Monday, September 27, 2010

Reaching the 4th

I am a runner, recently I have been back to doing longer runs 15k or more, in a desperate attempt to train for a 1/2 marathon that I am no where near ready to run.

But anyways, I love running, I love running long distances even better then short distances, I love to run slow and get into this steady foot fall and breathing pattern, it just feels calming. I do listen to music but my playlist is carefully selected for positive messages and inspiration. I am careful about what I put into my mind as garbage in means garbage out.

Recently there comes this point in my run where I no longer feel the separation between what we could call my energy and the energy all around me. This used to happen all the time but slowly I lost it.

It began like this, last week I read that St. Francis of Assisi asked a fruit tree to explain God to him and the fruit tree instantly blossomed. Hmmm I thought while I am far from a saint I must give this a try. So on Rosalind Rd I stopped and asked the Goldenrod to explain God to me. Nothing happened.

I started running again and in the next moment a gaggle of Canadian Geese flew up from the same field that the Goldenrod shared, they seemed so close and so magnificent almost like I had never seen Canadian Geese before....I was in awe of not only their beauty, grace and strength but of the colours of the sky around them...in that moment I seemed to be frozen in time, I felt this incredible sense of peace. I continued running and slowly this sense of bliss dissipated and soon I was noticing my sore legs again. Again this Sunday without asking I had a very similar experience this time it started with Chickadees.

To explain it better here is a cut and paste from Osho's book onMeditation

You might not think of running as a meditation, but runners sometimes have felt a tremendous experience of meditation. And they were surprised, because they were not looking for it – who thinks that a runner is going to experience God? But it has happened. And now, more and more, running is becoming a new kind of meditation. It can happen when running.

If you have ever been a runner, if you have ever enjoyed running in the early morning when the air is fresh and young and the whole world is coming back from sleep, awakening – you were running and your body was functioning beautifully, the fresh air, the new world born again out of the darkness of the night, everything singing all around, you were feeling so alive. . . A moment comes when the runner disappears, and there is only running. The body, mind and soul start functioning together, suddenly an inner orgasm is released.

Runners have sometimes come accidentally on the experience of the fourth, turiya,* although they will miss it – they will think it was just because of running that they enjoyed the moment: that it was a beautiful day, the body was healthy and the world was beautiful, and it was just a certain mood. They will not take note of it – but if they do take note of it, my own observation is that a runner can come close to meditation more easily than anybody else.

Jogging can be of immense help, swimming can be of immense help. All these things have to be transformed into meditations.

Drop the old ideas of meditations – that just sitting underneath a tree in a yoga posture is meditation. That is only one of the ways, and it may be suitable for a few people but it is not suitable for all. For a small child it is not meditation, it is torture. For a young man who is alive and vibrant it is repression, it is not meditation.

Start running in the morning on the road. Start with half a mile and then one mile and come eventually to at least three miles. While running use the whole body; don’t run as if you are in a straitjacket. Run like a small child, using the whole body – hands and feet – and run. Breathe deeply and from the belly. Then sit under a tree, rest, perspire and let the cool breeze come; feel peaceful. This will help very deeply.

Sometimes just stand on the earth without shoes and feel the coolness, the softness, the warmth. Whatsoever the earth is ready to give in that moment, just feel it and let it flow through you. And allow your energy to flow into the earth. Be connected with the earth.

If you are connected with the earth, you are connected with life. If you are connected with the earth, you are connected with your body. If you are connected with the earth, you will become very sensitive and centered – that’s what is needed.

Never become an expert in running: remain an amateur so that alertness may be kept. If you feel sometimes that running has become automatic, drop it; try swimming. If that becomes automatic then try dancing. The point to remember is that movement is just a situation to create awareness. While it creates awareness it is good. If it stops creating awareness, then it is no more of any use; change to another movement where you will have to be alert again. Never allow any activity to become automatic.

I can only add to this that I am so grateful that I am able to run again strong and free. And whether or not I am able to run or walk this upcoming 1/2 marathon, I hope that I am able to take pleasure in the day and the event, sharing energy with all who participate.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

My Yogic Journey


The past week has been a blur, we have been busy at the studio as well, the Durham Yoga Festival is Sunday, this is a charity event that I organize each year...and yet I feel great, in fact I feel better than I have in years, many years.

