The Cave of the Yogi

Gee- by the looks of things it has been awhile since I last posted. I haven't left the planet though it seems like it. I suppose I am caught up in the world at large as is everyone else. I will have to reflect and see whether or not I can honestly continue with my efforts here.

The global crisis has all of our attentions, then you add that I am still working overtime, preparing for my class each week and teaching it, plus setting up a webpage for Yoga Union leaves me with little time it seems. If I have an audience at all it is probably small eh?

I will tell a little bit about a conference call I had this morning with Sikh Dharma or Dashvandh, it's sort of like Kundalini gateway to prosperity. We had an excellent call today. My question was how do we keep balance in our lives? I teach matter of factually about keeping one's balance in life, don't tell but my own life perhaps is not as balanced as it should be, and that may be a bit of an oxymoron. I can still hope that somebody listens and does not make the mistakes that I make. The answer was this, it is the acceptance of life as it is, which seems cruel right, we want it different... So whether we are Yogi's sequestered in our cave as they did in India as a retreat from the world in order to meditate, or out in the world it is all the same, we are yogi's either way. If we disassociate a little bit from our karmic past and our current situation.... then we gain the freedom we so desire.

I think the biggest thing I came away with: We all know what to do, the trick is to live it in this lifetime.

I plan on doing a special class for Prosperity on the 25th of November during my class at Yoga Union.

-m

Interesting Story of an Immigrant from Guatemala

link:

WSJ Report on Immigrants

International Day of Peace

In honor of International Day of Peace we invite all yoga students, and anyone interested to a special meditation at Yoga Union, on Sunday September 21st, 6:00 pm at the Yoga Center. Mike (that's me) the Kundalini Yoga Teacher will be leading the event, it is open to everyone. There will be a light warm up followed by a meditation for Peace and Healing. Come join us. The event is free.

The United Nations dedicates this special day to non-violence and invites all governments and citizens of the world to support this peace initiative through education, meditation, and peaceful action. 3HO is a Non-Governmental Organization in consultative status with the United Nations, and is committed to the excellence of the individual and the elevation of humanity through the technologies of Kundalini Yoga, meditation, and conscious living; we urge all communities, yoga centers, families, and individuals to dedicate Spetember 21 to peace and healing through education, meditation, and prayer.

Heal the planet with our presence, our hearts, our minds. The path to peace is in each one of us.

-m

On Being Rich

The richest person is the one who has cultivated a cool mind- free of tension and anxiety. We can have money, but yet still not be rich. Changing the world is not in our hands, we cannot stop all these things that occur. We can be happy in times of tension if we tell ourselves to be happy, then nobody can make us unhappy. The past is already gone; the future is yet-- to be happy this minute is in our hands. With tranquility in the midst of calamity we make others more tranquil. Our own serenity is contagous, smile at someone and they will smile back. We could in this life time create great joy if we chose to do so. A carefree life is only possible with a well-controlled mind, one that is free of anxiety, personal desires or possessions.

-m

Sugar Blues


The book Sugar Blues- interesting, informative, is about the history of sugar, its effects, and I highly recommend it. It is not a recent book published in 1975, but it will take time before information in it will become obsolete, if ever. I will say it straight out, sugar is not OK for you, and if you believe otherwise, by the time you finish the book you may have a different view.

People have fought wars over the sugar trade, great fortunes won and lost, health has been destroyed, people indentured into slavery for it's harvest. Probably a big reason for many psychiatric diseases, madness, insanity, are more to do with sugar than anything wrong with the person. The brain is very sensitive to what is consumed by the body. Sugar is highly addictive and to believe otherwise, well just try and quit.

Sugar is responsible for a huge increase in diabetes. I met a doctor during my travels through Costa Rica and he told me that 50% of the patients he is treating are being diagnosed with adult onset diabetes and this includes a high number of young people contracting the disease. At the other end of the spectrum is hypoglycemia, which is also a huge problem with many people, it has so many symptoms and often mimics other diseases so it is often not diagnosed properly by the medical profession. Anything from funguses, microbes, parasites, mycosis, candida, yeast infections, hemorrhoids, eczema, sinus infections, panic attacks, poor memrory, anxiety, increased colds and flu, adrenal and thyroid weakness, food allergies fatigue, all are directly attributable to sugar consumption, and you can throw in learning disabilities and behavioral problems and many other diseases.

If you want to turn your health around look for foods low on the glymcemic scale, obviously no sugar, most sweeteners, (try stevia) stay away from white flour, white rice, white potatoes. You can find information on the Internet on the Glycemic Index with tables showing which foods are high or low on the scale.

I donʼt agree with all the recipes in the book to some extent like dried fruit and so forth, which tends to be high in sugars, it is best not to use much. Over time your taste change and sweetness is relative.

You can buy the book used for a few dollars.

-m

Kiritan

Chanting is a big part of Kundalini Yoga , in fact it has become my favorite part. It is quick way to calm, relax, renew, center, elevate oneself, and connect with the divine.

