Peace

In the yogic path ahimsa, nonviolence, is the foundation and core of yogic practice. It’s not as easy as it appears. After observation, what is revealed is that ‘our ability to be nonviolent to others is directly related to our ability to be nonviolent with ourselves’. Examples are all around us in our words, thoughts, small ‘insignificant’ actions, frustration and irritation.

Going deeper, we discover that it is fear that drives us to violence; not the healthy fears that keep us alive, but the fears that ‘keep us from living’. Our fears abound in ‘cowardly faces that turn away, in violent attacks, in walls of protection, in bins of possessions, in numerous unkind words and gestures’.
And thus we need to find our courage. Ram, Ram, Ram. Courage implies that we are afraid but that fear doesn’t paralyze us and we proceed anyway. Find the courage to face the unknown without cowering behind locked doors and false relationships. If the violence starts within us we can not hide from ourselves, we can not run nor hide. All those locks and ‘protection’ keeps you imprisoned inside. Facing the fear with courage is to face yourself, your own internal threat to peace.

Simply, when we take care of ourselves, when we are happy and our needs are met, we can find more space for compassion, patience and all the ingredients necessary for a courageous and non-violent existence. Stop waging the war inside.

Namaste.

peace, peace, peace

Quotes provided by Deborah Adele, The Yamas & Niyamas

When death comes

When death comes

like the hungry bear in autumn;

when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut…

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:

what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything

as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,…

and I think of each life as a flower, as common

as a field daisy, and as singular…

and each body a lion of courage, and something

precious to the earth.

When it’s over, I want to say: all my life

I was a bride married to amazement.

I was the bridegroom, taking the whole world into my arms…

-Mary Oliver

Vacation

It was 3 in the afternoon and I was outside in the brisk air when a flash suddenly entered my mind and I just as quickly dismissed it. 5pm I was sitting across a table staring at my grief stricken and confused husband when the thought, the urge the desire arose again out of the depths of my heart evading all rational thinking. There and then, over empty teacups I let it emerge into the space between us: Why don’t we stay the night at some hot springs? I didn’t know if it made sense but it was all I could want in that moment; an escape?

When the couple in front of us received an amazing display of hot chocolate, whipped cream and probably cute little sprinkles and advanced to taking romantic snapshots of themselves- we said yes!

Yes to daring, yes to following the heart no matter what it tells me, yes to choosing not to be a victim, yes to an empowered life. Isn’t that what we save for, plan our lives so dedicatedly for? For those un-planned events. Sometimes unexpectedness can (and in my opinion should be) irrational good things from the heart. How many desires are quelled on those little impulse buys- a chocolate bar here, a pair of shoes there? So little in fact that your rational mind doesn’t protest too much. But what do you really want underneath all of the little pacifying pleasures? A big move? Something adventurous, fresh, relaxing, enlivening?

After our 24 hour vacation, I wondered, was I trying to escape from a horrible reality that I am in? The answer was resoundingly no. I needed empowerment over my life, a remembering that this is the life I choose and how I choose to live it and that every moment I am making those choices whether difficult to sustain or enjoyable.

And so are you whether or not you want to admit it.

letting go

“…it is actually we–the conscious, intentional, focal awareness we are constantly trying to maintain–who are responsible for the tension…” (Touching Enlightenment by Reginald Ray)

We are holding on at the deepest level- the muscular tension is something we do to ourselves – but why? Why can’t we let go so easily? In all areas of our lives: jobs, money, food, cigarettes, tv, friends, betrayals, schedules, even our own emotional states all the way down to the knot of tension in your shoulders. A massage is a massage but ultimately it is you who has to let go…. let go…. release and let it go….. First let go of the fear, then let it slip away, pass as all things must.

As if

I’ve started teaching two courses of yoga finally. And they have started teaching me. When I started, I suddenly looked upon each person I passed or met throughout my day as a potential student- a struggling soul who needs to find balance and peace in their life, a person, a human and someone I could reach out to. My dear students open themselves deeply in the process of my class and I try to hold them as best I can. And that extends outward and I take that with me wherever I go. Somehow I am developing a tenderness as if everyone I meet could be the next person in my class and maybe as if I can finally see beyond the masks we all wear.

The Today Society

When did we stop thinking 7 generations ahead? Why if we are so near-sighted do we have such difficulty being in the present moment?

I was eating my pasta for lunch and thinking: The Native Americans (Iroquois specifically) foresaw their affairs into 7 generations, my grandma cans and freezes her food for a year in advance but I, I don’t even know what I’m having for dinner tomorrow. I don’t think I am alone.

Who plans their meals for a whole week anymore? It used to be commonplace, a way to conserve food resources for example, the leftover chicken bones and fat from today’s meal would serve as chicken stew or broth for tomorrow’s. Has convenience replaced conservatism? Has this affected our sense of security? On one hand, we don’t think about things until the last minute while on the other we’re often worrying about what choice we’re going to make when the time comes.

