Seeing with “The Eye of God”

July 26, 2017July 26, 2017Leave a comment

Now we’ve reached the sixth level in our exploration of the seven chakras. After the other five energy centers (chakra means “wheel of energy” in Sanskrit) have been opened, just by our being aware of each of our chakras and their significance in our lives — we now have arrived at the 5th, the level of consciousness within our Being that is …. One with bliss.

In yogic scriptures the state of Oneness with All is often described using the Sanskrit word, Satchidananda. Sat is Beingness; chid is “the Light of Understanding” that comes with knowledge; and ananada is … bliss.

Sat-chid-ananda — the Beingness within us that is filled with the Light of understanding (from experiencing Oneness in unthought-form, which is meditation) — results in the inner, untouchable-by-others state known as … bliss.

Since prehistoric times humans have attempted to depict their experiences, and artists have tried to depict in visual form, the state of Oneness. Here’s one of mine. I chose to use only Black & White (a common ballpoint pen, actually) because — too often people think if they don’t “see colors and lights!” they’ve somehow missed Satchidananda. On the contrary. Oneness is … stillness. Sometimes it’s called “the Blue Pearl” but as soon as you start looking for it, or think you glimpse the Blue Pearl … it disappears! Ha! Welcome to Oneness that has no second, not even a Blue Pearl.

beyond thought, the goal of true meditation

beyond thought, the true goal of meditation

Starting back with the ancients who wrote about Satchidananda in the Vedic scriptures (four thousand years ago), this word has been used to describe the virtually indescribable state of Oneness.

What happens when we “visit” the 6th chakra energy is, we begin “to see” (to recognize) with the “Eye of God.”

Oneness, is the feeling, the comprehension that All-is-God, All-is-Perfect even things that appear imperfect. This state of an un-thinking connection to the ONE is the goal of meditation. And even if we experience it for … just a breath! — we’ve touched the 6th chakra, the Eye of God-awareness.

When thought has ceased, We Are ONE. In meditation, after all blocks have been cleared away … there is … only bliss. For some this may happen right away. For others, like me, it took a while to clear out old (neurotic & superfluous) stuff that keeps us from our higher selves.

Prepare for the Unexpected … during the purification process

For people who are just starting off on the spiritual path, this idea of no-thought being sheer bliss may seem strange. I know when I first started meditating (I was initiated back in ’68 by the TM, Transdendental Meditation movement, when it first arrived in the US, but since then, use another technique) I thought, “But I’ll be stupid if I can’t think!” The idea of no-thought was the opposite from bliss, to me back then. I was 21 when I first touched “the Eye of God” and experienced Oneness. And I received that gift not a day too soon or too late.

In an earlier post, I’ve shared my experiences of being initiated into meditation. This link will take you to when I discussed “owning my own personal power.” For me, my first meditation experience was a formal ritual. One I consider as important as finding my life’s purpose, and blessedly, marrying the love of my life.

I certainly needed help at that time, back in ’68, from the extreme torment I was experiencing. I didn’t know it was spiritual pain I was in, I thought it was a “medical” issue. But after that very first meditation experience completely relieved me of the pain I was experiencing in my solar plexus region (the 3rd chakra, the “seat of our personal power”) I experienced complete and total … bliss. I was instantly healed! And from then on I was completely enchanted by seeing life through the Eye of God

All my symptoms of physical pain vanished! And never returned! In that one magical experience I became a believer of the healing power of meditation.

Of course I had to learn to sustain that state of sublime bliss that cured my psychic woes. That first experience was like a lightning strike to my aching soul. It wasn’t easy to let go of my previous identification as … a thinker, a creative idea-maker! It took me years, to decide to give up looking outside myself, partying, following my bliss by adventuring here and there all over the planet, and doing my fair share of substance abuse to boot.

But the day came when I finally was able to make the choice that the real adventure was right inside me. I knew my life would never be what it was meant to be … until I dedicated a fair amount of time to clearing away my “garbage” … call them blocks, issues, problems, I don’t care. I knew meditation was the best “cure” for me. I wanted bliss in my life. I’d already been shown proof of how to get it. So naturally, I wanted more!

a first glance of what is … Bliss

The reason I’m sharing this with you is to describe what I embarked upon, in my purification process right after I decided to no longer deny bliss. I became ready, and that’s when I started visiting the 6th chakra (by meditating) on a regular basis. The journey of chakra-awareness is an excellent way to describe, in other than psychological terms, what a person must go through if one wishes to raise up their perceptions, their consciousness, above what is considered “normal or ordinary.”

We’ve just been through, these past 10 posts on Lordflea, exploring together the various stages of the different levels of inner awareness. As each chakra is perceived, the “doors of our perception” are opened up wider and wider. As we traveled up these levels, we discussed the various attributes of each chakra.

First we explored the base survival instincts of the 1st chakra: eating well, getting out of the weather. Breathing. As long as we’re breathing, we’re in the 1st chakra awareness, even if in a coma.

Then we uplifted our awareness to realizing that the 2nd chakra is both the seat of creativity (which includes both original thought, procreation, and the awakening of our spirituality: therefore, sex and creativity and very connected, energetically). Around adolescence all humans crave spirituality in our lives. The awakening of creativity and spirituality occur in the 2nd chakra.

When our awareness arrived at the next level, the 3rd chakra, we came to understand how much more comfortable our life is when we are in our own power and how uncomfortable we are when we give that power away to something or somebody else. This chakra is the solar plexus region, surrounding the navel.

As our level of awareness rose to the heart area, the 4th chakra, we then made a decision (if we were ready) to do whatever it takes to open our Big Heart (not our physical organ) of Humanity. We ppen it wide, and keep it wide open. That means to embrace Love, and to turn away from wasting-energy denial or fear. This level of awareness is where we trust that life is okay, exactly the way it is. Even if on the outside things are not what they appear to be; within us, in our Big Heart, all is well. Dark or Light, God, the ONE, creates All, with no differentiation between “good or bad,” male or female,” “animal or mineral” or any other separators. When the “cave of our heart” is open, we understand that Higher Power is behind all that is. We are now ready to embrace and understand the higher levels of awareness instead of fighting what is, is meant to be.

Our opened-heart is the bridge to the higher realms of consciousness.

Next, our throat chakra opens, and we have reached the 5th chakra. When this energy-level within our Beingness becomes opened we realize we can no longer do anything but speak and follow our own Truth. And here is where we must find our Truth if we haven’t already. Each person has their own version of Truth. There is not just One Truth for All. We’re not a one-size-fits all-species. Each of us has to explore and find what Truth fits our soul’s particular yearnings.