Here is an article "Yoga Rock Stars " that features a few well know chanters that have reached "stardom" - rock star status.

Wah! and Snatam are a couple of Kundalini rock stars in the article although there are many others. If you venture to Solstice sometime, it can get wild and crazy with chants sometimes sounding more like rock songs than chants... It's all in good fun and release all that pent up energy generated through the day and released at night during the Yogi Tea Cafe jamb session.

-m

Yogi Bhajan's Birthday Anniversary
August 26

I participate every year on some level for Yogiji's Birthday, it's an amazing event when you realize 1,000's of people are simulataneously chanting and meditating. Here is the agenda:

August 15 - August 25, chant 31 minutes of Guru Guru Wahe Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru at any time of the day.

In gratitude we celebrate the spirit and wisdom of Yogi Bhajan with 11 days of meditation leading up to the anniversary of his birth. Join the global community to connect with the spirit of Yogi Bhajan, offering thanks for all the blessings he so generously shared with us.

Then on
August 26, worldwide simultaneous meditation, beginning at 3:00 AM Pacific Daylight Savings Time: chant Guru Guru Wahe Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru for 11 minutes. It is also traditional to do 2.5 hours of Long Ek Ong Kars at a time best suited to your time zone.

Yoga

Yoga is a transformational experience, many just come into it to stretch, relax, strengthen the body- then find there is so much more. Going beyond the postures -- yogic text, meditation, breath technique, lifestyle requires more lifetimes than you and I are likely to have.

Although there are many different paths, you may find Kundalini Yoga a good experience, it is very structured; you may find that its a good supplement to other practices.

Yoga is the act of letting go, to be effective it must be practiced with discipline, and within guidelines- otherwise we just find ourselves wandering around without a map. Structure allows us to explore all the different aspects of yoga with a few minutes to an hour or more however much time you have.

August Classes:

Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:30 PM

Aug 5 – Stretching Series

Aug 12 – Upper Back & Shoulders

Aug 19 – Lower Back & Hips

Aug 26 – Runners & Skiers Conditioning Series

Coming in September!

Kundalini Yoga for Beginners

Tuesdays 7:00 – 8:15 PM

Hope to see you in class!

-m

Coming Events!

Next month for the whole month of August take One Kundalini Yoga Class For Free!

Tuesday 5:30 - 6:30pm No passes needed just show up!

Coming in September its Back to Basics- Kundalini Yoga for Beginners! Start easy and gentle with this class and learn the basics. This class will start at 7:00 pm Tues, and will go longer than the standard class!

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Although I am not familiar with this man- I ran across this video. Look at it when you have time, its over an hour, a little slanted toward academics, but lessons about life - goals, and very humorous.

"Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008) gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving presentation, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals."

Apparently Randy finally lost his battle to cancer early Friday morning . . .

Taxing

Citizens More Taxed Now Than Under King George

My normal Saturday routine was interrupted with a kayak trip, it has been quite some time since last collecting seaweed, and this is the last minus tide for awhile. By the time I got back too much to do so never got to this.

My trip- I found I had enough energy to propel the kayak through some chop wind and moderate swell having not done so for over a year. (see the link as to why not) Even though the weather was rainy, every now and then I was treated to a burst of sun through the clouds, which was not happening early morning back in town. I took a rest on an island at the far end of eastern channel, then headed back with a larger swell with the incoming tide, necessitating the use of the rudder. And the holds were heavily laden with fresh seaweed.

It seems sometimes in life, it is a matter of discovering and then rediscovering, a sort of oh ya I remember now. I have recently resumed my raw/live food diet, which I had been on for several years, then interrupted by travel to Costa Rica. Not that it was impossible to eat raw in Costa Rica, but sometimes very difficult. And on my return my habits did not revert easily back. My energy level has just not been what it used to be, and finally putting 2 & 2 together all the while ignoring problematic symptoms I decided I definitely needed to get back to a raw diet completely. Just a few days into phase one diet with only raw vegetables, nuts and seeds, some of the vibrancy is beginning to return.

While I suspect that not everyone needs or wants to go RAW, and I think honestly the only ones who will stay on one are spiritually motivated. None the less we should all consider changing and simplifying the diet as one becomes older. I have transitioned from SAD (Standard American Diet), to food combining, to vegan, and now to raw, and have noticed health benefits all along the way. If you ever want to know that 'whyʼs' of live food consumption and preparation, there is no better read out there than Gabriel Cousenʼs, M.D., Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine it's the Bible. Itʼs never about sacrifice its always about regaining that youthful energy and health, and celebrating unadulterated natural foods.

-m

Class

This weeks class we will be working on the 5th chakras, the exercises will be gentle with much visual imagery and guided meditation.

