A Brilliant Person Sharing Blissful Ideas

If you read one thing online today I would suggest you make it this incredible article by Robert Lanza, M.D. What Are We? New Experiments Suggest We're Not Purely Physical.

And if you like that, his pieces What Happens When You Die? Evidence Suggests Time Simply Reboots and Does Death Exist?: Life is Forever, Says Theory make me want to do a little jig around the office, which would no doubt quickly get me fired and launch me on whatever new adventure is around the corner.

Who is this Robert Lanza, to fill us with such invigorating, hopeful ideas?

How's this for a bio:

Robert Lanza is considered one of the leading scientists in the world. He is currently Chief Scientific Officer at Advanced Cell Technology, and a professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He has several hundred publications and inventions, and over two dozen scientific books: among them, Principles of Tissue Engineering, which is recognized as the definitive reference in the field. Others include One World: The Health & Survival of the Human Species in the 21st Century (Foreword by President Jimmy Carter), and the Handbook of Stem Cells and Essentials of Stem Cell Biology, which are considered the definitive references in stem cell research. Dr. Lanza received his BA and MD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was both a University Scholar and Benjamin Franklin Scholar. He was also a Fulbright Scholar, and was part of the team that cloned the world's first human embryo, as well as the first to clone an endangered species, to demonstrate that nuclear transfer could reverse the aging process, and to generate stem cells using a method that does not require the destruction of human embryos. (From here).

Ananda Shankar on TED Talks

Renowned classical Indian dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. She tells her personal story of not only facing the disease but dancing through it, and gives a performance revealing the metaphor of strength that helped her do it.

Reflecting

The old house empties.
Father leaves first, in a veil of confusion.
Mother leaves slowly, her delicate fingers loosening their grip
on the edges of pretty things
until the air hangs still as an unworn dress.

Our past is carried away in boxes and
the rooms reply with increasingly hollow echoes.
I stand at the sink though there are no more dishes
left to wash, missing the scent of lemon.

A backyard swing, long gone, still beckons.
Somewhere, my mother's voice is at the other end
of a disconnected phone,
if only I knew what number to dial.
Every piece of our past is disassembled,
and yet somehow remains whole.

Now the men come with moving trucks and gloves.
I pull from the driveway with one glance back —
a yellow light still burns by the door.
Tonight the road will erase behind me.
Tomorrow a stranger's face will peer out the window.

I'll never forget my way back home.

— m.

I {heart} Breathing...

Freely. And if you do to — and haven't yet discovered the joy of a regular Neti Pot routine — I would encourage you to start with these handmade vitrified porcelain pots and accessories from Coryell Clayworks. They come in 7 gorgeous color glazes (mine is going to be sea foam, above) and can be purchased on their site. I met Harold at the Boston Chantfest this weekend and can't stop gushing (sorry, bad pun) about these pots to everyone I know.

Beautiful handmade objects are lovely. Beautiful handmade objects that are also functional are downright thrilling.

There are also companion products, like this salt jar with a spoon built into the handle, incense burners, toothbrush holders, bowls, soap dishes...

...even a massage oil warmer shaped like a bird!

No post about Neti pots would be complete without also plugging (oh! another bad nose pun!) one of my favorite products: Nasya oil from Banyan Botanicals. Four or five drops of this organic oil blend after the Neti pot = clear breathing for the remainder of the day.

First Boston Chant Fest

Wow. The First Boston Chantfest could have gone on for 24 hours instead of 12 and there still wouldn't have been enough time to soak up all it had to offer. Just being in such a beautiful, modern temple was a treat. According to their website, the purpose of Chinmaya Mission is to provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and the practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become positive contributors to society.

