monastery story & sunscreen essay

I am writing today about 2 things I heard at Dorits lecture. She told this story.. not exactly the same, but close, she didn’t mention rats or cockroaches..

A man entered the monastery, and the abbot said to him, "This is our rule in the monastery: you can speak only once in seven years."

He accepted it, and he was shown the cell where he was to live. He thought, "My God!" The glass of the window was broken, and the cell was a very small cell, just enough to lie down in.

Rains came, and the water would come inside. He was suffering from cold, sneezing, and all his clothes were wet, but he could not speak. So for seven years he suffered the rain. The rain destroyed the mattress, and it destroyed his health also.

But after seven years he ran to the abbot, and he said, "You have given me a cell which has no glass in the window. I have suffered too much from the rain."

The abbot said, "Enough! Glass will be put in. Just go back, and for seven years, no more speaking."

New glass was put in, but when he went back to the cell, then he remembered that the mattress was completely rotten. But now, seven years ... So he waited for seven years with that rotten mattress, with all kinds of cockroaches and rats. But seven years passed. They were too long, longer than seven years used to be! It was almost an eternity.

After seven years he went running to the abbot, and he said, "You put in the glass, but I forgot to tell you at that time that the mattress was rotten, and cockroaches and rats and all kinds of animals are moving inside the cell. Please move that rotten mattress, and remove all the cockroaches and rats."

The abbot said, "It shall be done -- but no more coming here for seven years!"

So the mattress was removed, the cockroaches were removed, the rats were removed, but the people who brought the new mattress ... It was too big, so they forced it and broke the glass!

Again the same story began, the rains started coming, and from the broken window the rats which had gone out, the cockroaches -- they all came back, the whole family.

Now it was too much. He could not believe that he would survive seven years, but he survived. Man has immense capacity to adapt to any conditions.

After seven years, as he approached the abbot, the abbot said, "Don't speak a single word. Since you have come into this monastery, complaints, complaints, complaints! I never hear anything else. Just get out of the monastery."

The man could not say even what he had come to say. He had been thrown out of the monastery. After twenty-one years, this was the only result.

- Was this man thinking about God or Buddah or enlightenment at all for the 21 years? No. He was thinking only of what he was lacking. If you set your mind on what you don’t have you will get more of that. If you think about your blessings and are grateful and thankful you will attract more blessings and things to be thankful for.

& I think she also recited some of the lyrics from the Sunscreen essay, actually called Everybody’s Free (to wear sunscreen) written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997.
The most popular and well-known form of the essay is the successful music single released in 1999, accredited to Baz Luhrmann.

& I really like the words, although I don’t agree with the sunscreen part.. to a large degree.. it blocks the sun and the sun is healthy, in moderation.. and especially if you have a clean diet ad body. (It’s the toxins in the skin which get burned and start skin cancer.) I just don’t like putting sunscreen on my skin, it has all those chemicals in it and skin just absorbs all this stuff and brings it into the body.. but back to the lyrics.. These get me all emotional though.. memories, it was played at Dylan’s grade 8 graduation and after 8-10 years of all these kids being together at Blantyre, they were separating and going separate ways to high school.. and they had this real tear-jerker slide show presentation to go along with it. Anyway, there’s some great parts in here, enjoy : )

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss..

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Pic from http://www.simple-wisdom.net/

Dorit, The Sacred Art of Eating, yoga sandals, durian and recipes

Today is Dorit’s workshop @ Toronto Sprouts - The Sacred Art of Eating- a truly different experience- this workshop will leave you with a totally different perspective on food and how our relationship with food is indicative of our relationship with ourselves.
I am picking her up & we are driving down early.. so just a quick posting.

http://www.yogasandals.com/
Dorit gave Marie & I both a pair yesterday, in black.. perfect. I love them! : )

Ian brought me a durian yesterday.. and Dorit said that’s exactly what she was thinking of that she would like for the presentation.. perfect again. : )

“Eat when hungry, sleep when tired.” This ancient Zen saying is a simple prescription for a satisfying life. But for many people, simply eating is anything but simple. It is ironic that in a land of plenty people suffer from a disordered relationship to food.

Lots of great recipes here: http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/store2/recipes.asp#8DORIT

Dorits book – Celebrating our Raw Nature
http://www.serenityspaces.org/rawnature.asp

pic from http://www.fruitlovers.com/Durian.jpg

Graham mangoes, superfood smoothie, benriner veg slicer and mythical matters

So many points of interest yesterday and things to write about on my mind.. need a list to refer to: adyashanti, ayahausca, carioca, benriner website to look into, a mystical magician-illusionist and his partner, what a dynamic duo, Shadow and Storm, mystical matters: truth, respect and wonderment & inspiring experiences. September Death, the raw living foods chef in from LA and looking into transforming our kitchen into a Rawk Star cuisine experience. The best lunch with our raw bread, sunflower spread and various sprouts, they’re back, missed them so much! And carrot juice.. thats the thing with making raw bread, we get lots of carrot juice. Oh & that wonderful cacao superfood smoothie experiment with Graham.. it was so good!

Superfood Smoothie – almond milk, banana, cacao, wild blueberries, goji berries and bee pollen

& Kermie (Septembers smoothie – & hopefully not a secret or I’ll be here quickly to remove this!) OJ and water, mango or pineapple, cinnamon and kale. She says it’s incredible.

She also makes killer mint choc chip ice cream called Chip n’ Kale. : ) Fun.

& a lead on the best and sweetest mangoes in the world which are found in only one part of Jamaica and mango lovers trek to this mountain to find these elusive Graham mangoes which are found in only this one area. (– but I’ll get back on this one.. it’s written on a piece of paper at work. (Westmoreland?)

Benriner makes my vegetable slicer & I just found where it can be ordered – The "Cook Help" Japanese Vegetable Slicer/Shredder:
http://www.quickspice.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/scstore/cookware-slicer-01.shtml?L+scstore+ezye6149+1159449685

http://www.mythicalmatters.com/

http://www.actsofkindness.org/people/days.asp

Eternal sunsets and Beauty tips

Enjoy the sunset - from any location at any time

http://www.eternalsunset.net/
http://www.eternalsunset.net/more.php


Beauty Tips

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives and the passion that she shows.

The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.

~ Sam Levenson (Audrey Hepburn is often quoted as writing this piece. She didn’t, although she claimed it as one of her favorites and quoted it in public a number of times, always carefully crediting its author.)

pic from http://home.att.net/~paul.dowling/archive/sunset.jpg

Tibetan temple, Soul sanctuary and quotes

"Love is so expansive it can't be contained"
"Love just Is, it asks nothing but seeks (gives) everything"
"Love is our natural state and all other contrary emotions are unnatural"
"Heal the world with the weapon of Love"
~ girlskirtmission.com.

Riwoche Tibetan Buddhist Temple of Toronto
416) 766-7964

28 Heintzman Street
Toronto, M6P 2J6
http://www.riwoche.com

A Hidden Jewel in the Heart of Toronto

This is the Lama and Temple responsible for so much of the good that is in my life today. Rinpoche is a true Dzogchen master and one of the most authentic human beings I have ever met.
The physical temple is one of the most beautiful, authentic Tibetan shrines in North America with 5' and 6' Buddha statues and the 50 statues of masters of the Dzogchen lineage.

The practices are:

Medicine Buddha Meditation
Tuesday Evenings 7:30 p.m.
Stimulates the benefit of natural healing influences forthe health and well-being of oneself and others, especiallythose suffering from physical and mental afflictions.

Tranquility Meditation
Thursday Evenings 8:00 p.m.
Cultivates mindfulness and awareness in a simple practicewhich allows the busyness and speed of habitual mind to subsideso that intrinsic peace and clarity may manifest naturally.

Green Tara Meditation
Saturday and Sunday Mornings 9 a.m.
Invokes the feminine aspects of enlightened wisdom in the form
Monthly Guru Rinpoche and Dakini Feast Offerings
from http://biz.zaadz.com/131/riwoche_tibetan_buddhist_temple_of_toronto/toronto_

http://www.riwoche.com/


Sanctuaire Soul's Sanctuary
http://www.sanctuairesoulssanctuary.com/

909 Manning Avenue 909 Manning Ave
Toronto, M6G 2X5
647 439-3837

To LIVE, to BE in HAPPINESS, SOUL, HEALTH, APPRECIATION, LONGEVITY, COMPASSION, FUN, FUN, FUN, PROSPERITY, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, LOVE, PEACEFUL LOVING SERENITY, for ALL.

