Peaceful Daily Blog

Walking the Labyrinth

Some time ago I was invited to walk a labyrinth with a group of friends as part of a baby welcoming celebration.  Up until that invitation, I had never heard of ‘walking a labyrinth’, and wasn’t sure exactly what that meant nor why one would choose to do so. Though at that time I wasn’t able to attend the labyrinth walk and find out for myself what it was all about, I was given another opportunity just last week, while staying at a local hot springs.

It happened by chance, while out on an early morning stroll with my little ones. We happened upon a sign that said simply, “To Labyrinth”. We were naturally intrigued. We followed the path until we reached a clearing where, spread before us, lay a rather large stone-lined circuitous path that eventually led to a center. (It turns out that this circuitous path is what differentiates a labyrinth from a maze: the former is ‘unicursal’, or has only one path which eventually leads to the center; whereas the latter is ‘mulitcursal’, or contains many paths, many of which lead to dead ends.)

So we walked the labyrinth, the three of us, each in our own way. I walked rather quickly so as to be able to complete the path before the varying needs of small children necessitated otherwise; my son hopped and ran from one path to the other, trying to find his own unique way to the center; and my toddler was either in my arms or joyously taking the path stones from their proper place. (Needless to say, I was thrilled that we were alone so as not to rain on anyone’s meditative parade.) 

I made it to the center in about 10 minutes, and found myself surprisingly elated to have done so. I didn’t want to leave. Without realizing it, I began to think about my dreams and desires, and laying them upon this labyrinth’s center stone as though by doing so they would come true. I picked up a stick and wrote words in the dirt. I placed a pebble atop a pile of earlier offerings. My son ran up and knocked the center stone over...I gently replaced it. My daughter toddled over, picked up the center stone, and walked off...I retrieved it and gently replaced it again. 

After a few stolen, though contemplative, moments at the labyrinth's center, I began my trek out. My son began his too, leaping yet again from one path to another before running off to climb a nearby tree. As I left the labyrinth's center---replacing stones moved by little hands and feet along the way---I reflected upon how this experience, wild children and all, was unexpectedly illuminating. My intention was to walk it since it was there...I ended up becoming (re)acquainted with a dormant self. My labyrinth experience was a microcosm of my life: a busy mom of small children trying to remember her own needs and desires while attending to the needs and desires of those around her...only the labyrinth provided the opportunity for reflection and contemplation often missing in day-to-day life. 

Walking a labyrinth can mean many things to many people and there is no right or wrong way to do so. By walking it with an open mind and heart, one can journey to one's own center and out again, perhaps with a heightened sense of life's path and purpose.  I am thankful that the ancient art of labyrinth walking has made a comeback, due in large part to the book, “Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth” by Lauren Artress. For more information or to find a labyrinth near you, visit the Labyrinth Society’s website. 

Peace,

Annie

The Lessons of a Workshop

I recently attended a weekend workshop here in Colorado with one of the foremost authorities on and respected teacher of Iyengar yoga. Last summer, I attended one class of the many that he offered and found the experience to be fantastic; I regretted not having the time to participate in the whole workshop. I was determined to take advantage of the full offering this time around and was greatly rewarded with a memorable series of thought-provoking classes that have continued to fill my mind even as a few weeks have passed.

 

To be sure, a full weekend workshop can be draining, both physically and financially. Most teachers offer a reduced rate if you sign up for the whole workshop; individually priced, each class costs more if taken a la carte. Once you have paid and are in, the question of the physical demand looms. I practice daily as much as I can, even if or only 20-30 minutes. A workshop like this, however, will have a three hour practice on the first evening, a pair of two hour practices the next day and a pair of two or two and a half hours on the final day. Given that the body does not have a lot of time to recover, this can really take its toll on the body, not to mention on the mind!

