tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35212556097203247562024-03-13T04:35:09.370-07:00The Organic IndianIndia, Organic Farming, the Ashram Life, and more...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-39813095786985462252024-01-28T03:19:00.000-08:002024-01-28T03:19:00.361-08:00Body<div>Walk the tightrope</div><div>Indulge in reality</div><div>Avoiding addiction</div><div>Consuming the finest food</div><div>Absent eating disorders </div><div><br /></div><div>Pride without ego</div><div>Conviction without craving</div><div><br /></div><div>Comparing is distracting</div><div>Realit-y is realit-ive</div><div>Cut through the fog of unreal</div><div><br /></div><div>Think the thoughts you want</div><div>Don’t think the thoughts you don’t want</div><div><br /></div><div>Do the work</div><div>Leave the drama</div><div><br /></div><div>Slacken the jaw</div><div>Feel full body energy </div><div>Stay right here</div><div>No matter what</div><div><br /></div><div>Short-circuit the round trip</div><div>Remain local</div><div>Feel the pristine life force</div><div>Observe how the body breathes</div><div>Chitta of an arahant is empty</div><div><br /></div><div>Perform wholesome, skillful, pious actions</div><div>Abstain unwholesome, unskillful actions</div><div>Keep purifying the mind</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-59974677979300470662023-08-19T02:20:00.009-07:002024-01-26T03:28:07.312-08:00Healthy Distance<div>Be relentless</div><div>Ambitious</div><div>Passionate</div><div>While free from addiction to reality</div><div><br /></div><div>From fear, frustration, tension</div><div>For the reality-desire mismatch</div><div>To curiosity</div><div>For how it plays out </div><div><br /></div><div>Fly too close </div><div>To the sun and you’ll get burnt</div><div>To the truth and you’ll get liberation </div><div><br /></div><div>Kick the unskillful habits</div><div>The truth shall set you free</div><div><br /></div><div>Cause, effect</div><div>Skillful, unskillful</div><div>Noble truth</div><div><br /></div><div>Cease fighting</div><div>Soften your approach</div><div><br /></div><div>Each moment </div><div>Not resisted</div><div>Is embraced</div><div>As a new, productive unfolding </div><div>Leverage the opportunity</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfiltered</div><div>Non-judgmental </div><div>Objective</div><div>Observation</div><div><br /></div><div>Not preaching to the choir</div><div>Is appealing to your best self</div><div><br /></div><div>Maintain healthy distance from reality</div><div>Hit the brakes</div><div>Untangle</div><div>Remain backstage</div><div><br /></div><div>The body is a mist of sensations</div><div>Sit back and let the thought storms carry away</div><div>Observe the negative atomic space</div><div><br /></div><div>In the deep end, without rails</div><div>Swim in sensations</div><div>Unanchored</div><div><br /></div><div>Annicca annicca annicca</div><div>This is all there is</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-22057414967348627772023-04-02T10:03:00.007-07:002023-04-02T10:03:00.241-07:00PresentHead dominated identity<br />In your head<br />The head dominates<br /><br />Habits can oppress<br />Robotic, consistent determinism can trap<br />False sense of control<br /><br />Judgment of apparent self<br />Is habituated by judgment of apparent other<br /><br />Suffering is universal<br />Because of universal addiction to reality<br />Addictive thoughts distract<br /><br />Disaggregate external noise<br />Amplify the internal, local<br />A foot in both leads to weak concentration <br /><br />Let your guard down<br />Discover contours<br />Open up narrow awareness<br />Unclench the sensational blinders<br />Take the cleansing breath<br /><br />Deepen the refuge<br />Solidify the inner sanctum<br /><br />Pleasure and pain<br />Pleasant and unpleasant<br />Clarity and delusion<br />Waves and layers<br /><br />Love<br />Is connection<br />Is energy flow<br />Is change <br /><br />There’s only energy exchange<br />Animate with awareness<br />Feel the life force<br /><br />Break the shackles<br />Of expectations and perceptions<br />From self, others, others toward self<br />Redefine your identity<br />So they don’t matter<br /><br />Shed<br />Shoulds<br />Supposed tos<br />Compared tos<br />Need tos<br /><br />Success is not promised<br />I am enough<br /><br />No reservation<br />In iron chain of causality<br />For doubt<br />Victimhood<br />Ego<br />(Primitive)<br /><br />Complement causality<br />With curiosity<br />Virtue<br />Wonder<br />(Refined)<br /><br />Present<br />Isn't adversarial<br />Nor an obstacle<br />Embrace it as<br />Opportune<br />Abundant<br />Inevitable<br /><br />Rewire<br />Desire for control<br />To desire for liberation<br /><br />Transform the present<br />With attention<br />Into perpetual heaven<br />Or perpetually experience hell<br /><br />Every ending is a beginning<br />Evolve from tolerance to embrace<br />Enjoy the process<br />That’s all there isUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-28208274101410901832023-02-03T20:37:00.006-08:002023-02-03T20:37:00.267-08:00Impermanence<div style="text-align: left;">Fear of failure <br />Fear of perception of failure<br />Full of fear</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Aversion to insecurity, uncertainty, discontinuity<br />Attachment to outcomes<br />Attachment to control <br />Compensate through habits<br />Control is an illusion</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Ego sustains attachment to control<br />Smaller the ego<br />Smaller the insecurity <br />Smaller the delusion of control<br />Reduce the surface area of attachment<br />Annihilate the ego</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />No I<br />No me<br />No my</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />External perceptions as ephemeral as internal thought<br />You can’t have the baby<br />Without the labor pains<br />Ego's antidote is impermanence</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Recognition starts with the gross, physical<br />Progresses to the subtle, mental</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Trace the arising thought<br />Identify the physical sensation signature<br />Reveal the addiction</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Anicca, anicca, anicca</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Observe the fundamental self<br />As consciousness<br />In context of impermanence <br />Dissolve the ego <br />Dissolve the self</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />For peace and release<br />To the subtlest level<br />Immerse in</div><div style="text-align: left;">Surrender to<br />Take refuge in</div><div style="text-align: left;">Inhabitat<br />Impermanence</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-89881854108072707192022-10-30T04:31:00.006-07:002022-10-31T10:02:37.609-07:00DetachmentThought circles<br />Thought prisons<br /><br />It’s not your leg<br />It’s your head<br />It’s not that<br />It’s you<br /><br />Get out from under<br />Stand aside<br />Redirect tension from shoulders<br />To wheelbarrow<br />Tai chi for the mind<br /><br />Widen awareness<br />Feel sensation through non-sensation<br />Deepen observation<br />Paint with a lighter brush<br /><br />Finite yet porous<br />Local yet expansive <br /><br />Gross to subtle<br />Subtle to gross<br />Solid to fluid<br />Permanence to impermanence<br /><br />Happiness to peace<br />Peace to truth<br />Truth to liberation<br /><br />Light a torch of sila<br />Cut through the fog of unfolding <br /><br />Inoculate from fear<br />Identify its six sense signature<br />Awareness to cease aversive reaction<br />Equanimity to repeat patiently and persistently<br />Destroy attachment<br /><br />Destroy addiction to apparent reality<div>Balance acceptance and creativity<br /><div><br />Detachment<br />Is not cessation of care<br />It's cessation of stress<br /><br />Detachment<br />Is not disengagement<br />It's productive participation<br /><br />Untangle, and<br />Don’t, ever<br />Look away </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-64080030607919669392022-07-16T23:37:00.007-07:002022-08-20T08:51:15.791-07:00FearlessnessObserve the body<br />To anchor to the present<br />Observe body in space<br /><br />Seek what’s there; reality<br />Not what’s nowhere; fabrication<br /><br />No problem is bigger than six inches<br /><br />Observe what’s real<br />Not what’s not<br /><br />Self talk is self deception<br />Language of truth is silence<br /><br />You are not your thoughts<br /><br />Progressively,<br />React<br />Observe and react<br />Observe and react less intensely <br />Observe and not react<br />Observe and respond<br /><br />Train the mind<br />To recognize pathological habitual thought patterns<br />And edit them<br /><br />Progressively,<br />Stillness<br /><div>Silence<br />Awareness<br />Impermanence <br />Detachment<br /><br /><div>Train the mind<br />To identify impermanence of physical experience <br />And not attach <br /><br />Root of fear is attachment<br />Dependence on <br />An outcome<br />Plus recognized lack of control<br /><br />Detachment is fearlessness<br />Independence from<br />All outcomes<br />Plus your best effort<br /><br />Keep faith in the path <br />Stay inline with the Law of Nature<br />And there is nothing to fear</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-11105188781082200142021-12-10T21:30:00.001-08:002021-12-10T21:30:00.194-08:00SanctuaryBody is pure sensation<br />Sensations are product of the mind<br />When we observe body<br />We observe mind<br /><br />Sensitivity varies<br />By quality of mind<br />If a tree falls...?<br />Observe self and it's clear<br /><br />Shed illusion<br />Anchor in hereness, reality<br />Brick by brick<br />Build a sanctuary in your mind<br /><br />Breath leads to body awareness<br />Observe the body through the breath<br />Observe the body breathe<br /><br />Breath in for nourishment, vitality, life force<br />Breath out for healing, simplification, stillness<br />Savor the breath<br /><br />Abstain from unskillful foods<br />Uncertainty<br />Perceptions and judgements<br />Control<br /><br />Absorb skillful foods<br />Stillness<br />Reality<br />Wisdom<br /><br />Stop seeking peace of mind<br />Start seeking peace from mind<br /><br />Stop being ruled by sensations<br />Dwell in your sanctuary<br />And be free Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-33962837798866531042021-12-03T21:30:00.001-08:002021-12-03T21:30:00.209-08:00ControlDisturbance<br />Tension<br />Anxiety<br />Stress<br /><br />Chest pounding heartbeats<br />Skin on scalp creeps<br />Stomach feels unease<br />Hard to sleep<br /><br />Fear of<br />Uncertainty<br />Insecurity<br />Isolation<br />Instability<div>Conflict<br /><br />Addicted to<br />Perceptions<br />Approvals<br />Control<br /><br />With control nowhere to be found<br /><br />Instead<br />Don't catastrophize<br />Seek context<br />Your little problem isn't the end<br />Don't waste life being anxious or depressed<br />About what will never happen<br />Or isn't real<br /><br />It's nothing personal<br />Not everyone must like<br />Or respect you<br />At all times<br /><br />Don’t consume unskillful foods<br />No one can take your inner sanctuary<br />Keep faith in the Path<br /><br />Let it go<br />Take it day by day<br />Keep it moving<br />Don't focus on uncertainty<br />Stay confident<br />Don't second guess yourself<br /><br />Control is an illusion</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-15957916863866185952021-03-21T22:53:00.000-07:002021-03-21T22:53:24.125-07:00Auroville<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95-yz-xsd0o5rCYW8m_jtyNs-xomuIiYi_kLV75YldxDcgmFncGUbwRTJbVicceQuhUjNHba3QWbQ3A1pcev73_p1eqaDSCnb7MaPLBHtieUXIIPPz0ZDumigjF6PflBoWNlhjFlBVGkr/s3264/IMG_4225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95-yz-xsd0o5rCYW8m_jtyNs-xomuIiYi_kLV75YldxDcgmFncGUbwRTJbVicceQuhUjNHba3QWbQ3A1pcev73_p1eqaDSCnb7MaPLBHtieUXIIPPz0ZDumigjF6PflBoWNlhjFlBVGkr/w400-h300/IMG_4225.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Auroville is a unique place in all the world. I have never seen such a deep and natural blending of race, ethnicity, language, and culture. In the US there is a melting pot, but baggage of hostility, exploitation, mistrust, and division between races and ethnicities. In AV there is a sense of not just tolerance but embrace and joy in diversity, borne from <a href="https://auroville.org/contents/1" target="_blank">a strong intention of unity</a>. There are white Europeans speaking fluent Tamil, and rural native Tamilians speaking French, drinking kombucha, and eating and serving stinky cheese and sourdough bread. There is a place in Pondy called White Town, which flips the dynamic and marginalizes the white people. The kids' dynamic was fasinating. The Tamil kids bully the white kids! A young Basque raised in AV says he has a 3,000 person family and is grateful to his parents for moving to AV from Spain when he was young. It is surreal and encouraging to witness.<p></p><p>Auroville is not a utopia, it is a microcosm. It has myriad issues and edges. There are factions and differences between foreginers and locals, with old and native-born youth generations, between those that to re-interpret Mother's vision and purists that believe there is a 5,000 year plan that isn't meant for modification 50 years in. While I was there the first election fraud occured where the voting box for committee membership was tampered with, and a revote was required.</p><p>It is a community built on practice of spirituality, though there is a wide spectrum of "practice" and "spirituality" followed by residents. If you have an intention to live a spiritual life, you will find plenty of people genuinely striving along their own path and can support your journey (and vice-versa). But you can also live in AV as a spiritual dabbler, spiritual in name and not in practice, not spiritual at all, all the way to living with amorality and vice. The freedom afforded in the Mothers' vision is both a gift and a challenge for achieving higher collective and individual conciousness.</p><p>To me the most notable and special contribution of AV to the world to this point is its relationship to nature. Every other city in the world is a city with nature sprinkled in. AV is nature with a city sprinkled in. There is modern amenties within the framework of and respect for nature, not in domination of it. You never forget that you are surrounded by forest, even as you enjoy the conveniences of concrete and glass, gym, cafe, and asphalt. Living there, especially in Bharat Nivas, surrounded by bodhi and banyan, hearing birds and breeze instead of horns, my body and mind were relaxed and quiet. The pace is slower and saner. There is no garbage, and there is an inherent understanding of reducing waste and minimizing footprint. I feel convinced that though AV is not perfect, it is definitely a step in the right direction from curent disfunctional state of human civilization.</p><p>While there for a six-week workation, I kept <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/7VwJrN7FNCpBfhqq8" target="_blank">a photo diary</a>. Enjoy!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-28510928563469320462020-10-31T01:33:00.040-07:002020-11-10T20:55:15.358-08:00Life and Death<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK610karVV1M4zatOYM3GUNXpeiie0U0ERayqgibguaU1UL0TwVLE-Ggf-UX29TUPwvHUupWCC-NEIqfZJX3W3JX9AwUpv25x1DsrgA4AkowymCfA0fwfpxGm03NlunyFVJuNOVJWcB_h3/s3264/IMG_3803.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK610karVV1M4zatOYM3GUNXpeiie0U0ERayqgibguaU1UL0TwVLE-Ggf-UX29TUPwvHUupWCC-NEIqfZJX3W3JX9AwUpv25x1DsrgA4AkowymCfA0fwfpxGm03NlunyFVJuNOVJWcB_h3/s320/IMG_3803.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bhim Mountain a.k.a. Razor Peak</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Last week I was in the Polo Forest, 150km outside of Ahmedabad. A beautiful and rugged rocky area with vast untamed forest toward the border of Rajasthan. It's most known for some really stunning ancient Jain temples, which I'd spent time around on earlier visits. I was there for a relaxing break from work and nature immersion. Which I got, but also found myself in an unexpected and thrilling adventure.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I almost died climbing Razor Peak (which I later found out is called Bhim Mountain).</div><div><br /></div><div>It is maybe a couple thousand feet tall, with an accelerating steepness to the rocky peak. The most outstanding feature is that getting to the top is a straight ascent up one of its solid rock edges, which starts as an upright walk but gets to a point where the rock is a tightrope of no more than 6 inches in width, with a severe drop on either side.