Peaceful Daily Blog

Seven Sacred Words to Revolutionize Your Life

Dear Peaceful Reader,

welcome to the peaceful daily blog and to my blogging section.You may have read my bio, perhaps not but I wanted to share just a bit of my background to give you some context - let you know where I'm coming from.
My lens are those from a Native American Cosmological perspective.

Some of the topics I"ll be covering are: Spiritual Adolescence and Spiritual Adulthood, Be Intentional; the evolution continuum and others. Today we start with Seven Sacred Words to Revolutionize your Life.

 Today I thought I start us off with something incredibly simple and yet something highly volatile. What if I told you that they were a group of words; words that are as hold as time. Words that when integrated into everyday conversations deepen relationships, honor the dignity of others and create peace.

Can words do that? They can if they are sacred.

Most people use language strategically, either defensively or offensively.
We expect a personal attack and defend ourselves from others, or we go on the offensive and hit them (with our ideas, agendas) first.
Take a moment and just stand in the physicality of guarding, of holding someone off; really let that settle into your bones. Now get into attack mode;
let that settle in. This is what most of us do in our daily communication.
That we don’t consciously feel it does not negate its occurrence. This is often called stress.

use Sacred Words intentionally in coaching to affect peace of mind and evolution. Using the Sacred Words takes us out of these painful stances
into one of ahhh. Couldn’t you use some ahhh in your life?

The Sacred Words are words you have heard. They are words of beauty, resonance and truth, used in all religions.

I want to offer just two things these Words will bring to your clients:  peace and a sustained experience of unconditional love. When the Words are used consistently, this is the experience.

How to use and how not to use Sacred Words

Because the Words are rooted in religion, one might be biased toward their use, causing loss of their potential but not their power. If you are resistant, angry, or negative about religion, you will associate those emotions with these Words. If you are religious, you will love these words, but use them in the context of your religion only. However, to reference the past for this present choice is damaging. If we continue to be informed from a historical context; the past is where we get our information on whether to attack or defend. You are asking the past to choose your present. Can you see how useless that can be?Our offensive or defensive stances

The peace and unconditional love I speak of occurs when you release yourself from the historical context of religion, negative,positive or neutral, and allow yourself to experience the words anew. This can be difficult at first.

Try to approach the words as if they are from an entirely new language, one you’ve never heard before; essentially, they are. These Sacred Words have been re-purposed from religion, releasing them of dogma while retaining their natural essence of beauty, truth and love.
Their meaning is unchanged; only the context and your experience have changed.

Here are a few Words to play with. You might start with one that feels “safer” or familiar, or one that is a challenge.

Glorious/ Glory: Came into consciousness: Year 1275. definition: Great Praise. Having great splendor.  example of use: Your smile brings glory to my life

Sacred:Came into consciousness: Year 1380
    definition: Worthy of respect or dedication. example: She saw coaching as sacred.

Devotion: Came into consciousness: before Year 1200
    definition: Give oneself entirely to one purpose. example:You are a devoted to your vision.
Generative: Came into consciousness: recently.
    definition: Bring to existence, to produce new offspring.example: You work is generative.
Communion/Commune: Came into consciousness: before Year 1832
    definition: Share thoughts and feelings; to communicate intimately—to be in a heightened, intimate receptivity.
    example: If we commune instead of just meeting we’ll deepen our relationship.
Benevolence: Came into consciousness: Year 1400. 
    definition:An act to show kindness or good will. example: What act  of benevolence will you show to someone you don’t like?
Holy: Came into consciousness: before Year 1200.
 definition: Belonging to derived from or associated with a divine power. example: Cheese puffs are the holy food.

Allow yourself to connect to the resonance available in these Words. Get into their physicality.
Use the Words throughout your day. Agree to let the Words work through you rather than you becoming masterful using them.

