~ This whole existence is in love: these trees are moving tremendously in love; these stars, these rivers rushing towards the ocean, are rushing towards a love-affair where they can meet and merge. Watch, and you will find everywhere the shadow of love, the thrill, the excitement, the ecstasy of love. Whatsoever the form, if you look deeply, you will always find something throbbing at the center which cannot be anything other than love.


~ If you become more sensitive to beauty, to poetry, that means your love has blossomed. And all the energy that has been left by fear, anger and hate, will be taken over by your love, your sensitivity, your compassion, your creativity. This is the whole alchemy of changing base metals into gold.

our divine light. our divine right. our deepest fear ~ Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

hold to our loving center -- patience
What’s difficult in life is to stay centered when somebody does or says something that tempts us to close our hearts because their heart was closed. That is hard. But that is also how we grow. We go through those circumstances in order to evolve into people who can hold to our loving center no matter what the world throws us.
Don't try to get your life together and then surrender it to God.
Surrender your life now and that's when it comes together!
Is there a part of your life you're holding onto,
thinking you can best run it yourself?
Simply think about it in your heart and surrender it to God.
This movement in your spirit will make all the difference.

January 25, 2012

Make peace with the universe.Take joy in it.
It will turn to gold.
Resurrection will be now. Every moment,
a new beauty.
~ Rumi

Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.
~ Napoleon Bonaparte

Happiness consists in realizing it is all a great strange dream.
~ Jack Kerouac

The food you eat can either be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.
~ Ann Wigmore

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
What hurts you, blesses you.
Darkness is your candle.
~ Rumi ♥

Love is an expression of the willingness to create space in which something is allowed to change.
~Harry Palmer

Women are a reflection of nature. We go through phases. We find the beauty in each season. 
~ Nischala Devi

...light, light and more light.             ~ Mary Oliver

Believe into the expansive being that you are, do away with old patterns that are too small, too safe and too old. Your unfolding life awaits you with open arms. Put off the tired weak voices of yesterday, you are here in this moment, now and you are loved.
~ K. Allen Kay


Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

People Enter Your Life for Many Reasons

People enter your life for many reasons. You for them, them for you, and there is always something in give and receive. What is important to understand is the impermanence of the entries, and that the door is always open and revolving. Don't try to hold on to what comes into your space ( good, bad, or indifferent ). Attachments lead to loss and a false sense of security. Instead, honor them for just what they are, and let the wind kiss each and every experience in grace. Remember… ALL experiences are the added bonus to just being alive…♥


~ 360 degrees of inspiration ( full circle)

Quotes of the Day

Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the mus...ic of the wind and the silence of the stars? Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live.
~ Nora Roberts

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom
~ Anaïs Nin

Deep at the center of my being there is an infinite well of gratitude. I now allow this gratitude to fill my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness, my very being. This gratitude radiates out from me in all directions, touching everything in my world, and returns to me as more to be grateful for. The more gratitude I feel, the more I am aware that the supply is endless.
~ Louise Hay

Our anger or annoyance are more detrimental to us than the things themselves which anger or annoy us.
~ Marcus Aurelius wrote

Most of the time, you will find this to be true. Negativity strengthens the ego, but it weakens you. It prevents true intelligence from arising and dealing with situations and people. When you recognize its futility and harmfulness, it begins to subside. You can then face and accept situations and people as they are, without this unnecessary inner baggage. This is the beginning of wisdom in action.
~ Eckhart Tolle

Five Foods You Should Never Be Without. ~ Matt Wallace

Coconut oil, coconut aminos, chia seed, goji berries, and sprouts.

There is not a day that passes where my kitchen is not stocked with all five of these items. I find that my energy levels are extremely high, my body weight stabilizes with minimal exercise, and my appetite is always satisfied without eating much. I swear by all of these foods and many scientists are starting to back me up.

I have compiled a general summary of the various scientific explanations and present them below. I strongly suggest all people think about these amazing foods (whether vegan, vegetarian, or strictly carnivorous), as they have helped me immensely. And if nutrition isn’t your deal, these 5 ingredients will surely liven up your cooking skills, adding diversity to your culinary repertoire.