</div><div><br /></div><div>In India hiking trails are not really a mainstream concept. When climbing a mountain like Razor Peak or even walking through Polo Forest, the trails are more like suggesstions. They often break in the middle or fade completely. Sometimes trails are just a river or a mountain you should follow or stay on one side of or keep within sight of. Despite having done a lot of outdoors since I was a kid, I have felt in danger while hiking only handful of times in my life, and most of those have been in India because of lack of trails. One notable case was with Paras in Ladakh where we lost a trail couple days into <a href="http://theorganicindian.blogspot.com/2013/11/ladakh.html" target="_blank">the Markha Valley</a>.</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggV9dm1CS8LPlqeprJ4Xquc2IDjb09jJv7iXFkGe0IeK8398CUfvKtawBvZRu5pvQJUoo5NMBsjB0G46IaTQFeDfvpOGPa6tDvYOGaGvqk-rkQV39WKyBS3yvd6gyM3SyD4yAP7fL6Uq_t/s3264/IMG_3794.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggV9dm1CS8LPlqeprJ4Xquc2IDjb09jJv7iXFkGe0IeK8398CUfvKtawBvZRu5pvQJUoo5NMBsjB0G46IaTQFeDfvpOGPa6tDvYOGaGvqk-rkQV39WKyBS3yvd6gyM3SyD4yAP7fL6Uq_t/s320/IMG_3794.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The point I turned back on day one</td></tr></tbody></table><div>For Razor Peak I was sure I was going to climb it and asked some locals how to get to it (there was no obvious way to get to the base from the main Polo Forest visitor spaces, indicating that it's seldom climbed by visitors). Few locals looked at me funny and asked if I had anyone else with me. That was a red flag. One of them said to be careful finding the way otherwise you could end up in Rajasthan. Finally a young friendly buffalo herder lead me to the "trailhead" which was behind one of the temples with a very faint meandering line of rocks to follow. He kept saying it's a straight line. There was definitely no straight line at first but trusting something of a trail I eventually got to a rock path leading straight up the mountain along an edge. I followed it to about 80% to the top when I hit a part with a really narrow walk up a steep rock edge where you could easily plummet and die. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpoJESf1gqQ71dVrqh9hENM5lUmJVi2BTvobB_UwZiHnyLD9mQqGcqVBAeMVPz31zQ3OZj2M6sv70LCewbVIFoE3jeorlDi26Wvm49epk6KsAwMlRFoAOuV5fve8_WO3T2gTh9eaNGkET/s3264/IMG_3796.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpoJESf1gqQ71dVrqh9hENM5lUmJVi2BTvobB_UwZiHnyLD9mQqGcqVBAeMVPz31zQ3OZj2M6sv70LCewbVIFoE3jeorlDi26Wvm49epk6KsAwMlRFoAOuV5fve8_WO3T2gTh9eaNGkET/s320/IMG_3796.JPG" width="320" /></a>I saw no real way to go further so I turned back, figuring that was the "top" since there was actually no further anyone could really go. Both soles of my hiking shoes also came apart, so I was working with my ripped Crocs so that was another issue. Later I was at another part of the forest with a view of Razor Peak. Another local came by and I shared I'd gone up but couldn't find the way to the top. He said there is a temple at the top and there is a way if you take a detour around the razor's edge. He made it seem that the detour was pretty obvious and easy to find, so I figured I just didn't look hard enough. So I decided to try again the next day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next day I started up again with lot of confidene and sure that I'd find the detour around the severe edge and get to pay my respects at the temple at the top and enjoy the view in a couple hours round trip.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hit the point I got to the day before pretty quickly. Not really seeing a detour, I just started walking around the side of the edge. It quickly became nearly sheer and I was scaling the side of the rock's edge with hand and foot clinging to rock. There was a huge drop and it was clear a false step would at least badly maim if not kill me. Also the wind was blowing so I clung tightly to the side of the rock face as I gingerly pressed ahead, thinking this is the "detour" the local told me about.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I kept making riskier and riskier moves to get ahead, and a couple times I felt stuck, unable to easily move forward or back. At one point I texted Jay to let him know I'm stuck on this mountain and I was going to try to turn around and would text him once I was in safety. Implication being if he doesn't hear from me to send the search party to recover the body. So at this point fear had unexpectedly but definitely entered the scene.</div><div><br /></div><div>After texting Jay I saw some opportunity to press ahead to what seemed like the actual detour the local was referring to, a walkable rather than climbable path up the mountain 100 meters or so further around the side of the mountain. So I figured if I could just get there I could confidently get up and probably back down. But getting to that actual detour was getting more and more dangerous and I cursed myself for getting myself in the positions I was in. It was windy and I was bouldering with hand and footholds rather than walking a trail upright on the soles of my feet.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbW65wBiCgzCnIebodeAxROkMRAn66x7sT3_pwwlIgdxk1jRzUrk57ur7ni7eP0ogA0UvKKmg_M4QpxeZPTtCo-6CHNNV6mFcz5LzXGreQbH8MAGjFTUlGPvYZawgjaFZQb_qneRK7CxB/s3264/IMG_3822.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbW65wBiCgzCnIebodeAxROkMRAn66x7sT3_pwwlIgdxk1jRzUrk57ur7ni7eP0ogA0UvKKmg_M4QpxeZPTtCo-6CHNNV6mFcz5LzXGreQbH8MAGjFTUlGPvYZawgjaFZQb_qneRK7CxB/s320/IMG_3822.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>Finally I reached a point where I could clearly see the correct detour, but it just seemed way too dangerous to get there on the path I was on. No way this was the path the locals were advising. Around that time I also got a really painful bite from a large ant which I took as the ant's way of telling me I was on a part of the mountain that no human was supposed to be. I convinced myself to turn around and look for a way to get on the detour further down the mountain. Meanwhile I had taken 2-3 really risky moves to get to where I was so I was mentally preparing myself to have to make them in the reverse direction. Around that time I got a work-related call and responded to impatient queries. I noted the calmness in my tone and ability to respond completely normally despite having to context switch while in a life or death situation hanging on the side of a mountain.</div><div><br />It was intense and incredibly mentally taxing to get back as I gave my utmost concentration to each step I was taking. I knew the only way I'd be in danger is if I slipped a hand or foothold, so everything had to be super sure. I went slow, which compounded the tax. There were many really thorny bushes and prickly cactus and I was cut up on legs and hands even as I carefully avoided them. But soon enough I got back to the 80% point and right around there found a much longer but walkable route leading to the actual detour. I was exhausted mentally and physically so the easy decision would have been to just admit defeat and head all the way back down. But I felt there would be real glory to complete the journey. Being able to have the sense to turn around before it was too late, but then not just take the L but have the control to retry felt like a full mental and physical conquering of the mountain.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd0u4OuloC8Bi5yMqJX1XR6f3BlC_OdZKhs5-kWIjZUScqH4jMiIKFKq_KQoIPY9lcpr5ns0qK7RpqDC0lryU81gVFhwDdIqSboy_n97ZmG4sMS_mGUnB4kWaX86zO14OU67Ql0TAXRjG/s1280/IMG_3815.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd0u4OuloC8Bi5yMqJX1XR6f3BlC_OdZKhs5-kWIjZUScqH4jMiIKFKq_KQoIPY9lcpr5ns0qK7RpqDC0lryU81gVFhwDdIqSboy_n97ZmG4sMS_mGUnB4kWaX86zO14OU67Ql0TAXRjG/s320/IMG_3815.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>Eventually I found the detour and hiked up to the peak from the adjacent, non-sheer side. There were still some sketchy points and my legs were not responding well from exhaustion, so it was touch and go. But I made it. The "temple" was more a painted stone idol. I planted one of Pancho's Earth flags there. Although I really couldn't fully enjoy the breathtaking view and the triumph of the summit since legs were shaking from the exertion and mind was shaking from the fear of the death-defying moments just 20-30 mins earlier.