Day 70, how’re you doing ‘dorks?
It’s two and a half months into the year and t-minus 9 days til Spring, time for a #365yoga giveaway! Need motivation to keep up your daily practice? How about 108 reasons with this beautiful African Jade Mala from Tiny Devotions!
Malas, or prayer beads, are traditionally used for meditation and act as an anchor and/or conduit of energy, sometimes featuring special stones or crystals for particular guidance. Since St. Patrick’s Day is nearly upon us, why not kick off the season with a little bit o’ luck? As the dream stone, it’s said that jade is known to provide insightful dreams, as well as attract good luck, friendship and to protect its wearer from harm. Besides all that, it’s quite beautiful!
WIN: African Jade Mala courtesy of Tiny Devotions (pictured. value $108). This Jade and black onyx mala is associated with the strength and good luck. The beads are rudraksha seeds, known as the eyes or tears of Shiva, worn for their protective and sacred qualities.
HOW TO ENTER: 108 is a very auspicious and sacred number in a multitude of traditions, and even science! 108 earthly desires in mortals, 108 breaths a day for enlightenment, 108 Upanishads, the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth, the distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun. It’s all fascinating stuff. Don’t worry, we won’t ask you for 108 reasons why you love yoga, we’re way more fun! (and uh, there are so many more than 108 reasons, we know)
Here’s what you do:
- pick up a favorite nearby book, yoga preferred, but non is ok.
- flip to page 108.
- Post in the comments here the most inspiring bit, or whatever stands out to you from that page. There’s always wisdom to be found, even in randomness. Maybe even use that in your next yoga session. It will bring you good luck!
On twitter? @reply yogadork and tinydevotions for extra good luck. Like Tiny Devotions on facebook.
Submissions open til end of day March 17th. A winner will be chosen at random and announced next Friday, March 18th!
Here’s ours, from TKV Desikachar’s The Heart of Yoga:
“When we act we must use our senses. When we speak we must use the mouth and the ears. Vairagya, the concept of equanimity or detachment, means that we act without thinking about the possible gains to be had as consequence of that action. Vairagya is being detached from the results or the fruits of my action.”
——
Earlier…
“To remain whole, be twisted!
To become straight, let yourself be bent.
To become full, be hollow.
Be tattered in order to be renewed.”
– Tao Te Ching, Lao Tsu
From Healing Yoga by Swami Ambikananda Saraswati
“The tapas of yoga is based on the idea that our suffering is caused by our reaction to external events. Viewed in this light, our suffering becomes our teacher. The ever-present demon becomes the ever-present teacher. Nonviolence becomes possible, truthfulness becomes possible, nonstealing becomes possible, moderation becomes possible, nonhoarding becomes possible.” ~Rolf Gates
“…thought, being limited, the limitation there has its own space, its own order. When there is the cessation of the activity of the limited thought then there is space, not only space in the brain, but SPACE. Not the space that the self creates around itself, but the space that has no limit. Thought is limited and whatever it does will always limited because in its very nature it is conditioned.” — “The Light in Oneself: True Meditation”, J. Krishnamurti
(my bedtime reading….:) )
Page 108 of Journey into Power by Baron Baptiste
This page has a section called “4. Balancing Series: Equanimity”, which is interesting because the class I taught most recently, my theme was equanimity. I asked the class to take on the essence of a rock in a storm and keep calm during a fiery, vigorous vinyasa flow class. Plus I just love that word, E-qua-nim-i-ty 🙂
Life Lesson #18
You must relax and enjoy the ride.
Sounds good to me. =)
When a man is living,
he is soft and supple.
When he is dead,
he becomes hard and rigid.
— Tao Te Ching
I can never, ever resist a luscious mala.
My main man Osho has this to say (on page 108 of Yoga: The Science of the Soul), “…when you have discovered your rhythm, practice it—make it a part of your life. By and by it becomes unconscious; then you breathe only in that rhythm. And with that rhythm your life will be the life of a yogi.”
“Choudhury Bikram, the inventor of this system, is currently trying to patent his sequence of practices down tho the very words of the instructor’s banter…”
Yoga as Medicine by Timothy McCall
When we take our seat in meditation and remind ourselves to sit with dignity we are coming back to out original worthiness. That in itself is quite a statement. You can bet our inside will be listening. Are we ready to listen, too? Are we ready to listen to the currents of direct experience in this moment, and this one, and this…?
~ Jon Kabat Zinn
“thanks for this exercise”
A former gang member whose hands were covered with tattoos was speaking of the deep love he now felt for his young wife who was dying of cancer, the ways in which this capacity to love had caught him unawares and so had healed him. As he shared insights about himself and experiences of intense intimacy and tenderness with his wife, I glanced over at the young Freudian psychiatrist. He had stopped taking notes. His eyes were filled with years. After this patient left, I asked him if he had learned anything useful from the session. He smiled ruefully. “We are all more than we seem,” he said.
from Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
Fortunately we had not simply buried our hurt feelings and gone stoically marching up the mountain. It had been worth it to take the time to face each other and expose our vulnerability, hurt, and anger, and then our fears. We realized again how much we cared about each other, and our shared laughter had been the final healing touch.
Arlene Blum
Anapurma, a woman’s place
All else will follow.
What is at stake, finally, is none other than our very hearts, our very humanity, our species and our world. What is available to us is the full spectrum of who and what we are. What is required is nothing special, simply that we start paying attention and wake up to things as they are. All else will follow.
Arriving at your own Door – Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Your uncertainty is haunting you, but it is merely your reflection in the mirror.” ~ Chogyam Trungpa
“Here is another way of dividing America: One could say that there is one America united by fear and another united by the fear of fear and the latter America has rallied under the banner of hope. From that standpoint, the 2008 presidential campaign can be seen as a confrontation between the candidate of fear, John McCain , and the candidate of hope, Barack Obama”.
(Moïsi, D., 2009)
The Light of God surrounds me;
The Power of God protects me;
The Peace of God enfolds me;
The Love of God empowers me;
The Presence of God is with me always;
Where I am, God is. all is Well.
Meditations for Awakening ~ Larry Moen
“Don’t try to relax; imagine that you have left your worries and tendency to try too hard at the door. Rest easy.” ~Judith Lasater, RELAX & RENEW
“I propose that you begin this ‘contentment shift’ by deeply accepting and having gratitude for all that is given: the breakfast that you ate this morning, oceans and rivers, the yoga poses that you have learned to practice, sunshine and sky, freedom of speech, mountains, your cat, bananas, love, a backache, the moon, the yoga poses that you are unable to do, prairie grasses, your family, clouds and rain, your most recent vacation, California poppies, the death of a friend, stars, your work, wind, apple pie, and your breath. Can you see the endless possibilities of what you have been given? Can you see in each reflection of your own wholeness?”
From Living Your Yoga, by Judith Lasater
“Routines can connect us to something larger than ourselves and our preferences, to the larger web of our community and to nature and existence itself.”