“In the faces of men and women I see God.”~ Walt Whitman from Leaves of Grass

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.” ~ Teddy Roosevelt

“If you had one goal, and that was to feel good, you would never again need to hear another word from anyone. You would live successfully and happily and in a way of fulfilling your life’s purpose ever after.” ~ Abraham Hicks

PEA, coconut oil & spread, Bruce Fife

PEA – phenylethylamine is an alkaloid and a mono amine. It is believed to function as a neuromodulator or neutotransmitter. It is the same compound found in chocolate that put’s you in a good mood. It is sometimes called the 'Love' molecule.. – many studies have shown it to be an effective anti-depressant and effective against ADHD. It is involved with the runner’s high and also has the chemicals responsible for romantic love.

E3Live has a new product – either out or they are working on called AFA/PEA, which is a concentrated liquid blue green algae - aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA), which is charged with extra phenylethylamine. AFA/PEA contains 50X more PEA than chocolate.

I have heard that PEA has psychoactive properties and something in it comparable to what is in excstasy.. but of course in a totally natural form.

From a study I am reading PEA increases attention and activity in animals and had shown to relieve depression in 60% of depressed patients. On those who responded whe recovery from depression was very fast after taking the PEA, within ½ an hour. This is huge considering over ½ the population suffers from some form of depression. Also good is that effective dosage doesn’t change and there are no side effects. It generally improves mood and also appears to work on grief, a different form of depression.

Ps. Re: re: endorphins and runners high.. it is now believed tha endorphins don’t penetrate the brain as easily as PEA and its actually the PEA which causes the euphoric mood after a work-out.

I was telling my Mom about how I had been in the bad habit lately of eating a lot late at night, just before bed.. and usually not the best food choices. I mean all my food choices are way above some peoples but I was eating my cacao concoctions loaded with lots of honey and almond butter etc & feeling kind of bloated when I woke up.. (nothing major, I mean, I’m raw & so I can eat all I want & not worry about weight or anything.. but, its mainly that heavy feeling in the morning I was getting). ..but it seemed that when I ate a coconut or something with coconut oil or my coconut spread I would wake up without this bloated feeling. I would wake up feeling amazing, with a flat stomache and energy etc. I was telling my Mom about this & she told me she was reading something similar, in a book by Bruce Fife.

This webpage has info, excerpted form articles by him: http://www.livecoconutoil.com/fife.htm
.. tells how coconut oil is the richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s). & these MCT’s are what make coconut oil the only real low-calorie fat which works to melt fat off the body. They produce energy & don’t circulate around in the blood like other fats. Coconut oil & MCT’s are actually being added to sports drinks and energy bars now.

More on my incredible coconut spread from Wilderness: http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/coconut_spread.htm (w/ recipes : )

Am off.. bursting back into real life.. had this image of being a 2d character coming back to 3D. amination is playing a large role in my mind lately.. seeing people as animated characters, listening to that great background animation music (there are some really crazy albums that have been donated to our collection at work. I was really getting into a zydeco album on Fri. ..but more on music tomorrow)

Have a spectacular day!

Pic by Jeremy Blake

Thai salads, the Fox, Noah Ben Shea, Rosh Hashana

Last night Jim & I went out for Thai food. There were actually a number of mostly raw salads to choose from, the usual mango salad, which I can always count on when at Thai restaurants.. but also they had a papaya salad, an apple-mint salad and a green vegetable curry salad – which I got & which was delicious. Jim ordered 4 other dishes, the table was loaded, way too much food.. the veg in all of the dishes were very lightly cooked.. & I had a little bit from those also. It was really good.
We went to see A Scanner Darkly, which is based on Phillip Dick’s book by the same name, which I read a few months ago. Only heard it was playing at the Fox last night. I hadn’t been to the Fox in years.. but now that I have a membership I’ll have to go more often. They get some great films in. The Fox is Toronto’s oldest movie theater.

‘Open for business since 1914, the Fox is the oldest continually running movie house in Toronto. Featuring some of the best alternative and mainstream films in the city, the Fox's single screen shows cult classics, foreign films and Hollywood re-runs, all in full stereo sound.’
From http://www.toronto.com/movies/listing/000-100-040

Check out movie info here: http://www.cinemaclock.com/clock/ont/Toronto.html

I got an herbal tea from Starbucks just before the movie & there are sayings on the sides of their cups. The one I got had something written about appreciating nature .. and that if we appreciated nature as much as the works and deeds of people we would all be richer by far. ‘Any ancient forest, polar bear or species of snake is more complex and improbable than Wi-Fi, the Mona Lisa or landing a man on the moon. What price would you pay to keep such treasures.?’ –Jenny Daltry (herpetologist)
btw a herpetologist studies reptiles and amphibians.

Another thought from a starbucks cup author – "Do not kiss your children so they will kiss you back but so they will kiss their children, and their children’s children." -- Noah benShea, Poet, philosopher and author of Jacob the Baker, Jacob’s Journey and Remember This My Children.

His website: http://www.noahbenshea.com/
And the best thought of the day from his website opening:

“What inspires you?

What are you passionate about?

What is the dream inside of you?

There is no greater challenge in our lives than daring to be who we are.

There is no greater opportunity in our lives than daring to be as great as we might yet become."


Happy Rosh hashana weekend!
: )

Pic from http://www.muchnikarts.com/

organic conception, fish and spatula stories

I have 3 things on my mind, and yes, they include the fish and the spatula stories.

1 - is from the Erika Wolff workshop. She was talking about how people who had been trying to get pregnant for years and were unsuccessful, finally got pregnant after they went organic. This apparently is a common occurance & it makes sense. More and more people are having difficulty conceiving and I think and have heard it’s natures way of preserving the species. Nature carries on through its healthy species.. the more toxic and unhealthy people become the more difficult it will be for them to conceive.

2 - Brian Clement was talking about water and specifically how they can make water in a laboratory now, that they actually have been able to do this for years. The interesting things about this though is that when tested this man-made water is in every way completely identical to the natural water on the earth, even through those incredible powerful microscopes.. but when they put a fish in the man-made water it dies.. when put in natural water, it thrives.

3 - An article I read in the Metro on the way to work that made me almost, actually slightly laugh out loud. I have this thing about spatulas and they seem to me to be the most random thing in the world when taken out of context. Kaiya agrees. So I was reading this article in the Metro – Spacewalk is successful – but astronauts worried after bolt, washer float free. The article really went on & on about this bolt & washer and how it could be a real problem if they ended up in the mechanism – they were connecting an addition onto the International Space Station. Then I read how spacewalkers have a long history of losng materials in space (& I am picturing all these things floating by) “In July, Discovery spacewalkers lost a 36–centimeter-long spatula that floated away.” lol.. Spatulas are random even(& maybe especially) in space.. imagine that being out, floating around space and then seeing this spatula floating by. : )

image from http://www.elisehurst.com/forchildren.html

Gabrielle Shavaz, cookie & salad recipe, important websites

Interesting interview with Gabrielle Chavaz where she talks about Victoria Boutenko, green smoothies, smoothies with kefir, cake for breakfast, the raw food lifestyle, bee products, etc. - http://www.therawdiet.com/sept06.html

I am having cookies for breakfast.. have to taste test the ones I dehydrated overnight. I made some almond milk to bring to work.. I think we need to do some Cacao smoothie experimentations today ; ) So the base of the cookies I made was the almond pulp left over from making the milk. I used 1 ½ c almonds.. so there was roughly 1 c pulp. All the measurements are rough estimates.. I have always cooked this way.. but one day if I put out a recipe book, I will measure just to make sure.

Cookies

1 c almond pulp
1 c cacao, ground
1 c dates, chopped
3 bananas
2 t coconut oil
1 t vanilla
1 ½ c coconut, shredded

Mix together. I dehydrated in pressed balls for 2 hours on teflex at 115 degrees, then flipped onto mesh & continued drying overnight.

So now I am enjoying warm cookies while I type.