Coconut oil
It is a saturated fatty acid, which has garnered it an undeserved bad name. At the end of the 19th century, a campaign against saturated fatty acids lead people to believe that all saturated fat caused cholesterol. However, in more recent studies, it has been found across the board that unsaturated fatty acids like corn, soy, and nearly all commercially produced products are responsible for multiple health issues.

In fact, America is known for its unsaturated fat diet, which has caused a plethora of cholesterol-based problems. In contrast, communities that have traditionally eaten diets high in coconut oil (like those in the Yucatan and Melanesia) are healthier, have less heart disease, cancer, and colon problems than unsaturated fat eaters. High in Lauric Acid, coconut oil is one of the world’s best antiseptics. A natural antimicrobial, lauric acid is found in breast milk protecting infants from viral, bacterial, and protozoal infections. Lauric acid can fight pathongenic microorganisms, which includes bacteria, yeast and fungi.

Coconut oil stimulates the thyroid glandular system, which stimulates weight loss, anti-aging effects, and most importantly anti-cancerous benefits.

A 50-year study conducted by Lim-Syliano found that thyroid active coconut oil eaters were at least likely to have colon cancer, with only 3% contracting it. This is compared to a 32% contraction rate of corn oil eaters. This was also tested in animals, which derived identical results. Also, coconut oil, unlike other unsaturated fats, does not go rancid.

Coconut aminosProviding 17 amino acids, coconut aminos are an essential for anyone practicing a meat-free diet. Made from raw coconut tree sap, this salty, rich soy sauce replacement is literally teaming with live enzymes reading to improve digestion and speed up metabolism. A naturally aged product, coconut aminos have a slight fermented odor, but carries a neutral pH. In comparison to its alternatives, coconut aminos contain 2-14 times the amino acids.

Coconut aminos are high in a broad-spectrum of vitamin B, including Inositol which is known for fighting depression and diabetes.

Harvesting coconut aminos is a practice of sustainability. One tapped coconut tree will flow continuously for the next 20 years. In comparison to the harmful affects of cultivating soy, coconut sap production provides a much more sustainable future. In addition, coconut aminos are free from the negative affects associated with soy such as irregularly high estrogen levels that can disrupt natural hormonal patterns, increasingly widespread GMO soy production, and disruption of proper thyroid function.

Chia seedsOriginating out of the central valley of Mexico, chia was traditionally used by the Aztecs who recognized it as a superfood for its ability to translate into high amounts of energy when consumed. In fact, it was so coveted, that it was sometimes used as currency. Even the state of Chiapas, derived from Chiapan, translates loosely to “river where the chia sage grows. Chia contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other plant food, including flax.

The human body is unable to produce omega-3s, but they are essential to proper brain function, growth and normal development.

They also lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Chia is also a great source of protein. When soaked, the seeds form a thick gel that actually slows down the rate at which digestive enzymes turn carbs into sugar, thus making it especially beneficial for diabetics with high blood sugar. Chia also maintains high levels of water (up to 12 times it weight) helping with proper hydration. Lastly, chia is a powerful antioxidant, so much so that they can be stored for long periods of time without risk of spoiling.

Goji BerriesThe Asian superfruit, also known as the wolfberry, comes in a bright red to orange color. It is most often found dried and carries a semi-sweet, tangy flavor. Best eaten raw, these berries offer a plethora of health benefits. Associated with longevity, in Asia the goji berry was thought to increase the lifespan. Modernly, we have come to understand its use in treating diabetes, high blood pressure, fever, and age-related eye problems.

High in antioxidants and other compounds, goji berries are thought to prevent cancer and heart disease, while boosting the immune system and lowering cholesterol.

There has even been some research that shows goji berry extract is a powerful tool in boosting brain activity, protecting against age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s. Other claims have professed a general state of well-being, calmness, athletic performance, happiness, and improved quality of sleep. A study published in the Chinese Journal of Oncology in 1994 found that 79 people with cancer responded better to treatment when goji was added to their regimen.

