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Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Slave Archetype vs Abundance
September 28, 2015
— 1 Comment
Most of us are obvious slaves to something or someone. The joke is that we slave on without knowledge of our bondage because we obscure reality to ourselves. We make-believe the job, the society, the government, the neighborhood, or even our birth family are to blame for all of our trials and tribulations. We need a scapegoat for any misery directly attributed to our behavior, so we manifest some slavery that keeps us from being free. These masters of our fate are clearly visible and obvious to all everyone else, just as we can clearly see what imprisons other people. The trick is to catch our own slave at work undermining our confidence and freedom, diminishing our possibilities and talents. Once the bondage has been identified it can be put to much more fruitful use. We define both abundance and scarcity for our own lives. Each of us has a particular definition that includes hints to finding the enslaver we harbor within. There are certain qualities or practices we consider to be essential to our persona’s happiness. Those are the things to which we are enslaved.
The bright full moon and eclipse last night moved me to examine my own areas of shadow slavery. I have taken a fun break from home and routine lately, which gives new perspective on my personal habits and rituals. Returning home I directly experienced my own abundance and good fortune. I have comfort, joy, good fortune, friends and ease in my home. Although I had a procedure to remove a small skin cancer on my shoulder last week, my doctor’s office is right down the street and I have all the support I need from friends and neighbors. The wound is healing quickly with very little pain. I see this wound on my skin as a reminder of my abundant good fortune. I do need to care for it as well as trust in providence and doctor’s instructions to heal me. The way I treat this wound is a metaphor for the way I take care of my health for the future. It represents the value and the necessity of self care, and also shows how much we all depend on help from others to live complete lives.
Have you ever taken a look at your inner slave in action? Who or what is the master, gentle reader?
The Buddha
No Place Like Home Wellness Plan
September 23, 2015
— 2 Comments
pure intention
My recent odyssey was perfect for my taste as well as my health. Winding up the last three days and nights in Desert Hot Springs gave me every chance to relax, release and renew in the water. The drinking water there is also excellent, so I came home hydrated and healthy. Taking a mineral water cure is always my favorite way to retreat to center and focus. Leaving home is a great way to assess which best and healthy practices to nurture, and which habits to eliminate. I was very lenient with my diet on holiday but did not suffer ill effects from a few days of extra alcohol and taste treats. We did not go overboard very much on the trip, and a little splurge is good for the attitude.
The first day of fall beckons to holiday celebrants to begin planning, singing, and collecting recipes. The Pumpkin Spice lifestyle is propagated everywhere, and obligatory holiday consumerism is praised as virtue. I am not opposed to merriment, gifting, or parties, but think it can all be done with less waste, more true spirit of giving, and some refined restraint. I plan to use this season of harvest and thanksgiving to clean up my act, my house, and my lifestyle choices. I am the only one who can give myself these gifts.
Now that I am home I have the chance to create positive new change:
- This fall I will limit myself to 3 alcoholic drinks a week
- I will go through my books and office to reduce clutter/clear space
- I will try at least 3 classes a week at the Racquet Club
- I will have acupuncture or body work every week
- I will write poetry and mine my dreams for self-expression
When the winter solstice arrives in December I want to feel happier, lighter, and more free. Three months of concentration on my wellbeing is an investment that will pay big dividends long into the future. This holiday present I am giving to myself is more valuable than anything I could be given by another person.
shadow selfie
Back to Class-Fall for Fitness
August 30, 2015
— 3 Comments
Tucson Racquet Club
I enjoy my membership at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club very much. The facility is open 24 hours and is kept clean by a friendly and competent staff. As a steam room fan I am mighty particular about the cleanliness of our spa. The indoor jacuzzi/steam area is thoroughly cleaned, and the water in the jacuzzi drained and replaced twice a week. I have worked at fancy expensive spas that do not maintain such a level of attention to cleaning spa facilities. The steam room is the only one I have seen with a view of outdoors. The natural light and view of the mountains adds to the pleasant steam experience for me.
The Racquet Club an open, family oriented place with acres of space for recreation. The tennis, handball and volleyball teams are active. Pickleball and even a ping pong table add extra fun for the competitive sport. Two olympic sized heated pools provide plenty of room for lap swimming and classes at the same time. The cooler lap pool is shaded from the Arizona sun. Since I use the private pool at my condo village I have not used the pools very much. In the 7 years I have been a member I have taken two classes. I am happy to do my own thing in the weight room without a set time. This has suited my lifestyle and may still be my favorite way to use the club. However, Medicare Advantage, for which I will qualify next year, will give me a Silver Sneakers membership at no cost. If I want to include all the classes offered I will be charged $22.50 a month. This is a screaming bargain, but only if I go to class. The next step in my health care journey is to analyze the cost benefits of taking fitness classes.
