“Wake at dawn with a winged heart and 

give thanks for another day of loving.”

 -Kahlil Gibran

The Gaia Hypothesis

True or False: Feet on the Earth, Head in the Sky?

“The aim of Yoga is to discover our immortal self. The practice of Yoga teaches us to live fully physically and spiritually” –BKS Iyengar

The path of Yoga guides you on an investigation of your internal nature. The physical practice of Yoga keeps you in tune with change: as the body evolves so does the practice. As you begin to align the physical body through the practice of asana and pranayama, you find an awareness of your alignment between the universal reality within (soul) and the universal reality everywhere else (nature and the physical body). You change, your viewpoints change, and nature changes. What does not change is your soul.

The term for nature in Sanskrit is Prakriti. You never know where you are with nature because it is not eternal and always evolving.  Purusha is the Sanskrit term for the non-physical reality, or the cosmic/universal soul (an abiding reality).

The joining of nature and soul is the cause of challenges, contradictions, and pleasures, all central parts of human life. This union forces us to look with in and at the vehicle of our soul to find balance, exploring nature from the world of appearances into its more subtle state.

Your soul is already living radiantly within your physical body, which makes the quest to find it a journey inward to the core of your being. On the way to the core of your being, there are layers to be worked through. The qualities of these layers (koshas) are: Stability (physical body), Vitality (energetic body), Clarity (mental body), Wisdom (intellectual body), and Bliss ( Soul). Exploring your inner nature of compassion and truth will start to peel back the layers and bring you to bliss.

Compassion is heart centered, connected to your contentment and relationships. Truth is closer to your morals and values. It’s about how attached you are, concerned with outcomes, and if you are paying attention to what’s in your best interest.

An understanding of impermanence allows for deeper introspection into the permanent.  The terms of your compassion and truth are permanent. The impermanence lies in nature. The union of the two is found at your center. Grounded yet totally free.

“Chit-Akasha”

~changing of ourselves and unveiling of the immeasurable light with in.~

"you can not travel the path until you have become the path itself"

-buddha 

"That which is free does not desire but contains, possesses, and enjoys."

“…Whatever you do, perform it as a sacrifice. Do not think you are doing it for yourself.  Realize that this entire universe is a sacrifice and that we are a sacrifice to the entire universe. We are food for the universe and the universe is food for itself. Each sacrifices itself to the other. When this divine sacrifice is taking place, one is not bound by attachment.”

- Gurumayi

How can you enjoy something when you are holding onto it, or wanting more? Can you find total peace and joy in life if you are constantly wanting more? How free are you in the present moment if instead of taking the time to enjoy it, you are thinking how to improve it or where to go next? Reflecting on these questions will  most likely show you the areas of your life you hold onto the most, where you are most satisfied, and where you are over doing it.

Spirit (life force energy) is constantly evolving. Spirit tricks us because it is in all and is one with all. "In his essence, each human being is one with all others, fee, eternal, immutable, lord of nature."* With limitations such as attachment, humans are unable to fully enjoy this world. Spirit's role in the cosmic universe is to possess and enjoy. It freely moves, mutates, and expands. 

The Ego is what keeps us in this ignorant state of mind, as its master impulse is to desire and possess. Our mind works without the knowledge which remains veiled behind the Ego. This illusion is called ahamkara which is defined as: the separative ego sense which makes each being conceive itself as an individual personality. 

"The result of this separation is the inability to enter into harmony and oneness with the universe and a consequent inability to possess and enjoy it...Desire is only a mode of the emotional mind by which ignorance seeks its delight in the object of desire and not in the man who expresses himself in the object. By destroying that ignorance one can do action without desire."*

In order to be detached (totally free), you must be content with the present. You don't desire anymore than already exists, and when the present moment changes (and it will), you are content with the next evolution.

