Being infinitely patient means having an absolute
knowing that you're in vibrational harmony with the all-creating force that
intended you here. You know that everything will happen at just the right time,
at just the right place, with just the right people
~ Dr. Wayne
Dyer
Lila is the Sanskrit word for Divine Play, Life is about Infinite Play... Passion, Beauty, Creativity, Freedom & Joy in the Present Moment
November 30, 2012
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
Women are a reflection of nature. We go through phases. We find the beauty in each season.
~ Nischala Devi
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.
~ Keith Allen Kay
Art is an act of faith & we practice practicing it.
~ Juliana Cameron
Apple Cider Vinegar
Just a few benefits of apple cider vinegar …
1. Detoxification
Being rich in natural minerals, vitamins and enzymes makes apple cider
vinegar a great addition to any detox.
The unique acids in apple cider vinegar can bind to toxins and help the body
eliminate them more effectively. Apple cider vinegar can also help to stimulate
circulation and aid detoxification in the liver. In ancient cultures ACV was
often used to purify the blood. Another way apple cider vinegar aids
detoxification is by breaking up mucus throughout the body and cleansing the lymph nodes to allow for better lymph
circulation. A healthy lymphatic system can remove toxins from the cells in the
body while improving immune system response.
2. To promote weight loss
Apple cider vinegar may aid in weight loss by stabilising the blood sugar
for a longer period and helping to control the appetite. Try taking 1-2
teaspoons in water before each meal. This little trick may also help with
diabetes. Don’t just rely on ACV to help you trim down though. It won’t work if
your diet is rubbish. ACV should be an accompaniment to a healthy, balanced
diet.
3. To help with digestion
Aiding digestion is possibly one of apple cider vinegar’s biggest claims to
fame. It can help with common indigestion and gastrointestinal discomfort caused
by certain foods and it is said to clear up chronic acid reflux when taken
religiously with each meal.
4. To alleviate skin problems
Apple cider vinegar can be used as a topical astringent for acne prone
skin, and some even report that taking ACV orally every day has helped clear
their skin. Add a cup of apple cider vinegar and a cup of Epsom salts to a hot
bath to draw toxins out through the skin and help jumpstart the cleansing
process. This can also help relieve joint pain as well as skin conditions like
eczema and acne.
5. To get rid of warts
Try this for a home wart removal remedy: Soak a cotton ball with apple
cider vinegar and attach it to the wart site with a bandaid. Leave overnight.
Repeat each night until the wart disappears.
6. Helps ward off sickness
Apple cider vinegar devotees claim that this miracle elixir is one of the
main reasons they are able to ward of common illnesses. This can most likely be
chalked up to ACV's unique blend of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It also
possesses antimicrobial and antiseptic properties.
7. For soft and shiny hair
Acetic acid, the main ingredient in ACV, will remove build up from styling
products and conditioners and strengthen the hair shaft, leaving you with soft,
shiny strands. It will also balance hair's pH level, kill bacteria, and is a
cure for dandruff.
Dilute 1/3 cup ACV in 4 cups of water and pour over your hair after
shampooing. Leave it in for a few seconds before rinse your hair using cold
water to seal the hair shaft and create more shine. Because vinegar is acidic,
using the rinse daily is not advised. And no, your hair won’t stink like vinegar
– the smell will go away after your hair dries.
How to take it orally…
Add 1-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm or cool water
before each meal. You can also add it to hot water with a little honey and drink
it as a tea. Apple cider vinegar is also great as a salad dressing when mixed
with flaxseed oil and honey.
It’s important to buy an apple cider vinegar that is organic and unfiltered so that all of its
nutritional value is in tact. The Bragg’s brand is great. The hazy looking stuff
that settles to the bottom is called “the mother” and it is said to be the most
nutritious part of the apple cider vinegar for its therapeutic benefits.
I will meet you there
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and
rightdoing
there is a field. I will meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that
grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas,
language, even the phrase each other
doesn’t make any
sense.
~Rumi, translation by Coleman Barks
Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that’s the one
that is going to require the most from you.