-m

We are the Revolution

Just a few more thoughts on Solstice as it winds down. Not everybody of coarse practices with the amount of vigor that I do. The teens are there having fun, and it is hard not to get caught up in the laughter during the ‘serious’ event. As I look around me there are some really old people doing this. Some are setting in chairs, some have to put their arms down now and then, as do we all as there is always that one kriya that no matter how hard you try to maintain… anyway the revolution:

Just to begin because I think he is a forward looking person, Yogi Bhagan said before he passed, that the time of a spiritual leader has passed and no one shall follow him. What he meant by that is that there would no longer be a central figure as in the past. And since his passing what remains is a board to take over all the functions that he once served. As we move into the Aquarian age from the old age, the Piscean Age of command and control- into an age of greater cooperation. In between that change is going to be a certain amount turmoil, but also great opportunity.

I believe we can and need to make changes to our society on a large scale. My proposal, and I am not the only one thinking this way, is that we work away from the central control model to a distributed network. Sort of like a web, or a mesh, inter-connectivity- much like the internet, and actually using the internet- sort of an electronic democracy. Call it a universal blog… We need a system that changes and adapts to the needs of people very quickly, whether it is a health crisis, housing, natural disaster, monetary crisis, making budgeting decisions. How long does it take the government and central control to respond to any of those? And many times the solution is worse than the problem itself.

The government is here to serve us, but instead we seem to have to serve it with questionable benefit and much disharmony. How about a system set up in this fashion - where no one part is the whole system, and if any one part of the system breaks down it continues to function without that part.

Some of the problems of today are the direct result of too much central control, and some of the by-products are war, lack of action when action is required such as the current energy crisis, politicians acting in their own self interest rather than that of humanity at large. It is time to end the command and control value system. It is time for all who desire to be, to be a part of the decision making process to have the power to do so. As a collective group- we have high intelligence, as separated groups, or individuals we have low intelligence.

Buckminster Fuller once said that the best way to change a system is not to fight it, but to build a better model.

More thoughts on this subject:

ʽManifesto for the NEXT Industrial Revolution ʽ

Sat Nam! - 'truth is our name'… -m

---

Summer Solstice

3HO (Happy Healthy Holy Organization) puts on a week long event twice a year at the sun’s northern and southern most trajectory, it is called Summer and Winter Solstice, of course depending on the time of year! It is the easiest time with the effect of the sun on the earth’s magnetic field to make change. To say the least it is always a challenge to try and explain the “solstice” experience to anyone other than someone who has been to the event, so I simply anymore call it a camp. What you might imagine as camp is only one aspect. I know the experience varies with the individual attending.

I sat down one time with a woman while at Summer Solstice in Ram Das Puri, the Jemez mountains just outside of Espanola where the summer event is held, the altitude, heat and dryness all put pressure on the body. She was from another practice, and told me to her it was like the Olympics of Yoga. That might be one way to look at it. After three hours with your arms up in the air trying to think of anyway possible to keep them up, yah…. Focus and the correct mental image… Why why why would anyone put themselves through all that? The desire for change- and it takes that much force usually because the mind habits are hard to break, just ask any psychologist. Well I don’t know but, it gives you inner and outer strength to endure, mental toughness, to maybe have endurance beyond what others have, giving you advantage in life. You release inner anger, emotional garbage floating around and in the end you circumvent the ego and all the selfish ‘the world revolves my a--’ and one becomes very blissful and connected with everything around you. I may have even reached states of Nirvana, or Samadhi. Of course you can reach these states on your own but maybe not quite so sustained. And there is nothing like a little support of those around you, other teachers, fellow Yogi's, your Tantric partner.

Through all the trials that make up the Solstice experience- whether you loose your luggage, forget your ID, loose your partner... you have managed to removed some of the blinders and blocks; the vision is a little clearer. It can be a challenge coming back into the world, not at first you are way to blissed out to care that the world is as it is, but after about 40 days- the effect of the White Tantric Yoga does indeed begin to wear off. It's all the same though, challenge is challenge, no matter where you are in the path of life. So this year after Winter Solstice, in an attempt to counter balance the effect of conflict between the ego and the higher self at least by a little bit I am doing a 1000 day meditation. Never estimate the ability of the ego to create conflict!

So that is every day without missing a day- I am doing the same meditation. And as the days go by- sometimes with boring repetition, there are points of inflection - revelation that can occur, you move beyond time and space, and thank GOD- why would you ever keep on doing this- and it comes- perhaps you chose to pulse the navel differently, or change the breath or it's the way you hold the locks, and suddenly you know what it is to be a yogi, for a moment in time the ancient one, the wisdom, you are not you, everything is very still, no concern of today - tomorrow, and every moment is a moment of timelessness- no beginning no end. I suppose maybe yesterday was one of those moments for me, day 183, and why not it was Solstice.

I think a daily vacation and recentering does one a world of good, and it only takes a few minutes.