 

The first night saw a group of nearly fifty crowded into a very intimate studio. As someone who sweats at the mere thought of physical exertion, the closeness of the room was a challenge for me. I endured, however, and was treated to an excellent opening evening of asana, led with exceeding skill by the instructor. His thorough explanations of alignment were like microsurgery; he would delve into a specific area or two, give a multitude of instructions/directions that aimed to open/strengthen/lengthen that area in each of the poses. A lot of effort was given to work on those areas and while the rest of the body contributed, these chosen areas were being WORKED upon. This first night was the foundation for the whole weekend, as the actions prescribed for the various parts of the body were carried over into the remainder of the classes.

 

After completing the whole workshop, I was happily surprised that I was not the limping, exhausted person I had thought I would be. Certainly, I was fatigued and the parts of my body that most needed the work were more sore, but in general, my body felt great, like I had been through a very deliberate and lengthy exploration and correction of the less than helpful tendencies in my body.

 

The most gratifying reward, however, was mental. As we were so acutely focused on specific parts of our bodies and their willingness (or lack thereof) to perform proper movements, it was nearing a meditative state. I would more accurately characterize this state as dharana, or concentration, which is the sixth limb of yoga as described by Patanjali, which is on the way toward dhyana, or meditation. As we listened to this sagacious guru hold forth on a variety of topics from the body and breath to anecdotes from his many years as an instructor, there was no room for any other thoughts; we were totally present and immersed in the here and now of his pontification. This was truly a case of “soothing the fluctuations of the mind,” as outlined by Patanjali as being the goal of yoga.

 

Even now, a few weeks after the workshop, I find myself returning instantly to the words of the teacher when I am engaged in my home practice. I become locked in right away, returning to that state I was in over that long weekend. As I go about my day, I find that the lessons learned and the energy expended have extended into things not related to asana: I pay close attention to how I sit, for example, bearing in mind the work from those classes. I have reconsidered what is “working hard” and what is “ tuning in” to my own body.

 

Unlike going to a class once or twice a week, immersing yourself in a workshop deeply instills in your practice certain lessons and modalities. After repeating these things for hours at a time over a short few days, they really stay with you long after the mats have been rolled up. I encourage you to look in your area for a workshop of any length and give it a try. See if the approach in a longer arc of a practice is more sustaining than that of an hour-long class.

  

Peace!

 

Trent

 

Meditate for good feelings

I've got to share a piece I read about meditation and it's link to better feeling thoughts.   A recent study done at UCLA found that that parts of the brain that  registered positive emotion and good feelings actually grew in the brains of meditators as compared to non meditators.

Think about that the next time you're waiting in line.  Take that time to focus on your breath rather than on growing impatient.  That's some good brain food.

Peace,  Joan

Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin

I don't know when and I don't know how but at some point my DNA morphed into some sort of billy goat hybrid.  I started getting these really coarse hairs on my chin.  They lack pigment (Thank God!) so for the most part they are left unseen to the world. Except on  rare occasions when the perfect beam of sunlight hits them and they act as a prisms, lighting the pathway to old age.  Even if the are unnoticed,  I know they are there.  They have become a defiant foe that I seem to battle nightly. Plucking and pulling.

Sometimes people think I am in deep thought or mediation as I appear to be listening to something intently while gently stoking my chin.  The truth is I am plotting my attack for the upcoming battle.

I have been winning.

But one day as I stroked my chin I felt this incredibly long hair.  No joke, it was over an inch long.  How could this have happened right before my very eyes?  I had been so diligent at keeping them at bay and making sure my inner troll was secret from the outside world.

In my state of horror,  I told my husband about it.  He looked at me kind of blankly and said, "Oh yeah I know. Did you want me to tell you about them."  

WHAT!  He knew it was there and said nothing.  Have I had spinach in my teeth for the last seven days too?  YES, you tell me!  

So please, if you have a friend out there suffering from EWHG (Extremely Weird Hair Growth), tell them.

We all have to help each other out. :)

I guess I must adopt Janette Barber's philosophy.  She says, " I refuse to think of them as chin hairs.  I think of them as stray eyebrows."