~ Caroline Myss
Love is a great mystery that has been inspiring artists and poets for
thousands of years, and will probably continue to do so forever.
On some level it is innately human to crave to be met in relationship, to
feel connection to others, to be held by another. Always seeking communion with
the Divine. Always seeking to feel received, to feel warmth, love,
passion. Is it an unquenchable desire to be completed by another?
“When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.” ~ Kahlil Gibran
Attraction is something we sense—something we feel—it is not always logical. When we “let go” and surrender to the feelings, allowing them to wash over us,
and indulge in their pure intensity, we open ourselves to experiencing life to
its fullest.
There is but one temple in the universe, and that
is the Body of Man..We touch heaven when we lay our hands on a human body.
~ Novalis, 1772
We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.
~ Khalil Gibran
Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.
~ Carl Jung
~ Novalis, 1772
We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.
~ Khalil Gibran
People may hate you for being different and not
living up to society's standards, but deep down, they wish they had the courage
to do the same.
~ Unknown
~ Unknown
Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.
~ Carl Jung
Sweet Potato Hummus
Hummus a la Sweet Potato
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato (about 9 ounces)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg
2. Peel the skin off the sweet potato and transfer to a food processor fitted with a blade. Add the chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and nutmeg, and process until smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add a little extra olive oil or water, and process until the desired consistency is reached.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Preparation
1. Position the baking rack in the middle and heat the oven to 425[dg]F. Wrap
the sweet potato in foil and bake in a shallow baking pan until it can be easily
pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the
potato to cool completely.2. Peel the skin off the sweet potato and transfer to a food processor fitted with a blade. Add the chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and nutmeg, and process until smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add a little extra olive oil or water, and process until the desired consistency is reached.
Yield: 6 servings
Chanterelle and Apricot Stuffed Acorn Squash
Chanterelle and Apricot Stuffed Acorn Squash With Miracle Mushroom
Gravy
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced white onion (about 1 small)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 cup white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
1 cup chanterelles, torn into strips
1/4 cup finely diced dried apricots
Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)
2 cups brioche or good-quality white bread, torn into pieces
2 large eggs (beaten)
1 large acorn squash (or two small)
1 tablespoon olive oil
-------------------
Miracle mushroom gravy:
1 (10-ounce) package cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup diced shallots
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Scant 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2. Add the chanterelles and apricots to the pan and warm through. Add salt and pepper. Chill the mushroom mixture thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix the bread, eggs and the cooled vegetable mixture.
3. Using a sharp kitchen knife (and plenty of caution), trim the stem end off of the squash and cut the squash into 3/4 inch rings. You should be able to get 4 rings out of a large acorn squash. Discard the stem end and bottom piece. Using a spoon, scrape the seeds and membrane out of the squash and discard. Lay the squash rings out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle slices of squash with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Remove squash from the oven and press the mushroom and apricot stuffing into the center of each squash ring. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the stuffing has set and started to brown. Garnish with mushroom gravy.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings.
-------------------
Miracle mushroom gravy:
1. Slice mushrooms about 1/4-inch thick. You will blend them later, so there’s no need to be overly precise. Add the canola oil to a medium frying pan over high heat, and then sauté the mushrooms until browned. Add the shallots to the pan and continue to cook for another minute until the rawness has been cooked out of the shallots and they’re translucent.
2. Place the mushrooms and shallots into the work bowl of your food processor, and add the sage, red pepper flakes, clove powder, soy sauce and maple syrup.
3. In the same pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk the mixture until fragrant, about five minutes. Whisk in the whole milk, and heat the mixture until slightly thick. Add the milk mixture to the food processor that contains the mushroom mixture. Pulse until the mushrooms are finely chopped and well incorporated into the milk, but leave some chunkiness for a nice texture.
4. Return the mixture to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve. If it gets too thick, add some milk or stock to thin it out.
