The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows. Buddha

With six months to go before the next election, President Obama has officially launched his campaign. This is an important time for him not to take anything for granted, but also to stay true to his beliefs and ethics.

It is extremely hard to stay balanced during difficult and challenging times, as there are always those who want to bring you down, who disagree, criticize, or act like they know better. It is obvious that it will be a nasty presidential campaign. Both Obama’s religion and his birthplace are constantly questioned yet he holds his head high, speaks calmly and intelligently, and seems to have no malice. His reaction to such dissenters has simply shown his determination to keep going forward. As he said: “What we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help them find their own grace. That’s what I strive to do, that’s what I pray to do every day.”

When people speak badly about you, you should respond in this way: Keep a steady heart and do not reply with harsh words. Practice letting go of resentment, and accept that another’s hostility is the spur to your understanding. Be kind, adopt a generous standpoint, treat your enemy as a friend, and suffuse your world with affectionate thoughts, far-reaching and widespread, limitless and free from hate. Buddha

The Buddha’s teaching is based on our interdependence and interconnectedness. In a very broad sense, the role of the president is similar — to recognize how we all affect each other, which is our basic interconnectedness. Obama’s recent announcement of his support of gay marriage is an example of this, as it reflects the desire that all beings be treated equally. As Obama said four years ago: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

We are delighted that Obama has recognized gay marriage as a fundamental right, for the soul is neither male nor female, gay or straight. The latest Newsweek features an image of Obama with a rainbow-colored halo above his head. The cover story is: “The First Gay President.” We all breathe the same air, drink the same water, eat, sleep, and want to be happy. Love is not determined by gender. Why should anyone be denied the right to live the life they want, as long as they are not creating suffering for another? When we first met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in northern India we prostrated before him, as is the custom. He quickly lifted us up saying, “We are all equal here.”

But the differences between us can be huge. Although Obama pledged bipartisanship, in the last four years we have seen the worst partisanship ever, with the Republicans determined to say “no” to whatever Obama proposes. To find unity, we have to go beyond those differences; we have to surrender our own needs for the benefit of all. In the process, our enemies can teach us great patience and even compassion!

It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways. Buddha

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. Buddha

There have been some great achievements in the last four years as well as promises that haven’t been kept. But perfection is knowing ones own imperfections, which gives us the ability to get up each time we fall.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Buddha

Ed and Deb Shapiro are the authors of BE THE CHANGE, How Meditation Can Transform You And The World, with forewords by the Dalai Lama and Robert Thurman and Winner of the 2010 Nautilus Gold Book Award. Deb is the author of the bestselling book, YOUR BODY SPEAKS YOUR MIND, winner of the 2007 Visionary Book Award. They are featured bloggers on Oprah.com/spirit, HuffingtonPost.com/Living, and Care2.com. They have 3 meditation CD’s: Metta — Loving Kindness and Forgiveness; Samadhi – Breath Awareness and Insight; and Yoga Nidra – Inner Conscious Relaxation. See: www.EdandDebShapiro.com

Read more from Ed and Deb Shapiro:

Gitmo or Gandhi by Ed and Deb Shapiro

Why Do We Enjoy Making Fun of Others? by Ed and Deb Shapiro

Technorati Tags: appreciation, authenticity, gay, gratitude, inspiration, personal development, politics, self-discovery, Spirituality

The definitions and concepts around “Mother” have radically changed over the last 100 years. Today both women and men are mothers. Between adoption, foster care and with advanced fertility technology like egg donation and surrogacy, almost anyone can have a child. Gone are age limits. Increasingly we are seeing baby boomers raise their grandchildren. People like Oprah Winfrey are mothering an entire generation without ever having given birth. And in 2012, the qualities that make a great mother require an infinite blending and balancing of both the feminine and the masculine. All these radical shifts in this area alone are living testament as to how our reality is fluid and changing.

I have been so inspired and influenced by the Divine Feminine in my life. From the moment I was born I was surrounded by strong influences that didn’t just show love – they embodied unconditional love. My well-being was nurtured and their imprints are as much a part of me today as the color of my eyes.