We’ve come closer and closer to a reactionist society. We don’t think anymore, we just react. Hungry? Eat…. but eat anything because you’re hungry. Snow? I guess it’s time to go buy winter boots.  Why then don’t we feel like we’re living in the moment? Why does it feel like we’re trying to always catch up with ourselves?

I tried planning and I realized something marvelous. Instead of the panic and stress I go through on a daily basis of trying to invent something tasty, time-sensitive and convenient to cook, I sat down for a couple of solid hours on the weekend and planned my whole week’s meals. Yes, it took me a while but it was done in a calm time set aside just for that activity. The results were fantastic. I went grocery shopping once instead of 5 times during the week and I felt a huge relief every night to know that my needs were taken care of, that there was a sense of security and a relaxation. Not only did I save money and food because I could foresee leftovers, it felt great.

Canning food for the year takes a lot of dedicated time but on those unforeseen nights when you get sick or don’t feel like cooking, you can rest assured that you’ve already taken care of yourself.

The act of planning actually allows you to live more freely in the moment. It takes care of your most basic and fundamental needs of survival and well-being so that you can be present here and now. Lets start planning tomorrow and tomorrow’s tomorrow for 7 generations.

Embracing the choice

While living at Zen Mountain Monastery this summer, I struggled with the quality of the food. I have a lot of knowledge about knowing where my food comes from and how, for example: Ginger from China is very likely to be highly toxic due to the use of a banned pesticide in the US, that non-organic bell peppers are highly sprayed, and Avocados are almost never treated and therefore are fine to eat non-organic. The list goes on.

For 3 weeks I struggled eating foods that looked and smelled desirable but at the same time deterred me due to certain ingredients and non-certifications. Every day I was sent to the kitchen to help prepare these foods that I felt were harmful and made me even more sensitive to the subject. I got to the point where I was angry about their shopping decisions and felt like I was forced to eat poison.

During sesshin I decided to bring it up with the teacher, Shugen Sensei. My question was how to cope with eating something that I felt was truly poisonous?

He said that eating is a choice.

In fact, Ghandi used that choice quite often to make a point. What’s more astounding is that once you realize this, and you consciously make the choice, either way, you stop being a victim and realize that you are empowered.

The Bhagavad Gita states that even non-action (non-eating) is a choice.

The next day when the food service came around, I made clear decisions ‘yes, I can eat that’, ‘No thanks’ and such but what changed was that I was now happy about it. I didn’t feel the internal conflicts anymore, the pressure I had created about the situation and YET I ate exactly what I had been eating before. The circumstances did not change, but instead of torturing myself with the choices I made (wanting something and not eating it because I know the ingredients or eating something I wanted and blaming them), I touched into what I wanted to do and I accepted that choice entirely, I embraced the choice and I didn’t look back.

How much happier would we be if we just accepted the choices we ourselves make. If we stopped complaining. If we realized our own power and left the victim mask drop by the wayside?

Finding The Golden Nugget of Truth

After having spent the last few weeks in self-observation in quest for my truths, I have come to settle on the insight that maybe all it takes is a genuine question and desire to know. Ask yourself, but really ask. No distractions. Single-pointed concentration and a deep deep desire to know what you’re about to ask. I thought I had been asking all this time with sincere effort, but not until last month did I surrender myself to the truth.

Part of what is needed is a clear question. This was pointed out to me by Sri Maya Titananda one day this spring. She helped me to see that most often than not, we don’t even know what we’re asking. Formulate the most direct and genuine question and thy shall receive an answer. When done successfully and with care, you become humble, open and even detached from the answer, the truth. It serves as guidance but does not bind you. The truth shall set you free.

repleneshing

I have been away, hidden in the darkness, my own darkness to replenish and renew. Unearthed, I spring forth. This is a crucial time for me where all of my energy reserves are being put forth in essential activities: Yoga, Meditation, nourishing myself, work, physical relationships with people and my serious future plans. I invite you to post here, send things you’d like to share, anything or simply wait for my return. I do not anticipate much activity until after I have moved successfully as I devote myself to the people I love around me. August I think we will resurface.

Until then, love and peace- Raven.

A Look Into You

Dario asked the participants of his blog to answer a serious interview. I participated and want to open it up to you if you. Email me a copy of the questions with a photo of you, by you or one that you simply like. This is a higher level interview than you might find in our pop culture. You can answer any questions you like but are encouraged to answer them from your heart. It is as follows:

WHO ARE YOU?

WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

WHAT INTERESTS YOU?

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN OTHERS?

WHAT CAN YOU GIVE?

WHAT IS IMPORTANT?

WHAT IS AFTER DEATH?

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE WRITTEN ON YOUR TOMBSTONE?

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN?

WHAT DO YOU LACK?

WHAT IS LIFE?

WHAT OTHER QUESTION WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED TO ANSWER?