Yield: 6 servings.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced white onion (about 1 small)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 cup white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
1 cup chanterelles, torn into strips
1/4 cup finely diced dried apricots
Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)
2 cups brioche or good-quality white bread, torn into pieces
2 large eggs (beaten)
1 large acorn squash (or two small)
1 tablespoon olive oil
-------------------
Miracle mushroom gravy:
1 (10-ounce) package cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup diced shallots
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Scant 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the
butter and then sauté the celery, onion and bouillon cube until lightly browned.
Deglaze the pan with the wine, and reduce until most of the liquid has
evaporated.
2. Add the chanterelles and apricots to the pan and warm through. Add salt and pepper. Chill the mushroom mixture thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix the bread, eggs and the cooled vegetable mixture.
3. Using a sharp kitchen knife (and plenty of caution), trim the stem end off of the squash and cut the squash into 3/4 inch rings. You should be able to get 4 rings out of a large acorn squash. Discard the stem end and bottom piece. Using a spoon, scrape the seeds and membrane out of the squash and discard. Lay the squash rings out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle slices of squash with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Remove squash from the oven and press the mushroom and apricot stuffing into the center of each squash ring. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the stuffing has set and started to brown. Garnish with mushroom gravy.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings.
-------------------
Miracle mushroom gravy:
1. Slice mushrooms about 1/4-inch thick. You will blend them later, so there’s no need to be overly precise. Add the canola oil to a medium frying pan over high heat, and then sauté the mushrooms until browned. Add the shallots to the pan and continue to cook for another minute until the rawness has been cooked out of the shallots and they’re translucent.
2. Place the mushrooms and shallots into the work bowl of your food processor, and add the sage, red pepper flakes, clove powder, soy sauce and maple syrup.
3. In the same pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk the mixture until fragrant, about five minutes. Whisk in the whole milk, and heat the mixture until slightly thick. Add the milk mixture to the food processor that contains the mushroom mixture. Pulse until the mushrooms are finely chopped and well incorporated into the milk, but leave some chunkiness for a nice texture.
4. Return the mixture to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve. If it gets too thick, add some milk or stock to thin it out.
Yield: 6 servings.
Centering and Opening a Yoga Class
Align yourself with grace
Soften your boundaries
Open your heart and inner body
Surrender to what you know to be true
Soften your boundaries
Open your heart and inner body
Surrender to what you know to be true
It is through your body that you realize you are a
spark of divinity.
B.K.S Iyengar
We begin at the level of the physical body, the aspect of ourselves that is most
concrete and accessible to all of us. It is here that yogasana and pranayama
practice allow us to understand our body with ever greater insight and through
the body to understand our mind and reach our soul. To a yogi, the body is a
laboratory for life, a field of experimentation and perpetual
research.
B.K.S Iyengar
Alone
Remember: the time you feel lonely is the time you most need to be by yourself. Life’s cruelest irony.
~ Douglas Coupland
~ Henry David Thoreau
And you should not let yourself be confused in your solitude by the fact that there is something in you that wants to move out of it.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
~ Douglas Coupland
In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.
~ Rollo May
I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.~ Rollo May
~ Henry David Thoreau
And you should not let yourself be confused in your solitude by the fact that there is something in you that wants to move out of it.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
Consider this a time to learn something new about yourself.Get out your art supplies.Meditate.Get lost in a novel.Don’t allow wallowing.Set new goals.Contemplate those who are lonelier than you.Reach out to others.Volunteer for those in need.Write a letter to an old friend.Learn how to be your own friend and do something special for yourself.Take a bubble bath.Cook a healthy meal.Get a massage.Take a walk and notice nature.Move:Wake up your senses with plenty of exercise.
Remember, nothing lasts forever.
Sometimes.....the truth hurts...
"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller
buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend
more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and
smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but
less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems,
more medicine, but less wel...
See more
lness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and reflect too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the house, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete ...
Remember, to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person might not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind."
— Bob Moorehead (slightly edited)
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and reflect too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the house, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete ...
Remember, to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person might not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind."
