Yoga For Peace & Health
Class notes  

"Peace and Health Cafe.com" wants to share its Yoga For Peace & Health class notes with all. We hold the class on Wednesday evenings in Greenwich, CT, and enjoy a little over an hour of deep relaxation; yoga teachings, asanas (movement) to wake up every cell and circulate the blood; and practice pranayama (breathing) to bring oxygen into the body and move our life energy to keep us balanced. We listen to sacred music, too!

Yoga is a way of life, to be practiced every day.

This special Yoga For Peace & Health class notes page reminds students of some of the lovely wisdom from each class, and we hope you enjoy this page. Stay and visit the "Cafe!" 

http://www.peaceandhealthcafe.com/yogagreenwichct.html 

Photo portrait upper right: Paramahansa Yogananda 

Paramahansa Yogananda on Simplicity   

  

A Simpler Life Is a Happier Life 

"Happiness is not dependent on external circumstances; rather, it is to be found in the simpler joys of life, and most of all in the ever new bliss of deep meditation.... 

Be happy by clinging to the simple, true, and lasting soul-joys. They come by deep thinking, introspection, spiritual inspiration, and meditation."

My "Occupy Wall Street" Experience on Oct. 9, 2011

Everyone's been asking what the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters want. Just read their signs! My husband Serafino and I went to downtown Manhattan yesterday to Zuccotti Park/Liberty Square near Wall Street to see for ourselves what's going on. It was exciting to be there among so many different types of people who want our current system favoring the rich to balance more in favor of the 99% of Americans who want a middle class way of life -- "The American Dream" -- that made America the envy of the world. Enjoy my slide show at "Peace and Health Cafe!"

http://www.peaceandhealthcafe.com/ows-slideshow.html

The Movement is Peaceful

Most of you have heard by now about the "Occupy Wall Street" protests in downtown Manhattan, the movement that is mobilized against the corruption in our government and corporate sector leading to the impoverishment of most while enriching the fewest. Thus far the protesters have been peacefully practicing civil disobedience as utilized successfully by Mahatma Gandhi and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., with the NYPD exhibiting rather "thuggish" handling of the citizens exercising their right to assemble in public.

Without too much judgment, it is quite plain to most people in this country that our form of government and society has been pretty much "maxed out" by legalized and unregulated greed on a scale the world has never seen. Indeed, it is unsettling the entire world's economies and societal stability. A lot of power, isn't it?! Being able to turn the world upside down. So, without too much effort, most people agree there are huge problems that are perhaps now so huge that no one knows how to fix them. That's why people are finally taking to the streets because they "are mad as hell and not gonna take it any more." Certainly natural!
Tentacles of this rampant and unchecked greed include more than our financial and economic picture, but reach into the food we eat, water we drink, air we breathe, our educational system, municipal services, employment, health care, security and personal freedom. In fact, just about EVERYTHING in our lives. It's all on the edge, precariously perched and ready to free fall. 

Many of us are nervous, unsure how to affect "revolutionary" change, have one toe in the "Occupy Wall Street" crowd. I am about to pull my bank accounts out of Wells Fargo and open accounts instead in my local bank. If it's "all about money," I suggest we withdraw our money from the market. How else can we hurt the goliaths who are turning us into serfs? If we want a one-two punch, we could stop paying taxes to the government. But that would take a lot of people to make an impact and most of us are too afraid that we'd go to jail. Fear is one thing holding us in the serf position, the 99% of us who are not vasals or lords or masters of the universe.

But, go peacefully, and hold your head up high. The People shall prevail. Have faith. Do your part. Join the movement. Keep Gandhi and MLK in the forefront of your mind. 

Download Occupy Wall Street's Declaration made public on September 29, 2011 on my web site, www.peaceandhealth.com (on right side of home page, by the peace apple).

You Are Already Peaceful

Greetings again, my dear readers, and thank you for being here. Thank yourself, too, because you have taken the time to "read a few good words," as Goethe advised, and this is a gift you give yourself. This is when you find peace inside yourself.

The recent series I presented here on "Peace and Health," was dedicated to the topic of Breathing. Breathing is something we all do, don't we? Ha ha. We take it for granted, but when we are conscious of it, aware of it as an actual act, we see we can utilize it to calm us, invigorate us, focus us. The same thing with peace, or what I'll call Inner Peace.

We all have Inner Peace inside of us. We were each born with it. So many people think that Inner Peace is something we "achieve" by "working at it," or a state of being that we will "arrive at" sometime in the future. The simple fact is it resides in you already and is the sanctuary you crave, the oasis, the calm in the midst of the storm, the balm that soothes your wounded soul. You might use your conscious Breathing to slow down to the point where you can access your Inner Peace.

Inner Peace is the bliss you feel from knowing that all is well, that your life is perfect just as it is, that you are required to be nothing more than who you truly are, a freedom that now is all there is and now is perfect and tranquil. From here you can move out into the world having been reminded of your core, that you are strong, and you can bring your peacefulness and happiness and contentment into the world and share it, spread it.

Your Inner Peace is already inside of you, always at the ready, an endless store, whenever you need it. It's there. This is how the world can become a place of peace instead of struggle, distrust, and sometimes war. We are all born peaceful beings and only need to be reminded!

