future web home of mandala daydreams community center
Monday, May 6, 2013
Friday, August 31, 2012
meet bhakti...
*bhakti is the yoga path of devotion- to meet each moment with full acceptance and to continue from there with passion and no attachment to the results- this is the lesson bhakti teaches by example at the beach every day :-)
burning man as modern spirituality
this is the first of a new section i am starting, inspired by one of the greatest adventures of my life: the burning man festival. i've known about it since 1998, when my brother cosmos shared stories of his one trip there. 2011 was the first year i made it there. it's been held every year since 1986, now in black rock city, nevada. it's going on right now and even though it wasn't the right year for me to go, i wish i could be there at the same time...one of the traditions at the festival is to decorate your bike as elaborately as you wish:::
(the playa, which the whole space itself is called, is HUGE and having a bike or other creative vehicle is definitely useful). yesterday, i was running my dog on my bike before going into work and i saw a guy loading up what was without a doubt a bike that was on its way to burning man- some kind of animal print fur around the frame is all i could make out, but there was no mistaking where it was headed- i was so excited to see it and confirmed that he was going. he said he felt like he was a little late and in ensured him that it didn't matter at all- i went last year for the first time and learned that if you know what the spirit of burning man is, it doesn't matter if you've even been there at all- you KNOW why it's so special and that you'll journey there one day. and, even if you don't make it, to me- and also as an aspect of the burning man culture- the aim is to live burning man every day. that is the focus of this series of writings.
to start off- and by the way, it's a blue moon tonight- the second full moon of the month of August.
Even though I have a beautiful lunar phase calendar I look at every day, I actually learned this information from an advertisement i got for a "blue moon" coupon for something....
anyway, to start off- i'm posting an blog i wrote for elephant journal in february...
Now what? Now it’s the responsibility of the individuals within the communities to rise up. Each individual chose to participate in those tribes because of a deeper connection to truth, beyond all else. And now, each person must decide how to maintain those values, either by staying within or choosing a new path. Whether one chooses to stay or move on, new roots won’t be built through separation. It won’t be built through elevating oneself above something that had maybe been put on a pedestal, whether that’s a person or Burning Man as an entity. Otherwise, a similar crime will be perpetrated against the values one feels have been threatened.
Eckhart Tolle’s writings have helped me understand this clearly. He explains that the moment you get angry that others aren’t conscious, you’re identifying with the ego. It’s the ego that says it can’t be at peace because of someone else’s actions. To create an identity for itself the ego likes to separate itself, to achieve victory by elevating itself, by comparing, judging, blaming. This doesn’t mean not to acknowledge dysfunction or stay within it. “It means being the knowing rather than the reaction.”
Burning man is intended to be a year-round culture, with the festival as a celebration of the way the community aims to live and share with the world throughout the year. No ticket debacle or as devastating as it may be, not attending, should threaten the devotion to bring the values into everyday life. Anusara is bigger than John Friend, and yoga is bigger than Anusara. To those who practice, they know the path of yoga is true and undying.
At Burning Man, the man and temple are built with unwavering devotion and love, by a community of people working together all year long. Then, they are burned to ashes only to begin all over again— a symbol of the endless cycle of creation, connection and dissolution. This is yoga. This is spirituality [added 8/31]. This is our practice.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there."
"People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch. The door is round and open. Don’t go back to sleep" ~ Rumi
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| i found this on what seems like a really cool blog, the adventurous introvert- i can't make out the name of the photographer... |
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to start off- and by the way, it's a blue moon tonight- the second full moon of the month of August.
Even though I have a beautiful lunar phase calendar I look at every day, I actually learned this information from an advertisement i got for a "blue moon" coupon for something....
anyway, to start off- i'm posting an blog i wrote for elephant journal in february...
 |
| scott london |
Burning Man & Anusara tribes in Parallel Conflict: No Coincidence:
Within one week, thousands of Burners found out they didn’t win tickets in the main lottery and thousands of Anusara yogis found out some information about their teacher that left them questioning. Some long-time Burners who helped establish the roots of the culture are considering not attending and many of Anusara’s senior teachers have chosen to resign. Others are feeling disillusioned, disappointed and confused.