Namaste

Krissy

Sun Smart

Over the years I’ve become more and more aware of the necessity of protecting my skin from the sun's damaging effects. Long gone are the days of bikinis and tanning oil; nowadays you’ll find me sporting a UV protective swim jacket, swim skirt, and a ridiculously huge swim hat that shades all of my face, as well as those of anyone near me. Since infancy, both of my children have rarely been near a body of water sans full body UV protective swim suit, swim hat, and sunscreen for any renegade swaths of exposed flesh. 

This may sound unnecessarily fussy, perhaps uptight, I admit; however, after spending the summer underneath the ozone-depleted skies of Australia and having their government-sponsored “SunSmart” program drilled deeply into each and every nook of my brain folds, I guess I now view sun protection as something one just does like, say, wearing a seat belt. 

It is perhaps no wonder, then, that my favorite sun protection products are made by Australians.  Governments and companies alike pour money into the research and development of cutting edge sun protective fabrics and lotions, and  the fruits of their labors are well worth the cost. My favorite source for buying UV protective swim wear is Coolibar, the only sun protective garment company recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation. Their swim wear is well-made, chlorine and saltwater resistant, and has a UV protection rating of 50+. In addition to swim wear, they also sell UV protective clothing, hats, tents, umbrellas, and sun block.   

Though I prefer UV protective clothing and swim wear to using sunscreen, I try to keep a tube handy for those times I find myself unexpectedly baking in the intense southern Californian sun. This year I met my new BFF:   Soleo Organics  30+ All Natural Sunscreen. They are rated  #1 by the Skindeep Cosmetic Safety Database and are made from 100% natural and organic ingredients. They have no chemical UV absorbers, synthetics, titanium dioxide, or preservatives. They are highly water resistant, biodegradable, neutrally scented, easily applied (i.e. no white residue), and ideal for sensitive skin. Oh, and their packaging is made from 100% recycled materials. 

And the best news of all? Now is the perfect time to stock up on all of your sun protection products as many stores are already offering end-of-summer discounts, taking the edge of the higher-than-average (though well worth it) purchase price.  

Peace,

Annie

    

The Cobra

As mentioned last time, we are going to look briefly at Bhujangasana, which means “serpent’s pose” or “cobra pose.” This asana was included in my discussion of Surya Namaskara as an easier alternative to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, or “upward facing dog.” A few of my colleagues have questioned my substituting the cobra for this more demanding pose; I responded that I would rather the students succeed with the flow of Surya Namaskara without having the difficult “up-dog” in the sequence to distract the mind or usurp the energy. Once the practitioner is comfortable with the sequence and can perform the cobra with ease, then I suggest that up-dog be inserted in place of cobra.

 

1. Lie on the floor facing downward, with the legs extending and toes pointing along the floor behind you.

 

2. Place the palms near the pelvis. With an inhalation, press the palms into floor and lift the trunk, leading with the sternum.

 

3. Press the pubis into the floor and press the tops of the feet into the floor as they stretch behind you.

4. Squeeze the elbows toward one another to allow the shoulders to roll back and the side chest to lift and expand.

 

5. Bend the elbows, lower the trunk and rest the front body on the floor.

 

Beware that you are not using the trapezium muscles to lift up; this is a common distortion, as you feel that you are lifting your chest. You are merely shrugging the shoulders upward, creating undue tension at the neck.

Because up-dog requires the hands and feet to bear the whole weight of the body, this distortion is much more prevalent; starting with cobra and learning the aforementioned actions of squeezing the elbows together and rolling the shoulders back will train the body for this action in up-dog.

Another factor in the distortion of the upper torso is incorrect placement of the hands. When the hands are too far forward, there is no chance for the trapezium to soften, as the positioning of the hands is forcing the muscles around the neck and shoulders to be very active.

The arms need not be completely straightened at the elbow; if the pelvis must lift in order to straighten the arms, allow for a bend in the limbs and press the pubis back down.

Soften the abdomen as much as possible so as to allow for the free flowing of the breath. The more you can lift the sternum, the more you need to relax the abdomen; it will move as a result of the lifting from above, but should not instigate any muscular movement.