Happy Solstice

Sat Nam

-m

Boom Bust and Politics

I don’t often touch on the subject of politics, but it is interesting to note that neither of the two candidates has any idea what to do about the economy, maybe that is good, maybe that is bad. But in truth or in theory- the notion is that our economy is self adjusting, and left somewhat to its own devices it will purge and move on. The problem is we have tried to avert crisis for so long- usually by government or central bank intervention… i.e. remember some of the crisis’s of days gone by: Long – Term Capital Management collapse, the Asian Contagion, the Internet Stock Market Bubble followed by the Real Estate Bubble, now the current cycle Commodities Bubble (while still in the midst of one crisis as another emerges). The cycle of boom and bust seem to be more rapid than ever. All I can say is everything seems to happen real time with all this information. And there is the drone of a thousand analysts on the sidelines giving the play by play, and with a few notable exceptions way off base.

So Oil up 40% year to date, there is a lot of debate as to what that means, and whether or not we are suffering from inflation in the traditional sense. The difference between now and the 70’s is wages are not going up, and the supply of money is not going up out of control, or so they say, it could be these new liquidity injections and so forth into the banking system are stealth ways to add money. So now we find the basic needs of society are being priced out of reach. Is it going to have to reach some sort of crisis before anyone does anything ? And by anyone I mean those people in power with the bigger cushion of wealth to protect them, the ones that can put people to work, and the ones that $4.00 gas is really no big deal what is all the fuss? An interesting side note is this, the U-4 Unemployment rate is running close to 10%, this includes workers who have given up on looking for work.

Much of our problems could be expectations. In order to grow society and wealth, we need more of everything, more demand increases prices, but consider the Europeans:

Europeans schedule activities, use public transportation, share, and do without. They are more apt to live in a small apartment or flat, travel and have lavish meals as they learned long ago by culture, to live for the experience rather than collecting things which, is the norm in this society.

And how about oil when we compare ourselves to the rest of the world:

Worldwide oil consumption is about 87 million barrels of oil per day.

We consume 25% of that alone in the U.S.

That's about 22 million barrels of oil a day.

That works out to about 11 supertanker loads.

Those big black tank rail cars you see hold about 26,000 gallons.

So at 42 gallons per barrel, 22 million barrels works out to some 924 million gallons.

At 26,000 gallons per car, it would fill over 35,000 tank cars. Per day.

I am going to try and take some time out, even if only a day, and get my compass aligned again. The magnetic poles get influenced by too much magnetic fields acting on it all the time, and I forget the real me, which does not always correspond to what others think that may be. The biggest mistake in life is to try and define oneself, for you are undefinable, infinite, and without any limitations.

-m

White Collar Turns Blue

Here is an article written in 1996, in the New York Times, projecting what the world would be like in 2096. An interesting view of supply - demand. Humm.... interesting.

Click here to read the article

The Character of the Aquarian Age

I think we can all directly feel the changes occurring today on the planet- stress is increasing, the demands on us more intense. Some people are freaking out with the change of the earth's energy field, while others bask in it. The practice of Kundalini Yoga can help us deal with the stresses of the times. Here is from the 3HO newsletter on the Aquarian Age:

• Change and learning is continuous and life-long. We must maintain mental, emotional, and physical flexibility.

• Intellect is not enough. We need a new relationship to intuition, emotion and instinct.

• Information is not enough. Neither is knowledge. We need wisdom.

• Learning is not enough. We must learn to learn.

• Complexity is increasing as is our need to deal with it.

• Our sense of personal identity and its foundation is shifting.

• This is an age of paradox–more global and more individual, with fewer boundaries and more demand for political separations. Everything is faster and we have less time. We need far more love and unity, for we have more fear and tremendous insecurity.

• Stamina and constant peak performance are the common benchmarks to evaluate all people and their work, and the need is to go inward and regenerate.

• We require a reconciliation and integration of the spiritual side of life with the technological and material sides–a spiritual fitness to sense values and meaning.

• There is no isolation. Each action we take must be considered ecologically, and globally, because each person does affect, directly or indirectly, vast networks of people, and other living beings and places.

© The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan

From "The Aquarian Teacher Level One Textbook" by Yogi Bhajan,
published by the Kundalini Research Institute

Classes starting next week will feature the chakras system. I have been wanting to do this for awhile, but then we did them for Spring Cleaning decided to wait for awhile. Each week we will work on one of the chakras and do exercises to help stimulate that particular area. We will move up the spine until we have experienced them all. We also will be exploring the various bodies via meditation, starting with the soul body, moving to the mind, physcial body, the arcline, the aura, pranic body, subtle body, and the radiant body. Hope to see you there.

Mike

Food and Health

We can use food as a healing tool - given a little time and patience, here is a list of some foods and health giving properties. Vegetarians are more conscious of what they eat, they have to be so this information is especially useful. I always recommend cutting back on meat consumption, if you do eat meat, concentrate on a diet of healthy wild Alaska Seafood! And maybe only one meal a day with meat... So try some of this out, proof is in the pudding as they say. People will experience different effects based on the state of their own health, and if we let things go too far then it takes stronger medicine. Why let it get that far?