Is it coincidence that these tribes are being threatened at the same time? Not at all. I don’t think it’s random chance, but poignantly highlights how our world is evolving. All structures will be tested. Either they’ll dissolve and the energy will be dispersed to create new forms or they’ll need to be rebuilt from the ground up. Those without a strong foundation will crumble. There’s so much access to knowledge, it’s becoming harder to hide things. Transparency won’t only be a value, but inevitable. If there are base values in contradiction with each other, they will come to light and won’t be able to thrive. If individuals aren’t allowed voice and freedom within their communities, the communities will crack from the inside.
These tests will come in many forms. With Burning Man, the culture struck people at an exponential rate. People are waking up— realizing there is the chance to live in full expression and be celebrated for it. They want to be a part of it, even if they don’t quite know what it is. This unpredicted, overwhelming interest led to the development a ticketing system that couldn’t handle the new demand. With Anusara, the complexities of teaching an Eastern philosophy to Westerners and merging business with the purity of yoga grew too great and now needs to be re-evaluated.
Whether a structure remains or dissolves and is reborn, growth will happen by embracing the truth that we’re all connected, not by maintaining dualism. The popularity of the two cultures themselves shows how dualism is no longer satisfying or productive and are only a couple of current examples of this shift.Within one week, thousands of Burners found out they didn’t win tickets in the main lottery and thousands of Anusara yogis found out some information about their teacher that left them questioning. Some long-time Burners who helped establish the roots of the culture are considering not attending and many of Anusara’s senior teachers have chosen to resign. Others are feeling disillusioned, disappointed and confused.
Is it coincidence that these tribes are being threatened at the same time? Not at all. I don’t think it’s random chance, but poignantly highlights how our world is evolving. All structures will be tested. Either they’ll dissolve and the energy will be dispersed to create new forms or they’ll need to be rebuilt from the ground up. Those without a strong foundation will crumble. There’s so much access to knowledge, it’s becoming harder to hide things. Transparency won’t only be a value, but inevitable. If there are base values in contradiction with each other, they will come to light and won’t be able to thrive. If individuals aren’t allowed voice and freedom within their communities, the communities will crack from the inside.
These tests will come in many forms. With Burning Man, the culture struck people at an exponential rate. People are waking up— realizing there is the chance to live in full expression and be celebrated for it. They want to be a part of it, even if they don’t quite know what it is. This unpredicted, overwhelming interest led to the development a ticketing system that couldn’t handle the new demand. With Anusara, the complexities of teaching an Eastern philosophy to Westerners and merging business with the purity of yoga grew too great and now needs to be re-evaluated.
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| jetter green |
- Prana Flow Yoga, like Anusara, has roots in the non-dualistic Tantric philosophy. Shakti, the creative manifestation of consciousness is seen as the mirror that reflects and allows us to experience Shiva, pure consciousness. Put simply, there can be no light without darkness.
- Kundalini Yoga teaches that we’re moving into the age of Aquarius. Duality won’t work for much longer. Feminine energy is moving in to balance out the patriarchal energy that has been driving our society for so long. The first sutra for the Aquarian age offered by Yogi Bhajan: Recognize the other person is you.
- The concept is being introduced into mainstream culture by films like “I AM”, where Tom Shadyac shares compelling scientific evidence that we’re all more connected than separate.
- Homeschooling numbers are growing greatly, signaling deep issues with the traditional schooling structure...
Now what? Now it’s the responsibility of the individuals within the communities to rise up. Each individual chose to participate in those tribes because of a deeper connection to truth, beyond all else. And now, each person must decide how to maintain those values, either by staying within or choosing a new path. Whether one chooses to stay or move on, new roots won’t be built through separation. It won’t be built through elevating oneself above something that had maybe been put on a pedestal, whether that’s a person or Burning Man as an entity. Otherwise, a similar crime will be perpetrated against the values one feels have been threatened.