I made a salad last night, something new.. an inspiration that came. My friend who came over was amazed at how fast I put this together. I brought 2 pkgs of broccoli sprouts.. they are a little strong. So, I got a tomato, an avocado, a green onion. 2 celery stalks.. chopped them all up with the broccoli sprouts, actually 1 ½ boxes by this time.. cause I ate ½ of one of the boxes on the way home. Added some nama shoyu, squeezed lemon, a dash of salt & cayenne in the bowl & mixed.
..& then we sat out on the back porch 2 forks & the bowl & ate it all & really enjoyed it.

Hey, theres a new link to our website at work - http://www.torontosprouts.com/Home.html
Bookmark that site to see upcoming events. : )

Hey! & my website.. there’s a new orange in the top-left hand corner.. always something new there also. The tabs don’t work yet.. but they will soon. Randy is working on it.. and I still have info to write for it. But it is coming & being worked on & changing all the time:
http://www.rawketscience.com/

& I have a good fish story and a spatula story.. but I am out of time.. tomorrow! : )

raw party, pachamama

It was a great raw food party at work yesterday.

It started off with me being starving & us making Earth bread sandwiches. Marie made a sunflower seed pesto for the sandwiches and we topped it with avocado & tomato slices. (we’re out of sprouts.. & really missing them!) ..but soon, we have trays of baby sprouts growing in back. I mentioned what happened, right? Last Sunday, a fire extinguisher fell from it’s hook & it had a faulty clip & sprayed out in the production room in back, where all the wheatgrass & sprouts are grown. So everything, all of the wheatgrass and sprouts were thrown out.. it was really sad. But we are back growing now & by next week everything will be in full force again.

..back to our great food. The pesto was roughly a cup or two of sunflower seeds soaked, 1 bunch green onions, 1 bunch parsley, processed in a food processor - and then nama shoyu, olive oil, salt, cayenne & spices mixed in with that. We made lots, there were lots of people around.

Then Jessica came with this amazing raw ice cream she had made. 2 flavours – Rocky Road, which she said was just an experiment, & which I loved! – and White Honey Lavender, which was amazing also. Both were probably the best ice cream I had ever had.. everyone loved them.
Then we moved on to the durian party in the kitchen (the ice cream was at the chocolate bar – Choco-Sol’s space) everyone gathered around & about 10 of us shared a durian.. as most raw foodists know, sharing durian is a sacred raw experience. Its very built up, but with special friends, it is that great!

Hmm.. what else.. Oh yeah, the topper. Johnny from E3Live came in. They are continuing their chocolate experimentations. He had a bottle of clear greenish-blue liquid on the counter & I had to go see whats up. It was the phenylethylamine – that love/ feel good molecule found in chocolate & also blue green algae. They had separated it.. & he gave me capsules to take of AFA & the separated PEA.. but that’s another story & I am out of time & have to rush to work!

Have a great day!!!

More on Pachamama..

The following is from: http://www.hipforums.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-163522.html

In many South American countries the Earth Mother is given the name Pacha Mama. 'Pacha' means Earth, Infinity, the Divine and the Sacred. Pacha Mama is therefore the Earth Mother, or the Divine in material form. The Earth Mother is a living, Cosmic Being and has a physical, astral and spiritual body. All matter as we know it comes from her and returns to her. Pacha Mama is much more than our nurturer, she is our true spiritual Mother and holds all the secrets of the Universe within her. With the help of her Tutelary Gods, or guardian spirits, she can point the spiritual seeker towards the truth.

As a living Being, the Earth needs us to look after her, feed and love her with our hearts open to her. We are living in dangerous times as we seem to have forgotten how to contact her.

A CONSTANT PRESENCE

The Inca culture has always been very linked to the Earth - there is a saying that 'wisdom comes through the soles of our feet.' The Earth sustains us, suffers, has emotions, she needs us to love her. We say we want to heal her, but instead we just carry on poisoning her with our pollution. Her rivers need to flow. they are her veins. veins she is deperately trying to clean out with all the rain that has been falling. Her mountains are her shoulders. her forests are her lungs. The hole in the ozone layer is a hole in her aura, and the greenhouse effect which is raising her temperature is because she is ill and running a fever. When the Earth is ill, then we are too; because we are like cells on her body, we need to heal ourselves in order to help to her heal.When we start to heal and purify ourselves, then we can begin to be in more direct contact with the Earth, her energies and the power of Nature. The Earth is a constant presence in our lives: when we walk through beautiful countryside; when we watch a bird in flight; when we hear the sound of a waterfall or the crashing waves of the sea; when we see a kind action, watch animals looking after their young, or wonder how a plant knows to grow from its seed into a beautiful flower. The Earth is always nurturing, forgiving, constant - she mirrors the Universe. The Incas look for all knowledge in the Earth because she is what we are made of - the sky is too far away.

EARTH GUARDIANS

When we enter into direct contact with earth energies we encounter what the Incas call 'Apus'. The Earth herself is benevolent. It is the Apus who defend her. Every place has an Apu or teacher spirit. Some people might call them guardian angels. The Apus guard the Earth and when each one of us is born the Apu of that place takes reponsibility for our development. If you lose contact with your Apu, it abandons you and if you lose contact with your Apu you lose contact with the Earth. Apus act as intermediaries between humans and the Earth. The Inca shamanic tradition works with these spirits on a day-to-day basis, for guidance, the resolution of disputes and, most importantly, with healing.Women are said to reflect the Cosmic Mother and carry within them the sacred fires that hold the knowledge and mysteries of the Earth. The Incas believe that women can work more intuitively with the Earth because their hearts are more open. Humanity as a whole is suffering from a lack of heart, yet it is not possible to understand the mysteries of the Earth by adopting a scientific or "macho' approach. We need to rediscover the mysteries of women's traditions. To honour the qualities assosciated with women, is to honour the Earth. To honour the Earth Mother we need to honour our own mothers, even if they behaved badly towards us. We need to go beyond their limitations as a human beings and acknowledge that they carried us in their wombs.

WAYS OF HONOURING

So what can we do? The Earth and the Apus need to be fed and remembered by us. We can give thanks for our food before we eat and by blowing on it, offer some of its essence back to the spirits. We can look after our bodies with exercise and good nutrition and learn to be relaxed and detached in all situations. Meditation is the heart of wisdom. Five minutes a day will teach you more than hours of reading. The Inca path is well-balanced between mysticism and materialism, an Inca warrior is of this world, not apart from it. Through being on the Earth we can learn patience, strength and perseverance. Become aware of any fears that you might have and learn to face them, as fear will block the gateway to knowledge. Dare to overcome your fears and become a warrior for the Earth, we are here to learn, to open our hearts and heal ourselves. Only then will we be able to help our Cosmic Mother, so let's go for it. NOW.
You can also read here: http://www.rahoorkhuit.net/goddess/index.html

pic from: http://home.catv.ne.jp/ff/fiesta/page10.htm

Pachamama, dulse, irish moss, raw catering by Elaina Love

I am looking up Pachamama – an Earth Mother, whom Erika was talking about in her workshop. I have a list of things I want to look up and 20 min to write this blog (gotta have a time limit, yk how it is) ..but now I am in prophecykeppers radio & there is a recording of the 10 point message. ‘Know your garden’, garden being our land, the Earth - is one of the 10 points. This might be important, it’s 17 min long. Am going for it.

(It was all about this womans experiences & I didn’t get the 10 point message that I was looking for.)

Pachamama (pronounced Pawch-mama) or Mama Pacha, is the Earth Mother of the Incans of South America. She lives inside the earth and is a companion to women. The mountain peaks are seen as her breasts, the flowing rivers, her life-giving milk, and the tilled fields, her fertile womb.

Mama Pacha or Pachamama is a dragoness fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting. Her husband is either Pacha Camac or Inti, depending on the source. Catholic conquest replaced her image with Virgin Mary with which she is identified in some parts of Peru.

Peru - Pachamama Raymi or Earth Mother Day / 1st August

On this day, the following festivals takes place: Pachamamaraymi in the District of Ccatca, Wataqallariy in the District of Maras, and Kinturaymi in Huasao in the District of Oropesa. This is an Andean ritual that worships and gives tribute to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) in a special ceremony called “payment to the earth” with offerings of coca leaves, chicha de jora, and huayruro seeds (mystical jungle seeds). The rite marks the beginning of the Andean New Year.
From: http://www.peru.info/e_ftoculturaeng.asp?pdr=1501&jrq=5.2.8.3&ic=2&ids=4972


Erika orders dulse & sea vegetables from: http://www.rolandsdulse.com/
It comes from Grand Manan, NB
She said the dulse comes so soft, it is delicious and nothing like the harder stuff we get in packages from groc & health food stores here.

