Information & the writings of Laura Harrison: founder of the Natural Yoga Method, spiritual guide, poet, author and embodiment of joie de vivre ;)
...dedicated to those who have the bravery to pursue a life of personal authenticity, overcome their insecurities and wounds, take full responsibility for their own happiness, and see the beauty in the art of living.
The Loneliness On The Spiritual Path, Finding Your Tribe, Happiness and
Real Love NOVEMBER 2012
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." ~
Dalai Lama
"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no
more hurt, only more love." ~Mother Teresa
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in
harmony." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I
need you because I love you.'" ~Erich Fromm
"Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible - it cannot
be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and
offer you more joy than any material possession could." ~Barbara de Angelis
"Normal" lifestyle according to American pop culture is based on the material
level of life alone. It is devoid of genuine heartfelt variation, uniqueness,
self-expression and real spirituality. It supports people being trapped in their
own heads and traumatized and imprisoned with self-consciousness and the ego
running rampant, comparing self to others constantly trying to rank and compete
and fit in and appease. This is not heart-centered, authentic or as Jeff Brown
calls it, Soul-centered, living. It is fake and negates deep honesty and
authenticity, which then defies any real happiness, confidence, or fulfilment in
living.
Living life in harmony with your inner truth leads to much deeper and realer
fulfilment in life- it is discovering your life purpose and giving yourself to
it; it is living a lifestyle that brings out your best, makes you feel your best
and shine your brightest as much as possible. However, there is a price to pay
for authenticity: all the people, foods, places, actions, thoughts, and habits
that aren't harmonious with who you become at each stage of spiritual growth
must be shed. Letting go of friends, ways of life, old ideas, can be VERY
painful. And there is a time in between when you lost the old nouns and verbs
that don't fit right or fulfil you anymore and when the new people, places, and
things fill your life... and this time is usually a swirling cycle of bright and
amazing experiences, and dark cold, lonely times when you wish you could find
people and a society that you fit in with.
This time period is different for everyone, and this transitional space comes
not just once, but every so often on the spiritual journey, as vibrations
change, that which resonates harmoniously changes too. These times are very
trying. Why do we have to go through this, as beings aiming to live positive and
grateful lives? Devo Mahesvara.. the difficulty helps us to discard that which
is no longer serving our good. It is the time for trial-and-error, a lot of
learning, a lot of exploring what is meaningful and inspiring to you... and as
you hold in your heart the vibrations you now embody, the energy of who you are
and are becoming, as you live it and explore it.. you are attracting towards you
the people and places and experiences that will nourish you. You are attracting
your authentic life and your tribe.
Teacher Jeff Brown calls it a "soul pod" like a family of dolphins, connected
by past lives, similar vibrations, and/or similar levels of consciousness. These
are the people who "get" you, who view life in compatible ways, enjoy the sames
sorts of things, disassociate from most of the same parts of conventional
society as you. They become your brothers and sisters. They become soul-friends,
and soul-mates, partners in crime, best friends, inspirations, support, mirrors,
and they UPLIFT you, they do not DRAIN you.
I have had times of extreme
loneliness, when I was learning to live an authentic lifestyle based on my own
heart-compass, but I knew no one that I connected with. I was so sad, so
confused, I thought there had to be something wrong with me, I mean, I wasn't
like anyone else. I was happy with who I was except for the fact that I was
extremely alone. So I developed a handy little eating disorder to deal with my
sensitivity to energy and it was a horrible, painful cycle. Yoga slowly pulled
me out of it and towards other beings as I continued on a heart-centered path.
The loneliness pops up sometimes, especially I find that changing eating habits
tends to lead to a feeling of disconnetion from others.. so becoming raw vegan
from regular vegan made me feel much more alone and unalike anything "normal". I
didn't want to be "normal", but we all want to have loved ones that love us and
that we can love and feel part of... real family.