From “Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less” by Mark Lesser
One Soul: Danna Faulds
“We walk in luminous mist” perfect for a foggy CT day
Pg. 108 in the 1st edition of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This has always been one of my favorite stories, and I can always count on re-reading it to make me feel better.
Arthur finds Trillian on the “Heart of Gold.” I apologize to anyone who doesn’t know the story, you might be a bit lost. Sorry. The passage goes:
“Same as you,” she said, “I hitched a lift. After all, with a degree in math and another in astrophysics what else was there to do? It was either this or the dole queue again on Monday.”
–Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
I have always loved this book, and passage. I always find it funny and inspiring in a way. First, it makes me think that no matter what there is always hope for reunion, as seen in Arthur and Trillian meeting again, and in space after Arthur almost died in the void of space. I also personally find it inspiring that having journalism, creative writing BA’s, and working on a business MBA, might not be so worthless after all. I always have hope in space at least.
“The tortoise’s apparent calm and quietness is felt in mind as well as body once you can envelop yourself in this asana with ease” -The Spirit of Yoga by Kathy Phillips
Dorothy Livesay’s poem “Call my People Home”:
Each season in the new land found him struggling
Against the uncertain harvest of the sea,
The uncertain temper of white fishermen
Who hungered also, who had mouths to feed.
So these men cut his share
From half to one eighth of the fishing fleet:
But still he fished, finding the sea his friend.
This is an interesting passage to me because it conjures up thoughts of how passion and love can sustain you through difficult times. Sometimes if you put your heart into what you love (i.e. practicing yoga, meditating, fishing, running, reading), you can find some comfort during difficult times.
Book Happy Herbivore
What it is: Giant picture of vegan meatball sub!!
Oh, totally not following the niyamas and coveting it pretty badly 🙂
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda:
“Ordinary love is selfish, darkly rooted in desires and satisfactions. Divine love is without condition, without boundary, without change. The flux of the human heart is gone forever at the transfixing touch of pure love…As we ate mangoes and almond sweetmeats, he unobtrusively wove into his conversation an intimate knowledge of my nature. I was awestruck at the grandeur of his wisdom, exquisitely blended with an innate humility.”
This is such a beautiful quote I had to post. This really touches my spiritual side, and I love the sensuality of the language too. I want to be there eating mangoes/almond sweetmeats right there alongside these men as they discuss spirituality.
“I will teach you about the state
called the eternal, the absolute,
which those who strive toward me enter
desireless, freed from attachments.”
-Bhagavad Gita
The last two lines are the strongest to me. I’ve been realizing more and more what it means to be freed from attachments and striving towards non reaction.
This is not from a yoga book, but it does have a certain ‘yogic’ quality to it.
From Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within, by Kenny Warner.
Another quality of mastery is the absolute wisdom with which the artist expresses his notes. They may be simple, but they resonate in a profound way. This depth of tone or phrase has to do with the artist’s “inner mastery” of the sounds he’s playing. It reflects the character of the player as an evolved being, and the depth with which he unites himself to his notes.
“in the end of all this creation what is is exactly what ought to be, and this is filled with the nectar of supreme consciousness. This is the state of sadasiva. It is the state whose essence is captured in the experience “aham idam,” “I am this whole universe.””
~Shiva Sutras; the Supreme Awakening, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo
This is such a cool idea! This is page 108 from Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater on Contentment…
…begin this ‘contentment shift’ by deeply accepting gratitude for all that is given; the breakfast that you ate this morning, oceans and rivers, the yoga poses that you have learned to practice, sunshine and sky, freedom of speech,mountains, your cat, bananas, love, a backache, the moon, the yoga poses that you are unable to do, prairie grasses, your family, clouds, and rain, your most recent vacation…….. can you see the endless possibilities of what you have been given? Can you see in each a reflection of your wholeness?”
“Yoga is the supreme secret of life” ~ Bhagavad Gita (400-300BCE), India
1001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom – Liz Lark
“It is so,” nodded Vasudeva, “the voices of all living creatures are in its voice.”
“And do you know, ” continued Siddhartha, “what word it pronounces when one is successful in hearing all its ten thousand voices at the same time?”
Vasudeva laughed joyously; he bent towards Siddhartha and whispered the holy Om in his ear. And this was just what Siddhartha had heard. ”
page 108 – Siddhartha Hermann Hesse
The Third Eye by Tuesday Lobsang Rampa:
“People have auras, coloured outlines which surround the body, and by the intensity of those colours those experienced in the art can deduce a person’s health, integrity, and general state of evolution. This aura is the radiation of the inner life force, the ego, or soul. Around the head is a halo, or nimbus, which also is part of the force.”
Auras are pretty cool! I was once told I have an aura and that was why I couldn’t have an EKG (electrocardiogram) done. I guess the energy of my aura was overriding the electrical currents of the test. The technician couldn’t even get a reading (even though I had a very strong pulse!) and I was later told that this can happen but is very rare. Interesting stuff, huh? Shows that there are some things in life that science cannot explain. 🙂
How BEAUTIFUL! Thank you, first, for the opportunity.
I have to share twice.
The first is from the closest yoga book, “Freeing The Body, Freeing The Mind: Writings on the connections between yoga & buddhism”.
“There, the wisdom bears the cosmic rhythm”.
Mmm.
The second is being honest that the closest book was my son’s book by Judy Blume (“Double Fudge”). Pg 108 wisdom?
“Good night…sleep tight….don’t let the monsters bite.”
From Within the Frame by David duChemin
“Eyes say so much with so little. A slight movement in one direction or another can change a look from concentrated to distracted, from affection to anger, from interest to boredom.”
Love that you can find nuggets of gold like this in a photography book.
“Letting go is not something you do just once.”
– Erich Schiffmann, in “Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness”
“The Japanese word ‘amae’ refers to this sensibility, empathy that is taken for granted, and acted upon, without calling attention to itself…English has no word for amae, but it could certainly use one to refer to such a closely attuned relationship [as the mother-infant relationship]. Amae points to the empirical fact that we attune most readily with the people in our lives we know and love – our immediate family and relatives, lovers or spouses, old friends. The closer we are, the more ‘amae.’ –from “Social Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman
This is such a cool idea! Thanks YogaDork and Tiny Devotions. I am a HUGE fan of you both! 🙂
I chose the book “Chocolat” by Joanne Harris, which I’m reading right now, and absolutely love!
“Now I’m not supposed to talk to you any more,’ she went on. ‘He thinks you’re a bad influence.’ A pause, as she looked at me with nervous curiosity. ‘He doesn’t want me to have friends,’ she added.
‘Seems to me I’m hearing rather too much about what Paul-Marie wants,’ I said mildly. ‘I’m not really all that interested in him. now you–‘ I touched her arm fleetingly. ‘I find you quite interesting.'”
I am in awe of Vianne’s strength as she challenges traditional ideas about gender, family, religion, and food. Stand your ground, no matter what, and live an authentic life. That’s my key learning from this book. 🙂
“How far can you go?”
