mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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How to Become a Super Model
November 13, 2012
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Find the essence of who you are meant to be through refinement and distillation.
Mollie Lu and the still
Keep your options open.
Mollie Lu
Enjoy the ride.
Jumps for Joy
Take some calculated risks.
Letting Go
Remember to thank the fam.
Max, Mollie, and Ben
State that you are one, and firmly maintain it.
Mollie Lu Looks at You
Lifeboats on the Ship of Dreams
November 12, 2012
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stormy seas and lifeboat
There are 4 lifeboats on the ship that sails through the darkness of dreams. Instinctively you decide to trust one of them in panic, in fear, in the dark. Dawn reveals the name and the nature of the little craft you chose as your vehicle to take you to a safe shore. The secure/happy boat contains anchor, oars, personal floatation devices, and provisions. It has been named Providence. The insecure/unhappy boat has no anchor, oars or provisions. The personal floatation devices are inadequate and the hull has a hole in it. The name painted on this lifeboat is Fate. The other two boats are ready for the happy /insecure and lastly for the secure/ unhappy. The happy/insecure boat has a mainsail, a jib, provisions that include rum, personal floatation devices, but no rudder, anchor or oars. This little lifeboat bears the name Hope. The secure but unhappy boat has provisions and an anchor, nothing else. It has been named Greed. If you find yourself in stormy seas, which lifeboat will you choose, and where will you sail with it? Have you been lead to believe that you must choose between security and happiness? Can you adjust your definitions of happiness and security to fit into your dream voyage when you are in both stormy and calm seas?
But the greatest of these is charity.
November 9, 2012
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Charity
We are asked to give in many ways. It is important today to regognize one of the meanings of the word charity. Charity bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, according to Paul. This charity is the virtue of charity, not at all the same as the generosity and giving of gifts. This charity is the one that thinks of all other people charitably, or with kindness. We have been on a rampage of enemy creation around here. The enemy is not a group of people you don’t know, or another nation you can not even locate on a map, as you may believe. The enemy is your very own inability to be patient and kind, and think of all strangers charitably.
It is an internal rather than an external practice. Your tax exempt giving does not exempt you from generating kindness and compassion for strangers. Your participation in public service does not give you a pass when it comes to being patient and loving. Your bright and shiny holiday lights do not prove that you are in some positive spirit, but only a willingness to electrically decorate. Loving kindness is a state that can only be shared. This year as you budget your end of the year donations, find willingness in your practice to think kindly of others you have never met. Do your part to keep the nation from hurdling off the charitable cliff. I am not asking you to do the difficult job of thinking kindly of people you know and think are incredible jerks. Start with something easy, like political parties, Europeans, the Congress of the United States,or other groups of perceived enemies about which you honestly know nothing. Just love them up and start to bring the concept closer to home as you get stronger in your ability to be patient and kind.
Restorative, the Yoga of Contentment
October 27, 2012
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What does the word restore man to you? Do you think of groceries, batteries, credit, or your spirit? When stress exhausts your spontaneous zest for life, how do you recover ? If bombed out cities can be restored, so can your severely wiped out spirit. There are many methods available, but restorative yoga is an easy to learn, simple to use sequence that brings bliss to most people almost instantly. A good class will introduce the props and the various poses. The teacher can make sure the student is properly aligned and taking personal limitations graciously. This YouTube teacher gives a good guide to the uninitiated.
After some instruction one can decide which props to own. This collection can grow over time, and none really wears out, so the bolsters and straps are good investments. I also have learned how to deconstruct a hotel room to create the temporary props I want in the moment. Folded blankets and pillows work well when they are all that is available.
The undisputed queen of restorative yoga is Judith Hanson Lasater. She is a delight as a teacher. If she comes to your town I highly recommend that you seek out her workshops. She has that yogini presence that is precious in and of itself, but her compendium of knowledge is unique and powerful. She is a physical therapist, was thrown out by Mr. Iyengar (I always love the heretic) and a brilliant author. Living her yoga, indeed, is her conduit for teaching. She is a shining example of balance between the active and the restorative parts of life. If you are not lucky enough to see her in person, all of her books are excellent.