Eckhart Tolle’s writings have helped me understand this clearly. He explains that the moment you get angry that others aren’t conscious, you’re identifying with the ego. It’s the ego that says it can’t be at peace because of someone else’s actions. To create an identity for itself the ego likes to separate itself, to achieve victory by elevating itself, by comparing, judging, blaming. This doesn’t mean not to acknowledge dysfunction or stay within it. “It means being the knowing rather than the reaction.”
Burning man is intended to be a year-round culture, with the festival as a celebration of the way the community aims to live and share with the world throughout the year. No ticket debacle or as devastating as it may be, not attending, should threaten the devotion to bring the values into everyday life. Anusara is bigger than John Friend, and yoga is bigger than Anusara. To those who practice, they know the path of yoga is true and undying.
At Burning Man, the man and temple are built with unwavering devotion and love, by a community of people working together all year long. Then, they are burned to ashes only to begin all over again— a symbol of the endless cycle of creation, connection and dissolution. This is yoga. This is spirituality [added 8/31]. This is our practice.
 |
| michael holden |
"People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch. The door is round and open. Don’t go back to sleep" ~ Rumi
Sunday, August 19, 2012
lavender moon two
favorite texts:
tao te ching- stephen mitchell version
bhagavad gita- easwaran translation
the heart of yoga- desikachar
be here now, paths to god & be love now- ram dass
8 human talents- gurmukh
the prophet- kahlil gibran
the gift- poems by hafiz
poems by rumi- so many, coleman barks translations
a new earth & practicing the power of now- eckhart tolle
shantaram- gregory david roberts
the journeys of socrates- dan milman
broken open- elizabeth lesser
lavender moon one
lavender moon is a blog i started last year. there was one entry and then life flowed in many other directions and even though i had lots of intentions to write more entries and wrote a bunch of them in my mind, i never managed to publish more than the entry below. i'm rebirthing it here and perhaps it will grow more fruitfully...
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written March 20, 2011
i was inspired to start this blog by all of the amazing people who continue to ask me where and when i will be teaching yoga again- so, the answer to that question is: for now, here and now!...
in these entries, i'll be exploring themes like i do in my classes- only if you are interested in doing the hatha part of yoga, the physical practice, that will be up to you- which is perfect, because it's always up to you!...to establish right now, i am not a fan of capital letters, so they will be rarely used...i also won't be editing this- just as in class, i will begin with an intention and follow the flow of consciousness from there-
this is an important practice for me- one of my teachers- since i am so used to writing research papers and needing to edit and reference everything, i can find myself even editing my personal journals sometimes- talk about judgment!
to explain the title of this blog- lavender moon: i was brainstorming (or soulstorming as my friend beth and i say- feel free to use it and share :-)) titles and looked down to the altar on my nightstand- right next to me was the card, lavender moon, from one of my oracle decks. perfect!...when i reminded myself of the meaning of the card, i was surprised at how clearly it spoke to my intentions for this blog-
"by nature, seekers search for answers and truth. we seek a closer relationship with the divine. we are always looking for something. there does come a point though...that we have to turn away from more knowledge and sift through what we've gathered...and measure it against our own soul...we all have our unique path. it is up to us to find it...the lavender moon fairy is prepared for spiritual work...she desires illumination. she wants her path to be revealed...she calmly and reverently asks for guidance as she begins her inward journey" *
one of the reasons i am not teaching as much right now is that i'm feeling called to immerse myself in svadyaya- self-study, a deeply important aspect of yoga- and one that has been highlighted in all of the trainings i have been to this year...in shiva rea's thesis, she describes svadyaya as:
'the basic foundation for embodiment...provides the method for becoming aware of interconnectedness of thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, feelings, images and insights that arise through the practice...objective witnessing of what's happening internally while doing asanas...notice habits of mind that draw awareness away from being present in the body'
in all of the trainings i have been blessed to attend this year, the message was similar- the need to connect with the deeper and holistic meaning of yoga, and that the real teacher is within and is what is reflected to you about yourself through the poses, not the poses themselves.
looking at this from the perspective of my role as a yoga teacher, it is helping me learn that the best way to teach is to embody the teachings myself; it doesn't really matter what order i do the poses or the music- which has its own importance as artistic expression and creating an environment that helps people connect- but it's not the real teacher.