The only text on page 108 of the March issue of Vogue. I know, I know. Not a book, you say. But it is the power issue, is almost 600 pages, and is the nearest thing to me in the library. :0) Plus, I think it really fits!
Couldn’t resist adding another, from Lewis Shiner’s newest book, “Dark Tangos” (ARC), quoting the Guru Granth Sahib:
“Use only what is necessary.”
I decided I’d look around and just pick up the book closest to me, which turned out to be Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
(They’re riding in a luxurious car.)
He, Harry, Hermione and Ginny were all sitting in roomy comfort in the wide backseat.
“Don’t get used to it, it’s only because of Harry.”
SO it’s about non-attachment, obviously!
Autobiography of a YOGI – pg 108
A picture of Paramhansa Yogananda’s Master, Sri Yukteswar- Disciple of Lahhiri Mahasaya
From “The Wise Heart” by Jack Kornfield…
As if you were training a puppy, you will gently bring yourself back a thousand times. Over weeks and months of this practice you will gradually calm and focus yourself using the breath. There will be many cycles in this process, stormy days alternating with clear days.
3. Patience, which is exhibited in stressful situations, or used to sustain difficult endeavors, such as learning teachings and practicing over a long period.
(one of “the six perfections”, Bodhisattva deeds. How to Practice ; Dalai Lama)
“When you’re clear, everything is clear”
– Words of Wisdom, Lama Surya Das
pg 108 of Add More ~Ing To Your Life says forgive “your partner through your (daily) meditation. Remember that it is in forgiving that you are released.”
From my favorite book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
“There was nothing there but a flash of yellow close to his ankle. He remained motionless for an instant. He did not cry out. He fell as gently a a tree falls. There was not even any sound, because of the sand”.
(the passing of the Little Prince).
From “Love Is Letting Go of Fear”:
“I shall never forget the absolute and complete healing that took place in an instant.”
from ‘The Book of Awakening’ by Mark Nepo
It is so simple yet so brave to say that we are hurt when we are hurt, sad when we are sad, scared when we are scared. In very direct and daily ways, this energy of realness – this mana – changes situations because the immediate expression of our truth releases a light and warmth that influences the life we are a part of. This is the way our spirit shines.
“…we begin to see how we, ourselves, are the primary and ultimate cause of our own sorrows. Paradoxically, this is good news! It means that we can also be the cause of our relief, our release, and our happiness.” ~Ron Leifer
From page 108 of Yoga Gems, edited by George Feuerstein
(what a fantastic idea for submitting entries for the giveaway… Thank you YD! Loving reading through all the posts…)
From page 108 of Just Use This Mind (Venerable Master Miao Tsan):
“Focus on what you can do right now, and gradually you will have the ability to do what is considered beyond your ability.”
The healing relationship allows us to stay in the present for our own sake, honors our freedom, and give us permission to make choices of our own free will.
from Healing Into Immortality, by Gerald Epstein M.D.
…begin to see and build a world conducive to the development of what Augustine called the City of God.
– The Upanishads translated by Eknath Easwaran
In the wake of the earthquake in Japan, and still part of the trauma of the New Zealand one, this is a good thought to lodge into one’s head and heart I think. Thanks for giving me the means to find it!
It is doubtful that we came to feel undeserving on our own. We were helped to feel unworthy. We were taught it in a thousand ways when we were little, and we learned our lessons well.
So, when when we take our seat in meditation and remind ourselves to sit with dignity, we are coming back to our original worthiness.
—Wherever You Go There You Are
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Kundalini’s descent- She waits coiled three and a half times at the base of the spine.
Jivamukti Yoga- Sharon Gannon and David Life
“Honor the life force that is in you, that flows through you. Honor it by relaxing, opening to it, and inviting it to surge though your body. The techniques of relaxation will refresh, restore, and recharge you, so that you can do all you need to do with more power and vigor that before. Anything that needs to be done can be done better if you’re relaxed.” – Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie
Wow, I really needed to hear this today. Thanks!
“To see the truth clearly and without judgment is to initiate growth, correction, and healing.”–John Selby, “Seven Masters, One Path”
“Flames are the tounges of fire. They are seven in number and each tounge has it’s own number”
“External attentiveness becomes the cause of internal attentiveness.” —Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, “Awaken Children, Vol. I”
“Read a sentence from a book and when you have incorporated it into your life, go to the next sentence.” -The Secret Power of yoga
“In the first teaching of the Buddha – the teachings on the four noble truths – he talked about suffering” (Pema Chodron) ..The tapas of yoga is based on the idea that our suffering is caused by our reaction to external events. Viewed in this light, our suffering becomes our teacher. The ever-present demon becomes the ever-present teacher. (book ‘Meditations from the Mat’)
With wishes and metta for Japan tonight.
-> La pratique.
II. 43. Kaya-indriya-siddhir ashuddhi-kshayat tapasah
“Grâce à une pratique intense, qui entraîne la destruction de l’impureté, on améliore considérablement le fonctionnement du corps et des sens.”
YOGA-SUTRAS
Patanjali,
Albin Michel “Spiritualités”, 1991.
(Free translation : “Intense practise (tapas), which burns impurities, allows the body and senses to work way more efficiently”.)
Second time today (thanx to YOU & page 108 🙂 thank you !) that I bump into the word tap/tapas (cook, burn).
This made me understand its deeper meaning, related to inner fire, intensity of practise, general diet, etc.
& it also reminded me of John Friend founder of anusara explaining that regular practise / discipline was a little bit of “no” every day to achieve much more “yes” in your life !
(His mantra during that workshop was : “try to say YES first !”.)
From the Surprising Adventures of Baron von Munchausen:
“In the course of my peregrinations I have acquired precisely nine hundred and ninety-nine leash of languages. What! gentlemen, do you stare? Well, I allow there are not so many languages spoken in this vile world; but then, have I not been in the moon?”
Nothing in my yoga books was speaking to me today, but Munchausen’s lies always cheer me up and make me laugh. The ridiculous shouldn’t be left behind!
“As long as that form identity is all you know, you are not aware that this preciousness is your own essence, your innermost sense of I Am, which is consciousness itself. It is the eternal in you– and that’s the only thing you cannot lose.”
– By Eckhart Tolle, from Stillness Speaks
“Suffering is created by wanting things to be other than they are. It’s that simple. As soon as we relax into how they are — as soon as we stop the War with Reality –happiness and sweetness begin to subtly arise, dusting our insides not with craving and aversion, but with equanimity. This miracle can happen even in the midst of the most difficult of human vicissitudes.” — The Wisdom of Yoga: A seekers guide to extraordinary living, Stephen Cope.