Dulse is a sea vegetable, grown at low tide and which takes root on rocks. It is harvested by hand and sun dried on a drying ground made especially for drying dulse.
Dulse is grown in several areas, but the dulse grown on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick, Canada is the most delicious and sought after.

Looking at their price list. They have irish moss. Marie was talking about that. Matt Samuelson prepared food for David Wolfe’s birthday party. She said she had the best dessert ever & he used irish moss in it.

I just found an incredible raw catering service:
http://www.purejoylivingfoods.com/services/

I just have to post some of the dishes/meal plans:

Romantic Italian Dinner$65 per person

Beverages: Lemon-cucumber water Young coconut water Fresh "wine" juice cocktail Organic wine selection ( $10 per person extra)

Appetizers: Stuffed Mushrooms Eggplant Bruschetta

Salad: Field Green Arugula Salad with Pears and Candied Walnuts

Main Course: Canelloni-Tender outer wrap stuffed with spinach, macadamia cheese and vegetable sausage topped with a red pepper remoulade and cream sauce Marinated Broccoli and Zucchini

Dessert: Bavarian Custard Parfait with Raspberry and Chocolate Sauces topped with fresh Berries

Indian Summer Dinner$50 per person

All of the food this evening is organically grown, vegan, sugar free, wheat-free and of the highest quality available. We hope you enjoy your evening and our menu selection.

Beverages: Coconut water with lime Purified water with lemon and cucumber slices

Appetizer: Samosas with Mango Chutney

Salad: Organic farmers Salad Mix, Heirloom Tomato variety & thinly sliced English Cucumbers drizzled with Tangy Pineapple-Mustard Vinaigrette

Main Course: Curried Marinated Vegetables over Parsnip Saffron Rice Wilted Spinach with a delicately seasoned Cashew Cream Sauce Zu-roomasala
-Tender marinated mushroomy summer squash with a tangy masala
-tomato marinade Non-Bread
- Just like the traditional Naan Bread, substituting sunflower seeds and vegetables for flour to make a savory, soft wrap in a dehydrator

Dessert Selection:
1. Mango-Coconut Ice cream - Made using Young coconuts, Mangoes, almond milk and fresh vanilla beans. Sweetened with agave nectar $5
2. Lime Dream Pie - Coconut-Macadamia nut crust filled with a creamy-dreamy- coconut-lime filling. Tangy, fresh and light! $7
3. Peach Cobbler - A Walnut-Date Crust filled with tangy summer peaches and peach glaze topped with a Cinnamon-Pecan Crumble that tastes like buttered pecans. $6

Wines and other beverages extra

Casual Italian Dinner$40 per person

Appetizer: Mini Pizzettes with Sun Dried Tomato Sauce, Cashew Cheese, Marinated Portobello
Mushrooms and Greek olives

Salad: Creamy Caesar Dressing atop a Crisp Romaine Salad

Main Course: Spinach Lasagna with Macadamia Ricotta Cheese Corn Bread Focaccia Optional

Dessert: Black Forest Brownies aside Creamy Banana Ice Cream drizzled with Chocolate Syrup

Thai Menu$50 per person

Spring Rolls with Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce: Fresh bean sprouts, avocado, basil, mint, carrots and sunflower sprouts wrapped in a dehydrated vegetable wrap served with a tangy and flavorful dipping sauce

Pad Thai Noodles: Tender zucchini noodles, snow peas and enoki mushrooms tossed in a tangy almond "peanut" sauce topped with paper thin cabbage, cilantro, lime wedges and crunchy dehydrated almonds bits

Asian Wild Rice with Winter Vegetables: Bloomed Manatok Wild Rice and tender vegetables marinating in a spicy ginger-orange sauce

Ginger-Miso Noodle Salad: This light salad is composed of English cucumber, carrot and broccoli "noodles" dressed with a sweet ginger-miso sauce atop a bed of seasonal greens

Key Lime Cream Pie: Tree ripened limes flavor this almond cream pie. Elaina uses Irish Moss (a flavorless, fat free seaweed) to make the pie firm yet light. Topped with a light macadamia cream

Thanksgiving or Christmas Feast$600 (4-6 people)

Wow your friends and family for the Holidays with this enzyme rich, comforting cuisine! Get ideas for healthy holiday gifts too.

Chai-Nog: Begin or end your day with this thick and creamy shake!

Creamy Spinach Dip with Rye Crisps: Rich flavors and blended cashews make a delicious base to a hearty dip, and the crackers are grain free and really reminiscent of a savory rye cracker

Stuffing Fantasy: A little bit of fantasy and a whole lot of flavors go into making this the best stuffing ever!

Cranberry Relish: Absolutely fabulous! The perfect compliment to the stuffing and everything else on your plate!

Rice Pilaf: Savory wild rice with succulent marinated vegetables

Waldorf Salad -Creamy almond mayonnaise tossed with crispy sweet apples, grapes, walnuts, celery and spices. It's great for a snack anytime.

"Pumpkin" Mousse Pie with Macadamia Nut Whip: We will make a pie that will remind you of pumpkin pie, only it's creamier, and much easier to digest. Topped with a decadent nut-cream. (Optional crust free version makes a great parfait or pudding)

Chocolate Haystacks: Coconut oil, which is used in this candy, has been called the healthiest dietary oil on earth. These can be made with cocoa or carob powder, and will be the hit of the party. A perfect holiday gift!

Party Pepper Nut Mix: A variety of nuts tossed with tangy spices and dried to a crisp "can't eat just one" perfection. Holiday gift idea.

Brian Clement, food additives

What a busy weekend! Worked right through it. Today I am there from 10 until probably at least 10 tonight.. but in the evening Erika Wolff will be holding her raw food workshop. So that will be really interesting.. as always : )

..but before I head out again, a few quick notes from the Brian Clement talk yesterday.

We live with much more stress each year, every five years our stress levels increase 5-7000 times.

Protein absorption requires minerals.

Mung beans are the most digestible food known to man

Fact from the China Study, by Dr Colin Campbell (our homework, if we haven’t already read this book, is to read it): consumption of casein a milk protein (a.k.a. whey) had a higher correlation with cancer than cigarette smoking does to lung cancer.

There are 80 trillion cells in the brain, 10 trillion in the rest of the body.

Eat oxygen, get skinny. That simple.

The one thing that every high performance athlete and every very intelligent person has in common is balanced hormones.

Enzymes are not only important for digestion of food but perhaps more importantly they increase the bio-electric shield which circulates around cells.

The body is electro-magnetic. We are tested electro-magnetically for diseases, problems in the body & yet treated chemically. (pharmaceutical companies have a hold on that one.)

Women contract AIDS 8-9X more than men from sex. (because the skin in the uterus is very thin)

Blue-green algae regenerates stem cells. Blue green algae was the 1st life form to ever form on Earth. Everything that ever existed in life is found within the blue green algae. A stem cell will become any cell in the body, it can turn into a liver cell or a eye cell or a toe cell, whatever is needed.


Sprouted hemp seeds, most perfect oil.. flax are good, hemp is better. Also great oils found in black raspberry seed and cranberry seed.

Over ½ of the population have some form of depression.

Goal for healing – to eat the most nutritious foods in the least digestible form.

Sprouts have 10-30X more nutrition.

Less food = more vitality

I sat on the bus yesterday with someone who I knew from awhile ago. We were talking about work & I was saying how I liked my job. He didn’t seem happy with his.. he worked in a place where they make seasonings and coatings for foods. Some of their clients are McDonalds, Kentucky fried chicken, chip companies & packaged foods, chicken nuggets etc. He was telling me that they have 1000’s of huge vats of additives. Listing all these chemical names, sodium aluminum something. yk, all those words you can barely read. He said that many of them have huge warning labels on them, that they shouldn’t come in contact skin, eyes, etc. & they are putting them in our food! & then he said, just before I got off the bus. “Hey, no one tells people they have to eat it!”

water fountains, EMF, earths energy, Sylvia Noble, Tesla

http://www.kirchersociety.org/ This website has some interesting articles. I’ve been led there a few times to see things. This time it’s the Aug 15th posting at the bottom of the main page; Ibirapuera Park Fountain
"Since they were of such great interest to Father Kircher, we are always on the lookout for contemporary water fountains that he would have found pleasing.