“Enjoyment of the universe and all it contains is the object of world-existence, but renunciation of all in desire is the condition of the free enjoyment of all...Renunciation is not a moral constraint of self-denial or physical rejection, but an entire liberation of the spirit from any cravings after the form of things"* 

Taking action in your life, being productive, successful in your work, wanting to go somewhere or buy something, feeling connected ("attached") to someone else, are all normal and important for humans. It's separating the action from the desire of the result of your actions, and ceasing to identify yourself with the actions, that allows us to experience freedom from the works we do in the material world. 

By transcending the ego and realizing the Self, we can possess the whole universe in the one cosmic consciousness and don’t need to physically possess. Realizing oneness: Each object is a part of the whole universe, just in a particular form or outward appearance, brings about contentment.

The Self will continue to blossom, learn, and develop as it too flows with the always evolving universe. But, if it holds on to what was or what could be as things change, how can the experience provide growth? 

*quotes from the Isha Upanishad

I realize that the dawn

when we'll meet again
will never break,

so I give it up,
little by little, this love.

But something in me laughs
as I say this, someone

is shaking his head and chuckling
softly, Hardly, hardly.


-RUMI

G

Cosmic f~l~o~w

“All world is a movement of the Spirit in itself 

and is mutable and transient in all its formations and appearances” 
-Isha Upanishad

Why Wait on the World to Change?

"A Task without a vision is just a job.

A vision without a task is just a dream.

A vision with a task can change the world."

-Anonymous

*~!~Let your LiGhT ShiNe~!~*

Yoga Unveils all that is Veiled.

Some Facts on Sunscreen & Vitamin D

It's common to think that the higher the SPF the more you are protecting your skin...but studies have shown that this is actually not true. Sunscreen actually blocks good UVB rays (that make vitamin D3) and letting UVA rays in (skin cancer causing). Hmm...I wonder why skin cancer rates have risen to over one million a year as the sunscreen industry continues to hype up their products and increase SPF numbers.   "Products with high SPF ratings sell a false sense of security because most people using them stay out in the sun longer, still get burned (which increases risk of skin cancer) and subject their skin to large amounts of UVA radiation, the type of sunlight that does not burn but is believed responsible for considerable skin damage and cancer. High SPF products, which protect against sunburn, often provide very little protection against UVA radiation. Also, most people don't get the high SPF they pay for: people apply about a quarter of the recommended amount. In everyday practice, a product labeled SPF 100 really performs like SPF 3.2, an SPF 30 rating equates to a 2.3 and an SPF 15 translates to 2. This year, new concerns are being raised about a vitamin A compound called retinyl palmitate, found in 41 percent of sunscreens. The FDA is investigating whether this chemical, when applied to skin that is then exposed to sunlight, may accelerate skin damage and elevate skin cancer risk. FDA data suggest that vitamin A may be photocarcinogenic, meaning that in the presence of the sun's ultraviolet rays, the compound and skin undergo complex biochemical changes resulting in cancer. The evidence against vitamin A is not conclusive, but as long as it is suspect, EWG recommends that consumers choose vitamin A-free sunscreens." Full Article Here: http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreens/press  The facts on Vitamin D3 Deficiencies:  - 87% of Americans are affected by Vitamin D3 deficiencies due to the increased use of sunscreen mixed with less time spent outside.  - 7 of 10 children in the US have low levels of vitamin D3 - 70% of breast fed babies are vitamin D3 deficient by 1 month, affecting growth and development  - Vitamin D3 deficiencies are to blame for over 16 types of cancers, cardiovascular disease, depression, auto-immune diseases, Alzheimer's, Parkinson, stroke, genetic disorders...and the list goes on - SPF measures UVB blockage... the higher the SPF, the less UVB and Vitamin D3 "The SPF rating system only measures the UVB blocking power of sunscreens. In other words, a sunscreen with an SPF of 50 will block out all UVB rays but may not block UVA rays. Though you may not burn, skin cancer causing rays are still reaching your skin" -Dr. Douillard Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are the only SAFE SUNSCREEN INGREDIENTS! They block UVA and UVB rays. These ingredients reflect the rays of the sun and do not penetrate the skin. Need to know more? This is a great article by Dr. John Douillard:  http://www.lifespa.com/article.aspx?art_id=100

NOW WHAT? 