You too are the divine reflection of sacred mother personified. This truth knows no gender. You are the infinite possibilities of unconditional love. This truth embraces your divinity and your humanity. You are the limitless strength and wisdom of Mother Nature and the infinite cosmos. This truth withstands all changes and the test of time. As a Divine Being you embody all energies and are boundless potential. The sacred intertwining of all aspects within brings about acute awareness and intuition, greater clarity, heightened compassion, limitless spontaneity and profound appreciation. Ultimately you are mothering you! And this most sacred relationship is at the heart of your own health, well-being, serenity, and ability to flow with life as it unfolds until the day you transition.

When you have the courage to be infinite – life meets you in a space of infinite possibilities. Live your destiny. Celebrate and mother every aspect of you and feel your heart expand. Appreciate every chapter of life as it has unfolded for every experience has brought you to this Divine Appointment, and for that I am deeply grateful.

However you define mother, celebrate the play of these aspects within. Prioritize you. Silently whisper or shout from the rafters, “Happy Mother’s Day to Me.”

Happy Mother’s Day 2012!

Panache Desai is an inspirational visionary and contemporary spiritual master whose gift of vibrational transformation has inspired and shifted the lives of tens of thousands. He shares eternal truths, inspirational insights, and vibrational tools to create the life of your dreams. Panache is a modern-day avatar who acts as a direct link to Divine consciousness empowering people of all ages, economic and educational backgrounds to transform their lives by connecting them with their limitless Divine nature. Young, hip and funny, Panache brings his global community together weekly via LIVE webcasting. http://www.panachedesai.com/

Read more from Panache Desai:

If You Could Question God? by Panache Desai

You Were Born For Greatness by Panache Desai

Technorati Tags: divine feminine, evolution, internal harmony, mother's day, panache desai, Panache Desai blog, Personal Growth, spiritual teacher, what makes a great mother?

VividLife Radio’s Ed and Deb Shapiro welcome Andrew Cohen founder of EnlightenNext and Author of Evolutionary Enlightenment to discuss a new path to spiritual awakening

Andrew Cohen is a spiritual teacher, cultural visionary, and founder of EnlightenNext and its award-winning publication EnlightenNext magazine.

Visit EnlightenNext Magazine Online

Listen to more from Going Out of Your Mind with Ed and Deb Shapiro:

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Lindsay Wagner from Bionic Women to Spiritual Teacher discusses Awakening and integrating body, mind and spirit in a natural, holistic way

It’s the day we ask mom to stop, relax, kick her feet up and be pampered by the very people she pampers all year long. Be sure you shower her with gifts, take her to be primped at her favorite spa and finish the day with a lovely meal. Check out these healthy and vegan Mother’s Day recipes as well as last year’s brunch menu!

Pink Le-MOM-Ade

• 10 sliced lemons
• 2 cups raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 cups water
• 2 1/4 cups tequila (optional)
• Mint, for garnish

Combine lemons, raspberries, and sugar in a large pot. Pound the mixture firmly with a large wooden spoon, extracting as much juice as possible, about 10 minutes. Stir in water. Pour through a sieve into a large bowl. Press the solids until all juice is extracted. Discard the solids, stir in tequila and serve over ice.

Water-Cado Salad

• 2 avocados, pitted and peeled and cut into small chunks – about 1/2 inch
• 1 1/2 lbs. watermelon, seeded and cut into small/med chunks – about 1 inch
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients into a bowl and toss gently.

R & R Risotto

• 3 quarts water
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 stick vegan butter
• 8 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms, such as porcini, chanterelle, and oyster, sliced if large
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup grated vegan Parmesan (recipe below)

Bring water, dried porcini mushrooms, and peppercorns to a boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat, and simmer gently for 1 hour. Strain stock (you should have 7 to 8 cups); discard solids. Return to pot; cover to keep warm.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook mixed mushrooms until tender and slightly browned all over, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in rice, and cook until coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine, and cook until almost completely absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes.

Ladle 1 cup reserved stock over rice, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until almost completely absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for each addition to be almost completely absorbed before adding the next, until grains are al dente but not crunchy, about 30 minutes. (You’ll probably only use 6 to 7 cups stock. Add remaining stock to loosen the risotto, if desired.)
Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the vegan Parmesan. Top risotto with sauteed mushrooms (reheat if necessary), and garnish with some more Parmesan.

Vegan Parmesan

• 1 cup soaked and dried Brazil nuts
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• ⅓ teaspoon salt
• Pinch nutritional yeast
• Pinch oregano

Place all ingredients in a food processor with the “S” blade on. Process until well incorporated and the consistency of bread crumbs.