The fountain in Ibirapuera Park, created to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Sao Paulo, strikes us as one of the most extraordinary we’ve ever seen. It spits out 61,000 liters of water each minute."

There are so many great fountains.. I remember Jim saying he wanted to make the whole wall of the warehouse we used to live in a wall fountain. The warehouse was such a great and creative spot. I was talking about it yesterday also because when the chocolate guys brought home (Toronto Sprouts) some cool found furniture: great dresser & interesting chaos chair ( we are getting an interesting eclectic thing happening) it reminded me of when Jim used to bring things home to the warehouse that he found: a banged up red car door which hung like artwork on a main wall, a martini table umbrella, which fit right in, a huge plant, whom we named Fred, etc, etc..
Marie found some Christmas decorations and strung white lights around. Erika has donated lots of great books for the bookshelves, the guys bicycle grinder and cool Mexican influence and the lighting was changed by Alan.

Alan works with energy patterns in the earth and helps create comfortable energy patterns in living environments. He is fascinating! I could have listened to him for hours. & hopefully, we are going to have him in to give a talk soon. He was checking energy emissions from our appliances/wiring. Talked about how Edison wanted DC (direct current) and Tesla wanted AC (alternating current), the war of the currents, and the Earths energy system. He measures the EMF (electrical-magnetic frequency) levels, with appliances on & off, around wiring and the plugged in these magnet & crystal things and we watched the EMF radically drop. He used a dowsing rod and found the main arteries in the earth which run through the building and we have them marked on the floor with masking tape. He describes these energy veins as like the veins in our body, how when you draw blood you have to go to the main vein (like inside the elbow) to draw blood. Similiarly, he’s going to build or put something (magnetic/cystal?) to draw the earths energy up through this spot.

I am finally going to ‘close the loop’ or ‘buckle the belt’ French analogy which slightly but not completely gets lost in translation (small tribute to Judith ; ) with mentioning how he put a few pebbles at the mouth of our fountain, where the water pours over into a lower container.. how it changes the sound of the water and the energy of it, such a small thing & making it so much more natural & harmonious. These small things affect us radically. You could feel the energy shift in your body when he changed the energy in areas.

Another thing he mentioned, it was a heavy day, dark, grey, and he mentioned that it was like an ocean over our heads. & I was thinking how it affects some people so strongly.. and it’s no wonder.. thinking of an ocean above us and how heavy water is.


Sylvia Noble – energy consultant & owner of Nature’s Elements

“From the time she was born in Newfoundland, Canada, Sylvia Noble learned and practiced natural medicine. Growing up in an isolated fishing village, Noble did not have access to traditional doctors nor medical care and found that learning how to use natural remedies was crucial. With her British mid-wife grandmother as her teacher, Noble quickly mastered the trade, and today uses her connection with nature to create healing fountains and natural gemstone remedies.

Her interest in natural medicine led Noble to study physics, advance numerology, the Kabala, yoga, I Ching and Mystic Sufism. In 1970, Noble was drawn to Europe and Asia where she sought and found her teacher at a church in Vienna. The seventh generation master fountain artisan who created water designs as a hobby quickly became her mentor. This soon became Noble’s passion, and today she creates Fountains of Well-Being in her Toronto-based store, Nature’s Elements. She also sells stones and crystals from all over the world that embrace the principles of earth’s energy.”

http://www.cosmotoronto.com/sylvia_bio.asp

Sylvia Noble article: http://observer.thecentre.centennialcollege.ca/features/fountain032103.htm
“flowing water over the sphere creates release of negative ions, which improve sleep, alertness, concentration and skin conditions.”
“Breathing negative ions helps to increase relaxation and restore the body's natural balance, she said. Negative ions attach themselves to pollution particles and help to clean the air.”

More interesting info on Tesla here: http://home.earthlink.net/~drestinblack/didyouknow.htm

Pic of Trevi fountain in Rome from: http://www.romeguide.it/MONUM/STORICI/trevi/trevi.htm

bread and chcolate yoga

We made a huge batch of raw bread at work yesterday. Making bread is one of the best, most nurturing, down to earth things to do. Very therapeutic. The kitchen, at work and at home, as well as most east coast parties is a central gathering point. There was lots of talk and music and fun going on.

A guy who’s starting work today & was there all day with us yesterday just to hang out & be with us and help. He’s a yoga instructor also.. and we were talking about chocolate yoga. He was suggesting maybe giving yoga classes in the space. We rent out the space sometimes for various events. Yesterday there was a film crew having a catered lunch for a few hours. I scored a large fruit salad. : ) ..but back to Chocolate yoga.

He says he always starts yoga with 4-5 cacao beans, or a thick cacao-chili-agave mixture – something very small & potent, not too much to get digestion going.

He also was saying that after yoga, or any work-out, about 20 minutes later - that there is a window of opportunity where the body really absorbs foods ingested. So he often makes a superfood smoothie to have just then including spirulina or E3Live, water, cacao, gogi berries, hemp seeds, agave and celtic sea salt.

Opportunistic Superfood Drink

1t spirulina, or 1 oz E3Live
1-2 c water
1 T cacao
1 T goji berries
¼ c hemp seeds
1 T agave
Pinch of salt

Blend and enjoy!

casinos, Dubai and a raw food article

My friend went to a casino recently & I asked how she enjoyed it.. not, she said, she seemed to have the same feelings that I had when I went. It was a birthday party.. for my husbands step-brothers 40th.. and his wife rented a limo bus and took a bunch of us to Niagara, it was an over-night party, lots of fun. But I found the casino part of it very sad.. I just kept seeing all these people who don’t have the $ to be there.. spending their pay or w/e, probably trying to make rent or get money to pay bills and drinking.. and it was just really sad. I was glad to be out of there actually. Not my kind of lifestyle at all.. Horse races I’ve been to a few times.. it’s a bit better. Probably cause we were usually sitting at a table, eating, drinking.. more intimate – didn’t feel as much of the gambling or desperation... but those casinos, to see people sitting there plugging quarter after quarter into some machine.. Life is just a whole lot better than this. But this is life, & it’s all good.. & to each their own, ykwim.

In the travel articles I was reading, I was interested in Dubai.. but got a bit of the same feeling as I did from the casinos. Maybe because it’s so about the money and man-made. But it is an interesting concept in city-building:

Boomtown Dubai
by Robin Esrock / Published November 15, 2005 at 10:28 am

Breaking hearts around the world, Modern Gonzo reports from Dubai - a city that draws in the young and hungry, the rich and restless, the greedy and desperate.

Boomtown Dubai. A Development Supernova! Imagine if you will, one hundred skyscrapers being constructed simultaneously, in a development that will instantly create a city. Now imagine ten of these developments, all within 20kms of each other. And a new one announced every month. Dubai is not so much a city as the World's Biggest Construction Site, a shrine to excess and one man's incredible vision to build a world center in a desert. Excess? The World's Biggest Shopping Mall. The World's Biggest Theme Park. The World's Tallest Hotel. The World's First Underwater Hotel. The World's Richest Horserace. Three man-made island developments you will see with the naked eye from space. And, when it is completed, the Burj Dubai will be the World's Tallest Building. Dubai is what Vegas dreams of becoming when it grows up. ..more: http://www.thetraveljunkie.ca/articles.php?articleid=112

Robin Esrock has more weekly travel reports at: http://www.moderngonzo.com/

Gonzo – gon’zoh/ With total commitment, total concentration, and a mad sort of panache. Overwhelming; outrageous; over the top; very large. Using an exaggerated, highly subjective style.
Modern Gonzo ohno’I’m’losto/ Embracig life in the worldiness. Extreme travel with a focus on adventure, authenticity; absurdity; beer. Experiencing the beauy, wisdom and people of our planet and also, it’s toilets

Interesting raw food article:
Raw foodists meet for Vibrant Living Expo by Connie Korbel
http://www.advocate-news.com/local/ci_4266561

excerpts:

‘Whether a food fad or a sustainable life choice, there is a movement - some say a revolution - afoot.