Almonds – It is usually best to remove the skin as it is astringent, by blanching. As with all the nuts raw is best. All nuts can be soaked in water for 8 hours to make the enzymes more available to the body. Excellent protein for people like me (vegetarians) good for the eyes

Walnuts - for angina and lowering cholesterol

Cashews - for the adrenals & pancreas

Pistachios - everything your body needs

Bananas - for energy they can be good for both constipation and diarrhea. They should be not under ripe or too ripe

Black pepper - fresh ground is a good blood purifier, aids in the digestion of food, good on melons to stop intestinal gas. Boiling a half a teaspoon peppercorns in water for 5 minutes is said to be useful in treating arthritis and asthma.

Beets - for the liver, good for hemorrhoids, which is a sign the liver is toxified, Yogi Bhajan recommended a fast twice a year eating cooked beets to cleanse the liver.

Celery - has a sedative effect, calming the nervous system. Good intestinal cleanser

Chiles - are extremely high in Vitamin C and A. Beneficial for the circulatory and digestive system. They have been used as a cure for ulcers. The pulpy part and seeds attached to it are the hottest part and maybe removed. They take some getting used to as they have a bit of after burn effect!

Coconut - contains all the essential amino acids. The milk is good for bones and teeth, and is useful for treatment of urinary diseases, constipation, vomiting, fatigue, nervousness, and general weakness.

Dates - are a good laxative, good energy source, not harmful to teeth like other sugars. Make a youth maintaining drink with milk

Garlic - gets rid of fungi and is a natural antibiotic and is helpful for seaman production

Ginger - removes poisons in body, gives energy

Grapes – C vitamin, as mono diet can transform the bloodstream and detoxify the body to overcome chronic diseases. Natural laxative. Green grapes clear the complexion

Honey –has been used to treat asthma, hay fever, allergies, digestive disorders, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, hemorrhoids, bad complexion and weak heart. No more than a teaspoon or so a day though

Lecithin – the oil found in soy beans is also found in the brain and is a coating for the nerves. It can improve memory and overall brain function. It is also helpful with heart problems and poor circulation. It can clear skin conditions, stimulate the growth of hair. 2 -3 tsp per day. Larger does require calcium lactate to balance the excess phosphorus.

Legumes – dried beans build up hemoglobin of blood, sprouted they are even better. Mung beans are the easiest to digest.

Lemons – excellent vitamin source. Purifies the blood. They are very acid but the effect is to alkalinize the body, very useful in treating liver disorders. Sore throat, cold, fever, dissolve lemon juice and honey in hot water for a soothing drink.

Mangoes – are helpful with liver disorders and menstrual disorders, and people trying to gain weight. Mono diet of mangoes and milk improve health and vigor. Also helps with poor eyesight, constipation, indigestion. You can make an excellent Mango lassi with yogart (drink) you find this all over India.

Mustard greens – high in calcium, A, and C. One of the most healthful vegetables consumed. The chlorophyll builds and purifies the blood.

Onion - to build the blood supply keeps parasites away (The state of Punjab India claims to have no cancer by eating 1 raw onion/day) Yogi Bhanan had us eat raw onions before going over for teacher training in India to defend against intestinal parasites, I had no problems over there. How to eat that much onion, Mexican food…

Oranges – much like lemons

Parsley – rich in minerals, building the blood, helpful in treating diabetes, cleansing the kidneys, regulating the calcium balance in the body. Good breath freshener (especially after eating garlic) Parsley juice for purging the body of poisons can mix with other veg.

Pineapple – invigorating effect on the curative forces of the body. Good for the kidneys and liver when they are over stressed.

Potatoes – very nourishing, cleanses body tissue. Cook whole with skin in tact to protect nutrients. Skins help balance the acidic white of the potatoes. Useful in ridding the body of toxins such as uric acid. Potatoe peel broth each morning may be helpful in loosing stiff joints.

Pear - juice (fresh) can melt kidney stones and fibroids (with black pepper)

Sweet potatoes - for energy

Daikon Radish - for the liver

Water Chestnuts - for eyes, ears, nose, throat

Happy Memorial Weekend - Let us Pray for Peace - It starts with Inner Peace

Sat Nam!

The paradox of choice

Here is an interesting link on a video about having too many choices in our lives, and how marketers maybe exploit that a little. Keeping with our theme of money and the meaning of life a few post ago. Check out the video below. This is where it pays to have a neutral mind... and the way to that is through the practice of meditation...

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/93

THE TAO OF POOH

I ran across this review, might be an interest book eh?

A few lines out of the book:

Literally, Wu Wei means “without doing, causing, or making.” But practically speaking, it means without meddlesome, combative, or egotistical effort. It seems rather significant that the character Wei developed from the symbols for a clawing hand and a monkey, since the term Wu Wei means no going against the nature of things; no clever tamperingl No Monkeying Around.