Sweet and Spicy Sorbet Sandwiches

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted vegan butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup plus 5 teaspoons sugar, plus more for rolling and flattening
• 1 egg replacer
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger
• 1 pint vegan strawberry sorbet
• 1 pint vegan lemon sorbet

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk flour, ground ginger, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in egg replacer, then add molasses and candied ginger. Reduce speed. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until slightly firm, 15 minutes.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll each one in sugar, and return to sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, press dough to flatten into 3-inch rounds. Bake until edges are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Sandwich one scoop of sorbet with 2 cookies. Repeat, alternating sorbet flavors. Serve immediately, or freeze in airtight containers up to 3 hours.

Technorati Tags: dessert, drink, entree, gluten free recipes, Healthy recipes, mother's day recipes, salad, vegan recipes

In Feng Shui, the Laughing Buddha, also known by Buddhists as Matreiya, is one of the most supreme symbols of joy and wellbeing. When this jolly character is placed within any home, he will do wonders for all the residents inside; in addition to revitalizing any dead or negative chi and relieving tension, he will also summon fortune and riches for all family members. The Laughing Buddha is now also displayed in the office and prominent places in business venues, such as the front counter, lobby or cashier. He is also a highly revered figure worshipped in many temples.

The Laughing Buddha himself is a vision of happiness; his face is always in a happy, laughing expression and his position is jolly. He is a manifestation of wealth luck due to all the auspicious symbols that he holds, some of these being a Ru Yi, Wu Lou, and various gold ingots and coins. He also usually keeps beside him pots and bags filled with treasures.

The Laughing Buddha is a sure mood lifter when looked at, no matter how down one can be. Everyone could definitely use one of these in their home or office.

In Feng Shui, the Laughing Buddha can be used in many ways to best reap his abundant rewards:

1.) If your family suffers from arguments and tensions, then an image or figurine of the Laughing Buddha will solve these problems. Simply place him in the East Sector (Family Luck) (Feng Shui Bagua Formula) or a location where he can be seen when everyone is sitting around in your living room or main hall.

2.) For those who wish to enhance their luck in the aspects of wealth, self-development, wellbeing and victory, displaying the Laughing Buddha in your personal Sheng Chi direction (Feng Shui Kua Formula) will serve to help you achieve your goals.

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3.) When the Laughing Buddha is displayed in the Southeast Sector (Feng Shui Bagua Formula) of the main hall, dining room or bedroom of your home, he will bring family members windfall luck and increased income.

4.) For those in competitive careers or high positions, such as CEOs or politicians, a Feng Shui Laughing Buddha placed in the workplace or household will serve to summon luck and eliminate enemies‘ effects. It will also allow for a clear mind and reduction of tension.

5) To prevent betrayals and arguments with colleagues, display this Feng Shui product on your desk at work. This will also allow you to excel in your career.

6) For students who are seeking to enhance educational luck, a Feng Shui Laughing Buddha positioned on the study desk will allow you to attain your academic aspirations.

7) It is for many reasons that the Laughing Buddha makes the perfect present for almost any auspicious occasions; for people you know who are suffering through misfortunes and bad luck, the Laughing Buddha would make an perfect good luck gift.

*Note* The Laughing Buddha is highly revered in both Buddhism and Feng Shui, and so he should be treated with respect; never place him in the kitchen, in the bathroom or on the floor.

Technorati Tags: Buddha, Feng Shui, inspiration, Laughing Buddha, self help, Spirituality

A group of British retirees (from left, Maggie Smith, Ronald Pickup, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie, Judi Dench) embark on a fresh start in India in the charming new comedy, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." Photo by Ishika Mohan, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Facing the autumn of one’s life can be challenging in many ways. Coming to terms with the realities of having fewer, rather than more, years ahead, as well as the increasingly debilitating effects of age, are daunting enough. But what if the means to live out those remaining days in comfort are in peril, too? This combination of elements might seem deflating or overwhelming to some, but, with one’s independence, dignity and survival at stake, the more adventurous and innovative among us may elect to take some extraordinary, uncharacteristic or even drastic measures to make the most of those circumstances, as seen in the delightful new comedy, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.”

Newfound friends Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench, left), Graham Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson, center) and Douglas Ainslie (Bill Nighy, right) explore the wonders of Jaipur, India, their new home, in director John Madden's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." Photo by Ishika Mohan, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

* For Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench), the golden years look a lot bleaker than she had once anticipated. The lifelong, recently widowed housewife is forced into selling her residence to pay a backlog of debts left by her deceased husband, saddling her with a very uncertain future.