… Simply defined, raw foodism is the practice of eating only those foods that have never been heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit. The term raw foods, interchangeable with living — or live — foods, is meant to differentiate foods in which the enzymes are intact and living from cooked foods, in which the enzymes have been destroyed by heat and are no longer functional.
Enzyme activity is the key doctrine in the raw foodism better-health ideology. The philosophy purports that the key to optimizing the value of vitamins, minerals and enzymes found in foods is in proper food preparation, in which up to 90 percent nutrients are destroyed during regular cooking.

Reasons for taking on the raw diet lifestyle vary among individuals and include health, environmental, ethical and spiritual concerns.

Environmentally there is less pollution, less packaging, a reduction of greenhouse gasses and runoff from contaminated water and decrease to exposure of pesticides. Some people strive ethically to live a life that leaves a smaller footprint that hopefully helps to sustain rather than further impoverish the planet.

Although environmental and ethical interests are equally valid, the Vibrant Living Expo focused primarily on nutrition and health factors. The raw food diet has been shown to benefit digestion, weight management, cure and prevent chronic degenerative diseases, increase mental clarity, rejuvenate and extend life longer.

… Raw foods diet -

Just as various categories of vegetarian lifestyles have emerged over the past decade or more, so have those who identify with raw foodism.

The goal is 80 percent raw, but broad categories have been established to include whatever works best for each individual.

Three key definitions have been loosely identified. The raw healing vegan diet is 95 percent or more raw, with no animal products of any kind, condiments or sweets. This most extreme diet often originates with individuals who are healing health problems.

The raw gourmet vegan diet is 80 percent or more raw with no animal products. They may also eat raw honey and spices. This group represents the raw foodist standard.

The raw vegetarian diet incorporates about 20 percent "cooked" (referring to foods that are only slightly heated to temperatures that will not destroy the majority of food enzymes) foods and limited animal products such as dairy, eggs, fish, but no red or white meat.

… Preparation techniques include soaking, sprouting, blending, dehydrating, fermenting, juicing and food processing in ways that closely approximate the taste and texture of cooked foods, such as soups, pastas, crackers and desserts.

Most recipes take less time to prepare than traditional ones and there's no cooking time to follow. Some recipes improve with refrigeration and others with just an ever-so-slight warming.

While becoming a raw foodist certainly isn't for everyone, the benefit of just adding more fruit and nut snacks to the diet is inarguable. Reducing and eliminating refined packaged foods is yet another aspect of the program that is sound and sensible for everyone.

Somewhere between the American mainstream diet and the raw food movement there is room for change and improvement for everyone. Ahead of their time or not, there is much food for thought in this ideology for the skeptical or discerning mind.

"The key to being a raw foodist is fast, easy and you-love-doing-it recipes," Kimberly Mac

Pic from http://saveursdumonde.net/ency-voy/asiemineure/emirats/images/dubai.jpg

iridology, acai, daily strategies and planning

I had my eyes checked, iridology done twice at the food fair. The first time I paid 20$ for a 15 minute session. ..but I had already booked the appt and as on my way there when someone I met recently told me they do iridology also & would check my eyes for free. Interestingly they both said basically the same thing.. kidneys. That was about my only concern.. to drink more water. Which is probably good advice because I really don’t drink much & kind of thought I was safer now that I’m raw.. all that pure water in the fruits.. Another interesting part of my session was in the middle of it she asked if I meditate. I told her I used to much more.. but not so much now that I’m working & she said I should do that more. Wonder how she could see that in my eyes. She told me lots of other small things..They can tell present health problems, future ones, past ones and health challenges past on through genetics.. it seems to get fairly precise. It was really interesting, I recommend giving it a try.

I had this really delicious acai drink there also & thought I would look up the acai berry.

Açai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a small berry from the Amazon that packs amazing antioxidant power. The açai berry looks like a grape - with a tougher skin - and tastes like a chocolate covered blueberry.

Though the natives of Brazil have been devouring the açai berry for years, Americans are just discovering its antioxidant properties. Açai berries contain 10-30 times the anthocyanins (purple colored antioxidants) of red wine and are higher than pomegranates & blueberries on the ORAC value chart.

Acai pic & lots more info on acai at: http://www.wellfunfoods.com/Acai.html

Interesting thoughts on daily planning/strategies from my e-mails:

From Robert Genn: http://www.painterskeys.com/
September 12, 2006 3:35:34 AM - In praise of days

Work doggedly, one thing after the other.
Begin work early, finish many things each day.
Work on what comes to hand, what demands attention.
Have rough plans--work them daily.
Rest from the work--look at the water.

Regarding sacrifice, early on I found that my days were notlong enough. I had to be more efficient in my use of the time allotted, and I was prepared to make sacrifices.
It was okay tocut back on the time taken socializing, commuting and eating.
One must not, I thought, sacrifice sleep, exercise, contemplation, love, family or dog activity.

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Letme not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow."-Mary Jean Irion

From Frederic Patenaude: http://www.bodyenlightenment.com/How_To_Create_A_System.html

‘What I've found in my almost 10 years of involvement in the natural health movement is that what people really lack is a *system* and enough support for implementing their system.'

“Have a Morning Routine

We are creatures of habits, so if you implement healthy habits, you will succeed. One of the first habits that should be part of your system for succeeding on the raw food diet is the morning routine.

If you have a morning routine you'll make sure that you find the times for the things that are most important to you.

Part of your morning routine should include at least 20 minutes of exercise, as it's been found that exercising before 11 a.m. gives extra benefits for health (in terms of how it regulates natural hunger during the day).

Your morning routine should also include daily, positive affirmations. Although you may have your own opinion on whether that is too "new-age" for you, affirmations work.

If you don't think positive affirmations work, try negative affirmations instead. Try saying aloud, every morning, in front of the mirror: "I choose to be lazy, incompetent, unworthy, unreliable and nasty with other people. I deserve all the crap that happens to me in my life."

How good would you feel doing that?

You see, you're already doing your own affirmations... in your head! Those are the thoughts you repeat to yourself every morning. Now I'm just talking about taking control over those thoughts and start the day with some positive energy instead.

To give you an idea of what your morning routine can look like, take a look at mine:

1. Wake up to the sound of an inspirational song (I have an alarm clock that plays a CD of my choice... most of the time I have the theme song of the movie Rocky Playing!)
2. Hydrate!
3. Pull out my iPod, cell phone and other items and prepare to go to the gym, or other exercise activities planned.
4. At gym or during my exercise I listen to audio books on my iPod.
5. Shower and dress to the shoes (even if I'm staying home).
6. Read my affirmations (in front of the mirror with my hand over my heart).
7. Review my calendar and plan my day.
8. Enjoy my breakfast!

Having a daily, morning routine will help you implement positive habits and it's one of the most important parts of a system that works.
Once you've created your own routine, you should print it and put it on your fridge, near your bed, or in another location you're likely to look at when you wake up.”

He suggests planning meals in advance – with a raw food diet, this makes sure that you don’t find yourself at the last minute hungry & not being able to think of what to prepare or running out of foods.

He also suggests a fitness planner – when you are going to the gym or exercise and what you are going to do when there.

Good Plan! : ) Have a great & most beautiful day.

jade plants. chocolate, hugs and the Quan Yin method of meditation

I missed a day here yesterday.. my brother was right.. he changed ‘daily random musings’ to ‘daily musings’ in case I don’t always get here every day. .. he’s working on my website which this will one day be linked to. (& I appreciate it so much!!!) Not that I really need my own website as much now as I thought I would.. cause I was going to go into business for myself (‘RAWketScience’) ..but now that I’m working at Toronto Sprouts this is more of a hobby, a more relaxed endeavour. ..& honestly, I amaze myself that I get here as much as I do.. with 3 teenagers, family, working, everything that’s going on.. gym, yoga, etc, etc life.