SproutsConsidered a bio-genic food, sprouts are essentially baby plants. And much like any newborn, sprouts are filled with an exuberant amount of life. The energetic levels of a sprout are among the highest one can consume. This is observed in the sheer numbers represented in the young plant’s biochemistry: levels of vitamins B and C can grow up to 2000% in a matter of days. With all this growth, sprouts provide a tremendous living source of energy to the body.

Beyond energetical terms, sprouts are important agents in supplying oxygen and maintaining healthy alkaline levels to the body.

When a body is considered acidic (not alkaline), it serves as a Petri dish for all sorts of harmful bacteria and disease. Sprouts and other bio-genic foods are capable of realigning the body with its alkalinity.

Sprouts also offset free radical damage. A free radical is an unstable oxygen molecule that is looking to steal an electron to stabilize their entropy (chaotic state). As one enters the body, it will take a healthy cell’s electron, leaving it in an unhealthy state. Antioxidants—which bio-genic foods are extremely high in—aid in this process, protecting against the damage of free radicals. Lastly, sprouts have shown that when they reach a certain stage in development, they are capable of overcoming protein-deficiency anemia.

These five foods are simple foods.

All of these foods are raw. They are easily obtainable in any health food store and can be effortlessly placed into one’s diet. The benefits of these foods are literally phenomenal and will almost automatically increase energy levels. If anyone is interested in recipes, contact me through wordpress and I will gladly pass them on.

Five Foods You Should Never Be Without. ~ Matt Wallace

3 Kinds of Love By Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Eros..a romantic love for your mate. It’s inevitably a little selfish. You love your lover because there is something about your lover that moves you. It may be the way he talks or the way he walks or the personality or the physical beauty or the intellectual power– but it’s always based on that there’s something that attracts you.”

“Philia…intimate affection between personal friends. These are people you like. It’s reciprocal love. You love because you are loved. You love the people that you like. People that you like to sit down at the table and eat dinner with. People you dial the phone and talk to. People you go out with. This is friendship.”

“Agape…is more than romantic love… more than friendship…it’s understanding. It is creative and redeeming good will toward all men. It is the love of God operating in the human heart. It is the overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. And when you rise to love on this level, you love people who don’t move you. You love those that you don’t like. You love those whose ways are distasteful to you. You love every man because God loves him.”

3 Kinds of Love By Martin Luther King, Jr.

NewCo Sulforaphane Lotion

Lately I've been feeling a little tired.  My skin seemed to be showing slight signs of age (being 30 now!), maybe a little stressed, plus winter is hard on the skin!   

For a skin boost, I thought that I would try a product containing alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).  It is said that "if you feel that your skin is looking dull, lifeless or uneven, using an AHA product may benefit you. As the skin ages, it can lose that lustrous youthful glow. Using an AHA can quickly restore a fresh, healthy appearance".

AHA is a blanket term for a variety of fruit acids such as Glycolic, Citric, Lactic, Malic and Tartaric. These acids, when used correctly, help to smooth the skin, enhance the effects of other skin rejuvenation treatments, keep problem skin under control, attract moisture to the skin, even texture and complexion of skin and reverse some of the effects of UV damage. They can be used to achieve these goals over a period of time or in quick sessions.

When included in a product at an effective concentration AHAs help disintegrate the "glue" that hold dead, dry skin cells to the surface of the skin. By doing so, the epidermis is exfoliated leaving a silky texture. Removal of this external barrier enables easier, deeper penetration of other skin treatments as well.

Then I found NewCo Sulforaphane Lotion
(formulated in Calgary)
After using the product twice daily (clean skin with a little rosewater), my skin already feels more moisturised (on a -38 cold Calgary winter day), soothed and refreshed.  

And yes, I'm blogging about it... 

