Thursday, September 25, 2008

Good Stuff here

http://sattvafitness.com/NoDenial.pdf

This is good--gives really concrete steps to help the planet and you out :)

Some other good reads right now:

Healthy at a 100 by John Robbins

Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight- Thom Hartmann

Monday, September 22, 2008

Passion For Peace

I had the opportunity this past weekend to take part in the Global Mala in LA. My body is still feeling the ritual movement that thousands took part in all over the world of 108 sun salutes. It was easy to accomplish with the expert guidance of such gifted teachers as Shiva Rea, and Saul David-Raye as well as live kirtan by one of my favs Donna Delory.

My favorite moment though was the Friday night ceremony/speech given by Andrew Harvey
who gave a wake up call to all in attendance. Andrew is passionate about peace and life. His speech was infused with the passion of Rumi and his message was lit by the fire of the divine itself. I have felt a stirring my soul for quite some time now that the world as we know it is coming to an end. I haven't had the words to describe how and why I felt this way but in my heart I sensed that how we live and the conditions on the planet are just not sustainable anymore for life to survive much longer. Andrew had a much more articulate way of saying this and in fact gave support and advice on what we can actually do.

Andrew kind of said what I thought--that there is no way to escape this "death" to the way things are. Like all deaths this one is going to be painful and we all might not survive this dark night of soul so to speak. What he said though as guidance is to embrace our sacred practice and to dwell deep within our source of love and to remain true to that love. That no matter what happens to keep helping others and awakening our compassion for the coming times. The best advice I thought was to search deep in your heart to find what are you most passionate about and to use whatever energy you have to spare to act locally to help that cause/group out. You don't have to solve everything--just give what you can to one thing fully. If we all do that--maybe this dark night won't be as painful.

Transformation is not easy ever. As I have mentioned before about the fire element--which this coming time is symbolic of--fire destroys before it creates. We have to just allow ourselves to be open to the flames. Remembering that sometimes there are more important things than whether or not "we" survive. What matters most I think is how we live and how deeply we love. To not wait to love as deeply as we can right now, however we can. If you feel you are holding back any love right now---please use your practice to awaken your heart and set it on fire.

Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

This quote was spoken at the global mala and it's one I have loved and explored many times. We are at that point where our creativity and ingenuity can spark a revolution of the human heart. I am not sure how this "death" will take place but as it begins and as it progresses I want to be part of the fire. I want all who have crossed my path to help me light this fire. In your practice touch your heart and commit to giving your energy out to those who need it. In all areas of your life start living fully and giving your passion out deeply in what you do. To your friends, neighbors, family--give them love like you never have before. Think of ways to extend yourself to a cause you can support--ask yourself what am I withholding and why--what is my deepest gift to give the world right now. Most importantly look at the world. Stop ignoring what's happening. Don't pretend that everything is ok. Take a good look at the world, your habits, and how you cooperate with the structures that are ruining the world. How can you support businesses and structures that are trying to create change?

Set your life on fire and surround yourself by those to fan your flames!--rumi

Love and peace to you all!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Intention/Prayer For The World Today

May all of our hearts be inspired to greatness in which acts of kindness and compassion replace fear and destruction.

May any act of contempt or hatred be lifted from the desire of any mind and be replaced instead with the impulse to create beauty and community with others.

May any one who has fallen far from the human family and the connection to earth be brought back into the fold with welcome arms without judgement or condemnation.

May we all strive to see the good and work hard to lift up those who are struggling, angry, and oppressed.

May every thought and action from all who are willing to create a better world be a light to cast out any shadows aimed at stopping the rise of love and peace to power.

May we all remember that this is no time to be humble but rather to be as bold and as bright and as brilliant as we can be. The world needs our light, and may we all commit to shine even if we don't know how yet.

May we all be led to authentic paths that help us create a better today.

May we all remember no matter what happens everything is linked, everything is one, and that everything deeply matters, now and forever.

And may we all step into a more courageous heart filled expression of our life and may that help everyone we meet take the necessary leap towards peace in all aspects of their life.

Peace Peace Peace

Namaste

Monday, September 8, 2008

How can we be lighter?

This is the question I am playing with in my own practice right now. As I make transitions between poses, as I set my hands and feet into earth, and as I invert, how can it all be done lightly and with minimal effort. The question is--What is really necessary to make this happen? What needs to work, and what can be soft?

As you begin your practice this week take time to first notice the energy flowing in your body. Where do you feel strength? Where in the body do you feel light? Are there places that feel heavy and stuck? Where are they? As you begin to notice these things direct your breath to the places that feel light. From the places that feel light and strong feel each breath growing that lightness and strength. Visualize the breath filling the body with more lightness and strength from the reservoir of that energy within you already--enhancing the growth of it as well as stimulating the source of aliveness in your body.

Then as you develop that growth keep feeding the body your deepest breath and as you inhale keep holding space for an intention of what it is you are willing to rise into (for example more lightness, or stepping into more strength) as you exhale hold space for intention for what you are allowing yourself to be rooted in or grounded in. It doesn't have to be every breath but maybe at pivotal points in the practice. Feel that intention deep within your poses letting the movements of the body wrap themselves around the intention of the breath. Let the energy of the breath create the shape of the pose. Give yourself time in the poses like at least 10 breaths--even more if you can to really explore this practice.

This is good for those moments when you are feeling heavy and sluggish-you might notice some shifts the longer you hold things. You can ask your body "What can I bring to this moment that will make me lighter"? If you have a pose or a transition that doesn't feel right what if you hit the redo button as I call it and try again but with intention of approaching it lightly and experiment a few times. It makes practice more fun I think and starts to take you out of automatic pilot mode.

See if this approach also makes it into the rest of day. How can you be lighter in other ways in your life?

Hope this helps.

Have wonderful practices this week!

Namaste,

Michael