« October 2007 | Main | December 2007 »
It was a blessing to be a recipient of one of the Limited Edition Global Mala eKO mats several months back. Not so blessed when I had to lug all 5 MM / 7 lbs. of it back to the parking structure located ways back from the LA Convention Center's South Hall.
Finally got to unwrap the eKO last week and try it out at several classes. It does not disappoint. The words "grip and comfort" truly apply ; no hesitations moving into Urdhva Danurasana now even after a torrential downpour of sweat has drenched it. Balancing poses like Virabhadrasana 3 are facilitated with that cushioned layer of matting.
Manduka states it took 3 years to develop and create from non-Amazon harvested natural tree rubber. It is meant to decompose completely @ the end of its useful life, i.e. no footprint in landfill.
Eco responsibilty meets High Performance!
The point of selectivity was driven home this Thursday as I had to weed / comb through animal protein in order to eat during a late lunch. At least the rice and potatoes had "flavah" from the drippings. Becoming a vegetarian does have its benefits : increased strength , focus / awareness on nutrition and weight loss . My "pitta" nature calls for spice and fire , and if a good Thai or Indian resto is not available , then eating becomes a hum drum necessity.
So , I was @ Barnes & Noble on Black Friday and came across Padma Lakshmi's new book :TANGY, TART , HOT & SWEET, in the midst of all the dour vegan ,vegetarian & raw titles. This release is not 100 % veg per se , but she was raised one, so there are enough sections to cover. I am really feeling her global groove , with influences from Southeast Asia & the Carribean. Kudos to you for making food sexy / tasty / cool again.
As Padma puts it " Food is Love. Whenever one thinks of a celebration, a meal is involved". If it was good enough for Salman Rushdie , it's good enough for me. ( Image via Amazon )
A Kundalini awakening is an amazing gift that empowers the "awakened" with awareness beyond the ordinary & expand one's perspective & experience.
Ever since my Labor Day awakening @ Golden Bridge , this gift has been an aid in witnessing life with detachment & perception. Case in point was this Sunday , where I had a couple of separate but consecutive incidents with individuals whom I regard with the highest affection. As my French associates are wont to say , "Cest la vie, d'accord -"; the second one being spicier as the response to my comment "You don't have to shout " was a lobbed "A**hole". Been a while since I was called that one, heh heh, but in both instances, Kundalini provided the perspective to see ( versus just hearing ) all the subtexts of what was being thrown at me as well as their points of origination.
It has also provided the ability & focus to literally "let them go" and cut loose if need be. The right effort & energy was always consistently extended ;and that is what matters.
So receiving email confirmation today that MAHA Kundalini teacher Harijiwan will be teaching in Santa Monica this Wednesday was timely. The session will focus on guided meditations & a long, HEALING gong @ the end.
Here is what he has to say on SEVA:
"If you don't feel good, the quickest way to feel good is to help someone else feel good. The energy created by their expression of GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION will cure you faster than any therapy or drug. And keep doing things that make other people feel good until you don't have enough time to have problems of your own". SAT NAM!
Zen Koan : What is the sound of one hand clapping ?
Yogi John Franzoni was a fixture of the 60s counterculture . He was one of LA's OG yogis , one of the 1st students of Yogi Bhajan and counted among his friends legendary icons like Carlos Santana & Dennis Hopper. His picture is ensconsced along with that of Yogi Bhajan on a wall of the landmark Bodhi Tree Bookstore , Melrose Avenue. He had a yoga studio in the Fairfax District back in the day and was a member of the band One Hand Clapping.
Yogi John passed on several years back but I got to hang out with his eldest son Mila today c/o a friend who is looped into the Kundalini scene. Mila calls himself a "yoga brat" because of his heritage. With a kundalini awakening at the age of 5,and an invitation from a Nepalese Rimpoche to become a boy monk at the age of 6, it was not your typical LA childhood. He got into trouble for meditating in grade school, so education was a challenge.
It was a MAHA experience to take him to Vytas B.'s class this afternoon for some cleansing hatha vinyasa & "feel good "vibes. From his perspective, I got to learn more about the next steps to undertake after my own personal kundalini awakening as well as on native American spiritual practices from his visits with the tribes of South Dakota.
Where do you go with a legacy like this?