Product Notes:
This lotion is designed using key ingredients that have been shown to repair damage, protect against future damage as well as reduce and soothe skin irritation. The complex synergistic formula will soften and moisturize the skin, protect against the abuse of the elements and slow the visible signs of aging. Sulforaphane (from Broccoli Seed Oil), Smithsonite, Fucus Vesiculosus and Green Tea Extracts are featured active ingredients in this synergistic formula. Sulforaphane (Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil w/ Sulforaphane) – along with the properties previously men-tioned, Sulforaphane has been shown to help repair damage done by UV exposure through induction of Phase II Enzymes. This is significant as UV radiation is one of the main contributing factors to non-melanoma skin cancers in humans. It is important to note that it is more effective after sun-exposure to help repair damage that has been already done rather than before as a preventative. It has also been shown to reduce UV induced redness and edema (abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin). Smithsonite Extract – is a semi-precious blue-green stone (zinc carbonate). Zinc is important in the metabolism of RNA and DNA and also helps elastin synthesis (helps incorporate sulphur amino acids cysteine and methionine into the skin proteins). Smithsonite Extract boosts metallothioneins synthesis - proteins that are produced in response to cellular oxidative stress - and also can help prevent DNA lesions, make DNA repair easier and has been shown to protect against UVB stress. Fucus Vesiculosus (Sea Kelp) Powder – is a source of minerals (calcium, magnesium, iodine, manganese, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, sulphur and iron) and “Brown Algae Polyphenols”. “BAP’s” are antioxidants (neutralize free-radicals) and may pro-tect against skin cancer (clinical study). BAP’s have also been found to reduce COX-2 enzyme levels when applied topically (anti inflammatory action). Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Extract – has high antioxidant properties that help combat free radical damage and is also a skin conditioning agent. It has been shown to help prevent collagen breakdown and several studies have shown Green Tea Ex-tracts to have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. It has also been shown to reduce DNA damage formed after exposure to UV radiation. Also included are Pomegranate Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Creatine Monohydrate, Aloe Vera, and a full spectrum Tocotrienol / Toco-pherol non-gmo complex from Palm. Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) Seed Oil – is a source of essential fatty acids as well as Vitamins A and E that help moistur-ize and reduce inflammation and fight free radical damage. It has been shown to help with the extrinsic signs of aging, skin re-pair and wound healing and may even have possible skin cancer protective qualities, according to clinical studies from the United States. Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii) – is the fat obtained from the fruit of the Karite tree. Shea Butter is a skin conditioning agent, very moisturizing and helps prevent water loss from the skin. High in Oleic & Linoleic Acids (Omega 6 & 9), it also con-tains phytosterols that can help with the inflammation and Triterpenes such as Cinnamic Acid & Lupeol that have UVB absorbing properties. It is a source of eight kinds of catechins and quercetin and can help increase circulation. Creatine Monohydrate - helps revitalize the energy metabolism of the cells by stimulating mitochondrial activity, stimulates pro-tein synthesis, moisturizes and reduces skin irritation. Naturally sourced from calcium oxide. Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Gel) – is very soothing for the skin and helps moisturize. Extracts are from the leaves and used to help with inflammation, cuts, scrapes, burns, etc. Very good for irritated or sensitive skin. Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Tocotrienols (Tocomin*), Tocopherol – is a patented, natural full spectrum tocotrienol/tocopherol complex that also contains plant squalene and a phytosterol complex. With greater antioxidant activity than Toco-pherols, Tocotrienols are easily and quickly absorbed into the skin and combat environmental oxidative stress. Tocomin To-cotrienols are 100% NON-GMO, vegetarian, Kosher and Halal certified as well as 100% free from soy products. *Tocomin is a registered trademark of Carotech Inc and protected by US Patent No. 5,157,132 and other pending patents.