Peace be with, in and all around you,

 

Melanie DewBerry-Jones

 

The WHO and WHAT of yoga

Over the years, I have been asked many times to drop in at a corporate event, a school or any number of other gatherings to speak about and give a demonstration of yoga. These days, most folks have SOME idea what yoga is all about; growing up in the '70's, yoga seemed so much more OUT THERE! Today, yoga has become an accepted and welcomed aspect of our culture. I mention this because I want to let you know from the outset that my blogs are meant for consumption by everyone: from the total beginner to the advanced pupil, from the uninitiated to the enlightened, from the semi-curious to the ravenously obsessed. I do not mean to talk down to anyone, nor to speak too far above anyone's head! With this in mind, I wanted to address the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW of yoga in my first few posts.

Let's start with the WHAT, shall we?

I will try and keep this brief and simple: yoga is a philosophical system that originated in India and is associated with Hinduism and Buddhism, but is NOT itself a religious philosophy. The root of the word yogais the Sanskrit "yuj," which means "to yoke" or "to unite." For many, this has meant to yoke/unite ourselves to the divine; certainly, that has a religious flavor to it, but I prefer to think of it as a spiritual endeavor, without having any affiliation with a specific religious group. I like to say that the unity we are forging through the practice of yoga is between mind and body, body and breath, breath and Spirit (however you may define the divine around us). I do not mean for this lack of a singular definition to indicate indecisiveness; rather, it speaks to the highly interpretable nature of yogic philosophy.

In any case, there is a physical and mental aspect to yoga that work harmoniously so that we may transcend our everyday worries, concerns and illnesses. In this way, yoga is about transformation. For most of us in the West, the easiest pathway to this transformation is through the physical body. We can measure our progress by what we see and what we feel in our own vessel. The changes in the physical body concur with alterations in the way we think and the way that we-as spirits or energy-exist. In traditional yogic texts, like the foundational Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the elements of mind, body and spirit are not presented as individuals; each relies upon the others and a transformation occurs in all at the same time, though perhaps to varying degrees. "Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah," says Chapter 1 v. 2 of The Yoga Sutras, which means "yoga to soothe the fluctuations of the mind." This speaks directly to what we might want to call "meditation" in the parlance of our times. Hopefully, as we affect changes in the physical body, we are helping to soothe the fluctuations of our minds, or, to put it another way, quieting the chatter of our hyperactive monkey minds! Similarly, as we direct the power of our mind to the state of our physical bodies, we can begin to make changes in our body that are governed by a stable, tranquil mind.

This is a HUGE simplification of certain aspects of the philosophy, but it illuminates for us the way in which the West sees yoga: it is a series of poses (asanas) guided by breath (prana) which includes meditation (dhyana). This is certainly not wrong, as these three "limbs"or aspects are part of the system, but it is quite incomplete! In future posts, I will delve deeper into the Sutras, looking at the other 5 limbs that make up ashtanga(eight limbed) yoga as defined by Patanjali. These include moral codes (yama), self-purification and study (niyama), controlling the senses (pratyahara), concentrating (dharana) and contemplation (samadhi).

And now, the WHO:

Who practices yoga? For me, the answer is simple: everyone. As we delve deeper into what yoga really means in our daily lives and understand it to be not simply as a physical challenge or exercise in breath and meditation, we will see that we are doing yoga all the time!

Yoga is for: people of any age, either gender,  people with a variety of body types, those with illnesses/afflictions/weaknesses as well as those in good physical health, anyone who is interested in self-examination and transformation!

I have taught asana classes to athletes, ranging from professional baseball players to surfers and cyclists. I have taught simple asana and prana sessions for folks suffering from HIV/AIDS, scleroderma, cancer and other illnesses. I have taught 9-10 year old Girl Scouts and 85 year old senior practitioners. I have introduced yogic philosophy to college students and to corporate managers. Yoga is truly for everyone!