— Bob Moorehead (slightly edited)
Heart Opener
”We could learn to stop when the sun goes down and when the sun comes up. We could learn to listen to the wind; we could learn to notice that it’s raining or snowing or hailing or calm. We could reconnect with the weather that is ourselves, and we could realize that it’s sad. The sadder it is, and the vaster it is, the more our heart opens. We can stop thinking that good practice is when it’s smooth and calm, and bad practice is when it’s rough and dark. If we can hold it all in our hearts, then we can make a proper cup of tea.”
~ Pema Chodron
Cranberries
8 reasons to go Crazy for Cranberries
via John Douillard - Elephant Journal
My favorite part of Thanksgiving has always been the cranberry sauce. Traditional cultures have long relied on the cranberry as a time-tested remedy for urinary tract infections (UTI’s). But that’s not all: this little berry packs a powerful punch that just might make that cranberry sauce a mainstay in your diet this winter!
Here are 8 benefits of cranberries sure to make you feel good about having a second helping:
Here are 8 benefits of cranberries sure to make you feel good about having a second helping:
1 – Urinary Tract Support.
How do cranberries protect against UTI’s? The most common cause of UTI’s is a virulent bacterium called e-coli. Studies show that cranberries may protect against e-coli adhering to the urinary tract wall and thus decreasing the risk and virulence of the infection(1).
2 – Gastrointestinal Protection.
It turns out cranberries may protect your gut, too. They have the same anti-adhering effect on another dangerous bacterium that is linked to gastric cancer and ulcers: H Pylori. H Pylori may also be a major cause of heartburn and indigestion in America. It thrives in the stomach, particularly when the digestive acids are low. Due to their acidic nature and high concentration of proanthocyanidins (PACs), cranberries both boost the digestive fire and inhibit the adherence of H Pylori to the stomach wall, thus protecting against H Pylori-related peptic ulcers, gastric cancer, and acid indigestion(2).
3 – Heart Health.
Numerous studies suggest that cranberries may contribute to the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as lowering blood pressure (3).
4 – Cholesterol.
Evidence also suggests that the polyphenols, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid in cranberries may reduce LDL oxidation, cholesterol, platelet clumping, and inflammation.
5 – Immunity.
According to Ayurveda, cranberries are the lymph-movers of the winter. The lymphatic system drains every cell and transports the immune system. Not surprising that cranberries have such a global effect on the body’s wellbeing: better lymph drainage equals better health!
Did I mention cranberries also:
6 – strengthen the gums,
7 – protect the prostate, and…
8 – help to curb the common cold!
Most of us don’t think of the holiday season as promoting our health very much. So this Thanksgiving, and throughout the winter, don’t skimp on the cranberries!
Happy Holidays,
Dr. John
P.S. Here is a delicious recipe from my wife, who is the best cook in the world:
Delicious Cranberry Orange Sauce
1 pound fresh organic cranberries
1 cup fresh organic orange juice (about 3 oranges)
1 tbsp ground orange peel
½ cup organic cane sugar or natural substitute
Preparation: In a medium saucepan combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange peel, and sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to burst and the sauce thickens, at least 15 minutes. Let cool and serve at room temperature.
A few quotes that I found inspiring from 'Calgary's Top 40'
What is the hardest lesson you've learned?
In research, you can be the smartest and it still might not work. You ned 40 per cent chance, 30 per cent brain and 30 per cent luck. Everyone is smart, can read and come up with ideas, but how do you make it? It is the right time, do you have the right collaborators. Nothing comes easy so you have to work harder.
What is the key to success?
There's nothing more common than talent. From that you have to draw that being good simply isn't good enough. You have to have guts and you have to have focus. Thats' it.
In research, you can be the smartest and it still might not work. You ned 40 per cent chance, 30 per cent brain and 30 per cent luck. Everyone is smart, can read and come up with ideas, but how do you make it? It is the right time, do you have the right collaborators. Nothing comes easy so you have to work harder.
What is the key to success?
There's nothing more common than talent. From that you have to draw that being good simply isn't good enough. You have to have guts and you have to have focus. Thats' it.
Argan Oil
10 Simple Beauty Uses for Organic Argan Oil
I first discovered
argan oil, referred to as “liquid gold” in 2008 when I was visiting my
soon-to-be husband in Morocco.