... it is my intention for this blog to offer you inspiration in developing your personal practice...i have talked to so many people about how difficult this is and i completely understand. it took me a long time to evolve my personal practice to a point where i feel i can get as much or more out of it than going to a class, and there are still so many times that i will stare at my mat on my floor, knowing how good it will feel to practice and i just won't do it...thank you for inspiring me to continue to learn!...if there are any themes you'd like me to explore, or things you'd like to see on here that would help you- (questions, sequence ideas, mantras, etc.), please comment or write me privately...
i'll end this with a quote that tias little read in his workshop yesterday:
"not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away" - hakuin, the song of zazen
whether or not you are ready to start incorporating a personal practice into your life doesn't matter- don't let be one more thing you judge yourself for!- when you go to class and in every moment off the mat, you have a chance to practice listening to your inner teacher. we seem to think that when we decide we want to make a change that we must transform our entire existence all at once, to become something different than we are- sound familiar? something i always remember from gurmukh's book that helps me with this is that all we need to do is commit to changing in the next moment or day. and then we can make the same commitment again the next day...'om namah shivaya' is a good mantra to help with this too- it calls upon your inner shiva, your highest truth.
namaste
(i bow to and honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells, which is of peace, love, truth, light and beauty- and when you are in that place in you and when i am in that place in me, we are in the same place)
- in honor of yoga swami and all of the beautiful people i met there who inspired me to share this- and anyone who may be reading this who doesn't know about yoga swami, here is a link to the video cyrus sutton's during our community activism: save the yogic yurt
*if you are interested in oracle decks, lavender moon is from destiny's portal ...if you liked the ones i used to bring to class, they are: goddess oracle and spirit of the wheel...i would recommend one of these as a first deck more than destiny's portal, because i think the themes are more accessible...
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
written March 20, 2011
i was inspired to start this blog by all of the amazing people who continue to ask me where and when i will be teaching yoga again- so, the answer to that question is: for now, here and now!...
in these entries, i'll be exploring themes like i do in my classes- only if you are interested in doing the hatha part of yoga, the physical practice, that will be up to you- which is perfect, because it's always up to you!...to establish right now, i am not a fan of capital letters, so they will be rarely used...i also won't be editing this- just as in class, i will begin with an intention and follow the flow of consciousness from there-
this is an important practice for me- one of my teachers- since i am so used to writing research papers and needing to edit and reference everything, i can find myself even editing my personal journals sometimes- talk about judgment!
to explain the title of this blog- lavender moon: i was brainstorming (or soulstorming as my friend beth and i say- feel free to use it and share :-)) titles and looked down to the altar on my nightstand- right next to me was the card, lavender moon, from one of my oracle decks. perfect!...when i reminded myself of the meaning of the card, i was surprised at how clearly it spoke to my intentions for this blog-
"by nature, seekers search for answers and truth. we seek a closer relationship with the divine. we are always looking for something. there does come a point though...that we have to turn away from more knowledge and sift through what we've gathered...and measure it against our own soul...we all have our unique path. it is up to us to find it...the lavender moon fairy is prepared for spiritual work...she desires illumination. she wants her path to be revealed...she calmly and reverently asks for guidance as she begins her inward journey" *
one of the reasons i am not teaching as much right now is that i'm feeling called to immerse myself in svadyaya- self-study, a deeply important aspect of yoga- and one that has been highlighted in all of the trainings i have been to this year...in shiva rea's thesis, she describes svadyaya as:
'the basic foundation for embodiment...provides the method for becoming aware of interconnectedness of thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, feelings, images and insights that arise through the practice...objective witnessing of what's happening internally while doing asanas...notice habits of mind that draw awareness away from being present in the body'
in all of the trainings i have been blessed to attend this year, the message was similar- the need to connect with the deeper and holistic meaning of yoga, and that the real teacher is within and is what is reflected to you about yourself through the poses, not the poses themselves.
looking at this from the perspective of my role as a yoga teacher, it is helping me learn that the best way to teach is to embody the teachings myself; it doesn't really matter what order i do the poses or the music- which has its own importance as artistic expression and creating an environment that helps people connect- but it's not the real teacher.
