It is Up to You to Create Your Beautiful Story

The power of your story will dictate how you act
and react to the environments around you.

Whether you have a meditation practice or not, remind yourself to pay attention to your thoughts as you act and react to situations. You will find that you replay over and over the same narratives to describe your experiences and interactions. 

The power of your story will dictate how you act and react to the environments around you. 

Are you are living the life of hard knocks? Or are you living a life that is polishing you from coal to diamond?

Today, turn your attention to the language you use and the thoughts you have that explain your life and the world around you. Story is so embedded in our experience that it’s often invisible, but this is where we can truly make a difference. 

Our personal stories impact our emotional wellbeing and human experience. Our thought processes follow the same training principles that we use to train our bodies. 
In other words, stories are “muscular.” Each telling is a repetition, whether out loud or in our mind. With repeated tellings, the story becomes more powerful in our experience, leading the way for our observations, expectations, attitudes and behavior. 

Once we understand the true depth and power of narrative in our lives, we become a lot more mindful of the stories that we tell and listen to.

Bodhisattva: Do not fear

Bodhisattva: Do not fear. Granting wishes and blessings.

Peace begins with you

Here is a small segment from an eNewletter that I received from The Peace Alliance:

Three Suggestions for Peacemaking in Your Own Life

If you have any internal judgements of anybody, politically or in your life, notice any judgments of “wrong or bad.” Then connect, “what are the deeper needs of mine behind those judgements?”

When you have disagreement with what others are saying (with politicians and media pundits, for example), see if you can empathize with the needs they are trying to meet, and see if there are ways you can relate to them.

If you are talking to someone who is expressing judgments -- that you either agree or disagree with -- try to reflect back and empathize with some of their needs.

These are paraphrased from Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

The Peace Alliance is an alliance of organizers and advocates throughout the United States taking the work of peacebuilding from the margins of society into the centers of national discourse and policy priorities.  Our network includes volunteer grassroots teams in hundreds of cities, towns, colleges and high school campuses.

** *** *** **

01-01-2011

Happy new year to 2011

No boundaries between oil and spirit

Development Threatens Sacred Land of Altai

In this special report from LinkTV Earth Focus, learn about a place where there are no boundaries between spirit, nature and man. This is a place where a major Russian gas pipeline threatens to destroy the ancient and sacred Siberian land of Altai and the culture of the people who live there.

Happy Eid Adha

During this holiday week, I will not be teaching yoga classes. See you all next week.

*** Eid Moubarak we Kol Sana Wentom Tayyebin ***

Vision of a New Paradigm

Last week, a friend sent me this link :

New Reality Transmission dot com

Despite the link leading me to an Adobe Flash web site...and that I dislike Flash web sites...I clicked through the long presentation that is essentially a call for uplifting group consciousness. It's also a good numerological date for group meditation. 11-11, kinda catchy. Here's the summary:

On 11-11, 2010, one million people across the globe will mentally project a unified vision of a new paradigm for our species... a new reality.  The very real physics that connects human consciousness with molecular structure will be harnessed en masse during the largest scale simultaneous manifestation transmission in recorded history.

I do hope that you will find yourself on the 11th of November at the time of 11:11 taking 11 minutes to envision peace. And then for the next 11 days thereafter, take 11 minutes of your day to join in this group meditation. Envision the true cooperative hearts of our planetary family coming together like millions of rain drops into a serene sea of water.

May we move from fear to peace. From dis-connection to connection. We are one. There is only one.

**** November 11 2010 group meditation ******

Yoga, Inc. - the documentary

Watch more free documentaries
The documentary that asks whether yoga can survive Big Business with its good karma intact

Yoga has transformed from an ancient spiritual practice into a competitive, commercialized, multi-million dollar industry. And for a practice rooted in renunciation, yoga sure is making some people very rich. Can yoga survive this war between the sacred and the profane with its good karma intact?

Esak Garcia is a star on the burgeoning competitive yoga circuit, racking up cash prizes and edging ever closer to snagging an endorsement deal. But Esak’s ultimate goal is the Olympics, a dream instilled in him by his guru, Bikram Choudhury.

Bikram’s supporters applaud his crusade to have yoga recognized as an Olympic sport. His detractors are horrified. It’s typical of the controversies that surround the ‘Bad Boy of Yoga’. Bikram has also copyrighted his popular yoga style. Those who teach ‘Bikram yoga’ without playing by his rules are hit with crippling copyright infringement fees.

So a group of yoga studio owners take Bikram to court to pose an important legal question; can anyone ‘own’ yoga?