Yoga can be a very personal experience. In the future, I will be sharing moments from my personal life to illustrate the presence of yoga in all things that we do. I will introduce poses for both toning and healing the body and the mind. I will discuss yogic philosophy. I will poke fun at myself. There is no right or wrong approach; I will do all that I can to share yoga with you, hoping that you will come to appreciate it as much as I do!

Next time: the WHEN and WHERE of yoga, among other things!

Peace,

Trent

How Deep Is Your Green?

Spring has sprung in my corner of the world, which makes me want to open the windows and clean out the closets!  We get visited by a flock of wild turkeys each morning and today we finally saw a family of deer eating and resting near our house.  This gives me more incentive to keep my green going and make the earth a cleaner place for these wonderful creatures.  For those of you who are new to this I have a few easy ways you can make a difference.

Here is my quick, top 5 green-living list:

1.  Recycle Old Batteries

I found the bag of old batteries I've been waiting to bring to a recycling center. Batteries should not be thrown in the trash or incinerated because they can leak heavy metals and other toxins into the environment. If you're not sure where to bring yours, go to earth 911. Just enter your zip code and you will find a recycling center near you.   They usually accept all types of batteries, including laptop and cell phone batteries. Why not tell all your friends and neighbors that you're planning to go there and collect theirs too. They may not know about recycling batteries, so you'll be spreading the word - and you'll keep more cars off the road by consolidating!

2.  Dispose of Medications Properly

Along with my bag of batteries I found my expired Benadryl and my husband's old Antibiotic prescription from our honeymoon in Cabo, where he - well, didn't exactly enjoy our honeymoon.  Medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter should never be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet.  They inevitably end up contaminating our water table.  Some drugs already found in our drinking water include antibiotics, hormones, mood stabilizers, anti-seizure medications and over-the-counter meds.   Drugs exit the body largely unchanged and make it into the water table through our sewage system and through improper disposal.  Try switching to natural remedies if possible, like homeopathy or chiropractic, administered by a licensed natural healthcare practitioner, and bring your medications to a disposal center.  The URL above lists those, as well.

3.  Switch to Non-Toxic Cleaners

I feel good about spring cleaning because our family has completely switched over to non-toxic household cleaners.  Better for us and better for the earth.   I love the 100% biodegradable loofah sponged from Twist.  If you're going to use green cleaners, you might as well use a green sponge. Whole Foods has a good selection of products that will do the job.  Beware of some products touting that they're "all-natural" though.  You need to read the label.  Some "all natural" products contain petroleum-derived ingredients and other junk you don't want on Fluffy's little paws.

4.  BYOB

Everyone's got a recycled plastic bag today for groceries.  They're saving trees, reducing pollution associated with making paper bags, and keeping plastic out of landfills.  But what about the quick stop at the drug store, mini-mart or book store?  Are you bringing your bag?  I love my Envirosax bag. It rolls up so small it can fit in my pocket.  Recently, on a trip to a local toy store for a birthday present, I remembered that I had tucked mine away into my giant diaper bag.  When asked if I needed a bag at checkout, it felt good to say "no, thank you, I have my own".  This is such a simple way to go green.

5.  Eliminate Junk Mail and Catalogs

This is one that I am still working on myself.  We get so many catalogs in the mail. Sometimes two from the same company - one addressed to me and one to my husband. During the holidays I kept track of how many we received. It was ridiculous - we received 12 in one day!  I've made several phone calls to remove us, but they keep coming back.  At least they go in our recycle bin, but it would be better to not get them at all.  Go to Catalog Choice and sign up to be removed from the ones you currently receive and do not want.  This worked for us for some of them.  Most companies have websites that you can bookmark to see what is new anyway.

6. Unplug Electronics at Night or When Not in Use (okay - so I have 6 quick things you can do!)

Since we are a wireless house, we began unplugging our television, apple tv unit and computers at night, as well as turning off our cell phones to reduce the radio waves coming into the house while we sleep.  I became aware of some studies about the dangers of these waves and children's growing brains and - like microwaves - I don't like what I can't see.  Better to err on the side of caution with my babe's little brain.  The bonus is that it lowered our electric bill because computers suck the most juice of any electronic device - even when "turned off".  Using less energy is definitely green and you save dollars!