Please stop by the "Peace and Health Cafe" for some strong coffee, soothing tea, biscotti, or just to chat! http://www.peaceandhealthcafe.com/

Breathing Project 4: Balancing Your Halves

I have enjoyed sharing with all of you this Breathing Project at "Peace and Health, and have heard from a number of you about being more aware of the importance of breathing consciously. To review, we have cultivated Awareness, Raising Our Energy, Smoothing Out the Kinks, and now we'll Balance Our Halves.

Balance in Mind and Body

We're now at Step 4, where we will bring the two halves of ourselves into balance and harmony. Each of us has duality, the good and bad selves, the happy and sad selves, the patient and stressed selves. Today's breath is called Alternate Nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana in Sanskrit, meaning to "purify the nadis" or energy passageways. Nadi means "little river"). It's a breath for clarity in mind, and balance in body.

You will find a number of excellent videos showing Alternate Nostril breathing on YouTube.

How To Do This Breath

Sit in a comfortable upright position with your spine tall and yet relaxed, with eyes gently closed. You will use the right hand to close each nostril as follows: Close the left nostril with the ring and pinky fingers of your right hand and breath in through your right nostril. Close your right nostril with the thumb of your right hand and exhale through your left nostril. Inhale through your left nostril. Close your left nostril with the ring and pinky fingers again and exhale through your right nostril. You toggle back and forth from nostril to nostril, in and out. Your breaths can be long and smooth, breathing fully in and out.

Kundalini

If you want to go further, here is an introduction to Kundalini yoga. Breathing in through the right nostril, which is the warm sun or masculine channel, imagine the breath coming up from the base of the spine on the right side to the top of your head. Exhale down the left side, which is the feminine or cooling moon side, of the spine back to the base of the spine. Inhaling and exhaling, trace your breath up and down the spine on either side, activating the warmth of the sun on the right and the coolness of the moon on the left. In Kundalini yoga, at the base of the spine is a coiled serpent who is awakened and enervates your "little rivers" of energy. As you do this breathing pattern, your breathing eventually synthesizes from at first tracing up and down each side of the spine to finally flowing up and down the center of the spine. This is the harmony you will enjoy as you spend time in the Alternate Nostril breathing.

As always, I enjoy hearing of your experiences trying these breathing patterns. This one is very old, and effective. Don't forget to "drop by" for a FREE GIFT from the Peace and Health Cafe!

Breathing Project 3: Smooth Out the Kinks

By now, you are taking luxuriously deep breaths often, right? Step 1 of the Breathing Project focused on Awareness, and Step 2 on Raising Your Energy. In Step 3, we'll focus on using the breath to Smooth Out the Kinks. In Step 4, to come, we will send our breath, intentions, and energy into the world.

Smoothing Out the Kinks like Gentle Waves

Think of a gentle wave washing over you, and that is how we will think about this soothing breathing pattern. You might wish to close your eyes for this breath (after reading, of course!). Breathe in through your nose imagining the breath coming up all the way from your toes to the top of your head. Then when exhaling through your nose, feel a gentle wave of water wash down through and over your body all the way past your face, your shoulders, chest, arms, belly, legs, all the way back down to your toes. As if you are being coated in warm water or light or a breeze, trickling down your inner body. (Visualize cool water or refreshing breeze if it's hot out and that seems more soothing). Imagine releasing all of the stress or tension your body has been holding onto. Feel your face, jaw, shoulders, all of your body relaxing as you wash the breath over you. Breathe in and out this way as long as you'd like.

Try this breathing pattern using "ujjayi" breathing. Ujjayi is Sanskrit for "victory breath" and is a standard yoga pranayama breath. You close your inner throat muscles half way, a half snore, so that your breath is audible. Your breath takes on an ocean-like sound. This builds heat in the body, raising your energy level and at the same time creating balance. Give your inhalation and exhalation the same volume level with ujjayi breathing.

After several breaths using the ujjayi breathing, go back to your normal breathing and see how you have smoothed out the kinks. You can open your eyes and go back to your day feeling refreshed and energized, having visited the shore of your deep and true inner sanctuary.

As always, stay in touch and tell me how you feel after Smoothing Out Your Kinks!

"Stop by" the Peace and Health Cafe for a cool herbal tea and chat: 

http://www.peaceandhealthcafe.com/

Breathing Project Step 2: Raising Your Vibes

We started the "Breathing Project" earlier this week with Awareness: Did you notice whether you were not breathing (unconsciously holding your breath) or actually breathing more often in a way that brings relief? This new awareness is important, so congratulate yourself! But here is extra credit: The point of the awareness is to bring yourself into the experience of the present moment, NOW, where life is lived.

Breathing Project Step 2 is about using your breath to Raise Your Energy, to raise your "vibrational level" as they say. Conscious breathing helps you exist in tune not only with yourself, but with the positive/higher vibration of the universe. Let's face it: You are most alive when breathing fully than when breathing weakly. 