* Retired housekeeper Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) needs hip replacement surgery but faces a six-month wait unless she’s willing to try something a little more radical – not an easy decision for someone very set in her ways and her outlooks.

* Bored with his career and his life, Judge Graham Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson) can no longer continue with an existence that leaves him unsatisfied and longing for something more fulfilling. His search for genuine happiness clearly requires more than what his current routine can provide.

* Career civil servants Jean and Douglas Ainslie (Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy) approach retirement community living with mixed feelings. Jean believes she deserves something better than what’s on offer and doesn’t hesitate to make her dissatisfaction known. Douglas, meanwhile, tries to assuage her, agreeing to pursue other options if doing so will help keep the peace in their increasingly precarious relationship.

* Spunky skirt-chaser Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup) feels like a spry 40-something, even if his chronological odometer indicates otherwise. Nevertheless, how he feels, and how others react to his advances, such as the actual 40-somethings he tries to court, are two entirely different matters. Maybe it’s time for Norman to turn his attention elsewhere.

* Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie) loves her family, but she tires of the demands they regularly place on her time, such as frequent requests for babysitting her young grandchildren. As someone who wants to enjoy life more in her remaining years, she yearns to take off and be a free spirit while she can – something she just might do.

Given their prevailing circumstances, the retirees each decide they need to pursue alternate paths. In doing so, they all stumble upon advertising for what seems to be the perfect solution to their respective situations – the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful. The ads for this affordable but luxurious facility promise its guests grand accommodations in a classic setting in the lively, colorful Indian city of Jaipur. Everyone jumps at the opportunity, making reservations to move into this elegant pleasure palace. But there’s just one catch: the hotel is nothing like what’s in its promotional materials. In fact, the decrepit structure is not far from collapsing, its walls propped up by assorted forms of jerry-rigging and the infectious, if sometimes-unrealistic enthusiasm of hotelier Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel).

Sonny struggles incessantly to keep his faltering business afloat. He does all he can to appease his disgruntled guests, many of whom are ready to turn back upon arrival, and his overbearing mother (Lillette Dubey), who constantly criticizes Sonny, forever flaunting his brothers’ success in his face. He also strives to please his girlfriend, Sunaina (Tena Desae), an educated, upwardly mobile young woman whom he worries will leave him for someone more financially stable. It’s quite a full plate for the wily young entrepreneur.

But, thanks to a hefty dose of Sonny’s charm and the newfound friendships that spring up among the recent arrivals, the guests decide to stay. They thus embark on new journeys of personal discovery, some on their own and some by way of interactions with the hotel staff, the locals or each other. Their individual odysseys end up offering them possibilities for fresh starts unlike anything they could have possibly imagined before they left England.

At some point in our lives, fresh starts are welcome developments in the wake of unrelenting sameness, though, admittedly, embracing such changes can become more difficult for many of us as we age. As we allow the beliefs that shape our realities through the conscious creation process to settle in and become comfortable, we’re more likely to look askance at possible upheavals in our routines, summarily rejecting them even before examining what they have to offer. We might even try justifying our resistance with arguments like “we’re too old for this sort of thing.” But are fresh starts only meant to be the provenance of the young?

The very emergence of such manifestations indicates that there’s some part of us deep down inside that wants to usher change into our lives, no matter how old or young we are, but the more we resist those impulses, the more imposing, even threatening, they’re likely to appear in subsequent iterations. They may ultimately give rise to circumstances that appear as if change is being foisted upon us, with unwanted consequences and overwrought drama coming along for the ride.

Go-getter hotelier Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) welcomes his recently arrived English guests to their new Indian home in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." Photo by Ishika Mohan, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

In many ways, this is where the guests of the Marigold Hotel find themselves at the film’s outset. They’re at the point where they’ve put off making change for so long that they now find themselves, metaphorically speaking, with their backs up against the proverbial wall. Their inner selves are telling them that change is imperative and that the only real decision they need to make is to choose how to react to the impending circumstances.