“Nirvana is not just the distant other shore – it’s right here. Of course, we are usually elsewhere and not fully present, but, as in some prize drawings, you must be present to win.” — Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das
Amazing giveaway idea!! I’m loving the quotes and have added more books to my wish list 🙂
“Concentration on nada corrals the horse of the yogi’s mind. Therefore the yogi should attend to it every day.” –The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Samadhi chapter)
“It is not uncommon for students to make a mistake… … Linking objectives and examples” -Elementary Algebra, McKeague
someone is supposed to be doing her homework not reading tweets and surfing the net! hehe tho this completely fits me as I stumble on and off my path 🙂
“After a watchful day, the denizens of the forest knew the weapons were not for cruel sport, and the jungle opened its heart to them. In innocence and wonder, the wild creatures came out to stare. Sita was enchanted. They came to pools full of dark lotuses in astonishing colors they had never seen, unless in forgotten dreams. Filigree creepers, entwined around knotted old tree trunks, created wild veils through which they passed between zone and zone of the jungle. Subtly, the forest entered them and they its ancient soul.” Ramayana
Moreover, it is easy t o pronounce since, unlike consonants, vowels can be pronounced in prolonged continuity. The sound, he holds, moves from the throat to the brain, where it aids contemplation. Certainly, the repetition of om has been performed by mystics and meditators in India for many centuries and is one of the most common forms of Hindu meditation.
-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
“Through Aparigraha, or non-greediness, we learn to be more satisfied with what we have and thankful for the abundance in our lives. We remember the blessing of our breath, the endless gifts of Mother Nature, and the pure joy of simply being alive and having the consciousness to be aware of it.” ~ from The 8 Limbs of Yoga by Bhava Ram
From the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
In guptasama the feet are placed between the thigh and calf muscles so that the heel underneath presses the anus. However, when the left heel presses the perineum, it is siddhasana. Siddhasana is most useful because it exerts a constant pressure on the perineum. THEN:
Just as moderate diet is the most important of the yamas, and non-violence, of the niyamas, so the siddhas know that siddhasana is the most important of the asanas.
Tolasana
Tola- asana
Scale (for weighing) – posture
–From “The Language of Yoga” by Nicolai Bachman
(Lucky me, this was what was sitting on my desk at the time…)
Krishnamurti: People won’ t take any step. They are used to this outward organization and disregard totally what is happening inwardly. So when one realizes that the world is me and I am the world, then my actions is not separative, is not the individual opposed to the community; nor the importance of the individual and his salvation. When one realises that the world is me and I am the world, then whatever action takes place, that will change the world of the conscious man.
“The dauntless curiosity of the lady having prevailed, and the oaken door of the study being locked and barred, the fatal experiments commenced.” From “The Purcell Papers” of J. Sheridan LeFanu.
I was hoping to pick up “Light on Yoga” but I got this guy instead.
Page 108
Live the truth of your awakening today, the infinite and the paticular integrated through and through, the Source coming alive in your eyes, your smile , your heart opening wider and wider until love knows know boundries at all, and the universe is happening to you.
Danna Faulds~From Root to Bloom
“God is day and night, winter summer, war peace, satiety hunger – all opposites, this is the meaning.”
from Magic, Witchcraft and Religion by Moro and Myers.
page 108
“The main problem with this great obsession of Saving Time is very simple: you cant save time. You can only spend it. But you can spend it foolishly or foolishly.” The Tao of Pooh- Benjamin Hoff
Closest book to the bed.. 🙂
More giveaway goodness at http://theyogalunchbox.co.nz/2011/03/12/dvd-review-bhakti-the-path-of-love/
…because loving yoga is sharing good stuff!
“Someday all of us will see that when we start going after a race or a religion, a type, a region, a section of the Lord’s humanity – then we’re cutting into His heart, and we’re bleeding badly ourselves.”
Martin Luther King, Jr, from Robert Cole’s “Simone Weil: A Modern Pilgrimage”
quoted in Philip Yancey’s, Soul Survivor – How My Faith Survived the Church pg 108 (Love this book. So much good stuff.)
Be like a baby,
the Bible say
So I stay like a baby
To this very day
“Cat’s Cradle”, by Kurt Vonnegut
“Some people, when they ask what’s in the way, go right back to where they were, the way they’d left the problem. Don’t do that. Stay and pretend it’s all solved until a *new* “what says no?” comes. You can do that by holding onto the good feeling, just as you would hold onto the answer from the back of the book while trying to make steps from it backwards.”
–Focusing, by Eugene T. Gendlin, PhD
For example, different breathing techniques can energize the body, clear the mind, reduce physical pain, improve concentration, alleviate anxiety, or induce a state of relaxation.
“Total Yoga” by Tara Fraser
From Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth”:
“You are most powerful, most effective, when you are completely yourself.”
“A word is no more than a means to an end. It’s an abstraction. Not unlike a signpost, it points beyond itself. The word honey isn’t honey. You can study and talk about honey for as long as you like, but you won’t really know it until you taste it.”
“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
We may not be able to see just yet where we are going but we’re willing to take a chance on ourselves.
“Bringing Yoga to Life” Donna Farhi
You may think that the real world is made up of living things and dead things. But in the universe everything is alive and nothig is dead. The stars, sun, planets, earth, air, water, fire, and every object you see is seething with life. This is the real world that is emerging.
Nirvana is not just the distant other shore, it is right here””from Awakening the Buddha Within
Maintaining balance and equilibriem is one of the precious gaols of yoga. Ganga White Yoga Beyond Belief
“Planning ahead is both absolutely necessary and completely impossible.” Remember, planning enables us to focus, but forcing the plan creates rigidity. Celebrate your ability to plan for flexibility.
-A Year of Living Your Yoga by Judith Hanson Lasater
The breath wraps itself like ribbons around the internal structure of the body.
The Inner Tradition of Yoga (one of the best yoga books I’ve read)
Ordinary love is selfish, rooted in desires and satisfactions. Divine love is without condition, without boundary, without change. The flux of the human heart is gone forever at the transfixing touch of pure love.
~Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
“The reactive mind is itself the source of suffering. Pleasure can be fully experienced, but must be allowed its impermanent nature. It will pass away. “Kiss the joy as it flies,” said William Blake. Pain can be fully experienced. But when we resist it, react to it, push it away, we simply get an intensified version of pain. We get both the pain and the “pain of pain.”
– The Wisdom of Yoga by Stephen Cope
The second sutra tells us, “Yoga is the process of stilling the movments and fluctuations of mind that disturb our consciousness.”
~Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar
The next morning, after yoga, I went out with Devi Das, looking for a store to buy a flashlight and some sunscreen. We walked down a side street that looked like a war zone-gutted buildings, dusty treeless expanses of dead grass. The buildings all seemed to be placed on the landscape haphazardly, as if spilled there from a giant toy box. All of them seeming to be crumbling at the edges, covered with a layer of powdery dust. I felt as if I were crumbling, too-the edges of my personality eroding, with nothing familiar to remind me of who I was.
Out of the smog on a street corner, a sadhu appeared, making his way through bicycles and trucks, looking as incongruous here as if a pilgrim from ‘The Canterbury Tales’ had appeared in the middle of modern downtown London. ‘Maxine, this is how India is-the past and the present appearing simultaneously, as in a dream, as if every civilization that had ever been on the land is still here, nothing ever thrown away, just built over.’ The sadhu was spinning in circles, muttering to himself. His eyes were rolled back in his head.