The whole of the body is used in the back bend, so stretching back with the legs and toes is an important aspect of the asana. The more length that you can establish in the lower half of the body grounded into the floor, the easier it will be to lift and stretch the upper body without feeling unstable or out of control.

Bhujangasana is a “mild” back bend, and is considered to be “simple,” but the distortions come easily if one is not vigilant. Best to master this pose in Surya Namaskara before attempting Urdhva Mukha Svanasana in the salutation.

Peace!

Trent

 

Quiet Fulfillment

Henry David Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” How amazing, beautiful, and terrifying is that concept? The idea that while everything appears groovy and shiny – we have enough dough to cover the mortgage and still go out to fancy dinners, have 2.5 kids and 1.2 dogs, work out five times a week, get gold stars from the doctor, et cetera – one or two levels down, we are in complete disagreement with our soul/essential self/highest truth. Inside, there is a gaping hole of unanswered emptiness. (If you haven’t already, check out the movie Revolutionary Road for a great illustration of this concept). There’s a common belief that our culture has been set up such that many still live this way.

Of course, there is plenty of loud desperation too (hello, media). There’s also loud fulfillment: “I found the answer! It’s working for me! Now, let me tell you how it can work for you too!” Of course, this is not bad or wrong – on the contrary, we desperately NEED people like Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra and Mike Dooley and Neale Donald Walsch and Martha Beck and the Hickses and Byron Katie … people who are living lives of joy and peace through what they have come to know. It’s vitally important that they share this stuff … in fact, that’s why these people have come to the planet, to make us all aware of our own divinity, and just how much is possible.

But then there’s quiet fulfillment, a concept to which I was introduced recently by a teacher of mine. My take on quiet fulfillment is one of a subtle shift … expansion, understanding, awareness that somehow brings us home to ourselves (though this is an endless pursuit, every now and again, one who is awake can detect movement). Once there is this wholeness or sense of true purpose, perhaps all that is necessary to do with it is to apply it to our own lives. None of the outer stuff necessarily has to change. We don’t need to yell it from the rooftops if we don’t feel compelled to (really, people at this level don’t need to report it at all – by and large, it’s glaringly obvious). 

The thing that so intrigues me about quiet fulfillment is the FREEDOM it represents. You have discovered that your life is up to you – that you bring forth all circumstances and are constantly shaping the world. You are truly present and see every moment for the gift that it is. You are in every minute of every day connected to all other beings and the entire universe. You feel no fear because you know fear isn’t real. I think if I had all this going for me, I’d be fine living alone in a basement studio and working as a janitor in a junior high school. In fact, there was a bagger at the grocery store I shopped at a few years ago who I’m pretty sure was a living Buddha. He shone. He shone while he bagged. He laughed while he collected baskets from the ends of the aisles. He loved every customer in their impatient difficultness. I have a suspicion that these people are everywhere and intend to keep my eyes open for them.

I guess this is simply another way to talk about true happiness/fulfillment/completeness coming not from a change of situation, but from within. But perhaps it would be easier and more tempting to start coaxing ourselves toward our truth if we understand that we do not have to do anything with it. We don’t have to change the world – we don’t even have to change jobs. I wonder if the question goes unanswered – if the song stays inside – in so many because on some level we are frightened of what might be asked of us if we ascend to our earthly divinity?

I invite you to ponder quiet fulfillment, and what that might look like for you. What in your life would change, what would remain the same? When you begin to find those answers – the ones that lead to a deep sense of satisfaction, contentment and wholeness in you – you don’t need to become Eckhart Tolle. All you need to do is live the answers (but be sure to keep asking the questions!), sing your song, and you’ll change the world in ways you can’t possibly imagine.

Peace (and quiet!),
Joy

 

Comparison Shopping

Comparison Shopping is great if you're looking for a great price on that new pair of hot boots. 
 
It's not so good when you're practicing the aforementioned technique to decide what you want --or think your body should look like.
 
Listen up gals.  Diversity is good.  Pretty comes in all colors, sizes, shapes, heights, weights and levels of lusciousness. 
 
Be the REAL woman that you are.  Nobody does it better.  Enough said???