Many of us have come to fear change, that the disappearance of the familiar will leave us sad, disoriented or less well off than we’ve grown accustomed to being. But it need not be that way at all. Change just means doing something differently, and it doesn’t automatically equate to things being worse than they have been; it could indeed be the start of something far better than we could have possibly imagined but that we have not previously permitted to materialize. Allowing change of an especially positive nature can be truly life affirming, especially for those nearing the ends of their corporeal journeys. After all, as many of us have no doubt experienced, basking in the illuminated brilliance of sunny autumn days can be some of the most rewarding times of the year. The residents of the Marigold Hotel come to see this for themselves, once they’re willing to allow it to happen.

Recently widowed housewife Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench, left) and free-spirited grandmother Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie, right) take in the sights, sounds and sensations of Jaipur, India in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." Photo by Ishika Mohan, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” is a charming release, full of life, vibrancy and gentle humor. Its exquisite cinematography and mesmerizing soundtrack combine to paint a lush portrait of an exotic land in all its beauty and all its challenges. The excellent ensemble cast blends well together, though the writing sometimes fails them when it comes to the degree of interaction the principal characters have with one another (even though they’re each following their own paths, it would have been nice to see those paths cross one another a little more than they do). The script also falls prey to a certain degree of predictability, but then that’s compensated for by an equal measure of surprise, offsetting that minor shortcoming.

The picture is already getting some Oscar buzz, though, realistically, I think it’s being released far too early in the year to be remembered by Academy voters later on. Nevertheless, if 2012 proves to be another weak year for movies, it could be a contender in some of the technical categories, as well as for some of the performances, particularly those turned in by Wilkinson, Nighy and, of course, Dench.

This picture serves as a valuable reminder that time passes in this life far faster than most of us often realize and that, because of that, we’d better make the most of it while we can, especially when the hourglass is running out. In life as in the movies, I’ve found that some of the most rewarding moments come toward the end of the picture. And to get the most out of them, it’s up to us to savor those times before the credits roll.

Copyright © 2012, by Brent Marchant. All rights reserved.

Retired housekeeper Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) attempts to adjust to her new surroundings while recovering from hip replacement surgery in the delightful new comedy, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." Photo by Ishika Mohan, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

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A while ago, at the Royal Ontario Museum I went to the public restroom. Just before I came out of the stall I heard a high clear voice say, “Who’s going to get me soap?”
I walked out and saw a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, the arms of her white sweatshirt rolled up as she stood at the sink. She couldn’t reach the soap dispenser. I wasn’t sure to whom she had addressed the question. The room was empty except for the two of us.

“I can help with that,” I said and proceeded to offer her soap from my hands.

“What’s your name?” she asked as she scooped up some of the foam.

Seeing she couldn’t reach the faucet I pressed it down for her and replied, “Oriah.”

“I’m Dakota,” she offered promptly.

“Hi, Dakota.” She nodded and proceeded to rub her hands under the flowing water.

“And how many years old are you?” she asked in a matter of fact voice.

“Fifty-five,” I replied. She frowned a little and then held up four fingers. “Ah,” I said, “and you are four years old.” She nodded and moved over to the hand dryer putting her hands under the warm air. My own hands now washed and dried, I headed for the door.

“Good-bye Dakota. Nice to meet you.” She smiled and waved good-bye.

Just outside the doorway, a young man stood waiting. “I bet you’re waiting for Dakota.” He smiled and nodded, and I assured him she would be right out.

The incident could not have lasted more than three or four minutes but I keep going over it in my mind and smiling, wondering why it touched me so. Physically Dakota reminded me of myself at that age- I was also slight, blonde and blue-eyed. But Dakota was so at home in her own skin, it took my breath away. She was not trying to be precocious, or ingratiating or demanding. She needed soap and she couldn’t get any so she wondered out loud who was going to help her, and seemed to take my appearance as a reasonable answer to her question. She was confident but aware of her own limitations. She was curious but not invasive, willing to give whatever information she asked of the other. She was. . . . whole and at home with herself and the world in way I could not remember being as a child.

Thinking about Dakota I remember being the same age and visiting Buffalo NY to shop at Grant’s Department Store with my family. It was 1958, and I was carrying a small pink purse. As my grandmother and I waited for my grandfather at the entrance of the store, an elderly black gentleman walked up and squatted down in front of me smiling. I heard Nana gasp and felt her suddenly grab me and pull me back against her as she stepped away. I could feel the fear coursing through her body hitting mine like an electric shock. The gentleman looked up at her. His smile faded and he slowly shook his head as he held out my purse.