In today’s yoga world only the marketplace has real meaning, where everything is up for grabs, from yoga shoes to chakra panties. The new mantras are Standardize and Supersize. In the race to cash in yoga chains (‘McYoga’?) are popping up everywhere, putting the smaller studios out of business. No wonder purists are scratching their heads. Is nothing sacred?

Greed, lust, ego and the search for enlightenment all come together in this original, irreverent portrait of spiritualism and capitalism colliding head on.

Credits

Directed by John Philp

Written by John Philp

Produced by Steffie Nelson and John Philp

## Thank you Bad Dog Tales, Inc. : support ur documentarians : they earn it one shot at a time ##

hot hot hot

Taking a walk along the Nile to clear my mind

As I contemplate my theory of creativity, I arrange files on my hard drive.

My imaginative thoughts seem be well suited to mundane tasks today: organize photos, delete photos, and back up files. This is a good thing to be in stillness and focus.

It's horribly hot again here in Cairo. Above 40 degrees. Stay cool.

## Our life is going to change. Wisdom is to change ahead of the change. Foolishness is to change after the change. --Yogi Bhajan ##

basket theory: how to get rich

The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket. --Andrew Carnegie

Basket seller in Maadi

navigating the world ocean

Finding answers in a barrage of a million questions

Here is a method from a Barbara Brennan book:

Sit with a pen and paper and quietly meditate until your mind is calm.
Take your time. Wait until your mind is calm.

Say outloud that you relinquish all personal stake in the answers to your questions.
Quickly write your questions and stay open and relaxed.

Then write the answers as they come without thinking about it.
Whatever comes, just keep writing.

Ask as many questions as you want and then put the notebook away for at least four hours before going back and reading it.

Even better, wait until the next day.
Keep your mind calm in the mean time and don't be tempted to taint what you've already written.

Then trust what's written and take action.

Trust.

the narrow hallway of the divide

Anything that comes in life is an opportunity. God is constantly giving you the opportunity to know thy Self. --Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Here's a new feeling that I'm facing today and the answer provided via a random passage that I selected from a random book:

If a wrong is done against us for no fault of ours, there is no best or worst method to retaliate.

Do not degrade yourself by resorting to retaliation in any way.

Adherence to violence even in thought, just to satisfy the lower mind debases the individual spiritually.

## never allow anyone to challenge your grace ##

50 types of breaths

A view of Cairo from Al Azhar Park

There are 50 types of breaths corresponding to 50 types of propensities.

Among these, 49 types of breath are for material enjoyment,

and the remaining one, the short and feeble breath, is for God-realization.

-- Paramahamsa Hariharananda, Kriya Yoga

*** BREATH NOW ****

message to live by

Think one hundred times before you speak.

Citadel interior

++

To Thine Own Self Be True

To Thine Own Self Be True

Yet here, Laertes! Aboard, aboard for shame!
The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
And you are stay'd for.
There ... my blessing with thee!
And these few precepts in thy memory
Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg’d comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel but, being in,
Bear't that th' opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgement.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!

-- William Shakespeare

Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda

Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve

and we will keep still

for once on the face of the earth,

let's not speak in any language;

let's stop for a second,

and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines;

we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness.

Fishermen in the cold sea

would not harm whales

and the man gathering salt

would not look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,

wars with gas, wars with fire,

victories with no survivors,

would put on clean clothes

and walk about with their brothers

in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused

with total inactivity.

Life is what it is about...

If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving,

and for once could do nothing,

perhaps a huge silence

might interrupt this sadness

of never understanding ourselves

and of threatening ourselves with

death

Now is the Time: Message from the Elders

The Crab Nebula -- Supernova

5-day solo journey to explore Chaco Canyon in 2003.

The Supernova Pictograph is located along the trail to Penasco Blanco ruin in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

In AD 1054 a new star appeared in the constellation Taurus that was so bright it was visible even by day.

Today we know this object as the Crab Nebula, the remnants of a supernova of a massive star.

Archaeologists believe that the Anasazi recorded this event at the time of its appearance.

The crescent shape accurately represents the phase of the moon at the time of the explosion, while the star shape is thought to represent the supernova itself. The handprint seems to be in the nature of a signature.

Message from the Elders

"You have been telling the people that this is the 11th hour.

Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the hour and there are things to be considered:

Where are you living?

What are you doing?

What are your relationships?

Are you in right relation?

Where is your water?

Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.

Create your community.

Be good to each other and do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time.

There is a river flowing now very fast.

It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.

They will try to hold on to the shore.

They will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.

Know the River has its destination.

The Elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open and our heads above the water.

See who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves, for the moment that we do our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabularly.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we've been waiting for."