And now … after preparing ourselves by experiencing the energy contained within these previous chakras, and being present with them all, allowing them to be, and remain, fully opened (by our being aware of them, that’s all it takes!) — our energy centers are now cleared of any old or “denying” blocks or hurtles we’ve now allowed ourselves to face. We’re gone through our blocks. We’re now ready — to receive grace.

Here — we have arrived at the sixth chakra. The Third Eye. Also known as the Eye of God.

Every person who wishes, CAN see life through the “Eye of God”

This is the place we visit — even if it’s for only a few moments’ time, only a few breaths’ worth if that’s all we can — each and every time we let go of our disturbing mental ramblings. When our chattering minds are in a deep state of peace, we then connect with the Source of our Beingness: Oneness.

There’s many other names for Oneness. I don’t particularly like the “God” label because God, Allah, and other names for “God” are highly charged names. They are meant for personal use, if you’re religious. Here, we’re talking Spirit, and that’s a label too, but we have to speak in words so we try to choose good ones. There have been too many wars, people killed, families torn apart over the interpretation of this name, “God.” It causes too much separation because one person’s description of God is usually entirely different from another’s. God-consciousness is an okay term, however, as it implies something we all have access to. And … we do.

We are all connected, our Blended Family of Humanity

To me, every time I meditate these days (after 50 years of practicing!) the state I am in can only be described as Satchidananda. God-consciousness, Cosmic-consciousness, Oneness … is … Bliss.

No thoughts. No colors, no lights, no … thing. Just pure delicious bliss. It also is called Love, this thought-stilled state of Oneness. Love is another word for Bliss, God, Truth. You name it, Love fits the bill very nicely for me. Words are tricky things, so I hope you, my reader, understands what I mean when I say, “God is Love.” Even the Bible claims this, and it is Truth.

So, my friend, I’m encouraging you if you haven’t already, to start a mediation practice, even if it’s only for a few minutes each day. It really doesn’t have to be a formal separate part of your day. Just a few minutes, 5, or 10. Or 20. I usually meditate after my hatha yoga (physical movement) practice, anywhere from 5 to 15 or 20 minutes. Daily is wonderful, but any time is better than none. Any way you can find a few moment away from distractions, noises, screens, other people’s input — go within by just focusing on your breath. That’s all meditation is! Away from purring kittens and nudgin’ canines, screamin’ cars, distractions and responsibilities of all sorts. Tune them out for a few minutes. Just find a place, be alone with yourself. And … watch your breath.

the ripple effect creates the tipping point

tune IN anytime, anywhere

Here’s a link I made that might help. It’s very easy. You can listen to it anytime. Even in the midst of a busy day. While you’re sitting at your desk. Driving your car in between traffic lights on the way to or from home. It’s not a “lights out, gotta get away from everything” kind of meditation. It’s a workable, two-minute introduction to “how easy” it is to meditate, to become One with bliss. Breath is the key to achieving Satchidananda.

All it takes is … wanting to still the busy mind. The most basic technique for stillness is watching the breath.

When you’re ready, click here. But first, I’ll say good-bye for now.

With Love All Ways,

your pal Lordflea, aka teZa Lord

If you wish to join my info-list about upcoming books I’m publishing, leave me info here. Thanks.

Beginnner’s Mind

June 6, 2017June 6, 2017Leave a comment

What’s going on? Open your mind! Be child-like!

One of my most treasured spiritual books is Suzuki Roshi’s “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind.” It has inspired millions, and truly is one of my go-to references about establishing the connection between our individual (smaller) self and universal (Higher) Self. In Roshi’s landmark book, which I try to re-read as often as I can (as well as the classic, Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha”) I’m forever reminded to keep things fresh. To approach learning, especially about higher-consciousness, as if we are a beginner, each and every time we sit for meditation. What exactly does this mean, to be a beginner?

In today’s divided world especially, people are sure about how they feel. Whether the topic is politics or environment, or religious or spiritual, people are sure they are on the side of right and others who don’t speak the same doctrine are on the side of wrong. Sound familiar? I guess another way of saying “be a beginner” always, is to check to make sure you have an open mind and an open heart, always.

In my mixed-bag circle I hear some pretty strong stuff, and tend to overlook people’s hardcore emotionalism as a need to vent. I give plenty of leeway to those who have such strong opinions that their voices raise and their eyes widen. I watch these symptoms as indicators. Of what? That the person before me is closed to any discussion other than pats on their back that they’re right, right, right.

Sure, lots of people are in distress about the state of the world. When I was younger I even left America because I was so unforgiving about the Vietnam war, and didn’t return for a full decade. Today however, I am grateful to call the USA my home country. Even though it’s in a time of tumultuous cross-fires, this is the greatest country I’ve ever known, and I’ve traveled around lots. So bear with me as I share, from experience, how I learned that being set in my opinions only got me in deeper waters, than even the longstanding wars America fights in far off countries.

from one continent to the next … stretch out … learn from others …

Put aside your need “to be right” for just a moment and try following my thinking about how the need to be open is a spiritual practice. And how approaching things from a fresh, new angle (whether practicing a yoga pose or determining how bad things are in the public arena), sharing Roshi’s viewpoint on “Beginner’s Mind” just might add some bright sunshine on anyone’s dark and gloomy spots.

When Roshi wrote his book waaaay back in the sixties, he was mostly referring to the Zen Buddhist “art of meditation” when he spoke of having a Beginner’s Mind. I love his use of a waterfall to demonstrate the meaning of universal consciousness (the Self, Divine Mind, “God”) the continuous contacting of which is the supreme aim of practicing meditation. I’m going to paraphrase Roshi’s imagery here, but if anyone wants a real treat, I urge you to read the entire book for yourself.

The waterfall is Roshi’s metaphor for how our singular mind is connected to the infinite vastness, the ineffable Mystery of nothing less than — cosmic consciousness. Or Higher Power, or God, if you want to keep it simple. Although Zen Buddhists such as Suzuki Roshi never use the “G” word. And really, that’s a good idea in speaking of spiritual matters because that little bitty word has way too many stigmas attached to it. Many people either freak out if they hear it (those who are anti-G, calling themselves humanists or atheists, or maybe they’re traumatized from too-religious of an upbringing). Or, as one of my spiritual teachers (a wise old Christian monk) recently noted as he began his talk on mindful Presence: “For every single one of you, there’s a different definition of God.” So he doesn’t use the G-word either, preferring, as I do too, to use Spirit (or Aum, Om) as readers of LordFlea know already.