The temple offers members language classes in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Sanskrit. There are Veda lessons for both beginners and advanced students on Monday nights. There are weekly Abhishekams (sacred bathing of the deity statues) to Hanuman, Navagraha, and monthly to Ganesha. There's nightly chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa at 6:45 (what good practice that would be for me, still stumbling along trying to learn it). There are monthly pujas and rituals to Lord Shiva, a Bhajan (singing of devotional songs) group, Sri Bishnu Sahasranama chanting. In other words, it's a busy place. I wish it weren't 2 and a half hours away.

There were easily 400 people in attendance yesterday, but the enormous building and its many rooms easily accommodated the crowd of happy yogis and yoginis. There were vendors selling spirituality books and organic cotton tee shirts, massage oils, statues, and colorful prayer flags. There were people promoting yoga studios, and healing arts. Ajay Gupta from YogaCaps, Inc. (a non-profit organization that builds resiliency by making yoga practices more available and affordable) was handing out business cards and (much to my delight) affixing tiny silver bindis on people's foreheads. Out of respect for its importance as a religious symbol I'm not sure I would feel comfortable putting a bindi on myself for decoration — but in this particular case it felt acceptable.

Lunch and dinner were delicious and affordable Indian meals ($8 a plate) eaten at long communal tables. There was cold mango lassi and hot chai tea. There were slices of moist cake made with coconut and milk, brushed on top by what looked like silver leaf. The hum of conversation and laughter filled the room.

Though there were intriguing-sounding (and crowded) hatha yoga classes throughout the day (including laughter yoga, which I peeked in on briefly — hohoho hahaha!), J and I spent most of our time in the theater listening to a lineup of music that included our own kirtan-wallah Dave Russell, as well as Shyamdas, Prajna, Gaura Vani (above) and Wah.

Though every one the performers were amazing, Gaura Vani was a highlight for me. His studies in Indian sacred music began in Vrindavan, India at the age of 6. His voice is incredible, and the mood he creates completely immersive — at times meditative and at times ecstatic. In the photo above he's appreciating the classical Indian dance his wife added to the performance yesterday. Sweet. I'll have a chance to see Gaura Vani again soon, when he visits the Yoga Sanctuary in Northampton with The Bhakti Brothers on July 11th. From his website:

Join this sacred world music experience for an inspired, uplifting, rockin', and unique evening of kirtan, music, chanting, and mystic poetry. The Bhakti Brothers create a soulful and ecstatic celebration of Naada yoga (the yoga of sacred sound and vibration) and Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of love and devotion in complete surrender) with an array of unique ethnic instruments from around the globe.

Together Kirtan singer and musician Gaura Vani, multi-instrumentalist and singer Benjy Wertheimer, world percussionist and spoken word artist John de Kadt, and other consummate musicians will assemble for a powerful, mesmerizing musical community event of chanting, world rhythm, and mystic poetry.)

Another highlight of the day was hanging out with new friends and meeting a fellow blogger — and her gift to me of this beautiful mehndi heart, which she created while we listened to a fascinating talk about the origins of Bhakti yoga and kirtan, and their increasingly important place in today's increasingly hectic, stressful world. Check out her wonderful collage of photos of the festival here, not to mention her gorgeous artwork - I'm in love with this painting.

Midnight arrived, the festivities ended and it was time to head home. J and I haven't come home from an event at 3 in the morning in quite some time, and certainly never wearing bindis, adorned in mendhi, and feeling healthier and more peaceful than when we set out. I had no idea this quest would be so much fun.

Grounding My Root Chakra, Literally

Last night I was invited to participate in a special night of reciting the Sri Guru Gita, composed of verses from Sanskrit scripture. Through its 181 verses, the Sri Guru Gita describes the Guru-disciple relationship and its supreme role in the attainment of Self-realization, in the form of a dialogue between Shiva and his wife Parvati. It's quite beautiful, and you can listen to the full chant here.