</div><div><br /></div><div>I learned a lot about myself from this experience. I learned I can stay calm and make smart decisions even my when life feels on the line. I was definitely feeling fear during those sketchy moves on the side of mountain with the wind blowing, but the mind was clear. The fear wasn't crippling but rather caused heightened alertness, deep concentration, and extreme focus. I also learned I can override my stubborness (which got me in the bad spot in the first place) with logic. After a while I realized that the temple at top means people have gotten there, and the route I was taking was clearly not something a tourist or even a local could take. I was clearly doing something wrong so I acknowledged my mistake before it got more out of hand. I learned that I really have a handle on my limits. Though I was stubborn and got myself in trouble, I had enough awareness to turn around when I knew I couldn't go forward. And I never made an unsure step going forward or back.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ultimately I felt very triumphant. The expereince gave me confidence in my mind and body and my ability to calmly face my fears. All the years of mental and physical training felt validated and put to good used in this adventure. I also felt very alive, in a new way after a long time. It's ironic that being so close to death can make you feel more alive. I thought of Ed Norton's character in Fight Club coming into his office on Monday, quietly taking in the stark contrast between that dull existence and the technicolor experience he had over the weekend.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the ordeal I flashed to Alex Honold, who climbs in this way as a matter of routine/default, going alone and with no safety net. And of John Muir who explored an entire wild country where no one had before been. If he took a wrong step there was no one to text to recover the body. And even Jay who recently was in a life or death situation on a rock climb but pulled through with sheer will and fearlessness. Nothing I did compares to them so I feel gratitude for their Roger Bannister-like inspiration to help me get through.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been reading Dune, which though doesn't stack up to Red Risng series in terms of drama, story-telling, character development, and excitement, has a similar thread of wisdom. Among many Bene Gesserit axioms, and Muad'Dib sayings, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bene_Gesserit#Litany_against_fear" target="_blank">Litany Against Fear</a> stands out most:</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>I must not fear.</div><div>Fear is the mind-killer.</div><div>Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.</div><div>I will face my fear.</div><div>I will permit it to pass over me and through me.</div><div>And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.</div><div>Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.</div><div>Only I will remain</div></blockquote><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-62316680507857695942020-06-13T04:29:00.004-07:002020-06-23T19:51:06.893-07:00AwareBe alert!<br />
<br />
<div>
Be attentive<br />
Be vigilant <br />
<br />
Don’t drowse<br />
Wake up!<br />
<br />
Don’t browse<br />
Come back!<br />
<br />
Reality is crisp, vivid<br />
Mind fogs, dulls, distorts <br />
<br />
Thought traps work like spider webs<br />
Catching you invisibly under your knows</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Flex, don’t clench<br />
Be on edge, lay back<br />
Dictate the action, let it come to you</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tune in to your limbs<br />
Rest in your chest </div><div><br /></div>
<div>
Patient persistence triumphs delusion</div>
<div>
Soft-observe form, subtle stirrings</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Discard distracting layers<br />
Keep letting go, keep letting go<br />
<br />
Be aware!<br />
And remain</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-72393185701499564672020-03-21T08:55:00.000-07:002020-03-21T08:55:32.159-07:00Mind, BodyTo understand reality<br />
Understand what is mind<br />
And what is body<br />
<br />
Mind is doing<br />
Body is being<br />
<br />
Mind suffers<br />
Body pains<br />
<br />
Mind is "I"<br />
Body is flesh and bones<br />
<br />
Mind meditates<br />
Body is observed<br />
<br />
Mind is in past, future<br />
Body is in present<br />
<br />
Mind chatters<br />
Body stirs<br />
<br />
Mind has stories<br />
Body has sensations<br />
<br />
Mind plans<br />
Body surrenders<br />
<br />
Mind emotes<br />
Body warms<br />
<br />
Mind gets carried away<br />
Body carries weight<br />
<br />
Keep it real<br />
Find peace of mind<br />
With the body<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-76424645228128401212019-12-09T19:58:00.001-08:002019-12-10T15:48:47.995-08:00Retreat InwardA quiet mind is fleeting<br />
Thoughts flash<br />
Can't recall the last<br />
Or ones before that<br />
Sit an hour<br />
Can't observe twelve straight breaths<br />
<br />
A ship tethered to the docks<br />
Is in the sea<br />
But it is not sailing<br />
It is not free<br />
<br />
Persist<br />
Unclench<br />
Let go<br />
No judgements<br />
Only curiosity<br />
<br />
Get below the fray<br />
Frivolous sensational games<br />
Continuous reactivity, indulging ignorantly<br />
There's little peace<br />
And much suffering<br />
<br />
Observe meta thoughts<br />
And dodge self sabotage<br />
<br />
Invert your awareness<br />
From outside looking in<br />
To inside observing out<br />
<br />
From held in place<br />
To suspended in space<br />
<br />
Subtracting movement with agency<br />
Only compelled activity remains<br />
<br />
With quiet mind,<br />
Still body<br />
Retreat inwardUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-62151919583056308112019-12-08T07:34:00.000-08:002020-01-21T23:07:07.081-08:00CoreRetreat inward<br />
From edge to core<br />
Invert your awareness<br />
And find liberation<br />
<br />
At the edge of consciousness,<br />
Thoughts are indulged<br />
Ignorantly<br />
From the core,<br />
They are beheld<br />
Objectively<br />
<br />
At the edge you hear sounds<br />
From the core you hear silence<br />
<br />
From the core<br />
Observe heart's beat<br />
And sensation waves passing<br />
Reject time<br />
Melt your dimensions<br />
Blend dream, thought, and form<br />
<br />
Narrow your consciousness<br />
Achieve freedom through small<br />
The space starts narrow<br />
Like a underground burrow it expands<br />
With time, familiarity, and skill<br />
<br />
Retreat and be ultra still<br />
Invert your awareness<br />
Dwell from the core<br />
It's right here<br />
O yes! Here it isUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-76969107488199887542019-06-16T02:20:00.000-07:002020-03-09T05:25:02.005-07:00What Is Art?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_1561827839"></span><span id="goog_1561827840"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xeRUH6kT_p1lfjvmV4P830cNUw0ezG-taVeewu9OKuJ-XMz8wluZFl_xWqtjqNEQTylEJMWeo9AWe5gBxb78qVkHrrFZwt0AGuko1J3rOiT4ncmEI-HvCxO36bCYDcHLpDtZSSc0E72O/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-16+at+2.47.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1593" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xeRUH6kT_p1lfjvmV4P830cNUw0ezG-taVeewu9OKuJ-XMz8wluZFl_xWqtjqNEQTylEJMWeo9AWe5gBxb78qVkHrrFZwt0AGuko1J3rOiT4ncmEI-HvCxO36bCYDcHLpDtZSSc0E72O/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-06-16+at+2.47.55+PM.png" width="397" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Art is a place where you can ask a lot of questions." - <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/the-dave-chang-show/e/60953879">Rirkrit Tiravanija</a><br />
"Art is a wound turned into light." - <a href="http://www.dailygood.org/story/2342/the-table-of-voices-richard-whittaker/">Georges Braque</a><br />
"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." - Pablo Picasso</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-51255079187079920782019-05-05T05:47:00.001-07:002019-05-05T05:47:34.777-07:00The Real<i>Editor's Note: Originally written April 2016</i><br />
<b><br /></b><b>The Real</b><br />
<br />
You ask, what is Real?<br />
<br />
I ask, do you have the courage to find out?<br />
<br />
Do you have the relentlessness?<br />
<br />
If you plunge your head in a river,<br />