... it is my intention for this blog to offer you inspiration in developing your personal practice...i have talked to so many people about how difficult this is and i completely understand. it took me a long time to evolve my personal practice to a point where i feel i can get as much or more out of it than going to a class, and there are still so many times that i will stare at my mat on my floor, knowing how good it will feel to practice and i just won't do it...thank you for inspiring me to continue to learn!...if there are any themes you'd like me to explore, or things you'd like to see on here that would help you- (questions, sequence ideas, mantras, etc.), please comment or write me privately...
i'll end this with a quote that tias little read in his workshop yesterday:
"not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away" - hakuin, the song of zazen
whether or not you are ready to start incorporating a personal practice into your life doesn't matter- don't let be one more thing you judge yourself for!- when you go to class and in every moment off the mat, you have a chance to practice listening to your inner teacher. we seem to think that when we decide we want to make a change that we must transform our entire existence all at once, to become something different than we are- sound familiar? something i always remember from gurmukh's book that helps me with this is that all we need to do is commit to changing in the next moment or day. and then we can make the same commitment again the next day...'om namah shivaya' is a good mantra to help with this too- it calls upon your inner shiva, your highest truth.
namaste
(i bow to and honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells, which is of peace, love, truth, light and beauty- and when you are in that place in you and when i am in that place in me, we are in the same place)
- in honor of yoga swami and all of the beautiful people i met there who inspired me to share this- and anyone who may be reading this who doesn't know about yoga swami, here is a link to the video cyrus sutton's during our community activism: save the yogic yurt
random fun stuff
- Some topic ideas: What would you do if you were home alone for the weekend?; What would be in your dream room?; If you could throw the best party you could imagine, what would it be like?; Describe the craziest dream you ever had; What would you do if you were stranded on an island?
- If you want to practice your skills of speaking fluidly in front of a group, this may help. You can time yourself and practice alone, in front of your family or with friends. I always have fun playing and watching this game. It's a lot harder than it seems- I've failed in front of a class of people a couple of times before :-) Practicing definitely helps, because you will start naturally coming up with strategies for achieving the goal. If you make it past a minute, see how far you can go!
creative thinking
- - Use the pictures of the bookmark to challenge your creativity and come up with as many ideas as you can that are somehow inspired by the bookmark.
- - Would you like your own bookmark & bead? With parent permission, if you email me your address, I'll send you a bookmark and a bead based on your preferences
- - Organize a bookmarks & beads party with your friends, family or at your school or community program. Discuss your ideas with your parents and then email me for details
- Creative Thinking Projects- these 2 projects were co-created with students in past creative thinking classes I taught. They brainstormed the ideas for their project and came up with all of the questions: - Design a hover car: Why and how does it hover?, How is it powered?, Speed capabilities?, Number of passengers it fits?, How high can it travel?, Interior and exterior design, Any special features?; experiment with any form you'd like as a visual representation of your hover car- a 3-D model, sculpture, painting, drawing, computer animation, etc.
- - Create an underwater society: How will living underwater happen?, Are you on the ocean floor? Some other type of water?, Floating in something?, etc., How will people breathe, eat, get water, create fire?..., What is the society like? People, housing, education, jobs, transportation, recreation, food, clothing, climate?; Come up with a name for your society; Create some visual representation of the society (a map, model of a typical house, clothing design, oxygen system, etc.)
- Design a board game- Create a board game using your one of your favorite books or movies as the inspiration for the theme. You get to design the board, the game pieces and make up the rules! As an extra challenge, try using all recycled materials to make your game.
- Make a Rube Goldberg Machine- Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist who drew elaborate machines that accomplished simple tasks and included all kinds of household objects as parts. People of all ages, all over the world have been inspired to create machines like the ones in his cartoons. Watch video examples of some Rube Goldberg machines on Mandala's youtube channel and visit the Rube Goldberg site for more information.
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