From lime green to forest green, there are plenty of ways to deepen your hue and help our planet - and as you can see, it doesn't need to cost a lot to go green.  In fact, many of the things you can do are free and the ones associated with cost are about just making a different choice.

Peace,

Deborah

Green is just a color. Sustainability is the goal.

The Salad Spinner Principle

The one year anniversary of "The Story of Stuff” has come and gone, and if you haven’t seen this video, or if you haven’t seen it for a while--put it really high on your to-do list. Really high. Even better, take a quick break and watch it right now. The 20-minute video was created and narrated by activist Anne Leonard, whose simple, engaging style details the process by which all of our ‘stuff’ is manufactured, marketed, consumed, and finally, disposed. Along the way, Leonard passionately illustrates how governments, corporations, and marketers have manipulated our desire for product consumption in order to serve their own needs, and how each of us (some much more than others) pays the ultimate price. First released in December 2008, the short video has since been viewed online 4.8 million times and translated into 10 languages, with an additional dozen translations in the works.

I first saw "The Story of Stuff" last year, late at night while I was checking my email during that precious time between the kids’ bedtime and my own. Watching it was akin to that feeling you get watching a Michael Moore documentary--a cocktail of conflicting emotions involving anger, hope, dismay, awe, gratitude, disbelief and other sensations resulting from having the wool freshly ripped from your eyes.  Though I pride myself on my seeming lack of consumerism relative to the average urban-dwelling american, I immediately inventoried my recent purchases and re-evaluated my perceived need for each of them. I continued to apply this scrutiny to any purchase on the horizon for a quite a few months as, for example, on a replacement salad spinner I had been meaning to buy for some time. After seeing “The Story of Stuff”, a salad spinner seemed so, well, ‘stuff-like’.  Not only is it plastic, disposable (I had already gone through two), bulky, and probably manufactured overseas, it is also somewhat ridiculous when you think about it--our ancestors lived without, even our parents, right?

But time marched on and the video’s powerful message was systematically moved to memory files of lesser importance with each passing month. This year I expanded my salad garden to include several new varieties of lettuce, each hand-picked daily and washed immediately before eating to ensure strong flavor and chi. Naturally it came back: the salad spinner debate. Wouldn’t a salad spinner make more sense than the hassle of patting dry each leaf every day for months on end? We eat a lot of lettuce, after all. With the potent messages of “The Story of Stuff” muted by time, I broke down last month and bought a salad spinner. I use it all the time. A piece has already broken off, but I can still get it to work if I hold it just so.

Over the weekend I attended a lecture given by the founder of Waste Less Living, a Los Angeles area organization that works to promote zero-waste composting services for the home. During the lecture “The Story of Stuff” was shown. I considered ducking out early--I had sick children to attend to leaving precious little free time to spend idly re-watching videos no matter how poignant the message. Not wanting to appear rude walking out during a lecture (and enjoying the rare free time to engage in thoughtful pursuits sans children underfoot) I dutifully stayed. I once again experienced  the anger-hope-dismay-gratitude cocktail. And once again I inventoried recent purchases and re-evaluated my perceived need for each of them...predictably the salad spinner was an immediate loser. I felt so average urban-dwelling american.

To assuage my guilt and to prevent such unnecessary purchases from transpiring in the future, I have since formed a new criteria to apply when debating the necessity of a potential purchase. I call it the ‘salad spinner principle’ and it goes like this: before purchasing any item no matter how seemingly essential to my daily existence, would I still buy it, should I still buy it, after watching “The Story of Stuff”?  

Peace,

Annie

You are living in your own creation...