The efficiency of Wu Wei is like that of water flowing over and around the rocks in its path–not the mechanical, straight-line approach that usually ends up short-circuiting natural laws, but one that evolves from an inner sensitivity to the natural rhythm of things.

. . . Cleverness, as usual, takes all the credit it possibly can. But it’s not the Clever Mind that’s responsible when things work out. It’s the mind that sees what’s in front of it, and follows the nature of things.

When you work with Wu Wei, you put the round peg in the round hole and the square peg in the square hole. No stress, no struggle. Egotistical Desire tries to force the round peg into the square hole and the square peg into the round hole. Cleverness tries to devise craftier ways of making pegs fit where they don’t belong. Knowledge tries to figure out why round pegs fit round holes, but not square holes. Wu Wei doesn’t try. It doesn’t think about it. It just does it. And when it does it, it doesn’t appear to do much of anything. But Things Get Done.

“Having trouble, Piglet?”
“The lid on this jar is stuck,” gasped Piglet.
“Yes, it . . . is, isn’t it. Here, Pooh, you open it.
(Pop)
“Thanks, Pooh,” said Piglet.
“Nothing really.” said Pooh.
“It’s easy.” said Pooh. “You just twist on it like this, until you can’t twist it any harder. Then you take a deep breath and, as you let it out, twist. That’s all.”
“Let me try that!” yelled Tigger, bouncing into the kitchen. “Where’s that new jar of pickles? Ah, here it is.”
“Tigger,” began Piglet nervously, “I don’t think you’d better…”
“Nothing to it,” said Tigger. “Just twist, and … ”
CRASH!
“All right, Tigger.” I said, “Get those pickles off the floor.”
“Slipped out of my paw,” explained Tigger.
“He tried too hard.” said Pooh.

And when you try too hard, it doesn’t work. Try grabbing something quickly and precisely with a tensed-up arm; then relax and try it again. Try doing something with a tense mind. The surest way to become Tense, Awkward, and Confused is to develop a mind that tries too hard–one that thinks too much.

. . . But down through the centuries, man has developed a mind that separates him from the world of reality, the world of natural laws. This mind tries too hard, wears itself out, and end up weak and sloppy. Such a mind, even if of high intelligence, is inefficient. It goes here to there, backwards and forwards, and fails to concentrate on what it’s doing at the moment.

Podcast Link:

Lester Brown [Scroll down to Part 2]

Lester Brown is interviewed by The Current and lays out an apocalyptic view of the future. He “founded both the Worldwatch Institute and the Earth Policy Institute, and over the decades, he watched the world’s population explode and consume with abandon, oblivious to how it’s spent itself way into the red, environmentally speaking. Global warming, depleted soil and water resources, deforestation, overfishing — humanity has pushed the very natural systems that sustain our species to the breaking point.”

One of my favorite quotes from Yogi Bhajan, and it's been very active in my life here the past week! :

Poke

Provoke

Confront

Elevate

Markets are really crazy right now, talk about holding onto your hats! Consumer sentiment is at it's lowest in 10 years, so the wash out is getting close, oil prices going parabolic, its going to $200 going once, going twice.... other than the commodities and sentiment, it is looking much more stable and premiums are coming in on risky paper (junk bonds). So do yourself a favor and tune out some of the news media.

So here are a few of my favorite Ayurvedic recipes. These are foods you want to mono diet with, or mix with fresh vegetables otherwise you loose some of the healing qualities. Ayurveda is the ancient science of healing and is part of yogic science. I use food as my primary method of healing & prevention followed by- herbs, tonics, and supplements, and meditation.

I may write on this a little more as it is a big subject for a post, and may add foods and their healing properties, dosa's matching food to your type etc.

Here is everyones favorite:

Yogi Tea

Add to one gallon of filtered water:

20 whole cloves

20 whole black peppercorns

20 whole green cardamom pods

5 sticks of cinnamon

2” of sliced ginger

1 black tea bag (optional)

This can be adjusted to taste but take care with cloves and cinnamon sticks.

Crush green cardamom pods with rolling pin, or mortar pestle

Bring water to boil and add all ingredients

Boil from 1 to 3 hours

If desired add one black tea bag at the end and steep for 5 minutes, acts as a binder

Strain

Let cool refrigerate

Milk is added from 1/4 to 1/3 ratio. Alternately use soy or nut milk. Honey to taste. Sometimes I will leave ingredients in over night if the tea is weak before straining. Anyone who sells bulk herbs and spices is a good bet to keep cost within reason. Like Azure Standard in Oregon (internet). Cardamom pods I hear are cheap if you go to the Indian section of town, otherwise an internet search. I spent $18 a pound for what I have, it does tend to last awhile though. Ancient Healing ways sells a kit for $15 I believe (1#). Each ingredient has a specific benefit: black pepper is a blood purifier, the cardamom is for the colon, the cloves for the nervous system, cinnamon for the bones, fresh ginger for preventing and healing a cold or flu or feeling weak. The milk acts as an aid to assimilation of the spices and coats the colon and stomach to prevent irritation.