“Your little girl dropped this,” he said. He looked so tired and so sad I felt like crying, but I didn’t know why. I wanted to say something, but he quickly got up and walked away. I felt confused and embarrassed for my grandmother who just stood there, her body rigid, her arm across my chest pressing me against her.

Dakota was not afraid. I have no doubt that if anyone tried to harm her she could fight and yell for assistance very effectively. And of course she was too young to be there alone, and her guardian was close by. But she did not start from a place of fear. She did not expect me to be anything but helpful. No one had yet taught her to be afraid of everyone she did not know. My grandmother had been taught to be afraid of strangers, and a racist culture has taught her to be afraid of people- particularly men- of colour. I have been privileged to live in a city of such multi-cultural diversity that many of the fears she passed from her body to mine have been expunged and healed. But I remember them and how they affected me, how they put up a barrier to the other.

Encountering Dakota made me feel hopeful. Maybe we can raise children who do not approach unknown people or places or ways of being with fear and hostility. And maybe, if we do not meet the stranger with fear, we can get to know each other a little, can find ways to live and work together.

Oriah (c) 2009

Oriah is the author of the international best-selling books: The Invitation, and The Dance, and The Call (published by HarperONE, translated into eighteen languages.) Her much loved poem “The Invitation” has been shared around the world. Trained in a shamanic tradition, her medicine name Mountain Dreamer means one who likes to find and push the edge. Using story, poetry and shamanic ceremony Oriah’s deeply personal writing and her work as a group facilitator and mentor explore how to follow the thread of our heart’s longing into a life where we can choose joy without denying the challenges of a human life. www.oriah.org www.oriahsinvitation.blogspot.com https://www.facebook.com/Oriah.Mountain.Dreamer?sk=wall 

Read more by Oriah Mountain Dreamer:

Resisting What We Want by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

What Is Compassion by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Technorati Tags: Childlike, fear, inspiration, Oriah Mountain Dreamer, reflection, self help, Spirituality, vivid life

What’s the hurry?
The Practice:
Avoid the rush.
Why?

As I was meditating this morning, our cat hopped up in my lap. It felt sweet to sit there with him. And yet – even though I was feeling fine and had plenty of time, there was this internal pressure to start zipping along with emails and calls and all the other clamoring minutiae of the day.

You see the irony. We rush about as a means to an end: as a method for getting results in the form of good experiences, such as relaxation and happiness. Hanging out with our cat, I was afloat in good experiences. But the autopilot inside the coconut still kept trying to suck me back into methods for getting relaxation and happiness – as if I weren’t already feeling that way! And of course, by jumping up and diving into doingness, I’d break the mood and lose the relaxation and happiness . . . that is the point of doingness.

Sometimes we do need to rush. Maybe you’ve got to get your kid to school on time, or your boss really has to have that report by end of day. OK.

But much of the time, we rev up and race about because of unnecessary internal pressures (like unrealistic standards for ourselves) or because external forces are trying to hurry us along for their own purposes (not because of our own needs).

How do you feel when you’re rushing? Perhaps there’s a bit of positive excitement, but if you’re like me, there’s mostly if not entirely a sense of tension, discomfort, and anxiety. This kind of stress isn’t pleasant for the mind, and over time it’s really bad for the body. Plus there’s a loss of autonomy: the rush is pushing you one way or another rather than you yourself deciding where you want to go and at what pace.

Instead, how about stepping aside from the rush as much as you can? And into your own well-being, health, and autonomy?

How?

For starters, be mindful of rushing – your own and others. See how other people assume deadlines that aren’t actually real, or get time pressured and intense about things that aren’t that important. (And yep, you get to decide for yourself what you think is real or important.) Notice the internal shoulds or musts or simply habits that speed you up.

Then, when the demands of others bear down upon you, buy yourself time – what the psychologist and Buddhist teacher Tara Brach calls “the sacred pause” – in order to create a space in which you are free to choose how you will respond. Are you letting the rushing of others become your own? Slow down the conversation, ask questions, and find out what’s really true. Consider the sign I once saw in a car repair shop: “Your lack of planning is not my emergency.”

On your own side of the street, try not to create “emergencies” for yourself. You can get a lot done at your own pace without rushing; plan ahead and don’t procrastinate until you’re forced into hurrying. More fundamentally, be realistic about your own resources. It’s a kind of modesty, a healthy humility, to finally admit to yourself and maybe others that you can’t carry five quarts in a one gallon bucket. There are 168 hours in a week, not 169. It’s also a kind of healthy renunciation, relinquishment, to set down the ego, drivenness, appetite, or ambition that overcommits and sets you up for rushing. And it’s a matter of seeing clearly what is, a matter of being in reality rather than being confused or in a sense deluded.