The Elders

Oraibi, Arizona

Hopi Nation

my reservation dogs waiting patiently
for me outside the teepee

mystical cleverness

playing in sunset in the western desert, egypt

The Fool in the Tarot, is the spirit in search of experience.

The Fool represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world.

In the deck of the Tarot, the Fool is the first card of the deck. When you study the Fool card, you see the sun shines behind him. The sun represents the divine nature of the Fool's wisdom and exuberance. On his back are all the possessions he might need. In his hand there is a flower, showing his appreciation of beauty.

He is frequently accompanied by a dog, sometimes seen as his animal desires, sometimes as the call of the "real world", nipping at his heels and distracting him. He is seemingly unconcerned that he is standing on a precipice, apparently about to leap, engaged in the supremest act of idiocy or trust.

The number of the Fool is 0, a perfect significator for the Fool, which can become anything when he reaches his destination. Zero plus anything equals the same thing. Zero times anything equals zero. Zero is nothing, a lack of hard substance, and as such it may reflect a non-issue or lack of cohesiveness for the subject at hand.

Over the last few weeks, I've been getting back in touch with my Tarot deck.

## searching ##

News for toDay

Over the last 14 days, I took a retreat from the "world"; a retreat designed by me, specifically for me. My opportunity to step into an unknown territory that surrounds me and that which is within me. Outside of Egypt, I traveled within.

During this time, I meditated and ate good food. I had no contact with telephone, internet, email, or television. I've done this many times before, with complete faith that what I need to know will be presented to me.

When I returned to Cairo the other day, I found that I had no interest in reading "news" and instead visited a Twitter friend's blog. My click landed me on his latest post. I am sharing it here as I find it most uplifting. This is really all the news that we need to know.

I hope that you will take time to read more from his blog.

SPIRITUAL CONSPIRACY
From the blog written by City Yoga Guy http://cityguyyoga.com/2009/05/20/spiritual-conspiracy/

On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else is happening underground

An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.

It is a silent movement.

From the inside out. From the ground up. This is a Global operation. A Spiritual Journey.

There are quiet groups in every nation on the planet.
You won’t see us on the T.V.
You won’t read about us in the newspaper.
You won’t hear about us on the radio.

We don’t seek any glory. We don’t wear any uniform. We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles. Most of us work anonymously. We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country and culture of the world.

Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands. You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice.

We go undercover.

We remain behind the scenes. It is of no concern to us who takes the credit. But simply that the work gets done.

Occasionally we spot each other in the street.
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way.

During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs.
But behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes a place.

Some call this Conscious Awakenings
We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts.

We follow, with passion and joy. Our orders come from from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love messages when no one is looking.

Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~ Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites ~ Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness…

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents

Be the change you want to see in the world….. that is the motto that fills our hearts

We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans combined
Our work is slow and meticulous…..like the formation of mountains

It is not even visible at first glance, and yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come
Love is the new religion of the 21st century.

You don’t have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it. It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world….
Nobody else can do it for you…..
We are now growing…. Perhaps you will join us…Or already have.
All are welcome…The door is open

author unknown

***

sea of emotions

Earth pushed and pulled by water. It's only where the two meet that the turbulence is the strongest. Stepping through on either side, and balance can be regained.

Tide flows in. Tide flows out. I asked the sea who am I?

Taking my meditations to the beach, I moved in walking meditations over the last few days.

Living in Cairo, a flurry of business and activity, my surroundings easily disconnect me, not only from my Self but from nature.

Some times I lose site of hope for connection and all of life seems futile. I used to deny such feelings. I would mentally punish myself for thinking in this way and create such a vicious cycle of anger and depression. I label it American psychosis...the self-centered, pity-me depression cycle...except I don't blame anyone, nor do I seek a pharmaceutical drug to cure.

Gaining strength again with my current yoga practice, I pull myself into balance with confidence and neutrality. My posture is durable, not only to my outer world, but to my inner world. I welcome my forlorn thoughts and recognize that is all they are...thoughts.

The thoughts ebb. The thoughts grow. The thoughts flow.
In the moment that I embrace them, they fall away. I breath in the moment, only to be distracted by another thought wave, and then another. With each thought, I breath my emotional tide to the present moment, accepting love and joy. And soon, I am back to center and neutral again. Only to discover again, my yoga and meditation behold me the beauty to hold steady the present moment in my breath.

I am the creator creating my creation.
I am
I am the creative principle;
I am the energy and intelligence that chose to create this universe…

I place one foot on the sandy shore, I bless the earth with peace.
I step forward to place the other foot ahead, I bless my self with peace.

++  Peace Be With All of Us. ++