Environmental Working Group's Online Sunscreen Database:  

http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/ 

Find your sunscreen and see how it rates and see a list of the best sunscreens

Striding Deeper into The World

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though voices around you kept shouting
their bad advice-
though the whole house began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the star began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do-
determined to save
the only life you could save.

-Mary Oliver

"Focusing with perfect discipline on the light at the crown of the head, one knows everything"

Yoga Sutra 2.33

Seventh Chakra

~Crown Chakra~The Thousand Petaled Lotus~

Sanskrit Name: Sahasrata

Location: Crown of the head

Element: Thought

Ruling Planet: Mercury

Color: Purple (enlightenment), Clear (connects all chakras) 

Center of: Spirituality, Enlightenment, Dynamic Thought, Cosmic Consciousness,Energy, Wisdom

Vitalizes: Cerebrum and Pineal Gland

Balancing scents: Frankincense, Levender 

Crystals/Minerals: Quartz, Diamond, Halite, Amethyst, Tourmaline 

Yoga for the third chakra: Kundalini Yoga

Dudes need Yoga too!

"Top 5 Reasons Why Dudes Should Practice Yoga"

 by Jason Wachob

1. Your upper body will get stronger. I feel stronger, I'm more defined, and I haven't lifted a weight in the past two months. This is all due to yoga. Just working plank pose in a basic yoga series will provide an upper body workout. I'm not even talking about handstands, crow pose and all those poses that require a lot of strength (and concentration), which strong yogis can make look easy. They are hard.

2. Your core will thank you. Sit-ups and crunches and all those other fun exercises only take you so far, as they become repetitive and your body becomes familiar with the movement. I'm not saying that you won't get some sort of results doing these exercises. But Yoga will help you use and develop your core in relation to your other muscles and body parts. Hello six-pack abs and Speedo season. Well, maybe not Speedo season.

3. You'll alleviate stress. Unlike our female counterparts, who often deal with stress outwardly, most dudes (I'm guilty too) often hold stress in, and don't necessarily deal with it in a healthy way. The result is often sleep deprivation, lack of focus, unreflective eating or a little too much Happy Hour. Go to a yoga class that's challenging and you'll be 100 percent focused on your pose and breath. Your stress will most likely be left at the door. You'll be more mindful. You know that concept called "mindfulness" that seems to be all the rage these days? You know, being present? Paying attention to all the little things, concentrating on your breath and focusing on the moment. You'll do all that better, too.

4. It's a cheap date. Dinner and/or movie, or drinks can't compete with $10 yoga. You get a workout, don't have to talk (sometimes guys just don't have a lot to say), and your female companion will be happy. Priceless.

5. The women. Yes, the women -- probably the most important reason for dudes on why they should practice yoga. If you're single, there's no better place to meet a woman. First of all, the girl-to-guy ratio is heavily in your favor. Odds are that the women will be in-shape, smart and probably run deep as opposed to superficial. It beats the hell out of Happy Hour.

Convinced? Sorta convinced? So what to do? As a fellow dude I'd hate to embarrass myself in class (wait, I've already done that), I'd suggest a few things:

First, take a look at some of the key beginner yoga poses so you know what's coming your way. Just getting familiar with how they look will prove to be tremendously helpful.

Second, ask around, poke around and find the right class for you. There's no one-size-fits all approach for yoga, and it might take a while to find your class or instructor. Just like love, you'll know when you "know." And when you "know," you'll be on your way.

Last, yoga is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm not doing handstands or anything fancy yet, and I don't know when I'll be ready for that challenge. What I do know is what's right for my body and I try to take my practice one class at a time.

Full Article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-wachob/yoga-health-5-reasons-why_b_597658.html