Hiss Breath

This is a two-part exercise. First, I want to introduce you to a breath that comes from the Kundalini tradition of yoga. My hatha yoga teacher calls this the "Hiss Breath." Think of a snake (and if you explore more about Kundalini, you will discover the meaning behind the snake coiled at the base of the spine that awakens the chakra centers up towards the crown of the head). Take a deep, full breath in through the nose and then exhale while hissing, a long, strong hiss until you have fully exhaled. Now, here the key is to customize the breath for how you are feeling right now: If you are feeling wound-up, stressed, hyper and overly stimulated, then you want your hiss to be quiet, slow, calm. If you are melancholic, tired, exhausted and can't quite get going, then give your hiss breath all you've got, hissing strongly and with gusto. You can use this breath to wake you up or calm you down.

Whole Body Breath

Stand for this second part, as you will engage the whole body for this breath. Stretch up and back slightly while taking a big breath in, and then drop forward with slightly bent knees, sweeping your hands near the floor and behind your legs as you breath a strong breath out. Breathe in again as you sweep back up and back, and breathe out as you drop forward. Up and down this way. Always breathe in through the nose, but you can breathe out through your mouth if it is more comfortable. Or, you can swing your arms from side to side at shoulder height so you breathe in to the right letting right arm extend a bit behind you and left hand touches your heart, then swinging to the left so your left arm is extended and right hand touches your heart as you breathe out. So you are twisting from side to side gently, letting your head go with your arms. Allow your hands and fingers to fully stretch from side to side, too, and it is a great chest opener.

Here is a wonderful sequence that demonstrates the sideways breathing above, from Yoga Journal's Home Practice pages (immediately after opening seated position).

These breathing patterns (and there are many out there) bring needed oxygen into your body. It awakens you, allowing your energy and vibration to rise and expand. You are fresher, more alert, and have nice endorphins and fresh oxygen to help you feel a bit happier as you go out into the world in a healthy and positive way, attracting more positive energy and opportunities!

As always, write and let me know what you are experiencing.

Here is a closing quote, by T.S. Eliot:

   We shall not cease from exploration

   And the end of all our exploring

   Will be to arrive where we started

   And know the place for the first time.

Breathing Project: Let's Start

Welcome friends! Today's blog entry focuses on the ever-important topic of breathing. Yes, we all need to breathe, but we have the amazing ability to breathe in ways that are beneficial more than we may realize.

This Blog Has Expanded

Before we take this deep breath into breathing, I wanted to officially announce the opening of the Peace and Health Cafe, www.peaceandhealthcafe.com! It's your online source for advice and products to help you navigate today's challenging world. Check it out and keep in touch to let me know what you think.

Breathing Project

The "Breathing Project" here at Peace and Health is a mini-series focused on the importance of breathing for inner peace and good health. As many of you know, the practice of Yoga is the melding of movement with the breath, and a great deal of the focus is on breathing: Deep breathing, rhythmic breathing, breathing into certain areas of the body, etc. Yoga brings to the front of your awareness this simple act of breathing.

Perhaps you discover that when you think about it, you're not breathing at all! At least for many seconds, holding it tight. When you realize, "Hey, I am not breathing am I?" your breathing is then a big relief as you take a nice deep inhalation. You feel your whole body sighing and feeling great. "Why don't I do this all the time?" you say to yourself. Well you can.

While working on my new site, Peace and Health Cafe.com, there were many moments when I was so hyper-focused on tasks that I found myself not breathing much. It can happen to all of us, being so distracted that we aren't grounded in our bodies.

So, in this mini-series called "Breathing Project," let's start with Awareness. Become aware that you are breathing. If you can go a step further and really feel what it's like to breathe in and out, perhaps noticing things like your belly expanding and contracting, and the sense of relaxation or peace that occurs naturally, that would be fabulous.

On the "Exercise" page of the Peace and Health Cafe ("ADVICE"), you'll find further inspiration about breathing from Tony Samara.

As always, stay in touch with your thoughts, successes, and suggestions! Enjoy this quote from today's passage in my daily reader, "More Language of Letting Go:"

"Change often slips in when we're relaxed inside of ourselves."

Spring Cleanse for Home and Soul

Suddenly, it's May! And spring is the perfect time for this cleansing ritual for both your surroundings and your soul.

Some of you may have heard me share this practice in the past, but it's good to be reminded of such a lovely way to restore balance. I learned it from friends who attended Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa, from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. And I've performed this simple ritual with excellent results when I've moved into a new home – to flush out the old energy and bring in the new – and usually once or twice a year when the seasons change or I have a desire to get past stuck or challenging times. It helps not only you, but family members, co-workers and those close to you in your environment.

Cleansing Ritual:

You will need a candle, a bell, and incense. First, open all the doors and windows of your home including closets and major pieces of furniture. Light the candle and incense and invite a friend or family member(s) to join you as you walk in and out of each room ringing the bell and allowing the candle light and scent of the incense to have a gentle presence in each space. What you're doing is setting an intention for the old energy, the stale, stuck, or negative, to exit through the windows and doors and allowing new energy, the fresh, light, and positive, to enter into your home. When you've walked through all the parts of your home from top to bottom, blow out the candle and incense and close up the doors and windows as you see fit. You've completed a gentle, simple ritual to make the switch from the old to the new, a perfect way to ring in the new season!

This cleansing works for the office, too, and I've known people (including family members) who have literally rid their new home of ghosts with this ritual, it's that powerful!

Please stay in touch and tell me if you try this cleansing ritual and experience any positive changes in your life in the days and weeks ahead. I wish for you all to enjoy happiness and the courage to live truthfully. This is a chance for each of us to "clean the slate" and begin anew.