It all started with some drinking of bodily fluids, no need to keep talking about it but I noticed the difference within 3 or 4 days. Then last week I signed up for a 21 day Vegan Kickstart and wow, the energy I have right now is unbelievable and I am starting to enjoy the lighter feeling I have.

I remember years ago my stepfather saying that the real reason to be vegetarian was because it was a finer energy. We are all energy that vibrates and the more plant based and raw you eat the better.

So why would we want this finer energy ? To make a difficult explanation easy...we want it to connect better with the energy of the universe. So lower dense energy such as that of the lower 3 chakras is very connected to fear, living for attachments to things (and people), greed, all the things that limit our freedom.
For example the more things we want the harder we have to work to pay for them, the less personal freedom we have as we are tied to our debt and jobs.

The higher chakras are more about your spiritually, your connection to the divine, your wisdom, insight and ability to love (real love not the needy grasping stuff). With this can come a better sense of connectedness and more. ( writing on this topic is just too deep, I am keeping this very very high level).

Other things such as astral travel, and connecting with souls from other planes also rely on a finer energy. Did you know that Helen Keller could hold her hand above a flower and tell you what type of flower it was, she was so connected to energy partially due to the fact that she couldn't see, hear or speak, but also because she was a very spiritual woman.

It's not a coincidence that this has popped into my mind as last night in bed I was reading in my current book (The Energy of Prayer). That prayers to understand this connection as less selfish then prayers for things for ourselves even if we are praying for good things for others and ourselves. Another example, we pray for our husband to stop his drinking, but these prayers often come from selfishness, we really want him to stop drinking because of the way he affects the almighty ME. The prayer is not out of compassion for him. But praying to understand the connectedness opens us up to greater wisdom and can lead us to real love which means no attachments and no conditions. I only love you when you are sober, I only love you when you remember my birthday, I did this for you so I expect you to do this for me. Loving in this manner is very difficult, as it is an emotional roller coaster ride and is not in the end a true compassionate love.

So to tie it all back together, with this finer energy I have been feeling since eating vegan, with it has come a sense of peace and connectedness that I wasn't feeling before, it is hard to explain but I am really into my teaching and just wanting to be where ever I am at the time. I have been waiting to try some stuff I was taught in Thailand such as astral travel and I have a feeling this vegan diet is going to help. I am also going to change the way I pray...I really want to understand the connection better.

Since I have lost most of the weight I wanted to, just maybe 4 to 7lbs to go, I am going to focus my Blog on my journey into practicing yogic philosophy.

So that I can share from my personal experience not from a book.

Namaste

Friday, September 3, 2010

How to Drink Urine

I am coming out of the closet I have drank my own urine....only twice so I am not an expert but I can give you some advice. (I start again tomorrow).

Firstly if someone tells you it that urine has no taste they are lying, it has a taste, a most peculiar taste, that I can't describe, it is not yummy like chocolate, it is not as disgusting as Oil of Oregano, somewhere between the two is the taste of urine.

It is thicker then you would expect almost velvety....not as thick as gravy mixed with cornstarch but thicker then water.

It is not dirty, if fact it contains nutrients your body needs and wants. We Yogi's do not recommend eating feces...that is dirty...so just in case you thought why not make a meal out of your next bowel movement, forget it...that is just gross.

I find it help full to just drink it up fast, like a shooter, I have actually drank worst tasting alchohol.Once in Greece while , on my honeymoon with my first husband, a bartender gave me a drink of home brew made from Artichokes, I couldn't swallow it I had to rush to the bathroom and spit it out. This may have been the first time I wasted alcohol but that is another blog. Urine is not as bad as Artichoke home brew.

It is warm, not hot, but mildly warm...did I mention it is smooth like velvet and kind of sticky, have your touthbrush handy and perhaps mouthwash.

Don't think about it, do the research and then just drink it fast.

While in Thailand I met this guy named Peter, a 30ish American guy from Colorado, he was travelling the Eastern countries studying yoga and meditation, Peter was cute, boyish, very down to earth and he made a ton of sense. He shared with me that he was hesitant to drink urine, but what convinced him was that the people in his group who were drinking urine were clear skinned, bright eyed and that this change occured very quickly. As the last hold out of his group, Peter began to drink his urine and with in must a few days felt amazing. Hearing this from Peter made me think maybe I should just open my mind to the possiblity.