I first discovered
argan oil, referred to as “liquid gold” in 2008 when I was visiting my
soon-to-be husband in Morocco.
He gave me a bottle as a gift and I was immediately amazed with how it
moisturized, hydrated and softened my skin, body and hair in the Marrakech heat.
I was familiar with the hair brand “Moroccan Oil” but knew it was filled
with silicone, artificial preservatives, dyes, fragrance and contained little
actual argan oil. I wanted to see where organic argan oil came from, so we
visited many argan oil cooperatives in the region. Here’s what I
learned:
Argan oil is produced from an Argan nut
coming from Argan tree, which only grows in Southwestern Morocco.
Local Berber women work in fair-trade
cooperatives where they hand-crack the argan nuts in between two stones, a
technique they’ve used for centuries. Instead of being put through a machine,
the raw argan kernels are hand-extracted from the hard shell, hand-ground in a
stone grinder, hand-kneaded for hours and first cold-pressed into the oil. It
takes one woman three days to make just one liter of oil. This is why argan oil
is so valuable.
In 1998, the Argan forest in Morocco was designated a UNESCO protected
biosphere so argan oil is sustainable.
If you want to de-clutter your cabinet and simplify your beauty routine,
argan oil can become your go-to beauty elixir from head-to-toe. It’s chockfull
of essential fatty acids, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals that promote your
overall health by moisturizing, softening as well as protecting your face and
hair from sun damage – without harmful toxins and Parabens.
Below are 10 ways to use organic argan oil in your daily life:
1. Face Moisturizer - After cleansing morning and/or night, massage
a few drops of argan oil directly onto your face and neck. Since argan is
considered a dry oil, it absorbs quickly and is not greasy. If you want to use
it as a serum, apply your night cream after the oil absorbs into the skin.
2. Hydrating Toner – Add a few drops of argan oil to your favorite
facial toner to hydrate and tone simultaneously. You can make your own toner by
adding a few drops of argan oil to Rose or Orange Blossom water.
3. Rejuvenating & Brightening Face Mask – Add a few drops of
argan oil to your store-bought mask. Alternatively, make your own mask by mixing
1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 3 teaspoons of Greek-style yogurt, 1 tablespoon of
honey and 3 drops of argan oil in a bowl. Apply on a clean, dry face and leave
on for 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.
4. Exfoliating Lip Scrub and Moisturizer – To smooth and moisturize
your lips, add a few drops of argan oil and vanilla extract to fine brown sugar.
Lightly massage into lips using circular motion and rinse off.
5. Face Glow – Add a drop or two of argan oil to your foundation,
bronzer or tinted moisturizer for a dewy, luminous glow.
6. Leave-on Conditioner – After the shower, while your hair is still
wet, add a few drops of argan oil to your hair, ends and scalp to hydrate and
moisturize. It’s especially nourishing if your hair is dry from daily use of a
blow dryer, straight-iron or curling iron.
7. Hair Styling Shine – When your hair is dry, use as a styling
product by adding a few drops of argan oil to the palms of your hand. Rub your
hands together and run your fingers through your hair to create shine and tame
frizz. You only need a small amount. It lasts a long time.
8. Overnight Hair Treatment – Massage a generous amount of argan oil
into your hair, ends and scalp. Wrap your hair and leave it on while you sleep.
In the morning, wash your hair and you’ll have luminous, soft locks.
9. Cuticle and Heel Softener – Massage a few drops of argan oil into
your cuticles to soften, moisturize and encourage nail growth. Use as an
overnight treatment to nourish cracked heels by working a good amount into your
feet and toes. Cover with socks and wake up to supple feet.
10. Body and Bath Oil – Add a few drops of argan oil directly onto
your skin, into the bath or body lotion. It’s safe to use on a baby and to help
minimize stretch marks on a pregnant belly too.
Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.
♥~ Louise Erdich, The Painted Drum
Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.
~ C.S. Lewis
♥
You create your reality with your intentions.
~ Gary Zukav♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥
For the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.
