11/25/11

The power and purpose of Ceremony

By Matthew Cosgrove


    Ceremony is the greatest form of gift giving we humans possess.
Their power is in the intent we charge them with. A true prayer from the
 heart echoes through all layers of creation, from the underworld of the
earth and our unconscious, to the conscious physical and to the upper
world of spirit.

kale chips


Kale is rich in vitamin A, K, and C, but that does not make kale the super food that it is. Kale is also the green to enrich the minerals in your blood. It contains magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc and iron.
Minerals are good for all of us, but especially for our air constitution, Vatta.
Eat kale cooked, boiled or as a snack in the form of chips.


I personally recommend this snack for Kaphas.

11/24/11

Prayer to pacify man tempers: So purk


One time in India, no far away, was a very holy man, a saint full of compassion, sweetness and devotion. His name was Nanak. Guru Nanak was loved by many, especially women who enjoyed sitting with him long hours and listening to his captivating songs of divine love.
When the woman returned home, they found their husband no happy or interested in more mundane matters. The group of woman devotees requested from Nanak what they can do to alleviate their husband’s tempers. Nanak, in full understanding of the difference between the man and the woman, and the gift that woman have to influence their creation, went for a 10 days retreat.

SIOUX PRAYER to do BEFORE MEALS



I’m an Indian.
I think about the common things like this pot.
The bubbling water comes from the rain cloud.
It represents the sky.
The fire comes from the sun,
Which warms us all, men, animals, trees.
The meat stands for the four-legged creatures,
Our animal brothers,
Who gave themselves so that we should live.
The steam is living breath.
It was water, now it goes up to the sky,
Becomes a cloud again.
These things are sacred.
Looking at that pot full of good soup,
I am thinking how, in this simple manner,
The Great Spirit takes care of me.

11/22/11

Prayer and Beauty

Contribution from face to grace
facetograce.com


Someone once said that prayer is when we talk to God and meditation is when we listen to Him/Her. It seems that recently my prayers are mostly about gratefulness for the flow in my life despite the chaos of moving and my computer’s demise. Friends and family answered my calls for help when the movers didn’t show up and was soon blessed with visitors of all ages to my new place.

How to introduce prayer to children


Contribution from Anamda Sly

Children naturally love to do Bhakti yoga that is so easily incorporated into children’s yoga.  They express devotion in a simple and natural way, free of the ego.  The purpose of this yoga is to merge with Divine Love, internally and externally.
  
Bhakti yoga uses deities such as Shiva, Vishnu or masters such as Krishna or Buddha or the image of a teacher who represents divine Love and inspiration. Some of the devotional practices include Kirtan – mantras and Japa – devotional songs.  Children respond naturally to new songs, chants and rituals and learn new words and absorb the benefit of the mantra quickly.

11/1/11

pick of peru feb 2011

Dear  One:

Even though I speak the Spanish language, ate peruvian food and walked the land of Peru before, I must admit that this time the sacred journey to Peru left me with the unexpected colorful richness and flavor imparted through connecting with this vibrant and elevating inca land .

On the surface, our group of 15 people could have been seen as just another group of tourists visiting and doing the normal things tourist do .Yes we had fun visiting but our main intention was to be bathed by the sacredness of the Andes, and our intent played out like something  orquestrated by the divine.

Each movement I did, each face I saw, each place I stayed, each meal I took, each souvenir I bought was experienced with an  almost  tai-chi like flow of perfection.

It was not until we arrived to machupichu that I realized that my body,  and the bodies of the group were being filled up with tiny codes of light. Each code or figurine was attached to another code forming a tapestry of color and texture similar to the ones we encounter in the peruvian textiles.

As time progressed the codes requested inner space and acceptance from our part, at the same time a profound peace and understanding of the times which are to come landed in my awareness.
 The group and I were experiencing  physical changes in different ways, with the changes came a shift in our frequencies that was beautifully  supported by nature, and by the inka priests and healers of that land.

The transmutation was surely at the cellular level, leaving in myself a naked awareness that in this moment of time the Andes of Peru are holding a living energy that is a treasure ready to support the consciousness  of the new world.
I am shy to share this information since words do no justice to the deeply felt profound understanding that the journey there pierced into my awareness . I do however feel an energetic ability to relay knowledge  through meditation or other forms of non verbal transmitions.

I am grateful for all the years of inner practice and self inquiry, so I can come home and take the time for my body to assimilate and translate into my daily life the frequencies that I had received.

After a few weeks in Peru I flew to Colombia, my mother land. The tropical climate and atmosphere  charged with colors and history, the sand and the water, the warmth of the people and  family offered a different type of inner food. I realized how fortunate we are here in Canada, with so much space, silence and wealth.
As I  witnessed people with so little , yet so happy to share a simple conversation with us, I realized that beauty and good fortune are indeed in the eye of the beholder .

As I write this note I still feel the sacred pilgrimage  unfolding within myself with it's  mysterious wonders, it's unknown possibilities of transformation and an endless fountain  of peace and gratitude.

I hold in my heart an intimate closeness to the group I traveled  with and to the people that hosted us with such care. I was fortunate to stay in Cuzco with Virginia in the "Casa de la serenidad", she surely has the spirit of the mother ready to supply the most minuscule details that assure our safety and comfort.

I am also grateful to have the opportunity to come home and see my life showered with new perspectives, possibilities and vitality. I surely,  one more time place my trust in the profound changes that the yearly  pilgrimage provides.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy ,
This is the milky way depicted by the inkas, you can see the frog, the llama, the wolf as part of their cosmology.
We are walking in the healing terrace of the inkas in Machupichu, more close to the heavens it can not be.
We performed a "call" ceremony to the masters of Ascention in Machupichu
Bhuvaneswari with tears of joy in the temple of the sun in Machupichu.
At the sacred gate.
Our teaching space in Urubamba.  The Shaman Antonio and Fred his apprentice.
Sunset in Lima
having fun in the local market in Cusco.

tip to sleep better


Insomnia is a Vata condition that affects many people, especially during the fall (Vata) season.
Putting 6 to 8 drops of patchouli essential oil, a sedative, in your diffuser will alleviate or eradicate that condition. And look how synchronicity works! It also is a tonic for the liver.