We Can Start Again Every Moment

Hello My Friends,

After a long absence from "Peace and Health," I'm back! It's so good to be among you all again.

Like you, I have been surviving and thriving in combinations of both. Like you, riding the ups and downs of life.

And like you, I am a sinner, not perfect, and could be a better wife, friend, daughter, sister, and member of my society. And of course, like you, I am doing the best I can.

During my absence of about four months, I have studied, practiced, read, listened, meditated, and thought. Plenty. I realize that at the end of the day, literally and figuratively, I (and you, too) can start anew, accepting gladly that what we did today has already become the past and our present can inform our future. We can try again tomorrow to be more compassionate, more kind to ourselves, be a better listener to those who need help, and perhaps recommit ourselves to our work, our relationships, our community.

I admit it's hard sometimes to be upbeat when the weight of world events is crushing our spirit. There are many books I've discovered that help me get through rough patches, some of them new, some of them ancient teachings. The practice of yoga and going for long walks in the fresh air makes a big difference, too, along with making sure I am rested and eat a very healthy diet that is right for me at this time in my life. All of the daily practice I do – the daily routines I have adopted – make a very big difference in how I "right" myself, get myself straight, smooth my feathers so to speak. Knowing something intellectually is only part of the picture. The rest, "life is the teacher," proves that experience tells us what we can trust.

We each have goals, dreams, and expectations. The Buddha's first noble truth is, "Life is suffering." It's hard to argue with that! Attachments to people, things, outcomes certainly bring us up, and down. Finding a way that helps you accept the changes that occur (with, or without, our consent or control) is a way to live the "middle path." I'm not a Buddhist, but have a reverence for what Buddha taught as a next step beyond yoga which is what he studied, predating him. Yoga is more than postures and breathing and meditation. Both yoga and Buddhism are forms of tough love that in the end show the sweetness of life.

Here are some links you might enjoy checking out. Till I write next, keep in touch! To me, that is the most important reason to live, to know we are meaningful in the eyes of others.

Video of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1968, "Life finds its purpose and fulfillment in the expansion of happiness." Watch till the end... he embodies what he says.

http://www.maharishi.org/

Video about fear, an informal interview with a teacher named Tony Samara:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnnvUDI4nQ0&feature=related

Declaration of Human Rights

Have you felt how much is going on in the world? I don't mean nature-wise necessarily, but the energy and dust being kicked up by humans in an ever-increasing way. The politics in this country are angering and frustrating a great many average citizens and our over-crowding is starting to have a serious impact on our ability to peacefully co-exist in a clean environment. In today's The New York Times, I read a startling article about how the earth's inhabitants, in digging, drilling, and tearing up the earth for its resources like minerals, oil and other fuels, is creating a climate for military leaders to gear up for future conflicts in order to protect our share of these earth resources in the name of "national security."

Human activity is reaching and devastating formerly pristine areas in the rain forest, the Arctic, under the sea, inside mountains, everywhere practically. Nothing is sacred. Except our consumer way of life. Be grateful for the (gulp) clean water available right now because it might not last. Make sure you don't run the tap longer than you need to! Most of us feel this information is "old news," yet it is persisting to a greater degree. We are not cutting back on this sort of devastating activity--it is going on and on and on.

I don't need to mention the economy and the astonishing and overt level of greed that is sinking our country from under us.

But in defense of the greatness of the United States of America, there was a time when we had some outstanding citizens.

Over sixty years ago, Eleanor Roosevelt helped form the League of Nations which became the United Nations. And this body, with her involvement, created a "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Did you know this existed? I didn't until I read a biography of Eleanor. I have included a link to the United Nations site with the entire declaration. I implore all of you to read it thoroughly. It's amazing that this document exists and yet it is not honored fully, still, all these years later.

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

How will peace prevail on earth? It starts with YOU.

The "Pain-Body": Never Too Old to Learn

My birthday is coming up this week (Dec. 9th) and I'll be 54 years old. Holy crap! Oops, sorry. I really don't mind having birthdays since the only way to escape aging is to croak. So, since I am a living being aging comes with the territory.

But none of us is too old to learn about ourselves. I have spoken several times in the past about reading the books of Eckhart Tolle, a current spiritual teacher and writer, and not to go on and on about his teachings like I'm obsessed, I find that the way he presents his very knowledgeable ideas resonates with me. He describes the human condition in a way that I experience and recognize it.

On a fundamental level, we humans are subject to being driven by our egos and are living as "pain-bodies." Sounds kind of like "the Borg," doesn't it? There is the collective pain-body which consists of horrible things we humans have done to each other throughout history such as waging war, torture, raping and pillaging, and utter destruction and violence that bring pain and suffering. This stuff is in our DNA. Then there is the pain and suffering we inherit from our parents who have their own share of pain, as well as the environmental experience we have as children at home and in our society. Some people are born with dense pain-bodies and tend to be sensitive, empathetic, and of course very disillusioned with our dysfunctional world made up of others with their pain-bodies. Some people have egos that feed on the negativity and do a good job of inflicting their pain onto others.