Another amazing side-effect of these periods of loneliness, I am discovering
as I am coming into a new time of connection, is to learn greater and greater
capacities for giving and receiving love. I am becoming extraordinarily open
with my appreciation and adoration and love for the people who contribute to my
world. This ability to appreciate SO thoroughly is directly connected to the
pain suffered in times of loneliness.. If I wasn't THAT painfully lonely I would
take this gratitude and love for granted or think nothing of it, or not even
notice it well. It is in times of suffering that the heart is broken, and
instead of letting it heal smaller and harder, like conventional wisdom would
have us do, the yogi lets it heal wider, wide enough to swallow the sorrow. It
breaks wide open and we let it heal large and open and more sensitive. And that
is how we feel greater and greater love, joy, gratitude, satisfaction and
fulfilment in life. All the things that were keeping our hearts small are broken
through and transcended. Our capacity grows. Not just for love, but for
intensity in general, for life in general, for joy, sorrow, peace, PRESENCE, our
capacity to be fully present grows.
So even if you feel like you know no one anything like you, just keep
folowing the things that make you happy, that uplift, inspire, enliven, the
things that stoke your passion, your creativity, your fulfilment.. and you will
find your tribe, your chosen family, and you will know you are loved and
magnificent. You may have felt that way before, but the validation and the
mirror of your beauty in the hearts of others you love and respect is a
nourishment that we all need. And it shall come! Blessings!!!
Solar Cookers International, sells the CooKit solar panel cooker for US$25 online here.
Check this link to see information related to solar ovens. There is a DIY plan to make your own for under $10, then google up some recipes and cook away. Cook with a solar oven like you would a slow cooker, or you can even bake- the person who gave me the link said he made some AWESOME banana bread in his!
There is information about Solar Cookers International, from which you can purchase a very sleek version of the solar oven for $25, supporting there work in impoverished areas of the world. Places that are ravaged by poverty and disease still use cooking fires, which as romantic as they sound, produce a lot of smoke and force people to keep buying and burning coal or other fuels. The smoke is very unhealthy, especially for someone suffering diseases such as AIDS or who are otherwise weakened, or the young and elderly as well. By providing these solar ovens, SCI is helping people to afford more food and to stay healthier by avoiding smoke, plus doing the earth a favor, reducing burning that releases greenhouse gases.
Plus, I love the idea of putting out a suntea jar and the solar oven on my picnic table, and having a delightful dinner all ready to enjoy al fresco. Keep the house cool, keep power bills lower, and do the earth a favor! Please feel free to send us your favorite solar cooker recipes to share! NAMASTE!
Many people have shared with me over the years ways in which their draw to yoga and meditation was foreshadowed, especially in childhood.
I recall watching cartoons in my own special version of headstand, using the center of the couch, with my feet on the wall. I also had a great shoulderstand/fish variation: legs up the wall, back on the couch cushion and head hanging just over the edge of the cushion. during a few Summers, us kids tried to perfect handstand in the pool. I hear stories of similar "accidental" yoga poses all the time.
Many also have similar stories of meditative awareness arising in odd places, entering into a flow state while working in a fast-food drive thru, for example. Slipping into a meditative flow while cleaning the house or cooking is actually pretty common.
Babies naturally move into mudra-asanas. Young ones move into variations bound angle, tree, bridge, double-leg stretch & of course happy baby. Older babies find upward facing dog, down dog, cross-legged pose, chair and more.
The truth is that yoga, that is to say union with the present moment, is a natural state of being. Yoga is universal. Yoga is what we are, without all of the man-made stress & pretense. Yoga is what nature is in all her perfection.
Poses in yoga practice are ways of directing the flow of energy to bring health to the body, relax the mind and remove obstacles in the way of our natural state of yoga. They naturally feel good, so its not surprizing that children find them the way they do.
Present moment awareness is access to the depth of Life. The more we are present, the more we strengthen our ability to be present. It's no wonder that once we engage in regular yoga practice our mind begins to connect all of the instances where we touched that state of being.
Yoga is our natural state of being. The present moment is our home. We are all born as natural yogis.