This is ironic because I have taken and taught thousands of fitness classes and private lessons. At one time in my life I spent lots of money and time to seek teaching from accomplished yogis and other master teachers. I do appreciate the value of good instruction, but I believe I have become jaded and stagnant. I don’t know exactly why I took such long break, but I now see many reasons to go back to fitness school this fall. For the next four months, while I still pay full price for my membership I will take classes at least five days a week in order to establish a habit. I can only benefit from what I learn during this fall fitness semester of training. To pick and choose from the wide variety on menu of classes is a luxury I might as well enjoy. If I find that I like classes attending again the $22.50 monthly fee will be super reasonable in the future. The classes I plan to incorporate into my schedule on the first week are:
- Postural Fitness- an excellent system based on the work of Pete Igoscue
- Pilates- there are two levels of mat classes for me to try
- Yoga- the club offers 5 kinds of yoga for all kinds of tastes and abilities
- TRX- I have never tried this popular training method
Do you have a fitness routine, gentle reader? Are you loyal to classes or do you like to mix and match with your own thing? My investment into trying new classes this fall will be an adventure back to the future for me. Whatever the outcome I am sure the time I spend will be well rewarded. Health is our only real wealth.
Fluidity and the Future
August 26, 2015
— 2 Comments
fountain of youth
When the worldwide economy takes center stage anything can happen. Some people are caught in a crunch without sufficient funds to cover their losses. Some investments are easily converted into cash. These are considered to be fluid investments. Anything that you own for which there is no instant market is not fluid. You must find a buyer in order to unload those items. Often the seller takes a serious loss when forced to raise funds to cover losses. Think of the recent real estate tragedies in the united States as an example. The underwater homes and mortgages were stuck in a stagnant market that favored buyers over sellers. The American dream of the 30 year mortgage in real estate as a fabulous investment has been revealed to be less than foolproof. Not all homes will retain value, and in some markets real estate is very difficult to move.
Fluidity is a factor in investing and planning for retirement, but it is also a major element in future flexibility in life. The body you create as well as inherit will serve you for better or for worse as time passes. You will be able to enjoy activities and stay involved in social and intellectual interests as long as your physical health allows. The precious resources of healthy mind and healthy body can’t be overprotected. The body is the permanent home we will occupy until we die. Keeping it in good working order is the most valuable gift we can give our future selves. Retaining good range of motion will pay excellent dividends in terms of comfort and ease. How can we contribute to our liquid physical assets?
- Immerse yourself in water- use the support of hydrostatic pressure to bring ease to your movement and enhancement to your natural flexibility
- Try new forms of artistic expression- the latest trend is all about adult coloring books as a meditative practice. Crafty or edible, use any new excuse to expand your artistic horizons.
- Plan free time to include more activities in nature. Picnics, hikes, and trips to the dog park all bring the healing power of nature into our daily experience.
- If you have any space (even a balcony) try growing some of the foods or herbs you eat. The satisfaction of gardening is a shortcut to both better nutrition and therapy.
- Start a regular stretching and strength routine. The methods you use are less important than making the practice a daily habit. Keeping range of motion all over the body, especially the spine, is an investment well worth your time.
fountain of youth
Listen with Compassion
August 23, 2015
— 3 Comments
politics as usual
One skill that is central to peace of mind and well being is listening. We hear sounds all the time. People talk to us with varying degrees of sincerity and interest. Our job is to distinguish and sort the grain from the chaff. By paying attention it is possible to harvest harmony from the symphony of sounds and sentences we hear. To listen with compassion is a difficult task. Defending our own position rather than truly comprehending other points of view is one of the most common substitutes for listening. Understanding others is not a sign of weakness but a sign of maturity. We can’t agree with everyone, but we can look for ways to increase loving kindness in our lives. To love thy neighbor as thyself involves a degree of allowing that neighbor to express himself. As we in the United States fall deeper into the political season each day I expect some wild rhetoric. To remain happy, detached and centered is my goal. I am setting guidelines for myself ignored to keep my cool and enjoy life while those around me might loose it.
- No need to respond to political statements made by anyone on line
- When hearing news reports, suspend judgement and consider the facts
- Keep my own negative feelings about candidates to myself
- Attempt to understand the logic behind all points of view presented
- Realize that many factors contribute to elections, most of which have not yet happened. A wait and see attitude will serve me well as time passes.
By conscious meditative contemplation I will not only survive but will find my center during the presidential election hoo-ha. I can admit that the last two elections disturbed and distracted me. I became enraged at the robo calls and the parties making them. Now I know that this too shall pass. I am gearing up to listen with compassion and a distinct sense of humor during the political crazy season. I wish you a sane election season, gentle reader. Best of luck.
party
What is Fiduciary Responsibility?