I find that there are certain "triggers" that touch off a spiral of anger first, then morphing into feeling like a victim, then lashing out at others, basically inflicting pain because I am in pain. Being in the grips of my pain-body is the height of unhappiness. My ego then tells me stories about how worthless I am, how my life has no value, how other people don't care about me, how horrible the entire world is, etc., and this feeding frenzy of negativity is what the ego wants most. Finally, I discover what is going on and it diffuses the ego's grip and I find it was all a bunch of self-created hooey.

Triggers can be family members (for me, my mother) or friends who are in such emotional pain themselves, so out of touch (unconscious) with themselves that they inflict their pain onto you in the vulnerable spot in your soul or psyche that hits like a poisoned arrow. Triggers can also be expectations about events or experiences or people who let you down.

As the Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece was inscribed over the doorway, "Know Thyself," there is no greater power of life-force than being conscious of who and what you are about. I know I am not too old to keep learning about myself in my quest to be happy, of course. Ah, but then happiness is only one component of the ultimate state of being: Contentment.

World Wide Web

The Web, as we know it (the Internet), celebrates an anniversary: 20 years ago the term was coined to describe this sharing of information, for its "likeness to a spider's construction." I was immediately reminded of how apt that is today, as we learn the positive and negative aspects of our world-wide web of interconnections, and how amazing it is that we are able to talk about it here, via the Web! We are connected in a way that is stupendous, unthinkable not long ago.

Chief Seattle is a noted American Indian leader who gave a famous speech in 1854, and I wanted to share with you this call-and-response text from a church service I attended a few years ago and kept the page from the program to share one day. It is a beautiful example of how we are part of a whole, interconnected as if by an invisible web:

Minister: Every part of this earth is sacred.
Congregation: Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, and every humming insect is holy.

Minister: We are part of the earth and it is part of us.
Congregation: The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle – these are our brothers.

Minister: The rocky crests, the dew in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, humans – all belong to the same family.
Congregation: This we know: The earth does not belong to humans; humans belong to the earth.

Minister: This we know: All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.
Congregation: Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of earth.

Minister: We did not weave the web of life; we are merely a strand on it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
Congregation: What are humans without the animals?

Minister: If all the animals were gone, humans would die from a great loneliness of spirit.
Congregation: For whatever happens to the animals, soon happens to humans. All things are connected.

I truly believe that when each of us is healthy in body, mind and spirit, it affects us so positively that we can't help but affect those closest to us for the better, perhaps inspiring by example. Each thread in the web gets stronger and easier for us to connect with each other. If you think your poor eating habits are your own business, and you are ill, think of those who care about you and are unable to enjoy you more. If you think your lack of rest doesn't matter, think of how crabby you are to people around you. If you think eating animals who are treated cruelly in factory farms doesn't matter, try putting yourself in their position and consider how awful it must be for them. If you act selfishly without considering what is sacred, you spoil things for everyone. If you act "selfishly" in order that you might keep fit and fed in healthy ways and allow yourself to feel the sacredness of life, you make a positive impact on the world-wide web we all share.

You Are Welcome

On Friday I took my regular yoga class after missing it for two weeks while allowing my injured heel to heal (no pun intended!). At the end of the class, as we all were laying on our backs in the very relaxing svanasana (corpse pose), the teacher went student by student to gently push our shoulders down into the matte which releases that last bit of tension from the body. With my eyes still closed, I said, "Thank you," to her and she softly said, "You are welcome." Perhaps because she is from Colombia and has an accent, she didn't say, "You're welcome," but "You are welcome" in three distinct words. It struck me that the meaning is so different from the response we say automatically when someone thanks us.

Here I had missed the class for several weeks and felt like I would be out of shape, even though I know yoga is not meant to be competitive, and found I was still very strong and capable. It was great to be in this nurturing environment again and how nice to have this special "ah-ha" moment at the conclusion. You Are Welcome. I wish more people stated this in the beginning of our encounters with each other! Imagine walking into a store and the staff greeting you with, "You are welcome!" You would feel special and enter knowing your presence is important.

I had read in yoga texts a number of years ago that it is good to walk through every doorway as if entering a temple. It immediately reminds me that I am a divine being walking through life with respect. I can extend a warm welcome to those who enter my home or step into the space I am standing wherever that may be, treating that person with friendliness, hospitality, and respect.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we will either host a dinner or be a guest, and have the opportunity to say, "You are welcome" or feel welcomed in someone's home, walking through their doorway into a temple. This alone is worth giving thanks as it is foundational for how we can all live together in peace in this world. I give thanks to my yoga teacher Francesca who has allowed me to see the value of three little words.

Awaken

I have awakened to the reality that we are living in a time when our government is no longer "of the people" and our society is distracting itself from this reality.

Driving from my home to visit a girlfriend early last evening, the main highway I-95 was backed up in both directions the entire way, mile after mile after mile. There was no accident, no construction. Just volume. A Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Were all these people shopping? What is with the traffic getting more and more choked? Is this our future? If we continue along the path of more and more and more, I suppose that is exactly what we will get: more.

We have been lied to and manipulated by Washington for decades and now we are seeing the results. From legislating in favor of the wealthy and powerful, to ignoring the science of global warming in favor of corporate ($$$) interests, to using war for agendas we may never really know, and systematically destroying the middle class, our elected officials have created a completely corrupt machine.