In referring to the subject of how to tap into the spiritual side of life, the metaphor of Suzuki Roshi’s waterfall is the best analogy I’ve ever heard. He describes the state of connecting to this higher state — the universal consciousness that is all present — as this:

We, each one of us humans, is a tiny cell of consciousness that is connected to the whole, just as a drop of ocean water is still part of the unlimited ocean. If we came to a waterfall (or a stream, a river, an ocean) and took in our cupped hands, a tiny bit of the vastness before us, think of what you’re imagining holding in your hands, as you take it from the flowing waterfall to look at, and perhaps drink of — that this handful of water is symbolic of your human life. You are a separate being, but you are also part of the wholeness from which you came. You are both at the same time, even though some people never choose to experience this state of Oneness.

the waterfall of Life

Even though you have been born in your human form (yoga scriptures calls this one-person connection to All, the Atman), you are still spiritually connected, and part of the whole spiritual consciousness (yogic Oneness, is Brahman, also called “the Self”) that permeates this existence, this universe …. the multiverse, as all of space discoveries is now more commonly called.

When I read Suzuki Roshi’s words for the first time many moons ago, I was struck about how similar his description of the waterfall was to my own inexplicable experiences of meditation. The Stillness. The Oneness. Totality. Yet, I was still me. How, after learning to follow a mantra and having trained my bad-ass monkey-mind to STOP obsessing, and keep it focused on a sound, and witness my thoughts, not engage in them —- how I felt connected to all that is.

And yet, when I came out of meditation and looked in the mirror, yes, I could verify that I was still this one same person named teZa (aka LordFlea, here). I have one body, not an endless array of cosmic-ness, yet my mind felt unlimited to any barrier, whether of skin or mental gymnastics. Even more deeply I felt this Oneness as my meditation practice grew stronger, as I went through layers of impurities. As my teacher told me I would. Until — I arrived at the place where each and every time I press my third eye (even for a breath or two, only!) I can jump into that state of Oneness, like a dog who’s learned to stand up on its hind legs for its tasty treat. I love the depth, the connected-ness of meditation.

Of course this took years of practice. But the payoff the stilling of the mind, is going deep inside Self, like sticking a finger into the CHARGED SOCKET of the Big Brain Itself (ha! it’s that shocking at first, so electrifying!). This place, state of mind, is beyond thought, and even if for just a glimpse that lasts only a few seconds, and eventually becomes longer in time and deeper in connection — all this amounts to cultivating a spiritual connected-ness. This, my friends, is Oneness consciousness.

So how does this meditative approach to “Fresh” apply to practicing yoga poses? And what, for goddess’ sake, does Oneness have to do with political or environmental angst? Bear with me, reader, a little longer.

approach each pose (downward dog here) as if it’s just you and the world around you

The same fresh electric jolt that Oneness brought me (at the beginning of my journey) is exactly the same, each and every time! — when approaching anything with a Beginner’s Mind. If I think, “I’m a lifelong yoga person, I know this pose” instead of “ahhh, try to feel it as if for the very first time I’m going into this pose” — then I am in Beginner’s Mind. To do this means I have to be more aware. The key here: Awareness. I must remind myself to think as a beginner, and not as a Know-It-All adept. Each time I start a yogic practice session, or just want to do a quick back stretch, but yogically, mindfully, I must remind myself that … “I know nothing! I am a beginner. I may know where to put my feet, my arms, my gaze .. but I am going to let this pose here and NOW teach me as if I’ve never had any experience of this same pose, before. Ever.”

This takes discipline. To let go of our “knowing”. This also requires humility. Some people have a hard time letting go of “thinking they know.” Why? Because they’re insecure. Without knowing something SURELY, they feel impotent, less than, and likely afraid of feeling vulnerable. Many people I know in the spiritual/mindful world (yes, as much in this tribe as in the political circles I skirt these days) are filled with self aggrandizement. Many yoga teachers I see being pumped out of the yoga-mills these days tend to think of themselves as so advanced and knowledgeable, so sure they have all the information they need after they’ve gotten their relatively easy-to-get certification. Suddenly they’re experts about breath, asana, stilling mind, opening heart — that many in the “extreme yoga world” only end up losing the opportunity to experience the electrifying delight of a beginner’s approach. And sadly, they end up shortchanging themselves (and their students) of having an incredible experience each and every time they begin their yoga session.

To have a beginner’s mind takes great humility. Want to try it? I encourage you to, the next time you hit the mat, or just sit to stretch for a few breaths holding a pose, and feel the connected-ness of your being a handful-of-water you’ve just pulled from the Waterfall of Existence. Feel this, yourself before you share it with others.

Let your mind go still. Focus on your breath. Let your breath show you what’s happening. Each yoga pose, each opportunity to grow from understanding another’s point-of-view is different, each day. Each and every time you move your body, it’s a new experience! Subtle changes occur. Awareness becomes more expanded as you scan your body and sense how today … is different. You may learn something new if you just open your mind … one breath at a time.

Try it.

For those whose breath gets choked up thinking about the state of the environment and other politically charged, topics, try this same kind of awareness exercise. The next time a news item, or a distressing topic arises, allow your breath to become your main focus, not the immediacy of this topic. And … as you focus on your breath … listen to those around you. Listen with something more than your ears, your eyes, your intellect. Listen to the sound of the universe that pulsates through your veins, in the form of your blood’s circulatory system, for instance. And remember: just as the moon and the sun and the stars are held in place, and don’t fall out of their orbits — you, too, and everyone here on Earth, is being taken care of by this Oneness consciousness that unites us all. And let go of any pre-determined judgement you have about this disturbing subject. Open your mind and your heart and allow the possibility of — something happening that you might not be aware of, a bigger plan, a higher meaning — and practice complete trust. In what? That we are all One, and no politician, no human talking head can ever destroy that true, inexorable connection. It all starts with YOU, your mind, your heart — keep it open!

remind yourSelf to keep your heart/mind OPEN

And let me know how these suggestions work for you.

Share your thoughts with me here, and let’s get a dialogue going, shall we?

I wish each and everyone of you a blessed and Beginner’s Mind kind of brand new day, each and every moment. May your outlook about the world’s events, and your own private life, be filled with the Light of higher understanding. May you be able to better discern what to do, and what to not do. It could be something as simple as not spending quite so much time on social media today. Spending more time in quiet contemplation about who to spend your time with, where to focus your life’s efforts — nurturing a challenging relationship. Or … do some yoga!

Each day is a new beginning. Each breath — a new you!

