conduct, bad company, and restless inconstancy.
To overcome these obstacles, Patanjali offered the four-fold remedy of friendliness and feeling at one with all that is good, compassion with devoted action to relieve the misery of the afflicted; delight at the good work done by others and avoidance of disdain for or feeling superior to the victims of vice.
The prescription is enthusiasm, daring, fortitude, true knowledge, determination and a feeling of detachment, of being in the world but not of it, as the means to overcome the obstacles in the path of Yoga.
-B.K.S. Iyengar in "Light On Pranayama"

The Meaning Of Yoga

The word "yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj" which means to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate the attention in order to use it for meditation. Yoga, therefore, is the art which brings an incoherent and scattered mind to a reflective and coherent state. It is the communion of the human soul with Divinity. - B.K.S. Iyengar in Light On Pranayama

A Prayer: May All Be Fed

This picture stirs so many thoughts and feelings, but what comes to my mind foremost is from the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, Aparigraha, which is to be free from hoarding or coveting. So often we overeat, worried that hunger will rear its ugly head. We over buy at the grocery store, afraid we will not have enough choices to eat later. We must have those chocolate chip cookies, or popcorn, or chips tonight in front of the TV; they are a form of security for us. We will purchase five kinds of fruit, because we are going to be healthy, darn it! Only to have it rot in the bowl before we can eat most of it.
And do we really NEED another purse?
If we take only what we need, food, clothing, shelter, perhaps there will always be enough for others. I pray that each time a dollar is saved, it goes to better use, somewhere it is needed.
May the abundance of the universe be shared equally among all sentient beings....
Amen

Sit. Stay. Heal.

When we have turmoil in our lives, our first impulse is to run, avoid, get away. By facing what the difficulty is, we can come to terms with it, acknowledge it, and lessen its power over us. Meditation is a wonderful tool to ease problems that arise in our daily lives. We can't always run away and meditate when something comes up to stress us out during our day, though, and that is why daily meditation should be practiced routinely, first thing every morning. When we learn to "sit, stay, and heal" first, the stress is lessened and dealt with more calmly later. When we begin our day with calm, we carry that with us into our everyday activities. I have found I even mow the lawn more peacefully :-)
Have a peace full day!

Meet Me In The Field

Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing there is a field. I'll meet you there. - Rumi

When diet is wrong medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need. -Ancient Ayurvedic Proverb-

Happy Birthday Pear Cake For Mom

Today is my beautiful goddess-mother's birthday, and she requested a recipe for upside down pear cake  that I made years ago, because she has an excess of pears from her orchard. So here it is: (Please note, this recipe is not in keeping with my current diet guidelines, so I will offer substitutions as well.)

Old English Recipe:                                  Substitutions:                  
4 tbsp long grain rice                                 whole grain rice
1/2 pint milk                                               rice milk
5 oz butter                                                  vegan margarine
2 tbsp golden syrup (?)                               light maple or brown rice
3 oz raw sugar                                            syrup
6 pears, halved
4 oz soft brown sugar                                 unrefined brown sugar
2 eggs, separated                                         egg substitute
3 oz self-raising flour                                  brown rice flour
3 tsp ground ginger

1. Simmer the rice in the milk in a covered pan for about 25 min, until tender and milk is absorbed. Cool.
2. Melt 1 oz butter with syrup and raw sugar. Spoon into 7-inch square, lined pan. Arrange pear halves
on top, rounded tops up, so when you flip it out they will be hole side up.
3. Whisk the remaining butter until soft, gradually beat in the soft brown sugar, egg yolks and cool rice    
mixture.
4. Gently fold in the flour and ginger sifted together. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the
mixture.
5. Spoon into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 55 minutes. Turn out of pan and serve hot with cream if desired.

Happy Birthday, Mom! Wish I could be there to make it for you :-)

Have a Mindful Day!

"Desire narrows our awareness till we see only what we crave; mindfulness helps us see other possibilities." Sandra Weinberg, Dharma teacher

Warm Cereal for Cooler Mornings

The weather is cooling off already, even here in Texas! For the first time since I started making my own cereal, I am actually considering warm versions!
Here is a recipe for Vanilla quinoa cereal from "Yoga -Your Home Practice Companion":

Serves 4
7oz (200 g) quinoa
16fl oz (500ml) almond milk (I also use coconut milk, depending on the flavor I desire)
1 vanilla pod, split
a grating of nutmeg
2 tbsp maple syrup
1.  Place the quinoa in a sieve over the sink and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until water runs clear.

2.  Put the rinsed quinoa into a medium-sized saucepan and cover with 8fl oz
(250 ml) cold, filtered water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the quinoa is light, fluffy, and cooked.

3.  Place the almond milk, split vanilla pod, and a grating of nutmeg into a small pan, place over low heat and warm gently.

4.  When you are ready to serve, mix the warm spiced milk into the cooked quinoa and stir well. Serve with maple syrup.

                                   Note: If you make your own almond milk, this is even more amazing!

                                   Namaste!
                                  

 

Looking Outside Ourselves

As much as we are taught to look inward for our happiness, one aspect of spirituality is to recognize our interconnectedness with other people. We then recognize our obligation to live morally and ethically, in ways that do not harm others. This can be inconvenient, having to think about something other than our own self-interests, but it is a part of the foundation for a spiritual life.

I highly recommend "A Burning Desire" by Kevin Griffin!

The Thirst For Wholeness

"I believe, that this fervent thirst for wholeness, as well as the discomfort with it, is the underlying impulse behind addictions." Christina Grof

We all thirst for "God", we just search for Him in our own ways.

The Path To My Tummy

One example of how yoga tastes good...my vegetarian dinner! Avocado, romaine, mushroom, tomato, cilantro, yogurt, olive oil, kelp flakes, salt and pepper in a brown rice tortilla. Makes me want to chant "Yummmmmmm"!

Flat Wheel

I don't know why it's such a struggle for me to master Wheel pose...
I bend over backwards for people every day!

Yoga is the root of all Shival

The Path To Healing

Yoga is so much more of a life than I could've ever imagined! On my path to positive change and healing, yoga is my guide that shows me the way, my nourishment that strengthens me, my encouragement that sustains me, my guardian that shelters me, and just when I think the path is too rough to navigate, yoga renews and refreshes me. On my journey to heal, I've found that the illusory "destination" is like a mirage on a desert highway...you see it shimmering just ahead, but you never do get there, and that the path IS the destination.  

Yoga is the path, enjoy the journey!

We're Official!

Imagine my astonishment to find the Ad Fairies came in the night and placed sweet little surprises on my page! We're official now, girl!

My First Ever

This is my first post on my first day of my first Blog! I put waaaay too much thought and effort into what I would say today, focusing on the "Me" profile (hence the present time of 10:24 pm), until someone told me to just start blogging already! So I am. I have to admit it was the "All about Me" profile that delayed everything and started me stressing. And I realize my ego must've gotten in the way today, wanting everything to be perfect, worrying, and striving to impress. Oddly enough, that is exactly what I was going to blog about: the ego (or "I"-go) when we focus on the "I" too much. That reminds me of a rap song I heard in the car the other day and burst out laughing with my daughter (her music, btw) that went something like: "She's always sayin' I, I, I, she needs to use some other vowels..." Ha ha.