Our society worries me. We scramble more and more to cram school, sports, college and expectations down our children's throats and at the end of all that pressure and fortunes spent, are there jobs for them? Is this competition healthy? We shop. We shop and consume and want more. If we don't spend, if aren't good consumers, we aren't good Americans. We are advertised to via every available surface, and we fall for it! A song I used to listen to warns that this is "participation in our own manipulation." Most of mainstream media exists either as an advertising delivery device or misinforms us depending on who sponsors or owns it. This media is not a voice of the people any more. Consumerism--all this "stuff"-- cannot continue indefinitely. The earth's resources are getting depleted and we are destroying ourselves by continually raping it for profit. There is such a tiny percentage of potable (drinkable) water left that it is laughable! Does anyone know this?

How does this tie in with Peace and Health? We must awaken and be conscious human beings, not live blindly from day to day in a semi- or unconscious way. To awaken allows you to understand finally that we are all interconnected, "one" with each other, the animals, the plants, the earth... that to destroy or mistreat or distort or corrupt creates a life of misery for ourselves in the end anyway. Our actions ripple out in hundreds of ways that can bring harm if we are not aware of the repercussions of those actions. I hope you will join me in awakening perhaps by studying the ancient teachings, by absorbing what is going on in the world, taking the time to acquaint yourself with the issues and players, by speaking out against injustice, by being "charge neutral" in the face of angry situations, by eating healthy, resting, being compassionate to yourself and therefore to others.

I do have faith in some of the young friends I have made, like Erin whose wonderful blog "Let's Be Self-Sufficient" http://www.letsbeselfsufficient.com/ is right on track. We need thousands of Erins to make the difference in whether we will thrive in the future.

And faith in my elders, like my Uncle Dave who keeps me on top of what is truly corrupt in government. Here is a link he just sent me about what the federal bank is up to lately:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUY16CkS-k&feature=player_embedded

A film you can stream on Netflix, called "The Age of Stupid," is a documentary about global warming and what the near future might hold for us. Here's the trailer:
http://vimeo.com/2992103

Another good documentary you can stream on Netflix is "Iraqi War: The Untold Stories."

Thanks for listening to my rant. Now I'm REALLY awake!

Less Daylight, More Insight

After a long hiatus, I'm back on "Peace and Health." A number of you were wondering why I hadn't been writing my posts and the answer is that I have been living and thinking and experiencing and that is what it takes sometimes to be thoughtful in my communications. I don't want to blather away or preach. I want to share what is perhaps of value in making the world a teensy bit more friendly.

Today is the first evening of Eastern Standard Time and we now have the spectre of sunset at 4:30 and those long, cold winter nights ahead for a very long time. Boring? Sometimes. Crabby feelings from lack of vitamin D? Absolutely.

Here is what I have learned and applied from traditional Chinese medicine: We are all familiar with the concept of yin and yang, the opposites, in Chinese philosophy. The fall and winter are the yin time of the year, the feminine, introverted, quiet, the days short, animals hibernating and the earth going into its roots to survive the cold season ahead, everything in a state of near death. I have been putting away my summer clothes, as I'm sure many of you have been as well, but also my diet has been changing to include more seasonal foods like acorn and butternut squash, soups and other hot cooked food like breakfast grains. I have closed up my garden, brought potted plants indoors, and have accepted the fact that I will be less active for now, slowing down my social schedule and gym workouts. I have learned that I get sick, get headaches, feel edgy when I try to do too much. Deciding what is "too much" is what is most important.

My doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, who introduced this yin-yang season concept to me, says it causes illness and dysfunction when we live contrary to nature. In the fall and winter we need to be quiet, go inward, not rush around and not get enough rest. We need balance. In the spring and summer, it's the yang time of year, masculine, extroverted, expansive. Lazing around indoors in the summer is going against nature as it's the time to be outside and active.

So, it's okay to be sleepy and sluggish right now! It's okay to enjoy the long evenings in your sweats with your dog or cat on your lap, reading and sipping tea or enjoying a pleasant conversation in the comfort of home. It's okay not to drag yourself around after a long day of work. Go home and flop on the sofa and take it easy. Spend long moments thinking, writing, reading, listening to music. Insights abound at this time of year. Fatten up for the winter like the squirrels do. It's good to go with the season! Give yourself permission to simply be this fall and winter. It's only natural.

Here's a recipe I want to share, one I tore out of Yoga Journal recently. It's wonderful, simple to bake, and I hope you all will try it. Let me know what you think! Happy autumn. Let's all enjoy it and make the very best of it.

Olive Oil and Rosemary Cake
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil a 10-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a hand mixer (or whisk by hand) for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is very foamy and pale in color. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Gently fold in the rosemary.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Pour the batter into the pan.
4. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool briefly in the pan, and then tip the cake out onto a rack to continue cooling.

I serve this cake warmed and sliced with a generous dollop of goat cheese with honey (they sell this at Trader Joe's) on top! Yum!

Fear Can't Exist in the Now

Hello everyone. I have been writing every 3 weeks here at "Peace and Health" as I find that I accumulate experiences I wish to share on that schedule.

With the end of summer (sniff, sniff), with the anniversary of the still-sad events of Sept. 11, with the continuing bad economy (good for a few, bad for most), and a desire inside myself for more knowledge and skills in order to live life joyfully, I have studied 2 interesting books recently which I would love to share, as well as recommend a most amazing film which touches on many big, universal human themes. I also want to give you a simple exercise to try.