Though the Guru Gita is recited every morning in certain ashrams and households, being new to all of this I'd never heard it, and had no idea what to expect from the evening. I was the only newbie/stranger in a group of about 20, and while we were chanting the verses (I believe it took about an hour and a half) both of my legs went completely, absolutely, 100% asleep. This isn't at all unusual when I'm meditating, and I've found ways to deal with the discomfort as part of the experience. Except that last night, at the end of the 181 verses, everyone suddenly stood up. It was time to move to the next part of the ritual, with one participant waving the aarti lamp in front of pictures of the gurus that had been carefully hung on the wall. Caught off guard and somewhat dazed from all the chanting, I didn't want to appear disrespectful and hastily tried to get up on my sleeping legs — and immediately fell back down with a most impressive thud.
Kaboom! The floating cork floor shook. The dimly studio trembled, bringing to mind Wednesday's earthquake — except that I was suddenly its epicenter.

Needless to say, the Sanskrit and aarti waving came to a grinding halt for a moment and everyone switched to repeating, "ohhh!" and "awww!" in my direction instead. Some people assumed that the intensity of the energy in the room had knocked me right over.

That certainly might have accounted for a part of it — but in reality, I'm just a terrible klutz. Perhaps the Guru of Klutz. I'm a terribly earnest klutz, but I'm a klutz nonetheless.

"Sorry!" I whispered (thinking, "Please go back to whatever peaceful trance-like state you were all in before I crashed to the floor") A second hasty attempt to get up (this time with the full attention of everyone in the room) landed me back down, where I stayed, wishing I were dead, until my legs started to tingle their way back to life. Thankfully the aarti waving and chanting resumed without me.

When my legs and the rest of my body had finally reestablished communication with each other I rose shakily to my feet, feeling a lot shorter than I had when the evening began. Though the chanting continued, a cup of cold water was procured from the foyer and brought to me, just in case. We've got a loose wire over here in the front.

Why does my lesson have to involve falling down in public?
Is it to teach me that getting back up is as easy as falling down in the first place? Or that failure - of your legs or anything else - is just a place you sometimes land on your way to success? Is it to reassure me that I won't be stoned or punished for not being perfect? Is it the universe's way of giving me a good laugh that I can share with others when I relate my ungraceful tales of woe?

Afterwards, over cake and fresh berries in the studio foyer, everyone was extremely gracious and reassured me that they understood from personal experience that I'd been caught off-guard with my legs asleep. I was given the copy of the Sri Guru Gita I'd borrowed for the evening, a 1978 softcover from the Gurudev Siddha Peeth ashram in Ganeshpuri India. After everyone else left I was invited to share more cake and a small glass of wine with my teachers, ask questions, listen, walk back outside with them later and admire the full moon hanging above the gracefully swaying trees.

An earthquake — shaking. A full moon — pulling. Falling in the midst of rising. What a week.

“Be strong then and enter into your own body.
There you have a solid place for your feet.
Think about it carefully
Don’t go off somewhere else.
Kabir says this.
just throw away all thoughts of imaginary things.
And stand firm in that which you are.”

— Kabir

Project Peace on Earth

United We Stand, United We Downward Dog.

Look out, I'm on a "good news" kick this week — no telling where this may lead!

The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings, and is derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj", meaning "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite."

And indeed, 10,000 people united on the Great Lawn of Central Park on Monday for a yoga class led by Elena Brower, breaking the record for the World's Largest Yoga Class!

This event followed Monday's Mind Over Madness Solstice event in Time's Square, which also attracted thousands of participants interested in bringing a little control and peace to a frenetic place...

Photo above by Adam Pontozzi from the Times Square Alliance site.

And though I wasn't in the city to participate in either of these events, on Saturday J and I will be attending the First Boston Yoga and Chant Fest in Boston. This 12-hour festival, being held at the Chinmaya Maruti Temple, will include free yoga classes, chanting, Indian classical dance performances, sacred ceremonies, and vegetarian food in addition to exhibitors and vendors.

There are less than 25 tickets left for this event!