Golden Milk

Turmeric is known as an anti-inflammatory and is good lubricant for the joints. It breaks up calcium deposits and is also good for the immune system helping the body overcome fatigue. Here is a delicious drink you can make with it. At our Solstice events of long days of White Tantric we are treated with this healing and delicious drink. We had this during Spring Cleaning the day I taught.

¼ to ½ tsp turmeric

½ cup water

8 oz milk of your choice – Moo, Soy, or Nut

1 Tbl edible cold-pressed almond oil

1 to 1 ½ tsp honey

Boil turmeric in water for about 8 minutes. You may have to add more water. Add milk and almond oil, bring close to a boil, then remove from heat and add honey.

You can alternately make a stock up of turmeric , this will last about 1 month in the fridge:

Boil 2 tsp of turmeric in 2 cups of water for 8 minutes until a thick paste forms

Ginger Tea

Ginger tea calms the nerves and energizes the body and mind. Good for colds and flu, good for women during the moon cycle.

2 cups of water

4 to 6 - 1/8 inch-thick slices of fresh ginger root unpeeled

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp honey

Bring water to boil and add ginger root slices. Boil until water is light brown, about 15 minutes. Add fresh lemon juice and honey.

Mung Beans and Rice (Kitcheree)

1 Cup Mung Beans

1 Cup basmati rice

2 bay leaves

1 – inch piece of kombu seaweed (the smooth leaf kelp on the beach around here, or other)

9 cups of water

4 – 6 cups of assorted vegetables (carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, zucchini, etc.)

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 onions chopped

½ tsp pepper

1/3 cup ginger root, minced

3 – 4 cloves of garlic

1 heaping tsp turmeric

1 heaping tsp garam masala

1 tsp crushed red chillies (more or less to taste)

1 Tbl sweet basil

Seeds of 5 cardamom pods

Sea Salt or Braggs Liquid Aminos to taste

Soak mung beans over night, wash beans and rice at least 3 times. Bring water to boil; add beans, bay leaves, and kombu seaweed; and let boil over medium high heat. When the beans are soft, 40 to 50 minutes, add rice, lower heat to simmer, and let cook for another 20 minutes.

Clean and cut vegetables, Add vegetables to simmering rice and beans and continue to cook for approximately 15 more minutes. In the meantime heat oil in frying pan, add onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté over medium-high flame until brown. Add turmeric, pepper, garam masala, and red chilies. Add this mixture to the pot with beans and rice. You will need to stir often now to prevent sourcing. Continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Add extra boiling water if needed, ingredients should be soupy. Serve with yogurt. This excellent food if you are sick, breaking a fast, for the young and elderly, use as a healing mono-diet, is easy to digest.

This is an excellent recipe, you may substitute millet for the rice. It is spicy and will make you sweat. Sometimes I follow the recipe, but hold out the carrots, broccoli, and other veg until done cooking as I prefer my vegetables raw and add after it cools a little to the bowl. Yogi Bhajan believes it is essential to cook the trinity roots (onion, garlic, ginger) and the turmeric, so I do that. However I do not believe in cooking the veggies to death, but may make it easier if the digestion system is weak.

Have a good weekend!

update...

There is a book out there by the way with that same title: Money and the Meaning of Life, I didn't necessarily draw material from there specifically. It's a good read. Someday I will have clickable books in the sidebar.

Next week I will write some on another equally controversial subject: food. Specifically Ayurvedic food and drink. So be sure to tune in for that. I may stop with the email alerts I know everyone loves getting email. I will generally have, if works out an update of some sort every week.

There was some thought to a separate blog on money and investing... but that may be a retirement activity, we will see. If you want to know how peoples perception on fear greed and wealth, change on a day to day basis, put some money in the markets.

Even though prosperity comes and goes as it will, Yogi Bhajan came to the west and spent the first winter in Vancouver BC wearing newspapers around his feet for shoes, as he lost all his luggage and money, became homeless. Not only did he bring Kundalini Yoga to the west, but went on to form 14 corporations, Yogi Tea, WaheGuruChew, Peace Cereal, Kettle Chips, Akal Security.... to name a few.

Here's a few exerts from a daily blog I subscribe to on the horrific events going on 1/2 a world away:

“If economic textbooks had a chapter on how to destroy an economy, then Burma – renamed Myanmar by its ruling generals – would be a perfect case study. Cyclone Nogin was a natural disaster, but that was only the latest catastrophe to befall the Burmese. The other was man-made...

“The reality of Burma's economic mismanagement was seared in my mind when I last was there. Grinding poverty and government neglect were visible. On a Rangoon sidewalk, a young mother held baby so malnourished that it probably died not long after I gave her a small bit of money. It was probably more than she had ever had in her hands at one time, and far more than the malignant military government spends on any desperate citizen in a year.