Please leave your email (by commenting) so I can send you some special give-aways I’m working on! Surprise Surprise!

Your pal, LordFlea, aka teZa Lord

Hello life-giving sun

December 11, 2008December 12, 20081 Comment

hi friend,

please check out my latest update to “We Are ONE” on the “page” side of my blog, to the right. every week i’ll upload a few more pages of this picture book for you.

wow, the “brains” behind wordpress have really messed me up! somehow they’ve changed the editing format and i can’t see what i’m typing, so bear with me if things are…weird. i’ll do my best, and shoot them an e-mail to tell them of their well-intentioned, but mis-placed latest updates!

i wanted to share today, the joy of stretching. simple hatha yoga changed my life, literally. yesterday i had the pleasure of introducing a new friend to sun salutes, and today i am with you, too. if you haven’t already tried this easy-to-do, yet life-changing method of stretching-along-with-breathing, i’m encouraging you, right here, right now, to try it.

this drawing is my version of a sun salute. i drew it to illustrate how one must imagine their own “private sun” above them, because i was teaching at the time to girls in prison. even if you’re in a cell, you can bow and honor the source of all life on Earth…the sun. here’s the 12 steps (poses, called “asanas”) of a sun salute, surya namaskar, a yoga vinyasa (series of flowing poses).

a series of poses called the sun salute, "surya namaskar"

and here are simple, step-by-step directions, and PLEASE, enjoy yourself!

1. go very slowly. you will increase speed as you loosen up. first poses is standing with hands folded at your heart, breathe in and out, and steady your busy mind by focusing your eyes on one spot. thank you says your body, your heart, and your mind. end on an exhale.

2. inhale and lift your arms overhead, either to the side, like opening wings, or just up and over your head. keep your legs straight and only bend over backwards if you feel like it. that can come later. on this first round of the sun salute it’s good to stay in each of the 12 poses for several breaths. up to you, but don’t rush. eventually, you will coordinate the poses with your in and out breathing, but for now…just enjoy the stretch and stay with what your body tells you (huh?) it needs, like how many breaths do you want to stretch this particular way.

3. exhale and slowly arch your back and bend forward. let your head and neck completely relax. Hang there. Hang hang hang. let gravity do some work for a change. when you’re ready to go into the next pose, engage your abs so you protect your back.

4. inhale and take your right leg backwards into a full lunge. MOST IMPORTANT here is to make sure your left knee is directly over your left ankle. place fingertips of floor, torso goes downward, as your back gently bends upward. again, enjoy the stretch for several breaths at the beginning of your practice.

5. exhale and bring your left leg back along your right and make a high arch with your butt way up in the sky, into a “downward dog” pose. let your head go completely loose. don’t worry if your feet don’t completely go flat, that will happen eventually. point here is to PUSH away from the floor with your hands (shoulder-width apart) and up with your strong legs (hip-width apart) with your hands energetically engaged with the floor, the index fingers pointing straight ahead. enjoy your breath.

6. here you have a choice! ahhhh, choices. that which makes or breaks our lives. beginnings sink to your knees now, and slowly come forward onto your belly, not moving your arms, into a “small cobra.” more seasoned stretchers, you can, with your elbows CLOSE TO YOUR BODY 9otherwise you’ll compromise your rotator cuff, in shoulder joint), “swoop” your body in an arcing motion, from a bent-knee half-bow to… a beautiful, graceful “big cobra”…with arms more fully extended, but with your pelvic bones still on or nearly on the floor. enjoy your breath. eventually, this will all be accomplished on a single exhale. really.

7. inhale and enjoy the snake pose, bhujangasana, “the cobra.” keep your pelvic bones as close or on the floor as you can, while streching the lower back muscles, gentle!

8. exhale and push yourself back into the downward dog position. check your alignment (arms shoulder-width; feet hips-width, arms pushing, butt upward…so much to remember, but hey! you’re your OWN TEACHER!!!) EMPOWERMENT…it’s YOU! right within your own self.

9. inhale and bring your right leg forward into a lunge on the oother side. you may have to “help” your leg get up there at first, so just hop it along, but make sure your right knee is directly over that right ankle. thank you.

10. exhale and push yourself into a forward bend, and fell the difference. ommygod!! you are probably fainting from sheer pleasure at this point. i know i am with each first sun salute of the day. yummmmm.

11. inhale and please engage your abs before you stretch up and over your head with your arms straight, and palms eventually touching, into a small backbend, if you wish only. with ab muscles still engaged …

12. bring yourself from the little standing backbend into your original pose, the moutain, “tadasana.” With hands at your heart give great thanks to the sun (still above you, even if only in your mind!) and the life it shines upon this gorgeous blue garden planet of ours, which grows such delicious things as you, and all the food we need to sustain ourselves.

Repeat the above with your LEFT leg back, and bringing your left leg forward at end of the vinyasa.

By learning to empower your own self, using your body to strengthen your life, center your stormy emotions, and uplift your small-things centered mental faculties, your life will automatically expand. the teacher is within you. your body is a gift. keep it strong, clean, and agile, and you will be honoring the most important teacher–YOU!!–you’ll ever have. the Great Spirit lives within us all! really!

I hope you enjoy this little yoga lesson i’m sharing with you. occasionally i’ll give some tips. lordflea does love hatha yoga, the physical poses, so very much, that i want the entire world to know these ancient, but very effective moves that keep us fit, grateful, and calm (thanks to the breathing, the key to inner peace).

in the Light, lord flea singing our song of ONE

Staring at my feet

November 24, 2008November 24, 2008Leave a comment

Friends,

the importance of what i spend my time doing the most of has been central in my thinking of late. y’know: you are what you eat, and you certainly become what you think. that’s why i haven’t been bloggin’ as of late. wanted to keep centered in my heart, and not just spew, at least for the sake of spewing.

i do this occasionally. withdraw and feel life living me, instead of trying to be so active, so concerned, so consumed with “other” that i forget this experience of life itself. here’s another way of looking at it:

the interconnectedness of All

all i have is my self, and my Self–the little me that squirms with responsibilities and worries, and the big Me that knows there is more to this life than i’ll ever know…and to feel the majesty, the magic, the wonder of it all is more than enough for me to be concerned about. certainly enough upon which to base my creative energies’ pursuits–my arting, as i call it, whether i paint, draw, make a garden, a cake, or sew a sail, write a book–or blog.

this feeling of being connected to all came to me as a child. then i lost it. then i rediscovered it later, mostly through working on getting rid of the garbage that my mind collected over the years. now i have trained myself to stay as much as possible in that simple place, that inner place, where the breath connects with even the movement of faraway galaxies, and the knowledge, the Truth of feeling connected is real–this is my daily experience.