A Midsummer's Eve Hike

We tread the path of lost feathers
where shy mushrooms rise unveiled
to the secret delight of snails.
Where fissures grow in stone, slow as time
and an owl, silent as imagination
abandons one perch for another.
Where winged insects flirt with webs
stretched across the loom of trees,
and the disappearing sun hangs on a leaf.

— M.

Particles Creating Sound, Sound Creating Form

I was already planning on sharing this video today when a post at Maggie's Secret Garden caught my attention. Yesterday, scientists working at the Hadron Collider announced that they have simulated the god particle signal as sound. Before reading this news I wasn't even aware there was a 'god particle,' but apparently finding it (technically it's called the Higgs boson) is the primary aim of the LHC experiment because it will "provide an insight into the nature of all matter."

Here is the sound...



The Hadron Collider is located at CERN, the European Center for Research in Particle Physics where a 6 foot tall bronze statue of Shiva Nataraja stands at the entrance, performing his cosmic dance and reminding us to "be not afraid" of the inevitable cycle of creation and destruction, of birth and death. A plaque accompanies the statue and explains the significance of the metaphor with several passages from The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism by Fritjof Capra:

Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, seeing beyond the unsurpassed rhythm, beauty, power and grace of the Nataraja, once wrote of it "It is the clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of."

More recently, Fritjof Capra explained that "Modern physics has shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the birth and death of all living creatures, but is also the very essence of inorganic matter," and that "For the modern physicists, then, Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter."

It is indeed as Capra concluded: "Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics."

Sound. Creation. Form. Chanting. The Cosmic Dance. Science. Spirituality. Singing. Amen. Aum. The concept spans so many religious traditions, ancient as humanity itself. It's all so fascinating.

"Waheguru!" chant the Sikhs, "Wow. God."

Something...Different

I just felt an earthquake while here at work (I'm on the second floor). I immediately went to Twitter and searched #earthquake — apparently the tremors were felt from Canada down the Eastern US coast as far as Boston. For some reason I was one of the only people in the building to notice the shaking.

Why am I not surprised the earth wants to give us a good shaking?

Good News, Bit by Bit

My need to stay informed about the world around me is at odds with my desire to focus on positive things. Do I want to listen to NPR in the morning and be depressed and worried while I eat breakfast, or do I pick up The Times at night and fret after dinner?

This morning it was the gulf oil disaster, the news that Massachusetts wants to build a nuclear power plant in the state, the horrific job market, the Times Square bombing plot, the irony of Dawn dish washing soap (which contains petroleum) being used to wash oil off pelicans in Louisiana, the horrific health and ecological toll of oil drilling in Peru's Amazon Basin...what are we doing to this planet and its inhabitants, including ourselves?

So needless to say I was happy when I passed by a newspaper box on my way to lunch and caught sight of a headline in the Berkshire Eagle, Solar's Sunny Future Begins. Construction of the first of six large-scale solar power facilities that WMECO intends to build in Western Massachusetts has begun. Suddenly I feel a bit better about paying my electric bill.

The Yoga of Tent

At the start of any yoga practice it's good to set an intention. My personal intention is to get my shelter standing, despite how little sense the directions make.

Gathering my props.

This tent was designed with the option of attaching to the back of my car, so wimps like me can climb inside, shut the hatch, lock the doors, and think positive, happy thoughts.

Tent Yoga should include a little Dog Pose, naturally.

My tent poles are longer than your tent poles. Much longer.

Because Tent Yoga includes the concept of Ahimsa or "non-harm" I'm hoping that when I arrive at my actual campsite there will be nothing in my way for a 500 foot radius, especially things like trees and other camper's eyeballs.

After seeing my frighteningly long poles in action the dog is maintaining a safe distance — and the front of my tent is doing a twist.

The Yoga of Tent is about moving beyond your perceived limitations, even when they appear big, gangly, and unwilling to stand up. However, what I really needed for this step was eight limbs, preferably six of them arms.

Let's try triangle pose, with tent.

More small parts, more directions. Remember to keep smiling.