Peace,   Joan

Hard to take the high road when it comes to your kids

My daughter had been looking forward to Acting Camp all spring long.  The camp was a one week program, jam-packed with dancing, singing, arts and crafts, and finally a show on stage.  Believe me, she deserved this week.  The academic school year had been very difficult for her, but she worked hard all the way through, and this camp had been her oasis in the distance.

The day before she was to start, she spiked a fever. Felt lousy, achy in her muscles.  Because of the H1N1 detection rules here in our community, recommendations for all children having fevers are to stay home for seven days. (Ultimately, she wound up having Lyme Disease, not Swine Flu...which I am sure I will discuss in a future post).

Well, this presented a problem.  The program was only five days long.  

I had no problem with the "sick rule," out of respect for the other children in the program.  But when I asked to be switched to another session later in the summer, I was told that the camp's policy prevented switches. No refunds, either.

Well, my "momma tiger" came out.  Meanwhile the camp's "legal piranha" came out, and before you know it, curt emails and not-so-nice phone calls were exchanged.  It was what my family calls a good old pissing match.

In the end, all the harassing I did and the retaliation I inflicted allowed my daughter to attend the camp's last session. For the record, my daughter was completely oblivious to all the wheeling and dealing going on between the adults --- and to the camp's credit, they did treat her wonderfully, as if nothing had happen between myself and them. 

So she had the time of her life.  I was so happy for the experience she gained and just...well...happy to see my kid happy.

But I leave the situation wondering:  Why did it have to get like that?  Why couldn't the camp and I work together to find a creative solution to the "cancellation policy"?  Looking back now at the avenues I could have taken to be "nice" or "skillful," each would have ended in my daughter not being able to attend the camp she desperately wanted.  Would it would have been better to allow her disappointment with the understanding that, karma-wise, we were improved?  

It's a hard question, and I don't know the answer. How can we act both as our children's advocate and their spiritual model, when sometimes the two roles seem to call for opposite actions?  These past few days were truly not my most evolved moments --- yet I truly got my child what she honestly deserved.  As a parent, was it a job well done?

Namaste,

Krissy

Marinated Lentil Salad

I have been in love with lentils for years. Low in fat, high in nutrition with a meaty flavor, I have been using lentils in all kinds of meals to replace beef.  Lentil Chili rich with vegetables, infused with the warmth of cumin, is a winter favorite of mine, but I needed something lighter, brighter and faster for a summer night.

 

I made this marinated salad with green French lentils, but you can use any you have handy. Please always rinse your lentils before cooking whether they are dry or from a can.  I used uncooked lentils in this recipe.

 

 

Marinated Lentil Salad

 

Begin by mincing one large clove of garlic and two medium shallots. Cook in a sauté pan with one tablespoon of olive oil, until softened. 

 

Add several sprigs of fresh thyme with salt and pepper to taste, to the pan. Stir and cook for a minute until the heat releases the fragrance of the herb. Add one cup of red wine and a cup and a half of water along with a cup of lentils. Bring it to a boil before reducing the heat and covering the pan. Cook over the reduced heat for 35 minutes until the lentils are tender and the liquid has evaporated.

 

You may substitute vegetable broth or chicken broth to replace the wine, if you prefer to cook alcohol free. 

 

While the lentils are cooking you can chop whichever vegetables you like for the salad.

I roasted baby beets and sliced them into bite size pieces, then added chopped artichokes, kalamata olives and crumbled goat cheese for the top.

 

The lentils should still be slightly warm when you dress them with the vinaigrette. Any preferred recipe will work, but here is mine:

 

Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to a bowl; add 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and whisk in a quarter cup of olive oil.  Pour immediately over the warm lentils and toss so they can absorb the dressing. Add your vegetables and crumbled cheese, tossing lightly. Wait ten minutes before serving to let the flavors meld.

 

You can serve this at as an appetizer alone or over mixed greens as a meal. Travels well and great for picnics (just add any crumbled cheese at the last moment before serving to avoid it spoiling in the heat). 

 

Peace,

 

Elizabeth