~ Kshlil Gibran♥
Analyzing, worrying, doubting, processing are all getting in the way of the
amazing things your heart is trying to tell you in this moment. Shut up and
listen. Your brain wont figure it out.
~ Kyle Cease
♥
"Life does not accommodate you, it shatters you.
It is meant to, and it couldn't do it better. Every seed destroys its container
or else there would be no fruition."
~ Florida
Scott-Maxwell♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥
"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the
more there is in life to celebrate."
~ Oprah Winfrey♥
In every crisis there is a message.
Crises are nature's way of forcing change - breaking down old structures,
shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better can take their
place.
~ Susan Taylor♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥
Regret for the things we did can be
tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is
inconsolable.
~ Sydney J. Harris♥
The most courageous act is still to
think for yourself. Aloud.
~ Coco Chanel♥
Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.
~ Sydney J. Harris
♥
Right now, and in every now-moment, you
are either closing or opening. You are either stressfully waiting for something
or you are living from your heart and giving what you most deeply desire to
give, without waiting.
~ David Deida
♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥ ⋰⋱ ★ ⋰⋱ ♥
~ David Deida
♥
Cloud Atlas: Someday We’ll Understand.
On Halloween, I went & seen this movie with Jason, it was interesting...♥ ♥ ♥
“Our lives are not our own, we are bound to others, past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.”
“Power, time, gravity, love. The forces that really kick ass are all invisible.”
“Our lives are not our own, we are bound to others, past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.”
“Power, time, gravity, love. The forces that really kick ass are all invisible.”
“All revolutions are the sheerest fantasy until they happen; then they become historical inevitabilities.”
“What wouldn’t I give now for a never-changing map of the ever-constant ineffable? To possess, as it were, an atlas of clouds.”
“People are obscenities. Would rather be music than be a mass of tubes squeezing semisolids around itself for a few decades before becoming so dribblesome it’ll no longer function.”
“One fine day a predatory world shall consume itself.”
“He doesn’t have to. Anticipation is making me devour mine.”
“Just trying to understand why we keep making the same mistakes over and over...“
Cloud Atlas: Someday We’ll Understand.
We Dance...Gabrielle Roth
Freeing the body leads inevitably to freeing the heart.
— Gabrielle Roth, Maps to Ecstasy
Through the rhythms, she taught us to surrender to that which moves through everything, and tap into the intelligence embedded deep within our cells. To return home to the rhythm of who we really are, and into a place of profound healing. The practice is, quite literally, a technology for finding God:
“We dance because it’s the fastest, most direct route to the truth—not some big truth that belongs to everybody, but the get down and personal kind, the what’s-happening-in-me- right-now kind of truth. This is not always easy for us to access—we have to navigate some very deep past, as well as the probable futures we drum up to feed the fear that drives us round the same circles, day in and day out.
We dance to hook up to the true genius lurking behind all that bullshit—to seek refuge in our originality and our power to reinvent ourselves; to shed the past, forget the future and fall into the moment feet first…
We dance to reclaim our brilliant ability to disappear in something bigger, something safe, a space without a critic or a judge or an analyst. The beat is a lover that never disappoints and, like all lovers, it demands 100 percent surrender. It has the power to seduce moves we couldn't dream. It grabs us by the belly, turns us inside out and leaves us abruptly begging for more… We dance to fall in love with the spirit in all things.”http://www.gabrielleroth.com/
“Shed the past, forget the future and fall into the moment feet first”
Why do we dance? We dance because it’s the fastest, most direct route to the truth — not some big truth that belongs to everybody, but the get down and personal kind, the what’s-happening-in-me- right-now kind of truth. This is not always easy for us to access — we have to navigate some very deep past, as well as the probable futures we drum up to feed the fear that drives us round the same circles, day in and day out. We dance to hook up to the true genius lurking behind all that bullshit — to seek refuge in our originality and our power to reinvent ourselves; to shed the past, forget the future and fall into the moment feet first. You remember being fifteen, possessed by the beat, by the thrill of music pumping loud enough to drown out everything you’d ever known. Of course you do.