Nkosi Johnson was the South African boy born with HIV who became a national advocate for children with AIDS before dying at about age 12, and not one of us can do more than what he said here: Do all you can, with what you have, in the time you have, in the place where you are.

Also watch how the mind routinely gets caught up in becoming: in making plans that draw us into desires that draw us into rushing. The trick is to see this happening before it captures you.

Most deeply, try to rest in and enjoy the richness of this moment. Even an ordinary moment – with its sounds, sights, tastes, smells, sensations, feelings, and thoughts – is amazingly interesting and rewarding. Afloat in the present, there’s no need to rush along to anything else.

Even when you don’t have a cat in your lap.

* * *

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (in 20 languages) and Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time (in 8 languages). Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom and Affiliate of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, he’s taught at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and in meditation centers worldwide. His work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, FoxBusiness, Consumer Reports Health, U.S. News and World Report, and O Magazine and he has several audio programs with Sounds True. His weekly e-newsletter – Just One Thing – has over 35,000 subscribers, and suggests a simple practice each week that will bring you more joy, more fulfilling relationships, and more peace of mind and heart. If you wish, you can subscribe to Just One Thing here.

Read more from Rick Hansen:

MAKE THE OFFERING by Rick Hanson, M.D.

DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP by Rick Hanson, Ph. D.

Can I do it???  With your help, for sure!

So please, HELP ME!!!  Add the ways you FEED YOUR SOUL to the comments section!  I promise to read them, and incorporate them into my on-going list – giving credit where credit is due!

So …

… Without further ado, here is our first…

10 Ways to FEED YOUR SOUL: Change Your Weight (#1 thru #10)

1.   Dream with Your Feet, bust a move, get your groove on, and … dance to the music!  

2.   Dissolve Your Inhibitions in a Smokin’ Hot Bubble… Bath!  

3.   Arrange Flowers in good cheer, with a smile on your face, and listen for the earth to joyously laugh with you.

4.   Light a Candle, and then light another, and notice … nothing is lost when one candle lights the next.

5.   Be the Fountain of Gladness and make everything and everyone near to you freshen with smiles.

6.   Look Beneath the Iceberg; investigate what lies below as only one-seventh of ‘you’ is above water.

7.   Breathe into the Moment for this very moment is the only one you have for sure.

8.   Pray with the Rocks, the pebbles, the sand, as they are still and silent.

9.   Read, Read, Read, lest you yield yourself to ignorance.

10.   Play Feverishly!  Experience the world and the universe as the playground that it sure is; one for exploration and discovery.  Explore, discover, have fun!

Spread the word … NOT the icing!

Janice

Life & Weight Loss Success Coach
wise * fun * utterly useful

————————————————————————————————————————————————
FEED YOUR SOUL: Change Your WEIGHT!!! workshop – extraordinary opportunity!
September 16 – 19, 212
ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY at HOLLYHOCK- SIGN UP NOW!!!!
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For the best life, wellness and weight loss wisdom, visit Janice:
Our Lady of Weight Loss
join the Kick in the Tush Club

Become a Tushkateer!
Tushkateer*  A Tushkateer is a person who receives Our Lady of Weight Loss’s newsletter, called the KICK in the TUSH CLUB!!!  Sign up and receive her weekly e-newsletter with all the news that ‘fit’ to print, and you are automatically a Tushkateer!  How cool is that?

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Read more from Janice Taylor:

THINGS COULD BE WORSE … and, they will be by Janice Taylor

The Elder Care Blues: Waking Up ‘Down’ by Janice Taylor

Technorati Tags: Happiness, Health & Well-being, Hollyhock, inspiration, Janice Taylor, Life and Wellness Coach, Our Lady of Weight Loss, Personal Growth, Vancouver, vivid life, VividLife.me, Womens Retreats

VividLife’s Ed and Deb Shapiro welcome Icon Jane Fonda and Yoga Instructor Tara Stiles, to discuss Women, Yoga, Meditation and more, in support of Tara’s new book Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer More Than 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free