August 20, 2015
— 2 Comments
Americans are not financially literate as a group. The depressing collapse of the markets in 2008 followed by a bank bail out has left the country with gross inequity. Working folks with real estate holdings, retirement plans and other investments took big hits while the banks returned to business as usual. Regulations designed to curb the abuses of financial institutions, like Dodd/Frank have not been implemented. We are still in a situation dominated by lenders, bankers, and mortgage brokers. Stock brokers have been able to operate under an assumption that suitable, reasonable investments were the only offers made to clients. In reality any system that is commission based encourages transactions. The broker makes a cut from each trade, and wants to maximize the client’s contribution to his total commission. His company also rewards him for selling in house products by offering a higher commission for the sale than competitive products may have. The client becomes the least of the broker’s concern within this structure.
I switched to a fiduciary to manage my investments years ago. I am much more secure and happy with my portfolio since I made the change. I worked with brokers from different brokerages in the past, but never found one with my interests in mind. There is a simple reason for that. The rewards were structured against my financial well being and in favor of trades to create commission. Now I split the profits with my fiduciary firm, which works perfectly. I make as much money as they make. If they make nothing for me I pay them nothing. This incentive to make good decisions for both of us carries weight and works like a charm. I do discuss the strategy a few times a year to make sure we are on the same page, but my involvement is very light. We are in the same financial boat which makes me feel happy.
Brokerages are starting to lobby the public with misleading ads about this new proposed regulation. I urge you to take some time to understand the issues. Brokers pretend that fiduciary responsibility to you will somehow cut you off from good advice. What it will do is make it illegal to sell you products that are not the best investment or the best deal in terms of fees for your situation. This is a protection Americans need to stay financially stable into retirement. Caveat emptor, gentle reader.
Mortality Mystery
August 13, 2015
— 8 Comments
Artemisia
To care for anyone at the end of life is a privilege and an honor. Not all people are in the circumstances to allow them to devote time to caring for family members. I cared for my parents when they had end of life issues. My brother lived far away and had a demanding job. He had no extra time or energy for our parents, and I did. The direct experience I gained by taking care of their health, assets, and welfare has given me insight into mortality. I was close to them as they passed into the next realm of existence. I felt the change as they slipped into that permanent state beyond life. They became a kind of distilled essence of all they thought, all they loved, and all they did. Their presence is still felt on earth, but their physical bodies have ceased to function. They are spirits.
Yesterday we said good bye to the earthly physical life of our beautiful coon hound, Artemisia. She was a wonderful, funny, friendly, loyal dog for almost 13 years. She had reached the end of her physical limits, but needed help to make her exit. She was at home for her vet-assisted end of life. Although our sorrow and loss are devastating now it was good to be with her and love her while she departed. Our home feels and sounds empty without the sweet howling welcome when we come home. This mourning will take time. To be alive without my hound today is very hard. Her spirit is teaching me to be grateful for all we shared, no regrets. She does not regret any of her time with us, and wishes us a happy life. I can feel her love as a permanent support and protection. She knows my love for her can never fade. She is unlocking mortality’s secret code for me.
She was cremated today and scattered under trees at the pet cemetery. Now she is a couple miles down the road to the east, and her grandparents are buried a couple of miles to the west of our home. She was close to her grandma, and acted as her therapy dog. I feel sure they are together now in some way. The gift in caregiving is understanding. The task of helping someone die well can be draining and frightening. There is nothing easy about it. The rewards are lasting and meaningful. I know this will come in handy when the time comes for me to die. My loyal hound will be there to guide my way.
Blue Moon Opportunity
July 28, 2015
— 1 Comment
This July, 2015 is full of unusual astrological events. The most obvious is the blue moon in Aquarius on 31 July at the end of this week. This second full moon in a month is rare, and will not occur again until January, 2018. In astrology terms, the sky is full of aspects, squares and retrograde planets that do not bode well for relationships and power struggles.
Full moon is a time of plenty, a time to reap and be grateful. As tides swell and retreat, the moon (from our point of view) grows large until it is directly opposite the sun at full moon, and then it diminishes in size. Since ancient times farmers have followed the moon’s phases to find the right times to plant or harvest, feed, or weed the crops. The new moon begins a cycle which comes to fullness about 2 weeks later when it reaches fullness. Each new moon I make a mental and physical sweep of my space, clearing and cleaning. I have learned that for me this important step makes clear a new beginning. Projects that have been abandoned can be refreshed on the new moon. Obvious excess, including commitments that don’t benefit me, are examined for possible removal at the new moon. It reminds me of soil preparation and planting seeds. During the time between new and full your enthusiasm and efforts must continue to nurture the new project or you will arrive at the full moon with little to show. A continuum of careful execution must be carried out with mindful purpose in order to attain the goal, or the harvest we desire. Each new moon is a chance to start anew. Each full moon is a time to count our blessings and feel our successes.