holding your breath, burning your lungs,<br />
Do you want to know as badly<br />
As you want that breath of air?<br />
<br />
Can you tell what is Real?<br />
<br />
Is it monkeys pounding on the metal roof,<br />
Or the throbbing fear stalking from your limbs?<br />
<br />
Will you find it below the defilements,<br />
peeling back layer after layer,<br />
like a snake molting its skin?<br />
<br />
Do your nightmares not make you startled?<br />
<br />
Do your fantasies not make you aroused?<br />
<br />
Can you tell what is Real?<br />
<br />
Restlessness or relaxation<br />
Agitation or perseverance<br />
Pain or purification<br />
<br />
To know what will prevail,<br />
Understand what is Real<br />
And what is notUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-44379434172401604342019-04-21T04:14:00.002-07:002019-04-21T04:14:40.905-07:00No Mind<i>Editor's Note: Originally written April 2018, this poem was partially inspired by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DAWlspPiuI">this classic movie scene</a></i><br />
<br />
<b>No Mind</b><br />
<br />
Too many minds<br />
Mind on relations<br />
Mind on work<br />
Mind on fear<br />
Mind on pleasure<br />
Too many minds<br />
<br />
Not every thought the mind serves is worth something<br />
<br />
Why is thought-ful the status quo?<br />
Why counter thought with thought?<br />
When feeling small, remember you're vast, unique<br />
When feeling big, remember you're a universal speck<br />
Too much thought<br />
<br />
I have another way:<br />
No mind<br />
<br />
It's existence, not merely dwelling in existence<br />
Not watching a swimmer in a vast clear blue ocean<br />
It's plunging in yourself<br />
<br />
No internal dialog<br />
No evaluation<br />
Just being with a capital B<br />
No mindUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-26382216850446145012019-03-21T19:05:00.003-07:002019-03-21T19:05:45.892-07:00Drop Into Reality<b>Drop Into Reality</b><br />
<br />
Drop into reality,<br />
Join the fray<br />
Leave your baggage<br />
Release your stories<br />
Don't fuss about the spade,<br />
Just start tilling!<br />
<br />
Join the fray,<br />
Any time<br />
<br />
Sensations are impersonal<br />
Sensations are a-senseless<br />
Don't bring your calendar,<br />
Your time is a fear<br />
A silly sail<br />
In the vast ocean of Consciousness<br />
Where karmic waves<br />
Connect countless lifetimes<br />
<br />
Drop in,<br />
Right nowUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-48481905530421384762018-09-15T08:19:00.002-07:002018-09-17T01:29:10.179-07:00#MomStories<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3hnkASJCVBgoFkhsspJvumIa-tMfyYZOOO3Rgefm1TvW47YKPvKjF86E3o2hEpC-UwqBwycQsBICFaOLDGjp9nVzWzUFF5pm5Jk_0yMX_8kCAitjJmF7ZhyphenhyphenlDH8fwMMsl0sSNlb80ZV8/s1600/IMG_1297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3hnkASJCVBgoFkhsspJvumIa-tMfyYZOOO3Rgefm1TvW47YKPvKjF86E3o2hEpC-UwqBwycQsBICFaOLDGjp9nVzWzUFF5pm5Jk_0yMX_8kCAitjJmF7ZhyphenhyphenlDH8fwMMsl0sSNlb80ZV8/s400/IMG_1297.JPG" width="400" /></a>My mother is a very warm, gentle, and caring soul. She continuously and naturally does things, large and small, that reflect these qualities.<br />
<br />
Last month I was with Mom for a week and noticed a few of these extra-ordinary acts of love that she does as a matter of course. I felt moved to capture them as #MomStories. I hope that decades from now I will read these stories and it will invoke the essence of Mom and make her spirit alive and close.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Clothespins </h2>
I was taking a load of laundry out to our backyard where we have a long clothesline for drying. There was a previous load of clothes on the lines that Mom had hung, a mix of her's and others'. We have a bunch of clothespins there to attach articles so they don't get blown away by the wind and get dirty, which happens from time to time. The load on the line was big, so there weren't enough pins for all the clothes so some hung unpinned. <br />
<br />
I noticed that all the unpinned clothes belonged to Mom. She had made sure that in case clothes got dirty, they would be hers. It was a remarkable gesture because it was so invisible; no one would ever notice it; maybe Mom wasn't even conscious of what she did. She puts others before herself in a completely effortless way.<br />
<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC7pBqc8swvOBYWV6Ve10U84J6cH3wVkQQq8VueMvfWI3uGl_mavk5FlvMnNmp9ykQkfNfoyCSBmJxDK8gbmhvuOPkhcYohewKb0ug1SDcEzdkM6hl4IBVTpMV39P1aZcaefQ-nDOUrqw/s1600/IMG_1349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC7pBqc8swvOBYWV6Ve10U84J6cH3wVkQQq8VueMvfWI3uGl_mavk5FlvMnNmp9ykQkfNfoyCSBmJxDK8gbmhvuOPkhcYohewKb0ug1SDcEzdkM6hl4IBVTpMV39P1aZcaefQ-nDOUrqw/s400/IMG_1349.JPG" width="400" /></a>
Prayer Stick</h2>
I received a very special gift from a few very special people: <a href="http://www.dailygood.org/story/644/giftivism-reclaiming-the-priceless-pavithra-mehta/">Pavi</a>, <a href="http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?sid=101">Viral</a>, and <a href="http://www.conversations.org/story.php?sid=410">Big John Malloy</a>. It is a Hopi prayer stick. It doesn't look like much, a wooden pencil-like stick with a turkey feather attached to an end with string, but the stick is very sacred and created with a great amount of care and skill by chosen people infused with sacred spirit. It was sitting on my desk when Mom came up and saw it. She piked it up immediately and asked about it. I explained the significance behind the stick, how it represents connectivity to God and about the Hopi people whose culture is oriented around water. Mom listened patiently while holding the stick in her hand. She immediately related and understood that this rather strange and foreign looking object was something to be honored. She turned it over in her hand delicately and reverently and offered her interpretation of the feather and stick, as a symbol of reaching out to God. <br />
<br />
Mom is very sensitive to spirit and sacred matters. She infuses that spirit into her everyday life and connects with people through a lens of curiosity, humility, and brotherhood. In a few moments, the Hopi people, whom she previously knew nothing about, were transformed into kin.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Mabel </h2>
Mom is the only person I know who actively engages strangers in conversation on a regular basis. As in she will be on a walk in our neighborhood, see someone she has never met, approach them, introduce herself, and makes friends. Lot of times the other person also desires to connect but is held back by timidity or feeling it's imposing or bothering. Especially in America where individualism is king. But Mom fearlessly breaks the ice and introduces herself to young and old alike, and has made many lasting friendships through these cold calls. <br />
<br />
I was at the park near our house with Mom when she introduced me to a friend she had met on one of her walks, Mabel. Mabel is a widow from Bangalore who now lives with one of her daughters in the neighborhood, and is about Mom's age. Mom cold-friended her and they clicked right away. When I met Mabel, the first thing she said was how wonderful Mom is. I could see gratitude in her eyes for Mom, a good friend she unexpectedly received in a foreign land. Mabel said in a short time, she feels like she has known Mom for years. I told her that is a feeling people commonly have for Mom; she is one of those people gifted in making anyone feel very cared for and connected with almost immediately.<br />
<br />
I salute my Mom for the person she is and how she lives, and continue to be inspired by her.<br />
<br />