Sticky popcorn balls and gooey caramel apples: two classic treats that declare fall and Halloween are here. Typically, these delights are loaded with corn syrup, sugar, and/or butter. For a healthier alternative with a similar taste, experiment with the following recipes. Vegan Popcorn Balls Yields 12 balls
1/2 cup organic popcorn kernels
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup organic maple syrup
1/2 cup barley malt syrup
1 cup cold water, to prevent sticky hands
1. Pop popcorn, per instructions on package and place in a large bowl.
2. Mix maple and barley malt syrups in a small sauce pan, and bring to a boil.
3. Lower heat to medium-low, and stir constantly for 5-6 minutes.
4. Pour the hot syrup over the popcorn and mix thoroughly.
5. Slightly moisten your hands with cold water, and form balls by firmly packing the mixture in your hands. Be sure to moisten your hands before making each ball.
6. Place balls in a covered container or wrap in wax paper, then freeze until the syrup hardens. Vegan Caramel Sauce with Apples Yields 1 cup of sauce
1 cup of vanilla soy milk
3/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon vegan margarine (A brand like Earth Balance has no hydrogenated oils, contains no GMO’s, and is gluten-free.)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Sliced apples
1. Combine soy milk, brown rice and maple syrups in a saucepan over medium heat until boiling (about 10 minutes.) Whisk continuously to prevent sticking.
2. Mix water and arrowroot in a small bowl.
3. When the boiling mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, add the mixed water and arrowroot. Cook for 2 more minutes, whisking continuously.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vegan margarine and vanilla extract.
5. Cool and drizzle over apple slices.
Generation Monsanto (GM) - Why We Need Labels on GM Foods Now
Gen-M, the first Monsanto Generation of humans force-fed genetically modified foods hasn't reached reproductive age yet (they were born in the late 1990s). But, if a critical mass of animal feeding studies are any indication, the millennial generation, reared on Food Inc.'s unlabeled "Frankenfoods" can look forward to a long-term epidemic of cancer, food allergies, learning disabilities, sterility, and birth defects.
Corn (85% of U.S. production is GM), soy (91% GM), cotton (88% GM), canola (85% GM) and sugar beets (95% GM) are all genetically engineered by Monsanto to withstand massive doses of the company's glyphosate herbicide RoundUp, or else to exude their own pesticide, Bacillus Thuriengensis (Bt). RoundUp, the favorite weedkiller poison of non-organic farmers and gardeners, causes brain, intestinal and heart defects in fetuses. And scientists warn that RoundUp, the most extensively used herbicide in the history of agriculture, "may have dire consequences for agriculture such as rendering soils infertile, crops non-productive, and plants less nutritious." In addition, hundreds of thousands of US dairy cows are injected with genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (developed by Monsanto) in spite of studies linking BGH with cancer, and longstanding bans on the drug in the EU, Japan, Canada, and most industrialized nations.
With genetically modified foods and crops threatening public health and the environment, not to mention the next generation's reproductive capacity, why isn't there a massive consumer outcry to restrain Monsanto's biotech bullying and ban genetically engineered foods and agriculture?
The answer is disturbingly simple. Collusion between Monsanto and elected public officials (including the current Obama Administration) has obscured the fact that almost all non-organic foods in the US contain GMOs. Despite poll after poll indicating that 85-95% of US consumers want mandatory labels on foods containing GMOs, Congress has heretofore listened to Monsanto and corporate agribusiness, rather than their own constituents. In the European Union, Japan, or South Korea, where GM foods must be labeled, there are no GM foods on grocery story shelves (and little or none served in restaurants), since most consumers would not buy them and a significant number would complain if they saw GMO labels on products. Consequently there are very few GM crops being cultivated in the EU (mainly a small amount of corn in Spain for animal feed).
Most Americans simply do not understand that 80% of non-organic supermarket processed foods (basically every product containing soy, corn, canola, cottonseed oil, or sugar beet derivatives) are contaminated with GMOs. While nearly everyone in North America has eaten genetically modified foods, only 26% believe that they have.
People don't think they're eating genetically modified foods because they have no way of knowing whether they are or not. Genetically modified foods aren't labeled.
If we're going to save this generation from reproductive dysfunction and save our farmland from the ravages of RoundUp, we need to stop Monsanto.
The first step is to protect consumers' right to know whether their food is genetically modified.
We need genetically modified food labeled now!
Write your Congresspersons and 2010 candidates for the House and Senate. Tell them to support mandatory labeling of all genetically modified foods.
TAKE ACTION>>>http://www.capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=15154336&type=ML