the drawing i use as an example shows us all in our “Higher Self”… our so-called “angelic” bodies…that part of our nature that is connected to the Highest good for all. yes–we all have that in our nature, whether you are aware of it or not, whether you exercise that birthright, that ownership of your highest nature, or not.

living in the moment; accepting our sacredness, our divine nature–our Higher Self: this is the way of living i want to share with you, not because of any other reason but my humble offering to help make the world a better place to live in.

we are not all just scrambling around trying to get something to eat, or make happen, or elect, or conquer, or succeed, or even be good at. but yes, we all exisit as individual cells within the larger “thing” that makes up this known reality…what is called the Universe (and some call, simply, “God”).

we are all One, breathe, and feel: Truth

many other things have passed my mind, and of course i’ve been doing many (many!) other things since my last entry here. don’t worry. some of you who read my blog might think i’m just a holy-roller who only sits around contemplating my navel. but no—-i have a family, a job, lots of social duties, and creatively i’m consumed by writing a nonfiction narrative, illustrated, naturally, which i am debating about uploading here, so i can let you, friends on my web, read as i write, day by day. but…i haven’t decided to or not. ha ha! all i can say for now is…writing this book is certainly my immediate, and main creative focus, not this blog.

my garden has been covered with an entire truckload of mulch, delivered free by a tree-man who took down a big One over at my mother’s place. Carter and i’ve been doing lots of HOT HOT yoga, in our little yoga shed, which i call the santosa shack (santosa being contentment in Sanskrit). we chant, we meditate, we even attend his church, ahhweeee, diversity in God-liness! lots of cooking (made dosas twice this past couple weeks…a lentil and rice fermented east Indian flat bread, terribly exotic tasting, and terribly nutritious because of the legume and grain mixture). what else? oh so much biking, hiking, rehabing my knee, still injured from dancing too fiercely at daughter’s wedding way back in June. injuries take energy. life takes care. time is precious. do i use it wisely? i try to. when i lay my head down on my pillow, i feel rewarded by deep, comforting, beautiful sleep. what a gift, life is.

i will do a page next, i promise, on a subject i’ve been thinking a lot about: what to say to someone who is really, truly, either physically, spiritually, or mentally suffering. because recently i ran into an old acquaintance, who has all the world at her feet: she’s rich, successful, socially powerful and consciously humanitarian beyond measure—but—she’s absolutely miserable. the only outer proof, however, is that of her uncontrollable, mind-numbing, self-pitying drinking. of course she’s in denial about having a drinking problem. and i simply can’t share with her my own experience in that matter (being in alcohol and drug addiction recovery now for my third decade)…but i can post a page here. perhaps one day a chink will open in her tightly-bricked-up facade, and what a person formerly-miserable (me) has to share with another who still is (her), will make a difference.

a little light in the well of darkness, that’s all i attempt to do…with my art, with my words, and now with this public web-spew.

so look on the right hand side in a day or say and you’ll see a new page. those pages stay up, where this post side changes when i enter a new one.

whew! i finally figured that out! now, if only i can find my beautiful color paintings. let me see, let me try again. a treat for you, perhaps?

plants, animals, mineral--we are all One

i love each and every one of you, truly! lord flea

no time no time, well…let’s make some anyway

October 7, 2008October 7, 2008Leave a comment

hi friend,

why does it seems like there’s never enough time to do the things we want? instead, there are so many things we have to do that just fill up the hours of each day. i’m starting a new club:

make time for the things we need to do,

find time for the things we want to do!

wanna join? just follow the spirals, and come on in!

fly with me from here ...

to here …

earth energy with you-and-you-and all of we too R 1

how? you ask.

breathe. deep and long in, long and slow out. breathe from the belly. learn to be a buddha belly, breathing from the belly (belly pushes out gently when you take air in, and as you breathe out the belly contracts and tightens, going flat).

have fun, make time for you!

in the Light, much love, lordflea

sacrifice…the true happiness

October 2, 2008October 2, 2008Leave a comment

hi friend,

i’ve been told by my teachers, and now have found it to be true–the only true happiness in life is when you serve others. i’ve found this by…you got it!…being in a position to serve, or else!

lord flea serving the garden

my mom, who just turned 90 and for whom we just threw a grand, well-attended (over 70 people from all walks of life, all ages) surprise party, has been found to have a “leaky valve” in her ticker.

mom at her party with her mike, her dentist and gloria, her fishing pal

mom at her party with mike, her dentist and gloria, her fishing pal

i’ve been lord flea’s jitney for her, going back and forth for the last 3 days to mayo clinic, an hour’s drive one way. many tests. moniters. consultations, all a result of the very first sign of some physical challenge, new to eve, who’s always been healthy, always enjoying a med-free life for her 90 years. up to now.

serving mom as jitney, as companion, as selfless daughter and yes, friend, too, is indeed my pleasure, my honor, my delight.

it hasn’t always been like that though.

our relationship has not been what i’d call a happy or very fulfilling one for either of us–until very recently. not through any fault of hers. i take total responsibility for our relationship having been so strained since i left home and became the adventuring gypsy i chose to be. the onus of a good mother-daughter rapport has been totally mine. truth is, i couldn’t be with her without crumpling in a heap of self-pity, anger, and horrible, crippling unresolved angst. through working on myself, i got over this hurtful stage of “blame and shame.”

first i had to get over my addictions, then i began to forgive mySelf, then finally i ended up doing “rapid eye movement therapy,” quite the buster of the deeply rooted neurotic triggers i had going with my mom all my adult life.

for years i had to stay away from all my family. i simply was too angry to be any good to anyone, including mySelf. when i was with her, we fought. i couldn’t get beyond the bad feelings that overwhelmed me by her habitual criticisms. her well-intentioned comments triggered a certain madness within me, and i’d go berserk with anger, or insecurity–or both. for literally decades i had bad times with her, or none at all.

why? i simply wasn’t ready, in those days, to let go of my resentments over the stupid silly childhood issues of mine, that I hadn’t yet figured how to resolve. yipes! how long do we have to work before we let go of things that hold us back? for me it seemed ages before i stopped being pissed off!

always looking UP to getting beyond any drawbacks: the angelic Self within us all

but finally the day came when i said “i’m ready! i surrender.”