So which do you think comes first.  Feeling great about your body or having a great body?  Think about it and let me know.

Peace,   Joan

What I learned from smushed ice cream.

I happened to be out the other night, leaving my husband in charge at home.  Now, we have a great kid, but going to bed is not one of her better moments in the day.  Whereas I am desperate to find hours to sleep, she’s convinced that she’ll miss out on something really big by going to bed, and therefore sleep is to be avoided at all costs.  After years of negotiation, we have finally settled into a workable routine, where no one feels like rolling up into the fetal position.  But on those rare occasions when something goes awry and the routine is even slightly altered, Maggie certainly does her best to work the system and squeeze out a few more minutes in the waking world.  She wants badly to discover all the secret adult “activities” that take place beyond 8 pm. How disappointed she’ll be someday when she finds out it’s mostly a lot of sock-sorting and bill-paying. 

 

Anyway, when I came in that night, I went to check on Maggie and give her a kiss.  There she was, still awake.  Sulking.  I asked her what was wrong, and the sulking turned into lamenting.  Great big sobs and nose-wrenching sniffles.  She explained that my husband had not allowed her to have dessert. My gut reaction was to let her go downstairs to the pantry to pick out something tasty... because, even after years of therapy, I still believe that there is no need to cry when chocolate cake is in the house.  But luckily, my higher self took over, and I called my husband into the room to hear his side of this very serious accusation.  The grown-up side of me knew I didn’t want to undermine his authority.  The “my poor baby is crying” side just wanted to cut her a piece of that cake.

 

Well... it turns out she had been allowed to have dessert, but when she had gone into the freezer for an ice cream sandwich, it had fallen onto the floor.  Although it was wrapped in a cellophane sleeve and protected from any kind of dirt, the fall had smushed the ice cream along one edge, flattening it, somehow rendering it inedible in my daughter’s mind. And so, because it wasn’t perfect, Maggie had chosen not to enjoy it at all. Instead of tasting that sweet morsel of goodness, she’d instead banished herself to her room, where she cried in bed and stewed in the injustice of it all, vowing never to eat again.

 

How funny, I thought.  Giving it all up, just because it wasn’t exactly how she imagined.  Kids, right?  Actually, not just kids.  How many times have I passed on opportunities myself, like a party I didn’t go to because somebody from my past would be there, or didn’t have the right dress to wear or jobs I didn’t apply for because the description wasn’t a perfect fit.  How many times have I become angry because something wasn’t the way it was “supposed” to be?  Joseph Campbell once wrote, “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”  Rather than deprive herself after the ice cream tragedy, Maggie could have simply walked another ten steps into the pantry and discovered the joy of 70% cocoa organic chocolate, for the first time in her life.  And me?  Instead of passing on that job interview because it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, I might have found an office full of inspiring people who would enrich my life daily and redefined my idea of perfect.  Thanks, Maggie. Thanks, mushed ice cream.  I think I will be a little more open today.

 

Namaste,

Krissy

25 minutes and counting...

"What’s for dinner?” said my step-girl Becky.  It’s Wednesday night and that means Becky is over, as she always has been since turning 4 years old.  Now, nearly 18 and ravenous from playing Lacrosse all afternoon, she hovers over my shoulder ready to pick at the fruit bowl on my table. “Have a small apple, but that’s it!” I said. “Dinner is in 25 minutes.” Neat trick, but I think I can pull it off and you can, too. 

We all have these nightly challenges, whether you have kids around or not. You might be 20-something and worn out from a long day of carving out a career. You might be 30-something and ready to help the kids with homework.  You might be like me, carving out quality time with your husband and daughter but needing to work on a community fundraiser tonight. What to do when you are hungry, impatient to get on to other things but mindful of good nutrition? 

Following a healthy eating lifestyle is no longer a fad, or phase, in your life. It is the only choice. Loving your family means looking out for them in all possible ways. It’s the least I can do and I hope I’m setting an example that Becky can follow when she is off to college and fending for herself. I know I am giving my husband and I the very best chance for a long life.

