Sunday, November 25, 2012

On Vision


Both, what and how we see, are intricately interwoven with our conditioning. We see what we have learned to see. If we come out of our house in midday and see a yellow barn surrounded by a forest, that image becomes a part of our memory. Later, at the end of the day, when the evening sun is sinking over the horizon and the once yellow barn and green trees have been transformed by the fiery orange hue, we may miss that change. Our tendency will be to remember the yellow and green unless a deliberate effort is made to see things as they are. In the glow of twilight the house maybe have a pinkish tone. Trees will turn purple. Yet our mind, if we let it be controlled and fixed by our memory, will only see the afterimages of the past.

I sit here each evening and look at the same things and each evening find that I see different things. The renown Japanese Zen teacher and mystic, Eihei Dogen once asked, “Is it that there are various ways of seeing one object? Or is it that we have mistaken various images for one object?” His words come back to me again and again; ripples on the water expanding in widening circles, reaching out endlessly.

John Daido Loori Roshi

Image source here

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's time to be grateful

We can always find something to be thankful for, 
and there may be reasons 
why we ought to be thankful for even those 
dispensations which appear 
dark and frowning. 

Albert Barnes

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving
 With Love, Light and Laughter

 Dominique

Image by Masahiro Makino 

Friday, November 16, 2012

Quote of the Day


The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly. - Richard Bach


Image source unknown but greatly appreciated

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Ustrasana - The Camel Pose

 Ushtrasana

By Tysan Lerner

There is something very invigorating about the camel pose. Upon completion, the whole front of the body will feel long and open, while the back muscles will feel warm, supple, and pleasantly worked. The camel pose helps lift one’s mood, open one’s heart, and deepen one’s breath.

Despite these wonderful benefits, go cautiously into this pose. It is an intense back bend, requires tremendous focus, and can strain one if he or she has a serious back or neck injury. It is also not recommended for someone with high blood pressure or insomnia.

Preparation Exercise 

To prepare the body for this backbend, start with some gentle chest stretches and back stretches. One good preparation exercise is to roll out the back on a foam roller or small rubber ball. This will help warm up the back muscles and mobilize the vertebrae.

 Ustrasana

When ready to begin, kneel on the knees with the toes tucked under. Keep the thighbones perpendicular to the floor and in line with the hip sockets. Rotate the thighbones internally and gently press the hips forward. Reach both arms up until they are shoulder height. Lift up through the pelvic floor and lower abdomen while reaching the left fingertips forward and the right arm back toward the heels until it touches the right heel. 

Return to center and repeat on the other side. 

If this feels manageable, point the feet and repeat the exercise again. This makes the exercise more challenging.

Tuck the toes under. Place the hands on the back of the pelvis with the fingertips pointing down. Lengthen upward through the spine and begin to bend back while keeping the head in line with the spine. Keep bending back until hands can rest on the heels.

Stay here for five to ten deep, full breaths before returning the starting position. If that felt manageable, the next step would be to point the feet, pressing the ankles and shins into the floor, and repeating the posture one more time. 

To come out of this pose, lead with the sternum instead of the head.
  
Therapeutic Applications
  • Respiratory ailments
  • Mild backache
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Menstrual discomfort
Benefits
  • Stretches the entire front of the body, the ankles, thighs and groins,
  • Abdomen and chest, and throat
  • Stretches the deep hip flexors (psoas)
  • Strengthens back muscles
  • Improves posture
  • Stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck
Contraindications and Cautions
  • High or low blood pressure
  • Migraine
  • Insomnia
  • Serious low back or neck injury
If you have health issues you should consult you health care provider and practice yoga with a certified yoga instructor.


Article source here & here
Image by Barry Stone
 


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Happy Veterans Day!

Polish-American World War II Veterans 

On November 11, we dedicate the day to honor all military veterans with the respect and gratitude they so richly deserve. Their legacy reminds us that selfless service in the defense of liberty is a hallmark of all our military members. -  Gen. James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps


Image source here

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The End of the World As We Know It

Gulag bound
 Gulag Bound...
If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind? - Frédéric Bastiat
And you think the people have spoken? Think again... Nothing is more deceitful than an orchestrated political spectacle in which you have truly nothing to say.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Vote!


The trouble with this country is that there are too many politicians who believe, with a conviction based on experience, that you can fool all of the people all of the time. - Franklin P. Adams

Make a difference! Vote!


Image by Andrew Rich

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Quote of the Day

Geaorgia O'Keeffee

When I think of death, I only regret that I will not be able to see this beautiful country anymore... unless the Indians are right and my spirit will walk here after I'm gone. - Georgia O'Keeffe