what did i surrender to? i’m so glad you asked. first i had to surrender to the addiction of putting mySelf down. i had to learn to Love mySelf. because LOVE is the only thing worth surrendering to. Self love first, and then, afterwards, love for all others. “see God in each other,” that’s my motto. and now i know, by experiencing it, by continually practicing it (through positive thought, meditation, chanting, and other yogic practices) that by surrendering, i am truly victorious over any obstruction in my path, that i too, am perfectly worthy of experiencing happiness.

now i’m no longer a slave to my anger, resentment–or (hardly) any of my old negative addictions, chemical or emotional. i am glad to report that i am freed of the stupid silly, crippling feeling of separation, of being different that Love itSelf. now, finally, my heart has melted entirely: i have learned to forgive mySelf for my shortcomings, and I have learned (and worked hard at) to forgive my mother for her shortcomings, too.

she only did what she knew best…and who am i to fault anyone, especially my own family, for not having done what i, little me, perceive to be best for me, for anyone?

maybe what was best for me, in the long run, was to have all the hardships, the alcoholic father, the trying-to-survive-alcoholism, critical mother; all the confusion, judgement, the crushing feelings of not being supported or acknowledged for who i felt i was–because what has resulted in this life of mine, from having experienced all these challenges (common to many), was to push myself to become the very best, the most true, most loving spiritual warrior that i can possibly become.

thus, i am yours truly, lord flea, writing this to you. in hopes that it will touch you, and help you.

and for this, i am smiling-heart, soulfully grateful to my mother, and my departed dear father, but especially my sweet, sincere, and now scared of not being as healthy as she’d like to be, and used-to-be, ever-strong, ever-robust mother, eve.

in sacrificing my time, my energy, and my strength to uphold my mother during her personal crisis now, during this challenging time of hers, i add so much to my own emotional and spiritual stature. i feel myself grow from giving. i can feel the goodness of sacrificing my wishes, for hers, flow into my veins like an invigorating transfusion of oxygen into stale blood.

it’s one thing to say “i love you” to someone–to a mom, to a lover, to a friend. but it’s entirely another thing, a more real, more magnificently human thing to actually “act out” the love by sacrificing, by sublimating our wishes to fulfill someone else’s needs. to make I Love You an active state of Being, a gesture of sacrifice, instead of merely a cliche, a trite, overused statement.

to give of our time, our funds, our life’s strength–for and to our love.

ahhhhh, it makes us so much more whole to give to others. we become so much more human. in doing so we also become so much more attuned to our highest potential. truly, this is what all great scriptures from time immemorial, talk about when they mention how the state of “being human” is the closest to touching, to “being” and “actualizing” the state of the Divine.

God dwells within all of us. We are One. we are all tiny cells within God’s universal body.

we are all cellular units within God's body, the Universe

with great love, great respect, and great sacrifice–for each and every one of you, (my sharing is my sacrifice, in case you’re wondering what could she mean…sacrifice…what??? for me??)

your pal, lord flea

ps. next post i’ll talk about my time in savannah at the jazz festival, which i attended last weekend. since then–i’ve been helping dear mom.

we’re more similar than dissimilar

September 25, 2008September 25, 2008Leave a comment

hi world,

do you recognize yet how much more similar all we humans are than dissimilar?

we are One

these days i’m thinking about the warm inside feeling i get when i think about behind human, particularly at this auspicious time in human history. things are in such flux, aren’t they? the world is quickly changing. people are becoming awakened in record numbers than any other time, and ancient prophecies of “the time of reckoning” is quickly approaching (2012, I believe has been mentioned by many sources, as being pivotal to earthly existence). things will never be the same again after 9.11, i knew that the day it occured. that heart-stopping black tuesday. i was not there, but it felt like i was. i had visions of the event in my meditations that have greatly influenced my thinking, and the purpose of my life.

and now, less than 40 days before the november election, everyone here in America is all heated up with the passions of choices and preferences! yes yes yes, now is the time to be heated! yes yes yes. get out there and do whatever you can to ensure your choice gets elected … speak, shout, argue, implore, poll, canvas–do whatever it takes.

but–and this is the difference between spiritualized peole and non-spiritualized–when the tally has been counted and the new president has been elected, please commit to supporting whomever is elected. whichever party ends up in power (it is a party thing, not an personality contest, right?), it is the Spiritually Correct (SC instead of PC, ha ha!), the humanly right thing to do, to support an elected official that has been chosen by the democratic process we honor in the U.S.A.

after 9.11 a lot of people started to bad mouth our current president, George W. Bush. to tell you the truth, i wasn’t any happier than the next guy about what was going on, but i nonetheless felt it was my spiritual duty to support him. why? because things are never what they appear to be. i feel very strongly that i, as a private citizen (even though pretty well informed, compared to some) can never know what the insiders, the diplomats, the elected representatives of the citizenry knows. how could a private person possibly think they can know what the politicians, the military, the professionals in charge of information-gathering and decision making know. it’s simply not possible.

we don’t know how to perform brain surgery, most of us, but we do allow a surgeon to do his job without interfering in his methods. similarly, i have determined it’s the spiritually correct thing to do to support our leaders, once they’ve been democratically elected, which mr. Bush, for better or for worse, was. the time for dissention is over, in my SC committed existence, once the election is over. and with bush, the time to bitch was over late in Nov. ’00, then then again in ’04.

so…be it wrong or right…i have learned to make a decision based on my spiritual “correctness” gauge (what would my teacher do…in any particular case? i ask myself) and have since the beginning of his term, decided to give Bush the benefit of the doubt, and not voice dissent, even though in my heart i was no more certain of his methodology than the next guy (hey! does that brain surgeon have to use that scapel, need to take that tissue sample? right then? over there?). deciding to support our legally-elected leader doesn’t mean my confusion was cleared away by my decision to do the spiritually correct thing. no, it simply means that i remain silent when others gather to discuss and usually end by dissing the current administration, for daring to do what they did. i’m quite sick of the ugly dissention and hope this upcoming election will end it. it probably won’t. it seems human nature is for people to bitch. that’s why political ads, just as toothpaste ads, love to put down their competitors. it’s base, ugly, non-spiritualized human nature, and unfortunately, that kind of half-asleep-ness is still the majority of the population throughout the world.