"Half Burma’s national budget goes on the military for one of the largest armies in the world, with more than 400,000 soldiers. Spending on other needs is distinctly lower. The UN estimated that Burma spends about $1.25 per person per year on education and health combined.

"The fury of the cyclone missed Naypidaw. The spirits (Nats) killed fishermen instead of generals. The angry spirits may have missed their target, but the people know where the generals are."

Thoughts on money and the meaning of Life

Money has many symbolic images in our society: power, greed, happiness, love, freedom, fulfillment, dreams, second homes, cars boats planes, leisure-time, vacations, travel, end to world hunger, no more struggling. We assign so much to it. But the problem is we either can’t get enough, or have too much (really?).

Money can indeed provide fulfillment, and give us some of those things. But there is a flip side, researchers call it the ‘hedonic treadmill’ and you never can seem to get off, it can take on a life of its own, and no amount of ‘stuff’ completely satisfies. There is a tripping point- when the buying, shopping and dropping, and the satisfaction wears off – the thrill disappears, the only way to fulfillment- is to plan and scheme for that next big shopping binge. Retailers, marketers and sales people know this. So the price tag for the hedonic treadmill is pretty big- if it causes you to be away from friends- family, doing the things you like to do. So think always about what it cost.

So what else is there about money? Many people view money as a form of security. Are they right? No, not really- money will not provide the kind of security you might imagine. Just begs the question: What is happening to dollar assets? Feeling secure? Does the dollar value of your home feel secure? Does your job feel secure? The paper assets have lost value, and yet- ‘fear’ has everyone is rushing into T-bills and cash; and that which is supposed to be secure is becoming unsecure and worth- less. The move is at record levels out of “securities” (stocks) (funny name huh?) into the money market funds. The sky is clearly falling. We wanted all those things money can buy and with such intensity- and suddenly, we awoke from our sleepy little dream, to impending doom. So- is acting on fear, wise? I never think it is.

How do we feel secure with our money? Think of money this way; that there is a consciousness of money and it represents potential energy. If it sits somewhere unused (under the mattress) or is unproductive (buying and flipping un-built condos in Miami) it loses all that potential to do anything useful in the world, so it seeks to free itself, there is no value in it sitting there locked up, not even worth the paper it is printed on. It is only when we put it to work in a sensible manner, or release it by giving; that money manifest itself into its true power. We really can never give money away without it having an effect in the world. The only proof in this is to give some of it away- then see what happens in your own life. So having a balanced view of money is important, think in terms of doing ‘good’ with it, and it will do ‘good’ for you. If you have a little extra, use common sense always, and a balanced approach to weather any surprises that come up.

Perhaps the best security of all however - is not money itself; it’s the knowledge of who you are-- your soul purpose, giving so that you can receive, being in the flow of life, being in the flow of the universe. Fight this and you will know how it feels to be insecure. Life has a way of throwing in a test time to time, and probably when you least want it. You don’t want to have the mistaken identity when these come up- that this is a permanent roadblock to your personal advancement; quite often it’s challenge to be met, over come, and to propel you forward in life-. And who knows you just may meet the same challenge again, and at a higher level of consciousness. Will it be any easier? I seriously doubt it, but you will have the tools and courage you learned the first time to punch on through.

Remember money is no substitute for your own sense of self- the truth and wisdom within, and with the wise appreciation of its power it can bring that which you need.

Be Rich –

Live Rich

Mike

Here's a quick update to the blog. If you enjoy the music of Snatam Kaur - here is a link and sound clip as well as some photos. You can also visit her website where short clips of her music that loop. Snatam literally means: universal, nucleus, and friend to all. She certainly is.

http://www.snatamkaur.com/enewsletter/2008-04/video-audio/slideshow/

Welcome to the long- past due, and best of intentions blog, otherwise to be known as Mike On Life. I first began this project several years ago, and with the best of intentions- somehow it all hit the sidetracks. No words, thoughts, or manifestations - always in the background, never acted on. You know like writers block... Procrastination? Like that unopened can of tuna fish. Oh give me a break! The time is right, the planets are properly aligned. Lets see where this goes. Lets open that can!

So, aside from a few issues of getting off the ground- here we go...hold onto your hats, the official beginning- maybe without too much fan-fare, grand standing, or trumpets blaring...

OK... - but, before we begin, a little direction- the intention is to serve up an interesting cross section, anywhere beyond the mundane, I've read that before, give me a break kind of stuff. Although some of the focus is on yoga we will look at other interesting and perhaps different ways of looking at life, in sort of an off beat style, covering the physical, spiritual, and mental- not to leave anything out- as life is all about balance- and not over focusing on any one element. So... if you are inclined drop by-- be patient, the words may come easy but the bells and whistles... RSS feeds, links etc. will take some time.


Illuminate others- so their own self awareness extends beyond time and space...

Sat Nam! Mike

A little slice of Sat Nam:
Truth is our name, -our salutation -our celebration -of who we are.