Make it easy for yourself. The first step to paving the path to success is to have all the tools you need in your pantry.  Getting to the store a few times a week is a guarantee that any choice you make in your kitchen is the right one.

So what’s in the refrigerator and cabinets for tonight? You can count on all the protein being lean, and lower fat than traditional choices. You can bet that most of my produce and dairy is organic. You can be sure that I have many whole grain options to choose from in my cabinets.

Build a Plate.  We eat with our eyes first, my Grandmother always said, and who am I to disagree? Imagine what you would like to see on your plate. Ever notice what your choose at a buffet?  We can make lean protein choices, but usually get the big, fatty prime rib and side dishes soaking in rich sauces.  Once in a while, you can enjoy those things, but you know that is a nutritional mess. Let’s get real, and add some flavor to our plate and entertain those taste buds.

Tonight my quick choices include salmon, spinach, an orange, brown rice, cranberry and chopped walnuts.  It’s fast and easy to do. Just work along with me...if I can do it with a hungry teenager pestering me, you can too!

Menu
Salmon Oreganata 
Brown Rice Pilaf
Spinach and Orange Salad

Shopping List
Salmon fillets, 4 or 5 ounces each.
1 teaspoon and a half of dried oregano
3 teaspoons of seasoned breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
One lemon
One-pound bag of fresh, uncooked spinach for salad.
Baby spinach leaves are tender and a fine choice.
One large orange.
One small red onion
Salad vinegar (I prefer rice wine vinegar for this dish)
Olive oil
Instant brown rice
Unsweetened dried cranberries
One bag of shelled walnuts. 

How To Do It
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.   Slice your lemon into wedges, setting aside. Take an ovenproof dish and spray lightly with cooking spray. Add the salmon to this dish. Mix the flavored breadcrumbs and dried oregano together in a small bowl. Scatter one teaspoon of this mixture over each piece of salmon. Spray lightly again over the breadcrumbs. Place in the oven, on a center rack, for 20 minutes. Your salmon should be done after 20 minutes, assuming the fish is an inch in depth. Adjust cooking time if your salmon is larger or smaller, obviously. Prepare your brown rice, following the directions on the package. Most instant varieties take no more than 15 minutes. Taking washed spinach leaves, place them in a bowl. Slice half a small red onion thinly, and distribute over the spinach.  Peel an orange and slice the segments, adding them to the salad bowl along with any juice.  Lightly salt and pepper the salad, adding one tablespoon of olive oil and an equal amount of rice wine vinegar. Toss the salad being sure to coat all the ingredients with the vinegar, olive oil and fresh orange juice from the slicing. Set aside. In a dry pan, on low heat, add one-quarter cup of walnuts for toasting. It only takes about 40 seconds, so stay close to the pan. As you start to smell the scent of toasting, shake the pan a bit so the nuts brown evenly. Remove the pan from the heat, and set aside. When your brown rice is cooked, add it to the pan with the toasted nuts. Also add one quarter cup of diced unsweetened cranberries. Toss and set aside. Your salmon should be done. Remove from the oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top of each piece.

Build Your Plate 
Place a salmon fillet on each plate, with an additional wedge of lemon. Measure your brown rice pilaf into a half-cup per person. Place a generous serving of the spinach and orange salad into individual serving bowls. We love fresh brewed iced green tea to go along with the meal, with fresh fruit for dessert. 

Drop Me A Line  
We have been trying to eat well, and live well. It is finally feeling like spring here in the east, so we try to go out for a quick walk after dinner each night.  Nice way to end the meal, work on some weight loss and say hi to your neighbors.

I would love to hear from each of you, when you try this meal on for size. It’s fast enough for a school night dinner and a show stopper for company, too. I hope you enjoy  it as much as my family does.  

Peace,

Elizabeth