YET…the consciousness of all is awakening. the time for awareness–the real CHANGE–is happening.

is it wrong or right to support an unpopular leader of a nation that elected him, when so many others seem to delight in dumping on g.w.? even though many feel he stole the election from gore? who am i, to be so presumptuous, to think i know more than the tens-of-thousands of people involved in the presidential decision, to think what he’s done is wrong? how insanely presumptuous that thought is, to me.

but for the answer to my inner questions, i have to go within.

going within in times of turmoil

when in doubt, i always find my true answers within. not by listening to the conflicting opinions of intellectuals, fast-talking political pundits, or even the opinion of my friends, associates and the vastly popular, majority opinion. i go within to discover what my heart-mind says is true–for me–and i listen to no one when i go within. i listen to the Source of All.

going within, resting in the heart-mind

this is the process i call “awareness, acceptance, action.” i use this three-part process for each and every tiny or large step i’ve taken, in my journey to undo my childhood hang-ups, neurosis, mental tendencies and obstructions, or any other challenges that have blocked my ability to live a happy peaceful productive life. whether it’s political, personal, or universal concepts i need to figure out, i do so with “awareness, acceptance, action” and have thus learned to function at an amazingly high happy level of inner peace…most of the time.

like the Dalai Lama said in a book i read by him recently, “i’m not perfect. i just keep trying. i recongize my mistakes, and try to do better the next time.”

the above painted screen is my way of trying to render in imagery, and humbly duplicate the extremely calmly experience of becoming aware…and once aware, simply sitting in the feeling of that new awesome state, so expansive, so honey-rich with wellness, blissfully full.

this screen (two-sided) is my weird way of trying to say “the acceptance of awareness” feels awfully damn great!! beautiful enough to create fine art about.

when i’ve accepted something (like higher consciousness), i no longer have any inner (or outer) dialogue of dissention. it simply is.

how to connect with the state of awareness: take long, deep breathes somewhere quiet, alone, serene, clean. put any issue, situation, person, etc. into that center of quietness, once you have reached the place (through continued deep breathing) where disturbing thoughts no longer pierce the emptiness of pure awareness (within us all). then… just listen. listen to the Truth that emanates from the heart-mind (of all). serenity fills (all). Truth is pure love (in all). Truth is pure awareness (for all). Truth is “seeing” things that you cannot discern in “ordinary” states of consciousness (awake, sleeping, thinking, analysing, etc.). Truth is also God speaking, but one must be very quiet in order to hear this, and have already gone through the stages of purification (no addiction, no neurosis leftovers, no inner chatter dissention) in order to “hear” this pure voice of the Divine that awaits us all … in emptiness.

often i receive answers to the questions i put out to the Universe. sometimes they’re as clear and as loud as inner “billboards.” sometimes i just receive a “feeling” — something like being allowed to bathe my aching hurt (mental, physical, or spiritual) in pure soothing Love. surrounded by the sea of Truth, the ocean of Love, the atmosphere of pure Bliss, the solution to problems becomes quite clear, quite simple, quite obvious. quite Right. learning to do this kind of discerning is called viveka, “spiritual discrimination,” in yogic scriptures. Truth is here all the time, if we can all learn to quiet our “monkey mind” as the buddhists call our inner chatter (also known as the “freight-train” mind in other circles), and learn to go within to tap this incredibe Source of wisdom.

once i realize my Truth i can take action.

inner wisdom as inspiration for worldly action!

and thus…the process of

awareness
acceptance
action

can easily take place within us all. but we must go within to do it. most of us are too lazy to go within, but–i’ve learned it’s so delicious that i actually look forward to the time when i can meditate, go within, and relax in my inner Self.

being human is about having choices. we all can go within and listen to our inner “guide,” that wisdom within, the Source that is innate, pure consciousness that’s available to all of us, which represents Truth. this inner Truth is more reliable than any politician’s campaign promise, or presidential decision. the inner Truth is, in fact, subliminally influencing our ever expanding grasp on evolutionary possibilities, more than any organized group or culture, be they religious, political, scientific, social, or philosophical.

i know that you are just like me: that we are One, that we all are connected by our inner consciousness. that is the Truth i have discovered in my quest for knowledge of what this life is all about.

the connectedness of all

truthfully, i trust no politician. democrat or republican. but i am voting, and my vote will be the best i can do. but whomever wins i will support wholeheartedly. i hope each and every one of my fellow americans will also support our newly elected leader. my wish is that we can leave this time of dissention behind us, and enter a phase of healing and growth that will help the entire world to come together as One.

in the Light, lord flea … sending gleaming banners of joyous, energizing white Light around the democratic process of election

global mala

September 22, 2008September 25, 2008Leave a comment

dear One,

yesterday we met on St. Augustine beach and formed a human mala; a rosary bead of intent. the focus of our 108 sun salutes, followed by 108 chants of Om was global peace. sending out our prayers as action (hatha yoga asanas) and sound (the seed mantra, Om) was a glorious way to be active, to participate in being part of the solution, instead of remaining part of the problem.

the sound of peace, the sound of God consciousness … the sound of Om:

visualizing the power of Om as its vibrations resonate throughout the atmosphere

try it yourself. why not now? or soon. find a quiet place, all by yourself or with a like-minded friend. get quiet. breathe deeply. set your intention that this sound of Om, this ancient sound that the sages say was the sound of creation that was first heard by those who sought answers to such things, intend to send out your tone with this ancient note. send it out to the world. help heal the world with your sound. forget politics for this moment. forget the strife. forget the confusion. focus on sending out the positive vibrations that are here, for all of us, at any given moment. all we have to do is listen, and then join in with our voices.

breathe out long. breathe in long … now make this beautiful sound with your own tone. make this sound over and over until you feel you have sounded and become One with Truth It-Self.

what an expansive, rewarding feeling. enjoy! over and over! whenever you can.

i send you my loving sound also, Om with me, lordflea

in the eye of the hurricane…or pretty darn close!

August 20, 2008August 20, 2008Leave a comment

hi friend,

storm haiku ... the ominous atmosphere of the approaching storm

today we woke in st. augustine thinking perhaps we’d be struck by hurricane fay sometime later today. fey, she’s being called also, which is ironic, as “fe” (pronounced fay) means “faith” in spanish. right now, at 1pm. she’s been downgraded back to a tropical storm, and we’re beginning to relax a little. the beaches are already in danger of erosion. i’ve just returned from there, and the sea foam is still sticking to my feet.

the atlantic coming onto the road at st. augustine beach

one last stand on the beach

whipped cream-like sea foam so thick it sticks to your ankles!

for me, who has gone through many eyes of hurricanes (being a tropical-loving sailor, among other things), i know that each storm that arrives anywhere near where i live is an unpredictable organism, likely to surprise the hell out of us humans at any second.

and…like the storms that brew in our own emotional lives (either from our own making, or from others’ or life’s actions upon us) … we can learn to sink softly in the comfort of going through each storm that hits us. how? by first of all, being prepared. and secondly, by relaxing, and not sensationalizing these completely natural events of life, but deadly nonetheless, whether hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones (in the Pacific) or any other type of Nature’s severe weather. or…our own unsettled inner selves.