What are your #MomStories?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-29916022372676161562017-08-06T10:34:00.000-07:002017-08-06T10:34:00.249-07:00Human Blossom<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZzsHSzbsh90QVPX8w0RMnHwdARltrU6eIBkGdMQ2SZG-QXC-Lil8M9Ej1d7CTalVzQek3S0k31jtwAI_VhS6vBunilMWlXrEi0myvlMgyYwADFOySyuFajC8-7suT6oGWg4OOz0B7Hg2/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZzsHSzbsh90QVPX8w0RMnHwdARltrU6eIBkGdMQ2SZG-QXC-Lil8M9Ej1d7CTalVzQek3S0k31jtwAI_VhS6vBunilMWlXrEi0myvlMgyYwADFOySyuFajC8-7suT6oGWg4OOz0B7Hg2/s320/IMG_0509.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday Grocery Gang members. Suryakanta Ba in the middle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">For the past several years, I have been taking Ba and some of her friends for grocery shopping trips on Sundays. This Sunday we had the car packed with Ba, Hansoiya Ba, Kanta Ba, and first timer 91-year Suryaakanta Ba. Suryakanta Ba is the oldest of all, and she may be the sweetest. She is very cheerful,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>always upbeat, sensitive, regularly wears a warm and friendly smile, and is always happy to give blessings.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We were in the grocery store and as she was picking vegetables she accidentally swiped Ba’s face with her hand, knocking off her glasses. I didn’t see it, but when I came over to them Suryakanta Ba was very gently stroking Ba and asking her repeatedly if she was alright and cursing herself for being so careless. I asked what happened, and she explained she accidentally hit her and it was a very wrong thing to do. Then, in the sweetest way, with tears welling up in her eyes and throat, in English she said “sorry” to Ba. It was the gentlest, sweetest thing I had every witnessed an old person do. It felt monumental for such an old person to so humbly apologize for anything. Even the stranger next to us, who also was startled by the sweetness, looked over and smiled at the exchange.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
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<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">When you witness a beautiful flower in bloom, it can feel like all the beauty of the world has been funneled in and poured into that single moment. Or into a sunset or starry night. To me this moment felt like a human blossom. For a moment I forgot everything else and was reminded how beautiful the world can be.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-32375147919317212412017-07-31T10:31:00.000-07:002017-07-31T10:31:00.304-07:00Sleep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYII0YVvhrMVvAOazO_2YC1Ax7o-w3m-bcWYtU-XMRAxurUcWTn6pBwBZYznoXyMBH4HCEBEoUd9lLi3OXSB19EiVONL1UP7Z3ty_UTvL0om_f4C-gZLU0N2Zolj8QGCKXLq7hZOPy4n8/s1600/sleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="615" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYII0YVvhrMVvAOazO_2YC1Ax7o-w3m-bcWYtU-XMRAxurUcWTn6pBwBZYznoXyMBH4HCEBEoUd9lLi3OXSB19EiVONL1UP7Z3ty_UTvL0om_f4C-gZLU0N2Zolj8QGCKXLq7hZOPy4n8/s400/sleep.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I was talking with Pavi last month and she was sharing about an Ayurvedic master named <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU16LNHQCkQ">Shunyaji</a> who runs a <a href="https://www.vedikaglobal.org/">world-renowned Institute</a> in the Bay Area. In one of the courses where she trains students to teach Ayurveda, she started the first class by saying: You are going to learn a lot of things in this course and cover topics in great depth. You may not remember most and practice even less. But if you forget everything else I say, remember these two things and practice them for a lifetime of good health:<br />
<ol>
<li>Get enough sleep and sleep on time</li>
<li>Avoid snacking</li>
</ol>
<div>
I found it fascinating that a teacher steeped so deeply in this ancient science began her course and essentialized the teachings into these two points.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pavi and I talked more about the impact of good sleep and it inspired me to commit to sleeping on time and in greater quantity. Ayurveda says that the body gets peak rest during 11am-3am, so sleeping by 10:30pm is important. I was normally sleeping between 11-12am, and it would be a significant shift to get to bed by 10:30. But I told Pavi my goal would be to at least get to bed before 11pm regularly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have been putting it into practice for about a month and, though I'm still not there yet consistently, am finding it really beneficial. I'm not sure if it's directly caused by sleeping early, but I feel more at ease, less anxious in my day-to-day. I have been dealing with anxiety in the mornings and stress throughout the day for a couple years now so this has been a welcome change.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Earlier sleep means a bigger change in my routine, most notably it means I have to exercise in the mornings rather than evenings. Since I was sleeping earlier, I have been waking up earlier so this became a possibility. Morning workouts has been a happy side effect of the sleep shift and I've been really loving it. It's forced me to go to the gym less, so less heavy weight workouts but I've anyway been trying to move more towards flexibility and mobility through yoga and gymnastics-style training (after listening to an incredible <a href="https://tim.blog/2016/05/09/the-secrets-of-gymnastic-strength-training/">interview with the former US Gymnastics coach Chris Sommer</a>). Shifting away from the gym has brought in more variety in exercise as well, I rotate between <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.popularapp.sevenmins&hl=en">7-minute workout</a> (from Nimo), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNqrkGnkUWc">8-minute abs</a> (from Hash), the Bear (a routine with dumbbell I learned from Denny, a 70+ year-old personal trainer I met in Florida that's built like a tank), pushups, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbNCC-BMNKg">kettlebell</a>, etc. I do wind sprints on the riverfront instead of on the treadmill, which is better for the knees and probably for the body.<br />
<br />
The sleep change causing ripple effects on the rest of life reminds me of an <a href="https://tim.blog/naval-ravikant-on-the-tim-ferriss-show-transcript/">interview Naval Ravikant</a> gave where he said the simple decision to work out every morning changed his whole life, because it meant he had to go to sleep early, which meant he couldn't stay out late, which meant he stopped drinking because he stopped going out with friends at night to bars. Stopping drinking in turn had many other positive mental and physical benefits. It's all connected and one discipline you bring in can have a positive ripple effect across many aspects of life. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I started keeping a sleep log to track my sleep and motivate the behavior change, so far so good!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-52193082109083422992017-07-15T23:42:00.000-07:002019-03-10T08:18:44.821-07:00What Am I?<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b>What am I?</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I am not my anxiety;</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
it does not define me</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I am not my TODO list,</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
or the tasks I accomplish each week</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I am not defined by what I do or feel!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I am not my fears or failures</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I am not my dreams, my growth, my pleasure, nor my pain</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I learn, I grow, I rise, I fall</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I'm something else</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Something more?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
What am I?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Everything?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Nothing?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Instrument?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Insignificant?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I am a collection of particles</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
My feet on the Earth, </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
my particles mingle with all other particles</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I am connected</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
No "I", no "me", no "my"</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Observe and learn to accept; </div>
<div>
don't get too involved</div>
<div>
My doing is only for myself, no one or nothing else.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Breath calmly, try to make peace</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
What am I?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
