November 24, 2009
In the December issue of Yoga Journal there are many good reads. One really caught my attention. The joy of baking, most people who know me know I like to cook and to share the goods with friends. I bake Biscotti for Valentines Day and pass them out, to share the love. After reading this article it inspired me to give more to share more to love more. I teach yoga, I do body work, ear conning, make art and cook. So why not share all of that with random people, tis the season!
Since my website has the 108 in it I decided on giving 108 offerings. So I emailed one of my neighbors who I know has a lot of stress. I e-mailed her and said her secret Santa had booked her a bodywork session this day & time. She was so happy and you could feel the stress melting away. Yesterday a friend called and while talking she mentioned her ear was plugged up. So I called her this morning to ask her to come over and I would cone her ears. I went to get my haircut today and made homemade truffels for her and her new husband. I thought I would just let the universe guide me. I will keep you posted as to what comes up. As a yoga teacher we learn to open our hearts on the matt as well as off. Charity Ferreira say's "we're here to be of service to each other and have a common experience."
September 26, 2009
I had the honor to see His Holiness The Dalai Lam. For me it was like seeing one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was a very magical and unexpected experience in my life and I am very grateful for this.
May 12, 2009
Tuesday, started out with a bike ride with Smallz at my side. She seems so sad with Biscuit gone. Sometimes I wake up and find her laying staring at the spot where Biscuit slept. After our bike ride I had appointments and errands to do. Just put her in the car and she ran around with me. She seems to be good with that happier then being home by herself.
Subbed for Siva the 6:00 Detox class, ooh so good. I just love teaching : ) Our pose of the night was Locust, hadn't done that in a long time. Don't know why that came screaming into my head. (sha-la-BAHS-anna) salabha = grasshopper, locust pose. Just a few things this pose helps with, fatigue, constipation and lower back pain. It helps to relieve stress and strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks, and backs of the arms and legs.
May 11, 2009
Monday. A new week, full of new possibilities, opportunities, and joys!
Today is a full and busy day. This morning, I researched,
wrote, and had lunch with an old friend.
Soon, I will be leaving my home office to teach The Detox Class. This
is a yoga class designed to detox all the stress of your day. Many
people come directly from work and take this opportunity to clear out
the gunk and frustrations from their minds and bodies. The class has the same effect on me, and I always leave feeling refreshed and renewed.
I am especially happy to be teaching this particular class today, as I was told that I am being rather touchy today. This may be true, as I've had several heartbreaks lately. Last week, on May 5, I lost mybeloved friend, Biscuit, a lovely 14 year old Shepherd mix (pound puppy).We got her from the Long Beach Animal shelter when she was 3 months old. She's been with me through a lot and I miss her very much.
I am blessed to work for a wonderful woman Siva, the owner of Svasth
Health Yoga & Ayurveda www.svasthhealth.com. Sadly, her grandmother
passed last week. Siva is on her way back east to be with her family,
and my prayers are with her.
Sigh! Now I am ready to detox, for sure!
OM SHANTI
SHANTI SHANTI OM
Like many mantras, this one begins with "Om". Om has no meaning, and its origins are lost in the mists of time. Om is considered to be the primeval sound, the sound of the universe, the sound from which all other sounds are formed.
In the Brahminical tradition, from where Buddhism undoubtedly obtained mantra practice, Om is not just the universal sound, but the sound of the universe itself. For example in the (non-Buddhist) Mandukya Upanishad, it is said:
Om! — This syllable is this whole world.
Its further explanation is: –
The past, the present, the future — everything is just the word Om.And whatever else that transcends threefold time — that, too, is just the word Om.
Om is therefore a sound symbolizing reality. It represents everything in the universe, past, present, and future. It even represents everything that is outside of those three times. It therefore represents both the mundane world of time in which the mind normally functions, and the world as perceived by the mind that is awakened and that experiences the world timelessly. It represents both enlightenment and non-enlightenment.
You could regard Om as being the equivalent of white light, in which all of the colors of the rainbow can be found.
One Sanskrit-English dictionary says the following:
"A word of solemn affirmation and respectful assent , sometimes translated by ‘yes, verily, so be it’ (and in this sense compared with Amen); it is placed at the commencement of most Hindu works, and as a sacred exclamation may be uttered at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or previously to any prayer; it is also regarded as a particle of auspicious salutation [Hail!];
Om appears first in the Upanishads as a mystic monosyllable, and is there set forth as the object of profound religious meditation, the highest spiritual efficacy being attributed not only to the whole word but also to the three sounds A, U, M, of which it consists."
Shanti (Pali: Santi) simply means "peace". It’s a beautiful meaning and also a very beautiful sound. The shanti is repeated three times, as are many chants in Buddhism. In Buddhism as well as in Hinduism the threefold Shanti is generally interpreted as meaning the Threefold Peace in body, speech, and mind (i.e. peace in the entirety of one’s being).
Hindu teachings typically end with the words Om shanti shanti shanti as an invocation of peace, and the mantra is also used to conclude some Buddhist devotional ceremonies.