..& now my new hobby which is starting today.. learning Spanish. The Chocolate guys are moving in.. They were there yesterday.. very fun. They may get us set up with some good Mexican – Latin music. I would love that. & they are planning some events.. a Chocolate party, a Live wine or something party. Michael was grinding into volcanic stones yesterday.. making ridges that will be used to grind their chocolate. They have this great bicycle like contraption chocolate grinder.. you sit & pedal it to make it go.. its great. Hey, maybe I can help them, get a little work-out in there. I am not sure if they have a name they go by ( I mean besides Michael & Graham) a chocolate company name.. don’t think they have a website, they don’t even have cell phones. ..but they do have about 20 events going on between now & mid October.. and they make the most amazing chocolate drinks!!!
Looking very forward to this collaboration. : )

Kaiya dreamed of making Raw Chocolate bars last night.. she was trying to remember what went in it.. cacao (was impressed, she pronounced it right: kakow) , honey.. couldn’t remember what else.. She eats my raw chocolate concoctions & loves them & I just shared some of my PurpleChocolateJesus bar.. although she wasn’t crazy about that. Guess that’s why she dreamed of making her own.

About Hugs.. I wanted to tell the story I recently heard about babies that were being taken care of in some American institution in Bosnia. They would have all these babies in one big room & they would have 6-7 babies all in one bed & they discovered after awhile that the babies that were closest to the wall were the ones who would get sick& die the first. It seems that it had a lot to do with how much they got touched.. the first ones out would get their diapers changed ( all of them often only once a day) and the first ones would get moved so they could change the diaper of the next& so on down the line to the last who were in by the wall.. they would get changed but that’s all the touching they would get.. and they realized that it was this touching that helped keep the babies on the outside alive for longer.

I was reading about the Quan Yin method of meditation on the subway yesterday. I picked up a bunch of brochures at the veggie food fair & was going through them. A lot on factory farming.. but I was having a hard time reading them.. so that’s probably why I really got into reading this brochure. It looks interesting. & there is a presentation being held on it & on The Supreme Master Ching Hai on the 1 day I don’t have anything planned for the next 3 weeks. (but can my family handle me gone so much??) I would really like to go to this.. we’ll see.

Its Sun, Sept 24, 2-5PM 5120 Yonge St, North York Central Library, meeting room 1 – upper level.
http://www.godsdirectcontact.com/

Daily practice of the Quan Yin Method of meditation, and the keeping of the Five Precepts are the only requirements after initiation. The Precepts are guidelines that help you not to harm yourself or any other living being. These practices will deepen and strengthen your initial enlightenment experience, and eventually lead to the highest level of Realization.

The Supreme Master Ching Hai promises that if an initiate practices the Quan Yin Method for two and a half hours a day and keeps the five precepts, he or she will not need to incarnate ever again. (Thankfully they also offer a convenient method of meditiation – for those of us not quite ready for the Quan Yin method & who don’t have 2 ½ hrs a day.. this convenient methos only involves ½ hr of meditation a day – and a pure veg diet at least 10 days a month.. but that parts already a done deal for me)

The Five Precepts:
1 – refrain from taking the life of sentient beings; (The keeping of this precept requires a vegan or lacto-vegetarian diet)
2 – refrain from speaking what is not true;
3 – refrain from taking what is not offered;
4 – refrain from sexual misconduct;
5 – refrain from the use of intoxicants.

Ok, I might be able to do this.. but if intoxicants includes either cacao or E3Live.. then forget it. Can’t do it. ; ) ..but I think we can get away with those.

What is Enlightenment?

‘Enlightenment means the knowing of light within ourselves, EN-LIGHTENED. The light within us will guide every footstep in our life to the correct destination. The word of God, the sound, the vibration, the music of heaven will whisper to us all the wisdom in the universe, and what we can do in our daily lives until we fulfill our duty as the blessed givers of this Earth.” – Supreme Master Ching Hai

“This inner melody can heal all wounds, fulfill all desires and quench all worldly thirst. It is all-powerful and all-love. It is because we are made of this Sound that the contact with it brings peace and contentment to our heart. After listening to the sound, our whole being changes, our entire outlook on life is greatly altered for the best.” - Supreme Master Ching Hai

“To be a noble being is the only choice. To walk forward doesn’t matter how difficult, to fly upward doesn’t matter how far, how high, we just have to try again and again, until there is nothing but goodness that resides within us, until we recognize nothing but the Kingdom of God within ourselves.”

..am off now to try to find a jade plant to buy down on Kinston Rd take to work, & smoothie delivery & then work again. It’s becoming my home away from home.. think we are making raw bread this morning.. good rainy day thing to do.. hopefully to some Latin tunes. Peace out mi amigos, Buenos Dias!!!

pic is from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/senior/flowers/Jade-57.htm
I would like to have used a pic of a painting I painted one time with my Mom.. its of a special huge jade plant of hers in this oriental vase that I got as a wedding present & gave to her.. it has a Van Gogh pic on the wall, it was so fun painting it..well, I rememeber getting so frustrated at one moment.. painting can be like that, kind of emotional .. but that was a very speacial painting moment between my mom & I.. we stayed up half the night painting & playing music together.. good time! ..such a special mom! Love you : )

Montevideo imagination moments, garden family, couscous, Dorit's workshop and the Raw Celebration

Am in Montevideo.. having a great day.. danced & swayed.. coconuts & bananas.. drums & horns.. goji & cacao.. and lots of great people, high vibrations .. a PurpleChocolateJesus bar. Talking krishnamurti & tolle.. watching ducks with a long-time, new-found soul friend.. every moment is better than the last.. and I have to come home tomorrow.. to a durian for breakfast ..a gift from a friend who I barely know yet & appreciate so much.. and I am really excited about it.. cause I told you the story about my Mom’s & my Christmas durian right?

"I am imagination. I can see what the eyes cannot see. I can hear what the ears cannot hear. I can feel what the heart cannot feel." Peter Nivio Zarlenga

"The important thing is to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." (Charles du Bois)

The Personality is a Case of Mistaken Identity! (tree of life e-mail)

A huge thank you to Erika for the best green coconut ever!

Erika has a raw workshop coming up a week from tomorrow.. and she is hosting Brian Clement’s lecture next Sunday, which is almost sold-out.. see more at her website: http://www.powerofraw.com/

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" -Lao-Tzu

Jinjee & Storm have over 300 people joining them on a 7 Day Raw Journey starting tomorrow. More info at their website http://www.thegardendiet.com/

Recipe from Raven ..from Jinjees daily raw inspiration letter:

Raven just invented a new kind of couscous! Cut up some cauliflower and pulse it in the food processor down to couscous sized bits (about half the size of a grain of rice). Now you have a base that is a lot like rice, or almost exactly like couscous, and that you can flavor the way you would a rice dish. We put olive oil, garlic, salt, paprika, leeks and thinly sliced celery on it. Delicious!! And there are a thousand different ways to vary this dish! Small food processors are available at any home store for as little as $35 and can make your raw vegan lifestyle a lot easier - and more tasty too!
Enjoy! Jinjee

Pic of Storm, raw bodybuilder in his late 50’s with Jinjee, his wife, their 4 children: Raven, Jome, Shale and Adagio –such a beautiful raw family and Dorit Dyke who was with us this afternoon @ the veg food fair. ..and who will be back at the end of the month to present a workshop.

Friday September 29 2006.
Full day workshop @ The Toronto Sprout Corp., 720 Bathurst.
The Sacred Art of Eating Workshops with Dorit

For most of us, eating is something we believe we do. However, in this new workshop, Dorit, author of "Celebrating Our Raw Nature" and Certified Organic, Vegan, Living Foods ,Chef and Chopra Centre Educator asserts that we do not do know how to eat. Through a series of exercises practiced during the course of the workshops and at Retreats, Dorit teaches that the process of eating is a very sacred ritual and that true eating begins way before the first morsel of food enters the mouth. This Lifeskills Coach who is a student of many ancient philosophies and traditions , believes that mastication is a lost art form and that we now shovel precious morsels of food in our mouths and immediately down our throats in order to "stuff" whatever we are feeling or experiencing at the time. Participants in the workshops learn how to use colours and decor as well as artistically pleasing/environmentally safe table settings and organic living foods to bring the sense of calm, comfort and connection with self that we so anxiously yearn for. Those who already experienced these workshops found that lifelong battles with excess weight as well as various conflicts with food and anxiety around meal times are not only relieved but that their entire relationship with food has changed.