here’s how i’ve learned to do it:

staying safely in the eye--the 'I'--of all of life's hurricanes

being prepared is the key. doing whatever we must do to make sure we’re in good shape to face any storm, whether internally or externally. and, once you’ve done your work (which sometimes takes a lot of effort, demanding years of processing, but it gets easier the more you practice), then the trick of being happy through any storm is — to totally let go.

in ’04 i went through 4 (count ’em, four!!) eyes of hurricanes. that summer i was teaching incarcerated girls in a central flordia lockup. we went through the eye of hurricane charlie together. of course it scared the living crap out of the girls…but…afterwards, after they’d experienced the uncanny calm in the center of the fierce winds and devastating energy…they could understand in a very personal way the common metaphor used to teach the power of meditation. and that is…

within all of us is a center of peace. no storm, no atrocity, no dis-ease can rock us from our center once we’ve learned to tap that inner power, and keep it close to our heart.

the girls in lockup (there for repeat crimes like drug use, stealing, even attempted murder) experienced the heart-stopping horror of being directly in charlie’s eye: three hours of hell, then half an hour of the eerie calm in the center, then another three hours of hell with winds coming from the opposite direction. the girls huddled together in the dark humid heat, with nothing to cling to but each other. thank god the roof stayed on, because their facility was pretty ancient. when we next met for yoga class and it was time to meditate, called the “dead-person’s pose,” or savasana that all good yoga classes end with, after practicing yoga’s rigorous poses (asanas), they could understand perhaps for the first time what i meant when i said:

go within, reach that place of inner calm that all humans have. and … just like each hurricane revolves fiercely on its center, it’s still-point, we too have a center of calm within us. that is the law of Nature. learn to stay in that place, the inner calm, whenever you need to. don’t allow yourself to be frightened. never let the swirling winds on the outskirts of your center pull you in. stay in the center of your own power. own your own power, not someone or something else’s.

keep safe, my friend! stay in the Light, sing the song of Oneness, lord flea

how it looks, how it feels

August 13, 2008August 13, 2008Leave a comment

everyday i do a little bit of what some call yoga, but i prefer to describe what i do as how i’ve learned to pray with my body. it all started with PAIN. excruciating, nerve-clamping PAIN. in childhood i developed scoliosis in the sacrum area. pain became my “invisible friend” like other kids had angels, little elfs, or fairies (no no no to satsquatch!). i was in college when i taught myself how to do simple poses. there were no teachers back then (oh did you guess i’m no generation x-er?). first i did simple things…then…gradually…i relaxed ….

Just as this person looks doing the tree pose:

this is how it looks...

but THIS …. this is how it feels … inside!!! … to do that same pose ….

how it feels... power-full, out-of-this-world connected to ALL, throbbing energy, Oneness with Breath, with the Pulse of Being

and so, my friend, this is why lord flea adores not only singing the calypso song of the day, but, as often as i can, to merge with my physical, visit the temple of my body, and allow my Self to become something i can’t in ordinary ways: by going into these (both simple and complex) strange poses, stilling my breath, concentrating on the energy pulsing through my consciousness, my sinewy muscles, my elasticizing tendons, my strong bones…and … holding IT!

in this way, my body has gradually become my greatest teacher. just as i’ve learned that our humanity is the greatest praise of the Divine. does that sound corny? sorry. that is exactly how i feel, after years of “doing” yoga.

oh, and i should mention here that i’ve taught hatha yoga for years to incarcerated juveniles. the very “baddest” of the bad in our so-called civilized society, that are in teenage lock-ups everywhere. i take yoga to them, and guess what? they LOVE it! those who have the guts to appear in yoga class, to the hoots and disses of their bros and sistahs of the hood, that is. but…that’s another subject for another day. they love it because with their own bodies, these kids learn how to tap into the Power Within, and … instantly … they are FREE. Truly. Remarkably. Utterly…FREE. Even while they’re there, in prison.

the pose i’m working on mostly in my practice these days is the handstand. i’m still chicken about getting away from the wall. courage is still not one of my fortes. so i’ve created my own vision to inspire me, help me relax, give me strength to connect both to the earth (with my invisible roots) and to be lifted by the ineffable Source, by holding me up up up to the Ideal–that ideal of successful connection!

getting help with handstand

i really wanted to talk about relationships today. i had something entirely different in mind, like love-relationships, parent-child relationships, person to Planet-relationships, too, when i started writing. but i guess all relationships start with that particularly intimate one each of us either has, or doesn’t, or is in the process of cultivating–that relationship with our own bodies. to be at peace with our mind; our physical self; and our Inner Self, the Spirit–that’s the basis of how we relate to the world around us.

lord flea by the red sea, rightside up

this is why i do yoga. of all the methods of getting-in-touch-with-Truth i’ve experimented with (and believe me! i’ve tried a lot of ’em, not all, but hey–enough to know when a good thing’s a good thing, when you finally hit the jackpot), hatha yoga, the concentrated physical movement of coordinated breathe and muscular poses done with mindfulness, is where i find the most benefit, the best place to worship, and…get relief from any pain–mental, physical, or spiritual–in the meanwhile.

yoga, by the way, translates from its sanskrit as “discipline,” or, more precisely, “that to which one yokes oneself to.”

who, you ask, do i regard as good teachers?

well, above and beyond all my teachers is my beloved meditation master, the living saint, Swami Chidvilasananda, to whom i dedicate this blog. if you’d like to know about the ancient traditions of yogic wisdom that i study, under the tutelage of Gurumayi (Chidvilasananda’s nickname), please check out the traditional yogic philosophy, of which Gurumayi is the current teacher in the lineage of Siddha Yoga. www.siddhayoga.org

but the physical hatha yoga (hatha translates as simply “physical”) that i do is very diverse. here’s a list of some of my favorite hatha yoga teachers.

john friend www.anusara.com

ana forrest www.forrestyoga.com

shiva rea www.shivarea.com

rodney yee www.rodneyyee.com

baron baptiste www.baronbaptiste.com

all the great teachers they bring to kripalu www.kripalu.org

and in my own community, St. Augustine, FL www.discoveryyoga.com and Didier Razon and Ann Kiyonaga-Razon: www.didieryoga.com

most importantly, for those of you interested in exploring the yogic way of living, is to be in touch with your breath. don’t forget to breathe! and try to be aware of your breath whenever you can. right now, in fact.