“Is he okay?” I reached for Devi Das’s hand, nervously, then dropped it, remembering that men and women must never touch each other in public.
“He’s a ‘mast’,” said Devi Das. “That’s a person who has given everything over to God-even his mind.”
– Enlightenment for Idiots: A Novel
by: Anne Cushman
“There is a beautiful lesson in this story. We shuld ask ourselves, ‘Where are we now? Are we still eating? Are we in the cocoon? Are we meditating? Are we growing wings?’ Let us ask that question; and if we find ourselves still in the process of consuming, it is better to stop and dispose of what we have already taken in. The more we enjoy, the more we are bound.”
The Yoga Sutras (translated by Swami Satchidananda)
“What good it would have done me at that time to have been tossed in the storms of an uncertain, struggling life, and to have been taught by rough and bitter experience to long for the calm amidst which I now repined!” ~ Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
“What good it would have done me at that time to have been tossed in the storms of an uncertain, struggling life, and to have been taught by rough and bitter experience to long for the calm amidst which I now repined!” ~ Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
(Sorry for the double post!)
Struggle and dictating don’t work in our inner life either. So we must inquire what aspect of this repeated pattern is asking for acceptance and compassion, and ask ourself, “Can I touch with love whatever I have closed my heart to?” This doesn’t mean solving it or figuring it out – it is simply asking, “What wants acceptance?” In difficult patterns of thought, emotion, or sensation, we must open to feel their full energy in our body, hear, and mind, however strongly they show themselves. This includes opening to our reactions to this experience as well, noticing the fear, aversion, or contraction that arises and then accepting it all. Only then can it release.
– Jack Kornfield, A Path With Heart
“Planning ahead is both absolutely necessary and completely impossible.” -Judith Hanson Lasater, ‘A Year of Living Your Yoga’
I will teach you about the state
called the eternal, the absolute,
which those who strive toward me enter
desireless, freed from attachments
“But these are simply the various expressions of the eternal truth, “I am one with the universe; this universe is one.” It is sympathy, the feeling of sameness everywhere. Even the hardest hearts feel sympathy for other beings sometimes. ”
from Pathways to Joy-The Mater Vivekananda on The Four Yoga Paths to God edited by Dave DeLuca
It is through this intelligence that we initiate change and free ourselves from ingrained patterns of behavior and steer ourselves incrementally toward illumination and freedom. However, we can hope only to develop intelligence once we understand why we are so often promoted to act without it.
– Light on Life, BKS Iyengar
A friend once translated a Chinese expression for me: “Have you eaten to contentment?” This seems a powerful orientation to satiating hunger, be it for food or anything else. It calls on us to shift our focus from filling an emptiness to experiencing contentment. With this shift come the possibility of practicing nongreed. When we seek contentment, or what Patanjali calls samtosha, we are closer to experiencing our own wholeness. In book two, verse forty-two, he writes “Through contentment unexcelled joy is gained.”
Judith Lasater, “Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life”
Be a guinea-pig on your own self before you play with others. I tell you this because a yoga teacher is in a different position from a doctor when helping people…..In healing through yoga, the teacher comes in contact with the pupil or patient and from moment to moment sees their emotions and reactions….You have to be very careful because you are playing with another life. (108)
BKS Iyengar. The Tree of Yoga
“Compassion is not looking down upon somebody who needs help, who needs care, but it is general, basic, organic, positive thinking. ”
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chögyam Trungpa (1st edition copyrighted 1973)
When I bring the consideration of surrender rather than perfection to my yoga practice, I am aligning myself with my intention to make peace.
– Yoga from the Inside Out, making peace with your body through yoga
by Christina Sell
In their deep meditation they resolve all their unconscious impressions and decide not to live a selfish life again; in the future, they will discriminate before accepting anything. At this decision two wings appear on either side of each worm- one named viveka(discrimination), the other vairagya(dispassion). These are combined with a sharp, clear intellect, which turns into a sharp nose to pierce open the cocoon. With that, the worms- now silk moths- slip out and fly up high with their fantastically colored wings and look back to see their discarded prisons.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Translation and commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda
Kundalini’s Descent – She waits coiled three and a half times at the base of the spine
“Gravity pulls the torso toward the floor.” – Yoga Anatomy
Basics. The foundation of wisdom (and good practice!)
“It’s funny how memory erodes.”
From The Time Traveler’s Wife
“Consistency builds committment.” – Mindful Yoga Mindful Life by Charlotte Bell
“The Dalai Lama has pointed out that communism worldwide did not work because it was not based on compassion and love; it was based on class struggle and dictatorial control, which just doesn’t work.”
-Jack Cornfield, from “A Path With Heart.”
I just happened to have this next to my computer- it’s been a great source of joy these days, and I highly recommend the book!
“No matter what the source of your fear, mindfulness is the cure. Observe the fear exactly as it is. Don’t cling to it… Just step out of the way and let the whole mess bubble up and flow past. It can’t hurt you. It is just memory. It is just fantasy. It is nothing but fear.”
— Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English
When we learn to look at others’ needs and desires and preferences relationships become win – win situations.
Love is a Verb
“Only when we make that connection to the self , or the ultimate reality , can we make sense of the human situation . Other wise it must seem like a dreadful business , without meaning or mercy ”
From the book
The Deeper Dimension of yoga
by Georg Feuerstein
“Most of us begin yoga to experience the physical benefits. But we stay because we begin to feel the esoteric benefits, many of which come from yoga’s pranic power”
Guiding Yoga’s Light, Yoga Lessons for Yoga Teachers
Nancy Gerstein
Continue letting go, over and over. Letting go is not something you do just once.
Yoga, The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness
Erich Schiffmann
The ancient yogis were in many ways no different from people in the modern world. As part of ordinary life, they had moments of clarity and confusion, happiness and sadness, contentment and stress. Reflecting on the nature of their lives, they became more aware of their condition, recognizing that the incessant chatter in their mind was the source of their confusion-what Pantanjali calls kleshas-and thus of many personal problems that flow from them. “Teaching Yoga” by Mark Stevens
“So, when we take our seat in meditation and remind ourselves to sit with dignity, we are coming back to our original worthiness. That in itself is quite a statement. You can bet our inside will be listening. Are we ready to listen, too? Are we ready to listen to the currents of direct experience in this moment, and this one, and this…?”
–Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life
“All the yoga philosophy in the world couldn’t counteract the horrifying feeling of obsolescence that washed over me at that moment. Still, I tried to make conversation. We talked about the death of newspapers, but how long can you do that, really? Eventually, as every conversation in my life did, the topic turned to yoga.”
Stretch by Neal Pollack
But, like the boy who went back home and saw that the tree branch was only five feet from the ground (rather than fifty), I discovered that by exploring the feelings in my feet, instead of perpetuating trauma, I experienced healing.