“[Let] go of your attachments: your attachment to being right, to having total control, or to living forever. This process of letting go is integral to the process of becoming whole.”
― Judith Hanson Lasater
Charism
October 26, 2012
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Hendrix in Tune
The idea that we all have access to deeper or higher powers is indicated in religions. It is also embedded in medicine and mythology. The individual is called on to find courage to discover and develop the talents or graces given for spiritual development. Some are called to musical interpretations, others to various forms of creativity. These vocations, or callings are the gate, the opening through which the divine enters the world. By carefully copying others or projecting an image to please the public one specifically stops unique gifts from being expressed. Charisma is an attraction to a special, unique force. Charism is the influence exerted by the unique force.
When kids learn patterns from adults today they are likely to be focused and stuck in the physical appearance or status of a person place or thing. The Dalai Lama once advised in his teachings to seriously observe the way you feel about an object (place or event works here too) you desire. He added that the details of the feelings are the most important parts to observe. Noticing the feelings toward the object when you decide to buy it, at the moment it is acquired, and again three months after the purchase tells a story of fleeting emotions, and perhaps buyers’ remorse. This desire/want more syndrome is the nature of the physical realm. If no attention is given to individual gifts or talents the cycle of never ending desire will be the only path taken in life. The treadmill of wanting what others have will consume all available time and energy.
Artists find both beauty and divine inspiration in practicing their arts. A charismatic person accepts responsibility for nurturing his or her talent. The path of creative expression focuses on personal ways to distill the beauty of nature for enjoyment by all. Charism is not a commercial effort or ROI on some training received. It is the bold decision to connect the physical world to the cosmos through mediation and art. The kids today do not need to join an order or commit to a religious vocation to be exposed to the idea that their special gifts are worth discovery. The talents are worth development because they are also gifts for the entire world. Kids need encouragement and appreciation of their artistic abilities, and exposure to the artistic work of others. Can you find your own charism and use it to inspire other people?
Heaven on the Ceiling
October 21, 2012
When we identify ourselves we use memory and words to describe our personalities. We play different roles in our lives, which can be broken down into archetypes. Understanding the ancient pantheon or modern breakdown of archetypes at work will reveal your true motives and those of others. The use of astrology in art is a way to place different aspects of life in alignment with different personality traits. In the Renaissance it was suggested that by painting the gods and goddesses that rule each planet of the birth horoscope on the bedroom ceiling as a reminder of the many forces at work, a student of magic/medicine would be well served. The plants and medicines were ruled by planets, and the maladies each had a planetary influence as well. To practice medicine was to be in tune with all that science could offer and all that folk medicine could prove empirically. Symbols work directly in the healing arts just as they do in religion. Beyond words, meaning conveyed through amulets, talismans, astrological paintings, and other magic objects goes to work at a subconscious level. What is your environment saying to you?
To unplug from our own daily delusions through meditation and retreat is healthy. Carl Jung built his stone tower to surround his soul with art that directly symbolizes his inner being. To be fully individuated was the intention behind building the tower by hand in Bollingen and living/decorating it with the symbols that had meaning to him. Living off the grid, and on the water Jung was able to create a retreat that embodied his own psyche. Using his own nature combined with the spirit of the place Jung built a living evolving hermitage. He was interested in alchemy at the end of his career. He was an esteemed shrink with many followers, yet when he went symbolic alchemical on them they did not appreciate the work he had decided to pursue. He was in a position to do as he pleased. The publication of The Red Book after his death has revealed how much he did exactly that.