The first book is entitled, "There is Nothing Wrong with You," by a Zen teacher named Cheri Huber. It is a charming and helpful reminder that we are not who we have been conditioned to become through our early experiences of surviving within a family, getting "educated" in school, and following societal expectations. We are each perfect as we are and are connected to each other and the universe, not separate from each other and all living creatures.

The second book, "The Power of Now," by Eckhart Tolle, is a masterpiece explaining that it is possible to live a life with less fear and suffering if we live it in the present (now) instead of dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. This is what Buddha taught, and there are many references to this concept in ancient religions and philosophies. Tolle says, in an excerpt from the book:

"...Most people only shift between ordinary unconsciousness and deep unconsciousness. What I call ordinary unconsciousness means being identified with your thought processes and emotions, your reactions, desires, and aversions. It is most people's normal state. In that state, you are run by the egoic mind, and you are unaware of Being. It is a state not of acute pain or unhappiness, but of an almost continual low level of unease, discontent, boredom, or nervousness--a kind of background static. You may not realize this because it is so much a part of "normal" living, just as you are not aware of a continuous low background noise, such as the hum of an air conditioner, until it stops. When it suddenly does stop, there is a sense of relief. Many people use alcohol, drugs, sex, food, work, television, or even shopping as anesthetics in an unconscious attempt to remove the basic unease. When this happens, an activity that might be very enjoyable if used in moderation becomes imbued with a compulsive or addictive quality, and all that is ever achieved through it is extremely short-lived symptom relief." Tolle talks about the limited life we lead when we think we are our minds, or our thoughts, staying in a small loop of problems that keep us restricted and tense. Our identities are not derived from our thoughts; mind machinations that dwell in the past and worry about the future. When we bring ourselves back to the present moment, we are free to live and be fully awake to reality.

The film I watched is "Madadayo" by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. It was his last film and is a tribute to the good fortune any of us has to find a cherished teacher whom we can emulate. I felt while watching it the other night that it is so superb that I wish I could give a copy of it to all of you, and dream that all school children could be shown this film (along with their parents, but with the parents in the back of the auditorium and children in front to experience it for themselves). It is a tender, funny, humane story and I just adore it.

Here is a simple exercise, a "Prayer to Being in the Now:"
http://www.youtube.com/user/acozzarin

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope we can all find peace and health together. Everything is possible that way! Right NOW.

Going With The Flow

A yoga teacher once shared with my class a Zen koan that I was reminded of yesterday while out walking in the woods with my husband Serafino. We hiked on a trail that follows a pretty river, a stream really. The river had natural dams forming placid ponds and small areas of gentle rapids with the soothing bubbling sound that immediately puts you in a relaxation. A koan is a story illustrating a concept that is accessible through intuition instead of intellect.

I sat on the bank of this stream yesterday and watched the water flowing around a large smooth stone. In the koan, we are the stone which is solid, immovable, strong and unending, allowing the water to flow past us, allowing it to go by without attachment or hindrance. We are also the flowing water which is light, fluid, effortless, and when encountering the stone, we simply continue on our way, flowing past and around the stone, unaffected and neutral. So, in the stream of life we are both the stone and the flowing water.

In my recent readings, particularly on the www.jeshua.net site, I have been struck by how the contrasts of life are not to be negated or avoided, but can be consciously brought into balance. These contrasts, these yin-yang "opposites," such as male and female, darkness and light, good and evil, need each other to exist. We might strive not only to balance these opposites within us, but to seek a third way, a way to neither negate one or the other, but to incorporate both and in essence create a new, or third way of being. We can be as strong as a stone which yields to the flow of life, as well as go with the flow when we hit obstacles. And go even further, a third option which is to be both at all times. I believe that being both the stone and the flowing water, being both the good and bad, dark and light, male and female, we will come to understand each other.

Coming Home

What a wonderful weekend I had at my high school reunion in Ithaca, New York! I'm still processing the many faces, hugs, conversations, ideas and energy which washed over me. Not only did I attend the reunion events, but I also reunited with a number of family members, some of whom were in town to reconnect for the same reasons. I didn't realize how important it was for me to reconnect with my family, with my classmates, and with my hometown. My soul feels grounded and that is what is so gratifying and pleasantly unexpected.

My graduating class (Ithaca High School Class of 1975) had nearly 700 students, yet only a fraction (50 or so??) attended this reunion which spanned 4 days. I want to thank them all for being brave and present for this effort. Everyone looked terrific: Happy, healthy, comfortable with him or herself. I'm so impressed with how far some people traveled in order to reconnect, and how far they have traveled in life experiences. Even though I haven't seen my fellow classmates in many years, we became instant friends over the past few days and now I really miss them. We have in common shared experiences of growing up in the same town, in the same schools, with each other. That puts a special spin on our relationships to each other. We are all under each others' skins. In today's world where it's difficult to connect with others, how nice to have had the opportunity to be reminded of the true bonds between people.