-Max Strom, A Life Worth Breathing
(substitute pretty much anything for the word “feet” in this passage, and it still holds true!)
Su.-17. (B). The contact between the ‘Seer’ and the ‘Seen’ is the cause of what is to be warded off–(B).
The Yoga-Darshana
Comprising The Sutras of Patanjali–With The Bhasya of Vyasa
Translated into English by Ganganatha Jha
“The Chain begins with ignorance, which thus becomes the ultimate if not the most powerful cause of suffering. Most of the monks in the Ganges region believed that desire was the first cause of dukkhta, while the Upanisads and Samkhya thought that the ignorance of the nature of reality was the main bar to liberation. The Buddha was able to combine these two causes.”
Buddha by Karen Armstrong
When one is a stranger to oneself then one is estranged from others too.
msred5 at yahoo dot com
“Each of us needs an inner place where we can go to be safe.” ~ Mudras/Yoga in your Hands by Gertrude Hirschi
“Since he was no longer moving toward the Dreaming, the Dreaming moved toward him.”
Steering By Starlight by Martha Beck
In “What We Say Matters” by Judith Hanson Lasater:
“The situation resolved with connection and both of us getting our needs met. It was a great learning for me” (p.108).
“A continual attempt, in defiance of the Law of Attraction, of trying to jump vibrational ranges is a major factor in the feelings of discouragement that eventually cause people to conclude that they really do not have control of their own life experiences.”
– Abraham Hicks, Ask and it is Given.
The Subtle Art of Sitting Still –
The best way to show a snake its true nature is to put Put it into a hollow stick of Bamboo. Take a moment and give this unusual metaphor some thought. What could have possibly meant by it?
Answer to come tomorrow
Love this contest! Here’s my quote:
“Distraction is similar to forgetfulness. It’s simply a mind that is incoherent, drawn every which way by things that come up.” -Destructive Emotions: A scientific dialogue with the Dalai Lama narrated by Daniel Goleman
At first I was reticent to draw upon this quote as it speaks to a challenging state (i.e. distraction/forgetfulness). However, it serves me well at this moment as it directs my attention to what is most important in my life and keeps me focused on achieving my goal.
“it is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.” ~ page 108 Eat, Pray, Love
I am currently traveling and this is the only ‘non’ work book close by. It is pretty basic quote, but something that I need to be reminded of every day.
“Your breath is a spiritual lighthouse guiding you back to the present moment. Use it to get back to where you are.”
This is an entry from page 108 of “Self-Meditation: 3,299 Mantras, Tips, Quotes and Koans for Peace and Serenity” by Barbara Ann Kipfer (2006, Workman Publishing, New York, NY).
Thank you for the opportunity!
Seriously THE coolest way to enter a contest. SWEEEEEET!
Here we go, next to me right now “The Heart of Meditation” Sally Kempton
“As I kept this up, I began to notice that the emotional charge behind the feelings had lessened dramatically. The feelings still came up, but they didn’t knock me over. The mantra seemed to create a counterforce. It released an energy of light, repose, and happiness in my mind that swallowed up the painful feelings. After some time, this layer of deep-seated, painful feelings, feelings that had troubled me all my life, was gone.”
nice.
“This moiré vibration, probably the most common form of graphical clutter, is inevitably bad art and bad data graphics. The noise clouds the flow of information…”
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Edward Tufte
Tufte keeps me grounded when I’m creating graphics for manuals, he (like my yoga teacher) reminds me to keep it simple.
(it’s a blank page)
but 107 is the title of the chapter: the mixed blessing of closeness
and 109 is the poem, “dicey” with my favorite part:
“stripped of all
power to reason,
naked,
unhinged
I show nothing,
for you may
have great
power to destroy”…
from “go early into the unknown” by Pamela Armstrong, Ph.D
How cool of an idea! Not sure if I missed it but here is mine from “Amrit Yoga and the Sutras”:
“When you learn the more conscious level of concentration, it becomes expansive, particularly if it is combined with choiceless awareness…Conscious attention creates a new opening where you can shift out of old self-concepts, personal biases and fears into impersonal universal reality.”
“Pressures on parents today are tremendous compared to how things were just a generation ago.” Stephanie Newman, NY Psychoanalytic Institute – Stepmonster, Wednesday Martin, Ph.D.
These lines are from “The Alchimist” from Paolo Coelho, the French version ” L’ Alchimiste “, J’AI LU collection, 1994 (from the 1988 copyright).
It was translated by me, for I don’t have an English version:
page 108 (mid-page)
“There lies the principal that moves all things. What we call, in alchemy, the Soul of the World. WHEN WE DESIRE SOMETHING WITH ALL OF OUR HEART, WE ARE CLOSER TO THE SOUL OF THE EARTH. IT IS ALWAYS A POSITIVE FORCE.” …
From the cookbook, Fresh at Home, by Ruth Tal Brown and Jennifer Huston:
Pineapple Cashew Sauce
3/4 cup raw cashews, unsalted
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup pineapple juice, fresh or boiled
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup filtered water
*Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serves 6. Great with noodles!
” However, what about learning to take what is given, whether pleasant or painful? I propose that you begin this “contentment shift” by deeply accepting and having gratitude for all that is given: the breakfast you ate this morning, oceans and rivers, the yoga poses that you have learned to practice, sunshine, and sky, freedom of speech, mountains, your cat, bananas, love, a backache, the moon, the yoga poses that you are unable to do, prairie grasses, your family, clouds and rain, your most recent vacation, 9alifornia poppies, the death of a friend, stars, your work, wind, apple pie and your breath. Can you see the endless possibilities of what you have been given?”
~Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater
“Non-attachment is the basis of all the Yogas. The man who gives up living in houses, wearing find clothes, and eating good food, and goes into the desert, may be a most attached person. His only possession, his own body, may become everything to him; and as he lives he will be simply struggling for the sake of his own body. Non-attachment does not mean anything that we may do in relation to our external body, it is all in the mind. The binding link of “I and mine” is in the mind.”
– Karma Yoga, The Yoga of Action. By Swami Vivekananda.
“We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity–in freedom…” ~ Gift from the Sea / Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Meringue Problems: Weeping, Grittiness, Stickiness
Meringues can go wrong in a number of ways. Under or overbeaten foams may weep syrup into unsightly beads or puddles. Beads also form when the sugar hasn’t completely dissolved;residual crystals attract water from their surroundings and make pockets from concentrated syrup.
On Food and cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee
“hold the pose for a few breaths” Hata Yoga Illustrated
“hold the pose for a few breaths” Hatha Yoga Illustrated
No matter what the source of your fear, mindfulness is the cure. Observe the fear exactly as it is. Don’t cling to it.
Title: Mindfulness in Plain English
Author: Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Here’s my quote for the contest:
“I’ve tried dozens of different meditations: streaming light meditations, visualization meditations, multisyllabic mantra meditations. I’ve tried Tibetan Buddhist meditations, Sufi meditations, taoists non-meditation meditations. And while none of them did what I thought they were going to do–turn my mind into an ocean of bliss–I am nonetheless exhorting you to meditate.” –Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth
This reminds me to never give up on meditation. There are so many varieties of meditation, and it’s important to explore as many different types until you find the one that fits best with you. Keep meditating!