J hands off the camera for a discourse on The Rope Sutras.

J practicing Thermarest Pranayama. Notice the rosy glow it's giving him.

Standing tent = inner bliss.

Six Senses Sunday #58

See:
• The delicate sliver of a crescent moon
• Fledgling finches with tiny, hopeful, flapping wings
• An email from a friend I haven't been in touch with for over a decade
• J saw a mouse in the laundry room with cheek-fulls of string. Apparently he had so much string stuffed in his mouth that it didn't all fit, and the end of the string, which was still connected to an eye hook I might add, was dangling out. "Is it crazy mouse?" I asked. J wasn't sure. Certainly sounds like it.

Taste:
• Everything bagel with garlic and scallion cream cheese, sprouts, tomato, avocado, and onion
• Cheddar cheese and caramelized onions, grilled between sourdough bread
• Fried risotto cakes topped with wild mushrooms and shaved Parmesean cheese
• Apple blackberry crisp and vanilla ice cream with mint leaves

Hear:
• The chirps of baby wrens and bluebirds in the garden birdhouses
• J playing his new Djembe in the yard
• An early morning storm approaching the tent
• Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's heart wrenching cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. "This song is on the restricted list" I said half-jokingly to J, fighting tears. But we were at our favorite birthday and anniversary restaurant in VT, where a combination of wine, sad songs, and milestones guarantees I cry before the appetizers even hit the table.

Feel:
• Halted. When he's in the house, Tweener reminds me to slow down by anticipating my every step and insinuating his oversized cat self directly in front of it.
• Woozy driving along the curvy road that leads up to the summit of Mt. Greylock. Why have I never ventured up there? And why didn't I bring my camera when I finally did?
• Terrified when a woman I'd just met jumped out from behind a wall of flowering mountain laurel bushes in the woods and shouted, "Boo!" Terror was quickly replaced by relief, then amusement.

Touch:
• Testing out camping pads on the floor of Sam's, Brattleboro VT. In a dress. Maybe this should be in the "feel" category, as I felt pretty silly.
• Mosquitoes biting the backs of my legs through the slats of a rickety rocking chair.

Smell:
• Sweet hay, fresh...cow. The scent of VT.
• New tent

Lots to Celebrate Today

Happy Birthday J

Happy Father's Day Dad

Welcome home and congratulations to my brother, on his engagement.

And happy first day of summer, everyone.

Date Night

This is what Friday nights currently look like at Casa M. Heart.
"I'm sorry I can't join you tonight, but I have a date..." (under breath) "with the computer."

This second broadcast was on Marma Chikitsa, a process/therapy involving subtle, sensitive energy points in the body that activate the body's "inner pharmacy." I took many pages of scrawled notes, and drew several heads and upper bodies that look a lot like Mr. Spock.

I even lit a candle, and burned some incredible sandalwood incense from Mysore that J and I found in a Brattleboro VT shop this afternoon, along with the book Dhanwantari, A Complete Guide to the Ayurvedic Life by Harish Johari and a hand-carved Ganesh for the car, because there's nothing like removing obstacles on the road...

The owner of the shop generously gave us a free bag of chai, custom mixed from an old Indian recipe. Honestly, I wanted to buy everything in the store. We even considered dragging home the wooden crates the items were shipped from India in when the saleswoman said we could have them, protruding nails and all.

Tomorrow (if I ever actually go to bed tonight) my plan is to set up my new tent in the yard, lay down on my new Thermarest, and play with my new solar lantern, a dry run for my upcoming solo camping trip to study Ayurveda. The Thermarest inflates itself - if only the tent possessed such a useful function. I'll have J document the proceedings for the blog so he has something to do besides help, which is what he's best at. However, if he weren't so helpful to begin with I might know how to set up a tent by myself by now.

Marma Chikitsa and tent poles — lots to learn.