Jane Fonda, Born in New York City in 1937 to legendary screen star Henry Fonda and New York socialite Frances Seymour Brokaw, Jane Seymour Fonda was destined early to an uncommon and influential life in the limelight. Although she initially showed little inclination to follow her father’s trade, she was prompted by Joshua Logan to appear with her father in the 1954 Omaha Community Theatre production of “The Country Girl”. Her interest in acting grew after meeting Lee Strasberg in 1958 and joining the Actors Studio. Her screen debut in Tall Story (1960) (directed by Logan) marked the beginning of a highly successful and respected acting career highlighted by two Academy Awards (for her performances in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978)) and five additional Oscar nominations (as Best Actress in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), Julia (1977), The China Syndrome (1979), The Morning After (1986), and Best Supporting Actress in On Golden Pond (1981), which was the only film she made with her father). Fonda underwent a series of metamorphoses in both her profession and personal life. After finding her niche in romantic comedies such as Period of Adjustment (1962), Sunday in New York (1963), and Any Wednesday (1966), she starred in the notorious sci-fi sex farce Barbarella (1968), directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim. The events that followed became her most debated, scandalous, and controversial period: her espousal of anti-establishment causes and especially her anti-war activities during the Vietnam War. Her political involvement continued with fellow activist and second husband Tom Hayden in the 1970s and ’80s. In the 1980s she started the aerobic exercise craze with the publication of the “Jane Fonda’s Workout Book”. After divorcing Hayden and announcing her retirement from the film industry, she married broadcasting mogul Ted Turner in 1991; they split eight years later. In 2005, Fonda penned the best-selling autobiography “My Life So Far” and relaunched her film career with a starring role in the box office hit Monster-in-Law (2005).

http://www.janefonda.com

Tara Stiles, Named “Yoga Rebel” by the New York Times, Tara Stiles has inspired a wide audience around the world with her healthy and relatable approaches to yoga, meditation, exercise, awareness, nutrition and every day well being. Tara has been featured in publications including Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Lucky, InStyle, Esquire, Shape, and Self, and has been profiled by the Times of India, The Times (UK), and Sweden’s Dagnes Nyheter.

Tara is the founder and owner of Strala Yoga, widely known for it’s unpretentious, inclusive, and straightforward approach to yoga and meditation. She is the personal yoga instructor to Deepak Chopra, whom she’s collaborated with to create the best selling Authentic Yoga iPhone app, Yoga Transformation DVD series among other projects. Jane Fonda named Tara, “The new face of fitness”. They partnered to re-launch Jane’s famous WORKOUT brand of fitness DVDs and equipment.

Tara is the author of the best selling Slim Calm Sexy Yoga, and the upcoming Yoga Cures, that is already climbing the charts. Her approach leads people to their own intuition and awareness. The results are radiant health and lasting happiness.

Tara is the first yoga instructor to use social media effectively to reach a global audience. Her instructional yoga videos, #1 iTunes podcast, blogs, and cooking videos have received over 20 million views so far. She engages with her wide range of subscribers daily through her video blog, twitter, Facebook page and her popular Tumblr blog, Tara Eats. Through social media Tara has been able to help millions of people ranging from kids, teenagers, moms, regular guys, and beyond not only get healthy and happy, but heal a wide variety of conditions from back pain, anxiety, sleep disorders, weight issues, body issues, and more. Her total social media reach is in the tens of millions and growing.

As Vanity Fair noted, “Tara Stiles has got to be the coolest yoga instructor ever.”

“One of the things I like about her is her ability to make yoga accessible to people who might be scared of it or think it might be too esoteric,”

–Jane Fonda

“We are both nonconformists who have incurred the wrath of traditional yogis,” Mr. Chopra said of Ms. Stiles, whom he now considers his personal instructor. “A lot of the criticism is resentment of her rapid success. I have been doing yoga for 30 years. I have had teachers of all kinds. Taking lessons from her has been more useful to me than taking yoga from anyone else.

–Deepak Chopra

http://www.tarastiles.com

Listen to more with Ed and Deb Shapiro on demand:

Ed and Deb Shapiro welcome Lindsay Wagner, Emmy award-winning actress for her role as The Bionic Woman turned Spiritual Teacher to discuss Awakening and integrating body, mind and spirit in a natural, holistic way

Ed and Deb Shapiro welcome Super Model Carre Otis to discuss her new book Beauty Disrupted, a memoir. Carre has long been one of the most recognizable faces in modeling, headlining in campaigns for Guess, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Revlon and has graced the covers of Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan