Here is is, with an update on Food Revolution news. FYI, he gives the wrong web address for the teacher's blog about school lunches. Here is the correct link that will get you there. She calls it Fed Up With School Lunch
Be sure to check out her blog. Now on to Jamie...
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Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Q & A for the Aging
A friend shared this in an e-mail. Enjoy!
Questions and Answers from AARP Forum
Q: Where can men over the age of 55 find younger, sexy partners who are interested in them?
A: Try a bookstore, under fiction.
Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you're done you'll have a place to live.
Q: Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in The Bible. Is that true?
Where can it be found?
A: Yes. Matthew 14:92: "And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way to Egypt .."
Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 55-plus year old husband?
A: Tell him you're pregnant.
Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?
A: Take off your glasses.
Q: Seriously! What can I do for these Crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face?
A: Go braless. It will usually pull them out.
Q: Why should 55-plus year old people use valet parking?
A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.
Q: Is it common for 55-plus year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?
A: Storing memory is not a problem, Retrieving it is the problem.
Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly?
A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.
Q: Where should 55-plus year olds look for eye glasses?
A: On their foreheads.
Q: What is the most common remark made by 55-plus year olds when they enter antique stores?
A: "Gosh, I remember these!"
SMILE, You've still got your sense of humor, RIGHT?
Questions and Answers from AARP Forum
Q: Where can men over the age of 55 find younger, sexy partners who are interested in them?
A: Try a bookstore, under fiction.
Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you're done you'll have a place to live.
Q: Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in The Bible. Is that true?
Where can it be found?
A: Yes. Matthew 14:92: "And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way to Egypt .."
Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 55-plus year old husband?
A: Tell him you're pregnant.
Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?
A: Take off your glasses.
Q: Seriously! What can I do for these Crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face?
A: Go braless. It will usually pull them out.
Q: Why should 55-plus year old people use valet parking?
A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.
Q: Is it common for 55-plus year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?
A: Storing memory is not a problem, Retrieving it is the problem.
Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly?
A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.
Q: Where should 55-plus year olds look for eye glasses?
A: On their foreheads.
Q: What is the most common remark made by 55-plus year olds when they enter antique stores?
A: "Gosh, I remember these!"
SMILE, You've still got your sense of humor, RIGHT?
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Awakening
Just experience this video clip. See what feelings come up for you. Check your dogma at the door and just be with this and then reflect. Would love you hear your comments, but will be selective about screening those that are spiritual, vs religious defenses. What and who are you, separate from your dogma?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Homemade Mustard
First I started with organic mustard seed. Unless you have a really good quality food processor, you might want to just buy organic GROUND mustard powder. Mountain Rose Herbs carries it both ground and in seed (brown seed, yellow seed and yellow ground). It is much more economical to buy it in bulk than in the grocery store in those tiny spice bottles. Because for this recipe, you need 1/2 a cup or more of the ground mustard. I put the seed I purchased first into a Suribachi bowl and tried to grind it by hand. No go. I would be there until Christmas. Then I put it into the food processer and I have a crappy Black & Decker food processor and the seeds spent a lot of time bouncing up and down rather than grinding. I even had to stop TWICE during this process to let the machine cool down. Because you want this stuff fine like fine flour and it took a long time. Mine never did grind down that fine with this machine. Note to self...purchase it ground. I was going to purchase it ground but the health food store had organic seed, or regular (non-organic) ground. I opted for the organic. And I'll buy it from MRH when I place my next order.
Once you have actual yellow mustard powder, I added 1/2 c of organic apple cider vinegar, and 3/4 cup raw honey. Yup...that's it. Whisked it up in the food processor and poured it back into the empty mustard squirt bottle I had washed out from the store-bought mustard. I think, perhaps it may also be missing Turmeric, which gives it added yellow color and a snappier punch. The book has a few more variations and you can use water/different types of vinegar, and different sweeteners to experiment and get the type you like best. And of course, once you get the basics down, I'm sure the world wide web abounds with mustard recipes.
This may not have been a terribly economical choice since raw honey is fairly expensive (certainly more so than sugar), but it was fun to try. I'll keep trying until perhaps I make one my husband will eat. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Getting Distracted by the Computer.
Laughter is Contagious!
This pretty much stands alone. It's been a weird couple of weeks for me. There must be odd shifts in the universe and everyone seems crabby and negative. I needed a laugh, and someone sent me this. Now what Tim Conway is saying is not particularly funny but the way he times things to crack up his cohorts will make even the most serious person, smile...at the very least. Laughter, truly IS, the best medicine. You would be AMAZED at what it will do for your immune system.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Conversion Charts
I'm forever trying to figure out recipe conversions and how many of this equals how many of that. My husband found this handy dandy conversion chart for me today. I love that man! I don't think any of the links below are live, you probably have to go to the site, but this shows what you can find there.MATHS HELPER
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Gratitude
I received the email message below and wanted to share it. It is one of the sweetest things I've read in a long time. Oh, to remember to show gratitude and appreciation! It feels so great to be on the receiving end, we all should remember to express it to others so that they can feel as good as I do right now:
I know that there is no way that you can know how many emails I write to you, in my mind.
I send you notes of appreciation. I send you notes that tell you how much your trust and persistence encourage me (if I wrote as often as you do to me and never heard back, my own insecurity would likely cause me to stop – but you continue – and I can only assume that you must know how much I appreciate your notes and that you must somehow know that I am in over my head at times). I send you notes to tell you how amazed I am with all of your energy and ideas and great suggestions. I send you notes to express my appreciation of the reflecting and writing about important subjects you do that helps the rest of us.
But, obviously, I never get these down on paper (aka key board).
So this morning top on my list was to write to you to tell you THANK YOU. You are an important force for good that impacts my life.
I value you greatly. Thank you for showing up and working through your own challenges to bring your gifts to the rest of us.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Reducing Sales Calls and Junk Mail
CBS Newsman Tips for Handling Telemarketers:
1). Three little words that work: "Hold on, please..."
Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming and expensive that boiler room sales would grind to a halt.
Then, when you eventually hear the phone company's 'beep-beep-beep' tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task. Just those three little words will help eliminate telephone soliciting. [also, Willow has simply picked up the phone when caller ID indicates it might be such a call, and just holds it without speaking at all. Usually nobody says anything and she waits for the tone and then hangs up. She figures this way, they have to pay for each call to her rather than their auto dialers learning that her machine goes on after 4 rings (so they hang up at 3 rings). She figures if she had to stop what she was doing to check the caller ID, they may as well pay extra].
2). Do you ever get those annoying phone calls when no one on the other end?
This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone. This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a 'real' sales person to call back and get someone at home.
What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone 6 or 7 times as quickly as possible. This confuses the machine that dialed the call, and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer!
3). Junk Mail Help:
When you get 'ads' enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these 'ads' with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail away.
When you get those 'pre-approved' letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope. Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them more than the regular 44 cents postage if and when they receive them back.
It costs them nothing if you throw them away. The postage was around 50 cents before the last increase and it is charged according to the weight. In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little postage-paid return envelopes?
Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send a pizza coupon to Citibank. If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their blank application back. If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them. You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just keep them guessing. It still costs them 44 cents or more.
The bank credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks, we need to OVERWHELM them. Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all, they're paying for it...TWICE.
Let's keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits, and that's why they need to increase postage costs. You get the idea. If enough people follow these tips, it will have an impact. (The writer claims to have been doing this for a while and gets very little junk mail anymore.)
Another thing Willow highly suggests to you is to go to the National Do Not Call Registry and register every one of your phone numbers on the registry (including cell phones). Not this will not keep all unwanted calls at bay. Non-Profits, fund raising, political calls, survey/polls and ANYBODY that you have EVER done business with, is currently exempt from compliance with the Do Not Call Registry. However, changes are being proposed to address these callers too, and the currently law requires them to comply IF you tell them "I do not wish to receive any future calls from you, I am registered on the Do Not Call Registry and I want you to remove me from your call list." (or some form of that statement). Then they are not supposed to call, and if they do, you go back to the website and report the caller. It is possible they could receive a large fine. Be sure to read all the information provided on the web page so that you fully understand how the regulations work. And if you owe companies money, it is unlikely that they have to stop calling you. However, check your local area because there are new laws limiting collection harassment.
*I removed the previous corrupted file of this post that I made earlier. Readers reported that the formatting was messed up and phrases were left off at the end of almost every line. Let me know if this is better.
Hip Hop Tune for Healthy Eating
Now I have THIS, stuck in my head "Freedom from disease and ab-nor-mality, cuz you don't want this stuff effecting your reality..." C'mon...sing it people!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Tour of International Space Station
I have no idea what I'm looking at or what they are talking about and it makes me a little dizzy, but all the same, this is pretty cool.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Who Knew Gelatin was Disgusting?
Silly me, we recently gave up making it at home when we began our quest to eat cleaner because I figured it was mostly sugar and artificial dye and flavoring. I had no idea it was even worse than that.
I was looking for a healthier alternative in my new book Quick-Fix Healthy Mix (see link below) and this is what I read:
Food fact: Gelatin is processed from a structural protein called collagen. Collagen is a substance that is found in humans and animals. Most of the time, commercial gelatin is made from the bones, connective tissues and or hooves that are rich in collagen. These ingredients are treated with a strong base, like acid, to break the collagen down and then it's boiled. (p. 71)
OK, that's disgusting. And THEN they add the artificial color, flavor and refined sugar. I guess if you put some sugar-laden canned fruit in it, that makes it all better, right? EWWWW! I'm really grossed out now. HOW did I never know this before??
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Boca Patties and Oroweat Sandwich Thins
I put them on the Oroweat Sandwich Thins and a bit of lettuce. For the chicken patty I add to the shredded lettuce a dollop of thousand island dressing. For the grilled burger, I add ketchup and mustard, for the Asian burger, I add a dribble of Asian salad dressing. For the spicey black bean burger, I add a spoon of salsa. For a brunch item, it stays with me well and I don't get hungry really quickly.
As for the Oroweat Sandwich Thins, I like them because they are small, thin, fit the patties well, and don't have very many calories. They honestly could not have made these any thinner if their life depended on it. Any thinner and you could see through them. And that's fine with me because I'm not really much of a bread fan to begin with. However, they have rather crappy ingredients like most commercial bread products, so get out your magnifying glass and read before you buy to judge for yourself. I wish they made it without preservatives (they could sell them in the freezer isle) and there are other ingredients that I don't even know what they are (which is always a bad sign). So you decide on that. Oroweat doesn't list the ingredients on their web site that I could find. These sandwich thins come in two different styles: Multi-Grain and Honey-Wheat.I like the combo of these two things for a quick, light lunch or brunch. It would travel well too. The patties microwave for a minute. The sandwich thins microwave for about 5 seconds if room temp (or not at all), about 10 seconds if from the frige, and about 30 seconds if frozen.
I think I have a friend who likes their veggie hot dogs too. Maybe she'll chime in. And I think if you compare and contrast ingredients, Boca is a little better in the ingredients department than Morning Star Farms.
I've now gone two and a half months without meat...who'd have ever thunk it? Not me...ever.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Natural Sunscreen and Books on Natural Body Care Recipes.
Mountain Rose Herbs sent me this link today when I asked them if there were ways to make natural, healthy sunscreens. It is a bunch of books with recipes for skin care/hair care, etc. I'm having a hard time deciding which one I want first, or which one I might use most. They look amazing!
Erin at MRH says: Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Jojoba, Neem, and Sesame oils do offer low levels of UV protection. You can whip up a really nice lotion using some of these ingredients. Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles has a few great formulas for sun exposure and skin health. You can read more about it here.
Also good to remember: SPF numbers are based not on the level of blockage, but on the number of hours you could reasonably be out and expect not to burn. So we're stupid when we buy SPF 30...who is out for 30 hours straight? So the oils listed below are touted to have around an SPF of 5; really low by industry standards, but 5 hours in the sun is more than most people do, and the natural oils are so much better for your skin. On days when you KNOW you will be out longer than 3-5 hours, THEN consider an SPF with a higher rating (and even then, can you imagine needing more than an SPF of 10???). You don't get more blockage with a higher number, only more time.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Meditation. Part 5 of 5. Meditation Supplies.
I want to be abundantly clear: you do not need any equipment or supplies to meditate. At all. Period. End of story.
However, many people choose to purchase any number of supplies to enhance their experience, to make it more comfortable or to assist them with their focus. Let's face it, sometimes when we start something new, we decide to get the stuff that goes with it in the hopes it will cement our commitment to it. Like gym shoes for your resolve to exercise religiously.
You can sit in your favorite chair or on the floor or on the ground or on a rock, with nothing but you, and indeed this is how the monks of ancient times managed. They didn't have money for special gizmos. Don't let anyone convince you that you need anything.
What you see pictured above is a zafu (seat cushion) and a zabuton (floor cushion). These two items are often used together. A cushion can help raise you up a bit to relieve some pressure from your knees and if you sit just on the edge of it, it can help to tilt your pelvis so your back doesn't hurt. Towels, blankets, pillows of all types can work just as well. The zabuton cushions your knees and ankles and makes a cold floor more bearable.
A meditation bench may be used
on a zabuton instead of a cushion; it is a personal preference. It looks like a miniature slanted piano bench and you sit on it with your legs between the legs of the bench as shown above.One may also utilize any of a number of session signifiers or timers. The web and new age stores abound with options for meditation timers, gongs, chimes, singing bowls etc. A clock or a kitchen timer work dandy too.
There are also harnesses to help maintain your seated posture, bolsters, special clothing, candles, statues etc. Some people may wish to set up a small altar for a focal point and anything that has special meaning to you can go on it.
A singing bowl. These are specially made of many layers of metal to achieve specific sounds. Some are also made of crystal. They range in size from teacup to big mixing bowl size and the prices are astounding. As you can see from this clip, the tones vary greatly with the smaller bowls having a higher tone and the larger bowls having a lower tone.Monday, May 17, 2010
Chobani Greek Yogurt
What I DID like was a simple ingredient list: cultured milk, sugar, peaches and 5 live cultures. I also liked that it had zero grams of fat compared to the other brand's 10 grams, and I liked that it had a whopping 14 grams of protein compared to the other's 4 grams.
However, not being a yogurt fan to begin with, I prefer the other brand because it isn't like the other yogurts, and I love the creaminess and the taste as a treat. I could eat this one, if I just wanted a low fat hit of reasonably healthy protein; I just can't say I would ENJOY it.
I've also seen Fage Total Greek Yogurt in the store but it is really expensive for a small container and our stores only has plain...and there is no way I'm eating plain yogurt...it tastes like vomit.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Parmesan Crisps
All these are is little melted coins of cheese. It's SUPER easy to make these on your own at home. Parmesan is a fairly dry cheese, so you simply put a small haystack of cheese on a non-stick cookie sheet, and place them under the broiler until they look like you want them. The crisps in this pkg are about perhaps a little larger than a quarter. They pop right in your mouth and they are YUMMY!
15 of these packaged crisps have 6 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein. Hmmm, I'm thinking I need to go get some more! Or make some...either way I want to EAT some more. They don't look nearly as gourmet as the ones pictured here. This was just a google photo of parmesan crisps I found.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Meditation. Part 4 of 5. Soto Zen Serene Reflection Meditation.
As with methods discussed in parts 1, 2, and 3, can you guess what I'm about to say again? Yup. Show up, sit still.
SZSR may be done in a group or alone. One may sit near an altar or, as I've done in local meditation retreats, sit facing a blank wall (vs sitting in a circle facing each other). It is just one more way to give the mind less to run away with. In SZSR, eyes remain softly open with a soft downward gaze. I find this difficult but I alternate with them open or closed depending on the day or my distractability. The idea of the soft gaze, in part is to develop the skill of meditating with eyes open so that it may be discretely done in short spurts anywhere you happen to be (except probably not a good idea while driving). That makes sense. It makes it more versatile and mobile than having to have all conditions just right in order to meditate.
SZSR does have recommendations about the way to sit, how to hold the hands and body which are based on ancient monastic traditions. There are seated meditations, walking meditations and working meditations. But truly, one can eventually learn to bring mindfulness or meditative practices to all areas of one's life. The idea, as Eckhart Tolle is fond of saying, is to "be here, now"; fully present with whatever task is at hand vs being mentally elsewhere.
SZSR does not utilize mantras or sacred words, but suggests that one simply allow thoughts to float by, neither attaching to nor pushing them away, just allow them to come and pass on by. There are times when, in between periods of meditation or "sitting", that a monk may read passages from the Dharma (Buddhist teachings).
In Buddhism, suffering, causes of suffering, and alleviation of suffering are common ponderings or themes. And in keeping with that, if one is uncomfortable, fidgety, anxious, preoccupied or whatever the case may be during or before or after meditation, the idea is to "be with it". To show up anyway, in whatever state you are in. There is value in time spent with the very intention of meditation, and meditation need not always be tidy and peaceful, and indeed often is not. Be with what shows up for you. Notice it "wow, my mind is all over the place", but then don't dwell on that thought, let it go.
As with all forms of meditation, don't be hard on yourself for "not doing it right" or for wiggling, or thinking. Don't judge your experience, just experience your experience. It will be different every time. Even if you reach some state of bliss and want to hang on to that, let it float off just as easily as an unwanted thought or mind chatter. You are designed perfectly.
Some doctors and therapists are even recommending meditation to their patients. Meditation has health benefits on all body, mind and spirit systems and need not cost you a cent.
In my final installment in this series, I'll take a look at some of the tools or supplies common to meditation practitioners. Not because you need them, but because you might want to know what some of them are used for.
For more info:
In Northeast Oregon, we have the special treasure of meditation guidance and meditation retreats sponsored by the Wallowa Buddhist Temple. Regular services are offered at the temple, you may schedule individual or small group retreats, and periodic, half day meditation retreats are offered in La Grande.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Adrenal Support Tincture Recipe
Here is my creation for supporting the adrenals. Adrenals often take a big hit from stress, poor diets, and in general from all of the things we are exposed to. Supporting adrenals helps balance hormones and overall health.
I purchase all of my herbs in organic form from Mountain Rose Herbs. I purchase 100 Proof grain alcohol (Vodka or Everclear) from my local liquor store.
Adrenal Support/Adaptigen
In two, two-quart jars place approximately equal parts of each herb. Do not fill jar more than half way with herbs. You may half this recipe if you want a smaller batch.
Equal Parts:
Valerian Root
Reishi Mushroom
Holy Basil
Ashwaganda
Don Qui
Black Cohosh
Schisandra Berries
Astragalus
Rhodiola
Avena Sative (a.k.a. Wild Oats Milky Seed or Oat Tops)
Shatavari
Ginseng
Cilantro
Guggul Gum
Eleuthero Root
Prickly Ash Bark
Once herbs are in the jar, fill the jar(s) with vodka. Place lids on. Stir or shake daily for 6 weeks. Strain first through a sieve and then through coffee filters. Bottle.Dosage: My husband and I take one dropper full 2 x daily. If you wish to take less, do so, but don't take more until you establish that it will not upset your tummy or give you loose bowels. More is not necessarily better. You could also take it once a day or less. Dosage is a personal decision. I'm not a doctor, I just play one on TV. OK...maybe not even that.
If you want more in-depth information on making tinctures, see my previous post Making Tinctures 101, and be sure to watch the Mountain Rose Herbs Video about making herbal tinctures which you will find below.
Workbench Magazine. Love it!
I love Workbench Magazine. If you are at ALL interested in do-it-yourself projects for the home or garage, check it out. I save each issue because there are so many cool projects that, while it might not be the time or place for it yet, it just might be in the future.In the issue I'm looking at today, they have this cool project for making cute clips out of cheap mouse traps. The basic jist is this: Buy cheap mousetraps. Remove the trigger arm. Spray paint them with a cool color. Mount them vertically on the wall, and use the spring arm to hold papers, seed packets, garden gloves, whatever. I think that's cool.
This issue (May/June) also has info on garage storage for a fraction of the cost of the commercial storage systems. I have a dream of an organized garage. Now, if only I could get my husband to share that dream.
The magazine costs $20 for 6 issues (every other month). You can get a free issue to examine by going to their website.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Herbal Salves and Herbal Oil Infusions
MRH has a lot more "how to" videos on YouTube. I love them because they are not complicated, they are clear and really easy for me to follow.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Meditation. Part 3 of 5. Centering Prayer.
I have been instructed in this method and can say that there is little difference in practical application between this and any other form of meditation. In fact, it has much in common with TM. The primary difference is your spiritual focus or base.
Here's what you do: Show up and sit still. Have you heard me say that before? You may do this in the company of others or on your own. You may begin with prayer (aloud in a group or silently if alone), and one asks to be given a sacred word from God. You guessed it, a sacred word and a mantra are basically the same thing. The first word that came to me when I asked was "surrender". That became very handy as my mind struggled and I could simply rest in the word "surrender" when I was off in thought-land. The word is not to be used to beat yourself over the head with when you wander off in thought. It is to be used as a gentle and loving reminder to return to resting/listening mode.
Many Christians are more comfortable with this form of meditation because it feels to them that they are not practicing some pagan custom. They feel more comfortable if they can be clear with themselves and others that they are drawing on the power of God or Jesus Christ. There are some fundamentalist movements who still view it as pagan practice no matter how it is wrapped or labeled. It's all the same people. It is what you make it. Do what works, but by all means, do it.
One often tends to fill up the airwaves with our supplications to God "Please give me more of this and less of this and help me." Now, there's nothing wrong with prayer or supplication, but sometimes we forget to LISTEN. It is also important to "Be Still And Know That I Am God". It is useful to sit in silence with one's God and listen. We may miss the answers and advice if we're always talking/thinking. A simple prayer to begin your Centering Prayer, (if you already have your sacred word, or choose not to use one), is "Here I am Lord." Then, as I've been saying. Show up and sit still.
The book link above is for the book by Thomas Keating: Open Mind Open Heart. It was one I used to introduce myself to this practice. I also sat with others in Centering Prayer groups.
For more info:
In Northeast Oregon, we have the special treasure of meditation guidance and meditation retreats sponsored by the Wallowa Buddhist Temple. Regular services are offered at the temple, you may schedule individual or small group retreats, and periodic, half day meditation retreats are offered in La Grande. Several of the local protestant churchs are forming Centering Prayer groups, so call your local churchs to ask.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Pencil Sculpture
Monday, May 10, 2010
Meditation. Part 2 of 5. Transcendental Meditation.
There was a training course required, which I took around 1982. It involved about 4 classes on instruction in meditation (very similar to what I wrote about in part one), but of course with more pomp and circumstance and culminating in a ceremony at the end where I was required to bring fresh fruit, fresh flowers and lay them on an altar with this guy's photo on it as a form of respect to the teacher. My mantra, (secret meditation word which I was never to speak to another living soul lest it lose its power), was whispered in my ear. On our way to the ceremony, I remember telling my then husband "if they make me do something weird like kiss a chicken's butt, I'm out of there!".
Unbeknown to me, while researching this article, I discovered that three separate courts deemed the Transcendental Meditation Movement or TM, to be a religion. I'm inclined to think this had more to do with the movement looking for Church Non-Profit status for tax reasons. So I stand corrected on my previous post. I will say though, that very few people, practice it as such. It is as effective a meditation tool as any other. It gets the job done. So whatever method floats your boat, go for it.
The process of TM is a little more formal that what I wrote about earlier but similar on the bottom line. Once you have taken the training and are given your mantra, you are instructed to sit in silence in a quiet room, undisturbed for 20 minutes twice a day (morning and evening). When thoughts intrude, you repeat your mantra. Mine was "Ima" which I have no idea what it meant, but the point was for it to have no meaning to you that would generate more thought. However, being the thinker I am, I could always turn that into something "I'm a monkey, I'm a tired mom....". Someone else told me theirs was "Ing". I'm sure we'll both die a terrible death for having revealed this. The primary point of the mantra is to distract you from thought. A bait and switch. Give you a nonsensical word to focus on when thoughts come in. And for the most part, it works quite well.
I know I've been flip, because I'm not much of a ritual-type person, but this method works well if you want a bit more structure. But, get this, to learn what I told you in the first article in this series, (to show up and sit still), it will cost you about $1,500 for the course. I just gave it to you for free.
At the Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa where I once lived, meditation, vegetarian lifestyle and exercise are incorporated into the college life. I can't help but admire that. I used to think it was weird, but now I think the university looks really interesting. Not that you could do much with a degree from there, but it might be a very nice experience.
In Part 3, I will explore the meditation method called Centering Prayer.
For more info:
In Northeast Oregon, we have the special treasure of meditation guidance and meditation retreats sponsored by the Wallowa Buddhist Temple. Regular services are offered at the temple, you may schedule individual or small group retreats, and periodic, half day meditation retreats are offered in La Grande.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Meditation. Part 1 of 5. Overview.
Google photos
I hope to shed some light on this oft misunderstood practice and help make it more accessible to the masses. May is National Meditation Month, so what better time to get started than NOW? In fact, is there ever a different time to begin than NOW?
Meditation may also be referred to as "mindfulness practice". There are those who will tell you it is a religion, or that it will interfere with or jeopardize or in some way betray your current religion. I assure you, it will not. Some people practice meditation as casually as they would an afternoon nap, while others take it extremely seriously. As with all things, it is what you choose it to be. I view it as a tool.
At its most basic level, meditation is sitting in stillness. No special supplies are needed, no classes to learn how are necessary, and despite what you may read, there is no right or wrong way to do it. It is sitting quietly.
The most common arguments against starting to meditate that I've heard are "I don't have time". OK, we all know that is code for "I don't really want to". Anything you choose to do, you will find time for. It may involve letting something else go, but we all choose how we spend our time. Nobody else, just us. The second one is "I can't keep my mind blank." That's a huge misconception about meditation. That the goal to strive for is a "nothing mind". The mind, by it's very design, is built for thinking. Meditation is not about control, will power, or making yourself do something in a certain way. It is about showing up, agreeing to try, and to meet whatever is there in any given day.
How does one meditate? Again, I will be bare-bones basic here. To meditate, sit still. Eyes may be open or closed and it may be still around you or it may be noisy as all get out. As thoughts intrude, and they will, the practice is to allow them to float by like clouds on a breezy day; neither attaching to them, nor pushing them away. See them, let them go. Over time, this process will get easier, and without even trying, you will have more "nothing moments". In the nothing, the body relaxes, the breathing resets, and the brain can take a breather. Over time you will find that this INCREASES productivity, creativity and evens out mood. That's the basics.
There are various practices out there and seminars to sell and books to buy and methods that various people have developed. These are all fine but there is no hard/fast rule. I don't like hard/fast rules. So if a method says "eyes MUST be open/closed", "one must sit cross legged and fully upright", "one must meditate for X number of minutes per day", "one must stop all thought". I run...in the opposite direction. Develop your own way of stillness that works for you. Read, and listen and discuss methods and adapt new ideas that may work.
You may begin with one minute of sitting still and work up, or stay there. You may decide that 20 minutes is good for you. I've heard some teachers say that it is harmful to meditate for anything longer than an hour. What??? Or those that say that one minute per each year of your life is a good goal. All of these are based on traditions that originated somewhere. Guidelines, not laws. Show up, sit still.
If you are fidgety and antsy, simply decided to sit with what is. There is value in all of it. I'm still hit and miss with my practice and sometimes I get up in the middle and walk away not even realizing a thought to add something to the grocery list literally pulled me out of my seat. I just have to chuckle, be gentle and sit my fretful butt back down again.
In part two, I will cover the method of meditation called Transcendental Meditation. Just a method. This is a YouTube clip I posted a while ago but it has a very basic view of meditation. I like the graphics, the way that the pictures show an abundance of thought, slowly getting less and less.
In Northeast Oregon, we have the special treasure of meditation guidance and meditation retreats sponsored by the Wallowa Buddhist Temple. Regular services are offered at the temple, you may schedule individual or small group retreats, and periodic, half day meditation retreats are offered in La Grande.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Mother's Day. A Mother Remembers. Part 2
Now, let's move to a bit more levity. We can all remember some of the messy, annoying, seemingly catastrophic things our kids did when they were little. This is the text to a children's book I hope to publish. Some of the lines may not translate without illustrations, but here goes anyway. In honor of mother's everywhere. And if I already posted this and the one before it...I can only say...motherhood can do that to a person.I Am A Great Discoverer
One day when Mom washed dishes
and I was very young,
I found that roaches are amazing,
see? I tried one on my tongue.
My mom peeked in to cover me and nearly lost her mind,
in my toy box, beneath the toys
sleeping sweet & kind,
I can’t see why it freaked her out,
I wasn’t hard to find.
One day while mom was paying bills
when she thought that I was sleeping,
the screen “fell off”, I climbed on the ledge
and was quietly, slowly creeping –
I dropped all my toys down to the street.
Mom made her way to where I was
and quickly grabbed my feet.
One day when Mom was folding sheets
I was a joyous fellow,
I learned that painting is just as fun
when I use cherry Jell-O
One day when Mom answered the phone
and I had entertainment none,
I learned that bowling with potatoes
gave Mom days and days of fun.
One day when Mom was washing clothes
and I was napping not,
I learned that stoves on plastic swords
might be a tad too hot.
One day while Mother made the beds
I discovered I could teach,
that dirt from Mother’s potted plants
was like the sandy beach.
One night when I was tucked in bed
as bored as bored could be,
I discovered I was a cowboy
but my fish got mad at me.
One day while we were breaking
from shopping at the mall,
I saw my chance to get away
by crawling ‘neath the stall.
She turned her head – you’ll hear Mom say – she swears for just a second
I found the honey and dry rice
they go so well together,
on both my legs and both my arms
and on the couch’s leather.
When Mom was checking prices at the grocery store one day
raw burger felt delightful, when I poked through all the plastic
I wonder why she bought so much,
I think it’s rather drastic.
One day while bathing in my tub
I really made Mom pout.
a golf ball will fit in the drain,
but then it won’t come out.
When Mom was trying to sleep one dawn
I learned a thing about her.
she HATES it when I do this,
I might have to live without her. (illustration of child forcing a sleeping mom's eyes open with his fingers).
On year when Mom was wrapping in the secrecy of her room,
I learned a startling lesson, that I’ll not forget too soon.
I learned it’s best to wait for Christmas and there are no good disguises,
for sneaking ‘neath the tree & ripping open my surprises.
One day while Mom was shoveling snow
I learned another important thing,
a boy hanging from a curtain rod
can bend it, and twist and ding.
When Mom thought I was playing with my action figures outside
I dug a moat around the yard (for them to battle ‘round),
I’m not sure why she looked so shocked
it really wasn’t hard.
While Mom was helping clean my room
we smelled a fearsome stink.
Who knew a treasured bird wing
should not have chunks of pink?
When Mom was mowing the lawn one day
I filled her wheels with gravel, it was such a pleasant task
It was silent till she drove it
Did she really need to ask?
One day when Mom was busy, and I was nearly grown
I discovered how to remove the dash.
But Mom yelled to restore it
or I would be paying cash.
One day when Mom just merely blinked
I had grown tall and skillful
I build and do and try and dream
to her, no longer willful.
I’m still a great discover,
I know I’ll never quit learning,
the world is big, my mind is vast
my drive to grow keeps burning.
My mom is very proud of me
As you can plainly see.
She says she’ll need a nap or two
and then she’ll visit me.
On Mother's Day, A Mother Remembers. Part 1
I didn't have the typical, storybook mothering experience. My son, now 26, has special needs. It was and often still is, an ordeal. I don't get cards in the mail, or flowers, or even have mother's day or my birthday remembered. My son is difficult, and abrasive and alienated. That didn't stop me from loving him. I love him with a fierce sort of pain that never truly subsides. I entered into my experience with the same hopes, fears, dreams and desires for my child as everyone else. I try, as time passes, to cling to the humor, the irony, the absurdidty of it all and to remember the moments I recorded that were not filled with trial. These are those moments. The two passages below are what I hope will one day become children's/parent's picture books. Each line will be a page with an illustration. So in between the struggling, there are memories, just like everyone else's. And if you per chance read this son, I love you more today than I did when I first saw you. My hopes are still high, my faith still strong. I haven't seen you in nearly 8 years. I wish I could sniff my cub. Part 2 will be a bit more comical.I Remember
I remember, when you were small
Tiny hands
Giving backrubs
With tons of lotion; a painter’s canvas
“the typewriter” (tipe-ew-witew), karate chops and spider tickles
I remember, when you were small
Swiss Miss, peanut butter, cinnamon and cloves
Thank You! Can I drink it later?
I remember, when you were small
A stuffed Rudolph with an undulating head and music inside
A bamboo wind chime, proudly purchased with money saved
Precious artwork
I remember, when you were small
Eskimo kisses, butterfly kisses, “beensie” kisses, soap-opera kisses (“wo-man-tic” kisses that we decided might be better for you to have with your pillow).
I remember, when you were small
I remember, when you were small
Underoos, mittens on strings, Luvs, Huggies, Pampers, Diaper Doublers,
Gerber beets – all over my clothes, swings and strollers, blankets and laundry,
Laughter, tears and discovery.
I remember, when you were small
I remember, when you were small
I remember, when you were small
San Francisco 1906
A friend sent me this really cool old footage from 1906 just four days before the great CA earthquake. It is 7 min long and after the first couple of minutes, it felt to me like I got sucked through time and was actually there. Hey, stranger things have happened!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Yup, Another Visit from the Dead X Husband.
Today was such a day. And to make logical sense of this, in part it is just an instant feeling. I was in the car and this song came on the radio. "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". Now at first, you might think that only would make sense for my son, or if it was a message from my father. But it was my X.
He loved the Temptations, he liked this song, and this music was his style and from his era (a big fan of the 60's, and the Motown Sound).
And the lyrics that kept sticking were "Papa was a rolling stone, where ever he laid his hat, was his home, and when he died, all he left us, was alone". And I just knew it was him again. And I turned it up and listened. Wondering about the message. And in a hot second, the message that flashed through my mind from him was this "I didn't mean to be this way." and I said "I know it. It was the way your brain chemistry was. I understand that now and I'm not mad at you." It was another way for him to say "I'm sorry I wasn't a good father."
Pay attention. The signs are out there. They don't appear all woo-woo dramatic (well, mostly not), but more whisper subtle. They make you pause and think "could that be?" "was that them?". If you think that, it's always them. And since he's gone, I'll post of photo of him WAY back before I knew him, when he was in the Navy in around 1968.
At first his visitations were raw and a bit angry, possessive and they freaked me out a bit. With each new one, his spirit is softer, he is learning, where ever he is. I ask him to keep an eye on all his kids and help them avoid his mistakes if he can. To be the father he wasn't able to be before. I believe he is trying. And in his own way, he is helping me to heal the old hurts, the old anger, the old fear.
You may have to turn the volume up on your computer for this old clip.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Ruth Stout's Garden
This little lady is endearing, amazing and fantastic. Enjoy her gardening and life wisdom!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Can You Pause Instead of React?
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