We dance to reclaim our brilliant ability to disappear in something bigger, something safe, a space without a critic or a judge or an analyst. The beat is a lover that never disappoints and, like all lovers, it demands 100% surrender. It has the power to seduce moves we couldn’t dream. It grabs us by the belly, turns us inside out and leaves us abruptly begging for more. The beat is bad, wicked, sick –whatever the word is now.
“Dance to fall in love with the spirit in all things”
We dance to fall in love with the spirit in all things, to wipe out memory or transform it into moves that nobody else can make because they didn’t live it. It’s a sacred thing, the beat. We love beats that move faster than we can think, beats that drive us ever deeper inside, that rock our worlds, break down walls and make us sweat our prayers.
We dance to survive and the beat offers a yellow brick road to make it through the chaos that is the tempo of our times. Chaos is the way of the mind when it is free-styling , winging its way back to an instinctive, intuitive intelligence, the kind we need to survive — not only the real shit going down, but the massive amount of stuff we insist on making up to insure our suffering. God provides, and god don’t need no help. God is the dance and the dance is the way to freedom and freedom is our holy work.
So get down and find out what your hands, your shoulders, your elbows, knees and, most importantly, your hips and feet have to say about it. There is a dance only you can do, that exists only in you, here and now, always changing, always true. Are you willing to listen with fascination? If you are, it will deliver you unto the self you have always dreamed you could be. This is a promise.
Love
Love Raids are sacred rampages of total
kindness and uninhibited fervor in your being to let someone know how gorgeous
they are and all the ways you want the world to remember that it’s very nature
is ecstasy.
Love Raid
You are Perfect
You are Grace
You are Love
Everything about you is perfection becoming more perfect
There’s no end to your perfection
You Are That
You are the Great Expanse
Of Perfection becoming more perfect
How can Grace fall from Grace?
You cannot fall from Grace
You are Grace
Grace falls as Grace
It’s too big of a burden
To carry around..
Thinking that you’ve fallen from Grace
She has not deserted you
She has not cast you out
You cannot catch her
She never ran away from you
She is You
And when She does fall
It’s just like perfect ripe fruit
In the flow of gravity
Cracking open on this earth
Offering nourishment to all
Love Raid
You are Perfect
You are Grace
You are Love
Everything about you is perfection becoming more perfect
There’s no end to your perfection
You Are That
You are the Great Expanse
Of Perfection becoming more perfect
How can Grace fall from Grace?
You cannot fall from Grace
You are Grace
Grace falls as Grace
It’s too big of a burden
To carry around..
Thinking that you’ve fallen from Grace
She has not deserted you
She has not cast you out
You cannot catch her
She never ran away from you
She is You
And when She does fall
It’s just like perfect ripe fruit
In the flow of gravity
Cracking open on this earth
Offering nourishment to all
love me
You are seen.
You are known.You are loved.
You are known.You are loved.
~ Nadia Narain
Remember
Sometimes, the one bright spot in a dark sky makes all the difference.
The desolate field has its own beauty, and its own purpose, like the times in our lives where things change and fall away so new things can grow. The dark things in life aren't the bad things. Usually, they are necessary things, things that shape us.
But that one spot of bright red bursting forth in the midst of all of it? Don’t forget that you are that spot.
The desolate field has its own beauty, and its own purpose, like the times in our lives where things change and fall away so new things can grow. The dark things in life aren't the bad things. Usually, they are necessary things, things that shape us.
But that one spot of bright red bursting forth in the midst of all of it? Don’t forget that you are that spot.
Let life amaze you, when everyone around you has succumbed to jaded boredom.
Startle people with your smile, even when it’s raining.
Hug someone; let go last.
Practice gratitude—out loud.
Tell people you love and appreciate them.
Be radically honest—especially with yourself.
Use that “20 seconds of insane courage” and do that thing that’s dancing around the edges of your heart, waiting to be done.
Let go of who you think you should be or who you think you want to be and be who you actually are, because when you do that, you become the bright red leaves against the dying field.
You are extraordinary.
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