Sunrise/Sunset

From YouTube:

SUNRISE/SUNSET is a unique documentary to get a real feeling of, and hopefully understand, a personality that has been a major focus for millions around the world. He is called a wolf in a lamb's skin in his homeland which is in nowadays China, while in America, for instance, he is declared the most outstanding person to ever live on the planet. The openness and sincerity that the Dalai Lama welcomed the film crew with was unprecedented and beyond any possible expression. Although the filmmakers spent a relatively short time in the residence of the Tibetan Buddhist leader, they had almost unlimited access which made the whole shooting process quite extraordinary. They were equally free in their choice of issues discussed and questions asked to which the Dalai Lama gave candid and explicit answers.

"Let every virtue in you blossom.
Let every hidden good quality of yours shine forth."

— Swami Chidvilasanda

Tiny Tracks

It's a little hard to see in a photo perhaps, but I'm pointing to the tiny hoof print of a baby deer.

Sadhu Soccer

I don't usually post other people's images on the blog because I'm paranoid about violating rights issues, but I had to share this light-hearted AP Photo by Rajesh Kumar Singh. The caption (on this site) reads, "Infected by the World Cup fever, two sadhus play football on the banks of the River Ganges in Allahabad." A reminder that even the wandering mystics of India take a play-break every now and again.

Guest House

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

— Rumi

Ashtanga, NY

J and I watched this short (41 minute) documentary on Netflix last night, and it was both fascinating and inspiring. Ashtanga was the first type of yoga I attempted, quite physically demanding and fast-moving. Being very demanding of myself, I found myself pushing too hard to 'get' the poses quickly, and became discouraged just as quickly.

In contrast, the Anusara yoga I've been practicing for the past four months honors each student's personal capabilities and limitations, and each pose is "performed as an artistic expression of the heart in which muscular stability is balanced with an expansive inner freedom." (from here). I'm much easier on myself in this class, taking each small advance and challenge as it comes. I think with yoga, as with any new endeavor, it's important to find the path that works for you personally.

Six Senses Sunday #57

Hear:
• "Leave him alone! Let Ken be Ken." J's gentle scolding regarding my 24 hour a day fretting about what my brother is doing at any given moment during his trip. Inquiring minds want to know!
• Gorgeous chanting by Snatam Kaur and her mother Prabhu Nam Kaur, the perfect accompaniment to spring rain
• Vixen has acquired yet another nickname, "Captain Snort."

See:
• Friday night I sat glued in front of the computer for two hours, watching the first of Vasant Lad's streaming video lectures from the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, this one on the pulse. Tears sprang to my eyes as he began the evening by folding his hands in front of his heart and leading the class in several chants I'd never heard before. I wasn't expecting that kind of humility from a doctor/teacher for some reason.

Taste:
• Fresh greens from the garden — arugula, lettuce, cilantro, and spinach — sprinkled with chive blossoms and sunflower seeds and tossed with apple cider vinegar and oil
• Popcorn with grated cheese for dinner - we're not always the healthiest eaters
• Local strawberries in their early sweetness

Smell:
• A vase full of pink, magenta, and white peonies perfumed the entire house this weekend. The rain gives me a good excuse to clip their profuse blooms. J said the colors reminded him of my mom.
• Roasted asparagus and tomato quiche lifted from the incubator of a hot oven
• The sharp sulphur of matches as I light candles to dispel Saturday's dismal gray from the dining room

Feel:
• Touched by the intelligence and humility that radiates from Vasant Lad, palpable even over the internet. Excited to learn from him in person this July
• Equally terrified by it — the "what if's" are performing their churning dance already
• A little sad that the swallows seem to have abandoned the next they fought the wrens for, and moved on to someplace else

Touch:
• The stems of flowering chives have grown firm with summer
• Scabs on the soles of my feet
• Slug slime on the unsuspecting dog

Roses in the Rain

Sometimes a little texture, like a little rain, can be a good thing. I hope whatever the weather is doing in your part of the world, you're enjoying the weekend.