That is the question.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-40756198694444436822017-07-08T02:16:00.002-07:002017-07-24T04:46:27.644-07:00Jesús<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZGOZcYO7WJVNAQslRqrzyJ5-mrTJomK6LS7axyV94xg0K3sTap3Lkb6Lg2JnugmIIubVqn9-7DVXOC9YwBV9BMS17SqEFEHXSR26utndEkJe7A8UXh8qjX6juj_SmA2MNIcETGThaOBI/s1600/05192016172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZGOZcYO7WJVNAQslRqrzyJ5-mrTJomK6LS7axyV94xg0K3sTap3Lkb6Lg2JnugmIIubVqn9-7DVXOC9YwBV9BMS17SqEFEHXSR26utndEkJe7A8UXh8qjX6juj_SmA2MNIcETGThaOBI/s400/05192016172.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Editor’s note: This post is over a year overdue! Writing it even now, the story remains fresh and near to my heart and I’m excited to share it. It is about my friend Jesús and the work he is doing in Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>UPDATE</b>: <i>If your moved by Jesús and his story and want to do something to support, <a href="http://africaarchitectureawards.com/en/entry/anwa-junior-academy">please vote for the school project here</a>.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/how-nonprofit-experience-changed-my-path-in-architecture_o">Jesús</a> and I met in Ahmedabad in 2010 when he arrived as a volunteer with <a href="http://www.architectswithoutfrontiers.com.au/">Architects Without Frontiers</a> to build Anganwadi schools with Manav Sadhna. Among several projects, he was involved in building <a href="http://theorganicindian.blogspot.in/2011/09/school-that-ganeshnagar-built.html">Patangyu</a>. In his spare time he and I held a regular football practice with some of the MS children. That later grew into the <a href="http://theorganicindian.blogspot.in/search/label/football">MS Sports Program</a> that continues on today.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8o112msGBypZnVKB3fmicYp2D5sh7NnTvV_WihMDThZzClQmyK-yVGYtLu9vvNFLEl9Qiws15PVU3WF4lVmrQNbj3Jy7vLgHOgrEQbE_mXWrngiclAFFDPqx0XD0neCf7ZfF6e5aLRS_O/s1600/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: times; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8o112msGBypZnVKB3fmicYp2D5sh7NnTvV_WihMDThZzClQmyK-yVGYtLu9vvNFLEl9Qiws15PVU3WF4lVmrQNbj3Jy7vLgHOgrEQbE_mXWrngiclAFFDPqx0XD0neCf7ZfF6e5aLRS_O/s320/05.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">After leaving India in 2012 and traveling to Peru in 2013 to build another school in a slum area there, in January 2015 Jesús moved to Nairobi, Kenya to work with an NGO doing educational work in Kibera. At the time he made the decision to move, details<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>about this NGO and the project he would be doing were vague. But it was Jesús’ experiment to bravely jump in and, in his own words, “lose myself in service of others.” In fact Jesús nature is to serve however and wherever he is called.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c0uK6LCseQtg0tPSKZ4F9ujAuHBezOXBXeSuwooCay6QaKAeQSto4P0JaYTcQE4fEqGdCxeZ6QwIZQCWqjXj_1qhrYkJ3XDsSoC4xiJ7866s4tzbhOH93l1Wyj1hVAfopZF1lJ9M0oYe/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c0uK6LCseQtg0tPSKZ4F9ujAuHBezOXBXeSuwooCay6QaKAeQSto4P0JaYTcQE4fEqGdCxeZ6QwIZQCWqjXj_1qhrYkJ3XDsSoC4xiJ7866s4tzbhOH93l1Wyj1hVAfopZF1lJ9M0oYe/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: center;">As it turned out, the NGO he had originally come to Kibera for didn’t pan out. At that point most of us would have patted ourselves on the back for the effort, tuck-tailed and run back home. </span><span style="text-align: center;">But not Jesús. He kept digging and came to know about another organization, </span><a href="http://www.kounkuey.org/" style="text-align: center;">KDI</a><span style="text-align: center;">, also doing education and community-related work in Kibera. Despite no formal introduction or partnership in place, Jesús decided to stay on and work with KDI on their various projects building bridges, public toilet facilities, community gathering spaces, shops, playgrounds, and more within Kibera. Essentially, creating open spaces by and for the community. Jesús had no funding or clear project, just a desire to serve. After some time a vision for a school, KDI’s biggest project yet, took shape and Jesús was appointed to lead it. Along with support from a German Architecture NGO, Jesús began the journey of building a multi-story school in the middle of dense Kibera.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUNh8nWJHCd-4bmkKRLqNYVpPOML5iA6ptev7xcU0vwAQtaCGh6aCY_geGajI3stpJe8vvBoQIMKjxqMrzMDTx0eWDHGug0FKT30rYRzKwA0K8cATQAfMCKTnwyUAKzRZ-zxglUPiEPGD/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUNh8nWJHCd-4bmkKRLqNYVpPOML5iA6ptev7xcU0vwAQtaCGh6aCY_geGajI3stpJe8vvBoQIMKjxqMrzMDTx0eWDHGug0FKT30rYRzKwA0K8cATQAfMCKTnwyUAKzRZ-zxglUPiEPGD/s320/03.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">If you've been to Kibera, you would say the notion of building a pukka school in the belly of this </span>dusty dense and dubious place is impossible. There is an endless list of challenges. At the first level there is securing the will of the community, the resources, and the know-how. Jesús had to convince the community of the design (including details like whether to build the toilet facing the main road with a public entrance or inside only for the children or for pay), the materials to b<span style="font-family: inherit;">e used (in the middle of construction, the local Nubian community demanded that the concrete structure be replaced by mud), and the timeline (the children were re-located temporarily to a church during construction, but its distance and lack of facilities caused attendance to drop). After that there are an enormous number of logistical hurdles. Here’s one story Jesús told, in one of his regular emails to friends since construction began in 2016, on transporting materials from the main road down to the site by hand:</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGn4totHN_MweI21hHifCQ86hFH_c8LCChXzA6g9arVjgPIDd6ix-NgNB6vM0A4KAW2H8vv6QnlkI-zFDjFQqHW3D3SvUxVyhNoREjAqHbgqrZ0yE9TK1PdqpT4Wk4k2SRPG4CrlqLoLds/s1600/04+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGn4totHN_MweI21hHifCQ86hFH_c8LCChXzA6g9arVjgPIDd6ix-NgNB6vM0A4KAW2H8vv6QnlkI-zFDjFQqHW3D3SvUxVyhNoREjAqHbgqrZ0yE9TK1PdqpT4Wk4k2SRPG4CrlqLoLds/s320/04+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The poor accessibility to the site, means that materials (sand, gravel, stone...) have to be carried all the way from the main road to the site (around 300meters) by foot with sacks or wheelbarrows. Kibera is full of "porters", who are young people waiting on the side of the road to carry materials in exchange for a bunch of shillings. What happened was, some porters got "distracted" and ended up with the sacks of cement in their houses instead of on the site. So, to make sure all the materials reach safe and sound, the teachers are doing this: every time materials reach the road, the teachers leave their classes, and stand along the path (from road to site) 50 meters apart monitoring the materials entire trip...So far, none of the porters have been distracted again. ;)</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">Even once the materials are at the site, they have to prevent them from theft by keeping security 24 hours a day. At one point, the security guard had to be fired because he was himself stealing bags of cement! In another episode, Jesús had to demolish and shift a pillar by 30cms so a neighbor could squeeze a couch through the narrow common road. During construction a pit latrine was discovered under the building site which caused the another part of the school to be demolished and rebuilt as it was to risky to build on top of the latrine. Most recently, in order to connect the schools toilets to the main sewage line they had to open up 200 meters of roads in the slum.</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKK6yr31B2yOfjf7QsDkHXDKwffgKvad4_dkaNaKTCLRuLkIL_10kSJru-hYE2FIxugVdvyy88K1Pim3ZWbFHa_fQogNEh9c-qFwh1DFswsR3kTJop1hfDAtU96BtgHmZuVPqD6IHN5vXW/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKK6yr31B2yOfjf7QsDkHXDKwffgKvad4_dkaNaKTCLRuLkIL_10kSJru-hYE2FIxugVdvyy88K1Pim3ZWbFHa_fQogNEh9c-qFwh1DFswsR3kTJop1hfDAtU96BtgHmZuVPqD6IHN5vXW/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classes have commenced without teachers and a completed building!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p4">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">The school is not complete yet, but Jesús can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Still, the parents of the children have decided they do not want to wait to get out of the tunnel and launched a rebellion to allow the children to start coming to the half-completed school! Classes have commenced and Jesús had to roll with another unexpected turn in the journey. Humbly, he writes how this was a reminder that this project was not about the finished product but the journey, with the community. And what a journey it is!</span></span></div>