If you had a place on the water with funds devoted to your building of a retreat what kind of temple would you construct? If you had your choice of materials and colors how would you design your surroundings? If there is no lakeside property in your holdings, do you have a corner of a room, or a space on your window sill to set aside as your own altar or sacred reminder? Is there an inherited item that belongs in the spot, or does it need some art created by and for you? Do you successfully use your gifts as they arrive, while always developing a deeper, more confident, content sense of yourself in this world? Do you have a big backlog of inherited symbols that do not belong with you at all, but are still hanging around in your life? How much of your environment feeds your soul? Can you find a place for personal art and meditation, whatever that means to you? Do you have a few minutes each day to be still and know? These small steps can be a change in direction toward a full happy life. Find a space and a few minutes. See what you can do with them.
The Yoga Coast of California
October 15, 2012
Self Realization Fellowship, Encinitas
I am visiting the super highly charged driving world of So Cal. Here it seems to me that all my friends are driving at least half of their waking hours. I am a Tucsonan, and almost a non driver when I am at home. I can bike to almost everything I like to do, and a typical month of milage amounts to less than 150 miles total. I have been in Encinitas for 5 days and have done more driving than I do in a regular month at home. I knew the gas prices had been raised. I knew they did not establish any more parking places for me at the beaches. I knew I would become irritated with all the traffic and the never ending search for parking space. Why did I decide to enter this zone? I consider this zone to be the very best place to drive, ironically. The access to the beach is the obvious excitement, but by no means the only reason to visit and drive to the many attractions.
The natural food lifestyle and vegetarian ,organic, all pure, eco-enhanced products abound. I laughed when I observed a big sign advising that the hot dog on a stick stand had two vegetarian options, veggie dog, and cheese on a stick. Gluten free everything is everywhere, at elevated prices. Surf equipment, beach styles, brew pubs, and hip action sports programs are all over the place. I do look at the ‘fornians as lotus eaters, but enjoy coming out to chomp a few lotus myself. The casual and the sporty people mingle with little distinction in style between the super affluent and the full time surfers. In fact, it seems like the common goal is to become affluent so one can afford to live here and surf every day. Little formality and a taste for the well designed, the gourmet, and the latest of everything defines the coastal lifestyle. This is not a good place to try to assess people’s wealth or status based on the way they dress. Dressing for success here is likely to be baggies and a very rad board.
The concentration of so many of the best yoga teachers in Encinitas is not an accident. Paramahansa Yogananda built a temple on a cliff overlooking the sea here in 1937. His hermitage was a gift from a devotee who acquired the property for the purpose. The building was on the side of a cliff and eventually sustained damage that was too costly to repair, and had to be demolished. Today the center and meditation gardens are extensive, but the buildings are safely set away from the stunning view the first hermitage possessed. The Self Realization Fellowship continues to be a thriving center bringing visitors from all over the world to study or simply enjoy the gardens. I always spend a few minutes and a few dollars in the book and gift store there. The selection of books, art, and clothing is outstanding and the free stuff from the teachings is also available in English and Spanish. You don’t have to be a yogi to appreciate the history and the impact the swami had, and still has in this area.
Yogananda’s first hermitage
swami’s view
Asteya
October 4, 2012
Honoring what belongs to others is a yama, or social restraint, set out by Patanjali in the yoga sutras. To practice asteya is to understand that being satisfied with what I have is essential to my contribution to society. It also requires that I honor the time, accomplishments, and possesions of others. The yamas are simple and straightforward, designed for endless practice. They provide an ethical framework for living in this world while seeking enlightenment. Asteya has the effect of priming the pump by a mindset of coveting absolutely nothing. It is to be satisfied. It is to respect everyone’s boundaries and belongings. The most precious belonging anyone has is time.