Ingredients: Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf GEl, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Stearyl Alcohol, Sulforaphane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate (Palm Oil), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes & Glycerin, Glycerin Cetearyl Olivate & Sorbitan Olivate, Parfum**, Smithsonite Extract, Gluconolactone (and) Sodium Benzoate (Eco Cert Approved), Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Butyrospermum Parkli (Shea Butter), Creatine Monolydrate, Fucus Vesiculosus (Sea Kelp) Powder, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Tocotrienols (Tocomin), Tocopherol, Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil and Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil.

http://www.aviva.ca/shop/products.asp?itemid=6850&catid=158

There Are No Accidents

Appreciate everything and everyone. Look upon every experience you've ever had, and everyone who's ever played any role in your life, as having been sent to you for your benefit. In this universe, which was created by a divine, organizing intelligence, there are simply no accidents.

~ Wayne Dyer

Even though I know, I find this hard to recognize as things unravel...

Lauryn Hill Exposing the Industry

Coffee!

Yes.......I love my coffee in the mornings.  I'd like to not want my morning cup, it seems to offer solice in waking up early, especially when I'm kinda a nighthawk...

 Coffee! The Good, the Bad, and the Ayurvedic Perspective.
Coffee is real good when you drink it gives you time to think. It’s a lot more than just a drink; it’s something happening. Not as in hip, but like an event, a place to be, but not like a location, but like somewhere within yourself. It gives you time, but not actual hours or minutes, but a chance to be, like be yourself, and have a second cup.


~ Gertrude Stein

No coffee, no prana.

~ Maru Garcia






 

The Radiance Sutras

A version of the vijnana bhairava tantra
by Lorin Roche

One day The Goddess sang to her lover Bhairava,
Beloved and radiant Lord of the space before birth,
Revealer of essence,
Slayer of the ignorance that binds us,
You, who in play have created this universe
and permeated all forms in it with never-ending truth.

I have been wondering . . .
I have been listening to the songs of creation,
I have heard the sacred sutras being sung,
and yet still I am curious.

What is this delight-filled universe
into which we find ourselves born?
. . .
The One Who is Intimate to All Beings replied,
Beloved, your questions require the answers that come
through direct living experience.

The way of experience begins with a breath
such as the breath you are breathing now.

Awakening into the luminous reality
may dawn in the momentary throb
between any two breaths.

The breath flows in and just before it turns
to flow out,
there is a flash of pure joy -
life is renewed.

Awaken into that.

As the breath is released and flows out,
there is a pulse as it turns to flow in.

In that turn, you are empty.
Enter that emptiness as the source of all life.

http://lorinroche.com/radiancesutras/foreword.html
Bhairava Tantra
Introduction

by Lorin Roche

The Bhairava Tantra is a conversation between The Goddess Who is the Creative Power of the Universe, and the God who is the Consciousness That Permeates Everywhere. For short, they call each other Devi and Bhairava, or Shakti and Shiva. They are lovers and inseparable partners, and one of their favorite places of dwelling is in the human heart.

The teaching emerges from their love-play, reminding us that we are educated from within our own hearts in the spirit of love. The secrets of how to meditate are revealed as one friend or lover would to another. What Devi and Bhairava sing to each other in this conversation are called sutras, and every sutra is an invitation to freshly appreciate what it is to be alive, to breathe, to exist and express and feel.

The conversation begins with the Goddess asking, “Beloved, tell me, how do I enter more deeply into the reality of the universe?” In reply Bhairava describes one hundred and twelve techniques for awakening into reality through everyday life experience. Each of these is a way of attending to the rhythms, pulsations and sensuousness of the divine energy flowing through us always - and out of which we are made.

Through these techniques, we are alerted to the presence of the sacred that is always permeating our bodies. All of these methods involve savoring the incredible intensity underlying the most common experiences and they work by activating the senses, extending their range further into the inner and the outer world. The basic dynamics of life such as breathing, falling asleep, waking up, walking, loving, all of these are used as gateways into alignment and enlightenment.

Each meditation is a dive deeper into life, into the underlying reality of what life is. Balance is there at every step: the unshakable serenity of the depths is used as a foundation so that we can tolerate the electrifying vastness of the universe. We are invited to cross the threshold, walk through the guardians of the gateway, face the terrors and make our way into the immense and timeless depths that are always calling us.