This special blue moon seems to me an excellent time to examine life goals, large and small. Relationships from the past may be haunting the present. This week my meditation is about cleaning up and forgiving in order to move into the future with ease. This task is simple, but it always needs to be repeated, at least in my life. I wish all my gentle readers a joyous and adventurous blue moon.
Full Moon
Grounded in Acceptance
July 19, 2015
— 2 Comments
Yoga and meditation are designed to focus the mind and keep it focused when distraction happens. The very nature of being alive involves change and the unknown. We may have habits and patterns, but we have no way to predict what is just around the next bend. Our futures collide with destiny and fortune to become our realities. Much unnecessary stress is created by attempting to control too much. We can educate and improve our minds, train and feed our bodies with the best nutrition, and stay within strict guidelines for safety and still meet with disaster. It may also be true that through no real effort of our own we may be lucky, blessed, and well loved. If we ascribe good and bad labels to each of our experiences we may find that what seemed the best at the time was a prelude to downfall, and vice versa. We are not 100% in charge of our fates.
Dependent arising is the awareness that desire and fear are driving forces in human evolution. These strong emotional forces dominate our thinking, leading to suffering. The Buddha became enlightened while sitting under a tree eating sweets. His realization liberated him from all his previous desires and fears. He taught his followers saying:
“Whoever sees Dependent Arising sees the Dhamma.
Whoever sees Dhamma sees Dependent Arising”
This essential teaching of the Buddha explains how one thing leads to another when the untamed mind is permitted to ramble. Dependent arising is cause and effect. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I think it also explains how we create suffering for ourselves and others by refusing to accept things as they are. If we start by accepting ourselves as we are we can extend that good feeling to others. Once we can stay grounded in a practice of acceptance we develop the power to change. Certain traits are present in a soul still striving to control rather than accept:
- Perfectionist and hyper-critical demeanor
- Either too demanding or unable to stand up for one’s self
- Codependence in relationships and with substances
- Self doubt
- Inability to complete plans
To live happy free lives we must find acceptance for ourselves as well as others. We must see that we are dependent on all of our ancestors and everyone alive who contributes to our well being. Nobody exists without a great deal of help from others, many who will remain anonymous. The worldwide supply chain now means we depend on folks in distant lands to make our goods and provide our services. When Amazon delivers a package to your door hundreds, and maybe thousands, of people have been involved in making and delivering what you want. To create a world with more compassion and less violence and terror each of us can start where we are to accept ourselves the way we are. By reaching a state of self compassion we can light the way for others still struggling to find acceptance.
rose
On the 20th of each month bloggers join to speak up for compassion. Click here to visit more posts on acceptance or add your own.
“1000 Voices Speak For Compassion is a blogging initiative started in response to violence and alienation in our world. If you would to be part of a movement for loving change, join our Facebook Group, like our Facebook Page, or look for our posts on Twitter with the hashtag #1000Speak.”
Saraswati’s Gift
July 9, 2015
— 1 Comment
Saraswati
The Hindu goddess Saraswati represents creativity and artful expression. Her role as an educator in the arts is combined with her inspirational qualities. She once was a river in India, so her fluidity is natural. Art turns emotional states into keen statements. She is a guide to bring artfulness to all aspects of living. Her inventive spirit sheds new light on the creative process. She is popular in India today. I enjoy seeing all the ways she is depicted. She rides a swan and plays music. Her influence is uplifting and encouraging, helping you to locate your muse. You can invite her into your dreams and meditation in subtle ways. I like to use a visualization which is a combination of some of my favorite techniques rolled into one:
- I imagine a hill with a stairway that I climb. The length of the climb varies each time I do the meditation. My stairs are always spiraling around the hill, and I am usually on an island where I can see the surf. Your own details will be different from mine.
- At the top of the stairs is a temple with pillars and special light. It feels like a sanctuary built just for me. I stand in the center of the round temple and observe the doorways through which I can exit. I ask Saraswati to join me in the center.
- When she has arrived she guides me to a door and leads me down a hallway to a room with a skylight made of stained glass. This room is even more personal and specific to my needs than the outer temple. I sit in here to meditate.
- Before leaving I ask Saraswati for a gift to take back to my regular life. This mysterious part of the visualization is the heart of the matter. She gifts me with symbolic items that are designed to spur my intuition, imagination, and creativity. Initially the items may seem to have no pertinence, but if you let the images soak in you will find meaning in them.
- I thank her and start walking back the way I came, back into my waking reality.
This exercise does not need to include Hindu deities if that disturbs your sensibilities. It may be too much for you to think of hanging out with a goddess riding a swan. This same sequence will work well if you go to the temple and choose any entity, alive or dead, to join you and give you a gift. In reality you are both yourself and the gift giver in this program. The insight comes when you grasp the meaning of the gift and are able to use it to be more inventive and artful.
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