Lena West
At the TribeUpNY on the equinox we enjoyed the presence and the teachings of Ms. Lena West, social marketing historian/wizard/teacher cum laude. She made the excellent point that time is not money, as the trite saying would have us believe. She ably demonstrated that time wasted can never be found. Money can be leveraged. If one cares to increase the value and the impact of time it must be leveraged as well. Her point is that influence is real, is valuable, and is gained by leveraging ( focusing) time. It was not her intention to come off yogic. Her message was 100 % asteya. Do what you do well. Don’t try to digest the entirety of the world at all times. Make and respect boundaries that create value. When you focus on your own well, take care of it and set limits on it, flow happens. When your focus travels to distractions of any kind you loose the value of the time that is only given once. I think Lena Patanjali West is brilliant. Here is her presentation from TribeUp:
Satya
September 26, 2012
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ST Teresa of Avila
Truth and the relationship one has with it are both elements of discernment. Each person has a reality that is colored by the limits placed on observation. I have noticed that Americans have been trending toward believing what can be seen has value, whereas what is invisible has no merit or value. When presented with a choice of money or wisdom it would be very common for most to choose money as a solution to any problem. If we only consider short term solutions, money does come in handy. If we look at how the problem to be solved now has arisen we often find there has been misuse of finances. If no new wisdom arrives with new funding, this problem will very likely to expand to the extent that the new funding allows.
Some of you are naturally thinking of politics, but that is not my subject today. Satya, or the truth that is love, exists. It has no need to be believed in order to continue being true. The details, and the attention given to the infinitesimal either hide or make clear what is true. You are a detective in your own life. You not only choose your environment and the people you encounter, but you fill in all the details by focusing on some while ignoring others. When I loose an object in my office and start to hunt for it I never cease to be amazed by what I find while searching. The longer it takes me to find the desired object, the more I am able to sort, file, dump, and make clear what is in there all the time. Clearing away the outdated, the insignificant, and the garbage makes a new level of truth exist between my office and me.
St Teresa of Avila was a woman determined to see the divine in the details of life. Interesting to me is that her focus on every little tiny thing eventually brought her a big fat vision of Interior Castles. I take this to mean that when and if I finally clear out all the junk in my life I too will see my interior wealth. I already prize teaching over money, but St. Teresa is hinting at something even more elaborate and permanent. I am sure that the stern Teresa could never have allowed her office to become such a mess. She does give hope in her quote, “To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience.” This is very good news. There may well be castles under all this junk.
Archetypes in Dreams
July 29, 2012
I am studying a modern version of Carl Jung’s archetypes for a glimpse into the intuitive world. I have always thought that every person has intuitive gifts of various kinds that could be considered talents. My teacher is Caroline Myss, who works as a medical intuitive. I am fascinated by the subject matter as well as the teaching style of Ms Myss. I assumed that in CMED…the on line and in person institute, we would learn protocol to teach us to interpret the archetype wheels of others as a skill. While this is all true it has been revealed that her belief is that everyone has an equal ability to sharpen intuition and heal others. The difference is practice, study, and a steady, perpetual, spiritual aspiration.
I have needed to change my routine to make this study a priority and a dedicated practice. There is a need to do a lot of written work to make the natures of your own archetypes known to you. I have just started my dream journal, which must be right next to the bed with the mini book light and pen attached so I can write with as little fuss as possible when I awaken. I managed a few words today, but know I will improve. I have studied my own dreams with a dream journal before. A long time ago I even practiced lucid dreaming. These skills drop away like a foreign language not spoken. I know how well one can improve both memory and details of the dream world by intending to do it, and staying steady with a practice.
I have in the past done written explorations and interview exercises with everything from dead professors to my own body parts. I once took an extensive course in “Inner Child” that required the child respond to questions by writing with the non dominant hand. I was very surprised at the accuracy of the answers, if not the handwriting, of my various inner children. Now my task is to recognize the 12 dominant archetypes active in my life, place them in a timeline in my life, then interview them to know more about them. In an effort to disobey the homework assignments I quickly skimmed the materials and did no assignments as I read and listened to the work the teachers have put into the class. I have gone as for as I can as a rebel. Written assignments are the heart of the work, therefore the teacher in my 11th house has to step up now to create an atmosphere of discipline. This is clearly not a matter to leave to my rebel, hedonist, detective, alchemist, shape shifter, or magical child. I am starting to notice this is like strength and flexibility for the soul. Core strength, range of motion, and balance in the mental, emotional, and spiritual realms are skills that can be developed through practice. Even in our dreams we can work toward greater understanding and integration.
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