“I was smitten by Paris: Hector Guimard’s art nouveau entrance to the Metro, fanciful and enchanting as Maxfield Parrish’s painting; the weeping willows and plane trees bordering the Seine; the bateaux-mouches carrying tourists up and down the river under the ornate spanning iron bridges; the doe-colored stone buildings along the Seine with sloping, slate-tiled mansard roofs, separated into blocks by narrow cobblestone streets. I liked the sense of history evident everywhere. It reminded me how young my own country was.”
Mmmm, love this! Conjures up memories of Paris, and how lovely it is there. Life is to be savoured.
ps, that quote was from Jane Fonda’s “My Life So Far” (Page 108)
“The selfless person is happy here, and he is happy there; he is happy wherever he goes. He is happy when he thinks of the good he has done. He grows in happiness as he progresses along the path of bliss.”
The Dhammapada
“Happiness is the product of the external as well as the internal, of what we choose to pursue as well as of what we choose to perceive.” –Tal Ben-Shahar’s “Happiness,” pg 108
“happiness is found right where you are.” – steve ross quoted by mark stephens in his book, teaching yoga
Although I couldn’t know that yet, my destiny as a vagabond began on that journey. (My Invented Country, Isabel Allende, p. 108)
The cyclical nature of the tree in its growth through the various seasons is like the seasons of human life and it’s process of growth. There is competition among trees as there is among people: destiny places stones, rocks and gravel in the soil of both trees and humans. With trees the competition is in the struggle for survival. But in many people it has gone beyond survival to gree”d, greed that bears the signs of the decay of health and growth.” Swami Sivananda Radha, “Hatha Yoga; The Hidden Language.”
From A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfield:
” The Dalai Lama has pointed out that communism worldwide did not work because it was not based on compassion and love; it was based on class struggle and dictatorial control, which in the end just doesn’t work. Struggle and dictating doesn’t work in our inner life either.”
Kornfield is explaining how to deal with the repetitive thoughts that seem to persist even after loving acceptance. The book is incredible so far, and I have to laugh because I am actually ON page 108 at the time of your post!
“To wake up to reality is to amaze yourself, to be amazed at your strength, your love, your devotion.” ~ Byron Katie, A Thousand Names for Joy, p. 108
“For eternally and always there is only *now*, one and the same now; the present is the only thing that has no end.”- pg 108, The Book On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts
If you are able to see yourself and situations from a differetn perspective, it is possible that you will begin to feel better about yourself and your life.
Constructing alternative or balanced thoughts helps free you from automatic thinking patterns that contribute to the difficulties you are have
Pg 108 of Mind over Mood
Well, imagine that you’re a snake in bamboo. What does it feel like? Every time you try to slither, which is after all what snakes like to do, you bump against the walls of your straight-as-an-arrow home. If you pay attention, you start to notice how slippery you actually are.
In the same way, sitting in a certain posture and keeping your body relatively still provides a stick of bamboo that mirrors back to you every impulse and distraction. You get to see how fidgety your body can be — and how hyperactive your mind can be, which is actually the source of your body’s restlessness.
“Maybe I should scratch that itch or answer that phone or run that
errand.” For every plan or intention, there’s a corresponding impulse in your muscles and skin. But you’ll never notice all this activity unless you sit still.
Contract the anus and the buttocks, tighten the thighs.
🙂
Try: Sitting with dignity for thirty seconds. Note how you feel. Try it standing with dignity. Where are your shoulders? How is your spine, your head? What would it mean to walk with dignity? ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn in Wherever you go There you are. Pg 108
Stanza 32:
This is the attainment of the supreme nectar, the immortality of samadhi, which reveals to the tantrika his own nature.
Eyes open on space, without blinking, the body relaxed, thought at rest, there no longer exists anything but ineffable reality flowing in the open space of our body, a vast mass grave where fertile chaos decomposes, where the yogin and the yogini love to stroll, their
reflections crisscrossing: gods and goddesses, dakinis and dakas, dancing in the sky.
Yoga Spandakarika : The Sacred Texts at the Origins of Tantra
by Daniel Odier
I am currently reading ‘Snapshots of Heaven’ 40 funny, profound, real-life stories about children By: Michael Wells to my 10 month old son. So I turned to page 108 to find my inspiring comment and the page was blank. I found this to be rather amusing at first and then the more I thought about it the more clear it became to me that in order for me to center myself and find my inner peace, clear my mind and soul, I think of a blank white wall ~ a blank white page!
I love when something random like this happens and it turns out to be so symbolic in my life 🙂
“I guess when you are too close to things as they happen, you lose perspective.”
-Francesca Marciano, Rules of the Wild
Then speech is our light, for by that we sit, work, go out, and come back. Even though we cannot see our own hand in the dark, we can hear what is said and move toward the person speaking…
The upanishads; The Forest of Wisdom; Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, translation by Easwaran
From Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit by Donna Farhi –
Page 108 starts detailed instructions for how to do Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana), not exactly one of my faves. I guess the universe is trying to help me do it with a little more ease. 🙂
from “Self & Spirit” 365 Inspirations
Under “Satisfaction” p.108
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” Leonardo da Vinci
Page 108 of The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo…..
It is so simple and yet so brave to say that we are hurt when we hurt, that we are sad when we are sad, that we are scared when we are scared. In very direct and daily ways, this energy of realness- this mana- changes situations because of the immediate expression of truth releases light and warmth that influences the life we are a part of. This is the way our spirit shines.
“Let’s not make thieves of ourselves. Reducing our habits of desire and accumulation goes right to the heart of asteya, nonstealing. Can we do something out of the ordinary and turn our daily desires into new habits of generosity? We are not islands of selves in a sea of people. Not stealing is a way of releasing what is beautiful in ourselves. The vow of nonstealing orients us toward a life free from discontent.”
Yoga for a World out of Balance, Michael Stone
There, beneath the spreading branches of a sacred mapou tree, illuminated by the glow of a thousand candles, they enter the water. Merely to touch the cold, thin blood of the divine, to step behind the veil of the falling water, is to become possessed by Damballah-Wedo. (Wade Davis, Light at the End of the World)
We fence our flowers in and the hens range
-Robert Frost
Complete Poems of Robert Frost 1942
“Why should they begin digging their graves as soon as they are born?” from Walden, by Henry David Thoreau page 108.
“True mastery can only be built upon the energy of real interest. This satisfying new connection with real interests may be accompanied by a sense of enhanced personal power–an experience of acting in alignment with the deepest self.”
From Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope, pg. 108
“When we live in a place for too long, we grow dull. We don’t notice what is around us. That is why a trip is so exciting. We are in a new place and see everything in a fresh way. I have a friend who lives in New York. The last time she had been to the Empire State Building was in fifth grade when her public school took her there. When friends came to visit from Minnesota, of course, they wanted to go to that skyscraper. She was thrilled to go to the top again, though she would never have done it on her own or cared about it…
“…she sees her own town with the eyes of a tourist in New York City. And she begins to see her life this way too.”
Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg
“Nurturing bitterness toward the cultural tribe embroils our energy in a continual inner conflict that blocks access to the healing power of the sacred truth *All is One*.”
Anatomy of the Spirit – Caroline Myss PhD
“When you experience the vibration of your breath and you truly recognize the vibratory quality of everything you encounter, when you feel constant change in all that is going on around you right now, then you have deep insight into the meaning of life.” – Richard Freeman, The Mirror of Yoga, page 108.
Over the centuries, many erroneous views and interpretations have accumulated around words such as sin, due to ignorance, misunderstanding, or a desire to control, but they contain an essential core of truth. If you are unable to look beyond such interpretations and so cannot recognize the reality to which the word points, then don’t use it.
Don’t get stuck on the level of words. A word is no more than a means to an end. It’s an abstraction. Not unlike a signpost, it points beyond itself. The word honey isn’t honey. You can study and talk about honey for as long as you like, but you won’t really know it until you taste it. After you have tasted it, the word becomes less important to you.
The Power of Now, pg 108… om shanti :o)
“God has really good hearing: no need for us to repeat ourselves in prayer – We’ve only to state the desires of our hearts once, and the universe immediately sets in motion the mechanics to bring about their manifestation. To repeat ourselves to God is to imply we have no faith in our word.”
Psychology of the Chakras:Eye of the Lotus
Richard, A Jelusich
You may think that the real world is made up of living things and dead things. But in the Universe “everything” is alive and “nothing” is dead. The stars, sun, planets, earth, air, water, fire, and every object you see is seething with life. This is the real world that is emerging.
♥
😀
The Secret, the Power by Rhonda Byrne. Pg. 108
“Then the Lord of the earth’s chief queen, Gautami, as affectionate for the son she lost as a fond she-buffalo who lost her calf, flung up her arms like a golden plantain-tree with leaves tossing about, and fell weeping to the ground.”
It is amazing that grief and love share such a powerful connection. Celebrated differently, but of the same passion.
Acts Of The Buddha
“Planning ahead is both absolutely necessary and completely impossible” Judith Lasater, A year of living your yoga- of course it’s the nearest yoga book! I keep it at my desk to remind me of our #365yoga and to PAUSE before I start the day 🙂
Cheers, R
From the book “Mind, Body, Spirit” by Jane Alexander:
…”The ancient yogis said that meditation was a powerful tonic which produced an acceleration of energy in the body, rejuvenating cells and holding back the ravages of time. For thousands of years, disciples had to take their word for it, but now science is proving that meditation really is potent medicine.”
Love this book! [and the necklace!] Thanks for such a fun contest – I loved reading the other posts!!
“When you tell a consumer that their tiny little action has huge ramifications,” says Keane, “they will actually take that tiny little action.So, when I tell them that if they unplug their cell phone charger from the wall, they actually not only save their household fourteen dollars a month, but they also cut down on greenhouse gases by about four tons a year, that really matters to them. And that gives them a little control over climate change, which is a problem that they feel they have no control over.”
In other words, the more powerful you make someone feel, the less power he or she will use.
Book Source : Strategies For The Green Economy (Joel Makower)
I’ve been re-reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and decided to check out p.108. Here’s what I found:
“Obadiah pulled the figure out of the water,” she went on, “and struggled to set her upright. Then he remembered how they’d asked the Lord to send them rescue. To send them consolation. To send them freedom. Obadiah knew the Lord had sent this figure, but he didn’t know who she was. He knelt down in the marsh mud before her and heard her voice speak plain as day in his heart. She said, ‘It’s all right. I’m here. I’ll be taking care of you now.'”
Thanks for offering this ohm-azing contest. The necklace is so fitting for St. Patty’s Day, and absolutely gorgeaux!
Peace and Love,
Jill
Here’s my quote from p. 108 of Barbara Kingsolver’s book “Small Wonder”:
“There once was a time when Thoreau wrote, “I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” By the power vested in everything living, let us keep to that faith. I’m a scientist who thinks it wise to enter the doors of creation not with a lion tamer’s whip and chair, but with the reverence humankind has traditionally summoned for entering places of worship: a temple, a mosque, or a cathedral. A sacred grove, as ancient as time.”
Gotta love Barbara Kingsolver! Her words are poetic and powerful, and they definitely speak to me.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to All!
Roberta
Never do uddiyana bandh on a full stomach.
The Aquarian Teacher
Yogi Bhajan
I’m sitting in the processing section of U of M’s Grad Library where my hubby works. “Ancient Angels” is the book that stood out. On page 108 I read, “Constantine ended his letter with a special charge to the bishops, stating: ‘This site should be both kept clear of every defilement and restored to its ancient holy state, so that no other activity goes on there except the performance of the cult appropriate to God the Almighty, our Savior’ and the Lord of the Universe’.” Deep.
“happened to be so curious and inquisitive upon every particular”
From Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates:
“The tapas of yoga is based on the idea that our suffering is caused by our *reaction* to external events. Viewed in this light, our suffering becomes our teacher. The ever-present demon becomes our ever-present teacher.”
From 108 of Mark Stephens “Teaching Yoga” The ancient yogis were in many ways no different from people in the modern world. As part of ordinary life, they had moments of clarity and confusion, happiness and sadness, contentment and stress. Reflecting on the nature of their lives, they became more aware of their condition, recognizing that the incessant chatter in their mind was the source of their confusion…” (Don’t believe everything you think)
Eckhart Tolle – A New Earth
“You are most powerful, most effective, when you are completely yourself. But don’t try to be yourself. That’s another role.”
…To die tomorrow was no worse than dying on any other day. Every day was there to be lived or to mark one’s departure from the world. Everything depended on one word: “Maktub.”
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The only yoga book I have is The Yoga of Herbs by Frawley & Lad
pg. 108 is about CAMPHOR
“Camphor increases PRANA, opens up the senses and brings clarity to the mind.
so who won?
“When there is cessation of the activity of the limited thought then there is space, not only space in the brain, but space. Not the space that the self creates around itself, but the space that has no limit.” ~J. Krishnamurti This Light in Oneself: True Meditation
From p. 108 of Spirituality For Dummies:
“Part of the spiritual path is to lower your personal ego tendencies and increase your receptivity to spirit so a greater beauty, wisdom, and grace can shine forth in your life. Being overly ambitious and impatient on the spiritual path may actually end up blocking the way of grace and keeping you from moving forward.”
The choice is to be conscious or not, which brings us to the possibility for transformation. No one disputes the fact that life consists of change. But can a person, simply by altering his or her consciousness, actually bring about a deep transformation and not just another superficial change? Transformation and change are two different things, as can be seen in any fairy tale. p 108
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