And Ithaca, beautiful Ithaca. I hadn't been back since my last reunion in 2005 and was wondering if I was exaggerating in my mind how incredible Ithaca is. It was tugging at my heart for the past few years and I was curious to see if I would feel excited about being back there. Oh yes, absolutely, and in fact, I want to live there again! The weather was perfect, and everything was idyllic. The geology is so ancient, prehistoric, with endless exposed sheer cliffs of shale, gorges, creeks, hills, ledges and waterfalls – not to mention Cayuga Lake, the largest of the Finger Lakes – glacier age relics which invite one to be outside in nature more than where I live now (crowded and frenzied metro NY area). The town is the same (pretty much) as it's always been and I feel at home there with its hippie-ish, natural vibe. I'm grateful to have seen, touched, danced and laughed along with so many courageous classmates and experienced the landscape of a very vibrant city where I grew up and long to be again. In that spirit, I want to share with the IHS Class of '75, and all my "Peace & Health" friends, this traditional poem from Ithaka, Greece (with shades of Odysseus' voyage):

"Ithaca"
When you start on your journey to Ithaca,
then pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
Do not fear the Lestrygonians
and the Cyclops and the angry Poseidon.
You will never meet such as these on your path
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your body and your spirit.
You will never meet the Lestrygonians,
the Cyclops and the fierce Poseidon
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not raise them up before you.

Then pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many,
that you will enter ports seen for the first time
with such pleasure, with such joy!
Stop at Phoenician markets
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and corals, amber and ebony,
and pleasurable perfumes of all kinds.
Buy as many pleasurable perfumes as you can.
Visit hosts of Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from those who have knowledge.

Always keep Ithaca fixed in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for long years,
and even to anchor at the isle when you are old,
rich with all that you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would never have taken the road.
But she has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not defrauded you.
With the great wisdom you have gained, with so much experience,
you must surely have understood by then what Ithaca means.

Gross and Subtle

The past few weeks have involved a period of intense lessons for me, ones I have invited into my life, I realize! That's certainly a way to bring change about and move to another (hopefully higher) level, instead of waiting for life to just happen. My concern lately has been twin: Taking care of my outer, "gross," body, and my inner, "subtle," body.

When I want to seek balance in my health, I look around and when a practitioner or treatment resonates with me, I go forward with it. My "directional" points me and I try to be open so I can see it and follow it. I am in excellent health, but I want to maintain and make adjustments in relation to the seasons, and to the phases of my life. In April, I joined a gym and have enjoyed splashing about in the pool during the Aqua-Fit classes which are wonderfully fun cardio workouts. The yoga classes at the gym are very physically challenging, lacking a bit in the mind and spirit components (yoga is supposed to be an equal number of all three), but I am happily keeping up. And my personal trainer kicks my ass which is the most amazing thing in my life right now. I never thought I would have the "muscle memory" to start again the sort of vigorous program I am undertaking. I hope any of you who feel it is behind you will try again.

What is kind of cool is that my personal trainer, a young guy in his mid-twenties, loves to hear about the many forms of yoga and exercise that I have practiced. I taught him "The Five Tibetans" (simple but powerful repetitive exercises, each done only 21 times), meditation encouragement, and balancing postures. We talk about healthy diets and stress management. And one practice that my old yoga teacher taught my class, to keep the spine supple. I will close this blog with ways to do this. "It will keep you young!" she would tell us.

The other amazing thing in my life lately is my nightly ritual of watching lectures by Joseph Campbell on DVD. Joseph Campbell is the renowned scholar of mythology who masterfully links all cultures and traditions historically, observing that we are all "one." I knew deep down, but Campbell reminded me, that we humans living in our modern society are not in accord with nature. Humans since the beginning of time lived in tune with nature. They had to, to survive. We think we are so clever that we can live above or without nature, but look at what is happening. In speaking about the history and philosophy of yoga, Campbell illuminates on the concept of how we have a gross body, that is, our outer body, our external and superficial selves represented in the tangible body that is our machine, and our subtle, inner body, the soul and authentic self that resides deep in our center core. We can't escape our gross body. It is susceptible to illness and reacts when we treat it well or badly, and ages and dies eventually. But when we take care of our gross body, accepting its phases and imperfections, it allows our subtle inner body to blossom and present itself to the world. That is a joy for others to behold and how lovely if everyone could cradle their physical bodies with love and care and thus frolic in this life with others whose inner souls are allowed to shine!

There is so much more, but I will save it for another blog.

For the care of the spine which supports our gross physical bodies, as well as opening nervous system pathways, keeping the spine supple and youthful, move it through all 6 ranges of movement:

1. While standing, drop your chin to your chest, and slowly, one vertabrae at a time, roll your body down so your hands are near your feet. Keep your knees soft. Breathe in and out luxuriously, and slowly roll your body up, with your head coming up last.
2. Next, bring your hands overhead and breathe in. On the exhale, slowly stretch up and back protecting your neck and lower back by emphasizing showing your heart to the sky. Come back to standing upright.
3. Clasp your hands overhead, breathe, and exhale first stretching to the right and holding briefly.
4. Do the same to the left.
5. Stand with your hands on your hips. Reach your right hand into your left hand on the left hip, stretching your face and eyes to the right, so you get a nice twist in the spine.
6. Do the same to the left.

So, the spine's range of movement is forward, backward, side, side, twist, twist. Six ways. Do this everyday. It will keep you young!