Many of these meditations are surprisingly informal: notice a moment of powerful emotion, or hunger, or desire, and enter into the awareness of that with total abandon, so that you go with it right into the root of the movement of the universe. When making love, put your awareness into the flame of desire flowing through the body, and become that flame. When falling asleep, pay attention to the transition from waking consciousness to unconsciousness, and catch a glimpse of what consciousness is in itself. Or go outside on a moonless night and be there for a long time, simply merging with the darkness and vastness of space. The text also describes what we think of as traditional sit-down meditation techniques, ways of savoring breath, sound and internal luminosity. The informality and intimacy with the self implied in this teaching means that meditation is not a technique imposed from outside. Rather, the techniques emerge naturally from one's relationship with the Self and with Life.

Taken as a whole, this teaching is startling in its breadth, in the huge range of human experience that it encompasses. It shatters the picture we have of what meditation is, or how meditation teachers too often present it - as a way of dissociating from the human experience and trying to rise above it. There is not a hint of the usual life-denial which permeates and distorts spirituality East and West. This tantra is about going deeply into experience, embracing it fully, without reservation. Nature is embraced as is all of human nature. Lust and passion become fires that illumine, and gusto is taken to its most refined degree possible. Meditation is presented as the nexus or meeting ground of light and matter, spirit and flesh, and the meeting is to be consummated with great joy.

You'll find here in one place many of the essential techniques that are utilized in the meditation traditions of the different cultures. If some of the experiences the sutras describe seem familiar to you as you read this book, it may be because you tend to invent your own private meditation techniques (that you probably never tell anyone). Or you may have had inexplicable realizations in the midst of some life experience. I am pretty much continually astonished at how frequently people who come for instruction in meditation already have one or more of these techniques going on spontaneously. It seems to me that it is an awakening-in-progress that gives a person the desire to study meditation. Sutras like these are there to remind us of what we already know. And they are there to remind us to go more deeply into the experience of being human.

It is likely that the same meditation techniques are invented or discovered independently around the world in different cultures, whenever people start paying attention to the subtle energies of the body. If this is true, then the Bhairava Tantra (its full name is vijnanabhairavatantra) is a syllabus of the types of techniques that could be discovered anywhere. The hundred and twelve techniques that are presented are those that are used all over the world in many different traditions.

vayu dvayasya samghattat

antah va bahih antatah
yogi samatva vijnana
samudgamana bhajanam
-------------------------
Pour one breath into the other,

Out-breath into the in-breath
Into the out-breath.


In the harmony of this fusion
Where one rhythm turns into the other,
Awaken into equilibrium.

Tend to breath in this way,
Claim the power
Of oneness with the Self.
-------------------------

sane shayane sthitva

niradharam vibhavayan
svadeham manasi kshine
kshanat kshena-ashaya bhavet


Sitting on a soft seat,
Or lying on your mat,
Experience the space below
As offering no support.

You are simply suspended,
Floating in space.


Structures of the mind release,
The reservoir of habits dissolves.
In an instant, lifetimes of patterns
Vanish.
-------------------------

Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret."

~ Don Miguel Ruiz in The Four Agreements

Left Brain vs. Right Brain (Infographic)

Original Source: OnlineCollege.org

Something is calling you

Something is calling you from the quiet space inside
and from the vast universe all around.
Something is calling you to life.
Something is calling forth the stream inside you
and awakening you
to your connection with the source.
You are always connected to the Source.
Something is reawakening
your awareness of this connection.
Something is allowing you to remember
that it is the universe
(not the bank, not your job, not the grocery store)
that supplies your every need.
Something is calling you
to take a risk;
to flow more freely;
to burn hotter, brighter.”

~Paul Williams

Lifestyle Architecture - New Year's Day 2012 Yoga Practice

Design Your life:

If we will only work to remember that we live in a world within which there are an infinite number of stories unfolding - all at the same time - then we will never forget that it is our choice as to which of these stories becomes our life

 ~ Guy Finley

The greatest wisdom is in simplicity

All was predicted by the mathematical cycles of the Mayan calendars. -- It will change --everything will change. Mayan Day-keepers view the Dec. 21, 2012 date as a rebirth, the start of the World of the Fifth Sun. It will be the start of a new era resulting from and signified by the solar meridian crossing the galactic equator and the Earth aligning itself with the center of the galaxy."