The amazing and life changing film "The Secret" will be shown towards the end of the day.
Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Cost: $65 Can

Saturday September 30 2006
Raw Celebration at The Toronto Sprout Corp
(The Party! ; )
Time: 5pm- runs late
Investment $15 Can
Using Raw, Living Foods to create Serenity in our lives
This talk is geared to those suffering Chronic depression, Candida(Yeast Infections), allergies, Asthma and obesity, arthritis and other food related ailments .
ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATION Film followed by a discussion group, music, fun and games and raw, vegan, living foods With Dorit, Marie Larsson and a host of other Raw Vegan luminaries.
Sponsors: Visions E-3 Live, Erika Wolff, Ruth's Hemp, Forever Healthy, Ocean Grown, Advanced Tachyon, Gabriella Garosz, Organics on Bloor, The Yoga Sanctuary
Special Features: Bartec and Agnes will be giving Salsa dance lessons

The film is "The Future of Foods", by Deborha Koons Garcia or "Eating" by Mike Anderson

Dorit can be heard now on rawveganradio – episode #18: http://www.podomatic.com/search?query=raw%20food
it's great.. just listened to it.

hugs and vegetarian quotes

I am off to the Veg Food Fair today – all day, I’ll be there from 11-8. I think I’ll be making smoothies, which is one of my favorite things to do.. so I’m looking forward to it.

Random things on my mind..

Marie has a great saying:

3 hugs a day for survival,
5 hugs a day for maintenance,
& 7 hugs a day for growth

(I was telling her about how I never thought of myself as a particularly huggy person.. but I really like this hugging culture I’ve encountered here at work.. and seem to be fitting right in with it ; ) ..but then again, always thought of myself as having a somewhat chameleon-like nature

My last e-mail subject line: Obfuscate incompetence with a scumble
Wow!

Quotes from an article about vegetarian stars at http://www.goveg.com/ :
(This is so suitable for the Veg Food Fair today!)

"Cruelty is cruelty, whether it’s cruelty to children, to the elderly, to dogs and cats, or to chickens." Russell Simmons

‘… What people need to understand is that if they're eating animals, they are promoting cruelty to animals.” Pamela Anderson

Let's face it: There's nothing glamorous about chewing on the corpse of a tortured animal

"Since I've gone vegetarian, my body has never felt better and my taste buds have been opened up to a whole new world. It's one of the most rewarding choices I've ever made and I invite you to join me in living a healthy, cruelty-free lifestyle." Alicia Silverstone

"If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That's the single most important thing you could do. It's staggering when you think about it. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty." Sir Paul McCartney

"Every time we sit down to eat, we make a choice. Please choose vegetarianism. Do it for … animals. Do it for the environment, and do it for your health." Alec Baldwin

"Imagine living in a cage in the dark, unable to move, day after day. The suffering of today's American farm animals is almost beyond belief. They don't have a choice, but you do, and their lives depend on it." Casey Afflek

"You know, we all oppose animal cruelty. But sometimes we forget that animals on farms suffer and feel pain like all other animals. They, too, deserve to be protected from harm and cruelty." Charlotte Ross

World’s sexiest vegetarians: http://goveg.com/feat/sexiestveg2006/

Deep Travel Thoughts

The following article is one I read from the travel junkie website. I found it inspiring. One day I plan on taking the Plunge. For now I need to work & raise kids ..and thats all great also.. ..but I am keeping myself in great shape so that I am still able to take the plunge when I get a bit older. (not a lot older.. feel it getting closer) ..but that's how things go sometimes.. and I'm just flowing along with it.. Thank God there's the internet to keep my mind wandering & entertained until then.

Have a most spectacular and beautiful day! : )

article url - http://www.thetraveljunkie.ca/articles.php?articleid=117

Deep Travel Thoughts

by Jon Guidroz and Tom Parker / Published January 30, 2006 at 8:55 am

Jon and Tom, two habitual travellers currently on-the-road, try to capture the experience, the feeling, the power of international travel.

Jon Guidroz
New Orleans
Age: 24
Professional Vagabond
Last spotted in Uganda, flying a plane over Lake VictoriaDeep

Thoughts by Jon:

What is The Plunge? It's fair to say that The Plunge separates the recreational from the habitual traveler. Twenty four hours ago I arrived in Lima, Peru and I'm buzzing with wanderlust.

As I write this, I haven't yet seen Machu Picchu. I haven't hang-glided above the cliffs of Peru's Pacific coastline or scaled the picturesque snow-capped Andes. Not yet....but The Plunge is full on.

The Plunge is different for every traveler. For me it's the insane experience of exiting customs alone and negotiating a crowd of men yelling TAXI! It's bargaining in a foreign tongue to get a ride to a place unknown. It's arriving at a hostel to find out you will be sleeping in the extra bed in the back of a guy's house.

You can only grasp The Plunge by going with the flow; eyes, ears, and mind open to the world. In essence, it is sensory overload in a debonair state of being.

Like a head-rush on the first roller coaster ride of a day at a theme park, the first day of travel offers a potent dosage of helplessness and excitement. When properly harnessed, the buzz of The Plunge acts as a saltine cracker does when dropped in a bowl of chicken soup: soaking up and incorporating the intricate flavors of the travel stock. It is during this time that we being to embrace the differences of another world.

We are reminded that it's okay, even encouraged, to park on the sidewalks. Accepting that, in Peru, it's cars first, then people when crossing an intersection. Trying to figure out how to write your journal entry on a keyboard where the button for the plus sign gets you ?

Today I had a snack at a little street-side table. Early Madonna played over a rustic speaker in the background. Industrious men with brooms meticulously cleaned the street as tiny cars zoomed and swerved by, as if they were terrified or disgusted by the Material Girl. (There's something unique about enjoying an enchilada to "Like a Virgin"... I encourage you to make it happen in your life).

The main reason it is impossible to capture the experience of international travel is because it is futile to describe The Plunge. It is even trite to attempt it here because The Plunge is impervious to characterization. Some of the most vivid and fascinating moments will sound inconsequential in an email and appear mundane as a JPG file. While educational, reading a hundred books on a country's culture while watching The Discovery Channel's special a dozen times, will still pay little homage to the personal experience of throwing yourself into a foreign land. It's a special moment and, like that first beer the alcoholic has, The Plunge is what hooks us habitual travelers.


Jons tip:
Pull the plug and get out there! So many people obsess over preparations they become discouraged and overwhelmed. Remember that even in the most basic of cities you can purchase toothpaste and aspirin. Take the leap, don't delay!

Tom Parker
California
Age: 28
Professional Actor
Last spotted in India, dancing in a Bollywood film

Deep Thoughts by Tom:

One meets the most extraordinary people while traveling. You may spend as little as a couple of minutes with them, but they can change your life and linger in your memory forever. Some become, as my friend Summer phrased it, new and always friends.

On a hot afternoon in Fes I returned to the hostel and spied Leigh-Ann, my friend of four days who I felt like I had known for a lifetime She was talking to an Australian woman. I watched captivated and paused to admire how beautiful they both looked. They appeared to be deeply content and emanated their own personal light.

I approached them and learned that they were talking about, what the Australian woman called ‘traveler?s glow.’ She observed that people who?ve been traveling for a while have a glow about them, an aura. They were, in fact, talking about the very thing I had secretly appreciated in them just moments ago.

Travelers possess a confidence, a serenity, a focus, and a passion. Their glow radiates from their soul and their heart, and those around them can sense it.

They carry with them, almost tangibly, their experiences and discoveries, and the ways in which they?ve learned from them.

The women wear loosely flowing skirts, flip-flops, and well loved, thinning cotton t-shirts. They wear the talismans of their travels - henna hands and legs, necklaces, rings, anklets, and bracelets adorned with bright, exotic stones. Their hair has a tousled look. Their skin is radiant and soaked in sun.

The men wear hiking shoes and trekking-pants. A protective stone or medallion around their neck here and there. Their eyes have faint crows-feet from dirt or sand or sun. Their hair and beards have not been trimmed; they grow them with pride, signifying their desire for a more earthly existence. They are free from societal pressures and obligations of work, money, and conventional notions of ‘success.’

Travelers are strong and durable from carrying their lives on their backs, yet their walls are down and they approach life with open hearts and minds. Their quest is one of discovery and immersion. They understand something new about the human experience and recognize their place in the world.

My friend Chad says of travelers: ‘They are the lucky ones’ to have taken the time to truly experience what the world has to offer. It isn't for everyone, and some do not have the opportunity, but a combination of opportunity and willingness puts them in a sacred group with some responsibility, I believe, to humanity.