<div class="p4">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zqVT4FS1eKN7apvt0PcgFn6R7CJ3ZrvSKLCy_ALiwgPL7MW6fnjtBpGi965z03i1lN194wMEJtt371lL_UCtZ47pjtnLyzNyIoyxFhXpOkeQ1dLhF76CDWUAEF31lK2bZu2WULXMApFq/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zqVT4FS1eKN7apvt0PcgFn6R7CJ3ZrvSKLCy_ALiwgPL7MW6fnjtBpGi965z03i1lN194wMEJtt371lL_UCtZ47pjtnLyzNyIoyxFhXpOkeQ1dLhF76CDWUAEF31lK2bZu2WULXMApFq/s400/14.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">I am continuously inspired by Jesús and his humble work all around the world. He works deeply embedded in the most challenging contexts and is able to observe and delight in both the ugliness and and beauty of life around him. I am always thrilled to get his every-few-months email photo diary entries where he shares about small and beautiful things about life and culture in Kenya with such rich vivid detail. The way he lives and works is truly humble, powerful, impactful, and exceptional and gives me tremendous hope for humanity to build connections and serve with a truly open heart.</span></span></div>
<div class="p4">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you, hermano, for who you are and the work you do continue to do in quiet corners of the world that touches and inspires so many all around the world.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">Last year, I was able to visit Jesús and Lily in Nairobi and see Jesús’ work first hand. Here is a <a href="https://photos.google.com/u/1/share/AF1QipO4IZ4tdHtWCfKTwGtHxRKI4lHVqlp4hoGcsW5eBMHe75fggikvvaqwuITV5toa-w?key=dUZldDVkVkU0aGdzQTVIb252RXdRVGthMEZBa3lB">short photo diary of that visit</a> (photos with captions)</span></span>.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-33234320376752203572015-10-10T09:58:00.002-07:002015-10-10T09:58:24.545-07:00Floss Test<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F43Y8ad5n0QuW8wWgoMst6VEyHBoVcFeMnnOvez9Kcnj8TO3ASpSaKzENAKxFuRz_xJuiXHuvRlzBEoYzVyBLBUaC7-eDlMklX7Q8YJoEIO4VHeUHkjeIcGasn1Q87LsXCrPj5jUYmkO/s1600/floss.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F43Y8ad5n0QuW8wWgoMst6VEyHBoVcFeMnnOvez9Kcnj8TO3ASpSaKzENAKxFuRz_xJuiXHuvRlzBEoYzVyBLBUaC7-eDlMklX7Q8YJoEIO4VHeUHkjeIcGasn1Q87LsXCrPj5jUYmkO/s320/floss.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
In recent years I have made efforts to take my meditation practice "off the cushion." I realized the real goal of the practice is to be constantly aware, continually present, moment to moment. Otherwise you just sit on the cushion 1-2 times a day and its an oasis of presence at best, a ritual at worst. The practice becomes alive and really starts to benefit you if you are able to apply it during the other 22 hours.<br />
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Continual awareness in day-to-day life is a big challenge. For a couple years, I've found pockets of mundane life where robust awareness and precense has made headway: when I drive, before I sleep, while I prepare food, while I walk around, while I sit and wait, etc. But these are just small punctures into the vast thick canvas of consciousness that covers life.<br />
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One test of awareness and mindfulness I've been playing with is the Floss Test. Every morning, I floss my teeth. Usually, I wake up and brush or floss and its so mechanical I forget that I've even done it 30 min later. I stood in front of the mirror and picked at my teeth for several minutes, but I don't even have the prescense of mind to remember what I did or sometimes that I was even there.<br />
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So I've made a habit of trying to be fully aware while flossing my teeth. More times than I'd like to admit, I start flossing with mindfulness, but by the time I'm at the end of the line my mind has wandered and I wasn't there for the experience of cleaning the last few teeth or throwing away my floss. It's crazy how many times I've promised myself I will end that two minutes with the same presence as when I started, for the sake of this game, but was still not able to maintain. But over time it's slowly gotten better.<br />
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This bootstrapped approach seems inelegant. Once I'm able to master flossing, I'll move on to showering, then eating, then exercising? Seems quite brittle.<br />
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Is there a better way than "fake it till you make it?"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521255609720324756.post-39826263509094147622015-10-04T02:20:00.001-07:002015-10-19T10:14:44.799-07:00Winning Is A Drug<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQBGQVGj5lOAvtuqLp17KahyphenhyphenwC7EkCzV_YnMV05ogxHgu2czmSfATpYasVfz9leFF8fSWDGX83Jf0tOUTYeOM9IQv14F_KUFW-vSBWAjUc5OuV1AMSjvZ1pCtyA5c2rCSi7byC-lttn5d/s1600/DSC07714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQBGQVGj5lOAvtuqLp17KahyphenhyphenwC7EkCzV_YnMV05ogxHgu2czmSfATpYasVfz9leFF8fSWDGX83Jf0tOUTYeOM9IQv14F_KUFW-vSBWAjUc5OuV1AMSjvZ1pCtyA5c2rCSi7byC-lttn5d/s400/DSC07714.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our U-12 team recently competed in a league, hosted by Kahaani. They played about six matches, one every Sunday morning, over two months. Heading into their last match, they had lost 3 matches and drew in two. In the final match, they got their first win.<br />
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The children played brilliantly. They passed, they ran hard, they stayed in position, and they played together. Though they dominated the entire game, they were down 1-0 at half. They scored two hustle-style goals in the second. After they took the lead, they frantically protected for the next five minutes. The stakes were very high. When the final whistle blew, they were over the moon. Flying around whooping and hugging. It was difficult to calm them down enough to shake hands with the other team.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvIbiieEF4SjnTMO8rnkyA2qgv6WEppQGyy0yVoy3ciQEMyR1cyYmJe8V7-GletClX_BDPVKHHQ1ya9KNoC-Rj1bNTcGI9ISd0ywK95iiZZLdpeqelXrWk4W-0Yb6wk1-bQ-7xH2UZS6I/s1600/DSC07712.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvIbiieEF4SjnTMO8rnkyA2qgv6WEppQGyy0yVoy3ciQEMyR1cyYmJe8V7-GletClX_BDPVKHHQ1ya9KNoC-Rj1bNTcGI9ISd0ywK95iiZZLdpeqelXrWk4W-0Yb6wk1-bQ-7xH2UZS6I/s400/DSC07712.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
Afterwards Manishaben hosted a very cute ceremony for all the league teams with parents and coaches all around, and medals were handed out. I forgot how exciting it is to receive a medal. The children continued to occupy cloud nine.<br />
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On the car ride home, the mood was night and day different than after the other matches. They were chatting non-stop with each other, singing songs, yelling, asking for the radio to get turned up, planning how to tell Rahulbhai the big news ("Neilsir, Neilsir! Don't tell Rahulsir we won, we want to surprise him!"). The spirit was highly elevated. All because they knocked a ball into a net one time more than another group of kids over a forty minute span. When we got back to MS, they flew out of the van straight over to Rahulbhai and the other kids to bask in the glory. The medals were shown off proudly and placed around each others' necks. It was tremendous joy.<br />
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Winning is a drug. It totally changes your mood and outlook on life. Everything in your lens is tinted with a special shine. This experience made me think about why I was never attracted to drugs or alcohol growing up. They never appealed to me, seemed irrelevant to my life and lifestyle.<br />
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It was because I was already getting high all the time on the football pitch. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0