"The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way."

Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder
http://www.seri-worldwide.org/id435.html

The Magic Seed

The Magic Seed
Kimber Simpkins, Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher

Via http://bayshakti.com/

Your yoga practice is a seed. What kind of seed it is, you get to decide. Maybe it’s a fragile orchid, or a wild arugula sprout, or maybe it’s a hardy, rampant squash that takes over the garden. Whatever you imagine the seed of your practice to be, how do you plan to support its growth and let it flourish this year?

When I started my yoga practice many years ago, my back hurt all the time, my body felt weak and inflexible, and “unpromising” seemed a bit optimistic for the tiny seed I found myself caring for. But years later, with much tending, pruning, and weathering of storms, my yoga has grown into a flourishing tree in whose shade I find peace and whose fruit nourishes me and many others.

The tastiest fruit of my yoga practice isn’t any of the outer things you’d think (a healthy body, playful arm balances, clothes you can sleep in), but something subtle and infinitely more worthwhile: a small decrease in my reactivity and increase in my resilience.

What does this really mean? That when things don’t go my way, I’m less likely to point the finger of blame at someone nearby or at myself in the mirror. When I get knocked over, I can pick myself up, laugh a bit at the tumble I took, smile with love remembering everyone ends up on their bum sometimes, and get back to watering my seeds.

We learn early on that seeds need soil, water, and sunlight. Fortunately, there are many ways to nourish the seed of your yoga practice that don’t involve burying yourself in mud and waiting for the sun to come out. (Though if you’ve ever been to the mud baths in Calistoga, you know that option is not necessarily a bad one.) Here are some ideas:

1. Commit to your regular yoga practiceWrite it into your calendar every week, maybe more than once! Schedule with a friend to meet them at class, then go out for tea afterwards.

2. Start a home practiceWatch videos or get a practice sequence from a book or teacher, get out your mat, and let your dog teach you how a downward facing dog is really done.

3. Take your yoga off the matRemind yourself daily of the inspiration you’ve received from your yoga practice. Make little post-it notes to inspire your heart and mind even when you can’t get to class.

4. Join an ImmersionIf you’re ready to make a significant leap in your practice, commit to an Anusara Immersion and put your practice on the front burner. Or going with the seed metaphor, give it a big helping of delicious organic compost! An Immersion is a great way to give your practice the attention it deserves and grow your yoga community at the same time.

There are lots of ways to grow and deepen your practice… let me know what others you’ve found. May your practice become the garden of your dreams in 2012, blessings.

Teaching Yoga

Igniting passion. Living Joyously. Sharing Laughter. Radical Self Affirmations
Love. Imagination. Peace and tranquility
Balance = Strength = Vitality

One person, one student, one smile and one day at time until we reach a critical state of love, joy and contentment

From the deepest part of the heart - help beings step into their power…when we all accept and share our divine gifts fully, it's when the world will become the magnificent garden it is meant to be

http://www.fitsugar.com/Lower-Body-Workout-Glutes-Hamstrings-20802689#ooid=duc2s0MzraDo4PjQOEEPC5BOujZKpsi9

Eat Like an Artist in 2012

Eat Like an Artist in 2012.

Listen to Your Own Truth

The spiritual journey is individual, highly personal. It can't be organized or regulated. It isn't true that everyone should follow one path. Listen to your own truth.

~ Ram Dass

Bow your head to your heart – as we move through life may we honor this connection by leading with a heart full of love and guiding with a mind full of compassion

~ Gabriel Cousens, M.D.

Wisdom's Refining Flames

Just as firewood is turned
to ashes in the flames of a fire,
all actions are turned to ashes
in wisdom's refining flames.


~ Bhagavad Gita